Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (4)

Writers: Cali, Emma
Date Posted: 8th September 2008

Characters: I'lan, Sorsha, Ri'len, Balisor, Balthan, Karai, Serend
Description: I'lan joins Sorsha, her family, and the Willet Grove family for an uncomfortable evening.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 11, day 8 of Turn 4

"Thank you for staying the evening." Sorsha said with a smile as she walked I'lan back to Naath.

"I enjoyed it," and he had in the end. It had been nice to get out of the Weyr and particularly when the company was so pleasant. "Your family seems nice."

"It's too bad you couldn't have met my brothers," Sorsha was sure he would have loved them- and they him, "but maybe next time."

Brothers, but brothers could not be as bad as meeting parents, thought I'lan. "You'd like me to visit again?"

"Of course!" she grinned up at him, "you're always welcome here"

"Your father wouldn't object to it would he?" He'd seen how her father had looked, and thought maybe that there was some subtle warning there, but wasn't sure.

Sorsha remembered back to the conversation she had previously had with her father. He hadn't objected then. "No, we've talked about you before, he knows we're friends."

"Then maybe sometime next sevenday, so long as there isn't fall, or we don't have duties elsewhere. They keep us busy at Dolphin Cove, or they try to at least."

She grinned again, elated that he was already planning their next encounter. "If Serend does agree to a fostering I'll probably go after Turn's End, would you still be able to visit out there?"

"Providing the people you are fostered with don't mind. Not everyone is happy with Naath here arriving, they worry that he may spook their stock."
I'lan grinned. "Won't help me wanting to visit if they have to round up the herdbeasts and runners."

She nodded as she considered that. Railen probably wouldn't look too kindly to a dragon chasing after his runners. "I'm sure we'll figure something out, even if I have to walk a thousand dragonlengths to meet you."

"Would you really? Really go that far?" he asked softly.

Sorsha had just thrown out a number, but he seemed so serious and his eyes made her want to crumble as she met them. "If you promised to be there."

A promise, it sounded so serious all of a sudden. But this was only talk, wasn't it? "Would Naath let me forget you?"

She smiled, "If I recall from my candidate training... dragons have terrible memories."

"Then maybe you'll have to help both of us remember you," he teased.

Was she that forgettable? Sorsha worried that she indeed was to a dashing dragonrider, "How?"

"Like this." He stepped in front of her and slowly bent his head, watching her eyes as he gently kissed her lips.

She froze for a moment, shocked at not only what he was doing, but that he was doing it to _her_. She'd daydreamed about him kissing her ever since she met him and now it was for real! She closed her eyes and leaned into him, enjoying her very first kiss.

"Now we'll remember," said I'lan after a moment when the kiss broke.

Sorsha took a breath and blushed. Had she done it right? Had she been horrible? He seemed happy enough but she wasn't sure, why had he stopped? She tried to think of something mature and nonchalant to say but she drew a blank so she gave up and blurted out, "I should hope so."

"Trust me," he said. "That was memorable." And it was, if just for it's sheer innocence, so many at the Weyr tried to put over all their intentions in just one moment, but with Sorsha, it was just what came naturally.

She smiled then grinned as the whole moment started to set in. "When you come back, you can kiss me again if you want."

"Only if you want me to."

What an absurd statement, of course she'd want him to! She looked over her shoulder as she heard some faint yelling coming from the dock and realized she'd probably better get back before he father thought she'd been dawdling. "I've got to go I'lan."

"I will come back," he assured her.

Last updated on the September 10th 2008

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Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (4)