Treat For You

Writers: AL, Devin
Date Posted: 21st November 2008

Characters: Jerroll, Edele
Description: Edele brings Jerroll a treat.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 12, day 9 of Turn 4

They were still a day's sail from Esper Bay. Edele found herself fretting, milling about the kitchen, taking the pots out, reorganizing them and putting them back. She would then go to another section and do the same thing, only to start all over again. It was a mindless task, kept her busy in between cooking meals.

After a while, however, she decided she needed to do something productive. Once lunch was over and served and the crew had settled back into their routine, Edele gathered ingredients together and began to work on a batch of cookies. When they were done, she stood, staring at them for a moment before gathering them together, wrapping them and heading to the First Mate's cabin. She supposed she should have checked on deck first, but it was possible, with their course set and the sky clear of cloud and thread, he would be lounging about in his cabin. She lifted her first and rapped upon the door.

"Come!" he called.

He was in his cabin after all. Edele hesitated but a moment, then carefully pushed open the door. "Jerroll?" Her voice was soft, almost timid, as if she were afraid he would chastise her for disturbing him. "Are you busy?"

"Nothing I can't set aside." He put his pen down next to the small stack of hides.

She hovered in the doorway as if contemplating the wisdom of entering, then moved forward and held out her bundle. "Here. These are for you."

He took the bundle, noticing the warm, sweet smell and unwrapped it. "Cookies." He smiled. "Just for me?"

"Yes." Edele's cheeks warmed and she dropped her gaze. "It's...sort of a thank you."

She was so cute when she did that. "I can't remember the last time someone made cookies for me."

"Well, if you want more after these are gone, I can make them for you." Edele offered.

He shook a finger. "You really are going to spoil me." He picked up a cookie and took a bite.

A warm, buttery flavour spread through his mouth, almost melting. Edele smiled. "I should spoil you after all you've done for me."

He finished the bite before saying, "I didn't do it for a reward, but from now on I might be tempted to barter with you."

"Barter?" Edele smirked in amusement. "What would you barter?"

He cleared his throat as a particularly inappropriate idea crossed his mind. "Oh, I don't know. Trips to certain places or extra marks or something."

"Well, I suppose then this is my payment," Edele stated softly, hands clasping together tightly, "For the trip to Esper Bay."

He munched away at his cookie. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had one this good. "Then I guess I'll have to think of something else to do for you. I'm bound to finish these before we get there."

"I really don't need much." One hand slid up to rub idly at Edele's elbow. "And if you want cookies, you don't have to barter. I'm glad to make them for you."

"I've been a trader a long time. I'm used to bartering." He smiled. "How about you think of something you want, and I'll let you know how many cookies it's worth."

"At the moment, the only thing I can think of is my memory." The corner's of Edele's lips tightened a bit. "But I'll let you know if I want anything more tangible."

"Alright." He lifted another cookie.

"Well, I guess I should get back to work." Edele took a step back toward the door, not wanting to leave, but not really able to think of a reason to stay.

"You have a habit of making hasty retreats from my cabin." His eyes sparkled with amusement. "Sit down. Have a cookie."

"I don't want to be a bother." Edele did stop and took a step back forward. "I thought you might be busy, really, just...wanted to give you these."

His eyebrow went up. "Do I have to make it an order?"

"No." Edele's lips tipped upward in a slow smile. "Unless you really want to."

"I think it would bruise my ego to order you to keep me company." He pushed the plate toward the center of the small table.

Edele took the hint and took a seat in the only other chair in the room opposite of the first mate. "I think your ego is a bit too big to bruise, especially by any pitiful punch I could throw." She leaned forward and took a cookie.

Jerroll put a hand to his chest in mock hurt. "First you try to walk out on me, and now you accuse me of having a big ego. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to hurt my feelings."

"That would be impossible." Edele took a bite of the cookie and savoured it. They had turned out better than she had thought.

"You trying or my feelings being hurt?" He bit into his second cookie.

"Your feelings being hurt." Edele shook her cookie at him.

"How do you know I'm not hiding a fragile heart?"

Edele finished off the rest of her cookie before asking softly, "Are you?"

His mouth turned up in a sly smile. "Maybe."

"Does this mean I'm not going to get to see it either?" Edele's voice lowered, the sound almost a whisper. "Are you going to hide from me too?"

"You might catch a glimpse." He turned serious. "I break hearts. Few have had the chance to do the same to me."

"Do you break them," Edele asked, her voice still soft, "So that you won't have yours broken?"

"Wouldn't that be romantic?" He leaned back. "I break them because they fall in love with my charm, because they tell themselves we have have more than a few nights, that I won't be off again, to another port, another woman."

Edele let her gaze fall and for a moment, she was silent, staring at the warm brown of the cookies before her. Finally, she stood, the chair complaining as it was pushed back. "I should start dinner."

She might be stung now, but better that she know it upfront before things progressed beyond harmless flirting. Jerroll nodded. "Thank you for the cookies."

"You're welcome." Edele turned and made her way out of his cabin without looking back.

Last updated on the November 22nd 2008

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Treat For You