Trust me

Writers: Ames, Eimi
Date Posted: 14th August 2010

Characters: J'nev, Cardella
Description: J'nev butters Cardella up to get her to trust him and convinces her to engage in a bit of kissing
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 15 of Turn 5
Notes: Follows DFW: The Ways of the Weyr and DFW: Good Girls

Cardella

Having finished all her chores, Cardella left the dining caverns to
meet J'nev. One of the other girls in the kitchen had giggled when
she'd mentioned her new friendship with J'nev, which caused her brow
to furrow in confusion. J'nev had been very kind to her. He'd offered
to help her understand things better, which she assumed would mean a
nice conversation and hopefully a good friendship. Nodding her head as
if to affirm her thoughts, Cardella entered the room and looked around
for J'nev.

The bronzerider smiled when he noticed her and left his friends to
continue their conversation. "That was fast," he said as he crossed
thevroom towards her.

"I was nearly done when you came in, so I only had a few minor things
to see to." Cardella looked around, feeling a bit shy and uncertain
suddenly. Had she done the right thing in coming here? She managed to
chew on the inside of her cheek nervously as her hands seemed to twine
themselves together at the same time.

He saw her look around the room uncertainly and decided there was no
reason to waste time there. "Shall we go back to my weyr?" he asked,
his voice lowered softly. "So we can work on that 'special friend'
idea?"

"Um," Cardella hesitated. Should she go? He seemed so genuine and
kind, and she was downright uncomfortable in their current situation.
She nodded a bit stiffly. "Alright, if you think that's wise."

"I think it's better than talking about it here," he said, reaching down
for her hand. "I'll show you the way."

She let him lead her, his hand in hers. It felt, strange, yet almost
comforting in a way. She'd held hands with others before, but it had
normally been childhood friends or family. This was different,
somehow. Though she couldn't quite place the feeling.

He made small talk he lead her down the corridors to his weyr. Opening
the door, he gently pulled her inside. "Why don't you have a seat on
the sofa. Do you want a drink?"

Cardella had listened and nodded in response to his talk as they
walked. When she found herself standing in front of his weyr, she
wanted to stop and try and catch her breath, but J'nev did not allow
her a moment to second-guess. In an instant she was inside. **What are
you doing here, Cardella?** She asked herself, feeling a bit nervous.
**He's just being friendly, that's all,** she reminded herself as she
took the seat he offered and nodded her head in response to his
question.

J'nev found two glasses and his stash of Sapphire Meadows whiskey and
poured them each a glass. Handing one to her he took a seat next to
hear, just close enough that their knees touched as he turned a little
to look at her. "Cheers."

Cardella shifted a bit when she felt his knee bump hers, thinking he
needed more space. She was beginning to feel more uncomfortable, but
her training at the hold would not allow her to leave now until she at
least accepted the drink he offered. Picking up the cup, she lifted
it, and took a drink. Her eyes bulged almost instantly and she began
to cough and sputter. She quickly set the cup back onto the table,
spilling some of the liquid in the process.

"I'm...sorry..." she managed to gasp out between burning breaths.
Cardella clung to the table as though it was a life preserver.

"Your first whiskey, huh? Would you like some water in it?" It did
take a bit of getting used to straight.

Cardella nodded as she coughed a bit. "Yes, please," she answered, her
voice a bit hoarse after the strong drink.

J'nev picked up her glass and splashed some water into it. Swirling it
around he handed it back to her with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about
that." He sat next to her again, rubbing her back as if hoping to help
her. "Are you feeling better? I'm sorry. I figured you'd been at
the Weyr long enough you'd know what it was."

"Thank you," she mumbled, looking down into the cup. She was feeling
exceptionally silly. It had just never occurred to her to try the
whiskey at the Weyr. She'd always stuck to the other drinks, and she
hadn't expected it to taste like _that_. It was very strong. She
tentatively took a sip of the new cup. It didn't burn like the first,
which was an improvement. Still, she felt so out of sorts. She'd just
started to feel like she was fitting in here, and now, little things
like this reminded her she had so much to learn. "It's better now,"
she told J'nev.

He could tell that something was bothering her. She looked slightly
more... vulnerable. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, his hand coming up
to her shoulder.

She blinked into her cup, trying to shake off the feeling. Perhaps the
dose of whiskey was already working through her body, for suddenly she
found herself telling him what was on her mind. "I just feel so silly
sometimes. People think I should know things or have done things and,"
she paused, turning, she looked at him, "I don't. I guess I was
sheltered, even at the Bakercraft Hall, but now, here, by myself, I
sometimes feel like everyone must think me a fool." Cardella felt like
she could cry, instead, she turned and glanced at the cup again and
took another drink. It still smarted, but not nearly as bad and she
was finding the taste more bearable with each drink. Never once did
she notice his hand or how close he was, so caught up in her thoughts
was she.

"I know it's hard. I came from a Hold too. I had this image of what
the Weyr would be like, and it wasn't at all what I thought." He slid
his other hand to her knee. "I'm sure you just want to fit in with
everyone else. You just want to feel like you're a part of it all.
But that's why I'm here. I want to help you."

Cardella sniffled a bit and took another drink. She turned her
doe-like eyes to J'nev. For reasons she couldn't explain, she trusted
him. Trusted that he would help her in some way. "I want to fit in,
but I don't always seem to know how." She blinked as she looked at
him, trusting. "You know I was never considered the pretty one," she
told him, not even certain why she felt so inclined to talk and share
things that she normally kept only to herself.

"What?" he asked, shaking his head emphatically. "That's crazy,
Cardella. You're beautiful!" J'nev took his hand off her knee so he
could turn her face towards his, gently caressing her cheek. "Shards,
I've wanted to kiss you from the moment I met you."

"You did?" She asked incredulously, looking at him in shock. No one
had ever said anything like that to her back home. Not when her
sisters drew everyone's eye. Cardella was too shy, too introverted,
too homely, or so she'd always told herself.

"Of course I did." Slowly, J'nev began to lean closer. "I told you I
wanted to be your 'special friend', didn't I? I'm not teasing now. I
like you, Cardella. I really want to kiss you."

"You do?" She honestly couldn't believe it. She tilted her head and
looked at him, wondering if he was teasing her like others often did.
"So, special friends kiss each other?" She asked. Cardella had never
really had any male friends in her life. She naively believed what he
was telling her.

"In the Weyr, yes. Special friends do a lot of things together. A
lot of wonderful things. Things your father wouldn't approve of," he
said,
carefully acknowledging what her objections would be. "Things they
tell you in the Hold good girls don't do. But you're in the Weyr now.
You
want to belong here, don't you? You want to make a lot of friends?
And Impress a beautiful green dragon of your own?"

Cardella stopped and stared at him. Why did it feel so fuzzy? The look
on her face coupled with her next words clearly indicated that she had
no idea what to think or how to respond. "I _do_ want to fit in, and
make lots of friends, but I...I don't know..." She was confused,
uncertain. "Maybe I shouldn't be here," she mumbled. "I don't want to
disappoint anyone." Cardella loved her father, very much, she could
not imagine what J'nev meant by all of his words. What kinds of things
was he referring to? "I want people to like me here," she whispered.

"I know," he said softly, his thumb slowly caressing her lips. "I came
from the Hold too. I know you're afraid to disappoint your father.
But you're at the Weyr now. Your father must be a smart man. He
knew
what happens in the Weyr when he let you come. He knew how people live
here. He'd want you to be happy and to fit in with everyone else."

What he said made sense, or at least she thought it did. Her mind
wasn't all that clear. Cardella had never partaken of heavy drinks
before. "You understand then," she said with a bit of a frown on her
face. He had come from a hold too. "Father _would_ want me to be
happy." Her face showed the unclear thoughts. Her eyes clouded a bit
as he touched her lips. She looked up at him questioningly. Her tongue
instinctively darting out to moisten them after the touch.

J'nev grinned a little as he watched her lick her lips. With his
words, his patience, and his touch, he breaking through all those
barriers and
pulling her around to his way of thinking. It was a challenge. He
was graining control, not only of the situation, but of her _mind_, and
that
made him feel a sense of power he had never felt before. Cardella's
pain and loneliness was making her play straight into his hands, and he
wanted to break her because he _could_. And it felt incredibly good.
"I want you to be happy too, Cardella. I want to show you how to be
happy. Will you trust me?"

"I do trust you." She told him. That was, after all, why she was here.
"You said you would be my friend. I want a friend. I want to be
happy." Her mind still was a bit foggy, not quite herself. But he was
being so kind to her, such a good friend. He'd listened to her and
soothed her fears. It felt wonderful to share her burdens and to think
someone actually was listening.

"Then believe me when I tell you that I think you _are_ beautiful. And
I am your friend. Your very special friend." He closed the distance
between them then and lightly touched his lips to hers, wondering what
she would do.

Cardella balked a bit, her back stiffening against the chair. Her eyes
opened wide as saucers. She was lost. She was uncertain. She was
afraid of the unknown. She didn't know what to do.

"Trust me, Cardella," he said softly, pulling back just a bit. "Stop
thinking you're in the Hold. You're in the Weyr now, and this is what
special friends do. And if you trust me, you'll find you'll like
kissing me. You'll find you'll like a lot of wonderful things. Let
me
teach you all about how it can be in the Weyr. But you have to trust
me."

Her mouth had angled a bit into a frown as she felt her confusion.
J'nev _was_ so kind to her. He'd been the first one here to _really_
listen to her. She'd already told him things that she hadn't told any
of the others here, about her feelings.

"I want to trust you, I do. I just don't know what to do. I've never
had a," she paused, tilting her head to look at him slightly, "a
special friend like this before. I don't know what to do," she
mumbled.

And he was all too willing to tell her exactly what he wanted her to do.
It was just like he had suspected. It was just so easy. She only
_thought_ she was a good girl. But give her a chance, and she'd come
around to the ways of the Weyr. "I'll show you what to do. But the
only way to learn is to try. So now relax and kiss me, and don't be
afraid. If you like me, if you trust me, then prove it to me. Kiss
me."

She frowned a bit. She felt a strange twisting in her gut. Something
just didn't _feel_ right. He was nice. He was kind and helpful. But,
was this right? She had to admit she was curious. She could almost
feel the slight tingling sensation from when he'd first kissed her
lips. Could a single kiss really hurt? So many thoughts ran through
her head. She honestly didn't know how to initiate a kiss. She did
shift forward just enough to be closer to him again, almost giving him
permission to kiss her once more.

It was enough for J'nev to take the initiative and closed in the rest of
the way. He might not get the sexual gratification he was hoping for
right away, but leading her over her boundaries, dominating her, gave
him a completely different satisfaction. It was addicting, and however
long it took, he wanted more.

This time she didn't stiffen and pull away, but rather tried to relax.
Cardella accepted the kiss and even tried to tentatively return it.
When she finally broke away, she smiled shyly at him.

"That wasn't bad. It was almost nice," she said, as though it
surprised her. Glancing around, she realized she'd been here for quite
a while. Her eyes showed her surprise. "I'm going to have to go!" She
exclaimed, "Or I will miss my curfew and be in trouble!" As she moved
to stand she all but bumped into him. Then she swayed a bit with
dizziness as the alcohol slowed the blood flow to her brain when she
rushed into a standing position.

"I'm sorry. I have to go. I don't want to get in trouble." She looked
at J'nev. "Thank you, J'nev. I..enjoyed my time here."

He took her hand again, smiling gently. "Let me walk you." J'nev was
understanding very quickly that the more comfortable she was with him,
the more control he would have over her. Maybe he could even get
another kiss or two out of her before curfew came. It was game, and
this was his next move. The question would be just how many moves it
would take before they'd reach check and mate.

Last updated on the September 6th 2010

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Trust me