Lunch With Friends

Writers: Devin, Ames, AL
Date Posted: 15th May 2011

Characters: Z'ku, T'nom, Meledei
Description: The three have lunch together the day after Meledei's birthday.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 11 of Turn 6

Z'ku

T'nom

Meledei slipped into her seat and picked up her fork. "I'm so hungry
I think I could eat a herd of herdbeasts." She commented dryly as she
stabbed said herdbeast with the tines. It was juicy, a little rare
which was fine with her - she liked it that way. She found she was
rather the odd one out - most females tended to like their meat well
done. Not her! And she had liked it that way _before_ she Impressed
a dragon.

The tender morsel was popped into her mouth and she chewed and sighed
at the same time. "This is what I get for missing breakfast." She
was going to try and make sure that didn't happen again!

**Maybe next time you shouldn't let me sleep in.**

}:You were up late and were tired.:{ The gold responded as she
drowsed upon a rock at the lake.

**Yeah, I know, and I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but I was really
_hungry!**

Tanom simply chuckled as he looked up at her when she joined him. "I
was wondering if I'd see you at all today." His own meal was already
part way finished as he'd been unable to find her earlier and his
stomach had been growling at him.

"How are you this day?" He asked her.

"I'm doing well, thanks to you and Z'ku." Meledei tore apart a roll
and then took a bite off of one of the halves. She'd admired both
presents last night, one of the reasons she'd been so late, that and
trying to think of what she could do for her friends in return - and
others. "What about you? I hope you weren't as exhausted as I was
this morning?"

Tanom swallowed a bit too quickly when she spoke and ending up
coughing as the food went down the wrong way. Clearing his throat he
finally managed, "No, I'm fine. I mean. I wasn't up _all_ that late."
**Just half the night thinking about things,** but he wasn't ready to
tell her that. There was no reason for him to ruin the friendship he
had with her over some fleeting feelings that he'd managed to suppress
once before.

"I'm just glad you enjoyed your birthingday."

"Hi Meledei." Z'ku said as he stepped up to the table. "Hi Tanom." He
nodded to the other young man.

Meledei looked up at the shadow that was accompanied by a familiar
voice. "Hey Z'ku!" She motioned to an empty chair next to her.
"Want to have lunch with us?"

"Hello, Z'ku," Tanom greeted the rider. When Meledei invited him to
join them he felt his own thoughts whirl. He couldn't deny Meledei the
friendship or companionship of anyone, yet, could _he_ manage to sit
there knowing what he thought he knew was happening between them?
Biting back anything he might have said or did, Tanom instead turned
to his meal, hoping he could get control of himself before either of
them realized anything.

"I'd love to join you." Z'ku set his tray down and took the seat
Meledei offered. "How's your day going?"

"Going better now that I'm getting some food in me." Meledei grinned
and stuck a bite of steak into her mouth, chewing and swallowing. "I
overslept. Stayed up way too late last night." She glanced over at
Tanom and something in his expression made her gaze linger. She
tilted her head and arched an eyebrow at him.

Tanom noticed her watching and tried to look away, yet he couldn't
help but to look at her. He wanted her to want _him_ and not Z'ku, but
what did he really have to compare to the bronzerider. He was a
_bronzerider_ for shards sake! At least, no matter what happened, he
would still have her for a friend. For _that_ he didn't think he could
bare. Meledei was his one true friend in all the Weyr. Perhaps he was
just feeling this way for her because there was no one else that he
felt so connected to. Noone quite like her. He forced a smile on his
face and vowed that he would not ruin her happiness, whether it was
with Z'ku or someone else. Meledei was far too special to him and he
would never want anything to cause her sadness or distress the way
F'gol did. He _never_ wanted to see her hurt like that again.

"Why were you up late?" Z'ku knew he hadn't kept her up.

"I stayed up admiring the beautiful gifts you two gave me!" Meledei
laughed and dipped some bread into her gravy, "And then when I lay
down my mind just wouldn't go still. I don't know why. I didn't
really thinkg about anything specific, just kept having random
thoughts pop into my head." Well, that wasn't _quite_ the truth.
Random things had popped up, but there had been a couple that had
returned several times - but they didn't need to know that.

Tanom looked over at Z'ku a bit too sharply when he spoke. He quickly
looked away as he realized the meaning behind Z'ku's questions. _Z'ku_
hadn't kept her up late after all. Tanom felt as though someone had
popped a pocket of air inside him had been released. Maybe, just maybe
things weren't exactly as he'd thought when he'd overheard their
conversation the night before. He wished now that he had stuck around
to hear the end of it.

"You deserve lots of beautiful gifts, Dei," he said with a smile. She
was, by far, one of the kindest people in the Weyr. He just hoped
everyone recognized what a giving spirit she had the way he did.

"Absolutely," Z'ku agreed. He felt a little guilty that he hadn't
actually gotten her a gift but only gave her what the Headwoman had
found.

"I don't really _need_ gifts thought. The gift of your companionship
is all I need." Sappy, quirky, but Meledei didn't care, she grinned
at her two friends. "And I have that, so I'm more than content." It
was nice to have friends, and Meledei knew she was lucky to have
several really _good_ friends.

Tanom smiled back towards her, still trying to bring together all the
thoughts that had been swirling in his mind both last eve and now
today. Perhaps Meledei hadn't chosen Z'ku, but then again, he _knew_
there was something more there just from what he'd overheard the night
before. Not only that, the two shared the fact of being riders
together, something Tanom did not and might never become.

"Friends are what make life worthwhile," he replied, tucking in to
finish his lunch.

Friends. Z'ku wondered if he'd ruined their friendship by admitting he
wanted more. "I'm going to wash Xemroth later. Do you want to join me,
Meledei?" He asked between bites.

Meledei lifted her glass. "Here here to that!" She cried in response
to Tanom's words and drank a long swig of her wine as if to toast.
Then she grinned and nodded. "I'd love to." She agreed without
hesitation, then she too began to tuck into her food.

Z'ku eased. She wasn't acting any differently, so he hadn't ruined
their friendship. Then again, did that mean what he'd told her didn't
matter?

Last updated on the May 18th 2011

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Lunch With Friends