Trailing straps

Writers: Emma, Len
Date Posted: 12th June 2011

Characters: G'wen, F'neb
Description: G'wen runs into F'neb a few sevendays after hearing he has a weyrmate
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 2, day 1 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: J'nor, Teseada

Now was as good a time as any, G'wen thought, tugging the too small
riding straps on his shoulder as he walked across the bowl to the
tannery to ask for longer ones. The Master there was going to kill
him but there was nothing he could do. Neath was just growing so
fast. And besides if he did it now, just before he got his own weyr,
he wouldn't have to walk so far to drop them off.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the sandy ginger hair of one
person he had been desperate to avoid. Ducking his head down, he did
his best to hide in the crowd and pretend F'neb wasn't walking in his
direction. He might
have gotten away, too, if the dratted straps hadn't been so long. One
caught under his ankle and sent him sprawling face-down.

A hand was thrust in front of the weyrling on the ground. "Help you up?"
asked the bluerider.

Sitting up and doing his best to ignore the hand, G'wen dusted himself
off. "I'm fine, thank you." With an embarrassed duck of the head, he
gathered his straps and stood up.

A puzzled look crossed F'neb's face, "I thought you might need a hand."

"Well, I'm standing now, am I not? So obviously I didn't need a hand,
but thank you all the same." G'wen indicated his standing position
and gave the other boy a wry look.

"Who stole your toys?" asked F'neb. There was no need for the weyrling to be
rude, or give him that look.

"I didn't have any toys to be stolen. Now if you'll excuse me," and
the shorter boy tried to push past the bluerider, "I'm sure your
weyrmate will be wondering where you are."

"So that's why you're ignoring me?"

Holding up the straps, G'wen gave him a 'don't be stupid' look. "As
you can see, I've got a dragon to take care of,_that's_why you may not
have seen me around. Now if you'll excuse me." He turned and would
have made a dignified exit, if it hadn't been for the annoying straps.
A stray one caught his leg again and made the boy stumble hard.

This time F'neb didn't wait for G'wen, he reached out to steady the younger
lad, hoping it would be enough to stop him ending up on the ground again.

G'wen sighed and let himself linger longer than he would have liked in
F'neb's grip. When he realised what he was doing, he jumped away from
the other boy with an embarrassed, "thank you." Rather than try and
walk away again, he hunched up and stood there before F'neb, feeling
rather deflated.

"Are you okay?" asked F'neb gently as he reached for the trailing end of the
strap.

"I dunno..." He gave F'neb a hurt look. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"Tell you what? I thought you just wanted some fun, with no strings
attached."

"I..." G'wen looked as though he wanted to hit something. Or someone.

"It was fun, I enjoyed it, you enjoyed it, right?" asked F'neb.

G'wen shot him a look and pushed past him. He knew he shouldn't have
expected anything to have come of this but even so, to be told to his
face he had just been a bit of fun, it was a bit much. "I'm not
cheap," he shot over his shoulder to F'neb.

"And you think I am?" countered F'neb. "We both got what we wanted, and had
fun at the same time."

"Well, from where I was, it looked like you were having a lot more
fun!" He turned to glare at F'neb before walking on.

"It might happen again you know, greens rise, blues chase."

"You really going to try that line on me?" G'wen stopped to turn and
glare at F'neb. "Great, just how crappy and low are you trying to
make me feel?"

"I'm not doing anything, it's all you."

Great, first J'nor with this sort of talk, and now F'neb? What, did
all blue dragons go for airheaded riders? "What do you mean 'it's all
me'? How is it all me?"

"It's what's in your head."

"Fine then, could you bugger off please? I'm trying to get some work
done." He held up the straps that weren't getting lighter by the
moment.

"If that is what you want," F'neb turned on his heel and headed back
the way he'd come.

Well, that tore it. No one was going to imply he was cheap and get
away with it. Not even thinking of what he was doing, G'wen swung the
straps back and whipped them on F'neb's back.

"Hey," F'neb turned back. "That was uncalled for."

"Oh, and calling me a bit of fun is okay? Screw you." G'wen hefted up
his straps like he was going to make another swing.

F'neb lifted his arms to protect himself. "Screw you too," he muttered.

"Fine. And here Teseada thought you were really a sweet guy. I did
too." At that, Gwen turned and walked away.

"G'wen," said F'neb softly, too soft for the greenrider to hear. "It
isn't just about you."

Last updated on the June 13th 2011

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Trailing straps