Falling...Asleep

Writers: AL, Ames
Date Posted: 11th June 2011

Characters: T'nom, Meledei
Description: Tanom and Meledei spend some time together.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 5 of Turn 6

T'nom

Meledei braced her feet against her table, a glass of wine in her
hand. She wriggled a little to get more comfortable on the couch,
then looked over at Tanom next to her. It had been a long day, but
that had partially been because it was the day beforea Threadfall.
Preparations were made and Meledei was glad she had gotten her duties
done early enough to just be able to enjoy the evening.

"So how's my commission coming along?" She asked, a twinkle in her
eye. Meledei didn't really think he'd have gotten that far on it, but
she was curious. She hadn't gone by where Tanom worked, though maybe
she should.

"It's coming," he said with a grin and a twinkle. "I'm not going to
tell you any more until its done!" He gave her a playful look as he
drank from his own glass of wine. "Thanks for having me up. It's such
a relief sometimes to get away from all the others." They'd enjoyed a
few hands of cards before they'd settled down to simply relax for a
time. "I don't think I'll ever have a space nearly as large as what
you have," he reached his arm over the back of the couch. "Then again,
hardly anyone gets the kind of luxuries you gold riders get." He
grinned and chuckled. He did enjoy teasing her when he got the chance.

Meledei punched Tanom in the arm, but it wasn't very hard. It
probably wouldn't even leave a bruise. "You're awful, you know that?"
She giggled and sipped at her wine. "You know you're welcome any
time." All of her friends were. Meledei liked having an open door -
that's what friends did, after all. She shifted on the couch and
turned so that her feet were resting in his lap. She used her toes to
poke him in the stomach. "I wouldn't be so sure, Tanom. You never
know." She argued as she looked over the rim of her glass. "But I do
have to say, this _is_ nice."

"Hey," he said with mock hurt when she hit him, even as his face
showed his amusement. When she tried to poke at him with her toes,
Tanom grinned wickedly. And then in a matter of seconds he'd gripped
her ankle and was ruthlessly tickling the bottoms of her feet all the
while his eyes were alight with the mischief and fun of the moment.
"Now I've got you," he remarked playfully.

"ACK!" Meledei tried to jerk her foot out of Tanom's hand, but his
hold was far too strong. The wine sloshed in the glass but it was
fortunately consumed enough that only a couple of drops tipped over
the edge to slide down the bowl to pool on her hand. "Tanom! STop!"
Of course, she was laughing as she made her demand. Which could mean
she actually _liked_ to be tickled.

He was laughing along with her, but in the end he did finally release
her. "That was for punching me," he stated with a grin. "Next time,
I'll have to _really_ tickle you if you do it again."

"You're evil." Meledei tilted her glass toward him, the liquid
sloshing again, but not enough to drip this time. She pulled her hand
back, tongue running along her finger to take up the liquid that had
dripped upon it. "But I like you anyway. Hey, we haven't been to our
spot lately. Want to go next rest day?"

"Sure," Tanom replied, "Let's plan on that. I enjoy the peace and
quiet and knowing that no one else seems to know about that spot but
us." Tanom suppressed a yawn and leaned back into the couch. "I swear
their working us harder this hatching than they have in the past," he
snorted a bit. "It's one thing after another. I have to stay up later
just to try and work on my craft some days."

"Let's keep it that way." Meledei liked having a secret place.
Something all their own together - just between them. It was neat to
have a secret like that. "You think you work hard?" Meledei downed
the last of her wine and sat up to put the glass on the small table,
then leaned back and lay down, hands behind her head. "I honestly
think they should do candidacy a little different. But I'm not in
charge."

"Oh?" His voice was raised in a question. "And what do you think
should be done differently?" Tanom placed his own, now empty, glass on
the table and settled more comfortably into the couch, feeling some of
the tensions almost ease away as he allowed himself to relax.

"I think they ought to have less chores and more time in their
crafts." Meledei peered at Tanom and wiggled her toes where they were
in his lap. Then she pushed herself up again, turned around and
proceeded to use him as a pillow. "It just seems weird to me that
they have _extra_ duties added. And candidates who have stood before
shouldn't have to repeat the same exact classes. That's just me
though."

"Shells, how I wish that could all be true," Tanom replied quietly,
grinning when she turned. He rested his hand on her shoulder as she
lay in his lap. "I would much rather have spent these last sevendays
working on your special project." His voice was lilting, almost
teasing. "Maybe I should go tell the Headwoman and the Weyrlingmaster
that your bed comes first, since you seem to need to use me instead!"

Meledei laughed and shook her head. "No no, you need to finish whomever
came before me first. I don't want people getting mad at me!"
Goldrider or no, Meledei wasn't about to pull rank. "Besides, you do
make a nice bad. She wriggled a bit to settle down further and let her
eyes droop. "What are you working on for them?" She asked softly.

"A bench and a matching chair, actually. Nothing unusual or out of the
ordinary." Tanom smiled down at her and slid his hand to rest along her
side. "In fact I've been trying to get it down faster so I _could_ spend
more time on your order. I swear I've worked late into the nights so
often I don't even remember what my own bed feels like." He stifled a
yawn himself and leaned back against her sofa, enjoying the chance to
really relax.

"Don't tire yourself out because of me." Meledei yawned just after she
spoke, as if she were the one getting tired out, though it was probably
merely in response to the one that Tanom gave. Her eyes drooped
further and she murmured, "Any idea what you're going to do for my
bed? Decorations and stuff?" Her words were slurred, though she'd had
very little to drink in truth.

He grinned, "I think I'd rather it be a surprise. I know you'll like it
though." He considered rising, for it seemed she was tired, but Tanom
wasn't quite ready to end this simple, easy, relaxed time between them
quite yet.

"Hm." Meledei managed in response. And then she said nothing more.
She hadn't had enough wine to cause drunkness, but it had been enough
to make her relax. That coupled with warmth and a rather comfortable
position had drawn her into slumber and only a moment passed between
that one syllable and the first little murmur of her body settling
into sleep.

Tanom, himself rather tired, didn't move at first. When he realized
she'd drifted off to sleep, he contemplated how he could extract
himself without waking her. Yet, in truth, he didn't really _want_ to
leave. He ran his hands over her hair, allowing them to feel the smooth
silkiness. A smile playing on his lips, he decided he'd rest for a
little while and then later he'd move. Right now, he was just far too
content to want to go anywhere.

Last updated on the June 17th 2011

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Falling...Asleep