The Definition of Awkward

Writers: Bree, Dana
Date Posted: 27th January 2006

Characters: Shayla, U'val
Description: The outcome of Kiranth's first flight isn't quite what Shayla was expecting...
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 10, day 1 of Turn 3
Notes: Follows "She Must Choose"

It had been long enough since U'val had found himself waking in the flight cots that he spent a few moments blinking at the ceiling in confusion before he realized exactly why the tired ache in his joints felt so different than usual.

He closed his eyes for a few moments, reaching out to Lyolth. All he got in response was a sleepy, contented murmur and confirmation that they had flown cunningly and claimed their reward.

U'val could feel the warm body next to him, the even breathing making it clear that his companion was still asleep. He slid carefully to the side of the bed and sat up, finding his pants in a tangle under his feet. After he'd pulled his trousers on, he steeled himself and glanced over his shoulder, hoping his blurry impressions from the flight were wrong.

They weren't. His grandson's weyrmate was curled up behind him, looking terribly young as she shifted sleepily, her sleep obviously disturbed by his movements.

She mumbled something incoherently as she reached out, blindly searching for the warm, masculine body that should be there, but wasn't. Her lips puckered slightly, a small crease lining her brow as she shifted in the sheets yet again.

Sighing, U'val reached over to pull the blankets up, tucking them around her shoulder. Then he reached out and brushed her hair back from her face.
"Shayla... wake up, dear."

"Mmm..." She sleepily leaned into his fingers, finally rousing enough to open her eyes. At first, she was confused, not recognizing the room she was in or why she was feeling the way she was. But then, as she stared at the sheets, feeling them rub against her bare skin, it all came back to her. With a slight intake of breath, she reached for her sleeping green's mind as her eyes lifted to U'val's.

His smile was self-concious, though thankfully he was long past the age of blushes. "Time to get up, my girl. I'm sure there's a brownrider out there getting ready to climb the walls."

But it seemed as though she was blushing enough for the both of them, and her large, brown eyes were wide as she gazed at her weyrmate's grandfather. "U'val..." Shells, she suddenly had so much to say, suddenly had so many things she wanted to express. But how? She bit her lower lip, propping herself up on an elbow, heedless of the sheet that slipped from her shoulders as she searched his face.

U'val shook his head and reached out to take one of her hands. "Don't get that look on your face, Shayla. Surely I'm not _that_ bad, though I admit my grandson might disagree."

"You're not bad at all!" she told him, mortified that he could even _think_ that. She got up on her knees and scooted over to him, her fingers tightening around his.

Smiling in relief, U'val swung an arm out and around Shayla's shoulders, doing his best to ignore her lack of atire. "Well that's certainly soothing to an old man's ego. But I know this probably isn't what you were hoping would happen."

She blushed, suddenly feeling shy. "You know I'm weyrmated to T'voal, U'val." Shayla gathered enough courage to look up into his eyes.

"I know. And he's been a dragonrider long enough to know how these things go..." U'val winked at her. "Though he might be disappointed."

Shayla tilted her head slightly to the side, her expression thoughtful as she gazed at him, seeing him for the first time as the man he was, not just as T'voal's grandfather. He must've been quite good looking as a young man - no doubt looking something like T'voal! "I'll just have to make it up to him, I guess." Kiranth's emotions had not entirely left her mind or body yet, and the thought of curling up in bed with her weyrmate was sounding pretty sharding good. She leaned forward and gently brushed her cheek against his bare shoulder, not sure whether it was to thank him, or for the pure, simple pleasure of touch. Maybe both.

He leaned down to kiss the top of her head fondly. "I'm sure you can convince him to forgive you. I, on the other hand, might need to work a little harder."

"Surely he can't be..._mad_ at you?"

"Young love is not always rational, Shayla." U'val reached down to rescue Shayla's shirt and passed it to her. "But as I said... he'll get over the disappointment. Why don't you go find him and let him know how much you still like him."

She smiled softly up at him as she began to hide herself beneath her clothes. Then she leaned over and kissed his cheek before rising. "Okay."

Last updated on the January 27th 2006

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The Definition of Awkward