Do You Like Me?

Writers: Chelle, Yvonne
Date Posted: 28th June 2014

Characters: Harki, P'nal
Description: P'nal confesses his feelings for Harki.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 7, day 20 of Turn 7

He hadn't invited her to his weyr or anything, but he had asked her to join him for a drink. It wasn't unheard of. P'nal thought it would be better to talk that way than anywhere else. The brownrider had been mulling it all over for some time and wanted to get it off his chest.

Harki arrived at the tavern and paused at the door to let her eyes adjust. P'nal's invitation had come as a surprise... sort of. He was confusing. First the belt, then a flight, and nothing in between. It took her a moment to spot P'nal seated in a quiet corner. Between the dim lighting and his dark complexion and clothing, he blended in a bit. She smiled brightly and waved, then began picking her way across the floor toward him, stopping here and there to exchange a word to two with riders she was friendly with.

"Phew!" She collapsed into the chair across the table from him. The chair rocked back with the force of it, and she grabbed the edge of the table to keep her balance. "So, Lord Wingsecond. What do I owe this honor?"

He gave her a funny look. "No Lord here..." He was just a brownrider, ranked or not. He wasn't that far removed from her. "Well Harki there was something I wanted to talk to you about. I think first, though, you should have a drink."

Harki grinned, even as she got a funny feeling in her stomach. It felt a little like jumping off a cliff did. "Are you buying?"

"That would be the gentlemanly thing to do." She was the greenrider and he the Wingsecond. He had more marks than she did. It wasn't as if he spent them much anyway so might as well.

"Excellent." Harki swiveled in her seat and made eye contact with one of the servers, gesturing with her hand that she'd like two beers. P'nal wouldn't let a girl drink alone, would he? She turned back to P'nal and folded her hands on the table. "So. To what do I owe this invitation? I'm assuming that it's not about drills."

"You would be correct. I think it's time that we have everything on the table so to speak, if you're prepared for that." He left it open. It would her choice. If she wanted it unsaid, he would never continue.

**Hoo-boy.** The server had better hurry up with that drink. So she stalled. "So serious? I just got here. Not even a 'how're you doing?' or a 'nice weather, isn't it?'"

"Kind of one of those, get it off my chest or I think I might go throw up sort of things. Been thinking about it for a long time." His face went a little morose but then he got control of himself and gestured she could drink if she wanted. He could wait.

"Well." The greenrider didn't know what to say, but her palms were suddenly sweaty. "I'd hate to have the Healers after me. So. Here we are."

She hadn't bolted. That was a good sign. "Well Harki...the thing is. I like you. I mean.. I really like you. Only problem is I happen to be your Wingsecond which also puts me in a difficult place." He left it at that. Maybe she didn't like him back anyway.

"Oh?" Harki asked, just to buy herself a little time to think. She'd suspected that P'nal was half in love with her for a while now, but to hear him say it was different.

She still hadn't bolted. "So I guess what I'd like to know is...do you like me?" He sounded like he was a teenturner again, but it was the only thing he knew how to do. After all, why would this adventure-loving, laughing, greenrider find him attractive? He was so different from her.

Harki held her breath for a long moment. Unfortunately she didn't pass out, so she sighed instead. Reaching across the table, she took P'nal's big hands in her own. "Sure, I like you. We have a good time when Jodeth catches Cerillith. A _really_ good time. But I..." She closed her eyes, searching for the right words. Words were never her thing. She was good at stupid stuff, at being reckless, but anything that was important she was useless at. "But you... you've got a good thing going for you."

That was a very cryptic answer. "What does that mean? Do you...care for me or not?"

If she didn't, that was fine. He would deal with it. Still, what she had said wasn't a no exactly, was it? Insecurity crept into his gaze, but she was touching his hands. He looked down at them.

"I'm saying that you're a good Wingsecond, and what I'm good at is screwing up." Harki sighed. "It's like you said. You're in a difficult spot, and I don't want to mess that up for you."

"So you're not saying you don't like me?" So there was an attraction there. Thank Faranth. She was trying to..help him? His dark eyes focused on hers and he tried to think about this. "Here's the thing...I think it might be hard for me either way. I mean, even now, I find myself wondering about you... So I think I would give you attention whether or not we were official or whatever it is." It was hard to describe what he meant. "I think my position is going to be compromised no matter what as long as you're in my Wing."

Harki slowly withdrew her hands. "I'm not transferring," she said quietly.

His head stayed down as he thought this through. "If I did..." **Or if I stepped down** "would you.. could there be something?" **Or am I just grasping at straws?**

**Shells.* Her belly flip-flopped like a landed fish. This wasn't fair-- he had no right to rest his future on her like this. She was a mighty failure at people. And P'nal was _good_ as a Wingsecond. She didn't know what to do. "I don't know. Maybe?" She sighed and rubbed her face. Where was that beer?! "But let's say there is. I'm not-- I'm not good at people, and I'll inevitably end up breaking you somehow within a turn. Maybe two. It's what I do. And I don't want that. I _do_ like you, and you're a good Wingsecond, and I don't want to be responsible for screwing up your life."

"So you're telling me I should just walk away and never know what it could be like? That would be the better choice?" It was going to drive him up the wall to walk by her and know that was never going to happen. He would see her all the time. His lips went into a thin line as his eyes lowered.

"I can't-- won't tell you to do anything." She sighed miserably. "But I can't promise you anything, either. I'm not reliable. You know that."

He felt like he was getting nowhere. Experience taught him when that happened that he needed to step back. He wouldn't get an answer from her right now. That was well enough. He could wait. "Think on it. I've got to get to a meeting with W'ser so...if you decide differently, let me know." He got up and turned to go.

As if he had a meeting with W'ser. "Yeah." She managed a smile. "P'nal? You're a good person."

"But sometimes, it doesn't pay to be the good guy, Harki." Heading out, he sighed and shook his head before disappearing.

"You're beer's here!" chirrped a friendly voice. Harki looked up as the barmaid slid a mug across the table toward her. Perfect timing. Harki stared at the foamy top, then downed it and left.

Last updated on the June 29th 2014

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