Let's Continue Learning

Writers: Aaron, Heather
Date Posted: 5th December 2020

Characters: T'ner, F'aen
Description: T'ner decides to resume lessons with F'aen.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 6, day 15 of Turn 10

"Sir," T'ner waved at F'aen when he managed to track him down at just the right time. He had time during the day. Time to himself. And neither of them had prior engagements.

Perhaps there had been such a time before, but this was the first time T'ner had been brave enough to speak up.

"Sir, I. Um. Hello. Hi." He smiled and laughed, his nerves obvious. "A-are... are you busy? Would you like to... have a drink?"

F'aen's eyes automatically narrowed marginally as he closed the classroom door behind him. "Sir?" The last time he'd really spoken to T'ner had been when they were in bed together, helping T'ner prepare for his first time with a man, in the event that the new bluerider should win a male greenrider's flight. Now here they were, some months later, with no word since, and T'ner was calling him 'sir'?

T'ner flushed bright red, embarrassed. Ashamed?

"I-I... I'm sorry, I thought... I... I think I owe you an apology? And maybe an explanation?" he ventured. "And I didn't want to presume..."

**An apology? This outta be good,** F'aen thought, his expression still unreadable.

"I'm not your teacher anymore, you graduated, so you don't have to call me sir." The greenrider crossed his arms over his chest. "What are you apologizing for?"

"Ah, I... I suppose that's true. Old habits, I guess..." T'ner glanced at the floor. "I... Well, I haven't spoken a word to you since..."

"Since our last lesson. And that was unkind of me. Uncouth, maybe. I think... We could have been... could be friends? My w...eyrmate, she... She gave me permission to see you."

"To... practice. With you. As much as we want. And... Well, I... I think I was afraid to tell you, in case... In case you wouldn't want to. See me." T'ner sighed and rubbed his face.

"I really want to... be around you. Be your friend. If you wanted to give me a chance. And I'm sorry that I was afraid to talk to you. Sorry that I disappeared. And I wanted to ask you to give me that second chance. Please?" T'ner finally glanced up hopefully at F'aen.

F'aen thought back to their 'lesson' - he had certainly had no trouble showing T'ner around his bed. There was something about the young bluerider's innocence that was endearing, but afterward, when months slipped by with no word, F'aen had assumed that T'ner's interest in him had only been for the purpose of preparing for a mating flight.

"She gave you permission? Really?"

"It was her idea," T'ner nodded as he answered. "She just said she didn't want to hear about it. Whatever I do, it's allowed. As long as I'm there with her when she can be home. She's busy now, too, she has her own life. She's a weaver and a Candidate, and I'm so proud of her, and I'm not trying to... get away from her or replace her or anything like that."

"But I... I have always wanted... to be near you. Ever since I first got to know you." T'ner blushed again.

The greenrider was genuinely surprised that such a holdbred couple, they had arrived at the Weyr married for Faranth's sake, would come to the agreement to have other lovers outside of their relationship. F'aen knew weyrbred people who weren't even half as open-minded.

"Let's go get that drink then and you can fill me in on what life in the fighting Wing has been like since you graduated." F'aen said, gesturing for T'ner to walk with him.

T'ner brightened considerably. He was relieved. Happy. Excited that F'aen was willing to hear him out. It hardly occurred to him that his and Ayressa's agreement should be considered odd. After all, they had agreed to become weyrfolk. Had both been so ready to leave the Hold behind.

Ayressa was well supported, more than able to live successfully on her own. Something she might never have had at the Hold. And she did not strictly need him. If she wanted to be free of him, she could, without any fear of deprivation. The fact that she still wanted him, still wanted it to be him who she came home to? What could be better than that?

"It's... Well. You've done it. You'll understand. It's... Terrifying. Exhilarating. There's nothing in the world exactly like it. When I land after, it's like. I'm so full of adrenaline, I can hardly stand still."

"And some nights, Ayressa can stay with me. Some days, I have time to spend with my son. This... This whole place is like... a dream." He chuckled. "And I guess the only price is the constant threat of a gruesome death. What could be better?"

T'ner's perspective on things made F'aen chuckle. "Threadfall is terrifying and exhilerating," the greenrider agreed. "The next time after Threafall, come find me and I will show you some things that can be done with all of that leftover adrenaline." There was a promise in the words.

T'ner stifled a giggle.

"O-OK!" he said, his voice trembling with excitement and anticipation. "I will." He would likely not be able to think about much else until then.

When they reached the Riders' Hall, he asked, "What are you having?"

"A beer," F'aen decided. There was a part of him that wanted to invite T'ner back to his weyr immediately, but there was also another side, one that was a bit more petty, that resented being forgotten about for such a length of time. **Why rush?** the petty side said, winning out as the greenrider took a seat and ordered his drink.

T'ner was more than happy to spend time with F'aen, and he was in no way dispirited not to jump straight into bed. He ordered the same.

"So, how– how have you been? How is Scarleth?" he asked, leaning forward as he sat with him.

"She's been proddy lately," F'aen revealed as he took the first sip of his frothy beer. "Maybe Lehystrath will chase her."

"We wouldn't miss it," T'ner assured him.

}:Tell me, leading lady –:{ said Lehystrath to Scarleth. }:Might I beg the honor of your company as well?:{ The blue had been far less shy about wanting to spend time with Scarleth than T'ner had been with F'aen.

}:You may come sit with me.:{ Scarleth said in a sassy tone as she lounged up on her weyrledge.

"Has Lehystrath won any flights?" F'aen asked, wondering if T'ner had put into practice the things they'd gone over in their lesson.

Lehystrath made quite the show out of his arrival, including a sweeping bow – insofar as he had room to manage it – when he landed.

}:I thank you for the opportunity to bask in your presence. You are positively glowing today, Scarleth.:{

"He has... a flowery flirt, and he likes to show off. But it hasn't paid off for him yet. Not to say he hasn't tried." T'ner grinned with affection for his blue.

F'aen trailed a finger along the top of his mug. "So have you been with anyone else, since your weyrmate said you could?" There had been several times over the last couple of months that the greenrider had regretted not having more 'lessons' with T'ner, but he had screwed that situation up by making T'ner feel like more practice might be overstepping the agreement he'd had with Ayressa.

"No," T'ner admitted, his blush returning. While he had the opportunity when Lehystrath had chased to grab a moth, he had avoided it so far. "Not yet. I have wondered whether she has, though." At this, he grinned again.

"That thought doesn't make you jealous?" F'aen asked, even as he noted that a part of him felt pleased that T'ner hadn't been with another man yet.

"If she'd seemed distant with me after we agreed to this, it might have," said T'ner. It was nice to have someone to talk to about this. "But it doesn't feel like anything has changed. If anything, I feel like we talk more. And, I dunno. It's almost kind of exciting. To think about it. Is that weird?"

"No, it's not weird... for a bluerider." F'aen's lips curled a bit to show he was teasing.

T'ner chuckled and swigged his beer.

"Well, it seems I'm a bluerider to a T. So many things I never would have known about myself if we hadn't come here. So many opportunities we wouldn't have had. And I never would have found Leh."

}:Balderdash. I would have flown to your hold to get to you.:{

**Hatchlings don't fly, wherrybrain.**

}:I would have flown anyway.:{

"Anyway. I guess what I mean is, I don't regret coming here even one little bit."

**No regrets, huh?** That was more than most people could say.

"Why don't we go back to my weyr? I don't think we ever really finished our lessons, did we?"

T'ner was on his feet in an instant. And then he chugged the rest of the beer, not wanting to let it go to waste.

"I think I have a lot left to learn," he said.

Last updated on the December 7th 2020

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