Alibis

Writers: Aaron, Devin
Date Posted: 4th October 2025

Characters: M'sar, H'lem
Description: Mesarian meets his new bunkmate.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 13 of Turn 12

~*~

The small bag of clothing and belongings Mesarian carried into the barracks was still more possessions than he'd owned in a long time. Mesarian surveyed the bunks. He spotted a few holdless kids in one area and wondered if he should choose a bed near them. Or should he try to blend in?

He snorted. Blend in. As if he could ever. Mesarian moved toward the holdless boys and flung his bag onto one of the unclaimed top bunks. Better vantage point, harder to sneak up on.

Lemhask was high on life when he strolled back into the barracks. He barely noticed that someone had claimed the bunk above his, which had gone unclaimed for quite some time, until he was nearly upon it. And then he frowned.

He had been hoping to ask Tannock to move into that bunk. Who was this guy, anyway?

"Hi," said Lem.

Mesarian looked him over. "Hey kid."

"Are you taking that bunk?"

"It's open, isn't it?" Mesarian told himself not to get in a fight over a bunk. He didn't want to get thrown out and lose his chance at a dragon.

Lem sagged. He had waited too long. If only he had just gotten up his courage and asked Tannock earlier... But he had always been so tentative to ask for anything more with him. He did not want to ruin what they had.

"Yeah... I guess so..." The poor kid looked like someone had kicked his puppy.

Mesarian snorted. "Worried I'm gonna stab you in your sleep or somethin'?"

Lem burst into laughter. Well, at the very least, this new bunkmate was funny, even if he was not Tannock. Of course, no one was going to stab him.

"Sorry. It's not you." He looked around to make sure none of his family would overhear. "I just finally got up the courage to invite my boyfriend to move into that bunk."

"Boyfriend, huh?" The laughter had made him bristle, but the kid wasn't laughing at the idea of Mesarian stabbing him. He was laughing at the misinterpretation. "Is he older than you? Is he hot?"

"Planning to steal him?" Lemhask folded his arms, but he still grinned. "He's a couple of Turns older than me. And of course he's hot."

"Not steal, just borrow." Mesarian smirked. "You're a little too young for me, but he might be good for some action."

"You don't really strike me as a 'get some action from the weyrlingmaster's son' type," said Lem. He tried to tamp down the jealousy, but he could not stop his face from flushing. Of course, he did not have to worry about Tannock. He was not a cheater.

Mesarian's eyebrow rose. "He's the Weyrlingmaster's son?"

"Why do you look so surprised?" Lemhask chuckled.

Normally Mesarian didn't care who he upset with his flirting and shagging, but . . . "Balls, I might have to avoid him then. If he catches feelings I'd have to break his heart, and if he goes cryin' to daddy, well . . . I ain't trying to get kicked out."

"Shells on ice, man, you really think you're hot shit." Lem had to laugh, or else he was going to get mad, and then he was going to get himself in trouble for kicking this guy's ass. "Or else you really think I'm just shit."

"Nah, you're just too young. And weyrfolk ain't possessive, at least most of them." Then something occurred to Mesarian. "You holdbred?"

"Well, now I know I'm doing something wrong if I'm giving you holdbred vibes." Lemhask huffed and shook his head. "Not all weyrfolk pass their partners around, you know. Well, flights not included, anyway... I wouldn't leave him if he wanted to... you know... take a tumble with you. But he's special to me."

I love him. I love him? Are we too young for that? Am I silly? No. Just because I'm young doesn't mean I don't know how I feel. My dads know they love each other, and they don't go around bedding Holdness strangers for fun.

But.

What if Tannock does want that? What if he's bored with holding hands and cuddling?

Shells.

He's two Turns older than you. What if he knows what he wants, and you aren't it? Do i need to give him more?

Have I ever given him anything less than he asked for?

Has he ever asked you for anything?

Is he just humoring me? Waiting for someone to give him what he really wants?

"Has anyone ever been special to you?"

Mesarian snorted a laugh. "No." Even after all these Turns, the lie sometimes still hurt.

An unexpected sob caught in Lem's throat. How... sorrowful life must have been for this man without anyone special, ever. This guy did not deserve his anger, his rage. He deserved his pity. No, his _help_.

"Oh... All right. Then this is your bunk now, all right?" This man needed a brother more than Lem's brothers had ever needed him.

"It's not yours to give. But yeah, it's mine now." Mesarian climbed up and sat on it to further cement his claim.

Lem smiled and shook his head. Poor, poor guy.

"Sure thing, buddy."

Something was up. Mesarian couldn't figure out what it was, but his finely honed instincts put him on edge. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what?" Lemhask tilted his head innocently. When people needed your help, sometimes, they pretended like they did not need it. So Lem would let the poor guy hold onto his pride and keep the whole helping plan quiet.

"I don't know. Like, sad or somethin'."

"I guess I just have resting glum face." Lemhask shrugged.

The former holdless eyed him skeptically. "You plannin' something cause I said I'd bang your man? You better not try anything, kid."

Lem laughed with surprise again. He was almost disappointed in himself for not thinking of that, but that was not what the poor Holdless guy needed. And Lem knew Tannock would never.

"I'm not trying to get stabbed in my sleep, remember?"

"Good."

"You need anything else?"

"From you?" Mesarian asked with an arched eyebrow. "No."

"I'm not offering to hold your hand or pull you down for a snuggle or anything." Lemhask chuckled. "I'm too young for you, remember?"

Mesarian snorted a laugh. "A--a _snuggle_? Is that what you call it?"

"_It_? You mean do I say snuggling when I mean fucking?" Lem looked sideways at Mesarian with a slanted grin. Just because he was never in a million Turns ready to
_do_ that did not mean he did not know what it was.

"I'm not trying to tempt you into something gross if I'm too young for you. My dads taught me no means no, obviously. I mean a proper snuggle."

"I only cuddle after sex, and only if it's too cold to sleep alone." Which wasn't entirely true, but Mesarian couldn't admit to himself how nice it was to hold someone.

"Well, then it's a good thing I'm not offering." Lemhask was not really into the bad boy type, anyway. "It still gets pretty cold here, even with the heaters, but I doubt you'll have trouble finding someone to keep you warm, anyway."

Mesarian smirked. "I haven't had _any_ trouble with that."

"Good." Lemhask nodded. "If you're going to spend the night somewhere else, let me know, and I'll cover for you if you're late getting to class."

"Why would you do that?" Mesarian frowned suspiciously. People didn't just do things for you, there was always a cost. Except, he was starting to realize, sometimes people at the Weyr _did_ do things for free.

"Because you're my bunk mate?" Was this a trick question? "I don't have to, if you don't want me to."

"Is this some rule I don't know about?" Mesarian asked.

"What, like, ’don't be a dick?’ I thought that was just common decency." Lemhask shrugged.

"I _am_ a dick." Mesarian flopped onto his side and peered down at the younger Candidate. "You talkin' about lying for each other? Providing alibis?

"Well, if you're clever about it, you can do all that without ever having to say something that isn't true," said Lem. "But if all you're doing is getting packed up after a roll in someone else's furs, there's not really any harm in me fibbing a little to keep you from having to do some stupid extra chores. Depending on how big of a dick you wanna be, anyway."

Despite himself, Mesarian laughed. "You're sassy."

Lem perked up proudly. He was the sassiest. "Thanks."

"All right, I'll lie for you, kid. And you lie for me. We'll be alibis. Deal?" Mesarian stuck out his hand.

Lemhask could not imagine how this could possibly come back to bite him in the ass. So he shook Mesarian's hand.

"Deal."

Last updated on the October 19th 2025

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Alibis