A Final Moment

Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 10th November 2006

Characters: Larken, M'tone
Description: Larken and M'tone steal a final moment alone
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 13, day 29 of Turn 3

Larken was standing on one of the sides of the dancing square, leaning gratefully against the cooler stone wall. All around her men and women were joining up to partake in the next dance, and she watched them, trying her best not to feel the pang of bitter envy as she observed the sometimes coy, sometimes loving, sometimes lustful expressions on their faces. It almost hurt her to watch them for too long...it made her remember what she had given up.

Swallowing thickly, Larken tore her gaze away from one especially ardent couple and fixed her eyes on Ojisan, who was playing up on the stage. He'd told her he would come down in a while...but what was she going to do with herself until then? Tarney had danced with her, but he'd moved on to other, willing and single ladies. And she had no idea where Anacia was...probably off with her husband...

Shells... It was a terrible thing, Larken decided, to be alone. Especially tonight of all nights. Rubbing the back of her neck sadly, her gaze drifted back to the laughing, dancing couples, the longing look in her eyes wistful as she watched one man lean into his partner to whisper something in her ear, lips lingering to kiss her there.

Faranth, it hurt.

The brownrider had been watching her off and on throughout the night, trying to decide if he should even ask for a dance. The sad look on her face pulled at his heart. He had to remind himself that it was her decision to end their little romance. But was it really so little? Did meaningless little flings hurt so much when they ended?

Feeling as if someone was watching her, Larken turned her head slightly to the side--and paled when she saw who it was. M'tone. Her breathing hitched, and she couldn't tear her eyes away from his. The image of when they'd last been in a situation like this flashed through her mind, and she half expected him to beckon her over by tauntingly waving a cookie.
The lump that rose in her throat was unexpected, but she couldn't look away.

He could see the longing and the regret in Larken's eyes as she looked into his. M'tone also remembered their last feast, where they danced and danced... She had said there was no rule against dancing. Well, if there was no rule against it then, why should there be one against it now? He reached out a hand invitingly, nodding his head towards the dance floor to make it clear what his intentions were.

Her first instinct was panic, and a part of her wanted to flee in the other direction. But she firmly stomped down on that urge, telling herself that if she had enough courage to hold his eyes, she had enough courage to dance with him. But oh...how awkward!

Her thoughts were still spinning when his hand went around hers, fingers linking. Summoning her courage, Larken tilted her head back to look up into his face--and couldn't think of one word to say to him.

M'tone pulled her close as he whirled her into the throng of couples. He wasn't sure what to say either. Their eyes seemed to be saying it all -
the awkwardness, the longing, the wish that things could have been different.

Flushing, she looked down, watching as her body came into contact with his every other step they took...thigh brushing slightly against his, breasts lightly touching his chest, fingers trailing across his palm.... It was a sweet torture because to touch him the way she wanted to was completely out of the question now. She'd made her choice. Even still, Larken pressed herself a little closer, brow almost resting on his shoulder as she swayed to the music.

The brownrider turned his head slightly so his nose was just barely grazing her temple. He knew her smell. He had grown accustomed to it. He had learned to love it. Shards, he would miss it. M'tone closed his eyes and breathed her in, trying to save that moment in his memory.

Her fingers tightened around his as she bent to rest her cheek on his chest. Maybe they didn't need to say anything outloud. Maybe it was better that they were both silent. It made this whole encounter seem almost surreal, and she could almost imagine that this wasn't the last time they'd be alone together.

Finally M'tone broke the silence, leaning down to whisper in her ear, "How long do we have? Until he's finished playing?"

Her heart gave a hard bump. "He said he wouldn't be done for a while yet..."

As the music came to an end he took her hand purposefully in his. "Come with me," he murmured and pulled her off the dancefloor and towards the door.

Larken followed without protest. The hall was dark, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust as they slipped out of the bright cavern. And even though she couldn't really see the couples making those murmuring and soft moaning noises, she could certainly hear them, and, flushing, she drew closer to M'tone. **Oh, Larken... You're only making this harder...**

He took them around a corner, dark and deserted. There he pulled her close, his lips finding hers hungrily. It wasn't to convince her to change her mind, though that was always a hope. It was one last time, one last moment to remember always. He had never intended to fall so hard, but there was no ignoring the fact that the thought of never being able to kiss her like this again made his heart ache.

Her desperation rose, and with it, her desire to be as close to him as she could possibly be. Her body melted against his, her hands moving to wrap themselves tightly in his tunic as their kiss deepened. Regrets welled in her, and she tried to push them away. What good were those to her now?

M'tone pulled back just enough to whisper her name as he pressed her between his body and a cold stone wall and then covered her lips with kisses once more. Would this really be their last moments together? Could she really give up this burning desire for a man she didn't love?

She whimpered softly, one hand burying itself in his hair, fingers curling into the thick wealth of it as she let her imagination run with her. It was the last time... Larken pulled back just a little, and it wasn't so much to catch her breath as it was to trail kisses all down his neck, to stroke her fingers down his spine, touching and caressing hard muscle as they went. **I'm going to miss you. So much, M'tone.**

He leaned back, gently lifting her face to look up at him. M'tone wanted to say something, to _say_ how he felt - to say how much he'd miss her. He wanted to beg her not to make this choice. He wanted to say goodbye. But the words stuck in his throat, and instead he kissed her again, hoping that could convey everything he just couldn't say aloud.

Last updated on the November 11th 2006

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

A Final Moment