You Sure, Sweetheart?

Writers: Eimi, Dana
Date Posted: 13th October 2005

Characters: Ar'lis, Gaiya
Description: Gaiya begins to think that Ar'lis could be more than a fling...
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 8, day 21 of Turn 3

"Come in, Gaiya!" Ar'lis called from the bathing chamber. Sighing, he leaned his head back against the wall of the pool, enjoying the feel of the steaming water easing the tension of drills away. He had invited her over for dinner tonight, and hadn't meant to take so long in the bathe... Stretching, he let out a sigh. Maybe just _one_
more...brief...moment...

Gaiya heard his voice coming from the area of the bath and felt slightly irritated. He invited her over, she had spent hours doing and redoing her hair, picking out the perfect outfit, the perfect accessory to access her accessories and he's been in the bath the whole time! Men...
She sighed and sat down at the table to wait... and wait... and wait... "Ar'lis?"

"I'm sorry, love," the bronzerider said contritely as he walked out of the bathing room, fully dressed, his wet hair combed back from his face.
"I didn't mean to take so long." He came over and cupped her chin in his hand, leaning over to give her a kiss.

She smiled up at him, his wet hair, his tunic still clinging to his wet chest, the warmth from the bath that still radiated around him. "It's all right. I didn't mind."

"Mmm..." He knelt in front of her, taking her face in both his hands before giving her another, slower, deeper kiss. "Even if you did, you wouldn't for long," he murmured as he slid his lips over her cheek. "The more chilled the wine is, the better it tastes..."

"There's wine?" Gaiya asked distractedly as she enjoyed the feeling of his warm lips on her skin. She couldn't care one whit about wine, but it seemed rude not to at least _seem_ interested in the meal he had planned for them.

"Mm-hmm..." He kissed his way down her throat, his fingers reaching for
her hair. He paused suddenly when he realized the strands weren't
flowing free. Giving her a final, nibbling kiss, he sat back on his
heels to admire her. "You look beautiful."

She actually blushed as he looked at her. Gaiya wasn't sure it was from
the compliment he said, the effect that his lips had on, or the desire
she could see in his eyes. "You're pretty beautiful yourself,
bronzerider," she said as she tucked a wet strand of hair back behind
his ear, letting her fingers trace along his ear, down his neck and come
to rest on his shoulder.

Shards... He could hardly bear it any longer. And if he wasn't mistaken, the desire he felt for her seemed to be reflected in her eyes.

And he wondered...

Ar'lis smiled that slow smile of his and took her hand in his, his thumb caressing her palm as he gently pressed it to the skin bared by the V in his shirt. Rising further up on his knees, he took her other hand and guided it to his waist. He met her eyes as he moved closer, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her gently towards him until her legs pressed against his sides. Then he kissed her.

There was little doubt in Gaiya's mind what was on _his_ mind, and his kiss just reinforced it. It was then that she finally had to make the choice that she had been skirting around for a while now. This was the moment when she needed to decide if he would be Ar'lis, the beautiful friend with lovely benefits, or Ar'lis her full blown lover. And not just one of her secret flings that she would have off an on, but one that was public, one that was for all to see. She had to chose if this was the man she would go to when she felt the need to be held and caressed, or would he be one of several. Gaiya could dangle a few flings on her string, but when she chose a lover that was it. Was Ar'lis to be her lover, or just another fling?

She pulled back and looked down into his soft brown eyes. Gaiya knew she had always wanted him, dreamed of him. For turns she had imagined his body pressed against hers, she had only wished that his eyes would look at her that way. And now he was here, in the flesh and with his flaws. Something told her he would not be satisfied by being a secret fling, and if she went to his bed now there would be nothing secret in their relationship. Her heart still held a twinge of doubt, but she shoved it aside as she slowly began pulling at the laces of his tunic.

The bronzerider may be filled with desire, but he wasn't completely unaware of everything save his need. He'd seen her expression. And the _last_ thing he wanted to do was to push her before she was ready. His hands came around to settle at her hips, and he nuzzled the flesh beneath her earlobe once before murmuring gently, "You sure, sweetheart?"

She slipped her fingers down into his losened tunic as she turned her head to kiss and nibble at his neck, her other hand curling around his shoulder and bringing him closer to her. No, she wasn't sure. But she would convince him, and herself, that she was.

It was answer enough for him. He let out a soft moan into the curve of her neck and shoulder, taking pleasure in her kisses and caresses. Then, slowly, he began to stand, drawing her up with him. No matter how much he didn't want to sharding move, he would _not_ make love to her on the sharding floor. The bed was but a few paces away and soon he was sitting on it, she in his lap.

She gently pulled his tunic off and threw it unceremoniously onto the floor of his weyr. She then wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself to him as she traced her lips along his collarbone teasingly. He had proved himself kind. He had proved himself loving. And now, she was sure he would prove himself in many other ways. How could she doubt wanting this man?

Well, one thing was for certain: he couldn't doubt wanting _her_. As her lips trailed across him, he made work of her own tunic, and soon it had joined his on the floor. He bent his head, tasting skin he had never touched before, slowly easing back onto the mattress, bringing her with him.

Gaiya had no reservations about the way the bronzerider was making her feel now as her low moans attested to. She let Ar'lis guide her, reveling in the way their skin slipped across each other, the way his chest hairs tickled, the way his lips moved. He was certainly proving himself a skilled lover, and she allowed her hands to rove over him as he convinced her just how wonderful having only Ar'lis could feel.

~*~*~

The pale light of dusk had long since faded by the time sense finally came back to Ar'lis. He shifted, looked down at the woman curled in his arms and a soft smile curved his mouth. Tenderly he began caressing his fingers across her back, reveling - not for the first time that night -
in just how smooth her skin was. Then his hand moved to stroke the sweaty tendrils of hair away from her brow before he pressed a kiss there.

She smiled and shifted against him. Yes, she thought, having only Ar'lis as a lover wouldn't be that bad at all. The hard part would be in explaining to her other lovers that she was no longer available. That might not be such a bad thing... L'cian had started to seem a bit more attached than a casual fling. She felt guilty suddenly for thinking about other men when Ar'lis was being so sweetly attentive. Rolling over on her back she looked up at him and grinned. "How are we both still _awake_ after that?"

Ar'lis felt something rise in his chest - and it was more than just the smug pride a man felt after satisfying his woman. He gave a throaty chuckle, leaning down to press his forehead against hers. "I don't know, love...you tell me!"

"Hmmm..." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him gently. "Maybe because we don't want to waste so much time before we can do it again?"

He grinned widely at her, his teeth flashing in the dark. "I think that could be part of it, yes..." He nibbled at her lips lightly, moving one hand down her side to her thigh, gently bringing it over his leg. "And I don't think we'll have to wait too much longer..."

Last updated on the October 15th 2005

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You Sure, Sweetheart?