Used to Not Touching

Writers: Devin, Clancey
Date Posted: 20th October 2005

Characters: Dysali, D'ren
Description: D'ren and Dysali spend some time together after D'ren's first trip /between/.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 7, day 24 of Turn 3

Dysali had been watching from the side while D'cal and D'ren made their first jumps /between/. She held her breath until the familiar bronze shape appeared over the Weyr again, and was in constant contact with Lillyth, who was supposed to be 'listening' for Menanth as well as a green could, which was to say, not nearly as well as her rider would have liked!

When D'ren dismounted from Menanth, Dysali made her way to his side, waiting until his clutchmates had done with congratulating him. She heard Lillyth crowing her own congratulations to the young bronze, even as Dysali grinned at his rider. "Congratulations D'ren! That was wonderful! Now you can go /between/ and go anywhere you want to go." The _other_ things it meant were shining in her eyes, but at the moment, she was just happy for him, as she remembered her own feeling of freedom when she and Lillyth had made their own first jump. "It certainly is an experience." He commented. "I'd like to watch my classmates for a while. Maybe we can go over there and talk while they make their jumps?"
There were plenty of things he wanted to talk about, but he also didn't want to rush things.

"That's perfectly fine, D'ren." She smiled at him. "Would you rather meet me later for a chat so you can spend the time with your clutchmates? I just couldn't wait to congratulate you though."

He hesitated, then nodded. "How about a walk on the beach, when class is over?"
D'ren glanced skyward as the next weyrling took off. "I just . . . want to make sure they're okay."

Dysali nodded in understanding, her own eyes following his gaze to the next Weyrling. "I miss you." She said simply, but smiled. "I will wait for you on the beach, although I wouldn't mind watching either.
This, though, is a time for you and your clutchmates." She touched his hand gently. "They'll be fine, you know." He gave her a half smile. "I know." But he couldn't help worrying anyway.

********************************

As soon as the last of his clutchmates had returned to the Weyr safely, D'ren and Menanth hurried down to the beach. Dysali and Lillyth were waiting for them, just as she had said. D'ren felt suddenly nervous as he approached them.
"Everyone made it through okay." He said, covering his nervousness with a smile. Dysali had had time to build up her own level of nervousness, not being sure what would happen now. She and D'ren had claimed feelings for each other. What if they weren't true? What if they -were-?

She smiled at him, welcoming him as Lillyth and Menanth exchanged greetings. "I'm glad they all made it, D'ren! It was very exciting for me to go /between/. How do you feel?"

"Excited, relieved . . . more grown up." He said. "One step closer to fighting Thread." D'ren had been serious about his duty as a dragonrider since Impression, but the recent disaster had caused him to feel a stonger sense of responsiblity. Dysali nodded soberly. "I felt the same way, and oh is it hard to convince Lillyth we cannot fight Thread yet. I have to wait an entire turn now to fight Thread, even though I'm 15 turns now. I almost wish they would ease the age limit to help fill the ranks after.. " She trailed off and glanced in the direction of the infirmary. She turned back to him with another smile, trying to banish the sadness. "Want to show me your Weyr, Senior Weyrling D'ren?" His eyebrow rose at the conspicuous use of his new title. "I certainly would, Greenrider Dysali." She chuckled at his eyebrow, her eyes rolling a little. Try to give a guy a compliment and use his new title and he automatically assumes you're plotting something! In reality, she wasn't thinking of anything beyond not being very nervous. She had always thought D'ren making Senior would just sort of naturally drive them together to a kiss, but it seemed he was as nervous as she was, despite the experience she'd enjoyed from I'lan. With a faint sigh, she tucked her arm into his, wondering if the feelings they claimed they had for each other would stand up to his graduation, or if they were so good at being friends now, that that was all they'd ever be. "Lead the way, D'ren.. Lillyth says she'd love to fly me up to visit.
She likes Menanth a great deal, it appears." With the physical contact, he was even more aware of Dysali, and more aware of his nervousness. The romantic in him wanted everything to be perfect, but the realist in him kept insisting to take things as they come. "They've always liked each other. I suppose they don't have much choice, since we spend so much time together." D'ren joked as they walked back toward the Weyr. Dysali chuckled softly at that, and nodded. "We have spent a lot of time together over the months, haven't we? You'd think we'd be sick of each other, by now." Her head tilted up sideways to grin at him. "But I'm not sick of you yet."

}: You like him. He does not make you sick. :{ Lillyth commented, not even hiding it from Menanth. He returned the smile. "I'm not sick of you, either. I hope I never will be." A fellow Weyrling passed and waved at them. D'ren returned the wave absently. "I liked you the first day I met you."

Dysali looked thoughtful at his comment, remembering that day. A young orphan dolphineer and a slightly older Harper trying to figure out Weyr life together. It seemed an eternity ago, and of course, since then there had been Lillyth. The blue-gray of her eyes turned misty with memory of finding her partner that day on the sands. "I remember, D'ren. Its funny, isn't it? How you meet people you just like right away? I never knew it was possible before I came here. I didn't spend much time getting to know people. I just studied. But I'm so glad I met you that day.." She finished her rather long speech a little shyly, still smiling up at him. D'ren was used to her speeches and found them endearing. "We've been through a lot since then, haven't we?"

For some unaccountable reason, she blushed.

"We have been through a lot, D'ren. And all of it together, even the bad things." She wiggled closer to him, going from one arm under his, to her whole body sliding under his shoulder with one arm around his waist.
"Thank you for always being there." She leaned up and kissed his cheek.

D'ren felt his face warm. "Thank you, too." Before he could worry himself with thinking, he touched his lips to hers briefly.

Dysali was surprised and then she smiled. She had learned a little about kissing from I'lan, but not nearly enough. It was just a brief kiss, but she felt herself warm all the way to her toes. It was very promising. When their faces parted, she looked up at him for a long moment then grinned. "I've been waiting ever so long for that... now show me your Weyr.." And we can do it again, she didn't add, but she hoped. Feeling a little light headed, D'ren climbed up on his bronze's neck for the quick lift up to his weyr. Lillyth and her rider followed them up and landed beside them on the ledge. }:Why are you nervous?:{ Menanth asked. }:It is just Lillyth's rider.:{ D'ren chose to ignore his dragon's comment as he dismounted and offered his hand to Dysali.

Dysali dismounted from Lillyth at the same time and took his hand with a grin. "Isn't it terribly exciting to have most of your freedom back?
Just think of the flights we can go on once the Weyrlingmaster says you can..." Dysali grinned over at him, wondering about what was going to happen next, or if _next_ would be too fast for them both. }: You should not be so nervous. Menanth says his rider is nervous too.
Why are you both nervous? You are always together. :{ Dysali swallowed and ignored her own dragon as well, but she bit back laughter at the same time. It _was_ D'ren she was beside, and she was happy just being with him. "It's more freedom than I've ever had." D'ren remarked as they walked into his weyr. "I never had a place of my own before." He led her to his couch and they sat down. After a quiet moment, he smiled and laughed timidly. "Isn't it funny?
I've been waiting for this for so long, and now I'm nervous."

Dysali smiled warmly at him and cuddled up to his side. Her head tilted so she could talk to him. "The freedom is amazing! I felt so independent when Lillyth and I moved into our Weyr." She paused, watching him for a moment. His belovedly familiar face, and the amazingly sweet way they treated each other. "I'm nervous too, D'ren." She said softly. But she went on to add. "It should come naturally and easy. You _just_
flew /between/ and we're very practiced at being friends. Perhaps we just spend a little time together relaxing...and touching." She added shyly, blushing beet red. "We were so careful not to touch before." D'ren reached over and traced the scar on her cheek. "Maybe I've just gotten too used to not being able to." He kissed her again, longer this time.

Dysali leaned into his touch, her eyes half closed for a moment. When he kissed her, her lips melded against his easily, opening slightly as the kiss deepened past the first peck. Her cheeks still flushed, she leaned back from him, though only inches, and said softly, "I want to be used to touching you, not the opposite...let's practice.." And then _she_ kissed _him_.

Last updated on the October 20th 2005

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Used to Not Touching