Lying in Bed

Writers: Chelle, Miriah
Date Posted: 13th December 2013

Characters: Bahji, E'rae
Description: The two of them spend some time in his weyr.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 4, day 6 of Turn 7

**He did say I could go up to his weyr...** Bahji told herself that as
the weyrling helped her climb off of the little green and handed her
the crutches. Faranth, but she would be thankful when she could walk
without them again. She thanked the weyrling and not hearing anyone
within, hoped that E'rae hadn't moved things around.

Burst, as always, rode on her shoulder and sniffed the air, his tail
flicking back and forth rhythmically. Apparently approving of her
surroundings, he immediately settled on a small outcropping of stone
near the bed. He had claimed it as his own little wallow early on and
zealously guarded it.? Bahji smiled at the pleased emotions rolling
off of her bronze and carefully limped towards the bed. It was made,
surprisingly enough.

She didn't expect him back for at least a candlemark, if not more, so
Bahji made herself comfortable. Laying down on his bed, she sighed. It
smelled like him in the most pleasant way. Burrowing into the furs,
she smiled, closed her eyes and snuggled deeper, relaxing into a nap.

It was a few more candlemarks until E'rae finally finished with
exercises, bathing, and changing. He stopped for a quick meal then headed up
to his weyr to deal with Leith's second set of straps. Riding up on his
dragon, he stepped off onto the ledge and came inside. He didn't immediately
notice anything different and rummaged around for a bit. When he went to get
his tools, though he saw the crutches and his eyes narrowed. Following his
eyes, he walked into the bedchamber and found her there.

"I don't have the heart to wake her," he grinned. Her willingness to come
back here, though, of her own volition, made him happy. Grabbing the things
he needed quietly, he settled down in the living chamber and started working.

Burst lifted his head as E'rae came in and gave a croon of recognition
before curling back into a ball to get comfortable. The slight
rustling of sound from E'rae, however, had woken Bahji from her sleep.
She murmured quietly, stretched as much as she was able and yawned
before lifting her head. "E'rae? Are you back?" She called out
lightly, her ear straining to hear any movement from within the weyr.

"Aye." Hearing her, he set his things down and got up, walking into the
bedchamber. "Didn't want to wake you, really." Since she was already,
he slipped his boots off and slowly settled onto the bed.

With the dip of his weight onto the bed, Bahji carefully scooted closer and
nestled against him. "I was waiting for you." Her lips curled up. She had
missed this in the past month. His warmth and scent were soothing and she
had hated being without them. It wasn't as easy with her leg still being
in its splint and her arm still slung close, but she was able to burrow next
to his chest with surprising speed. "Do you mind?"

"Of course not. I told you to come, didn't I?" He smiled, though she
couldn't see it. "So what were you waiting for me for? Was there
something specific?" He had to ask, though having her just lay around in
his weyr was okay too.

"Just waiting." Her fingers walked along his chest as she laid her
cheek against his shoulder. "I was hoping just to have you close for a
while. I missed it." She tilted her head back slightly, her fingers
finding his neck and then his jaw. "We haven't gotten to be alone for
a long time."

"That's true." He was quiet, just holding her and letting her do what she
wanted. Listening to her even breathing. She wasn't healed yet, but she
wasn't in danger anymore. "So, I've been thinking about our earlier
conversation. And I want you to tell me more about you and your family."

Her head tilted to the side and a delicate brow lifted. "We're finally
alone after sevendays and you want to talk about my family?" She blinked
and then, confusion apparent, nodded. "Alright, I suppose. They're
pretty normal, I guess, for Sun Stone. Papa is in Fishercraft. My
mother takes care of the home, but I think she really leads the family
more." She smiled a little. "But lets Papa believe otherwise."

"How many brothers and sisters do you have?" It wasn't as if E'rae could
bed Bahji right now. She had a half broken body, for Faranth's sake. And
anyway, he was pretty sure the two of them should wait since that
could mean another baby and they were not ready for that.

"I don't. I'm their only child." She stroked his chest lightly and
then frowned before poking him. "If you don't want me, all you have to
do is say so."

"It's not that I don't. I'm just pretty sure that with you all banged up, it
would likely be painful for you. And besides, we both said it would be too
soon for a baby, Bahji." He said it softly, but he was also listening to
her. Was that all she wanted?

She gave a relieved smile and relaxed, her hand back to stroking his
chest instead of poking. "I just want to know that you do, E'rae.
That's all. Besides, I'll use that tea when I'm healed. I just wanted
to know that you still did want me." She pressed a light kiss to his
shoulder and then cuddled close. "What did you think of my mother?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I mean, I didn't have much of an interaction with
her to judge. She seems more like women I've met here, though, than
those I've met at the Hold." That was an honest observation and E'rae
hadn't realized he was comparing Bartona, but now he knew he was. And
maybe he was even thinking about his own mother.

She nodded. "I think she would have been a good woman for the Weyr,
actually. She's a very strong person. But she was never allowed. It wasn't
proper, you understand." She sighed. "And she does love my father."

"Well there are some strong Hold women. They have to be sometimes. They
just express themselves differently than those here. Sometimes I think it
makes them stronger." He thought again about his own mother and the other
women in his young life.

Bahji nodded. "She's had to be, especially with me and never really having
much. But she never complained really. She just kind of made it all better
somehow."

"Ah well, at least both of your parents accepted you." E'rae hadn't meant to
say it but it just came out. The truth was, his father's reaction had always
hurt. He just tended not to think about it.

Bahji heard the hurt, although faint, in E'rae's voice and lifted her face
towards his. Her brows furrowed. "And yours didn't." She frowned and with a
light hand found his cheek.

"Well I guess you can't expect everyone to be happy when you Impress blue.
Just one of those things." He wondered if she ever really thought about it.
Did she care that he had been with men?

"Everyone always says the dragon chooses." Bahji replied softly and then
paused, her thumb stroking his cheekbone.

"Aye and that's true and I can't imagine my life without Leith." That
brought a snort from the ledge. "But it's something my father can't...be
proud of."

Listening, it didn't take much to realize that E'rae was opening up to her
in a way that she never would have imagined he would have. It had to hurt
him, that admission. All sons, to her limited experience, wanted the
approval of their fathers.? She shook her head slowly. "I don't understand
that. It's a part of you. It's who you are. It's like someone not accepting
me because I can't see. It's part of who I am. I didn't ask for it; it just
is." She ran her fingers over his face, the gesture meant to soothe and
caress. "I really don't understand. A blue is a male dragon, just like a
brown or a bronze. They're smaller, but it does make them less deserving
of good riders."

"It's the fact that I like men, Bahji, plain and simple." He didn't know if
she realized it or not. She wouldn't have seen it unless someone had told
her. Of course he would have thought someone had told her.

Her brow furrowed and there was a moment of silence. "I hadn't really
thought about that."

E'rae didn't say anything, only waited for her to think about it and waited
for her reaction. It was a valid one, whatever it was, but at that moment
he felt like he would break apart if she couldn't accept it.

She was silent longer as she mulled it over. While she had known in
the back of her mind that all male dragonriders eventually shared a
bed with another male because of flights, she had simply accepted it
as a matter of course in the Weyr. She understood that they couldn't
control what their dragons did in a mating flight nor who they ended
up with. She had, after all, other bluerider friends such as D'arvn
who was weyrmated with another male greenrider and it hadn't really
bothered her; she just hadn't mentally connected the same behavior
with E'rae. But she couldn't condemn him for it. She spoke slowly.
"It's part of who you are. I can't accept just bits and pieces of
you. It has to be all of you." She paused. "Uhm...do you....'like' them
at the same time you're liking me?" There was a bit of uncertainty in
her voice.

"Besides Flights, it's been awhile." He scratched his neck as he considered
the question. Truth be told with her moving in and getting hurt and
everything else, he'd been so worried about her, there hadn't been
time for anything else. "But at the beginning....yes."

"Oh." Bahji chewed on her lower lip. She had to remind herself that she had
no true claim to him. They didn't wed here at the Weyr. She had to remind
herself that it was not the Hold and he did indeed ride a blue. "Uhm...which
do you like more?"

"They both have their merits," he answered easily, realizing this
conversation had taken a turn he'd never thought of.

Still nestled against him, she tried to figure out how to ask the next
question. "But...which do you prefer?"

He almost laughed but he didn't. She was serious. "I'm a bluerider, Bahji.
I don't. I like both."

She frowned again. She might like two things too, but if she had to
choose, she knew her own preferences. Maybe he just didn't want to
hurt her feelings. Her mother's opinion again came to her mind. "I
understand."

"I don't know if you do because you haven't...Listen, when I'm with a man,
it's different. There's a hardness there and a give and take. Strength
against strength, and submission. With a woman, it's usually easier to be
more dominant and they have a softness that isn't present with a man." There
were other things, but he wasn't going to go into it just then.

She really didn't want to know what it was like and she didn't want to think
that he had compared her to someone, so she stayed silent, just resting
against him as her mind worked on its own. The fact that he liked men she
could accept; he was a bluerider. But she didn't want to talk about it
further.

"So, are we going to lay around for awhile, or do you think you would be
okay for a ride?" It had been a long time since he'd taken her anywhere.
He knew he couldn't /between/ due to her injuries, but they could fly
straight.

"I'd rather stay for a while, if that's alright."

Last updated on the December 19th 2013

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Lying in Bed