Darlea had come to his apartment for the night and had been rubbing salve
into the worst of the bruises.  He had given himself over to her
ministrations, when she began talking.  He could feel through the contact
that she was a lot more nervous than she wanted to let on. 

"Almiron..." she said softly, "I've been doing a lot of thinking today.
Actually it was Makayla that made me think about it in the first place." 

He nodded, knowing that Darshan did the same for him quite frequently. She
continued, "Does it bother you that we haven't moved in together?" She
continued quickly, not giving him a chance to answer. "I mean some of our
friends have... David and Minty... Wynn and Evelle..." She concentrated on
putting the healing salve on him and didn't look at his face. 

"I know that it isn't the normal thing for Dragonfolk, but for those
raised landbound... like you... it is." She looked into his eyes. 

He thought about the reaction of the landbound to his homosexual liasons. 
He wasn't sure he'd lump himself into a category with them. 

"You know, my father hasn't lived here in Keldarra for a very long time.
I've always known why, though neither he nor my mother ever talk about it.
But others do... not necessarily in front of me, ...but it's almost
impossible to keep secrets here in the Warren. I know that he left because
of her... because of my mother, I mean. I've never held it against her,
because she is a good woman and a wonderful mother, and I love her dearly.
She can't help the way she feels..."  Darlea stopped suddenly and went
back to applying the salve. 

"Go on," he said gently. 

"One day Makayla will fly again, but you and I both know that Darshan
isn't going to wait for that day. And what if he doesn't win her the next
time?  It's the way it is with dragons."  She took his hand in hers,
holding it tightly, "I just want you to know, that I like things the way
they are. I like knowing that you and I can spend time together whenever
we want to and share... well, what we share. I like caring for you like I
do. It's become very important to me. But I don't want to feel...
obligated... That's what drove my father away."  He could feel the heat in
her eyes as she fought tears.  Then setting her chin she continued.
"Neither of us should.  And I just wanted to be sure that you knew how I
felt."

He thought of his earlier fears, so recent and yet so far distant, that
she had been pregnant.  He thought of all his internal debates about the
relationship to Darlea.  He thought about the mating flights Darshan had
flown in since Makayla's.  He knew he had been unconsciously holding the
dragon back... at least with the joined females.  There had been a couple
of times when Darshan had flown a wild female and left his rider to
suffer, though Almiron had always looked up Darlea when the worst of the
heat had gone.

He looked into her eyes, feeling the nervousness in her now, the
vulnerability.  He gently stroked her cheek.  "I care for you deeply.  In
some way, I love you, and if you had wanted to become... mate, I would
have done so gladly.  I still would.  But I value friendship with you.  I
would not sacrifice that, ever.

"I have been holding Darshan back because... I did not want to upset you."

"Oh, Almiron, it won't upset me.  Really."

He felt no rise in pulse or nervousness in her to indicate the she was 
lying.  "All right.  I am glad to hear it, actually.  Darshan is 
getting... antsy."

She grinned.

He grew more serious.  "Can I... tell you something secret, something 
personal?"

She looked a little concerned.  "Sure."

"There is... someone here at warren that I love... more-- no, not more, 
just differently than way I love you.  I fell in love with... him very 
early in stay here."

"But there's some problem?  He isn't interested in men," she guessed.

"He is already mated.  And I would not destroy that, though there is time 
when I want to.  But I love him too much.  And it hurts."  He felt his 
eyes sting with tears.

She hugged him gently.  "Oh, Almiron, I'm so sorry."

They laid holding each other for a few minutes in silence, then she 
pulled back and looked into his face.  "It's M'tan, isn't it?"

He nodded.  "He knows how I feel.  It has made friendship little... 
tense.  It is frustrating, because I don't feel like I can discuss it 
with anyone.  At least, I didn't.  But... I can tell you, can't I?"

"Of course you can.  What are friends for?"

He smiled.  "For laughter, and crying together, and helping with hurt, 
and talking together, and sharing secret..."  His hands began carressing 
her slowly.  "... and sometime, for few other thing."

She chuckled.  "I can't believe you're interested, in your condition."

"That is difference between man and woman.  Man is *always* interested."

"I'll remember that," she joked and kissed him.  Her hands began to
carress him and he yelped in pain.  She pulled away and looked at him
apologetically.  "Sorry.  Maybe we shouldn't."

He gently pulled her back to him.  "I would like to.  You just need to be 
more gentle.  Pleasure is worth some pain."  Her lips met his again.  
Thank Hehran they weren't bruised, for the kiss soon turned more urgent 
as he undressed her.

******

He lay spooned up behind her afterward, their bodies still barely joined, 
and drifted off to a deep, dreamless sleep.  Against her back, his body 
burned hot as his healing sought to undo the damage he had inflicted on 
himself earlier in the day.

Respectfully submitted,
 Lynette R. F. Cowper
  Almiron and Darshan

NRPG: There, Kris.  Sorry this took so long.

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 * Lynette R. F. Cowper       *     Official INWO NetRep & Goddess    *
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