A Forbidden Kiss (6/6)

Writers: Devin, Estelle
Date Posted: 11th February 2025
Series: Bronze and Blue Entwined

Characters: L'keri, K'mai
Description: A concerned L'keri checks on his friend and has some questions about what's going on.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 5, day 11 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: I'serin, H'run

L'keri

K'mai

L'keri had gone looking for K'mai after the green flight - well, some
time afterwards - but unusually, he'd not been able to find him. When
he asked Rhalith, all he said was that Sebeth's rider didn't want to
be disturbed.

**Is he spending the night with H'run?** he wondered. He wasn't sure
if that was a good sign or not. The nagging concern stayed with him,
but between drills, watch duty and their other wingmates, it was the
next evening before he found an opportunity to catch K'mai alone at a
table in the dining cavern.

He slid into the bench opposite his friend. "Okay, we need to talk."

K'mai had been somewhat prepared for this. He let out a sigh. "Yeah, I
suppose." His eyes weren't as red and puffy as they had been that
morning but he still had dark circles from lack of sleep.

The brownrider took one look at K'mai's face and immediately decided
that finding out what was going on with the Weyrleader could wait.
"Oh, shells. Are you okay?"

"Better." K'mai's smile was tired, but not forced. The intense
emotions combined with a sleepless night had left him exhausted.
L'keri was obviously worried for him, and he appreciated that, but he
wasn't looking forward to lying to his friend. He was used to spinning
lies with L'keri when they were up to some mischief, but not lying
_to_ him. "I thought I was going to end up on night watches for the
rest of my life after that little stunt." Dismissing it like that,
making light of it, made K'mai feel terrible, but he _had_ to protect
I'serin.

L'keri gave him a long, skeptical look. "K'mai, I know I'm not the
sharpest tool in the smithy, but even I can see there's something
going on with you. First the Hatching, then the Weyrleader turns up to
your birthingday party...and now this. You never get upset about
flights."

K'mai swallowed against the panic. He had to explain this somehow . .
. "I was worried he was going to be mad. I guess got carried away with
the . . . the fantasy, and he _hates_ being the center of attention
and what if he thought I did it deliberately just to embarrass him or
something, and he's already under so much stress with being Weyrleader
and everything, and he really doesn't have many friends, and I've been
trying to help him feel a little bit like a--a normal person, and if
he thought I'd turned him into a _joke_ in front of everyone . . ."
K'mai closed his mouth.

The brownrider's gaze softened as he recognized in his friend's words
a feeling that was all too familiar to him. "You really like him,
don't you?"

K'mai heaved a sigh. "Well of _course_ I do. He's my friend."

"So am I," L'keri pointed out. His lip twitched upward. "But you've
never swept me into a passionate embrace after losing a flight."

The bluerider's eyes darted around, wondering if anyone was close
enough to overhear them. Shards, was this how I'serin felt all the
time? He leaned a little closer and said, "Yes, I'm lusting after him.
I'm hot for half the bronzeriders in the Weyr. I think L'val is hot
even when he's scolding me. Sometimes that makes it worse." K'mai
laughed.

"I should have got you bronzerider knots for your birthingday," L'keri
sighed. "Then you'd just have to find someone suitably arrogant, with
a taste for discipline, and off you go." He wasn't sure he could see
those traits in I'serin, though. "How in the world did you get to be
such close friends with the Weyrleader? He never seemed to be the
sociable type."

K'mai wanted to give L'keri as much of the truth as he could. Besides,
that would be easier than making up some elaborate lie he'd have to
remember. "He . . . I talked to him not long after he became
Weyrleader and I realized how stressed he was. How much pressure he
put on himself to . . . live up to expectations." And then later he'd
found out he was the only person I'serin had revealed his secret to,
at least since before River Bluff was destroyed, and how bad things
must have been for I'serin to come to K'mai at all that night after
I'lon died in Fall. "I thought I could, I don't know, help him. Take
him out to do fun things, treat him like a person instead of just his
title. I did that for Rhosyn before she left River Bluff. And
Weyrhealer Abrei, too."

"But you started to have feelings for him?" L'keri's instinct told him
that this was something more than a casual desire for a handsome
bronzerider, and he was filled with sympathy. How hard it must be to
fall for the one man who certainly wouldn't appreciate you even
showing your affections, much less return them.

Feelings. K'mai knew what people meant when they said "feelings" like
that and he couldn't stop the heat rushing to his cheeks. Mostly it
was the fear of their secret being discovered but . . .**Obviously in
love,** H'run's voice echoed in his mind. "What? No!" K'mai waved his
hands. "I don't ever feel . . . and even if I _did_ . . ." Thinking
would be a lot easier if he'd gotten any sharding sleep last night.

"You poor thing." L'keri patted his friend's shoulder. "It's awful,
isn't it, when you can't stop thinking about them and they aren't
interested at all? But, as someone with experience in these matters, I
promise it will get better. I know it doesn't seem like it now, but it
will."

K'mai stared down at the table. At least L'keri thought it was
one-sided. K'mai didn't like the idea of anyone looking at their
relationship too closely but as long as I'serin's secret was safe,
that was all that mattered. K'mai could _not_ screw this up again.
"The only _feeling_ I have for I'serin right now is being grateful
he's so forgiving."

"Hmm." L'keri gave him a doubtful look. "In that case, I will
definitely not advise you to get drunk, eat a whole tray of bubbly
pies or invite the three wickedest, most wanton greenriders in the
Wing back to your weyr for the night. Those are some good distractions
from unrequited love...but clearly, you don't need them."

K'mai laughed. "I'm definitely doing that last one because it sounds
like a good time." And he did need to keep himself distracted. Two
sevendays until he could see I'serin again, and right now that felt
like forever. Two sevendays until he could touch him, kiss him, drown
them both in pleasure . . . **Obviously in love.**

"There you go. Feeling better already, right?" The brownrider winked.
"I might try some of that myself."

A slow, wicked grin spread across the bluerider's face. "We could share."

"That's what friends are for...sharing." L'keri's eyes brightened in
anticipation. A thought occurred to him and he licked his lips. "Can
we share the tray of bubbly pies, too?"

"That was entirely _your_ idea," K'mai said with a laugh. "Please
don't try to eat an entire tray of bubbly pies before sex." He laughed
harder.

"Oh, no. You only make that mistake once." L'keri winced slightly, as
if at a painful memory. "Those are for afterwards."

K'mai laughed harder. Of _course_ L'keri had done that. "Come on,
let's go find some company. Maybe we can finally get those rumors
about us to stick."

The brownrider got to his feet, feeling a warm sense of satisfaction
at the life that had come back into his friend's eyes. "Ooh, yes.
Those bubbly pies have given me some very...juicy ideas."

"Just to be clear, there are some things you can eat in my bed but
_no_ food." Sharing a few women with L'keri was definitely the kind of
distraction K'mai needed.

"Think of the laundry workers, eh?" He grinned, undeterred. "Fair
enough. Let's find ourselves some wicked, wanton and _very_ willing
women."

Last updated on the February 18th 2025

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