Behaving Himself (2/2)

Writers: Anaria, JR
Date Posted: 27th March 2011

Characters: S'bryn, Roana, J'klin
Description: S'bryn stops in at River Bluff, runs into Roana and causes a confrontation with J'klin.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 1, day 17 of Turn 6

Steadying himself, J'klin resolved to not let either of them see his
discomfort. He strode towards the Dining Caverns, pretending nothing was
amiss. Locating Roana quickly, he walked over to her as if she were alone,
and it was just any other day. He swooped her up into his arms, pulling her
tight against him. "I missed you," he whispered softly in her ear.

She blinked in surprise where her face was hidden against his tunic. What on
Pern had brought this on? "J'klin, you just saw me this morning before you
went to drills!"

"Yeah, but they seemed never ending today. I swear we did the same formation
50 times before we got it correct." He released her a moment later, and
nodded a welcome to S'bryn. "I'll be right back, I'm starving. I need to get
lunch before all the good stuff is gone," he said, heading off quickly to
gather his tray. **Don't be jealous, don't be jealous, don't be
jealous....** he thought to himself.

S'bryn raised an eyebrow at her as the brownrider left to get in line, "If I
didn't know better, I think someone just tried to be possessive of you."

Roana's hazel eyes were following J'klin across the room, "I don't know what
that was. I really did just see him this morning." She didn't want to admit
it had been because she'd slept at J'klin's the night before.

He gave her a knowing look. "Uh huh. If I was a greenrider and prone to
gossip, I'd think he was jealous." The knowing look widened into a grin, "We
can test that theory if you want."

"What do you mean?" She looked at him suspiciously.

The bronzerider chuckled. He knew he wasn't the best looking guy around, but
he'd do a lot when it came to the people he considered friends, "Just play
along. If he's really jealous, you'll find out soon enough."

Roana shook her head as she thought about it, but before she could tell S'bryn
no, J'klin was coming back toward the table, and she found S'bryn's hand
resting over hers, his thumb rubbing the soft skin under her wrist.

J'klin forced himself not to beat the bronzerider over the head with the
tray. Instead, he walked over to the table, giving S'bryn a fierce glare. "I'm
sorry if you're a bit out of the loop since you've been at Dragonsfall, but
that hand happens to belong to _my_ girlfriend." He said, his voice low to
avoid attracting the attention of others.

The bronzerider merely cocked an eyebrow, his eyes on Roana, not J'klin. He'd
follow her lead in how to react, since the brownrider had so clearly staked
a claim.

Her face had frozen at J'klin's words and she shook her head, "J'klin! Stop
it. You don't own me," she hissed.

"You're right, I don't own you, but we did agree that we weren't going to
see other people. Think of how you'd feel if you came in here and saw
another woman holding my hand? I don't believe you'd be too happy about
that, would you?" He asked, trying to keep his temper in check.

The greenrider got to her feet and stepped up to J'klin, her voice low. "No,
however I think I'd have the common courtesy to _ask_, especially knowing
that I'd been at another weyr for several turns and it was entirely possible
that you knew people that I didn't. His bronze won Phiralith. What?" She
glanced at S'bryn, "Four times?" Roana angled her next few words to hurt,
angry with J'klin for ruining her visit with her friend, and more for
doubting her loyalty. "Which means in _some_ ways, he knows me far better
than you do."

J'klin snapped. All of the pent up anger from all of the women that had
betrayed him in the past reared up. "Can't you just understand for one
fardling instant that I love you?!" He exclaimed, before turning quickly and
stalking off. **Nimyth, come get me,** he demanded of the brown, who had
been sunning with Phiralith only moments before. He wasn't certain where he
wanted to go, but he knew quite well what he was going to do once he got
there.

Roana dropped back into her seat, staring guiltily down at her plate. "Well,
that went well, thanks ever so much."

S'bryn was actually staring after J'klin, surprised that the man hadn't
taken Roana's bait. From everything he'd known about the man, it was the
last thing he'd expected. "Either you didn't tell the truth about him
before, or he's a very different man than he used to be. Shardit, Ro, I'm
sorry."

She shook her head, "He's different, but I'm still puzzling him out. He
might love me, but I don't know if he's ready to really be with me." Roana
kept her voice soft, knowing J'klin wouldn't want this to be common
knowledge. "He developed a drinking problem after he got here. He's given it
up and been seeing a mindhealer, but I think he's latched onto me as an
excuse to help him keep away from it, and that's not healthy."

"No, not at all," the bronzerider agreed. "So what're you going to do?"

"Right now? Let him stew it over and calm down. I'll talk to him later." She
couldn't afford to go running after him and let him think she was that
clingy and attached. With a sigh, she began to pick at her lunch. "Let's
forget about J'klin for a moment and talk about why you moved to Dolphin
Cove, shall we?"

Worried for her, S'bryn forced himself to do as she asked and continue their
prior conversation as though nothing had happened. He'd have to come back
and check on her in a few days and make sure things had worked out alright.

Last updated on the April 27th 2011

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Behaving Himself (2/2)