Now We're Even

Writers: Eimi, Shelly
Date Posted: 18th February 2006

Characters: Birigundi, Kamira
Description: Birigundi and Kamira... make up.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 6 of Turn 3

Birigundi

Kamira walked in an anxious flutter with a few other female weyrlings.
One girl had heard through another that there was going to be a birthday party tonight for... Actually, they didn't know who the party was for, but there were sure to be plenty of men and excitement no matter who it was.

And so the group found themselves filing through someone or other's weyr that was already filled with people, littered with empty wineskins, and spotted with couples already doing things that the weyrlings were not yet allowed to do. Kamira grabbed a cup of whatever it was that she had been handed and started to scope out the room.

Birigunid _loved_ birthday parties, especially when the birthday was _his_. So many beautiful girls 'forgot' gifts and loved to try to make it up in other ways. Laughing as his last 'well wisher' released him, he looked back over his shoulder and called to her, "Don't worry, sweet heart, I'll make sure and remind you later you forgot a present again."
He didn't even notice Kamira until it was too late. Slamming into her, he watched as her cup of wine spilled all down her front. "Oh shards!"

Kamira eyes squeezed shut as the cool liquid slid down her front and blazing a burgundy trail down the pristine white of her dress. She took a few moments - and deep, calming breaths - to collect herself before opening her eyes to deal with the wherrybrain who had rammed into her.

But she soon found that having opened her eyes and discovering that it had been Birigundi who had hit her, she should have taken a few more moments. She pressed her lips together and gave him a downward nod before turning away to head for the bathroom and salvage what she could.

"Oh shards," he grumbled. "Kamira, wait up. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that." Birigundi ducked around a drunk couple as he followed her to the bathroom. "Really, Kamira, I didn't mean to do that."

"I know, Birigundi." Her tone was gentle, but bore no other detectable emotion. "I know." She grabbed the first towel she could find, soaked it in warm water and began to dab at the wine stain.

"I'm really sorry about you dress. It is... was... is... a very nice dress."

"Yes it was," she said it with the same, resigned tone that she had used before. "And it still could be again with any luck." The wine was gradually beginning to seep into the towel.

He watched her dabbing at her dress, feeling guilty and wishing he could help. And then he felt a pleased with the idea of helping her out. But then again, she was a weyrling still. Perhaps there was _another_ way he could help. "You want me to see if any of the girls have a dress you can borrow?"

Kamira looked up from her task - a strange thing was happening, here.
They were supposed to be mad at each other; they weren't supposed to be speaking at all and yet somehow neither one of them had fired so much as a glare at each other and Birigundi was offering to help her out! "Sure.
That'd be sweet."

Birigundi also had noticed that they were being rather friendly. It actually was unsettling. She should be yelling and screaming at him for ruining her dress on purpose or some such pretty thing that girls usually do. Who knows, it might still be coming... He grabbed one of the girls who he figured was about the same size as Kamira. It took him a while to convince her that he really just wanted a _dress_ and not necessarily the one she was currently wearing, but finally he walked back to the bathroom with an extra dress in hand. "You have no idea the promises I had to made to get this for you."

"And I'm pretty sure that I don't want to know." She winked at him before she remembered that they were supposed to be upset at him still.
"Thanks." She blushed for about the third time in her entire life and turned around to change into the dress he had brought her.

An awkward quiet stretched out between them as she slipped into the dress. Birigundi finally couldn't stand it anymore. "I was surprised to see you here today," he said to break the silence.

"Why?" Kamira inspected herself in a mirror; the dress wasn't exactly the right size - it was a little longer in some places and a little smaller in others - but it was close enough. Really, the dress was actually quite flattering.

"Well, because we haven't been... agreeing on much lately," he said with a sigh. Shards, she really did look nice in that dress. Too bad she was still off limits.

"That is true..." She was still a bit confused. "But why would that keep me from coming to a party?"

He looked at her a moment, wondering if she had come really not knowing.
"Because it's _my_ party. My birthday party."

Kamira's eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open a little. "A... a party is still a party." She tried to shrug as casually as possible.
"Fight or no, this seems to be the social event of the season. It can't be missed."

"Oh, that's a nice friendly answer," Birigundi grumbled, folding his arms across his chest. "I'm so glad that I can entertain you."

"Aren't you just?" She gave a flirty smile and her eyes sparkled. She was going to do her best to move past their fighting - not relapse into it.

He looked at her a moment, trying to decide if she was just playing with him to annoy him, or trying to be friendly. "So did you bring me a present?"

Kamira wrinkled her brow momentarily. "Tell you what, I'll forget that you ruined my dress and we'll call it even."

"It's not ruined," Birigundi smiled impishly. "And besides," he said as he began walking around the weyrling, openly admiring what he saw, "I think this dress suits you even better."

"Well then after weyrlinghood is over I can find some way to repay your... kindness in helping me find it." She enjoyed having him so close to her; it didn't happen very often anymore.

He enjoyed being close to her too. Birigundi knew there were boundaries that couldn't be crossed with a weyrling, but he sure loved walking right up to the line. Stopping behind her, close enough she could feel his body heat, he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "But the question is, will you _remember_ that long?"

Kamira closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation. "You're making pretty certain that I will, aren't you?"

"Well, a month can be a _very_ long time," he murmured, letting his fingers trace along hers. There was no rule against holding hands, after all.

As much as everything in her wanted to give in and respond, she knew there was no way she'd stop at just holding his hand. So, in an impressive display of will power, she opened her eyes and turned to look at Birigundi over her should the way she knew he liked. She gave a half smile and, in a rather sultry tone, added "Happy birthday, Biri," before walking out of the bathing chambers to rejoin her friends.

Birigundi grinned as he turned and sauntered back out of the bathing room to rejoin the party. **Now,** he thought smugly, **we can call it even.**

Last updated on the February 19th 2006

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Now We're Even