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Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 12th June 2006

Characters: Birigundi, Nialyn
Description: Birigundi tries to make up for a mistake
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 12, day 12 of Turn 3

Birigundi

Birigundi couldn't believe that he hadn't remembered Nia's birthday! She had mentioned something before, something vague like "next month I'll be
19", but he didn't remember if she gave him or date or not. He had thought he had plenty of time to find out. Oh shards, who was he fooling, he forgot to ask... that was the crux of it. He didn't even bother to _ask_.

Shards, he would never have even known if the kitchen worker he had slept with the night before hadn't turned over in the morning and asked, "So, what did you get Nia for her birthday yesterday?" He had to find out from her friend who he was _sleeping_ with. Oh, she'd love that one all right.
Oh well. He had to fix it. He had to do _something_.

But what? What could he get her? Really, he didn't have much. He was a runner with no where to run, therefore his mark supply was rather low.
What could he give her? What did one give the mother of their future child with no marks, and no ideas...

Birigundi spent the day brooding, and finally, in time for her to get off duty, he hoped he had solved the problem.

**Just let the hurt flow off of you like rain on an avian's feathers,**
Nialyn had repeatedly told herself yesterday night when she'd given up on Birigundi. **Just don't let it bother you. You know how he is.**
But still, it _had_ hurt. Nialyn thought he would've remembered--or that he would care enough to at least _find out_ if he hadn't... But maybe that was still asking too much of him.

And today was like yesterday. Absolute silence on his part.

Her sad, resigned sigh turned abruptly into a gasp of shock as she stepped into her weyr. There were flowers everywhere! Wildflowers in all sorts of unimaginative arrangements--but shards! They were pretty...and...was that dinner? And candles too?

"Happy late birthday, Nia," Birigundi said, stepping out from behind the door wearing his best tunic and carrying a much more thoughtfully arranged bouquet of flowers. "I'm sorry, it's a little late..."

All her previous bitter disappointment melted away. "Oh, Biri..." She took the flowers from him and threw her arms around his neck.

"Happy birthday," he repeated, leaning back so he could give her a proper kiss.

"Thank you," she murmured once he released her lips.

"I hope you're hungry," he grinned. "I helped the cooks make my mother's famous bread and stew. It's really good! Though, perhaps not as good as when my mother cooks it, but its the only thing I'm good at."

"I'm starving! I'm eating for two now, remember?" she chuckled, letting him lead her over to the table. "And you know, there's lots of things you're good at, Biri...."

"Yes, love, but those come later," Birigundi chuckled as he nipped at her neck playfully. "But for now," he said, pulling out a chair for her, "we eat for three."

Nialyn didn't disappoint him--or their baby growing inside of her. She made quite a dent in her bowl before she decided to lean back and nibble on his mother's famous bread. And it was quite good! Especially dipped in the stew... "This is delicious. My compliments to you--and to your Mama for thinking up the recipe in the first place!"

"Well, after turns of cooking for rooms full of people, Ma's come up with ways to satisfy empty stomachs," Birigundi grinned. "But thank you. I'm glad you like it."

"Can I meet her soon? Your Mama? I know I can't travel /between/...but maybe she could come here?"

"Yeah, I was thinking about that, actually," Birigundi smiled. "I mean, I know you can't go there, so maybe one of my friends can bring her here.
I think she would really like to meet you too."

She smiled at him. "So she really is excited then? About having a grandchild?"

"But of course," he nodded. "How could she not be excited?"

**Well...we aren't married, Biri...** But she wasn't going to say that.
"Has she told you if she wants it to be a girl or a boy?"

"No, I don't think it much matters as long as they're healthy." Of course, most of their conversation she was rather upset that he would make a girl pregnant on a one-night stand, not to mention how he had better grow up and make sure to do his duty to Nialyn, but he thought she didn't need to hear about that part...

"Of course the baby will be healthy..." Nialyn glanced down at her round stomach. "And he--or she--will have a runner's build just like you."

"And your blue eyes?" he smiled.

"I hope so." She grinned at him.

"Sounds like we're going to make one beautiful baby between the two of us."

She blushed a bit as she took another bite of her bread. "We sure will."
She could only imagine... If it was a boy, the girls would probably be fawning over him by the time he was thirteen, and if it was a girl...
Oh, shards. She couldn't even imagine how her virtue could be protected here....

"So... do _you_ have a preference yet?" he asked curiously.

Shaking her head, she looked at him. "Do you?"

He shrugged as he poured them both some more juice. "I change my mind minute to minute."

Propping her chin up on her hand, Nialyn looked at him thoughtfully.
"What makes you change your mind? What thoughts?"

"Well, just sometimes I think it would be great to have a boy to teach to do manly things, and sometimes... Well the little girls are so sweet.
I think one with your smile would be _especially_ so. It's really hard to choose."

"My smile?"

"Why not? I love your smile."

"That's sweet, Biri," she murmured softly.

"Well, it was the first thing I noticed about you," he grinned, remembering their first night. It had taken a little work to bring her real smile out, she had been so shy. But once she had relaxed with him, it was so... radiant.

A small grin tugged at her lips. "What...what else did you notice?"

"I noticed how shy you were," he said after a moment's thought. "I remember that you would look at me, but you would get all embarrassed about it. You looked like you liked me but you didn't know what to do about it. I liked that."

She flushed, embarrassed, as if seeing herself through his eyes for the first time. "You liked that I was shy? Inexperienced is more like it, I think....."

"You weren't inexperienced. You told me that night you weren't." At least, he knew she was not a virgin. "I like how you were shy. I like girls who are forward and brazen too, but you were... I don't know...
sweet."

A brow rose. Well, how nice of him to remind her of _that_ particular quirk he liked in girls. Firmly, she tried to shove away the mental image of that one woman wriggling in his lap, her brazier in one hand as he kissed her openly for the whole dining cavern to see.... Tonight was not the night to think of any of that--or to feel sharding jealous! Nialyn looked away to the bouquet of wildflowers, fighting her conflicting thoughts. "So....you're saying you wanted to take me with you to bed because I was different than everyone else?" The words were out before she could stop them.

"Well that night I wanted to take you to bed because I liked you and I really wanted to take you to bed," he replied honestly. "But you _are_
different. You're... special, I guess." After all, she was the only girl who had ever carried his child. That made her pretty sharding unique in his life. And he _did_ like her, very much.

Nialyn looked at him, wondering if that was supposed to be a compliment.
**You know how he is.... Just let it drop.** Giving him a small, almost hesitant smile, she beckoned him with a finger. "Want to show me how special?"

His lips curled into a wide grin. "Indeed I do. It is your birthday, after all."

Last updated on the June 13th 2006

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