I'm Not Perfect

Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 8th September 2005

Characters: Birigundi, Traelyn
Description: Birigundi tries to help Trae to forget her confrontation with the Weyrwoman the day before
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 7, day 22 of Turn 3
Notes: Follows "Time To Be Bold"

Birigundi

"Breakfast arrived while you were in the bathing pool," Birigundi said as he looked over his shoulder at the goldrider. "I have to say, there are definite perks to being a goldrider! Teseada is very lucky!"

"Yes she is," Trae replied with a smile as she approached, loosely tying the sash of the robe around her hips. Then, grabbing the brush, she sat down on the couch and began to brush out her long hair. "Breakfast smells good..."

"That it does, and I am _starving_," he said with a satisfied grin. "Want me to bring some over for you?"

Mm-hmm. We can eat on the couch." She patted the spot next to her.

"All right," he said as he balanced a plate of fruit and sweet bread on one arm, two mugs off his fingers, and a pot of klah in his other hand. Turns of practice from working in his mother's tavern paid off as he deftly placed his burden on the small table. "How was your bath? Do you feel better now?"

"Who said I was feeling bad?" she asked with a teasing grin. Putting the brush aside, she reached for a sweet roll and began nibbling on it.

He shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. You just seemed... like your mind was somewhere else this morning."

Shards. And she'd thought she'd been distracted enough to _not_ think about what had happened the day before. Apparently not if he had picked up on her mood. Was she truly that transparent? "Did it?" she asked, keeping her tone light, if a little vague, as she took another bite of the bread.

"Well, let's just say, I don't remember you biting down so hard last night," he said with a wink.

She put a hand to her jawline, then glanced at him and leaned back against the pillows, one leg crossing over the other. "You know my habits well, do you?"

"Well, I wouldn't say _that_ really. At least, not yet. But you were a bit obvious." Apparently Birigundi wasn't the only one who was having a hard time lately. Last night she helped him with his troubles. It was only fair for him to leand her an ear, or a shoulder, or a body if she needed it now.

Great. She sighed a little and then gave him a half-smile. "I didn't know I could be so transparent..."

"Well, why don't you tell me what's on your mind. Then I'll see if I can't get it off you mind for you," he said as he slipped an arm around her.

She shrugged a shoulder, allowing him to pull her closer. No doubt the rumors would get out. Who knew - perhaps they already _were_ flying about the Weyr and she just didn't know about it.

Traelyn had been a little busy, after all.

After a quite moment, she finally said, "Confrontations aren't always the easiest of things to deal with. For me, at least."

"Who in their right mind would confront a _goldrider_?" he asked, truly surprised.

**The Weyrwoman.** "Another goldrider, of course," she replied, a little amused.

"Find yourself in a little trouble, did you?" Birigundi's eyebrows raised in surprise. "I never took you as the type."

"I'm not perfect, Birigundi."

"Well, obviously not. After all, you invited _me_ back to your Weyr for a wild night of sex. Now that might make you perfect in _my_ mind, but I doubt everyone would share that opinion." He tightened his arm around her. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But I can be very discrete. Your secrets are safe with me."

"There _are_ no secrets in a Weyr," she told him dryly. "Especially when it concerns a goldrider." She tilted her head to look at him, searching his eyes thoughtfully.

He shrugged. "Well, then you might as well tell me now and get it off your chest. It sounds like I'll find out eventually anyway."

She sighed a little. "Yes, you probably will..." She paused for a moment, nibbling on the end of the roll. **Might as well tell him...** "You do know that Wingleader U'kaiah has been bedridden in the Infirmary?"
she asked slowly.

"Yes, I suppose I had heard _something_ about that."

She folded her arms over her chest and looking down, studying the design on her robe. "He wasn't able to be at the Hatching...and so I went to check up on him after it was over." How could she explain do him what a dragonrider felt during a Hatching? It was practically indescribable...

"Go on," Biri prompted her. So far nothing sounded troublesome...

U'kaiah's need to see Kalamath was also a personal matter. _Any_ bond between a rider and his dragon was a personal matter. Very private, and very personal. She shifted, a little uncomforatable with how to continue.
"He wanted to see Kalamath. He _needed_ to see him." Trae looked up at him, wondering if he could understand, before she continued quietly, "And even though U'kaiah wasn't supposed to be out of bed - for _any_ reason -
I helped him out to a ledge so he could see him."

"And then you threw him off the ledge?" Birigundi asked with a teasing smile. "So far, the only thing I hear you saying is that you were being a good friend to the wingleader. Where is the trouble there?"

"I disregarded Jaela's orders for him to keep in bed. And not only Jaela's, but the healers' as well." She shook her head and smiled ruefully. "Something which I shouldn't've done...but that I would've done all over again, despite the consequences."

"And what are they going to do to you for your terrible ways?" he asked gently as his fingers slipped up her neck and into her hair. "Are they threatening to demote you to greenrider?"

Traelyn snorted. "Yes, Birigundi, that's _exactly_ what they're going to do." Shaking her head, she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "But really? I don't think anything's going to happen... But it's not the most pleasant feeling in the world to be confronted." She shrugged. "I guess that's what's really bothering me about it."

"Did you damage the wingleader permanently?" Biri asked as he slowly leaned in to kiss her skin just below her ear.

"Mmm..." That felt nice. "I don't think so..." She tipped her head to the side, allowing him better access. Yes, that really did feel nice.

"Did you do it just to show the Weyrwoman that you are above her rules?"
His lips traveled down to where her neck and shoulder met.

She tensed and her tone hardened. "Of course not."

"And when she confronted you, did you tell her to mind her own business and leave you alone?" He moved the cloth of her robe aside a bit to give him better access to the skin along her shoulder.

"No..."

"Then how were you a troublemaker? I think you were a good friend... and I _know_ you are a beautiful woman... but a troublemaker? No. I, on the other hand..." the young man said with a mischievous grin as he slowly pulled on the end of the sash tied at her waist, slowly slipping it out of the knot, "I am an incorrigable troublemaker, as you already know."

One pale brow rose as she turned her head to look at him. "Oh yes. I know. You just _love_ to walk that fine line between behaving...and being naughty." Her eyes flickered down to watch as his fingers began pushing the robe aside. "You love it very much."

"Apparently, so do you." Birigundi pulled the cloth aside deliberatly slowly, letting his fingertips gently tickle her skin as he revealed what was hidden beneath. "I think it's about time I prove to you that some confrontations end quite pleasantly."

"But Birigundi...you hardly touched your breakfast," she chided, but her eyes glinted teasingly at him as she shifted, her hands moving to caress lightly up his arms, then down again, tracing her nails along his skin.

"I would touch my breakfast, but I just like touching _you_ so much more,"
he whispered in her ear as his fingers began traveling teasingly close to sensitive areas.

"Mmmm. Shall we continue with our lessons, then?"

"Uh huh." He slipped her robe off her shoulders and smiled appreciatively at his handiwork. "Let's start with a review first and then move on to some... new material."

Last updated on the September 8th 2005

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I'm Not Perfect