Difference between revisions of "Logs:Life Is Good"

K'del's Weyr, High Reaches Weyr

Rank certainly has its privileges, and among them are amply appointed apartments. The short flight of stairs from the Weyrleader's Complex opens up into the larger of two chambers, formally decorated and clearly designed to cater as much to important guests as the occupant's personal living. Old, but obviously expensive, llama wool rugs dyed blue-and-black cover the stone floor, leading towards the second chamber, the stairs, and the rush-filled dragon couch and ledge beyond it. A formal seating arrangement - a sofa and chairs, all blue-and-black - sits around a large, tiled fireplace, whilst along the other wall, a finely made, if now somewhat antique, desk sits between a bookshelf and a tall cupboard to which tack-hooks have been attached, riding gear arranged neatly inside. Two tapestries hung from the high walls depict overdone splendour for High Reaches Weyr, one a long view of the snow-covered bowl, and the other a hazy impressionist piece of dragons flaming over a springtime countryside.

The inner weyr, made up of a sleeping cavern and a private bathing area, is smaller and cosier and distinctly less ostentatious. An oversized wooden sleigh bed fills much of the space, the mattress piled high with overstuffed down pillows and comforter, their covers dyed in varying shades of navy blue, light blue and bronze. There's a nightstand on either side, both with reading lamps, and against one of the other walls, a tall, heavy wardrobe made from a dark wood that matches the bed. The bathing area is part of the same cavern, a folding screen shielding the toilet and slightly raised, double-sized bathtub built into the stone, and a small shelf holding toiletries, shaving equipment, and clean towels.

It's late in month 5, though the weather still bears the hallmarks of late spring, it's drifting into the pleasantness of a Reaches summer. Milani wanders barefoot through the weyr, dressed down in a pretty sundress, perhaps more suitable to Cove's warmer climate, but not out of place in this season at the Reaches either. Her finger wanders the spines of K'del's books, her head cocked to the side, taking in any new additions it seems with idle interest, hair tucked back behind her ears and falling free to the small of her back. Nikalas is sacked out, napping on a blanket on the floor, one chubby fist closed around a well-chewed toy, the other hand relaxed in sleep, a slow trail of drool tracing the contour of one rounded, rosy cheek.

The sound of K'del's boots on the stairs heralds his arrival long before the bronzerider himself is visible; they clip-clop at a merry kind of pace, leaving very little time at all before he strides straight in to the weyr. His stride stops fairly dramatically short, though: it takes him barely a moment to register his sleeping son, and from that moment, he freezes, breath held. His gaze slides, silent and apologetic, towards Milani - just in case the noise of his entrance is enough to wake the baby. Despite this, it's with a genuine, unrestrained brilliance that he smiles at Milani.

The sound of boots lifts Milani's head and so it is that she's half-turned as K'del arrives in the weyr. Her hand leaves the spines of the books though as he makes it the rest of the way inside and freezes in place. A brief, amused giggle escapes Millie, then she's padding on quiet feet to close the distance between herself and the Weyrleader, finger held to lips with brows lifted and eyes all big and round. "Tsk," is her greeting as she reaches K'del and slides her arms around his neck. "You'll wake the baby." Who is apparently completely oblivious to all noises around him and sleeps on undisturbed.

As Milani's arms slide up around his neck, K'del's reach to wrap snugly about her waist, pulling her close. "Me'n'him? We've got an agreement," he tells her, in a kind of whisper. "Knows what to sleep through that one, promise." It's a brave statement - and one that might work better were it not quite so patently obvious that the bronzerider was afraid of waking him in the first place. It makes him grin, at least, and since his words seem to be holding up - for now - he leans in to steal a kiss from her instead.

"Oh /do/ you now," Milani says with another close-held laugh, but then she leans in to return that kiss in unrestrained fashion, quite counter to prior words. One hand steals up the back of the weyrleader's neck and tangles into his hair for as long as that kiss lasts and on the tail end of it, Millie leans back to catch her breath. "Shells. Well, some things certainly haven't changed," she jokes a little and tilts her head back, blue-green eyes seeking out clearer blue.

K'del's expression half dares Milani - or, perhaps, Nikalas - to prove him wrong, though not for long, given the intensity of the kiss that follows. He's quiet silent for several moments after it ends, after she speaks, as though all he wants to do in the world is hold on tight and breath in the smell of her. His gaze meets her squarely and earnestly, and finally, he retorts, "Expected it to, did you?"

"No," Milani answers simply and winds one blond curl lightly around her index finger, expression shading thoughtful. "At least, I /hoped/ not," she continues candidly and a touch of uncertainty flickers in her eyes. "I've /missed/ you," Milani adds in a lower tone, as earnest as the weyrleader's expression.

The uncertainty doesn't pass K'del by, and his arms tighten around her, his gaze never wavering. "Nothing's changed," he promises, low-toned but fervent, "Nothing. /Promise/." There seem to be more words struggling to get out, but for whatever reason, they don't quite make it. His mouth hangs open a moment, and then, finally: "Missed you, too. So much."

Maybe it's the words themselves, maybe it's the fervency with which they're delivered, but any uncertainty seems well-banished by them and Milani leans forward to add another kiss to the one just shared, this one lighter and intended to end that hanging-open moment. "Want to show me how much?" is a perhaps predictable reply from Millie, murmured up near K'del's ear. "If we pile some pillows around Niky, he'll be fine."

One of K'del's hands withdraws from Milani's waist, heading, instead, towards her head, to run fingers through her hair. Her remark after that second kiss makes him positively grin, no doubt only part thanks to lust: the rest, perhaps, simply the comfort of the familiar. "Pretty sure if I don't show you how much soon, I might explode," he admits, words tinged with teasing and amusement.

Teeth catch at Milani's bottom lip and one hand drops to tug at his belt, to pull pants slightly away from waist and she makes much of peeking downward. "Mmmhm. We should /really/ see to that. I mean, I do /not/ want to be held responsible for the weyrleader exploding all over his weyr when I've only just gotten back," she says, all round 'innocent' eyes. Just like old times, really, except that her fingers release his belt a moment later and trace back up the front of his shirt instead. Her head tilts into his touch and her eyes close as if it's the affection that means more right this minute rather than desire.

For all his words - and indeed, for all the physical signs of his desire - K'del isn't quite in the rush he claims: he has plenty of time to laugh at what Milani says, and to tell her, "Reckon it might not endear you much to some-- reckon there's plenty who'll be glad to see you back, Millie. Loads and loads, not just me." If not quite in the same way. His hand finishes tracing through her hair, and slides down her face, instead, as though rememorising features. It's enough to distract him for a fair few moments, except: "Pillows. We should get those pillows." Before Mama and Daddy get too distracted.

Again: "I hope so," Milani answers quietly and her eyes open as his hand slides down her cheek, taking in the contours of his face in turn, fingers plucking idly at a crease in his shirt. "I don't really want to think about it too much right now. Who's going to be happy, who won't be, or all the complications that come along with that. Some people are going to see me very differently, probably treat me very differently too," she says slowly then gives a little shake of her head, laughs once. "Yes. Pillows." And her hand travels upward to allow the tip of her finger to press lightly to K'del's nose for a moment, before she steps away to collect various couch cushions and stacks them carefully around the sleeping baby. "He's only been out for about a quarter of an hour so we should have plenty of time before he wakes up. I got in a nice bit of playtime with him before he got sleepy."

The lines of K'del's face tighten as Milani talks, and he looks genuinely apologetic, evidently of the opinion that mention of it was a mistake. Her laugh seems to reassure him at least a little bit, but there's still concern in his eyes as he watches her with the pillows, nodding along to what she says. "Everything is going to be fine," he says, sounding determined. More softly, "I'm glad. He-- I'm just so glad." Words, again, fail to properly express whatever it is going through his head.

Finishing up with the protective barrier, Milani straightens and looks up at K'del again. "He still knows me," she says softly, arms crossing and hands cupping an elbow each. Her gaze drops back to the sleeping baby. "I guess it was just enough visiting," she murmurs and there's a slight catch in her voice that Milani swallows down, eyes suddenly overly bright. "Kas ..." she starts, stops and clears her throat. "I'm so sorry."

"Of course he does," begins K'del, but the rest of what Milani says cuts his own words short. Instead, he crosses the distance between them, reaching to wrap his arms around her again, as he says, firmly, determinedly, "No. No-- don't be. It's not your fault. None of it is your fault. /None/ of it. It's like getting sick, isn't it? Can't control that. Millie... please. It's all going to be fine. It /is/ fine. You're safe and home, and-- and I've got you." His ramblings are cut abruptly short, probably not because of lack of things to say, but because instead, K'del is trying to catch and hold Milani's gaze so sharply that words are abandoned in the pursuit of it.

"I was afraid he wouldn't. That it wouldn't be enough," the words sort of tumble out quickly as K'del crosses over to her and Milani leans into his embrace eagerly, hands leaving elbows and circling around behind him instead, settling against the familiar planes of his shoulders and lower back. She's silent for a moment, then says more softly: "Thank you," as his eyes find hers and a little smile curls the corners of her mouth. Standing still for a little longer, her gaze doesn't leave his until she leans in to kiss him again, first lightly, then with growing intent as she takes a step backward towards the bedroom, both hands dropping to his waist to tug at his belt and encourage forward movement.

"How could he not?" K'del lets the words hang, barely louder than a whisper, as he continues to watch Milani. It's not until she leans in for that kiss that he seems properly reassured, despite what she says; the kiss, though, has him responding in kind within a moment - eager. Desperately eager. The tugging at his belt makes him laugh, in and around the kiss: he's easily led, though, directing her through the short passage and towards the awaiting bed.

Careful enough not to bump into anything, Milani seems happy enough to leave more serious thoughts behind as they make their way through that passageway to tumble into that bed. And for all K'del's eagerness, there's something slower in the way Millie moves, less focused on the destination and more on the journey, hands more keen to touch and linger, even when there's no clothing left between them.

Clothing abandoned, everything reduced to two bare bodies on the sheets, K'del seems to register something about Milani's approach, because his eagerness is reigned in, a willingness to follow her lead taking its place. It doesn't seem to bother him, though despite the abandonment of serious thoughts and words, there's still a watchfulness lingering behind the sheer joy of being with her again.

He might eventually recognize that what she's doing is re-learning him, testing out what was once more than familiar to see if it still is. Milani's never been shy in the sack and that hasn't changed, but she definitely seems to want to take things slow this time, and not only prolong the pass of her fingers over his skin, but his on hers as well. Finally, though, finally, as bodies draw together, her hand curves to the back of his neck again, to help draw him closer than close and her eyes seek out his above flushed cheeks to tell him with utmost sincerity: "I love you."

Again, K'del's fingers trace lines down Milani's cheek, and run through her hair, gestures that are, despite the movements of their bodies, intimate in a rather less sexual manner. Her words make him smile (as if he weren't already - but more so, more intensely), and he leans down to press his lips just slightly to hers, whispering, breathlessly, "I love you, too."

This time, there's only sunshine in Milani's answering smile and her arms close around K'del tightly, holding him to her. Her chin tilts, lips seeking to meet K'del's in full along with the rest of her and for a little while, there's no more words, just a lot of heavy breathing followed by a happy cry or three and then gasping for breath. When Millie can speak again, her words are soft and lazy and pleased: "Oh, it's good to be home."

Even K'del manages to banish whatever thoughts have been lurking in his head, still, releasing himself to enjoy the homecoming. Afterwards, an arm draped over Milani, his legs still tangled with hers, he can only smile. "It's good to have you. This place-- it's empty without you. Feels like you belong here, beside me. Always."

Fingers trace lazily up K'del's arm and Milani jokes a little. "That a proposal, weyrleader? Because you know, I /did/ lose my nice big room," she adds on, tone still light, teasing as she turns into him and bends her arm to prop her head up on one hand.

"Want it to be?" K'del takes a moment before he asks that, gaze fastened upon Milani's face, a slender smile curving about his mouth. "I want you here, at least-- at least for now. You, and Nik. And later-- we can see, right? How things are. What we want."

"Yes," Milani answers simply, gaze steady on K'del's. "Though you're right about not making decisions too quickly. I should settle back in. Figure out what I'm doing. And I'll need space for me and Milandra and Nik that isn't here ... for when you've got other company." Her lips quirk to the side a little, then she snuggles in close again. "For now, I just want to get my breath back and then see whether or not you're still as tireless as ever." The teasing tone is back, oh yes. "Before Niky wakes up."

K'del gives a wordless little nod, his head reaching to grasp Milani's, to squeeze it. "We'll work it all out," he promises, steadfast. "We'll make it all work." He can't maintain such seriousness for long, however, not given her teasing - which results in a stuck out tongue, a broad grin. "And in the meantime, reckon we can probably make good on /that/." In a minute or two, anyway.

Milani's fingers slip between K'del's turn his hand to the side to press a kiss there, before she smiles at him again. "We will," she says softly then starts laughing, brows waggling. "Tireless as /ever/!" she declares and leans in to kiss him more exuberantly than before. And if her other hand is working its way downward, hey, it's a good thing, right?

A /very/ good thing. It's a good thing, too, that being all of just short of twenty two hasn't dulled K'del's, er, tirelessness. He returns the kiss with enthusiasm, as his own hands return to the cause-- and the only other thing he has to say, at least for now, is, "/Shells/, but I missed you."

"Goes both ways," is Milani's brief response, before enthusiasm and tirelessness get their due reward. There might not be any sheets, pillows or blankets left on the bed by the time Nikalas starts fussing from the other room, but hopefully that just means there's a very happy K'del left behind on the mattress when Milani gets up to go rescue their son from the pillow fort.

K'del doesn't seem to mind the lack of all of it: the sheets, the pillows, the blankets; he'd probably barely miss the bed itself, by the time Milani is getting up to collect Nikalas. Instead, there's nothing but a boneless contentedness, and a pair of eyes that follow her progress with undeniable fondness. Life? Life is good.