This Vignette follows the log: Rug Pulled Out From Underneath
Thea watched D’had walk away. To say she was surprised would be an understatement. She was totally and completely undone. Stunned. She’d tried to tell him to back off. Somehow she couldn’t make herself be more direct when doing so. An odd feeling tugged at her heart with his simple ‘I know Babe’, the inclination of his head and that subtle quirk of lips as he took his leave. It got her, somehow - the simple dignity, the quiet asurance of the man.
He kissed me! Put his arms across my shoulders and kissed my cheek! Why did he do that???
He’d never even touched her before. Never tried. Many might say to touch a weyrwoman like that without her permission was unthinkable. She was surprised, but not offended by it. His touch hadn’t seemed presumptuous. It seemed very kind. D’had kind? And to her.
What has come over him???
Well, why not? She remembered he’d mentioned at that lunch in the Tavern with D’son that he had kids. But they were not here with him. They lived in Ierne with their mother. This made her feel very sad.
He said if I want to talk he’ll listen. Why’s he offering to do that? That’s not the flirty, one-two word man that I know. That time we talked on the Starstones he barely said anything. Most difficult conversation I’ve ever tried to have! The man deflects questions better than anyone I’ve ever met. And he surely can find a woman anytime he wants, so he’s not feeding me a line.
He’s always been a flirt, but he knows I’ve never taken that seriously. Not for a single moment. So many of the other girls get so annoyed and offended. Not I. Never.
She thought about this. Why didn’t she? She’d known for a long time, just had never formed the thoughts. She laughed to herself. Kav never had understood why she didn’t get huffy with the bluerider, either.
It was because… because he just seemed rather sweet and lonely to her underneath that gruff exterior. And for some reason she liked the man, respected him. He struck her as solid, strong, dependable in spite of the rumors floating about the Weyr. Oh yes, she’d heard the talk, listened with flashing anger – and a few eruptions of verbal defense for the bluerider at the judgmental attitudes of others who really had no right to say anything at all if their lives were to be compared. But how could she judge him for the women and the drink? In her short few Turns here at Xanadu she’d seen plenty of other riders caught up in all sorts of behavior that was foreign to her. They really had no right to condemn someone just because they didn’t understand him. She had no idea what prompted the man to be the way he was, but she certainly didn’t judge him for his choices.
What was up with the offer to listen to me? Why would he want to hear about Kav?
He wouldn’t, she decided, laughing to herself. He knew Kav didn’t like him. He didn’t care, but he knew. The anger at Kav for his callus disappearance drained away. She suddenly had the overwhelming urge to cry.
He wasn't flirting.
The certainty of that sudden thought surprised her.
D’had continued across the hatching sands and her bemused eyes followed, staying upon his back as he headed up the steps to the ‘level.
The man certainly had her attention.