Xanadu Weyr - Kalsuoth's Weyr
Mild suggestive themes below.
After meeting with his father !!, Mur'dah and Kalsuoth rushed home with their load of firewood. But Kiena isn't there. So Mur'dah takes a bath and busies himself unloading and restacking the wood, waiting for her to come home.
He's going to be waiting awhile! Kiena had gone looking for him, knowing he had said he'd be out cutting firewood. She'd spent most of her day going over the notes she's acquired, preparing for her Journeyman project. Realizing how much time had passed, she was late going to meet him. Finding him gone, she didn't worry overly much and took the longer pathway through the deep woods back towards their home. That's when she crossed paths with D'had, unaware that Mur'dah had a similar run in. More surprising is they talked — longer than she expected despite the terse awkwardness to start. Finally, she returns home. "Mur'dah?" she calls out as she steps inside the door.
Mur'dah pauses on the stairs and then continues down, moving with haste. "Kiena! You'll never guess who I ran into today!"
Kiena can take a good guess at what has Mur'dah coming at her with such haste. She'll stride forwards to meet him at the bottom of the stairs. "D'had?" she drawls with a smirk. Hope he isn't too crushed that she figured out the surprise? Or didn't say 'father'.
Mur'dah blinks, coming to a halt and visibly deflating. "Um." Pause. "Yeah."
Kiena grimaces when it's so obvious he's disappointed, somehow, at the turn of events. Sorry? At least she looks apologetic as she reaches out to rest her hand on his shoulder. "Kind of crossed him out on the paths through the forests. You were gone, so I headed home…" And then things happened.
Mur'dah ohs. "Yeah…I ran into him out there too. He's…back. And…" He clears his throat. "He looked sober."
"Yeah, he did. He seemed… well? Short on words." Kiena admits honestly, though she's giving Mur'dah a lingering look. Is she waiting on the other shoe to drop? Probably. "You're — taking this well."
Mur'dah presses his lips together and reaches for her. "I'm not sure how to take it," he admits honestly, his brows furrowing.
Kiena steps towards him and without hesitating she will slip her arms around him. Not quite a hug though it can become one if he wants it. It's more so she can lean against him, offering comfort and support but not stifling him in the process. "You seemed to be taking it with excitement…" she tells him. He did rush down those stairs in a hurry to tell her the news!
Mur'dah tightens his arms around her. "It's kind of exciting? I don't know. I'm…I don't know if I can trust him, you know? I don't know if he's /really/ back. If he's…Dad again."
Kiena leans in closer, resting her head against his collar bone. "Don't think you have to start trusting him right from the get-go, Mur'dah." No blame there. She looks up at him, "He seemed to want to know a little more about you. I — didn't tell him much. Told him it'd be best if he asked you." It's not her place to go babbling about his life to his own father. No way is she going to be the middle man!
Mur'dah nods his head a bit. "He asked me about Marel and I told him the same thing - to go talk to her. I'm…I'm cautious, little bird, but..I'm kind of happy too?"
"Cautious is… It's a normal reaction, Mur'dah. It's a shock," Kiena assures him, in case he's conflicted over being cautious about his own father. There's a smile for the nickname and then her brows knit. D'had was using pet names on her too! Not… that she's going to blurt that out to Mur'dah right now. Instead she leans up and kisses him, "Nothing wrong with being happy about it either."
Mur'dah returns her kiss and lingers there. This he knows and understands. "Guess we'll just see if he sticks around, huh? I…I said he could come see Thien. If he was sober."
Well, if he's going to linger there, Kiena will kiss him again! Lingering this time too, ending it with a gentle nuzzle to his cheek before she draws back and rests her head under his, drawing him into a loose hug. "Guess so." She frowns, absorbing how she feels about introducing their son. At least Mur'dah set down a line. "I… don't see why he couldn't? So, does that mean we're inviting him for dinner?" Not awkward, right? "Might have to explain to the girls why they can't come but their brother will be."
Mur'dah shrugs. "I didn't say when. Just, sometime, if he wanted to meet Thien, he could."
Kiena leans back so she can peer up at him, brows knitted in a frown. "… so it can be whenever?" She doesn't seem to thrilled by that idea.
Mur'dah nods. "Yeah. I mean whenever we invite him over."
Kiena exhales, relieved when he elaborates on his plans. "Alright. Okay… That I can work with." She didn't mind meeting D'had but she's all too aware of how family reunions can go. Granted, she only has her own to go by and that's not the best example and she's protective of her children. "You're going to invite him over then?"
Mur'dah looks down at her and shrugs. "I don't know. What do ou think?"
Kiena gives her answer in the form of a playful punch to his shoulder as she pushes away from him, smirking and tossing her hair back over her shoulder as she walks further into their weyr. Her hands begin to work at the bindings, eventually working them free. "He's your father, Mur'dah. Not mine. This is your decision to make."
Mur'dah frowns a bit as he follows after her. "But this is our weyr. Our child. You have a say."
"And I'm fine with it, so long as I'm here when it happens." Kiena explains patiently, grimacing only because her fingers tangle themselves in a few snarls in her hair as she shakes it free of the bun it was twisted in. "It's probably for the best that Thien knows his grandfather. Even if… nothing comes of it. My worry though is if you're really okay with all of this, Mur'dah." Placing her hands on her hips, she'll stand by the couch and face him, concern etched clear as day on her features. He's taking this so well that it's almost more troubling than if he was in a temper over it.
Mur'dah nods. "Okay." He pauses, reaching forward to try and help her with her hair, absently. "I'm fine. It was nice to see him. I'm…" Hopeful. An eternal optimist, and yet trying so hard to be cautious.
Kiena isn't as surprised as one would expect her to be when he reaches out to help with her hair and because it is him, she'll allow it. She even sits sideways on the armrest of the couch with her back to him so that he can have better access. "You're not upset with him?" she asks gently.
Mur'dah frowns a bit and is silent for a while as he works at her hair. "I don't know," he finally says, honestly.
Kiena grimaces when he hits some bad tangles but she'll bite her lower lip and keep from swearing under her breath. "Just… Be prepared for wounds to reopen, Mur'dah. You may feel like you're ready and okay but it could change. Can hit you later on."
Mur'dah sighs. "I know, Kiena. I just…I don't know. He's the only parent I have. I never see my uncle anymore." That's partly his fault because he's the one with the dragon, but still. "I don't know."
Just because someone has a dragon doesn't mean they have the time to just pop over on a whim! Kiena chews at her lower lip and is silent for a few heartbeats. When she speaks again, it's in a soft tone. "Sorry, Mur'dah. I don't mean to push at you… and I need to remember that not all reunions end with screaming matches."
Mur'dah pauses with her hair to move around so he can look at her again. "I didn't know what to do or how to react. I mean…I'm…I don't know. Mad at him? A little? But…I was happy to see him, too.
Kiena shifts as well, sliding down onto the couch when he moves around her. Her eyes find his, holding his gaze. "No one knows how to react," she mutters and then sighs softly. "But you probably reacted as best you could. Maybe it'll be a good thing that he's back?"
Mur'dah nods a little bit. "I hope so…I really do."
Kiena shakes her head and her hair now frames her face in a wild mess as she leans forwards. One hand gently pushes on his shoulder, encouraging him to lean back against the couch and sit deeper into it. If he does, she will straddle him, placing both hands gently against his chest as she looks down at him. "I hope so too." she murmurs. For both their sakes, she hopes it does not fall apart. "… have you talked with Marel at all? Darsce?"
Mur'dah shakes his head. "No. I came right back to talk to you. I haven't…talked to either of them in a while. I guess I should…"
"It might be a start…" Kiena lifts one hand to gently cup the side of his face, her thumb caressing over his cheekbone as she looks down at him. "… though I appreciate you coming right to me. They're you're family too." She'll support him either way.
Mur'dah nods. "I'll try and find them and talk to them…" Closing his eyes, he tilts his head to her touch. "Thank you, Kiena."
Kiena continues to hold her hand to his cheek and smiles at his thanks. She lean forwards, her hand lowering so that she can kiss him again. The rest that follows is a natural rhythm between them. Mur'dah needs her. Needs this distraction from his thoughts and long-buried feelings. To feel something else, something familiar, something comforting and known is what he needs right now and he needs it NOW. Kiena's willing (and eager) to give herself to him, to let him seek whatever comforts he needs from her. Time passes while they find a brief escape in each other's presence and pleasure…
Kiena's breath is still ragged and hot against his skin where she too buries her face against his shoulder and neck. Her hands continue to caress over his back and sides, while she holds and curls her body to his. She says nothing as there is little to say, aside from her quiet whispered: "I love you."
"I love you too," Mur'dah whispers softly. "Listen. I don' tknow what's going to happen with my father. But thank you for being here with me."
Kiena nuzzles him fondly and then sighs, giving him a sated, crooked smile. "Of course I am here for you," she drawls. Silly! She reaches up to cup his cheek in her hand again, "I always will be. Okay? Remember that."
Mur'dah smiles, kissing her lips tenderly. "I will," he promises.
Kiena returns his tender kiss and then gives him a playful tap-tap of her hand against his back to indicate she needs to move. Not that she'll go far, but she'll sit up to cuddle with him awhile longer.
Mur'dah rolls off of her and sits up, back against the couch. "So. When should he come over?"
Kiena stretches out, cat-like, before joining him up on the couch. She'll dress herself too while she's at it but she flops against him. "Dunno? Guess whenever it works for him and for us — or when you feel ready." How's that for an answer?
Mur'dah nods. "I'll let you know, then," he promises, slipping his arm around her to hold her close.
Kiena leans in against his side and is content to just spend a few quiet moments with him. Eventually she stirs and kisses his cheek. "How about some dinner and we move on upstairs? Hit the hay early." From her tone and the sly grin she gives him, there's a hint of a challenge for a second round later on, should he be feeling energetic enough for it.
Mur'dah nods "Sounds perfect to me, little bird."
Kiena grins and takes his hand as she hops off the couch. "Alright. Come on!" If he's wanting dinner, he's going to have to help with it! Just means they'll get to sit down and eat it all the faster and once they're done, Kiena will act on her promise. The night may end with another 'game', this one involving Mur'dah chasing her if she plays her cards right! She'll make sure he's quite sufficiently distracted for the rest of the night until sleep and exhaustion claims them both.