Nothing Bad Can Come of This! [R'nd] [M]

I'shan giggled lightly as he trotted down the hallway, a smirk painted lightly across his face. It was late, and most of the Weyr was asleep. I'shan had left an empty wine bottle (or two) in his hut, discarded on his bedroom floor. Squee was with him, wrapped gingerly around his arm, bright eyes whirling in the darkness.

"He'll be here soon!" I'shan crooned to his pet, stroking the fire lizard as he wandered into the kitchens. There would be more wine here, right? Yes, yes there would. And R'nd would be there soon as well, assuming he'd gotten I'shan's message.

This might be the last time. I'shan wasn't sure yet. He wasn't sure if his talk with N'gelt would go well, or if his own willpower would hold out regardless. One way or another, though, I'shan wasn't ending his adventure on anything other than a high note. He knew he'd meet R'nd again in flight if nothing else, but shouldn't they have one last spectacular tumble? Shouldn't they go above and beyond and give each other an experience they'd never forget?

I'shan didn't think about tomorrow as he closed the door behind him, locking himself in one of the most secluded rooms. He set his candle down on the counter and immediately started digging for another bottle of wine. His mind was hazy, but he didn't care. Why think about tomorrow? He never thought about tomorrow. Tomorrow was filled with uncertainty, but he still had some control over today.

He found the perfect bottle and smirked. He quickly corked it and laughed as Squee stuck his nose towards it, sniffing the mouth of the bottle before cheeping in distaste. Ew!

I'shan laughed and gave the flitter a pat with one hand. "Suit yourself, little dude. More for me," the bluerider said as he leaned on the counter and took a long drink.

When it came to I’shan, nothing really surprised R’nd anymore. He got the message and had simply shaken his head in vague amusement. What was his friend getting himself into now and why was R’nd going to let himself get dragged along for the ride like always? While he didn’t have an answer for the first half, R’nd knew he was going because he always did. I’shan was insanely fun – or just insane, depending on who you asked – and R’nd loved having fun. He was also usually the voice of reason and kept his quirky friend from getting too out of hand, though R’nd could admit to feeding off of I’shan’s energy and getting just as carried away sometimes.

Though the hour was late, R’nd was awake and alone. Despite popular belief, B’jin and he didn’t spend every night together. Rell didn’t mind when B’jin wasn’t around as the little blue still liked to steal a spot on the bed when the greenrider was absent. He was learning to keep his distance otherwise though and was happy to sleep in the little bed R’nd made on the table to one side of the bed. Naturally, since R’nd was up and about to go out, Rell wanted to go as well. The fire lizard was a tad clingy and didn’t like to be left out of adventures but R’nd suspected he was ridiculously curious on top of that.

Several minutes after leaving the hut, R’nd was at the kitchens. He heard someone rummaging around and peeked in slowly to see I’shan on the hunt through cupboards. Amused, the younger bluerider leaned one shoulder against the door jam, arms crossing lightly over his chest. He had shushed Rell already, who now sat on the opposite shoulder and they watched the interaction between I’shan and Squee a moment. Only after I’shan had taken his swig of wine did R’nd make his presence in the shadowed doorway known, “People would kill to have your luck at summoning me to secret locations in the middle of the night, Shel.”

I'shan smiled slowly, heart skipping a beat at the familiar voice. The bluerider's playful eyes turned on his peer, shining only faintly in the candlelight. "I don't think of it as 'luck'," I'shan said as he drank from the bottle again and begun a slow advance across the darkened room. He neared R'nd, his flitter departing with a flutter of leathery wings, and held the bottle close to his friend's mouth.

"I call it skill," he said with a mellow smile, eyes widening with a hint of flirtation. "We need to talk, R'nd..."

Without warning, the bluerider craned his head forward and placed a tender kiss on R'nd's neck. How many encounters had they experienced since it all began? Shards, it was so warm and natural, it felt like it had gone on forever. I'shan clutched the wine bottle's neck and wrapped his other arm unapologetically around his fellow bluerider.

"I know we talked about it once the other day," I'shan whispered in the man's ear. "About how I feel guilty, and I need to talk to N'gelt..." He'd been putting it off long enough, using his infidelity as an excuse and a cover-up. When thew guilt caught up to him, he simply reminded himself that he was neglected and tossed himself at someone.

I'shan's lips brushed the other bluerider's earlobe. "....I still love him. It's...well, I need to deal with the problem. I don't think  I can run much longer, R'nd..."

He peeled his lithe body from his friend's and took another long drink before offering it to R'nd again. "But shards. I wouldn't trade our time together for anything in the world, R'nd...so I thought...I thought maybe once more."

His eyes widened with a sudden ripple of excitement. "Something exciting and dangerous, don't you think? Something risky, that we'll never forget..." His blood tingled as he stepped close again, pressing his form against that of his friend. "What do you say? I refuse for it to be anything less than...spectacular..."

R’nd grinned after taking a quick drink from the proffered bottle, noting with just that sip that I’shan had found himself an excellent vintage. He would have asked about it and how long the search for the right bottle went on but I’shan quickly went from flirty to serious by mentioning they needed to talk. Despite knowing how his friend could be with the sharp turns in his mood, R’nd was still unprepared for the quick dive back into the flirty with the kiss to his neck. Just when the young bluerider thought they would enter a little make-out session under the ruse of needing to talk, R’nd ended up with whiplash as he was suddenly listening to talk about N’gelt again.

What could he say that he hadn’t already said over and over before? He hadn’t been keen on the way I’shan had tumbled into bed and apparently into love with the brownrider but stranger things had happened and relationships were built on shakier grounds than that so he never said anything. Besides, that flight had been the one R’nd had only been able to dream about for turns upon turns. It was silly, but some days when he recalled winning that first flight with B’jin and the way he acted around the greenrider before finally parting ways still made him do that goofy grin that pissed off Kerrin so much.

He really needed to stop letting his mind drift back to the greenrider. Far too much odd guilt crept up when he did and since R’nd couldn’t explain why he felt that way, he did what he always did and buried those emotions and discoveries so he could ignore them and go about enjoying life.

Still at a loss for what to say, R’nd accepted the bottle to take another drink, this one a bit longer. He needed the wine. Indivara and Kerrin had Impressed gold and bronze firelizards respectively which terrified R’nd into thinking that was a sign for what was to come at the dragon Hatching, and now I’shan still loved N’gelt and wanted to go back to him. If only wine bottles held the secret answers to all his worries!

Now that he had caught on to I’shan’s speed of bouncing between flirty and serious, R’nd was ready for the turn towards their newly found and completely enjoyed sex life together. “Do what you feel is right when it comes to him,” R’nd finally spoke, in honesty, before wrapping his arm around I’shan’s waist to hold him exactly where he was; tight against him. With a wicked grin, he leaned in to whisper against an ear, “every moment we’re together is spectacular, Shel,” R’nd just wished N’gelt realised that as well and treated his unique friend the way he deserved and needed. And with that wish, N’gelt was brushed away from his thoughts for the night. This was about I’shan and him now and there wasn’t room for a third in the current embrace or the kiss R’nd was soon giving I’shan to show he was ready for anything that they could come up with.

I'shan ignored his own guilt as well, sliding close and pressing his warm body against that of his friend and offering the sweetest and most serene of smiles. "I know," he crooned, reaching up to stroke the other man's cheek with his soft hand. "...I'm so glad we did this. Come here."

He wrapped both arms around the other bluerider's neck and drew him into a long kiss. I'shan's heart pounded with unspoken excitement, his breath escaping in a quavering puff as he drew R'nd in close. They remained locked for several long seconds before I'shan, no longer interested in speaking, yanked R'nd towards the nearest table, an excited twinkle flashing in his eyes.

He gave R'nd a firm shove, then dove in.

~~~~Lol~~~~

I'shan's ragged gasps came to a sudden stop. He sat up, eyes widening as he heard the unmistakable sound of the doorknob jiggling. Squee let out a shriek, darting around the room like a creature possessed. Excitement! People! Guests!

I'shan was not so pleased. 'Shards," he hissed, rolling off of his partner and stumbling over himself in an effort to find a hiding place. Who would be in the kitchens at this hour?! Squee's cries of excitement grew louder, only serving to rattle I'shan more as he flung his naked body into a cupboard in an effort to conceal himself. After all, the wine was somewhat stolen and the table was technically for eating. Technically.

"Get in here!" he snarled to both R'nd and Squee. The little brown liked playing, so he darted eagerly into the cupboard, his tiny cold paws latching onto I'shan's mess of fuzzy, sex-ruffled hair. I'shan grunted and rocked back, thumping into the back of the cupboard and rattling the entire counter. He didn't realize he'd knocked the candle over...

When he suddenly lost his lover, R’nd sat up in confusion, hair pleasantly messed and lusty eyes narrowing in confusion as he watched I’shan run around. He had missed the initial ruckus that caught I’shan and Squee’s attention since he was attuned to the delightful sounds his partner made but without I’shan distracting him, R’nd quickly caught on and swore under his breath. Didn’t it just figure someone had to come along and ruin their fun! It didn’t matter that their fun was bordering on forbidden and they were complete fools to even think any of what they were doing would be okay.

R’nd got to his feet and was almost done putting on his pants when he realised I’shan wasn’t doing the same thing but simply hiding. He couldn’t help it but he stood still, gawking at his friend. “Shel,” he hissed, doing his best to stay calm and keep to a whisper, “you can’t stay in there! Your clothes are everywhere and they’ll search for us.” I’shan never did well under pressure. Speaking of that, where had Rell gone? At the thought about the little blue, a soft squeak was given from behind a pot where he had hidden himself at all of the commotion. Clearly Rell was at good at hiding as I’shan.

R’nd spun around to start collecting the clothes, sorting as he went. When I’shan’s pile was found, they were tossed at the man with the order to get dressed. They had to leave and now. As R’nd found one shoe and then the other, he noticed the light was a bit brighter. At first he appreciated it since it helped in doing a final sweep for evidence against them but when he turned back to see if I’shan was finally moving, grey eyes widened in horror at the sight of a growing flame. “I’shan! The window. You go first.” He spoke to his friend but Rell was scooped up, the firelizard quickly jumping to R’nd’s head where he clung to the messy blonde locks. After some fussing between the two of them, Rell vanished to head back to the hut to wait for R’nd’s return.

Which would be soon if they were lucky.

He hoped they were lucky.

I'shan was frustrated. He hissed again as he banged his head on the counter, trying to shift his naked body back towards the door. "R'nd! We don't have time!" I'shan said in a hushed tone as he stuck his head out. Whoever it was had gotten the door open and would be there at any moment! I'shan snorted in surprise as his clothes hit his face,  shirt draped over his head and pinning Squee down into his hair.

"R'nd!" I'shan squeaked. He stumbled to his feet, fumbling with the pile of clothes as he made his way towards the window. "No! You go first!" I'shan demanded, hopping on one foot as he tried to pull his pants on. His shirt fell to the floor, freeing Squee, who immediately began trilling in excitement. Ooooh, something interesting was going on! The fire lizard began circling the room, screaming in excitement and confusion as I'shan's whirling emotions filled him.

"Stop it, you!" I'shan snapped as he stumbled over. He landed in a heap on the floor, still mostly naked and at this point in complete panic. He grunted and pulled his pants up before throwing himself at R'nd, giving his fellow bluerider a shove towards the window. "Go! Go go go!"

I'shan glanced over his shoulder. Shards! Had they seen him?! He threw himself through the widow after R'nd, leaving the rest of his clothes behind and filly suspecting the person who'd just entered the room had managed to see his face. I'shan tumbled outside, shoving R'nd once more. "To your hut! Come on come on!" There, they could hide! And finish. Throughout all this, I'shan had managed to hold on to his arousal. He had no intentions of giving his prize up without a fight! Everything was okay, right? That person hadn't actually seen it, right?

As the two men fled through the darkness, I'shan did catch a whiff of something much different from the wine on his breath. Was that fire?

Naaaaah.