Another NaNo Snippet
Nov. 7th, 2003 10:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
allichatonYup, another one. Getting good stuff today. :)
Mild nudity, nothing explicit, just the mention of it. If homosexuality upsets you, don't read this.
----
A quiet noise echoed through the room, almost imperceptible. I stopped walking and tipped my head to the side, listening. I wasn't alone. I'd rather surprise my companion, than be surprised. I knew I wasn't dangerous. I didn't know the same about the stowaway. I wasn't interested in risking my life on an assumption.
My breath stilled as I approached the source of the noise. A small part of my mind insisted that I was crazy for being so on-edge, but the stroll through weapons of war had gotten to me more than I'd realized. Suddenly every shadow was a madman wielding a sword and just waiting for me to get within striking range.
A tall row of wooden boxes stood between me and the source of the noise. I leaned my back against the boxes and tried to calm my heart. Turning that corner was not going to put me face-to-face with danger. It was probably just a nest of rats. It was probably nothing. It was certainly not a homicidal madman.
I gathered my courage to me, straightened, and turned the corner. I would have felt braver if my legs hadn't been trembling so hard it was difficult to walk.
The sight before me made me freeze, first from shock, then embarrassment. A sailor knelt on the floor before me, nude, his back facing me. My eyes slid from shoulders to waist to hips, and further; I gasped and forced it back up to more appropriate territory.
A third leg snaked out from beneath the man as he bent over. He wasn't alone. I bit my lip and covered my eyes. A blush burned on my cheeks, almost painful in its intensity.
One of the pair quietly cleared his throat and chuckled. "I think we've got company." Oh gods, I knew that voice. I spread my fingers and peered out from between them. It had been Jern's leg that had snaked out and wrapped around that sculpted back. He was leaning to the side, peering past his partner's shoulders and grinning at me like a fool. He shifted and lifted a hand, waving his fingers at me. "Hello, Riannen."
I coughed and ducked my head. I hadn't thought I could blush any hotter. I'd been wrong. "I'm sorry, Jern. I--"
Tension flowed through the backside facing me like a wave. The second man swore. He twisted at the waist, and Morthen glared at me over his shoulder. The sight of him made me gasp. The pure rage in his face made me stagger back a step. "I'm sorry," I whispered, and spun.
A hand wrapped around my arm, spinning me back around. I was plastered against Morthen's naked body, pulled up onto the tips of my toes and staring up into his furious features. His mouth twisted into a snarl. "What in Sirlen's Hell are you doing down here?" His hand tightened, digging his fingers into my flesh.
I shook my head wildly. "It was an accident. I didn't mean--"
"Oh, I'll bet you didn't, you little **twit**. The gossip that passes behind our backs every day wasn't enough for you, was that it? Had to come star at the novelty of two men in each other's arms?" He growled, and I didn't know what to expect from him. He was strong enough and angry enough that I had no difficulty believing he'd hurt me.
Jern moved to stand next to Morthen. He'd put pants on, thank the gods. He rested a hand on Morthen's shoulder, and I could feel the tension slide from him. "Put her down," Jern said quietly. Morthen met his gaze, and something passed between them, something I couldn't name. Slowly, Morthen lowered me off of my toes. He released my shirt, but his hands remained curled. He snarled at me, then turned his face towards Jern. "It doesn't bother you that she just walked in on us? Like that?"
Jern chuckled and shook his head. He slid his hands into Morthen's hair and fisted them. He used his hold to drag Morthen's face to his and press a kiss against his mouth. Impossibly, my blush deepened even further. I glanced away.
"Embarrassed of me, love?" Jern asked. It was a whisper I wasn't meant to hear, full of heat and unspoken. Whispers like that were not mean to be spoken outside of the bedroom.
Morthen made a quiet sound. "You know I'm not."
"Then let her go. It was a harmless accident."
"But she--" His words broke off. I still couldn't look at them, but I could imagine Jern's fingertips pressing over Morthen's mouth, quieting him. I could imagine their gazes locking and heat passing between them, as it had between Kyl and myself earlier that morning. I could imagine it, and I wished I couldn't.
"We'll just have to find somewhere a bit more secure next time, won't me?" Mild humor laced Jern's words.
I groaned. I had to leave. My mind was going to be running away with me for the rest of the day as it was. I didn't need to hear more.
"I am sorry," I said. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I'll leave."
"Riannen."
I stopped and glanced back at Jern over my shoulder. "Yes?"
His smile was familiar and comforting. "Don't fret about it. It was an accident. We know that."
I moved my gaze to Morthen, standing at his lover's side. Rage and hate spilled from his gaze. I shook my head. "You may. He doesn't."
Jern shook his head. "You aren't to blame."
"Thank you. I'm leaving anyway." I rubbed my hand over the back of my neck and sighed. "The least I can do is give you back your privacy. I didn't mean to intrude."
I didn't run away from them, but I wanted to. I forced my legs to move calmly, to walk away. I wished I hadn't been so damned curious the noises I'd heard. The thought of what the noises must have actually been flooded heat across my face. I didn't want to think about it. What I'd intruded on had been bad enough. I didn't want my mind intruder more, witnessing worse.
"Gods above." I pressed my palms to my flaming cheeks and ran back up to the deck, where I could smell the sea on the air and let the mist thrown up by the waves cool my flush, ease my embarrassment.
I leaned on the gunwale, resting my forehead against the smooth wood. I didn't know what to make of what I'd seen. I didn't know how to feel about it. I didn't think I'd ever be able to look either man in the eyes again.
Mild nudity, nothing explicit, just the mention of it. If homosexuality upsets you, don't read this.
----
A quiet noise echoed through the room, almost imperceptible. I stopped walking and tipped my head to the side, listening. I wasn't alone. I'd rather surprise my companion, than be surprised. I knew I wasn't dangerous. I didn't know the same about the stowaway. I wasn't interested in risking my life on an assumption.
My breath stilled as I approached the source of the noise. A small part of my mind insisted that I was crazy for being so on-edge, but the stroll through weapons of war had gotten to me more than I'd realized. Suddenly every shadow was a madman wielding a sword and just waiting for me to get within striking range.
A tall row of wooden boxes stood between me and the source of the noise. I leaned my back against the boxes and tried to calm my heart. Turning that corner was not going to put me face-to-face with danger. It was probably just a nest of rats. It was probably nothing. It was certainly not a homicidal madman.
I gathered my courage to me, straightened, and turned the corner. I would have felt braver if my legs hadn't been trembling so hard it was difficult to walk.
The sight before me made me freeze, first from shock, then embarrassment. A sailor knelt on the floor before me, nude, his back facing me. My eyes slid from shoulders to waist to hips, and further; I gasped and forced it back up to more appropriate territory.
A third leg snaked out from beneath the man as he bent over. He wasn't alone. I bit my lip and covered my eyes. A blush burned on my cheeks, almost painful in its intensity.
One of the pair quietly cleared his throat and chuckled. "I think we've got company." Oh gods, I knew that voice. I spread my fingers and peered out from between them. It had been Jern's leg that had snaked out and wrapped around that sculpted back. He was leaning to the side, peering past his partner's shoulders and grinning at me like a fool. He shifted and lifted a hand, waving his fingers at me. "Hello, Riannen."
I coughed and ducked my head. I hadn't thought I could blush any hotter. I'd been wrong. "I'm sorry, Jern. I--"
Tension flowed through the backside facing me like a wave. The second man swore. He twisted at the waist, and Morthen glared at me over his shoulder. The sight of him made me gasp. The pure rage in his face made me stagger back a step. "I'm sorry," I whispered, and spun.
A hand wrapped around my arm, spinning me back around. I was plastered against Morthen's naked body, pulled up onto the tips of my toes and staring up into his furious features. His mouth twisted into a snarl. "What in Sirlen's Hell are you doing down here?" His hand tightened, digging his fingers into my flesh.
I shook my head wildly. "It was an accident. I didn't mean--"
"Oh, I'll bet you didn't, you little **twit**. The gossip that passes behind our backs every day wasn't enough for you, was that it? Had to come star at the novelty of two men in each other's arms?" He growled, and I didn't know what to expect from him. He was strong enough and angry enough that I had no difficulty believing he'd hurt me.
Jern moved to stand next to Morthen. He'd put pants on, thank the gods. He rested a hand on Morthen's shoulder, and I could feel the tension slide from him. "Put her down," Jern said quietly. Morthen met his gaze, and something passed between them, something I couldn't name. Slowly, Morthen lowered me off of my toes. He released my shirt, but his hands remained curled. He snarled at me, then turned his face towards Jern. "It doesn't bother you that she just walked in on us? Like that?"
Jern chuckled and shook his head. He slid his hands into Morthen's hair and fisted them. He used his hold to drag Morthen's face to his and press a kiss against his mouth. Impossibly, my blush deepened even further. I glanced away.
"Embarrassed of me, love?" Jern asked. It was a whisper I wasn't meant to hear, full of heat and unspoken. Whispers like that were not mean to be spoken outside of the bedroom.
Morthen made a quiet sound. "You know I'm not."
"Then let her go. It was a harmless accident."
"But she--" His words broke off. I still couldn't look at them, but I could imagine Jern's fingertips pressing over Morthen's mouth, quieting him. I could imagine their gazes locking and heat passing between them, as it had between Kyl and myself earlier that morning. I could imagine it, and I wished I couldn't.
"We'll just have to find somewhere a bit more secure next time, won't me?" Mild humor laced Jern's words.
I groaned. I had to leave. My mind was going to be running away with me for the rest of the day as it was. I didn't need to hear more.
"I am sorry," I said. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I'll leave."
"Riannen."
I stopped and glanced back at Jern over my shoulder. "Yes?"
His smile was familiar and comforting. "Don't fret about it. It was an accident. We know that."
I moved my gaze to Morthen, standing at his lover's side. Rage and hate spilled from his gaze. I shook my head. "You may. He doesn't."
Jern shook his head. "You aren't to blame."
"Thank you. I'm leaving anyway." I rubbed my hand over the back of my neck and sighed. "The least I can do is give you back your privacy. I didn't mean to intrude."
I didn't run away from them, but I wanted to. I forced my legs to move calmly, to walk away. I wished I hadn't been so damned curious the noises I'd heard. The thought of what the noises must have actually been flooded heat across my face. I didn't want to think about it. What I'd intruded on had been bad enough. I didn't want my mind intruder more, witnessing worse.
"Gods above." I pressed my palms to my flaming cheeks and ran back up to the deck, where I could smell the sea on the air and let the mist thrown up by the waves cool my flush, ease my embarrassment.
I leaned on the gunwale, resting my forehead against the smooth wood. I didn't know what to make of what I'd seen. I didn't know how to feel about it. I didn't think I'd ever be able to look either man in the eyes again.
