Epilogue
Spring, 37th Turn of the Present Pass
Winter was over at last and the air had a gentle freshness in it that hinted of the summer to come. B'lee woke long after sunrise, lazy and content in his lover's arms, and looking forward to a well-deserved rest day. No Threadfall, no practice flight, no firesacks, no weyrlings to supervise ... just D'min and whatever diversions they could think of. He smiled as he thought of several delightful ways of making love to his weyrmate, and blessed his foresight in bring up a small bag of nuts and dried fruit the day before - if they were lucky, they might not even make it down to the dining hall until well after lunch.
Unfortunately for his plans, D'min woke grumpy and petulant. B'lee assumed that his wound was paining him - he'd strained his shoulder catching a firesack during the last Fall and had been grounded for a week - and offered to massage his shoulders. D'min refused with a snarl and strode off to the bathing pool alone. B'lee's visions of prolonged debauchery were fading fast, but he reasoned that no one could be in a good temper every day, and tried to hide his disappointment as best he could. He followed D'min more slowly, and made his way to the dining hall in time to catch a fruit bun from the breakfast platters being cleared away. He wandered out into the bowl, wondering if a bath would improve D'min's mood sufficiently to make debauchery a possibility later in the day.
He caught sight of Aurieth as she jumped off her ledge and made her way down to the feeding grounds, followed closely by Margroth. Her green hide looked dazzlingly bright in the spring sunshine, and he felt a momentary regret that she could never lay eggs, to pass on her elegance and beauty.
It wasn't until Margroth told him that Aurieth had blooded her kill that he realised what was happening. She was rising again! No wonder her hide had been bright; no wonder D'min had been touchy. Hope surged in his chest. Not just debauchery, he thought, with a gleam in his eye, but dragon-fuelled debauchery at that! He hurried through his breakfast and went to find D'min, who was just exiting the bathing rooms.
"Aurieth's about to rise again," D'min told him as soon as he appeared, his face anxious.
"I know. Margroth told me."
"But I'm grounded! I can't take her away from here."
"You don't have to," B'lee reassured him. "Just send her somewhere that Margroth knows. He'll find her. That is," he paused, suddenly unsure, "if you want him to find her."
D'min pushed him up against the rock wall. "If you think I'm having anyone else but you in my bed, you're mistaken. I spent two and a half years waiting for you and I'm not going to waste any more opportunities."
"Then pick a place and we'll send them there, out of the way."
"Boll, then. They like it down there."
"Boll it is."
He told Margroth to link with Aurieth and fly to Boll where, with any luck, there would be no other dragons to disturb them. Then he followed D'min up the interminable stairs to their weyrs. Once they'd got their breath back, he dragged D'min back into his bedchamber and kissed him - gently at first, then more deeply - letting his hands rove over the contours of D'min's body. He rejoiced as D'min responded, and they spent several minutes kissing each other before B'lee finally reached for the hem of D'min's shirt.
"Why the hurry? They haven't even started the mating flight yet."
"I want to be ready when they do. I don't want to waste a single second when I'm with you," said B'lee, desire already rising in him and making his voice deep and husky.
D'min gasped and his eyes widened, his body arching, almost unconsciously, towards B'lee's. A deep, probing kiss left him breathless and panting, and he pressed in close to B'lee's body.
B'lee loved seeing him like this. He loved D'min in all his moods, of course, but there was something particularly heady in seeing him wanton with lust - lust for B'lee.
He'd been waiting for this day for months. When Aurieth had last risen he hadn't had a clue what to do with D'min, and they'd been clumsy and unpractised. He hadn't even known how to prepare D'min so that he didn't hurt him. Now, with two seasons of experience behind him, B'lee wanted to use everything he'd learned to make this the best dragonflight that D'min had ever had.
He put his hands under D'min's shirt and pulled it up over his head, letting his hands sweep over soft skin as they rose, making sure that he didn't touch any of the still-sensitive areas around the wound. The shirt was thrown to the side of the cavern without a thought, except to hope that they could find it later on. Then he gently unlaced D'min's trousers, slipping his hand inside the waistband to feel his lover's growing cock, stirring and lengthening at his touch. After only a couple of strokes he withdrew, ignoring D'min's protest - he knew that they had a long way to go yet, and it wouldn't do to bring D'min off too soon.
D'min kicked his shoes off, his eyes never leaving B'lee's face, and pushed his trousers down. He leaned on B'lee for balance as he stepped out of them, and then kicked them off to one side, where they would no doubt join his shirt.
B'lee looked at his lover, and dropped slowly to his knees. He could see D'min's cock jutting out proudly, and he took hold of it and gave it a gentle caress with his hand before bringing it to his mouth.
"Oh," breathed D'min, as he realised what B'lee was doing. "Please."
B'lee didn't reply, but pressed a kiss to the head before opening his mouth. He'd spent many an hour learning how to do this, and he'd come to like it for its own sake, and not just because it gave pleasure to his lover. He enjoyed the sense of power it gave him, the knowledge that his actions could bring D'min metaphorically to his knees with just a few tonguestrokes.
D'min shuddered and his hands clutched at B'lee's hair. "Oh," he groaned, arching forward with his hips.
B'lee pulled back as D'min moved forward, and added a little suction, then a few licks with his tongue. D'min loved that, and was visibly shuddering. B'lee pushed him down onto the bed, and moved closer, between his legs, so that he could resume his activities. A nibble here, a broad lick there, a gentle caress with the tongue to that spot behind D'min's balls that never failed to elicit a harsh cry, and B'lee was hard himself just from listening.
"B'lee, please," begged D'min. "Fuck me now."
"Wait a little while. They're not mating yet."
"Can't wait. Want you now."
B'lee smiled and shook his head. Then he stood up and stripped off his own shirt, letting it fall to the floor behind him. He put a hand over the lacings of his trousers, watching D'min watching him, and gave himself a slow upward stroke, hearing his own breath catch as his cock responded.
"Come here," ordered D'min in a hoarse whisper, and B'lee took a step forward. D'min sat up and nuzzled against the bulge while his hands came around to knead B'lee's buttocks. Now it was B'lee's turn to moan, and D'min's to laugh.
Then D'min's fingers were busy with lacings and fabric, and B'lee felt his trousers being pulled down. He stepped out of them and kicked them away, hoping they wouldn't pick up too much dust, but all his attention was on his lover now, and he moved onto the bed.
"Lie down," he ordered, and D'min moved obediently to lie on his back.
B'lee reached for the salve that lay on the shelf at the head of the bed. They didn't need much these days, not with the amount of lovemaking they did, but B'lee still enjoyed preparing his lover, teasing at the delicate skin and making sure that everything was deliciously wet and slippery. It gave him a thrill to insert his finger and feel D'min clenching around him, especially when he pushed up a little and found the sweet, hard nugget that gave D'min so much pleasure.
He cast a thought in Margroth's direction. Aurieth was still in the lead, flying high up above the peninsula, but Margroth was gaining on her, and B'lee smiled, knowing it wouldn't be long now.
D'min pulled his knees up and out, pleading wordlessly.
"Not just yet," said B'lee, but he gave long, slow stroke to D'min's cock, then another to his own, making his hand move evenly up flesh that screamed at him to move more quickly. He placed himself over D'min and kissed him, long and deep, as Margroth drew closer to Aurieth. His mind was linked with his dragon's and he could see the green in his mind's eye, her saucy laugh echoing though his head as she glanced backwards. Margroth's wings beat downwards, forcefully, and he raced forward to catch her.
Back in the weyr, B'lee laughed exultantly, and placed the head of his cock at D'min's entrance, ready for the moment that was approaching.
"Mine," he growled, knowing that D'min wouldn't fight him.
"Yours," confirmed D'min, smiling.
The moment came. Margroth swooped on Aurieth, caught her safely and penetrated her in one easy thrust. B'lee matched his movement and entered D'min just as smoothly, and just as deeply. Man and dragon, minds melded, cried out in ecstasy and release.
* * *
Later that night - long after the dragonlust had faded - B'lee was still making love to his weyrmate. D'min was on his front, with one leg drawn up to his chest. B'lee was on top of him, deeply buried, lying close against his lover's back. He was barely moving, having found just the right angle, and was simply keeping D'min on edge while he pressed kisses into the back of his neck. D'min was moaning.
"Sshh, love."
"Feels too good."
"I know. Just enjoy it."
"Ah ... I do."
"Good," whispered B'lee, and took pity on D'min enough to speed up his thrusts a little - a very little.
"More," pleaded D'min.
"Soon."
"More, now."
"Sshh," B'lee soothed him down with his free hand, reaching under his chest to toy with a nipple. "You'll come when I'm ready to let you come."
D'min groaned. "I'm ready now."
"But I'm not. Enjoy this for a bit longer." So saying he lifted D'min's hips a little and made sure that his gentle thrusts were hitting the sweet spot inside. D'min was biting his knuckles in the effort to keep still, but he couldn't help moving just a little in his need, rubbing his cock on the sheet beneath him.
B'lee pulled him up a little more, but then slipped his free hand down to encircle D'min's cock and give it a few slow strokes in time with his thrusts. The skin was smooth and silky but the flesh beneath was hard and ridged, and B'lee loved the feel of it in his hand, loved to feel the heat, and the way it jerked after certain touches, and the fluid that seeped out of the head.
"Oh, B'lee," moaned D'min. "More! Now!"
His voice was rough, and B'lee knew that he couldn't resist the sheer want and need that it indicated. He starting moving more forcefully, beginning an acceleration that brought them both closer and closer. He was panting, now, and he could hear D'min grunting with every forward thrust into his body. He sped up, feeling the tide of orgasm growing and rising within him, and cried out as he felt D'min climax around him, tipping him over into his own release.
They lay still, exhausted and entwined, until eventually D'min wriggled a bit. B'lee took the hint and pulled out, falling onto the bed beside him and dropping a kiss onto the nearest bit of skin he could reach.
D'min rolled over and smiled sleepily up at B'lee. "Hmm. That was fantastic. I love you." He moved, a little gingerly, and murmured. "I'm not going to be able to walk tomorrow, though."
"You only have to make it as far as the necessary. I'll get you anything else you need."
"Will you?"
"Of course I will," he confirmed, brushing a stray hair from D'min's forehead. "You’re my weyrmate, and I look after you."
D'min smiled again, and leaned back against the sleeping furs. "You know, I never thought I'd hear you say that out loud."
"Why? You're my weyrmate and I love you, Domin."
"And you're mine, Billee."
They kissed again, lazily.
"Love you," D'min's words were slurred and his voice was gruff. He sounded as if he were on the verge of sleep, and B'lee smiled.
"Sleep, love. I'll take you down to the bathing pool tomorrow and let you lie in the hot water until you wrinkle. Then I'm going to bring you back here and rub oil into your skin, and then I'll get you some wine to drink so you'll feel a bit more comfortable."
"Mmm. Sounds good." D'min was asleep before he finished, and B'lee smiled fondly as he settled himself down to sleep as well.
It had been a good day, after all.
* * *
B'lee woke at dawn, and watched the shadows grow along the rock face as daylight crept into the weyr. D'min was fast asleep at his side, and B'lee lay in peaceful contemplation of the world. He never would have imagined, a year ago, that he would be so happy today. He still found himself surprised by that nebulous, punched-in-the-gut feeling he got when D'min smiled at him sometimes, or the really comfortable and belonging way that D'min rested on his shoulder when he was really tired, or the sense of utter satisfaction he felt when he saw D'min reach his climax and collapse, sleepy and sated. He had never imagined that he could feel so complete, not even in the days when he had expected to return to High Reaches and hand-fast himself to some Holder girl. Being with D'min was better than any of his dreams had been. It was just perfect.
He got out of bed when he heard the dragons stirring, dropping a kiss onto his lover's ear and hoping that it wouldn't wake him - they had Threadfall that evening, and D'min still needed his rest. He walked through to Margroth's weyr and greeted his dragon affectionately, scratching his eye ridges.
You are happy? asked Margroth, his tail twitching as it curled around Aurieth's.
Very happy.
Good. Aurieth says her rider is happy, too.
That's good to know. We're going to be together for a very long time.
The dragons roused themselves and ambled towards the ledge. B'lee followed, keeping clear of the swishing tails, and looked out at the early morning. A young green lifted up from the bowl, heading for the fireheights where the watch-wher would give way to the dragon as lookout and guard.
At the moment when the sun, flaring orange, broke over the rim, Margroth and Aurieth launched themselves into the air, heading for the lake. B'lee watched them as they soared into the sky, a flight of green and blue, glowing in the early morning light.
A flight of green and blue ... now there was a good title for a ballad.
THE END