Shells, what did I do now? [Roridyn]

Her head hurt.

Tylar groaned lowly, turning over. Ouch. There was a porcupine jumping up and down inside her head, and it wasn't showing any signs of fading. She supposed it was that that pulled her into wakefulness, and she bitterly wished it hadn't. There was only one thing that could make her head throb like that, and it was summed up in one word: hungover.

Damn. That meant she'd consumed alcohol yesterday...and a lot, if the headache was any indication. What happened, then? Reluctantly, the greenrider searched through her memories, which was harder than it should have been. She'd gone out to get some fresh air, and wound up drinking...and when she'd gone to put it away, she'd run into a man in the Dining Cavern...Oh, shells. She didn't exactly remember what happened next all that clearly, but she could certainly guess. Roridyn had been handsome, and they'd both consumed the alcohol - her much more than him. They'd left the cavern, they'd come...where? I don't want to know, she thought, squeezing her eyes shut tighter. I sure as shells don't want to know. Maybe if I try really hard I'll go back to sleep....

Not going to happen. Giving up, the girl reluctantly opened her eyes. Ouch. Bright light. It took several blinks to see clearly enough to realize the light was coming from a window in a very unfamiliar room. That meant...Slowly and reluctantly, she turned her head. There was Roridyn, still asleep and not a shred of clothing on him. Or her, for that matter. Wonderful. Just amazing. God, her head hurt. Skies forbid it'd go away long enough for her to think. Now, on another occasion, she thought wryly, she'd be happy to wake up with a man in her bed, and she was sure last night would be a great experience if she could remember it. But the hangover was making it right hard to enjoy it, and Wynnfrith...

Oh, gods. Wynnfrith. What was she going to think of all this? Tylar felt a flash of fear: Wynnfrith hated for her rider to talk with more than one person at a time, so what would she think of this? Automatically she felt for her green's mind, and found it awake and alert. At her mind's touch, Wynnfrith spoke up. Tylar? Hey, Wyn... the greenrider groaned internally. So...I suppose you...know...? I couldn't not, replied the green gravely.

Tylar stayed silent; she didn't know how to answer that. She was feeling uncharacteristically bothered, and the hangover didn't help. She attributed it to her chagrin at having been found out by her dragon. Wynnfrith made no effort to fill the silence, and for a long minute Tylar lay their unmoving, not knowing what to do. After a time she realized she needed to get out; Roridyn was sure to wake soon, and she didn't want to be around when he did. As quietly as possible, Tylar slipped out of his bed and cast her eyes around for her clothes, which were scattered around the floor. Shells, she must have been eager last night. That just made it worse. She began collecting them, and went ahead and pulled on her shirt and pants, bundling her shoes and things together in her arms quickly and then went to open the door. She was getting out of here.

As her hand closed on the handle, she heard a noise from the bed.

Ah, shells.

Roridyn stirred and moaned. He slowly opened his his eyes. His head hurt as well. He sat up. A beautiful woman by his side only meant one thing. He scored last night. Now if he could only remember it...that'd be something! He noticed she was about to leave.

"Now, you aren't leaving are you?" He laughed in a playful manner. "Come one, beautiful. Stay with me for a little while longer, please." He slid over to her next to the bed and kissed the back of her neck. "Please stay." He moaned in a low and raspy tone, letting her know that he was still aroused. He caressed her shoulder and kissed it.

Roridyn didn't remember a thing from last night but he wasn't about to let this one get away so easily. He had the feeling that once he let her leave that that was going to be the last of their *relationship. He was never going to touch her again. He couldn't stand that. He has loved many women, some of which he woke up to just like this. He was getting tired of being a ladies man. He was for many Turns and it hurt him to have the women in his life just leave or him leave. Was he feeling guilty? Hmm, maybe. Funny thing is it took this pretty flower to realize it. A change came over him. He wanted more than just one night stands.

"I-I will admit I am tired of being what I am, I have been for many yea--err--Turns." He still wasn't used to the Pern lingo. He sighed and shook his head. This time he was telling the truth. "I want to stay with you. The knowledge of that fact that I can't stand not touching you, seeing your pleasure anymore bothers me. I will protect you, Tyler." He couldn't believe what he was saying himself. "Seeing you with another man or even thinking it makes my blood boil. I have never felt this way towards any women I've been with. It doesn't have anything to do with last night. I don't remember what happened but I know this-" he took a deep breath. He never said this to any woman and it was difficult. "I-I.......love you. Look in my eyes if you don't believe me. If you don't feel the same, please tell me. I can't stand not being without you. This is not a ploy to get you to stay. I am speaking to you with my heart. I am only 18 but I know love when I see it. I have fallen for you big time. I have been watching you for many months and I have loved you even then. I want to get know you better as friends. If you will have me, I will stop what I am doing right now. If not then I will be a broken man, continuing what I am doing. I don't want to break anymore hearts."

Roridyn was going out on a limb, risking his feelings towards her. "This will never happen again with another if you say you will have me." he turned her face towards him and kissed her again. "What do you say? Will you have me?"

"Now you aren't leaving me are you?"

Ugh. Perfect. Tylar opened her mouth to respond when he reached over to kiss her neck, then her shoulder. Her shirt had slipped down, and he was caressing bare skin, and the worst part was that it wasn't lost on her. The girl was angry at Roridyn, and at herself, and especially at the hangover, but her body still responded to the kiss, and she was angry at that too. And he was pleading with her. Oh, so it's please stay, is it? Get over it. You do a one night stand with someone and they're gonna leave the next day. No, she wasn't being charitable with her thoughts right now. After all, it wasn't as if she hadn't been willing. Still.

"No, I'm not staying," she muttered, pulling her arm away. She was going to get out of here and jump in the lake; maybe that would clear her head. The greenrider stood up, and was ready to walk to the door when his voice sounded from behind her again. Forget it. She'd been in this situation enough times before, but at least she and whatever man it happened to be could have some dignity about it. Was he going to beg?

Beg? No. Turned out to be some sob story about wanting to change that Tylar did not have time for right now. She was hungover and angry and more than a little confused already, and listening to another player's sob stories was the last thing she needed. "I want to stay with you. The knowledge of that fact that I can't stand not touching you, seeing your pleasure anymore bothers me. I will protect you, Tylar."

"Get off it," she snapped testily. "I assure you that whatever chivalrous notion you have will wear off along with the hangover. We just met, and we screwed each other because we were drunk. You don't suddenly love me because of that." She'd dealt with this attitude before. A guy got drunk and flirted with someone and became convinced she was his true love. It wore off as soon as he was sober. Obviously this wasn't the first time Roridyn had screwed someone - he had experience, same as her. He should know that. The question was: did he do this with every girl, or was she his first try?

His next words had her whipping around to stare at him incredulously. "Blood boil? Never felt this way? You don't know me, Roridyn! We've never met before last night, when I was drunk, for heaven's sake! Look, Rori, you're a player. So am I. If you want to stop, stop, but don't go carrying some false notion of love for someone you had a one night stand with." He was actually serious, she could tell, not teasing her at all. He really believed he loved her. Insane.

"It doesn't have anything to do with last night. I don't remember what happened but I know this-...I-I.......love you. Look in my eyes if you don't believe me."

Tylar sighed and sat down, feeling the anger drain out of her. She was a cheerful creature, and couldn't stay angry for long; it wasn't in her nature. Besides, how could she be mad at him when he was so obviously confused about this? So she humored him, and listened to him. She still thought he was crazy, and she didn't believe he really loved her, but she looked into his eyes like he said, and saw sincerity there. Roridyn meant what he said. She wasn't sure he knew what he was saying, but he meant it - or thought he did.

And she sat down, and pulled on the rest of her clothes while he spoke, and she listened. Listened to him say he knew love when he saw it (and revealed that he was 18, incidentally), and that he'd watched her for months, and all the rest. And then he promised that if she didn't 'have' him he'd be broken and still do what he was doing. Well, she certainly didn't control what he did. If he stayed a player it darn well wasn't her fault.

Still...

The greenrider sighed, looking up at him. Well, she'd try her best with this, because maybe it was just the hangover or the influence of Wynnfrith's mind's gentle touch on hers that was making her look at him sympathetically, but she'd try anyway. "Rori, you don't know me. You can't love me if you don't know me. You're 18 and you've never been in love before, right? You can't just know. Hell, I've never been in love, not really. If you're deciding you want more, all the good to you, but...God, don't tell me you love me the morning after we got drunk and had sex.

"And don't tell me that if I don't tell you you can 'have' me you'll be a broken wreck of a man. You won't." The words were harsh, but she tried to make her tone soft to make up for it. "You'll be sad, and if you really do care for me like you think you do, maybe you'll even be heartbroken. But don't tell me I have anything to do with what you are going to do. If you want to stop being a player then stop regardless of what I say.

"Because I can't tell you I love you. Of course I don't feel the same way. I don't know you. I'm a player too, I have one night stands too, but I've never pretended to have feelings for someone I barely knew. I won't start now. And even if I did think anything we could have would work out, I probably wouldn't want a firm relationship with you. I'm not like that. I don't tie myself down easily." For a moment she paused, and glanced away. "And maybe I want that to change, too, but in any case it doesn't matter. I can't love you. Not yet. But...if you like, we can be friends. Okay? See where it goes." [/i] Disillusion you[/i] is what she thought, but refrained from saying aloud. What was going to happen she didn't know, but..well, they could see.

"Can I leave now?"

"Then...." he sighed. "I will wait for you. I will be satisfied with friends, for now. I don't understand it myself. There comes a point and time where a man needs to stand up and take contol of his life. That time is now and that man is me. I want to be able to wake up with someone next to me. I understand you want to take time to get know me and I do too." Roridyn was shocked that was asked if she could leave. "I wasn't ever preventing you from leaving. You may go but know that I think that your the most beautiful creature that ever walked. Can you blame me for trying?" he asked.

Rori caressed her cheek one more time with a deep feeling that he was never going to see her again an that made him almost cry. "You are a beauty and any man would be the luckiest man alive to have you." He turned away with his head hung low. "Women have come and go. I will change my ways. You'll see and make myself a more proper suitor for you when it comes time. I will not rush you or have sex with you again unless you want it to happen."

Roridyn wanted her and only her. He didn't understand it but took a chance anyway. "Tylar, listen. I have had many women and none I loved, not really. Will I see you again?"