Number Five of "15 touches"
Author's Name: rosehiptea
Title: Haven
Pairing: Wake x Dust
Your theme: 15 Touches
Previous Stories are here.
Rating: T
Note: Thank you to dasaod for beta reading. Crossposted to my LJ.
Hands
Wake occasionally dreamed of Dust when he slept, dreamed that they kissed or that he saw her body. He told himself that people would dream anything and it did not matter. He refused to acknowledge that he had any inappropriate feelings. It was the day they gathered sarroweed that Wake had to admit that something was happening. He had walked with Dust into the forest to show her the green and yellow plants.
"They're very delicate, and they're to be used fresh," he told her. "You tear them up and boil them, and a person with an illness of the lungs can breathe the steam."
Dust nodded, and touched the leaves of the plants. Wake had to admit she was showing an aptitude for healing. If she became a healer, it would mean eventually mean that she would probably join another caravan, as he and his mother already traveled with this one. He told himself that that was the best thing in any case. Dust needed to marry, and perhaps it would be simpler for her to marry elsewhere. It would be difficult for him to travel with Dust if she were married.
At that point Wake clamped down on his thoughts. He would never marry and he had always known that; Dust would and he knew that as well. Someone born different had no business with jealousy or with romantic affection. He shook his head. What had happened to him, to make him even consider such a thing? Dust might not understand the customs of his people but he did.
He had brought food with him, simply some bread and cheese, and he gestured to a clearing where they could sit and eat. She placed herself next to him, sitting very close in the way she always did. He handed her the bag of food and watched as she got out bread and began to tear pieces off to eat. Her dark hands were lovely as they moved, and when she went to put the bread in her mouth he had to look away.
"Your mother is teaching me to make cheese," Dust said.
Wake smiled at her. "That's good. You are learning a great deal. Cheese is not easy to make properly."
"No, it isn't, and we have to wait until the caravan is still for a time to make it. And I baked this bread myself. It's not so different from the flat breads we used to make in the desert."
"I'm proud of you, he said. "You are doing very well in your healing work, and in your cooking."
"But even the men cook here. It isn't like my people where all the men had to go looking for a woman who was a good cook."
"Yes. I can cook for myself. I will have to, someday," replied Wake.
"You mean when your mother is gone?" she asked.
"Yes, or if she is old and ill. When she is gone, I will have only my caravan, as I have no other family."
Dust bit her lip. "I know what I want to say, but I'm sure I should not say it."
"If it is about me and family, then you are right. You should not say it. It is not discussed."
"It just doesn't seem fair to me. I know, you think it is because you were raised and brought up this way, but surely you can see that it would harm no one if you could marry," she said, rushing the words out of her mouth.
"What if I had a child like myself?" he asked gently.
"What if you didn't? What if you had no children? You've shown me herbs to prevent pregnancy. And if you did have a child like yourself, he could marry too and what would it matter?"
"It would matter. People are not supposed to look like me," said Wake.
"People are not supposed to get ill, but when they do you don't let them die," she retorted.
"There is one story about the prohibition," said Wake. "A long time ago our leaders assigned people mates. They had no choice; everyone married who they were chosen to marry. But a leader had a better chance of staying in power if the people were happy. So they made a rule, that no one could be assigned to someone like me, because it would not be fair."
"Yes but that isn't how marriage works for your people now," said Dust.
Wake sighed. "Everything does not have to have a reason. I cannot marry because I cannot. Among your people women could not be leaders, and there was no reason."
"There were women war chieftains in our legends. There was no actual law."
"But the legends made no difference in your life. Your life would have been a husband, and embroidery, I suspect."
"And here it will be loneliness and healing, like you," she replied.
"Loneliness? Why that?" he asked.
"I have never been fully accepted here. The leader has been very kind to me, and the people have been generous, but I am not what anyone wants in a wife."
"You are very intelligent," said Wake. He hesitated a moment. "And beautiful," he went on.
"Thank you. But I don't know your songs and stories, and I have trouble with the travelling. And the young people in your caravan have already formed matches before I even came here."
"Those are all excuses. You can learn, and we will meet with other caravans. The leader has confidence in you, and so do I."
"Are you so eager to see me married?" asked Dust, not smiling at all.
Wake considered for a moment and decided on honesty. "No, I am not," he said. "I would miss you."
Dust reached out then and touched his hand, then took it in hers. He looked down at their hands intertwined with confused thoughts. To stop this, to let go, was one of the most important things in the world. But right now it was something he could not do. He had never had this sort of touch and it was something he wanted. So they sat, under the sun and leaves, holding hands.
Title: Haven
Pairing: Wake x Dust
Your theme: 15 Touches
Previous Stories are here.
Rating: T
Note: Thank you to dasaod for beta reading. Crossposted to my LJ.
Hands
Wake occasionally dreamed of Dust when he slept, dreamed that they kissed or that he saw her body. He told himself that people would dream anything and it did not matter. He refused to acknowledge that he had any inappropriate feelings. It was the day they gathered sarroweed that Wake had to admit that something was happening. He had walked with Dust into the forest to show her the green and yellow plants.
"They're very delicate, and they're to be used fresh," he told her. "You tear them up and boil them, and a person with an illness of the lungs can breathe the steam."
Dust nodded, and touched the leaves of the plants. Wake had to admit she was showing an aptitude for healing. If she became a healer, it would mean eventually mean that she would probably join another caravan, as he and his mother already traveled with this one. He told himself that that was the best thing in any case. Dust needed to marry, and perhaps it would be simpler for her to marry elsewhere. It would be difficult for him to travel with Dust if she were married.
At that point Wake clamped down on his thoughts. He would never marry and he had always known that; Dust would and he knew that as well. Someone born different had no business with jealousy or with romantic affection. He shook his head. What had happened to him, to make him even consider such a thing? Dust might not understand the customs of his people but he did.
He had brought food with him, simply some bread and cheese, and he gestured to a clearing where they could sit and eat. She placed herself next to him, sitting very close in the way she always did. He handed her the bag of food and watched as she got out bread and began to tear pieces off to eat. Her dark hands were lovely as they moved, and when she went to put the bread in her mouth he had to look away.
"Your mother is teaching me to make cheese," Dust said.
Wake smiled at her. "That's good. You are learning a great deal. Cheese is not easy to make properly."
"No, it isn't, and we have to wait until the caravan is still for a time to make it. And I baked this bread myself. It's not so different from the flat breads we used to make in the desert."
"I'm proud of you, he said. "You are doing very well in your healing work, and in your cooking."
"But even the men cook here. It isn't like my people where all the men had to go looking for a woman who was a good cook."
"Yes. I can cook for myself. I will have to, someday," replied Wake.
"You mean when your mother is gone?" she asked.
"Yes, or if she is old and ill. When she is gone, I will have only my caravan, as I have no other family."
Dust bit her lip. "I know what I want to say, but I'm sure I should not say it."
"If it is about me and family, then you are right. You should not say it. It is not discussed."
"It just doesn't seem fair to me. I know, you think it is because you were raised and brought up this way, but surely you can see that it would harm no one if you could marry," she said, rushing the words out of her mouth.
"What if I had a child like myself?" he asked gently.
"What if you didn't? What if you had no children? You've shown me herbs to prevent pregnancy. And if you did have a child like yourself, he could marry too and what would it matter?"
"It would matter. People are not supposed to look like me," said Wake.
"People are not supposed to get ill, but when they do you don't let them die," she retorted.
"There is one story about the prohibition," said Wake. "A long time ago our leaders assigned people mates. They had no choice; everyone married who they were chosen to marry. But a leader had a better chance of staying in power if the people were happy. So they made a rule, that no one could be assigned to someone like me, because it would not be fair."
"Yes but that isn't how marriage works for your people now," said Dust.
Wake sighed. "Everything does not have to have a reason. I cannot marry because I cannot. Among your people women could not be leaders, and there was no reason."
"There were women war chieftains in our legends. There was no actual law."
"But the legends made no difference in your life. Your life would have been a husband, and embroidery, I suspect."
"And here it will be loneliness and healing, like you," she replied.
"Loneliness? Why that?" he asked.
"I have never been fully accepted here. The leader has been very kind to me, and the people have been generous, but I am not what anyone wants in a wife."
"You are very intelligent," said Wake. He hesitated a moment. "And beautiful," he went on.
"Thank you. But I don't know your songs and stories, and I have trouble with the travelling. And the young people in your caravan have already formed matches before I even came here."
"Those are all excuses. You can learn, and we will meet with other caravans. The leader has confidence in you, and so do I."
"Are you so eager to see me married?" asked Dust, not smiling at all.
Wake considered for a moment and decided on honesty. "No, I am not," he said. "I would miss you."
Dust reached out then and touched his hand, then took it in hers. He looked down at their hands intertwined with confused thoughts. To stop this, to let go, was one of the most important things in the world. But right now it was something he could not do. He had never had this sort of touch and it was something he wanted. So they sat, under the sun and leaves, holding hands.