'For we may die tomorrow' for ambyr at Dreamwidth
Title: 'For we may die tomorrow'
Author: corchen
Recipient: ambyr at Dreamwidth
Rating: PG
Word count: 1,078
Fandom: Tortall-verse
Pairing/Characters: Thayet/Buri
Summary: Buri thinks about past times.
Author's Note: When this one popped into my in-box I just had to pounce on it - rare fandoms are my weakness and it doesn't get much rarer than this! This is set a little before the Immortals Quartet, so Thayet is still Commander of the Queen's Riders with Buri as her second.
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: They're not mine, I'm just borrowing them - I promise to wipe them down and put them back once I'm done with them.
***
Time spent with the Riders, away from Court, just her and Thayet in the Commanders tent of an evening, always reminded Buri of those days while they were escaping from Saraine. Not of the constant terror and watchfulness, expecting at any moment that their little encampment had been discovered and they were to be dragged back to face the turmoil, or the pall of sorrow that followed Thayet around in the days after her Mother's suicide, but of the moments of quiet companionship that were so hard to find amongst the busy schedule of the life of the Queen of Tortall.
Growing up in Kalasin's tower, carefully sheltered from the worst of the cruelties of jin Wilima, Thayet had always been surrounded by servants and guards. There was always someone within earshot, even when it seemed as if she was alone - loyal protectors of Kalasin's daughter, always watchful against the threat that seemed to hang over her, from her Father's detractors and from those nobles who hated the idea that the Wilima line had been polluted by K'miri blood. Running from Saraine, terrified and watchful, there had still been the unfamiliar pleasure of being completely alone.
They'd had the children from the convent, of course, and the baby slept in a corner of the tent with them, but they were still more alone than they had ever been - especially at night. Thayet seemed to feel the solitude the most at night. During the day, she had been her usual capable self, the indomitable will she had inherited from her mother impressing even Buri, who had seen hints of it in her as she grew but had never realised quite how deep it ran. At night, though, she had allowed herself the luxury of weakness, turning to Buri for comfort.
It had been innocent at first - Buri would hold Thayet in her arms until she fell asleep, before pressing an affectionate kiss to her forehead, and rolling over onto her own sleep-roll to doze off. That hadn't lasted, though. One night, Thayet had curled into Buri's arms as she had before, resting her head on her shoulder, but then she had kissed the side of Buri's neck, and sighed quietly.
“I don't know how I would survive without you,” she had admitted, and Buri had swallowed hard against the thunderous beating of her heart that had started up at that innocent kiss.
“You'd manage,” she said gruffly. “You're half K'mir.”
“I'm still grateful for you,” Thayet had replied, finding Buri's hand and twining their fingers together.
They lay in silence, the sensation of Thayet's lips on her neck still burning Buri's skin as she tried to force her heart to stop pounding. She knew that Thayet couldn't possibly fail to hear it, with her head resting almost over Buri's heart the way it was. Thayet said nothing, though, and shortly afterwards Buri heard the familiar sound of her breathing slowing as she drifted off into sleep.
It took Buri a long time to fall asleep that night, as she lay awake analysing her strange response to Thayet's kiss. If she was attracted to the Princess - and she knew such things did happen - why had she never realised it before? They had virtually grown up together. Perhaps that had been why - she was seeing a new side of Thayet now. Nothing would ever come of it, of course. Nothing could.
The next night, though, Thayet had cuddled into her again and raised one slender hand to stroke along Buri's cheek and down her neck. Buri had swallowed and looked at Thayet who was watching her in the near-darkness of the tent, her eyes huge and dark. Again, Thayet had stroked along her neck, slowly and deliberately, still looking into Buri's eyes, and Buri had swallowed hard.
“What're you doing?” She asked, ashamed at how unsure her voice sounded.
“I'm not sure,” Thayet had replied. “But we could die tomorrow - is it wrong to look for a little pleasure tonight?”
Buri hadn't been able to find words to answer her with.
“Would you kiss me?”
“I--”
“Just once, just for tonight - because I've always wanted it and we may die tomorrow.”
How could she refuse a request like that? Especially when what she had wanted right then, more than anything, was exactly what Thayet was asking for. Silently, she had turned over on her side and, eyes still open, leaned forwards to brush a gentle kiss over Thayet's lips. Thayet sighed, and closed her eyes, her fingers curling tightly into Buri's shoulder. They stayed like that for a long time, lips touching lightly, their breath mingling together, before Thayet sighed again and pulled back a little.
“Thank you,” she whispered, smiling a little, before resting her head on Buri's shoulder and pulling one of Buri's arms around her.
She had been asleep in moments, but again it had taken Buri much longer to fall asleep. She lay there, staring up at the top of the tent, with what she imagined to be a ridiculous smile on her lips.
There had been no more kisses then, for the next day they had encountered Sir Alanna, Coram and the Shang Dragon, and there had been no more time for kisses. There had been no more time for kisses for a long time, in fact, because then there had been Thayet's introduction at the Tortallan Court, and Jonathan's courtship.
It wasn't until one night, shortly after the formation of the Queen's Riders, that Thayet had rolled over on her camp-bed - no more bed-rolls for the Queen - and smiled impishly across the tent at Buri, who was sitting on her own bed, pulling off her boots.
“Would you kiss me, Buri?” She had asked, an impish smile on her lips. “For we may die tomorrow.”
Buri blinked, and chuckled.
“I don't think that's very likely,” she had said, getting to her feet and crossing the tent. “But, just in case - I could manage one kiss.”
That time, though, it had not been one kiss - one kiss had become many kisses, had become more than kisses. And every time since, when they had been alone and Thayet had been feeling impish, she would look across at Buri and smile, and Buri knew what she was about to say.
Author: corchen
Recipient: ambyr at Dreamwidth
Rating: PG
Word count: 1,078
Fandom: Tortall-verse
Pairing/Characters: Thayet/Buri
Summary: Buri thinks about past times.
Author's Note: When this one popped into my in-box I just had to pounce on it - rare fandoms are my weakness and it doesn't get much rarer than this! This is set a little before the Immortals Quartet, so Thayet is still Commander of the Queen's Riders with Buri as her second.
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: They're not mine, I'm just borrowing them - I promise to wipe them down and put them back once I'm done with them.
***
Time spent with the Riders, away from Court, just her and Thayet in the Commanders tent of an evening, always reminded Buri of those days while they were escaping from Saraine. Not of the constant terror and watchfulness, expecting at any moment that their little encampment had been discovered and they were to be dragged back to face the turmoil, or the pall of sorrow that followed Thayet around in the days after her Mother's suicide, but of the moments of quiet companionship that were so hard to find amongst the busy schedule of the life of the Queen of Tortall.
Growing up in Kalasin's tower, carefully sheltered from the worst of the cruelties of jin Wilima, Thayet had always been surrounded by servants and guards. There was always someone within earshot, even when it seemed as if she was alone - loyal protectors of Kalasin's daughter, always watchful against the threat that seemed to hang over her, from her Father's detractors and from those nobles who hated the idea that the Wilima line had been polluted by K'miri blood. Running from Saraine, terrified and watchful, there had still been the unfamiliar pleasure of being completely alone.
They'd had the children from the convent, of course, and the baby slept in a corner of the tent with them, but they were still more alone than they had ever been - especially at night. Thayet seemed to feel the solitude the most at night. During the day, she had been her usual capable self, the indomitable will she had inherited from her mother impressing even Buri, who had seen hints of it in her as she grew but had never realised quite how deep it ran. At night, though, she had allowed herself the luxury of weakness, turning to Buri for comfort.
It had been innocent at first - Buri would hold Thayet in her arms until she fell asleep, before pressing an affectionate kiss to her forehead, and rolling over onto her own sleep-roll to doze off. That hadn't lasted, though. One night, Thayet had curled into Buri's arms as she had before, resting her head on her shoulder, but then she had kissed the side of Buri's neck, and sighed quietly.
“I don't know how I would survive without you,” she had admitted, and Buri had swallowed hard against the thunderous beating of her heart that had started up at that innocent kiss.
“You'd manage,” she said gruffly. “You're half K'mir.”
“I'm still grateful for you,” Thayet had replied, finding Buri's hand and twining their fingers together.
They lay in silence, the sensation of Thayet's lips on her neck still burning Buri's skin as she tried to force her heart to stop pounding. She knew that Thayet couldn't possibly fail to hear it, with her head resting almost over Buri's heart the way it was. Thayet said nothing, though, and shortly afterwards Buri heard the familiar sound of her breathing slowing as she drifted off into sleep.
It took Buri a long time to fall asleep that night, as she lay awake analysing her strange response to Thayet's kiss. If she was attracted to the Princess - and she knew such things did happen - why had she never realised it before? They had virtually grown up together. Perhaps that had been why - she was seeing a new side of Thayet now. Nothing would ever come of it, of course. Nothing could.
The next night, though, Thayet had cuddled into her again and raised one slender hand to stroke along Buri's cheek and down her neck. Buri had swallowed and looked at Thayet who was watching her in the near-darkness of the tent, her eyes huge and dark. Again, Thayet had stroked along her neck, slowly and deliberately, still looking into Buri's eyes, and Buri had swallowed hard.
“What're you doing?” She asked, ashamed at how unsure her voice sounded.
“I'm not sure,” Thayet had replied. “But we could die tomorrow - is it wrong to look for a little pleasure tonight?”
Buri hadn't been able to find words to answer her with.
“Would you kiss me?”
“I--”
“Just once, just for tonight - because I've always wanted it and we may die tomorrow.”
How could she refuse a request like that? Especially when what she had wanted right then, more than anything, was exactly what Thayet was asking for. Silently, she had turned over on her side and, eyes still open, leaned forwards to brush a gentle kiss over Thayet's lips. Thayet sighed, and closed her eyes, her fingers curling tightly into Buri's shoulder. They stayed like that for a long time, lips touching lightly, their breath mingling together, before Thayet sighed again and pulled back a little.
“Thank you,” she whispered, smiling a little, before resting her head on Buri's shoulder and pulling one of Buri's arms around her.
She had been asleep in moments, but again it had taken Buri much longer to fall asleep. She lay there, staring up at the top of the tent, with what she imagined to be a ridiculous smile on her lips.
There had been no more kisses then, for the next day they had encountered Sir Alanna, Coram and the Shang Dragon, and there had been no more time for kisses. There had been no more time for kisses for a long time, in fact, because then there had been Thayet's introduction at the Tortallan Court, and Jonathan's courtship.
It wasn't until one night, shortly after the formation of the Queen's Riders, that Thayet had rolled over on her camp-bed - no more bed-rolls for the Queen - and smiled impishly across the tent at Buri, who was sitting on her own bed, pulling off her boots.
“Would you kiss me, Buri?” She had asked, an impish smile on her lips. “For we may die tomorrow.”
Buri blinked, and chuckled.
“I don't think that's very likely,” she had said, getting to her feet and crossing the tent. “But, just in case - I could manage one kiss.”
That time, though, it had not been one kiss - one kiss had become many kisses, had become more than kisses. And every time since, when they had been alone and Thayet had been feeling impish, she would look across at Buri and smile, and Buri knew what she was about to say.