Disclaimer: The lads still belong to Jerry Bruckheimer & Touchstone Pictures - more's the pity ... anything you don't recognize can be blamed on my warped imagination ! If they were mine, both Tristan and Dag would still be with us, for mercy's sake ... No copyright infringement is intended.

Warning: contains hints at slash and strong language.

A/N: I've been pretty bored lately and ended up re-writing some of my old/deleted fics and their plots. This one inevitably got, as Bors would say, "hacked 'n' slashed" simply 'cause I was at a loose end ...

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If It Pleases You

"Dag- "

"No ! Just drop it, will you, Tris ... ? For mercy's sake ... I've said my piece. If you or anyone else can't accept it then- " Dagonet wearily rubbed his nape and glared at the younger Sarmatian.

The Aorsi sighed heavily and carded slim fingers through his dark, unruly mane. "You know damn well, I can't do that, love. I just can't and ... I won't. This is far too important for me to drop. It no longer affects only the pair of you ... Fuck ! It's hurting everyone- "

The Roxolani's pale eyes narrowed in anger. "And you think I don't know that ? That I'm not aware of what's happening ? I know damn well what's going on ... and it's not of my making nor my choice- "

"Then- "

"No. What part of "no" don't you understand ? Now just fucking drop it, Tris ... Please ?" Dagonet growled softly. "I really don't want to fall out with you. Not you. Especially you ... But if you keep pushing me, we'll both end up saying things we'll bloody regret ... Things neither of us will be able to take back and that's the last thing I want to happen. So, for both our sakes ..." The tall Healer's voice trailed away as he reluctantly broke eye contact with the ever-observant Scout.

Tristan cursed under his breath and closed his eyes, before exhaling sharply. "For fuck's sake ... Stop being such a stubborn bastard, Dagonet." He paused then continued doggedly. "Are you so blind that you can't see that the idiot misses you ? That Bors still bloody loves you ? That this is really hurting him ? Can't you just ... just be the bigger man and lay this bitterness and ill-feeling between you to rest ?"

Groaning softly, the strapping, cropped haired Healer sank wearily onto the bench by the fire. "You ask far too much of me, Scout ... I can't. I bloody can't ... It's unfair of you to ask it of me." Keeping his gaze averted, Dagonet bowed his head and rested his elbows on his muscular, leather-clad thighs, his hands dangling aimlessly between them.

Stepping between the older man's legs, the Aorsi sank to his knees and carefully tilted the Roxolani's chin upwards, forcing Dag to meet his steady gaze. Tristan slowly moved his hand until his palm rested lightly against the scar on his lover's face, the callused pad of his thumb gently caressing Dagonet's full, lower lip eliciting a tremulous, silent gasp from the gentle giant.

"I have to, love. I don't want to do this to you but I must, Dag. You need to do this. You have to ..." Tristan spoke quietly, his golden eyes held Dagonet's silver ones captive. "I don't want to force you into anything, but I will if I have to ... Gods ! I know how unhappy you are ... How this is tearing you apar- "

"Then you know how hard this is for me," Dagonet whispered brokenly. "Why I can't back down. Fuck ! I tried to reason with Bors ... make him see sense. It's not like I never gave him a choice ..."

Tristan gently drew Dagonet's head down towards his until their foreheads were resting against each other. "I know you did, Wolf ... I know. But Bors is stubborn. He always thinks he's right, when half the time he's not ... The way he sees it, you didn't give him much of a choice. Just an ultimatu- "

"I did give him a choice ! It was either a kinsman who'd always have his back no matter what or the "Royal bloody Arse-kisser" he always claimed to want. He can't have it both ways, Tris. I simply know where I stand with him now. He made his choice and he'll just have to live with it ... As I must."

The Scout sadly shook his head. "But that's where you're wrong, Wolf. You don't have to live with it. And neither does Bors. He never meant any of the shit he said. The daft bugger was just taking the piss, though being so proud he'll never back down and admit it. All you have to do is talk to him. Make amends. Hell ! Admit you were wrong if you have to ... Just ... just be the bigger man here and talk with the gobby bastard, for mercy's sake. Tell him how you feel. That you miss him ... That you never meant for things to get this far."

Dagonet froze. "I ... I can't ... I swear to gods I can't. It's gone beyond that now."

Tristan withdrew abruptly and sat back on his heels. He sighed impatiently, clearly at the end of his tether and at his wits end. He'd tried his damnedest to resolve the situation between his lover and Dagonet's fiery, mouthy kinsman who the Scout regarded as a much loved older brother. And now ? Now, thanks to how stubborn they were being, it looked as if he'd failed ... and that was something Tristan simply refused to accept. It simply wasn't an option.

"Bollocks !" he spat. "You are a Roxolani, Dagonet. And a true Roxolani would never give up nor give in so easily. What the bloody hell would your kin say if they knew how quickly you admitted defeat ? You'd never hear the end of it man ... Your clan would hold it over your head until the day you drew your last breath."

Dumbstruck, the Healer eyed his lover in disbelief. "Me ? You accuse me ... a Roxolani, of being a defeatist ?"

The Aorsi shrugged helplessly. "Well, how in the goddess' name would you explain your actions then ? If you meant it - if you really wanted to - you could easily resolve all this crap. You could ... and you would. Bloody hell, Dag ! If you won't do it for yourself or your kin, then do it for me ... You claim that you love me ... that you'd do anything for me ... By the gods, I've never asked you for anything you wouldn't freely give, but ..." Tristan paused briefly to collect his thoughts, "but I'm asking - no, begging - you now to do just this one thing for me. Please, Wolf ... I normally wouldn't ask, but this ... ? This is slowly killing me, Dag. Seeing the two people - my kin - who mean everything to me, constantly at odds with each other ..."

Dagonet sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "Tris ... love ... You realize what you ask of me ?"

Tristan merely nodded. "And I wouldn't ask it of you, if it wasn't important, Dag. I swear to you. On my life. I would not."

Dagonet opened his eyes and drank in the sight of his lover. Tristan looked tired. Distraught. And unusually for him, totally lost. And the Roxolani hated the defeated look which graced the handsome death-dealer's lean and noble countenance. He reached out - tentatively - to sweep a swathe of thick, dark hair away from Tristan's striking eyes.

"Then, if it pleases you ..." Dagonet's husky voice was soft. Hesitant even. "If it makes you happy, Tris ... then I will try. For you, love. Only for you ..." He slowly drew the slighter, leaner man closer to him and to his relief, felt Tristan sag against his more powerful frame and wrap his arms around his waist. The Scout exhaled softly, then reached up to gently and affectionately nuzzle the sensitive hollow at the base of the Healer's throat.

"That's all I ask ... I promise you, love," Tristan breathed softly in relief, the words caressing Dagonet's responsive skin, making him shudder with need. "Thank you ..."

FINIS