Summary: Terrier Oneshot. Beka thought it was her mother's experience with rushers that kept her away from Rosto, but it was the lesson she learned from her mother that brought her to the point where she accepts Rosto's feelings for her and allows herself to stop denying the feelings she has for him. Beka x Rosto.
Learning from Mama
I put on one of my better dresses this morning. Diona and Lorine were coming down to the Lower City to visit me today. I was surprised when they offered to come here. Nilo told me that they felt sorry for being so cold to me. They wanted to let me know that they were proud of me and that they love me.
The embarrassment they felt because of me has been heavy on my heart since I moved to the Lower City, so I walked with an extra spring in my step to breakfast. It was a warm sunny day so we were gathering outside. It was too nice to be trapped indoors.
I walked outside and everyone turned to look at me. Rosto stopped in the middle of chewing a bite of cinnamon roll. His eyes were wide as they roved up and down my body. I was suddenly very conscious of the fact that my dress was getting to small for me. It was of a better make than most in the Lower City had. I am not rich enough to be done with it because it is a bit snug. I was now regretting that decision. I was now extremely aware that the material was tight across my flat stomach. My peaches have grown a bit, so the neckline was lower than anything I have ever dawned before. Rosto swallowed with a loud gulp. I blushed violently. Looking down, I quickly sat down at the closest barrel. I gently spread out my skirts around me.
"What's the occasion?" Aniki asked as she scooped up Pounce.
"My sisters are coming down to visit me," I said, taking a warm turnover. I kept my eyes down. As far as I could tell, Rosto still had not taken his gaze off of me. Ersken could sense that I was uncomfortable, and came to my rescue. He changed the subject, drawing everyone's attention off of me.
I went up to my room early to grab my purse and to evade Rosto's wandering eyes. I opened my shutters, allowing the pigeons in. I was careful to keep them away from my dress. I could not be going out with pigeon scummer all over me.
I listen with interest while watching the group below. Phelan and some rushers trickled out. Rosto was the next to get up. For a moment, he looked up at me. My stomach rolled. His eyes had a mischievous glint to them that I did not like.
I did not have long to think on it though. I could see Diona and Lorine coming. I shooed away all the pigeons and closed my worn shutters. At the base of the stairs, I could see Ersken at the door. He held it open for Lorine and Diona. They politely thanked him.
"Diona, Lorine, this is my friend and fellow puppy Ersken," I said as I gave them quick hugs. He smiled warmly at them and they could not help but smile back.
I led them out to breakfast. Kora and Aniki were cuddling their new kitties. Kora saw us first. I knew she was happy that my sisters were accepting me.
"Hello!" she called eagerly. I'm Kora and that's Aniki. You must be Beka's sisters." Diona and Lorine were stiff around them at first, but Kora had them feeling at ease soon. We had been talking for a while when Aniki sent us away to enjoy our time together. She told me not to worry about breakfast; she and Kora could clean it up. I thanked them both before leading my sisters out of the lodging house.
We walked around talking. Lorine filled me in on how everyone was doing at Lord Gershom's house. The conversation flowed smoothly. I was having a great time with my sisters. I liked it down here in the Lower City, but I missed them.
We were going through Day Market around noon. I stopped at a stall to see the wares when Diona leaned in close to me.
"Beka," she whispered. "There is a handsome young man staring at us, but mostly you." She nodded in the direction and I turned to look. There, his tall form leaning against a building, sunlight making his hair shine and eyes glitter, was Rosto. I turned back around. My stomach danced. He was stunning.
Turning, I hastily said, "Come on. Let's go get lunch now." I went to move forward, but Rosto was towering over me. Why was he so difficult? I looked up at him. I tried to look sour, but I really do like being around him.
"Hello Rosto. I don't believe you've met my sisters, Diona and Lorine. This cove is Rosto the Piper."
"It's nice to meet you." He flashed a grin that made my heart melt. "Now, did I hear you say something about lunch? Where are we eating?" The determined look in his eye told me there was no way to get out of this.
He charmed my sisters, making them like him. He did have charisma, but I guess you would have to to be the Rogue. Things were wondrous until a cove of the court bowed to Rosto before he left the tavern we were eating at. Rosto nodded in recognition.
My sisters' eyes were as wide as silver nobles. They tried to act as if they were from the Patten District, but they still remembered their Lower City days. They knew this was a rusher paying respect to the King of Thieves.
They kept their eyes down, picking at their food. Rosto carried on as if he did not notice the silence coming from my sisters' side of the table. After a few awkward minutes, Rosto stood up.
"I have some business to get to if you'll excuse me. Don't worry, Beka. It is nothing illegal." He grinned then turned to my sisters. "It was a pleasure to meet you." His talk was finer and more elegant to my uppity sisters. He swept out of the tavern with so much grace that watching him, I think I could have oozed into a puddle.
Outside, the girls still had not spoken a word. Then Diona finally grabbed my arm and whipped me around to face her.
"Beka, what do you think you are doing? Do you like him? It's obvious you do. It isn't proper. You are going to be a Dog and he is not on the right side of the King's laws. Have you learned nothing? Do you want to end up like Mama!? Never meddle with rushers. They will only take everything of worth that you have when they are tired of you and leave you bloody and bruised! No rushers let alone the Rogue, the biggest rusher of them all for Mithros' sake!" Her ranting cut me deep. I looked down. I did like Rosto. I have not done anything, even when Aniki found a new cove, because of what happened to Mama. She made me feel ashamed for all those times Rosto made me tingle all over.
"Do you really think that I would let what happened to Mama happen to me? He's a friend, nothing more. So don't come down here accusing me of stuff that I didn't do Diona!" I cried out. I walked away from them, tears streaming down my face.
Light was fading in the sky by the time I got back to the lodging house. I stumbled up the stairs and unlocked my door. Rosto must have seen me come in. He followed me up and was now standing at back.
"Are you okay Beka?" he asked, his voice gentle. I turned to face him. His blonde hair was ruffled and his chest bare.
"I don't know," I whispered.
"You can talk to me about anything you know?" I nodded. He took a step forward, taking on of my hands in his. "I know what happened to your mother Beka. It was horrible, but you have to know something. I would never hurt you." My breath caught in my throat. My whole body buzzed and tingles. Id been ashamed of this feeling earlier, but it felt so good.
"I love you, Beka," he whispered in my ear, sending shock waves through me. I knew he was speaking the truth.
I saw the lesson I learned from Mama in a whole new light. Rosto made me realize something. It was not rushers in general to stay away from; it was men that did not know how to treat a mot right. Any cove, rusher or not, could be trouble, so why couldn't there be a rusher that was a good cove?
I looked up into Rosto's eyes. They were sincere, tender and full of a much stronger emotion. Who cared what Diona thought? Rosto was a good cove. He would not cause me any pain the way that rusher did to Mama.
I allowed myself to look at his perfectly chiseled torso and up to his chest. It showed sleek muscles underneath his pale Scanran skin. My gaze lingered on his divinely sculpted face, and then came the hardest part. I let my pale blue eyes connect with his. He gaze seem to smolder. I faced the emotions he let show there, and I let myself feel them too. I have been denying them for far too long.
I got on the tips of my toes, and leaned forward. His lips met mine and fireworks went off inside me. I tangled my free hand into his hair. He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me in close to his body. Our kiss deepened and electricity coursed through me. When we pulled apart, he rested his forehead on mine.
"I love you too," I whispered. He grinned as he pulled me into another kiss.