Pillow Talk
Dalamar jumped into bed, feeling utterly sexy in his leopard-spotted satin PJ's. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" he called, striking a romantic pose on the black sheets.
Raistlin appeared in the doorway, leaning casually against the doorframe, his black silk PJ's shining in the light of the candles Dalamar had thoughtfully lit. "I thought I already had," Raistlin said with a wry smile.
Dalamar was out of the bed and across the room in a heartbeat, his fingers laced behind Raistlin's head. "Did I ever tell you you're cute when you're sardonic?" he asked.
"Actually, you have." Raistlin laughed and ducked out of Dalamar's grasp, heading for the bed. He paused, turning to see whether Dalamar was following him or not.
Dalamar took a flying leap. He soared through the air to collide with his Shalafi squarely, knocking them both back on the bed, Raistlin pinned under the elf. "Comfortable?" Dalamar asked. He smiled smugly, leaning down to kiss the apparently helpless mage.
Just before Dalamar got there, Raistlin roll to the side. With a well- placed pull at Dalamar's collar and a smoothly timed twist of his legs, Raistlin pulled them both over.
"Perfectly," Raistlin said, grinning triumphantly down at the elf.
"Shalafi!" Dalamar gasped. "You can't do that! It's bad form!"
Raistlin raised an eyebrow. "Since when are you British?" he asked.
"I'm not," Dalamar said, pouting. "But I'm Silvanesti elven, and despite what Laurana and that bunch want you to think, we DO have tea every day."
"Really?" Raistlin asked, looking interested.
"Oh sure!" Dalamar waved one hand effeminately. "We all march out under the trees and sit on these ADORABLE little blankets, and we drink tea out of the CUTETEST little cups, let me tell you the whole thing is to DIE for, and—"
SMACK! One golden hand reached out and cracked Dalamar across the face. "By Nuitari, get ahold of yourself, man!" Raistlin cried.
Dalamar blinked up at Raistlin and then smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. Got carried away."
"I'll say," Raistlin grumbled. He frowned, looking put out. He rolled off of Dalamar onto his back, laying next to the elf with his arms crossed over his chest. He sighed loudly.
"What?" Dalamar asked, propping himself up on one elbow.
Raistlin glared at him.
"What?!" Dalamar repeated, annoyed.
"I've quite lost the mood of it, now," Raistlin said in a sulky tone.
Dalamar sighed in exasperation. "One moment you HAVE to be on top, and the next, you're telling me you're not in the mood!"
"I have a headache," Raistlin said defensively.
"Oh, come ON!" Dalamar said with a growl. "Don't do this to me, Shalafi…"
"And your feet are cold," Raistlin sniffed. He rolled over on his side, putting his back to Dalamar.
"SHALA—Shalafi." Dalamar made a visible effort to control the tone of his voice. "Shalafi, come on, don't be like that." He put a hand on Raistlin's shoulder.
Raistlin sat bolt upright, staring at Dalamar with tears in his eyes. "You don't understand what it's like to be me!! All you want is sex, sex, sex!! You never think about MY wants, or MY needs!!" He broke into gasping sobs, his face in his hands.
Dalamar stared at the crying man helplessly. "Raistlin, I… I didn't mean… I had no idea…"
Raistlin looked up, his eyes flashing, tears running freely down his cheeks. "You never did understand me!" he said in a quavering, mournful voice. He began sobbing uncontrollably again.
Dalamar shook his head helplessly. "Shalafi, I swear to you, I didn't know you weren't happy…" He put a hand consolingly on Raistlin's knee.
Raistlin shrank away from the elf's touch. He snatched up a pillow and began beating his apprentice over the head with it. "Don't – SMACK -- you -- WHAP -- touch -- THWAP -- me -- WHAM -- you -- THUD -- you… WHACK!! …you beast!" Raistlin yelled. He swung the pillow one last time with so much gusto that it knocked Dalamar clean off the bed. The elf landed on the floor with a loud BUMP.
Dalamar moaned and spit out some feathers. He stared up from the flat of his back. After a moment, Raistlin peered over the edge of the bed.
"Aaah!" Dalamar said and threw his hands up to protect his face.
Raistlin sniffed once, dropped the pillow, now dripping feathers, onto the elf and sat in the middle of the bed, his arms crossed over his chest.
Dalamar threw the pillow off, his face changing from sheet-pale to deep crimson. He stood up, angrily brushing the feathers off his black silk pj's and out of his hair.
"Shalafi," he said in a dangerous tone. "I UNDERSTOOD the episode with the women's underwear. I could LOOK PAST that disaster with the whipped cream. I FORGAVE the holes in the chest ordeal, and we both agreed not to talk about the thing with the handcuffs. But this -- this is just too much. Too MUCH!!" He turned his back and strode over to the closet. He pulled out a suitcase and began throwing clothes into it at an alarming rate.
Raistlin's eyes widened. He jumped off the bed and ran to Dalamar, putting a hand on the elf's shoulder. "Dalamar, please, don't!" he said quickly. "I didn't mean it. I promise."
Dalamar spun around. "Never in all our years together have you EVER apologized to me, Raistlin," he said quietly.
Raistlin frowned, looking uncomfortable. "I…"
"Say you're sorry," Dalamar demanded. He crossed his arms. "Or I'm leaving."
Raistlin blinked, stammering. "I… uh, I mean… I…" he trailed off miserably.
"Ha!!" Dalamar said triumphantly. He spun back around and started throwing clothes into his suitcase again.
"Fine!" Raistlin shouted. "Fine!! I don't need you anyway!"
Dalamar slammed the suitcase shut and, stepping into his pink bunny slippers, started for the door. "Apparently not!" he shouted back.
"I don't!" Raistlin yelled as Dalamar stepped through the doorway. "I never did need you!!" he shouted at the elf's retreating back. "After all, I never lo…" he trailed off, his voice cracking. "I never loved you," he called defiantly. He shook his head, sinking to his knees on the carpeted tower floor, listening to Dalamar's angry footsteps grow softer and softer.
"Yes, I did," he whispered. He closed his eyes. He knew what he had to do.
* * *
When Dalamar finally crossed the final landing and started down the final flight of stairs, he sighed in relief. He'd taken the long way for more dramatic effect, but really after three hundred odd stairs, he was starting to regret his decision. He arrived (finally!) at the bottom floor and reached for the doorknob. His hand froze, and he hesitated, torn.
"I never loved you." Dalamar heard the words echo in his mind and he frowned, his resolve hardening. He threw open the door.
Raistlin stood before him, arms spread. "I'm… I'm sorry, Dalamar," he said, his eyes filled with tears. "I love you!"
"Raistlin!" Dalamar cried as he threw himself into his Shalafi's embrace. They stood for a long moment, clinging to one another.
They both pulled back and coughed, embarrassed. "We shouldn't have done that out here," Raistlin said uncomfortably. "We might start the other apprentices guessing."
Dalamar raised his eyebrows. "Don't you think the nude statues of cupid you had placed around the Shoikan Grove might have tipped them off?" he asked.
Raistlin looked troubled. "You really think so?" he asked fretfully.
Dalamar smiled. "It's not important." He sighed. "Let's get inside before the cheesy dialogue turns this into any more of a Hallmark movie rip- off than it already is."
Holding hands, the two retreated into the tower.
"Hey Dalamar?"
"Yes, Shalafi?"
"Can I still be on top…?"
"Don't push it."
Pause.
"Sorry."
(end)
Dalamar jumped into bed, feeling utterly sexy in his leopard-spotted satin PJ's. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" he called, striking a romantic pose on the black sheets.
Raistlin appeared in the doorway, leaning casually against the doorframe, his black silk PJ's shining in the light of the candles Dalamar had thoughtfully lit. "I thought I already had," Raistlin said with a wry smile.
Dalamar was out of the bed and across the room in a heartbeat, his fingers laced behind Raistlin's head. "Did I ever tell you you're cute when you're sardonic?" he asked.
"Actually, you have." Raistlin laughed and ducked out of Dalamar's grasp, heading for the bed. He paused, turning to see whether Dalamar was following him or not.
Dalamar took a flying leap. He soared through the air to collide with his Shalafi squarely, knocking them both back on the bed, Raistlin pinned under the elf. "Comfortable?" Dalamar asked. He smiled smugly, leaning down to kiss the apparently helpless mage.
Just before Dalamar got there, Raistlin roll to the side. With a well- placed pull at Dalamar's collar and a smoothly timed twist of his legs, Raistlin pulled them both over.
"Perfectly," Raistlin said, grinning triumphantly down at the elf.
"Shalafi!" Dalamar gasped. "You can't do that! It's bad form!"
Raistlin raised an eyebrow. "Since when are you British?" he asked.
"I'm not," Dalamar said, pouting. "But I'm Silvanesti elven, and despite what Laurana and that bunch want you to think, we DO have tea every day."
"Really?" Raistlin asked, looking interested.
"Oh sure!" Dalamar waved one hand effeminately. "We all march out under the trees and sit on these ADORABLE little blankets, and we drink tea out of the CUTETEST little cups, let me tell you the whole thing is to DIE for, and—"
SMACK! One golden hand reached out and cracked Dalamar across the face. "By Nuitari, get ahold of yourself, man!" Raistlin cried.
Dalamar blinked up at Raistlin and then smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. Got carried away."
"I'll say," Raistlin grumbled. He frowned, looking put out. He rolled off of Dalamar onto his back, laying next to the elf with his arms crossed over his chest. He sighed loudly.
"What?" Dalamar asked, propping himself up on one elbow.
Raistlin glared at him.
"What?!" Dalamar repeated, annoyed.
"I've quite lost the mood of it, now," Raistlin said in a sulky tone.
Dalamar sighed in exasperation. "One moment you HAVE to be on top, and the next, you're telling me you're not in the mood!"
"I have a headache," Raistlin said defensively.
"Oh, come ON!" Dalamar said with a growl. "Don't do this to me, Shalafi…"
"And your feet are cold," Raistlin sniffed. He rolled over on his side, putting his back to Dalamar.
"SHALA—Shalafi." Dalamar made a visible effort to control the tone of his voice. "Shalafi, come on, don't be like that." He put a hand on Raistlin's shoulder.
Raistlin sat bolt upright, staring at Dalamar with tears in his eyes. "You don't understand what it's like to be me!! All you want is sex, sex, sex!! You never think about MY wants, or MY needs!!" He broke into gasping sobs, his face in his hands.
Dalamar stared at the crying man helplessly. "Raistlin, I… I didn't mean… I had no idea…"
Raistlin looked up, his eyes flashing, tears running freely down his cheeks. "You never did understand me!" he said in a quavering, mournful voice. He began sobbing uncontrollably again.
Dalamar shook his head helplessly. "Shalafi, I swear to you, I didn't know you weren't happy…" He put a hand consolingly on Raistlin's knee.
Raistlin shrank away from the elf's touch. He snatched up a pillow and began beating his apprentice over the head with it. "Don't – SMACK -- you -- WHAP -- touch -- THWAP -- me -- WHAM -- you -- THUD -- you… WHACK!! …you beast!" Raistlin yelled. He swung the pillow one last time with so much gusto that it knocked Dalamar clean off the bed. The elf landed on the floor with a loud BUMP.
Dalamar moaned and spit out some feathers. He stared up from the flat of his back. After a moment, Raistlin peered over the edge of the bed.
"Aaah!" Dalamar said and threw his hands up to protect his face.
Raistlin sniffed once, dropped the pillow, now dripping feathers, onto the elf and sat in the middle of the bed, his arms crossed over his chest.
Dalamar threw the pillow off, his face changing from sheet-pale to deep crimson. He stood up, angrily brushing the feathers off his black silk pj's and out of his hair.
"Shalafi," he said in a dangerous tone. "I UNDERSTOOD the episode with the women's underwear. I could LOOK PAST that disaster with the whipped cream. I FORGAVE the holes in the chest ordeal, and we both agreed not to talk about the thing with the handcuffs. But this -- this is just too much. Too MUCH!!" He turned his back and strode over to the closet. He pulled out a suitcase and began throwing clothes into it at an alarming rate.
Raistlin's eyes widened. He jumped off the bed and ran to Dalamar, putting a hand on the elf's shoulder. "Dalamar, please, don't!" he said quickly. "I didn't mean it. I promise."
Dalamar spun around. "Never in all our years together have you EVER apologized to me, Raistlin," he said quietly.
Raistlin frowned, looking uncomfortable. "I…"
"Say you're sorry," Dalamar demanded. He crossed his arms. "Or I'm leaving."
Raistlin blinked, stammering. "I… uh, I mean… I…" he trailed off miserably.
"Ha!!" Dalamar said triumphantly. He spun back around and started throwing clothes into his suitcase again.
"Fine!" Raistlin shouted. "Fine!! I don't need you anyway!"
Dalamar slammed the suitcase shut and, stepping into his pink bunny slippers, started for the door. "Apparently not!" he shouted back.
"I don't!" Raistlin yelled as Dalamar stepped through the doorway. "I never did need you!!" he shouted at the elf's retreating back. "After all, I never lo…" he trailed off, his voice cracking. "I never loved you," he called defiantly. He shook his head, sinking to his knees on the carpeted tower floor, listening to Dalamar's angry footsteps grow softer and softer.
"Yes, I did," he whispered. He closed his eyes. He knew what he had to do.
* * *
When Dalamar finally crossed the final landing and started down the final flight of stairs, he sighed in relief. He'd taken the long way for more dramatic effect, but really after three hundred odd stairs, he was starting to regret his decision. He arrived (finally!) at the bottom floor and reached for the doorknob. His hand froze, and he hesitated, torn.
"I never loved you." Dalamar heard the words echo in his mind and he frowned, his resolve hardening. He threw open the door.
Raistlin stood before him, arms spread. "I'm… I'm sorry, Dalamar," he said, his eyes filled with tears. "I love you!"
"Raistlin!" Dalamar cried as he threw himself into his Shalafi's embrace. They stood for a long moment, clinging to one another.
They both pulled back and coughed, embarrassed. "We shouldn't have done that out here," Raistlin said uncomfortably. "We might start the other apprentices guessing."
Dalamar raised his eyebrows. "Don't you think the nude statues of cupid you had placed around the Shoikan Grove might have tipped them off?" he asked.
Raistlin looked troubled. "You really think so?" he asked fretfully.
Dalamar smiled. "It's not important." He sighed. "Let's get inside before the cheesy dialogue turns this into any more of a Hallmark movie rip- off than it already is."
Holding hands, the two retreated into the tower.
"Hey Dalamar?"
"Yes, Shalafi?"
"Can I still be on top…?"
"Don't push it."
Pause.
"Sorry."
(end)