“You see that bright green who came out after the gold?” Acrofinar swooned, “She was possibly the most gorgeous green I’ve ever seen; she almost looked blue. Her rider didn’t seem to happy with her though.”

“Yeah,” Ripton nodded thoughtfully, “her rider didn’t seem the happiest with her… Kind of looked like the same thing with that dark blue. Man, was that a handsome one, if I impressed a dragon I’d like one like him.”

“Handsome blue to go with a handsome rider,” Acrofinar replied huskily causing Ripton to blush. Aside from their other perks the duo were also playing around with the idea of being lovers. Both had found only mild liking in the female persuasion. Acrofinar was a bit quicker to figure out his preferences and being in the Weyr caused him to show his feelings outright. Ripton however was the opposite of his good friend and fantasized lover. He’d been told that he was the result of a gold/bronze flight and should act as his parents had, straight. With some playful coxing from Acrofinar, Ripton had finally embraced his homosexuality.

“And I suppose the fact that you think the green’s gorgeous that you are as well?” Ripton flirted back as they slowly made their way towards the feast that was being put on even this late at night.

“If a green as gorgeous as that one were to pick me,” Acrofinar replied slyly coming in close to his friend’s handsome features, “Of course!” Ripton licked his dry lips at the closeness of his would be lover and finally broke contact with those deep pools of light blue-green.

Acrofinar was amused as he watched the object of his affections eyes turn towards the ground, a nice subtle blue they were, and he loved them. A smart remark came to his mind as he watched the slightly shorter man before him.

“Now, if you’re done trying to examine what might be beneath the wher-hide pants,” he smirked as Ripton looked up in alarm at such a thing being said so outright, “I suggest we get a better look at those who impressed while we serve. Who knows, we might find an ‘odd’ one among them ready to play, even with their young dragons.”

“Acro, you know better than that!” Ripton hissed as his friend started to walk. Looking about the young man found nobody had been listening in on their conversation and he followed his gay friend whispering his thoughts as they went, “New riders and their dragons aren’t supposed to get into any relationships, even mild ones, until after the hatchling’s around a turn and a half old.”

“Ah you’re no fun,” Acrofinar chuckled in reply as they picked up trays of meatrolls and mugs of assorted drinks. The taller man turned sober as the walked into the main dinning cavern, “Aside from that I was only joking… we could still put some hints down for later encounters.”

“Acrofinar!” Ripton hissed once more, at the same time as steadying one of the trays he was carrying. The two quickly split up covering more ground, Ripton greeting people in his shy way while Acrofinar flirted with the male patrons as well as a few select females. After twenty trays being refilled they met up near where the hatchlings were finishing being fed.

“Any luck?” Ripton asked shyly. Acrofinar shook his head with a sigh, truly disappointed.

“None that gave me any signs of being like us,” he sighed then looked over towards the two dragons they’d taken a liking to at the hatching. The hatchling in themselves seemed half asleep while their riders held a whispered conversation, “They seem like the only ones who might have the same ideas on their mind but they more than likely already have eyes for one another if they do.” Ripton nodded letting Acrofinar guide him by his waist back towards the kitchens. As they entered the kitchen the taller man ran his free hand through his rumpled black hair and gave the shorter man a small loving squeeze. Ripton titled his red haired head to lay it against Acrofinar’s shoulder and sighed.

“You’re tired too I take it?” Acrofinar rumbled in his husky voice. Ripton, too tired to be fully embarrassed nodded wrinkling his friend’s shirtsleeve. Without another word, Acrofinar lead Ripton away from the hussle and bussle of the kitchens. The Headwoman would hardly notice them missing and aside from that it was late as it was; early if you wanted to get technical. Either way, the to drudges were going to get some sleep in the room they shared… though it wasn’t quite determined if it would be right away or not.

Ripton was up early the next day, just as the sun was peeking over the rim of Katadon’s Weyrbowl. He found his clothes where they had been thrown the night before and silently placed them back on his short form. He looked over his shoulder at the sleeping form of his snoring lover, the only thing covering the man was the sheet and even that only covered from his waist to his knees, if even that.

“Acro,” Ripton whispered as he tried in vain to make his red hair look proper. The taller man mumbled something in his sleep and rolled over causing his companion to blush but continued to call, “Acro, get up. We need to report to the Headwoman.” Suddenly, Ripton felt Acrofinar’s body pressed up against his back as the man started his flirtatious day.

“If you say so, Rip-ton,” Acrofinar purred some how sounding overly suggestive with drawing out his partner’s name. In the looking glass Ripton smiled softly, in private he wasn’t as conscience of Acrofinar’s advances as being something to try to tone down. A smirk traveled across his lover’s face then causing Ripton to go on guard, “we’ve got some time, let’s go check on the new riders while they still sleep.”

Still a bit sleepy himself, Ripton only hesitated for a moment when he would have flat out right refused had he been fully awake. After a few moments of Acrofinar putting on a show of getting dressed, that Ripton shyly didn’t watch, the duo walked down the halls towards the Weyrlings Barracks. Just as they were nearing the barracks two distinct voices set up a wailing. At the same time the barracks became alive with voices of humans and concerned dragons alike. Both men quickly forgot their mischief and rushed in to see what the uproar was about.

“How could they do such a thing?”

“Don’t they care about them at all?”

“Just because they’re a blue and a green; Shard it all that just makes me sick!”

“Does this mean they’ll go between?”

Ripton was the first to get to the center of the problem and was startled at what he saw. There on a single stone couch the two hatchlings that he and Acrofinar had been admiring from afar were looking a deathly gray and their riders were nowhere in sight.

“What happened here?” Acrofinar asked as he too took in the situation.

“We’re not quite sure,” one of the new riders replied with a shrug, “Lith and Alinth just started up a wailing and their riders are nowhere to be found.”

“Can your dragon’s make sense of what they’re saying, do they know where their riders are?” Ripton asked all his concern going out towards the dark blue and the blue looking green.

“Only that their riders ran out on them,” one of the green riders snorted, “Oh their riders’ are alive and well but they won’t even give them a picture of where they are; won’t even talk to ‘em.”

“Poor little guys,” Acrofinar sighed rubbing the green’s eyeridge. I’m not a guy. I’m a girl! a voice sulked in the young homosexual’s head as the green sadly set her head on his leg. Acrofinar looked at the green dumbfounded.

“I didn’t mean to offend you, beautiful,” Acrofinar replied softly. He hardly felt Ripton sit down next to him. The other man was in shock that his friend was talking to the green. He was even more shocked as the blue set his foreclaws on his leg and his head on top of that. I thought he loved me. Am I that ugly? I bet they wanted browns, that’s why they left us! the blue’s dark voice seeped into Ripton’s brain as the hatchling eyed the browns angrily.

“Easy there, Lith,” Ripton sighed trying to comfort the hatchling by giving his wedge shaped head a hug, “You are far from ugly! You’re the most handsome blue I’ve ever seen, and trust me I’ve see a lot of blues in my life.” You think so? the blue asked titling his head up towards the young man who was so kind to him. “I wouldn’t lie to you, Lith,” Ripton smiled, “If I could I’d be with you forever like your rider was supposed to be.”

“So what’s keeping you from doing so?” a voice asked from the back of the crowd. Alinth hissed and seemed ready to strike the speaker.

“Shhh,” Acrofinar soothed the hatchling, “They aren’t coming to do you harm. And if they’d have to fight me first.” The little green looked up at Acrofinar admirably. No sooner had both hatchlings settled with their comforters did the Weyrling Master, E’ronn, brown Namigranith appear from the crowd with a worried looking Weyrwoman Kahla.

“Well answer me boys, what’s keeping you from doing so?” E’ronn repeated himself. Ripton and Acrofinar stared at the Weyrling Master, both speechless. Kahla looked at the two hatchlings and her worried look turned to a sad smile.

“Their riders might have abandoned them but I think that they’ll be fine,” she sighed turning to the Weyrling Master, “That is if they except.”

“Huh?” Ripton asked still confused by the two dragonrider.

“What do you mean?” Acrofinar questioned.

“Lith’s and Alinth’s riders are gone,” E’ronn explained, “they won’t survive if nobody takes care of them and they need support from somebody, and so they’ll become their riders.” Would you be my rider, Acrofinar? You seem to be the one I really should have choosen last night. Alinth sat up looking up at the taller man. You’d make a much better rider than my first, Ripton. He was too afraid and ran out, I think… believed a blue couldn’t protect him as well as a brown I bet! The little blue’s eyes burned red as he thought of the brown that he imagined his original rider trying to impress. Both homosexual men looked dumbfounded at the hatchlings.

“Ya’ mean it, Lith?” Ripton asked. I do

“If you want me, Alinth, I’ll be your friend for life,” Acrofinar smiled down at the blue looking green. I want you… But you must change your name… I think A’finar will suit you better now, the green stated. A’finar smiled brightly, As you wish, lovely.

Alinth gave him the name A’finar… I should give you one too… R’pton… yeah I like that… Is that an OK name for you? the dark blue asked his new rider. I love it, Lith. It’s better than my given name. Thank you! R’pton replied energetically to the blue.

Kahla smiled as her eyes unfocused and then returned to the young men before her. “It’s a sad thing to see that two wished not to be involved with Lith and Alinth but I’m proud to acknowledge that you two, A’finar and R’pton are now their riders for the rest of their days on Pern. You are now dragonriders my friends.”

“And Weyrlings at that so get to work on your hatchlings,” E’ronn rumbled. Both new riders nodded and carefully lead their life time friends towards the weyrlake for the first of many bathings they’d perform for Lith and Alinth.