What Could Have Happened on Winternight

Dear FarDareisMai,

Still whenever I see your name, I think of the Aiel, so I wrote you these little drabbles that are probably horribly blasphemous to the WOT world... but the idea of Rand and Mat together is too hot to pass up. Just this once. One of these days, I'll write you a Rand/Aviendha/Elayne/Min foursome. ;)

May you always find water and shade, my dear, and have a wonderful birthday! <3

xoxo

Heidi a.k.a. tuesdaymidnight

(Thank you to some lovely ladies on twitter for the prompts.)

“What Could Have Happened on Winternight”

Trepidation

 It was the afternoon before Winternight and Rand felt trepidation at what tomorrow would bring. When the unmarried women danced around the Spring Pole for Bel Tine, he knew the entire Women's Circle would be watching him and Egwene closely.

Egwene would soon be of age and it would not be much longer before they would be betrothed.

Rand loved Egwene, he did. She was beautiful and intelligent and caring, but there was something niggling in the back of his head that wouldn't go away. It was almost as if this wasn't the life that he was meant to live.

Flammable

Rand and Mat were supposed to be gathering kindling for the bonfire. It would go up in the center of Emond's Field and be set alight to celebrate the coming of Spring. When Rand was a boy, he remembered thinking that the fire was bigger than the inn.

Though that was just his youthful imagination, the fire was really quite large. It took up a huge part of the center square, so the amount of flammable brush all the able bodied boys in town needed to gather was immense.

Even Perrin was allowed to leave the forge early to help.

Mischievous

Rand heard the footfalls behind him as he traipsed through the woods. The sound of a twig snapping under a boot was unmistakable, but still he was surprised when his hat was pulled off his head.

He turned to find Mat standing behind him with his arms crossed and a mischievous look on his face.

Rand glared at his friend, but his eyes bestowed no anger.

“Come on,” he grumbled. “We still have a lot to gather.”

Mat just grinned and shook his head, “We have time. If you want it back, you'll have to catch me.”

Persistent

Mat was very good at playing prey. He seemed to know when to duck under a branch or when a fallen log was approaching, but Rand was persistent as he chased down his friend.

Eventually Mat gave in and slowed down, allowing Rand to grab him by the back of his collar and spin him around.

Rand's eyes were positively predatory as he walked Mat backward until his back was against a tree.

Without another moment's hesitation, Rand crashed his lips against Mat's. The hat, the kindling and Bel Tine were all forgotten as they lost themselves in familiar warmth.

Throbbing

Mat pulled the taller boy closer into his body as Rand's hand went up to run through Mat's thick, brown hair.

Both boys were throbbing with need as they frotted against one another hungrily. Both of them sensed that this was an end to their youthful indiscretions.

Girls outgrew their pillow friends, and so they would grow up, too.

Rand and Egwene would be married soon, and Mat would be promised to a girl in the village.

So it was with unspoken desperation that the two boys clung to each other.

It was only distant hoof beats that stopped them.