Aftermath

[Kairon Rees]

"I don't mind," Kairon replied, pushing his plate forward and reaching for his glass of wine. He was quite content to listen to her voice.

"I remember you saying you were thinking of a larger ship back when we first met actually. It's hard being at the crossroads like that," he said with a slow nod. "I tried to work an honest job for while. Just some numbers and routing for the trade company, settled down in one place with regular people. Obviously didn't work out that well. On the other hand I know I'm not going to keep doing this and staying on the move forever.

"I guess I'll be staying a few days in naboo then - if you'll have me? I've stripped down so many of the Quin's systems this week, I could show you," he suggested. Despite how much he moaned about his ship, he couldn't talk about her for long without his enthusiasm shining through. "Actually what meetings do you have today and tomorrow?" he asked quickly.

 

[Malia Afredane]

She smiled at him, munching contentedly on her fries, shaking her head.

"Why, Mr. Rees, are you implying that we are not honest people?" There was mockery in her tone and her smirk before she finished off her ale.

She palmed the burgundy napkin before it was laid next to her plate, a wrinkle in her forehead as she thought about what she had going on the next couple days.

"Tomorrow, I have a couple people from a little merc company looking for gear. Today, I just have you."

She keyed in her personal account details to the kiosk on the table and paid the tab before he could get a chance to. Sticking her tongue out at him for being quicker on the draw, she rose from the table, pulling her jacket back on.

"So show your baby. And someday you can meet Gracie when she's not galavanting around the galaxy with Rusty."

[member="Kairon Rees"]

 

[Kairon Rees]

Mal already knew he didn't have the best poker face, and his joy that they had the whole day without interruptions was apparent. His blue eyes sparkled.

"I thought there was a shortage of honest people everywhere, and then you gave us the extra cut without being pressed," he said sincerely, in contrast to her mock tone. He doubted she realised just what that had meant to him. In a time when they were shorn of friends and struggling to survive in the cutthroat underworld, it had cemented his opinion of her.

He thought back to some tourist guides he had found on the net when agonising over what to try and say and do the night before. Apparently there were several fields, slightly above the swamps, but down beneath the great cliffs of Theed, where couples often stopped in an evening to watch the sun set over the silhouette of Theed's domed skyline and waterfalls. . They'd need a blanket and a bottle of something good. Whilst he had several good bottles of red back on the Quin, he couldn't remember seeing her touch wine. He did recall her enjoying a glass of whiskey. Hatching a plan to use Kylo's credits - which had burning a hole in his pocket - he planned a little diversion on the way back to the spaceport.

He hooked his arm through hers again as they left the pub, delighting in how comfortable it felt. He ran his free hand through his long, jet black hair. Though it was now tinged by more grey than he cared to admit.

The street was fairly quiet and when he looked over, his eyes settled on her inviting lips. With a quiet laugh and a gentle tug he pulled her towards him. Leaning back against the sandstone wall of the towering building next to them, he pressed her against him and kissed her, if she would let him, running his hand through her hair, down the back of her neck and across her delicate shoulder blades.
"How did you get this?" he would ask softly, short of breath, as he run a thumb gently down her cheek.

 

[Malia Afredane]

The first kiss is usually romanticized in books and movies as though it moves the world beneath your feet, and it is a climax of nerves and anxiety and euphoria, culminating in something tentative, and a little shy but also a little strange. Kissing another person deeply for the first time is also a little awkward because everyone has their own style and preferences for moisture, pressure and speed. The first kiss is feeling out who your partner is.

The second kiss, well now, that is the one that moves the heavens above you. Timid wonderings are gone. There is no shyness, there is no anxiety to be shared. The answer has already been given, the debate settled. There is only attraction, desire and need, passionately expressed in a far better language than bumbling Basic. So when he reached for her on that sidewalk, pulling her against him, there was nothing about this kiss that resembled the first one, apart from it being the same people. She knew now to slow him down, to press a little with her lips but not too much, to wrap her hands around his neck so that her thumbs could caress his cheeks. The first kiss was a question. The second kiss was a declaration. She wanted him.

When they finally parted, a slow exhale of her breath seemed to relax her whole body and she looked up into his blue eyes with a smile. He stroked the scar along her cheek, and she chuckled, rolling her eyes with a playful growl as she thought of that memory.

"I had a disagreement with a Trandoshian fence about a load of cargo he didn't want to pay for. I dodged the knife, he got me with the claws."

She chuckled as she pulled him away from the wall to keep heading down the street.

"Don't worry, he paid for it. I shot him in the foot."

 

[Kairon Rees]

Kairon almost stumbled as she gently pulled him away from the wall. His knees had gone weak, but he managed not to fall over the top of her. He feigned shock as she described shooting the Trandoshan in the foot, but was watching her lips intently as he listened. He ached for her. As they walked his hand ran down the opposite shoulder, down her waist and settled on her hip. On the way to the shop he'd diverted them to, he tried to regale her with the tale of an odious Trandoshan bounty hunter who had arrested one of their contacts before they could be paid. Fortunately he'd been slow-witted, with a poor grasp of galactic basic. They'd kept him distracted long enough for the contact's bodyguards to show up en masse.

They reached a small shop that seemed to sell a bizarre variety of items. Kairon knew from experience that they were mostly stolen; he dropped off a fair fractions of the owners stock himself. Disentangling himself from her arm was almost acutely painful.

"Just wait here a second," he said with a wry smile, holding his hands out, palms down. The plain wooden door creaked as it opened, catching an old fashioned brass bell which rang sweetly. As Kairon always did, he negotiated firmly, but calmly and respectfully.

Returning from the shop, he kept one arm behind his back. "So dinner at Baker's is quite expensive and we missed out," he said. His left eye twitched slightly as he said that, the fingers of his right hand forming a tight ball and slowly unfurling. He took a breath. Perhaps it was thinking back to that week disrupting his serenity, but more likely it was just the fact that he'd not been in a serious relationship for a very long time, but suddenly he felt remarkably shy. Still, he pressed on. The worst that would happen is she laughed at him a little.

"There's a spot below the eastern cliffs where you can sit and watch the sun go down behind the waterfalls. I kind of... I mean... Well..." he was rubbing the back of his neck now. "Thought after I gave you the tour I thought we could head down there and share a bottle," he explained, holding it out. The angular emerald bottle, with its intricate etching, was renowned. "It's not a brilliant reserve, but since Corellia was lost it's hard to come by. Still, even a mediocre year of Whyren's, as they say..."

 

[Malia Afredane]

She tried to peer into the shop windows while he was gone but she could not see what he was haggling with the shopkeeper over. She turned away and watched the people walking down the thoroughfare, the color and pristine nature of their city so vibrant and peaceful in contrast to the lights and dirt of Nar Shaddaa. The air smelled clean here, even in the center of town and the breezes were kind and soft. It was an idyllic place that never seemed to be bogged down with the harsh realities of life beyond them in the heavens. She wanted desperately to be one of them sometimes, unburdened by the pressures of the choices she had made in the circumstances thrust upon her.

Of course she knew that everyone had their own problems, and all journeys were filled with hardships, but no one on these streets looked as though they had to duck crime bosses and people who did not value life, not even their own at times. Her life was grim, dirty and ugly, but on Naboo, she got to pretend she was not the sum of those parts. Even if she stuck out a little, it was not Shaddaa.

She loved Shaddaa sometimes. The pull of the nightlife was certainly strong. But so too were the dangers and they had been visited on her too heavily when the Techno Union tortured her. She wasn’t sure she was ready to skirt their territory just yet. Soon. But not right now.

The clanging of the shop bell drew her attention back to him and she shook away the ghosts of tortured minds and smiled at him, genuinely. He was being adorably shy about spitting it out, and she wanted to giggle at his nerves but when he mentioned sunset, and the view from the fields around the city, she felt her face soften in response. Then of course, he showed her the bottle of Whyren’s Reserve. She audibly gasped. It must have just cost him a fortune and she stood frozen staring at the bottle.

“Holy feth…” She looked at his face, her mouth still hanging open a bit in surprise. Barkur’s. Whyren’s. He was wanting to impress her with fineries and she could understand that, even if it was something completely new to her. Maybe stuff in those silly movies happened where the guy gave the girl lavish gifts. She stepped closer to him, reaching up to caress his left cheek with her hand. She locked eyes with him, her voice a quiet murmur.

“You know you don’t have to keep trying. You’ve already got me, right?” She kissed him again, softly and gently, just a short one, just because she could. She stayed close to him, so that she could whisper to him, just low enough for the pair of them to hear.
“I never pegged you for the romantic type. You know I’m just a spacer who hangs out with a robot, right?”

 

[Kairon Rees]

[member="Malia Afredane"]

Kairon was lost in her eyes again. For a few moments he just smiled dumbly. His hand stayed firmly in the small of her back, keeping her close. "You'll have to give it a few weeks to sink in," he said in his rumbling tones. "... And for the credits to run out," he added without missing a beat. Whilst the Quintessence was running on a tight margin, Kairon was conservative with his own funds and had some aside. Besides, getting rid of the credits Kylo had used to make him feel insignificant had felt good. There was a brief concern that perhaps he had set the bar a touch high on day one.

Whilst he could have stayed locked in her gaze and feeling her beach against his neck, he remember himself and started to move. His hand slid up her back, delicately brushed her neck, before pulling her head in gently against his chest. He rested his head on hers, and ran his fingers through her hair. It felt like his heart was pounding hard enough for her to hear. His free hand hung down awkwardly at his side, gripping the bottle, slightly ruining the embrace.

"Speaking of the robot, there's a parts shop next to where the Quin is sat. We can pick up a new gaydar," he said. Given how stressful that revelation had been for all, it was probably too soon to make light of. He was determined to put that on the past though, had ready revisited every minute with a councillor. On his ship humour pushed them through adversity and carried them through hardship.

 

[Malia Afredane]

"Don't waste your money on me. You'll just be mad when you figure out I'm not worth it." She joked with him but she let him pull her into an embrace. The one she longed for when she was laying on the floor of her cell, her eyes closed and wishing that he could wrap her up and hold her. She buried her face into his chest, and gritted her teeth at the mention of Rusty's glaringly obvious mistake. She sighed loudly, pulling away from him with her face buried in her hands, embarrassed and suddenly feeling like she had been a first rate jerk to listen to Rusty at all.

"Yeah..." Another sigh. She rubbed her face, shielding her eyes and turning away from him.

"I owe you a dozen apologies for that, and probably a dozen more for bothering to trust emotional analysis to him, but I have a rather rotten track record."

She dropped her hands now, feeling rather dejected and utterly crushed. The smile was gone, the furrow set deep in her brow, a sign of her guilt and personal feelings of inadequacy. Jarrick had ripped her good and just recalling the memory made her stomach turn.

"You know, on second thought, I can see the Quin another time."

The first lecture stuck with me just fine, she thought to herself, looking the other direction down the street away from the space port and back towards her hotel. She obviously missed the joke, and her mind jumped to the wildest conclusions about how much of a karking idiot he thinks she must be to believe Rusty.

[member="Kairon Rees"]

 

[Kairon Rees]

[member="Malia Afredane"]

Deep down, Kairon was a man who cared about what other people thought. His respect for this was what made him a good trader. Unfortunately he wasn’t the best at reading the signs. If he had been, he likely wouldn’t have had to deal with the men so diametrically opposed to himself. The kind of men who just how to turn the screw, play people to get what they wanted no matter the cost. The signs right now were pretty clear, but he found himself confused at quite why this upset her so. Jarrick had explained what had occurred, but had failed to mention the angry ten minute diatribe.

His stomach lurched, his chest felt tight. As she turned his back to him, he looked up and down the street incredulously, trying to think on how this had affected her so suddenly.

Stepping forward he tried to wrap her up from behind with his arms. His breath stopped as he was concerned that she wouldn’t let him. Perhaps it would be better if he stopped trying. He was a stupid, stubborn mule and he would be better off on his own drinking himself to sleep again...with a two hundred credit bottle.

“Hey, hey, hey. I’m sorry. I’m no good at letting people know what I think, confuses lots of people. My second had to tell you, and then you had to tell me in no uncertain terms before I could even express it to you. I’m a sullen old spacer and I don’t deserve you,” he tried to explain quickly, trying to kiss the base of her neck, where it met her shoulder.

“We don’t have to see the Quin, I know a good ‘bring-you-own-bottle' place. I was going to show you how we integrated the point-five drive with the power couplings using a steady state converter. We got it through our contacts in the Underground for a good rate, we could probably get another at some point if you…yeah…whatever you’d like.”

Damnit man, you can wax lyrical about your own ship, but can’t tell the most brilliant girl in the ‘verse what you think of her, with anything more than three words. Stop worrying she’s going to walk away.

“Please don’t go,” he sighed. His lips gently running down her neck and across the extent of her exposed shoulder with a soft growl.

 

[Malia Afredane]

She didn't struggle when he wrapped her in his arms, leaning her head back against him. He was backpedaling pretty hard and from the sounds of it, didn't understand why she would be upset.

Spit it out, Afredane. You stare down armed meatheads. Get it out, move on.

She paused a moment as his warm breath sent shivers down her back. That was an easy way to make her putty in his hands. She turned around slowly in his embrace, still looking guilty but some of the sadness softened. Her hands rested on his chest, while his arms still encircled her waist.

"Jarrick reamed me out pretty good for being no better than a droid if I was going to listen to one. Just didn't feel like a second run in with him was necessary. I'm sorry I'm not any good with people. I fly with Rusty for a reason."

Her hazel eyes seemed clouded for a moment before she chuckled at her own insecurities.

"I'm not going anywhere, I just don't think I can look your crew in the eyes."

[member="Kairon Rees"]

 

[Kairon Rees]

"Okay," he breathed. The relief was evident in his voice. They had to confront what they'd been through, that's what the councillor had said. A selfish part of him knew that they could maybe cross that bridge with Jarrick another day. Today was too perfect for any more hurdles. What had happened to them could not be undone. Everyone was the product of their experiences. Kairon knew he had already been imperfect because of those dark years. The experience with the Techno Union would perhaps always plague him, but that didn't mean he couldn't find happiness. It didn't mean they couldn't find happiness. At some point* he would suggest she talk it out with Jarrick, point out that the old soldier was soft as **** really, and tell her that just like the rest of them he had been forced to build a shell against the torture. Jarrick's had probably been built from anger, even if he had held it together better than the rest of them. He was overly protective of his captain and also remarkably fond of his firearms...

For now though, he wanted to the walk the simple path, to savour the day. The pair of them had plenty to work out, and a great deal of discovery to do. It didn't all have to happen in one day. "They've got a lot of respect for you," was all he said, truthfully. Well, perhaps he didn't know on the case of the Cathar, she didn't respect anything as far as he could tell. "But we can go somewhere else today. I've never seen a holocron in the flesh if you wanted to visit the artefact wing."

 

[Malia Afredane]

Mal wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled into him, just taking comfort in him and trying to act like she knew what the hell she should be doing.

"Yeah, let's hit the museum again. But first, let's swing by my hotel and have them hold that bottle at the desk. We can get it on the way out of town so you don't have to carry a bottle of booze around the cultural center."

The detour to the hotel was quick and the rest of the afternoon passed by in relative peace as they wandered throughout the artifact wing, talk of torture and the Techno Union forgotten as they just enjoyed being together in the same place. The smile returned to her face and she barely let go of his hand for the duration of the museum, the newness of their shift in closeness apparent to those around them.

New crushes had a frenetic power to them that any one can pick up on. It was crazy and addicting and full of rushes that no pusher could match. It was better than whiskey, chocolate, really decadent recipes and a winning hand in sabacc.

The museum was closing for the day when they finally wandered out just before dinner, at least three of the wings covered, and a sense that there was still unending time left before responsibilities would force them to part. She looked up at his blue eyes, smiling.

"So now what?"

 

[Kairon Rees]

"Please," he would have said. "Wouldn't want to drop it. No one likes to see a grown man cry."

The walk through the museum settled his emotions, as much as they could be. Whilst being so close to her began to feel more natural, it did not prevent each new touch from sending his heart racing. His fingers were growing accustomed to the feel of her hands, his thumb would gently caress the back her hand as they walked. Holocrons, as it turned out, were remarkably mundane things.

He looked down at her with an almost glazed-over expression, for a moment forgetting there were plans for anything beyond idly walking hand in hand.

"Now, we're going to need to get a blanket, two glasses, borrow an air speeder and get some food we can take with us. So... what'll go with the whiskey? Just some smoked meats and cheese?"

The sun was already starting to cast long shadows from the Theed skyline. They could head to the outskirts of the city soon. It had occurred to him that there would be a chill breeze coming off the water as the sun went down. If she had to hold herself against him for warmth, he wouldn't mind.

 

[Malia Afredane]

"I got this." She was nodding her head as they walked down the street. There was a barbeque place down from the hotel and she swung to pick up a picnic dinner to go. Smoked brisket, some pulled pork and a couple small sides of coleslaw and cornbread were packed neatly into a cooler case and they dipped back into the hotel where the concierge was more than happy to bring her rented speeder and make sure the whiskey, glasses, a blanket and a couple pillows we in the speeder when it was brought around.

She drove, heading out of Theed but following the path of the river until it spilled over the edge of the cliffs and she took off across a field until she found a large tree, with wide outstretched limbs that overhung the riverbank, the waters flowing smoother now that their tumultuous fall was upstream. It was quieter here than right next to the falls as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s6btN0ZuuM

Blanket out, dinner unpacked and the stereo in the speeder playing some lovely music for taking in the sites of the sunset, all in all, it wasn't half bad she thought as she sank down to the blanket, watching the skies over the city fade to pinks and oranges as the setting sun lit the rooftops on fire.

"Gorgeous," she murmured but her eyes were trailing across his face and not the scenery around them, picturesque as it may be.

 

[Kairon Rees]

"I agree," he said in a breathless voice. The meal could wait a while longer, he decided. "Photographers call it 'magic hours' I think. Where there is still enough light to shoot, but it's no longer flat. Everything it touches is brought out in vivid hues and perfect contrast that highlight any beauty," he said, almost at a whisper. His hand traced her jawline again and he moved closer, propping himself up onto one elbow. Kairon moved in for another kiss. Each time was more confident, as the pair worked each other out. This time wasn't merely a refinement of before, he came in slightly harder, pressed himself up against her, the pace was quicker.

"Thank you," he said quietly as they broke apart. "I... we... live in an ugly world. To step outside of all of that and share this with you..."

Ahead of them the sun cut beams through the Theed skyline as it descended. Burnished golds and deep reds seemed to set the sky on fire. The waterfalls started to fall into shadow, but that half light picked out every spray and added an extra depth to the famed landmark.

"We should open that," he said, eyes turning to the emerald bottle.

 

[Malia Afredane]

She let him pull her closer, his confidence bolstered by every successful kiss and embrace, and now that they were alone by the river, there was nothing to inhibit his feelings of boldness. He was becoming a bit more assertive in his affections and Mal liked it. It was much more becoming than the timid shyness he had been tiptoeing around most of the day.

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" She chuckled as she sat up and cracked open the bottle of Whyren's Reserve. She poured about 2 ounces into each glass, not much but this was a drink to be savored. She sat his next to him but she did not set straight away to drink hers. She swirled it in the glass, looking at the thin legs running down the sides, the way it scalloped at the edges on the bottom. She took a good breath in, getting a feel for the bouquet. It had a fruity note she couldn't quite place but there was a warm scent of oak.

She raised her glass to him, a contented soft smile on her face.

"To new starts."

She gently tapped her glass to his and took a small sip, getting a feel for the whiskey on her tongue, the scent she couldn't place was a berry, very light and delicate on the back of the palate. She swallowed the sip, breathing in through her mouth to get the full notes of the liquor and then promptly sighed.

"That is a work of art. It might not be their best vintage but it's still a masterpiece."

She poured another couple ounces in her glass, bringing it up to about 3 fingers.

 

[Kairon Rees]

"To new starts," he echoed as their glasses clinked. He idly wondered what that might just mean for them both, but decided these moments were worth savouring without thinking ahead.

Kairon was more of a wine man himself, but the principle was generally the same. The first sip however simply burned too much for him to truly appreciate. Still, the fire running down his throat seemed to chase some of the evening chills away. The second sip sat more comfortably on the palate, and even after it had gone down he was beginning to appreciate just how complex the flavours were.

"Makes you wonder just what a good year is like. Unfortunately I don't own a planet! Guess with them gone I won't find out," he sighed, holding the glass up to the stunning vista of the sunset to look at its colour. "There Is a distillery near the peat bogs on eriadu making a name for themselves now. We could visit it sometime if you'd like?"

After she replied he would plate up some bits to eat and make some polite conversation, trying to turn it towards places she'd like to visit at some point. He'd also bring up her taste in music. He'd complement her on her choice. Had someone tipped her off on his love of strings? She wasn't on speaking terms with his crew apparently and few expected it of the surly smuggler. Few seemed to appreciate classical music these days, especially in their line of work.

The moment was as close to perfect as he could imagine. The Galaxy seems to have forgotten about you today Rees, try not to say anything stupid to ruin it, he told himself.

There was a dawning realisation that maybe, just maybe he wasn't imagining things; he hadn't tricked the verse; he wasn't reading too much into the situation, this was just meant to be.

 

[Malia Afredane]

They talked of mundane things; of whiskey and wine, of strings and melodies as the colors faded to indigo and then to the black of night. A cool breeze came off the water and in the dying light of the day, she could not think of a place in the universe she would rather be. She had snuggled in next to him as the chill of evening arrived, only a glass of the scotch had she dared to allow herself. It was far too precious and perfect for drinking casually. However, apart from that, she wanted to be sober for him. It was a silly thought, but she did not want him to think that a single thing she did was because of being intoxicated. She was drunk on his presence and that was enough for her.

She pushed herself sluggishly away from him, comfortable and warm in his embrace and looked back towards the lights of the city. As much as she could have been there all night, she didn't relish sleeping on the hard ground when there was a very comfortable room back in town. But that meant taking a risk. Continuing to press her luck and take a chance, she reached over and traced the lines and features of his face with the gentlest touch, her eyes acclimated to the darkness and looking at him.

"It's getting late. I could drop you at the spaceport, if you want. Or..." A breath and a wish. "You could come back to my place, have a caf..." She trailed off. Did people actually ask people back to their places for caf? Was that really a thing she just did?

 

[Kairon Rees]

The whiskey had enough of a kick to leave him with a gentle buzz, like a warm blanket for the mind. In the crisp chill of dusk, the feeling of her warmth against him seemed all too intimate. Perhaps that was because it invoked thoughts of sharing her warmth by feeling her skin against his own.

His eyes turned to the bottle of Whyren’s to his side. Some part of him was thinking of a place for it in his cabin, along with his bottles of wine and books. It could take pride of place on that wall, serving as a constant reminder of this day. It would also stay unopened until they could be together again. Don’t think about that right now. Enjoy now, talk about the future tomorrow. It seemed impossible to him that he had just met someone like Mal out of the blue. She was…well…she was like him. They talked so easily together about similar subjects. She was honest, kind and stunningly pretty. What was she doing out on the edge running a smuggling ship? The same reason he was, of course, bad choices she was uncomfortable talking about. He’d never been so grateful for bad choices in his life. He silently thanked the Force for bringing them together, despite not being a religious man.

As she pulled away from him, he shifted his weight and felt several joints complain. He was getting old for lying on the hard ground in the cold, he reflected. As she turned and reached out to him, he placed his own hand on the back of her wrist. His thumb gently caressed the back of her hand as she ran it down his jaw.

It took his mind a few moments to realise what she was asking. Well that was a relief. It saved him trying to invite her to the quin, which wasn’t something he wanted to do after their earlier discussion. Besides space was at a premium in a freighter, and even his larger room was relatively pokey compared to a hotel. What was it his stupid nephew had told him about the other day, Holoflix and chill? Caf seemed less ridiculous to him anyway.

His eyebrow raised as realisation dawned on his face. A small voice pointed how that he hadn’t responded for nearly two seconds, and that he should try really hard not to say anything stupid. Instead, he said nothing at all. His hand traced down the length of her arm and grabbed a handful of her jacket, using it to pull her back to him. He kissed her passionately, hungrily. His hand gradually released her coat, only to slip inside it. His hand snaked around to the small of her back, against her blue blouse, and he held her firmly. Sometimes actions were better than words.

“Let’s go back to yours,” he said quietly, gasping for breath as he released her.

 

[Malia Afredane]

She didn't need to be told twice. They packed everything up quickly as they could in the growing darkness. It wasn't really that late after all but it was dark out in the field with no other illumination around. They sped back towards Theed, and while there were bars and restaurants that looked appealing, they were not interested in the thrills of nightlife out among the masses. She handed the speeder over to the valet, the bottle of Whyren's taken with them, the rest given back over to the desk to dispose off as she and Kairon found her room, hand in hand.

His breath on her neck as she opened the door was all the catalyst she needed to melt at his touch and as the door closed behind them, words were forgotten in favor of kisses and skin, the music of the dance they had been stepping around for weeks now silent. There was need and desire swirled together in the darkness as the light from the windows played across the bed, the floors and their skin like canvas. It was urgent, and passionate, then again later it was tender and slow, as the time passed away from them. The lights outside faded to blackest night and sleep took them finally, wrapped in each other's arms and full of peace.

She woke as the light of the morning broke and slipped quietly from the bed; he lay opposite her, shrouded in sheets and hugging pillows, oblivious to the world. She had a couple meetings this day, and as she showered and dressed in a well tailored suit, she spied him in the mirror and wondered if she could reschedule. There was plenty she would have rather do today than meet some surly mercs about new gear sets. Damn responsibilities.

When she came out of the bath, she noticed he seemed to be awake, so she sat down next to him on the edge of the bed, stroking the long strands of hair out of his face so she could see those azure orbs once more.

"Morning sleepyhead."