Every Single Day

[Alric Kuhn]

He lay awake.

He always did, every morning. There was something about him that always made him wake up first. Maybe it was just his biological clock, maybe it was the odd sounds that the space station sometimes made. A creak of a wall here, an odd cable shifting in the wall as gravity took effect, it didn't really matter. Though as far as he remembered back, he had always woken up first when it came to the two of them, even back in that cave.

Alric was never upset about waking up earlier than her, not really anyway.

He joked a few times that she had woken him up through a kick or a bit of slobber on his chest. Once or twice he had accused her of stealing all the blankets, leaving him in a hypothermic cold. Her fondness for Tatooines warmth, that was what he had said.

Truthfully though, he liked waking up before her.

There was a sweetness to it.

It gave him time, time to think, to reflect, time to watch her sleep. Sometimes she gave little snores, sometimes she mumbled small phrases of drawled basics, and other times she simply just lay there.

It was a joy for him, this time, every single day.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

The corner of Danger's mouth would start to curve.

Slumber would linger, but in the vast space of their bed, she would feel the press of his body at her back. The warmth of his breath. The gentle, soothing drift of his hand as he curled up against her. Their bedroom may be saturated in near darkness, but what passed as dawn within the realm of their bedroom would grant enough light to catch silhouettes and shapes.

She gave a sleepy smile.

"Mmm..." her chest rose as she drew in a deeper breath, his coax gently drawing her out of her slumber. Much like a cat, Alric was an incredibly affectionate individual. While he wouldn't say it in words, it was in actions that relayed his reverence, his joy, and his affection. It was nice. Sweet really. At first it had been strange to get used too, being one who would normally sleep on her own. Sharing one's bed was an acquired taste that Alric already had experience on. She'd grown to like it none the less.

So it was with a slight shift, a roll of her back, and then a slight adjustment that would turn the Queen of Trade in the Tetan's arms. Warmth would permeate from her skin, nestling the man within her arms. Lids still shut, she snuggled closer, with one leg slowly sliding up by his hip.

Her chest rose, her heartbeat slowly beating for him to hear. A soft exhale would relax her body against his, her lips brushing just over his temple in a sleepy hello.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

The thicket of hair on his skin would scratch at smooth, curved flesh, his lips pressing lightly against her as one arm tightened around the small of her back to pull her closer.

There was a certain pleasure to this, to her waking up and guiding him. He remembered a time when this would have seemed impossible, when the very idea would have daunted him. It was funny how time tended to change things, how it all seemed to shift and become more clear. He supposed that had come with maturity, the idea of being okay with this sort of intimacy.

"Good morning." Muffled words would drift to Dangers ears.

He pressed tightly against her, brushing his beard against sensitive skin as a way of tickling her.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]


The slightest of shivers ran down Danger's spine at the slight vibration of his voice, the warmth of his breath, and the tickling prickle of his beard. Her hands ran down his back, encircling him as he drew her tighter. Loving downward sweeps, with the pads of her fingertips lightly tracing over the length of his spine. She felt the flex of sinew and muscle, the pucker of a scar here and there. Mapping him, she snuggled close.

"G'mornin." she'd murmur against his temple, drowsiness thickening her drawl. Her leg found a perch, and she settled neatly against him from breastbone to hip. A rasp of bristles would prompt a slight mammaquatia of a chuckle, only to sigh as the soothe of a nuzzle and the press of lips expressed their tribute.

"Sleep well?" she asked, right hand sailing up to sink into the depth of his hair in a cafune.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"Well enough." Alric replied quietly as he was pressed against her further.

Today was the first day of his own Vacation. Danger had only about a week and a half left, but that still gave them ten days to do absolutely nothing. Or everything.

Vacation for him wasn't as complicated as one might think, most of Vanir was simply run by executives and vice presidents. It was only the Special projects that took Alrics attention, and most of those were now being overseen by Kiran. The Zeltron wasn't much of a business man, but he at least knew how to get things done and ensure they got done quietly, that was why he had needed him.

Now, with everything in place, he could relax. "You?"

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]


"Mmhm," Danger would start with a soft sigh. Her fingers would continue the gentle stroke of his hair, pads lightly massaging the back of his head. This was nice. It was comforting.

This was the first day of his vacation, and to be frank, she really didn't have anything planned. No real idea on what they would do. For the now, she was just enjoying laying in his arms. So yes, she did sleep well. Strange that it came from waking up in his arms. It was a situation she never would have thought would become reality.

A reality she simply wanted to enjoy.

Shifting a bit, her lips gave a light press against his temple, then over his forehead. "Heard from Rose?" it had been a while since the last holorecording. The comms were becoming more frequent, and with every one, Alric was happier.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

He shifted slightly, the bristle of his beard scratching against her skin as he slowly looked up at her. "Not yet."

There was less of a muffle to his voice now, but he quickly leaned down to press his lips against rounded curves again.

"Soon though, I think." He had come to expect a message nearly every week now, something about what she was doing, where she was, or what she had done the past week. It was nice, small updates. Every time he got one he could see that she was growing happier, more open. Some of what he saw concerned him of course, most of her clothing had changed, ratty and worn. He knew that her ship likely hadn't been serviced in a year and most of her things were probably falling apart. "We should ask where she's going next."

Alric mused outloud. "Maybe get her some new clothes."

Not fancy dress of course, but gear that she would need if she was going to be out in the rim for much longer.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]


She gave a slight squirm, giving a slight chuckle as she would pull slightly away. He wouldn't have that, however, and followed her with another nuzzle, the rasp of his beard tickling. A half roll would lay her on her back, mirth still shaking her body. A lazy half stretch would prompt the woman's arms over her head.

"I think Erkard mentioned they were heading to Tatooine," she would say a second later, watching his silhouette through the growing dawn of the distant sun. Her hand went drifting from the back of his head over towards his jaw. Her thumb would brush against his cheek, just as the warmth of his breath hovered over a hardening point. She gave a slight shiver.

".... we could go there and maybe give her some things."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric shook his head.

"I think it's best..." The next part was hard to say, but he knew it was still true. "If I not be there. I'm not sure she's quite ready yet, and I don't want to force her to do anything she doesn't want to do."

Rose would come to him, she had made that perfectly clear over these last few months. In her going away message she had told him why she had gone, she had told him that she couldn't bring herself to see him. He knew that she still loved him, even looked up to him, but there was a disconnect, one that she had been working through all of these months. Alric wouldn't stop that, he wouldn't force her to confront him before she was absolutely ready to do so.

That was his responsibility as a father. "Maybe you should meet her alone."

It would be a big step for Danger, and broaching the subject he was careful not to push her into anything, leaving it as only a suggestion.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

That gave her a slight pause, the tip of her finger halting its trace over the shell of his ear. Meet Rose alone? That thought made her frown. There wasn't that nervousness or fear as much as... hesitance.

"Are you sure?" she would ask, uncertainty in her voice. He wouldn't know it, but she had written letters to Rose, keeping her up to date on how her father was doing. She had no idea if she read them or not; Erkard was only to make sure the letters were picked up and given to her. What Rose did after was completely up to her.

Not to mention, he had just begun his vacation. They had a week and a half to be together. A shift of her body and she would look down at his face, searching his expression.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

He shifted slightly in her grasp, his hand sailing over her belly and slowly below to trace over her hip and down her thigh.

"Yeah." It pained him, but he was sure. "I'll come with you to Tatooine..."

Alric didn't want to waste their vacation, so he could at least take the trip with her. "...But when it comes to meeting her, I think I'll just hide in the closet and let you do the talking."

He smiled, though it was hard to tell if he was actually joking or not. Part of him was unsure if he was actually capable of hiding when his daughter was within arms reach, another part of him just wanted to see her. It was a tough fight, and he was unsure if there could actually be a victor or not. Either way it would sting him, but at least Danger would like it.

That was something.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"How about we just take it slow, darlin?"

The endearment floated over him just as the palm of his hand would settle over the curve of her hip. Both of her own now drew over his cheeks, cupping them briefly before trailing down over his shoulders. There was something about touching him that soothed her. Did he feel the same? It was a question she wondered, but never asked. To a degree, a voice in the back of her mind said she already knew the answer to that.

It was there in his gaze. It was there when he spoke to her. When he kissed her. When he held her in his arms. In the bursts of his laughter, and in the way he would caress her at the break of dawn. There was a difference from decades ago. His voice sounded different. He felt different to her.

No barriers, she thought. There were no barriers between them now. That guard, that ever watchful defense of his was gone. Of hers.

For almost a year, Danger had found herself growing more and more protective of the Tetan. It went beyond the friendship they had begun with. But he needed safeguarding; in those quiet moments where she could sense the vulnerability in him. So much that in this dense darkness, it felt as if his heart was almost in her reach.

"If she comes to Tatooine we'd know then. See her from a distance. If you feel that it's right for me or either of us to approach her.. we'll settle it then."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

He shrugged.

It was a small, tiny, roll of his shoulders. "She'll come to me when she's ready. I don't want to make her do anything she's not ready for. I want to see her, but I'm not ready to make her see me."

It wasn't about him. He had come to accept that, he had come to understand it. He knew that this was about Rose, not him. She had to be ready to see him, not the other way around. If that meant he had to suffer a little bit, then he would suffer a bit. That didn't mean that Danger couldn't see Rose, that she couldn't give advice. "One of us should see her, and right now, that has to be you."

That was how it had to be.

If she went to Tatooine, there was no way that Rose wouldn't go see Danger. He knew his daughter well enough that he could guess what she would do. Danger would be her first stop, or perhaps her second. Curiosity, and more importantly her own drive would simply force her in that direction.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"Ain't quite what I meant," she would clarify for him, a small push of her hands upon his shoulders would encourage him to roll onto his back. Much like a warm blanket, she would follow suit, draping herself over him as she pressed a small kiss upon his chin.

"I meant that you could still see her from a distance. What she wants to do is up to her." her voice would warm over his skin, the tickle of the tips of her auburn hair skimming over his chest. A nuzzle of her face placed her lips over his collar now.

Snuggling up against him, she gave a soft exhale. "Now why do you reckon it should be me?"

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

He chuckled. "She's gonna come to you anyway, babe."

It was the first time he had used the endearment, but it was so smooth that he didn't even notice it. It was just part of the conversation, part of what he was saying to her. His face nuzzled against the curve of her chest again, his lips parting into a smile.

"Rose has always been curious." He explained. "We stoked a small flame, she'll be wondering about you, about us. If she comes to Tatooine, she'll seek you out regardless."

It was simply who his daughter was.

Rose was a girl that would not be denied. It was something that she had inherited from her father, it was something that had been with her through her entire life. If she wanted a toy, she always got it, if she wanted to learn something, she learned it.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"Then I reckon we'll see how much gumption and determination she has," the soft inflection of her voice floated over him, every word a slight rumble up her chest where the Tetan would brush his cheek against. Another rasp and she couldn't help but give another chuckle. It tickled.

Rolling onto her back, she would shine him a smile. Lightly her fingers would play at the dark forelocks that fell over his brow.

"Although I would hope she wouldn't go so boldly into the desert with only a suit."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric slipped himself half on top of Danger.

His lips pressed against her not so subtle curves once more, then he slowly began to slide down her body. The soft bristles of his beard would scratch against her skin, kisses being planted until he finally settled on her stomach. He lay his head there, his chin very gently resting right above her navel.

"No no, That's what a fool would do." He mused out loud to her, knowing very well that she had taken a small jab at him. "My daughter is no fool."

A small smirk pulled at her lips. "I taught her better than that."

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"Did you now?" she'd ask with mild humor, her hand caressing his bearded cheek. When he laid there like so, the years would seemingly fade away and he would have such a boyish expression. It was adorable. Her stomach would give little quivers at the kisses, body shaking gently until the tremors stopped.

"And just what did you teach her?" she would ask, more of a hypothetical question really. She knew well that Alric would have given and taught the girls all that was within his power in order to excel in life. It just how he was. He gave it his all. Unfortunate she had not been there to see it develop.

It was a melancholic consideration that really had no bearing on anything anymore. Her focus was on the now. On what they were able to do and share together. To be companions for what years they had left. That was good enough for her in whatever matter Alric was willing to provide.

She was content with how things were.

It was a process certainly, but now she could cherish these moments without the overarching hesitation that always plagued her. Oh her self conscious issues would likely always remain, but for now, honestly.. she was at peace.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

He kissed her stomach again.

"I taught her to be smart." That was certainly true, to always think her actions through. Maybe that lesson had fallen away when he had left, though it certainly held through at other times. "I taught her to think about her actions, to plan, to plot, to control."

His arms slowly slid beneath the small of his back, drawing her up slightly against his lips. "I taught her everything she needed to know."

It wasn't entirely true, but no father would admit that they had failed in some way. Alric of course had admitted it, but he had made up for it. Slowly, but he had. Rose and Lily wanted for nothing, both of them were happy now and making progress towards what they wanted. Rose was finding herself again, finding what she wanted and what she needed to be.

That brought him comfort.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Eyes at half mast, Danger quietly felt more than watched the Tetan chart a course, kissing a path over her naval. Another shiver took her, and she would sink back against the plush of her pillow.

"Then I reckon her aim ain't no better," she'd finally say in a tease, her body shuddering in mirth enough to bob the Tetan. One knee rose, brushing against his flank. It was a quip at his blaster skills years back, one that he had vastly improved upon as evidenced by when he had come to save her.

"Maybe some peashooting lessons should be on the top of the list if she does come on over." her fingers ran through his hair, a cafune as much as an encouragement.