Private Old habits die hard

[Lily Rhodes]

For a moment, the rest of the restaurant fell away, the quiet murmur of conversation dulling into nothing as the air between them suddenly heated as neither of them moved, there was just soft hazel eyes that caught the gold in the rooms light. Vess’s hand closed over hers, and the room came back with jarring clarity. Lily blinked, smiling as her eyes dropped briefly. She cleared her throat and let herself be guided between tables and through the door. Vess was all grace and perfect composure. Lily flashed the waiter a grin and a wink before slipping a little more neatly in beside Vess as they left.

The lobby was brighter, the light still reflecting a golden hue and while Vess’ attention drifted outwards, Lily stayed where it was; firmly fixed on her watching the smile that spread slowly across her face as she caught sight of something she clearly liked. The light touch across her knuckles wasn’t deliberate, it was just… comfortable. Lily’s fingers tightened slightly in response, her smile warm.

As Vess leaned back against the wall, Lily felt the shift in the air between them, caught the flick of her gaze before she caught herself, pink dusting her cheeks again. Lily smiled, letting out a breathy chuckle as she shifted in just a little closed. Her free hand rose, gently brushing a strand of dark hair aside fingers gently trailing down her jaw, Lily’s eyes followed the movement, flicking to Vess’s lips before sliding slowly back up to meet her hazel eyes once more.

The lift chimed, doors sliding open in waiting but neither of them moved, heat crackling between them.

“Mhm, improvising is fine with me.” she replied just as softly, “whatever you want.”

The door threatened to close, hissing in their rails as they shifted. Lily let out a breath, hand reaching to catch them and laughed. “Come on.” She said, pulling Vess gently away from the wall and leading them into the lift before they made a scandalous scene in the lobby.

Vess Sadragen

 

[Vess Sadragen]

Vess let herself be pulled into the lift, the laugh that escaped her softer than she meant it to be. For a second, the motion saved her from answering too quickly, from having to decide whether she was going to keep hiding behind the teasing or not; she barely knew Lily, but she was already infatuated with her. Whills the spell she had her under. Whatever you want. The words settled under her skin with more weight than they should have, warm and dangerous and far too easy to believe.

The doors slid shut behind them, sealing away the lobby, the polished marble, the polite staff, and every other excuse to keep behaving. The lift hummed quietly as it began to rise, and Vess remained where Lily had drawn her, close enough that stepping back would have felt more deliberate than staying. Her fingers were still tangled with Lily's. She looked down at them briefly, at the way Lily's hand fit against hers, then lifted her eyes again. The flush had not quite left her cheeks, but neither had the smile.

"You keep saying that," Vess said softly, her voice low in the quiet of the lift. "Whatever I want." Her thumb brushed once over Lily's knuckles, slower this time, no longer something she could pretend was accidental. She held Lily's gaze as she did it, the warmth in her hazel eyes steady despite the faint color still touching her face. "That's a dangerous statement."

It was a joke, mostly, but it didn't carry her as far as it usually would. Not with Lily standing that close. Not with the memory of her fingers along Vess's jaw still lingering like heat beneath her skin. Her gaze dropped again, not briefly this time, to Lily's mouth. The smile faded by degrees. Vess shifted closer, slow enough to give Lily every chance to stop her, but not so slow that it felt like another tease. Her free hand lifted, hesitated for the smallest moment near Lily's waist, then settled there with careful intention as her eyes returned to Lily's.

"But if you mean it," she murmured, "then I want this." She leaned in before she could talk herself out of it, closing the last of the space between them and pressing her lips to Lily's. It wasn't rushed or careless, but there was no mistaking the want behind it. All the teasing, all the glances across candlelight, all the little cracks in her composure finally gathered into one choice. Her hand tightened slightly around Lily's, the other resting at her waist as if grounding herself there, and for once, Vess did not try to turn the feeling into a joke or a challenge.

When she drew back, it was only enough to breathe, her forehead nearly brushing Lily's, her eyes opening slowly. The confidence was still there, but softer now, threaded through with the faint flush on her cheeks and the quiet surprise of having actually done it.

TAG: Lily Rhodes
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[Lily Rhodes]

As Vess drew closer, Lily’s heart jumped her own eyes dropping to where she was running a thumb over her knuckles, slow and deliberate the movement sending a wave of heat through her. Her eyes lifted back to Vess’s, she was so close now she could see the flecks of green and blue in her eyes.

A smirk pulled at her lips. “I like to live dangerously.” she replied softly, the joke not quite holding the same fire as before. Her own hand moved instinctively, sliding along Vess’s arm as she settled a hand against her waist, closing the distance, her voice a soft murmur.

Lily didn’t pull away, she leaned into the kiss, hand moving to trace along her jaw sliding back to the nape of Vess neck. Warmth blossomed in her chest, the want behind it unmistakable, they’d been dancing around it the moment they arrived at the hotel.

When Vess pulled back, giving them space to breathe, Lily almost chased her but caught herself. She wanted to savour this, not rush it. Her own cheeks were flush, eyes filled with something a little softer than just need. For a moment, she did nothing, save letting her own thumb run across Vess’s knuckles and taking in the sight of her, the flicker of thoughts behind hazel eyes.

“You’re beautiful.” Lily murmured, before leaning in, finally giving in to the want to chase that kiss, to light the fire in her.

Vess Sadragen

 

[Vess Sadragen]

Vess felt Lily lean into the kiss, and something in her chest tightened, almost stole the breath from her. All evening, she had been balancing between confidence and restraint, teasing from behind half-smiles and lingering glances, but this was different. Lily kissed her like she actually wanted her.

Her hand at Lily's waist tightened instinctively as Lily's fingers traced along her jaw and slipped back into her hair. The touch sent a shiver down her spine, and Vess let out the faintest breath against Lily's lips before the kiss finally broke enough for air. She stayed close, though, far too close to pretend she meant to pull away properly.

Then Lily called her beautiful.

For all the confidence Vess could wear when she needed to, hearing those words sent the facade crashing down. The flush across her cheeks deepened immediately, impossible to hide at this distance, and for a second, she looked almost caught off guard by how much it affected her. Her eyes searched Lily's face like she was trying to decide whether she had actually heard her right.

Lily leaned in again before Vess could think too hard about it, and the second kiss was warmer, less hesitant than the first. Vess melted into it more naturally now, her hand sliding slightly at Lily's waist while her fingers tightened faintly against the fabric of her dress. She could feel Lily's hand in her hair, the warmth of her against her, close enough now that it was difficult to remember why she'd been trying to act composed in the first place.

When they finally parted again, Vess lingered there for another second, forehead nearly brushing Lily's as she tried and failed to look entirely composed. A soft laugh escaped her, quiet and slightly breathless, and she shook her head once as if amused with herself. "You really don't play fair," she whispered, her voice low and warm. Her thumb brushed lightly along Lily's side before her gaze drifted over her face again, slower this time, openly appreciative in a way she had stopped trying to hide.

TAG: Lily Rhodes
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[Lily Rhodes]

Everything, from the way the colour in Vess’s cheeks deepened right before she kissed her, to the fingers tightening at her waist, to the heat that bloomed through the second kiss set Lily on fire. Her eyes stayed closed for a beat longer when they broke apart the second time, her fingers trailing soft lines down the back of Vess’s neck, her smile wide when she opened her eyes at Vess’s words.

“No,” she replied with a soft laugh shaking her head slightly “I definitely don’t.”

But why would she when the game had been rigged against her her whole life. The way things had been since she’d fled the Sith Order meant she wasn’t going to let this opportunity for a moment of happiness pass her by.

She was going to grab it and Vess with both hands. The lift chimed softly, doors sliding open behind Vess but neither of them moved immediately, reluctant to create distance again. Slowly Lily slid her hand from the back of Vess’s neck, tracing her thumb along her jaw again.

“You know we have to move right?” she said softly, tilting her head slightly to brush her nose against Vess’s.

Vess Sadragen

 

[Vess Sadragen]

The brush of Lily's nose against hers drew another quiet laugh from Vess, soft and warm and entirely lacking its usual edge. For a moment she didn't answer; she was acutely aware of the open lift behind her. Any reasonable person would have stepped out several seconds ago. Unfortunately, Lily was still touching her.

Vess's eyes drifted briefly to Lily's lips before returning to her gaze. The smile tugging at the corners of her mouth softened, becoming something gentler. Her hand remained at Lily's waist, thumb tracing a small absent circle through the fabric there. She shook her head once, almost amused with herself.

"I know. I just don't seem particularly motivated to."

There was a faint flush still lingering across her cheeks, stubborn and impossible to hide. For once she made no effort to cover it with a joke. Instead she leaned forward just enough for her forehead to rest lightly against Lily's.

"I should probably blame you for that."

After another lingering second, she finally drew a slow breath and forced herself to take a small step backward, though her fingers slipped into Lily's hand as she did, unwilling to create any more distance than necessary.

"Come on," she said, smiling despite herself. "Before we miss our floor and wind up in the lobby again."

She gave Lily's hand a gentle tug and led her down the corridor. Her thoughts were becoming increasingly unhelpful, and every glance in Lily's direction only seemed to make them worse. When they reached the door, Vess keyed in the access code one-handed. The lock chimed softly, and the door slid open.

Rather than stepping through immediately, she turned back toward Lily and drew her into her arms again. Her gaze lingered on her face for a moment, taking her in as though she still hadn't quite convinced herself this was real; then she kissed her warm, and familiar now, and far easier than it should have been.

Without breaking contact for long, Vess guided her inside, and the door slid shut behind them.

TAG: Lily Rhodes
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