Gravity

[Asmus Janes]

As Chad made a noise behind them Asmus nearly leapt out of his skin. He had fallen into her gaze, basking in the longing he saw there and trying to follow the conflict he could see play out. Kaile’s eyes darted towards the newcomer, the panic evident in them. It had been a moment that hung on a knife edge. If a knife had many different sides to potentially fall off. This wasn't how he'd expected it to end.

Asmus turned his head and screwed up his face such that only Kaile would see.

Please don’t let it be the Captain…

Inch by inch, he turned on the spot to see who it was. Chad stood with his mug now held in both hands in front of him. He appeared to have found an absolutely fascinating patch on wall to investigate.

“Hey Chad.”

It was as if the lieutenant had been woken from a dream, noticing the pair for the first time.

“Oh hi Asmus, Kaile,” he said in a pleasant, airy tone. Chad had decided this wasn't the worst turn of events really; he could play an innocent game. The way they'd been looking at each other with such a depth of emotion… Well it suggested Lucy wouldn't be getting what she wanted. And If she caught them making eyes like that then the game would be up. “How's the planning going?” Chad had decided he deserved at least that little mischief.

“Fine thank you,” Asmus replied with a curt nod and a tight smile. Very funny, but that'll do, is what he managed to convey. Chad pondered this for a moment and gave a little nod that acknowledged the hidden message. Still, he could take his time stirring in his sugar….

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

“Alright,” Chad would continue with a nod. It wasn’t that he was trying to be deliberately mean. It was that he rarely ever found Janes to be in this sort of state. It was rather fascinating. For once the would be Hero of the Alliance had something he couldn’t quite have so easily. As long as Chad had known the pilot, he’d been pretty open about having a good time and rarely did he ever get shot down. There hadn’t been a particular romp that Asmus had taken seriously; one of the reasons why it had annoyed Chad that Asmus had been oblivious to Lucy’s besotted affections. That there was validity to the ‘girl that had slipped away’ was rather humbling indeed.

“Figured I ask since I’ll be doing the backup,” reminding the pair that he was part of the mission were Asmus unable to do it for any reason.

For Kaile, things could only get more awkward then. Kaile swiftly turned towards the counter, taking her cup of tea. A brief half smile darted from Asmus over to Chad. Fight or flight kicked in.

“I should probably get going,” she said, offering a quick apologetic expression to them both. The need to walk out of the small kitchenette rose. This was one of the reasons why she hadn’t wanted to dive into the past.
“Thank you for the tea.” the Lorrdian would murmur, moving to side step Asmus and head towards the door. All the while, Kaile ducked her head to avoid eye contact with both.

 

[Asmus Janes]

Asmus stood dumbfounded as Kaile slipped out of the room. This only served as another point of interest for Chad. It wasn't just Wilson who had noticed Asmus acting out of sorts, but he'd been the one to put his finger on the cause.

The awkward silence stretched out for about five seconds before Chad snorted and shook his head.

“Shouldn't you be going after her?” He said, still shaking his head.

“What?”

“Go on, go you idiot.” Chad spoke as if he was talking to an infant. Even as he stopped shaking his head the bemused smile remained. “But I do need a back brief soon on the mission plan.”

“Yes,” Asmus said, clinging to simple professional matters. “I want to run some sims…”

“Go!” Chad laughed, stopping just short of pushing asmus out if the door.

“Right.”



She was at the stairwell back to deck B when Asmus caught up to her. Instead of a polite greeting she would hear him swear curtly under his breath as he failed to decelerate, hold open a door and balance his coffee without spilling it all at the same time. He shook the scalding liquid from his hand.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]


Kaile’s barely registered the terse curse and the sound of spilling liquid. Asmus had just enough time to open the door and spill hot caf on himself, resulting in a dark stain on that pressed uniform. The Lorrdian had been frantic to leave, to find a place to hide that she had not considered that the Wraith would come right after her.

Startled, the brunette froze. Her fingers tightened around her mug, eyes growing wider at the sight of the man making the telltale concave of his chest to attempt to avoid the heat of the quickly saturated fabric.

“Oh stars!,” Kaile cried out, moving forward to take the mug from his hand. “Are you okay?” the desire to scamper off faded in the wake of her concern for Asmus. They had no towels here. No napkins to help soak up the caf.

Had they’d been close to her cabin, she’d have insisted he come over so she could give him something to clean up the mess with.

“I hope you didn’t burn yourself.” worried, she bit her lower lip, coming closer as if to take a look.

 

[Asmus Janes]

Asmus grimaced as he handed over his mug. Any satisfaction he may have felt in her coming back to assist was buried in downright embarrassment.

Shirt already stained, he wiped the rest of the caf off his hand on it and brought it up to his mouth. The soft skin between thumb and forefinger was an angry red. He sucked on it and then blew over it.

“Damn machine always makes it a little too hot,” he complained. Looking up at her he placed his hand back in his mouth and rolled his eyes.

“Well that was stupid of me,” he said before blowing on the tender skin again. The flush on his cheeks had nothing to do with the heat of the caf.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]


There wasn’t time for embarrassment. Instead, Kaile was worried more about Asmus burning himself with the hot liquid. There wasn’t a way to really inspect that back at the kitchenette; not to mention, Chad was there.

“Come on… let’s find somethin’ to clean yourself up with.” she told him, motioning with her head for him to follow her. Her own cabin was a bit too far. Although they could go to the Medbay.



“How far away is your cabin?” Kaile asked him, her brows drawn together “Or would you rather go to the medbay just to see if you are okay?” if the caf machine made it typically too hot, he could have first degree burns. Especially with how bright pink his hand was now. Kaile’s lips thinned.

“We need to put somethin’ on that soon.”

 

[Asmus Janes]

“Oh goodness no, not the med bay,” Asmus replied. He might have grown up since she had last been with him, but he still cared greatly about what people thought of him. and his hair. The thought of being shamed for going to the doctor for just a bit of spilled coffee…

Nowhere was ever that far on this ship. “I'm down a level and to the right. Officer's quarters. Let's get this under a tap.”

As he started down the stairs his face started to mirror the colour of his tender skin. What an abject fool he'd made of himself. He hadn't even rushed off after her. Chad had had to send him and then he'd tripped over himself and covered his shirt in caf. Stars damnit.

“If it blisters bad we'll head down to med-bay, I don't think it will.”

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]


“Okay,” Kaile replied, but the worried expression of concern that lingered upon her face did not fade. All the more when Asmus appeared to be even more perturbed and abashed about the situation.

He was already moving down the stairs ahead of her, head dipped as if trying to avoid eye contact. If he had long hair still, Kaile imagined that he'd have used it as a veil to shield his flushed face.

The Lorrdian felt a pang of empathy for him, realizing just how much this flustered him. Falling in line behind him, Kaile carefully carried both cups in each hand. The Officer's quarters held about the same layout as those for Intel. The only difference being that some of the rooms were a little bit smaller and compressed. Those of lesser rank would double bunk to save space, while those with time and grade managed to get their own.

"You have a med-kit at least?" it should have some burn cream to help out for his hand. The question was just how his chest was doing.

 

[Asmus Janes]

“There's one on the wall outside my room,” he said. Asmus increased his pace as his turned about the narrow stairwell. His chest mildly stung, but it hadn't actually burned. The caf had cooled before it could actually do any damage.

His hand would suffer a mild scald. Painful and likely to blister a small amount. Nothing too serious, but some soothing gel would be required before his next flight.

“I'm hoping it has a basic burn dressing. It should. Stuff that isn't nailed down sometimes goes missing around here.”

He pushed open the door and stepped out into a narrow corridor. He had to duck coming down the stairs to fit through.

“Past the intersection them left. Thanks. Sorry about this.” His voice trialled off and he sounded genuinely embarrassed.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]


“It could happen to anyone y’know,” Kaile attempted to try and soothe Asmus’ abashed anxiety.

“I’ve had my fair of caf spills waitressin’,” which was true. Often times it was either due to her own clumsiness or accidently bumping against a customer. Some would just damage her pride and stain her uniform.; others would have the sting linger longer with a few blisters to spare.

“Ain’t nuthin’ to be worried too much about.” she wasn’t sure how much of that the Wraith Commander would take to heart, but by the time they past the intersection to where his cabin lay, the bright red color that lingered on his cheeks hadn’t faded.

“I’ll go check for the med-kit.” Kaile added softly, intending to set down the two cups first. A glance towards the wall confirmed the bright red box that labeled “Emergency Med-Kit” in bright white letters.

 

[Asmus Janes]

“Thanks,” he said quietly. His room had a simple key card. Lower security outside of deck B. Asmus didn't head straight for the pull-out sink. Whilst his years in the military ensured he kept a tidy room there was a pile of clothes next to his bed. Asmus unceremoniously hoofed them under the bed and then returned to pull out the small chrome basin.

He turned the mixer tap to a cool temperature and immersed his hand on the stream. His other hand undid the top few buttons of his shirt so that he could inspect the other spill.

He supposed that zipping around a diner with people ogling your hot pants, or worse, was likely to lead to some spilled caf and smashed plates.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Kaile set the two mugs down alongside a nearby shelf. Quickly, stepped out of the cabin to collect the med-kit. It was standard practice to ensure that the Kit was fully stocked, but often times a few things tend to get placed on the back burner -- Mainly when out in the black for months on end without a real stock up point.

Quick fingers managed to prop it open, the Lorrdian scanning through the contents. Batca patches, synthflesh bandages, gauze -- where was the burn cream? Concern made the brunette quickly skim through the medical items until she found a small tube of generic bacta ointment. This would do, Kaile told herself, gathering a few strips of breathable gauze just in case.

Clipping it back shut, the espion turned back to head to Asmus’ cabin. It was a good thing that she did so then, for coming into the corridor were a pair of Maintenance Officers. They barely missed the brunette heading into Janes’ room, a worried expression set upon her face when she strode in. Asmus was leaning over the pullout basin, holding his hand under the cool tap. Slender fingers had just finished unbuttoning his shirt halfway down his chest. Typical uniforms required at least an undershirt, but from where she stood, Kaile couldn’t tell if he had one.

Even if he was avoiding her gaze with abashed eyes and a caf stained uniform, he made her belly flutter and every nerve seem to jump on end.

“I got some bacta ointment and a couple of gauze strips.” she managed to say, slowing down to come stand beside him. The cabin was small, to begin with. Having another person in it made it feel even smaller. The cabin was relatively tidy, with a few knick knacks that at least made it feel lived in. It wasn’t like his cabin on the Quin, but for some reason, it still made Kaile that much more hyper aware.

“Let’s see.,” she interjected, setting down the tube of bacta ointment and the strips alongside the pull out basin. Her hands came up and over, gently reaching to check on it herself. Fingers brushed, the brunette leaning in close as water poured over her own fingers in her gentle exploration of his red skin.

“...got somethin’ cool on it quick ‘nuff at least.” her low drawl relayed, tilting his hand up closer for Kaile to look it over.

“How’s your chest?” Kaile didn’t know that Asmus had been spared the brunt of the heat, with more of his pride being harmed during the fray than his chest. However, that didn’t stop the Lorrdian from being worried and finding out herself.

 

[Asmus Janes]

Whilst she had started to check one hand the other had finished with his buttons. It needed to go in the wash quickly after all. His focus, however, had been on her hands approaching his own through the cascade of cool water.

“Erm,” he mumbled. His gaze drifted from his vulnerably pink hand to her eyes and back. He thought back to when she had fussed over him after getting smashed across the head. At the time he'd simply been grateful she'd shot the gran before his brains had been laid out across the hangar floor.

She was concerned about him. Logically he drew the conclusion that she was probably a caring person who fussed over anyone. Even though he had that thought he chose to focus on the fact that she clearly worried about him. She could have laughed and continued on her flight, but instead she was here with some bits and bobs from a med kit.

The tight, worried expression seemed to smooth out. Asmus smiled again. Just a typical, easy, relaxed asmus kind of smile.

“I don't think it'll burn,” he said, turning towards her with his shirt hanging open. “Just stings a touch.” There was a slightly reddened patch of skin to the left of his breastbone, but nothing serious.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Kaile slipped his other hand into the cool water, it was visibly a slightly redder hue than the former, likely due to the time spent unbuttoning his shirt. A slightly damp dress shirt that now hung open to reveal that reddened patch of skin almost right over his heart.

“It don't look too bad,” her soft voice would coo, sparing one damp hand to flick drops of water off of it into the basin so as she could use it to peer closer. Didn't stop her other hand from still gently holding the one that had been delayed the cool water. Asmus would see her dark head bend close, torso leaning towards him just as the damp pads of her fingers gingerly would trace along the outer edges of that pink patch of skin.

“Your hands got the worse of it looks like,” there was mild relief in her voice that it didn't seem to be too serious, but she didn't halt her tender ministrations. Hazel met jade for a few moments, and Kaile was suddenly captured by the return of his lazy smile. Gone was the embarrassment and in its place a sort of softening of his angular features, the kind that made the Lorrdian’s heart skip again at its sight.

“The bacta ointment should do the trick I reckon,” lids fell and her attention returned to his hands. Those slender digits that were a little rough for the wear but were dexterous when needed to be. The sort that were skilled with a piloting yolk as much as finding knots on weary muscles. A part of the Lorrdian would chide herself at the train of thought, telling herself that it wasn't the time to be thinking such things. Asmus saved himself from a second degree burn, but being at the receiving end of many caf spills, Kaile knew they’ll still sting something fierce.

Turning back to the basin, she inspected his hands with a critical eye, fussing over him at the same time as trying to stop her own awareness of the man who now smelled of caf. That last bit did make her mouth twitch.

“I think we got it quick ‘nuff so it may not blister.” Kaile but the corner of her lip, chewing on the soft flesh. Glancing up at him, she asked, “How's it feel?”

 

[Asmus Janes]

“At the risk of undermining my military credibility...it bloody hurts,” he said with his eriadu accent coming through strongly. It tended to vary. He'd hidden his middle class tones as a smuggler, but an officer's academy full of sullustans and eruaduans brought it back. At least it didn't waver too much. The pads of her fingers tracing his chest brought back vivid memories of a few nights ago. And of others that had not truly faded, but lost some colour over time.

He opened his right hand and held it palm down. Then he brought his thumb and forefinger together and shaped his hand as if grasping the flight stick.

“That's going to rub raw if it peels,” he lamented. Some part of the back of his mind, which at least had the decency to put forward it's thoughts tinged in guilt, pointed out that at least she was paging attention to him again. And she had missed him. He'd know that, he supposed. There was something different about hearing her make the admission.

“If you wouldn't mind helping…” he started to dab at one hand. The towel was quickly abandoned and he very carefully started slipping his left arm free of his soaked shirt.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

No words could describe hearing the heavy inflection of Asmus’ accent float over Kaile. The things it did for recoloring the vibrance in past instances where that same inflection fell over the shell of her ear were, well...not for polite company. Having him move to take off his shirt prompted the Lorrdian to snap back at attention, immediately saying, “Of course,” moving her hands away from the water and back up to try and gently peel off the dress shirt.

Don’t stare Kaile, don’t stare! That was the chant that went through her mind as muscles flexed and Asmus went along to slip his arms from the sleeves. Course the tellin and actual following didn’t quite go hand in hand from her mind to her eyes. At least the weight of concern over the Wraith allowed Kaile to take off the stained shirt with as little drag over his hands as possible.

“If’n we get some of that ointment on, should take care of any potential blisters,” it was an attempt to reassure, knowing full well how important a pilot’s hands were to their craft. It was much the same as with any chef at a restaurant.

“I’ve my fair share of burns,” ironic that the times the brunette became a chatterbox was when Asmus’ was injured. He’d be able to see it was done as much to keep his mind busy and off the pain as it allowed them both to do something.

“One time got hot grease right ‘long the inside of my left wrist,” she’d say, taking his soaked shirt and letting it fall to the floor in a neat pile. With the Wraith standing shirtless before her, Kaile had to keep her focus on what was important. However, it did nothing but also place emphasis on his proximity.

“Blistered up right quick it did,” her own inflection and drawl had thickened too. Hands came up, gingerly circling his wrists to bring his hands up palm down. Yeah, the latter had quite angry red splash cross the top of it. The dark slash of her eyebrows went forward and she gave a nod.

“Alright, hold up a sec,” turning back to the basin, her fingers curled around the towel again. “Dry them off first then I’ll slather on the ointment.” chocolate brown eyes flickered up to meet the gold flecked jade of the pilot.

“Sorreh if I hurt you.”

 

[Asmus Janes]

There was an exaggerated sharp intake of breath at her story. Oil was far worse than water and down the insides of the wrists must have been a fierce pain.

She didn't wince when you ran your nails all the way down her wrists…

Kaile was so close. He could see every facet of her hazel eyes, catch every subtle change since they'd been on the Quin. He could see every time they strayed and her pupils dilated.

It wouldn't be hard to guide her back to my bed.

Fingers flexed as they imagined gripping curvaceous hips as he drove himself into her. Muscles down the sides of his jaw twitched. Another tell.

She was pliable to him. No, that wasn't right. They moulded together easily. But then would come the aftermath. The glow slowly fading as they held each other, both coated in the other's scent. They would realise that their bodies had accelerated on ahead without them again and struggle to keep up.

“Sorreh if I hurt you.”​

The words struck home. He'd been allowing her easy drawl to simply wash over him. A familiar, comforting thing. Those few words were a torpedo to the core.

“No, it's fine. I was just rushing.”

Of course she meant the door and the caf. Not the gulf she'd driven between them, leaving both pining for the other. Neither had loved before, not like that. Neither had made love, not that slow dance of harmonious thrusts, moans and sweet nothings.

He was staring. Eyes suddenly dropped to the floor and his hands found the towel of their own accord. He very gently dabbed at each hand.

“If only the caf machines made something cooler than the core of a star eh?”

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

They had both been staring. They had also been percolating over the same pink Nerf in the room. Several of them in fact. If their thoughts could be said aloud there would be too much to say. Minds were restless things, and the heart only made it more confusing, leading to those tiny little tells across the twitch of a jawline and the curling of fingers that told of an ache for more.

“Well ain't nobody that likes lukewarm caf,” Kaile tried to joke, finding herself swallowing hard under the brief but unmistakable heat that had deepened the green in Asmus’ eyes. That only grew worse when the few words of her apology had lingered between them, Kaile struggling if their had been more than one reason behind it to begin with.

“Much the less cold.” She'd intended to dry off his hands herself but he took charge of that. In hindsight likely the best idea, what with the way he'd studied her earlier. It gave her the excuse to avoid his eyes and try not to imagine that they both could very easily fall against the other and meld into an intensity to rival the core of any star.

Turning away to gather the tube of ointment, Kaile kept up with the conversation, her mouth saying one thing while her hands and body gestured another.

“This’ll make it feel bettah,” she said, unscrewing the cap. The sickly sweet scent of the bacta base replaced the strong scent of caf. A small blue tinted line was drawn along the pads of her fingers.

“Start with the one that took it worse,” she meant the hand with the darker red stain, gently motioning to gather it between her own.

 

[Asmus Janes]

“True, but when it comes out the thing so hot it takes an hour before it can be drunk and makes a nice thick skin before ffft…”

Any pleasure he might have derived from her touch was chased away by the biting pain. The gel did sooth, but only after a few seconds. At first it only amplified the sting of the burn.

So Asmus stopped talking and grimaced against the pain. Through it he managed to chuckle and shake his head. What a silly thing. Burned by his own enthusiasm. Not the first time. Wouldn't be the last.

He looked up from his hands and briefly watched Kaile looking down at them. It would be nice to be around her for a few more weeks, in any capacity.

It would be better if she never left at all.

He looked frightened for a moment by his own thought. It was no simple thought, but his mind racing off into endless possibilities to keep itself occupied. But he diverted its course. She was so close and read him so well. She would see the imaginations playing out in his eyes. He looked back down at his hands and resumed his grimaced, the silence inviting Kaile to fill it.

 

[Kaile Vera]

@Kaileann Vera

Hearing him suck in his breath at the pain made her mirror his grimace. There was little she could do for him, and it was a necessary sting for the ointment to work as intended. Part of her wished she'd paid more attention to what the healers were able to do to soothe another's pain beyond her own. Having Bobo around for so many years and working through the reconnection and loss of the force when she was within his bubble had been a painful experience. Now she was far more tolerant of pain. Didn't mean that she still wished she could do something for Asmus and her expression relayed it that much.

However, that fell to the back of her mind when she caught the suddenly pass of sharp worry in his eyes. Asmus had a tendency of thinking fourteen parsecs a second, more often than not he also spoke them aloud before thinking. Kaile knew now that it had been due to his way of overthinking things, a trait he'd struggled early on with to ensure that neuroticism didn't rule over his life. But bits and pieces of it could trickle out when he was at his most vulnerable; playing across the angles and shadows of his face as loudly as any words could.

Asmus…

“Sorreh about that,” barely a whisper, the Lorrdian apologized again. It was clear she was trying to be as gentle as possible in applying the ointment. Yet also along with that, another far more emotional underlying meaning.

I never meant to hurt you...

“Just a bit more then I can wrap it with the gauze.”

A flicker up of her eyes and they met again,” no worse than a slug to the face I imagine.” A reference to when the Pilot had been decked before.

“Reckon in ways a mite bit better,” she was trying to keep his mind busy. Redirect it. Finishing with one hand, she turned back to grab the self adhesive gauze. With the same butterfly touch, the brunette ever so carefully and diligently began to wrap his hand.