Gravity

[Asmus Janes]

“Not to worry, least you didn't get burned for your clumsiness,” he replied. They were both just a bit on edge around each other. A silly little dance really. Asmus thought he could broach the subject, but not now. Later perhaps, when she had settled down some.

“Thanks,” he said as he took the pill and popped it into his mouth. There would probably come a time when it would be necessary to try and clear the water. To ask her to come closer, but to admit that he didn't want them to fall as quickly as they had that first night. It didn't help that she ran away from any serious conversation like a tusken from a krayt dragon.

“Why don't we sit still and watch and try not to cause ourselves any serious harm for a bit?” He asked through a wide smile. His eyes betrayed him though. His hand really did sting now.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]


“Yeah, okay.” He still was hurting pretty bad. Part of her wanted to do more. To help him with the pain. Seemed like all she was good for was getting him hurt one way or another. It would take some time for the painkiller to set in, and the Lorrdian was wondering if there was anything else she could do.

“Umm,” oh right the vest! “Your shirt!” Eyes widening she scrambled off the bed this time around to crouch down. With the drawer already open it was easier to curl her fingers around the best that was resting at the top.

“Here,” she said breathlessly, rising up to extend it over to him. A small shake and she unfurled the fabric.

“Need help with it?” It was the least she could do, feeling even more embarrassed as she rocked on her feet, brown eyes looking at him.

 

[Asmus Janes]

“I can manage,” he replied nonchalantly. He took it from her and pulled it over his head. Avoiding the use of his forefingers made it awkward. But what truly felt awkward was how fumbling with a vest over his head took him back.

Asmus slowly dragged it down over his torso. Then he settled back into a comfortable position and indicated for her to join him again. His tight grimace changed into a kindly smile that reached all the way to his eyes.

“It's okay,” he said with feeling. She was on edge now and all he wanted was to help soothe her anxiety. Really he wanted to draw her in, nuzzle into the ceiling of her neck and run the tension out of her shoulders. But the right smile and tone of voice could go a long way. After all it had back on the Quin.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

It was hard to keep the almost vulnerable and concerned expression on her face. It was evident that she wasn’t too sure about the situation; that is, if he was really okay. Sucking on the corner of her lip, Kaile worried over it more.

Hearing him say ‘okay’ like he had back at the Quin had an effect on her. Maybe that is why he used it. One knee sank on the bed, her shoulders sinking a bit. What manner of thoughts went running through that head of hers? Those large brown eyes, the very windows to her core almost dwarfed her face with how large they were then.

“Alright.” not wanting to cause any more trouble, the Lorrdian ended up bending down to remove her shoes. Tucking them beside the bed, she sank back beside Asmus. Her face was still a hue of pink with an abashed glow. Try not to do something else silly, Kaile.

By now they had missed a good ten minutes of the start of the show. Neither had even stopped to pause it. Looking back at the projection, Kaile shook her head.

“Not the best way to start…” she added with a sigh, leaning back against the pillow. Turning to him again, she asked again, hands gesturing in her uncertainty. “Sure you’re okay?”

 

[Asmus Janes]

An odd mix of expressions battled for control of his face briefly. There were a lot of things he could say to that. He could have talked for an hour on how he felt. A man he'd dated for a short while a couple of years back had told him rather rudely that he talked like a woman. Asmus had decided to get out of that one quickly. All the stories he had of trying to find a connection again had ended badly.

He looked over at Kaile, instantly drawn to her eyes. There was so much he wanted to say, but she wasn't ready. In all the ways he'd pictured meeting her again this was rather less plain sailing than he'd wished for.

“I'm fine,” he said. One hand reached across his body and tentatively came to rest on her forearm. His thumb - very delicately - slid up and down. “But after burning myself already and that and your stories of Yum Bunnies… I think I'll keep out from under your feet when you have a pot of caf in hand in future.”

He chuckled and removed his hand, turning back to the show. They couldn't even do this without tripping over each other at the moment. Too much self awareness and hesitance.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

That small quip made her laugh. It was an awkward almost relieved laugh, but it brought a half smile to her face. Funny how such a little thing managed to do that. Never mind that feeling the slow, steady stroke of Asmus’ thumb along her skin also had plenty to do with it. The Lorrdian had always been a tactile creature, she communicated through body language. Through being able to touch and be touched in turn. The very reason why she had let a rather dashing and heavily inebriated young man with gold flecked green eyes sneak her out of quarantine and into his ship.

Why I can’t seem to stay away.

There was more than met the eye with the brief joke. As much as she wanted to pretend that everything was okay, it wasn’t. He’d clearly wanted to say far more than just the quip about the caf.

Just, please let us get through this without another mishap, Kaile thought to herself.

When he withdrew his hand Kaile felt her arm give a slight twitch in protest. She instead had her thumb slowly rub a small circle along the length of her pointer finger. It was hard to not reach out and touch him, and with everything that had culminated to having them both sit here, it only made the need worse.

Mirroring Asmus, Kaile turned back to watch the show. Or more aptly, try to.

Of course until the Reavers came in. There was no hiding the slight start she gave at the sudden burst of their arrival in the scene of the episode.

Nevermind that by then her thigh had come to rest against his.

 

[Asmus Janes]

He turned to look over her when she gave a start. The Omega crews still talked of the heavy losses they'd taken removing a cult that had a lot in common with the Reavers as depicted in the show. Had Kaile been an intelligence agent that long?

He had sensed that perhaps she had wanted his hand to stay before, but couldn't be certain if it was just wishful thinking. Time to find out. His far hand returned to her forearm to give a reassuring squeeze whilst his near arm went up and over her shoulders.

“Fifteen year old me would be proud,” he remarked softly as his thumb resumed stroking her smooth skin.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

The Bando Gora Reavers were no joke. They were in fact very much akin to the Reavers in the show; some might even say that their concept came as a result of the the too real reality the spacer tales had become. So when Asmus gave her a reassuring squeeze and continued the comforting stroke, Kaile immediately felt the tension ease.

It was silly, but it was just a lingering memory. By all intents and purposes the Bando Gora Reavers were gone, Omega Pyre and the Protectorate took care of that. However, one didn’t simply forget. And while the show was just that, a space opera show, it still startled her a bit now and then. Didn’t stop her from enjoying the show or it being one of her favorites.

“Hmm?” Kaile gave a small wondering noise, staring at him. It wasn’t until a second later that it registered that he’d wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Now her side was nestled against his.

“What, wait for the scary bits to make your move?” she quipped back in a low hush, trying to make a joke out of it despite the fact that she really, really was enjoying the sensation of his thumb drawing a slow stroke up and down her forearm. It was very soothing, giving her small little tickles with every caress.

Still trying to keep it light, Kaile turned to look at him. While the concern lingered upon her face, the olive branch was given with the twitching corner of her mouth in makeshift humor, “Was it supposed to be after or before the caf for him?”

 

[Asmus Janes]

“Yes alright,” he admitted with mirth. “That does sort of tarnish any smooth moves that followed.” He squeezed her into him. Awareness of how close that brought her face to his had him looking back to the projection quite sharply. Tempting lips wore that genuine smile all too easily.

“My favourite is the one with the hospital heist though,” he said. His heart was racing, drowning out any thoughts that tried to form inside his head.

Quiet, he told it. Just enjoy the fact that she's here. Really here.

Much to his surprise that seemed to work and he felt his pulse slow to an almost regular beat. He was still hyper-aware of everywhere they touched.

She missed you. She really. Genuinely missed you.
Asmus smiled a secret smile at that thought and watched the show.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Part of her knew that talking throughout the show was rude. If there is one thing folk would find annoying, is someone who would regularly talk through an episode that one wanted to watch in relative silence. Be as it may, hearing Asmus state that his favorite episode was the one with the hospital heist bridged the point where one could potentially follow up with a question.

“Why?’ barely a whisper, Kaile sat staring at the projected show. Had to to stop herself from noticing just how close Asmus’s cheek was to her after he squeezed her tight. Every now and again she felt the stroke of his thumb, running up and down a two-inch path along her forearm. She half worried that might hurt his hand to move, but when he kept on with it, Kaile left it be.

Strange. How typical this seemed. Perfectly ordinary when she knew it wasn’t. Stop it, Kaile, just try to relax. Easier said than done was her retort to herself. Great, now she was mentally talking to herself.

Why did things have to be so complicated?

 

[Asmus Janes]

He made a little noise of contemplation. He hadn't expected a follow up question that made him think about what he'd just said. Should have done really; that was how conversation generally worked.

“I guess it's because it gave snippets of where the show was going if they had been renewed. And that last scene in the airlock.” He waited until a break in the dialogue to speak.

He felt her shift a little. He could feel her still struggling in her own head. Was she thinking about leaving? Certainly she had deliberated about the decision to stay for a long time.

“What's yours?” He asked. Please stay, he thought to himself.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]


“Heart of Gold.”

The reply was soft and quiet. It had been a rather poignant episode in the series. Full of whatifs and maybes. Death and heartbreak. That had stuck on her with a bit more wham than she’d ever really thought it would. More to the point right at the end. She could still quote it from memory.

I ain't looking for anything from you. I'm just feeling kind of truthsome right now.
Life is too damn short for if’s and maybe’s.

I learned something from Nandi. Not just from what happened, but from her.
The family she made, the strength of her love for them. That's what kept them together.

When you live with that kind of strength, you get tied to it, you can't break away. And you never want to.
There is something i should have done a long while ago, and I’m sorry for the both of us that it took me this long.
I’m leaving.

A weak smile followed, elaborating. “It was a good episode.”

She left it at that.

 

[Asmus Janes]

Wasn't the saddest episode of the show, that went to the one where they shot their old war buddy. Pretty close though. Later, when they reached that episode, it might make him feel uncomfortable to reach the scene where she left after Mal's speech. For now the link went well over his head.

He sat and watched. His focus gradually shifting from the show to her warmth against him and back again.

She ran away from any serious questions, but would that ever change? They'd slept together on their first reunion. A frantic melding of their bodies followed by her awkwardly avoiding him. But now they were here. Surreal. That's what it was.

As the credits rolled her turned to face her. “You know I always imagined that travelling with Kairon would be like this. You didn't see all the boring beings of running a freighter on the show though.”

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

“Hmm?” Kaile caught him shifting through her peripheral. Turning to meet his gaze, she blinked once and twice, letting his commentary about the spacer life saturate for a bit. It was a rather ideological train of thought, but endearing. To a degree, Kaile could agree with him in that aspect. Watching YZ900 made anyone believe that the sort of smuggling life would be nice. A little bit of adventure, excitement, some joys, and sorrows, but most of all, family. They were a family.

Truth be told, once could say the Quin had that.

“I reckon you had a part of that already,” she said rather earnestly. Turning down to search for his datapad, Kaile would add. “The ship. The crew. The tall and silent arms handler and the no-nonsense captain to boot.” she’d joke, rolling up forward and onto her knees.

Where was it? Oh, there it was.

It was laying just to the left of Asmus’s leg, partly hidden in the shuffle from earlier when she almost face planted to the ground.

 

[Asmus Janes]

“I was very young when I ran off with Kairon to become a smuggler and avoid the life my father wanted for me. It seems now like I was very young. Goodness knows how I even survived. Especially how I behaved sometimes.”

He thought back fondly to the time he'd accidentally triggered an inter-crew punch up that Mal and Kairon had managed to finish.

“I haven't seen Kairon in a while,” he added. “When we're next back in Alliance space I will.”

His uncle had grown fond of Kaile, if a little perturbed by her delicate nature. Asmus started to imagine what that reunion would be like. She could meet the whole crew again. Perhaps.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Leaning back on her haunches, the Lorrdian gave a passing glance to the Wraith. He was in a contemplative mood. Homesick to a degree. Kaile couldn’t blame him. Just recalling how Kairon and Asmus acted with each other spoke volumes; the men cared for one another.

“Reckon he’d like that.” Kaile would say aloud, a contemplative murmur as she skimmed over the datapad for the next episode. “Quite a lot.” A ghost of a crooked smile revealed itself momentarily. To a degree, Kaile was jealous that Asmus had somewhere to go back to. A place he belonged. Be it with Kairon or back with his family on Eriadu, Asmus had a home. There was something special in that. Something that no one should take for granted.

Clearing her throat, Kaile tried to bring a lighter tone to her voice, “Next episode?” she asked in inquiry, bringing her legs up and under her as she crossed them.

 

[Asmus Janes]

“Yeah go on then,” he replied casually. “It’s not like it’s getting late at all. Still want to go and get some food when the mess is quiet?” It was an offer as much as a question. If she wanted to leave after a few episodes that was alright. It was the agreement they’d made and after the last few days he wasn’t going to press her.

Without even thinking his hand came up and rested between her shoulder blades, gently rubbing her back as she leaned over the datapad. Physical contact between them had always come naturally for some reason. And he didn’t even know that her heritage meant she relied on nonverbal communication, from mannerisms and posture through to touch and contact.

He did miss the crew a little bit. Missed some of his old Rogues and the crew of the Rebel’s Hope too. But the war with the One Sith had come to an end and this was where he needed to be to make a difference now.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]


Umm. That prompted Kaile to consider the time. It was about sixteen hundred now. A bit too early. She also wasn’t feeling too hungry. However, with all the prompting from Asmus about food and when to go eat, the Lorrdian figured that going when he wanted to would be fine.

Just that it was a little bit hard to think with Asmus rubbing her back so. He did so with smooth, comforting strokes. Not hard enough to be considered a massage, but enough to prompt the espion to lean forward just a little bit more, reacting to the touch much like a cat would to being petted.

Wait, what was the question again?

“Whenever you’re ready,” she told him. “I’ll eat somethin’ small perhaps.” a swipe of her finger and Kaile brought up the next episode, her finger hovering over play. But the more he kept touching her, the harder it was to simply pay attention.

 

[Asmus Janes]

“Yeah I'm alright for now really,” he replied. He often thought of food, but rarely got ravenous unless he'd been to the gym or gone a long time without. It would be better to go later as far as he was concerned. It meant avoid people and as a bonus slotting in a few more episodes.

He became more consciously aware of what his hand was doing when it slid far enough down and around her to feel the curve of her waist. Asmus abruptly returned to safe territory in the middle of her back. All too easy to follow those curves, reach for her hip and things would become dangerous.

“Comfy there or want to sit back?” If she stayed, his gentle backrub would continue. If she leaned back he would guide her close than before, putting more of her weight into his chest, if she would let him.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

This was a very difficult question to answer. One that Kaile wasn’t quite sure how to. Mainly because the more that Asmus kept rubbing his hand over her back, the more she wanted him to continue. When he’d let his hand slid all the way down to the curve of her waist, the slight shiver it elicited was hard to hide. As was the slight rush of gooseflesh over her skin that followed.

“Umm..” it was too easy to just keep her eyes closed and let Asmus continue to rub her back. The Lorrdian didn’t even realize just how sore a few of her muscles were. Then again, considering that he’d picked her up from an extraction point and had a concussion after being tossed about the back of the shuttle, it did make sense.

What’s a little back rub? Her mind would say, pushing to let Kaile have Asmus continue. A little backrub could lead to things. Like massages. Massages that end up with your shirt off.

Buu-tt, he just burned the tops of his hands, he wouldn’t be able to offer a massage at all because otherwise it would hurt, she reasoned.

“Well if you keep goin’ I’ll just end up fallin’ asleep.” Kaile finally admitted, for it did lull her into a state of contentment.

“So if’n we lookin’ at watchin’ the show, likely should stop.”