Responsibility

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

"It is fun. I always enjoy going there. A cheap and fun place to relax a bit."

Kaile stretched her arms high over her head within the cubicle, reaching up on her tippy toes. Her muscles were sore, but it was a good kind of sore. Kinda like when had a good bout of fun the night before. A bit tight, but still a bit limber.

"O-hh that feels s-ooo good." she sighed out, rocking her neck to the right, a slight crack prompting another , "oooh..."

A few more seconds and then the sonic shut off. Asmus had just about a handful more before a very naked and clean Kaile walked out...

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Hearing her enjoy the sonic, Asmus assumed he had a little more time to finish getting dressed and leave the refresher room. That assumption turned out to be false. The door clicked open as he was pulling up his trousers, leaving him unable to turn his back to her. Damn, but she was stunning. Her little moans of pleasure had already sent several visceral images across his mind.

Well, seen it all already today, he supposed. Yet the reality wasn’t quite that simple. His eyebrows met together over his nose as she stepped out. Suddenly finding it very hard to breathe, his eyes widened and he turned his head aside. With a sharp tug his trousers were fasted and he turned his back to her to pull on his shirt. His pulse thundered in his ears, one of several natural reactions to such a sight.

“So, any thoughts on what you want to listen to at the helm?” he asked. His voice betrayed him with a waver as he spoke. Normally so calm and collected in these situations, but for some reason it was entirely different when trying not to make things more physical.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

The Lorrdian female would flash a smile over to Asmus' direction, only to be met with his back. Was that a blush? Amusement tugged at the corner of her mouth and twinkled in her brown eyes.

Ambling over to the laundry machine, she too, also had her back towards him. Without further ado, she picked up her pants. There was a shortage in panties, so this would have to do. Need to buy more at the next stop, she mused to herself.

"Umm... how do you feel about classic Corellian Rock?" Kaile asked over her shoulder, bending down to slide one leg into her pants, then the other. The light would play across the subtle ridges of the curve of her spine. Faint blooms of bruises would color her ribcage, her hair swaying along with humble curves.

With a casual air, Kaile brought up her pants with a slow hike over the curve of her bottom. Tanned to say the least, no lines. Painted a picture of just how she managed that. Sliding it over her hips, she straightened, giving a slight jump to tug them up. More.. bouncing.

"Sith Zone?"

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

[SIZE=12pt]If Kaile was listening carefully, she would hear the faintest whimper from behind her. This wasn’t right, he told himself. You’re supposed to be the one who gets others flustered. He pulled his eyes back to front and centre away from gentle curves and the places they met. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“Erm,” with a bit of his lower lip and a roll of his eyes he turned and tried to walk out of the refresher room with a nonchalant attitude. Yet eyes once again wondered as he passed and the blush could not be hidden. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Back outside in the corridor he swallowed hard and tried to get his head screwed back on straight. You be quiet, you start thinking again, he told two separate parts of his body. “Rock, yes. Always loved the film about X-wing pilots that was used in. Got to admit if I ever get to be a snubfighter pilots I’m flying out to Thunderstruck.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Asmus sighed as he heard the soft sounds of her getting fully dressed again over the gentle hum of the cleaner continuing to work on their clothes from the game. “Sorry about that,” he admitted on a whim. She must have been cognisant of his reaction just then. “You know, you really are very beautiful,” he said over his shoulder softly. [/SIZE]

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

That struck her.

Kaile gave a small pause, halfway into sliding on her shirt over her head. Her shirt was bundled up against her chest, arms through the sleeves and just waiting to slide it on. She had been about to say that she loved Thunderstruck too, when his soft compliment caught her ears.

It was an odd thing, considering her years as a waitress and with what she did. Even with Kurt, that phrase had never come up. Their relationship was an odd one, but such compliments never came from Kurt. Even after a year. Even when they went window shopping for clothing. He'd never told her that she was pretty. That she was beautiful. He complimented the dress. He recommended others to try that were more frilly and to her taste; but never actually honestly complimented her looks.

Maybe it was because for Kurt, she was just... Kaile. His roommate, well, former roommate. Granted, they had their bit of fun from time to time, but he never pushed it beyond that. They were -- had been, best friends.

Truth be told, the young Lorrdian wasn't really what one could consider a classic beauty. Honestly, she wasn't really beautiful. She had a charm about her though, the sort of cheerful disposition that would make her glow. Asmus had only caught brief glimpses of that, her melancholy drowning out the rest. So it surprised her to hear Asmus tell her that; and mean it.

Heat spread over her chest, painting it pink. If he wanted some sort of payback for her quips and her banter, he got it. Warmth rose over her neck and onto her face, blooming in a bright rosey hue. Her blush felt hot, and for the first time, Kaile felt flustered.

All the more when there was no denying that his body more than expressed the same conclusion.

"I.." her throat worked, and she quickly slipped on her shirt. "Sorry. I --"

Her lids fell and she stared down at a spot between her feet as she smoothed down her shirt.

"Thank you."

 

[Asmus Janes]

"That's okay," he replied quietly. The silence that followed had a particular quality. Like a fresh sandcastle, or a stack of cards, it sat there proudly begging for something to break it.

Asmus glanced to each side furtively, then with a subtle nod seemed to recover some of the wits that had suddenly evaporated. "Right," he exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "The bridge, navigating...all that good stuff. But first, tea and biscuits, yes."

He smiled warmly at his own inability to string a sentence together coherently.

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Her cheeks still felt warm, and she busied herself on adding her worn dirty clothes into the laundry machine. "Do you have anything you need to toss in here?" she asked over her shoulder. Her hands needed to be kept busy. She was starting to fidgit, always did when she was a bit nervous. It was the happy butterfly feeling sort of nervousness, an odd sensation to feel of course. Well, for Kaile at least.

O-hh kay! Get yourself together, Kaile!

The young woman was well beyond innocent by physical terms. She had quite the wild romp during her time in the Rebellion. If it was fun and consensual, she was all for it. Trust was a big thing, and she was willing to try everything at least twice. However, that didn't mean she wasn't gullible nor had her own smidgen of innocence. It was just her sweet nature.

"Biscuits and tea sounds amazing." working on tossing the rest of the clothes in she added, "I love Eradieuian Chai, actually."

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"Oh, yes, sure," Asmus replied quickly, realising he'd left his pile of slightly sweaty clothes in the corner of the room. In hindsight he would have just put them straight in before getting clean himself, but he had been in a hurry to avoid the scenario that had just played itself out.

He nearly tripped over his own feet picking up the bundle. Half his mind was pondering the fact that his sudden announcement has flustered the poor girl. The other half was apparently trying to destroy his blood pressure by replaying a very recent view in slow motion.

"Mind out," he said as he wrinkled his nose and placed his clothes in the machine. "I think we've got some of that actually he said."

Close up, he met her eyes again. His own fingers were clenching and unclenching at his sides.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

"Really?" it shouldn't have surprised her. They were from Eradieu after-all. Pressing the buttons to start the wash, Kaile took a step back. Her eyes met Asmus as it began its low hum of cleansing routine. One didn't have to be a Lorrdian to see he was tense. Much the less, his own bout of conflicting emotions. He was trying to do the right thing.

However, that was conflicting with the darkening of his green eyes.

He wants me.

And he was holding on by a thin thread.

There was some shame in that she had caused it. Kaile didn't mean to. Maybe she had been so selfish. Maybe she just didn't want to be so alone and feel alone, that it just carried over to Asmus. It wasn't right. Truth be told, it was using him in a way no one should.

Kaile dropped her gaze, finding an increased interest in her nails.

"I... " the young woman began. Was it warm in here? A bit stuffy? Kaile found herself shifting her weight from her right foot to the next. "Sorry. I shouldn't have been so careless with undressing."

She apologized with a sheepish tone. Her cheeks flushed hot again, ducking her head so that her bangs hid her face.

"...that isn't fair or thoughtful of me to..."

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

It was easy for Asmus to try and be charming. It hadn't always been. Back in school he'd been fairly reserved and quiet. It was something he'd grown into during his teenage years and since joining Kairon. He'd wanted to be this suave scoundrel and had tried so very hard to become that. So much of that was act, but behind that bravado he did live that life. Shoot outs, chases with pirates and brushes with the law, he'd been through them all.

It wasn't the same as what had happened to Kairon. His mother told him that when Kairon had returned to the family it had been blindingly obvious that he no longer fit in. Yet part of Asmus was concerned that if he did ever have to go back that he either wouldn't fit in, or he'd change back to a shy young man who was thought of as a bit 'nerdy' by his friends.

It also turned out that playing the fool to cheer Kaile up also came naturally. She had a certain easy going charm that occasionally broke through that melancholy.

Sometimes she made him feel slide that awkward teenager. Right now he found himself short of anything to say. He didn't really have any meaningful relationships in his life. He didn't really confide in Kairon. The crew looked after each other, but they communicated in a series of put downs and jokes.

"That's alright," he said after a few moments, finding his voice again. "Thanks...anyway no one ever complained too much about a bit of free arse. Just wishing we had a cold shower right about now is all," he replied, that twinkle returning to his eyes.

He gave her hand a brief squeeze and headed back towards the ladder up. Nothing kept his spirits down for too long, even if his heart was still pounding.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

The squeeze of his hand was nice, comforting. But it was the desire to reach out and hug Asmus that had Kaile pause. She wanted to, but in his state, it probably wasn't a good idea. She have took a step forward only to stop herself. Both hands immediately went to her back, where her fingers interlocked.

"Yeahh... guess you can chance sneaking past the Captain." came her attempt at a lighthearted quip. Breathing deep, she forced a small smile at his departing figure.

Taking her hairband from her wrist, she brought her hands up once he was well beyond hug grabbing distance. Fingercombing her hair, Kaile would once again tie that strawberry blonde hair up into a messy topknot.

With it flopping with every step, she followed in pursuit of Asmus.

"So biscuits?" she said with a small smile, glancing up as her hands curled around the ladder.

 

[Asmus Janes]

"Biscuits," he echoed with an affirmative nod. Reaching for one of the top cabinets, he pulled down a metal container. Inside that were well fitted plastic tubs. One of the tubs was completely full with packets of biscuits. Everything had to be stored for maximum efficiency on the freighter.

"By the way, if you're struggling with your hair after a sonic, I do have a running water sink, some brushes, product and a hairdryer in my room."

Asmus made a theatrical gesture of cupping his ear and listening intently. "Oh wait, our first mate isn't on the ship at the moment. Somewhere in the Galaxy a shaven headed veteran just sniggered to himself and he doesn't even know why," he said. "Tea's down in the cupboard behind you."

He was a little confused on how he thought about Kaile, to say the least, but there was no denying how much he enjoyed her company. That was simple enough.

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

"Is that what you do for your hair?" Came the light hearted banter, slowly easing back into casual conversation. Kaile didn't want to be a bother to Asmus. He had done so much for her. The last thing she intended was to make him feel as if he couldn't be himself around her. He was a man, and she couldn't fault him for how reacted in a natural way.

Come on Kaile, she chided herself. You're the one getting closer to the big three oh! Comparatively, Asmus was far younger. I'm the adult. I should know better.

However, being an adult didn't mean it cut her off from needing to feel affection or the warmth of another. Companionship. Or was she looking for something else? Not knowing it all irked her.

Under his guidance, Kaile investigated the cupboard he'd pointed to. Opening the door, she searched for the tin of tea. A smile grew over her lips. Popping the lid open, the Lorrdian brought it up to take a curious sniff of the fragrance. It smelled divine!

"This smells amazing" she told him.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Sometimes Asmus didn't quite catch the intention of the spoken word. Being observant wasn't always his strong point. So with her back to her he started shuffling through the packets of biscuits and replied. "Well yes, I mean, Kairon gets the water shower. With the recycled air and a sonic it's really easy for my hair to get all dried out and frazzled so..."

Turning back with a small bowel of mixed biscuits he stopped talking when he saw her expression. He grinned and made a theatrical gesture of flicking his hair out to the side with the back of his hand.

"Milk, no sugar for me please?" he asked,

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Kaile gave a slight giggle as she held the tin of tea between her hands. He was a riot. Silly, in a good way. Kaile scrunched up her face and gave a silly grin, sticking her tongue out at him.

“Okay.. Milk, no sugar.” she would repeat to herself. Warming up the water wouldn’t take long, but in the meantime the Lorrdian made herself busy. A series of opening and closing cupboards ensued. Brown eye would scan contents, plucking what she would need and setting it down in front of her.

“Mugs… mugs…” she murmured quietly. Tea was always one of her favorite indulgences. A chai latte, well, that was on rare special occasions when she could stop by a Star Caf to buy some.

“Ah!” she smiled, reaching for two mugs. “And your hair looks nice Asmus,” she added later. A thought came to her. It would be nice to be able to wash her hair. Had been a while since it had a good ol’ water wash and shampoo.

“I might take you up on that offer.”

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

“Sure,” Asmus replied as he rolled his shoulders and took a chair for a moment. Quite a lot of him still ached from the game. The odd electric shooting pain caught him out and made him wince. “Good game,” he reiterated with a slow nod.

“There’s a reclining chair in the databank room. We can nick that and you can lean your head back over the sink,” he said. “I’ll get some bottles out of the second most embarrassing drawer in my room and you can do it once we get off shift. We’ve got a deep space exchange to do, but they’re good people. We go way back. No chance of seeing me in action again. Actually where do you get one of those Morp guns. I ask because it looks awesome.”

He'd heard the compliment on his hair, but was once again a little unsure on how to respond. This was a really odd day. What was also strange was that as his pulse finally started to resume its usual rhythm he found himself more interested in cuddling up on his bed again, over anything more salacious.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

“Oh.” Kaile’s eyes would widen slightly. She figured she’d just hang her head over the sink and do it that way. Grabbing a reclining chair might work out better but --

“Will there be enough room?” she wondered aloud, pouring the hot water into each mug, the tea starting to seep. Glancing over her shoulder, Kaile caught the flex and roll of Asmus’s shoulders, along with the faint grimace of pain that lanced his youthful face.

“Are your shoulders hurt?” an obvious question, but she was confirming it. A smidgen of milk would be poured into the tea intended for the scoundrel. “I can help with that later if you like?”

Kaile had a few stints in the hospice industry; massage to be exact. Being a Lorrdian meant she was able to discern the areas of tension and knots on a body, so it was easier for her to zone in on them and massage them away.

“Did a few MassageEnvy’s gigs out on Zeltros.” no happy ending included, that had been a strict info gathering gig! Not that it hadn’t been fun one way or another.

Kaile added a spoonful of sugar to her own tea, just enough to give it that sweetness. “The Morp? Oh -” she stretched up over the counter on her tippy toes to set the sugar, tea, and such back in their place, arm stretched high.

“Got it on Fondor. Pretty handy. Just takes a bit to make sure you got it on the right setting.”

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

“Yeah, I’m sure we’ll manage,” he said as he grasped his mug with two hands and took a sip. His left hand released the mug to grab the tub of biscuits by the lip and he slid off his chair. “Not hurt as such, just arms and legs sore from the game is all. We’re settled then. Girly pampering evening. I’ll wash your hair and you can give me a massage,” he agreed as he walked through the gap in the bulkhead into the cockpit. He slid into the front left chair and set the biscuits down between the two.

“I’ve…I’ve probably got some oils you can use,” he said, making a tentative admission. They would probably be in the middle drawer. He leant over one of the consoles, his slender jawline caught the pale jade light. “Right twenty minutes until we come out and then we start making micro-hops through the cluster,” he said. Tapping the controls he opened up the music selection screen and picked one of his classic rock playlists. Then shifted it over to one of the screens next to Kaile. “Your choice.”

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Making herself comfortable, Kaile settled in right beside him in the well worn chair. Knees drew up to her chest, bare toes wiggling, one would imagine her to be an adolescent with her freshly scrubbed face and that messy ponytail.

She held the mug in between her hands, enjoying the warmth. Slowly, she brought it close to her lips. Tendrils of steam rose from the slick surface, the soothing scent of tea tickling her senses. Bringing her lips together, she blew gently across the surface of her mug.

Brown eyes would glance over the rim, and they would in turn reflect a warm smile within their cognac depths.

“You have massage oils?” she asked, no judgement in her voice. Kaile wasn’t the sort to, and all he would see was her genuine interest. “That would help out. I wouldn’t want you hurting on my account without it.” she teased.

Glancing at the screen, she withdrew one hand from the mug. Her finger hovered over the panel, eyes trailing over the various selection of music.

“How about… ‘Mack and Jiane?’” it was a little diddy about a boy and a girl living in the heartland of Dantooine. Pressing the selection, the first strains of the guitar riff filled the room.

[ Little ditty about Mack and Jiane, two Dantooine kids growin' up in the heartland. Mackie gonna be a football star
Jiane debutante backseat of Mackie's speeder. ]

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

“Well, duh, they live in the middle drawer,” he said. The corner of his mouth twitched up in mischief for a moment. “And the music sounds just fine,” he added slowly. Placing the steaming mug down, he leant back into his chair and placed his hands behind his head. Lids half closed and he let out a slow sigh. More than one form of tension was melting from his body as he fit himself into the curve of the chair. His feet idly tapped to the beat. His hands knew every wrinkle, worn back and bump in these chairs. Truth be told, he was going to miss the Quin. He decided to mention it, there wasn’t much to do but talk after all.

“Going to miss this ship. First mate is taking her and forming a new crew. Me an’ Mai an’ Kairon are going to ship out with Mal on her ship the Grey Warden. She’s going to be owning a business of three ships. Bit more room on her though, could swing a cat in my room there. You ever stay in once place for very long?” he asked. Something told him she didn’t.