Responsibility

[Kaile Vera]

Him saying like that made her giggle, a light bubbly noise that would ease the tension from her body. Her fingers felt the comforting squeeze upon her own, and she took a breath.

"Thank you," she managed to say, a whisper of warm breath against his neck. Back slide, slide. Closer still. Back arched under his palm, then a dizzying sweep. Each step became easier, each sway and turn uniting them in sync as they found the rhythm of the music. A whirl, and before she knew it, a light melodic laugh. Her laugh.

"Makes me dizzy," she confessed in a low hush, her temple by his lips. "A good dizzy."

A pause then he'd feel her breathe over his jaw.

"Do you feel dizzy too?"

[member="Asmus Janes"]

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Another light flutter manifested deep down. Kaile would hear a light clack as his jaw tightened and teeth snapped together. "You're really very good at this," he said, genuinely surprised at how quickly she picked up the steps and learned to move with him.

"The world's been spinning a little while now," he confessed. Cheesey as could be, but delivered with best intentions. As they turned his hand slid a little lower, pulling them a little tighter, hip to hip. On the next step his right leg swept out to the side and he used his grip to dip her back. It was the traditional way to end a waltz.

What wasn't traditional was following the sweep to end up face to face, just inches apart. There was a broad grin on his face, but something else in his eyes. Gold flakes of flame burned in those green orbs.

"Wouldn't you agree?"

 

[Kaile Vera]

The sudden dip and drop back was still a surprise to Kaile, even if she felt the shift of his muscles and the tension that ran across him. And oh boy, did I ever feel it.

“Whoa!” came her slight cry in astonishment as he sunk her back, her eyes snapping open to catch the crooked rascal smile he wore. He was close. Very close. The Lorrdian felt a heightened awareness of every part of her body that touched a part of his -- the edge of his hip pressed to hers, her chest rising and falling against his, and most of all the way he was looking at her.

Kaile felt her heart pick up the pace again at his nearness, her heart hammering through her chest. Yeah, this close, with the tips of his inky hair close enough to tickle her face, to see the jovial sweep of his expression mixed with a healthy dose of desire did things to her that put her pirate fantasy to shame.

I’ll agree with anythin’ if yous keep on lookin’ at me like that..

Pity that Kaile didn’t quite realize that instead of thinking it, she had actually said it; coming out in this husky rasp of a whisper that drifted between the ridiculously small amount of space between them.

[member="Asmus Janes"]

 

[Asmus Janes]

Asmus didn't say anything. To the Lorrdian everything would play out across his features over a few seconds; to her senses likely akin to one screaming their feelings. His jaw slightly shifted from side to side an almost imperceptible amount, but clenched and relaxed several times. His pupils dilated even further. He wanted her.

Inside he almost ached. She'd feel his firm grip relax as he let out a long, slow breath. The muscles down his neck strained as if acting as the counterpoint the internal battle not to succumb to base desire.

“I’m going to hold you to that, because I’m surely going to keep looking at you like this,” he said, barely above a whisper. As he raised her up his hand slid up her spine, coming to rest at the base of her neck. That hold ensured he could pull her to him as he closed his eyes and tilted his head to the right. His left slid out of her grip. As he kissed her it seemed to become impatient, running up the length of her arm, down her flank to squeeze her rear rather firmly.

 

[Kaile Vera]

Through it all, it was a struggle to breathe normally. Impossible. Once his lips met hers, the fire that had been embers since they left the cockpit of the Quin flamed. Kaile gave a half hum of need as she instinctively melted against him, her arms snaking up to wrap around his shoulders. A half shudder followed through the firm cupping of his hands with a rocking lift of her own.

Oh stars, did he ever know how to kiss..

Head swimming as his hands wandered, it was a struggle to remember to breathe as it was to stop the growing trembling in her body. The music faded away, and just like when they were entangled upon the co-pilot’s chair, Kaile found herself lost in the sensation of Asmus’s touch. Babbling a weak sound of longing, her lids drifted closed, and the tips of her fingers went threading through his hair.

He gathered her closer into his arms as Kaile met him with an equal fervor, hand tangling into his hair while Asmus’s own went caressing up and down her back, their hearts pulsing out a cadence that the music lover in the Lorrdian translated into a concert of lust.


[member="Asmus Janes"]

 

[Asmus Janes]

Like the first step of the waltz his left leg led. There was no slide this time just a slow pressed forwards as he kissed her deeply. His hands moved over her quickly, grabbing and tugging gently at her clothes as well as pulling her into him almost forcefully.

Kairon slowly turned the page on his book. The light blue hue of the rolling fields of hyperspace cast an odd shade on the page that he found quite unpleasant over a period of time. Coming to the end of a chapter he thought to check up on the boy again.

As the monitor flicked on he sighed. They were still dancing it seemed. Oh, no that most certainly wasn't dancing. He was walking her across the floor, but only as far as the nearest container wall. From the camera angle it seemed he was then entirely occupied with eating her face.

Back in the cargo bay Asmus entirely ignored the crackle of the tannoy.

“Asmus, manifest hasn't had anything checked off for five minutes, is there a problem?”

Asmus pulled away, eyes wide. He panted furiously.

“Oh,” he said quietly before pulling an apologetic expression to Kaile. “I'd best…Erm…” before he knew it he was planted a string of kisses down the side of her neck as he spoke. “Shout back… up,” he added waving an arm at a hard wired comm unit against the far wall.

 

[Kaile Vera]

By then, Kaile was waist deep with want, caught up in the waltz of desire led by the scoundrel that held her. Smoldering brown eyes darkened as glints of gold blazed. I want him. I want him. Her heart seemed to thunder out that need, and when he’d crashed her against the wall, her own hands had dropped to do some charting of her own. Most notably, when his hands had tugged at her clothes, with one small hand covering his own to draw it to the heaving globe that had begun to ache.

Her mind was an absolute mess. Every thought as if wading through thick fluffy cotton, caught in a singular purpose driven by the confounding necessity to press skin to skin. For Asmus, her throaty half moan would barely be audible when she felt the hot trail of his lips sail over her neck.

His words barely registered, so clouded were here actions and mind. Unfocused eyes tried to blink away the haze of ardor that tightened deep in a hot coil low in her belly, spreading in a hot wave over her as the overhead comm crackled anew.

Oh feth.

For once, Kaile felt the rush of embarrassment. No, not once; It had happened before in the cockpit as well when the Captain had come in to check on them. What am I doing? It confounded her, feeling so out of her element at how she was acting. Feeling.

Her head fell forward, trying her best to regulate her breathing. Her fingers curled, one hand still pressed over his own while the other crinkled round a fistful of fabric at the front of his shirt.

Breathe. Just breathe.

[member="Asmus Janes"]

 

[Asmus Janes]

Breath came in short ragged bursts. The edges of his vision almost seemed to have darkened and when he forced his eyes open fully it took a moment to focus them once more. He let out a pitiful, nasal mewl as he pulled his hands away and placed them against the container behind her - though not before his thumb drew one more small circle.

Using his hands, he pushed himself away, though still caging her in against the wall. He would wait until she caught his gaze, his lower lip still faintly trembling. “Okay, okay, okay,” he said quietly, again silently chastising himself for his lack of eloquence.

“You and I have a date with a bottle of wine and a slightly uncomfortable bed roll later. As long as…as long as you really want me too. I know…you were, well felt uncertain…maybe. I need to know you feel the same.”

A little voice in the back of his head said: but you don't even know how you feel. But he couldn't deny the burning desire to become as close to her as possible. It wasn't the usual need for something gratifying, it went much deeper than that. He needed to feel every inch of her pressed against every inch of him.

 

[Kaile Vera]

It was hard to look at him.

Not just because of the confusing bundle of knots he was making her feel, but what she saw etched over his flushed angular features. There was uncertainty there, as was a mirror to her dazed confusion. Certainly there was desire there. He wanted her. It was in his eyes as much as in the persistence of his body.

Yet even that did not compare to the tentative, but genuine search those gold flecked eyes made as they attempted to to read her every move. That hung on the ragged breathing silence both were attempting to regain.

If her eyes could grow any wider, they did then. Large dark brown pools stared into his own. Her own confusion of the situation was clear, lower lip trembling to mirror the one that lightly shook her body. Her throat worked, feeling caught up, tongue thick. A slight fidget quivered through the Lorrdian, her hands curling tighter against his shirt.

“I…” her eyes fell, lids falling shut. I can’t think when you look at me like that. Her anxiety went rippling over the flush of ever present desire that pinkened her face. Just what do I say?

Everything just seemed to make her mind fuzzy. Anything Asmus did, from the way he flashed that silly grin to the manner that his darkening gaze met hers caused her to feel weak in the knees.

Was that right?

The young woman took a shuddering breath, filling her lungs with fresh air. Yet with it came the musk and scent that was all Asmus’s own, and again, she felt lost. What was she to say?

Well, if anything, Kaile was never one of fine eloquence, but what she lacked in that she more than made up in earnestness.

“I-I don’t know what it alls is, Asmus.” there was a quiver in her voice, a break. “I’m alls tied up in knots and… and to be truthsome,” pearly white teeth would nibble at her lower lip nervously, “I.. I can’t think of nothin’ else when you’re kissin’ me other that I just… want more.”

Kaile would open her eyes to meet his own. Her husky whispered drawl quivering as she said, “I just want you.”


[member="Asmus Janes"]

 

[Asmus Janes]

Asmus was gradually gaining control of his own breathing again. Several times they'd ridden that wave, only to force themselves back before it could crest. Each time was more difficult than the last. Next time, with no external distractions, there would be no turning back.

Several factors played on his mind as he watched her carefully. He wanted to be patient so she could answer honestly, but he also desperately wanted to know how she felt. On top of that was the knowledge that the ship's Captain was going to start getting grumpy at the lack of progress.

Millimeter by millimeter his serious expression turned into a pleasant smile. From above his slender jaw line and high cheekbones his dark green eyes carried the same intensity. He tried not to say ‘okay’.

“Good. I wanted to know that…” he started before lightly chuckling. When he next spoke it was more clear, a slight crinkle in the corners of his eyes in amusement. “I'm all confused over how I feel for you, so I wanted to know you felt the same, that is to say that in the same way you also haven't a fething clue. But I feel it a damn lot.” He'd wanted her that first drunken night, and when she'd rather abruptly stripped by the sonics. But not like this. It was like comparing the synthetic sound of a note played on a keyboard, to the rich timbre of a chord on a grand piano.

Elbows bent and he lowered himself down, letting him follow the grip on his shirt. He planted the most delicate kiss, lips barely brushing her cheek. Even that subtle touch sent his heart racing again.

 

[Kaile Vera]

That gingerly press of his lips evoked another fine tremor through the Lorrdian. As much as it stirred her, it invited her to relax. To be. His attempt at humor soothed her and elicited a half nervous smile, lashes fluttering half shut in the wake of his kiss upon the smoothness of her cheek.

He was as confused as she, for that she was grateful as much as she felt a sliver of concern. He had his youth as an excuse, but not she. No, there was a voice in the rear of her mind reminding her to er on the side of caution.

It warred with the pull in her heart that sent her head in the barest of inclines to caress her cheek with her own.

“Reckon we are both lost then?” came her half whispered murmur, the splay of her hands skimming to press against his chest as her fingers uncurled. The tremor lingered upon those slender digits, fighting the desire to keep drifting across him and the knowledge that the Captain’s ire would heap upon their heads were they to continue.

That rush that made her blood sing slowly ebbed, the hammering of her heart quelling to a low drum. Tentatively, her fingerpads lightly went dribbling over the center of his chest, both satisfying that need to touch as much as instilling a reminder that they could not linger.

“We..we should get a move on,” Kaile suggested, a slight hitch in her voice as her lids rose to meet the dark green of his eyes.

[member="Asmus Janes"]

 

[Asmus Janes]

“Yeah, yeah,” he sighed. “An’ I reckon we can be lost, but we'll work it out.” Asmus didn't exactly know when or how, but that youth also brought a measure of confidence that everything would always be alright in the end.

He gently hummed to himself as he responded to her cheek to cheek caress in turn. Another sigh, this one less content, as he pulled away from her. He let out a nervous laugh as he walked across the room to the intercom.

Kaile would hear Kairon's rumbling voice.

“Yes, back on it now… Yeah we'll be done by then.”

He shit Kaile a wink as he walked back over as casually as he could manage. He felt as if he had splints tied to as limbs, tricky as it was to relax. Just looking at her stirred up another maelstrom of emotion. They were inexorably headed towards one conclusion today and it made him nervous. Excited, but nervous. Another first for about 6 years it seemed. Feth, he wasn't going to be shaking like a leaf was it? Oh that would just be the most embarrassing. What would she think of him?

Asmus tried not to think too hard. The was, after all, one of the things he did best.

“Right, something bouncy!” he exclaimed, picking up his datapad.

https://youtu.be/tpKCqp9CALQ

 

[Kaile Vera]

Okay, okay.

Well one blessing was that she didn’t say it aloud this time. It took her a few moments to gather her bearings before she pushed herself off of the pod. A couple of more seconds to remember that Asmus had taken her datapad and left it elsewhere prior to sweeping her off to attempt the waltz.

A rub of her face would help with the mild embarrassment, running her fingers through her hair to push the strands away from her eyes. They feathered down straight along her cheeks, a bit half mused but still retaining the silky smoothness Asmus had blown dried into it.

His slightly awkward gait brought an infectious ghost of a smile to her face. He was trying to be casual about it. Kaile didn’t know what endeared him to her more; the fact that he was attempting to appear calm by being awkwardly charming or that his excited nervousness mirrored her own.

It was all so confusing in the end.

He’d mentioned wine earlier. Honestly, at this point she’d rather have something with a bit more bite. The Lorrdian didn’t have the heart to tell him that she wasn’t the sort to drink wine. More of an ale girl herself. But perhaps that was the difference between he and she.

Dropping her gaze she gave a slight sigh. Overthinking never helped any matters. Certainly didn’t at the start of this whole mess.

Hadn’t oblivion been what she’d been aiming for?

Funny, this wasn’t at all what she’d expected. To be frank, she didn’t know what it was. Chocolate brown eyes rose to follow the Eradiauian tapping his foot in an attempt to lighten the mood with the bouncy beat that soon resonated throughout the cargohold.

A shy smile, and small shake of her head. “Mmm… bouncy it is.” she said, finding herself able to walk now. The awareness of his nearness and the memory of his kiss were not gone, just coasting along. She was a Lorrdian after all, and her body was still humming with the echo of response.

“Now where did you leave the datapad for the manifest?” she mused.

[member="Asmus Janes"]

 

[Asmus Janes]

“Erm,” he replied, corner of his mouth twisting down. He turned back and forth as he tried to recall where he'd placed it.

“Aha!” he said, spotting the small barrel he'd placed it down on as he'd swept her away. Asmus went to pick it up himself purely so that he could give it back to her. Of course he looked thoroughly abashed when he sauntered back over to hand it to her, even if his eyes were a window to a storm still raging just beneath the surface.

“Right, let's get this job knocked on the head and get some lunch,” he said as he went back to his line. “Twins, move that container back please.”

“PERHAPS THEY NEEDED IT THERE TO DANCE.”

“I DON'T SEE WHY.”

“PROBABLY BECAUSE WE'RE SO STUPID.”

“Alright, alright, thank you!” Asmus called as they stomped past. With renewed vigor he set about the manifest. It was a varied cargo of rare foodstuffs, flora and assorted scientific materials. Taking cargo that needed careful environmental monitoring was their speciality, second only to moving stolen goods out of the eyes of the authorities.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]
Kaile’s small snort in amusement bubbled in the wake of the Twin’s infectious humor. Their bold, brass in your face commentary was enough to lighten the mood and bring things back to a manageable level. Right There was work to be done.

Try not to get too absent minded at the memory of what those eyes held, Kaile girl! she mentally chided herself. Well, that was easier said than done. Verie did always say she had a tendency of going off the seat of her pants at things; and a good rear. That she could joke meant something. However, it didn’t completely wipe the slate clean.

There was a reason Kaile was here at the Quin. A reason why she would leave in two days time. And a reason why she had to be at Sullust facing the Toydarian Intelligence Director she was assigned to. Much like with Kurt -- there were secrets there. Kaile was just passing by. That realization in the wake of leaving Kurt on Tatooine after she finally told him all made it very clear.

There was no room for her to linger long.

“You two ain’t stupid.” she’d say, a slight quiver in her voice as she forced a nervous smile wide. Taking the datapad for the manifest, she wandered on over to the two. Her chocolate brown eyes would observe them for a moment as they worked, watching them shuffle the environmental pod back into place.

“Ya’ll have a humor setting or is that ya’lls original charm?” she’d ask, curious at their programing and just what made them the Twins.

 

[Asmus Janes]

The Twins paused in their stomping. They came to a halt, turned to face each other and then looked down at Kaile.

“WE HAVE SEARCHED FOR HUMOUR SUBROUTINE,” they said in unison. “SUBROUTINE NOT FOUND. CAPTAIN KAIRON REES REMOVED PERSONALITY LOCK ROUTINE TO MAKE US LESS ‘BLAND’”

“Oh really?” Asmus called from across the hall. He'd made his way through a series of containers now. He tried to keep his mind focused on the task, but perhaps his wondering thoughts actually kept him from being bogged down in the tedium of it all. Everytime he caught sight of her over his shoulder he felt a hot glow in his chest. What was it about her? She'd stripped away his camouflage and found him. He found her delightful, honest, refreshing. She didn't think he was an idiot.

Cargo containers. Let's get this done.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Lips twitching and the apples of her cheeks blooming with her cheeky grin, Kaile swung her gaze from one to the next.

“Do ya’ll have actual names ‘sides the ‘Twins’?” came her next question, giving a small little half circle around them. It was a way to keep her mind busy, focusing on the Twins helped with reverting back to the fact that not a few meters away Asmus had pinned her against a container and kissed her senseless.

“When’s the last time ya’lls protocols and programin’ were optimized?” now that was the slicer mulling aloud, wondering about what Asmus had mentioned that if they were more than ten feet apart things… started to get a little weird.

All the while, the bouncy music managed to blanket the area with that false sense of avoiding the pink bantha in the room.

The one where both human occupants were trying and perhaps, failing, at keeping the visceral images of what may and could be off the mind.

 

[Asmus Janes]

Asmus vanished down a narrow gap between two rows of containers. It was good to take a moment to try and clear his head. There was the slightest twinge on account of Kaile paying attention to the Twins and not him. Asmus was all too aware that he could be a petty creature from time to time. Another few containers down and the song was coming to a close.

“Your song call!” he shouted. His hands remember the soft press of her body in a way that seemed almost independent of true memory. By the Force he wanted her. His hands imagined the sensation of grasping that waist and firmly and sliding it down inch by inch.

“WE ARE TWINS. PROTOCOLS ARE OPTIMISED FOR PARALLEL PROCESSING. ONE ROUTINE RUNS ACROSS BOTH CHASSIS. WHEN NETWORK INTERFACE DEGRADES HIGHER FUNCTIONS TEND TO STALL DUE TO INCORRECTLY PARSED VARIABLES OR PROCESSING QUEUES.”

The Twins stayed happily rooted to the spot. Quite like Asmus they were enjoying some attention from Kaile to break up the day.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

“‘Kay,” she called out, still observing the Twins. There was a slight twitch in her mouth as she sounded like a ninny again, followed by a sigh. There was no use stopping it. Her mouth was gonna do whatever it was gonna do. No use changing it.

“Then ya’ll need somethin’ to expand the signal….maybe a new…” the rest was an unintelligible mumble as she took a few steps to stop between the twins.

“Mind if’n I take a look at ya’lls processor and sen--” her voice faded a bit as it got blocked off by the Twin’s bulky bodies. Next to their chassis, she was a tiny thing. Her brow was furrowed a bit, the flush all but gone save for a bit over her cheeks. If there was anything that could keep her mind busy enough to not think about tracing her way down obliques with her lips, it was anything mechanical.

“When was ya’lls last maintenance check?"

 

[Asmus Janes]

“OH MAINTENANCE CHECKS!” one of the Twins replied.

“IF ONLY!” the other responded. Given they had a joint intelligence the back and forth was clearly for Kaile's benefit.

“IMAGINE A NICE OIL BATH?”

“OH MY WHAT A THOUGHT!”

“THE BOY GETS TO SPEND ALL HIS TIME PREENING AND WE DON'T EVEN GET A BATH.”

“SO UNFAIR”

“QUITE UNFAIR.”

Asmus continued down one line of cargo containers, then back up the other. He was getting on at a good pace. As half his mind carried out the tedious checks the other half returned to the second time they'd taken a sonic and she'd put on quite the show. Fingers splayed, one hand would push down between the shoulder blades whilst the other gripped a hip bone tightly and pulled back. His foot rather rudely pushed hers apart.

Atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity, a warm and welcoming… pressure, temperature, humidity.