Responsibility

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]
“Anything on top of caf is always a bonus,” Kairon said, continuing to clean the counters. Permission to make breakfast granted, but he wasn't about to start making demands of a guest.

Asmus had one finger on the opening of his bottle. He was tipping it slightly off axis and gently spinning it around slowly. The spinning stopped, he snatched it up with a quick motion and took another drink.

“Can't be away from the nutrients too long?” he asked. Deciding that he didn't fancy sliding down the ladder with three bottles of beer he put them into a hatch to go down to the lower deck.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

“Aye, he can only be out bout an hour or so,” she replied, noticing Bobo was becoming a bit lethargic. “He’ll likely rest and sleep for a bit again; the days’ been mighty busy for him.”

Lazing about, Bobo was all too happy to simply have Kaile rub his neck again. You could see the contentment in his half hooded eyes. Seeing Asmus set the three bottles in the hatch, she decided to finish her own off. Took about three gulps, but not too bad. Standing, she made to place the empty bottle in the glass recycler.
“Fancy seein’ if you can make it down the ladder without stumblin’?” She teased, flicking her braid over her shoulder. The Lorridan came to a stop beside the table, one hip set against it as she crossed her arms under her breasts.

 

[Asmus Janes]

“Ladder’s fine,” Asmus declared, looking at Kaile over his shoulder. They'd had a nice calm few hours, but he was all too aware that they'd be alone soon and that he wanted to kiss her… very much. “Going down is easy, it's going up it after a few drinks that can be tricky.”

“Yeah, he's surprisingly capable of getting down that ladder without making a sound when blind drunk,” Kairon agreed. Again came that low chuckle at making a joke as his nephew's expense. Normally the lad had a quicker tongue, but his mind was clearly distracted by their guest. However, despite his urge to take advantage of the situation Kairon decided to leave the pair alone for now. Mai had gone to the bridge, so he headed to engineering to do some paperwork.

Asmus walked over to the ladder, pausing at the threshold before sliding down to collect the bottles in the hatch. When they needed to move larger things between the decks they needed to be grounded and lower the ramp from the bottom deck and do things that way.

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Kaile gave a slight chuckle as she made it down the ladder, “oh!whoop!” She exclaimed with a low laugh, hand curling around the railing. Bright brown eyes would stare out to catch Asmus as he came back with the bottles in hand.

A smile shined down at him, and she had the kind of half hooded relaxed stare that only came from a deep sense of content. Worries were left to the rear of her mind for now, all for the best. It was a small reprieve that Asmus had managed to gift Kaile, a blessing that she was grateful for.

“Hey…” She drawled out, a crooked smile hanging from her lips. Both hands came up to collect Bobo in her hands. He curled up between her palms, snuggling against the warmth.

“You've a nice crew.” She complimented him in that, turning to start the slow amble over to the cabin.

“Y'all get along right nice.”

 

[Asmus Janes]

“Most of the time,” Asmus admitted. “We've had our falling outs over the years mind. Kairon had a dark, dark, temper when push comes to shove. Kinda makes you wonder why I wind him up so, eh?”

Asmus had another sip of beer, realising that he still have a good third of a bottle left. That was gone by him. This wasn't the night they'd met; he was in no rush to get drunk.

Asmus opened the door to his cabin and walked to his bed, sitting himself down with his back to the wall again. As they'd been before, he slid the table out and placed all three beers down. On the floor before his feet was the bed roll from the night before, now covered in fresh sheets.

“Is Bobo going to sleep, or would he like a warm lamp?” he asked.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

“Well, he needs a specific type of branch to rest on when he Suns himself.” One that will feed him actually. A slow sway followed the scoundrel into his cabin, adding,”so he'll just need to go in his tube. He ain't like other lizards that can wander out lots--”

Her voice gave a pause, coming to a halt by the little wall nook she had left Bobo’s nutrient tube at. Her eyes widened slightly at the bed roll, all nicely set out with fresh sheets. Carefully she coaxed the tiny Ysalamir into his tube, murmuring with mild surprise,”Well you've been busy,” she smiled, casting him a sideways glance that relayed her appreciation along with mild amusement.

“You remembered.” They'd had talked about it in passing earlier, and it surprised her he had. Then again, Asmus thus far has proven to be rather thoughtful. Just most don't see it, only focusing on the veneer of foolish playfulness. Bobo, slipped inside his little abode, where the internal light would give him what he needed for now.


Dropping her arms to get sides, Kaile gave a half turn towards Asmus. The intimacy of the small cabin would not be missed, along with the slight thrum of curious anticipation building. Choosing to try and be as normal as she could, Kaile slowly meandered over to Asmus, where she sank herself on the other side of the pull out table. Kicking off her shoes, she continued on,” that was mighty thoughtful.” She said, a half murmur that sailed over the bottles of beer between them.

 

[Asmus Janes]

“Well, we did get awful mucky. Well, you got awful mucky. I mostly got smelly,” he said. There was just a flicker of a smile at that, revealing that he was a little pleased with himself. “I was a tad worried when you got that crap in your eye.”

Taking the cue, he slipped off his own boots and thick socks. That felt nice after a long day. It was hard to imagine a world where he spent his time on his arse, bathed in the harsh artificial glow of a monitor.

“So he has a little lamp in there?” Asmus asked casually. “I can't remember if you told me that earlier, saw it as he went in though.”

He was feeling a little nervous. This was really a trip of firsts. He turned to regard her slowly. He saw that her braid was starting to fray. Kaile liked to help those around her, that was clear. Oh but he wished that she could agree to stay on just a few more days.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

“Thanks to your quick work I'm fine,” she told him, smiling out at him in regards to her eye again.

“Should have known better honestly. My mind was all a fuzz I guess,” well considering how things had gone earlier…

Pink darkened her cheeks.

Good thing he asked the question about Bobo’s home.

“Mmhm,” replied with a small nod of her head. Stray wisps of her bangs fell over her brow at the motion, prompting the rise of her fingers to gently brush them back.

“It's like a little mobile home really,” she'd explain, reaching over to take one of the bottles in hand. She needed something for her fingers to play with. Already, Kaile felt herself get a bit restless in her slight bit of nervousness. But why was she even feeling nervous? That made no sense.

Yet the longer they sat here and simply discussed in conversation, the more aware she became of Asmus looking at her through the fringes of his dark hair. See the little half smile that twitched at the corner of his mouth. It was a curious contrast to the subtle ripple of timorousness she read there.

Did he feel it too? Or was that just me lookin’ too much into things.

Truth be told, things weren't really making that much sense lately.

“Makes it easy for him to travel with me.” She added, drawing her knee up to her chest then. Fingers went dribbling along the side of her beer, then she settled the cap against her palm to twist it open with a hiss.

“So it's just you, your uncle and Mai?” Her turn for a question, curious about the Quinn and her crew. It also helped in simply getting to know more about Asmus.

 

[Asmus Janes]

She wouldn't just get the bottle for her fingers to run over. Shifting his seating position his long, wiry arm reached across the table to find her free hand. Asmus didn't have the most muscular build, lean and athletic perhaps, but there wasn't a great deal of fat on him.

“There's Jarrick,” he said. “Big old war veteran from Eriadu. Knows his soldiering. Kanjiklub wouldn't have picked a fight if he'd been around. You might recall they asked after him afore the shooting started.

“Which reminds me, think getting your eye clean doesn't real make up for you stopping that big bastard from crushing my skull on the floor. Think I owe you five or six still for that alone.”

Green eyes fixed on her. Remarkably still, with an intensity to that gaze. There was a lot of thought going on behind them, but the rest of his expression highlighted the depth of affection buried in this emerald orbs.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]


“Anyone would have done the same, Asmus.” Kaile replied, her voice a low hush as her fingers reached out to press against his. Lids lowered, watching the interaction. She'd lift his hand up slightly, matching each digit against hers until their palms were flush.

“You don't owe me nothin’ for that.” She added, but when her lids rose to meet his gaze, she found herself breathless again. That word. Breathless. Breathless.

A knot grew in her throat, and she felt as if her mouth had been stuffed with cotton. Licking her lips, she gave gently pressure against his fingertips with her own. His hand was slightly larger than hers, his fingers more slender. Longer. He took care of his hands. Compared to her own, where there were a few callouses here and there. Funny how they had their differences there. You can tell a lot about a man and their hands. They don't lie. They tell where they've been and what they've done.

Leastwise what Kaile has thought.

“I'm just glad you're alright...” She told him truthfully, lifting those brown eyes to meet the deep green of his own. Her fingers went sliding to the right then, following the sensitive valleys in between his fingers as they went sliding down.

 

[Asmus Janes]

That gaze turned round watch their hands as they turned upright together. It seemed at times as if his body just followed her touch. Then again, at times it seemed as if she was reacting to his. All of which begged the question of whether they could run on touch alone, with no conscious thought in the middle. Asmus imagined they'd could, all too easily.

Green eyes panned across and focused on her lips as she absently ran her tongue across them. For a moment he didn't respond to her trailing off statement. His mind was preoccupied by her fingers gentle trailing down the sensitive skin between fingers, and the notion of kissing those lips again.

“Me too,” he said as he met her eyes again. Such big eyes. They'd caught what little light there had been in that bar and drawn him in. How he regarded Kaile had changed considerably, but he could still get lost in them.
“Better than alright now,” he added softly. “I've had a very good day, oils stains an’ all. Thank you.” She confounded him. At first he'd seen the sadness in those eyes, heard the hesitation in her voice. As she'd started to open up and smile…she'd became a bright ray of light that cut through a relatively dull journey.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Kaile's nose scrunched up in mild humor at the light quip about the oil stains, and she gave his hand a light squeeze in turn.

Leaning over the table a bit, she would flash him a wider grin. “I'm glad.” She told him, her hand lightly swaying left to right with his own. This was nice, she thought to herself. She felt a bit lighter. She had been able to eat. She didn't feel so alone anymore. Asmus had changed that. Even if it was just a brief sojourn, she couldn't thank him enough for it.

Her mind would try to categorize and make sense of things, but her heart would tell her otherwise. Maybe she was over thinking it. Maybe she should just leave it be. Two days from now she'll be on Denon and take the trip out to Sullust. Where she went from there was out of her hands.

And to be truth some, she really, really had come to like Asmus. But that also meant that despite that she was on borrowed time.

“So checkpoint tomorrow right?” If she recalled correctly, that's what they had coming up.

“Do y'all need me to just keep out the way or do anything in particular?” She asked him, inquiring on the plan of the day. All the while, her fingers kept on with their soft caress of his own, as if she were mapping every line and ridge with the tips of those slender digits. Gingerly drifting with a feather light touch that could threaten to send chills down the spine.

 

[Asmus Janes]

Chills did run of their own accord at that touch. Again he was slow to respond. A bead of worry formed in his mind. Did she think him slow witted for the amount of time he spent watching her in silence instead of answering simple questions.

“Shouldn't be a both,” he replied. “Wouldn't want to say, but usually they ask the crew to line out in the docking bay for some quick questions.” His fingers moved of their own volition again, tracing small arcs around her knuckles. Smooth palms and slender fingers he had, but remarkably dextrous. Good for fine work on the electronics that Kairon so loathed. Excellent for massage.

His gaze lowered to the table. Brows furrowed as he watched it with a look it didn't seem to have deserved. Ever so slowly his eyes turned up to regard her through his fallen locks of hair. His bottom lip faintly quivered.

“I'm going to kiss you now.”

It was a statement of intent, more than a question. Yet a space was left. It was one that could be filled with a protest should she want. He wanted to be honest, wanted to let her make her mind up rather than letting their bodies get carried away on their own.

Remembering what she had said earlier about stealing her free will with a look a smile appeared and he turned to find something inconspicuous to regard for a second or two.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Surprise registered on her face.

For a moment her back would stiffen. It wasn’t in wariness nor alarm, as much as it was unexpected. He was being bold, forward. No coyness, but a simple statement of his intent. It unsettled her as much as it intrigued her.

Kaile's heart picked up the pace again. Her fingers unconsciously clenched upon his own, and for a moment she felt incredibly flustered. It was in the deep verdant hue of his eyes, the way that tiny muscle in his jaw twitched. That brief moment he bored his eyes into her own, she could read him as clear as day. He really, truly, wanted to kiss her. It wasn’t that she hadn’t seen desire in a man’s gaze before, it was just… this was different. Kaile didn’t know how, but it was. It was such a surreal sensation that she didn't realize that he had turned his heavy-lidded green gaze away for a moment. There was that

He’s waitin’ for me to decide.

Finally comprehending, the Lorrdian took a deep breath. It wasn’t a lie that her heart was skipping a beat and a flutter awareness flowed over her. It was like a little tingle that started at her toes and made her crinkle her nose in delight. Slowly, she nibbled on her bottom lip, and a warm flush rose over her face.

“Okay.” She said shyly, once again bringing up that silly word that made her feel as if her wits had left her and she was left feeling a bit out of sorts. It didn't help that she had said it in a soft quivering tone that both spoke of her nervousness as well as anticipation.

Perhaps it was all the best then, that things were better said for her without words. Sometimes, all they did was just get in the way.

So when she tentatively flexed her fingers to lace with his own, Kaile captured his hand with nervous encouragement. It might not be much, may not even really explain what all of this was. But truth be told, the young woman had no qualms about Asmus Janes kissing her.

[SIZE=10.6667px]“... Table has to go though…” [/SIZE]she said softly, perhaps injecting her own pause to allow him to decide if he really wanted to cross that final barrier between them.

The table that is.

 

[Asmus Janes]

His expression changed on two cues. First there was a brief look of elation at her first word, accompanied by a sharp hike of breath. There was a twinge of humour manifested in a twist of his lips. That one word had been used to mean a lot of things today, from the mundane to the significant.

At the squeeze of his hand, however, a more permanent look, both joyous and contented, found its home on his face. It was then that he turned back to face her.

His eyes snapped back to hers, almost as if it had been a strain to keep them away. “Table, right…” he said, with a nervous half-chuckle. She'd see his brows dip as he relinquished his grip on her hand, unhappy at breaking contact. He gathered the bottles on the table with a series of clinks and put them in a cubby above the bed beside a lamp. The obstacle slid out of his way without protest. Probably the easiest fight he'd had with something between him and someone he wanted. This was a very different desire to all those times. It was an almost desperate need to become as close as possible, nothing between them.

Asmus shuffled nearer and twisted around to face the same direction as her until their hips met, side on. His left hand retrieved her right hand once more. He didn't kiss her. Instead his free hand came up to her cheek, brushed her hair behind her ear before two fingers gently turned her to face him. He still didn't kiss her, despite the yearning clear in his eyes. There was no embarrassment any longer, just an intensity as his eyes traced the lines of her face once more. His lips stayed parted just a fraction of inch, tension clear in the line of his jaw.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

As he scooted closer, Kaile felt that heightened awareness of every place of her body that touched his. From his hip that pressed against hers, to the gingerly stroke of his fingers as they brushed her hair away.

Did he hear how loud my heart was thumping? It seemed as galloping nerfs were playing havoc with her pulse. He had to. When his fingertips traced over her cheek to gently turn her to him, her lashes couldn't help but flutter shut. It was the gentle pressure along with the ever so subtle quiver that made her lightly curl her head against his hand, nuzzling it so like a Bha’lair cub seeking affection.

Her fingers went lacing against his own again, and there was a quiver of nervousness that went dancing in her belly. Seconds would tick by, and they seemed to drag out. Finally, she lifted her lids.

There the twin pools of chocolate met emerald with a softened expression, the corners of her lips curving upward in a faint smile.

 

[Asmus Janes]

With his heart thundering, he only just managed to stop himself from biting his own lip. Perhaps he might have drawn blood himself if he hadn't paused. His hand slid back until he held her neck, his thumb coming to rest behind the shell of her ear.

There was nothing smooth in the motions that followed. His head tilted to the right whilst he held her eyes, accompanied by a sharp exhale. Then he closed with her coming to an abrupt halt just a few inches from her face.

Feeling her breath against his lips, he slowly closed his eyes and drew in a long, stuttered breath. Only then, with a gentle tug from his hand, did he close the distance between them. Their lips came together quickly, but quickly became a gentle pressure as his mouth widened and his tongue met hers. The rest of the verse ceased to exist as he kissed her.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Everything seemed to move slow.

Awareness came in degrees, in seconds really. The warmth of his breath. The tug of his hand. The way his fingers began to sink into the hair at the nape of her neck, threading through the loosening braid as he drew her close. Until finally, Asmus kissed her.

Kaile felt the ticklish brush of his hair against her cheek, her lids falling shut as she drew into his law of gravity. There it was again, that tiny rush of electric wildfire. As if tiny little shocks of static electricity went running over her skin. Kaile had wondered if maybe she had just imagined it all from earlier. The night before and in the cockpit. That perhaps it had just been a heady rush that just stole her breath away at his kiss.

No, as his warm lips firmly went pressing against hers, she felt the euphoria galvanizing through her veins. So when his tongue began the gentle onslaught against her lips, a low content mewl caught between them, and she parted her lips to capture his own.

He tasted of wheat and chocolate, and coated her mouth with every slow, provocative dance that their tongues set forth. There was passion there, but without artifice. Kaile wasn't looking for oblivion of the night and he wasn't searching for a passing fancy.

It was just like back on the cockpit of the Quinn. As if caught in a net, the Lorrdian seemed to flutter between flexing her fingers against his hand and the innate desire to let her fingers drift. Instead, her free hand found leverage by perching just over his chest, the slender digits splaying wide as they settled over his quickening heart.

 

[Asmus Janes]

It was an odd sensation, the breaking of the tension. The late afternoon had been a fairly calm and relaxed affair, but the undercurrent of tension had gradually built. But as she met his kiss that tight knot in his chest unravelled.

I feel, she feels…this feels…right.

Asmus could have moved his hands, but they were content where they were. Instead the fingers of his right threaded further through her hair, curling up into the strands and then stroking back down. The pressure of his left closely matched the intensity of the kiss.

Warm prickles ran over his skin, down the back of his neck, across his chest and arms. He could feel the hairs there stand on end. With eyes closed everything was focused on the intimacy of the moment. Asmus was no Lorrdian, but he was aware of every warm press of skin, every point where their bodies were in contact.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

It was a curious thing.

With each stroke of his tongue against hers it felt as if it stirred a deeper connection; a connection that Kaile hadn’t expected at the start of the Quarantine two days prior. It was a connection that made Kaile ache for more, savoring the slow stoking fire that each captured breath took.

He made her feel as if she was floating on air. Like a hot air balloon soaring over Lahsbane’s plains, high enough to touch the clouds and capture them with her hand. It was such a silly thought, but it was the only one she could relate to. Much like the planet known for its thick pollen, even floating this high among that thick haze confused her. It was both thrilling as it was dizzying.

It wasn’t like he was working her. The Lorrdian would be able to tell straight out if that were the game. No, there was no smooth scoundrel ravishing her mouth. Not the one from the cantina at least. No, he made her feel as delicate as a Corellian flame statue, his hand gently cupping her head as he coaxed responses out of her.

What was strange was that she didn’t want to rush it. Much like with her chocolate cake, Kailieann slowly, deliberately, explored his lips and mouth. A slow exhale through her nose followed the curling of her fingers against the fabric of his shirt, a feat in itself considering how tight it already was.

Her first kiss had been a rather messy affair. All first kisses had a tendency to be. Nothing was ever really able to match up to what expectations are, and simply put, practice makes perfect. Oh there have been several sapients in her life that could wind her up so with their silvery tongues, some that could put Cafarels to shame. At one time there had been this Zeltron girl by the name of Zara. She could pull some tricks that left Kaile huffing and puffing like she had been running twenty klicks straight.

If someone had asked, How does this compare to kissin Zara? She would have answered, “Who?”

What Kaile didn’t know is what she was feeling went beyond the baser nature. Beyond the primal urge to sate a momentary fancy. She was sinking in that sea as Asmus crashed among her shores, each lave and nibble she supped on him in turn stoking that little delicate fire in ways she hadn’t experienced before. LIke namana nectar, Asmus was an addiction that spread across her with the warm pleasure of the summer’s sun.

Slow, sultry with that low burning heat.