Satellites

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

All the while, Kaile was quietly taking everything in. There was just so much to process. It wasn’t just the beauty of the place, but also what it entailed. It was an extension of Asmus that Kaile never thought she’d have the chance to see.

Quiet steps brought her just inside the wide, open foyer that lead to a larger living area completely surrounded by floor to ceiling windows. There was just so much light. The morning sun rays would illuminate and paint the room with a bright, warm, rosy glow. An inviting atmosphere that equally made one feel comfortable as it highlighted the vast contrast of a smaller, darklit ship cabin the Quin had been.

Arms fell to her sides, thumbs finding themselves hooking onto her pockets as if to prevent herself from touching anything. Kaile was equally curious as anxious with nervousness, her gaze sweeping over the simple but elegant decorations. The bits and bobs of high class function and color coordinating that Asmus had likely painstakingly and excitedly selected for his own personal haven. It all radiated Asmus one way or another, his own personal touch and taste wherever Kaile looked.

“Shiny,” the quiet compliment swept past her lips. It was beautiful. Comfortable. Homey. There was wonder bathing her face, as was awe filled appreciation. She could picture him here on shore leave, lounging on the couch. Framed against the wide double doors that would lead to the beach, his silhouette a dark shadow against the kiss of a setting sun.

It was a series of thoughts that went painting those images in her mind. Framing them into guilty pleasure snapshots she could bring to mind later. However, along with that came darker thoughts. That spark of jealousy that could imagine Asmus here with another. How his face could split wide with that grin. How intimate the entire house would be and whether or not that heartbreaking image of him leaning against that balcony threshold would offer another silhouette beside him.

Stop it! Came her mental chide, thoughts only broken at the sound of Asmus’ inquiry, barely catching the last bit about taking a walk out to the beach.

“Umm,” indecision went flickering over her face, the woman setting down her bag by her feet. Chocolate brown eyes went tracing back out towards the balcony and open area that led towards coral colored sand and the promise of salty sea air. When was the last time you went to the beach Kaile girl?

With Kurt.

There was longing in her eyes along with an internal battle. She wanted to, but wasn’t too sure. For more reasons than practicality.

“...maybe after setting up and checking security?” They still had to ensure encryption and get a sense of where they stood.

In more ways than one.

 

[Asmus Janes]

“Thank you,” he said of the complement before he flashed a disarming smile at her indecision before lifting his bag and taking a few steps into the house. Despite the warmth flooding in from the sun it still felt a little cold to him. It wasn't lived in enough. Stopping in the centre of the room he let out a sigh. His presence seemed to expand to fill the space. The Subversion was a dark, cramped and oppressive space. However he was used to that life and it took time to adjust to being back on the ground.

There were shelves against one wall that he didn't have enough items to fill yet. There was a framed commemoration and a holo photo of his graduation from the academy. A picture of him in the news after becoming Rogue One. There was a small painting in rich colours of an alien the landscape. A metal sculpture that didn't take the form of any particular species yet was clearly meant to represent two entwined lovers.

He unzipped his bag and quickly set two little statuettes made from spare parts next to them. The little figures went with him wherever he went. Asmus tried to do this quickly without drawing too much attention to the act. He could still recall her reaction at finding them in his ship.

“The holonet hub is…” Asmus turned back and forth. “...somewhere.” He shrugged with his hand and gave an apologetic smile. Returning to the entrance he took his bag and turned up the wooden stairs. The next floor had wooden flooring but matched the cool colour schemes of the ground floor. Whites and pale shades with only the occasional splash of colour.

The landing led onto a corridor that ran the width of the building. He turned left and took the only door down that direction. Technically the door was on his right when he reached it so he left it open behind him. Through the door was a small corridor. To the left the walk in wardrobe which contained little pieces of who he was hung out neatly and vacuum sealed. To the right was the refresher suite. He took the door to his left and dropped his bag unceremoniously before running his hands across the smooth plastic bags until he found something he wanted. With a clink he took the whole hanger and carried it back into the main room.

The master suite occupied one corner of the first floor with floor to ceiling windows that offered an even better view out across the waves. He tossed the bag onto the bed - a far cry from the slender cabins they'd been cramming themselves into - and unzipped it. The bag hissed as it breathed in and expanded. Asmus never knew how long he would be away so each time he left every hangar was carefully wrapped and sealed.

Inside was a simple white tunic and loose pants. Cool and casual and far more comfortable than the GADF issue off duty vest and pants. Regardless of whether Kaile had followed him he started to strip off. The warm kiss of sun on skin was something he had missed greatly, but he could just about illuminate the room on his own. He vowed to follow Kaile's practise of getting more sun in his downtime.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Kaile wouldn't follow after Asmus; well save the tracing of her eyes as they would follow his progress up the stairs. Once he faded from view, the Lorrdian quietly found herself standing in place. So this was his home. Well, not so much as home as well, the place he came to rest. Idling for a moment, Kaile's hand came up to brush her bangs away from her face.

While the doors that lead out to the beach were shut, from the windows Kaile could see the crashing of waves. They were so close she could see the thin rise of mist that would arch up with every descent. There was a calming solitude to the ambiance of the home despite the wide open space of the near endless windows that surrounded her.

Unable to help herself, Kaile wound up taking a few steps forward towards the shelving. There was a particular holopicture that had caught her attention. It was as familiar to her as it was foreign. Pausing in front of it, her arm came up, fingers delicately curling around the holographic photo. Her eyes couldn't help but trace the sight of Asmus in his academy uniform. This was his graduation. His hair a little shorter and a bit more clean shaven. Younger. Not a year after the Quin.

A lone finger couldn't help but trace the line of his jaw, a weakness she gave into. Kaile had spied on him then. Not something to be proud of, but she had. It had a been a few months after....

A deep breath would lift her chest. Gently, she would set the holoopicture back upon the shelf. Then came the skim across the commendations, his Rogue One appointment.

He'd done so much. Gone so far.

Part of her was proud of him, well aware of his brilliance and that he could go further still if he set his mind to it. Far higher than just as a simple crew pilot on a smuggler ship. Another, well, another was just melancholy that she hadn't been able to be there. Or more aptly, that she hadn't let herself.

 

[Asmus Janes]

One hand was against the glass. The other hung by his side holding his white tunic. There hadn't been much time to just stop and think. Not since she'd stood there before him in her First Order uniform. That was what he often did here. He could sit in the warm sand and watch the waves and relax and reflect.

He took a deep breath and in a way it felt as if he released some tension he'd been holding in since that moment. Even when they'd been sitting and watching episodes of popular shows in his room his mind had been running away from him. It wasn't good for him to be like that. He flew in his confidence and being in the moment, not overthinking each step.

It was like the waltz, he thought to himself. If you tried too hard you lost the rhythm. Just like when she'd stopped trying to work it out and just followed his lead.

Live in the moment, he told himself. What would be would be.

Asmus turned away from the window and smiled an easy smile. This one came naturally to him. With the shoreline behind him he slipped the tunic on. It was a light, soft linen. Far more comfortable than anything the SIS had for him to wear.

He took the steps down quickly and stopped by the entrance, looking down at her single bag. She had packed light back when she had hitched a ride on the Quintessence.

People had often said to Kairon: 'that's a long name for a ship.'

'Yes,' he would reply. That was typically the end of it. He had always refused to tell Asmus why he'd chosen it.

'One more trip?' he used to ask. It elicited the same response every time until Asmus had just stopped asking. Same as those people and the name.

"I don't have any food that isn't canned yet," he called to Kaile, "but there are drinks I can offer. I'll take up your bag."

There were bottles in there he found embarrassing. As well as his own beer there were things his local friends left. Some of them were rather silly and refused to drink anything that cost less than fifty a bottle and would then leave it behind without a thought.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

[SIZE=9pt]The sound of his voice startled her, drawing her attention away from the twisting metal sculpture of the two lovers. At least until she caught the tiny, metal figurines beside it. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“Water is fine.” Kaile said, voice wavering for a second. Her fingers drew right within her palm. Cautiously, her arm drew up to pluck the smaller of the pair in her hand. The metal was warm. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Small, dinosaur shaped figurines. Crafted of spare parts and scrape metal. Trivial little gifts a Kaile had long ago crafted for Asmus as a parting gift. One she didn’t even have the courage at the time to give them to him, merely leaving them set on the shelf over his bed for him to find after he’d gone. The last she’d seen them they had been on the dashboard of his starfighter. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Why were they here?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Confusion illuminated her expression. [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]The only way they would be is if…[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Suddenly that strawberry blonde head came up, the ponytail at the nape of her neck slightly swishing at the motion. Dark, tawny brown eyes went latching upon Asmus’ trim form, drifting over the loose white shirt and the dark pants. Hair slightly askew from the change, his heartbreaking profile to her moments before those gold flecked eyes caught hers then. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Part of her knew she shouldn’t ask it, but then again, weakening defenses and an intense curiosity welled in her heart. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“Why are these here?” Her mouth would shape the words before age could take them back, fingers curling over the scrap metal sculpture. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]A voice in the rear of her mind would warn her then that there are just some questions that would open doors that one could never close shut again. [/SIZE]

 

[Asmus Janes]

Asmus looked down, almost embarrassed. Perhaps, he thought to himself, he should have changed that little ritual with Kaile here. Then he silently reprimanded himself for ignoring the advice he had dispensed to himself just moments ago. It was the way she looked at him with those big brown eyes as she had asked the question. She hid so much behind those eyes each day only to let her body speak volumes by night. Kaile looked vulnerable there, the question hanging between them.

“Because they go with me,”he replied simply. “When I went to the academy they came with me. They lived in my trainer, then my XJ, then the TR, then the TX. Metal is quite handy. I slap a magnetic sticker down and it keeps them tight down.”

He swallowed. “Four days isn't a lot of memories. I never had any pictures or much at all to hold onto. Sometimes I'd tell myself I probably wouldn't even recognise you after all this time. But I had the songs we sung and I had those.”

The set of his jaw changed and he broke eye contact from her. He swallowed again harder this time.

“The, erm, glasses are top cupboard on left. Haven't got any bottled sorry.”

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

[SIZE=9pt]Why did he have to say that?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]That knot at her throat only seemed to thicken, clogging at her windpipe, seemingly preventing her of breath. All the while that Asmus spoke, Kaile’s chest rose and fell in a quickening form. She almost didn’t notice just how tightly she held onto the metal figurine, the sharper bits and bobs pressing hard into the skin of her palm. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]There was a growing high pitched noise that seemed to whine by her ears. Was that imagined? It was hard to say, frozen on that spot staring up at the Wraith as if the words he’d spoken were nothing but an imagine concoction. Yet it wasn’t so was it?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Nothing but a pair of figurines and the songs they sung? Kaile had the latter, the datastick full of astrocharts and that personal playlist whenever she’d coordinated the navpoints to hit Eriadu or Sullust. The only way she’d ever been able to remember Asmus by besides the times she’d grown weak and succumbed to searching for him on the holonet, watching him live his life through stolen holoimages and fleeting holovideo feeds. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Kaile had thought Asmus would forget about her; tuck her in as nothing but a tiny section in a chapter of his life. Easily met and easily forgotten. They'd been two young fools without any knowledge of what love even meant. That four days hadn’t been enough to fall in love with a stranger.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]All the little lies Kaile told herself to keep away. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Tiny, hot pinpricks stung the Lorrdian’s eyes then, her head turning away to face the shelving unit once more. If anything both seemed to have perfected the manner of avoiding staring at each other at an emotional crux. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“That’s fine,” Kaile managed to croak out, bringing her hand up to set the dinosaur figurine back upon its perch. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“Water that is.” She barely set it down before realizing the fine tremble of her hand. Curling her fingers inward, she drew her hand away, thumb grazing over the tops of her fingers as if that would halt their fine shake. [/SIZE]

 

[Asmus Janes]

Asmus didn't miss the trembling as she set the figurines back down. It was too much for her. She hadn't ever expected to be confronted with the truth like that. She knew it, deep down under layers of make belief to keep it hidden away.

It wasn't hard to work some things out. She had been surprised to find him in the SIS, but he wasn't a difficult man to find. Not for an Alliance agent. He'd been in the news once or twice. If she had wanted to find him she could have done so. Now those layers were being stripped back. But somewhere in the centre of all that was why. Why hadn't she found him. Had she really, genuinely believed that he hadn't really felt so strongly about her?

Asmus resolved to give her some space to process and picked up her bag. It lasted the time it took him to turn in the spot and then set the bag back down. Looking over his shoulder he saw her heading for the open plan kitchen. On the Quintessence she had nearly broken down whilst they made a meal for the crew. It wasn't right to leave her to that. At some point after she had left he had started to hope she would find someone. Even if it couldn't be him, he knew she wasn't meant to be alone.

She wasn't meant to be alone now.

He walked after her, turning on the tap to let some water run to get some fresh.

“I did though, didn't I? Recognise you that is. Right away.” The smile on his face was genuine. “I said I wouldn't ever regret having those days and I never did. It's okay.”

He took one of her hands with his own before she could protest. Fingers still trembled.

“It's okay.”

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

[SIZE=9pt]Okay. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]That single word held an infinite amount of possibilities and meanings. It could slay Kaile as well as comfort, providing the soothing cocoon of sanctuary as much as bittersweet heartache. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Kaile felt her heart quicken with the fluttering beats of a hummingbird's wings. Those long, slender fingers belonging to the Wraith ever so gingerly went sliding against the still trembling fingers of the agent, fanning to capture the open, delicate valleys within before curling down. How the simple act of their hands intertwined so could mean so much. The very act seemingly magnetizing his presence, drawing her in. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Was it okay? Was it [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]really[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] okay? Voices would cry back and forth within Kaile’s mind, demons and dreams each clawing for control. With her head tucked close to her chin, it was hard to catch her expression, the thick fringe of her bangs framing her face in deep shadows despite the brightness of the morning rays enveloping the room. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]It’s not okay. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]A quiet voice under the cacophony of the others stood out. [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]But he’s here. He’s real. He didn’t forget you. He wants you. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Yet it’s all based on a lie. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]By now Kaile’s shoulders were trembling, as if trying her best to hold whatever thoughts and emotions inside. She was good at that. At hiding them, at shoving them so far deep within herself that Kaile could play pretend everything was okay. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]But it wasn’t. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Lips drawn tight, Kaile shut her eyes, the dark fringes of her lashes hiding the hot pin prick shimmer that threatened to grow. Yet all the while her head told her to take a step back she found herself drawing closer. In another life and another time, Asmus had told her just the same in a tiny little ship mess. There, with the scent of bacon and biscuits clinging to her hair, that boy drew her broken self into his arms and comforted her so. At that time it had been for another man and another broken home. This time it had everything to do with the all grown up Asmus Janes in his fancy Snow White shirt and expensive trousers. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Before Kaile knew it her forehead had found a perch right against that trim fabric against his chest, her nose tickling right over his breast bone so he could feel the shallow, quick, hot breaths she was taking. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]It was an overwhelming wave of emotions; her love for him and her guilt. The longing she felt that would clash against her sense of responsibility. Things just were never so easy. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Maybe that internal turbulence is why her free hand found itself crawling up from his waist, gripping his shirt and drawing Asmus to her as if he was her first breath. She needed him that much, as much as she needed to breathe and he was here. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]He is right here. [/SIZE]

 

[Asmus Janes]

“Okay.” It held an entirely different meaning this time. Softly murmured it was to himself. Much more of an: Okay, this is how it is.

Asmus brought his arms arm and cautiously wrapped them around her. At first they were just lightly held against her. The slightest reassuring touch to let her know that he responded. It wasn't the changes in his build that Kaile could feel that were the main differences about Asmus. Back on the Quintessence he had muddled along, trying his best to cheer her up. A more self-assured Asmus Janes held her in his arms. He was more comfortable with his own identity, more confident in his actions. It wasn't the case that the last few years had gifted him more insights into forming emotional connections.

In fact in that time the attempts had never ended well. But Kaile spoke to him on another level. All that emotion was hidden behind her eyes but it would bleed out when it became too much. At night affection spilled over and she showed him what he meant to her. But at times all the conflict she held could spill free and she would quietly sob and tremble.

His arms slowly wrapped around the hold her tighter. He kissed her hair before rubbing his cheek against her temple. His hands worked up and down her spine. Hers would explore and express on their own as always. All he could do was hold her. Hold her and tell her that it was okay. Because even if it wasn't, no matter what went through her mind, it would all be anchored to one truth: he was there.

Asmus would never ask anything of her for that. He didn't know if she had found solace in the arms of another in the intervening years. Maybe with Max or that Kurt. He didn't know that the Meyer family would care for her if she went back to them. What asmus knew was that she had been lonely, confused and conflicted when he had first met her and that she was again now.

Asmus said nothing more and took no drastic action. He surrounded her with himself and waited for her cues. His slow steady breath rolled over the top of her head as she hid against his chest.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]


[SIZE=9pt]Kaile lost track of how long he held her, his arms a warm cocoon that would envelop her, drawing her close to his embrace. It wasn’t a tight grip, but one that let her know that he was here. Every caress, every slide of his hands and the press of his lips upon her brow and on the crown of her head gently, coaxing reminders of his presence. In time, the Lorrdian managed to gather her bearings, the wild torrent of emotions calming amidst those choppy seas. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]However, that didn’t halt the wandering of Kaile’s palm around Asmus’s waist. Much as he had thought, the Lorrdian couldn’t help but let her hands be her method of communication. Every action and inaction a wealth of information. In this case, the tight press and slide of fingers that went gliding across his waist down to the small of his back. There her fingers spread wide as if needing to feel the flex and warmth that radiated from underneath Asmus’ shirt. There it ended up curving up, tracing the breadth of his back until her fingertips lightly dug down. There was almost a desperation to the touch, one that waned as the minutes passed and Kaile settled herself against Asmus’ chest. Every breath she took would lightly fan the fabric of his shirt, her cheek slightly squashed against it. She was close enough to where she could hear the steady, quiet thud of his heart. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Finally, the strawberry blonde’s shoulders rose as she took in a deep breath, letting it fill her lungs. It brought with it the slight musk unique to the man that held her, and Kaile kept her eyes closed as she let that set for a bit. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Stop being so silly.[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] She told herself, although it was a weak voice inside her head that said it. Yet she couldn’t help it. There were triggers here and there. Every time she thought she could be strong and keep it all in, something happened that just tipped her over that precipice. [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]What does he even think of me? [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Another came. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]It was a series of questions that Kaile both desperately wanted to hear but also knew she shouldn’t. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]It only made her want to keep him with her more. [/SIZE]

 

[Asmus Janes]

No words but again she spoke to him. There was so much he desperately wanted to tell her. The whiskey girl stories were the tip of the iceberg. He wanted her to know how much he had thought of her over the last few years. To tell her over and over that he wanted, needed her here with him. He wanted to tell her that when the moment came he desperately didn't want her to run again.

Yet with each second those voices were drowned out by the quietest sound. Her gentle breaths were barely louder than the waves lapping at the shore but his mental voice was lost to them.

When she let out a sigh he felt the subtle shift in her body language. He let the silence stay for a few more seconds before kissing the top of her head again. The scent of her hair evoked so many memories that he had to brace himself for another few seconds before he spoke.

“I want you to know…” but he didn't tell her what he wanted her to know. That could have taken an hour. Perhaps it might surprise her that the man he had become decided to tell her what he thought she needed to know instead. “...that even though I've missed you so very much. It was still your decision to make and I'll always respect that. No matter what your reasons were.”

Everything else could come more slowly. There was no point telling. She would just come to know how much he really had missed her the longer she was around him. Bit by bit, even if each little revelation shocked her it was better than it all coming out at once.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

"...that even though I've missed you so very much."

Asmus' voice was a steady thrum by the crown of her head. A low tenor, the sound of his voice a quiet vibration against Kaile's ear. Every breath and word would lightly fan the loose tendrils that stuck up to her temple. There was typically a calming quality to the pilot's voice, although for the most part people were used to his more energetic personality. This one, though, this particular one, where he cradled her close and murmured by her ear was a version of Asmus few ever managed to see.

Shame that his words were just as bittersweet as they were poignant.

"It was still your decision to make and I'll always respect that."

Part of Kaile wondered if he would be that understanding if he knew the entire reasons why. In all likelihood, he had gathered and come to his own conclusions that it dealt with her lifestyle as an agent. Sure, that was one thing. Easily explainable in light of being discovered back on that extraction mission. It could even explain why the agent refused to contact him after.

"No matter what your reasons were."

However, it wasn't all black and white. At Asmus' last, Kaile felt her throat bob once more. Another fine tremble came as she took another deep breath. Turning her head inwards to hide her face against his chest, Kaile couldn't help her racing mind. There had been so many reasons. My job. The risks. Quin....

A deep, weary breath fell from her lips, her fingers tightening against his shirt for the briefest of seconds. Would he still think the same if he knew the entire truth? The whole truth? It was easier to say the words when one was cast into blissful oblivion. Perspective had a tendency to change once one's flaws and darkest secrets were brought out into the light.

But this was her pain to bear; not Asmus'. Get yourself together, Kaile girl, she told herself again.

Yet that didn't stop her heart from pounding at the notion that little by little, her fragile control over the situation was failing. And if it did so....what then?

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

He didn't know just how much pain she had buried deep down. If he knew it would have explained how fragile she seemed. Everything would have been different if he had been there. But would the twenty year old Asmus have buckled trying to share that burden? They would never know. For now he just held her closer and let her stay next to his heart.

"Kaile," he murmured.

Asmus wasn't even aware of the conscious cue his body took from hers, but he knew it was time to speak again. He didn't know what she thought of what he had had to say, but he did at least know she had let it sink in.

He looked up at the clock on the wall, thinking back to when he had ordered for.

"Food will be here in a couple of hours. Why don't you unpack your things and we can go on a quiet walk down the beach before they arrive?" Food first, clear the air, then they could finish their planning.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]


There was reason in Asmus' words. Encouragement there. Taking another deep breath into her lungs, Kaile managed a slow nod. Although if she was honest with herself, part of her didn't want to leave Asmus' embrace just yet.

"Okay," she said. Another connection made, the following definition to relay what couldn't be spoken aloud in words like a sigh held in suspension.

There was a quiet nod of her head, the woman slightly pulling away from Asmus' chest. Her head remained low, eyes downcast and flickering towards anything but Asmus' face. Directly in front of her, the morning sun was already illuminating the vast open space of the living room area. A bright and cheery light that spread across the decor, painting it in soft yellows and corals. Beyond that, the rays slowly warming the blue-beige swath of sand that led towards the crashing waves and lazy caws of seabirds.

The glass of water would remain forgotten for a moment, the agent taking the time to try and gather her bearings towards the direction she was supposed to make. He'd mentioned to the left?

That moment is when Kaile finally brought her face up, wide chocolate brown eyes making contact with the deep, sun glinted forests of Asmus' own. There was a pregnant pause. Full, gestating there. Fluttering with life for the briefest space of a moment.

"Where to?" Kaile managed to croak, swallowing again.

 

[Asmus Janes]

Asmus just smiled down at her. It wasn't a joyful smile. Just calm, natural. As if it was the only expression that belonged on his face. His hand came up and captured her chin before she could turn away. There was a lot he didn't understand about Kaile. But he knew that he treasured those moments when she wouldn't turn away, when he could get lost in her eyes and be content to lose all sense of where he was. Lost, without any charts back.

"Nowhere," he replied with a shake of his head. "We'll walk nowhere and then we'll come back."

He leaned in, thumb tracing across her cheek just before he planted a delicate kiss on her lips. Sighing, he leaned back away from here.

"Here...we are nowhere. And that's the best part of being here. Okay?" Do you understand? He asked with one word this time. That here we have time and space. No one for miles. We can walk down the beach at night or day with no goal in mind, just to hold hands and listen to the see. Okay.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Nowhere and come back.

Funny, how the simplicity of the statement gave Kaile comfort. Maybe because it didn't set any expectations for her. It provided a way for her to simply be, to take what was happening and run with it. No goals. No endpoints. No expectations or pressure on where it may lead them. Just go and back.

Maybe it was because it presented an aura of false safety. A net that suggested that a simple was was all that it was; perhaps, on a surface level, that was exactly what it was. Just a simple walk out on the beach. No words would need to pass between them. No goal to strive towards. Maybe that was all that Asmus really intended, but there was no denying that their interactions were escalating with increasing tension.

Kaile gave Asmus a silent nod, her lips still warm from the gingerly press of his lips. Her fingertips delicately played with the fabric of his shirt at his back. Okay, she told herself. Just breathe.

It took another second before Kaile was able to pull her hands away, her hands falling to her side. Blinking rapidly, the woman gave a quiet sweep of her head. My bag? Her expression would relay that she was searching for it.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

He could have stood there and let her hands gently roam, searching for reassurance, for an hour. A bit of fresh air would do them both good. Build an appetite before lunch and just let them settle into their new surroundings. That was the belief he held. He didn't know if it was true. This was all new ground and the terrain was even more precarious than those four days on his uncle's freighter. Everything was guesswork. There were no charts or calculations here.

He looked towards her hall where the bag had been dropped and could not see it. As he walked towards the door he remember that it had been in his hand for just a second before he'd followed Kaile into the kitchen.

"Oh, yeah," he mumbled in an apologetic tone. He flashed her a brief smile and picked it up again. "Come on," he said as he headed up the stairs. "From my room you can see how far it is to the next house." There likely wasn't even anyone in it. Whilst it was warm through the middle of the day it wasn't the peak season for the holiday homes to be occupied. School was still on for another month.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Speaking about the house again drew Kaile's attention to luxury that came along with it. It might be all simple lines and open areas, but there was money in this. As her hand came up to lightly skim across the dark wood of a railing, it only emphasized her original thought. He came from money.

Sure, Asmus had five years to save up and treat himself, but that didn't mean he didn't have a trust fund or other monies available from his parents. They might be what Eriaduians considered "New Money", but they made a mark for themselves in local trade. Even if the family's legacy and lofty goals weren't quite what Asmus had been searching for in life.

So the thought that the view from his room allowed him the ability to see as far as the neighbor's house was quite daunting. All the more so when the Wraith would guide her inside. Perhaps it was a good thing that the doors to the walk in closet and the refresher were closed; it might have be a bit too much to take in.

Kaile's eyes went wide just as the pair reached the neck of the corridor. Really, it was all the light that first caught her notice, the floor to ceiling windows taking about three-quarters of the room itself. Ever so used to small, space cabins with barely enough room for her to place all of her worldly possessions in. This -- well this could very well be as large as the smallest observation room on the Subversion.

There was just so much... space. He had been right, and then some. Words left her, but at least this time, it was in wonder and awe.

"Shiny."

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"Thank you," he said politely as he stepped out into the space. They could probably waltz around the floor in this room. The windows on the first floor had a slight navy tint to them. During the day they were mostly one way, but at night there was a button to turn them opaque.
Seeing his casual Subversion clothes in a messy pile he went to tidy them away. “Hopefully it holds it value until the bank says it's mine too. The idea is when it's paid off and if I want to settle in my own place on the ground I could probably trade this for a sensible apartment in the city.”
He disappeared into the wardrobe and returned empty handed. “It takes me a few nights to get used to the bed. I'm kind of use to having a bulkhead against my back. And head. And feet. And this is hardly cosy. Not to mention that we've been sharing one of those little cabin beds.”
It had actually been quite strange the very first nights. His room on the Quintessence had felt like home for a long time. That had been just as cramped as an Alliance cabin and also crammed full of his things. Asmus had invited friends to stay just to fill the house. More recently when he stayed here he could appreciate the space and the peace and quiet. It was somewhere he could switch off.
“Wardrobe and refresher are the two doors you passed if you want to unpack. Or we can head off now and do that later.” He tried not to watch her closely, but the problem was he cared a very great deal about what she thought of him and the way he lived his life.