It was past midnight when Kyp finally returned home, grateful to be able to seek out his bed, which he could have sworn kept calling, almost yelling out his name over and over again.

He'd had one hell of a day and now he was drop dead tired and damned well ready to ignore any further interruptions. Thrusting his hands into his pockets, he drew out his comlink and switched if off, throwing it onto the sofa in a wide arc.

He kicked off his boots – jumping up and down on one foot while the other boot seemed to be stuck – and placed his dark brown cloak over the back of the sofa.

Before heading towards his bedroom he made sure that anyone calling his personal comm unit would receive a recorded message of him not being able to answer – until at least noon the next day.

For a moment he wondered if he should switch off the door chime as well but only someone very brave would dare disturb him in his current mood and there weren't very many people that came to mind.

So he shrugged it off and slouched into his bedroom, unfastening his Jedi garments on the way. He laid his lightsaber on a small dresser next to the door then let the sash around his waist fall to the floor where he stood. He slipped out of the robe, pulled his shirt over his head – and cursed under his breath when his shins hit the bed.

He was so tired he was hardly paying attention.

Throwing his shirt aside, he let himself fall onto his soft bed, the fluffy covers seeming to welcome him into the land of colorful dreams. He was barely able to reach for his favorite pillow before the veil of sleep took him in…

…

…

…

He sat bolt upright when he heard that treacherous sound of someone at the front door. At first he'd thought it was part of a very strange dream he'd been having – about two talking animals and he was sure the slithering one had represented Luke Skywalker – but then his brain had registered that someone was indeed brave enough to irritate him. He took a quick look at the small chrono on his nightstand and fought the urge to throw the device against the wall.

He'd be asleep for an entire hour! Wow…

Taking a deep, steadying breath he pushed himself off his bed and balled his hands into fists. Maybe it was important? Maybe the world was coming to an end and they needed him to save their sorry asses? Maybe someone important actually died and they – whoever they were -- were letting him know?

He hoped there was a catastrophe on the loose or else he'd be mightily pissed off.

He stalked through the darkness of the living area until he got to the controls for the lights. He dialed them up to forty percent then made his way to the front entrance of his apartment. He slapped the controls for the door to open and wasn't the least bit surprised to see the one crazy woman in the galaxy who didn't seem to care if Kyp Durron slept or not.

"What?" he growled at her, crossing his arms in front of his chest and narrowing his green gaze as Jaina Solo smirked.

"Were you sleeping?" She asked sweetly as she pushed him aside and entered his home.

"No. I was just lying around pretending to sleep with my eyes closed."

Jaina chuckled while turning towards him. The front door closed silently and she arched a brow at the man's near nakedness. Her dark brown eyes trailed along his broad shoulders, down his strong arms and impeccable torso, down towards his muscled abdomen but she didn't allow her eyes to venture further.

Fighting a blush she forced herself to keep looking straight into his face, "Do you want me to leave?"

"What do you want, Jaina?" Kyp asked with an exasperated sigh, moving passed her and heading back into his bedroom. Jaina followed him with a questioning gaze, watching as he hurried towards his sleeping place, pulling back the covers and laying down beneath them.

She almost laughed when he grabbed a pillow, punching at it a few times before snuggling into it with his tousled head. His hair was standing on end, strands sticking out here and there – the new style gave him an overall adorable appearance.

"I didn't know you liked soft." Jaina said with a sly grin and she chuckled when Kyp raised his head to glare at her. "Your bed covers are fluffy, Kyp." She trailed her fingers along the thick, black cloth.

"Try sleeping in uncomfortable bunk beds for eight years of your life and you'll come to appreciate softness."

There was an awkward silence in which Jaina took a long look around Kyp's bedroom, finding it very bland, almost cold. Where she would have put up pictures of friends and family, Kyp's walls were bare, lacking warmth.

She listened to his breathing, watched as his chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. She smiled when she realized he'd fallen asleep again.

Slowly she moved around the bed and sat down next to him, reaching out to brush a strand of wavy dark hair out of his face. He seemed completely at peace while he was sleeping – there were no lines of worry, no frown that sometimes seemed to be permanently etched into his handsome, regal features.

Gently she moved her knuckles across his cheek and his eyes fluttered open at her touch. His gaze locked onto hers and she found herself shivering – it felt like he was staring right through her.

"What did you want, Goddess?" he whispered, pulling the covers up to his chin.

Jaina shrugged, fidgeting around with the sleeve of her jacket. Almost absent mindedly she tossed her hair across her shoulder and heaved a sigh, "I guess I just didn't want to be alone."

She smiled weakly, "I'm sorry, Kyp. It's late. I shouldn't have come." She was halfway off the bed when Kyp suddenly grabbed her wrist and sat up.

"What's wrong?"

He pulled her back down and she was grateful that he didn't want her to leave. She felt odd. She felt lost somehow, alone even though the world was full with people, even though her friends and family would always be there for her no matter what.

She felt lost.

"I needed someone to talk to. I needed a friend." She heaved a sigh, "But you need to sleep. You look horrible, by the way."

Kyp chuckled and sat up straight, "Me? Horrible? Never! I'm as handsome as ever."

She laughed at his playful tone and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Nervousness crept up her spine suddenly – that's when she realized she was alone with Kyp, sitting in his bed and he was only halfway clothed.

Her cheeks flamed a bright red and she was glad he couldn't decipher the color while sitting in semi darkness with her.

"I'll come back later, if that's alright." Her voice was low and she really felt the damndest urge to leave. She didn't trust herself around the older, very male Jedi at that moment.

He completely surprised her when he pulled her into a warm embrace, placing a small kiss on her forehead. His fingers trailed up and down her spine in a gentle motion and she felt her skin prickle.

"Whatever you need, whenever you need – I'll be here for you Jaina." His whispered words broke something within her and she found herself clinging to him, her nails biting into the warm, soft flesh of his shoulders.

"Thank you." She whispered forcing herself to pull back and when she did their gazes locked; a sudden spark passed between them and she was fully aware of his presence – of his near naked presence at that. She felt his warm breath on her skin, watched his dark eyes flick back and forth. His lips were curved into a slight smile and her hands began to tremble.

"I…" she was at a loss for words; Kyp was like a magnet, pulling her towards him, her eyes chocolate brown eyes never once leaving his dark green gaze. There had been many times in which she'd imagine Kyp as her partner but she'd always pushed him away – over and over again she would watch him step back, not wanting to crowd her but she had felt a sparks of hurt through the Force.

And so they'd settled on friendship. But Jaina wasn't interested in friendship at that moment. She wanted Kyp the way a woman wanted a man. She didn't want to bind him; she wanted to feel for a little while, she wanted to forget – she wanted to be the woman she hoped Kyp saw in her.

She reached out to trail a finger down his stubbly cheek, moving along towards his chin. He closed his eyes and let out a dark, husky breath when her thumb touched his lower lip and she thought she felt him tremble.

"Jaina." He grabbed her wrist in a light grasp and swallowed, "Be sure you know what you're doing. Because I won't back off."

Jaina arched a brow and smiled at him, the corners of her mouth twisting upward seductively, "I know exactly what I'm doing." She whispered leaning forward to capture his lower lip with her teeth. Sitting up straight she wriggled her wrist from his grasp and gave him a questioning glance, a sudden silent doubt in the back of her mind.

They were friends. She didn't want to lose his friendship and she couldn't help but wonder if one night with her object of desire would ruin everything they'd built up together?

Common sense didn't want to snap to attention and she found herself kissing a trail along the line of his jaw, going lower until she could nibble at his neck. He bent his head upward in silent invitation for her to go on.

Kyp kicked the covers off his athletic form and Jaina swung her leg over his hip, straddling him as she kissed her way up towards his ear. He propped himself onto both his hands and he felt her weight lean into him; he closed his eyes, not even trying to fight back a moan of pleasure to finally have Jaina this close after so many years of wanting her.

He wanted to kiss her, the urge growing stronger when she sat up, laying her arms onto his shoulders. She licked her lips slowly and he watched with intimate need he hadn't felt in a very long time.

Reaching up, he thrust a hand into her dark hair, pulling her down towards his mouth. When he touched her lips with his, a deep groan emanated from his throat and the need for her suddenly sparked.

He flipped her onto her back, not once breaking the kiss as he used one hand to run down the side of her body. Her moan reverberated through him but she frowned suddenly when he stopped moving, his hands laying next to her shoulders as he withdrew from the kiss, staring down at her.

"This won't work." He whispered, his voice darker than usual and she shivered at the mere thought of his voice near her ear while they were together.

She felt a blush surface and she cleared her throat, trying to find a way to get out of Kyp's hold. "I'm sorry, Kyp. I shouldn't have come." She tried pushing him away but he wouldn't budge and then she noticed his smile spreading into a wide grin.

"That's not what I meant, Goddess." He leaned forward, nuzzling her cheek with his nose, "You're still fully clothed."

Jaina laughed, digging her hands into his soft, wavy hair. Their lips met for another ferocious kiss and she trembled at the single thought of what was to come. Something told her Kyp would not disappoint…

Jaina propped herself onto her elbows and laid her head back. Kyp felt his way down her torso, his hand reaching underneath her shirt. His fingers trailed a gentle path along her ribs; she shivered under his touch and breathed out a stuttering sigh.

She felt his soft lips touch the bare skin around her navel, his warm tongue snaking out to taste her. A moan escaped the back of his throat as he looked up to catch her gaze, licking upwards from her abdomen to the front clasp of her bra.

Jaina sat up, pulling her shirt above her head.

…

Kyp awoke with a fuzzy headache and groaned when he opened his eyes. He'd forgotten to shut the blinds and the sun wasn't very kind to him. He pulled the covers over his head and rolled onto his side, not in the least interested to already start the day. But he did take a quick peek at the chrono and his eyebrow shot up. It was mid afternoon already.

He sighed and shoved the covers down to his hips a frown suddenly creasing his forehead.

"Oh. Force." He croaked as he remembered the night before. Jaina had come to see him and she'd stayed. Hadn't she? She wouldn't have left without saying good-bye…

Or had he only been dreaming? If so, it had been one hell of a vivid dream.

He ran a hand across his face and sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Had he really only been dreaming?

He got up and took a look around his bedroom, looking for clothes that he remembered had been carelessly tossed aside. When he gazed down at himself he realized he was still wearing the pants to his Jedi robes. He remembered being too tired to completely undress himself…

His frown deepening he hurried into the living area, halfway expecting Jaina to greet him with a beaming smile. But his apartment was completely empty. She wasn't in the living area, she wasn't in the fresher and the small kitchen was empty as well.

Kyp rubbed his eyes and groaned, shaking his head. He was confused – he was very, very, very confused.

"A dream?" he muttered aloud. He'd never dreamt so many details before. He could have sworn he still felt her touch, still felt her breath on his skin.

He tried clearing his mind of her image and decided to give her a call instead of giving himself a headache if she'd actually come to see him or not.

Retrieving his comlink from the sofa, he switched it on – not surprised to have several messages, which he blatantly ignored – punching in Jaina's frequency.

"You're late, Kyp." She said when she picked up, not even granting him a "good morning". Which was obvious because it wasn't morning anymore.

"Late for what?" he asked, honestly not knowing what it was she was referring to.

"Council meeting. Something came up. We left you at least five messages."

"I…uh…I had a late night."

She snorted, "I'll bet. Partying all night, Durron?"
"Not really." He gave the com link a petrified look, holding it away from him as if it had suddenly sprouted thorns.

"Well then hurry up."

She cut the connection and Kyp closed his eyes for a moment. So it had just been a dream?

"Crap." He muttered while heading to the fresher, absolutely not looking forward to the coming day and having to look Jaina in the eye and be reminded of the dream over and over again.

Nope, not looking forward to it at all.