The dream was glorious, so much so that Kess fought not to wake up. Her whole soul was vulnerable yet entirely safe in the strength of his sphere. She would give anything to rest in his light forever, even if it was only a dream.
But her circadian clock urged her to action. Soon, Kess would have to yank her ass out of bed for the grinder in the cold dawn, running silently beside him in the continuing drudgery to pretend she didn't want him. Until her alarm went off, however, Kess granted herself permission to cuddle deeper into that dream and imagine her pillow was his body.
Except that his body was in the way of her pillow.
An eye popped open.
The morning light made her bedroom glow in shades of moss, butter, and smoke. Hot blankets covered her nudity, and naked legs tangled with naked legs. Luke lay asleep on his side, his head curled over her on the pillow with his hair in his eyes. Big arms trapped her body in dead weight. Heavy breathing nearly snored.
Brown eyes dawned with love. Kess cuddled in, sliding softly not to wake him, and tucked her face under his chin. She closed her eyes to absorb every sense of this gorgeous morning for several delicious minutes.
Luke's head jerked up from the pillow with a hard sniff of sudden awakeness. Sleepy eyes shifted to discover the room he was in, then the daylight through the window, then down to the naked woman in his arms.
Kess peaked up and angled an eyebrow.
Luke snorted humor and dove his face back to the pillow. His arms constricted around her body and his smile grumbled into her hair. "For a second I thought I was late to meet you on the grinder."
In truth, her alarm was still set for an hour later than usual because of her bed rest and his weeklong mission. She slithered deeper into him and whispered into his neck. "You are."
He pulled back, "You want to go running?"
A sneaky voice smiled up. "Not really."
They shared a sleepy chuckle. Luke settled, angling his ear on the pillow to see her, and looked at all parts of her face.
Brown eyes turned up and filled with gold emotion.
Fingers traced lazily on skin.
The sheets smelled of sex.
And the alarm kicked in. "Good morning. The time is Zero Six Zero Zero. You DIDN'T HAVE TO GO RUNNING TODAY, but now you have to get UP and fix Y-wings."
Kess hid her embarrassment in his naked breast. Luke sniggered into her hair. "Fixing Y-wings is your real punishment? Should've guessed that months ago."
"You're one to talk. You don't even have a fighter anymore."
Luke rolled partway to his back and combed his bangs from his eyes. "Oh blast. I gotta hop Five back over to Rogue Group before Wedge blows a gasket."
Kess rolled with him and draped her arms across his torso. "I wouldn't be in such a hurry to turn her over to the man. You know what he's going to do with it, don't ya?"
"Yeah, I know." He looked her in the eye with the truth. "But I resigned. I don't have any rights to her anymore."
Kess flopped out her lower lip in a pout about that.
"Want to come help me?"
Eyebrows lifted into her forehead. "Help you? Fly Five? From one pad to the other?" She smiled like he'd gone mad. "You need 'help' with this?"
"Of course not, but—
"I would but I'm being 'punished' in the great land of Y-wings, remember? Commander Tolgray is a less than lenient when it comes to me leaving for Jedi errands."
"It's not a Jedi errand. Rogue Group Commander wants a word with you, doesn't he?"
"Yeah I know." Kess pushed herself off his body and sat up. "I went to report into him yesterday before knock-off but Han and Lando were already on the mission to hustle him out to the pub. I started to wonder if Wedge would really use official channels to yank me out for a birthday beer." She shrugged her hands in her lap and looked over her shoulder at him.
Luke sat up with a dismissive grumble. "Wedge wouldn't do that."
"I didn't think so." She felt his mouth resting on her naked shoulder from behind. "So what does he want to see me about?" She grinned over her shoulder at the boyish guilt peaking through his bangs. Her tone hiked higher, "And what do you know about it?"
Blue eyes pouted like a pup for a moment more, then Luke burst into a big smile and hopped out of the bed. "You should go find out!"
Kess tried to whack his ass but he leapt out of reach before she could. The 'argument' continued in whispers as they threw clothes at each other's heads. Kess wrapped her body in a brown robe so she could jump into the shower, but she let him finish getting dressed before she opened the door.
Voices made noises in the living room.
His sparkle evaporated as his eyes and shifted to the door. Luke turned his back to her as he sat down on the bed to stuff on his boots.
Kess could sense the nerves constricting his throat. To leave this room now would advertise this to the world. Kess wasn't sure if Luke was ready for that yet. In caring, she considered popping out with a friendly diversion. She watched him stand up beside the bed as he finished donning his stinky clothes. He wrapped the tunic over his shoulders and left it flapping open like a broken sweater. His black uniform was crumpled from a cramped hyperspace flight and then spending the night on the floor in a pile. His hair was a mop in need of a helmet. Kess had never seen him so disheveled.
A rough knock rapped on the door. "Kess? You home?" It was Kayla's voice.
Eyes shifted to the door and back to each other. They could hear pieces of the girly girl debate out there. Kayla's true purpose was to verify Kess wasn't home as proof of the suspected tryst. Yana and Joann argued that Kess went to bed by herself.
Kess sighed apologetically. Luke's hands wrapped his belt home as he stared at her . . . and his mouth curled to grin like a cat with a feather in his mouth.
"Kess!" Knock knock knock. "I come bearing java in peace and apologies!"
Kess opened her mouth to offer—
Luke rolled his shoulders back and stepped into action. He sucked his lightsaber into his palm as he crossed the small room and hitched it onto his belt as he elbowed the door control.
He dropped his shoulder against the doorframe and angled his chin at Kayla. "Black with sugar. Apology accepted."
Kayla's jaw dropped. She spread her palm and took a step back, bowing with reverence.
Yana yelped and yanked her robe closed.
Joanne smacked sleepy behind her mug. "Wasn't expecting that."
"Well this truth comes with a condition," Luke plucked the paper cup from of Kayla's hand and scolded her with a pointed finger at her nose. "No more public jokes."
Kayla spread her hands in happy surrender. "Truce, baby!"
He sipped the cup as he strutted smugly away, and she came out after him. Luke strolled toward the door and Kess strolled toward the bathroom, each sharing cold words but with heated eyes.
"See you later."
"Bye."
He left.
She paused.
Joanne toasted her mug in the air like the words were profanity. "And may the FORCE be with you!"
Kayla skipped and squeaked with victory. Kess spun with a growling cuss. Yana grunted grinning disbelief. Joanne laughed tightly.
Her cheeks were burning pink. "Stop making a big deal out of it or he won't come back."
"Sorry, sorry, sorry." Kayla tucked her yellow and magenta hair behind her ear with an adult sigh . . . and then giggled giddy again. "I'm sorry. I'm just so proud of you!"
