~*Deluge*~
Part Three
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kyp maneuvered Danni over to the bed and set her down gently.
"Now, let's see what we have here," he said as he sat down next to her and held the lamp closer to her back. Her shirt was ripped and bloodstained, and it was hard to tell how deep the cut went. As carefully as he could, he examined the wound trying not to cause her anymore pain. She had already surprised him by not bursting into tears like he expected.
"How bad is it?" she asked softly, looking back over her shoulder.
"It's hard to tell," he replied honestly. The lack of decent lighting and the condition of her clothing was making it difficult to diagnose the severity of her injury. "You're going to need to get out of that shirt so I can really see what shape you're in."
Danni jerked around and glared at him. "I don't think so!"
Kyp shook his head. "This isn't a time for modesty, Danni. You're injured, and as long as you stay in those wet clothes, I'm not going to be able to tell how badly you're hurt."
She kept staring at him in silence, a frown etched on her pretty face. It almost made him laugh out loud.
"What?" Kyp said, feeling a bit self-conscious under her stern gaze. "Oh, come on! It's not like I'm trying to pull some sleazy move on you or something. I'm just trying to help." Nothing but more silence answered him, so he tried again. "Believe me, I have better lines than 'take off your shirt'. Give me a little credit!"
Finally, Danni sighed and conceded to his instructions. "Okay, but turn your head."
Kyp rolled his eyes but did as she said. He could sense her struggling and heard her whimper in pain a couple of times. For a minute, he thought to turn around and offer his assistance, but he stopped himself, sure she'd never accept.
So he waited.
"Um, Kyp?" she muttered after a few more tries.
"Yeah," he answered.
"I, uh.," she paused, "I can't seem to get it off. My shoulder hurts too bad."
He heard the embarrassment in her voice and struggled not to make a smart- alec remark. Now was definitely not the time. Setting the glowlamp down on the floor by his feet, he turned back to help her.
Leaning down by her ear he questioned, "You have another shirt in your bag, right?"
"Uh-huh."
"Good," he stated. She felt him grab the back of her shirt by the collar, then felt and heard the fabric rip as he jerked his hands in opposite directions. Danni gasped when she realized what he had done and modestly clutched the front of the garment to her chest.
"Well, that took care of that problem," Kyp announced. "Now let me take another look at that cut."
He moved the lamp up on the bed beside them to better examine his patient. The wound itself was not too severe and had luckily already stopped bleeding. No doubt it would hurt for a while, though. Using a bacta patch, he made quick work of tending Danni's shoulder, but let his hand linger for a few extra seconds on the soft, warm skin of her back.
"Are you finished?" she asked looking over her shoulder. Some of her long blond hair had escaped from its damp braid and was hanging in loose tendrils along her cheeks and neck. With only the limited light, her face was shrouded in shadows, and Kyp was suddenly overcome with desire for her. He quickly jerked his hand away and stood up, embarrassed by the depth of his feelings. Attributing it to the excitement of the evening, he dismissed any thought of what he had just been fantasizing about.
"Um, yeah. all done," he said shyly turning away.
"Thank you," she offered with a smile. "It feels better already. Bacta is a wonderful thing."
Kyp hastily gathered up the leftover supplies and put them back into the medkit. "You were lucky. It wasn't as bad as it could have been."
"It wasn't luck," she argued causing him to stop and look at her. "It was you. You saved my life, Kyp."
He was speechless for a moment. Her face was wearing an expression, which had never been directed at him before. It was a combination of gratitude, respect, and something else he couldn't quite put a finger on.
"Hey, no big deal," he said nonchalantly with a smirk. "It's what I do."
Danni laughed out loud and another wave of desire washed over him. This was getting out of hand, he told himself. He had to quit thinking such thoughts.
She finally stood and faced him. "I'm going to clean up and get a new shirt."
He blushed. "Sorry about that. I guess I owe you one."
"That's okay," she replied with a twinkle in her eye. "I've seen your taste in clothes and I think I'll pass."
His eyebrows shot up in astonishment as he studied her grinning face. Her smirk told him she was just teasing, and that gleam in her eyes was enough to make him want to kiss her--- hard and long.
With one hand carefully holding the remains of her top in place and the other holding their only light source, Danni headed for the tiny refresher leaving Kyp completely in the dark. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The door to the refresher closed behind Danni and she stood motionless in the middle of the tiny room. It was an absolute necessity for her to gather her scattered thoughts after the crazy events of the evening. In addition to being mauled by a vicious wild animal, the feelings Kyp Durron had elicited from her over the past hour were enough to throw her mind and heart into a tailspin.
First, he'd driven her crazy, as usual, with his arrogant, self-assured behavior. Then something about him had flipped the switch to her sensuality, that part of her that had been lying dormant for all of her adult life. Relationships that leaned toward the romantic had been off- limits to her, by her own personal decree. Her career with Ex-Gal had taken first priority and the rest was something for later in life.
Was now really later?
When the cougar had attacked her, the frailty of her life had rushed to the forefront of her mind. If it had killed her, who would be left behind to mourn? Her mother, of course, but after that it would only be a handful of close friends who would miss her. No one special. no one who was just for her.
Then, there came Kyp, swooping down on that predator with a vengeance. He'd saved her. thought of her safety before his very own. What did that mean? Was he just 'doing his job'? Or was it more? The way he had gently tended her wound, the feel of his warm strong hands on her shoulder, it was all too confusing. She needed this time alone in hiding to clear her head. Surely she wasn't actually considering Kyp as anything but a nuisance.
Shaking her head, she began pulling out a dry change of clothes, determined to not let such foolish thoughts continue. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Not wasting any time, and needing a diversion for his wayward thoughts about Danni, Kyp busied himself around the cabin. Using the light from his lightsaber he was able to find some spare firewood buried beneath a pile of other items in a corner and spark a nice blaze in the small fireplace. He pulled a blanket from the bed and spread it on the floor, then stretched out and stared into the flames.
Kyp Durron did not do relationships. of any kind.
He'd lost his parents when he was young, been imprisoned in an underground mine until he was sixteen, surviving on his wits and charm alone. When Han Solo had rescued him, he'd been overwhelmed with the possibilities presented to him. Unfortunately, he fell prey to the Dark Side, killed thousands of people, not the least of which was his own brother. Plus, the fact that he'd nearly killed Luke Skywalker didn't endear him to anyone else in the galaxy. So he had lived a rather secluded emotional life, which had been just as he preferred. Once upon a time, he'd envisioned himself happily married with a family of his own. Now he accepted that as an impossibility. No woman in her right mind would want to bind herself to one of the galaxy's worst mass murderers of all time. And he was okay with that.
Until now.
The closest Kyp had ever gotten to a romantic relationship was the confusing whirlwind of emotions he'd experienced related to Jaina Solo. For a time he had entertained the notion of him and her as an 'item'. However, that thought had passed, and rightfully so since she was now happily linked with Jag Fel, a man Kyp deemed worthy of his friendship and respect. After he'd purged Jaina from his system, he had sworn off romantic entanglements for good.
Now here he was having fantasies about a spitfire of a scientist who could care less if he lived or died. Her IQ was probably twice his own, he snickered. No way would she ever be interested in him. What did he have to offer? Absolutely nothing, and so he pushed any thoughts of Danni Quee to the back of his mind and decided to stop being a fool. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some time later Danni reentered the main room and was pleasantly surprised to find a fire blazing in the small fireplace.
"I had forgotten that was here," she announced.
Kyp turned from his resting place on the floor in front of the fire to watch her walk into the room. Her long wavy hair hung loosely all about her shoulders and shimmered like gold in the firelight. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her beauty. This was going to more difficult than he thought.
"How did you get it started?" she asked lowering herself gracefully onto the floor across from him.
"I found some firewood, tossed it in, and through the magic of my lightsaber-voila! I made fire!"
"How manly of you," she teased, amused by the male pride in his answer.
"Yes, well, I am quite masculine," he played along, puffing out his chest.
Danni laughed out loud and couldn't stop herself from taunting him further. "Oh, really? I hadn't noticed."
Kyp frowned. "Funny, Quee. Real funny," he replied with a straight face. In actuality, he wanted to laugh too, impressed with her quick and witty response. "So, what's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?" he asked in a lame attempt to spark a conversation.
"That's your better line?" she replied with a grin, wrapping her legs into a crossed position.
Kyp chuckled lightly. "Yep. I'm afraid I'm too tired to think up anything else. I thought we might at least try to enjoy each other's company since we're stuck here for the night."
"I've been stuck with you for the past few weeks, Kyp. Haven't you enjoyed my company yet?"
It was meant to sound snide and sarcastic, but instead came out flirtatious. Kyp studied her face aglow from the firelight, not sure how to respond. Did he tell her that right now there was no place else he'd rather be? It was hard for him to admit it, but he loved being with Danni. And her apparent frustration with him only made him more interested.
"It's had its good moments," he said nodding his head slowly. Danni looked away shyly, and Kyp tried again to strike up a meaningful conversation. "So, what made you want to come all the way out to this place. here at the edge of the galaxy? Was it a good place to meet guys?"
Danni snorted and rolled her eyes. "That wasn't quite my motivation." Kyp could feel the tension leave her as she settled in more comfortably by lying down on her side, propped up on her elbow, hand behind her head.
"No, I wanted to be like my mother," she began to explain. "She was a brilliant astrophysicist and fed my hunger for knowledge about space. Instead of dolls and fancy clothes, she bought me the latest telescopes and scientific equipment." She noticed Kyp staring at her and felt a bit self- conscious. "Yes, I was an odd child. kept to myself a lot of the time. had my head in the stars, I suppose."
Danni paused and lost herself in the memories. Kyp, anxious to hear more, urged her to continue. "What about your father?"
Danni sighed and crinkled her nose. "He wasn't around much. They separated when I was young, and after that I didn't see him very often. He was too wrapped up in his job to pay much attention to me, although he did help fund my education. I don't hold a grudge against him, though. My mother and I had a good life together."
"So what made you want to join Ex-Gal?" Kyp asked mirroring her position. He noticed the dreamy look that flashed in her eyes and thought her more beautiful than ever.
"Have you ever wanted to be the very first person to do something?. discover something? Well, that is what I wanted. To be the first person to discover life beyond our known boundaries." She lowered her head and snickered. "I guess I achieved my goal, wouldn't you say? Only now I'd give anything to take it all back."
Silence fell between them as each remembered the many friends who had lost their lives to the Yuuzhan Vong invaders. Miko, Wurth, Anakin, Jacen. the list went on and on. Kyp needed to lighten the mood.
"But just think, if things hadn't happened like they have, you wouldn't be sitting here with me right now having the time of your life." To top it off, he offered her a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows to which she laughed softly.
"True," she relented. "I don't think our paths would have crossed otherwise. I would still be here on Belkadan looking out into space and you-what would you have been doing?" she asked, truly curious.
The question took Kyp by surprise and he had to think of an answer. "Hmmm. good question," he admitted. "I'm not exactly sure. I'd still have my dozen, I suppose. Still be tracking down outlaw smugglers and bringing justice to the universe." He traced the stitches on the blanket with his finger as he continued to contemplate the possibilities of a life without the Vong. "And no matter what, I'd still be considered the biggest pain in the ass the Jedi order has to offer. Of that, I'm positive."
Danni noted his wide grin and had to smile as well. "I won't argue with you there," she added. "That seems to come naturally to you."
Kyp glared at her teasingly, loving the banter between them, falling deeper under her spell as the seconds ticked by. "And to think, this whole time I was certain you didn't even have a sense of humor. Now you just seem to be making joke after joke--- and all at my expense."
"You make it so easy," she harassed.
"Anything for you, sweetheart," he drawled.
Their eyes locked for just a moment, long enough for something deep yet unspoken to pass between them, and then she looked away, clearly shaken.
"Um, are you hungry?" she finally asked without looking at him. "I'm starved!" She stood up and ran her hands through her golden mane.
"Yeah, I could eat something," Kyp answered, jumping up ready to change the subject as well. "It's been awhile since that last tasty ration pack we had for lunch."
Danni chuckled nervously and headed for the small kitchen area, desperate to get away from Kyp and his penetrating brown eyes. One glance into their smoldering depths and she'd become instantly aware of how much she wanted him. Her emotions were whipping into a frenzied storm. It was something she didn't know quite how to deal with, so she did the only thing she knew to do-run away.
Once in the kitchen, she retrieved two ration packs from a storage cabinet. Her hands were sweaty and trembling slightly making it difficult to open the packs. Gritting her teeth, she kept trying to rip the seals but was having no luck. A flash of lightning exploded right outside the nearest window making her jump and let out a little screech.
"You okay?" Kyp asked from near the fireplace.
She took a deep breath and calmed her racing heart. "Yeah. I just can't seem to get these stupid things open," she stated.
Before she knew it, Kyp was behind her, his presence undeniable. "Here. let me help."
She slowly turned around finding him mere inches away from her. His unshaven face and unkempt hair made him all the more appealing to her at that very moment as they stood face to face. She held out her hand to offer him the stubborn ration packs, but couldn't take her eyes from his. Time seemed to stand still and Kyp reached out to take what she was giving. However, instead of taking the packs, he decided to take something else.
His let the backs of his fingers lightly brush the side of her face, satisfied when he heard her quick intake of air and felt her cheek lean toward his hand. She was so unbelievably soft that he couldn't take his hand away, and instead cupped her face in his large hand, holding her gaze prisoner to his. Thunder rolled across the sky and a new down pour began outside. At that moment, he didn't care that she was a renowned scientist who was too good for the likes of him. All he cared about was that she was with him and he was going to kiss her.
His other hand moved behind her neck and still she didn't object. Kyp took that as a good sign, and then lowered his mouth to hers. The feel was pure heaven. The kiss started out light and apprehensive, neither one believing what was actually happening. But soon enough, caution was thrown to the wind and Kyp had her backed up against the wall holding her as close as he possibly could. He kissed her over and over, passion growing with every touch, and when she made little sounds of pleasure, it only spurred him on. He moved to ravage first one side of her neck and then the other, moving back often to her soft, waiting lips.
"Kyp," she said breathlessly as he continued to lavish her with kisses. He could only lift his head for a moment and growl in response. His life had been too empty. It was time to make a change.
"Kyp," she said again, still not pushing him away. "I need to tell you something," she managed to say in the midst of his lips moving on hers. Finally, he paused and pulled back to look at her.
"What?" he asked in a husky whisper. "What do you need to tell me, Danni?" No matter what it was, he didn't think it could dampen the mood of the moment. He noticed how flushed her face was and how beautiful she looked having just been thoroughly kissed like she needed.and he needed it, too. Force, did he need it!
"I-I just want you to know that I-" she struggled to get the words out once he resumed nibbling on her ear. "I want you to know that I still don't like you," she managed to declare weakly. She heard the low rumble of his laughter in her ear and sighed in ecstasy, returning to his strong neck some of the kisses he had given.
"Yeah," he whispered, "I can tell."
Then he swept her up in his arms and headed toward the blanket in front of the fireplace. When he reached his destination, he bent his knees and deposited her carefully on the floor. Her eyes never left his, but she didn't say another word. He sat down beside her and tilted her chin up with his finger, placing another long, sumptuous kiss on her perfect mouth.
"Danni," he said softly. She looked up into his eyes awaiting his words and he knew she would be his. "I don't like you either."
His lips pressing down upon hers muffled her laugh, and as he pulled her down on the blanket with him, the storm outside raged on.
Part Three
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kyp maneuvered Danni over to the bed and set her down gently.
"Now, let's see what we have here," he said as he sat down next to her and held the lamp closer to her back. Her shirt was ripped and bloodstained, and it was hard to tell how deep the cut went. As carefully as he could, he examined the wound trying not to cause her anymore pain. She had already surprised him by not bursting into tears like he expected.
"How bad is it?" she asked softly, looking back over her shoulder.
"It's hard to tell," he replied honestly. The lack of decent lighting and the condition of her clothing was making it difficult to diagnose the severity of her injury. "You're going to need to get out of that shirt so I can really see what shape you're in."
Danni jerked around and glared at him. "I don't think so!"
Kyp shook his head. "This isn't a time for modesty, Danni. You're injured, and as long as you stay in those wet clothes, I'm not going to be able to tell how badly you're hurt."
She kept staring at him in silence, a frown etched on her pretty face. It almost made him laugh out loud.
"What?" Kyp said, feeling a bit self-conscious under her stern gaze. "Oh, come on! It's not like I'm trying to pull some sleazy move on you or something. I'm just trying to help." Nothing but more silence answered him, so he tried again. "Believe me, I have better lines than 'take off your shirt'. Give me a little credit!"
Finally, Danni sighed and conceded to his instructions. "Okay, but turn your head."
Kyp rolled his eyes but did as she said. He could sense her struggling and heard her whimper in pain a couple of times. For a minute, he thought to turn around and offer his assistance, but he stopped himself, sure she'd never accept.
So he waited.
"Um, Kyp?" she muttered after a few more tries.
"Yeah," he answered.
"I, uh.," she paused, "I can't seem to get it off. My shoulder hurts too bad."
He heard the embarrassment in her voice and struggled not to make a smart- alec remark. Now was definitely not the time. Setting the glowlamp down on the floor by his feet, he turned back to help her.
Leaning down by her ear he questioned, "You have another shirt in your bag, right?"
"Uh-huh."
"Good," he stated. She felt him grab the back of her shirt by the collar, then felt and heard the fabric rip as he jerked his hands in opposite directions. Danni gasped when she realized what he had done and modestly clutched the front of the garment to her chest.
"Well, that took care of that problem," Kyp announced. "Now let me take another look at that cut."
He moved the lamp up on the bed beside them to better examine his patient. The wound itself was not too severe and had luckily already stopped bleeding. No doubt it would hurt for a while, though. Using a bacta patch, he made quick work of tending Danni's shoulder, but let his hand linger for a few extra seconds on the soft, warm skin of her back.
"Are you finished?" she asked looking over her shoulder. Some of her long blond hair had escaped from its damp braid and was hanging in loose tendrils along her cheeks and neck. With only the limited light, her face was shrouded in shadows, and Kyp was suddenly overcome with desire for her. He quickly jerked his hand away and stood up, embarrassed by the depth of his feelings. Attributing it to the excitement of the evening, he dismissed any thought of what he had just been fantasizing about.
"Um, yeah. all done," he said shyly turning away.
"Thank you," she offered with a smile. "It feels better already. Bacta is a wonderful thing."
Kyp hastily gathered up the leftover supplies and put them back into the medkit. "You were lucky. It wasn't as bad as it could have been."
"It wasn't luck," she argued causing him to stop and look at her. "It was you. You saved my life, Kyp."
He was speechless for a moment. Her face was wearing an expression, which had never been directed at him before. It was a combination of gratitude, respect, and something else he couldn't quite put a finger on.
"Hey, no big deal," he said nonchalantly with a smirk. "It's what I do."
Danni laughed out loud and another wave of desire washed over him. This was getting out of hand, he told himself. He had to quit thinking such thoughts.
She finally stood and faced him. "I'm going to clean up and get a new shirt."
He blushed. "Sorry about that. I guess I owe you one."
"That's okay," she replied with a twinkle in her eye. "I've seen your taste in clothes and I think I'll pass."
His eyebrows shot up in astonishment as he studied her grinning face. Her smirk told him she was just teasing, and that gleam in her eyes was enough to make him want to kiss her--- hard and long.
With one hand carefully holding the remains of her top in place and the other holding their only light source, Danni headed for the tiny refresher leaving Kyp completely in the dark. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The door to the refresher closed behind Danni and she stood motionless in the middle of the tiny room. It was an absolute necessity for her to gather her scattered thoughts after the crazy events of the evening. In addition to being mauled by a vicious wild animal, the feelings Kyp Durron had elicited from her over the past hour were enough to throw her mind and heart into a tailspin.
First, he'd driven her crazy, as usual, with his arrogant, self-assured behavior. Then something about him had flipped the switch to her sensuality, that part of her that had been lying dormant for all of her adult life. Relationships that leaned toward the romantic had been off- limits to her, by her own personal decree. Her career with Ex-Gal had taken first priority and the rest was something for later in life.
Was now really later?
When the cougar had attacked her, the frailty of her life had rushed to the forefront of her mind. If it had killed her, who would be left behind to mourn? Her mother, of course, but after that it would only be a handful of close friends who would miss her. No one special. no one who was just for her.
Then, there came Kyp, swooping down on that predator with a vengeance. He'd saved her. thought of her safety before his very own. What did that mean? Was he just 'doing his job'? Or was it more? The way he had gently tended her wound, the feel of his warm strong hands on her shoulder, it was all too confusing. She needed this time alone in hiding to clear her head. Surely she wasn't actually considering Kyp as anything but a nuisance.
Shaking her head, she began pulling out a dry change of clothes, determined to not let such foolish thoughts continue. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Not wasting any time, and needing a diversion for his wayward thoughts about Danni, Kyp busied himself around the cabin. Using the light from his lightsaber he was able to find some spare firewood buried beneath a pile of other items in a corner and spark a nice blaze in the small fireplace. He pulled a blanket from the bed and spread it on the floor, then stretched out and stared into the flames.
Kyp Durron did not do relationships. of any kind.
He'd lost his parents when he was young, been imprisoned in an underground mine until he was sixteen, surviving on his wits and charm alone. When Han Solo had rescued him, he'd been overwhelmed with the possibilities presented to him. Unfortunately, he fell prey to the Dark Side, killed thousands of people, not the least of which was his own brother. Plus, the fact that he'd nearly killed Luke Skywalker didn't endear him to anyone else in the galaxy. So he had lived a rather secluded emotional life, which had been just as he preferred. Once upon a time, he'd envisioned himself happily married with a family of his own. Now he accepted that as an impossibility. No woman in her right mind would want to bind herself to one of the galaxy's worst mass murderers of all time. And he was okay with that.
Until now.
The closest Kyp had ever gotten to a romantic relationship was the confusing whirlwind of emotions he'd experienced related to Jaina Solo. For a time he had entertained the notion of him and her as an 'item'. However, that thought had passed, and rightfully so since she was now happily linked with Jag Fel, a man Kyp deemed worthy of his friendship and respect. After he'd purged Jaina from his system, he had sworn off romantic entanglements for good.
Now here he was having fantasies about a spitfire of a scientist who could care less if he lived or died. Her IQ was probably twice his own, he snickered. No way would she ever be interested in him. What did he have to offer? Absolutely nothing, and so he pushed any thoughts of Danni Quee to the back of his mind and decided to stop being a fool. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some time later Danni reentered the main room and was pleasantly surprised to find a fire blazing in the small fireplace.
"I had forgotten that was here," she announced.
Kyp turned from his resting place on the floor in front of the fire to watch her walk into the room. Her long wavy hair hung loosely all about her shoulders and shimmered like gold in the firelight. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her beauty. This was going to more difficult than he thought.
"How did you get it started?" she asked lowering herself gracefully onto the floor across from him.
"I found some firewood, tossed it in, and through the magic of my lightsaber-voila! I made fire!"
"How manly of you," she teased, amused by the male pride in his answer.
"Yes, well, I am quite masculine," he played along, puffing out his chest.
Danni laughed out loud and couldn't stop herself from taunting him further. "Oh, really? I hadn't noticed."
Kyp frowned. "Funny, Quee. Real funny," he replied with a straight face. In actuality, he wanted to laugh too, impressed with her quick and witty response. "So, what's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?" he asked in a lame attempt to spark a conversation.
"That's your better line?" she replied with a grin, wrapping her legs into a crossed position.
Kyp chuckled lightly. "Yep. I'm afraid I'm too tired to think up anything else. I thought we might at least try to enjoy each other's company since we're stuck here for the night."
"I've been stuck with you for the past few weeks, Kyp. Haven't you enjoyed my company yet?"
It was meant to sound snide and sarcastic, but instead came out flirtatious. Kyp studied her face aglow from the firelight, not sure how to respond. Did he tell her that right now there was no place else he'd rather be? It was hard for him to admit it, but he loved being with Danni. And her apparent frustration with him only made him more interested.
"It's had its good moments," he said nodding his head slowly. Danni looked away shyly, and Kyp tried again to strike up a meaningful conversation. "So, what made you want to come all the way out to this place. here at the edge of the galaxy? Was it a good place to meet guys?"
Danni snorted and rolled her eyes. "That wasn't quite my motivation." Kyp could feel the tension leave her as she settled in more comfortably by lying down on her side, propped up on her elbow, hand behind her head.
"No, I wanted to be like my mother," she began to explain. "She was a brilliant astrophysicist and fed my hunger for knowledge about space. Instead of dolls and fancy clothes, she bought me the latest telescopes and scientific equipment." She noticed Kyp staring at her and felt a bit self- conscious. "Yes, I was an odd child. kept to myself a lot of the time. had my head in the stars, I suppose."
Danni paused and lost herself in the memories. Kyp, anxious to hear more, urged her to continue. "What about your father?"
Danni sighed and crinkled her nose. "He wasn't around much. They separated when I was young, and after that I didn't see him very often. He was too wrapped up in his job to pay much attention to me, although he did help fund my education. I don't hold a grudge against him, though. My mother and I had a good life together."
"So what made you want to join Ex-Gal?" Kyp asked mirroring her position. He noticed the dreamy look that flashed in her eyes and thought her more beautiful than ever.
"Have you ever wanted to be the very first person to do something?. discover something? Well, that is what I wanted. To be the first person to discover life beyond our known boundaries." She lowered her head and snickered. "I guess I achieved my goal, wouldn't you say? Only now I'd give anything to take it all back."
Silence fell between them as each remembered the many friends who had lost their lives to the Yuuzhan Vong invaders. Miko, Wurth, Anakin, Jacen. the list went on and on. Kyp needed to lighten the mood.
"But just think, if things hadn't happened like they have, you wouldn't be sitting here with me right now having the time of your life." To top it off, he offered her a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows to which she laughed softly.
"True," she relented. "I don't think our paths would have crossed otherwise. I would still be here on Belkadan looking out into space and you-what would you have been doing?" she asked, truly curious.
The question took Kyp by surprise and he had to think of an answer. "Hmmm. good question," he admitted. "I'm not exactly sure. I'd still have my dozen, I suppose. Still be tracking down outlaw smugglers and bringing justice to the universe." He traced the stitches on the blanket with his finger as he continued to contemplate the possibilities of a life without the Vong. "And no matter what, I'd still be considered the biggest pain in the ass the Jedi order has to offer. Of that, I'm positive."
Danni noted his wide grin and had to smile as well. "I won't argue with you there," she added. "That seems to come naturally to you."
Kyp glared at her teasingly, loving the banter between them, falling deeper under her spell as the seconds ticked by. "And to think, this whole time I was certain you didn't even have a sense of humor. Now you just seem to be making joke after joke--- and all at my expense."
"You make it so easy," she harassed.
"Anything for you, sweetheart," he drawled.
Their eyes locked for just a moment, long enough for something deep yet unspoken to pass between them, and then she looked away, clearly shaken.
"Um, are you hungry?" she finally asked without looking at him. "I'm starved!" She stood up and ran her hands through her golden mane.
"Yeah, I could eat something," Kyp answered, jumping up ready to change the subject as well. "It's been awhile since that last tasty ration pack we had for lunch."
Danni chuckled nervously and headed for the small kitchen area, desperate to get away from Kyp and his penetrating brown eyes. One glance into their smoldering depths and she'd become instantly aware of how much she wanted him. Her emotions were whipping into a frenzied storm. It was something she didn't know quite how to deal with, so she did the only thing she knew to do-run away.
Once in the kitchen, she retrieved two ration packs from a storage cabinet. Her hands were sweaty and trembling slightly making it difficult to open the packs. Gritting her teeth, she kept trying to rip the seals but was having no luck. A flash of lightning exploded right outside the nearest window making her jump and let out a little screech.
"You okay?" Kyp asked from near the fireplace.
She took a deep breath and calmed her racing heart. "Yeah. I just can't seem to get these stupid things open," she stated.
Before she knew it, Kyp was behind her, his presence undeniable. "Here. let me help."
She slowly turned around finding him mere inches away from her. His unshaven face and unkempt hair made him all the more appealing to her at that very moment as they stood face to face. She held out her hand to offer him the stubborn ration packs, but couldn't take her eyes from his. Time seemed to stand still and Kyp reached out to take what she was giving. However, instead of taking the packs, he decided to take something else.
His let the backs of his fingers lightly brush the side of her face, satisfied when he heard her quick intake of air and felt her cheek lean toward his hand. She was so unbelievably soft that he couldn't take his hand away, and instead cupped her face in his large hand, holding her gaze prisoner to his. Thunder rolled across the sky and a new down pour began outside. At that moment, he didn't care that she was a renowned scientist who was too good for the likes of him. All he cared about was that she was with him and he was going to kiss her.
His other hand moved behind her neck and still she didn't object. Kyp took that as a good sign, and then lowered his mouth to hers. The feel was pure heaven. The kiss started out light and apprehensive, neither one believing what was actually happening. But soon enough, caution was thrown to the wind and Kyp had her backed up against the wall holding her as close as he possibly could. He kissed her over and over, passion growing with every touch, and when she made little sounds of pleasure, it only spurred him on. He moved to ravage first one side of her neck and then the other, moving back often to her soft, waiting lips.
"Kyp," she said breathlessly as he continued to lavish her with kisses. He could only lift his head for a moment and growl in response. His life had been too empty. It was time to make a change.
"Kyp," she said again, still not pushing him away. "I need to tell you something," she managed to say in the midst of his lips moving on hers. Finally, he paused and pulled back to look at her.
"What?" he asked in a husky whisper. "What do you need to tell me, Danni?" No matter what it was, he didn't think it could dampen the mood of the moment. He noticed how flushed her face was and how beautiful she looked having just been thoroughly kissed like she needed.and he needed it, too. Force, did he need it!
"I-I just want you to know that I-" she struggled to get the words out once he resumed nibbling on her ear. "I want you to know that I still don't like you," she managed to declare weakly. She heard the low rumble of his laughter in her ear and sighed in ecstasy, returning to his strong neck some of the kisses he had given.
"Yeah," he whispered, "I can tell."
Then he swept her up in his arms and headed toward the blanket in front of the fireplace. When he reached his destination, he bent his knees and deposited her carefully on the floor. Her eyes never left his, but she didn't say another word. He sat down beside her and tilted her chin up with his finger, placing another long, sumptuous kiss on her perfect mouth.
"Danni," he said softly. She looked up into his eyes awaiting his words and he knew she would be his. "I don't like you either."
His lips pressing down upon hers muffled her laugh, and as he pulled her down on the blanket with him, the storm outside raged on.