Not entirely happy with this chapter, but it's vital to the plot. Any feedback, positive or negative, would be greatly appreciated. Dude, if it sucks, tell me. I don't care if you flame. Please just review.

Chapter Seven

"So, how did you escape the evil fortress, then?" Saera was explaining to Glynn how she'd run away from home, sliding around the parts that showed her love for Luke, for a reason she couldn't quite figure out. "Give me all the dirty details," he said, grinning.

"There's aren't any. I know, I know, it's so cliché, but...I tied together the bed sheets and climbed out the window." She took a bite of the nerf sausage they'd found in the fridge and were now enjoying at the kitchen table. "But what about you? I mean, I've told you all this about me, and all I really know about you is your name, profession, and disdain for cooties."

"Former disdain for cooties, ma'am." He took a swig of the small bottle of wine they'd also opened. " I do not believe in such thing anymore," he said with a high-and-mighty aura that made her break down into laughs.

"Fine, former disdain for cooties. But tell me something, Glynn. Like...what's your ship named after?" She reached for the wine bottle.

Glynn's face went serious. "Mom. Her name was Gaellia. The ship's named after her. Mom was a strong woman. The Loser, my dad, left her before I was born. Probably in a gutter somewhere now, or dead. Mom took care of me all on her own and raised me the best she could. It was tough: we were living in a mining colony on a planet whose name I can't even pronounce, the last place she and my dad ended up. He stuck her there when he left, and then when I was born, she couldn't really leave because she didn't have the money. It wasn't the greatest place to grow up in, but she taught me all the morals I have and did her best to raise me right. I loved her for it so, so much. She...she died just after I got the ship." He stared at his hands on the table.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I guess that's one thing we've got in common. I miss my mother too. I think maybe you always miss someone who was an integral part of your life, you know. Now I'm starting to spout off 'meaning of life' junk!" She poured a little more wine into her glass and drank it quickly, half-laughing as he protested her description of their earlier conversation. Puling the glass away and grinning, she wiped the tendrils of wine dripping from her chin.

Saera and Glynn's eyes locked, and neither of them wanted to break contact. But Saera, at least, didn't want to look like she didn't want to break contact, either. Eventually she couldn't take it and glanced down, diverting her eyes and ending the moment. She felt a warm heat rising in her cheeks as she heard him shuffling around across from her.

"I think I'm a little drunk. I mean, I'm kind of, uh, flushed. Isn't that supposed to happen when you're drunk or something?"

"Yeah, sure. That's a good theory. Maybe I'm drunk too...."

Glancing at the wall chrono, she saw the time. It was fairly late. She pointed this out. "Don't we have to get up kind of early tomorrow?"

"No." Glynn's eyes stared at her, the boyish grin gone.

"Well, um, I'd better get to bed anyway. I'm getting sleepy..."

"You sure?" he asked her pointedly.

"Yes," she whispered. Then, suddenly aware she was apparently enraptured by his eyes again, she stood up from the table and began to put the dishes in the washer and throw away the garbage. Glynn stood up to help, his hand occasionally brushing hers and making her feel warm and tingly.

Shut up. It's just the wine. You drank almost half the bottle of wine. It's just the wine. It's just the wine...

Glynn walked her to her bedroom door, although it was just two rooms away. When they got there she turned to him, not quite sure what to say.

"Um, thanks for inviting me over to the minifridge." she tried to joke, but was acutely aware of his gaze, though her eyes were downturned.

"No problem," he almost whispered. She could nearly feel his breath on her a looked up, once again becoming caught in the spell of those dark, deep blue eyes. He leaned an arm against the doorframe, half-trapping her against the door. She could tell, instinctively, what was coming, and the scariest part was that she didn't know whether she wanted it to happen or not. He was moving closer, she could smell him, could reach out and touch a hand to his face if she wanted. The other arm came around, fully pinning her in place. Just a little closer and--

At the last second Saera averted her head and his lips grazed her cheek. She let out the breath she didn't even know she was holding as he stood there for a brief second. As Glynn drew back she could feel the disappointment just emanating from him. Well, she'd practically invited him to kiss her, then backed out an instant too early.

"I'm sorry." She had to look down again to avoid seeing what would probably make her wish she'd gone through with the kiss. "I just...can't."

"It's OK." There was a hesitation. "Skywalker?"

"Yeah." She felt almost ashamed of loving Luke.

"Don't worry." he cupped her face up and forced her to look at him. "We're kinda drunk, remember?" He smiled weakly.

"Yeah, we are, I guess." She let out a chuckle that sounded fake even to her. "I'm going to go to bed now. Goodnight. Oh, wake me half a time-part early if I'm not already up, 'K?"

"Sure."

"Thanks." She slipped inside the door, shaking.

--

What was that back there? Saera berated herself for letting it get that far, glad her senses had finally kicked in.

Or had they? What she'd felt back there, with Glynn, that had felt so good, so right. She'd felt like a completely different person. If she was telling the truth, well, Luke had certainly never made her feel like that. But then, she told herself, she'd never gotten anywhere with Luke. Maybe it was one of those things that happened every time you were near a good-looking guy, like stuttering. Yes, that was it. Like stuttering.

Then why couldn't she sleep for thinking about the softness of Glynn's lips, and how she should have never felt that softness?

It had to be her recent emotional turmoil, what with losing Luke, leaving home, regaining Luke, etcetera. She was just a mess of emotions right now.

And Glynn was probably right, too. Having no previous experiences to compare to, she decided that she was at least a little bit drunk.

--

Glynn felt like a total idiot. He should have known, he should have known! Here he'd been wearing his attraction on his sleeve, and she'd been pining after Skywalker! Gods, he was a moron.

He decided he officially hated Skywalker. How was he going to live with this woman for months, in seclusion, in space, when he'd just put on a show like that? It was all Skywalker's fault. She must've thought he was such a loser...

Gods, why couldn't he stop thinking about her? Why did she have to be so fierce and vibrant and gorgeous and naïve, all rolled into one package? The rest he could deal with, but the innocence and vulnerability, and his strange urge to protect her, were what made her so...so...

He tossed in his bed in frustration. He couldn't even pin down what was so appealing about her, let alone how he might feel about her. He felt like...like...well, like he'd wanted more than a peck on the cheek, that was for sure! He wanted to feel her lips, to know she felt the same attraction he did.

Fat chance. She didn't feel it. Maybe she wanted him as a pilot, but not as anything else. She didn't think of him like that, tonight probably just creeped her out more than anything.

The worst part was that he'd actually lied about what he felt; if there was one thing Glynn was sure of, it was that half a tiny bottle of weak Bith wine could not make him drunk.