'Catching up' was exactly what it felt like, but only at first. Without conversation, they unanimously agreed to go to his place where the bed didn't squeak like crazy. The moment his bedroom door closed, he was kissing her on the mouth while his arms rushed to take off his tunic. The kissing paused only so he could pull the undershirt over his head and toss it away before his mouth landed for her again.

Kess was in an equal rush just to keep up with his stripping, but she grinned inwardly that he was so hungry. She had begun to wonder if he'd lost interest, but perhaps he'd been holding back on account of all those worries—waiting for her to openly invite this.

She made a metal note to invite this more often as she slipped her pants down over her hips.

Luke pulled her in by those hips, heaved slowly as he closed his eyes, and kissed her again, this time with the richness of tasting a delicious desert. He panted into her mouth, "Damn, this is addicting."

"Only for a few minutes," she smiled up and blindly hooked his trousers.

Luke chuckled as he sat down to yank off his boots. "Surely we can make it last longer than that."

"Eventually," she grinned while unlacing her own boots.

Free of his boots and pants now, he stood again and pounded off the light with the side of his fist. "And I'm glad to rise and meet that challenge."

Kess crumbled into a wild snicker at his unintended pun. Luke growled in his own embarrassed laughter as he crawled her backwards onto the bed.

But that's where all the rushing stopped. Both were still in their underwear, for Luke particularly enjoyed taking care of that part himself, (and she really liked how he did it). His fingers snuck under the elastic as he kissed her again, slow and thoughtful, and her body squirmed in approval, inviting him to take whatever he wanted. It was intoxicating. Luke barely recognized that moment again. Mine. But he recognized it enough to let go of it. Because she wasn't just his, he was hers too, and that made it all the richer.

Fingers traced along her sides and down her hip. Fingernails scratched gently across his scalp. Mouths explored and breath quickened. He clawed down her underwear with the intent to pull them off, but his fingers accidentally dipped into a well of creamy fur. A cry escaped her throat.

Plan Besh! He thought with open eyes. He pulled the fabric away only enough to get out the way, watching the shape of her face in the dim yellow light coming through the window. He touched it again, and he felt her reaction more than he saw it, but the reaction was like a fast rising mole digging for the surface of a sand dune, a little geyser of passion. He fumbled a little, searching gently, and he found it. Her mouth opened and her breath stopped like he was choking her. Luke had to shake his head to that that's not what he was doing. His fingers moved and explored, noting the exact spot that made her catch her breath, the exact pace that made her shudder for more, and his own passions began to rise with her.

He couldn't stop it. He rode that tidal wave right along with her, save for the truth that he wasn't touching himself. It was all on the Force for him. It wasn't as strong, so it took a little longer, but when she started clawing at the muscle of his arm, he could feel his coming too. She rattled and shook and gurgled at length, he tried to keep his eyes open to watch her in it the moment, but his eyes slammed shut as he shuddered and let loose all over her hip.

Luke fell into her neck and pulled away his fingers to balance his weight over her. "Okay, this could be a problem." His laughter muffled in her neck.

Kess shook her head fervently, trying to catch her breath amidst her own shy laughter. "N—this is not a problem."

And he peeked up, his voice grinning tightly. "How is this not a problem?" He lifted onto his elbows over her face. "If you go, I go. I can't seem to stop it."

She took his face with both hands and lifted her face nose to nose to stare him in the eyes. "This is not a problem."

He shrugged his hand, but he didn't pull away from the forced nose-to-nose stare. "How does it usually happen? Aren't I supposed to hold back until I can't stand it anymore?"

She hitched a strange laugh. "Don't you remember?"

Luke rubbed his lips and chewed them closed.

She let go of his face with a new shock.

Luke humbled. He pulled back only so they could look at each other without going cross-eyed. He shrugged his brow, and stretched his mouth, and met her eye with humility. "No." He shook his head. "I don't."

Kess shoved her elbows behind her and lifted her body up to stare as if she'd been struck on the head by a club.

"I don't have anything to remember," he admitted in a whisper.

"I thought you—" She stuttered for the words. "You said you—"

Luke pushed back a little further, growing almost meek now. He sat up beside her and twisted around to lift his brows at her. "I said was in love before. I didn't say I had sex before."

As if he'd just told her someone had died, she sat up beside him and curled her arms around one of his. "Why didn't you tell me?"

He shrugged shyly, but he met her eyes through his tousled hair. "Embarrassment?" He shrugged again. "You—

He didn't finish, but he didn't need to. Kess knew by the way his eyes closed that he had been a little intimidated by her apparent experience. Now, this was a different landscape.

She cuddled deeper against his arm. "I'm sorry."

Luke flashed a new smile and squeaked. "You're sorry? What are you sorry for?" He laughed like the idea was absurd.

"I don't know." She smiled her mouth against his shoulder. "Just, I guess maybe I'd've done it different the first time. For your sake."

"Oh yeah?" He lifted a curious eyebrow. "How?" With a dirty smile, he rolled back on top of her. "Maybe you should demonstrate that." He kissed her neck again.

Kess giggled in spite of herself and tried not cringe at the bite that came after. "Well, you don't seem to need lessons."

He pulled away only enough to say it to her face. "Oh, that's just instinct."

"You're good at those, are you?"

He brushed his nose tip against hers. "Apparently. According to you."

Madly in love, Kess kissed him again. It started slow and shallow, then grew into a hard, deep, incredible kiss. His palm kept her head there until he came up for air, and then his palm moved down to her knee and pulled it out of his way.

"I guess the good part about all this," he whispered into her mouth between kisses. "There's more where that came from."

He didn't wait for an answer, and she was stretching for it even as he slid inside.

This was even better, and Luke nearly shook his head at the truth that this was going to be even quicker. He needed to find a way to make this last, but she wasn't helping in that effort, and going slower seemed to bring it about even faster. After only four, slow, firm thrusts, he could feel her body already starting to shake. He wanted to pause the movement but he couldn't. He pumped in one more time—slower—when suddenly she relaxed.

Luke opened his eyes. She was still in this, but her eyes were closed and her mouth was open in that neck-giving stretch like she was still waiting for him to enter. Her Force was a shade calmer. Luke was confused. "What are you doing?"

Kess opened her eyes at him with a tiny, loving voice. "I'm holding back."

His breath escaped in a huff of surprise. He kept her eyes and pushed in again, smiling all the way through it. They panted into each other's mouths, unable to kiss at all now. She shuddered from time to time but for the most part watched him with open eyes, watching him as he moved faster and harder and hungrier, watched his face widen with surprise at the growing intensity of it. She cradled his head to enjoy her own final tremor while he tumbled down into a crazy earthquake on top of her.

He held his breath and gasped it out into her throat over and over again until the drug of it dripped away from every nerve. He tried to smile against her throat but it only came out in a weak whisper. "You don't need lessons either."

She barely had the strength to smile in the humor. Her legs pulled his to fall farther down. Her arm made his face settle into her collarbone. Still enjoying just the gentle current of being inside of her, he relaxed to her will and drifted drunkenly. He tried to pull up a minute later, but her arms wouldn't let him, and he didn't have the will to argue. Luke dozed entirely. It was like riding on a cloud. He wasn't sure if that was the best part.

Or if the best part was waking up still entangled inside the woman the next morning.

She was still asleep. Her hair was everywhere, tangled over the pillow like a halo. Her face rested in dream with one arm draped over her head, but the other arm was still wrapped around his shoulders, and one leg wrapped around the back of his knee. It was as if, even in sleep, she wasn't going to let him slip away.

Luke gently shifted more weight off of her so she could breathe easier. He tried to move only slightly but he slipped out anyway. But that was okay. He adjusted the covers over them both and rested his head in his palm just to watch her. A black string cut across her neck and Luke realized the locket had fallen over her shoulder. He plucked it gently out and rested it softly between her breasts.

And he looked at it.

And he looked at her.

And he grinned.