Mira wasn't really sleeping, he knew that.

There were several signs. The irregular way her chest moved with each breath, barely hidden by the sweaty sheets clinging to her. Or the way her eyes were closed, not relaxed in the way one should sleep. There was also the fact that her stomach kept tightening under his teasing fingertips...Atton smiled.

Lying on his side Atton leant his head against his free arm as the other kept marvelling at the soft skin under the sheet. Normally he would have been more forward, gone for something more obvious, with his lips... But he didn't feel like it, he felt like lying there next to her...gently petting her stomach in marvel.

It was not what he was used to...

He couldn't stop smiling! Pushing his other hand forward he slipped his fingers into Mira's hair, it was soft and lush... Odd really, he had been with many...many women in his time. It felt different now though...he still felt weak, and it couldn't have been last evening's action either. He should be all over her by now...but he couldn't make himself ruin the moment.

"You're annoying you know that?" Mira asked, she didn't open her eyes, but Atton felt her hand drop upon the hand playing with her stomach, pressing it down into her skin until he could feel her warmth. "I'm trying to sleep but you keep...edging me to get up."

"I'm sooo sorry." Atton chuckled, pushing his hand on her stomach a little lower and enjoying the way her abdomen tightened at that little move. "You're just so darn cute."

Mira still wasn't opening her eyes, but she did raise an eyebrow in question. "Cute? Me?"

"Yeah...you don't look so mean when you're naked..."

Rolling over unto her side Mira finally opened her eyes and looked at him, a wry smile on her lips. "Oh? I don't look mean? You're not scared of me?" A small whelp escaped Atton when a deft hand grabbed him under the covers. "And calling me cute...how disrespectful."

In an effort to relieve the urgent pressure Atton pushed forward, making contact with Mira and drawing a small sigh from her. He couldn't help but smile back at her. Force he wanted her... "My apologies, how about ravishing? Glorious? A vision of beauty?"

Chuckling Mira rolled her eyes at him, her grip on him loosening slightly. "Alright, enough with the sweet talking chump, you're making me blush." She sighed, closing her eyes as Atton's hand came up and caressed her side. "Besides, if you keep this up we're never going to leave the bed."

"Oh right, got work to do." Atton grumbled and rolled over unto his other side, having a vague memory of his clothes being somewhere around there... "You know, you might just make a respectable jedi out of me yet. That I'm actually thinking about work now is a small feat in itself."

"I wouldn't be so sure, seems you're thinking about other things too." Mira pushed up against his back, voice soft as she reached around him...Atton growled in satisfaction. "You know, we could...maybe skip out for one day?"

Atton chuckled. "Heh, who would have thought you'd be the one to suggest such a thing? And to be so...focused on certain centres of interest?"

"Maybe you're ruining me?" Mira chuckled with him, her grip not relenting, then he could sense her getting serious. "Hey...this wasn't wrong was it? You don't feel as if you've...done her wrong do you?"

He hesitated for a moment, he already know what to say. "How could I dare answer when you're grabbing me like that?" He smiled at Mira's exasperated sigh. "Okay Mira, listen..." Rolling back over he found himself inches from her face. Force she was beautiful... "She's not coming back, we know that." Despite her tough attitude he saw the woman hesitate, her eyes betraying the sudden fear. "And no, you're not second price or anything, don't you dare thinking that. I just...it feels right okay? I know it's right, and if the exile would get upset with that...well then she can go to hell."

That caused a nervous laugh. Wow...she had really been scared there. "Well that's nice to hear, and here I thought I was just going around comforting you and you go around...going all..."

Atton quickly silenced her by leaning forward and placing a kiss on her lips. She tasted of wine and...something he couldn't place, but had grown to love. Pulling back he forced himself to look serious. "Don't think like that again okay? Stop worrying, I'm not leaving....in any sense of the word." He meant it, wow...he hadn't realised how convinced he had really been until he heard his own words.

Mira chuckled, the mask of the tough woman slipping back...sort of, as if she was setting it ajar so he could still see her for who she was...or maybe she wasn't aware of it? "Oh pssh, stop being such a pansy." She looked away. "I mean...maybe we're an...item now? It still doesn't mean I won't kick you around like the lazy jerk you are."

Atton felt warm as he realised he was sating Mira's fears, it was more pleasant then he had expected... Gently grabbing her hand he pulled it out of the covers and placed a small kiss on top of it, smiling wickedly as he did so. "I would expect no less...love."

Mira's smile was so warm it almost brought tears to his eyes. "Okay, good that you're clear about that...love." A muffled giggle escaped her as she rolled over unto her other side. "Now I demand some snuggling."

"Of course." Atton slipped closer until he was pressed against her warm back, he took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of her hair. "I'm here for your pleasure."

Just as he thought he was about to fall asleep he felt Mira stiffen in his arms. He could even sense it across the force, sudden fear and worry washing over him before he had mentally prepared himself, drawing a gasp from him. Her smell had changed too...there was still the sweet scent of her...but there was something else there too, a bristling of worry.

Had she changed her mind? Had he said something wrong? Was she still worried about something? Didn't she like his closeness all of a sudden? Was she uncomfortable? Was it just thoughts about the future tensing her up? Sure there were a lot of problems...but they could probably get past them. If anything they could always keep it a secret...

"Atton...any reason the wall terminal is beeping with a hundred messages?"

Oh no...he had a bad feeling about that.