Chapter summary: Cassian and Jyn are busy trying not to think about themselves, but it's not working actually. And this day is full of unexpected glimpses and conversations that lead to more confusion in their minds.

A/N: I don't own anything I'm just having fun

8# Glimpses

His hand is getting lower and lower over her stomach, his mouth are hot on her neck, she can't form a coherent thought. She can only think about his hot searching hand coming further down. When he finally touches her on her center she can't suppress a moan…

And her eyes snap open.

It's dark, cold and there is absolutely no one in her room.

"Damn." A very flushed and very aroused Jyn Erso sits bolt upright on her bed in the Echo Base. It was just a dream she thinks frantically trying to calm down her raging heart. Another one this week, if the dreams would be hunting her more often she may consider not to sleep at all. She can almost feel his hand on her body, her body excited and alarmed and …oh so ready for him.

"I hate this." She groans in frustration and buries her head into the pillow. "I hate him."

It's not true, it's more the opposite, and she totally knows that but sometimes it helps to think like that. She's trying to calm her senses but it's a lost cause. So, she only sights in resignation and gets up from the bed and drags herself to the shower. Maybe the hot water will help her, or maybe she'll help herself, because definitely she can't count on Cassian's help to release that tension.

He has absolutely no idea about this.

He has her pinned against the wall in the cargo hold of his U wing and he's kissing her senseless his hands are roaming over her body, and only that it's so arousing for him that he has lost himself in her. She's fighting with his belt and zipper and just when her small hands finally meet the sensitive skin of his lower parts he hisses at the sensation and…

He wakes up with a start.

His heart is racing like he has just run a fifty miles and his entire body is throbbing with need and he's painfully aware of a tightness in his sleeping pants.

"Not again." He groans at loud and forces himself to the fresher. He feels like a teenage having wet dreams about his friend from school. It's painful and distracting and definitely disturbs his sleep. A factor Cassian actually needs considering his line of work. He shouldn't have wet dreams about Jyn Erso. He shouldn't be thinking about her in that way and when he's awake he almost manages to do that. But sleeping is a totally different story. In dreams his subconscious takes the lead over his tired mind and presents him with vivid imagines of what could have been. And it's pure torture to wake up from such a dream. To spend an entire day with Jyn is even a bigger torture because she's blissfully unaware of his problem.

Emerging from the shower all wet hair and pink skin Jyn decided, since the dreams would probably won't leave her alone, she can as well as start her day. Maybe she has the time to eat an early breakfast and that would spare her the presence of Cassian at her usual breakfast table.

It's early in the base and everyone are probably gaining the most needed sleep. She's walking along the silent, white corridors of Echo Base thinking how she will survive the whole day with Cassian when the vivid imagines from her dream are still hunting her. She hopes she could avoid him as long as she could.

But her hope dies the minute she enters the mess hall darting a look in the direction of their usual table and seeing Cassian sitting there already. It's so uncommon of him being here so early, he's usually late for breakfast, Jyn thinks that he's just too tired to wake up on time and sometimes she understands him completely. When the mission is over she also thinks that she could sleep for a month and she's not a full member of the Intelligence Office being still as Draven put it 'in training'.

Jyn considers just for a brief moment to pretend that she didn't notice him, to grab some caf and walk away but as much as she's feeling uncomfortable she doesn't want to be rude. And he would probably hunt her down and ask what's wrong looking at her with these brown eyes of his and she could not survive this today.

She takes a bowl of something mushy and brown, a cup of caf and goes to his table.

"You're up early today." She says sitting opposite him and trying to sound casual. She has a wired feeling that her last dream is somehow imprinted on her and Cassian can see all of her not so innocent thoughts in her eyes. But he only looks at her his eyes weary and dark and her breath catches in her throat at the sight of him. He's battered up and clearly out of shower since his hair is wet and she has almost unstoppable need to touch him. She's fighting with this urge and gripping the cup so hard that she's afraid she will break it.

"Same as you, can't sleep?" He answers her trying very hard not to stare at her lips, the vivid imagines of what they could look like all red and bruised from kissing are invading his mind and he almost kicks himself under the table, it's all he can do not to act on this feeling.

"It's more that I have a lot of things to do today." She lies to him without blinking an eye. She has completely nothing to do in the morning, she has only one training session around noon and a briefing late this afternoon, but what she's supposed to tell him. I couldn't sleep because the dreams about you, very improper dreams, are hunting me almost every night. Yeah this could be good… she thoughts darkly.

"Trainings?" He asks her, he needs to try a normal conversation with her, it's not the first time when he has trouble focusing around her, he will survive this as any other Jyn's distraction lately.

"Schedules," She groans and sits down and continues to lie. "I love them, it's fun."

"Yeah, we have a briefing today." It's more a statement than a question and Jyn looks at him briefly from her bowl and regrets that the moment her eyes locks with his. The pull inside her stomach is a psychical pain. What is wrong with me today, why today is so hard to be around him. After moths in the Alliance she could get use the constant presence of Cassian around her. But his closeness is getting more and more difficult to manage when she has to fight with her sudden urges to kiss him. It's not that she has only recently discovered that he's handsome, it was an ongoing factor since they met almost two months ago but only recently she has so much trouble to deal with him being THAT handsome and alluring and she's completely at loss looking at him.

"Yeah, do you know what's the mission." She questions, how they manage to have that normal conversation when her brain is filling her with thoughts and emotions is a complete mystery to her. Maybe she's that good in hiding her feelings and maybe that's why she has found her place in Intelligence so quickly, because she's THAT good in pretending that she's not bothered.

"No, didn't have time to check anything after I got back." Cassian answers honestly, because that's actually the truth he was back late at night yesterday and had only time to check his appointments for the next day before he crashed to bed. And then the dreams came and ruined him that already small amount of sleeping hours.

"How was it?" She asked about the mission. Maybe when they will talk about something normal the tension in her mussels finally will be gone.

"Long and a lot of waiting, you would die of boredom." Cassian answers and smiles at her that simple small smile of his and Jyn is lost at the way his eyes twinkle with merit at the thought of bored and complaining Jyn having to wait in hiding almost the entire mission.

"I'm not that impatient you know." She answers indignity, if you only knew how patient I'm with you and what your presence is doing to me you would change your mind, she thoughts dismally trying not to look at him.

"And I almost believed you." He informs her, and she glares back at him fighting the need to just scream at him with all that she's hiding form him, when Bodhi comes closer and interrupts their conversation.

"You're early today, what's wrong?"

"Long day." Cassian and Jyn answer in unison then looks at each other with suppressed smiles and then as on command breaking the eyes contact and bussing themselves with their breakfast.

"OK, I see but do you know..."

And both Cassian and Jyn are very happily distracted by the newest pilot's gossip Bodhi's selling then this morning. Or they only pretend to listen because their eyes dart to each other way too frequent.

It's very uncommon for Cassian to run into Jyn on regular basis, if it wasn't for the meals sharing there sometimes days would pass when the two would not see each other. But today is a very different day. It's like some force was meddling with Cassian's day to force him to catch glimpses of Jyn. Just after breakfast Cassian decides that there is nothing better to clean his head than a little tinkering in the U-wing.

And there she's.

When Cassian is finishing putting the last patches at the left side of the U-wing Jyn walks to the hangar talking admittedly with a woman Cassian doesn't know. But it's not the fact that Jyn is talking with someone he doesn't know, kriff, she spends more time in the Base than him and she can make friends, it's the fact that Jyn is holding a little girl in her arms, not older that two, and smiling broadly to the child. Cassian stays frozen to the spot mesmerizing by the sight in front of him. The little girl is smiling her toothless smile to Jyn and Jyn's face lights up and Cassian loses his ability to breath. Suddenly his mind in invaded with different imagine of a small girl with dark hair and piercing green eyes and he just can't breathe. Is it possible? Is that future for them in any way?

Then as Jyn could hear his thoughts she looks up from the girl's face and looks at him. She sends him a small smile and she's back talking with the girl. Then the girl's mother says something to Jyn and Jyn returns the girl to her mother still smiling that warm and amazing smile and the little girl pats Jyn's cheek which makes her laugh at laud. And then the mother and the child are gone in the direction of an X-wing where a very happy looking pilot is waving his hand at them.

Jyn comes his way and Cassian has seconds to compose himself and chase the daydream way.

"Hi, "Jyn comes closer and Cassian is fighting with his ability to speak again. Sometimes he hates himself for what is happening with his calm and composed self lately around Jyn.

"Hi, I see you have some new friends" Cassian finally speaks wiping his hands on some old rag he found in the tool box trying to busy himself as not to think too much.

"Ah yes it was Nyla she's Dexen's wife, she just came to visit him with her daughter Jessa and was looking for him so I offered help and well… Jessa seems to like me." Jyn flushes a little. Cassian has no idea why she's ashamed that a little girl happens to like and trust her, it's an amazing ability. Children are the best judges of character and Cassian knows that Jyn is a good person, it's still wonders him why she's so surprised by this.

"Well since I met you I know you have a soft spot for children." Cassian smiles when memories of Jyn throwing herself to save the little girl on Jedha floats to his mind, Jyn seems to be thinking the same thing because she smiles as well.

"Well I like children, they're fun." She states and for a second there is something in her eyes. Like an unspoken question and Cassian is tempted to answer it. I happen to like children as well, would you like to have one, if so I'm available. That sentence is just at the tip of his tongue but as much as he's brave enough to throw himself head first in the fight against Empire, his courage leaves him now.

"Yes, they are." It's only this what he manages without speaking too much.

"Have you finished or would you like some help?" Jyn asks him shyly, she doesn't have much to do despite the lies she told during breakfast.

"I thought you have some work to do." It's half a question. And Cassian is half praying that she actually has something to do because today it's just that weird day when dreams and images of Jyn would be hating him and in days like that it's better to avoid the temptation, the temptation being Jyn presence.

"It's' boring," she speaks the truth because if she had the schedules they would be boring and she would do anything not to write them. "I very much prefer something physical to do." It's a simple sentence without any second guessing, but not to Cassian, especially not today.

It's a long pause between them during which Cassian is fighting with a massive urge not to grab her and fulfill his morning dream, since the U-wing is just behind his back. But finally, common sense wins his inner battle.

"How good are you with wires?" He asks prying that his voice is not waver with desperation.

"Good enough not to cross them in the process." Jyn answers and smiles at him, and Cassian must fight again with his stupid heart which begins to beat frantically against his chest. Lately he has problems with recognizing himself around Jyn.

"It's good enough." He informs her in his most plain voice and jumps to his U-wing trying very hard not to look at walls. He could not survive any more vivid imagines of what could have happened.

"Come, I will show you what you need to do." He takes her to the communication unit and starts explaining.

They spent most of the morning working on Cassian U-wing. The alliances units were never in good shapes and Cassian got that one after he was returned to duty after Scariff. And the ongoing fight to keep it running and in good condition started. Today Cassian did everything in his power not to be in the same room as Jyn, just in case, but still the thoughts of her mere meters form him were electrifying and unnerving him all morning. So, when they finished and decided to part ways he was somehow relived and disappointed at the same time. He was just tired of his imagination today.

Dinner is always a very happy gathering and it's generally easier to be around Jyn when there are a lot of other people around. This fact is somehow stopping his mind to tempt him with imagines of her lips, hands and other parts of her anatomy when there are other people around. And today there are even more people because somehow half of the Rouge Squadron decided to eat dinner with them and Jyn is smiling and joking with Wedge and it's kind of confusing Cassian. He's pondering over why he's feeling so uncomfortable looking at Jyn telling some story to very interested Wedge when Wes Janson sits next to Cassian.

"Cassian, have you heard about scouts' mission?" the question is odd but Cassian says nothing and focuses his attention to Wes.

"What? No. I only got back from Naar Shada."

"All our convoy was destroyed, we lost the supplies routes form Takonda." Wes sells the information and Cassian knows that it's not that important since the pilots know about it. There is no intel leak being gossip over mess hall.

"Maybe that's why I have a briefing today, normally I got at least a day." Cassian says half wondering if this is actually the case he's being summoned to the briefing only after like twelve hours he was back.

"Yeah, but since Jyn is coming it's not a problem." Wes says and Cassian's eyes are narrowing. Thus, this is the sudden reason of talking business so he, Cassian, would spill between lines if he's happy that Jyn is coming with him.

"What? How?" Cassian asks fast, little too fast, but then the mask of a spy sets in and Cassian switches to his long-learned techniques. Wes is just too easy to read, Cassian has to hold his laughter at how Janson is trying.

"You two aren't…?" Wes is actually surprised or he's such a good actor, but since Cassian just saw him through the surprised face is real. "I'm sorry it's not my business." Wes finishes and Cassian is ready to tell him to hell it's not, but stops himself. He could get more from Wes than he would get form Cassian that is for sure.

"Wes who's fishing?"

"Am I that easy to read?" Wes is flushed and he tries to look apologetic.

"No, you're just talking with a spy," Cassian informs him with a smile, pilots are easy to solve, sometimes almost too easy, "I did things like that when I was sixteen, who?"

"Derek, but please…" Wes mutters and pleases Cassian with his eyes.

"I won't tell him," Cassian begins to say. "Since there is nothing to talk about, but at least they could ask her." He points his chin in Jyn's direction, she's still busy explaining something to Wedge and now Cassian only suspects that Wedge is just the other 'operative' in this fishing mission. He's here to distract Jyn and judging by the look on her face it's working. Cassian has so much things to teach her still.

"And go over your back, man, there are some rules." Wes answeres honestly looking at Cassian as he has lost his mind.

"You need to stop, all of you." Cassian says half angry and half tired, this is not the first conversation about whether he's or he isn't with Jyn, and whether it's ok to ask her out or it's not ok, it's infuriating. "And for kriffing sake just ask her."

"I'm too scared, I saw what she can do with a stick." Janson answers honestly a small smile playing at his lips when he refocuses on his meal.

"Janson, not today." Cassian only groans but the mental images are back. This day just can't be any worse.

But it can.

Later that afternoon Cassian meets Jyn again in the Intelligence Office for briefing. He's half hoping that they would get separate mission but since he's her 'instructor' as Draven clearly stated the day Jyn signed in to the Alliance it's highly unlikely. If there is any consolation it will probably be an easy mission since the command still didn't clarify Jyn to the high-risk mission (much to her dislikes.)

Jyn is sitting in the briefing room and Wes was right it's actually a scout missions briefing since there are at least two squadrons of pilots around. And to Cassian greatest annoyance there is no other than Derek Klivian sitting next to Jyn.

Before Cassian knows what he's doing he's squeezing past all the pilots and other Intelligence Officers to where Jyn and Derek are sitting. Looking at the way their heads are angled toward each other they are talking about something. There is something inside Cassian that is very close to rage. Only during dinner Wes was talking about going behind his back and now Derek is just here… doing just that. But yes, you genius, you also told Wes that there's nothing to talk about Cassian's subconscious is screaming at him.

But then he's standing just next to them and Jyn catches a glimpse of him.

"Cassian."

"Hi," And nothing else escapes him. Get out of here Derek, get lost, she's taken. Or at least the chair is taken, say something you idiot his inside is screaming at Cassian but he just stands there and glares at them.

"Cassian?" There is an unspoken question in Klivian eyes. "Are you going to kill me?"

"Derek." The way Cassian speaks his name is an answer only Derek can read "Probably."

"I think I better go, it was nice talking to you, Jyn." Derek scrambles to his feet and sends an apologetic look in Jyn direction, he refuses to look at Cassian. Cassian knows that when he wants he can be intimidating, hell, he can be scary at times but he always thought he wouldn't have reasons to show that side of him to Jyn, today it's just not his day.

After the seat is empty and there is too much silence between Cassian and Jyn when they only look at each other. Jyn's questioning eyes searching Cassian's eyes on the answers about what the hell just happened here, Cassian's eyes finally soften and he looks again at her with a small smile.

"Since the seat is not taken." And he sits down by her side.

"You scared him off." Jyn huffs at him but she's not really angry at him he can tell that because the corners of her mouth are twitching with a hidden smile.

"Did I?" Cassian plays dumb, of course I scared him off, I can be intimidating and persuading when I care about something, but he doesn't say that he only adds in a light tone. "I'm sorry I will find him if you want."

And he pretends to get up from the chair, Jyn's eyes widen in surprise and she stops him fast. "No, there is no need." But only then she looks at him closely and she can tell that he's making fun of her.

"Really, pilots are great company, so I was told." Cassian jokes and looks as her, Jyn's eyes narrows.

"If you get me his comm number I may reconsider." Jyn threatens to him, but Cassian only locks his eyes with her.

"I happen to lost it."

Jyn only smiles, that small warm smile of her and Cassian heart starts beating faster. But he actually doesn't care right now, it's nice to be around her and judging by the look on her face after their last exchange she's truly not interested in Derek comm number.

He decides that he has enough fighting against the force that collides him with Jyn's path today. May at least cooperate with it for the rest of the day, there is ACTUALLY NOTHING WORSE that could happen.

In the back of the room Derek comes to Kyle Sarettii and speaks silently with him. Kyle only shakes his head and says something like "Now I will take care of this, I think that more pushing is in need actually."

A/N: Tell me what you think, if you would be so kind. Still thanks for reading, two more chapters and there is a mission coming as a new story, Cassian and Jyn won't leave me alone.