Beyond - Legends OTP Challenge #18: 5+1 - Kyp and Adalia "Yes, she was counting......."

Title: Yes, she was counting.

Author: Adalia Durron

Characters: Colonel Adalia Tehanis, Jedi Master Kyp Durron

Genre: Romance, friendship

Timeline: Legends- After - teh Yuuzhan Vong War

Summary: Five times he expresses affection to a very tentative Adalia, once she responds.

Author's Note: Written for the "5-1" OTP Challenge #18. Adalia has avoided all relationships for 20 odd years, and now Kyp is challenging that. As Base Commander (Oracle base - Outer Rim) she's tough and she states at the start, she will not be pushed into anything.




She’d been in his world for only a few weeks, but she was not the affectionate kind. With her past she’d been friendly and it was clear she wanted a partner but her walls hadn’t come down, yet.

“I’m heading out now, about 10 days, will you be here when I get back?” he asked as he watched her dump her jacket in her quarters and turned to face.

“I run this place……..where else would I be?” She asked sarcastically as she approached him.

“Who knows? I know I don’t.” He smiled.

“Yeah, you do. Just be careful out there ok?” she asked looking down to tentatively take his hand.

This was a step forward for her, and he gently ran his thumb over her fingers. “Promise.” He lifted her hand and pressed his lips to her knuckle gently. “You too.” He muttered releasing her fingers, before turning and leaving, not wanting to draw the moment out.

Adalia looked up and watched him disappear down the corridor of Oracle base Station, her home for the last few years before whispering. “Come back soon Kyp.”


============================================


“You did what Jake?” Adalia demanded of her Executive Officer, Jake Murphy.

The young man cringed slightly. “He was sorry, and he said he’d fix it.” Jake explained as he watched Adalia pace.

She was angry, this wasn’t the first time Rooty Aran had gone off the rails, his practical jokes weren’t as funny to her as they were to him and she’d warned him at his last attempt at humour he’d get brig time if he tried again.

He’d done it again.

When Kate had found her the flightsuit changed to a fur suit to dig fun at her Wookiee upbringing, Adalia knew he’d crossed the line. She locked him up, but his best friend and her XO had let him out. “And just how is he going to fix it, jokes are one thing but he made fun of her home, her parents. So not funny or acceptable.”

Jake nodded; she was right. “I’ll….” Someone knocked at the door cutting him off.

Holding up her hand Adalia spoke. “Stop, just a second and don’t move.” She looked past him to the door. “Come!” she snapped.

He’d been listening outside the door; he knew she was a hard Colonel and this was his weak attempt to defuse the situation and save poor Commander Murphy. When he’d heard her snap, he winced slightly but Adalia never really scared him so he opened the door. “You said to come right here when I got back.” He shot her a broad smile.

Jake closed his eyes and silently thanked the Jedi Master for his interruption. Adalia’s features softened visibly. “And you made it in one piece.” She said warmly as she rounded her desk slipping past Jake. “I’m happy to see that.” She added placing one hand on his chest.

Kyp smiled. “As ordered Ma’am, I’m going to go get cleaned up and get something to eat…” he glanced at Jake, “I’ll leave you to it.” He leaned forward and brushed the lightest kiss to the side of her head before turning and leaving, closing the door behind him.

Adalia sighed and turned back to Jake. “He’s your responsibility, but I warn you. Rooty steps out of line again, you both spend time in the brig!! Will give you time to consider your friendship!”

Jake nodded. “Understood.”

“Dismissed.”


-----------------------


She found him in the Mess hall seated alone, picking through a plate of what the droid chef called food. Pulling the chair out she sat down. “Don’t eat it, it’s swill.”

Kyp smirked. “And what would you suggest?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Adalia let a long breath out. “Eat the swill.” She sighed, “Truth is there’s no real choice unless one us gets back there and makes something remotely palatable.” She indicated the kitchen with a flick of her head, causing her red hair to fall forward.

Kyp noted it had been up earlier in her office but it was down now. He’d told her he loved her hair. “So, are you offering to cook me a meal?”

She blinked, twice. “Um…who said I could cook?” She countered, she could, but had no intentions of doing so. She brushed the long lock that had fallen forward back. Wearing it down was a treat for her even, but he had said he liked it.

Kyp chuckled and stood up, rounding the table he bent and planted a kiss on the top of her head. “I’m betting you can.” He began to make his way to the kitchen.

Spinning to watch Adalia reached up and touched her head.

That was three, yes, she was counting.

She was tentative as it’d been a very long time since she’d allowed any man to get close to her. He was moving slowly; taking his time with them and she’d noted that, but that was three now. She got up and trotted to catch up. “Maybe you show me your cooking skills?” she retorted.


=========================================


“Hey!” She protested. “Easy on the flour!” Adalia was trying very hard not to giggle but it was getting harder.

“You said to dump it in!” He was going out of his way to torment her, but hearing the laugh in her voice was worth it and was his aim.

“I didn’t mean literally! Kriff! There’s flour everywhere!” She protested again, brushing it off her front of her uniform and smirking. It’d been years since she’d felt this light hearted. The practical jokes Rooty pulled was his attempt to get this feeling, she understood that, but his pranks went too far more often than not. “It’s going to take all night to clean this up.” She added looking around the floor.

Kyp shrugged. “We can do it while this cake is baking, that takes time doesn’t it? I’m no expert.”

She smiled warmly. “It does, and we can.” She looked back. “Now we need milk.” She turned to the chiller and pulled on the door, and fell forward again. She frowned and pulled again. “It’s jammed.”

Kyp turned from his task of stirring of the mixture. “Need help?” he asked.

Another tugged and the door let a suction sound and opened, suddenly and at speed. Adalia wasn’t ready for it and the door hit her in the side of the face. Stumbling backward she gasped and let out a tiny squeal as her hands went to her cheek.

Split seconds before it happened, he felt it coming and dropped the spoon, spinning to catch her as she stumbled backward. “Are you ok?” He asked as she fell against him. She was holding her cheek. “Let me see.” he added moving around to be in front of her. “Move your hands, let me see.” He said insistently.

“It hurts.” She whimpered, trying very hard to hide how much it hurt. She felt her eyes watering. She allowed him to gently pull her hands away as she looked away to hide the tears threatening. Her pride was bruised more than her cheek, she was sure of it, she felt her cheeks going red.

Pulling her hands down he studied her cheek. “It’s going to bruise, but I don’t think it’s broken. Let me get some ice.”

Adalia watched silently as he reached into the freezer and pulled out some ice, wrapping it in a nearby cloth and moving back to her.

“Here,” He lifted it to her face. “Put this on it.” He said gently.

Her bottom lip quivered, she felt stupid and her ego was bruised. “I’m sorry,…” She said quietly winching as the ice touched her face. That movement caused the threatening tears to fall, and two large drops ran down her face.

Adalia could cry, this was new revelation. Kyp wanted to wrap his arms around her but as he’d not done that yet, he wasn’t ready to take that step. “Hey, it’s ok, you’re gonna be ok.” He soothed gently.

She nodded. “I feel stupid.” She muttered as she wiped the tears away gently.

He smiled. “You’re a lot of things Addie, but stupid isn’t one of them.” He said quietly.

She pulled the ice back, “Is it bleeding? It feels like it is.”

“It’s not bleeding.” He took the opportunity and leaned in, ever so lightly brushing his lips on her forehead. “Put the ice back, it’ll bruise less.” He said softly.

Adalia watched him, her began heart race, that was four.


=======================================


“Well, that’s a nice bruise you have given yourself there, Colonel Tehanis” the Medtech stated as he tilted her head to the side. She sat on the edge of a medical bed and was here at Kyp’s insistence. “But we can put a bacta patch on it over night and by morning you will be fine.” He went on.

“Still feel stupid.” She confessed as the Medtec left to get the patch, “and now I’m going to look stupid.”

Kyp chuckled and sat down beside her, looking at her. “You don’t look stupid to me, in fact it’s been nice to see you are human.”

She frowned. “What do mean by that?”

He shrugged. “You’re really good at putting on the front, the Colonel uniform that seems to go under your skin even. It’s hard to get the real you out, and I know it’s in there, it’s just nice to see it.”

She eyed him for a moment before dropping her head. “You’re right, I’m a tough nut to crack. I don’t mean to be, it’s just how I am.”

He smiled, “I know and ……how you are is perfect.” He leaned over and brushed a soft kiss on her bruised cheek. “All better now.” He asked affectionately.

She stared into his eyes, unable to breathe for a moment, that was five.

“Here we go,” the Medtech re-entered the room. “After a good night’s sleep, you will look fine!”


==========================


Standing in front of her reflector Adalia was happy, the Medtech had been right, there was no sign of a bruise. In fact, there was nothing there. She ran her hand over her cheek, it wasn’t swollen, it wasn’t bruised, and it felt perfectly normal again. She smiled to herself before she began to brush out her long auburn hair, she felt good. In the last 50 hours he’d kissed her a grand total of five times, not passionately, not insistently, but gently in a tender way that maybe a brother or a dear friend would, but it had made her consider his intentions. She’d told him that she wasn’t ready, he promised he’d not push her, and he’d not done anything really to contrary, but she was thinking now, and she was wondering. Was she ready now? Was this how it felt? She wanted to be reckless, and that wasn’t her. She bit her lip considering her next move pausing as she ran the brush though her hair. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Putting the brush down she almost bounced out to answer it.

“Hey, the tech was right! I can’t see a thing.” Kyp said honestly as he cupped her cheek with is hand. “That’s amazing I have to say.” Moving his hand away he gently brushed his fingers over her long hair, fiddling with the end briefly before dropping it. “You seem very happy.” He’d sensed her emotions before he’d even knocked on the door.

She gazed at him; her heart almost skipped a beat when his fingers ran through her hair causing her shiver slightly with the tingle. This was her moment. “I do feel good.” She said quietly, “And I have something for you.”

“Oh?”

“Hmm” She wasn’t going to let this moment pass, leaning forward she gently pushed her lips to his, lingering for several seconds before drawing back and looking up at him hopefully.

The moment her lips touched his he closed his eyes, he wanted to feel it, savour it, wanted it to last longer but it was over already. He kept his eyes closed. “That…..was the best gift I’ve ever been given.” He confessed quietly, “Please tell me how to get more?”

 

Thank you @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha - she's prickly and getting close was hard work for him!

 

Thank you @Anedon - the tension if the fun stuff!

 

Thank you @amidalachick ! Appreciate that you read it

 

Thank you @Kit' means alot you read it.