Xan woke up and met the day like a runaway freighter. He always had.  When you lived on a near-subsistence farm scratching a living from the played out dirt of Concord Dawn sleeping in was not an option.  Antiochus Raibaux had his son up everyday before first light.  He had several hours of work behind him before he saw the suns rays pierce the gloaming.  It was a habit that became almost genetic.  So, when Xander joined the Stormtrooper Corps his DI’s were often surprised to see him already awake and dressed when they came to rouse the noobs from their racks.  Today was no different.

  The chrono read 0400 and Xan was raring to go.  He decided to go for a quick 3 klick run and then hit the gym.  By the time he finished that he figured someone of authority would be up to give him something else to do.  Xander donned his togs and running shoes and hit the trails.  The running trails on Tadath were legendary.  They had every conceivable type of course covering every conceivable type of terrain.

  Let’s try the Knifes Edge today

  Knifes’ Edge was the name of a particularly nasty course set along the coast.  It followed a line of 50 meter-high rock shards that dropped directly into the sea.  The trail itself was approximately half a meter wide and open to the elements on both sides.  This tended to weed out the Troopers with vertigo and debilitating fear issues.  Xander liked the view.  Having grown up inland the most water he’d ever seen prior to coming to Tadath was in the local swimming pond. 

  He hit the trail at a brisk pace, nothing flashy; he was looking for a workout, not an Imperial record.  A quarter of a klick in he’d already worked up a healthy sweat. The more he ran the better he felt.  By 2 klicks he’d hit a runner’s high and was purely cruising.  The run ended before his endorphins had subsided so he decided to hit the gym while he still was cooking. 

  One of the nice things about being awake this early was the lack of noise.  Very few animals were up and about both the four and two legged varieties.  This allowed Xan the solitude to think.  He was always a contemplative person even as a boy.  Being an only child forced him to turn inward for a sounding board for ideas.  He liked this time as an island of calm in a sea of chaos.  It also allowed him to work out in relative peace. 

  While not an overly ripped individual Xander Raibaux was in very good shape.  He was lean and cut.  His body was a finely tuned, sharply honed killing machine in the Empire’s service.  He used this machine to right the wrong that was perpetrated over Endor five years earlier.  Xan entered the gym expecting to find it as it usually was; empty.  Today was different, today he had company.

  Occupying the center of the large floor exercise area was a Twi'lek girl he didn't know.  She was engaged in something Xan had never seen before.  It was half dance half martial art.  She moved seamlessly and with the skill and precision of a dedicated practitioner many years removed.  The fluidity and grace of the movements would have been enough for Xan had it not also involved sharp blades set into gauntlets.

  Xan liked blades.  He liked the heft of blade, its balance, and its feel as a lethal extension of the man.  He liked the sound of a blade as it slide into flesh and scrapped bone.  He especially liked the sight of sudden clarity and the fade of life as a blade hit home.  He liked to think that every time he saw that it was his foes soul meeting the Emperor on the other side.

  Now as stimulating as the blades and the grace and the skill were to him the most visceral aspect of the entire display was the fact that this wisp of a girl was nearly nude.  She was in a low cut sports bra and low rise briefs.  She moved across the floor barefoot. Her purple skin a glistening sheen of sweat as occasional droplets flew from her lekku.

  Holy…

  Feeling somewhat self-conscious  about his own disarray and aroused from the show the Twi’lek was putting on Xan headed quickly to the weight stacks.  He grabbed some dumbbells and hopped that they would take his mind off of the sinuous movements of the girl.  Try as he might the poundage could not keep his eye from wandering back to the exercise floor.

  Her movements became faster and more deliberate.  She had an intense look on her face, almost angry.  The blades whirred around her like a phantom of death.  Xander was truly dumbstruck.  She was lighter than Xan, and slightly shorter.  Her movements were fluid and precise.  Xan wondered, if properly taught, he could move like that.  He decided to inquire about the moves, and where he could learn.  He moved to the floor, and waited for an opening to interrupt. 

  “Hello."he interjected as she broke her rhythm to reset the exercise.

  The Twi’lek paused, and locked Raibaux with a vacant gaze.  Xan could see she was in the same endorphin rush he’d been in mid-run.

  She broke her trance and focused on Xan, "Yes, can I help you?"

  “I couldn’t help but admire the skill with which moved both yourself and the blades.  Where did you learn that, and how do I learn?” he said.

  "I was taught at the Goddess' Temple on Ryloth. You'd probably have to go there to learn." she stated in a breathy tone.

  She moved to reset, when Xan interrupted again, “Actually, I was hoping you’d show me a few basics.”

  She paused. "I don't even know who you are. Why would I want to show you?" she asked.

  Xander grinned and held out his hand, "Xander Raibaux, Raiders Squad, at your service ma'am."

  "Daesha Tarkona, Recruit." she replied as she took off the gauntlets and shook his hand.  A slight jolt passed through her. 

  Xander looked into her blue eyes and smiled, "A pleasure to make your aquaintence miss.  So, now that we know each other, will you show me your moves?"

  “OK, come here.” She sighed as she set the blades off to the side.

  Xan moved to the floor, and then hesitated.  His shirt absolutely smelled like bantha dung.  He quickly ripped it off and flung it to the side of the mat.  He then took a position to the side and slightly behind Daesha so he could watch her moves. 

  Daesha noticed that they definitely grew’em healthy where ever he was from.  While she was not over attracted to bulging physiques, but there was something to be said for a well built man.  She set his feet and moved him through the first three basic steps.  He grasped them quickly, and aside from being a little jerky, did quite well. 

  OK, try this

  She then dove into an intricate step that she’d added just the month before.  She did a leap with a twist followed by back handspring.  Xander watched the move in awe.  Daesha figured this would probably pull at least two of his muscles and end this lesson before it really began.  Xan paused for a moment. Set his feet and launched into the move. It was slower than Daesha’s, and nowhere near as graceful, but he did it. 

Sonnuva…

  Now she was intrigued.  Where was this fellow getting this skill.    She gave up the idea of blowing him off and decided that maybe she’d see exactly what he had.

  Xan stood there beaming.  He’d just accomplished what he thought was slightly impossible.  True it hurt like hells and his left arm was a bit numb, but there was no way he was gonna let Daesha know.  She told him to retake his first position. He moved to comply.  She was now studying him like a teacher does a pupil.

Looks like I’m gonna learn something

  Daesha had him move his feet, and readjust his hips.  She didn’t like the set of his arms and moved in to adjust them.  She slipped herself around Xan in a semi-embrace.  Xander felt a shock of electricity move through him as he inhaled her aroma.  He felt the tackiness of her perspiration soaked skin on his.  He started to feel aroused, but fought it.

  I hope she didn’t notice

She had

OOC:

1464 words

Xan studied Daesha as she showed him the steps.  She was exotic and beautiful, even if she thought she thought she wasn’t.  Xan had to admit that the old Twi’lek stereotypes had crept into his head, till she had nearly taken it off.  To say that Daesha had a temper would be like saying Hutts were ugly.  Now she was trying to kill him by putting him into, what he thought, were impossible steps.

  He dove into the movements.  They were similar to Echani.  The moves were more fluid, more dance-like, but just as deadly.  He worked through the sequence she had given him, and he knew he’d blown at least half of them.  The look in Daesha’s eyes said it was more than that.  He pulled himself up to parade rest and waited for his whuppin’.

  “Do you have no control over your muscles, or are you deliberately doing this to mock me?” she asked the tinge of frustration she’d had earlier growing with each word.

  Xander was tired, sore and in no mood to be browbeaten yet again.  A scowl screwed up his face as he stepped into and Echani stance and ran through one of his more difficult katas.  As he executed each movement he moved closer to Daesha.  She stood her ground initially. But as he moved closer and closer she had to give ground to avoid contact.

  He finished the movements as they neared the edge of the practice mat.  Adrenaline coursed through him. The Echani and the steps she’d taught him raced through his head.  He took one step back and reset into her kata.  This time he had no distractions. He was focused and fluid the steps became like heartbeats, natural, unconscious.  Within seconds he was standing in the center of he mat again, facing Dae. 

  “Now that is how you are supposed to do it.  I thought you’d never get it.” She said in a relieved tone.

  Her voiced brought Xan back to the now, “Huh?”

  “The steps, you hit every one, and pretty good at that.” She stated as she moved her face in close to his before lightly stroking his cheek and chucking him under the chin.

  “Tell me if this is right.” She said as she moved into the Echani position. 

  Her movements mirrored his earlier steps, but somehow were more – poetic.  It was as if music were playing. Her body moved with a grace and poise that he’d only seen in holos of the Imperial Ballet.  She missed a few. Less than he’d missed of hers, but still there was room for improvement. 

  Dae finished up.  Her skin gleamed with perspiration.  Her chest heaved as she sucked wind.  The steps had been harder than she thought.  This farm boy had skills after all.  She could respect him after all.  Now all she had to do was wipe that stupid look off his face.

  Xan noticed he was staring open mouthed.  He quickly closed it and swallowed. 

  “Not to bad. You missed the third and tenth movements and cut the eighth short.  Next time I’ll give you an easier one to start.”

  Dae lashed out, “NO, you will not. You will NOT patronize me.  Give me what you want, but do not think I can’t cut it.”
  She jabbed her finger in his chest as she ranted.  Xan grabbed her wrist and twisted. She tried to counter, but he added a fluid cross leg sweep and hip throw to the mix.  She hit the mat with a dull, soft thud, Xander above and astide her. 

  “You mean like that?” Xan asked.

  The momentary shock of being caught off guard and put down was attenuated by the fact that Raibaux was mere inches from her face.  That spark came back.  This time in the pit of her stomach. 

  “Yeah, just like that.”

OOC:

636 words

G watched from the other side of the room.  He'd come in for a quick work out, but found the dance the two Stormies engaged in far more entertaining.  The girl, a moderately attractive Twi'lek had been here when he came in.  She'd been practicing with some sort of glove blades, and looked pretty good at it.  The guy had come in and immediately noticed her.  Driver saw the innate curiosity take control of him as he attempted his workout.

  The guy had tried to work out for all of ten minutes till he wandered over to her.  G couldn't make out thier conversation, but he could see the tension between them.

  The ol' boy meets girl

  He remembered the day he'd met Yulia.  Her face flashed before him and he smiled.  His reverie was broken by the sight of the two of them moving in unison.  He watched them run through the steps he'd seen her do earlier with the blades.  The kid wasn't bad for a cold try. 

  He must've said something wrong cuz she wheeled on him and started berating him.  Her finger was emphasising her every word.  He must've grown tired of it because he grabbed her and dropped her like a sack of duracrete.  G almost laughed out loud.  He could see the two of them on the mat whispering to each other. 

  She got up and the once again traded movements.  Their dance seemed to be taking on a whole new meaning.  G watched as the girl returned the favor and dropped her partner with a nifty little move he'd have to remember.

  Well, enough's enough.  I've gotta get some sleep.

  He grabbed his towel, looked over his shoulder at the two on the mat, and headed out the door.

  "Ah, young love."

"Depends, do you usually associate flirting with teaching someone how to fight and in pain?" Daesha asked letting go of Xan's foot as her watch beeped a few time. Sitting on his back she looked at her watch reading the information displayed there. "Damn, there's some meeting for the recruits they want me to go to," she moaned tussling Xan's hair.

"That bad?" Xan grunted.

"Not really, it's a rule and regulations of the Corps type meeting. Mostly reading from a power point. Very boring," Daesha said grinning and rolling onto the mat and lying on her stomach beside Xan, "so are you going to help me play hookie, or do you have serious meetings and stuff that regular soldiers have to do today? Of course unless you think no one would notice both of us gone. I know this little place about four hours away. Nice place to camp, a river, lots of outdoorsy stuff, nearby there's a farm. Wanna go?" she asked her blue eyes sparkling a little.

"I'm not really sure, should you be skipping a meeting?" Xan asked looking into her blue eyes.

Daesha laughed picking up Xan's hand and running her fingers over the lines and rough callouses she found there, "Nah, what are they going to do? I can recite most of the rules and regulations by heart. Come on Xan come with me, live a little with me, get your hands dirty, get back to nature. We can even skinny dip..." she hinted enjoying the surprised, dreamy look on Xan's face when she mentioned nudity, '...on your own," she giggled as his face fell.

"Well..." Xan began.

"Come on, please, for me?" Daesha begged.

"Okay."

"Good because I already have everything rented, and packed," Daesha said standing up and holding a hand out to Xan to help him up. She gave her usual half smile to Xan, "What you'd think I'd go alone, there are beasties out there and I need a strong, hulking man to keep little ole me safe," she cooed running her hand under Xan's chin, "Come on, before someone comes looking for us."

Calloused hand gripped her shoulder tightly, and soft lips touched her own. Daesha froze for a moment, never being kissed before by a man wanting her so badly. Her lips then molded to Xan and tentatively she placed her hand on his bare chest, barely able to contain the shiver in her chest. Xan pulled away from her looking her deeply in the eyes, his own filled with amusement. so he thought he had her with that much ease? Daesha had never been the type to fall for a man within the first day of knowing them, let alone letting one think he had won one over on her. She slapped him, plain and simple, it wasn't the hardest slap she had ever given a man, but it would put Xan in his place.

"Hey, now," Xan protested clutching his face.

"EEEEEWWWWW!" a chorus a high pitched voices protested, mingled in with, 'you kissed a boy/girl.'

Xan stared at the odd twenty or so children that had magically gathered. Looking beyond the clearing he saw cabins dotting the wood line. Daesha on the other hand grinned down at the kids tussling one of the boy's heads.

"Finally Dae, we thought you'd never get here with the supplies!" a thin, middle aged man said moving between the kids, who had lost interest in Daesha and Xan and began running around the camp. "Oh good you brought help, one of the counselors didn't show and we're short handed. I'm Jim the head counselor," he said sticking out his hand and shaking Xan's before handing him a shirt from the small pile in his hand. He then turned to Daesha handing her one as well, "You can't run around in your bathing suit this summer," he added with a wink.

"Geez, take all the fun out of the outdoors," Daesha complained.

"Head counselor, its my job," Jim mentioned with a bright smile, "Right so Daesha you get a campfire going, you um..."

"Xan," he replied glaring at Daesha.

"Xan, go ahead and start unpacking the supplies, Cindy," he motioned with his head to a cute blond, 'will show you were everything goes.

"Nice fire Dae, soon as it burns down we can start cooking," Jim said surveying the bonfire.

"Well being as I enjoy being an explosives tech, what did you expect?" Daesha chuckled shoving her hands in her pockets.  She had changed out of her swimsuit and into a more counslor-like clothing of jean shorts and the camp t-shirt.  She was feeling pretty good, she got to play with fire, she had already terrorized some of the boys that were planning a raid on the girl's side of the camp, and not only that they were planning to cook s'mores one of Daesha's favorite foods.

"Hrm, seems Cindy has rounded up the new guy in her throng of admirers," Jim commented as he looked over Daesha's shoulder,  "Funny I thought you.."

"No," Daesha said looking over her own shoulder to glare as Xan and Cindy disappeared into the woods.

"Huh, doesn't sound like a no," Jim said before Daesha took off into the woods, "Hey don't kill them too much we need them to work!" Jim called after Daesha and chuckled a little.

Daesha easily moved through the woods, not even bothering with the path as she jumped over a downed log.  She had a good sense of direction and soon through the woods she saw the shimmering of the lake.  Sliding to a halt at the treeline she took a few moments to catch her breath and wipe the sweat from her face.

“Come on in the waters’ great," Daesha heard Cindy call over by the dock and rolled her eyes.  Cindy never was the brightest speed racer at the track, let alone she was the type of girl that let her body do all the talking.  where was the challenge in that?  And how could a guy think it was attractive?  What did she talk about, which nail polish looked best on her?

Daesha scowled even deeper as she stepped foot on the dock and watched Xan take off his shirt to join Cindy in the water, "Tell me Cindy," she said causing both Xan and Cindy to jump as she came to the end of the dock, "Where is skinny dipping in broad daylight less then a mile from a group of kids in the camp manual?" Daesha asked smoothing out her features to look calm and composed.

"Um..." Cindy began her face turning red.

"Yeah get your clothes on," Daesha said motioning her head to the pile of clothes, "If I catch you again I will tell Jim," Daesha added grabbing Xan by the ear and dragging him into the woods, "Do you go after every girl that has breasts or are you more selective?" she hissed to him putting her hands on her hips.

"Jealous?  You don't seem like the jealous type?" Xan said looking a little surprised.

'No jealous, just wondering what the fuck you're thinking kissing me then running off with Cindy," Daesha growled.

"You slapped me!" Xan countered throwing up his hands, "And you said we were camping not being counslers to a bunch of kids!"

"You never asked what type of camping we were doing, you just assumed that it would be me and you in the middle of nowhere doing who knows what," Daesha shot back crossing her arms in front of herself.

"Well yeah, you were practically all over me in the gym, what was I suppose to think?" Xan asked.

Daesha's hand suddenly shot out, wrapped around the back of Xan's neck and roughly bringing his lips to hers, "Oh as if you're even my type!" Daesha said as she pulled away from Xan and stormed off into the woods arriving back at camp just as the sun was about the set.

"Well are you ready to go back to camp?" Cindy asked bounding up to Xan just as Daesha left and taking his arm.

"DAESHA!" Jim called to her over by the fire where the kids were cooking hotdogs, "come and get some food before these monsters eat it all!"

Daesha faked a smile and walked over to the campfire, squezzing between two other counslers she joined in with them, joking, and cooking food, and keeping the kids in line.

"He's crazy!" Cindy protested as Daesha was packing an overnight bag.

"He's not crazy just upset, he's a country boy, he's not use to all this attention," Daesha replied calmly.

"Yeah right, he pushed me away, who wouldn't want some of this?" Cindy asked motioning to her body and sticking out her well tanned leg.

"Xan," Daesha paused for a moment, "Is different."

"Yeah different crazy, I can't believe you're going after him.  At night, all alone in the woods, with the animals!" Cindy squealed in fear.

"Its not that bad, if he took the road it's only a short hike.  He probably didn't go that far and is lost," Daesha said finishing her packing and shrugged the heavy pack on her back, 'Jim said he wanted me to go find them because I know these woods as well as he does.  A little darkness isn't going to scare me."

"Wow, you must really like him," Cindy commented.

"Nah, he just needs someone like me to watch out for him," Daesha said stepping into the woods and taking off in the same direction as the roads.  From the supplies that Xan had taken she figured he must have wanted to camp out.  Turning on a flashlight she walked through the forest until she saw a glow in the dark forest and came onto Xan's small camp.  As she stepped out of the woods she took a step back at Xan getting into a fighting stance.

She bit her lip suddenly feeling awkward, "Hi," she said moving closer to the fire.

"Hi," Xan responded running a hand through his short hair and looking just as uncomfortable.

'You hurt Cindy's feeling running off like, and then she was freaking out about it," Daesha said sliding down and sitting cross legged in front of the fire.

"Didn't mean to," Xan replied sitting down as well.

"Poo yes you did, you're all angry because I caught you and her about to get naked," Daesha said throwing a pinecone at Xan.

"Um, yeah a little bit," Xan said sheepishly.

"Please Cindy strips and goes skinny dipping with every new guy," Daesha said scooting so she was sitting closer to Xan, "But she's nice enough, ditzy, but I think she felt the vibe between us and wouldn't actually try try anything with me in the same camp."

"Why?"

"Because I get jealous sometimes and I'd probably drown her little perky head."

Neither of them talked much after that, occasionally one of them would get up to throw more wood on the fire and then come back and continue to hold hands. Daeshha thought it was really nice, and secretly romantic, though she would never tell Xan that, after all who would believe she liked all that mushy, butterflies in the stomach type stuff?

"This is nice," Xan mentioned poking the fire.

"Yeah not much could...." Daesha stopped in mid sentence as there was a crack of thunder and the skies opened up instantly soaking the two of them.

"Come on into the tent!" Xan said grabbing Daesha's hand and pulling her into the dry tent. He shook out his wet hair and both of them grinned at each other as they struggled to wring out their clothing, "Ruin it?" Xan commented finishing her sentence.

"Hardy har har," Daesha rolled her eyes flicking water on Xan before she took off her soaked shirt.

"What are you doing?" Xan asked adverting his eyes and blushing.

"I'm wet and cold, I'm taking off my clothes so I don't get sick. I don't care if you look, but there's only one sleeping bag and you're not getting into it with wet clothes," Daesha said stripping down and crawling into the sleeping bag, "I promise not to look," Daesha said grinning and burying her face in the pillow. After a few minutes Xan crawled into the sleeping bag beside her.

"I'm not sure..." Xan began.

"Please we're not going to do anything, we're like four miles from the camp, not only that who says I'm going to give anything up to you, after all you're not my type remember?"

"You know Twi'leks don't have any pheromones," Daesha mentioned a few minutes after Xan chuckled.  Their bodies were closed together, Daesha's skin was flushed from the heat, occasionally one of them would move allowing some cool air into the sleeping bag, thank the goddess or they probably would have caught on fire.  Daesha didn't want to admit it but the kiss Xan had given her had caught her off guard, and not only that made her yearn for him.  For the first time in her life she was attracted to a male both in body and soul.  She let herself fight it though, such things were not allowed to Twi'leks like here, there had been a reason why the priestess's had kept her away from the public eyes for most of her teenage years.  Teaching control took time and restraint, and Daesha had been a prize student of control.

"Really, so this isn't your doing.."

"Nope just you being a guy I guess," Daesha chuckled sweetly turning away from Xan and as expected he wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close and buried his nose in her Lekku.  Daesha let out a sigh and closed her eyes ready for sleep, running after this farm boy had been exhausting.

"Daesha?"

"Mm?"

"What did your parents raise on their farm?  Corn, wheat, cows?" Xan asked curiously.

Daesha laughed, "No, none of those, we live in caves due to the surface of our plant being too harsh.  My parents grew Munch fungus and raised rycrits which could be considered cows I suppose.  Though they did raise a small amount of Collypods...until they escaped," she said grinning a little.

"fungus?"

"Well yes, Twi'leks have several stomachs and our teeth and stomach have adapted to the harsh life on Ryloth if we hadn't we would have died a long time ago," she explained.  "Tell me about your parents farm?"

Daesha shook her head her lips turning into a thin line as she went silent for several minutes, "See the problem isn't with you leaving, ever, Xan," she said.

"Well I know that since we're both in the corps we could be...." Xan spoke before Daesha put a finger to his lips to silence him.  He took her hand and kissed it gently causing Daesha to roll her eyes.

"I might not be here with you forever, not by dying but having to go back to my birth right.  I'm a protector of Ryloth trained by the High Priestess who was instructed by our Goddess to do so.  I am a protector a life giver and death bringer.  And when they find me, which they will eventually, my will, will no longer be my own and I will return to the temple to be locked away until Ryloth needs my aid."

"Then I will go with you."

"No Xan, men are not part of the Goddess Temple you would die as soon as you passed over the enterance of it," Daesha said sighing, "Either I stay in the temple, or I wander the planet where the Goddess heeds me to go.  I'm sorry Xan but this can never be, even now having contact with you is against ther Goddess' will."

"He's patient, can you say that about any other man you've met since you ran away? Probably not, let alone when he looks at you with those eyes he wants to give you the world, his heart, and anything else you desire. An insane woman would push this man away and yet here you are willing to do so. Why? Because of what the High Priestess told you, but what if it wasn't the Goddess' will for you to stay on Ryloth, what if this is a gift from the Goddess, her love spoken through this man, this human?"

"You have a point but right now he's crushing me!" Daesha thought, though somewhat amused she was talking to the more excentrent side of her brain. Daesha's lips were crushed against Xan's her fingers digging into his shoulders his hands clutching her hips as they kissed.

"Xan," Daesha groaned pulling out of the kiss only to have Xan attack her neck with kisses, "Xan!" she half growled flipping him onto his back and sitting on his chest to stop him.

"Hm?" he asked giving her a roguish smile as his fingers ran up and down her sides.

"As much as I would love the kids in the camp to be terrified of our cries of lust, this isn't really the time for this," she purred.

"Hm, why not?"

"Well for one even if it is extremely rare for a Twi'lek and human to have children, purple Twi'leks have a higher percentage of that happening for some reason. And as much as I like you, I don't feel like having spawn of our own is a great way to start a relationship. Stop that its distracting when I'm trying to be serious!" she laughed grabbing Xan's hands and kissing them. She rolled off his chest and laid beside him her hand touching his chest.

"So tell me more about this Goddess that guides you,"Xan murmured stroking her Lekku.

"Hm? Well we call her Kika'lekki, she keeps the balance, she provides love and guidance to her people. Its hard to explain some believe that she is one with our Lekku and to lose our Lekku is to lose that guidance. Why do you have something like that you believe in?"

"You're not," Daesha giggled running her hands through Xan's chest hair again before burying her face in the curls and chuckling again, fasinated by the hair growth on his body.  She then moved up to his face first running her hands through his hair then her fingers running across the rough stubble of his beard.  Then she ran her cheek against the roughness.  Then she turned her attention to his facial features gently touching his eyebrows, eyelids, cheekbones, nose, and then lips.  She bent her lips forward, barely touching Xan's lips before she threw her arms around the back of his neck and kissing him deeply.  Xan responded by his hands clasping her waist and pulling her close.

"So still not your type?' Xan chuckled as their eyes locked again.

Daesha grinned, "Nope, I prefer short men with sandy hair and blue eyes.  Not to mention men who are more around my age," she said moving back to his chest and running her hands through the hair again.

"And yet here you are, fasinated by my hair.  Must be a Twi'lek thing, your men don't have hair do they?" Xan asked curiously.

"No and neither do the woman if you haven't noticed," Daesha commented moving closer to Xan to rest her head against his chest, as if on cue Xan grabbed her under the knee and placed her leg over his hip.  "You're still not my type," she murmured tiredly.  The humidity from the thunderstorm had begun to subside leaving a chill in the air.  Daesha's skin prickled with goosebumps as she cuddled closer to Xan, using his chest as a pillow.

"Maybe you might change your mind someday," Xan commented.

"Maybe, depends, better to say I'm not attracted to you at all in case someone wants to ask us about our relationship," Daesha murmured her eyes drooping.

"Wake up," Daesha whispered, she got no response from the sleeping Xan. She was fully dressed in the dried clothes of the day before, it was an hour after sunrise in two hours the campers would be awake and then breakfast. Daesha loved food, but she loved breakfast food more then anything else. "Wake up!" Daesha said pouncing onto Xan's sleeping form and shaking him. She grinned as she was swept onto her back, Xan with wild hair and even wilder eyes stared down at her.

"Morning," she chuckled as his eyes slowly went back to their normal look. Without a word Xan flipped onto his back taking Daesha with him so she was sitting on his chest.

"Little early to be dressed?" he asked stifling a yawn smiling as Daesha ran a hand through his chest hair.

"Have to be, the kids get woken up in two hours, and we have to go back, shower, have a counselor meeting, drag the kids out of bed, get them showers, then to breakfast," Daesha said calmly glad that the sleeping bag was between her and Xan as she spoke. He was odd, honest, but odd to like her so much after hardly knowing her. Well she had warned him, what else could she do?

"So what am I expected to do, carry more stuff?" Xan asked sitting up and Daesha slid into his lap.

"Well...I think Jim has you as a helper in one of the boy cabins," Daesha said burying her face once again in Xan's chest and giggling.

"Stop that," Xan said tilting Daesha's face upwards and kissing her lips, "So, I'm babysitting?" he then groaned looking up at the ceiling of the tent, "Can't we just stay here, you could crawl back in here and we could cuddle some more?"

"Hey, I'm babysitting too, so I'll be nearby, besides half of the time we're just taking them from one place to another. And this is the first day of camp, they have the announcements, then a tour, crafts, and swimming most of the afternoon, then a cook out," Daesha said counting them off on her fingers.

"How nearby?" Xan questioned.

"Near enough, now get dressed we need to get camp packed up before Jim finds us," Daesha said standing up and bounding out of the tent.

"I don't get it," Cindy mumbled grumpily crossing her arms over her skimpy red bikini.

"Get what?" Daesha asked looking at the shorter girl through her sunglasses.

"I mean he was super creepy yesterday, then runs off you drag him back this morning and he's, like, completely normal," Cindy commented as the two of them played lifeguard as Xan and several of the other conselors swam with the kids in the lake.  Daesha lowered her sunglasses to watch as Xan swung around one of the kids and generally horse played around.

"I think he was more upset that I tricked him and that he almost went skinny dipping with you," Daesha commented covering her eyes again.

"Yeah but, oh my god!  You two?" Cindy asked her eyes going large.

"What??" Daesha asked blinking a few times before she realized what Cindy was saying, "Oh, no, you kidding he's not my type you know that besides the higher ups would have a field day with that theory."

"But still there has to be better summer romance then this, Xan hardly looks at me at all.  How are we to be summer lovers if he's not looking!" Cindy whined.

"I think he was looking a second ago," Daesha said crossing her arms over her dark blue one piece bathing suit.

"Really?  OOoooo Zac is so looking at you," Cindy said waving to the tall sandy haired boy in the water, "HEY ZAC QUIT STARING AT DAE!" she yelled causing Daesha's cheeks to flush dark blue.

"CINDY!" Daesha growled her voice filled with venom.

"Come on Dae you need summer romance too!"

"But come on Zac?"

"Yeah he's hot," Cindy nodded before she let out a squeal as Daesha pushed the blond into the water.

"that was so uncool Dae!" Cindy whined treading water as Daesha grinned down at the soaked girl.

'You deserved it," Daesha pointed out crouching on the dock before turning her attention back to the kids of the camp.  Inside she wanted to kick the crap out of Xan for being so unkind to Zac, it wasn't like the younger boy was any competition to Xan.  Then on the other side of things she was a little pleased that Xan was actually trying to compete for her affections and show off a little.  But she didn't give him the satisfaction of knowing that and instead she vowed to ignore him.  Of course Cindy's screams and protests distracted Daesha from her mild plots of revenge.

"Give it back you little perverts!" Cindy yelled holding her chest where the top of her bikini was missing.  Four ten year old boys were swimming towards the shore holding Cindy's top as their prize.

"Goddess give me strength," Daesha mumbled going after the boys as they sprinted towards the woods.  Her legs were longer then their and catching up to them was relatively easy.  After a smack to each of the kid's heads Daesha headed back to the lake.  Cindy was shivering in a towel on the dock when Daesha handed her back her top.

"Let me take those kids to dinner for you guys," Jim said gathering up the kids and taking them back to camp, "You guys take an hour break," he called over his shoulder as the conselors grinned to one another.

'I'm going back to my bunk, I'm sick of the lake," Cindy sniffed through red eyes and marched up to the camp, the rest of the counselors followed.  Even Zac even though he hesitated before Daesha glared at him.

Sitting down on the dock Daesha dipped her feet in the water and glared at Xan, "Jealous?" she asked.