Kissed by Fire: Cal Kestis

Chapter 21

When Y/n awoke the next morning, she let out a sigh of relief. This was the second time she had been able to go to sleep without her Blue Ivy Tea, both times having been when Cal was resting next to her. Something about being near him made her feel safe and secure, making falling asleep even easier. Going to move out of the bed, she halted when she felt something around her, pulling her back onto the mattress. Furrowing her eyebrows, she turned her head, surprised to see a sleeping Cal settled right behind her. His arm was wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him and tangling their legs together under the sheets.

She flushed red, feeling her face grow hot as she realized their position. When she invited Cal for a restful sleep, she didn't think they'd end up like this. One of them on each side of the bed was what she assumed would happen. Not curled up into each other.

She stiffened when he let out a heavy sigh, his breath hitting the back of her neck. When Y/n tried shuffling away, he let out a low groan, one that sent a shiver down her spine and left goosebumps on her arms. Releasing a breath when she realized he was still asleep, she carefully removed his arm from around her and slid off the edge of the bed, trying her best not to take any of the sheets with her. Y/n prided herself when she succeeded, but she couldn't help but look at Cal's sleeping form as she stood.

He was so peaceful, almost innocently. It was strange. When he was first aboard the Mantis she would hear Greez complaining about how Cal constantly talked and murmured in his sleep. Little things here and there that connected to his past. All his trauma of a life lost. But here, he was silent. The steady rise and fall of his chest was a soothing pattern, unhindered by words from his lips. His red hair was a wreck, amusingly so. She just wanted to run her hand through it. She almost reached down to trace the small scars that painted his face, and the freckles that joined them.

Y/n blinked at her own thoughts. She let out a disbelieving laugh at herself, shaking her head free of the moment. She was being ridiculous around Cal, almost annoyingly so. Her mind and her impulses were suddenly always clashing when she was around him, and it was beginning to drive her crazy. She just couldn't figure out why she all of a sudden had such an infatuation with the Jedi. She never got this attentive around boys. Sure, she'd had her fun in the past, but none of it meant anything.

She took some extra clothes and headed to the fresher, closing the door behind her quickly. She was glad it was one of those days Greez wasn't hogging the fresher shower and using up all their hot water. She set her clothes aside and removed her grimy Kashyyyk wear before stepping under the lovely hot water of the shower. Y/n let out a sigh of content as she washed the remaining muck from her hair. Kashyyyk was lovely, sometimes, but the trek through the forests would leave you worse for wear.

Droplets of water ran down her nose and chin as she stood under the steady flow. Her mind kept wandering back to Cal asleep on her bed in her room. Why did she do that? Why did she offer up her bed for him? Because you knew exactly what helped you fall asleep the devil on her shoulder whispered to her.

No it's because I wanted him to feel comfortable. I wanted him to rest well for once, not on that stiff cot she told the devil back, shaking her head slightly.

Oh, please. You wanted him in your bed.

Y/n shook her head at the devil on her shoulder, knowing it was laughing at her denial. Everything Greez had said before swirled in her head, but she couldn't possibly accept it all. Rubbing her eyes, she cursed to herself. "I've gotta calm down," she mumbled to herself. "Nothing is going on with Cal Kestis."

Yeah. Tell yourself that.

Y/n cursed off the little voice in her head again. She felt like she was insane. Instead of answering herself once more, realizing that talking to herself was only going to drive her deeper into this hole she dug herself, she started humming a small tune to get something else stuck in her head. Other than the ginger boy laying on her cot at that very moment. It seemed to work, her mind focused on the music in her head other than the rest of life's trials bothering her.