Lily accepted the napkins graciously and dabbed at her mouth and the gnawing irritation of her headache. He offered the last egg roll like a gentleman, but she shook her head and accepted the card instead. Giving it a quick glance over, she didn't see any obvious flaws so she grabbed her stinky... wait... where was that gym bag? Lily felt her hair, it was mostly dry now.

She needed a hair tie and a pen to annotate what he'd just told her... and a serious nap. One thing at a time. "Lemmie put this somewhere safe." She sighed and tucked the card underneath the waist band of her jeans before standing and stretching.

Jacen munched away at the egg roll, and Lori went for her bag. She had to step over the puddle that surrounded his wet clothes, but the bag was still dry at least. She grabbed handfuls of things out looking for the smaller things that would inevitably be at the very bottom of the bag. She removed the card, jotted down what head told her so she didn't have to remember anymore, and even found a fresh hair tie to pull her hair up and away from her face.

When she packed the things back in her bag, she missed a knobbly, leather wallet that was hiding behind the wastebasket. Of course it wasn't hers, she didn't carry anything as incriminating as identification, and of course she wouldn't have left it there on purpose. She didn't even know it was there.

Stinky bag in hand, Lori returned victorious with her things. She tossed the bag beside the door for an easy exit and took her proper seat. One knee on either side of Jacen's hips, Lily sat in on Jacen's lap and lay her forehead against the heat of his neck without a word. It was nice. A nice goodbye hug. She closed her eyes and pressed herself closer against that warmth. She wasn't sleeping here. Nope.

As she shoved the card into the waistband of her jeans and then stood, stretching, Jacen caught himself thinking about the skin that his card was currently touching. It hadn't been that long ago that it had been his own skin touching those same areas and he had to admit that it was tempting to move in that direction all over again.

As she walked off to the bedroom Jacen popped the last eggroll into his mouth and chewed it thoughtfully. Who would have thought a tennis match would turn into this? Who would have thought a tennis match could bring about things that would reveal so much about himself. He had done his duty and the right thing for so long... maybe, just maybe, he could start to be a little selfish.

Lily walked back into the living room wordlessly. Jacen too remained silent as she tossed her bag over by the door and then walked over to take a position straddling him on the couch. As she buried her face in his neck Jacen lifted his hands, stroking through the woman's blond hair for a moment. Her scent was intoxicating and if he were honest with himself, Jacen wanted to give her a reason to need yet another shower.

Moving his hand around to cup her face, Jacen gently pulled Lily away from his throat before looking into her eyes. There was no emotion of love or anything touchy feely in his eyes just pure, hot, need. It was the work of a moment for his hand to move around to the back of her neck, bringing her forward once more into a passionate kiss. Expression in words was uncessary as he broadcast everything through this one simple touch. Moving his other hand up, Jacen slipped it under her shirt, running it over the smooth skin of her back before dipping down to trail over the skin that was hidden beneath the waistband of her pants.

"Call me," He said a moment later in a husky voice as he pulled back from the kiss, "next time you need a shower."

He steered her away from a nice doze and straight up for a pair of hot, steamy shower eyes. She didn't even have time to form a question of where did that come from when he came in with a kiss that would melt the hearts and faces of lesser women.

"Call me next time you need a shower."

She kissed his jaw. "I get the feeling that you're trying to get rid of me, but... I believe you have something of mine." Lily shifted her weight so that it was obvious she was talking about the placement of his hand. It was also obvious that she didn't exactly mind. She teetered on the edge of indecision. If she didn't leave now, she probably wouldn't be leaving until tomorrow. She didn't do sleepovers. It was a rule that had kept her safe for a long time.

But sometimes, a lot of times really, she broke the rules. "Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way..." So what was one more? Even if it was her own...

He was pushing her. Making it hard to go so soon so Lily pushed right back. She kissed him in a way that was a kind of play for dominance.

This was not exactly how Jacen had expected Lily to respond but there was no reason to complain. If she felt up for a round three then he was going to do his best to make sure that when she left she was a very happy and very satisfied woman.

The kiss continued to heat up as one of Jacen's hands drifted away from her neck to slowy wrap around her waist and pull her just a little closer, even as his other hand continued to explore the delicate skin that was covered by fabric. A few moments later his hand finally withdrew from that particular area of skin, quickly moving to the front of her jeans. It was difficult to do from this position and with only one hand, but after a few clumsy tries the snap was undone and the zipper had been nudged downward to provide much easier access.

"You sure about this?" Jacen murmured a few moments later when he pulled back from the kiss and began to nibble at Lily's neck. Maybe she'd get away without any marks but then again, hickies were always in style. "We might get dirty... we might need another shower."

Jacen wasn't going to complain about anything. He was ready to move in whichever direction she wanted and if he was completely honest with himself he would admit that if she did choose to leave right now, he'd have to go take a nice, long, cold shower.

"You sure about this?" The answer was no. It was obviously no. Her brain shouted No! but he had his teeth around a patch of skin at the top of her neck near the ear that was only exposed because of her hair being pulled back.

"Only fools are sure." It was hardly a whisper. Her hands were otherwise engaged trying to find a way that would free his skin from his shirt without interrupting the teeth on her neck. She liked teeth on her neck. Her headache was about to be abolished through naturally produced chemicals. Lucky for Lily, you didn't have to be sure to act on an impulse.

"We might get dirty... we might need another shower."

She laughed a throaty laugh that spoke of experience. "Is that all you're worried about?" He was stronger, sure, but she was pushing him down on the couch. It was all about dominance and control. She'd fight for every inch, but enjoy defeat as much as victory.

((that's probably another fade there...))

A few hours later Jacen was once again stretched out on the bed with Lily's head and her blond hair pooled out over his chest. They had each had moments of being in charge since neither would give up control completely. It had kept things interesting with both of them fighting to take charge without being to forceful. The clothes lay scattered over both the living room and bedroom floors but neither of the individuals in the bed seemed to have a care in the world.

"I could get used to this." He murmured quietly with his eyes closed as one hand trailed up and down the curve of Lily's spine, "Next weekend is Valentine's day so..." Jacen's voice trailed off for a moment as he thought about his schedule, "would you be busy the weekend after? Maybe we could take in a club or just a shower."

For a man that hadn't been with a woman in a little while, this many times in such a short period was tiring but Jacen didn't care. It was a satisfied weariness that he knew he'd like to experience more often down the road. A part of him was growing attached to the young woman that now lay in bed with him, but not the kind of attachment that one felt for a life long partner. More the kind of attachment that someone would feal for a friend or kindred heart.

"If you're busy I understand... we can always aim for another time instead." Jacen offered giving Lily an out she could use in case she needed it.

"I could get used to this." Lily's eyes were closed and her face firmly sealed to his chest. She would have had to peel herself off from his skin and that just wasn't happening. Several tennis matches and several rounds with Jacen. She was a pile of happy bones and he wanted polite conversation. It really just wasn't happening. Neither was moving.

"Next weekend is Valentine's day so... would you be busy the weekend after? Maybe we could take in a club or just a shower."

Lily cringed a bit and moved her arm up to settle across Jacen's lips. "Shhhh. Worry about next week, next week." She wasn't berating or obnoxious, more overwhelmed with the warm fuzzies and sheer exhaustion. She refused to open her eyes or move. She was mere moments from sleep if only he'd keep his insecurities in check.

She felt his lips move underneath his fingers and she groaned tiredly. "If you're busy I understand... we can always aim for another time instead."

"I'll call you." She would have promised him almost anything if only he would have shut his yap. Men could be so needy sometimes. Lily shifted slightly, not minding that she was mostly draped across him still and in the moments of silence that fell afterward, finally found sleep. He could talk all he wanted now, she was no longer listening.

Jacen's chest rumbled gently in a chuckle as he listened to the obvious weariness in Lily's voice. "Sleep well." He murmured as the woman's breathing evened out into obvious sleep.

For the next fifteen to twenty minutes Jacen just stared off at the ceiling as he listened to the blond woman sleep. How had he ended up like this? Sleeping with a woman he had just met was not something he normally did... in fact it was nothing he had ever done before. Sure he had been with women before but none this quick. What was different about Lily? What had drawn him to her?

"She's probably the first one I've ever met that brained me with a tennis racket." Jacen thought to himself in amusement as he finally let his eyes begin to close, "And she helped me realize I'm a mutant. That makes her different from just anyone out there."

Finally Jacen too drifted off to sleep.

Lori slept like a log.

A very prompt log that woke up every morning at 5:30am for a jog. Only, this log wasn't in her bed, or any of the beds she expected to find herself logged in.

Lori peeled herself very carefully from Jacen's skin and went about tidying up. Her first order of business was to replace her clothes. Once clothed, she tossed Jacen's things in his hamper (excepting a certain Army shirt she thought might make a nice souvenir). She washed and dried the alcohol glasses and replaced them by the good stuff, cleaned up the remaining Chinese, and even turned the upset couch back on its feet and replaced the cushions thereby erasing all evidence that she had even visited at all.

Peeking in at the still sleeping Jacen, Lori wondered. If he could sleep through all the clean up racket, did that mean he could sleep through a goodbye message?

***

Lori stepped onto the subway, clinging to her bag lest someone like herself should come along and attempted to steal it. She wished that she could see Jacen's face when he saw the message she'd scrawled across his forehead.

The sharpie letters, "REWOHS A EM O U," wouldn't be visible at first glance. Lori imagined him walking around the apartment wondering if it had all been a dream and then wandering into the bathroom and seeing her message reflected at him in the mirror.

Which, when flipped by the mirror would read "U O ME A SHOWER."

He had overslept... and he had overslept bad! Jacen awoke with a start just in tiem to look over and see that it was now 7:00 a.m. He was supposed to be at work at 8:00! In that split second Jacen's mind was suddenly shocked to complete wakefulness. Lily? Where was Lily? Had something happened? Springing from bed, Jacen swiftly moved through the house, accomplishing a thorough search in seconds. Everything was carefully cleaned up, straightened up, and put away right where it should be. Even his dirty clothes had been put in the hamper. It was almost as though she had never been there.

"That is a lady that doesn't like to overstay her welcome." Jacen said with a shake of his head as he once again checked the clock by his bed. 7:15... if he hurried he could shave, shower, grab his gear, and still make it to work on time. He'd have to breakfast on a stale bagle at the station but hey, it could be worse.

Walking into the bathroom Jacen flipped on the light and reached under the sink to pull out his shaving cream. Glancing up at his reflection out of habit, he looked back down at his shaving cream before his head snapped back up. It had taken a moment but it had finally clicked that something was out of place... there was frickin' writing on his head!

"U O ME A SHOWER" was written in big block letter across his forehead and for a moment Jacen could only stare in wonder before he began to laugh. Lily had left her calling card, letting him know that he would most likely be receiving a call from her down the road.

"You little minx." Jacen chuckled as he turned his focus back to shaving, "I hope I gave you a hickey last night!"

***

At aproximately 7:40 Jacen walked out of his front door and after quickly securing the deadbolt he jogged to his truck. He was dressed in his normal uniform with his bag of gear gripped firmly in his left hand. Lily was a pleasant memory but it was time to get back to business. Pleasure would have to be left on the shelf at home.