Aeris felt happier than she’d ever been when he told her that he loved her, too. She had already known her he felt. She’d always known; the bond they shared, and her own abilities had not allowed him to hide this, but they had been Jedi and it was forbidden, and then the war had torn them apart and put them on different sides, keeping them apart. But now there was nothing to keep them apart, and finally hearing it out loud, the words she’d always longed to hear, it was elating, which showed when she smiled against his lips as they kissed, no longer feeling any hesitation.<br/><br/>She let out a soft sound, muffled by his lips on hers as his hands moved beneath her top, lightly touching her skin as though she were fragile, like glass. Suddenly she knew what she wanted, and she could feel that he did, too. She wanted more, no, everything. As he moved to remove his tunic, she began to remove the tight-fitted sleeveless leather tunic she wore, suddenly wishing she’d worn something that was easier to remove, but then, she’d not expected to have to remove it in such a way. She slipped it off when he broke the kiss to remove his shirt and she toss it aside, still wearing a light shirt as he kissed her again.<br/><br/>His hands found her skin again, seeking to remove the remaining layers between them, his actions slow and gentle, as they always were. Her hands slowly traced the exposed skin of his chest, not needing to rush, happy to take their time to enjoy one another and to enjoy every second they had together. She complied when he removed the last of her layers and moved so that she now lay on her back. His gentle kisses became more urgent as they moved down her neck, leaving a trail of heat across her skin and eliciting a soft moan with each new kiss. She found herself again wanting more, and yet she was also quite content with this, feeling the soft warmth of his lips on her skin. She felt like nothing would ever be enough yet all at once, he alone was enough and every kiss, every touch was already enough. It was a contradiction, yet it made sense to her. Perhaps it was fitting for one such as herself.<br/><br/>As his fingers moved swiftly to remove his remaining garments, she moved gently beneath him to slip off what remained of her own so that there was nothing separating them. Her fingers sought to touch every inch of his skin she could—which was plenty, since he wasn’t much taller than she was—her touches slow and feather-light as her fingertips brushed against his skin. She was not necessarily trying to tease him, although she wouldn’t be displeased with such a reaction, she was simply enjoying him.<br/><br/>She knew they both wanted more, but she was in no rush to get to the end, even if some part of her was eager to do just that. She would let him lead that part, when he was ready. For now, one of her hands reached out to touch his cheek, guiding him gently back to her lips where she kissed him, slow and sweet, just long enough to make them both want more before she kissed his cheek, his jawline, his ear, and down his neck and to his chest with soft, light kisses.<br/><br/>She realized that she had been overthinking this and because of that she had been acting so timid, but that wasn’t her. She didn’t hesitate to take what she wanted, and she had certainly never been called timid, so why start now? With that, her tongue traced ever so lightly from his chest up his neck and then her lips found his once more, pulling him into an even deeper kiss, holding nothing back as her hands continued their light exploration of his skin. If he wanted to be hers fully, he need only ask. Then again, he already had her answer; she was his for the taking, however he wished.<br/><br/>-----<br/><br/>Jax could feel her insecurity, but it was unnecessary, and he didn’t hesitate for even a moment as he continued, hoping that at some point she would stop worrying so much as realize that nothing so insignificant mattered to him. She was all that mattered. He continued to touch her skin as he kissed her neck, her hands roaming his skin, her fingers tangling in his hair, her legs wrapping around him.<br/><br/>Her intentions were not hidden, they were laid bare for him to see, and he had no intention of denying her what she sought. He had planned to take his time, to give her all the pleasure and attention she deserved, despite how badly he wanted her, until she understood. It seemed, though, that she was just as ready as he was, and she had no intention of waiting. She pushed on his shoulders, rolling him so that she was on top of him. Even if he’d wanted to, he had no strength to resist her, he’d never been good at saying no to her, but he’d never wanted to, and this was certainly no exception to that.<br/><br/>He kissed her back with the same passion as she removed her remaining garments. When she tugged at his remaining garments, an unasked question that would receive the same answer that he would always give her, he moved to allow her to easily remove them. When she settled in above him, his eyes took in the sight of the beautiful woman before him, letting out an involuntary moan as she touched him and his flesh pulsed with his need for her. She then stretched forward, her breasts pressing against his chest and sending shivers through his body before telling him something he hadn’t expected to hear. She loved him.<br/><br/>He hadn’t been given a lot of time to process that when she moved and gave him just a small taste of what he desired before slowly taking all of him inside of her. “I love you too,” he was barely able to whisper in reply. How was it that she had so easily turned the tables on him? Then, that was a stupid question—he’d never really stood a chance against her, now least of all. He’d always loved her, too, and he’d always been hers for the taking. He wished it hadn’t taken so long to realize that, but there was no time for regrets.<br/><br/>As she began to move on him, he moved into a rhythm with her, taking advantage of his position beneath her to caress her skin, her cheeks, her arms, her back, her sides, and her abdomen, playing gentle, careful attention to the scars she held. Finally, he took her breasts in his hands, knowing she had worried if they were good enough, he took his time, squeezing them lightly, massaging them, caressing the sensitive skin with light, tantalizing strokes. When he was satisfied, he wrapped an arm around her lightly so that she was forced to lean closer as he moved to take one of her breasts into his mouth, teasing the nipple lightly with his tongue, suckling and nibbling gently on the sensitive flesh, watching her reactions carefully. He gave each one the same careful attention before pulling her close, so that they remained together as he rolled to once again place him on top so that he could finally give her what she truly wanted. He gave her just the briefest hint of a smirk before it faded into an affectionate smile as he began moving into a steady but quicker rhythm, holding out for her to finish before he would let himself do the same.