"I have an awkward question," Flint said over breakfast.

Evander scoffed. "Nothing is awkward between us anymore. Shoot."

"So I know you're not gay, but you've never showed interest in men before," Flint said. "Aside from... you know."

"Aside from you, I'm never been interested in men before, you're right," he set his spoon down and shrugged. "I think after fighting in two wars and being hunted by the Empire for five years my heart stopped caring. Maybe it never did. I honestly don't know." A small smile spread across his face. "All I know is I've changed a lot since we first met. You've really had the greatest impact on my life. You made me a more empathetic, kinder, less defensive person despite losing Jolie, Alda, and Synyc in the same day. So, all around better." Now he smiled a little bigger, looking Flint in the eye. "I just see you for who you are. I couldn't care less about what you are." He tentatively reached across the table and took Flint's hand gently, taking in a deep breathe. "You're a part of my life. Being with you has literally become a necessity for me to live, and my heart just wants to be closer to you. I mean, I can't even get a good night sleep without you there beside me."

Flint smiled and his cheeks turned a bright red. Evander even thought he saw some tears lining his lids, but he wasn't sure. "Good Force, you're perfect."

They finished their breakfast, each managing to eat with one hand so they didn't have to let go.

       They descended from their ship to the snowy scape of Illum.

"This way," Flint said as he began marching through the snow.

Evander nodded. "You really don't forget anything, do you?"

"Nope, not a thing."

Evander chuckled and they continued on for an hour or so until they had reached a back entrance to the cave system.

"This is our only way in since we aren't actually Jedi anymore," Flint explained as they stood before what looked like a wall of ice.

"In?" Evander asked. "How? It's just a wall."

Flint smiled and shook his head. "Do what I do." He took his glove off and extended his hand to the icy wall. He closed his eye and focused his energy to it. Evander caught in after a beat and did the same. The walk began to rippled and dissolve into little white sparks floating through the air and into the cave.

"It's prettier than I remember," Evander remarked as they walked inside, taking in the ice covered cave system.

"Yeah..." Flint replied breathlessly.

They both felt the cold nipping at their hands so they put their gloves back on before continuing on their way.

       "I'm getting hungry," Evander said after an hour of exploring. They'd crossed a river of rushing freezing cold water, scaled a wall of ice, and almost fell down a cavern they'd never get out of.

"You're always hungry," Flint replied with a small smirk.

Evander pretended to look offended and shoved him a bit, but not too hard considering the ice everywhere. "Yeah but I'm especially hungry."

Flint laughed and pointed to a flat portion of rock in the distance. "Let's sit there and eat. It'll probably be warmer than sitting on pure ice."

Evander nodded in agreement and picked up the pace, eager to get some food into his belly.

After eating some energy bars and sipping a hot beverage from a thermos, they continued on their way, going where Flint led them.

After a while they got to what looked like a slide. Naturally, it was made of ice and rock.

"Well that's convenient," Evander remarked.

"It is," Flint agreed. "After you."

"Oh really, that's how we're gonna play this?" Evander asked sarcastically.

Flint just crossed his arms and smiled. Evander tried to stand his ground but ended up blushing and laughing. "Fine," he groaned, despite his smile.

He stepped towards the ledge, looking down the sloping sheet of ice. "See you down there," he said with a cheeky smile before plopping on his bum and going for it. He put his hands in the air, laughing and smiling like a kid, and let gravity do the rest, coming to a shockingly gradual halt a little ways from the bottom.

"Flint, that was awesome!" He shouted triumphantly as he slid around, still sitting, but was startled to see Flint flying towards him, trying to steer with his hands. Evander couldn't help but laugh. "Don't try and steer!" He shouted to him. Flint tried lifting his hands but brought them back down immediately. Evander reached his hand out to grab hold of him, just barely clasping his hand.

They spun around, but Evander's added weight slowed them down until they were laughing their asses off. Flint was laying down and Evander had gotten on his knees, keeling over and holding his belly.

"That was the most graceless thing I've ever seen," Evander said through fits of laughter.

"Hey, I tried!" Flint argued, still laughing.

Evander wipes a tear from the corner of his eye and smiled down at him. "It was very cute."

"Oh, was it now?" Flint retorted, pushing himself up onto his elbows as Evander began leaning down closer.

Evander smirked a bit and lowered his voice. "Yeah," he said as he continued leaning in, smiling subtly.
"What, you don't believe me?"

Flint scrunched up his face in a mocking expression with a devious smile. "Not quite."

"You're a jerk," he said with a smile as he closed the gap. Flint managed to fiddle a glove off and used that hand to cup Evander's cheek. He rubbed his thumb over the stubble and smiled. Sometimes he missed his beard.

Since Evander wasn't using his hands to support himself, he got his gloves off with ease. He then leaned down on one hand while the other wrapped around Flint's waist and rested on his back, pulling him closer.

Flint stopped the kiss suddenly, making Evander look at him with worry. "So ice caves and near death experiences turn you on," Flint said with a shockingly husky tone. "Good to know." He got up and offered a hand to pull Evander up, which he gladly took with an astonished face.

"That was so not a near death experience!" He exclaimed.

"Well it was scary!"

       They spent the last few hours of daylight traveling side by side through the rocky caves, narrow tunnels, and steep walls. It was breathtaking and even therapeutic for them to revisit the past together. They started their Jedi Journey as mere teammates with no interest in being friends, and now they were each other's whole world.

They arrived back in the ship just in time to see the sun set from the cockpit.

"We made it just in time," Flint said.

"Yeah," Evander replied from his seat, throwing his parka and snow pants to the side. "The sunset is awesome."

"And we'd surely get hypothermia out there, even with our layers."

Evander laughed. "Of course that's where your mind goes."

"Says the guy who only thinks about cereal."

"Okay. Maybe I do think about cereal a lot but I also think about you a lot—so shut up." They both smiled and turned back to the sunset, but Flint didn't watch it for long. He was more drawn to the deep purple, red, and fuchsia hues reflected in Evander's eyes.

Evander looked over, tilting his head and smiling softly. "What?"

Flint shrugged. "I'd rather look at you than the sunset."

Evander shook his head with a smile and then brought his gaze back to Flint. "Don't be a stranger," he said with a devilishly suggestive smile. Flint picked up on it with ease. He gave Evander his own suggestive smile and rose from his seat.

Evander sat up straighter and wrapped his hands around Flint's waist, guiding him to his lap. He had to keep reminding himself that Flint was pretty in the dark with this kind of thing.

Flint's arms instinctively wrapped around the back of Evander's neck and he leaned in, their noses almost touching. "What are you thinking right now?" He asked quietly.

Evander grinned and lowered his voice, which he didn't even realize he did to begin with. "Why tell you when I can show you?"

Lust glinted in Flint's eyes and he pulled himself to Evander's lips, clashing into them with more gusto than earlier. This was a different kind of kiss — a kiss of pure passion and wanting.

Evander melted into it, returning the want and running his hands up Flint's back underneath his shirt.

After they grew impatient of just kissing, no matter how aggressive and passionate it was, Flint picked up the pace. His lips made their way across Evander's jaw and down to the nape of his neck. Evander tilted his head away to give him more access. Flint took it, almost greedily. He accidentally nipped at the skin with his teeth, but based on the breathy moan that jolted from Evander, he did it on purpose a few more times. Flint stopped suddenly when he felt something below him. He leaned back a bit. "Bedroom?" He asked.

Evander nodded breathlessly, then grinned. Flint grinned as well and took him by the hands, teasing him on the way to his room down the hall of the ship.

Evander saw his chance to try and let Flint be on the receiving end so he kneeled over him on the bed. They fell back into a rhythm, this time Evander's lips traveling down Flint's neck. Flint immediately began to understand why people found this so pleasurable.

In a flash, Evander had thrown his shirt to the side of the room and had just hands underneath Flint's as he kissed down his neck and collarbones. He fiddled with the waistband of Flint's sweatpants and the hem of his shirt, indicating he wanted it off. Before he moved any further he stopped everything he was doing and looked down at Flint, searching for any hesitation in his eyes. He didn't see or sense any.

"You're sure about this?" Evander asked, seeming nervous for the first time that night. "I don't want you to feel pressured or like you have to do this or anything you're not comfortable with," his voice started going faster and faster until he was practically rambling to himself. "'Cause if you don't want to do it I don't want to either and—"

Flint just put a finger to his lips. He shut up right away. "I want this," he said with unwavering certainty. "You know how fussy I am," he said with an amused smile. "If I didn't want to do something, you would know."

"Okay," Evander said with a smile.

Evander just kept smiling at him. "What are you waiting for?" Flint asked with s smirk.

"You're a jerk," Evander said breathlessly before going back in full force.

Neither of them regretted what they did that night. Not for a second.