Title: Fete Week in the CIty
Author: Myriad Daydreams
Timeframe: Four years after Union
Characters: Luke and Mara
Genre: Mush, fluff, humor (hopefully)
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars
A/N: Written for a friend on TFN :)
Fete Week in the City
Fete Week on Coruscant was a busy, bustling event, Luke observed. Streets were lined with decorations, and families of all species and sizes crowded the walkways. Colors of the season could be seen everywhere, accompanied by traditional music drifting out of warm shops and restaurants. All the people were cast with a cheerful atmosphere that was hard to resist.
"All that's missing is a little bit of snow, don't you think?" Mara whispered in his ear, as if continuing his thought. She most likely was. He only sighed in reply.
"What, a Tatooine farmboy can't stand a little snow?" she teased, squeezing his arm playfully.
Memories of a certain Wampa attack and nearly dying in the barren ice world of Hoth flashed unpleasantly in his mind, and he murmured "No, not quite." Mara did not comment and instead took of one his hands in hers, intertwining them tightly.
They continued to stroll absentmindedly through the many streets and avenues of Coruscant for some time. While Mara gazed at the various store windows and decorations, Luke could not seem to take his eyes off Mara. Her hair was let down and long fiery waves tumbled over her shoulders. Her cheeks were rosy red, and her alabaster face reminded him of an angel.
Though Fete Week was normally a week filled with family, friends, and gift giving, Mara and Luke were spending the holiday alone. Han and Leia were off-planet. Jaina and Jacen were in the outer rim investigating an Imperial base, and Anakin was training on Yavin. Luke would have gladly visited his sister and brother-in-law, Han and Leia had insisted they celebrate on their own this year. It was difficult living in a galaxy-wide family.
Mara seemed determined to cheer him up, and she suggested a relaxing evening on the streets of Coruscant. Her suggestion surprised him, but he found it was more enjoyable than he originally thought.
Mara led Luke to a bench outside a small candy shop. Sitting down, Luke untangled their fingers and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. The cool, crisp air made his nose tingle, and he was grateful for her warmth beside him.
Oblivious to his thoughts only of her, Mara turned to look at him. "Don't you just love Coruscant this time of year?"
"It's beautiful," he whispered, and their lips met in a tender kiss.
It was nearly an hour later before they meandered into a quaint café for a dessert. After breaking the news to a disheartened Bothan waitress that they would only be ordering hot chocolate and desserts, they settled into a small booth in the back corner.
For the most part they were silent as they casually sipped hot chocolate. The café was empty except for an old Gungan couple sipping wine and toasting galactic peace in loud tones. Even the cook of the restaurant sat in a chair, wiping his brow and humming a fete carol.
Mara glanced out the large window at the far end of the café and sighed softly. "This vaguely reminds me of the first time we had hot chocolate together."
Luke quirked an eyebrow. "Didn't you storm out and fly off- planet the first time we had hot chocolate together?"
Mara gave him a bewildered look, before laughing nervously. "Oh, I forgot about that time."
"That was also the time you threw a plate at my head, and left me a comm message saying-"
"Okay, okay," she cut him off, genuinely laughing now. "I get the point. I meant the second time, on our way home from Nirauan."
Luke sat back in his seat and nodded. "I remember that. Only a day or so after I proposed."
Mara smiled softly and traced her finger around the rim of her mug. "Can you believe that was four years ago?"
"Feels like just yesterday."
Mara reached across the table and took his hand in hers. "Time sure flies when you're saving the galaxy."
Their quiet introspection was interrupted by the return of their waitress, holding a tray with two plates of desserts. She set them down on the table, and smiled warmly. "Enjoy, it's the house special!"
"What exactly is it?" Mara asked.
Luke stared incredulously at his wife. What was she thinking?
Their waitress blinked. "Peanut butter and chocolate pie, with whipped cream topping," she said in a tone that clearly expressed dismay at her guest's naivety. For some reason Luke could not quite comprehend, a wicked grin passed over Mara's face. She thanked the waitress, grin growing wider by the second.
"What was that about?" Luke asked, after the waitress had left. When she did not answer, he sent a silent query through the Force.
"I just want to know what I'm eating, that's all," she said curtly.
Surprised by her sudden change in mood, he decided to let the comment slide, and raised his mug of hot chocolate in a mock toast. "Happy Fete Week, Mara."
"Happy Fete Week, Skywalker."
Luke set down his mug, and suddenly found his face shoved forcefully into his plate of peanut-butter-cream pie, without even a second's warning. For a moment he was confused, before he felt his wife's hysterical glee through their Force bond.
Slowly, he rose from the mess that was now his dessert, and glared as best he could. Whipped cream dripped from his nose and the tips of his hair. The peanut butter tickled his lips and cheeks. At that exact moment he had never felt so ridiculous.
The intensity of his glare was lost on Mara as she no longer fought to control her fits of laugher. Her giggles filled the entire café and tears streamed down her cheeks. Had he not been covered in whipped cream, Luke would have blushed bright red.
Luke stared down at the remnant of his dessert, then back at Mara laughing, her untouched sweet still intact on her plate. Before he could help it, a devious idea flashed across his mind.
Mara stopped laughing instantly. "Skywalker, you wouldn't dare…"
Grinning behind a coating of pie, he reached out with the Force before Mara could stop him, and mimicked her earlier prank. The image of his witty, strong-willed wife with her face full of pie was too much to bear.
Luke burst out into laughter, as Mara whipped her head up from the plate. If looks could kill, Luke would have been dead.
The absurdity of the situation was too much, and both Luke and Mara laughed in unison for a long while. It had been ages since Luke had a reason to laugh so much, and it felt wonderful.
What seemed like hours later, their laughter died down into content chuckles, and Luke decided he had enough whipped cream for one day. He reached for a handful of napkins, and heard his wife shriek.
"What?" he asked incredulously. Surely she did not want him to leave it there…
Mara's grin grew wider yet. She reached out a single slender finger and traced a line down the bridge of his nose, then brought it to her lips, licking the cream off tantalizingly.
"We wouldn't want this great dessert to go to waste, would we?"
Luke could only laugh in reply.