A/N: I know I had been promising this for Valentine's Day so this is a bit belated. But... better late than never!
A short but sweet sequel to "Myri and Me". But not to worry, you can read and enjoy even if you haven't read MnM, as long as you accept the lead pairing. Don't expect a plot here, folks, this is pure, unadulterated romantic fluff!
Rated M for the end of the first chapter.
And so we begin... again! Enjoy and squeeee to your heart's content!
- FK.
Chapter 1: Moving Day
"No no, Threepio! Not there! Bring it here!"
Levitating in a box of Force-alone-knew-what, Ben Skywalker paused at the doorway to their new apartment. As he wiped his hand across his brow, a broad grin creased his face at the sight of his wife, hands firmly planted on her hips, standing in the centre of the living room, guiding Threepio and Artoo into depositing cartons and furniture like a battle commander.
"What took you so long?"
She had turned to him, her hair tied up on the top of her head in a no-nonsense style, dressed in a tank top and slacks that allowed for maximum ease of movement. And even though she was glaring at him, Ben wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and tell her for perhaps the ten zillionth time exactly how much he loved her.
Myri Antilles-Skywalker didn't appear to notice the loving expression crossing her husband's face. Or perhaps she did. The intent of her gaze didn't let up, however.
"I thought you were a Jedi or something. Don't you fling whole battle droids away with the wave of a hand? I wouldn't have thought one box would prove to be so challenging."
Ben strolled in.
"Ah, but you see, my dear, where you're making the obvious mistake is in confusing 'Jedi' with 'magician'. No doubt a conjuror worth his salt could clap his hands and click his fingers a couple of times and everything would just fall into place, but you only married a poor Jedi Knight. I don't have magic, my love, only the Force. And the Force requires patience."
Myri was looking exasperated.
"Are you done, Master Jedi? That wasn't the only box I packed in the cargo speeder, you know. And don't think you can talk your way out of your responsibilities this time!"
Ben widened his eyes to look as innocent as possible, mouthing, "Who? Me?"
Myri tapped him on his chest.
"Yes you. Just like you wheedled out of the lion's share of the packing exercise. Don't think I'm not on to your tricks, mister. I wasn't CorSec for nothing!"
She slapped him playfully and shoved him towards the door.
"Go, Red! The house isn't going to furnish itself! And Threepio'll make a hash of all the placements if I'm not there to supervise."
Ben ambled reluctantly towards the exit, casting beseeching glances over his shoulder even as Artoo trundled in, tweetle-booping importantly as he pushed along a trolley of luggage.
He scowled down at the astromech.
"Oh so now you've gone over to her side as well, huh? After all the years I spent scrubbing and polishing you and keeping dust out of all your hidden places. Ungrateful blob!"
Artoo whistled sharply.
"Hey! Watch who you're calling a smartmouth, you crazy pile of circuits!"
The droid's reply was bitingly sarcastic.
"Alright, alright! I'm going, I'm going! Sheesh! Being with my dad for so long, now you're even beginning to sound like him!"
Later, having finally managed to move in all the luggage, cartons, bags and boxes, with the help of the two droids, Ben and Myri ordered in pizza. Ben leaned back against a box, his bare chest gleaming with the sweat of an honest day's work. He'd taken his shirt off and then kept it off after Myri had sneaked up on him and whispered in his ear that she liked his bare-bodied workman look. He chewed his slice ruminatively as he let his gaze wander over the once familiar walls and ceiling.
Ben and Myri had pooled their savings and bought Jacen Solo's old apartment on Coruscant in which to start their new life together. It had been Myri's idea, since the two had been searching long and fruitlessly for affordable accomodation on Coruscant where they had decided to settle. Ben had refused his father's offer of their family home, claiming it was high time he struck out for himself. But getting him to agree to move into the residence of the late Darth Caedus hadn't been easy. Ben had been Jacen's informal apprentice once, and Jacen had been his hero. That state of affairs, however, had ended in tragedy, with Jacen succumbing to the Dark Side and Ben's life being torn apart as a result. He had lived here before with his Master, but now it only reminded him of a man he would much rather forget.
Myri had always watched helplessly from afar as Ben fought the demons of his past alone. He had tried but never succeeded in forgiving the memory of his deceased brother and it had long been a burden he had borne in silence.
Ben's aunt, Leia Organa Solo, had suggested the option to Myri in secret and Myri had instantly seen the potential in the idea. She had carried out all the negotiations herself, and only revealed it to her husband on their wedding day. He had been immediately resistant, as Myri and Leia both had known he would, but after much debate, Myri had succeeded in convincing him to see her point of view. He was beginning a new chapter in his life, and it was high time he left the baggage of the previous one behind.
Nevertheless, it still took some getting used to.
"Does it still give you the chills?" Myri asked, scooting up to him and nuzzling her chin on his shoulder.
Ben gave a non-committal shrug.
"Looks pretty harmless now that it's so empty, but... might get spooky at night."
Myri snickered.
"He doesn't haunt the place, I checked."
Ben turned to her with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh? Spent the night alone in the former lair of a Sith Lord? Does anything frighten you, my lady?"
Myri wrapped her arms around him and played with the gleaming wedding ring she now sported on her left hand.
"I was pretty nervous about telling you about it," she admitted frankly.
"Wasn't sure if you'd agree and I'd already made a down payment on which there wouldn't have been a refund."
Ben nodded slowly.
"I see. So the fear of losing out on your investment, huh?"
Myri pinched him lightly on his chest.
"No. The fear of losing out on my husband."
Ben's eyebrow went up again and an interested smirk played on his lips.
Myri continued to fidget as she spoke.
"The place had been vandalized when I came to see it, Ben. It had been lying that way for years and was a complete wreck. The landlord said some fanatic Corellians had broken in one night and trashed the place. All the furniture had been smashed and there was graffiti all over the walls. He had given up all hope that it could be sold at all, having had Jacen Solo as its previous owner. He was only too happy to get rid of it at whatever price he could, but he insisted that I pay some serious earnest money. I think he was paranoid that I would bail on him later.
"But my main concern was you. I knew how you felt about him, Ben, and I didn't know how I would get you to agree. I've seen you wrestling with the issue of Jacen so many times and even Aunt Leia said it was important I get you to move on. But you never let anyone into that part of your heart, do you? I-I was taking a big risk here, and... I was afraid it might be a dealbreaker for you..."
She trailed off. Ben's face wore an unreadable expression and Myri couldn't bring herself to look.
They remained in that uncomfortable silence for a while.
Finally, Ben shifted and took Myri's hand in his own as he gently lifted her face to meet his.
"You... are a miracle-worker, you know that?"
His voice was husky with emotion.
"You love me enough to take that kind of a chance for me?"
Myri looked at him and bit her lip in silence. She could almost hear the loud thumping of her heart, reverberating in her ears.
Ben looked down at their fingers tightly entwined in his lap and swallowed the lump forming in his throat.
"I...I know I've had my problems coming to terms with what Jacen did to our family. Maybe I still do. He scarred me, and fact is that maybe that's going to haunt me for life. But Myri, when I- when I pledged my life to you, I didn't mean for these old scars to taint you too. I never want you to feel that- that just because you don't have the Force, I exclude you from any part of my life. My heart is yours, Myri. All of it. For always."
Myri's jaw set stubbornly.
"Look, I'm in this for the long haul, Ben. I mean, that's what these rings mean, right? I'll be here for you through the good times and the bad. How can you possibly think that something that affects you this deeply wouldn't have an effect on me? And this is not about the Force, ok? You are who you are. I know that. I respect that. And I love you for it. It's just that... well, what happened with Jacen and... your family... I know it hurts you. You miss your mother, Ben. I can see that whenever I look at you and I don't need the Force to tell me that. The way he treated you... Why, if I could get my hands on him, I'd rip him in half with my bare hands! But Aunt Leia and I talked about this, and she told me that you needed to let him go so that you could find peace within yourself. Peace enough for you to think about the future. Our future."
Her voice softened as she said the last.
Ben cupped her cheek and looked at her with such love she felt she could drown in the twin pools of his eyes.
"My future lies with you now, Myri," he said at last.
"Jacen may have cast a shadow upon my life so far, but I'll be damned if I let him affect our future. You were right, and so was Aunt Leia. I guess I did need you to show me the light."
Myri smiled and reached up for a kiss he didn't want to let go.
When she detached herself from his embrace, her eyes twinkled at him mischievously.
"So that's what it feels like to be right after marriage."
Ben's eyes narrowed.
"Yeah, great. Don't get cocky. Trust a Solo to know me better than I know myself!"
"Maybe I should hang out with Aunt Leia more. She seems to have the right ideas about you."
Ben smiled.
"Yeah, she's amost always right."
"Almost always?! I don't think she'd be very happy to hear you said that!"
"Ok, fine! Always! Happy? Sheesh! Do you really want me whipped quite so soon?"
Myri's eyes sparkled and she snaked her arms about his neck.
"Whipped, hmmm?"
Her fingers teased his shoulder muscles. Ben let out a pleased moan.
"Oh wow!"
His own arms pulled his wife further into his lap as he relaxed.
"Do that some more, honey."
Myri giggled.
"We don't even have a bed set up yet, Red!"
Ben reached up and grabbed a fistful of her shirt yanking her down on top of him.
"I don't need a bed to want you, sweetling."
He nibbled her neck as his hand found it's way beneath the fabric to cup a breast.
Myri felt her breathing grow ragged.
"You want us to rut on the floor like animals?"
Ben rolled her over onto her back, his eyes dark with desire.
"Rutting, she calls it. And here I thought you were going to be right about everything from now on."
She could feel herself succumbing to her own overpowering need at the sight of his body poised above hers, the toned musculature emphasized by the stray streams of light coming in through the windows. Her nails lightly raked his back, making him tense like a sand-panther about to spring.
"A Sith Lord used to live here, Eight. And now here we are, about to inaugurate it as our new home. You tell me that's not hot!"
She had to laugh at that. And just like that, the spell of darkness that had lain over the apartment for so many years was broken. Oh yes, this would be home to many happy memories indeed!
[tbc...]