PROTECTOR
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
With those simple exclamations, two identical doors on opposite sides of the room were slammed in perfect unison. Not more than four seconds later, the same two doors were opened hesitantly. Shoulders slumped, heads hung in shame, Jaina and Kyp peeked into the common room tentatively. Seeing only each other, they stepped cautiously into the room.
"I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry."
"Sith, Kyp, we shouldn't be fighting." Jaina flopped ungracefully into the self-conforming chair.
"I know, but it seems like that's all we ever do nowadays. What happened to us, Jaina?" Kyp took a seat on the couch adjacent to her chair.
"A certain, arrogant Jedi Master I know proclaimed himself the designated protector of me," Jaina said, winking at him. Seeing a hurt look flash across his face, she was quick to add, "You know I appreciate that, right?"
Kyp nodded slowly, feeling her sincerity through their Force bond.
"It's been over a month. Why does it still hurt so badly? Why do I still hear his voice? Why do I still see his face every time I close my eyes? I still feel him, Kyp. I don't think I ever realized just how much he was a part of my life until he was gone." Jaina's brown eyes brimmed with tears. "Why do I still cry myself to sleep every night, but spend the day convincing everyone that things are fine?"
"Jaina, I mean this in the nicest way possible: your acting skills need work," Kyp quipped, hoping to lighten the suddenly somber atmosphere. The barest hint of a smile graced her face for a moment, before disappearing under the stoic mask she'd donned since Jag's abrupt departure from her life.
"Kyp, I've been a wreck for weeks now. You're the only one, aside from maybe Jacen, who knows exactly what I'm feeling."
"You should tell someone else, too. Get this out in the open. Bottling up your emotions won't help you in the long run. Remember what happened after Anakin…" Kyp trailed off, unwilling to continue the train of thought. Fortunately, Jaina nodded, saving him from having to finish his sentence. Kyp knelt on the floor in front of her. "Well, you don't want that to happen again. Part of the problem then was that you wouldn't speak to anyone about how you felt."
"But, I'm not going to make that mistake again! I know what I did then, and I don't want to take that path again. Besides, I have you here to help me this time," Jaina responded.
"And I'll do whatever I can to help you. But, I still think that it's time the others knew about Jag. I doubt that most of them knew about your relationship at all, let alone just how involved you two really were," Kyp said, giving Jaina a pointed look. She looked away from his intense gaze, silently telling him that was the exact case.
"All right. I'll do it. I'll fess up to being in love with him! Is that really such a crime!"
"No, not at all. If he really is 'the one,' then it'll work out without any help from the two of you. I honestly think your paths will cross again. You need to be ready for it." Kyp's voice sounded pained, as though he knew something he was unwilling to reveal.
"When did you start sounding like a certain, Jedi Master uncle of mine?" Jaina joked, the seriousness of their conversation already lightening.
"Quiet, you. And I don't really sound like him, do I?"
"Not usually. You tend to sound more like an older brother who's only trying to protect me."
"It's a tough job." Kyp stood from his cramped position on the floor, stretched, then reached down to pull Jaina up beside him.
"Thanks, Kyp." Jaina hugged the older Jedi tightly, secure in the affectionate embrace of her trusted friend. "Now, if I don't get some food, I'm going to starve."
"Well, we can't let that happen, now can we?" Grinning, Kyp wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She returned the gesture by sliding her arm around his waist. Side by side, the two Jedi walked to the mess hall.