The doorchime buzzed persistently, and Luke called out for what felt like the two-hundredth time, "Hold on!"
Luke had been getting out of the shower when the doorbell had rang. He had called out to whoever it was to wait a minute, and then he had wrapped a towel around his waist. He could have used the Force to find out who it was, but he'd had enough of unexplainable powers for one day. Then Luke had rubbed a different towel against his hair to dry it, but the person behind the door wasn't planning on waiting that long.
Muttering obscenities about the annoying nature of the doorchime, he slapped the door button and answered the door with a bare torso.
"Skywalk—" Mara began, cutting off as she saw Luke's naked chest. There were a few awkward moments in which she stared at him and the clueless farmboy merely looked at her curiously. She finally managed, "Did I come at a bad time?"
He was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the way she was looking at him—she looked almost as if she were a hungry predator. "I just got out of the shower. Give me a minute to get dressed."
The Emperor's Hand nodded, and he disappeared into what she assumed was his room.
While he was gone, Mara tried to get her bearings back, and she surveyed Luke's new quarters.
Various types of artwork were scattered throughout the room. A quaint kitchenette was off to the side, near his small dining table, and his living room furniture were all a delicate blue. She sat down on the couch then sighed in pleasure. The soft material that the couch was made of was firm but yielding, a material she felt like she could just melt into.
Luke finally exited his room and came out in black pants and a tight black shirt that revealed hints of the muscular chest that Mara had plainly seen moments before. He sat down beside her and, for lack of anything better to say, asked, "How have you been?"
Mara shrugged. "Palpatine's had me running errands."
"What kind of errands?"
The Emperor's Hand looked Luke Skywalker in the eyes. "The kind that your sister wouldn't ask you to do in a million years."
Luke winced at the mention of his sister. He preferred not to think about her. He remained silent, so Mara picked up the conversation, "Pretty nice place you have here."
Luke nodded in agreement, "A lot better than a prison cell."
Mara was slightly annoyed. "Well, if you'd given in earlier, you wouldn't have had to worry about being in a prison cell."
"This coming from the person who was given no choice in how to live her life," Luke muttered.
"What was that?" Mara snapped, her eyes flashing.
Luke held his hands up and replied quickly, "Nothing."
Mara Jade was ready to tear him from limb to limb, but, as always, she put her duty first. And her duty was currently to remain on Skywalker's good side...Ripping his arms and legs off would not help her with that.
She settled with giving him a piercing glare, and she was satisfied when he averted his eyes to the ground. "You been kept busy, too?"
Luke nodded. "Training mostly."
"Dark?"
"Yep."
Quiet ensued, and Mara inwardly swore to herself. She'd never had problems in finding things to talk about when she was on one of her undercover missions. What made now so different?
Because you're feeling something that you've never felt before, a little voice offered her.
Mara snorted, and Luke looked at her curiously. She sifted through her mind and found an excuse. "I didn't eat lunch. I think I'm gonna go—"
Luke interrupted her. "I can fix you something here. It's almost dinner time anyway."
She gave him a skeptical glance, "You can cook?"
He put on a defensive tone. "Yes. And I'm pretty good at it if I do say so myself."
"Somehow, I don't see a farmboy as having extraordinary culinary skills."
"I learned a little here and there from different people...My aunt taught me a little, and one of the boys at Yavin and Hoth was a chef before he joined the Alliance."
"Ri-ight." She crossed her arms. "Just remember, I don't like my food burnt to a crisp."
Skywalker lifted an eyebrow. "But that takes out most of my best recipes!"
"Too bad."
Luke sighed in mock-submission. "Fine. I'll be sure not to overcook."
"What are you making, anyway?" Mara Jade questioned. She had burrowed her back deeper into the couch and appeared to be quite comfortable.
Luke stood up, grinning mischievously. "It's a surprise."
"I don't like surprises," she frowned. He walked over to the kitchenette and started bringing out the appropriate cooking tools.
"Too bad."
Mara gave an angry hmph and turned around to see if she could recognize what the utensils he had out were for making.
She had no luck. The Emperor's Hand hadn't had the time to learn how to cook a decent meal. She had merely the skills to cook an edible meal in the event that she was stranded on a planet...Nothing that she would eat if she had a choice. So, guessing was not a true option.
Mara contemplated spying on him to figure out, but she let it rest. She'd had too few good surprises in her life.
Besides, it wasn't like he was planning on killing her. He was just going to ebb her hunger, and there was nothing wrong with that. She really needed to loosen up. Skywalker was not a threat to her.
Mara contented herself with turning on the holovid and catching up with the latest news. Little was going on in the galaxy. The worst thing that had happened lately was the heart attack of some millionaire.
Time flew, and before she knew it some delicious-smelling scents were wafting in her direction. She took an appreciative sniff and turned around. "Mmm, that smells good."
"Wait till you taste it," Luke smiled at her.
"Is it almost ready?" she inquired.
"In a minute."
"But I can't wait that long!" Mara huffed.
"It'll be worth it," Luke reassured her.
"It had better," Mara mumbled, crossing her arms.
Luke merely chuckled and continued with his dinner preparations.
A few minutes more, and it was done. But not swiftly enough to please Mara.
Then again, pleasing Mara was an impossible task in itself.
After Luke told her she could do so, a loudly complaining Mara Jade sat down at the table, anxiously waiting for her meal to be placed in front of her. Before he did so, Luke asked her, "What kind of drink do you want?"
Mara considered, "Hmm...How about some Alderaanian wine?"
"All right." It took him a few seconds to prepare their drinks, then he set two wine glasses down.
She surveyed his clear liquid and questioned, "What're you having?"
He grinned. "Water."
Mara lifted an eyebrow. "My, don't you like to live on the edge?"
"Hey, I'm the son of Darth Vader. Isn't that enough?"
She shrugged. "Whatever you say. Now, where's the food?"
"Impatient are you?" Luke asked in a strange voice that was remotely similar to the deceased Yoda's.
"Who's asking, Luke Skywalker, or the demon that just possessed him?"
Luke laughed as he set down their plates, and then he took his seat across from his companion. She gazed down unsurely at her food. "It looks edible...But looks can be deceiving."
"This time, your eyes tell the truth."
"What is it?"
"Try it first."
Mara took a hesitant bite, then a look of blissful pleasure crossed her face. "Mmm. Not bad for a farmboy."
Luke smiled and took a bite of his own. He nodded, "Yeah, it's all right."
"'All right?' I haven't had anything this good since..." Mara thought of the time she'd been out with a traitorous admiral at one of Coruscant's finest restaurants...But being with him had filled her with disgust, so her appetite had been ruined, and she hadn't got too appreciate the meal. She finished: "—since never...What is it?"
Luke gave her a mysterious look. "My little secret."
She slitted her eyes. "I don't like secrets either."
Luke looked at her. "You don't like much, do you?"
Mara's only reply was to take another bite. She reminded herself, Focus on your mission, Jade. Being nice is not a bad thing with a naive farmboy, whether you like it or not.
The rest of the meal consisted mostly of small talk, and afterwards, they moved to the couch.
Mara smiled. "That was delicious."
Skywalker grinned. "Thanks."
"It's not often that I get a real meal."
"Then I guess you should visit more often," he grinned, and his blue eyes pleaded with her to agree.
She smiled back. "I guess so."
There was a moment of silence, during which the two merely gazed into each others' eyes. Luke slowly brought his hand up to her cheek, lightly caressing it with his fingers. He tentatively pulled her head down to his, and their lips met.
The best word to describe the incredible feelings that coursed through the both of them is 'electric.' It was as if an invisible current had abruptly shot a dozen emotions into them in order to ruthlessly assault their senses and leave the two momentarily vulnerable.
For a split second, both of their barriers were down, and both felt a myriad of emotions from the other.
Their eyes—which were windows to their souls—met, and deep inside both of them a few new adult feelings rose...and not all of them had to do with lust.
Mara's mental blocks were the first to shoot up, and an unsure but partially angry expression crossed her face.
Luke, a bit confused from the mixed signals he'd gotten from Mara's ambivalent mind, also brought his barriers back into place. He was privately glad that the Emperor had apparently not sensed his moment of weakness.
Mara stood up, a womprat-in-the-headlights look on her face. Emotions running wild, she muttered with shaky urgency, "I have to go."
And with that last statement, the Emperor's Hand disappeared out the door.
Luke rested his head on his hand and sighed. "Great."