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Part Three
It would have been easy to believe that nothing had changed if it wasn't for the way the air seemed to buzz between them. They bantered and argued good naturedly just as they always had, and Mara wondered if Luke was trying just as hard as she was to regain a sense of normalcy between them. But something had changed. Things were already different. Whatever happened they could never go back.
They discussed the best way to proceed with their plans as if they were talking about raiding a newly discovered Imperial fortress and not planning their very own wedding. Luke felt a little uneasy about this way of doing things, but there was no alternative. It had to be battle worthy. They talked of strategy and their approach, how they would imply that there had been something between them for a long time and had only now decided to get married. How they would avoid the press as best they could and start making a point of going to public places as if they were a true couple anticipating the date of their nuptials.
The overall galaxy was easy. Skywalker's family would be more difficult to convince, but they decided that the best way to overcome this hurtle was to tackle it early. First, they would have to establish that they were an item before they could inform the Solo household of their intended marriage.
"Just be yourself. Don't do anything you wouldn't normally do." Mara advised the blond man.
Luke nodded, wondering exactly what that meant. "I don't know how I normally am around you. I mean you're my fiancé now."
"Ah, but they don't know that yet, and I think it's too early to tell them. They'll know something's up if the first time they see us together as a couple we tell them about our wedding." She shrugged. "The first rule about setting a scene or playing a part is to keep it as near to the truth as possible. We're friends and have been for years. A touch here and an extra smile there, should convince people quite easily."
"I suppose."
"There have been rumors about us for years."
"Have there?" Luke gave a small whistle. "A lot of beings without enough to do."
"Like saving the galaxy?"
"Somebody had to do it, Mara," Luke said with a wicked grin, his eyes sparkling. "You're right, of course. We have time, we don't have to rush this. Just as long as you don't get cold feet and decide to back out."
Mara looked affronted and then grinned. "Then you're just going to have to be on your best behavior."
Luke groaned and glanced at Artoo, "Can you believe this? She's going to be holding this over my head until our wedding day."
The astromech droid twittered something and then rolled away.
"Believe me, Skywalker, I'll find something else to hold over your head after the wedding." Mara teased.
He impulsively grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it, and Mara hissed in surprise.
Luke suppressed his first reaction, to release her hand, feeling that he really had no right to do such a thing. And yet he knew that everything had changed and if he felt like doing such a thing, then he would. She was going to be his wife and yes, they didn't love each other but he would be damned if he treated her like a casual friend. She and everyone else would have to get use to him touching her affectionately. He'd often seen the way Leia and Han interacted with one another. Luke wanted nothing less, he would take that as his blueprint. Han and Leia would not believe it otherwise.
He regarded her intently, weighing his words carefully. "You're my friend Mara, but things have changed. We're going to be a family; you're going to be my wife. I don't expect you to love me, but I want to have as normal a marriage as we can. Do you think that's possible?"
Mara hesitated, her eyes wide, "I. . . . I don't know. I'm not sure."
"The chemistry is there, but you cannot flinch every time I touch you." Luke released her hand and although his face betrayed nothing, she could feel his disappointment.
She opened her mouth to respond when Luke's com unit beeped. He glanced at the unit and then at Mara. "Go ahead," she gestured.
Luke answered the call. He was greeted by his sister. Her hair was arranged artfully piled on top of her head, and she wore a tasteful form fitting white tunic, ready for the day. "Luke, I'm sorry to call so early. I hope I didn't wake you up. I wanted to ask if you would like to meet me for lunch."
"We were awake. I just finished making Mara breakfast."
Leia's mouth worked for a moment, but issued no sounds.
Luke could see his sister trying not to think the obvious and failing.
"Mara's there?"
"Yes," Luke said carefully. "She. er stayed over."
Leia flushed slightly suddenly seeing Mara standing behind her brother. "Mara!" And then her diplomatic training kicked in and she composed her features, "You heard me invite Luke for lunch? Of course you're invited as well, Mara. I'd love to see you."
Mara smiled to herself, realizing that the woman had drawn the obvious conclusion to her appearance in the Luke's apartment at this time of the day. She also realized that her hair was slightly disarrayed from their kiss and she had never thought to fix it. Rather than try to correct this assumption, she decided it would be in their best interest to cultivate it. She approached the com unit monitor and slipped her arm around Luke's waist. She looked up into his eyes, leaning into him, and said smoothly, watching Luke's face, "We'd love to."
Mara could detect his surprise by the slight widening of his eyes, and a minute tensing of his muscles, but he shielded it remarkably well. He smiled at Mara, a slow, lover's smile, relaxing and pulled her more firmly against him. Mara felt a warmth spiral in her belly, and her pulse accelerated. Luke then turned to face his sister. "What time would you like to meet us?"
Leia was flustered, but she did an admirable job of maintaining her aplomb. His sister cleared her throat almost imperceptibly and Luke's smile got just a bit brighter. "Would you rather meet at our house? I can try to beg out of the council meeting scheduled for later this afternoon."
"I know you don't have a lot of time today and I wouldn't dream of disrupting your schedule. We don't mind meeting you in the usual place." Luke dropped a casual kiss on the top of Mara's head, and smiled warmly at Leia.
If his sister had any lingering doubt as to the nature of their relationship, it had disappeared with this gesture.
Mara was surprised at how much she was enjoying the feel of being pressed against Luke's body. The kiss on her head was chaste, but it pleased her on some level. She began to move her hand against his back, rubbing slowly, not really registering that it would go unseen by his sister.
Warmth radiated from Leia through the Force. "I look forward to it. It's been awhile since we've had an opportunity to talk. One o'clock then?"
"One o'clock." Luke confirmed.
Leia smiled and the monitor went blank.
Mara was enjoying the feel of him too much to pull away, and Luke seemed equally reluctant to withdraw from their casual embrace. They stayed standing like that for a moment, Mara's hand continuing to move against his back. He looked down at her, smiling slightly. Her hand stilled, and her face flamed. She recovered quickly, and dropped her hand.
"That went rather well, don't you think?" Mara asked.
Luke smiled broadly, "Better than I could have imagined." His head dipped toward hers and Mara was afraid that he was going to kiss her. She pulled away, confused.
"I guess I'd better go home to change clothing." Mara said.
Luke was about to protest and then seemed equally bemused. He nodded, "I'll pick you up at a quarter to one?"
Mara nodded and almost tripped over Artoo in her haste to leave the apartment.
*********
Mara did not even consider napping before their lunch date, there was no way she could sleep now. She pulled off of her clothes the moment she entered her apartment and stepped into the fresher. She stood for a very long time under the stream of hot water trying to cleanse her thoughts.
But she kept saying to herself over and over "Skywalker kissed me." And "I'm going to marry him." Like a mantra, with each repetition, the unreality of it all bombarded her, but the unexpected pleasure she had found in his arms made her yearn to repeat the experience. If she had known things could be that good between them, she would have found a way to seduce the man years ago. Their one kiss could have lit up the whole of Coruscant with the electricity it had generated.
Somehow, even though the gem wasn't that large, the green glimmer stone kept refracting the light, reinforcing everything that had happened that night. She momentarily debating whether she should remove the ring, but she kept it on despite the fact that its presence could make things awkward with Skywalker's sister. Mara tried not to think of why it felt wrong to remove it. It wasn't as if she should harbor any sentimentality over the simple piece of jewelry. Skywalker had purchased the ring in an act of practicality, certainly not love. She felt a hollow pang quiver deep inside her, and Mara began to scrub her face furiously, effectively stemming the flow of her thoughts.
She stepped out of the fresher and began to dress. Mara took care with her appearance. She garbed herself in an attractive green gown with black accents edging the material. It was a bit more formal than necessary for her meeting, but she didn't want to feel underdressed in Organa-Solo's presence. Luke's sister was always immaculate and Mara didn't want to feel at a disadvantage - not this time.
She had a meeting scheduled at three, but she didn't anticipate their lunch interfering with her itinerary. When her meeting was done, she wanted to take a break from work. She needed some time to herself, a chance to come to terms with everything that had happened. She saw that she still had more than four hours until one, and sat down at her desk beside her com unit. She began to catch up on some correspondence.
*********
Luke experienced a momentary panic when Mara did not come to the door. He pressed the bell for the second time, still nothing. He stretched out with the Force to locate her presence and then chuckled. He used the Force to enhance his memory and used the door code, and was vaguely surprised that it worked on the first try. He entered the room slowly, sensing her and knowing exactly what he would find.
He grinned broadly in relief when he saw her slumped on the desk next to an inert com unit. She was deeply asleep. Luke knew she must be exhausted to continue to sleep past the door bell and his own approach. A wave of tenderness engulfed him and he wanted to call Leia and cancel their lunch. He had an urge to lift Mara up in his arms and lay with her on the bed to sleep the afternoon away.
He considered it for a moment, but she stirred, sensing his presence.
When she realized she had fallen asleep, she jerked her head upright and glared at Skywalker. "It's your fault that I haven't gotten any sleep for this last week," she grumbled. "If you have any compassion in you at all you'll get me a cup of caf."
Luke chuckled and wisely held his tongue as he moved to her kitchen unit while she disappeared into the fresher. When she emerged, her lids were still heavy, and he thought she had never looked sexier.
"We have some time. I came by a little early." Luke said reassuringly as he handed her a steaming mug.
"Bad habit- punctuality," Mara muttered into the dark brew, but she smiled slightly showing that she was just teasing him. "How did you get in here?"
"Force enhanced memory," he explained. "I didn't want to wait in the hallway."
Mara's smile grew wide and she gazed at him over the rim of her mug inspecting his appearance. He was garbed in a black tunic, pants, and boots, but the cut was finer than his normal day to day clothes that bespoke of quality. His hair was neatly combed, and his eyes alert as they took in her appraising glance.
She set down the mug and said almost reluctantly, "You washed up pretty nicely."
He smiled at the compliment and said, his voice warm and almost a little hoarse, "You look absolutely beautiful."
She turned her head away, trying to hide her flush. Since when did she become so transparent that her skin changed color at his slightest word? She controlled it quickly and turned back to face him, knowing that she hadn't hidden anything from Skywalker.
"Should we get going?"
He nodded.
They left together without another word.
*********
Part Three
It would have been easy to believe that nothing had changed if it wasn't for the way the air seemed to buzz between them. They bantered and argued good naturedly just as they always had, and Mara wondered if Luke was trying just as hard as she was to regain a sense of normalcy between them. But something had changed. Things were already different. Whatever happened they could never go back.
They discussed the best way to proceed with their plans as if they were talking about raiding a newly discovered Imperial fortress and not planning their very own wedding. Luke felt a little uneasy about this way of doing things, but there was no alternative. It had to be battle worthy. They talked of strategy and their approach, how they would imply that there had been something between them for a long time and had only now decided to get married. How they would avoid the press as best they could and start making a point of going to public places as if they were a true couple anticipating the date of their nuptials.
The overall galaxy was easy. Skywalker's family would be more difficult to convince, but they decided that the best way to overcome this hurtle was to tackle it early. First, they would have to establish that they were an item before they could inform the Solo household of their intended marriage.
"Just be yourself. Don't do anything you wouldn't normally do." Mara advised the blond man.
Luke nodded, wondering exactly what that meant. "I don't know how I normally am around you. I mean you're my fiancé now."
"Ah, but they don't know that yet, and I think it's too early to tell them. They'll know something's up if the first time they see us together as a couple we tell them about our wedding." She shrugged. "The first rule about setting a scene or playing a part is to keep it as near to the truth as possible. We're friends and have been for years. A touch here and an extra smile there, should convince people quite easily."
"I suppose."
"There have been rumors about us for years."
"Have there?" Luke gave a small whistle. "A lot of beings without enough to do."
"Like saving the galaxy?"
"Somebody had to do it, Mara," Luke said with a wicked grin, his eyes sparkling. "You're right, of course. We have time, we don't have to rush this. Just as long as you don't get cold feet and decide to back out."
Mara looked affronted and then grinned. "Then you're just going to have to be on your best behavior."
Luke groaned and glanced at Artoo, "Can you believe this? She's going to be holding this over my head until our wedding day."
The astromech droid twittered something and then rolled away.
"Believe me, Skywalker, I'll find something else to hold over your head after the wedding." Mara teased.
He impulsively grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it, and Mara hissed in surprise.
Luke suppressed his first reaction, to release her hand, feeling that he really had no right to do such a thing. And yet he knew that everything had changed and if he felt like doing such a thing, then he would. She was going to be his wife and yes, they didn't love each other but he would be damned if he treated her like a casual friend. She and everyone else would have to get use to him touching her affectionately. He'd often seen the way Leia and Han interacted with one another. Luke wanted nothing less, he would take that as his blueprint. Han and Leia would not believe it otherwise.
He regarded her intently, weighing his words carefully. "You're my friend Mara, but things have changed. We're going to be a family; you're going to be my wife. I don't expect you to love me, but I want to have as normal a marriage as we can. Do you think that's possible?"
Mara hesitated, her eyes wide, "I. . . . I don't know. I'm not sure."
"The chemistry is there, but you cannot flinch every time I touch you." Luke released her hand and although his face betrayed nothing, she could feel his disappointment.
She opened her mouth to respond when Luke's com unit beeped. He glanced at the unit and then at Mara. "Go ahead," she gestured.
Luke answered the call. He was greeted by his sister. Her hair was arranged artfully piled on top of her head, and she wore a tasteful form fitting white tunic, ready for the day. "Luke, I'm sorry to call so early. I hope I didn't wake you up. I wanted to ask if you would like to meet me for lunch."
"We were awake. I just finished making Mara breakfast."
Leia's mouth worked for a moment, but issued no sounds.
Luke could see his sister trying not to think the obvious and failing.
"Mara's there?"
"Yes," Luke said carefully. "She. er stayed over."
Leia flushed slightly suddenly seeing Mara standing behind her brother. "Mara!" And then her diplomatic training kicked in and she composed her features, "You heard me invite Luke for lunch? Of course you're invited as well, Mara. I'd love to see you."
Mara smiled to herself, realizing that the woman had drawn the obvious conclusion to her appearance in the Luke's apartment at this time of the day. She also realized that her hair was slightly disarrayed from their kiss and she had never thought to fix it. Rather than try to correct this assumption, she decided it would be in their best interest to cultivate it. She approached the com unit monitor and slipped her arm around Luke's waist. She looked up into his eyes, leaning into him, and said smoothly, watching Luke's face, "We'd love to."
Mara could detect his surprise by the slight widening of his eyes, and a minute tensing of his muscles, but he shielded it remarkably well. He smiled at Mara, a slow, lover's smile, relaxing and pulled her more firmly against him. Mara felt a warmth spiral in her belly, and her pulse accelerated. Luke then turned to face his sister. "What time would you like to meet us?"
Leia was flustered, but she did an admirable job of maintaining her aplomb. His sister cleared her throat almost imperceptibly and Luke's smile got just a bit brighter. "Would you rather meet at our house? I can try to beg out of the council meeting scheduled for later this afternoon."
"I know you don't have a lot of time today and I wouldn't dream of disrupting your schedule. We don't mind meeting you in the usual place." Luke dropped a casual kiss on the top of Mara's head, and smiled warmly at Leia.
If his sister had any lingering doubt as to the nature of their relationship, it had disappeared with this gesture.
Mara was surprised at how much she was enjoying the feel of being pressed against Luke's body. The kiss on her head was chaste, but it pleased her on some level. She began to move her hand against his back, rubbing slowly, not really registering that it would go unseen by his sister.
Warmth radiated from Leia through the Force. "I look forward to it. It's been awhile since we've had an opportunity to talk. One o'clock then?"
"One o'clock." Luke confirmed.
Leia smiled and the monitor went blank.
Mara was enjoying the feel of him too much to pull away, and Luke seemed equally reluctant to withdraw from their casual embrace. They stayed standing like that for a moment, Mara's hand continuing to move against his back. He looked down at her, smiling slightly. Her hand stilled, and her face flamed. She recovered quickly, and dropped her hand.
"That went rather well, don't you think?" Mara asked.
Luke smiled broadly, "Better than I could have imagined." His head dipped toward hers and Mara was afraid that he was going to kiss her. She pulled away, confused.
"I guess I'd better go home to change clothing." Mara said.
Luke was about to protest and then seemed equally bemused. He nodded, "I'll pick you up at a quarter to one?"
Mara nodded and almost tripped over Artoo in her haste to leave the apartment.
*********
Mara did not even consider napping before their lunch date, there was no way she could sleep now. She pulled off of her clothes the moment she entered her apartment and stepped into the fresher. She stood for a very long time under the stream of hot water trying to cleanse her thoughts.
But she kept saying to herself over and over "Skywalker kissed me." And "I'm going to marry him." Like a mantra, with each repetition, the unreality of it all bombarded her, but the unexpected pleasure she had found in his arms made her yearn to repeat the experience. If she had known things could be that good between them, she would have found a way to seduce the man years ago. Their one kiss could have lit up the whole of Coruscant with the electricity it had generated.
Somehow, even though the gem wasn't that large, the green glimmer stone kept refracting the light, reinforcing everything that had happened that night. She momentarily debating whether she should remove the ring, but she kept it on despite the fact that its presence could make things awkward with Skywalker's sister. Mara tried not to think of why it felt wrong to remove it. It wasn't as if she should harbor any sentimentality over the simple piece of jewelry. Skywalker had purchased the ring in an act of practicality, certainly not love. She felt a hollow pang quiver deep inside her, and Mara began to scrub her face furiously, effectively stemming the flow of her thoughts.
She stepped out of the fresher and began to dress. Mara took care with her appearance. She garbed herself in an attractive green gown with black accents edging the material. It was a bit more formal than necessary for her meeting, but she didn't want to feel underdressed in Organa-Solo's presence. Luke's sister was always immaculate and Mara didn't want to feel at a disadvantage - not this time.
She had a meeting scheduled at three, but she didn't anticipate their lunch interfering with her itinerary. When her meeting was done, she wanted to take a break from work. She needed some time to herself, a chance to come to terms with everything that had happened. She saw that she still had more than four hours until one, and sat down at her desk beside her com unit. She began to catch up on some correspondence.
*********
Luke experienced a momentary panic when Mara did not come to the door. He pressed the bell for the second time, still nothing. He stretched out with the Force to locate her presence and then chuckled. He used the Force to enhance his memory and used the door code, and was vaguely surprised that it worked on the first try. He entered the room slowly, sensing her and knowing exactly what he would find.
He grinned broadly in relief when he saw her slumped on the desk next to an inert com unit. She was deeply asleep. Luke knew she must be exhausted to continue to sleep past the door bell and his own approach. A wave of tenderness engulfed him and he wanted to call Leia and cancel their lunch. He had an urge to lift Mara up in his arms and lay with her on the bed to sleep the afternoon away.
He considered it for a moment, but she stirred, sensing his presence.
When she realized she had fallen asleep, she jerked her head upright and glared at Skywalker. "It's your fault that I haven't gotten any sleep for this last week," she grumbled. "If you have any compassion in you at all you'll get me a cup of caf."
Luke chuckled and wisely held his tongue as he moved to her kitchen unit while she disappeared into the fresher. When she emerged, her lids were still heavy, and he thought she had never looked sexier.
"We have some time. I came by a little early." Luke said reassuringly as he handed her a steaming mug.
"Bad habit- punctuality," Mara muttered into the dark brew, but she smiled slightly showing that she was just teasing him. "How did you get in here?"
"Force enhanced memory," he explained. "I didn't want to wait in the hallway."
Mara's smile grew wide and she gazed at him over the rim of her mug inspecting his appearance. He was garbed in a black tunic, pants, and boots, but the cut was finer than his normal day to day clothes that bespoke of quality. His hair was neatly combed, and his eyes alert as they took in her appraising glance.
She set down the mug and said almost reluctantly, "You washed up pretty nicely."
He smiled at the compliment and said, his voice warm and almost a little hoarse, "You look absolutely beautiful."
She turned her head away, trying to hide her flush. Since when did she become so transparent that her skin changed color at his slightest word? She controlled it quickly and turned back to face him, knowing that she hadn't hidden anything from Skywalker.
"Should we get going?"
He nodded.
They left together without another word.
*********