Early Morning Rendezvous
LSF Revan/Carth fluff…
Rated PG13 – Safety. Wear a helmet.
Disclaimer: Haha. Hahaha. HAHAHAHAH!
Early Morning Rendezvous
The night was dark and warm, hugging the apartment room like a womb would surround a child in humid, comforting silence. Not a single star shone in the sky, and not even the drone of machinery cut through the thick hush. There was nothing but lulling quiet, and even if one lay awake, like Jolee Bindo did this moment, it was almost impossible not to fall back asleep.
Jolee had been woken by a faint creaking noise. Years of sleeping in the shadowlands had taught him to be wary of noises, no matter how quiet, nearby. He lay still in the bed, his eyes tearing into the dark for some sign of life. Deciding that he was as good as blind, he felt about with the Force.
Cortessa was up. She was making her bed silently. Jolee felt up and down, trying to sense what she wanted, but only got the steady, warm thrum of her heart. She was either blocking him out, or had nothing to hide. Somehow he strongly doubted the latter. He swept the room. Mission was a mess all over the bed, one headtail, an arm, and a leg hanging off of the bed, while another hand climbed the wall, one leg was tied up in the sheets, and her other headtail was resting on the headboard. Zaalbar was just a huge lump of warmth, his chest heaving as he breathed.
After visiting Manaan, the crew had been split up easily – Jolee, Zaalbar, Mission, and Cortessa had taken one room, and Carth, Bastila, Juhani, and Canderous took the other. The second had protested, requesting to room with Cortessa, but because the entire crew had a sort of infatuation for her, they had to leave it at a truce for now. Cortessa had been flattered, but seemed a bit disappointed before going to bed.
Though Jolee assumed she probably had to use the bathroom, he decided not to stick around and wait. With a trained silence, he rose to his feet and watched a thin trail of light flicker across the floor as Cortessa slipped out the door. He followed mutely, sticking to the shadows, his bed robe swishing about his ankles.
He was too old to be a spy.
He continued following her down the halls. Her feet were soundless as she walked upright, her shoulders pulled back with confidence, even though he could sense her looking around cautiously. He closed his eyes, giving up on seeing, and watched her through the Force.
He could see her five fingers splay over a door, and it whooshed open silently. Jolee pressed against the wall as a large beam of light shot down the halls, and he watched her silhouette step out the door into the fading morning air.
He followed her and crouched craftily behind a pillar, poking his head around. Manaan was hushed and grey. Clouds hung low in the sky, casting the world in a sad shadow, and the water sloshed morosely against the settlement's walls. The water itself was a faded blue, echoing the sky above and fading into the distance. The air was cold and damp, clutching Jolee's heart like a weeping child might grasp one's hand.
Cortessa's stride slowed. She unhurriedly wandered up to the edge of the settlement and leaned over, peering into the endless depths of the Manaan Sea. She rested her hands on the railing, bending forward, tilting her feet and standing on tip-toe like a schoolgirl might. Despite the cold turning her skin clammy, Jolee could feel the warm throbbing from her, the flush in her cheeks as she smiled out to the horizon.
Jolee grinned to himself.
There was an abrupt movement behind Cortessa. She wheeled around, her eyes wide with hopeful anticipation. Jolee could see her as her hair fell in her eyes, her lips parted as she held her breath, her hands poised at her sides should she need to run and jump for joy.
But a fat Selkath waddled by, his flab quivering and flapping. He made a distinct squelching when he walked, and didn't look twice at Cortessa as he rounded the corner and disappeared.
Cortessa deflated, her face falling, her shoulders dropping. She leaned back against the railing, folding her arms and hugging herself. Jolee knew she must be freezing. She didn't even have her robe on. She cast her eyes about once suspiciously, watching for spies, but Jolee managed to avoid being caught.
She bit her lip once unhappily and pushed her bangs from her eyes, crossing her legs and running one hand down her thigh. Jolee felt guilty while he studied her touch herself like that, but she didn't mean it in a perverse way, for he realized then that she had slapped a bug.
The door opened again. Her blue eyes – the eyes that could be read in so many ways… as soft, warm, icy, cautious, or innocent… - snapped to the door and her mouth worked itself as she prepared for another disappointment.
Carth stepped out, his shoulders hunched in a wary way, as if he had been sneaking, although Cortessa had snuck along with confidence. Carth's dark eyes flickered here and there, and when he was satisfied he fixed his eyes on Cortessa's face.
Her chest heaved as she breathed a sigh of relief. She shook her head, and Jolee could distinctly see her lips turn a shade redder. She turned her eyes down to her feet.
"We shouldn't be out here," she murmured. "Bastila would rip my head to shreds and eat my innards if she knew…"
Jolee looked to Carth. The man stood there, almost stoic, but his expression was soft. His hands were clasped behind him, in a particularly defensive soldier's stance. Cortessa glanced up at him once.
Jolee was getting bored. What were they doing out here, in the cold and wet, dressed in almost nothing, and not even being scandalous while they were at it? He considered turning back, but realized that he couldn't do so without being caught. He had foolishly distanced himself from the door and now there were two people who would easily spot him.
Carth wandered up and walked past Cortessa to grip the rails of the settlement, peering out to sea like she herself had moments ago. He didn't do so in a pleasant way, but with a broody air, his shoulders tense, his head down, his legs spread as he put all his weight on his hands.
"I don't know anymore, Cortessa," he murmured, watching the water slap up against the strong cement that held the settlement together.
Cortessa pressed a hand to his shoulder, working her fingers, trying to release the tension in him. Jolee could feel the flickers of the Force she sent, to reassure him and herself. Her eyes, which had momentarily been bright, were now dark. Carth looked at her, his cheeks flushed.
"What are we going to do?"
Cortessa sighed, releasing him and pressing her hand to her own cheek, fixing her eyes on the ground. She shifted her feet unhappily. "And here I thought this would be a healing process," she muttered.
Carth sighed and rested his elbows on the railing, losing his face in his hands. After a moment he turned around and leaned like her, folding his arms. "Look, I don't want to make this harder than it is," he said. "It's just… you know how the crew is… it won't be long before we don't have a purpose anymore…"
"No, now, don't get on that," she moaned.
"No, I have to," he argued, firmly, frowning determinedly. "We have nothing to do now."
She sighed. "I always figured I'd go back to Dantooine and train…" She smiled wryly. "I guess that won't be happening. But what about Coruscant? The Jedi will want me back."
"You saved the galaxy and a lot of good people," Carth told her, and pressed a hand on her shoulder. "And even though all of this has taken its toll, and there's still so much to take on, I think you should settle down."
"I don't think I can settle down, Carth," she murmured. "Not while there's so much out there to be taken on, so many people still hurting…"
Jolee was touched. She wasn't such a bad woman. She never had been, but even after her job was finished, she wanted to help.
"There's nothing you can do about that," Carth cried. "The universe will always be filled with problems! Murderers, raiders, rapists… there will always be more brewing. You can't stop it, Cortessa. You did what most people could never dare to do – or even could do at all. That's all the universe asks from you."
"I know I can't stop it all," Cortessa whispered, her lips barely moving. "But at least I can deaden the pain."
"Cortessa," Carth pleaded, but she had turned her face away, her eyes brimming with tears.
"I think it's time we parted ways," she whispered.
"No," he said, gripping her arms, turning her to face him, boring into her eyes with his own. "Think of Mission, Cortessa. She needs someone to watch after her, and she'll only respond to you. Think of Zaalbar! He swore a lifedebt! Imagine how heartbroken he'll be! Think of Canderous –" Cortessa opened her mouth to argue, but he shook her, his voice growing louder. "No! Listen to me! Think of Canderous! He's lost and confused right now, Cortessa! There's so much he needs to reconsider! He needs someone with him now, Cortessa, and he believes in you. You! You're Juhani's lifeline. She looks to you as a mother and a best friend. Can't you picture how it would be like for you to leave her like this? And what about Bastila?"
"Oh, Carth…"
"No, no, no, you listen to me, dammit. Bastila needs you the most. She's barely recovered, Cortessa, and you're the only one who can reason with her or…"–he let out a sad laugh–"or put up with her. HK-47 would turn himself into scrap if he knew you left him for good. Think of them all, Cortessa." He took a deep breath, and said this next with the most passion, with the most pain. "Think of me."
Cortessa wept openly. Jolee was spellbound. She tried to look away but Carth moved his hands up, grasping her face gently, but firmly, turning her to gaze into his eyes.
"Please," he repeated. "I… I-I don't know what I'll do without you."
Jolee absently searched around for some popcorn. He mentally slapped himself and turned back to his friends.
Cortessa was making faint hiccupping noises. Carth groaned.
"Oh, don't cry," he mumbled, wiping away a tear with his thumb. "Don't cry."
She seemed to be struggling. Her face turned beet red and then faded to normal. She opened her mouth, gasping for breath. Her nose and brows were wrinkled with the battle inside, and in one smooth motion, Carth had locked her lips inside his.
Jolee turned away. He shielded himself as he felt the Force slam against every wall around in harsh waves. He closed his eyes, breathing slow and deep, shutting them out. Minutes rode upon minutes, and finally the pressure around him settled down to a dull throb. It was then Jolee risked opening his eyes and looking back.
Cortessa looked faint, and her tears still shone wetly on her face. Carth still held her head in his hands, and he himself looked shocked, but pleased.
Cortessa gently pushed him away, shaking her head. "I'll think about it, Carth," she said. "I can't make any promises."
"Just stay with us a while longer," he gasped. "Please. Until I can sort this out."
She nodded. "At least I owe you that," she admitted.
Carth seemed beaten. "Yes," he murmured. "At least you owe me that."
Like actors in a final scene, they strode sadly off both ends of the stage, their backs turned against the leering grey sky, as the stagehands yanked them aside, and the finale music was the pitter-patter of rain.
And as Jolee headed back inside, the drone of thunder was applause.
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Author's Notes: Didn't turn out as fluffy as I wanted. I have to figure out something, darn it. Oh well. I hope you liked it.
Edit: Typos and flow. Fixed some things that were bugging me.