Last time: Kyr and Cien enjoyed their beach time. The trio went on a hike.
Now: Kyr reaches the end of his rope.
Chapter 4- Outburst
Oppie had made a baked fish of some sort for dinner, a week or so after Kyr and Cien arrived home after spending an extra few days away. Kyr and Cien returned home with a healthy tan and a happy glow about them. The last week they had settled back into routine, and everyone had enjoyed having the entire family under one roof again. Kyr's annoyance with everyone walking on eggshells started growing anew though. Everyone was overly polite and too helpful, and it made him unsettled to have everyone treating him like he was still recovering, especially when physically he felt pretty much fine, and he only wanted everything to be normal so that he could put what happened behind him, rather than being reminded of it by the way they treated him.
"So someone mentioned dessert?" Viran said as dinner came to an end.
"Yes, Cien and I made it for you guys," Sasha said as she stood from her chair. "We will grab that if you guys can clear the table."
"On it," Viran said as he started gathering his and Sasha's dishes.
Kyr stood as well, "you guys need any help with dessert?"
"No, we've got it," Sasha said as she headed for the kitchen with Cien.
"I'll help clean up then." Kyr said as he started grabbing his and Cien's dirty dishes.
"Oh no I can - " Oppie started.
"No, I can get tha-" Viran also started to say.
Kyr shot them a slightly annoyed glance. "I can get it." He said as he started gathering the dishes.
Oppie shrugged and grabbed the dishes in his own reach as Viran did the same. The three of them went into the kitchen, where Sasha and Cien were putting the finishing touches on the parfaits they had made. The three of them set the dishes down in the sink before heading back out to the dining room for dessert. Lana burbled at them as they came back in as she was chewing on her child sized spoon. Once they resumed their seats, Sasha and Cien came back out with two trays that had parfaits on them. They passed them out around the table before taking their own seats to enjoy them.
"These are great." Oppie said as he enjoyed the parfait.
"You guys got hooked on these when you were with the 19th?" Kitsu asked.
"Yeah." Cien said, "the cantina's dessert cabinet always had them." She said with a smile, thinking of all the treats they had held.
"That seems weird for a military ship." Illara mentioned. "You never took us there when we visited with the 19th for those missions we helped out on."
"They didn't have that when I was there." Kyr said, "if they did I wouldn't have been able to fit in my armor." He joked.
"Speaking of, when will you get back in your beskar, vod?" Kitsu asked curiously. "It's hard to tell the difference between you and Op." She said with a smile.
Kyr looked over at her and wasn't sure how to answer. He felt uncomfortable with the fact he didn't feel comfortable in his armor anymore, and couldn't really say why he felt that way.
"Maybe I'm a bad influence." Cien said, trying to deflect for him, "I only wear mine when I have to, maybe he likes being comfortable like me." She said with a smile that hid a little bit of warning towards Kitsu.
Sasha and Viran exchanged a glance with each other before looking over at Kitsu.
"Oh, yeah, I definitely get that. Sometimes it's nice to not carry the weight of the plates around all the time." Kitsu agreed, taking the hint.
Kyr flinched slightly and glanced up at her at that, remembering the gravity 'sessions' that Selina had with him. After a second he felt Cien's hand take hold of his under the table and he subtly glanced at her.
"So, you know what we haven't done in a while," Viran butted in, changing the subject. "Played a nice game of Sabacc. And I've been meaning to get back at you Kitsu for wiping the floor with me last time." He said as he pointed a finger at her.
"You're on, Sport." Kitsu said with a smirk.
"Anyone else want in on this?" Viran asked the rest of the table.
"I'm game," Sasha said with a smirk. "But you'll have to deal me into the second round as I need to put this one to bed." She gestured to Lana who was making a mess with her parfait on her high chairs attached table. "After a bath."
"Do you need any help?" Cien asked Sasha.
"Sure," Sasha said with a smile as she started wiping Lana's face with a napkin.
"What should we get for drinks?" Kyr said, getting up.
"Maybe Corellian whiskey? For a change from the Ortavian?" Illara suggested.
"Sounds good to me." Oppie replied.
"Oh yeah, I could go for a shot of that," Viran agreed after a spoonful of parfait.
Kyr started gathering the parfait dishes before anyone could say anything as Oppie started gathering them from his side of the table.
"At some point I feel like I need to have you give me some cooking pointers." Kyr said to Oppie as they walked into the kitchen with the dirty dishes.
"Oh?" Oppie asked.
"Yeah, it would be kinda nice to know how to make something other than my famous chili if Cien and I go off and do something." He said with a smirk.
"Oh, yeah well any time you want to help out in the kitchen feel free. I just picked it up over the years by just making stuff." Oppie said.
"Sure." Kyr said, "I wonder if I should try to surprise her with it, though." Kyr mused as they deposited the parfait glasses in the sink.
"Oh, well in that case she would be really surprised." Oppie said with a smirk.
"Oh ha ha." Kyr replied as he turned to go out to the gaming table. "Cien's right, Xiv's are mean." He called over his shoulder as he walked out into the living room.
"So what's the game?" He said as he approached the table and took his seat. "Oh, shoot, I forgot the whiskey." He said with a snap of his finger as he moved to stand up again.
"No, I got it." Illara said, getting up.
Kyr looked at them with a slight bit of annoyance and let it pass, it was nice of them to do that, he reminded himself.
"We are playing Corellian Spike," Viran said as he set out the cards and game chips. "So I hope you have come to win."
"Always do." Kyr said with a smirk. Oppie came in and took his seat at the table as Kitsu and Illara set out the glasses of whiskey.
Once everyone present was seated, Viran passed out the cards and the chips for the game. They played through at least a couple rounds before Sasha and Cien finally joined them from giving Lana a bath and putting her to bed. They took their seats at the table and waited until this round was finished before being dealt in.
"Ha!" Oppie said, laying down his hand and scoping the chips towards him.
"Damn," Viran cursed as he laid his cards down and ran a hand down his face. He looked to Sasha and Cien. "You ladies wanna join the next round?"
"Deal us in," Sasha said with a smirk.
Viran gathered the cards and shuffled them up. He then passed the cards out to everyone making sure Sasha and Cien got their cards. Once the cards were passed out, Viran gave them their chips to start out with. They then all played another couple rounds of Sabacc. The next one Sasha had managed to win with ease and Cien won the round immediately following that one, leaving the two women with a larger pile of chips at the end of the next round.
"So." Kyr said, looking between them, "remember that discussion we had a couple of months ago about not using the Force at the table?"
"Yes." Cien replied sweetly.
"Okay hold on, are you accusing us of using the Force?" Sasha asked, appalled by that. "Is it at all possible I might actually be getting better at this game?"
Kyr shrugged. "I was just asking if you guys remembered it. I didn't imply anything."
Viran snickered at that and Sasha smacked him in the arm. "Rude," she grumbled.
"Don't worry, he implies the same thing with me whenever we go down to the shooting range." Oppie added with a roll of his eyes.
"I didn't imply anything!" Kyr defended himself.
"Yeah, just because we're playing at a table with jetii doesn't mean we have to worry about you guys reading our minds at all." Kitsu said with a good natured smirk.
"Ha ha," Sasha said with an eye roll. "I'm going to grab another drink. Anyone else want anything?"
"I'll help, I need to get a refill." Kyr said as he started out of his seat. As he went to stand up he grimaced slightly as his left knee banged into one of the table legs.
"Oh jeeze, are you okay?" Sasha asked as she looked over to him worriedly.
"Was that your injured leg?" Oppie asked.
"Ouch." Illara said with a grimace.
Both Viran and Kitsu grimaced but said nothing, but they reacted to it too.
"I just hit my knee on the table leg, jeeze." Kyr said, annoyed. "It wasn't even my leg that was injured."
"Well here I can get you your drink," Sasha offered.
Kyr flexed his hands and closed his eyes. "Can you guys stop coddling me? I'm not an invalid. I'm over my injuries, I just want things to be normal and all you guys are doing is reminding me of what happened. Lana's the only one treating me like normal, for the love of Mandalore." He said with a quiet, fuming tone. "I appreciate all the help and understanding but can you stop doing…" He brought his hands out slightly wider, "this?" He asked in a very annoyed quiet tone still.
Viran stared at him, his mouth slightly agape as he wasn't sure what to say. Sasha froze in place before lowering her chin and her gaze to the floor. Oppie, Kitsu and Illara just nodded.
"I'm sorry, Kyr," Sasha said quietly.
"It's fine, I appreciate it. I just want things to be normal." Kyr answered in a less ruffled tone.
Sasha and Viran both nodded.
"I'm going to go get that drink," Sasha said, dismissing herself from the table and back towards the kitchen. Kyr stood up to get his drink refill as well, and after he strode away from the table Cien got up and quietly followed, taking her glass with her.
"I'm sorry Sash'ika." Kyr said quietly as he came in the kitchen behind her. "I appreciate the help." He said, trying to make amends.
Sasha stopped at the counter and glanced at him. "It's okay," she said softly. "We were just worried about you is all. But we will stop."
"No, I understand. I'm sorry." Kyr said quietly. "I'm sorry I got mad."
"You don't need to apologize," Sasha said, shaking her head. "You had every right to be upset with us. I'm sorry that we made you mad."
"It's fine." Kyr said, closing his eyes. "And I wasn't mad, that's the wrong word. I just want to move on."
"I understand," Sasha said with a nod as she turned to him. With her refilled drink at hand, she gently patted his arm as she headed out of the kitchen as she noticed Cien entering. She left to give them a moment.
"You okay cyar'riduur?" Cien asked quietly as she walked up to where he was refilling his own glass with something.
"Yeah." Kyr said, "I'm sorry I got angry."
"No need to apologize, I understand." She said, quietly coming to his side and putting her hand on his arm. "I know you've been getting annoyed with all the help."
"I appreciate all of it." He replied quietly. "I don't need as much help anymore, it's just a reminder now."
"I figured." She replied. Leaning back against the counter he was facing so she could look at him more directly. "I hope you don't mind if I keep doting on you, though. That's kind of my job now." She said with a slight smile.
"Oh, no by all means." He said with a slight smile of his own.
"Good." She said. "Can I ask something though?" She said carefully.
"Of course." He replied.
"Why don't you want to wear your armor anymore?" She asked quietly. "I know how important it is to you, not just as a Mandalorian, but to you in particular." She asked, looking him in the eye with concern.
He grimaced at the question. "I..." He started, while she waited quietly. "She used it against me. Using its weight to weigh me down with grav plates." He said in a whisper, "until I felt like my other leg would break and I could barely breathe. And that stuff reflects electricity on the inside face as well as the outside, so when she used her prod on me it made it worse." He admitted, for the first time actually talking about this. "And she was going to make it my tomb. I know it was only two weeks but it felt like so much longer, and it made me feel so trapped." He said with a shudder. "I always figured I'd die in my armor, but not like that." He said quietly.
Cien still leaned against the counter next to him but she looked away at that last part. The thought of losing him fresh in her mind. "When I had to go look for you, I saw what she did from your memories, so I understand." She replied quietly. "And I understand why you want to stay out of your beskar for a while, so don't wear it until you feel comfortable with it again. But don't let her take that away from you."
Kyr stood there for a while, not sure how to respond.
"Remember what it carries with you when you do finally feel comfortable wearing it again." She continued quietly. "Not a tomb, not a weapon used against you. Your father, mother and sister to stay with you and protect you from anything, and my heart to keep with you always."
He looked over at her at that statement.
"And you're not going to die in your armor." She said vehemently, looking up at him. "Not if I have anything to say about it."
He smirked slightly. "Well am I supposed to die naked?" He asked quietly.
"No." She said looking up at him defiantly. "In comfortable sleepwear, surrounded by family, a very, very long time from now."
He met her gaze. "Sounds like a plan cyar'ika."
She looked away then.
"Though by then I might be old enough and senile enough that sleeping in the buff might be my idea of comfortable sleepwear." He added.
She couldn't help but smile at that as she stood away from the counter to get her own drink refilled.
Review!