This is pure fluff. Oh my god, just fluffiness everywhere. Diabetics better have some insulin ready cause this chapter is sickly sweet. It's ridiculous.
It's also just after midnight as I post this... So I am a little out of it. But not much!
DISCLAIMER: I honestly can not think of something witty. Just... I don't own Star Wars. I edited a new SW video today, but I don't own SW.
Oh, and because I have no life, you should totally go check out said video via the YouTube link on my profile. I do tons of videos for SW but I also vid other fandoms too.
Chapter Nineteen
Mara shuffled nervously in front of the mirror in her quarters. She pushed her hair into place for the thirtieth time, fidgeting with her appearance. Even though Luke saw her every day, and even when she hadn't had a proper shower in weeks, she was insanely nervous. She really didn't want to screw things up with Luke. They were too fragile still.
The knock on her door came too soon, and still on time. She palmed open the door and saw Luke leaning against the wall casually, looking ever the handsome Farmboy he was.
Luke's expression brightened immediately when he saw her. She wasn't dressed in anything special, and neither was he.
"Hey, Sexy," Luke grinned and Mara raised her eyebrow.
"Sexy? I thought I was Red now?"
"You still are," he chuckled. "But I've wanted to say that for a very long time."
"Smooth, really," she laughed. Luke pushed himself off the wall and leaned in towards her, cupping her neck in his hand.
"I try, really I do," he said before kissing her softly. Mara moaned slightly against his lips and pressed herself ever so closer to him. Luke laughed against her lips and pulled away but kept her body close to his. "We should get going."
"Why?" she pouted. "I'm pretty content right here."
"Well, I'll be heading this way," he said, backing away and throwing a thumb over his shoulder. "You may join me if you'd like."
"Nah," she waved dismissively. "I heard Wedge is throwing a pretty wicked Sabacc game right now and I thought I'd teach the boys how to drink."
"Suit yourself," he shrugged and spun on his heel. He walked a few steps before glancing over his shoulder.
Mara stood there with a smirk and her arms crossed. She wasn't going to give in first.
"I'm the one with the food, you know?" Luke taunted.
"If that's your only quality then I'm better off at the Sabacc game," she teased.
"I bet Hobbie is a far worse kisser than I am."
"We'll see won't we?"
"That a threat?"
"Are you jealous?"
"A little."
Mara burst out laughing and walked towards him and leaned up against Luke. "You have nothing to be jealous of, Farmboy."
"That makes two of us, Red," he whispered and kissed her again.
"So where are we going then?" she asked, wrapping an arm around Luke's waist. He threw his own arm around her shoulders and grinned.
"You'll like it," he said.
"Will I now?" she asked playfully. He nodded firmly and led her towards the lift. They got in and Luke pressed the button for the upper floor of the command ship. The door slid shut and the lift began moving. Luke leaned against one of the walls casually as if he belonged there.
"So, Farmboy," she started, smirking at him. "What's your master plan for this date?"
"It's a surprise," he said, giving her a pointed look. Mara raised an eyebrow and walked up to him, pressing her body against his and running her hands down his chest. She looked up at him through her eyelashes and saw Luke visibly gulp.
"Please, tell me," she begged quietly. Luke closed his eyes and ran through calming techniques in his mind. "Luuukkke..."
"That's cheating," he forced out as she ran her finger along a vein in his neck.
"I don't know, you seem to like it," she grinned and Luke blushed. He looked towards the holo projecting from the wall that listed the level they were on. They were nearly halfway up the massive ship.
"Mara," he said but she cut him off by trailing kisses up his neck. He closed his eyes as his breathing grew heavy.
"Tell me, Luke," she said and ran her hand down his bicep.
"No... surprise," he choked out.
"Mmm," she moaned against his neck and Luke's hand trailed along her waist and pulled her closer to him of its own accord. "Luke..."
Luke bent his neck down and caught Mara's lips in his own. He pushed her back across the lift and pinned her against the wall.
"Didn't know you liked it rough, Farmboy," she smirked and captured Luke's lips again.
"Mmm, we're both full of surprises aren't we?" he mumbled against her lips. His hand trailed along the hem of her shirt, playing with the smooth skin at her hip. Mara moaned against Luke's lips and jumped up, wrapping her legs around his hips.
Electricity shot through her as Luke's lips trailed down her neck. She could feel him against her thigh and she moaned again as his fingers danced up her ribs.
The lift jerked to a stop with a soft 'ding' and the door slid open. Luke groaned and bent his head in the crook of her shoulder.
"I think we should probably leave the lift at some point," she said lightly.
Luke smirked and looked up. "I thought you were enjoying yourself in here?"
"I figure we'd be more comfortable enjoying ourselves somewhere more private instead," she shrugged, sliding down off his hips. "But first we have a date."
"We do indeed," he nodded and gestured for her to exit the lift ahead of him. She smiled and walked past, grabbing his hand on the way out. Luke led her down a hall and into a spare conference room. The table that normally lay in the middle of the room with the chairs positioned around instead was pushed against the wall with the chairs stacked on top of it. In the center of the room instead was a large quilted blanket with two candles in large transparisteel jars positioned on the far side. A small picnic basket lay off to one side with two wine glasses and a bottle of Sullustian Wine. The whole ensemble was in front of a large view port overlooking the various near-by systems. At the current moment they weren't in a particular system to avoid detection by the Empire, so there were no planets or stars obstructing their view of the Outer Rim.
"Oh, my," Mara breathed. She felt Luke's hand tighten around her own as he led her further into the room.
"This is pretty much the most romantic the Alliance ever gets," Luke shrugged. "But I figured you'd enjoy the view if nothing else."
"I bet I'll enjoy the company more," she said with a smiled. "Thank you, Luke. For doing this for me."
"I have to impress you somehow," Luke laughed. "Fancy Force tricks won't work on you."
She burst out laughing and rolled her eyes. They sat down on the blanket facing the stars and Luke poured them each a glass of wine.
"I know a woman down in the Kitchen and she got me the food especially for this," Luke explained as he reached into the picnic basket and pulled out two temperature-secure containers. He pulled the lids off and revealed the Bantha Stew he'd ordered hours earlier. "Sarhii makes the best Bantha Stew outside Tatooine. I don't know if you'd ever had it, but this stuff is better than Nerf in my opinion. Leia will argue that into a black hole with me, but it's true."
"I've never had bantha, actually," she said and he looked up and grinned at her.
"Then this will be fun," he said. He handed her a spoon and she took it and picked up her bowl of Stew. She took a bite and widened her eyes at Luke.
"Oh my gods! This is fantastic," she cried out. "Wow!"
"Yeah, I know," he nodded, taking a bite of his own stew. "Believe it or not, my Aunt Beru makes a meaner stew than this, but this is pretty close."
"I can't imagine anything better than this."
He laughed. "Well, I guess I'll just have to keep working at that, won't I?"
"I guess so," she agreed and took another bite. The two finished up their stew and were on their second glass of wine before one of the candles snuffed out. The room was suddenly considerably darker, and set a heavier mood to things.
Mara leaned back against the blanket, grinning happily. Luke propped himself on his elbow and smiled down at her. Her red hair was fanned around her head haphazardly, giving her a fiery halo.
Mara turned her head slightly to look up at Luke. "What?"
"You're gorgeous, you know that?" he asked and she giggled slightly and shook her head. "It's true. When we were on Dagobah, and I told you I thought you were the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, I wasn't lying."
She smiled up at him. "I think I'm in love with you."
Her eyes widened and fear crossed her face as she realized she'd let that slip. She panicked slightly in wonder as to how he'd take the admission.
Luke grinned and leaned down and caught her lips with his own. She kissed back with fervor, holding and hand to his cheek to keep him there. When he pulled back up to stare down at her, she held her breath. Luke smiled slightly and he blushed. "I think I fell in love with you the moment Leia led you out of the training room to be interrogated. I was so scared I'd never see you again and that I'd never get the chance to tell you how much I cared."
A tear ran down her cheek at Luke's admission.
"No one's ever loved me before," she whispered. "Never."
Luke kissed her again, trying to make up for all those years where she was merely a tool to the Empire; to Emperor. Mara wrapped her arm around Luke's neck, pulling him closed to her. He lost his balance off his elbow and caught himself with his artificial hand on the other side of her to keep from crushing her. Mara arched her back up against him, trying to close any space between them at all.
"Mara," Luke panted against her lips. She re-caught his lips again and clutched at his arm. He forgot about what he was going to say and ran his hand down to her waist, playing with them hem of her shirt again.
"Luke," Mara whispered against his lips as her ran his hand along her ribs. She lifted her knee up and ran it along between his legs. Luke's lips trailed down her neck and he pulled at her shirt collar to reach her collar bone. She moaned and ran a hand up through his hair.
Mara's moan triggered his memory and he pulled back to see her face.
"Mara," he said but she kissed him again. "Mara, really," he said again and she pulled back and looked up at him.
"What? Did I do something..." she left the question open-ended.
"Oh! No, no, no, everything is fine. Really," he assured her. "Just, I don't think we should be doing this so soon, and while we have two glasses of wine in our system."
She scrunched her face up and nodded in agreement. "Right, that actually makes sense."
"It's not that I wouldn't love to right now," Luke said and she smirked. "But I don't want us to have any regrets, and I think we'd regret things a little if we were slightly inebriated. I don't want something like that to be muddled."
She stared off at a corner for a moment as Luke's words rang through her head. He wasn't rejecting her, he was being a gentleman. The part of her that was still buzzing with electricity from a few moments ago was yelling at her to say 'Kriff it' and go back to making out with him.
She turned and smiled at him and grabbed his hand. "Thank you, Luke."
"For what?" he asked, confused.
"For being the perfect guy."
Pain flashed across his face as Luke remember his encounter with Vader again.
"No, I am your father!"
"What?" Mara asked, seeing his expression and catching the whiff of anguish through the Force.
"Nothing," he said. "I'll tell you sometime later so things aren't ruined now."
"You're not gay, are you?" she asked, suddenly worried.
"What?" he asked, eyes wide. "Why would you think...? No! I'm am straight. Have you been talking to Wedge or something? Because he claims to be one of my best friends, but his sense of humor is slightly warped."
"No," she laughed. "It was the first thing that came to mind, really. I swear!"
"Okay," Luke said, giving her a wary look. He turned and stuffed the empty containers back in the picnic basket. Mara grabbed the wine and glasses, and Luke threw the blanket over his arm. They left the room in silence and headed towards the lift. The door slid open and they entered, Mara using her free hand to press the level of their quarters.
A few moments of silence passed before she spoke up again. "I had an amazing time tonight, Luke."
He flashed her a cocky grin. "I aim to please."
"You hang out with too many Corellians, Farmboy."
"Eh," he shrugged. "They have the best booze, Red."
"I will not deny you there," she agreed with a laugh. Their laughter calmed down and they lapsed into silence, the only sound the quiet hum of the repulsors.
"I'm really glad you had a good time," he said. "We should do this again."
"Get buzzed and make out, or dinner?" she joked. He chuckled.
"Dinner, but I'd do for the making out some more too," he said.
"Me too," she smiled and the lift jerked to a top. The same 'ding' from before sounded and the door opened up to the hallway. They passed Luke's door first and her stopped to drop off the supplies before heading towards Mara's door.
They came to a stop and she turned and smiled up at him.
"I love you," Luke said with a smiled, leaning down and kissing Mara gently on the lips. It lacked the fire they'd had before, but it still sent a buzz all the way down to her toes. He pulled back and grinned like a fifteen year-old boy at her.
"Love you, Luke," she said. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"See you," he murmured as she palmed open the door and slid into her room. Their eyes locked as the door shut and Luke turned and walked happily back down the hall.
And we have concluded date number one! I don't really have any super solid plans for the coming chapters other than what I know needs to happen and a general idea of how I want to get them to RotJ. But we basically still have a year GSC time. Or canon time. Whichever way you want to look at it.
And no, I don't think they should've slept together on the first date. It didn't seem right to me. Too American television for my tastes. Which, coming from an American...
I honestly wanted to call sex something referring to monkeys just now, but I couldn't remember the quote. I would have been quoting Pandora on Skins, Series 3. If you've never seen that show, you must. All the episodes are on YouTube, and I know that the first 3 series are on Netflix Watch Instantly. I love that show. It is amazing. You should also check out Misfits. Effing Hilarious, really. Give them a try. They are heavy on language, drugs and sexual references. So if that's not really your cup of tea, I guess don't watch it, but I still recommend you try it.
Anyways... Back to MtR. I don't have the next chapter written, so I won't be posting a teaser sentence thingy. Oh well. I'm lucky I got this out on time. No Muse. At all. The only Muse I have is the band. And I don't own them either. Damn.