"What age did your dad marry your mom?" Jusik asked Meek.
"I think twenty," she told him.
He glanced at her. Smiled a little.
Fi's older than that now. She'll be there in just a minute, it seems like.
"Good age?"
She looked up at him. "I don't know. I haven't been there yet."
"Your mother worries about you, setting your hopes so high. Pinning your dreams on him. She doesn't mean to be dismissive or even pessimistic. She's just trying to protect you."
"All I'm trying to do is protect him. He hasn't gotten a normal life and I'm damned well determined that he'll get all his hopes and dreams. Fi's not dead. He's in there and we're going to crack him out. Then he'll get a happily ever after that he deserves instead of just war."
"Mandalorians don't celebrate marriages the same way a lot of cultures do. They don't mess around with engagements and rituals and things. They just reach out and say the words, then it's forever."
She made a face. "There's sense in that, I guess."
"You want the trappings?"
She shook her head. Glanced behind them into Fi's sickroom again.
"Not all of them. I want my mom and dad to give their blessing. I want a party. A celebration. I like kid food. Like a kid's birthday party with stupid games and cake and stuff. Booze instead of sippies."
He grinned at her. "I can get behind that."
"Are you going to ask me to marry you, Bardan Jusik?" she asked him with wide eyes.
His face fell and he blushed.
"I didn't… I wasn't… I know you-" He swallowed. "I just don't want you to be disappointed either, Meekie. I wanted you to understand that Skirata's people consider themselves to be Mando'ad. And when the time comes, that's probably the path he'll take."
She nodded. Curled up, wrapping her arms around her knees. "I know you're planning on taking him to Mandalore…"
"It's not like you'd never see anybody again. I mean, depending on how deep the shit is when it hits the fan, yeah, it might get sticky coming back and forth here. But Mandalore's not outside comm-lines. And-"
She nodded. Just sat there, nodding.
Let out one hell of a sigh.
"The sky's so pretty tonight."
"It is. It's nice, just sitting here for a minute."
She'd been the one to suggest they climb out the window to watch the shooting stars anticipated to be crashing through the atmosphere that evening.
He couldn't say no to her. It was going to be his cross to bear.
"I don't know anything about Fi. Other than he's brave as fuck and inspires loyalty."
"You don't have to know everything about someone to offer them your heart."
"Do you love him?" she asked suddenly, frowning.
"Of course. You're going to like him, when you get to meet the real him. He's hilarious. Likes music. Likes to dance."
"Do you dance?" she asked, grinning at him.
"No. I do not. I mean, the dha werda. Not like he does."
"You like his moves," she teased, swallowing her disappointment.
Jusik grinned at her. "Everybody likes Fi. He's the best."
The words tasted bitter and he had to glance away for just a moment before he could smile back over at her.
She rose. Dusted her pants. "I'm. Um. Let's turn his bed around, so he can see the meteor shower. I should pack up a few things anyway. I didn't realize, Bardan. I apologize."
"Wait. For what? I got lost, Meek…"
She shook her head. Shot around the foot of the bed without shifting it.
"It's okay. I just… I get it now… I…"
"I don't. Tell me what I said. What just happened!?"
He lunged for her hand.
She turned, hugged him hard. "I'll always think about the two of you. I'll be happy for you. Just give me a minute, okay? I'm rearranging something in my head and-"
Jusik patted her. Frowned and felt the beginning edge of something like panic start at his throat.
"I didn't mean to scare you."
"I'm not scared. I'll be happy for you. I promise. He deserves every happy ending. And you know how much I adore you. If he's going to make you happy I'll be ha-"
Bardan's jaw fell.
"Do you think I'm pining for Fi!?" He shuddered in horror. Softened his voice. "Meekie. He and I are just friends. You don't have to step aside for me. I want him to have every good thing in this world."
Even if it means stepping aside so he has you, he thought.
He started to reach out to touch her hair. Just once. Just rub it between his finger and thumb.
Her head was reeling. "I am so confused. You were just telling me about ya'll's wedding. Then it sounded like-"
He laughed.
"I have no intention of stealing your man."
She blinked up at him. "Fi's not mine."
"I mean, no, I guess not yet. But I don't think he's so stupid that he's not going to love you back once he wakes up."
"I don't want him to love me back, Bardan. He's not the one I want."
"He's not?"
She left him standing there. Just turned and walked away.
"Wait. Wait!"
He lunged for her again.
"Meek. Wait."
"I can't do this right now, Bardan. I'm tired and I'm confused and-"
"You're confused? I went from thinking you were asking me about everything so you could figure out what your new life would be like, then you're pissed at me. There's this dark cloud around you that's never been there before. Then you're basically packing me up to honeymoon with him—which is just a little creepy, no offense. My brain is exploding," he complained. "Why did you let me go on and on about Mandalorian weddings if you weren't planning on marrying-"
She blushed. Turned and walked away.
"Oh. Oh fek. Oh. Fek. Meek. Meekie."
He jogged after her.
His face was stricken when he jerked her around.
"Tell me what you'd have said if I'd said yes," he told her. "When you asked me if I was after marrying you, what would you have said, had I said yes?"
She shook her head. Wouldn't meet his eyes.
"Meek. I'm a jedi. We can't."
"I know," she whispered.
"I won't always be. I'm leaving the order."
She jerked like he'd slapped her.
"If you can forgive me for being obtuse—nobody's ever liked me best, Meek. I'm as out of my depths with this as he would be…"
She nodded. Seemed to shiver.
He wrapped his robe around her. Used it to haul her closer.
"I didn't get it," he whispered. "I had this picture in my head where you belonged to him and that's all I let myself see. I was preparing myself to watch you love him, to figure out how I was going to act like I was okay with it for the rest of my life."
"You're so stupid, Bardan Jusik."
He tipped her face up. "Educate me," he ordered.
Bent his face to hers. Touched her lips.
Felt electricity in every cell of his body.
Stepped closer to her, pulling her against him. Reangled his mouth on hers. Nuzzled those petal-pink lips of hers. Hummed his pleasure at it even as his stomach flipped and tightened.
His robe fell when she lifted herself to him, when her arms came around him.
This time it was a groan of satisfaction and his mouth opened to hers. Let her kiss him like he was just some man, any man, any guy who didn't have a million reasons not to kiss a girl.
It was overwhelming, the onslaught of emotions and feelings.
He twisted her, pushing her against the wall so he could trap her heat. Kissed her with more desperation and enthusiasm than skill. Made her tremble. Felt it when she did and gloried in it.
He could feel waves of want and love coming off of her. Wondered how he'd mistaken those passions that roiled around in her as being for the man lying prone in the room beyond them.
"Meek… Meek…"
She shook her head.
His body said yes.
He had no idea how long he stood there, her undulating up against him as their mouths mated, his own body straining to get closer to her. His hands grew bolder, steadier and more confident. Hers couldn't light somewhere—frantic to feel every single inch of him.
"Oh. Ick. You have a room!"
Jusik jerked up so fast his head spun. Was three feet away from Meek before he thought it through. Could barely hear for the blood rushing from his brain and the pounding in his ears.
"I… just… we… it's not… I'm not… we only…"
Meek held up her finger to him.
"Fin. You're a bad person. Go away."
"Dad's going to shit if he catches you."
"What!?" Jaller Obrim roared from the other room. "What is dad going to shit about!?"
Meek rolled her eyes. "Nothing, Daddy!"
She heard him get up. Bardan tried to regulate his breathing.
"It's my fault, Captain Obrim," he said softly. "I was intemperate. It was disrespectful and I-"
"Fin saw Jusik and I kissing."
Obrim's brows went up.
His son made snogging noises behind the couple. Exaggerated licking and tonguing his own palm. Meek turned around, prepared to murder her brother. Jusik's arm shot out to catch her before she could sink her claws into the kid.
"Fin. Stop. Meek. Stop. Bardan. Why don't you join me for a drink in my office."
Shab.
He reached for Meek. Smiled at her.
"If he throws me off a balcony, just know that I loved you," he whispered, caressing her hair.
The face lit up. "Bardan. When you speak those vows? You'll speak them to me?"
"None other, beloved," he whispered in Mando'ad.
She had no idea what words he spoke but they made her shiver.
Obrim passed him a notepad. "Whatever you just said to her, you write it down. Correctly."
Jusik blushed. "I called her my love."
"I guess we missed whatever this is. I trust you'll bear in mind that I'm paying for medical school and I'd hate for that to go to waste."
"Yes, sir."
"She's nearly done."
"Yes, sir. I know, sir."
"She's young. Attached."
"I understand what you're saying. I didn't ask her to marry me. Yet."
He narrowed his eyes.
"I'll ask the blessings of yourself and Mrs. Obrim before I speak those vows to her. You know Mandalorians are simple about marriage."
"I know Mando aren't fussy about it. Or about monogamy."
"Ohhh, I think I'm probably more traditional about that," Jusik allowed.
"I don't want you taking her halfway across the universe and then leaving her home to raise babies so you can galivant around doing whatever you have to do to convince the jedi order that you still dance to their tune."
"I'll leave the order before I marry her. Is that okay?"
"What will you do?"
"I have a place in clan Skirata."
Jaller nodded. frowned. His face clouded.
"That's my only girl, Bardan Jusik. I hope someday God grants you a little girl, so you understand where I'm coming from. But know this. I'm not afraid of Kal Skirata or your jedi mysticisms. If you hurt my baby I'll come after you."
He didn't expect the man's happy smile. "Understood, sir."
He held out his hand to shake.
"Not much call for her specialty at that jedi temple."
"Nope. But I know where it'll come in handy."
"You could try to convince her to go traditional human/ humanoid general practice."
"I could. I won't though."