"He's resting. He needs it," Siri answered Padme. She felt over-protective; she didn't want to share what a wreck Ferus truly was.
Trever gripped Padme's hand.
Siri wasn't a big fan of children. But this boy was, for all intents and purposes, her grand-Padawan. She cautiously brushed a finger over a wound on his forehead. Trever leaned into Padme's side, as if that would make him invisible.
Padmé frowned at Siri, considering her words. She was indeed feeling rather protective herself of the young boy at her side, so she could understand. And she understood that Ferus needed to rest. But she also wanted to see him for herself, if only to assure him that she was there for him, that he wasn't alone.
'How long has he been in there?' she asked, evenly.
Inside the room, Ferus sighed angrily and wiped at his tears before pressing the pillow tighter over his head. He wished they would just stop fucking talking and go away.
"Most of the day," Siri said, cringing at her own admission. "He's a wreck." She kept her voice low, more to keep from waking him (she hoped he was still sleeping) than to keep him from hearing what they were saying.
Trever kept his head low as they talked about what was still his fault.
Padmé gave Siri a wounded look before she could stop herself.
She could tell that Trever was hesitant, perhaps even scared. 'You can stay in the doorway at first, if you'd like,' she told him gently. 'Please don't be afraid.'
She moved her hand to the doorknob, looking at Trever with concern.
Padmé knew that the last thing she needed to do right now was have words with Siri, when emotions were running high. Besides which, in all honesty, Siri Tachi was one of the few people that could truly intimidate Padmé.
'He won't be mad with you,' she reassured Trever, peering at him in earnest.
I have faith in you, Ferus, she thought, hating herself for even considering that he might make a liar out of her.
She brushed Trever's hair back comfortingly, and with another glance at Siri, she opened the door.
Ferus' heart pounded in his chest as he sensed Padmé and Trever approaching, Siri nearby. He didn't move a muscle, didn't want to let on that he was awake.
'Ferus?' Padmé's voice was soft, tentative. She sat carefully on the edge of the bed.
Several moments crept by while Padmé tried to rein in her emotions. She wanted to be strong for him.
Ferus took a shaky breath, shuddering as he exhaled and betraying his wakefulness. Not that Padmé thought for a moment that he was asleep. She drew the pillow away from his head and threaded her fingers through his hair.
'I'm... I'm so sorry,' she whispered, choking back a sob.
Ferus shook as he started to cry again, drawing his knees up toward his chest as Padmé stroked his hair, the back of his neck. She leaned in, pressing her cheek against his and winding her free arm tightly against him.
'It's going to be all right,' she murmured through her own tears. 'It's going to be all right.'
One of his hands clamped down on her arm as if he was holding on for dear life. The soft reassurance of her words, the gentle press of her weight against his, was both an undeniable comfort and a fresh lance of pain through his heart, just as it had been with Siri.
'W-w-what am I gonna d-do without him?' Ferus sobbed. 'I... I can't...'
Ferus heard Trever's words but it was like time slowed down, the air going out of the room. He hadn't stopped once to imagine how much the young boy was probably affected by Tycho's death, too.
He laid still in Padmé's embrace until his cries slowed to a dull hitching pattern that made his chest ache. Then he pulled away from her and sat up, rubbing at his eyes before looking at Trever.
A sickening moment passed in which Padmé feared for the worst. Ferus wasn't crying, but she couldn't tell if it was merely because he'd let his anger take over.
'C'mere,' he finally said quietly to Trever, beckoning him over.
To Padmé's neverending relief, Ferus pulled Trever into his arms. She glanced up at Siri, who was standing in the doorway, wondering if she'd been worried about the same thing.
Ferus' self-control was short lived as he hugged Trever to him. He couldn't bring himself to speak, and instead started to cry again.
Trever gripped Padme's hand.
Siri wasn't a big fan of children. But this boy was, for all intents and purposes, her grand-Padawan. She cautiously brushed a finger over a wound on his forehead. Trever leaned into Padme's side, as if that would make him invisible.
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'How long has he been in there?' she asked, evenly.
Inside the room, Ferus sighed angrily and wiped at his tears before pressing the pillow tighter over his head. He wished they would just stop fucking talking and go away.
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Trever kept his head low as they talked about what was still his fault.
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She hated having to resort to begging to see her own best friend. Never mind that Siri was Ferus' Master.
It would only be afterward that Padmé would realize how selfishly she'd acted.
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"All right," she said after a moment. "But only for a bit. And if he's sleeping, I don't want you to wake him up."
Trever unconsciously moved away from Ferus's unopened door, still managing to hold onto Padme. His heart fell to his feet.
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She could tell that Trever was hesitant, perhaps even scared. 'You can stay in the doorway at first, if you'd like,' she told him gently. 'Please don't be afraid.'
She moved her hand to the doorknob, looking at Trever with concern.
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"I don't wanna go in," Trever mumbled. "He might be mad."
... but he moved closer, unsure.
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'He won't be mad with you,' she reassured Trever, peering at him in earnest.
I have faith in you, Ferus, she thought, hating herself for even considering that he might make a liar out of her.
She brushed Trever's hair back comfortingly, and with another glance at Siri, she opened the door.
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'Ferus?' Padmé's voice was soft, tentative. She sat carefully on the edge of the bed.
Several moments crept by while Padmé tried to rein in her emotions. She wanted to be strong for him.
Ferus took a shaky breath, shuddering as he exhaled and betraying his wakefulness. Not that Padmé thought for a moment that he was asleep. She drew the pillow away from his head and threaded her fingers through his hair.
'I'm... I'm so sorry,' she whispered, choking back a sob.
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Trever then gingerly stepped toward the bed, shuffling his feet.
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'It's going to be all right,' she murmured through her own tears. 'It's going to be all right.'
One of his hands clamped down on her arm as if he was holding on for dear life. The soft reassurance of her words, the gentle press of her weight against his, was both an undeniable comfort and a fresh lance of pain through his heart, just as it had been with Siri.
'W-w-what am I gonna d-do without him?' Ferus sobbed. 'I... I can't...'
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"I'm sorry, Ferus," he managed to squeak out. "I-- I didn't think--"
Emotion overcame him and he couldn't finish.
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He laid still in Padmé's embrace until his cries slowed to a dull hitching pattern that made his chest ache. Then he pulled away from her and sat up, rubbing at his eyes before looking at Trever.
A sickening moment passed in which Padmé feared for the worst. Ferus wasn't crying, but she couldn't tell if it was merely because he'd let his anger take over.
'C'mere,' he finally said quietly to Trever, beckoning him over.
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Trever obeyed Ferus, and now leaned on the edge of the bed.
"I'm sorry," he said again, terrified.
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Ferus' self-control was short lived as he hugged Trever to him. He couldn't bring himself to speak, and instead started to cry again.
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