Fic: "Perfectly Normal" 1/7, PG
Title: Perfectly Normal
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Category: humor, romance
Timeframe: New Republic; one week after VotF
Summary: Luke and Mara discover that being a couple includes facing unexpected challenges.
A/N: Many thanks to lady_padme for looking this over and giving it her seal of approval. :D
This, Mara Jade thought as she trudged disgruntledly up the stairs toward Luke's apartment, was not what she had signed up for.
It had been a week since the signing of the peace treaty between the New Republic and the Empire, and of that week, Mara estimated that she and Luke had spent a grand total of ten hours together. Yes, Luke was an important figure in the New Republic. Yes, he had major responsibilities to the Jedi order and the Academy. Yes, she was integral to Karrde's organization. Yes, she had an outrageously long list of things to do and Shada to train besides. But they'd just gotten engaged, for stars' sake, and that after years wasted being distant and wary. It was positively indecent that the galaxy couldn't leave them alone even for a week.
She reached Luke's floor, exited the stairwell, and stalked down the hallway. She'd always rather liked the layout and decor of this apartment building; it was spacious without being grandiose and elegant without being pretentious. But today she barely bothered to glance at the intricately tiled mosaic floors or the minimalist Chandrilan paintings scattered tastefully along the walls, her energy instead focused on the irritation that Luke's apartment would have to be the farthest one from the emergency stairwell.
Coming at last to the familiar door at the end of the hall, Mara punched in the access code with swift efficiency. The door took mere seconds to respond, but in her current state of mind it seemed a deliberate opponent, doing its best to keep her separate from her intended husband that much longer. She waited impatiently, slipping through and into the apartment before the door had finished opening. It slid shut behind her, and Mara cast it a dirty look for good measure as she reset the lock code.
"Hi," Luke's voice called from further inside. Mara took off her jacket, shook the final raindrops off of it, tossed it on the entry hall table, and went in search of the man attached to the voice.
She found him in the living area, seated on the couch and frowning at a datapad. He looked up as she entered. "Hey."
"Hey," she said with a sigh. "The fifteenth level turbolift is out again."
"Again?" Small lines appeared between Luke's eyebrows as he frowned anew. "Third straight time. I'd almost say it knows when you're coming."
"And has it in for me, just like everyone else." Mara plopped down very ungracefully beside him and put her feet up on the low table before the couch with an audible thonk of bootheels.
Luke set his datapad down and slid an arm around her shoulders. "Bad day?"
"Busy day," she answered, resting her head on his shoulder. Funny, how quickly she'd become accustomed to small affectionate gestures like that. "Same as always. You?"
"Same," he said, sighing. He stroked her hair almost casually, and Mara let her eyes drift shut. She breathed in slowly and deeply, feeling tense muscles begin to relax. "Your hair's damp," he murmured. "Raining?"
"Barely," she murmured back. Luke stroked her hair a few more times, then tightened his arm around her and leaned his own head against hers. There was a long moment of comfortable silence. Mara thought drowsily that she could easily fall asleep right here, like this - but their time together was still too new and too precious to waste sleeping.
She sighed, then sat up straight again, pulling away from Luke slightly and taking her feet off the table. Luke rested his arm across the back of the couch and watched her wordlessly, his Force sense as lazily peaceful as she herself felt. Outside this apartment, the galaxy waited for them both to dive back into the fray, but when they were alone together like this, all concerns seemed to fall effortlessly away. Mara still wasn't quite sure how that worked, but it wasn't something she felt inclined to question.
She leaned down to unlace her boots and draw them off. Setting the discarded boots off to the side, she tucked her feet underneath her and leaned back into Luke's embrace. "I wish it could be like this all the time," she said softly.
Mara felt the smile she didn't see. "Actually, it would drive you crazy," Luke said. "But it would be nice if it could be like this a little more often." He sighed. "It'll settle down eventually, Mara."
"Before or after we grow too old to appreciate it?" She tilted her head up to receive a kiss, and drew her fingertips softly down his cheek. "We're still on for tonight, right?"
"Short of Coruscant's sun going supernova."
"Not bad odds, then." Mara shook her head. "Get engaged, then go on a first date. More proof, just in case any was needed, that we couldn't be normal if we tried."
"Normal is overrated," Luke said. "So I'll pick you up for dinner later?"
"Sounds good," Mara replied. "Dancing afterward, right?"
"Right," Luke said, making a face.
Mara shoved his shoulder lightly. "You like dancing even if you don't want to admit it. I've talked to Leia, you know. And after that, the night's entirely ours?"
"My first appointment is just after noon tomorrow," Luke said, grinning at her.
"That'll do," Mara said, and drew him close.
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Category: humor, romance
Timeframe: New Republic; one week after VotF
Summary: Luke and Mara discover that being a couple includes facing unexpected challenges.
A/N: Many thanks to lady_padme for looking this over and giving it her seal of approval. :D
This, Mara Jade thought as she trudged disgruntledly up the stairs toward Luke's apartment, was not what she had signed up for.
It had been a week since the signing of the peace treaty between the New Republic and the Empire, and of that week, Mara estimated that she and Luke had spent a grand total of ten hours together. Yes, Luke was an important figure in the New Republic. Yes, he had major responsibilities to the Jedi order and the Academy. Yes, she was integral to Karrde's organization. Yes, she had an outrageously long list of things to do and Shada to train besides. But they'd just gotten engaged, for stars' sake, and that after years wasted being distant and wary. It was positively indecent that the galaxy couldn't leave them alone even for a week.
She reached Luke's floor, exited the stairwell, and stalked down the hallway. She'd always rather liked the layout and decor of this apartment building; it was spacious without being grandiose and elegant without being pretentious. But today she barely bothered to glance at the intricately tiled mosaic floors or the minimalist Chandrilan paintings scattered tastefully along the walls, her energy instead focused on the irritation that Luke's apartment would have to be the farthest one from the emergency stairwell.
Coming at last to the familiar door at the end of the hall, Mara punched in the access code with swift efficiency. The door took mere seconds to respond, but in her current state of mind it seemed a deliberate opponent, doing its best to keep her separate from her intended husband that much longer. She waited impatiently, slipping through and into the apartment before the door had finished opening. It slid shut behind her, and Mara cast it a dirty look for good measure as she reset the lock code.
"Hi," Luke's voice called from further inside. Mara took off her jacket, shook the final raindrops off of it, tossed it on the entry hall table, and went in search of the man attached to the voice.
She found him in the living area, seated on the couch and frowning at a datapad. He looked up as she entered. "Hey."
"Hey," she said with a sigh. "The fifteenth level turbolift is out again."
"Again?" Small lines appeared between Luke's eyebrows as he frowned anew. "Third straight time. I'd almost say it knows when you're coming."
"And has it in for me, just like everyone else." Mara plopped down very ungracefully beside him and put her feet up on the low table before the couch with an audible thonk of bootheels.
Luke set his datapad down and slid an arm around her shoulders. "Bad day?"
"Busy day," she answered, resting her head on his shoulder. Funny, how quickly she'd become accustomed to small affectionate gestures like that. "Same as always. You?"
"Same," he said, sighing. He stroked her hair almost casually, and Mara let her eyes drift shut. She breathed in slowly and deeply, feeling tense muscles begin to relax. "Your hair's damp," he murmured. "Raining?"
"Barely," she murmured back. Luke stroked her hair a few more times, then tightened his arm around her and leaned his own head against hers. There was a long moment of comfortable silence. Mara thought drowsily that she could easily fall asleep right here, like this - but their time together was still too new and too precious to waste sleeping.
She sighed, then sat up straight again, pulling away from Luke slightly and taking her feet off the table. Luke rested his arm across the back of the couch and watched her wordlessly, his Force sense as lazily peaceful as she herself felt. Outside this apartment, the galaxy waited for them both to dive back into the fray, but when they were alone together like this, all concerns seemed to fall effortlessly away. Mara still wasn't quite sure how that worked, but it wasn't something she felt inclined to question.
She leaned down to unlace her boots and draw them off. Setting the discarded boots off to the side, she tucked her feet underneath her and leaned back into Luke's embrace. "I wish it could be like this all the time," she said softly.
Mara felt the smile she didn't see. "Actually, it would drive you crazy," Luke said. "But it would be nice if it could be like this a little more often." He sighed. "It'll settle down eventually, Mara."
"Before or after we grow too old to appreciate it?" She tilted her head up to receive a kiss, and drew her fingertips softly down his cheek. "We're still on for tonight, right?"
"Short of Coruscant's sun going supernova."
"Not bad odds, then." Mara shook her head. "Get engaged, then go on a first date. More proof, just in case any was needed, that we couldn't be normal if we tried."
"Normal is overrated," Luke said. "So I'll pick you up for dinner later?"
"Sounds good," Mara replied. "Dancing afterward, right?"
"Right," Luke said, making a face.
Mara shoved his shoulder lightly. "You like dancing even if you don't want to admit it. I've talked to Leia, you know. And after that, the night's entirely ours?"
"My first appointment is just after noon tomorrow," Luke said, grinning at her.
"That'll do," Mara said, and drew him close.