[log with kitty]
[following this]
The next several days passed in something of a blur, what with Anakin's daytime hours spent dealing with his obligation to the mission he had been sent on, even if he considered the whole thing a ridiculous waste of time. He was still a Padawan after all, technically, and being sent on a solo mission was a rather big step. He had to complete it well if he was ever going to be made a Knight. Luckily, at least, the mission itself didn't seem to have any of those strange complications that always seemed to make things more difficult.
No, the complication this time was what was occupying his nights. Kitty. He'd never met anyone quite like her, of that he was sure. And he didn't feel at all inclined toward just letting her return to wherever it was she'd come from though he understood she had obligations of her own. Happily, that had yet to really come up, since her ship was still un-fixable with the resources they had to hand.
But now, finally, the negotiations he'd been sent to involve himself in were complete, without him having to skewer anyone. Anakin had even already sent his report back to the Temple on his success, even if he'd left out the question of Kitty, and confirmed that he would be on his way back to Coruscant soon. Only, he expected he'd have a passenger, because where better to find the parts she needed? And there was no reason to just leave her behind when she knew more about her technology and what might work with it than he did.
He's just not sure what she'll say to this. Somehow, the subject of What To Do When The Mission Is Over just hadn't come up. They'd been rather busy with other activities and conversations, after all. So it's a slightly nervous Anakin who arrives at Kitty's ship that evening, essentially ready to go...save for the question of whether she'd be coming with him.
She's meditating when he arrives.
Which a lot of people do; not as many do it in the air, but those who can, do.
She swears it helps.
"So, kill anyone from pure frustration today?" she asks, without opening her eyes.
Anakin makes a face at her and tugs off his cloak, dropping into the speeder. "A Jedi doesn't kill out of frustration." But note that he doesn't say a Jedi doesn't kill.
"Besides," he adds, settling down to perch on a stump across from her. "They actually finally came to an agreement." And some of those lessons on Jedi serenity must have sunk in since he hadn't even threatened anyone to make it happen. Which probably would have been a bad idea, anyway
"Okay, did you maim anyone out of frustration before they came to an agreement, oh mighty Jedi?" she asks, but now she opens her eyes to look at him and grin.
(The thing is, it's only with her mouth; not her eyes.)
"So. You're going back to that temple of yours then, huh?
When she opens her eyes, she'll see him making a few stones orbit around another in the space in front of him. He may or may not have done something like this in her presence already but it makes for a convenient place to look so he's not looking directly at her.
"I kind of have to," he agrees, watching the stones, "but that doesn't mean I can't still help you with your ship. I mean," he looks over at her, stones continuing their little orbit, "you're never going to find the parts you need here. But you can find anything on Coruscant."
She's watching him, even if he's not watching her; slowly, Kitty settles on the ground and rests her chin on her fists.
"...If I go with you--I mean, things would change, wouldn't they? With, well. Sex and stuff. You 'don't do that' and all."
It's just calm and matter of fact, and her face is totally blank, and every telepathic wall is ten feet thick.
I don't do love.
If she didn't go with him, things would change, he wants to say but he doesn't. Anakin lets the rocks drop in a little pile on the ground, the little clicks almost deafening as they settle.
"It might," he admits, for he won't lie to her. "It doesn't have to."
Then he's shaking his head. "I mean...yes, things will change." They'll be back in civilization, right? Actually interacting with people other than each other. "I don't know how, exactly. I don't really get visions of the future. But I said I didn't do this. There was never anyone I wanted to do it with." Again, excluding the issue of Padme but it had been a very long time since he'd considered any serious possibility of her ever even speaking to him again, their lives being so very different. "Besides," he offers up a small smile, "the Jedi are mostly celibate...not entirely."
Of course, there was the issue of attachment. Sex with no lasting tie was one thing...but Anakin rarely did things by halves.
Now she looks away as she stands and starts to pace, gnawing on her lip.
"But you also don't do attachment."
"Neither do you," he points out, watching her pace. Or at least, that's what she'd said. Or how he'd taken it. Something to that effect.
The point, in a sense, is kind of moot, "either way, I'm going to have to come back, aren't I?" He's not going to leave her stranded here. "It would just be...better...if you didn't have to wait here."
"Yeah, well, apparently I also lie," she mutters, and then proceeds to slam her fist into the wall of the ship, the sound of cartlidge being crushed mixing with that of the banged metal.
"...Well. Fuck."
Anakin frowns and goes to her, carefully taking her hand in his. He's not much of a healer, but he doesn't want her doing that again. The fact that if she wanted to she could phase herself out of his grasp is beside the point.
"Neither of us could stay here forever, Kitty. So let it last longer. Come with me."
Her hand hurts; she can tell already she broke at least one finger, and laughs to herself, quietly, as she looks down at it, "Well, I have nine others, I can live without one working well for a bit."
It may be the first time she won't look at him, and after a moment she finally asks, quietly, "Why? Really, truly, why, Anakin?"
"I don't want to leave you here." Well, he doesn't want to leave her, period. This may come up again once her ship is actually repaired.
Any comments he might make about needing her to come pick out what she needs for her ship are just excuses, anyway. He simply needs her, but he doesn't know why or how to put that into words. It's just a feeling.
She bites her lip again, and this time it draws blood; she doesn't notice, but she does make herself look up at him.
"Why? Tell me why, Anakin."
Now he's making a frustrated sound, "what do you want me to say, Kitty?"
If you thought sex was a new realm for him...this one is entirely uncharted.
Her own noise mirrors his. "God, you are such a--a stupid boy."
She's half-ready to hit him.
Instead she kisses him.
Well that's...surprising.
Not altogether unwelcome but definitely surprising. It does negate the need for words, after all. So he kisses her back.
And he's hoping..."that means yes?"
She smiles a little, crookedly, and uses her thumb to wipe a drop of blood off of his lips.
"It's a yes if you tell me why. You can get a fuckbuddy anywhere. Why me?"
That frustrated sound is back again. He knows he can get a "fuckbuddy" anywhere. So it's his turn to pace though he's keeping an eye (and his perception of her in the Force) on her in case she feels inclined toward hurting herself again.
"Kitty," he says, still pacing with frustrated, nervous energy running through his body, "if being with you had only been about having sex with someone, I wouldn't be here right now. I'd be out there, somewhere in hyperspace, halfway back to Coruscant." Okay, that's hyperbole, he would have only probably just made the jump to hyperspace a few minutes ago, but still! "I like you." Probably more than he should. "Not just having sex with you...though that's fun too. You're-" his step falters a moment while he searches for the right word. "Challenging. Independent. Beautiful. We can talk about things like that ship of yours in ridiculous detail and it makes sense." And there weren't so many, even in the temple, that had a love of technology that rivaled Anakin's.
He stops and looks at her, "And I said I would help you. I take that seriously. And to help you? I need you to come with me." Just a slight pause there, "and if that means I get to spend more time with you, well...I'm definitely not going to complain."
She just looks at him for a moment, and for some reason, her eyes are sad.
And then they're not.
"When do we leave?"
"As soon as you're ready to go."
The nervous energy has left and he's just...strangely apprehensive.
But determined to see this through.
Her smile's sad again for a minute, and then not, as she takes his face in her hands and kisses him.
"I'm always ready. I'm waiting on you now, Jedi-boy, to be ready."
"Then," he says after a moment, "I guess I'm ready."
He waves at the speeder, "after you."
But he still isn't going to let her drive.
"Not yet. But I think you will be," she says lightly, and proceeds to grope him in a very inappropriate place before nipping his neck.
And totally fighting him for driving rights.
The next several days passed in something of a blur, what with Anakin's daytime hours spent dealing with his obligation to the mission he had been sent on, even if he considered the whole thing a ridiculous waste of time. He was still a Padawan after all, technically, and being sent on a solo mission was a rather big step. He had to complete it well if he was ever going to be made a Knight. Luckily, at least, the mission itself didn't seem to have any of those strange complications that always seemed to make things more difficult.
No, the complication this time was what was occupying his nights. Kitty. He'd never met anyone quite like her, of that he was sure. And he didn't feel at all inclined toward just letting her return to wherever it was she'd come from though he understood she had obligations of her own. Happily, that had yet to really come up, since her ship was still un-fixable with the resources they had to hand.
But now, finally, the negotiations he'd been sent to involve himself in were complete, without him having to skewer anyone. Anakin had even already sent his report back to the Temple on his success, even if he'd left out the question of Kitty, and confirmed that he would be on his way back to Coruscant soon. Only, he expected he'd have a passenger, because where better to find the parts she needed? And there was no reason to just leave her behind when she knew more about her technology and what might work with it than he did.
He's just not sure what she'll say to this. Somehow, the subject of What To Do When The Mission Is Over just hadn't come up. They'd been rather busy with other activities and conversations, after all. So it's a slightly nervous Anakin who arrives at Kitty's ship that evening, essentially ready to go...save for the question of whether she'd be coming with him.
She's meditating when he arrives.
Which a lot of people do; not as many do it in the air, but those who can, do.
She swears it helps.
"So, kill anyone from pure frustration today?" she asks, without opening her eyes.
Anakin makes a face at her and tugs off his cloak, dropping into the speeder. "A Jedi doesn't kill out of frustration." But note that he doesn't say a Jedi doesn't kill.
"Besides," he adds, settling down to perch on a stump across from her. "They actually finally came to an agreement." And some of those lessons on Jedi serenity must have sunk in since he hadn't even threatened anyone to make it happen. Which probably would have been a bad idea, anyway
"Okay, did you maim anyone out of frustration before they came to an agreement, oh mighty Jedi?" she asks, but now she opens her eyes to look at him and grin.
(The thing is, it's only with her mouth; not her eyes.)
"So. You're going back to that temple of yours then, huh?
When she opens her eyes, she'll see him making a few stones orbit around another in the space in front of him. He may or may not have done something like this in her presence already but it makes for a convenient place to look so he's not looking directly at her.
"I kind of have to," he agrees, watching the stones, "but that doesn't mean I can't still help you with your ship. I mean," he looks over at her, stones continuing their little orbit, "you're never going to find the parts you need here. But you can find anything on Coruscant."
She's watching him, even if he's not watching her; slowly, Kitty settles on the ground and rests her chin on her fists.
"...If I go with you--I mean, things would change, wouldn't they? With, well. Sex and stuff. You 'don't do that' and all."
It's just calm and matter of fact, and her face is totally blank, and every telepathic wall is ten feet thick.
I don't do love.
If she didn't go with him, things would change, he wants to say but he doesn't. Anakin lets the rocks drop in a little pile on the ground, the little clicks almost deafening as they settle.
"It might," he admits, for he won't lie to her. "It doesn't have to."
Then he's shaking his head. "I mean...yes, things will change." They'll be back in civilization, right? Actually interacting with people other than each other. "I don't know how, exactly. I don't really get visions of the future. But I said I didn't do this. There was never anyone I wanted to do it with." Again, excluding the issue of Padme but it had been a very long time since he'd considered any serious possibility of her ever even speaking to him again, their lives being so very different. "Besides," he offers up a small smile, "the Jedi are mostly celibate...not entirely."
Of course, there was the issue of attachment. Sex with no lasting tie was one thing...but Anakin rarely did things by halves.
Now she looks away as she stands and starts to pace, gnawing on her lip.
"But you also don't do attachment."
"Neither do you," he points out, watching her pace. Or at least, that's what she'd said. Or how he'd taken it. Something to that effect.
The point, in a sense, is kind of moot, "either way, I'm going to have to come back, aren't I?" He's not going to leave her stranded here. "It would just be...better...if you didn't have to wait here."
"Yeah, well, apparently I also lie," she mutters, and then proceeds to slam her fist into the wall of the ship, the sound of cartlidge being crushed mixing with that of the banged metal.
"...Well. Fuck."
Anakin frowns and goes to her, carefully taking her hand in his. He's not much of a healer, but he doesn't want her doing that again. The fact that if she wanted to she could phase herself out of his grasp is beside the point.
"Neither of us could stay here forever, Kitty. So let it last longer. Come with me."
Her hand hurts; she can tell already she broke at least one finger, and laughs to herself, quietly, as she looks down at it, "Well, I have nine others, I can live without one working well for a bit."
It may be the first time she won't look at him, and after a moment she finally asks, quietly, "Why? Really, truly, why, Anakin?"
"I don't want to leave you here." Well, he doesn't want to leave her, period. This may come up again once her ship is actually repaired.
Any comments he might make about needing her to come pick out what she needs for her ship are just excuses, anyway. He simply needs her, but he doesn't know why or how to put that into words. It's just a feeling.
She bites her lip again, and this time it draws blood; she doesn't notice, but she does make herself look up at him.
"Why? Tell me why, Anakin."
Now he's making a frustrated sound, "what do you want me to say, Kitty?"
If you thought sex was a new realm for him...this one is entirely uncharted.
Her own noise mirrors his. "God, you are such a--a stupid boy."
She's half-ready to hit him.
Instead she kisses him.
Well that's...surprising.
Not altogether unwelcome but definitely surprising. It does negate the need for words, after all. So he kisses her back.
And he's hoping..."that means yes?"
She smiles a little, crookedly, and uses her thumb to wipe a drop of blood off of his lips.
"It's a yes if you tell me why. You can get a fuckbuddy anywhere. Why me?"
That frustrated sound is back again. He knows he can get a "fuckbuddy" anywhere. So it's his turn to pace though he's keeping an eye (and his perception of her in the Force) on her in case she feels inclined toward hurting herself again.
"Kitty," he says, still pacing with frustrated, nervous energy running through his body, "if being with you had only been about having sex with someone, I wouldn't be here right now. I'd be out there, somewhere in hyperspace, halfway back to Coruscant." Okay, that's hyperbole, he would have only probably just made the jump to hyperspace a few minutes ago, but still! "I like you." Probably more than he should. "Not just having sex with you...though that's fun too. You're-" his step falters a moment while he searches for the right word. "Challenging. Independent. Beautiful. We can talk about things like that ship of yours in ridiculous detail and it makes sense." And there weren't so many, even in the temple, that had a love of technology that rivaled Anakin's.
He stops and looks at her, "And I said I would help you. I take that seriously. And to help you? I need you to come with me." Just a slight pause there, "and if that means I get to spend more time with you, well...I'm definitely not going to complain."
She just looks at him for a moment, and for some reason, her eyes are sad.
And then they're not.
"When do we leave?"
"As soon as you're ready to go."
The nervous energy has left and he's just...strangely apprehensive.
But determined to see this through.
Her smile's sad again for a minute, and then not, as she takes his face in her hands and kisses him.
"I'm always ready. I'm waiting on you now, Jedi-boy, to be ready."
"Then," he says after a moment, "I guess I'm ready."
He waves at the speeder, "after you."
But he still isn't going to let her drive.
"Not yet. But I think you will be," she says lightly, and proceeds to grope him in a very inappropriate place before nipping his neck.
And totally fighting him for driving rights.