Chapter Text
She was going to ask him to stay. Obi-Wan knew it. There could be no doubt about it.
She would ask, and she would ask tonight, for he and Qui-Gon were set to leave in the morning.
He strode through the partially decimated halls, grasping the wilted lilies that he’d spent a small fortune on in his sweaty palms. As he passed a mirror, he caught a glimpse of his attire--freshly washed robes, which he had taken the time to painstakingly mend all of the ripped seams and scrub out the months’ old stains, and though it was far from its original condition, they looked better than they had in months. His hair had also been properly cut, the unsightly shag that it had grown into gone. A shave and bath had also been welcome luxuries, though whether or not any of it would change anything was unknown.
After all, she was going to ask him. He didn’t doubt it for one moment.
At her bedroom door, he knocked and waited. It was only a matter of seconds before the door opened and she tugged him inside, wide smile on her face, something that hadn’t left since they’d returned to Sundari. She’d been elated that the war was over, and had become even more animated than he had ever seen her.
Now, though, she immediately pulled him over to the bed, straddling his lap and bringing him in for a deep kiss.
Obi-Wan couldn’t help but smile. Someone was excited to see him.
He pulled away gently, feeling more than a little on edge as he offered the half-dead flowers still clenched in his hand. “I got these for you.”
Her gasp was one of delight, eyes shining as she took them from him. “Oh, where did you find these? I thought they were all wiped out in the bombings.”
He shrugged nonchalantly, not wanting to admit the lengths he’d gone to secure the precious plants. “I suppose these must have survived.”
Satine’s eyes softened, her hand going to cup his cheek. “You will stay?”
He would, for as long as she would have him. “Of course.”
She smiled. “Good, because we never got a chance to taste the wine that Turhu left me, and I doubt Qui-Gon would appreciate you drunk on the way home.”
His brain stuttered to a stop. “Home?”
She tilted her head to the side, giving him an odd look. “The Jedi temple, of course, or wherever you will be off to for your next mission. You’re set to leave before breakfast, correct?”
This was wrong. This was all wrong. Why was she talking about him leaving?He wasn’t leaving. He was staying, here, with her. She was supposed to be his new home, his new mission.
Right?
She was supposed to ask him .
Instead, she was going to the minibar and pulling out a couple of glasses and a bottle of wine that one of her colleagues had given her the day before. He laid there, still frozen in disbelief as she poured two glasses before crawling back across the mattress and handing him one.
“What’s the first thing you’re going to do when you get back to the temple?” She climbed into his lap, balancing her wine glass in one hand as she watched him curiously. “Are you excited to see your friends again?”
How could he answer her, tell her no? He didn’t care about his friends, or the temple, or any of the things that she seemed to think that he wanted. He wanted to be here, with her, to hear her say the words that he’d dreamed of non-stop for the past two months.
I love you .
But she didn’t.
“Obi-Wan?”
He looked up at her, seeing a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. “Yes?”
“You will miss me, won’t you?”
A lump grew in his throat as he realized what she was saying. This was goodbye. Using the Force, he took both of their glasses and set them on the nightstand before taking her face in his hands. “What do you think?”
Then, he kissed her, knowing well that this might be the last time that he ever had the opportunity to do so.
Had you said the word …
Satine stared at her reflection in the vanity mirror, just as she had for the past half hour. When she’d confessed her love to Obi-Wan in that hall, she wasn’t sure what she had been expecting as a response, but that… that wasn’t it.
I would have left the Jedi Order .
He was telling the truth, she was sure of that much. She supposed she’d known, even then, though she hadn’t allowed herself to think about it too much.After all, what had he expected her to do? Ask him to give up everything that he’d ever worked for to pursue a tenuous and ill-fated relationship with her? Because they fancied themselves in love?
No, she’d made the right decision.
As it was, those were the ones that always hurt the most.
There was a knock on her door, and she froze, heart rate accelerating. Her handmaiden had already been dismissed, and none of her droids ever bothered to knock, which meant…
She scoffed at the very idea, berating herself for daring to hope. She was acting like she was a girl again, getting all hot and bothered whenever an arbitrary knock sounded at her door.
Still, she double checked her appearance in the mirror and readjusted her nightgown to show a hint more cleavage, deciding to leave her robe. One never knew what might happen, after all.
As calmly as possible, she crossed the room and opened the door, hoping like hell that she didn’t look as unsettled as she felt.
It was him.
He stood in the doorway, face slightly flushed as he offered her a crooked grin. “Did you miss me?”
She smiled, cocking her head to the side and leaning against the door jamb. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
His eyes did a once over, lingering for a moment on the too short, too sheer silk nightgown that she wore. “I certainly hope you weren’t expecting someone else.”
His appreciative gaze sent heat rushing through her body. “There is no one else,” she replied, far more breathless than she should have. “You will stay?”
“Of course.” She squeaked when he pulled her to him, lowering his mouth to hers. “For as long as you’ll have me.”