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Fox shouldn’t be so distracted. He had patrolled plenty of high-profile events and galas such as this one before. Of course, Riyo Chuchi hadn’t been in attendance at any of those. In the months since he met her, he had found himself getting distracted more and more often. Too often thinking of her smile, her kind nature, and the way her nose would scrunch up when she laughed.
He sighed, he couldn’t even scold himself this time, not when she out-shined everyone in the room with her starlike radiance. Fox had almost run into a wall when he had first caught sight of her that night from across the room. He already thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on, but tonight she took his breath away.
Her dress was a simple cut, sleeveless with a deep sweetheart neckline, the skirt flowing out gracefully from the waist. What set it apart was that it looked as though it was infused with starlight, the silver fabric simmering and reflecting back a million points of light with every step she took. Her lavender hair pulled back into a loose bun at the base of her neck, with a few pieces loosely falling around her face. Her jewelry was simple, the radiance of the dress rendering it almost unnecessary.
Fox was awe-stricken. He had known early in their friendship that he was in trouble. He knew his place and had never been tempted to dream anything more for himself. Not until he met Riyo that is. Her beauty had caught his attention, but it was her intelligence, her passion, and her genuine kindness that had captured his heart irrevocably.
He watched her through his visor as she smiled and chatted kindly with everyone around her. His perimeter sweeps occasionally allowed him to get close to where she was standing surrounded by her peers, and he felt the heat rise in his face every time she smiled his way.
The night went on and the dancing started and Fox watched as Riyo danced with more than a few men, all of whom were not him. He tried in vain to choke down the jealousy he felt rising in his chest and refocus on the job at hand.
___
Riyo shouldn’t be this distracted. She was a senator and mingling with her peers was an important part of her job. But she found her attention being constantly pulled out of the conversation by the presence of a certain Guard Commander striding around the room in that strong, steadfast way of his. She had found herself getting distracted more and more lately. Often staring through her datapad dreaming of Fox’s warm brown eyes that lit up gold on the rare occasion that he smiled, or of that irresistibly mysterious yet grounded quality, he carried himself with.
She sighed, forcing herself to smile and interact with the conversations around her. Riyo had always loved galas. They were the perfect excuse to dress up, be social, and dance the night away. But never before had she fretted so much over choosing a dress, constantly second-guessing her choice and wondering whether or not Fox would like it. Never before had she felt so little interest in the conversations of her peers. And never before had she found herself uninterested in dancing. Well, uninterested in dancing with any but the scarlet-clad trooper in the corner of the room whose visor she had noticed turned toward her more than a few times so far that evening.
Riyo was smitten. She knew early on in their friendship that she was in trouble. She knew her duty to the senate, to the republic, and she knew that love should be the last thing on her mind in a time of war when her role was so crucial and her job so demanding. But Fox had captured her attention with his steady confidence, and handsome face, and captured her heart with his strength, bravery, and unwavering devotion.
She tried desperately to be polite and attentive to each of her dance partners, not wanting to seem rude, but she found herself imagining what it would be like to have Fox’s arms around her, guiding her across the floor, both grounding her and making her heart soar. These fleeting thoughts were hurdles which she was constantly dodging in order to keep her head in a moment that her heart had fled.
___
Eventually, the music faded and the guests streamed out, stomachs full, egos inflated, and heads buzzing from strong drink and lively conversation.
Fox watched as Riyo left the room, heart sinking that he had not found a way to speak to her before the night had ended. She had smiled at him more than once, and more than once his heart had threatened to fly right out of its place in his chest. But now it was heavy with regret of the opportunities denied him by his role in life.
He waited until everyone was safely out of the building before he dismissed the rest of his men and made his way back to his office with visions alternating from skies as blue as midday to skies as radiant as midnight. How one person could embody both so beautifully at the same time was more than he could comprehend. Yet that was Riyo. And so he would let his mind sweetly torture him in the long night of paperwork and cold caf ahead.
Finally, he made it to his office. He removed his helmet and sighed as he punched in the code. The door wooshed open and Fox froze when he saw Riyo standing inside waiting for him. The silver light of her dress casting a glow around the usually dark and gloomy office.
“Riyo! What are you doing here?” Fox stammered, eyes wide and brain short-circuiting.
“Well, I didn’t get to say hi to you at the gala, so I decided to come by” Riyo replied. “And I had something to ask you.”
“Oh... Sorry. It’s frowned upon for us to interact with gala guests... What did you want to ask me?”
Riyo took a step forward and Fox felt frozen in place. “Well, I was wondering…”
Another step
“If the Commander of the Guard…”
One more step put her directly in front of him, closer than they had ever been
“Would like to dance...”
Her eyes shined as they gazed up into his
“With me.”
For a moment Fox forgot how to breathe. Staring wide-eyed into her lovely face, he nodded dumbly and was met with a dazzling smile. Riyo reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck and he carefully placed his hands on her waist the way he had seen the others do. And then they swayed, moving together to the melody of the music he had only now realized was playing in the tiny office. He had no idea if it had been playing the whole time or if the force had magically conjured it, but either way, he didn’t really care. Riyo was here. In his arms. Dancing with him. And he had never felt more alive.