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“Buir, Buir!” Boba tugged insistently on Jango’s arm, causing the man to shift his weight so he wasn’t pulled over by his ad. The boy had been particularly energetic all day. Jango had never intended to take his boy onto Coruscant, but they had the unfortunate luck of engine problems that needed specialized attention of someone who knew what they were doing, and the Republic capital planet had been the closest planet he knew would have a mechanic with the skills needed. So here they were, walking around the city planet as they waited for repairs to be made.
“Yes, Boba?”
“I’m hungry!”
Jango laughed, “I told you that sugar floss wouldn’t fill you.”
“But it was so yummy!” the boy grinned, his lips still stained dark from the sugary treat. He wondered what color it was. The labels had said there were blue and pink options, but he hadn’t seen which his boy had grabbed, and, well, his world was still de-saturated into greys. Forty years of life, and he still hadn’t met the being that would bring color to his world.
“Come on, I know a place you’ll like. They have blue milkshakes.”
Boba cheered and followed Jango closely as they made their way towards Coco Town and a little hole in the wall diner run by one of Jango’s most reliable information brokers.
And the most trustworthy. Jango didn’t have an issue with Dex meeting Boba while Boba was still so young. He couldn’t say the same about most of his other contacts.
Jango guided his ad into Dex’s Diner and claimed a booth. His favorite booth was occupied so he was left with the booth that had the second best sight lines of the space. He sat down with Boba tucked in between him and the wall, leaving the other side of the table empty as FLO rolled up to take their orders. He ordered for them both and sat back with a sigh, smiling over at Boba who had found the colored wax sticks and started coloring the images printed on the flimsi place mats.
He ruffled his boy’s curly hair and glanced around at the other patrons. It wasn’t busy as they had arrived between the midmeal and latemeal rushes, but there were a few tables occupied. A teenage Zabrak and Twi’lek seemed to be on a date, giggling together as they shared a single shake with two straws, an elderly couple in a heated yet hushed debate about what to plant in their garden pot, a group of people in bulky robes that—Jetiise. Jetiise had taken his favorite booth. What were they doing here? Surely Dex wouldn’t stand for those worthless, self-righteous attack dogs to be mucking up his business!
FLO returned with their order, and Jango passed Boba’s food and shake over to him before digging into his own bantha burger.
FLO turned and began rolling away when she suddenly stopped short, “Kark this sticky wheel, this is the third time today.” she huffed, rocking back and forth to try and get one of her wheels to unstick again.
“My offer is still on the table to give you an upgrade, FLO!” a Jetii with a braid shouted from their table.”
“I don’t need an upgrade, just a bit of maintenance on this one wheel.” she replied, and the Jetii actually pouted, “Now where’s the fun in that?”
“Anakin.” another Jetii sighed like a tired parent.
“Fine, fine, I can do a boring maintenance fixup for you, FLO. Get you back to rolling around like you own the place.”
“How long will it take?”
“Not long, probably fifteen tops, depending on what’s making it stick.” the Jetii shrugged.
“Very well. Dex! I’m taking a fifteen minute break!” FLO shouted towards the kitchen where Dex made a sound of acknowledgement.
“Yes!” The Jetii grabbed his shake and hopped up, holding the shake over his head as his other hand reached to a pouch of his belt which likely held tools for tinkering with droids and the like. As the young Jetii moved in his excitement, the shake tipped and spilled, the contents falling right onto the head of one of the other Jetiise. The Jetii in question stiffened as the frozen treat covered his hair and dripped down his face.
“Sorry, sorry!” the younger Jetii gasped, and the older one gave him a small wave of his hand as he turned in his seat to get up and find the refresher to attempt a cleanup.
It seemed to happen in slow motion as the Jetii’s eyes met Jango’s and color bled into the world around them.
Jango could guess that the Jetii’s eyes were blue as they matched the color of the blue milkshake that coated his pretty hair he didn’t have a name for yet.
Kriff.
His soulmate was a Jetii.
The filling of Jango’s burger, which he had been about to bite into before chaos erupted across the diner slipped out from the buns and fell onto his plate, unnoticed by him.
“Buir?” Boba poked at him, but Jango couldn’t take his eyes off the pretty Jetii who’s cheeks were flushing a very attractive color as embarrassment set in at such an undignified position to be caught by his soulmate in.
The Jetii cleared his throat and tried to put on an air of dignity that was ruined by the blue shake sliding down his cheek, “Well, hello there.”
When he smiled his eyes sparkled.
It wasn’t fair. How was he supposed to get his revenge on the Jetiise if he was actively falling for one that was made by the Ka’ra just for him?
Kriff, did this mean that he had to acknowledge that maybe the Jetii on Galidraan were not a true representation of the entire kriffing Order? Surely the Ka’ra wouldn’t be so cruel as to place him with an honorless attack dog…
“Buir?”
Jango dropped what remained of his burger and reached back to pat his son’s arm comfortingly as he pushed himself up and walked over to the Jetii. He reached out to swipe a finger through the blue on his soulmate’s cheek, “Blue looks good on you, mesh’la, but this is a bit over the top.”
The color staining the Jetii’s cheeks darkened and spread to his ears.
Jango chuckled, “Go get cleaned up, then maybe you could join me at my table where you’ll be less likely to have a repeat of whatever chaos that one brings.” he nodded to the confused Jetii behind his Jetii.
He received a nod, “I think I’ll take you up on that offer.”
“Wait, wait what’s happening?” the Jetii with a braid asked.
“I think Obes just found his soulmate.” another Jetii that looked like they could be a Kiffar said, and the Twi’lek Jetii gave a nod of agreement.
“Just like out of a romantic comedy!” she gushed with a few giggles.
“Buir! What’s going on?” Boba whined, done with being ignored.
Jango chuckled and looked back at his boy with a smile, “Your lips are blue.”
The boy’s eyes widened in wonder as he realized what that meant, and Jango turned back to look at his Jetii in the eyes, “Everything is blue.”
-End-