Private Before the Storm

[Inara Basai]

​

The events of late had been a whirlwind.

Inara had found herself being deployed to Onderon. And while she hadn't anticipated being on the front lines of battle, she'd joined up with Captain Rarr's first squadron. There, she'd worn a set of armor, the weight of which felt too heavy to bear, even now. She'd seen war first hand, she'd seen fellow rangers get injured, and she'd even seen some die.

Not only that, she had felt the darkness of the Sith.

Of course, she'd heard of the spooky stories about them before. However, she hadn't been expecting to face such monsters first hand. And the young ranger hadn't expected that the Sith would ever dare to set foot on Kashyyyk – the home of the Silver Jedi and the Antarian Rangers. But it seemed, she'd underestimated them. It was bold of them to attack their home, while most of their forces had been sent to Onderon.

Now, in the wake of these harrowing events, life was slowly returning to normal. Rangers and Jedi alike helped to clean up the temple and put it right again after the fight. Needless to say, Inara had been there right away – diving right back into any task presented. Work kept her grounded; it kept her distracted. If she concentrated on work, then perhaps she'd never have to fully come to terms with the things she saw during the battle. Those that perished may have been casualties of war, and their blood was not on Inara's hands – but it was definitely on her mind.

“Good work,” said a Jedi Master, surveying their work in the area. “Why don't you all take the rest of the afternoon off? You deserve it."

Inara stood still, one of the last to meander out of the temple and into the Common Area outside. Everyone else went about their business, but Inara found herself without anything else to occupy her time. Watching the robed figures walking about, she found her thoughts drifting to Mathieu. And she felt a measure of guilt at the thought of him. It'd been a while since she'd seen him, and though she had wanted to catch up with him after Onderon, she'd been kept busy – and she figured that he likely had as well. Besides, after the way they'd parted last time after she'd cooked him dinner... did he still want to see her? Inara sat down on a bench and sighed. She wanted to see him, very much so.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

It was hard work. Mathieu had signed up for every task he could cope with and then some. He needed the work to keep his mind off of things and at this point, excising simply wouldn't do it. The former Mercenary had been to many battlefields before but never had he gone to one where he was quite as open to the force as he was now. It made everything so much closer and each loss so much more tangible. The images of how the Sith he faced cut down the Jedi Knight he was trying to find played on repeat in his mind and the memory of the fiend's looming dark presence was still fresh.

Seated on top of a metallic beam, he helped with setting the final ceiling board in place before jumping down and letting out a heavy sigh as the others started to move the equipment and carts they had been using to the next location. His hand went up to his chest where Inara's dogtag was hanging by a thin metallic necklace. With a gentle pull, it was soon out from under his robes. He rubbed it lightly and his thoughts immediately went to her, the Ranger Medic whom he had met on Taris. It drowned out most of the dark thoughts which still lingered from Onderon and replaced them with happy ones. But he had been working and not just stayed in his quarters to think of her - that had a reason. Because every time he let his thoughts linger on Inara for too long, they would soon go to that night, and that innocent moment which they had shared. While that was pleasant, it pained him to think of how he might not get to experience another one of those moments with her again. Deep down, a fear of what might have happened to her during the battle lingered - but he had her dogtag - so she had to be alright.

The Padawan put the dogtag back down under his his T-shirt and picked up a toolbox to join the crew he was working with. The Master who lead them had noticed that 'Padawan Brion' was being rather blue but maintained a patient approach, offering the Morellian time, space and understanding. It was helpful, of course, but it was not really something which helped deal with his immediate troubles.

But then, he saw Inara.

Immediately, Mathieu's mind went to a brighter place and his face which had been stuck in what looked like a permanent but light frown seemed to ease up. His walk slowed down to a halt, bringing the attention of the old master whom walked up to him. The more seasoned Jedi watched where Mathieu's gaze went and a soft smile started to grow on her wrinkled face. She wrapped her hand around the toolbox handle, right next to the Padawan's hand and whispered "Go"

Slowly, Mathieu glanced down at her and let go of the toolbox. With that, he started to move towards her - the girl with the wild hair. The walk increased in speed until he was jogging and when there were only a few meters left, he called out for her "Inara!" The worries and concerns he had carried last time they met by his chambers were gone - at this point, he was just happy to see her again, seemingly alive and well.

Almost as soon as she turned around, the Jedi Padawan, carrying a bright smile on his lips, opened his arms for a hug. "I'm so glad to see you!" If she didn't show any signs of discomfort, he would soon steady his arms around her and stand up straight, hoisting her up a few decimetres before soon putting her back down again.

Inara Basai

 

[Inara Basai]

Inara sighed and looked down at her knees as she mulled over her options. She could always go back to the base. But the thought only made her frown, she spent most of her time there anyway. Perhaps a walk in the garden would be nice. Or maybe she could visit the cafe for a quick cup of caf. Yes, that sounded like a good plan.

Any excuse to stay was good enough for her.

Eventually, she pushed up from the bench and started to walk, but she didn’t get very far. A very familiar voice called out, and she turned to see the Jedi Padawan jogging towards her. Inara felt a smile growing on her lips, a burst of warmth that lit up her face. Any lasting tension between them seemed to melt instantly, and she felt her shoulders relax.

“Hey!” She said, stepping up to meet him. And she found herself being lifted up into a hug. Inara returned the hug with a laugh, and beamed up at him once her feet were back in solid ground.

“Glad to see you, too.” Inara nodded.

In fact, she was very glad see him standing tall before her. A quick visual assessment would tell her that his shoulder had healed well. The shoulder was even with the other, and range of motion didn’t seem to be an issue. Good! Her hand rose up to force a few strands of wild hair behind her ear, and she dark eyes shifted to meet his gaze again.

“I was just thinking about you,” she confessed, sheepishly. “I mean, I’ve been wondering how you’ve been. It looks like your shoulder is all better now. I’m glad.”

Inara was already blushing softly, for the first time maybe ever... she didn't really mind.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

He let go of her but his bright smile never faded. Unlike last time, this was not followed by any awkwardness or fear. For now, Mathieu was just happy to see her again. The lingering fears and worries from before were pushed to the back of his mind as all his focus went to her.

His blissful existence continued as she told him that she had been thinking of him. Hearing that she had thought of him filled his heart with joy - a medic had many responsibilities and after a battle such as the one on Onderon, he imagined that she might have had quite a bit to do and many people to think about. For that reason, it was not a surprise that her thoughts went to his injury so soon after. While it did make him wonder whether she had just thought about him for the sake of his medical condition or not, his spirits remained high.

"All thanks to you and the healers" he said, nodding in the direction of the Halls of Healing. For several moments, Mathieu didn't quite know what to say. He had been thinking about her too - more or less voluntarily. His gaze fell. Unlike Inara, Mathieu didn't really have any professional reasons to think of her any more than he thought of his Master Kei or his friend Cas. They had all been part of the dangerous events that had just struck against the Jedi. It didn't matter. "I've been thinking about you too. I was worried for you" he said, looking up to the girl's eyes and remembering how much he had wanted to be in the same troop as her. It would have allowed him to keep her safe, and probably vice versa too.

"But I knew you'd be alright" the large Morellian's hand went up to his chest and tapped at the spot of his shirt under which her dogtag hung. It was not completely true, but the thought had been with him and brought him comfort throughout. Suddenly, he blinked hard and looked at her closely, letting his eyes go up and down, scanning her from top to toe "You are alright, right? No hidden injuries? Nothing broke with that hug, right?" he asked with a tone both serious and filled with concern.

The rosy hue on her cheeks had returned and while he tried to hide it by tilting his head down, a sweet smile grew on his lips. The Padawn hesitated for a few brief moments as he was summoning a little bit of courage before looking back up at her "So, would you wanna go for a coffee or something sweet to eat? There's a café just around the corner"

Inara Basai

 

[Inara Basai]

Inara was thrilled to hear that his shoulder was doing well, and she'd give most of the credit to the skilled healers at the temple. Her lashes fluttered when Mathieu mentioned that he had been thinking about her, and worrying for her, too. The ranger was quite touched that Mathieu was still wearing her dogtag, and that his eyes seemed to fill with concern.

“I'm doing just fine,” she assured him, still smiling.

She'd escaped the battle without any injuries, but there were many others that hadn't been so lucky. Inara found that fact quite troubling, but she didn't want to give Mathieu any cause for worry. For now, she'd just be thankful that both of them were here now – alive and well.

The medic found a bashful smile growing on her own lips as Mathieu spoke, asking her out to coffee. Inara looked up and nodded eagerly, “I'd love that!”

When they set off, she'd walk briskly but cheerfully at his side, two steps for every one of his. The afternoon sun of Kashyyyk was pleasant, just like always, but today it seemed to give off such a warm glow. Glancing up to the side, she could see the sunlight in Mathieu's light hair, and it highlighted his features in a nice way. But Inara caught herself staring before too long and turned her eyes towards their destination. As they neared, a couple of Jedi strolled out, warm drinks cupped in their hands.

Normally, she preferred tea, but today called for something a bit stronger. “I could really go for some coffee right about now,” she said, watching as the other Jedi passed by. “What's good here?” she asked, arching her brows.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Ok, she wasn't hurt. Good. It allowed him to relax in a way which had been impossible before she uttered the sentence that she was doing fine. Mathieu nodded his head eagerly and let out a deep "Good" accompanied by a happy spark in his eyes.

The conversation moved on and when she agreed to have a coffee with him, the sweet smile that had marked his lips grew wider. Once again, he nodded eagerly and came with another "Good" He was in a great mood - where he would have been shy and awkward before Onderon, he was now instead simply optimistic and happy. After not having seen her for so long and being so worried for her, the large Morellian now found himself in a most joyous state.

"It's over there" he said, pointing with his entire arm to a point on nearby on the path towards the Rangers' base. It was not the largest or most visited café in the area but Mathieu had found it rather homely and he enjoyed the sweet pastries it had to offer too. Still, the walk would last for a little bit at least. A subtle yet goofy smile lingered on his features as they walked together. The Padawan's hand seemed to gravitate towards hers as they walked but as soon as the back of it brushed up against hers, he immediately withdrew it and looked to her. "Sorry-..." Mathieu trailed off upon noticing that she already seemed to be looking, or perhaps even staring at him.

At this point, he didn't quite know how to react or even think. A few brief moments which, to him, felt like an eternity passed by "I've still got a few greasy spots on my forehead, don't I?" he asked and let out a light laugh "I helped out by one of the reactors a few hours ago. Sometimes those stains are impossible to get rid of."

It would not be long before they arrived and the question of what to have came up. Squinting his eyes, Mathieu thought for a few moments "Well, if you'd like something sweeter, I think they've got a pretty good Chai Latte. Personally, I often like getting a normal coffee and a cinnamon bun." After lingering by her side for a bit to let her decide on something, he continued "I think I owe you a lunch and then some since last time. Mind if I get this one?" he asked before walking up to the counter to make the order.

Inara Basai

 

[Inara Basai]

As they walked, Inara felt Mathieu's hand brush against hers. And when their gazes connected, she felt her face growing hot. Then, he made a comment about grease spots left-over from work. She opened her mouth to reply, but what was she going to say? No, it's not that... I was just admiring you? So, Inara said nothing, and she was thankful when the topic changed.

“Chai latte? That sounds amazing,” she said. “And I'll buy next time.”

Inara looked up towards the menu, aware of Mathieu standing close by at her side. The medic stole another glance at him, hopefully covert this time, and her gaze softened. Oh, my giddy heart. Again, his hand so very close to her own. In truth, it made it very difficult for her to decide on anything, but she swallowed hard and forced herself to stare at the menu. In the end, she decided to go with the chai latte and a cinnamon bun as well. She was hungry, and sweet pastries were impossible to pass up. As he moved up towards the counter to order, she did, too -- and she felt very much like she was in a losing battle with herself. Would it be so bad to just... hold hands? What if he pulls his hand away?

She drew a breath, and in a moment of bravery, she reached over and gently clasped Mathieu's hand as they stood before the barista.

Hopefully, it wouldn't throw him off too much as he placed their order, and if he turned to look at her, he'd see an innocent smile on her face.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

He walked up to the counter - the cashier behind it, a middle aged Zabrak gentleman, was familiar to him. But he had not quite reached the status of being a regular just yet. Mathieu produced a pleasant smile to greet the cashier with "Hey" The Zabrak was quick to respond with a 'Hey' of his own before asking what his customer might want.

The smile faded from the large Morellian's lips as he felt Inara's soft hand brushing up against his. Her touch felt gentle and lovely all over but could his senses be fooling him? He didn't dare take a look - instead, he allowed his fingers to fold, clasping her smaller hand in his. It felt just right, as if all of his troubles had suddenly disappeared. Just like when he had held her wrist before, his thumb slowly went down along the back of her hand in a soft rub.

Apparently, the cashier was rather adept at handling situations like these and turned around to start replace the filter to the coffee machine and sort through some receipts. It didn't matter much to the Padawan, however, at this moment, the only one who mattered to him was Inara, and his course would remain the same regardless of whether someone watched them or not.

Carefully, Mathieu titled his head down to look her in the eyes. His facial expression spoke of utter confusion - but when he saw her innocent smile, a very slight and most careful smile of his own started to grow on his lips as the realisation of what was actually happening slowly started to set in. One final step was needed. His gaze fell down even more until he could see their hands clasped together. The previously careful smile now grew into a bright one as he let out a silent laugh. His dreams were coming true.

Quickly, his eyes darted up to her - it was clear for anyone to see that the Padawan was rather euphoric. Without really thinking much about it, he let go of her hand, but she would not be left in suspense as he was turning around to hug her at the same time. Just like before, he held on to her tight to raise her off of the ground. But this time, he held on for a bit, keeping her in his embrace much longer than usual. Once he set her down again, his happily sparkling eyes remained fixed at her and even though he closed his mouth, he still smiled with his entire face.

A short streak of nervousness hit him as he momentarily hesitated, fearing that he had made a misinterpretation. But it was way too late for worries now and for some reason, he felt like it couldn't be the case. And with that, he looked to her with kind eyes and extended his hand to her with an open palm.

Inara Basai

 

[Inara Basai]

Inara's nerves calmed immediately when she felt Mathieu's fingers curl around her hand, his palm against her own. When he turned his eyes down towards her, Inara's lashes fluttered once or twice, but her smile grew wider.

The pair had attracted a few stares, and the barista was now watching over the top of the espresso machine, but Inara was oblivious. Her attention was on Mathieu now, as he lifted her off the ground and into an embrace. Inara let her arms gently drape about his broad shoulders, and she gazed into his eyes as they shared a moment of closeness.

Inara could have stayed in his warm embrace all day, but when he set her down again – she remembered just where they were. Coffee. She brought a hand up to her cheek, which now had a rather glowy blush. And when Mathieu offered her his hand, she reached her free hand out to take it.

“Are you... ready to order?”

The ranger offered the zabrak a bit of an apologetic glance, and then nodded. “We will have two cinnamon buns, a chai latte, and a black coffee,” she said, but looked up to Mathieu to make sure she'd gotten his order correct. It dawned on her; she'd ordered for them like a... couple. There was something very sweet about it and she smiled at the thought. But of course, Inara wasn't completely sure if that's what they were now. She had a feeling; after all, they were still hand-in-hand as they waited.

When the barista set their order on the counter for them to collect, and Inara gave Mathieu's hand a squeeze before letting go in order to pick up her coffee and bun.

“Where should we sit?” she asked, looking to Mathieu.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Thinking clearly seemed to be a thing of the past. Inara was blushing again and he just looked at her with a glad, almost goofy, smile. Seeing her comparatively little hand placed into his filled him with joy. Once more, it just felt right when his hand closed around hers before they looked over to the counter.

The Zabrak asked if they were ready to order and while Mathieu had not quite reached the point where he could organise his thoughts adequately, Inara spoke for them. He looked down at her fondly - she remembered what he said he usually preferred but in truth, he'd have anything she ordered for them. Bringing out a few credits with his free hand, the Padawan then moved a little bit closer to her as he reached over to hand the shopkeep the pay. The feeling of being near her was unbeatable but he only lingered for a few extra moment after the payment was made before stepping back to his original position.

The two of them were quiet when waiting for the coffee and the buns. But his heart seemed to be beating at twice the rate and keeping a straight face seemed almost impossible. Mathieu kept glancing over at her with happiness both displayed by his lips and in his eyes before letting his gaze fall again. But the awkwardness which he had felt before was not really there anymore. The signs had been clear enough for him - she liked him back.

Of course, there was no thrill in letting go but at the same time, the chance of getting to hold her hand again did not seem that remote. After letting his gaze linger on her for a few moments, the large Morellian soon turned to pick up the tray. He stayed silent for a few moments whilst considering her question and pondered upon it while grabbing a few tissues and small spoon for her Chai Latte. "The courtyard is pretty nice" he said and nodded to a door which stood open on the opposite side of the entrance.

Leading the way there, he eventually settled down by a corner table with two chairs on one side and a bench running along the courtyard wall on the other, bending around the table on both a long and a short side. He threw her a quick glance whilst wondering where she would want to sit. Scooting in from the side, Mathieu placed himself on the couch closer to the corner by the long side of the table.

At this point, he didn't feel like the words needed to be said. Their actions had told the tale loud enough. But he wanted to say it. "I kinda like you" - of course, he couldn't have worded it more poorly, but there it was.

Inara Basai

 

[Inara Basai]

Inara gave him a nod, the couryard sounded like a nice place to enjoy their drinks and cinnamon buns. She followed him outside and over to a table. It was a rather cozy little spot, currently empty save for the occasional person walking through the area. She took a seat in a chair across from Mathieu, and flashed him a bit of a bashful smile as he spoke.

“I kinda like you, too,” she said.

Seated this way, she was able to gaze fondly across the table at him. It felt good to finally say the words she'd been holding in, probably since they first met on Taris. And Inara's heart swelled with warmth to know that he felt the same.

She lifted her cup of chai and took a small sip, the familiar mix of aromatic spices was comforting. Mixed with milk as it was, it reminded Inara of a popular drink back home served in a similar way. However, it was the way it was prepared that truly made it special. Someday, perhaps she'd be able to show Mathieu... if they ever took a trip to Chalacta.

Lifting her fork, she cut a small piece of cinnamon bun, but paused before it ever reached her mouth. Instead, her eyes were focused across the table at Mathieu.

“You know,” she started. “I've liked you for... a while now.” Inara confessed with a sheepish smile. Perhaps, he'd remember when she'd slipped up before and said the words 'friend-date' and know the true meaning behind that exchange. Needless to say, she'd wanted a date-date back then... but had simply been too shy. And, back then she knew that Mathieu seemed the friendly sort, she hadn't been exactly sure that he liked her... that way.

Then she finally took a bite of her cinnamon bun. “Mmm,” her brows rose. “This is really good.”

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

A sweet and perhaps even satisfied smile grew across his lips as she said that she liked him back. "Thank the stars" Mathieu looked at her fondly as he raised his cup of coffee. Without breaking eye contact, he took a sip coffee - somehow retaining the happy appearance despite hiding a large part of his face behind the cup.

It did not feel like more words were needed - not at this moment. Instead, he simply allowed his gaze to linger by her eyes for a bit before slowly moving down along her nose and lips to her chin and then over to her wild hair. He had certainly been lucky with her. An amused smirk grew on his lips as she started to cut the cinnamon bun. It was not something which he had even tried doing in years but for a moment, he considered if he should follow her lead and do the same. Ultimately, the answer was no. The way in which he ate his cinnamon buns was probably not why she liked him and so, he picked it up and took a bite.

For a time, the Padawan just sat there in silence. Chewing the bun until there was not much left to chew. The realisation of what she said was creeping up on him slowly - for all this time, at least since they had that moment in his quarters if not earlier, she had actually liked him? Maybe she had showed the signs and he just had not picked up on them. Mathieu shook his head slightly "Well, I've liked you for a while too. Couldn't stop thinking about you since Onderon." he said but soon snuck in a low "Or before that" - it was a sweet moment, but it also reminded him of the fierce battle of Onderon.

"I'm glad you like it!" Suddenly, his demeanour shifted as he leaned in an put a hand by the side of his mouth. As if telling a big secret, Mathieu then whispered "Doesn't come close to your cookies though" He cracked up in a cheesy smile. It only faded slowly as his gaze fell down into his cup with the bulk of his body still leaned over the table. "So..." be begun speaking with a serious voice, pausing a bit to find the right words. "Onderon was your first major battle, wasn't it?" he asked, trying to stay as careful as he could. The former Mercenary remembered how terrible he had felt after the first time he had been to a warzone. If she felt anything remotely like what he had, he wanted to help her in whatever capacity he could.

Inara Basai

 

[Inara Basai]

Inara took small bites of her cinnamon bun, savoring the warm sweetness. As she lifted her chai latte, she looked at Mathieu over the top of her mug, brows arching slightly when he mentioned that he'd been thinking about her a lot since Onderon or even before that. She smiled into her cup and took a sip.

Since meeting on Taris, the battle of Onderon had been the first where they were not together. It had been quite a harrowing experience. And it was soon the topic of conversation. Inara smiled when Mathieu complimented her cookies and made a mental note to make him some more, but the corners of her mouth dropped when the conversation shifted, taking on a more serious tone.

“Yeah, it was.”

Sipping her chai again, she let her gaze grow a bit faraway. As a private, a fresh out-of-basic soldier, she kept her feelings locked up when she was around her fellow Rangers. They didn't seem to talk about theirs much, either. She hadn't talked about the battlefield with anyone yet, but Mathieu was a friend, and soon-to-be confidant.

“I hadn't actually planned on being on the front lines that day,” she said, recalling the events. “But Captain Rarr brought me into his squadron. His company is full of veterans, so I was probably the only newbie there...” Inara remembered being in the drop pod with all of them; if they had nerves, they hadn't showed it at all.

“The two of us ended up fighting this frightening... beast-woman,” Inara said, it was the only way she could truly describe their fierce opponent. Had she been... Sith? The ranger wasn't quite sure just what qualified, all she knew was that she very well could have died that day.

“It was super scary. We managed to get back alive, though,” she said, offering a soft smile. Of course, super scary was a bit of an understatement. “What about you... you were there, too?”

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

The mood sunk and became very different from what had just been. It was not a rift between them - their bond was as strong as it had ever been. Instead, it was something more akin to sadness or horror. Mathieu looked to her sympathetically as she started to tell her story. He knew that it would likely have been traumatic if she was pulled up to the front lines with Beltran and his veterans. It was probably much worse than what they went through on Chroma Zed. Putting down his cup, the Morellian reached out with his right arm and wrapped his hand around hers, squeezing it lightly as she continued to speak.

His thoughts went to what kind of opponent she could possibly have faced. But it sounded like an experience which could easily have stuck to a persons mind. Feeling bad for her was only the beginning of it - but at least it seemed like she had processed it a bit. A soft smile grew on his lips "You did" he said with a tender voice. "And you fought for a good cause too. I'm sure that many Onderonians are very grateful that you went there to fight for them." Mathieu was no counselor nor was he trained in coping with the post-battle traumas - but he did what he could and at this moment, that meant trying to bring her thoughts to the good that might have been brought from it. That was how he had always done when feeling bad and guilty about his part in a battle.

"I was" he said with his voice carrying a vulnerable tone to it. While he had been part of a few skirmishes on the planet, his mind still immediately went to the gruesome battle he had fought against the Sith. Guilt weighed heavy on him - not only had he failed in redeeming the foe or at least bringing him to justice, but more importantly, he had also failed in bringing the Knight he was after to safety. The former Mercenary tried his best to hide his guilt but it still took a few moments for him to compose himself "I have never been so open to the force as I was this time." He struggled to find the right words until it finally came out "And it felt terrible" Remembering the lives he felt perish and the immense suffering around him was hard but then he thought of Inara and noticed that his grip of her hand had grown tighter. Relaxing the hold a little, he looked to her "But it can't have been worse than it was for you"

Inara Basai

 

[Inara Basai]

Inara felt the warmth of his palm on her hand, a small gesture that meant quite a lot. She nodded when he offered her kind, encouraging words. Looking across the table, Mathieu's imposing form could easily have been intimidating, tall and broad as he was, but he was such a benevolent force. Though the ranger medic knew very little about what it meant to be a good Jedi, she had a feeling that Mathieu was going to excel.

She'd had a feeling he'd been on Onderon, though she hadn't known for sure until now.

Her head canted to the side slightly when he mentioned being open to the force. Inara recalled some things she'd heard about the force, it was in all living things. So, a battlefield so full of injuries and death might be quite painful to experience on that level. It wasn't something she could even fathom. But, now, she was thankful that she herself was not so open to it.

His grip on her hand had tightened, and Inara let her thumb rub the back of his hand gently. When he mentioned that his experience couldn't have been worse than her own, Inara's eyes softened. She shook her head slightly, “It was tough on all of us,” she said. “I'm just new to it, that's all. It'll get easier, I'm sure.”

Inara said the words, but she had to wonder... would it really get easier?

For now, she had to believe that it would. Finished with her cinnamon bun, Inara got up from the table briefly, only to settle on the bench seat right next to Mathieu. Though, she'd let go of his hand, she was now even closer to him.

“After Taris and Chroma-Zed, I missed working with you this time,” Inara said, but then felt the need to clarify further. “I missed you.”

Of course, the words came with quite the flush of color to her face – and a smile.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

She had just been through her first major battle, yet she still seemed as well composed as a seasoned veteran. She sure seemed to carry the optimistic spirit that so many others lacked and when he showed empathy and compassion to her, she was quick to share it. "In a way, it will" he said, knowing that some of the painful emotions and memories still lingered in his mind - but at least it was easier to handle now.

It was comforting to see Inara so strong but at the same time, he worried that it was just a facade. A fresh rookie ranger putting on a brave face while bottling up the emotional storm that a battle could create. "Just, let me know if you wanna talk, ok? For some of us, it makes all emotions and memories and stuff easier to deal with" Mathieu had no idea what was going on inside her mind - things would be so much easier if he did - but he felt that it was important that she at least knew that she had someone to talk to about it if she wanted to. But then, if they kept meeting with each other as they did now, they would both be able to keep an eye on each other.

The desire to hold on to her hand was great. Of course, he wouldn't act on it. Instead, the large Morellian watched it slip away from his grasp. Shooting her a tender - almost timid - look, Mathieu then leaned back against the backrest and took another sip of coffee. But then she stood up, his eyes followed her with increasing optimism as she came closer. Putting the cup away, the Padawan struggled to keep his lips from forming a small smile as she sat down next to him. It felt good to have her so close.

He wanted to wrap is arm around her small frame and bring her even closer - but hesitation held him back. Maybe it was a bit too aggressive? Maybe she would be hesitant to come near in the future if it meant that he would bring her in close as soon as he did? Too many thoughts and concerns plagued his mind. Instead, Mathieu twisted his torso to face her and leaned the side of his head against the tall backrest to look down at her.

Inara's words were sweet and brought a tingling sense of joy to his very core. She seemed to have an ability to do that as she had demonstrated so well already. "I'll have to get shot a few more times, won't I?" he joked whilst subconsciously leaning in a tiny bit closer to her. Taking a more warm but serious tone, he carefully continued "If I missed you, and you missed me.. then maybe we should do something about it. My weekend is free, if you wanna go do something together"

Inara Basai

 

[Inara Basai]

Inara reached for her chai latte and cupped it in her hands, enjoying the close proximity to Mathieu. The urge to scoot even closer was there, but she maintained a small bit of space between them. Enough that she could still turn to see him as he shifted to face her. A smile tugged the corners of her mouth when he joked about getting shot, but she shook her head to say 'no, no more getting shot.'

Her heart gave such a flutter when he leaned in a little closer.

But she remained still, her eyes on his. Inara couldn't stop her smile from growing wider as he spoke. She gave him a bit of a bashful nod, and then added,“I'd like that – very much.”

Already, the possibilities began to form in her mind. Perhaps they could go out for that lunch. Or maybe go on a nice hike. Then, she began to think of activities elsewhere, away from Kashyyyk. Maybe they could take in a holo-film on Commenor, they surely had theaters on that world, right? Then maybe a nice dinner there in Chasin City. Was it too soon to take a trip together?

What would she wear? She began to mentally filter through her clothing. She wore uniforms nearly every day, which did make it easy on her. But when it came to going out, there were few options. Perhaps it would be time to expand her wardrobe a touch, shopping for such things was so foreign. She'd have a couple of days to figure it out at least.

Maybe Mathieu already had an idea of what he wanted to do, and she could follow his lead. When she gave an answer, she decided kept it simple.

“It's a date,” she said, nodding.

Mathieu Brion