Private Fire and Ruin — Scars of Keshi

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery smirked, tilting her chin up ever so slightly as if to feign regal authority. "I better," she murmured, her voice full of mock severity. "Wouldn't want to start a scandal in your little bakery, would we?" She'd totally fight someone over this.

Then, her grin turned wicked, her eyes alight with mischief as she added, "Though… some things are only for me to taste." Her fingers traced slow, deliberate circles against his chest, and though her tone remained playful, the teasing implication in her voice was impossible to miss.

Her grin only grew when she caught the flicker of realization in his expression, but before he could fire back, he had the audacity to call her Professor Noble.

Valery gasped. "Not like thattt!" she whined dramatically, swatting his arm with absolutely no force behind it.

She groaned, flopping back against him with an exaggerated sigh, shaking her head as if he had just ruined her vision entirely. "I meant like… a daycare. Little ones running around, tripping over their own feet, playing, learning — that kind of thing. Not some stuffy lecture hall where I have to wear glasses and recite history to a room full of half-asleep teenagers."

She pouted up at him, though there was no real frustration behind it — just amusement and that ever-present affection. "Besides," she murmured, fingers trailing lazily over his arm again, "You're the real professor in this family. My cute little nerd."

Her smirk softened into something more tender, and she leaned in, stealing another slow, sweet kiss — her way of making her point.

Kahlil Noble ​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I'd never allow someone to start a scandal in my shop, I assure you that." A bemused smile took over as he tussled her hair and kissed her forehead all over again. Especially as she started to panic at the idea of being a professor. A laugh ended up escaping him as he raised a brow curiously. Why was that of all things what seemed to have her embarrassed?

"A daycare doesn't sound bad at all. Though, I'm the professor? I've no argument, but still. I think you'd be great as a professor."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery happily leaned into the forehead kiss, her smirk softening into something content. But the moment he said he'd never allow a scandal in his shop, that familiar mischievous glint flickered right back into her fiery gaze.

"Oh yeah?" she mused, tilting her head up to look at him. "And what if I knocked things off your counter? Just—" She made a little flicking motion with her fingers, grinning. "—casually tipping things over when you weren't looking? Or what if I sat there all day just to poke at you while you worked? Would you kick me out?"

Her eyes sparkled with amusement, daring him to answer.

But when he doubled down on the whole professor thing, saying he thought she'd be great at it, she stilled for just a second before hugging him a little tighter. The words meant something. She knew he wasn't just teasing — he genuinely thought she could do it. Still, she very quickly buried herself into his chest before he could see the way that warmth spread across her face.

"Mmm," she hummed. "I'd rather be in charge of a daycare. Get to smother cute little ones all day." She sighed dramatically. "That's way more fun."

She snuggled in a little closer, her thoughts drifting, her whole body relaxing against him. And then, without warning, she let out a quiet chuckle.

"Wait."

Her voice was suddenly serious.

"Could I still be a professor if I got a tattoo?"

It came out of nowhere. But she was comfortable, perfectly wrapped up in his arms — her happy place — and all the random thoughts in her brain were just falling out now.

Kahlil Noble ​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I'll spray you with a water bottle and send you to the barn to capture the mice, if you're going to behave like a cat." Kahlil full on laughed this time, smirking towards his wife as he tussled her hair with reckless abandon. He did end up raising a brow though, his gaze shifting to her at her question. For two reasons, at that. A smirk took over as he smoothed out her hair just a little. Just a little.

Only a little.

"I don't see why not. But I thought you said you didn't want to be a professor? Or were you just being dishonest with yourself? You'd be a wonderful nerd, my love."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's smirk widened at his teasing. "Oh, you'd have to catch me first," she challenged, her voice full of playful defiance. "I'm quick. Slippery. Sneaky. You'd never even see me coming." She punctuated her words with a quick wiggle of her eyebrows, her fiery eyes gleaming with mischief.

But then-

"Hey! Stop it!" she squealed, half-laughing, half-protesting as he ruffled her hair with reckless abandon. She squirmed, swatting at his hands, but when that didn't work?

She fought back.

With a swift roll, she twisted and flipped on top of him, straddling his waist with a triumphant grin. Her knees pressed against his sides, her hands planted firmly on his chest, feeling the steady, solid warmth beneath her fingers.

Gosh. He's hot.

Her grin only grew. Oh, he knew exactly what she was thinking, and she knew that he knew. That only made it worse. Or better.

"Smug." She squinted at him, pretending to scrutinize him as she leaned in just a little. And then, without warning, she flicked his nose. "And I could be a nerd," she added, her tone teasing, her fingers absentmindedly tracing over his chest. "But maybe..." Her lips curled intos omething wicked. "Maybe I'll get a naughty tattoo instead.”

She let that linger for just a second, watching the way his expression shifted.

Then she grinned. "Or maybe something with symbolism. Something on my back... or somewhere else?" Her voice dipped just slightly, a little too amused, a little too much like she was enjoying making him think about it.

Yeah. She was having way too much fun with this.

Kahlil Noble ​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"You couldn't hide from me and you know it."

Kahlil had just a bemused grin now as Valery fought back. He didn't fight much in turn, sort of just letting her win for the moment as he laid back, smiling up towards her. "A naughty tattoo? Pff- The scandal that would bring when it was found." He teased lightly, hands holding her waist for a bit. Then, a casual roll and Valery was suddenly the one pinned.

".. If you're going to get something marked on your body, though, let it mean something. Let it be something good." Even his back still had traces of the old brand that once marked him as a living vessel. He knew all too well what marks could mean.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery smirked down at him, her weight resting comfortably where she sat, her hands still pressed against his chest. “Oh? You think I couldn't hide from you?” she teased, tilting her head slightly, her fiery eyes gleaming with mischief. “I was a Shadow. I could be right behind you, whispering in your ear, and you'd never even—”

And then, in an instant, she was the one flipped.

A breath hitched in her throat as her back met the soft surface beneath them, her golden skin flushed against his warmth. Her gaze flickered upward — straight to the flex of his chest, the ripple of his abs as he held her there, pinning her effortlessly beneath him.

Damn.

Her blush deepened, spreading across her cheeks as she bit her lower lip. Even after all these years
“A scandal?” she echoed, feigning innocence even as her smirk curled wickedly. Her fingers traced slow, idle circles against his skin, her voice dropping to something lower. “Well… that just means I’d have to get it somewhere only you get to see.”

She let that linger for just a second, let the meaning sink in.

Then, her gaze softened.

Her teasing faded — not completely, but enough that something more genuine slipped through. As her hands slid up from his sides, tracing over the warmth of his skin, she hummed thoughtfully, fingers resting lightly against his collarbone.

“Maybe a Keshian tattoo…” she mused, considering the thought. “Or would it be cheesy if I did something to capture our Dyad?”

Whatever symbol she decided to etch onto her skin forever…

It was going to mean something.

Kahlil Noble ​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Something for our dyad, mm?" Kahlil hummed at the thought, letting his eyes close as he leaned into Valery's touch. It was a good thought, better than a scandal. As teasing as she might be with it, it was clear he wasn't that interested in seeing her marked with something that didn't have a good meaning. He did smile after a moment though, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"That could be good."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery chuckled softly, the sound warm and amused as her fingers traced absent patterns against his skin. "You really don’t like the idea of a scandalous tattoo, huh?" she teased, her smirk curling at the corners of her lips. She had never actually considered something like that — she was a Jedi, and that sort of thing would be ridiculous — but the way he reacted? The way he cared? It was adorable.

But when she felt the subtle shift in his expression, the way he actually liked the idea of something to represent their Dyad, her smirk deepened. She leaned into the kiss he pressed against her forehead, letting herself enjoy the warmth of it for just a second before — now was her chance.

With a sudden, playful burst of effort, she tried to roll them over again, aiming to reclaim her spot on top.

But Kahlil didn’t budge.

Not even an inch.

For a brief moment, she blinked up at him, her expression caught between stubborn determination and dawning realization. Then, slowly, a sheepish smile tugged at her lips. "...Worth a shot," she admitted, amusement flickering in her fiery gaze.

Her fingers slid up to rest lightly against his shoulders, her weight still pressed against him as she hummed in thought. "I’ll need to find someone who can actually make a Dyad tattoo..." she mused, her voice trailing off deliberately, the playfulness returning to her tone.

Then, her eyes flicked up to his, a smirk forming as she arched a brow.

Kahlil Noble ​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil just had a bemused smile on his face as he watched her try to push him over. He absolutely didn't bulge, wouldn't. She was still the one in trouble, after all. A lot of trouble at that. If they weren't going to be landing soon to help the refugees settle on Niv Hani and regroup for the counter attack, he'd absolutely be punishing her further. This was going to have to be enough.

"Actual inking isn't something I can do, but I can give the design. Something you can look over until we find a proper artist for it. Unless you want it to be Force based like mine are, anyway."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery grinned up at him, the mischievous glint in her fiery eyes unmistakable. Oh, she knew she was in trouble — knew exactly what that bemused look on his face meant. If they weren’t about to land, if there wasn’t so much waiting for them planetside, she had no doubt he’d be making her pay for all her antics.

But he didn’t have time.

And that made it so much more fun.

She flashed him a smirk, shifting slightly against him, just to push her luck a little further. “I feel like I’m getting away with something,” she mused, voice dripping with feigned innocence. “It’s a shame we’re so busy, huh?”

A real shame.

But then, as he spoke about the tattoo, her smirk faded — just slightly. She hummed, actually considering it. A traditional tattoo meant finding an artist, taking off her shirt in front of some stranger, letting them carve something permanent into her skin with a needle. Hmmm…

She didn’t like that idea.

Not unless Kahlil was there.

Her lips pursed for a second before she rolled her shoulders against him, thinking it through. Then, a slow smirk tugged at her lips.

"What if you did it?" she asked, arching a brow. "Not an actual ink tattoo, but something like your runes. A marking tied to our Dyad, made by you?"

It made sense, didn’t it? If this was about them, about their connection, their bond — then why would she want anyone else to put it on her?

Her smirk deepened as she tilted her head slightly. "You could scribble one onto my back, see how it looks?" Her tone was playful, teasing — but there was something real behind it.

If anyone was going to mark her, it was him.

Kahlil Noble ​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Scribble, mm? I can do that later, I think." It could be fun to work on, certainly. But not right now. They didn't have tooo much longer before they ended up back at Niv Hani after all. He tussled her hair one last time before he himself got out of bed, stretching quite a bit. "Maybe we should take a quick refresher too, mm?" He paused before flashing quite the grin down towards Valery.

"Should have the time for that, I imagine."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery hummed softly, rolling onto her side as she watched him, her smirk lingering. "Later, then," she mused, fingers lazily tracing the sheets. She still liked the idea — the thought of his mark on her, something woven into their Dyad, permanent in a way that went beyond ink. But that was for another time.

Because right now…

Her teasing had officially caught up with her. The second he mentioned a refresher, her breath hitched — just for a fraction of a second. Oh, now he wanted to get her back? She swallowed, knowing full well that she had spent the entire morning pushing his buttons, thinking there wouldn't be enough time for payback.

And then he stood.

Valery's fiery gaze immediately wandered, shameless in its slow, appreciative drag over his body. The way his muscles flexed when he stretched, the way his bare skin caught the dim lighting of the cabin. She knew that look on his face. That grin. He knew exactly what he was doing.

He always did.

"Stars help me," Valery muttered under her breath, exhaling a sigh that was far too amused to be anything but resigned. But really, who was she to refuse? Rolling smoothly out of bed, she grinned up at him, any pretense of innocence long gone. With a single, fluid step, she closed the distance, slipping her fingers into his hand. "Alright," she murmured, mischief gleaming in her amber eyes. "Might as well have a bit of fun, huh?"

And with that — she pulled him along, vanishing into the refresher as the door slid shut behind them.

[The End]


Kahlil Noble ​