Swallow the Moon and the Stars

[Dante Sotari]

It had been a terrible week. One thing after another. Fething sith not knowing how to take 'no' for an answer.

Which probably made the first words out of her mouth and into her comm particularly ironic.

"I'm taking a shower, changing, then taking you out to dinner and you are gonna like it."

The door slid shut behind her and she was honestly irritated that she didn't have the kind of door she could slam. It would have been incredibly satisfying right then. Using the heel of first one foot, then the other, she kicked off her boots, sending them perhaps a little too hard into the wall. The dress uniform jacket came off next and she paused, turning just enough to send it sailing into the small wash closet.

Some of the commotion would be heard over the comm on Morgan's end, but she didn't really care.

"How soon can you be here? Or should I come get you?"

She sat down with a grunt, running her hand through her hair and grimacing.

Yeah, definitely needed a shower first.

[member="Morgan Vance"]

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Dante Sotari"]

Morgan studied the table. Candles. The beginnings of a dinner he had been planning. He sighed softly and then tapped his comm. "Twenty ish? Should be there." A pause for a moment, then. "Ya better believe I want a kiss or two before we run off tho."

After that it was all a matter of rearranging the plans.

He changes clothes, freshened up a bit and then finally exited the apartment. It was a good thing he hadn't put the chicken in the oven yet.

That would have been a waste.

Twenty minutes later on Morgan Vance come around. Exactly. But that was something Dante would have grown used to by then. When Morgan said twenty minutes, they *were* twenty minutes. He was concise, clear and punctual.

It was the least he could do in his eyes.

Mor knocked on the door. "S'me." It was better now that she had her own quarters. Was a bit less.. awkward as far as Morgan was concerned.

Though they still often ended up at his place. For some reason she liked it.

 

[Dante Sotari]

They only lived down the block from each other, but sometimes (especially tonight), Dante found herself frustrated and annoyed by it. Morgan had made it clear that she could move in with him if she wanted a couple of months back, but at the time, she was only just ready to actually start calling him her boyfriend, rather than just 'that guy I work with who I also blow off steam with and drink together'. But especially after a day like today, there'd been disappointment in arriving 'home' to an empty apartment.

And her apartment really was empty. It looked more like someone had moved in the day before, rather than two months ago. Half a dozen boxes, unpacked. Clothes in and out of a tote, things only ending up in the closet when it kept her from having to iron them. The fridge...

Let's not talk about the fridge.

It wasn't a home. It was just a place she slept and showered.

And it was empty.

The door wasn't open for him to just walk in. She was too paranoid for that. So a moment later he heard the lock click and the door slid open. Dante was showered and changed already, but she was still toweling her hair dry.

The look on her face could have turned blue milk green, but she pushed up on her toes to offer him a kiss.

"Delivered, as promised, come on in."

[member="Morgan Vance"]

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Dante Sotari"]

The look on her face was met by the smile on his.

Always like this.

Whenever he saw her? Morgan *smiled* bright and easy. This time around he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her deeply. Tip of his boot kicking the door shut behind him. Not letting her go *that* easily, eh?

"Is a good." Morgan murmured against her, before pulling back and letting her go. "You look nice, Dan, smell nice too."

A smirk at the end of that one, before stepped deeper into her place.

It was... a place. Empty, but it wasn't *orderly* like his. Kinda weird honestly. How an empty place could still somehow be messy. Morgan didn't get it, but he didn't really need to, right? "Want to have a beer first, before we roll out?"

They walked into the kitchen and he glanced over his shoulder.

"Where do you want us to go anyway?"

 

[Dante Sotari]

The biggest reason her apartment could be both empty and messy was that Dante just....

Didn't care.

About a lot of things honestly.

But Morgan? Morgan she cared about. His smile took a bit of the edge off of her grump. Oh, it would take more than that, but that was why she'd called him anyway. She was actively fighting against the instinct that led her to pushing people away. At least, when it came to him.

Everyone else could kark off.

She relaxed slightly in his embrace, and kissed him back. "I call it clean Mor. You look nice too," she paused, then sniffed him. "Ditto smell nice."

She did step away then, mostly because she still needed to finish getting ready and his suggestion was a gooooood one.

"Ugh *yes*. You would not karking believe the day I had. Well, guess that was technically yesterday. Even worse cause I only just got out of that fething uniform when I called you. It was gross. There's beer in the fridge, bring me one? I'm gonna finish getting ready."

She headed back into the bedroom, shaking out her hair.

"I dunno, honestly I was figuring I'd open up the list of places within walking distance and pick one at random. I'm starving and I'm not sure I care what I'm eating."

Though obviously she cared who she was eating it with, if she was willing to wait for him to come over instead of just getting something on her way home.

[member="Morgan Vance"]

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Dante Sotari"]

"You know me, Dan, I mostly believe whatever you tell me."

It had been an amusing revelation for her. The amount of times she tried to kark with him could be used to fill the night sky probably. It had bemused him personally. He opened the fridge. Noticed that besides beer, she had a small unopened bottle of mineral water.

And some lettuce.

Why *lettuce* out of all things? Sighing Morgan took out two bottles of beer, before plopping over into the living room. There he flopped down on the couch. "We really need to fill your refrigerator, lady, you can't order out eveeeeery night." He called out to her in the bathroom, before relaxing a bit. After a moment Morgan shifted.

Then realized it had been the remote pushing into his back.

It was removed and he shook his head a bit. So messy.

"Could go for something Atrisian? I think I got a hang of the chopsticks now."

 

[Dante Sotari]

"Man what part of 'bring me one' meant bring it in there," she called out with amusement.

"And who says I can't? I mean, besides you and my nosy neighbor. Mor she brought me lettuce."

She came back out of the room then, pulling her damp hair up into a pony tail as she wandered over.

"I think it was a cultural thing," she mused, leaning over the back of the couch and settling her arms on his shoulders. Reaching she snagged the beer, resting her chin on the back of his head while she popped it open.

"We can do Atrisian if there's one close as long as you don't expect me to use the chop sticks. They have that warm wine in the little jars that's good."

She leaned, planting a kiss on his temple before standing back up and taking a long drink out of the can, downing half of it before coming back up for air. Pulling out her comm, she came around the front of the couch, scrolling through the options before flopping down with him for a minute.

"There's like.... three of them within walking distance."

[member="Morgan Vance"]

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Dante Sotari"]

"Oh, I was wondering why you had one big lettuce in your fridge next to the beer."

His hand stroked up her arm, giving a slight pinch of her shoulder, before snatching up his own beer and popping it open. The first taste was an ah mixed with an eh. The alcohol was decent, but the taste was.... ugh, clearly she had picked cheapness over tastiness. "I really gotta bring you some of my craftbeer." It had started as something of an hobby of his. A man needed to do something in their free time. Especially because before Dante.... he had mostly been sitting quiet in his room.

Waiting for the next assignment.

The fact that she liked beer?

Made it an obvious pursuit. "Hey, you can use your fingers for all I mind, as long as you wash them later." A wink as he pulled her onto his lap, during her flop. His arm circled around her waist and nuzzled the edge of her neck, before taking another sip from his beer.

Wrinkling his nose.

"I will getchu a crate." He looked with her as they scrolled, humming softly, before shrugging. "Which one is closest to a liquor store? I ran out of whiskey."

 

[Dante Sotari]

She let him pull her into his lap, sprawling there for the moment, legs on one side, head on the couch on the other.

"Yeah she brought it over right before I left for Luria. I told her I was gonna be gone but she insisted. I hope it didn't liquefy in there, I don't even know how long lettuce is good for."

Which said a lot.

"Oh yeah, sorry, I didn't pick this one up planning to share it. If I'd planned you coming over I would have had something you liked more."

It wasn't that Dante *liked* cheap beer. Just that when it was just her she didn't much care. That wasn't the point sometimes.

Dante had a problem. Not that she would admit it. Morgan? He drank as something to do with her. Dante would be doing it whether he was or not.

"Yeah, this one," she said, leaning into him and turning the screen in his direction. "On the way. There's a club too between if we want, but I dunno I'm beat. Could also do this one and head back to your place after instead. Did everything I need to here."

This was just a way station.

[member="Morgan Vance"]

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Dante Sotari"]

"Hun, throw that chit away, you can keep it for like a week, before it is trash."

He took another sip, his head leaning back against the support of the couch. Letting it nicely burn against his tongue. It wasn't horrible. After the third sip. But it wasn't something that he'd freely buy and drink himself, honestly.

Dante had a problem.

She wouldn't admit it. He.... didn't know what to do with it. On one hand Morgan thought he should do something about it. But. What? He knew she'd push him away the moment he tried. He liked... loved her. For once in his life, since the accident, he had something to wake up for. Besides the duty to the Empire anyway. "S'okay, Dan, just means mah beer will taste the better." He petted her softly, before opening his eyes and studying the address.

Making a few mental notes in his head to see if he had been around there before.

"Honestly, I am down to just head to my place after? I enjoy just relaxing with you, dun need a club for that." He leaned in, kissing the line of her jawline and then murmuring something softly in her ear. A wicked grin at the end of it, before moving to finish his bottle.

"Wanna get going then? Before all the tables are occupied."

 

[Dante Sotari]

"Hey, I called you as soon as I walked in and got ready. Didn't even crack the fridge. I'll take care of it later."

That could have been reassuring, except that he'd only gotten there twenty minutes later. Wasn't all that long to wait to have a beer. But considering that was usually her first stop when she got home, it was something right?

Not really.

"Hey, you know I like your beer, and not just cause it's better than the cheap stuff. I'll take whatever you are willing to share."

Dante could appreciate a good beer- heck it was how they met. Just usually when she was here she was alone, and it was just.... something to do. It mostly meant that she was more likely to enjoy it as his place though. A thoughtful frown flickered over her face at that thought combined with the earlier annoyance of coming home to an empty apartment. She didn't really want him to bring it over here, just for her to drink it alone.

It was only a moment though, her eyes closing and chuckling as he whispered. A smirk, quick response, and a quick kiss. Then she finished her own and shifted up off of the couch.

"Suits. If we wait any longer I might try to eat your sleeve or something."

They deposited the empty containers and Dante locked the door behind them. The pair headed out, and not for the first time Dante was annoyed at her own rule. Careful in public. She didn't want certain people to know what they were.... if they did....

She didn't know what would happen.

A good reason to keep separate apartments, right? She thought to herself, a little glumly. They walked close but not together, her hands shoved deep into her pockets.

"New Zambranos," she said, by way of explaining why the current assignment had been bad. "Starvald wants me to 'get to know them, and in turn, them me,' or some bullchit like that."

[member="Morgan Vance"]

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Dante Sotari"]

They walked.

It was... weird.

He wanted to wrap his arm around her shoulder and keep her close. But. They couldn't. It was weird. He didn't like it. Morgan was going to respect her wishes though, she didn't want it public and to a degree.... he understood the reasons for it. It didn't make it any easier though. "Just so you know," He murmured as they walked, pulling out two cigarettes. One between his teeth while the other was passed on over to her. His thumb brushing the edge of her hand.

Veiled intimacy.

It was as much as they could get here. They stopped briefly near an alleyway.

Nobody around for now, so he lit her cigarette, his hands covering the tip so the wind wouldn't blow hers out. A finger ghosting her jaw just an inch before pulling back. "I want to hold you right now." A wink during the hushed murmur, before his own cigarette was burning.

"As for your assignment. It sounds strange- Zambrano assigned you to Starvald, now Starvald is making you look after Zambranos?"

 

[Dante Sotari]

She took the smoke, fingers brushing back. Pausing when he did, letting him light it. A chagrined expression. Curl of warmth through her core.

"Yeah I know," she said quietly, laying a quick, almost elusive kiss against his palm as he drew his hand back. "Me too."

She'd tried. She'd tried really hard to get him to leave. Once she'd realized the dangers of working for Starvald and that she couldn't avoid them... it had been a mess. There might have been crying. In the end he.... had wanted to stay. And she was selfish enough that she wasn't willing to leave herself.

Selfish arse.

They started walking again, just close enough that their arms brushed occasionally.

"Yeah honestly the same. Well, the whole thing is weird, let's be real. Why even would he want me- why push for my progression? And now wanting me to get in good with the Zambranos. The whole thing is just weird. This.... this isn't what I want, Mor. Dunno what to do about it either though."

They reached the restaurant, and stepped in out of the cold.

"Oh, hey, this place has the tables with the fire in the middle where they cook your food, wanna sit at one of those?"

[member="Morgan Vance"]

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Dante Sotari"]

Every single brush of their arm was a sing-song of emotions.

It made it bearable.

Somewhat.

"Man, I know why he wants you. You are one of the finest demolition experts, snipers and leaders the Empire has. So hush on that note." He was never quiet about his opinions of her competence. The problem was that Dante cared too much. A bit of care was good. Perfect. But. She let it get to her, wrecked her nerves and feelings later on. The drink didn't help. But even with the drinking problem, Dante was still one of the best soldiers Morgan had served with.

That said something in itself.

His hip checked hers, when she said that last part.

"Hey, I know, hun. We will figure it out together, okay?" This.... was the complicated part. Morgan owed the Empire. His life, his body, his service. He knew that as an intrinsic thing. "The Sith make a mess and we are left to clean it up. I hate you are tangled up in their plots."

Brows furrowed as they walked and smoked.

All that chit went away by the time they got to the restaurant though. He looked through the windows- it was warm there, heated, the tables was a nice touch. "Yeah. So. In there we are just friends and colleagues?" Glancing away from it and towards her. One more drag from his cigarette, before dropping it down and crushing it with his heel. Why did all of this have to be so hard? Part of him... part of him had hoped that that night, where she opened up (somewhat) and they become whole... that that would be the end of it.

They'd be happy.

And good.

Instead it seemed to have opened up new problems.

At least they were together now, right?

 

[Dante Sotari]

"Look we're not going to argue about it, but there are lots of other people that would give him way less backsass than I do," she grumbled.

He'd picked her because there were things about her that he could manipulate. But then that was true of anyone wasn't it?

Her hand was on the door when he said the last bit, and she paused. For a moment she didn't move, but when she looked up at him, her face was stricken.

"Gotta be," she said quietly. "Arsehole already knows too much about me. I can't...."

Drag you into it.

She did know what she'd do if Starvald tried to use Morgan as leverage. Already he could get her to do just about whatever he wanted. But there were lines and he knew it, so there were places he'd push but wouldn't cross. With this though....

"Look I'm sorry, this was a bad idea, huh," she mumbled.

She hadn't been thinking about at the time. She just knew that she wanted to do something.... normal.... with him.

[member="Morgan Vance"]

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Dante Sotari"]

A nod followed as he glanced past her towards the restaurant.

Putting up a smile for her.

"Nah, s'okay, we have been juggling each other for months before this. This can't be hard, right?" Neither of them believed that. It was one thing to orbit around one another, feelings locked in a cage. A different thing when the cage was unlocked and it all raged around you. Morgan shrugged. "You better believe we are gonna play footsy tho." A wink before he pushed past her. Between the span of a single breath, as he moved to push open the door for them, his lips ghosted hers.

A deep kiss that ended as soon as it began, before he held the door open for her to enter through.

"Besides, I gotta show off my chopsticks skills now, right?"

Trying to make it easier.

It was still difficult.

 

[Dante Sotari]

She was 100% certain that she didn't deserve him.

Or, more to the point, that he deserved someone far better than her.

Things hadn't ever been easy. But that was because she didn't make it easy. She knew it. He knew it. He was just kind enough not to point that out.

She tensed up, then eased again almost as fast, only to be left with a grumpy expression as he pulled away again. This was dangerous. But all she wanted to do was reach out and take his hand in hers. She had never been the sort to need to crow from a roof top, but being unable to just be normal was taking a toll now that she had accepted the entire thing.

Honestly, he was handling it better than she was.

"I dunno how you are so good," she grumbled at him, following him into the restaurant.

It only took a couple of minutes before they were seated at a table. They weren't the only ones- each table sat eight people and the restaurant wasn't shy about putting strangers together to get the most out of each chef. Settled in next to each other, it was easy to sit with their knees pressed together, ankles hooked, while they did their best to just be 'friends' above the table.

"Am I gonna be impressed or covered in rice by the end of this," she said, poking him with her elbow as he opened up the chopsticks. She declined her own pair, perfectly happy with a fork.

[member="Morgan Vance"]

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Dante Sotari"]

As far as Morgan was concerned he did deserve her.

He wanted her, right?

No one else. No mythical perfect creature that was just right for him. Her. She had covered him with her body, murmured that everything would be okay and Morgan had believed her. Sometimes he thought it was only her voice that allowed him to leave Mirial sane. Who else would understand him as thoroughly as her? Who had gone through much the same? No. She was right for him. A hundred percent. Because nobody else would accept Morgan like she could.

"Probs ya lips, they put me in the mood to be good."

Deadpan voice, stoic face as they flopped down in a pair of seats.

It didn't take long before their first meal arrived. It was all smaller chit, but that was just as well. Gave them a wide assortment of things to try out. "Hey, I practiced, you will probably be fine." He checked her elbow with his, before chuckling a bit and snapping with the chopsticks a bit. Experimentally.

It would be fiiiiine.

"So. Looking forward to your next vacation leave?"

Was this weird?

At least the line of her leg against his felt good. Pressing a bit tighter against her there.

 

[Dante Sotari]

"You are terrible," she muttered, but it wasn't without a hint of a smile.

The first course as well as a flask of the heated wine and what Dante decided were ludicrously small cups, arrived while they were waiting for the chef. He'd cook the main course in front of them, but apparently it took them a bit to get it all put together. This was going to be a bit of a production.

Pouring the wine she offered one to Morgan.

"These are like doll house cups I swear. And yes. If, um, yours doesn't line up, I might just crash at your place."

Her voice was low. There was no one here that knew them, could possibly know them. But Dante's old paranoia had been easily transferred to this new threat, as far as she was concerned.

"If it does maybe we can do something."

Unlike in times past, this maybe was a 'eh we'll see, maybe we will, maybe we won't.' Now it was just the public face, not wanting it to be obvious just how much he mattered to her. Joke was on her of course, because no one looking at the two of them and how they looked at each other could possibly mistake it.

"I.... uh. I was thinking....." she said, looking down at the plate and pushing something around for a second with her fork. "Have you, uh, given any thought since to us....." crap words "becoming roommates?"

[member="Morgan Vance"]