The Inbetweens

[Mariel Dawnrider]

She'd gone in easily for a hug. Partly because it was Alden and partly because she really needed that hug right then, and suspected he did too. A hug didn't solve any of the problems they faced, but it felt nice.

It wasn't awkward....

Until suddenly it was.

Part of it was emotion from him, part of it was the reflexive nuzzle of noses, just how close that was- what it used to be for them. It would have been easy to kiss him there. The question was two fold- did she want to and was it a good idea? With 'I don't know' the answer to both of those things, she opted to very, very not. Things were too complicated without falling down the well of Alden Belmont again.

Her own cheeks flushed slightly as they both stepped back, reaching up to rub the back of her neck absently before nodding.

"I'm not saying it's how I wanted to catch back up with you," she said with a wry grin. "But if it had to be with someone, I wouldn't have picked anyone else."

A squeeze back of his hand before she dropped her other, and another nod.

"Get some sleep. Thanks yourself." A pause, then a little softer. "Night Al."

She headed out then. Not because she wanted to. If she were being honest with herself what she wanted to do was stay there. Not for anything specifically. Just... being there with him was the last part of home she had. Which was all the more reason to go. She'd be staying for completely selfish reasons and after that moment right at the end? Last thing she wanted to do was lead him on, make it look like more than what it was.

Harper headed back to her room, but it would be a long time until she fell asleep.

[member="Alden Belmont"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Harper Kade"]

It was later.

He hadn't been able to get sleep even with an hour or two of wrestling with his blanket. Part of him didn't want to do the next thing, but... the other part did and the feeling of loneliness overrode the other senses that were whining at that junction. Slipping into his slippers, out the door and then standing in front of her door. Fidgeting there for a few minutes.

Pacing back and forth.

Thinking- what am I doing?

His knuckles suddenly ticked against her door... apparently this? "Hey. Um. Harp? Can I come in?"

 

[Mariel Dawnrider]

"Sure," came the answer on the other side of the door. Not drowsy or the confused heaviness of someone who had been asleep.

Harper was just sitting up in her bunk, reaching over to hit the touch light next to it when he stepped in. The small holocron was offering a scant silvery lavender glow on the shelf beside the light. The overhead was off, the blankets disgruntled (if blankets could have emotions, this would be theirs), and it was clear that she'd been trying to do much the same as he'd been up until a few minutes ago. With approximately as much success.

"Everything okay?" She asked, brow furrowed with concern.

She didn't get up, but scooted over, obviously making room for him to sit if he wanted to. She did her best not to go digging into his feelings right there, asking instead, but it was impossible to miss the discomfort and feeling of being at odds with himself.

"Hey what's up?"

[member="Alden Belmont"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Harper Kade"]

He flopped down next to her.

The only thing that felt right in that moment as far as Alden was concerned. "Yeah. No, maybe? Ugh." This wasn't really like him- Harper knew him, knew that once he felt something, he simply acted on it. That was how it had gone in the past. Their first kiss that was followed up by her punching him. Then another kiss. Then they were boyfriend and girlfriend.

Now Alden was fidgeting mentally.

"I am as fine as it gets, Harp, just- that hug? It made me feel better and then when you left, I didn't feel as good anymore?" A shrug as he glanced over to her, his neck reddening just a bit again.

"Should I go?"

 

[Mariel Dawnrider]

She'd shifted, pulling her legs up and sitting cross legged, leaning her back against the wall. The bunk shook when he flopped down on it. Nothing on this ship was exactly sturdy and as it was these weren't really made for two people to begin with. Still, it wasn't like it was going to break off of the wall or anything, it wasn't that bad.

"You don't have to, no," she said quietly, looking over at him. The expression on her face was serious, one shade off of grim.

Harper sighed, tipping her head back against the wall.

"I get it. It felt nice. I just...."

She trailed off, then shook her head. That was Harper. Always thinking about things, mulling them out before saying anything. Didn't mean she wasn't impulsive sometimes, just that when she had something on her mind, she liked to work it over before putting it out into the galaxy.

"Come here," she said, holding her arm out.

[member="Alden Belmont"]