Private The Life we choose

[Valery Noble]

Outfit: Wedding Ring

The air on Niv Hani was cool as evening came, but still carried the warmth of the sun that had hung overhead all day. From the upper balcony of the Noble homestead, the sounds of laughter rose up from below. Vera's voice rang out as she darted across the grass with the triplets close behind her, their game a blur of energy and joy.

Valery sat curled on one end of the outdoor sofa, wrapped in a light nightgown that shifted gently with the breeze. Her knees were drawn up close, arms wrapped loosely around them, and her gaze never left the children below. A soft smile played on her lips, her eyes full of love for all of them. She watched Vera for a long moment, the way her daughter moved so freely, so full of life. The triplets followed with determination, as they wanted to catch her. It was a perfect scene, the kind she had always fought for.

And yet, the smile slowly faded.

Valery's fingers flexed lightly against her arm, and her eyes dropped to the balcony floor. Whatever thought had crept in again, it stayed there. Unshaken by the peace of having her children around her.

She let out a quiet sigh that came from deep within.

Kahlil Noble ​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

There was a tap on Valery's shoulder. A mug of caf that Kahlil had for her, and a soft smile on his face. Today had just been a day of relaxing, but he wasn't unaware of what might be going through her mind. Not the specifics, but the fact that she wasn't quite alright was enough for him to sit beside her and just let her have his shoulder if he needed it.

"So, wanna talk about it or is just sitting here helpful?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit: Wedding Ring

Valery felt the touch on her shoulder and glanced up with a tired smile. The caf was warm in her hands, and Kahlil's presence, always steady, helped ease the tension in her chest. She turned the mug slowly in her fingers, reading the words printed along the side, then set it down on the table beside the couch without taking a sip just yet.

"Thank you," she said with a loving smile.

Rather than answer his question right away, she shifted. Carefully, she set herself across his lap and rested her head against his chest, one hand finding his as the other curled gently against the hem of his shirt. Her eyes closed for a moment as she focused on the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

"Can you just hold me first?" she asked, voice softer now. "Just for a little while."

Her fingers tightened slightly, not from distress, but to anchor herself. The thoughts hadn't gone away, not completely, but with him here, they didn't feel quite so heavy. Not when he held her like this.

Kahlil Noble ​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil smiled soft as ever as he nodded, idly wrapping an arm around Valery's shoulder to hold her closer. He understood well that sometimes comfort was all that was needed, not talking, not diving into whatever was going on. He sipped his own caf, his gaze now on their children as they played. They were getting so much bigger now, likely because of the Epicnathix within them.

Hopefully Valery wouldn't be too upset when they started to tower over her. He'd tease her about that eventually, just, not right now.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit: Wedding Ring

Valery settled more into him, letting the rhythm of his breathing and the warmth of his arm around her pull her into something steady again. For a while, she didn't say anything. Just breathed, as she listened to the distant sounds of the kids playing and the low hum of the breeze over the balcony.

"I love you," she said after a moment, her voice soft.

She felt his hand shift slightly against her shoulder and smiled, then jabbed his side with two fingers and tilted her head enough to catch the reaction she knew would follow.

"I know what you're thinking," she murmured, "You're picturing the triplets towering over me already. You're not as subtle as you think, you know." Her smile lingered as she looked up at him, head still resting against his chest. The amusement faded only slightly.

"I've been thinking a lot lately," she said, her eyes meeting his. "About where we're going. The war's not over, and neither of us are walking away from it any time soon. But I keep wondering about our place in it."

She paused, fingers brushing lightly over the fabric of his shirt.

"You know, what our future looks like."

Kahlil Noble ​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"You caught me."

Kahlil chuckled softly, shaking his head. There were few in this galaxy who could read him that easily, so naturally his wife was at the top of that list. He kept his smile though, even as she spoke up about some of her worry. Some, not all of it, but enough for him to piece together what might be going through her mind.

"It's hard to say where our place is exactly, I just know mine is right by yours."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit: Wedding Ring

Valery's fingers stilled against his chest. For a moment, she just looked at him. There was emotion sitting just behind her eyes, soft and touching, and when she spoke again, her voice was barely more than a breath.

"You mean that? Always?"

Her gaze searched his face, not for doubt, but for reassurance she already knew she would find. The corners of her mouth twitched like she wanted to smile, but it faltered just slightly. She blinked, and the moisture in her eyes caught the light as she looked down.

"Even if…" she hesitated, her hand curling lightly into the fabric of his shirt, "I were to not be a Jedi anymore someday?" It wasn't said lightly. Not some passing thought or dramatic what-if. There was something behind what she was asking him.

"I've given everything I could to the Order. To the war. To all of it." She swallowed and looked back up at him, her voice steadier now, "But there's a part of me that's starting to wonder if it's still where I'm meant to be. If it's where the Force needs me to be."

Kahlil Noble ​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"You've spent both of your lives as a Jedi. A leader, no less, of both Orders of different times." He reached a hand up, holding her cheek as he brushed away the forming tear with a thumb. "I've always pushed for those of the Order to take time for themselves. To find something else, rather than make their lives be only about being Jedi. You, who've given the Order everything, I want you to be free to decide what you want to do. If that's to follow the Force, then, I will follow it with you. Always."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit: Wedding Ring

Valery closed her eyes at the touch of his hand, leaning into it as his thumb brushed the tear from her cheek. The way he spoke to her and offered his comfort made her whole body relax. So when she opened her eyes again, they were still misty, but her smile had returned, soft and full of something deeper than words could reach.

"I don't know what I did to deserve you," she murmured, and before he could respond, her arms wrapped around him, pulling him close in a tight embrace. She pressed herself to his chest, burying her face there for a moment, like that alone could hold her together.

"I love you so much," she whispered against him, voice muffled slightly. "That means more than I can explain." She stayed like that for a while, just breathing in the warmth of him, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. It grounded her.

Then, slowly, she pulled back just enough to look up at him again.

"I've been seeing things," she said. "Visions, I think. They come during meditations and dreams." Her fingers gently traced the seam of his sleeve, a subconscious motion as she tried to put it all into words. "I'm still fighting. Still doing everything I can to protect people. But it's different. I'm not holding the same title. But I feel the Force guiding me, just as clearly."

Her eyes lifted to meet his again.

"I just know that I can't walk a path away from the Jedi without having you by my side. I just... hate that my choice relies on you making the same choice. It's just not fair, is it?"

Kahlil Noble ​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Well, my wife only deserves the best."

He whispered in turn. A tease, gentle in it's delivery like a loving whisper. He traced his hand through her hair as she curled closer to him, comforting as best as he could. Whatever this was, it was a huge weight on her shoulders. A weight he was fully intending to share with her as she always had shared his own. He listened in silene for a moment.

"We don't have to stay in the Order, or as Sword and Shield or anything like that. I only properly joined to help you, after all. They're in a place as good as any to survive without us. Though, do you mean leaving the Order, or stopping being Jedi entirely?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit: Wedding Ring

Valery's eyes softened even more at his words, her arms tightening just slightly around him again. She didn't say anything for a moment, just leaned up to press a gentle kiss to his jaw before resting her forehead against his.

"You always know what to say," she whispered, her voice warmer now. He always had that effect on her. But when he asked that question, her brows pinched faintly, and she shook her head.

"No. I don't think I'll ever stop being a Jedi," she said quietly, her fingers brushing lightly against the side of his neck. "It's who I am. Who I've always been."

She pulled back just enough to look at him, her thumb grazing over the fabric of his shirt like she needed something to anchor her thoughts. "But I'm starting to think we don't need to carry the Order's weight on our backs to keep doing good. Maybe it's time we go out on our own for a while. Still Jedi. Still fighting where we're needed. Just… not having to divide ourselves between the cause and the politics and the pressure of leading."

Her hand slid down to take his in hers, fingers interlacing.

"There's still so much evil out there, love. I can feel it. It's everywhere. And if we're free to act without waiting for meetings or approvals, maybe we can do more."

She smiled then, small but full of purpose. "Together. Just you and me."

Kahlil Noble ​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I lived a lot of my life before you as a Jedi without an order. I did so because of the war against the Mandalorians of that time, where the Jedi decided to wage war against them instead of the Sith when the Mandalorians were alright with peace. The politics, I couldn't stand them. It was too much, when I could just focus elsewhere to help people."

He squeezed her hand gently, giving a faint smile as he did. For him, this was easy as could be. He trusted the current council to keep the Jedi safe, to keep the padawans and younglings safe.

"I am all for it, if that's what you want to do."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit: Wedding Ring

Valery's smile deepened as he spoke, and there was a warmth in her eyes that lingered long after the words settled between them. She leaned in, brushing her lips gently against his in a soft kiss that lingered just a second longer than needed, her fingers still laced with his.

When she pulled back, her voice was quiet, "Not yet," she said. "I'm not ready to take that step just now, but I think the time's coming. I'll know when it does." Her grip on his hand tightened ever so slightly, her fingers weaving more firmly between his.

"But it helps, knowing you're with me. That whatever I choose… we're in this together." Then, without warning, she reached over and gave his side a light poke, the corner of her mouth twitching up into a smirk.

"Force, I wish you were ticklish," she muttered with a dramatic pout, clearly teasing. "It's completely unfair that I can never get a reaction."

Kahlil Noble ​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"When you are ready, know I will be to." He leaned right over, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head as he did so. Warm and comforting as always, even as he felt the sharp poke trying to elicit the seemingly extinct laugh born from a tickle. He did laugh of course, though it was more a chuckle of amusement than what she was always hoping for.

He reached up, ruffling her hair some in revenge.

"Sorry, not sorry. It's the one card I have on you it seems."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit: Wedding Ring

Valery let out a mock gasp and swatted lightly at his hand as he ruffled her hair, though the laugh that followed made it clear she was far from upset.

"Hey— my hairrr," she whined in an exaggerated grumble, tilting her head to the side to try and fix it with her free hand while still pouting up at him. "Do you have any idea how long it took me to get it like this?"

Her smirk returned as she leaned back into him, arms slipping around his middle as she nestled closer. The sound of her soft sigh carried a weight she had been holding onto, and now all she felt was relief. For a moment she just stayed there, letting the comfort settle between them before her fingers traced lightly along his side.

"There's… one more thing I wanted to talk to you about," she said, lifting her head just enough to meet his eyes. It was fun to not tell him what it was yet.

Just to see his reaction.

Kahlil Noble ​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I'm pretty sure your hair follows your rules of just being naturally beautiful." Kahlil nodded once, practically smirking at just how smooth he felt saying that one. Even he had little moments of smugness after all. He did raise a brow slow though as she spoke up about something else. Leaving him in suspense, was it? He just smiled as he met her gaze.

"Whatever it is mustn't be that important, since you're not telling me right away."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit: Wedding Ring

Valery let out a soft huff and gave him a little squeeze around the middle, her brows lifting in mock offense. "Being smooth is not going to save you," she said, though the smirk that followed and the way her eyes softened as she looked at him made it clear there was no real sting in her words.

She held his gaze for a heartbeat longer, that familiar warmth behind her expression, before leaning in just enough for her voice to drop a little. "It is important," she admitted, "I just like teasing you a little first."

Her fingers traced lightly against his side again as she smiled up at him. "It's about Vera and Aris. They're going to be eighteen soon. I was thinking we should do something special for them." She paused, and the look in her eyes turned thoughtful, a touch wistful. "Our babies… growing up so fast."

Kahlil Noble ​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil blinked for a moment before his eyes seemed to sadden. Their children really were growing up so fast it felt like. They'd be off to make their own homes and families soon enough, wouldn't they? Kahlil was perhaps the one of the two who felt that the strongest, even compared to Valery. The triplets, Eryx and Yivaine, how much longer until they were nearing adulthood too?

"We'll have to be sure to throw them a good party then, huh?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit: Wedding Ring

"Do you think they'll still want balloons and blow out candles on their birthday cakes?" She snickered softly, but the little tears in her eyes made it clear she was going to miss doing all of those birthday preparations. There was nothing in the Galaxy she loved more than showing off her love for the kids, after all.

Now, two of them were reaching adulthood, and that meant that it wouldn't be long before they wouldn't ever need their parents anymore. How much longer would it be before the triplets were leaving the house?

Valery shook her head, choosing not to think about that.

"We'll give them the greatest party and let them invite all of their friends. I think they'd like that." She looked up at her husband with a smile and reached over to place her hand against his jaw. "Where did all the years go, huh? I still remember our little Vera shooting into the sky when she grabbed that kite at the Pasaana festival."

"Or Aris, looking at me with those big eyes after cutting up every vegetable and fruit in the house..." she sniffled and ran her thumb along his jawline.

"I don't know if I could ever not have little ones to smother with love..."

Kahlil Noble ​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Maybe. They're at an age not where they think they're too cool but where they appreciate things for the thought behind it." He was all softly smiling as ever, but feeling Valery's touch, hearing about just how young their children had once been, even he couldn't keep the stoic smile for long. He closed his eyes as he leaned into her palm, idly cupping her hand with his own.

"We still have little ones. But I don't think I could ever get used to them growing old enough to set out on their own."

Valery Noble