Private Though Some Call It Magic

[Inanna Harth]

“Not a thing,” she whispered in his ear. “Costume’s hidden. What’s left of it, anyway.”

She carefully and diligently looked over the rest of his wounds, until he apologized. “I keep thinking I should’ve done better,” she said. “Protected you from him. But he barely paid me any mind. It was like he was out to kill you specifically.” It wasn’t hard to guess why. Moonlighter was more established as a vigilante than she was, so it was only natural that he would have enemies with a vendetta. “He said he hoped you would be useful to him…”

"If there was any brain damage we probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference anyway."

A flicker of a smile indicated that her initial panic and uncertainty was starting to fade. “Maybe getting knocked around will just make you smarter. Like rearranging your brain.”

She’d actually forgotten about her impaled shoulder. Giving it an experimental shrug, she winced. “Still a little sore, but you know that I heal pretty quickly.” He had watched, perhaps with some amount of envy, as she recovered from her injuries faster than he did. Well, one of them was able to get up and make breakfast after every night spent beating up bad guys, so that was a plus. “Besides, I wasn’t as messed up as you were…” Trailing off, she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face to his bruised neck. “I can’t lose you yet, Cato. Not when we’ve gotten this far. I want to marry you someday, and have your baby, and see you grow old. If anything stops that from happening, I sure as hell don’t want it to be stupid ass Narsh.”

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato became a bit more relieved when Inanna answered his question anyway. The costume was hidden away, leaving the doctors without any knowledge of his evening exploits. His injuries were extensive, but here on Nar Shaddaa, the idea of a man being brutally beaten and robbed down to the very clothes on his back was, depressingly, not that far-fetched, "Comes with the reputation I guess," He mused on his supposed usefulness, "Dathan seemed to see our goals as equal. He wants peace, but, only if it ends with him at the top. And call me skeptical; But I don't think that would've been the peace he claimed." Dathan Carnage was with authorities now. Authorities who probably worked for the same crime lords he was seeking to undermine. Unless the masked man had something particularly fancy up his sleeve, he was unlikely to have a good time under their care.

Granted, Dathan Carnage seemed to have many a fancy thing up his sleeve.

"That would be a treat," Cato chuckled, "Don't feel any smarter though." He turned the focus onto Inanna, and thankfully she was doing better than him. As was often the case. It at least took some of the worries off his mind, since they started working together. Knowing that chances are, she would be doing much better by the end of any of their encounters than him.

“I can’t lose you yet, Cato. Not when we’ve gotten this far. I want to marry you someday, and have your baby, and see you grow old. If anything stops that from happening, I sure as hell don’t want it to be stupid ass Narsh.”

Cato hugged her back, stuck in silence for a few long moments as he processed what she said. Marriage, babies, growing old. He blinked, "…You do?"

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

“All he succeeded in doing was destroying two of your lightsabers,” she muttered. But talk of Dathan Carnage soon faded away.

“Yes,” she answered. “I do.” No takebacks or jokes or ironic asides; she spoke with tender sincerity, raising her head to look him in the eye. It took some amount of courage on her part to admit that she wanted to build a life with him. Saying it felt perilous. Like she was dooming him, as if being with her was a curse. She wasn’t asking yet, she was just saying she wanted it someday—as if that made any difference. But it was true. She loved him.

Mindful of all the cuts and bruises on his face, she leaned forward and gently pressed her lips to his. “You taste like a bacta tank.”

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato did cringe at hearing two of his sabers had been destroyed. He put a lot of time and effort into his weapons, so knowing they were gone did hurt his inner craftsman. Still, as far as things to lose go, it couldn't been worse.

“Yes,” she answered. “I do.”

Cato blinked, slow to process the ramifications of what Inanna said. She really meant it. A smile gradually spread across his face, almost confused, but certainly not unhappy. A barely audible huh slipped from his mouth. Cato hadn't ever really consider the possibility that he might actually settle down one day. It never seemed to be in the cards for him, or even his style for that matter. Perhaps something about these Nar Shaddaa years deep down had him wishing for something more quiet. More stable. And something about Inanna made him see a woman he could love, truly and wholly, for the rest of his days. The knight's heart fluttered at the revelation.

Inanna leaned in for a kiss, which he gladly accepted, before chuckling at her reaction, "Wonder why." Cato nuzzled his cheek next to hers, "Might have to get used to it. This stuff likes to cling for weeks."

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

“Your heart’s beating faster,” Inanna said with a smile. “I hope that’s a good sign.”

"Might have to get used to it. This stuff likes to cling for weeks."

“Oh, I know.” She’d had her fair share of dealings with bacta before she acquired the healing Star. Easing him onto his back upon the bed, she kissed his bare chest. “I can think of a few ways to acclimate myself to it,” she muttered between kisses. “But all of them are things you probably shouldn’t do in a hospital…”

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato blinked again, not realizing he hadn't given a straight answer, "Y-yeah," He quickly rectified with an awkward chuckle.

Inanna eased him back onto the bed and gave him a few tantalizing kisses across his chest. Cato stiffened, and grinned stupidly, "Welll yknow, I'm suddenly feeling a lot better. Maybe we can just uh, check out of the hospital?"

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

“Oh, but shouldn’t you have one last examination before you leave?” Inanna asked in what might be described as a suggestive plea. Her warm hand slid down the length of his torso, finding uses for the viscous bacta other than its intended purpose. At least, until she froze in alarm upon seeing her black-stained palm. “What the—oh. That’s… my lipstick?”

She looked up at him with wide eyes and mouth agape, then started to laugh. A genuine, uncontrollable laugh that had her bowed forward and shaking with relieved glee. “I thought… oh jeez…” she gasped out between giggles. “They weren’t kidding when they said the formula was long lasting!”

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

It seemed Inanna was intent on Cato having one final exam before they left. Not that he could really complain; He was still weak and tired, and her bedside manner was more than accommodating. He let himself ease back and relax, until her sudden "What the—" made him glance down. And upon seeing it himself, Cato nearly had a heart attack. Was it broken?! He jumped in a startle, accidentally hurting his ribs in the process, which made him flop back down. A strained yelp escaped his lips, from the shock of the pain and the sight alike.

But just as quickly, Inanna had fallen into a laughing fit. The lipstick. Right. "Ow," Cato groaned, trying not to laugh himself, lest he get more hurt. "Very funny," He sighed, "Now— Can we finish so we can get out of here?" They were in too deep to just pack up this instant…

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

“Ooh, don’t hurt yourself.” She hooked her not-slimy hand under his knee, a bit of a grin still lingering as she pressed her lips to his thigh. “All right, all right. Just promise me that you’ll rest when we get home, okay?” She didn’t think he was insane enough to try crime fighting when he was this badly injured, but then he was Cato fething Harth. He could handle head trauma because he was hard-headed.

“And don’t worry,” she purred, lowering her head. “I’m not wearing any lipstick now…”

Cato Harth​