Symphonia: Ad Asterim
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Star Wars (All) › General
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Adult +
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Category:
Star Wars (All) › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
11
Views:
1,799
Reviews:
0
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own the Star Wars movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter Nine: Saturday in the Park
Chapter Nine: Saturday in the Park
(Song title by Chicago)
After a brief debate, they decided that while Kayla would take the transport to her apartment, while Obi-Wan would remain on it as far as the Jedi Temple. "This way, I can grab some things and let Master Jinn know not to expect me back tonight or tomorrow," he explained.
"Sounds like a good plan to me. Any ideas what you might want to do tomorrow?" She asked, gazing out the window as the lights of Coruscant passed by; the City never truly slept.
His voice purred in her mind. //Oh, I have plenty of ideas…//
She felt herself blush and stifled a giggle. //I'm sure you do. I meant besides that, silly.// "Have you been to Arcadia yet?"
"Arcadia? Oh, that's the new terra-formed park over in Sector J, isn't it?" //Well, I suppose we could do something else…if you really wanted to…// his thoughts trailed off with a teasing caress.
//We'll see// She thought back at him with a grin. "Yes, that's it. I've heard it's huge; it's supposed to be more than twenty square kilometers. And it's here on the Upper Levels, too." She screwed up her face. "I can't stand being more than five levels down. It wasn't this bad before I spent five years living on a mountaintop, but ever since I came back to Coruscant, I get terribly claustrophobic if I can't see the sun or moons."
"I was wondering how you ever managed to get an Upper Level apartment. They're not easy to come by."
"No, and they're not cheap, either. That was the only time I used any influence I might have had as the Hero of the Republic when I came back," she laughed. "I begged for a place to live where I could see the sky."
"You can see the sky from the Temple," he replied.
She nodded. "Yes, but you have to be willing to share your home with a few thousand others. I wanted a little more privacy than that. The Council thought it odd, but had no real objections to it as long as I maintained an office on Temple grounds. The apartment belongs to the Order, of course, not to me."
The transport slowed as it reached the terminal, and she stood to depart. "I'll see you soon, then?"
He nodded. //As fast as I can possibly manage it.//
The transport doors opened and she stepped off into the night. //I'll be waiting.// She sent a kiss through the bond, brushing it gently across his lips. As the transport continued on into the darkness, Obi-Wan Kenobi closed his eyes and smiled.
***
Try as she might, Kayla couldn't keep herself from dozing off as she sat on the couch waiting for his return. She pulled a blanket over herself and folded her legs beneath her, and before she realized, she was sleeping. A knock at the front door woke her from dreams of falling snow and winter winds howling down from the mountaintops.
//Kayla? It's me.//
//Coming…I must have fallen asleep.// She yawned and stood, pulling the blanket around her shoulders to ward off a chill, and walked over to open the door.
"I'm sorry I took so long," he said as he leaned down to kiss her. "I missed the transport by less than a minute, and had to wait for the next one to come along." He noticed the blanket wrapped around her. "Are you cold?"
She nodded, shivering.
Obi-Wan pulled her close. "Perhaps I can help with that," he murmured as he kissed her again. //I think you'll be much warmer in bed, love.// She held him close, and he could feel her shaking. //You're like ice! Do you feel sick?//
//I'm fine. Just some very cold dreams, and I think I kicked the blanket off while I was sleeping. But I'll definitely take you up on your offer to warm me up.//
She felt laughter rumbling in his chest as she lay her hand against it. //I'd have been very disappointed if you'd said no// His tongue parted her lips as he deepened the kiss. //But let's avoid the whole falling-down-on-the-floor thing this time, alright?// His teasing chuckle caressed her thoughts as he picked her up into his arms and carried her into the bedroom.
***
Kayla woke with the dawn, golden and rose light filling the room from the skylight above and filtering through the window curtains. Obi-Wan was curled around her from behind, one arm around her waist clutching her to him. The heat from his body warmed her, and she snuggled closer to him, pulling the covers up around them both.
He stirred in his sleep and drew her closer. She rolled over to face him, and he blinked awake. "What time is it?" he asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes.
"It's still early. I was just laying here thinking."
He yawned and reached for her, kissing her drowsily. "What about?"
"Nothing important. I remembered that the public transport doesn't go to Arcadia, so we'll have to go by airspeeder…if you want to go, that is." She ran a hand through her hair, wincing as it caught in tangles. "I've got one, so that's not a problem." She noticed his grimace. "What's wrong?"
"I hate flying," he groaned.
Kayla laughed. "It's not like we're going to Kashyyk, love. It's only a short trip in a 'speeder."
"I know, I know." He pulled the covers up over his head.
"Oh, come on. I'm not a bad pilot, you know. I haven't killed any passengers…yet." She teased. He glared at her, peering from beneath the covers and then sat up with a scowl; she laughed again and reached for him, pulling him back down to the bed. "I'll make it worth your while…" she whispered, tracing a finger down the length of his spine.
He pretended to consider for a moment, and then sighed, "Oh, all right then. If you insist."
She gently pulled him on top of her and leaned up to kiss him. //I thought you might see it that way//
Several Hours Later…
"Was that so bad?" Kayla asked as she clambered out of the pilot's seat of the parked airspeeder.
Obi-Wan groaned and stretched before disembarking. "No, it wasn't. It was about as pleasant as flying ever gets." He still wore an expression of distaste as she walked to his side and put a hand on his shoulder.
//I didn't realize you hated it that much, love// She looked at him, concerned.
"What? Oh, it’s all right. I'll get over it, don't worry." He smiled a crooked grin at her. //Really, it's all right. Besides, you promised to make it worth my while, didn't you?//
Kayla laughed aloud. //You're incorrigible.// "Come on, Kenobi. Are you going to the park with me, or are you just going to stand there?" She pushed his shoulder playfully and walked towards the gate.
***
They lay in the middle of a vast meadow of tall, swaying grasses, watching the clouds pass overhead. Kayla pillowed her head on his chest, resting securely in the circle of his arms. There was no sound but the rushing of the wind and their breathing.
"This place is amazing," he whispered. "You can almost forget you're on Coruscant."
She nodded. "It's even better than I'd heard. I'm glad we came here." She leaned her neck from side to side, feeling the popping of vertebrae and stretching of over-tight muscles. "I think this is the most relaxed I've been in months." Obi-Wan reached one hand up to the back of her neck and kneaded a knot in the muscles there. //Oh gods, that feels good…Ow!// She sat up abruptly.
"Sorry, love. You're got a huge knot there. I'm thinking you need more afternoons like this to get rid of it," he whispered, leaning up to kiss the back of her head.
She whirled to face him. "Don't. Don't do that, not even here. We have no way of knowing who may be watching this place." All of the color drained from her face, and she trembled. //I mean it, love. Do you really want to be hauled before the Council and made to choose between us and them?//
He blanched and shook his head. "I-I didn't think…" //Damn it. I'm sorry…// He pushed away from her and sat up, crossing his legs beneath him.
"I know. I'm sorry I snapped at you like that." She threw her head back and looked up into the late morning sky. There were no ships or 'speeders passing by; the park had seen to it that the lanes were redirected around it before it opened to the public. There were no observation towers or even trees nearby. "It should be safe. But damn it, Obi, we need to be more careful. And I mean both of us," she said, breathing a sigh of relief that they appeared to have gone unnoticed.
He nodded. //It's not going to be easy//
//I agree. But the consequences are…unthinkable.//
The moment was interrupted by a scream coming from the direction of the forest, a quarter-kilometer away. Their eyes met, and they sprang into action as one.
(Song title by Chicago)
After a brief debate, they decided that while Kayla would take the transport to her apartment, while Obi-Wan would remain on it as far as the Jedi Temple. "This way, I can grab some things and let Master Jinn know not to expect me back tonight or tomorrow," he explained.
"Sounds like a good plan to me. Any ideas what you might want to do tomorrow?" She asked, gazing out the window as the lights of Coruscant passed by; the City never truly slept.
His voice purred in her mind. //Oh, I have plenty of ideas…//
She felt herself blush and stifled a giggle. //I'm sure you do. I meant besides that, silly.// "Have you been to Arcadia yet?"
"Arcadia? Oh, that's the new terra-formed park over in Sector J, isn't it?" //Well, I suppose we could do something else…if you really wanted to…// his thoughts trailed off with a teasing caress.
//We'll see// She thought back at him with a grin. "Yes, that's it. I've heard it's huge; it's supposed to be more than twenty square kilometers. And it's here on the Upper Levels, too." She screwed up her face. "I can't stand being more than five levels down. It wasn't this bad before I spent five years living on a mountaintop, but ever since I came back to Coruscant, I get terribly claustrophobic if I can't see the sun or moons."
"I was wondering how you ever managed to get an Upper Level apartment. They're not easy to come by."
"No, and they're not cheap, either. That was the only time I used any influence I might have had as the Hero of the Republic when I came back," she laughed. "I begged for a place to live where I could see the sky."
"You can see the sky from the Temple," he replied.
She nodded. "Yes, but you have to be willing to share your home with a few thousand others. I wanted a little more privacy than that. The Council thought it odd, but had no real objections to it as long as I maintained an office on Temple grounds. The apartment belongs to the Order, of course, not to me."
The transport slowed as it reached the terminal, and she stood to depart. "I'll see you soon, then?"
He nodded. //As fast as I can possibly manage it.//
The transport doors opened and she stepped off into the night. //I'll be waiting.// She sent a kiss through the bond, brushing it gently across his lips. As the transport continued on into the darkness, Obi-Wan Kenobi closed his eyes and smiled.
***
Try as she might, Kayla couldn't keep herself from dozing off as she sat on the couch waiting for his return. She pulled a blanket over herself and folded her legs beneath her, and before she realized, she was sleeping. A knock at the front door woke her from dreams of falling snow and winter winds howling down from the mountaintops.
//Kayla? It's me.//
//Coming…I must have fallen asleep.// She yawned and stood, pulling the blanket around her shoulders to ward off a chill, and walked over to open the door.
"I'm sorry I took so long," he said as he leaned down to kiss her. "I missed the transport by less than a minute, and had to wait for the next one to come along." He noticed the blanket wrapped around her. "Are you cold?"
She nodded, shivering.
Obi-Wan pulled her close. "Perhaps I can help with that," he murmured as he kissed her again. //I think you'll be much warmer in bed, love.// She held him close, and he could feel her shaking. //You're like ice! Do you feel sick?//
//I'm fine. Just some very cold dreams, and I think I kicked the blanket off while I was sleeping. But I'll definitely take you up on your offer to warm me up.//
She felt laughter rumbling in his chest as she lay her hand against it. //I'd have been very disappointed if you'd said no// His tongue parted her lips as he deepened the kiss. //But let's avoid the whole falling-down-on-the-floor thing this time, alright?// His teasing chuckle caressed her thoughts as he picked her up into his arms and carried her into the bedroom.
***
Kayla woke with the dawn, golden and rose light filling the room from the skylight above and filtering through the window curtains. Obi-Wan was curled around her from behind, one arm around her waist clutching her to him. The heat from his body warmed her, and she snuggled closer to him, pulling the covers up around them both.
He stirred in his sleep and drew her closer. She rolled over to face him, and he blinked awake. "What time is it?" he asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes.
"It's still early. I was just laying here thinking."
He yawned and reached for her, kissing her drowsily. "What about?"
"Nothing important. I remembered that the public transport doesn't go to Arcadia, so we'll have to go by airspeeder…if you want to go, that is." She ran a hand through her hair, wincing as it caught in tangles. "I've got one, so that's not a problem." She noticed his grimace. "What's wrong?"
"I hate flying," he groaned.
Kayla laughed. "It's not like we're going to Kashyyk, love. It's only a short trip in a 'speeder."
"I know, I know." He pulled the covers up over his head.
"Oh, come on. I'm not a bad pilot, you know. I haven't killed any passengers…yet." She teased. He glared at her, peering from beneath the covers and then sat up with a scowl; she laughed again and reached for him, pulling him back down to the bed. "I'll make it worth your while…" she whispered, tracing a finger down the length of his spine.
He pretended to consider for a moment, and then sighed, "Oh, all right then. If you insist."
She gently pulled him on top of her and leaned up to kiss him. //I thought you might see it that way//
Several Hours Later…
"Was that so bad?" Kayla asked as she clambered out of the pilot's seat of the parked airspeeder.
Obi-Wan groaned and stretched before disembarking. "No, it wasn't. It was about as pleasant as flying ever gets." He still wore an expression of distaste as she walked to his side and put a hand on his shoulder.
//I didn't realize you hated it that much, love// She looked at him, concerned.
"What? Oh, it’s all right. I'll get over it, don't worry." He smiled a crooked grin at her. //Really, it's all right. Besides, you promised to make it worth my while, didn't you?//
Kayla laughed aloud. //You're incorrigible.// "Come on, Kenobi. Are you going to the park with me, or are you just going to stand there?" She pushed his shoulder playfully and walked towards the gate.
***
They lay in the middle of a vast meadow of tall, swaying grasses, watching the clouds pass overhead. Kayla pillowed her head on his chest, resting securely in the circle of his arms. There was no sound but the rushing of the wind and their breathing.
"This place is amazing," he whispered. "You can almost forget you're on Coruscant."
She nodded. "It's even better than I'd heard. I'm glad we came here." She leaned her neck from side to side, feeling the popping of vertebrae and stretching of over-tight muscles. "I think this is the most relaxed I've been in months." Obi-Wan reached one hand up to the back of her neck and kneaded a knot in the muscles there. //Oh gods, that feels good…Ow!// She sat up abruptly.
"Sorry, love. You're got a huge knot there. I'm thinking you need more afternoons like this to get rid of it," he whispered, leaning up to kiss the back of her head.
She whirled to face him. "Don't. Don't do that, not even here. We have no way of knowing who may be watching this place." All of the color drained from her face, and she trembled. //I mean it, love. Do you really want to be hauled before the Council and made to choose between us and them?//
He blanched and shook his head. "I-I didn't think…" //Damn it. I'm sorry…// He pushed away from her and sat up, crossing his legs beneath him.
"I know. I'm sorry I snapped at you like that." She threw her head back and looked up into the late morning sky. There were no ships or 'speeders passing by; the park had seen to it that the lanes were redirected around it before it opened to the public. There were no observation towers or even trees nearby. "It should be safe. But damn it, Obi, we need to be more careful. And I mean both of us," she said, breathing a sigh of relief that they appeared to have gone unnoticed.
He nodded. //It's not going to be easy//
//I agree. But the consequences are…unthinkable.//
The moment was interrupted by a scream coming from the direction of the forest, a quarter-kilometer away. Their eyes met, and they sprang into action as one.