#candy fluff

That was the moment when they began talking about it being instinctive to the Nightbrother, something that he could not help.

But that still meant that Maul had difficulty hunting with the other two as they had difficulty finding him.

Maul did not think it was a particular problem, if he was unable to hunt with them then he was simply not able to hunt with them…

But then it spread past the circle of Zabraks to the Togruta…and then the Pau’ans. And before Maul quite knew what was happening it was apparently something that most of the carnivorous Jedi were discussing.

“Why?” Maul had asked, Agen blinking, looking up to him as he finally blurted the question that had been on his mind this entire time. “Why does it matter that I can hunt with you?”

“Because you are a Zabrak,” Agen had answered, “you are a pack hunter, and you deserve to be able to hunt with your pack.”

Maul had not known what to say, staring at Agen as he realized the implication and… “Thank you.”

Agen had cuffed him lightly, laughing, and Maul had not been able to curb the warmth in his hearts. It was such a strange thing being included.

It was such…a gift. He didn’t even think they knew half the time, but Maul was…thankful.

And then Shaak Ti had finally come up with an idea.

“Why don’t you teach a younger carnivore?” Shaak had asked.

Maul had stared at her.

“And whom precisely do you wish to bring into my circle of influence?” he had asked. “Who precisely do you think would benefit from my tutelage?”

“Ahsoka,” she had said, a brow rising, her arms crossed before her in obvious challenge. “She’s familiar with you, and while a Togruta and a Zabrak don’t hunt in the exact same ways, she could benefit with an understanding of how another carnivore does it. Learning how to ambush instead of pacing after them might actually be good for her and give her more patience so she stops running off after any other prey that catches her eye.”

“Ah, gets bored easily, does she?” Maul had asked.

“Unbelievably,” Shaak had smiled at him, “she likes spending time with you as well, so it would be good for you both, I think. I do know that Zabrak pick and choose between stalk and ambush…but if you wouldn’t mind…?”

Maul had agreed.

And now here he was, up in a tree, shoes off and claws idly digging into the bark, as Ahsoka rambled next to him.

Maul had nearly given up on catching anything, content to idly lounge along the largest tree branch, his chin propped up by his fist as he lay there, periodically digging his toes into the tree deeper, and then releasing, idly humming as he listened to her ramble on…and on…and on…

“Do you always wait like this? It seems really boring! I can’t imagine having to wait up in a tree all day for something to come underneath you so you can pounce on them. How come they don’t ever see you? What kind of tree is this? Do you have a favorite tree? Is thisyour favorite tree? Do you like gardening? I know you grew that flower, that was really pretty, is it going to bloom soon? What kind of flowers do you like the most? I like orchids, they’re really pretty! They look like faces, have you seen? What’s your favorite color?”

Maul watched her in idle fascination, watching as she kicked her feet above her, her chin perched on her fisted hands, her gaze on the grass below, even as she rested against the tree branch, her questions wandering in whatever direction. The fact that she had never once paused for breath or to let him answer led him to decide that it was not so much asking questions for sake of an answer but asking questions for something to do.

Maul was content to let her. At least until she complained about being hungry…

Maul shifted in the tree, rolling onto his back and crossing one leg over the other, idly crossing his arms beneath his head – careful of his horns – and continued humming, his eyes closed as he just let her question, content to wait. He let his foot bob gently, uncaring about…anything, and still so utterly unused to the feeling.

While a part of Maul was still content to let her question, did not care whether or not this hunting trip was actually successful… There was no doubt that a part of him was restless. Maul was not used to the fact that if this was not successful he would still be able to eat. He was not used to the fact that if he did not bring something back he would not be punished, that…

Maul could just lie here in this tree and he would not be hurt. Nothing would happen.

All was…

“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasp!”

Maul nearly fell out of the tree.

Maul’s attention shot to Ahsoka, feeling for anything that could have happened, anything…scrambling to straighten into an upright position, looking her over, and…

“What is it, what is wrong?”

“You have toe-beans!”

Maul froze.

Blinked.

“…What?”

Ahsoka grabbed hold of the trunk of the tree, scrambling her way over to his branch, Maul shifting to sit with his legs crossed on the wide surface, frowning down at her as she used clawed fingers and toes to scramble over, and then sat before him, pointing to his…feet?

“You have toe-beans!” she said again, “I didn’t notice, you’re always wearing your boots, but…but…can I see?”

Maul hesitated for a moment and then slowly, carefully extended a foot towards her, watching as she pressed against the…the…

“My…pads?” Maul asked softly, watching in utter confusion as she pressed her finger against the ball of his foot.

“They’re so cute!”

Maul stared at her, stared at his foot as she kept…pressing against the… Maul pulled his foot back.

That was starting to feel strange…

Ahsoka pouted at him.

“Aw, but they’re cute! I didn’t know you had toe-beans! Do all Zabrak have toe-beans? I’ve never noticed on Nikki! Maybe I should ask her if I can see. They let you move reaaaaally quiet, right?? That’s so cool, I wish I had toe-beans…” she pouted, showing him her own toes without…any padding.

“They are not just on my toes?”

“They aren’t!” she agreed, “they’re on the…can I see?”

Maul hesitated before once again putting his foot out towards her, letting her take in the way the padding covered the toes as well as the balls of his feet and the instep, down to the heel.

“Wow,” she said, “you have a lot of padding! You must walk so quiet! Why do you wear shoes?”

“It is…” Maul hesitated, somewhere between talking about how he was not an animal that needed to creep, and he was…he was… “I believe it is the same reason other Zabrak wear shoes, it is to be polite.”

“I see! So, you don’t scare anyone, huh?” Ahsoka asked, nodding hugely. Seemingly unable to help herself, Ahsoka once again reached out, her finger pressing into the center of the ball of his foot, his toes instinctively curling over at the strange sensation of it, trapping her finger. She giggled at him, pulling back. “Are you ticklish?” she asked.

“What…what is ticklish?”

Ahsoka’s eyes widened, “you don’t know what ticklish is? Have you never been tickled?”

“What is…tickled?” Maul asked, and he felt very much like he was not going to enjoy this answer.

“Here,” she said, indicating that he give her his foot once again. Maul hesitated, and then slowly extended it. Ahsoka took it and very carefully, with the very tips of her little claws…ran her hand up from the heel all the way…

Maul scrunched his foot away, pulling as far back as possible, feeling the tingling electric sensation rushing through him and deciding he very much DID NOT like that at all.

Ahsoka found this hilarious.

Ahsoka laughed, clapping her hands together and nearly falling out of the tree. Maul instinctively righted her with the Force, frowning at her as she finally got her giggles out, wiping her eyes, before pointing at him, “you are ticklish!”

“I do not like this,” Maul said, “please do not do it again.”

“Okay,” Ahsoka smiled, “I will not tickle you.” She took a deep breath and sighed it out, smiling at him again. “Thank you for showing me your toe-beans, Maul, they are very cute!”

“I do not understand,” Maul said with a sigh, “but you are welcome.”

Ahsoka took a breath and stood, stretching herself out carefully, Maul watching her as she stretched, making sure she was not close to teetering.

“I am happy that I met you, Maul,” she said, “you’re my best friend.”

Maul blinked.

Maul blinked again.

“You know…” she said, frowning at him. “I was thinking…” She frowned up at him, “You’re old.”

“Thank you.”

“Silly!!!!” she called out, waving at him, “I mean you’re older than me, you’re not as old as Eeth, Eeth is old.”

“Eeth is old,” Maul agreed with a nod.

“But you’re older than me, and…” she frowned, “you take care of me, and teach me things, and go hunting with me, and…” her frown grew bigger, her eyes staring at him with a focused intensity. “I know you’re not a Togruta. You’re a Zabrak and we are different. But…Marcus has an older brother. And he comes and visits from his older classes sometimes, and he’s…nice, and he’s kind, and he reminds me of you and…” she hesitated, and then looked away. Maul frowned.

“What is it?” Maul asked softly.

“I just…” she paused, “willyoubemyolderbrother?”

Maul blinked.

Maul blinked again.

“Repeat that?”

“I saiiiiid!” she took a deep breath, and then finally, “will you be my older brother?”

Maul felt something in his chest hitch. “You…want me to be your older brother?”

“Yeah!” Ahsoka said, “so I can be your little sister!”

Maul stared at her for a moment, something so… “You want to be my little sister, Ahsoka?”

“Yeah,” she said, “I really, really want it.”

Maul hesitated, “but you’re…a Jedi…you’re not meant attachments.”

“I would still have to let go,” Ahsoka agreed, “just like Marcus has to let go of his older brother…but I think I could still do that. You’d still be my big brother and that won’t matter! At least until I get taller than you, then you’ll be my little brother! But…you’ll still be older.”

Maul blinked, and then decided that it didn’t matter in the grand scheme of… “Are you sure, Ahsoka?” Maul asked, “do you really…would you really want that?”

“YES!” Ahsoka called out, spreading her arms wide, “I really really want you as my older brother! So much!!!!”

“Then maybe it’s best if I don’t then since…”

“Noooooooo!” Ahsoka took his hand in hers, staring at him, “even if you don’t say that you are you’re going to be to me! You’re my older brother, and I want you to be, even if you think I shouldn’t! I know what attachments are and why I shouldn’t have them, but I can still be friends with you, I can still choose a brother! You already treat me like your little sister all the time. I just wanted you to say it…”

Maul hesitated for a moment, taking in the way her head hung, and finally, quietly, “Okay,” he said softly, “okay, Ahsoka,” he said, “you can be my little sister.”

“YAAAAY!” Ahsoka cried and leapt, catching him in a massive hug, Maul instinctively dropping his horns to her montrals, feeling the pressure for a moment, letting himself hold her and feeling…

There was a familiar snap inside of his mind as something…clicked…into place…

Maul blinked.

“Oh no.”

“What was that?” Ahsoka asked, her eyes wide, “what was…was that…is that you? Are you in my mind?”

Maul leapt from the tree and ran, carrying Ahsoka the entire time.

“IS THAT A SIBLING BOND?” Ahsoka cried, Maul ran faster.

When he finally stood before Shaak Ti, holding out Ahsoka towards her, feeling the utter devastation of… “I didn’t mean to,” he said, still holding her out, even as Ahsoka was crying out in glee, laughing aloud as she clapped her hands together.

“Shaak Ti, Shaak Ti! Maul made a bond with me! He’s my older brother now!”

Shaak blinked at Ahsoka, and then looked at Maul, and with a loud sigh and a roll of the eyes that could only be described as…fond…laced her fingers between his horns and gave him a very fond little shake.

“Zabraks.”

Maul felt something in his chest unhitch, “You’re…not mad?”

“No,” Shaak said, and there was a soft smile, “I’m a Jedi and we don’t get mad.” She winked at him, even as Maul found himself frowning. “But more importantly…no, I don’t think this is a bad thing. Ahsoka is right, she can let go if she needs to. She will learn. And you aren’t the first that this has happened to. It’s never a bad thing, Maul. You’re alright. She’s alright, too. You don’t have to worry.”

Maul took that in for a very long moment, and then finally, slowly nodded, lowering Ahsoka down to stand before them. “Thank you,” he said finally.

“Step at a time, young Nightbrother,” Shaak smiled, “step at a time. We’ll figure it out.”