Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, and Korkie Kenobi engage in making a Christmas miracle happen: Creating 3 weeks worth of "meet cutes" for the overworked Obi-Wan Kenobi and stressed out Satine Kryze to spend time together before her annual Christmas party, in the hopes that the stubborn couple will crave some time away together and disappear to Plo Koon's vacation cabin in the mountains for a couple days.
Will they get their Christmas wish? Will Satine and Obi-Wan get theirs?
--
Read this pure, unadulterated holiday fluff on Ao3 here, and submit your dental bills for reimbursement here. <3
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I love your lawless AU. Perhaps a follow up where Obi-Wan deals with the consequences of his actions both with the council and his relationship with Satine?
- The Lawful, pt.2 -
Time didn't feel real anymore. Hours could have passed and she wouldn't have known the difference. Her entire sense of reality had been uprooted so violently that everything felt like a fever dream.
She takes another deep breath and raises a hand to her neck, running the tips of her fingers over the faint bruises that had formed. She hadn't yet looked at them; the fear of seeing just how battered she really was rendering her paralyzed.
The room had been shrouded in darkness when she woke up, and for a moment she was able to fool herself into believing she was home on Mandalore in her own chambers. But reality swept over her within seconds and everything inside of her ached.
Anakin Skywalker was standing in Obi-Wans quarters when she wandered out of the bedroom, solemn expression written on his face and for a moment she had feared the worst.
To her relief, he was only there to inform her of Obi-Wans whereabouts. That the council had summoned him not long after he had delivered Satine to his room, and Anakin had volunteered to stay with her in case she had woken up, much to her appreciation. She would have been panicked should she have woken up alone with no indication of where Obi-Wan could be.
He made her a cup of tea and assured her that Obi-Wan would be back soon, before telling her that he was going to fetch Padme, who would have a fresh set of clothes for her amongst other things. It did bring her some form of comfort, if anyone would understand her struggle, it would be the former Queen of Naboo.
"He should be back soon," Anakin tells her before slipping out the door, "I can't imagine them keeping him for much longer."
And then he was gone, leaving her alone in Obi-Wans quarters. Had the circumstances been any different she surely would have marveled in the opportunity to finally see where the great Negotiator resided; but they weren't, and she couldn't bring herself to care. Her thoughts were too consumed with her people and what Maul had stolen from her to drift off anywhere else.
Her hands begin to shake; the horrors of the past few days crashing over her in waves and once again and the only thing she could do was sink to her knees and let the tide roll in.
---------
Her breathing had just began to even out when she heard the door slide open and for a split second a chill runs through her, as if Maul had found her again and was here to finish the job.
But then a set of hands brush against her shoulders. When her eyes open, Obi-Wan is crouched in front of her, eyes just as tired as hers. Her skewed sense of time had prevented her from really knowing how long he had been gone.
"Satine."
Her name rolls off his tongue like a prayer whispered in the night; so broken yet hopeful all the same.
She looks to her hands. The shaking had subsided, but a numbness in her fingers had settled in. Was she falling apart physically just as much as she was mentally?
"I didn't know when you'd return." She says, voice quivering slightly.
She watches as his gaze falls from her eyes to her neck. The expression she wore said all she needed to know. They were as unsightly as she had imagined they'd be.
"Truthfully neither did I," he tells her, "The council was less than pleased with my direct disregard of their orders."
"Are you in trouble?"
He smooths his hands down to hers and squeezes them tightly between his own. There's a desperation in his eyes that shakes her to her core.
"I don't know." He answers truthfully, "They aren't happy with me, that's certain. I'll be reprimanded for my actions, but now that the republic has gotten involved with Mauls siege the council has other things to worry about. For now, that is."
She nods and looks down to their intertwined hands. Of all the fantasies she's had about them being able to touch one another in such ways, this was the worst scenario of all.
"They might question you." He tells her.
"The Republic?" She questions.
He sighs, "I suppose them too, but I'm referring to the council. They-" He stops abruptly.
"They what, Obi-Wan?"
"They very well may question you about the extent of our relationship," he finally answers, "They heavily questioned why I would disobey them to come to your aid. They believe that I wouldn't have gone if you didn't mean a significant amount to me."
So many things had been on her mind that she hadn't even thought about what the repercussion for him would be. Of course the council would needle away at the nature of their relationship. Attachments for forbidden for the Jedi, and she knew that despite his commitment to the code and to his people, they were inexplicably attached to one another.
"What did you tell them?" If they're going to question her, she wants to make sure their stories align.
A half hearted chuckle escapes him, "I insisted that we were nothing more than old friends and that Qui-Gon and I spent over a year making sure you survived a civil war, and that I could not in good conscious let that mission be for nothing. I told them I wouldn't dishonor Qui-Gon that way."
"Did they believe that?" She asks.
He raises her hands to his lips and presses a series of kisses to her knuckles. The feeling has finally began to return to her finger tips and she's almost positive that his presence has something to do with it.
Obi-Wan Kenobi, her shining Jedi knight, the embodiment of righteousness in a cruel and unforgiving galaxy. Everything in her life had came brutally crashing around her, but here he was. A sliver of hope emerging from the rubble and she knows that she owes him so much.
"I don't know," he says sadly, "I don't know much, as you can see. I can only hope they choose to believe it."
A prickling sensation forms in the back of her eyes and it takes her more than a second to realize that she's on the verge of tears. How the horrors of the galaxy had changed her within a matter of hours. She was no longer the long reigning Duchess of a Mandalore, a stoic leader with an iron clad wall up around her emotions. No, now she was simply Satine. A hollow shell of the person she knew, someone who doesn't have so much as a grip on her feelings. Everything she knew about herself had been burned to the ground.
A hand cups her cheeks, forcing her to look him in the eyes and she remembers that not everything about her has been shattered. That the way she felt about Obi-Wan was ever persistent in the face of a fractured life.
"I'm sorry if coming to my aid has jeopardized your good standing with the council." She tells him, leaning slightly into his palm.
"Don't to dare apologize," he tells her, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb, "I told you when we were fleeing the planet, it's my fault that Maul came after you. And even if it wasn't, I would still come. I will always come for you. Please don't ever doubt that."
The tears that had been threatening to make themselves known finally spill over and she realizes its the first time she's allowed herself to feel the full force of all her sorrow.
"I don't know what I'm going to do."
If she hadn't already been on her knees she's sure she would have collapsed in a heap on the floor.
"Sadly neither do I." He answers, "But you will be granted asylum here until Mandalore is free of Maul and his leeches. Your sister assured me that your planet and your people will survive as they always have."
The shaking comes back at the mention of her sister and she clenches her hands into tight fists to fight it off, but its no use. The shakiness would not subside no matter how much she willed it too.
"I won't let them do anything to you." He whispers, using the backs of his fingers to wipe away the dampness on her cheeks, "Despite what the council may say, you are welcome to stay with me as long as you like."
She lets out a breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding, "Okay."
He smiles at her, and suddenly she feels a warmth filling the hollowness inside of her and for the first time in what had felt like forever, things felt like they would one day be okay.
"I'm here as long as you'll have me, Satine." He tells her lovingly, "I am well aware that everything is spiraling around you, but I want you to know that no matter what happens, I'll be at your side."
He leans forward and presses a kiss against her forehead, and she knows he's telling the truth.
It had been going on ten minutes of her pacing back and forth in front of him, hands waving animatedly as she aired out her frustrations and he can’t help but think just how lethal her perfectly manicured nails could be should she ever choose to use them as a weapon.
“-the nerve of that man! And then to approach me after the summit and dare speak to me in such a manner. The audacity! It only made matters worse that his associates were thoroughly intoxicated. One even thought it appropriate to try and grab my hand as if I were some- are you even listening to me?”
He snorts, “Quite intently.”
She glares, likely due to his less than subtle sarcasm and it only amuses him more. Certainly it wasn’t the first time that he had to bare witness to her Mandalorian temper and most definitely wouldn’t be the last.
“Then why, pray tell, are you sitting there with that infuriating smile on your face? You of all people typically have something to say when a senator decides to get a little too handsy with me.”
Her hands are planted firmly on her hips, the silk material of her gown rippling with each step she took closer to him and he has to bite back a laugh.
“Please, you and I both know you are more than capable of dealing with anyone who wants to get more than appropriately close to you. Jealously is rather unbecoming of a Jedi and I know I have nothing to worry about,” he gestures broadly around the room, “Clearly. You still come here to my quarters even after numerous people try and woo you.”
Satine huffs, “That is beside the point Obi-Wan. You’re clearly more amused by my irritation than sympathetic.”
He stands, smoothing his tunic gently before taking a few steps towards in her direction.
“Oh I’m more than sympathetic to your distress, dear.”
If possible, the glare she had been sporting only intensifies at his words.
“Then why do you look so delighted by my telling of events?”
The dying light of the day only serves to highlight the pink tinge to her cheeks - a common look for her when she’s angry - and the fire burning behind her eyes and he can’t help what comes out of his mouth:
“You’re so beautiful when you’re angry.”
It’s fairly obvious from her reaction that she hadn’t expected him to say that.
“I’m-,” she stops herself for a moment, “I certainly hope you’re not being serious right now.”
This time he doesn’t bother hiding he laughter, “Would I ever lie about to you about such things? Come now Satine, you know me better than that.”
The eye roll that comes is not in the least bit unexpected, “That’s not what I’m referring to and yes, of course I know you better than that. I meant I’m surprised someone as revered as the great negotiator would resort to such cliches.”
“Are cliches all that bad if they’re true?”
She snorts, “Only when we’re far too old to be using them in such ways.”
Despite the annoyance she’s portraying, he can see the anger that had been coursing through her begin to evaporate away. She may not realize it all the time, but he does know how to help her calm down even when she’s unaware of it.
He takes her hand in his own and raises it to his lips, pressing a quick but loving kiss to her knuckles, “It’s entirely your fault then for being so captivating even in anger. Besides, I know that Senator and his associates wouldn’t have gotten very far had they tried any harder to make a pass at you. Force knows you hate being touched in such ways.”
She finally grants him a smile. Truly a victory in his book, normally she would have been ranting for at least another 20 minutes before calming down. He’s become quite adept at handling an angry Satine since they’ve had more time together.
“Consider yourself lucky I let you do so.” She says, nodding to their conjoined hands.
He grins and tugs her closer, taking the opportunity to slip his arm around her waist and settle his hand on her lower back.
“Oh I thank the stars everyday my dear.”
She bites her lower lip, “If you were the Senator I would have had my guards drag you away by now.”
Because he’s feeling bold - an affect she has on him - his hand dips down even lower and she laughs.
Braxton Hicks (false contractions) ... men tend to get very nervous and our dear Master Jedi cannot be the exception
It was a rarity that he was able to slip away from the temple for a singular day, let alone three. It was a blessing that he wouldn't take for granted. He would have to thank Anakin later for covering for him.
She was quickly approaching her 37th week, much to his disbelief. It had been almost two months since he had last seen her, though it had felt like years. The baby had grown so much within the time he was away. How something could mean so much to him before it's even born is a mystery to him.
He wakes to find her sitting on the edge of the bed, a hand pressed against her stomach the other gripping tightly at the sheets.
"Satine?"
When she doesn't answer he sits up and slides closer to her, placing a hand gently on her shoulder.
"What's wrong, dear?"
She takes a deep breath and exhales shakily. Even in the cover of darkness he can see that her eyes are shut tightly and her bottom lip is trapped between her teeth.
"Don't panic," she says, "But I think I'm having contractions."
The word has to go through his mind more times than he would like to admit before it truly hits him what's happening.
Contractions.
"But-" he pauses, "It's too early. You're not 40 weeks yet."
Even through the discomfort she was so clearly in, she manages to chuckles lightly at him, "They tend to come when they please, Obi-Wan."
"But-"
She cuts him off, "-I know you haven't gone through this before but I can assure you that when they want to come out, they want to come out. You saying 'but' is not going to prevent this baby from being born."
Baby.
"Fetch the midwife, would you?" She instructs.
He didn't need to be told twice.
----
"False contractions."
Obi-Wan stares blankly at the midwife. False contractions? Was that even possible?
"I don't understand."
He catches sight of Satine rolling her eyes at him. Clearly she was much more informed about the details of birthing than he was. Not that he was surprised, he hadn't been around to learn it all.
"She would be in pain if she were having real contractions, not just discomfort. There's a difference. Trust me," the midwife looks to Satine, "You'll know when you're having real contractions next time."
Satine nods in understanding, but the conflicted look in her eyes was unmistakable, "I thought they were real."
The midwife smooths Satine's nightgown back over her swollen belly, "Many new mothers mistake them for actual labor; but now you'll know the difference."
Obi-Wan laces his fingers through Satines and covers their conjoined hands with his free one and he realizes that he was much more in a panic than she was.
Force, he thought, I'm not even the one having the baby.
"What causes that," he asks, "False contractions, I mean. Is everything okay with the baby? Should we be worried?"
The midwife chuckles, "They're very normal, Master Kenobi. Nothing to be worried about. Their cause can be anyway from overactivity to stress, or even nothing at all. Sometimes the body acts oddly when carrying a baby."
"Oh." He says, "I just wanted to make sure."
She smiles warmly at him, before glancing over at Satine, "You're very lucky to have a partner so concerned for you and the baby, your grace."
Satine looks to him, her smile filled with so much warmth and adoration that he can't help but smile back.
"I count my blessings everyday." She tells the other woman.
She assures them -- more Obi-Wan than Satine -- again that everything was fine with both Satine and the baby before quietly leaving the Duchess's quarters with strict instructions for Satine to get some rest.
He helps her climb back into bed, her limited mobility from her ever growing baby belly making her a bit more dependent on him when he's around, though he suspects that it's more of a want than a need for his help. Not that he would complain.
When she's settled he slides into bed next to her, resting his hand gently on top of her stomach. He feels a small kick and in an instant he's filled with a warmth he's never felt before.
"Certainly an eventful night." She comments lightly.
"I concur," he says, "Though I must confess a part of me is disappointed it wasn't real."
Her hand comes to cover his own and he feels another kick, "You seemed rather terrified that it might have been." She notes.
The drowsiness in her eyes doesn't escape him, and he's aware that the conversation needs to come to an end sooner rather than later. He doesn't want to stress her out anymore than he most likely already has.
"Oh, I'm petrified." He agrees, "But I'm more afraid of not being here when you actually do go into labor. The baby being born tonight would have been a bit unexpected, but at least I would have been here to go through it with you. The thought of you going through labor alone-"
He cuts himself off. The realization that he very well could be away when his child is born fills him with such despair, and knowing she would go through it without him made it all the worst.
"I want you by my side. Always." She tells him softly, "But that is not the way we have chosen to live. If you are off saving the galaxy, then I will make sure our child knows that."
He stares at her in awe. How had he gotten so lucky as to have her by his side? There was no one else in the galaxy that he could picture raising a child with besides her. It was truly one of the only things he would ever hide from the council.
"You are extraordinary."
She smiles, "Extraordinarily tired."
He smiles too and rubs his hand up and down the length of her stomach, "Wearing you out already."
She reaches up and presses a lazy kiss to the corner of his mouth, "Well, they are your child, I would expect nothing less. You certainly like making my life difficult."
He rolls his eyes, "I'm not even going to humor you with a response."
A soft laugh escapes her just as her eyes begin to flutter close, "Next time you're here they better be real."
She slips into sleep only moments after, but he smiles at her all the same.
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Obitine prompt ✨ the first time Obi-Wan comes home late from a mission exhausted and goes to Satine’s flat instead of the Temple.
- Drifting -
If he were being honest with himself, he should have just gone back to his quarters at the temple. It would have been the easiest thing to do. He would be able to directly meet with the council in the morning, and he truly would have the solitude he would need to meditate.
All that said, he still ended up in front of her door, knocking heavily against it. His mind had been much too cloudy for him to even think of the code.
When it slides open, Satine goes from confused to concerned. Not that he can blame her, he certainly showed up on her doorstep in less than appealing state. Aside from the bruises that he sure were fully formed at this point, he knows she will immediately pick up on just how emotionally drained he was. The things he saw - well, he doesn't want to think about it.
"Obi-Wan," she breathes out and he knows by her tone he must be in worse shape than he though, "What happened?"
Before he can answer she grabs him by the hand and yanks him into her room.
"You look awful." She notes, running her fingertips over his cheeks and down his chest. It was a far cry from the first time she's done so, but she never has once let on that she was used to such things.
"You certainly know how to greet your guests." Its an attempt at joke, but he knows it falls flat. There wasn't much that would get the worried look off her face when he was in such a state.
"I didn't even know if I would see you while I was here," She says quietly, "Padme had said you and Anakin had been gone for weeks."
He squeezes her hand in his own, if only to let her know he wasn't totally beaten down. It works - to an extent, that is - and she manages an uneasy smile.
"Truthfully I didn't know if you were here, I only just got back. I haven't even been to the temple yet. I just-", he swallows thickly, the memories of all he had seen hitting him full force again, "I didn't want to go back there quite yet."
He's overwhelmed with guilt when he sees just how much heartbreak washes over her. She always carried so much weight on her shoulders, and he decided a long time ago he would try to hide his damage around her. Not that it worked that well, she could always read him too well.
"You know you're always welcome here." She tells him, as if he didn't already know.
"I know."
She leads him into the bedroom without further discussion. Clearly she herself had been in the process of getting ready to go to sleep herself.
He doesn't even protest when she tugs at the hem of his robes and pulls them over his head. In any other instance he would have protested; he's more than capable of undressing himself, but he lacks the energy to protest, and she wouldn't have listened to him even if he tried.
She presses a ghost of a kiss to his split lip, trailing her way across the bruises on his cheeks and down to his neck before hugging him to her. There was such a gentleness to her that he still couldn't quite believe existed in a person; yet there she stood.
"Do you want to talk about it?" She asks him gently.
He shook his head, "No."
To her credit, she doesn't push him any further despite how much he knows she wants too. They may have been breaking parts of the code that he held so dearly, but he couldn't completely let go of all of his habits. Talking about feelings was not a particularly standard practice there.
He watches as she herself crawls into bed and looks at him, watching as if he were going to turn around and leave instead of coming to lay beside her. Like there was anywhere else in the galaxy he would rather be.
He all but collapses on the bed, the exhaustion that he's felt for days rippling through his body when he touches the soft fabric of her comforter and he can't even bring himself to move up fully beside her.
"You can rest dear." She tells him lightly; a reassurance that he didn't know he needed until it reached his ears.
He settles his head against her abdomen and wraps his arm around her waist. It's a position he rarely finds himself in with her and though he would never admit it allowed, the feeling of her fingers combing lightly through his hair as he listens to the sound of her breathing brings him immense comfort.
And she does exactly that; combing her fingers through his hair lovingly. It was pure luck that she had been visiting Coruscant on a diplomatic summit, rarely do they end up on the same planet at the same time. He's not entirely sure what he would have done if she had been on Mandalore still. Probably stayed there regardless. Not that it would have been the same without her.
"I'm sorry." He mutters against her, though it dawned on him he wasn't exactly sure what for. Barging in on her, perhaps? He did have a way of uprooting her life every now and again.
"Hush," she tells him, "Don't you dare apologize for coming here. There is no where else I'd rather you be than with me."
He tightens his hold around her and sighs. There were so many tasks that the morning held, but every time he feels her breathe beneath him they fade farther and farther into the back of his head.
"Goodnight Satine."
She runs her hands through his hair until he finally drifts off.
i'm dropping prompts for you but i'm very creative today so... Satine has an aquarium, so maybe Obi-Wan bought her some fish which he thought she may like "i looked at her and she reminded me od you" 🤭
- Swimmingly -
Now that the war had ended, Satine found herself visiting Coruscant and the galactic Senate more than ever, so much so that her council thought it best to secure a housing unit for her when she was there for more than a days time.
They had required her assistance in drafting a galactic peace treaty, among other things, and being the head of the neutral systems proved that she was a more than valuable asset to the Senate, which required a substantial amount of her time. Not that she would ever complain, peace treaties were what she thrived in.
Her apartment was simple, a far cry away from the extravagant décor of her Mandalorian palace, but it was comfortable all the same. Her council - bless them - had seen to that.
She had been at the Senate building for the better part of the day and it wasn't until after sundown that she had been able to make it home. It had all looked the same as it had last month, save for the new addition of a much more up to date holo, with the pristine couch and crystalline windows.
She carefully removes her headdress as she makes her way through the room, stopping briefly to survey the fish tank that had been placed in the corner. It's light illuminated the mostly dark apartment and she momentarily wonders who her council had been sending to take care of them. She certainly hadn't been around enough to do so.
A small but brightly colored fish swims out from behind the coral formation and it causes her to pause. Certainly it hadn't been there when she last left?
The rest of them, while beautiful in their own regard, were much more simplified than the one she's currently staring at; with it long blue and purple fins and golden body. It certainly stood out amongst its peers.
It's too late and she's much too tired to dwell on it though, and so she decides its a question for the morning and begins to head back towards her bedroom.
Or she was before the beeping of a keypad stopped her.
There was only other person who had the code that would come over this late in the evening, and despite her exhausted state she perked up at the thought of seeing him.
"A bit late for you to be stopping by, is it not?" She notes when he steps into the room.
"Displeased to see me?" He jokes.
She smiles warmly at him and heads his way, "Never, I just didn't expect to see you until at least tomorrow."
He drapes his robe gently over the back of the couch - a true testament to just how comfortable he felt there - and took a few steps forward until they were face to face.
"And leave the Duchess alone for the evening? That wouldn't be very hospitable, would it?"
She kisses him lazily, because she's just a tad too exhausted to do anything but, and takes his hand in her own.
"Are you planning on spending the night here, or do you have to dash off to save the galaxy?" She asks.
He laughs and presses a kiss to her forehead, "I'm yours for the evening, as long as you'll have me."
She tugs lightly on his hand and heads off towards her (their) bedroom, but stops when she catches sight of the newfound fish swimming through the tank again.
"Do you know who all has access to here, Obi-Wan?" She asks.
He looks momentarily confused, "No one but me and Padme, I should think. You council made it clear that it wasn't necessary to have any sort of housekeepers come in."
She glances back to the fish tank before settling his gaze on him again, "How often do you come around?"
He shrugs, "Every few days if I can, just to check on things and make sure your fish haven't all died. If I can't then Padme stops by on her way to her home."
"Well then," she says, unable to hide the amusement in her voice, "Which one of you added a fish to my collection?"
He's silent for a moment, which is all of answer she really would ever need, but eventually he gives her a sheepish look, "That would be me."
if she was being truthful, she actually would have guessed it was Padme. She had much more of a taste for that sort of thing, but Obi-Wan was nothing if not surprising.
"Any particular reason?" She asks with a laugh.
When he sees her smile he finally begins to relax, "Well, Anakin had dragged me along to the market with him - you know how he gets about gifts for Padme - and while I find the entire ordeal of the market place a tad overwhelming, there was a lovely Togruta salesman selling aquatic creatures."
She bites down on her bottom lip to keep from laughing at just how awkward his telling of the events sounded, "And you decided to buy me a fish?"
A blush spreads across its cheeks, "Well there certainly was a assortment of creatures there, some downright deadly. Why he would sell those, I'll never know. But I saw that one in one of the containers, and I knew I was coming by here tonight to feed them, and it reminded me of you."
She raises an eyebrow, "Do I remind you of fish, dear?"
The flustered expression on his face is all the entertainment she would ever need.
"No! The other way around. I mean, it's fins are the Kryze family colors, and the gold sort of reminded me of your hair I suppose. I just thought it would be a nice addition to the rest of them and," he pauses, “And I just wanted to do something nice for you.”
The amusement she felt was suddenly mixed with adoration. She supposed she never considered that he would think about her that much when she was away. Certainly not enough to considering buying her a gift, much less something that reminded him of her. But there he stood, a slightly embarrassed blush tinging his cheeks and a wobbly smile on his lips and, yes, she has probably never loved him more.
"Should I not have done that?" He asks slowly.
Instead of granting that with an actual response, she throws her arms around him and kisses him soundly on the lips, suddenly full of a new burst of energy.
"You are so wonderful to me." She says between her onslaught of kisses, "And I love you dearly."
He smiles against her, "I love you more than I could have ever imagined, Satine."
since Mandalorians seem to be very passionate people maybe something with dance lesson, like a tango? it may be very innocent, even awkward or just the total opposite
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Obi-Wan."
He crosses his arms in frustration, a rather unbecoming look for an up and coming Jedi he realizes, but he can't bring himself to care. He was not doing it.
"It's custom in Mandalorian nobility," Qui-Gon says, "And it would be rude not to neglect the Duchess when she has only just returned to her home."
Obi-Wan sighs, "Then why don't you do it?"
Qui-Gon laughs, "Because I'm much to old to be escorting such a young lady, and I think she'll be more comfortable with someone her age. Besides, you two have developed a friendship over the last year, I think she would be better suited with you on her arm."
There's something to his tone when the word 'friendship' that makes him uncomfortable. He didn't know if he would consider their connection a friendship, per say. More of a complicated series of arguments peppered with moments of intimate connections. He cared her - deeply, he would add - but he never was quite sure what they were. There was a code he vowed to uphold, after all, and there was a planet she was destined to take control of.
"I don't know if friendship is what you would classify it as," he says, "We quarrel an awful lot."
His master smiles knowingly at him, "As friends often do. Now off you go, you don't want to keep the Duchess waiting."
With a sigh, he finally concedes to his masters orders, "Fine."
He swears Qui-Gon winks at him when he leaves.
_____
They had spent so much time on the run and away from her palace that he had almost forgotten how she looked when in her noble attire. Gowns were not very practical when running from gangs of bounty hunters.
"Obi-Wan." She greets with a polite smile.
"Your grace." He bows slightly, more out of formality than anything. She was, after all, now truly in charge.
"I appreciate you doing this for me," she says, "I understand this is rather out of your element, but with the celebrations here in light of our new era of peace I only found it fitting that you and Qui-Gon be in attendance. You are after all the only reason I lived."
"Of course, we are more than happy to help in your quest for peace on Mandalore; it's my greatest hope that your peaceful ways will help Mandalore prosper."
Something in her eyes soften, "It means the world to me, Obi-Wan. I owe much to you and Master Qui-Gon. It was his idea after all. For you to escort me, I mean."
He freezes. Qui-Gon had set all this up? Was he trying to get him expelled from the order? His master certainly had little to no regard for the rules, but this was extreme even for him.
Instead of dwelling on it, he switches the topic, "I regret to inform you that dancing is not a skill they teach at the temple. You may want to reconsider your decision."
Satine chuckles, "Nonsense, I'm sure you'll be fine, and there's certainly no other person I would rather have at my side to get me through such an event. I presume your lack of dancing abilities is why Qui-Gon suggested you practice with me."
Oh yes, he and his Master were most definitely going to have words.
"I'll follow your lead, then."
Her smile is warm and inviting and it spreads a sensation through him that he still couldn't figure out despite being around her for a better part of a year.
She takes his hand in her own (bless her for leading, because he certainly wasn't going to make the first move) and tugs him to the center of the empty room.
"Ballroom dancing is passionate, but not as complicated as one might think." She explains, "Just follow my lead."
When she tugs at his free hand and places it on her hip he's certain he had begun blushing profusely, though she (thank force) hadn't mentioned it.
A hand drapes on his shoulder and she steps closer to him, the space between them dwindling to barely nothing and he's certain that she can feel his heart pounding in his chest.
"Just follow my lead," she instructs with a smile, as if he was going to do anything but.
She steps backwards, prompting him to move forward with her and within seconds his feet bump hers and he fumbles some.
"I'm rather horrid at this." He notes, hoping the joking nature of his comment will mask his embarrassment.
"Just relax," She says with a laugh, "You had told me about the various fighting styles within the Jedi, right? Think of it as if you're learning a new form."
He snorts, "I won't be fighting anyone with a tango anytime soon, Satine."
She lets out another laugh, "You never know, Obi-Wan, perhaps one day this will save your life."
He can't but laugh too.
"Again?" She asks.
He nods, and once again she begins to move backwards, each step she takes precise and measured and he begins to think of every form he's learned since he was a youngling. Perhaps she brought up a good point; movement in all forms required patience and precision.
"See," she says, "You're getting the hang of it."
Plus, having control of his breathing was certainly helping him mask just how nervous he was holding her that close. No longer were they hidden away deep in the forests or shrouded in the cover of darkness. Now they were in the middle of Mandalores palace surrounded by her subjects. The time have together was quickly draining away.
She leans in, close enough to whisper in his ear, "You know there's no one around right now, you can actually hold me if you wish."
He about passes out then and there; rarely is she so brash about their relationship. More so than him, of course, but even her comments are made with some restraint.
But he does as she instructs and slides his hand from her hip bone to wrap completely around her waist, tugging her just a bit closer than she already was.
"Dip me." She instructs.
He blinks, "I beg your pardon."
She laughs, "Dip me, it's part of the dance. Honestly, Obi-Wan, have you never seen anyone dance before?"
Truthfully he hadn't really. Dancing was never something people did at the temple, and he can't recall a time on his various journeys to other planets that he'd seen anyone do so either.
But he does what she asks despite his trepidation, gently tipping her backwards. Not too far, because the underlying fear that he'd drop her was nagging at the back of his head, but just enough that she would be satisfied.
"See? Nothing to fear. You're going to have to twirl me too, just so you know."
Twirl. Right. That was something he could do; much less of a chance of dropping her.
Her gown flares out when he spins her. It's slow, nothing extravagant but just enough to truly accentuate the craftmanship her personal tailors put into her dress.
He catches her before she can make a final full turn and pulls her towards him, her back pressing against his chest and both his arms coming to loop around her waist.
She laughs, "Feeling bold, are we?"
The sound of her laughter sends another shockwave of adoration through him and - since he was feeling a bit bold, as she put it - he presses a chaste kiss to the exposed skin of her neck.
"What can I say? You bring out the worst in me." He teases, nipping his teeth against the same spot on her neck.
She sighs contentedly and drops her head backwards against his shoulder, "You leave in two days time, don't you?"
In an instant he feels the warmth from her touch rush out of him. Instead, a chill replaces it. He was leaving soon, and it hadn't quite dawned on him yet that this truly might be one of the last times they're alone. Soon they would be forced to go back to their separate lives. That is, unless she asked him to stay.
And he would. If that's what she had wanted from him, he would stay with her.
"I do."
"Hmm," she hums, "Then I suppose we should make this count."
She pulls from his grasp only to turn herself around and take his hand once more. If it were anyone else, he would have objected to dancing for even longer. But Satine wasn't just anyone.
"As you wish, dear."
So he humors her, twirling her around as many times as she wished (and only managing to stumble twice) for as long as she wanted. It wasn't much, but it was all that he could give her.
Unbeknownst to him, Qui-Gon had watched through the cracked doorway, smiling at them.
