#sadly another filler chap :')

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 705.5: The guy Hayatani-san wants to meet

Pag 1

2: In Sohoku High School, there is a shop

3: Auntie, two anpan!

Ahh, come on, get in line

One cream bread and one goma bread!

That'd be 300yen

Ehi, that's the line

That one, please!

Dammit, it's sold out!

I've been protecting for- it's already... 20..... no, let's say it's 5 years!!

4: Hayatani Yuko, 44 years old.... but 24 in my soul!! Honestly, if there was a championshipfor “speed of accounting and accuracy of returning change”, I'm confident I could become a prefectural representative

Ehi

Here

Your change is 660yen

Pag 2

1: That movement is precise

This fingers sense four 10yen coins

This weight is that of two 100 yen coins

2: The change is exact

3: like a thousand-armed Kannon!!

Yes, your change is 600yen

On butter bread, one loaf of bread, and two sandwich, it's 320yen

Here's500yen

yes, then your change is 40yen!!

The thousand-armed Kannon Yuko -her driving force are the words of admiration of students: “woah, I can't even see her hands' movements”, “I got the change in my hands before I knew it”!!

5: Pfui, tand so today the competition for taking the bread during lunch break ended safely

Sold out

6: Today someone said “I see two right hands”!!

Let's write it on a note

Pag 3

1: Uhm.... ah.... the bread....

It's already sold out!!

Ahhhhh, as expected...

3: Since she was preparing for the housewives association, I don't have my mum's lunch box....

But then during lunch break I had to hand the club documents to Pierre-sensei.... ahh, I have no luck....

5: Are you a first year?

Uhm

6: This school store sells out very quickly

I'm a third year

Huh!?

Pag 4

1: I've never seen you before, though.... perhaps you were ill and just recently started attending school?

For three years.... I've never been late and I have not been absent from school

Huh!?

2: Hvae you ever come here to buy bread!?

Many times.... I have

Huh!?

3: Uhm... do you know Naruko-kun?

Ohh, of course I know him! The right boy with red hair who's from Osaka!!

I've talked to himoften!! I like him

4: We often... came here.... to buy bread together

5: Huh!?

6: Auntie!! Gimme two of those melon sandiwiches!!

Ehm.... for me....

Pag 5

1: It's been raining lately

That' true

Yeah....

2: We won the Inter High...!!

That's amazing!!

3: Ah.

4: ….. he did came here, I remember him a little

5: Ah!! It's like when I watch tv, and I rememberthe guy who stands out and forget the plain guy!!

6: Why don't you join a sport club and train your body?

Uhm

That way, won't you stand out more?

7: ….. ah

Uhm...

I'm already....

Pag 6

1: Right!! Why don't you join the same club as Naruko-kun!?

Ah... well... I'm already....

2: Do you know that the bike club is amazing? They won the Inter High twice!!

Ah... well... I'm already....

3: Naruko-kun said “Onoda-kun is amazing”

Do you know him? He said that “Onoda-lead us to victory twice”

But that Onoda-kun hasn't come to this store yet

4: Onoda-kun is amazing!! Onoda-lead us to victory twice!!

Noo, that's not true it was thank to everyone's....

5: I wonder what kind of person he is

Pag 7

1: He already came here

He came here many times

…. well.....

In the bike club

And he's the captain, too

…... uhm.....

He wants to speak up, but there are too many things, and he can't catch up

I'm already.....

3: When you're hungry, you don't even have the voice to speak

Can't be helped!!

4: Here's500yeI'll share with you what I saved for me!!

6: Ah, uh....

Don't tell the other students

Waaa, is that really okay?

Pag 8

1: Thank you so much!!

4: Ohhh, what a beautiful smile

Ah, I didn't catch his name

Hayatani Yuko (44), these days wants to meet “Onoda-kun”

6: Ah, now that I think about it, around two years ago there was that other cool guy who wore glasses....

7: His name.... ah, right!! Kinjou-kun!

Hayatani-san likes people with glasses

[abraxos-is-toothless]

Surprises (18)

And here is the next one! This might feel like a bit of a filler chapter but this is just what my brain wanted me to have for this one so I’m sorry if it’s not the best:)

Warning: just a little hint at characters self hate/struggles but only a tad. Also some implied sexy times at the end of the chap.

Surprises Masterlist.

Full Masterlist.

Yet another Noorhelm gif because softness.

---------

Elain watched as Azriel got more and more frustrated trying to walk on his prosthetic. He’d been fitted for it a few weeks ago now and was told by prosthetist to make sure he used it around the house, and when he was confident and comfortable enough, he could start going out with it. The process was difficult to say the least, especially when he’d first tried walking to kitchen by himself. She told him that time that she wouldn’t look because she didn’t want him to feel pressured or like he had to do it to impress her. Azriel had fallen half way there, putting all of his weight on the leg by accident, and had broken down on the floor of the hallway. Elain’s heart had broken at the sight, holding back tears when he sneered at her, saying he didn’t want nor need her help. She’d called for Cassian and when he’d come to help she disappeared to lie down for a little while, now starting to feel tired all of the time. When she’d woken, Azriel was laying in front of her, fingers stroking down the side of her face and curling around her ear, apologising for being an asshole.

Now, he was testing himself in the garden, pushing himself to try and walk down the few steps from the decking and onto the grass. Elain walked forward when he cursed again, backing out once again from stepping down, holding her hand out to him. He eyed her hesitantly for a moment before sighing, taking her hand to interlace their finger, and only then did he take that first step, Elain right by his side. When they were finally on the grass, they walked together slowly over to the picnic table, sitting in a peaceful silence together. She was happy, just to sit there with him, pressed into his side with his scarred hands holding her own in his lap. After a while, he shifted to his left slightly, leaning down to press a chaste kiss to her lips and pressing their foreheads together and mumbling into the space between them. “I really thought I could do it by myself that time.”

Elain stared at him, smiling gently. “You’ll get there, it takes time remember? It’s okay to accept help sometimes you know, it doesn’t make you weak, Az.”

“I know, I just...” He trailed off, eyes fluttering closed and she rubbed her nose against his softly, watching the way his mouth quirked up at the corners.

“You just what?”

“You’re over five months pregnant now, Ellie. I want to be able to move around on my own, to actually do things independently again. I want to be able to actually help you when she’s finally here, to get up in the night when she’s crying so that you can rest. I’m her father, I’m supposed to fucking take care of her too.” There were tears falling down his cheeks and she brushed them away gently before holding his face in her hands.

“You will, you will be able to do those things. And even when you can’t, even when I can’t, we have a big family in that house who want to help. Please, stop this self hating you have going on, thinking that I’m upset. I don’t fucking care about any of it, I’m just glad you’re actually here, that I didn’t lose you because of my asshole father.” Once upon a time she loved her father with everything she had. She loved the man who used to read her stories before bed, the man who made silly faces whenever she fell and scraped her knees. Most of all she missed the man who loved her back. But then her mother died and all of that disappeared, and Nesta was basically left to raise her and Feyre on her own. Giving Nesta everything she wanted most in the world could not repay her for she did, for the childhood she gave up for them.

“Is there any news on your father yet?” Azriel asked her gently, hand and eyes resting on her stomach, feeling as his hellish daughter kicked Elain again. She always got very excited when he put his hand to her bump, like she knew the difference between who was holding her. It would explain why when Cassian always asked to feel, the troublemaker would stop kicking and make Cass pout sadly; messing with her Uncle already.

“Nope, absolutely nothing. The police still can’t figure out where he’s gone and they keep asking us if we know where he might be. I haven’t got a clue and it’s starting to piss me off. He almost killed the three of you, you lost your leg, he should be punished for it the coward.” His hand moved up so that his thumb could smooth along her cheekbone, it was only then that she realised she was crying. Again. Honestly she’d had enough of these ridiculous hormones, making her show every damn emotion against her will. Az opened his mouth to speak, no doubt to soothe her, but suddenly there was a bang from inside and muffled yelling. The two moved as fast as his leg would allow, but he seemed to move with ease now that he wasn’t so focused on it. Making their way through the kitchen once they were inside, the two stopped in the doorway to the living room, Az blocking the space which forced Elain to stand on her tiptoes to peer over his shoulder. She honestly didn’t know what to make of the sight before her.

There was a beautiful gold haired girl in the middle of the room, face full of anger but also a little bit of sadness, throwing random objects at both Cass and Rhys. The former tried to hide behind Nesta, who kept shoving him away in annoyance. The former seemed to have accepted his fate, standing still and catching each item the girl threw at him.

“You absolute fuckheads! I haven’t heard from any of you in weeks, you left me stuck in that stupid boarding school with nothing! I got back from France last week, planning to surprise you all, so I went to your mother at the hospital to ask her where you all were.” Mystery girl threw a book at Rhys, which Elain realised was her new gardening book from Az, when he dared to open his mouth and interrupt her. “I am not finished Rhysand! The three of you were in a car accident and you didn’t think to tell me, to let me know you were okay? That’s all your mother got out before I left, coming straight here.” Her girls chest was heaving from her furious ramblings, head twisting at speed to where Elain and Azriel stood when he said gently;

“Mor, calm down would you?” She watched as ‘Mor’ dropped the newest item in her hand, lifting it to cover her mouth, gasping in shock when she trailed her eyes over him. She made to move towards him, arms open as if she were going to hug him, but for some reason Elain didn’t like the thought of that considering she didn’t know the other girl. Stepping forward, Elain took his hand in one of her own again and interlaced their fingers. Mor stopped at the gesture, eyes dropping to Elain’s protruding stomach, widening when she looked back to Azriel.

“Tell me that you did not go and get a girl pregnant, please tell me that is not what I am seeing right now.” Elain glared at her, pressing herself closer to him, relishing in his warmth. He looked down at her, eye warm and smile soft, not looking away from her as he declared.

“Mor, I’d like you to meet Elain. My sunshine, my love and yes, the mother of my child.”

“Why do I always miss everything?” She pouted, before glaring and smacking Azriel in the shoulder. “And that’s for not telling me I’m going to be an auntie for god's sake.” He rolled his eyes, rubbing the spot where she’d hit him.

“Yes, yes, we’re very sorry.”

Rhys muttered across the room, “My cousin ladies and gentlemen. Now you know where my dramatics come from.” Mor scoffed, turning to give him the finger.

“Oh no that’s all you, you are so much worse.”

Feyre laughed, reaching up to gently pat her boyfriend on the head. “Hate to break it to you baby, but you really are worse.” He leaned in to kiss her gently on the nose.

“Cruel, wicked thing.”

Mor gagged and suddenly took Elain’s hand, dragging her away from Azriel and towards the sofa. “Enough of your gross shit Rhys. Now, Elain, tell me all about how that fool managed to sweep you off your feet and I want all the nitty and gritty details.”

Elain did, she told her everything once everyone had fully calmed down, the boys clearly happy and excited to have her home. She told Mor about that first drunken night, and the morning after, how she was so fucking scared. Told her about what Azriel had done on that field when Elain had told him, how he had walked away, leaving her hurt and crying and alone. He went pale at the reminder, reaching for her hand at her other side and apologising once again when Mor called him every name she could think of. Then came talks of her first ultrasound, her little scare and how they’d had to tell everyone, the gender and her father’s outburst. Finally they got to the car crash, forcing Elain to close her eyes at the onslaught of memories, the sight of Cassian broken and sobbing on the hospital floor. When she was done, she looked up to see that Mor had a few tears in her eyes.

“I should have fought harder when my parents told me they were sending me away, I should have done something. I should have been at home where you all needed me, and to save you girls from these blithering idiots, because it’s a miracle none of you have killed them yet.” Nesta chuckled from her seat in the arm chair, Cassian sitting at her feet while she braided his hair.

“Believe me I’ve come close, but there’s still time.” Cass only hummed, eyes closed and Elain had to hold back a giggle at his next words.

“I’ve told you about the dirty talk sweetheart. Those death threats of yours do something to me and you have got to stop doing it in front of people.” Elain’s sister merely pulled on his hair in response, making her boyfriend hiss in pain. She frowned when she finally connected with that first part of what Mor had said, looking at the golden haired girl curiously.

“Why did your parents send you away? You don’t have to say anything if you don’t wish to talk about it.”

The other girl sighed but shook her head, lifting her hand to tuck a few curls behind her ear. “No, no, it’s alright. They had found out that I am very, very much into girls. They thought that maybe by sending me to that stupid school, it would keep me away from ‘temptations’ and it would ‘fix’ that part of me.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Why did parents have to be so awful sometimes?

Mor laughed, eyes full of mischief as she smirked. “It’s quite alright. What they didn’t realise was that I was going to meet some very pretty French girls.”

They all stayed together for hours after that, just talking. Elain and her sisters getting to know Mor, while the boys got her caught up with everything while she’d been away. Long after dinner, and when it was finally dark, Elain felt herself begin to fall asleep, head dropping against Az’s shoulder every now and then. She jolted when he stood and put his hand out to her, much like she had earlier in the day. “I think it’s bedtime for you, sunshine.” All she could was nod and take his hand, slowly making herself stand which was something that was becoming a bit of a difficult task. Just as they reached the stairs, she turned her head back to look over her shoulder.

“It was lovely to finally meet you Mor.” The other girl grinned widely.

“And you. Now go get that beauty rest and make that idiot give you all of the massages.” Elain laughed before turning to make her way up the stairs. It took Az a little while longer, but he did it.

When they were finally settled in bed, he rolled carefully onto his side to face her, eyes sparking in the low light. His hand reached for her, bringing her close to him, before he teased her with slow, trailing fingers across her chest. “I’d quite gladly give you a massage, baby.” That devil of a hand dropped to the hem of his shirt that she was wearing, slipping his hand underneath, making goosebumps rise on her skin as it drifted up her stomach, settling on her breast and cupping her firmly. Elain’s breath hitched in her throat, swallowing dryly.

“Is that so?”

“Mhm.” He leaned in to place hot, opened mouthed kisses along her neck as she wrapped a leg around his hips. She pulled him in close, her own hands grabbing at his shoulders, dragging her nails down his back and revelling in the moan she received in return. His eyes darkened when she brought her face closer, her lips brushing his before she trailed them along his jaw, moving up to his ear and taking the lobe into her mouth and biting gently. Azriel moaned again, pushing his hips into her hers when she whispered against the shell of his ear.

“Do your worst, my love.”

-------

Ah Mor is here! Did you think she wouldn’t be here? She was there in my mind the whole time with this thing in my head about her outing but it just never appeared in the fic. I’m actually sorry it took me this long but, it’s just the way the story went.

Tags: @drunken-starz​ @myfriendscallmeraba  @thesirenwashere @empress-sei @elrielllll  @stars-falling​ @lacewilde​ @verifiefangirl  @theshadowsinger-and-thefawn @fancyclodpaintercookie​ @acourtofterrasenandvelaris​ @silver-flames​ @queen-of-glass​ @bamchickawowow​ @empress-ofbloodshed​ @sleeping-and-books​ @b00kworm​ @kvi-arts​  @tswaney17​ @awkward-avocado-s​ @courtofjurdan​ @junkiejosten10​ @mu-si-ca-l​ @agem10​ @harmonyindark245​ @slightly-sane-fangirl​ @tanaquilpriscilla​ @my-fan-side​ @whimsyrhys​ @starrynightsbooks @maastrash​ @kendarbahr   @elriel4life​ @illyriangarbage​  @thewayshedreamed​ @snowflakesandstarlight​

[highfivecalum]

Our Home Place {CH} 3

this chap is a lil boring ya know bc it’s a filler but i promise it’ll get better and more interesting after this one so stick with me y’all

CALUM’S DAY was long and tiring. He loved being in charge, not having to be told what to do and tell people what to do, but sometimes he wished he hadn’t taken over his father’s company when he passed away. There was too much responsibility at times and it really took a toll on him. His day was awful, to say the least, but coming home to his daughter and Duke asleep on his couch and Natalie watching the TV that had been turned down so Lily could nap in peace, made his crappy day much better

He smiled at the sight of the three of them. Natalie leaning against the couch, feet propped up on the coffee table in front of her, Lily’s head resting on her lap as she slept, and Duke cuddle into Natalie’s side. Natalie’s fingers ran through Lily’s hair and Calum knew that was the reason she had fallen asleep. Whenever Lily was tired she would lay on Calum’s, or now Natalie’s lap, and ask for her hair to be played with, and within minutes she would be out like a light.

Calum was so glad that Lily adapted to having Natalie around so quickly, she’s never liked any of the babysitters Calum hired for her, so he was sceptical when one of his friends told him about Natalie needing a job, but he was so happy he gave her a chance, with her and Lily getting along so well and Calum loving having Natalie around, it worked out well for everyone.

“Hey,” Calum whispered and Natalie’s head snapped up from her phone. She had been so engrossed in the book that she was reading on her phone, that was on she didn’t notice Calum walking inside. She locked her phone and smiled at Calum when she saw him. His tie almost completely untied, the top few buttons on his shirt undone, and his blazer in his hands; he looked like a fucking god, Natalie thought, and it wasn’t fair. “I’m going to take her upstairs.”

Natalie stopped running her fingers through her hair and Calum effortlessly picked Lily up and took her upstairs. She got up and stretched, her bones cracking in the process, and Duke whined at the loss of her body heat. “Sorry little bud,” Natalie scratched his face.

“Was Lily good for you today?” Calum asked as he motioned for her to follow him into the kitchen.

“Yeah. She was great. Always is.” Natalie smiled and plopped down in one of the empty stools around the island. She watched Calum run his fingers through his hair and rub his tired eyes as he looked through his wallet for some cash to give Natalie. He was going to write her a check, but both Natalie and Calum preferred checks. “Long day?”

“You have no idea.” Calum sighed and took his tie off fully. He rolled his shoulders back and all Natalie could think of was running her own fingers through his hair and giving him, what looked like, a much needed massage. “Running a company is hard work. I mean, in the long run it’s worth it, but, goddamn, if it isn’t tiring.”

“What do you do, exactly?”

“I’m a buyout executive. I buy assets and then break them and sell them separately for big profits.” Calum explained to Natalie, but honestly, she wasn’t completely listening to him because all she could do was stare at his lips as he talked. “I’m still getting the hang of everything since I took over my father’s position when he passed away a few months ago.”

“Oh.” Natalie frowned. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thanks.” He smiled sadly. Calum missed his father immensely. They were very close and sure, he was close with this mother and his sister, but not as close as he was with his father. They did everything together and Calum’s father absolutely loved Lily; the three of them were best friends.“What do your parents do for a living?”

“Oh, um. Well, my dad left when I was thirteen and I haven’t seen him since, so I don’t really know what he does. He used to be a construction worker, but who knows what he does now.” Natalie laughed lightly. She hated talking about her dad since he broke both her and her mother’s heart when he just up and left them for another woman and she rarely talked about him, but she didn’t mind opening up to Calum. “And my mom, well, she’s been in and out of the hospital for months now, and now she’s there everyday, so she quit her job.”

“Why is she in the hospital?” Calum asked. He was genuinely interested, and worried, since Natalie didn’t talk about her personal life much. The only things Calum and Natalie talked about was Lily and Duke and how Calum’s day at work went, so it was nice that he was hearing more about her. And finally getting to know her better.

“She has breast cancer. It’s really bad and the doctors say she doesn’t have much time left to live. So, yeah.” Natalie mumbled. She also didn’t like talking about her mother having cancer, because well, she cried every time she did, and she really did not want to cry in front of Calum.

Calum’s heart clenched at what Natalie told him; both about her father and her mother. He had no clue what she was going through in her personal life, but he wasn’t expecting that. He felt bad for her and by the look on her face and the way she was gnawing on her bottom lip, he only guessed that she hated talking about it, so he wasn’t going to push her to. He felt the same way about losing his father, so in a way, he and Natalie had that in common.

“I’m so sorry, Natalie. That’s awful.” Calum frowned. He rested his elbows on the top of the island and propped his chin up on top of them. Natalie’s eyes trailed down his face to his chest that was exposed from the buttons being undone and the way he was hunched over. Natalie knew that it wasn’t a good time to be checking him out, considering they were talking about her sick mother, but she just couldn’t help herself. He was so hard not to look at. “Do you go to the hospital to see her a lot?”

“As much as I can. I try to go before I come here and I usually go after, but you know, I can’t go everyday, so I whenever I have free time I go see her.” Natalie explained and Calum felt bad that instead of being able to see her mother as much as she could, she was at his house watching his daughter, even though it was her job, he still felt bad.

“If you ever need, or just want to go see her, and you’re here and you have Lily, don’t hesitate to take her with you. We have an extra car seat in the garage and I don’t mind at all if you take her with you.” Calum pressed. Natalie thought his offer was sweet, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to bring his daughter along with her to the hospital, she didn’t think it was the ideal place to bring a four year old. “And if you want a day off just to go visit your mom all day, all you have to do is ask.”

“Won’t you have to miss work, though?” Natalie didn’t want Calum to miss work just because she wanted to see her mother. That wasn’t very professional and she didn’t want to take advantage of him like that, even if he was offering.

Calum waved Natalie’s worries off. “I can always ask my mother or my sister. It’s no big deal.” Natalie nodded her head, but she knew that she wouldn’t ask Calum for a day off just to go to the hospital. “I’m serious, Natalie, don’t hesitate to ask. Okay?”

“Okay.” Natalie smiled. God, he was so hot and so caring and so understanding. He’s fucking perfect, Natalie thought as she smiled at him and he smiled back at her, showing off his pearly whites. “Thank you, Calum. I appreciate it.”

Calum assured her that it wouldn’t be a big deal if she had to miss a day if was because of her mother. He knew that he missed a lot of work when his father was in the hospital, so he understood, and he didn’t want to be the reason that Natalie couldn’t see her mother as much as she could. He wanted to be there for Natalie and make sure she was okay and he let her know that before she left his house for the day.

“And if you ever need to talk, or anything, I’m here for you. Okay?” Calum was sincere with his words as he wrapped his arms around Natalie in a hug. She was surprised at first, but quickly reciprocated the hug by wrapping her arms around his neck.

Calum squeezed her body lightly and Natalie inhaled a sharp breath, getting a whiff of his cologne in the process, and she swore that standing there, his hands on her and the smell of him in her nose, she could have died, and she knew that being around Calum, platonically, was going to be a lot harder than she originally thought it would be.

❋ ❋ ❋

Taglist: @mariellelovescupcakes-blog @bumblebet20 @mermaid-merrick @cliffordcntrl @bbylonxcal @poppedpins @rexorangecouny @ashton-ma-bestfriend @calumsbabydolll @wrappedaroundcal @boytoynamedcalum @sisterawesome-blog @fangirlingovereverything @calistajs @checkeredcalum @thebodaciouscth @escap0-with-me @mzchnandlerbong @musicsavedme-00 @5saucewho

[eryiss]

Gambler’s Luck: Chapter Four

Summary: A drunken night at a bar; that’s how it always starts. A few shots, some self loathing and a decision you would never make when sober. But for Laxus Dreyar, the morning after doesn’t include regret, copious amounts of aspirin and a stranger in his bed. For he only made one drunken decision, becoming the personal driver for professional gambler - Freed Justine. [Fraxus Multi-Chap]

You can read it on FanFiction, Archive of Our Own or under the cut. You can also see the chapter list here. Hope you enjoy ^.^

Chapter Four - The Dreyars 

Standing at his kitchen counter, Laxus began to drizzle store bought salad dressing over a plate of pre-cooked chicken, damp lettuce leaves and overly stale croutons. His stomach all but rumbled as he looked down at the practically completed meal, the pizza he had eaten earlier obviously hadn't done much to satisfy him and he found himself starving. The salad looked even more appealing now that his headache had returned, the adrenaline rush now gone from the impromptu meeting and job acceptance that had occurred with Freed moments ago.

When Laxus had referred to Freed as his boss - out of panic and indignance at Makarov's ambush - the other man had taken it in his stride. It was like he expected Laxus to cave in and take it. Makarov had apologised for being rude, Laxus having to bite his tongue on the comment of that being his natural state of being, and Freed excused himself and drove away. And that was it. Freed was his boss, apparently.

Once Freed had left for the gym, Laxus had turned back to his grandfather and invited him into his apartment. Laxus had immediately walked to the kitchen, pulling out whatever food he needed for his salad, and Makarov made his way to the sofa that looked towards the television. Laxus vaguely heard a news report in the background but didn't pay attention to it, his mind was solely focused on the food.

When his salad was complete, he picked the plate up and sat down in an armchair that was only just big enough to fit him without it looking completely ridiculous; he couldn't afford anything bigger. As he picked up some of his food, he looked to his grandfather.

"You sure you don't want anything?" He asked after swallowing his food.

"I ate before I came." Makarov said, looking away from the political update on the TV. "And if that's all you're making, I'm glad I did. When you were younger, that wouldn't have been a snack to you."

Laxus shrugged, biting into another forkful of chicken and lettuce. "You gotta look after yourself, y'know."

Makarov nodded, with a slight hesitation that irritated Laxus more than he was willing to admit, and looked back to the TV. The blonde continued to eat, joining his grandfather in watching a heated political debate about something that probably wasn't that important and was only being shown because it was a slow news day and they needed to fill the time.

As Laxus ate, he noticed Makarov glance at him every few moments, also giving the salad the same side-eye. Laxus put up with this for a short while, but when Makarov's glances began to drag out longer and longer, his irritation got the better of him. He placed his fork onto the plate with more force than needed and looked at his grandfather.

"What?"

"I was just thinking that, maybe if you're not eating that out of choice, I could loan you some money to-" Laxus cut him off with a groan and annoyed expression, but Makarov continued. "I saw that you hardly have anything in your cupboards, and with the pizza box and take-out trays I thought you might not be able to pay for any real food." Makarov explained, Laxus still glaring at him, prompting the older man to mutter under his breath. "Well excuse me for caring."

"I ain't a kid, gramps. I hardly have anything in because I buy all my groceries once a week and I do it tomorrow. I've got frozen vegetables and potatoes for dinner, and I was gonna buy a cooked chicken because I usually don't have time to cook one." Laxus said, shoving some more food into his mouth. "And have you had taken out lately? It ain't cheaper than cooking."

Makarov raised his hands in mock surrender, not wanting to reignite the argument that the two had engaged in multiple times. Instead, they both turned back to the TV and watched the news; it had moved onto the next topic.

During the lull in the conversation, Laxus' thoughts wandered back to Freed. Did his immediate decision to call Freed his boss mean that he was going to be Freed's driver now? Surely, he would have realised that Laxus had said this out of panic and it wasn't a serious acceptance of Freed's job offer. But Freed had seemed fairly enthusiastic about employing Laxus so maybe he would use the proclamation to force him take the job. Was that something Freed would do? Laxus barely knew him, so how could he know if Freed was that kind of person?

He decided not to worry about it, focusing on the TV and deciding to text Freed when his grandfather had left, so he could clear things up. The news was still focused on the menial problem from before, something about a pothole 'epidemic.' Laxus had to wonder if this really was the most interesting they could talk about.

Makarov was apparently just as uninterested in the filler piece on the TV, so shifted his position on the sofa and looked to Laxus. The blonde, fully expecting to be engaged in a conversation that would lead into an argument, placed his half-eaten salad on his knee and looked to his grandfather.

"You didn't say what you'd be doing?" Makarov said, not bothered by the sour expression on his grandson's face. "Earlier, you said that man was your boss, but didn't say what he was going to make you do. What are you going to be doing?"

That wasn't too bad, actually. Maybe he needed to give Makarov more credit…

"Gonna be his driver." Laxus picked up the fork again, noticing Makarov's frown. He sighed. "He does something that means he had to travel around the city a lot. Said he doesn't enjoy driving so needs someone to do it for him, so that's what I'm gonna do. And I get why he doesn't enjoy driving, half the people in the city seem to wanna get in an accident. Anyway, yeah, so I'm gonna be his chauffeur or whatever."

"A step up from hauling trash." Makarov nodded, a small smile on his face. "Your wage better reflect that, I'm not having you get less money when you can barely make ends meet now. What does he even do, if he can pay your wages?"

"He's a, erm, professional gambler." Laxus mumbled quickly, trying to brush the question off. "And I don't struggle with money. I don't know why you think I do."

He wasn't avoiding the subject of Freed's job because Makarov was against gambling. In fact, Laxus was almost certain that his grandfather had monthly high-stakes poker games with some of his friends, so being against gambling would be hypocritical. He just expected Makarov to have the same kind of apprehension that he'd had, and Laxus honestly didn't want to deal with it now. He just wanted to finish his salad in peace.

But of course, that wouldn't happen. Usually, Makarov would have retorted to the claims that Laxus didn't struggle with money – either by saying he was naïve if he actually thought that, or that he didn't mean any offense by saying it – but he was annoyingly quiet. Laxus readied himself for whatever he grandfather would eventually decide he wanted to say.

"A professional gambler…" Makarov repeated with hesitation. "That's not the most secure source of income. Are you sure that's the best idea?"

Laxus, on a regular day, might have seen this as his grandfather second guessing his decisions. This would have lead Laxus to reply with a hostile statement that would eventually form an argument between the two men's egos. But the hangover and headache Laxus was experiencing meant he really didn't have the energy to yell at his grandfather, so he tried not to react.

"He seems to be doing pretty well. And promised me job security, told me a load of stuff about why I didn't need to worry about it. He's got savings or something that I'll get my wages from. Hold on a second." Laxus stood up, placing his near empty plate on the coffee table.

He walked to the kitchen, picking up the folder that contained the contract Freed had given him to look at. As he picked it up, he began to wonder if showing this to Makarov was him accepting that he was going to take the job. As far as he was concerned, Freed must have realised that he'd accepted the placement on impulse and might not want to continue, so it wasn't completely settled on. But giving this to Makarov meant that he couldn't back out on the job. Not without either a patronising response, or a smug response; Laxus didn't know which he would prefer and decided he would try to avoid receiving either.

Again, he pushed that thought to the back of his mind. He was probably thinking about things too deeply. And even if he wasn't, he could just quit if he realised it wasn't what he wanted to do. Just because he'd never done it, that didn't mean it was abnormal.

After handing Makarov the contract, he picked up his plate of salad and began to eat; he sadly noted that he'd eaten the majority of the chicken now. He glanced at Makarov as he flicked through the pages of small text, who seemed to be slightly appeased by the formality of the job offer. Laxus decided he probably wouldn't mention they met in a bar and Laxus was offered the job while they were drunk.

"That good enough, or should I make him swear a blood oath?" Laxus muttered, only slightly hostile.

"Well, he does seem to be taking this seriously." Makarov nodded slightly, looking up from the contract and placing it beside him on the sofa. "He's made it pretty obvious that, if he doesn't pay you what he's promised, he's in breach of the contract, so there's no obvious loopholes. I guess he knew you might be concerned. I still think you should have a lawyer look over it, in case he hid some sort of way out in it that I didn't see."

"Do you really think that's needed?" Laxus sighed. "You just said it looks airtight. I'm sure he's not that kind of guy."

"I'm just trying to look out for you. There's a lot of con artists in this city and with him being a gambler, its not too large a jump in logic to think-"

"Yeah, I know. And I appreciate it." His voice almost sounded defeated. "I guess it's just that, I don't know, I wanna do something that isn't just laid out for me and easy. Just wanna do something with the smallest amount of risk to it."

It was more than that. He felt as though he was stuck in a rut and this was the way out. For years, he'd woken up at the same time, driven down the same roads on the same days, had basically the same conversation with the same boring people. He couldn't do something like that again and that was all most jobs could offer. But driving for Freed sounded different; Freed had made it seem like every day they'd be driving somewhere new; every day would be different. And Laxus had been craving something like that for a lot longer than he realised.

"And I know normal people want that kind of stability. But, well you raised me, I never wanted to conform." They shared a short laugh, lightening the small amount of tension that had formed. "So, if I get it checked out, you won't disown me? I'll still be in the will?"

"I suppose. You're only getting the grandfather clock though, didn't think you'd be too bothered about losing it." Makarov laughed at the sour expression on his grandson's face. "I'm joking. I'm always trying to give you money, you don't think I'd stop just because I snuffed it did you? And anyway, that clocks a family heirloom, you should be proud you get to own it."

"Heirloom huh? Funny, 'cause I remember being there when you brought it." Laxus crossed his arms. "I also remember being embarrassed because you were haggling to get it cheap."

"It was expensive." Makarov said defensively. "You never know if you can get a better deal if you don't try."

"We were at IKEA! I think the day a company like IKEA gives price cuts just because an old man asked the guy at the counter is the same day Steve Jobs comes back to life, gives up technology and runs a fruit store at some random market." Laxus exclaimed, though wore a good-natured smile. "But you think it's okay, the job I mean? It gets the Dreyar stamp of approval."

"Not that I think my opinion will change your mind, I do approve." Makarov smiled. "In fact, I think you need something like this. And if you took some stupid office job, I don't think I could take how mopey your ass would become."

Annoyingly glad of Makarov's approval, Laxus looked back to his TV and began to finish off the small remains of his salad. Although, at this point, it was more like lettuce spread thinly across a plate. He shifted back into the chair, watching as some overly enthusiastic man relayed the results of some football games, or whatever sport they were talking about. It made his mind flicker back to Freed, simply because he had mentioned he would be at the gym.

So, he had to just accept it now, he was going to be Freed's driver. He'd been denying it and second guessing whether he wanted to do it basically since he first saw Freed's text that morning. But now he'd told both his grandfather and Freed himself that he'd taken it, he needed to stop thinking like that. He'd taken the risk; whatever repercussions came his way couldn't be changed now.

He grinned a little, that thought sent a buzz through his body. It really had been a long time since he'd done something exciting. He was free of the repetitive lifestyle he had basically fallen into and was going to do something that had some passion for. And he was going to do it in a pretty badass car, too.

Both men fell into a comfortable silence, watching the TV but neither really paying much attention to what was actually said. Laxus had placed his plate on the floor beside his chair and was mindlessly scrolling through his phone while Makarov picked up a newspaper Laxus had brought a few days prior. It was an enjoyable few moments, reminding Laxus of when he and his grandfather lived together. They would often spend time like this, doing completely different things but spending time with one another non the less.

Upon hearing the news-stations signature jingle that accompanied the beginning and end of the sports section, Laxus glanced up towards the TV. Had they really been talking about sports all that time? They really were struggling to fill the time. Even now, the two hosts were talking to each other as if they were on a morning chat show.

"And now onto something I'm sure all our German viewers will already know." The younger, female host said as she smiled at the camera. It was almost convincing; Laxus had to wonder if she was satisfied reading this filler when she intended to be a journalist.

"Indeed." The elder gentleman continued, also smiling. "Today, Germany is going to be celebrating its own version of thanksgiving: Erntedankfest." Laxus had to wonder if the show's German audience would appreciate one of their national holidays being directly compared to an American one. "It's a celebration that's thought to go back over a thousand years and originated as a way to give thanks for the harvest."

"And where better to learn more about this holiday than Hamburg?" The woman spoke up again. "So, we can go over to our German foreign correspondent, Sophia Dr-"

Laxus had picked up the remote control and switched off the TV, ignoring the glance he got from Makarov as he placed it down with a slight amount of force. He began to look down at his phone again, scrolling through his twitter feed as Makarov opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself. Laxus tried to ignore the obvious look of worry on his grandfather's face. He continued to scroll down on his phone.

Now without the sound of the TV, the silence between the room felt heavy and harsh. It didn't take long for Makarov to shut the newspaper and place it on the sofa beside the contract. He stood up and looked to Laxus, who placed his phone down and looked back at him expectantly.

"You know where the shitter is if you want it."

"Actually, I think it's about time I head home." Makarov smiled, walking to the coat hangers that were beside the door. Laxus stood up and unhooked both his grandfather's coat and scarf, handing them both to Makarov. "Well then, I hope everything goes well with your job, I'm sure it'll pay off for you. He seemed like an honest young man, so I don't think you've got any reason to worry. So just have fun, I suppose."

He smiled as he shrugged on his coat and wrapped his scarf around his neck. Laxus opened the door and leant on it, looking down at his grandfather as he adjusted his coat in the mirror. Why the old man was so conscious of his looks, Laxus didn't know. It wasn't like he had anyone to impress. At least, Laxus certainly hoped not. Thinking that your parents have sex was bad enough, let alone your grandparents.

"Well, I'll see you soon. As long as I don't die first." Makarov cackled, spouting off the joke Laxus had gotten used to. "Seriously though, if you ever need anything from me, you just need to-"

"I know, I know." Laxus said, lacking the hostility that would normally sneak into his voice when Makarov offered him money. "Now go home. I could have someone coming over, don't want you ruining my image."

"Hah! I doubt I'll live to see the day when you have any kind of guest in this place." Makarov grinned, walking through the door and turning to Laxus. "See ya, brat."

"Later, old man." Laxus grinned. "Don't break a hip on the way down."

Laxus closed the door to his apartment, clicking his tongue as he looked around. It suddenly felt incredibly quiet. He picked up the plate from the floor and placed it in the sink, filling it with lukewarm water and dish soap. He also turned on the small, slightly tinny radio that he kept by his sink. He tapped his fingers against the kitchen countertop along to whatever song was playing as the sink slowly filled with soapy water.

The tapping soon got boring, so he walked around the room and picked up any stray piece of cutlery and crockery that he had left out for whatever reason and placed them in the sink. He then picked up his phone and continued to scroll down his twitter feed. There was nothing really interesting on it, as normal, but it was at least something to do while he waited.

As he reached to the faucet and turned it off before the sink became too filled up with water, his phone buzzed and lit up with a text. He glanced down at it as he plunged a hand into the water, seeing Freed's name appear at the top beside a text. He opened it before both his hands were wet.

From: Freed (Job)

Sorry to disturb you, I'm sure you're still speaking with your grandfather, but I just wanted to make sure you know I won't take your acceptance of the job to be a definite decision. So, don't worry.

Also, if you're still undecided about whether you should take the job, may I suggest that, sometime in the week, you can try driving my car. Perhaps it'll sway your decision slightly. I'm free all week, so if you wish to try it out you can pick any time you want.

I might take a little time to reply, as I'm still part way through my workout but please reply as soon as you're ready.

Thanks, Freed J.

Laxus grinned slightly at the invitation, finishing washing the plate he had picked up and placing it on the draining board beside the sink. He flicked the water off his hands and dried them on a nearby towel, picking up his phone and sending a quick reply.

To: Freed (Job)

Hey. That sounds great. Tell me if I need to do anything to get insured on it or whatever. and I dont have anything planned either so I guess we can talk about what say is best for us both. And don't worry about texting back now. If anyone knows how annoying it is to be interrupted when doing a workout its me. See you in a couple days I guess

The blonde placed his phone back down and continued to wash the dishes, silently wondering why he had added the last part of the text. He could have easily said Freed didn't need to worry about replying immediately and ended the text there, but he added a personal aspect to it. Maybe Makarov's teasing about him never having anyone around had affected him somewhat.

But that didn't matter. Sometime in the week, Laxus was going to take Freed's car out. The two of them driving through the city for the first time. The first time of many. And it sent an excited, inexplicable chill down his spine as a smile snuck onto his face.

[astudyinimagination]

third Obi-Wan & Mara chapter

New chapter at last! I'm afraid, tho, this chapter is a tiny bit filler-ish. I'm not thrilled with it, but I want to get it out there, especially with everybody eager to see more. Hope you enjoy!

FFN || AO3

Chapter 3: Ethics and Logistics

Obi-Wan very quickly realized that there would be logistical problems to housing anyone else in his small house, let alone a child who owned nothing other than the clothes on her back. Clothing was a good start; until he went in to Anchorhead to buy her some new clothes, she would have to make due with his tunics, which fit like much-too-wide dresses on her. He would have to buy more food, too, which meant spending more money… no, leave those thoughts for the morning. There will be time in the morning.

And tonight, he would be sleeping on the floor, as there was only one bed.

“I can sleep on the floor,” Mara protested. “I don’t mind.”

“My dear, I have slept in far worse places than on the floor of my own house, I assure you.” The bed was none too comfortable anyway, as she’d soon discover.

Mara sighed in resignation and gingerly touched her red face. “Ow.” On the way home, the suns had burned her very pale skin, but she hadn’t begun to feel the effects until after supper.

“You can use the sonic shower—” he nodded at the closet-sized refresher in the back corner of the house—“and I believe I have some cream for that burn; we can do apply it after you shower.” She nodded. “And I have a tunic you can wear to bed; it will be big on you, but you can wear it until I clean your clothes. That is, if you want them to be cleaned, and not get so dirty that they stand up on their own.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, please. I’m not an urchin, Ben—I’m used to changing my clothes three times a day.”

“Yes, well, I’m afraid we don’t have that luxury here. In the morning, I should probably go out to Anchorhead and see about buying you some new clothes. That is, unless you want to wear those for the rest of your life.”

Mara shuddered and shook her head. “Yeah, no.”

Obi-Wan chuckled, and handed her the tunic. “I’ll go outside, and you can call when you’re done.” The house had partitions, but it was still all one room aside from the ‘fresher, and she’d hardly have room to dress herself in there.

“Thanks,” she said somewhat shyly.

He nodded, turned, and left the house, the door hissing shut behind him. Out here, Tatoo I and II hung low in the horizon, the desert that was mostly yellow and brown by day now bathed in orange and red. In the other direction, the moons were rising, crescent and pale. He took a deep breath of the blissfully cooling air.

I’m really doing this. I’m taking in a child. He smirked to himself. Qui-Gon must be so proud.

“I am,” said a deep, gravelly, infinitely-familiar voice behind him.

Unsurprised, Obi-Wan turned and raised an eyebrow at the transparent blue form of his departed Master, who was smiling warmly. “I was wondering when you’d turn up.”

“I thought it best not to alarm the child just yet.”

Obi-Wan snorted. “What do you know about her?”

“No more than you, Obi-Wan. Don’t forget that I’m not omniscient, not existing in the Force like this.”

Obi-Wan sighed. “I remember, I remember.”

Qui-Gon’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “You’d best watch your step, my old Padawan. That one is a firecracker. Once she feels safe and comfortable with you, you’ll have no end of trouble.”

Obi-Wan groaned. “...I thought you said that you’re not omniscient. How do you know she’ll stay?”

“I don’t know in any quantifiable way,” Qui-Gon shrugged, “but I do feel very strongly that she will.”

“Good,” Obi-Wan murmured. She was just a child, absolutely no older than Anakin had been when they’d first met. She needed someone to take care of her.

“And train her, if she wants it,” Qui-Gon added.

Obi-Wan frowned. “I wish you’d stop doing that. Reading my thoughts.”

The ghost chuckled. “I’m sorry. It’s just very easy.”

Ob-Wan rolled his eyes. “Go bother someone else. Go bother Anakin.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he wished he hadn’t said them. How could he have been so callous to his Master and the memory of his former Padawan?

Qui-Gon’s craggy face had creased further with pain. “I do,” he said softly. “He doesn’t listen. He doesn’t realize that I’m real, and not a dream.”

For a moment, Obi-Wan’s heart hurt so much that he could have clawed it out of him just to stop the pain. “I’m sorry.”

Qui-Gon smiled sadly. “I’ll let you get back to your new charge. I’ll go ‘bother’ Yoda, instead.”

Obi-Wan smiled faintly for his master’s sake. “Please give him my regards.”

“Of course. Relax, young one, and trust the Force.” Qui-Gon’s image was already beginning to fade. “It is with you right now.”

The tunic turned out to be huge on Mara’s tiny frame. She seemed to enjoy it, however, all but nestling into its folds like luxuriating in a bathrobe. “I feel so clean,” she said happily. “I don’t even care that it wasn’t a real shower.”

Obi-Wan chuckled. “I’m afraid a real shower is too expensive on this planet.” He went to his small medicine cabinet for the skin cream, one he hadn’t needed to use in years as his skin had tanned enough to the point where it rarely burned anymore. He found the right tube and brought it out; Mara reached for it, but he said, “Allow me.”

And she did, taking a seat on the bench again and folding her hands in her lap. Obi-Wan leaned down and began to gently smear white cream on her hot, chapped skin. “That is an impressive burn you’ve got,” he teased.

She stuck her tongue out at him, and he chuckled. “I never got out much.”

Obi-Wan nodded, lightly running his finger down her small nose, making her squirm reflexively. “I’d imagine.”

“I’ve never had sunburn before in my life.” She sounded so offended that Obi-Wan couldn’t help chuckling again, and her resulting glare made him laugh harder. “You mock my pain,” she said flatly, and he realized she was deadpanning.

He made himself sober instantly. “I would never do such a thing,” he said solemnly.

She gave a slight laugh, and he smiled, basking in the warmth of the sound. He had lived alone for so long, after being a part of tight-knit communities—first the Jedi and then the GAR—all his life. And it felt so good to spend time with someone—anyone—without the secret of his being a Jedi between them.

She let him finish rubbing the cream, eyes closed in contentment, no doubt relieved at the cool freshness seeping into her skin. “Did you burn a lot when you first came here?”

“A little,” Obi-Wan admitted. “My skin eventually tanned enough that the suns hardly burn it anymore.”

Mara pouted. “Lucky.”

He chuckled and put away the cream. “There we go. That should help you heal overnight.”

“Thanks,” she murmured, giving him a small smile.

He returned it, heart warmed by the knowledge that, whatever Palpatine had done to her, he hadn’t stolen all her softness. “You’re most welcome.” He nodded at the bed, a shelf jutting out from the wall with a mattress atop it. “Are you ready for bed?”

She nodded and yawned. “I feel like I could sleep for a week.”

His smile softened. “Then get some sleep, little one. You’re safe tonight. And make sure to wrap up well with the blankets; the nights are cold.”

Obi-Wan was not a lucid dreamer, but he could almost always distinguish his dreams from reality, and he had had versions of this dream many times.

Ahsoka had never left the Temple, never been accused of being a terrorist in the first place. She was a Knight now, and might take on a Padawan of her own soon, being much better and more experienced with children at as a young adult than Obi-Wan had ever been.

The Temple had never fallen. Anakin had never Fallen. Darth Sidious had been defeated, and Order 66 was a bad dream that had never come to pass.

Anakin was still a Jedi but openly married now. In the logic of dreams, that was never properly explained; Obi-Wan just accepted it. It was easy to, seeing how happy and Light it made his old Padawan… seeing Padme alive and happy again. Her heart had never been broken. She had served as Chancellor for the term after Palpatine, and then Bail Organa had been elected after, leaving her with much more time to raise the young, good-natured hellspawn that were Luke and Leia. The twins were running around the Room of a Thousand Fountains, and Anakin and Obi-Wan were lounging on a bench, watching them while Padme was off on some errand or other, no longer a Senator or Chancellor but instead the director of a relief program for victims of the Clone Wars.

“I don’t know how you ever managed me, Obi-Wan,” Anakin said wearily. “They’re exhausting.”

Obi-Wan snickered. “What goes around, comes around.”

Anakin groaned and sighed. “What about you?” he said after a pause.

“What about me?”

“You could take on another Padawan. It’s been—what? Thirteen years? Fourteen? You have to have recovered from me by now.”

“Sadly, I do believe the trauma has scarred me for life.”

Anakin snorted lightly. “You could take on the little redheaded girl. What’s her name… Mara.” Obi-Wan started, nearly jerking himself out of the dream, which had lulled, by now, his grasp on reality. “Always hanging out with the twins,” Anakin continued, unperturbed by Obi-Wan’s reaction. “She seems like she’d be a good fit for you.”

Obi-Wan looked, and, sure enough, there was a flash of red-gold hair and a pale face, running around with Luke and the less-defined image of Leia (who looked exactly like a young Padme when she stood still, though Obi-Wan somehow felt sure that image wasn’t correct). “A good fit?”

Anakin shrugged. “She reminds me of you. Pragmatic, sarcastic, stubborn…” Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and elbowed Anakin in the arm, and the younger man doubled over giggling. Giggling. One would have thought a grown man and father would have picked up some dignity by now.

“I don’t know,” Obi-Wan sighed. “I… did not do so well with you. I would not like to give a repeat performance.”

Out of the corner of his eye, the image of Anakin flashed. Flashed into the form of the man—the thing—who’d replaced him. The black helmet and ensemble that he had only seen in HoloNet images.

“You can’t do better,” Anakin said quietly, “if you don’t know what you did wrong in the first place.”

Obi-Wan woke feeling more stiff and sore than usual, and why was he on the floor—oh. On the bed above him, a small form was snuggled up inside the blankets. Sighing, he cast aside his spare blanket and pushed himself up with difficulty; apparently, he was not as young as he once was. A glance at his chrono told him it was well after sunrise, and Mara showed no signs of waking. Well, he’d leave her to her sleep and see about fixing breakfast.

The kitchen light did not disturb her, nor did the sounds of his making tea or cereal. By the time, though, he had finished eating, she was beginning to stir. “Good morning, Mara,” he said genially.

She jerked upright in bed, eyes wide, body tense, then relaxed as memory came to her. “Morning,” she said sheepishly, stretching and pushing the blankets off her.

“Did you sleep well?”

Mara padded slowly into the kitchen, yawned, and nodded. “I don’t think I’ve slept that deeply since Imperial Center.”

“Coruscant,” Obi-Wan corrected with a twinkle in his eye. He got up and handed her a bowl and the cereal box.

“Insurgent,” she grumbled, lips twitching.

Obi-Wan chuckled, also producing a cup of water for her.

“Thanks,” she said softly.

“You’re welcome. I’m afraid, however, I don’t have anything for you to amuse yourself with while I’m gone; not unless you’re willing to read my notes.”

“Your notes?” Mara said around bites of cereal.

“I’ve been writing down notes for the past few years about the Jedi Order,” Obi-Wan explained. He’d been thinking about it in the silence before Mara had awoken; he had written down no secrets that he felt he couldn’t share with her. “What the Temple was like, what the Order was like, the lessons we taught and the philosophies we held, how to build a lightsaber, what individual members were like…”

“Anything that you can remember,” she murmured.

He nodded, a lump having risen inconveniently in his throat.

She frowned. “You’d be willing to share that with me?”

He shrugged and smiled faintly. “Can’t very well have you sitting here in boredom for hours.”

She smiled fleetingly. “Yeah, I guess.”

It was his turn to frown. “Mara, is something wrong?”

She shook her head slowly; he could see her try and discard different ways to say whatever it was she was thinking. “I still don’t understand why you’re doing all this for me,” she said at last.

Ah. “Because you need help,” Obi-Wan said gently. “Because it’s the right thing to do.” Her face twisted—oh, a misstep. Of course she would have been raised with a very different set of ethics. “Because it’s… kind.” She looked up, brow furrowed. “And everyone needs a little kindness in their lives.”

She seemed to turn that over in her head. “You must have made a very bad Jedi,” she said after a minute, clearly trying to lighten the mood.

He couldn’t respond in kind. “I’m afraid I was a very good Jedi,” he said, rising from his chair to prepare for the trip. “And that was probably the problem.”