Deep in Solomon’s Mine

[Jaron Lesan]

He smirked. Jaron knew what she had said contained a double meaning, and he took both as truth. The more she played back with the banter the closer he came to accepting the truth he loved her. Jaron could in no way survive with someone who was not playful, and Dianah was playful enough for many lifetimes. Regardless if she would have been behind the door, Jaron had made his choice, and if it was not her and what he had seen was no longer his future, Jaron didn’t care. Any future without Dianah was not one he wanted, not after the past couple of days at least. Their evening activities may have lacked a gentle and loving quality to this point, but even in the robust and aggressive nature Jaron knew... he wanted for no one else.

Even when she was tossing his kitchen...

“Wha... you better... wait that’s... you can’t...”

It was a futile effort. They were clearly together as she took the freedom to make the ship as much hers as it was his. Pretty soon she would be changing more than his wardrobe, and he wouldn’t have any room to protest. Jaron found that he didn’t really want to. A soft smile came to his lips as she produced something that looked... well... inedible, but when did freeze dried and add water anything look like it was meant to be eaten.

He laughed that she couldn’t remember what was what, but he tried them anyway.

“Okay, not bad, but remind me next time you want something that resembles a legitimate date... you make me take you somewhere fancy and nice. I can afford it.”

There it was, another hint to his past. It seemed the more time they spent in the bedroom the more loose Jaron’s lips were about his background. In a way it made him fickle, but his guard was not completely down with her yet, even if she had taken residence in the void that had once been in his heart.

He dabbed a bit of the pudding and plopped it on her nose.

“What would I have ever done if you hadn’t shown up for that mission on Arbra, hmmmm? You might break the stoicism in me yet.”

Jaron grabbed the containers and put them in the day pack. It was time for this picnic, and to get that rainbow gem.

[member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"]

 

[Darth Miseria]

Her eyes grew wide and expectant when he tried the food. It was the first time she had cooked for anyone in a long time. With better ingredients and a proper kitchen she might have been able to do a little better but still, the sentiment remained. At his comment she rolled her eyes up sarcastically. Her finger poked at him playfully in the chest and she flashed him a sly smile.

'Not bad? A goddess cooks you food and you say not bad? You're slacking, cyar'ika.'

The idea of a real date sounded so wonderful she let out a small squeal of delight. It had only occurred to her that they hadn't spent any real time together. At least not without the pressures of the Confederacy or some other goal in mind. So the idea of getting Jaron to sit still in a fancy restaurant for a few hours, maybe dressed in something other than black, felt like the perfect plan. She still didn't let the glimpse into his past skip by her notice though. But, money had never been a factor in a relationship for her because she had enough of her own already. But in Dianah's mind a picture of his history was being painted, slowly but surely. Each time he mentioned it another part was added.

'You'll have to do more than just resemble a real date. I want to be swept off my feet and spoilt rotten. And I do wonder how you'd look in a suit...'

The pink blob stuck to her skin in an uncomfortable way. She couldn't help but laugh though. It was high and sweet and filled with a childlike playfulness. Her nose twitched softly and created delicate creases on its bridge. In one graceful move she wiped it clean and spread it straight over Jaron's pitch black t-shirt. It shone bright against his dull colour scheme.

'There... a little colour to my miserable man.'

By now the term miserable didn't really mean he was miserable. It had become more of a pet name. Still, she knew that from the moment they had met, Jaron had begun a slow journey up from the solemn man he once was. She closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his waist to smile up at him.

'I think I already have.'

She pressed a firm kiss onto his lips and then took his hand to pull him toward the ship's ramp. She could already feel the blistering heat of the morning sun seeping slowly through the open doors. In front of them stretched a lush green forest with trees that stretched so high it was hard to see where they ended. It would be the perfect place to have their hastily prepared picnic. With no time to lose, and with Jaron in tow, Dianah set them off on another adventure.

[member=Jaron Lesan]

 

[Jaron Lesan]

"Not just a goddess, my dear... but MY goddess. And who said anything about slacking... you weren't a few hours ago..."

That was going to earn him a bit of her ire and playfulness in return, but why not remind her that he worshiped every part of her. She truly was divine, and needed to be reminded of it often. At least there was a kiss to lean into, and if Dianah was not careful, Jaron was going to make the kitchen even more of a mess than what it was, and they still would not be any closer to enjoying their picnic. Instead she grabbed his hand and pulled him off toward yet another adventure.

This time the setting was more similar to Arbra than Dantooine, though rather than look for a cave, they would find a nice quiet spot in the woods to enjoy their food, or find the gem first. Jaron had no idea what he was looking for other than what the holonet had described. It was a fool's errand for them both as they had never been there before. The thought made Jaron chuckle. Here they were traipsing across the galaxy looking for things they did not need, save for the one crystal Jaron was going to use to build the replacement for his lightsaber, and they were acting as if it were theirs to command.

It was, and it would be.

He breathed in the fresh air, and let out a long sigh, content that it was not the recycled air of his ship. It was was different, not as stale, and certainly felt invigorating. There was sound of a waterfall in the distance, which meant a river, and the smell of it seemed to waft near them, meaning it was close.

Jaron tugged on Dianah's hand.

"Here... this way... can you hear it?"

He pulled her along through the thick and lush trees until they came to a small opening just in front of a hidden waterfall. A smile pulled at his lips as he dropped the day pack. Not only was the small area gorgeous, at the bottom of the pool, Jaron could see what looked like the rainbow gems they were looking for. It mean they were going for a swim. Tossing his shirt at Dianah, Jaron laughed and dove right in.

[member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"]

 

[Darth Miseria]

She could hear it. The soft tinkle of water against water. Before she knew what was happening he had pulled her toward the euphonious sound. It wasn't a long walk and as they grew nearer the sound got louder. Behind a thick hanging bush of ivy the stunning waterfall came into view.

The early morning sun danced fractions of light across the cool, tempting water. Underneath the crystal clear pool shone the bright rainbow flashes of the gems, it seemed they had killed two birds with one stone. In the distance the soft tweet of a million different birds added to the atmosphere and reminded Dianah of a holofilm she had once seen. They couldn't have found a more perfect place if they tried. Dianah was all but lost in the beauty of nature when Jaron's shirt smacked her in the face. She grinned wide and unabashed. If he thought he had any resemblance of his serious nature left he would be dead wrong. Nobody in their right mind goes jumping into a strange pool on a strange planet without checking it out first. Save for Jaron and Dianah.

Dianah struggled to remove her armour as quickly as she could. He was ahead of her and that wouldn't do. The chill of the water against the warm skies sent a shiver through her body and brought goose-pimples to the top of her skin. Still, the water was refreshing. She turned slowly against the splash of the waterfall to face Jaron. There was no denying what she was going to do next, it was only natural of her. A large splash of the clear water came flying in his direction, followed by one of her trademark laughs.

She swam over to him with a hungry look in her eyes. Her arms and legs tangled around his torso and she lent in for a passionate kiss. But she didn't stay there for long.

The shine of the rainbow gems below them grabbed her attention next. She couldn't tell how deep the pool was from here, but that wouldn't be a problem for her. Dianah was more worried about how Jaron would manage if it was as far down as it looked.

'I wonder, how long you can hold your breath?'

On cue, and with her dramatic flair, she sunk down completely into the water. The skin on her neck strained with the effort of creating something from memory. Dianah remembered her Father making her practice this one particular trick. Over and over and over. It was handy to have though, it meant she could breath under water without the need of a re-breather. Fully formed gills now sat on the soft curves of her neck. In her mind she idly wondered what Jaron would make of them. There was no chance he had seen the gruesome changing process but the idea of her diving down completely normal and returning half fish did seem like a shocking one.

When she returned to the air above her hair clung in thick clumps to her face. She sprayed a light fountain of water from her pursed lips and sank back to float on the surface. Whilst she was skin-shifting she had managed to get a feel for the size of the pool.

'It's a long way down.'

[member=Jaron Lesan]

 

[Jaron Lesan]

Jaron was fully in his shorts by the time he leapt into the water. He had a fresh start, yes, and the splash he made would have disturbed whatever wildlife was swimming in the pool. Of course for all he knew there was some kind of vicious predator with large teeth waiting to eat them. However, Jaron was more than confident that with how clear the water was, they would have seen it. No, for once, this was a pool he could jump in without fear of what creature wanted to kill him. It felt good.

The water was instantly relaxing. Whatever tension had been in his muscles were gone. His eyes fixed on Dianah as she peeled her armor off and got into the water herself. If there were ever a moment she looked like a goddess it was now, with the waterfall cascading around her form. The splash she sent his way ruined it of course, but the image would forever be locked in his mind, as would be the kiss she placed on his lips. How was it that each kiss contained even more passion than the previous. Jaron would never tire of this.

The glow of the gems drew her away however, and she changed as she dropped into the water, but not without giving him a challenge.

WIth a soft chuckle, Jaron closed his eyes and manipulated the water around him with the force. As he let his body sink below the surface, an air bubble formed around his head, sizeable enough to let him breath without fear of losing his breath. There was oxygen in water after all. When he caught Dianah's gaze he gave her a wink. It seemed Jaron was never out of tricks, and neither was she. Gills, they would come in handy for many things, as would the fact she could change whenever she wished it. Jaron had many ideas for that gift, many that would only make her a better scout, and if she wished it... a lethal assassin.

"So it is deep," his mind projected to hers. "Any of the gems calling to you, my goddess?"

If he was miserable, she would always be his goddess. While he was nothing close to the stoic she had first met, Jaron relished in the name she had chosen to call him by. His was not that original, and yet it was. Both were born of their banter, and Jaron would have it no other way. A goddess of beauty and death, that is what she would always be to him. There was a dark beauty to her, something that would be lost if she were not Sith. It was not to be mistaken, despite the love she offered, and the kindness Jaron received from her, Dianah was passionately violent when she needed to be. Jaron would not have her any other way.

[member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"]

 

[Darth Miseria]

The bubble of force enveloped his head in an impressive display of force. He was so very clever. Dianah was often so wrapped up in his doting favour that she often forgot to look deeply at the man within. There was so much more about him she had yet to learn and she was excited for every moment of it. It only made their future seem brighter. After all, it was definitely their future now. Dianah could see no other way about it. Even the far off thought of having children, something she had never thought about up to now, scared her a little less.

Dianah was even more graceful underwater than she was on land. Her body moved freely and quickly, curving with the soft waves the waterfall made. If it were any other life she'd have been a mermaid. His voice rang out in her head and she turned to face him. She didn't say a word. Mostly because she had no idea how to do what he was doing. Instead, she gestured with her fingers for him to follow.

The same deep call that she felt back on Dantooine in the crystal caves was pulling at her now. It covered every nerve she had with a soft tugging sensation. Her legs kicked out against the resistance the water created. It propelled her down into the deep depths of the pool. If it weren't for the luminescent glow the gems provided it would be nearly pitch black down at the bottom. The curious creatures they had startled away with their rude interruption swam slowly along a yellow sand floor. They weaved in and out among the lush kelp that grew fast from the ground.

A gem hummed its sweet song underneath her feet. It sat nestled neatly between two black rocks. From up close she could see what the holonet meant when it said they were almost sentient. It pulsed softly, creating small bubbles of air that floated to the surface.

Dianah turned her head to Jaron and pointed with one finger, she accompanied this with a cute smile and a pleading look that could have only meant one thing.

"That one, please."

[member=Jaron Lesan]

 

[Jaron Lesan]

Jaron already had to admit that he had to stand corrected. Where he thought Dianah could not look any more a goddess than she did in the waterfall, she was even moreso under the water. He remained where he was for a moment, admiring her, taking in the elegance of her moments. It was all so natural, even more than when she danced about with her lightsaber in hand. There was a proud and unmistakable surprised look in Jaron’s smile.

Dianah was certainly his goddess and that fact astounded him.

He swam after her, without any answer. She must not have been taught any kind of projective telepathy or mind trick. Jaron added it to the list of skills she needed to know. He didn’t know who her master was, but their future was at stake now. Training her to be the best would mean protecting that future. Dianah was greatly skilled in many ways Jaron would never be, but there also ways she needed to be as strong as he was. He would never admit it to her face, not yet anyway, but she had the potential to be the greatest Lordess the galaxy would ever see.

His eyes followed her finger to the crystal she had identified. It was living, or as close to living as it could be. The gems were truly remarkable, especially set against the black rocks as it’s backdrop. It was such a beautiful scene Jaron hated to defile it, but Dianah wanted it, and it wanted her. There was nothing he would not do for Dianah, Jaron already knew it, and it was likely she knew it as well.

Jaron had left his knife on the surface. Another skill would be revealed. Shatterpoint, some called it resonate, but Jaron knew of only one way to free the gem. His mind focused on the weaknesses within the black rocks themselves. Once they were identified he simply placed a hand on each and watched as they turned to dust right in front of him. The particles floated away as the gem sank to the sandy floor. Jaron caught it in his hand and placed into Dianah’s hand.

A small smile was offered as he turned to head back to the surface. He had no need for another gem.

[member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"]

 

[Darth Miseria]

Dianah watched the speckles of dust drift off and become one with the water. If she hadn't known for a fact that they had been solid rock moments earlier she wouldn't have even turned her head at it. But they were as solid as rocks came, so the powerful force move impressed her mightily. She smiled to herself at the wicked ways this particular display could be used for. It seemed her armour of brutal violence was growing stronger by the minute. Whether Jaron knew it or not, every little thin he did or showed her made the darkness grow. He was her shadow that cast her into the black depths of lust, passion and power.

Defiling beautiful things might not have been Jaron's thing but he was forgetting, he had defiled her. Even with the mystical scene having a natural aesthetic to it, Dianah knew he wouldn't and couldn't say no to her. He wasn't just part of their game anymore. He was hers. Totally and completely and without question. That meant he would do whatever she asked, so long as she asked nicely. Fortunately she knew exactly how to ask Jaron for things. He spoilt her often and she lapped up every minute of it, returning it whenever and however she could.

The crystal fit neatly into her hand. The electric buzz of it sent her whole body into a powerful shudder. Its dim light changed from red to green to yellow to blue and then began to repeat the cycle again. In the depths of the clear water, she held the gem up to her face with an eager smile. It felt different to what she expected. Dianah had expected it to be squishy and lifelike but instead it was almost as solid as the stone it used to cling too. Every so often all the colours would melt together and form a unique looking rainbow underneath the gem's semi-opaque skin.

When she finally drew her eyes from the crystal Jaron was already half way to the surface. She watched him push and kick himself up toward the bright blue sky above. For a moment all she could think about was how perfect the day had been so far. Dianah wished it would never end.

Her face broke the surface of the water first, the rest of her followed shortly after. The hot sun crept along parts of her skin that were exposed to open air. Dianah lifted herself from the pool and lay back on the soft grass. There was no point trying to put her armour back on while she was soaking wet. The leather would only tighten painfully around her. It seemed she wouldn't need anything to dry herself off, the heat was doing it for her. In the bright light the crystals glow seemed even more dim.

'Do you think it will brighten up once we put it in a lightsaber? It looked so shiny down there...' She mused as she turned the gem over in her fingers. 'Or, is it too good for a lightsaber? I feel like it needs to be in something special.'

[member=Jaron Lesan]

 

[Jaron Lesan]

The more of the morning that passed, the hotter the day became. There was certainly no need for towels as the hot sun would be enough to dry them off, and fairly quickly. For his own part Jaron was more than comfortable with laying in the grass in nothing but his shorts and letting the warm rays of the sun wash all over his body. It was likely that he was a bit more pale than he realized as he had been living in a rock for some time, but he didn't care. It was beautiful outside, and he was a with a beautiful woman, one he would would do anything for.

She lay next to him, looking at the crystal in her hand. It was not as bright in the sunlight, but that did not take away from the magnificence of it. Dianah wanted to know if it would brighten up inside a lightsaber, and Jaron shrugged. "I suppose it will," he added not really knowing the right answer to her question. "I wouldn't be concerned about it, and you do not need to use it right away. Something will come to you, and when it does... you will know exactly what you're meant to do with it."

Jaron was also saying that to himself as much as Dianah. He still had no idea what he would do with the other crystals that had broken off with the one he wanted. Perhaps he already knew somewhere, and that was the thing, if he let the force guide him, then it would just happen. He was more determined than ever to lock himself away and use the force to construct whatever it was that would come from these crystals. Perhaps Vyrassu would give him access to a forge, if anyone knew the value of the old ways, it would be that Sith. Jaron had always felt something ancient about him in their previous encounters.

He let out a contented sigh as he turned his head to look at Dianah. Once again he found himself admiring her. His eyes were fixated on her and there was no turning away for long. Every glance turned into another one. He had already admitted he belonged to her, and there was not any intention on his part to ever change that. Rolling onto his side, he finally began to run his hands through her wet curls, giving attention most to her hairline, temple, and cheek. He kept his gaze settled on her for a time before placing a kiss on her lips.

"The gem will never hold a standard to you no matter what you do with it. You are by far the most beautiful thing in the universe."

The day pack floated over to them, the one containing the food. She had her crystal and it was time for their picnic. In all of their running around this was the first time they had stopped to simply enjoy each other, and spend time together aside from what the bedroom could offer. Yes, it was still related to some mission or task they were on, but it was still on their time. The pause would be worth it, and she was still a mystery in some ways. Jaron wanted to peel back the layers of her past as much she wanted to know his. There was only one way... he had to ask.

"So... what's it like being the daughter of Darth Metus? Is it as grand as it sounds?"

[member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"]

 

[Darth Miseria]

'Perhaps you're right. Everything reveals its true purpose at some point.'

Her voice was a hazy whisper brought on by the heat of the afternoon and the soft grass underneath. The gem sparkled and shone between her graceful fingers. Each turn she gave it caught the rays of sun and bounced broken fragments of rainbow colour all over her skin. There was something about it that hypnotised her. All those different colours swirling together in a cacophony of mystery originated from the semi-sentient life force she clutched in her hands. It was so strange that thinking about it too hard felt like trying to unravel a paradox. Confusing and impossible.

She barely noticed Jaron's gaze till the tip of his fingers stroked through her thick locks. Looking remarkably like a cat enjoying a good stroke Dianah tilted her head up to meet his touch. A content smile formed on her lips just as her eyes shut to enjoy the sensation further. There wasn't a single doubt in her mind that this was what she wanted. If every day could be like this there wouldn't be any need for the gem in her hands. She lifted up to kiss him back with a soft sigh in her throat. From here on out, no matter what happened between them, Dianah would always remember today.

A genuine blush appeared on her face at his words. It seemed he could call upon her modesty as he always knew exactly the right way to compliment her. She showered him with a smattering of kisses on any bare skin she could find.

'I don't know what to say. I think that might be the sweetest compliment I've ever heard.'

It was rare for her to be completely wordless. So rare in fact that she couldn't help but laugh at how suddenly it happened. For once she didn't feel like the loud mouthed Vi'Dreya. Instead she felt the all but unknown emotion of shyness mixed with flattered embarrassment. Luckily, the day bag saved her. Now that the food was right there in front of them Dianah found herself to be quite hungry. She dived in to pull out the weird looking concoction that had been prepared earlier. At his question the hint of a smile played on the corners of her lips. It was strange to think not much had been said of Metus or her family name, considering how infamous they both were. Usually she loathed it. She hated talking about their accomplishments and glory simply because she didn't quite have her own yet. But with Jaron it was completely different. She wanted him to know every little detail she could bring to mind.

'Well... In a way it was as grand as it sounds. But not always. There was lots of loneliness and fear as well.' She paused to take a spoonful of the brown coloured sludge, but not before offering it to him first. 'Metus is a scary guy when you don't know him well enough but the same can be said for when you do. It was always a little tense when you sat waiting for him to come home, wondering what kind of mood he'd be in. That never happened very often though, he was barely home. It feels silly to complaining about it. I was still spoilt rotten and taught beyond any regular schooling. I also have the name to help me when I'm in trouble.' She let out a heavy sigh. 'I just wish it was my first name and not my last.'

Dianah swirled one of her fingers into the pink pudding and then popped it into her mouth with a satisfied groan. Food always tasted better when the weather was warmer. She looked up at him with her big brown eyes. For the first time Dianah could see him in the blazing light of the sun. His pale complexion screamed of a life lived in doors but surprisingly she rather liked it. His eyes caught the light and gave her a small window into his true feelings for her. She was captivated from the moment her head moved. Before she got completely lost in the beauty of her miserable cyar'ika she decided to do a little unearthing of her own.

'What about you? I don't know much about your parents...'

[member=Jaron Lesan]

 

[Jaron Lesan]

Jaron could only imagine being the son of someone as powerful in the galaxy as Darth Metus was. Sure his father had his own reach, but not to the degree on infamy that Metus had certainly. Listening to Dianah talk about it made him recall what his life had been like for a long time. Jaron had grown up with family, but it was not always his parents. In fact, Jaron had spent more time with his uncle than his own father. It was a subject Jaron did not talk about with anyone, but here Dianah had asked, and he could never deny her anything.

He used the food he was eating to buy himself some time. Jaron felt a bit guilty that he was delaying his answer when she had indulged his curiosity. The truth was, Jaron was not sure he could give her any answer that would quell any curiosity as to what his parents were like.

A sigh was his initial response once the glob of food he had been eating was gone,

"I don't really know what to say. My dad is a businessman, Capitol Shipping. Don't let the name fool you, he go out of the shipping business a long time ago and turned to military contracts. He has made a fortune off of war and helping people kill each other with the best tech money can buy. He was rarely ever home, so it was me and my mom for a while. She was this fiery redheaded Mandalorian that would kill you if you looked at her wrong. The woman was tough as nails, but loved so deeply. For all my dad's faults that was one thing... he loved her as much as she loved him, right up until the day she died. When I was... what... 12 or so... they sent me to love with my uncle because they didn't know how to deal with me. Neither of them were force sensitive."

Jaron sat up on his elbows and looked at Dianah.

"I never saw them much after that. I mean life day and all, but unless there was some fete or holiday that was it. Maybe that's when I learned what it meant to be alone. Even though my uncle and his wife... my cousin... they all welcomed me, made me feel like I was part of their family, they were not MY family. The people I love... things don't..."

That was all he was going to say in that moment. Wat was he going to do, tell the woman that he knew he was in love with that he was scared because up to this point in his life it always ended badly. The truth was Jaron feared losing Dianah as much as he loved her. Part of the reason he hadn't just told her how he felt about her yet was for that reason. Jaron wanted this to be different, and he wanted this to be it. He wanted Dianah to be the woman in his vision, and it scared him... though he didn't let it on.

"You know this stuff tastes even better..." he was trying to dodge what he was about to say, and just stopped. His eyes found hers. "Loss has always been the one constant in my life, Dianah, and I don't want it to be anymore. I think you know why... hope you know why..."

[member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"]

 

[Darth Miseria]

The silence stretched for a little longer than she expected. For a few moments Dianah thought she had asked the wrong question at the wrong time but his words come tumbling out after what Dianah thought was a very insightful sigh. He needed her to listen now and listen she would.

It was like someone had opened the doors into his mind and shown her round everything personally. Every choice he had made since fit into his history like a glove in a hand. Dianah wasn't surprised that he had chosen to live alone nor was she surprised he had such a miserable demeanour most of the time. Yet there was still something there. The flash of cheerful remembrance. The more he talked about his Mother the more Dianah loved the sound of her. It was slightly crushing to know she'd never get the chance to meet her. She could see the fondness in Jaron's eyes as well. It lit up his whole face with such emotion that she never thought him capable of. The back of her fingers found their way to his cheek and stroked softly along his jaw line. She gave him a sweet smile.

If there ever came a time when someone asked Dianah when she had fallen and truly given Jaron every ounce of her heart, it would be this one. In this moment, where he felt most open and afraid, Dianah couldn't have loved him harder if she tried.

'I do know why. I hope you know I feel the same. You won't lose me.'

The fingers on her hand found his with a gentle touch. Hoping it would reinforce her next words Dianah lent forward so her forehead touched against his.

'I promise you.'

Dianah swallowed the lump in her throat. Now felt like as good a time as any to share her real feelings, to say she really loved him. But the thought made her head spin and her stomach twist itself into knots. At first they were just words to her. The only time she'd heard them in this kind of light was from her Father to another one of his lovers. It never felt quite as real as this though. There was never any spark of true emotion like there was here. There wasn't any vision that showed them a future of all possibilities. It occurred to her that there was every chance she might not be the woman behind that door, but she so wanted it to be.

Still, the desperation and blind panic of a first love made her struggle to gain control of her breathing, she couldn't shake the feeling of wanting to scream it from the top of her lungs. But it felt far too soon, far too quick and far too scary. The last thing she wanted to do was scare him away. She bit her tongue and instead settled for draping herself over his chest. Her head nuzzled softly against the crook of his neck. Softly swaying fauna in the gentle breeze and the rhythmic breaths he took soothed her racing heart.

[member=Jaron Lesan]

 

[Jaron Lesan]

No one had ever known Jaron to be an open person, not even Jaron. That was why he was surprised how much of his life just seemed to come out as he spoke with Dianah. She just listened. Never once did she try and ask him to explain something any further than the information he gave. Dianah simply understood.

His eyes closed when her hand came to his stubbled cheek. It had been a few days since his last shave and his dark stubble was threatening a full beard. Her words to him landed on welcome and wanting ears. Jaron could not have any way of knowing how desperate he was to simply hear someone assure him of what he wanted, no, what he needed, to hear. None of this would change the fact Jaron Lesan was inclined toward the darkness. If anything it only pushed him further toward it. Dianah may have been bubbly and feminine around him, but he had also seen her in battle. She was as fierce and violent as she was anything else.

Jaron sighed again, this time it was though a weight had fallen off his shoulders.

'I do know why. I hope you know I feel the same. You won't lose me.'

Her forehead came to his. He breathed in her scent, made of the world around them and the water they had just been in. His eyes closed at her touch.

'I promise you.'

There was something else there, something she did not say, but Jaron could feel it. He would have said the words himself had he not thought it would scare her away to hear them. It was a foolish thought as everything she had said to him was laced with the sentiments and feelings that he shared. His lips took hers before she rest herself on his chest. Jaron laid back onto the grass and just looked up at the sky. Adept fingers moved through her curls once more. The silence between them was calming, but also filled with the tension of what neither of them could bring themselves to say.

One of them had to. The more Jaron thought about it, the more courage he seemed to have. While there were those who would argue about the timing, that it was too soon to say, Jaron didn't think so anymore. Timing was a fickle thing, and who was to say it wasn't right for this moment. Certainly it would be a while before Jaron would ever find a setting like this to share with Dianah, and even longer before neither of them were on some mission that kept them apart. She still had training, and Jaron still worked for Metus, and traveled with the Jen'ari. No, it wasn't too soon, in fact... there was more danger of it being to late.

"I love you, Dianah," he said still stroking her hair. His voice was soft and sure, and the statement was direct. There was emotion to it though, the same emotion which Dianah had just seen in his eyes just moments before. She would know it was true.

[member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"]

 

[Darth Miseria]

There it was.

Those three words turned her whole world upside down in the time it took for them to be said. It filled her eyes with tears that sparkled in the warm light despite the blissful smile on her face. She couldn't say why they were there. There was no sound reason for them to be brimming over and spreading across the expanse of his chest. For the first time in a long while her hectic mind came to a sudden halt. Nothing had ever come close to stopping her in her tracks before but this had stolen the air from her lungs.

Dianah so desperately wanted to keep his eye contact for as long as she could, but the tears felt silly. She wasn't upset or angry. She felt no embarrassment or distress. Maybe it was just the wave of pure relief she felt for the fact that he said it first. They had both been on the edge for so long but neither had wanted to jump. For her it was purely out of absurd nervousness but for him it was out of fear. It meant even more to her that he had pushed that fear aside to say it. Dianah buried her head into his chest and finally managed to sob out a reply.

'I love you too, Jaron.'

Even through her tears her voice was confident and full of life, as it always was. There was a high note to it that put a little perspective on just how happy she was. All the hard work she had done trying to calm her heart had been dashed to the wind. It now sounded and felt like a stampede of wild horses.

Dianah couldn't resist the alluring curves of his lips for long though and she soon find herself searching for them again. When they finally met it felt like all of the romantic stories she had ever read as a child merged into one. She felt like a goddess and a queen and it had all been by his hand. There was an intense passion between them that felt like a million volts of lightning coursing through her veins. Her fingers combed through his hair to pull him deeper into the kiss. In that moment it felt like nothing in the entire Galaxy could have separated them save from their lungs crying for air.

[member=Jaron Lesan]

 

[Jaron Lesan]

I love you too... four words that had Jaron frozen until he heard them.

A kiss was the only thing shared between them next, followed by another and another until they were both so desperate for air that they had to stop. There was no need for words anymore, only action. Jaron smiled and scooped Dianah up, not caring what it looked like or if she cared. For now there was one thing on his mind. They had told each other of their love, now Jaron was going to show it in other ways.

The loading ramp to the ship closed behind him as he carried her directly to where their morning had started, and as the door closed behind them, the intimacy and tenderness that had been missing from their encounters before was her present, as was the passion which only seemed to increase between them.

Jaron could not know the future they had, not yet, but he knew one thing... the vision he had was no longer what he wanted if Dianah was not the woman behind that door. Whether she was or wasn’t, Jaron had made his choice, and his choice was Dianah Vi’Dreya.

[member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"]