Growing

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Kurt very gently bit her finger in protest, smirking slightly. "I swear I won't get in any trouble."

The last time he'd come to Naboo Kurt had managed to avoid any damages or arrests, something he was secretly rather proud of. Of course that was discounting the two or three times before where he'd either gotten arrested or come close to it. He would have to try his very best not to let anything like that happen again, mostly because he figured if Jamie had to bail him out of jail she might just decide to let him stew over night as a lesson.

He smiled at her, reaching up and gently grabbing her hand to lower her finger away from his lips. He hung on to her gently, squeezing her palm.

"I promise." Kurt said. "I'm just going to look for a nice place to eat."

He thought for a moment. "And I won't touch any of your stuff."

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Several hours later Jamie had finished her daily obligations. So long as there were no emergencies or urgent messages that cropped up, the rest of the evening was hers. Beginning her walk back towards her own chambers after having met with her advisory council she retrieved her datapad from her pocket, opened her comm, and sent a quick message to Kurt letting him know that she was finished and on her way back to her room. In the message she also included something about having not touched her things or he would find himself in big trouble.

Also she was curious as to what he had decided on to eat. She was quite hungry, having skipped her lunch in anticipation of this date night he had planned.

"I'll see you in about ten minutes." She said, sending the message off before tucking the datapad back into her pocket and continuing on her walk.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Kurt had done exactly what he'd said he would do. The only time he had spent in Jamie's room had been to drop off his stuff...and to have a quick look at what his Queen actually lived in. Of course he'd followed his promise and touched nothing, tough he had squished his hand on the mattress of the bed a few times to see if it was actually as comfortable as it had looked.

Unsurprisingly, it had been.

After that Kurt had simply left his bag by one of the dressers, making sure that it was out of the way should Jamie need something from her room. What came next was a journey of exploration, three or four hours of simply walking around Theed. It had been an interesting time, and he'd managed to stay out of trouble throughout the whole thing, though once or twice he'd gotten a little close. Eventually however he'd managed to find his way back to the palace.

Somehow between where he'd been and the Palace itself he had managed to gather a small bouquet of flowers, though it's arrangement was anything but professional.

Her message had said she was heading back to her chambers, and thus instead of fumbling around the palace for the next twenty minutes or so he simply retraced the path he'd taken when heading out of the Palace. The Guards, thankfully, waved him through, and eventually he managed to make it back to Jamie's room just a minute or two after she had arrived there.

"Jamie?" He called out as he slowly opened the door, hiding the flowers behind his back.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The twenty or so minutes that Kurt had taken to arrive was only time enough for about half of her shower.

Jamie had returned earlier and immediately left a trail of clothing that led to her location. It wouldn't be hard for Kurt to find her. Upon entering he would hear the muffled sounds of water running near the washroom, her voice singing, and light music all blended together. If he was to take her out on some kind of dinner date, she was going to make well and sure that she looked more like his girlfriend and less like a public servant, if that were somehow possible.

No fancy makeup, no regal dress, and no overly stylized hairdo.

Just a fresh shower, bouncing curls, and her common clothes.It was much less of a sight than what had become the general standard, but she didn't like to make a scene whenever she went outside the palace.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Kurt peeked around the room for a moment, noticing a small trail of clothes that lead towards the Bathroom, or what he assumed to be the bathroom. For a second he considered picking up after her, but given the conversation they'd had just a short while ago regarding him messing with her clothes...he figured it was best not to invite any further suspicion upon himself.

Instead he carefully kicked off his shoes, putting them besides the door.

Being as sneaky as possible Kurt crossed the room, gently settling the flowers that he'd picked on a small dresser in the corner of the room. He had absolutely no idea what was in there, but he figured if she was showering she would probably need clothes and then she would see them. A small smile touched his face and he headed towards the bathroom door. He wanted to surprise her, though the sudden image of himself being thrown across the room by a naked Jamie stopped him.

"Honey?" He called out softly, just loud enough for her to hear.

Kurt smiled slightly as he opened the bathroom door, having started his own trail of clothes before he entered.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The instant that Kurt cracked the door to the room he would feel the sudden rush of humid air, as well as see the steam enveloping the smaller room, the mirror entirely shrouded by a fog.

Jamie's singing stopped, hearing Kurt call out to her upon opening the door to the bathroom. "I'm here!" She shouted before pulling back a small portion of the curtain, enough so that she could poke her head out. Dripping wet face and partially soapy golden hair appeared, smiling while she took him in. "I am almost done, I just need to finish this."

Finger pointed towards the lathered locks.

"But it looks to me like you are just starting."

She shook her head, smirk stretching across her features before ducking back behind the curtain.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

The warm humidity of the bathroom hit him like a truck, though there was a pleasantness to the sensation.

Water showers were rare on Tatooine, so rare in fact that only the richest of the rich could actually afford them in the first place. Kurt had used them before of course, but since he'd lived nearly twenty years of his life without them they were something he always marveled at. A small smile touched his lips as Jamie poked her head out of the shower, his eyes following the curve of her neck down to her bare shoulders.

Her joke caused a smirk to break out on his face. "Well."

The former Courier said as he crossed the space between the door and the bath tub, his boxers thrown onto the floor somewhere as he pulled back the curtain just slightly and stepped inside behind Jamie. His arms slipped around her, hands gently sailing across her belly as the warm water began to splash against him.

"You have a very stressful job." He told her, his arms gently pulling her against himself. "And as your boyfriend it's my job to relax you."

Kurt pressed a kiss against her neck, not paying attention to the soap now flowing down her skin. "So a little longer in the shower won't kill you."

 

[Jamie Pyne]

A thick fog had enveloped the entire room, spilling out from underneath the door to the living area beyond. The glass of both the window and mirror had long since fogged over, a layer of mist clinging to it. Jamie wrapped herself in a warm towel from the bin just beside the shower as she stepped out, handing one to Kurt immediately after. "Here." As she handed it off to Kurt he would feel the fabric notably warm due to the container it was kept in. Ever since Jamie had discovered these warmers, anywhere she went she tended to ensure one was installed. It helped to avoid the momentary frigid feeling of stepping out of a hot shower.

"So, did you think of anywhere we can go while you meandered around the city?"

He had been out a while, and there were quite a few places nearby, more so even the further one got from the palace.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Kurt wrapped the towel around his waist after gently running it over his hair and chest. The warmth of the cloth was rather nice, it reminded him of being in a hotel in a weird way. He smiled slightly as he took a step towards Jamie and gently grabbed her hips.

"I did." Naboo, Theed specifically was a place of and almost astounding amount of different cuisine. He supposed that he shouldn't have been too surprised given the generally friendly nature of the Naboo and planets state as a economic driving force, but Kurt had gone through nearly twenty restaurants before he'd finally selected one that he figured Jamie would like as much as he did. She was a Queen after all, they couldn't go about eating fried nerflings.

Well, not on their first night together.

"And." He gently kissed her nose. "I even reserved a table for us."

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"Wow. I am genuinely impressed Kurt Meyer." She smiled, placing her own hands atop his. "Avoiding city mischief, making dinner reservations, what's next? Are you going to tell me you've bought a dozen suits, are graduating from college, and opening a business?" Jamie giggled, pushing the man's hands away so that she could begin to dress herself. "So where are we going?"

A few places came to mind, though she was curious to see where he had gone, and what he had picked out.

"Or is it a surprise?"

She stepped out of the room and made way for the large walk through closet on the far end, opposite her bed, to look for a dress adequate for the evening.

"Would you consider this date to be semi-formal or a mingling of nobility event?"

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"It's a surprise."He smiled, feeling oddly proud of himself. Staying out of trouble had been easy enough, finding the restaurant and making reservations too. Theed was a big place, and the options it provided were really the only thing that had offered him any difficulty. "I certainly hope there won't be any mingling of nobility."

Kurt said with a grin.

"Though, I think you best wear something nice." The place he had chosen had appeared to be no more than a little hole in the wall, the kind of place that Kurt was naturally curious about. When he'd stepped inside however the spot had actually been quite nice. He'd asked to look at a menu, and everything seemed normal. He'd had no time to taste the food, but at the very least he'd seen a few others arranged around small, more intimate tables.

He watched her for a moment as she walked into a closet bigger than The Messa, considering for a moment.

Was now a good time? "And...funny you mention college."

Kurt had thought quite a bit about this since Kaile left, his time on Tatooine having been spent mostly contemplating about his life, where he was going, and what he actually had to offer Jamie. He frowned for a moment, following Jamie and leaning against the door frame of the closet. He didn't want her to accuse him of peeping.

"I was wondering..." He trailed off, more than a little embarrassed. "If you could maybe...help me get into..."

Kurt mumbled slightly, scratching his head. "University."

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Her fingers lingered on a hangar that held up a bright red fitted dress. Had she heard him correctly?

University?

The blonde leaned backwards, her head angled so that she could eye Kurt from within the closet space. Bright azure orbs studied him curiously for a few brief moments in silence.

"You are serious? College?" Jamie was somewhat confused, given that Kurt never seemed the type to attend higher learning. It just didn't seem his style. "Where, exactly, were you thinking of going?"

After all, there were quite literally millions of universities one could attend, depending on their preference, income, and status. "But I'll do whatever I can to help, certainly!"

With Kaile gone, and Jamie in her current position, perhaps Kurt felt as though he needed something to occupy his time with. What was that saying about idle hands? It would be good for him though, she thought, to learn a new trade, something he could apply himself to. If nothing else he could find himself a new line of work, outside of the courier business, without getting back into something dangerous like the surveying job that saw him in the middle of a warzone.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

He scratched the back of his head. "Yeah."

To say that he was slightly embarrassed about asking Jamie for help was a bit of an understatement. He knew that he couldn't get into any school on his own merits, much less a good one, and thus it was hard for him to actually ask for help. Pride was a funny thing that way, but he knew that this was what he needed to do.

For her, for himself, for their future.

"I don't want to take a step back..." Kurt began in explanation. "Kaile's gone, The Messa went with her, and If i want to be a Courier again I'd have to go into debt to buy another ship."

He really didn't want to do that, too much pressure. "I could race again I guess, but that's even more debt and there's no guarantee I would win."

Kurt paused for a second.

"Truth is, I know that you're...well...you're beautiful, smart, a Jedi, you run an entire planet! I'm just a stupid flyboy farmer from some backwater world." He peeked at her for a moment, smiling to show her he didn't meant anything bad by it. "I know you don't see it in a bad way, but I want to do something...more. Not just for me, but for our future."

Kurt knew that Jamie had money, that her family would always take care of her and that her own career meant she had more than enough wealth, but he didn't want to depend on her. More than that he wanted to show her that he was capable, that he had more than just good looks to offer. "I was thinking some place close to Naboo, and you know...not in Sith space. Eriadu U, or maybe Kalinda."

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"Kurt," She was about to reassure him that he didn't need to change anything about himself for her, though she realized in that moment that it wasn't that Kurt was trying to change for her, but for them. "I understand." She finally said. "Kaile is only gone for now, I'm sure she'll come back some day." That was more of a friendly reassurance. Jamie had no real idea what truly happened between the two of them, just what Kurt had filled her in on in general. But it was the least she could do to quell his fears on that end.

"But if you don't want to race, and you don't want to be a courier, if what you want is to study, to learn something new, I will happily support you in doing so." She placed her hands on his cheeks and kissed him. "Gosh, what kind of a person would I be if I didn't support you in this after all the things I've asked for your support in?"

Leaving home, becoming a Jedi, taking on dangerous missions, fighting Sith? Ruling Naboo!? And all he wants is to go to school. Of course she was going to support him.

"Wherever you want to go, I will do whatever it is you need to get it done. Credits, references, anything."

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Kurt smiled.

This had been a subject that a part of him hadn't really wanted to bring up. He'd thought that she'd find it silly, unnecessary, or one of a hundred things that weren't even really logical. The moment that she agreed however his arms wrapped around her, hand slipping from her hips to her back as he gently pulled her into a loving embrace. "Thank you."

This was something that mattered to him.

He knew that he couldn't spend his entire life being a pilot, he knew that he couldn't always race, and he knew that just flying around the galaxy being a courier just wasn't what Jamie deserved. Kurt didn't expect to become a professor or something like that, but he knew a little education could go a long way. All he wanted was to have something to start with, a fall back in case Jamie ever tired of politics. He knew that it would be hard, but he was willing to do the work.

The former Courier pulled back, smirking just a little bit.

Kurt still wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of taking money from her, but...well he'd pay her back someday.

"I think you better finish getting dressed." He told her with a soft kiss. "Otherwise we'll never get to dinner."

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"Right." She said with a nod, turning back to the closet filled in a U-Shape with a multitude of colors, organized haphazardly by what might be style, rather than color or occasion. Jamie had a strange way of organizing her things, and by organizing, most of the time that meant however her scatterbrain thought up in that moment. Somehow though, she always knew where everything was, even if it was painfully difficult for anyone else to grasp the logic behind her madness. "This okay?" She asked, turning to present a bright blue, pleated dress that clung to the hangar by its straps.

It was formal, but not regal. She wasn't looking to present a public speech to a crowd in the middle of a meal, but she did still like to look presentable.

"I can find something else, if not."

There certainly was no shortage of options.

"What do you think?"

She reached back, taking a more form fitted black dress from the opposite side of the closet and presenting the two to Kurt.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"The blue one." Kurt said with a smile.

The realization that Jamie had more clothes than Kurt did screwdrivers was something that had hit him a long time ago, probably right around the first time that he'd visited her at that training facility. It was something that he found more ludicrous than most anything else she did, in fact he wasn't entirely sure how she managed to actually dress herself every morning.

Jamie had to dig through a mountain just to find some pants.

"It's a good middle ground." Kurt hadn't chosen the fanciest place in all of Theed, he didn't have the taste for that sort of thing. What he had chosen was nice though, nice enough that he thought Jamie might even be a little impressed. He just hoped that she hadn't been there before. Sure she had lived here most of her life, but the courier assumed that she couldn't have visited every restaurant in the city during that time. At least he hoped so. "Don't think you'll need to wear a disguise?"

He teased with a smirk. "Someone might recognize the Queen of Naboo just running around."

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"Okay." She said, setting the black one back where she had taken it from. Pulling the small divider out from behind the doorway she now separated herself from Kurt so that she could easily change, and review her own appearance before presenting it to him. As she began to change she thought about the question for a moment and then briefly laughed, setting the towel over the top of the divider to hang. "A disguise?" She asked, "What for?" People were generally used to seeing her. While she was queen, she wasn't what most would consider a celebrity figure. The palace was an open forum to meet with the monarchy, making her readily accessible to most anyone with a need.

Jamie still frequented the markets in Theed, went shopping as she had as a teenager, did generally most of the same things she always had. Not much had changed in that regard.

Perhaps the novelty of seeing a public figure had worn off on the Naboo. It was common place for the most part.

"I think I'll be fine. I'm not very good at disguises, anyway."

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Kurt smiled for a second, though he didn't quite understand it. He of course had no idea how the Naboo monarchy actually worked. He knew that Jamie was elected, but beyond that he had sort of assumed that she was a Queen like any other. Generally that meant security, guards, and escorts wherever she went. If that wasn't true? Well then the two of them got to be alone.

He could appreciate that.

"Well okay then, Miss Pyne." The Courier smiled for a moment more, watching Jamie as she changed into her blue dress. He wondered briefly how it would be with him at school, though he supposed that would all depend on where he ended up going.

While she finished dressing Kurt dipped out of the closet and headed towards his bag, unfurling some nicer clothes of his own and quickly throwing them on.

The getup wasn't as extravagant as Jamie's, but a nice button up shirt and some pants that weren't all wrinkled and worn with age. "Ready yet?"

He called out to her as he began to button his shirt.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie knelt down towards the floor of the closet, pushing aside the longer garments that partially obscured the items behind before finding what she was looking for.

"Almost." She said, slipping her feet into a pair of glittery blue shoes that perfectly matched the shade of the dress.

Pushing back the divider she quickly stepped over towards a small box on her dresser, lifting the thing glass upwards and retrieving a few sparkling trinkets that she fixed around her neck and over her wrists. The final addition were a pair of small hoop earrings made of silver. For a brief moment she regarded herself in the mirror in front of her and then turned to Kurt. "Yes, ready!"

Stepping towards him she placed her hands on his chest and kissed him. "You look great."

[member="Kurt Meyer"]