Midnight Special

[Connor Harrison]

A little smug shrug to brush off her comment was all he needed to do. It had taken him a long time to assemble it, but he had to find a place away from the claustrophobia of Voss. He needed a place to be alone, and Sarkany was that place. Hell, it may have been torn down by now. One day he’d hopefully find out.

Watching her reactions; the tug of the mouth, the crinkle of the eyes, he kept stroking her feet delicately a but just sighed when she blasted his compliment. However, he didn’t flinch as she traced his scar.

It was one of the worst wounds he’d had, and nearly had reconstructive surgery to remove as much of it as possible, but as he had confirmed with Ara, the scar was a reminder. A lesson learnt. A part of him, and so he embraced it as others would have to.

"I’ve not run out of material at all,” he said in a low whisper, "I’m just biding my time.”

His right hand moved up from her foot to her calf and continued the patterns, eyes not leaving hers.

"Can’t give you everything so soon now, can I?”

It was hard for the mouth not to turn into another smile, but he managed to keep it a little more defined. A smile laced with a quiet confidence and total truth.

"And, you know my surname…do you have one, or is it simply, Ren?”

The fingers never stopped moving, gently squeezing.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

She traced his scar one last time. She tilted her head, meeting his gaze as she debated how to respond to his frank comment. The quiet confidence looked good on him, his eyes shining with conviction. She didn't keep her mouth from curling into a smile, approval shining in her eyes.

She leaned forward, lips just a hairsbreadth away from the scar beneath his eye. Turning, she matched his low tone.

"And what would Kaalia think if she heard you say that?"

She pulled away, lightly patting the side of his face before returning to her reclined position. This time, she stretched her feet out, laying them across his thighs.

A frown crossed her face as he asked about a surname, replaced quickly by a tense smile.

"Does one need a surname when they've broken from family? It's just Ara."

A knowing smile answered the second part of the question.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Her feet slipped from his hands, and that was that.

"I don’t know Kaalia, so to be honest, until I do, I don’t care.”

Sitting back, he moved for a second to let her feet come back to his thighs, and he happily resumed the idle patterns and gently stroking. It seemed the matter of family was important to this one, for not having directly mentioned her family – whomever they were – she made it quite clear she had…broken away.

"Just Ara. Ok.”

And now the Ren were obviously her one and only family.

That was a saddening thought in some ways, but not an unfamiliar one.

"The Silver Jedi were my family for over a decade. I moved from my home on Anaxes at a young age to study with the Republic, but that soon went wrong and I never returned to my home or Coruscant again. The Silvers took me in, helped me find a footing, blah blah blah. When it came to it, they stabbed me in the back and made me a pawn. They weren’t the family I needed.”

He stared at a shimmering piece of material on her dress in thought.

"You mention breaking away from family, and I’m not saying I understand to all of the extent you mean, but in some ways I do.”

Connor applied that reassuring squeeze once more.

"You’re not alone.”

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

She shook her head at his claim. He was bold, she'd give him that. Glancing at him sidelong, she wondered how he'd react even if he knew Kaalia. Even if the insulated relationship was just that, a lie conjured to put him off guard, to test he reactions, she wondered at his determination.

She sighed happily as he resumed the gently motions, enjoy the light touches more than she should. She would blame the alcohol, but it had long departed her system.

She cast him a sharp look at the mention of her homeworld. His sympathy brought a frown to her face and she quickly looked away. She didn't want pity, or sympathy from anyone, much less this ex-Jedi.

He shared his story so easily, and she kept everything so close to the chest. Sighing, she realized there was no reason to keep it a secret, who she was, had been once upon a time, was long dead.

"My mother was a dancer in the Urscru District on Coruscant when I was born. I don't know who my father was and I don't particularly care."

She paused, dropping one hand to idly play with the lace edge of her dress as she talked.

"Sometimes before I turned five, she'd found her salvation in a drug called Spice."

She raised an eyebrow, asking silently if he knew of it. Of course he did, it was a common drug in the slums.

"My earliest memories were scavenging for scrap to sell to support her drug habit. I only ate when I found enough to pay from the drugs first. I was a pawn to her, much as you were to the Jedi. I left home when I was old enough to survive on my own and have never looked back."

She held up a hand, meeting his eyes with a glare.

"If I see so much as an ounce of pity in those pretty eyes of yours, I will wipe the floor with you right here, in heels."

She glanced out the window at the city dominated by the powerful First Order. No, she wasn't alone.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

He listened and stroked her feet to both pleasure and comfort her. She was a tough nut to crack, and that was clear, but she was slowly giving some of her personal life to him and he silently appreciated it and just looked at her.

Fidgeting with the dress, frowning, looking away.

It was a sad story to hear, one she shouldn’t have had to tell. As his hands moved in tandem, his mouth went to speak, but she was quicker. How he wanted to express the regret he had for her, and the sympathy.

Instead, he looked at her and simply closed his eyes, said something inaudibly to himself, and then opened them.

"Done.”

Did he have to move soon and go? He was sure the light was starting to increase outside, he couldn’t be sure with the glare of warm light around them. It was the most content he’d been in…well, a long time.

"So just who is Kaalia anyway. She was that girl at the dance, wasn’t she…?”

A sly look out of the corner of his eyes drew to her, and he gave a wonderfully cheeky grin. Of course he couldn’t drop such a matter! All things were important. And should she be a smart-ass, his hands were just where he needed them to be.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

She raised an eyebrow at the muttered comment, silently asking what that was all about. She stared out at the city for a few moments, noting as he did, that it was getting late. Or would it be considered early at this point? Either way, at some point they would have to part ways. Although she knew they'd be in contact soon. She had a meeting with her master to arrange after all.

His voice drew her attention back to him, returning his cheeky grin with a sly one of her own. She shook her head and laughed. He was persistent, but she already knew that.

"You remember her, red-head? Taller than me by a few inches? Beautiful black dress? I picked it out by the way. No need to compliment my choice, I know it was perfect."

She winked at him, avoiding the real question behind the question.

"That is Kaalia."

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor made an audible sign of remembering, and clicked his finger. He knew the one, hanging around her side.

"Yes, I remember. I didn't take much notice of the dress though, not that one anyway.”

He tapped her feet, and sighed. With a nod of the head to the floor to ceiling windows, he gave her knowing look.

"I have this feeling I need to let you go. I can't keep you here forever as much as I'd like to, but morning is coming. Have you noticed we're the only ones in here now?”

Bar two waiters, probably morning staff to prepare for lunch, the lounge was empty. Lights were still on, and the atmosphere was still there because of the company alone.

Not that he had much to do, or places to go, but he at least had to respect the Disciple who had given him so much than she probably knew in so little time.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

She glanced around, noting the absence of other staff or guests. She shrugged lightly, pulling her feet away from his lap. She was used to late nights and a lack of other patrons in the bars she normally frequented. The lack of other bodies never bothered her and she honestly didn’t take notice, but he was right. The light growing behind the cityscape.

”You couldn’t keep me here if you tried.”

She slipped the heels back on her feet, flashing a quick grin and a wink his way, unable to resist teasing him about his word choice. She stood, approaching the window, eyes resolutely ahead, and not at the drop off just beyond the pane of glass. Her anxiety spiked as she stood there, but she pushed it back, her left hand curled into a fist the only outward sign of her change in mood.

”It’s been a pleasure Mr. Harrison. I look forward to speaking with you again very soon. You may even get some of those answers you seek.”

She smiled at the reflection in the glass, lacing one hand flat against the cool glass. She turned and sighed, offering the man a small bow, smiling softly.

”And thank you again for the dance, I hope you enjoyed this party far more than the last.”

[member="Connor Harrison"]

After all the lights go down, I’m just the words you are the sound
A strange type of chemistry, how you’ve become a part of me

And we’re all see through, just like glass
And we can shatter just as fast
That light’s been burned out for a while,
I still see it every time I pass
It was lost in the corners of my mind,
Behind a box of reasons why
I never doubted it was there,
It just took a little time to find and even when...

 

[Connor Harrison]

She stood, and so did he with a stretch.

Scooping up his jacket, he slipped it on and sniffed the lapel which carried her scent. Pulling off the tie, he folded it into his breast pocket and walked a little with her to escort her out.

"Keep you here? Let's not forget Miss Ara that I was the one who sadly pulled the plug tonight. You didn't exactly show willing to leave.”

Suppressing his smile, Connor stood by her allowing her to leave first, and returned the small bow she gave. He couldn't wait to see her again and see what path was placed before him with it. Maybe one more coffee before leaving and to reflect on the night.

"I enjoyed this very much so. Thank you for your company, and I hope I didn't put Kaalia's company to shame.”

He shot her a wink as she backed out and he watched her go for the turbolift down, moving with a carefree grace and elegance that simply made him smile and feel more than content.

Bring it on.

[member="Ara Ren"]