Private Sharing Sanctuary

[Alicio Organa]

"I'm uh, a bit of a mess when drunk."

"Same," Alicio repeated, covering his mouth with a hand as he shared in the laugh. "Well, now we have to drink together, one of these days. If only for the spectacle."

Content that everything was prepared for their tea once the water boiled, Alicio met Amani at the couches, perching next to her as she spoke on her living situation. "That makes sense," he commented. "Still, the nomadic healer lifestyle with no constants or connections, moving your livelihood from one awful situation to the next... It sounds exhausting."

"Very noble, very brave, but exhausting."

Alicio bumped Amani's shoulder with his. "You know, if you ever... get tired of moving so much, and don't want to rely on Jedi quarters, Sanctuary City is always looking for more medical professionals." He shrugged. "No pressure, you're already doing so much good out there, and I would hate to steal you from the galaxy," Alicio chuckled. "But... our hospitals are a bit understaffed. It's an option."

The Count let the offer hang for only a moment, before redirecting the conversation. "I've actually been thinking of spending more time in the Core, as well. Coruscant." Alicio pursed his lips, slightly concerned. "Queen Faith has asked me to help her in the Senate, after the city's complete. I think I'm going to accept. Try to institute some change, on a macro level."

- Amani Serys -

 

[Amani Serys]

"That sounds like a recipe for disaster," She grinned at him, "Or fun… Probably both."

Amani seemed to naturally gravitate towards Alicio as he sat down, scooting just a little closer, leaning just a little nearer, "Exhausting is.. yeah, a pretty apt description," She shrugged off the 'noble' and 'brave' adjectives instinctively, offering only a faint, appreciative smile.

The thought of working in Sanctuary City seemed to land quite well with her. She'd fallen in love with it since before she even laid eyes on it, and the events of the day had only reinforced her adoration, "I think that'd be nice," In spite of that, Amani couldn't help but frown a little, "Just feels like everyone's understaffed these days…" It wasn't far off from the truth, even if the comment was laced with some of that reactive self-denial. A galaxy this big, in as much strife as it was, left a lot of people in need no matter where she went. But, the thought of getting to spend more time in Alicio's world was exceptionally tempting.

Then her ears perked up at his mention of the Core, leading to genuine surprise, "In the Senate? Like, like as in, an actual Senator, or…?" Either way it provoked the same response, "That sounds… exhausting."

"Very noble. Very brave. Buuuut exhausting." She parroted his own words a bit teasingly, though not dismissively. It would undeniably be a busy job, and while Amani had her reservations about the bureaucrats, she had no reservations about him.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Don't forget noble. And brave." Alicio quirked his lip up, unwilling to let Amani sidestep the compliments.

If nothing else, Alicio was glad he could give her a day of rest. In all of the festivities and late-night walks and quiet kisses under moonlight, he had almost forgotten his troubles too. Almost.

Her hesitant willingness at his offer elicited a sincere nod from Alicio. With the galaxy plunged in tooth-and-nail war after tooth-and-nail war, it seemed like help was in short supply. "It's a big galaxy," Alicio said, thinking back to their conversation on Tython. "There will always be someone that needs help. But if you ever want to put down roots somewhere..." He placed his hand inconspicuously on the couch between them. "I wouldn't mind if they were nearby."

Alicio turned his eyes towards the kettle as Amani asked about his future endeavors. "She said 'a seat in the Senate'. I think she meant Senator, but I'll have to ask her about it again." Not that he gave her much of a chance to clarify. Back when she asked, he had been wary of the offer. But now, he had some perspective.

Amani's turn of his phrase back onto Alicio joining the Senate earned a raised eyebrow and an amused smile from the Count. "Sure, but mostly, it's a big step up from designing cities and running refugee camps. It's representing a whole planet, the hopes and dreams of the Alliance resting on your shoulders. Scariest of all, it's giving speeches to a stadium of career politicians." Despite his joking tone, Alicio felt himself sweating at the thought.

"And I don't know about you, but speeches are not my thing."

- Amani Serys -

 

[Amani Serys]

“I’d like that, too.” Amani rested her hand on his. To have a night like this, only to be separated by work after, was a disappointing notion. It turned what would have been accepted as little more than a pipe dream, into a genuine consideration.

Selfish. But enticing.

“That is a… pretty big deal,” She admitted at the thought of him becoming a senator. Almost as soon as she’d said it, she felt compelled to backtrack, rather than build onto his worries. “But if you’re serious about taking it, then… I think you’d be good. Because, Alicio Organa…” Amani smiled, and shifted to set her hands aside his shoulders, “...You actually care.” A gentle shake of encouragement, “They could use someone like you. Someone who wants to make a difference. Who will make a difference.”

“...Besides, it’ll put us a lot closer, a lot more often,” She returned to a more natural posture, and gave him an exaggerated wink. “Not sure how much help I’m gonna be with speeches though. Public speaking makes me clammy.”

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio smiled apprehensively. It certainly was a bit more pressure, moving from making policies for one city to the entirety of the Alliance.

Okay, a lot more pressure.

Alicio faced Amani as she faced him and held his shoulders, holding her eyes with his, sky blue meeting cloudy gray. He held back a laugh when she shook him. "Well, if you believe in me, I guess I have no choice but to believe in myself, too."

He smirked at her wink. "Imagine," he said, his voice taking on a dramatic flair. "A socialite moving to the big city with big dreams meets a strapping Jedi Knight, come to sweep them off their feet." He chuckled, scooting closer. "I think I've read that novel before."

A sudden whistling sound made Alicio jump. "Oh! The tea!" He practically scrambled to the kitchenette, pulling the steaming pot from the stove, and letting the sapir leaves steep.

- Amani Serys -

 

[Amani Serys]

"You're right, you don't have a choice," Amani teased, then drove her point home with a little more sincerity, "Whatever decision you make, it'll be the right one."

She couldn't help but break into laughter at the Count's description, "Strapping, eh?" She leaned in, "How's that one end? 'Cause last time I checked, that's the kind of relationship that gets the galaxy into a lot of trouble," The righteous politician and their disillusioned Jedi lover? Several centuries ago (and not to mention technically a few dozen generations up Alicio's family tree), was a little something not so different.

Well, she was pretty comfortable assuming that all wasn't going to end the same way here. Probably.

The whistling kettle didn't even register from beneath her wild imagination at first, and she instinctively stood when he did. Now already up Amani followed, resting her elbows on the island counter, and her cheeks on her palms. She simply admired him in silence as he worked, that dumb grin creeping across her face once more.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"How's that one end? 'Cause last time I checked, that's the kind of relationship that gets the galaxy into a lot of trouble,"

It was his turn to parrot Amani's words, smirking. "Sounds like a recipe for disaster. Or fun. Probably both."

"And to answer your question, it was a romance novel," Alicio said, a playful glint in his eye. "Take a wild guess."

But Alicio was quickly distracted by teatime. Thankfully, Sapir steeped quickly, and Alicio passed the liquid through a strainer to remove the excess leaves. His moves were practiced, precise, as if he'd been making tea all his life. Just about finished, he turned around, noticing Amani's growing smile.

"What's that for?" Alicio gestured at her face with a mug, before placing the vibrantly green tea in front of her. "Careful, it's hot."

- Amani Serys -

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani grinned slyly as he now fed her own lines back to her, “Oh I see, this is just another step in your plan to take over the galaxy then?” She hummed before submitting her answer to the ending, “And I’m gonna guess… a ride off into the sunset on the back of a thranta?”

Their back and forth was shelved briefly while Alicio tended to the tea, and before long he caught her look, “Nothin’,” Amani giggled, “I just… like being around you.” She took the tea in hand and shrugged, “That too corny? You read romance novels, you tell me,” Another quiet laugh at herself.

Little heed was given to his warning, and sure enough she took a sip that burned her tongue, “Ow.” Amani grimaced, “Gotta stop doing that,” A faint blush hit the Mirialan’s cheeks; She wasn’t sure whether to feel embarrassed or relaxed by her continuous lack of composure. Not that it stopped her from gazing at him a little longer.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio was glad that the tea had changed the conversation. It had hidden the way he frowned when Amani mentioned thranta-back rides.

“Nothin’,” Amani giggled, “I just… like being around you.”

Cute.

Alicio picked up his tea, averting his gaze modestly, suddenly very conscious of the thumping of his heart. "V-very corny," he agreed, more flustered than he had been all night. "But the trashy books are my favorites anyways."

He couldn't help it if he liked unrealistic, poorly-written happy endings.

Alicio blew over his tea, attempting to banish the steam from the surface, looking over his mug to see Amani burn her tongue. He sighed good-naturedly. "What did I say?" He tsked at the Mirialan, before navigating around the island to stand next to her. "Are you alright?"

He took a sip of his own tea, apparently weathering the heat much better, as he hummed contentedly.

- Amani Serys -

 

[Amani Serys]

"I prefer the holoflicks," Amani admitted, "It's a bit less of a time commitment than a whole novel. Still I binged a whole bunch of those sappy romcoms once when I was traveling the Outer Rim." She spoke as if she regretted it, but the smile on her face indicated that she found a similar enjoyment in the genre.

"Are you alright?"

Amani blew over the tea this time, and took a larger, but less scalding sip. She shook her head, "I don't think I'm gonna make it, Doc." The mirialan briefly stuck out her tongue, which simultaneously served to air out the slight burn, and tease the overly-concerned Count.

"You wanna get a closer look and find out? Mouth-to-mouth might be my only hope of survival…" Amani continued in a singsong lilt, almost tauntingly. Daring him to make a move. Whether it was a joke or not she left intentionally vague, and just in case he did take up the offer, she first made sure to get in another sip beforehand. It was pretty good tea.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio nodded at Amani's mention of holoflicks, smiling genuinely at the words 'sappy romcoms'. "I haven't watched many, but the ones I have seen, I've enjoyed." He didn't have a holoprojector in his apartment. Maybe he'd have to get one, if he ever did move to Coruscant.

Before he could think more deeply about watching more holoflicks, Amani decided to enact one all on her own. Watching the show, Alicio covered his mouth with a hand again, to hide his overly-amused chuckle. "Alright," he said, resigning himself to a blissful, if embarrassing, fate, taking one last sip of Sapir himself. "Dr. Organa is on the case."

He closed the distance with Amani, one hand traveling around her waist, the other clutching the back of her head through locks of full black hair, guiding her up into a kiss more intense than the sweet moment they shared in the garden. This was more playful, more hungry, as he could barely keep the smile off his face long enough to smooch.

And this time, he made sure they didn't bump noses.

Alicio eased off, but kept his face only a breath away from Amani's. "Was the operation successful?" he asked teasingly, looking between her lips and her eyes.

- Amani Serys -

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani grinned playfully as he took the bait, setting down her tea in preparation. She placed one hand against his chest, the other on his cheek, and drew an excited breath as their lips found each other once more. While it perhaps couldn't quite match the fairy-tale glamor of their first kiss in the garden, it made up for it in passion. She matched his energy, letting it feed her own as they melted into one another.

This time it was Alicio that broke off first, and now knowing what that felt like, Amani responded with a pout. "Hmmm… I'm not sure. We might need to schedule a second check-up to find out…" She laughed, easily entertained by the cheesy improv. With another steamy breath, she smushed their lips together a second time, and began pushing Alicio out of the kitchenette until they landed on the couch, still snickering intermittently the whole way.

At last Amani broke away, still keeping close as she now looked down at him, "...Congratulations, Dr. Organa. The patient's vitals are stable. She might just live after all." Stable wasn't quite right, seeing as her heart felt ready to explode out of her chest. But for their purposes, it would do. The Count and the Jedi; She could envision the shoddily-edited novel cover now. At least she knew someone would enjoy it, in all its sappy-ness.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Hmmm… I'm not sure. We might need to schedule a second check-up to find out…"

"Well, I'll let you know in three to five business days..." Suddenly, they were pressed together again, and before Alicio really understood what was happening, they were kissing on the couch. When Amani pulled back, Alicio lamented the fact that his tea was now out of reach.

Though, for whatever reason, he didn't seem to care too much.

"That's a relief," Alicio said. He patted the Mirialan's leg, as if to say uncle. "Ah, let's save the ending to this story for wine night, shall we?"

The Count pulled the Jedi next to him, arm around her waist, simply enjoying the close proximity. He stole a moment to think, before speaking in a relaxed, sweet tone. "I didn't think today would go like this. But I'm glad it did."

He hadn't done any work today. And for the first time in a while, he didn't mind.

- Amani Serys -

 

[Amani Serys]

“Sounds like a date,” Amani flopped off of and beside him, “I can even rent one of those sappy romcoms for us.”

She let herself be pulled in, and stared into the gray of his eyes, “Funny how that works,” Her smile grew. The Mirialan raised a delicate hand, brushing a dark lock of his hair to the side, “...Me too.” Never could she have quite envisioned things turning out like this, but she wouldn’t have had it any other way. If anything, that lack of foresight made the journey all the more exciting. And now, Amani was undeniably smitten.

“...Should probably get back to finishing that tea, huh?” She laughed. It’d be rude not to.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Now that's a wonderful idea." Alicio chirped, seemingly more excited for the holoflick than his previous suggestion.

What? He liked a good bad story.

Alicio was loathe to let Amani go, but conceded the fact that tea was meant to be drank. "We'd better. I went to Gatalenta for the box, it would be a shame to waste it." Alicio rose from the couch, walked back over to his table, and took a long sip from his mug, enjoying the aromatic flavor on his tongue.

"You know," Alicio traced his fingers along the side of his cup. "I said the 'one bed' thing before, but I can sleep out here on the couch, if you would feel more comfortable that way."

He took another drink, before shrugging, attempting to hide his obvious preference. "But, ah... I wouldn't mind doubling up, either."

- Amani Serys -

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani laid there a few moments longer, blankly watching the ceiling before she swung up and joined the Count. He brought up the issue of the bed once more, and she blinked. She almost wondered if he was more comfortable with the couch instead, even though everything about his demeanor claimed otherwise. After a beat, Amani simply broke into another laugh, "You're cute, Alicio."

She just finished luring him into a situation that ended with her throwing him onto the couch in a passionate, kiss-drunk stupor. Yet he was still asking if she would be more comfortable with them sleeping separately. Amani thought she made it pretty clear over the course of the night's events. Boys.

That said, the fact that he was respectful enough to ask for a more official confirmation regardless, only served as another point in his favor. She waltzed over beside him and rested her chin on top of his shoulder, "I am ahh… more than happy to make it a bed for two. If that's what you want…" Amani whispered, punctuating the last part with her own twinge of uncertainty. She certainly wasn't going to put the pressure on, especially as they already agreed there wasn't any stress to rush things. Even if she was already well on board with the idea.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio wanted to give Amani everything she wanted.

It was as natural as breathing to the Count. When someone asked something of him, his first instinct was to do it, as quickly as he possibly could. It didn't matter what he was doing previously, nor did his thoughts on the matter. He wanted to help. To soothe. To make them happy.

But that little bit of permission tacked on the end of Amani's offer let him really consider what he wanted. A line of thought that had been plaguing him in recent days. A question that he was, frankly, terrible at answering.

But he gave it the old college try. And he came up with an answer.

"Cuddling only," he commanded, in a faux-disciplinary tone. "I know how depraved and starved you Jedi can be, but I ask that you please contain yourself." He took a long, loud slurp of his tea.

"Despite how incredibly cute I may be."

He shot a thankful smile over his shoulder, dropping the act. Alicio had played it off as a joke, but he genuinely appreciated the chance to mull it over.

- Amani Serys -

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani listened to his answer with an amused grin, and responded with faux-offense, “I am insulted, Your Excellency. And here I thought it was the aristocrats that had no real sense of virtue. If one of your fancy gloves was within reach I’d throw it at you.”

She then huffed and stood a little straighter, drawing an ‘X’ over her heart, “I promise I will do my best to resist my sinful Jedi nature, as challenging as that is.” The Mirialan sipped her tea, and stepped back to measure the distance between them with her other arm, “This is what we train for. Masters always used to say, leave enough room for the Force, yanno?”

Amani spiraled into a giggle-fit, nearly suffering a spit take from her own joke. Maybe not quite as funny to someone who wasn’t raised in that environment, but clearly it struck her well in the moment. She gave a measured sigh, “I just got my Jedi license back, I’m not trying to lose it again already.”

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"And I am insulted at you being insulted," the Count riposted, continuing the game with antiquated airs. "I would have no choice but to throw the fancy glove back."

Alicio was happy to watch Amani enjoy her own joke, taking one last drink of his tea before setting down the empty mug. Even if he didn't quite understand the culture around the humor, seeing the Mirialan break into a laughing fit was enough to bring a smile to his face.

There was a moment of reprieve from the laughter as the Jedi sighed. Alicio canted his head to the side, examining Amani with interest. His carefree attitude was replaced by a caring one. "Why did you leave the Order in the first place?" They had spoken briefly about her sheltered upbringing before, but never about what had unsheltered her.

- Amani Serys -

 

[Amani Serys]

Almost as soon as Amani spoke the words, she regretted them. When he inevitably asked why she left, the healer winced, and seemed to physically close herself off. She leaned against the counter, cup held close to her chest, the pose only broken to brush a strand of loose hair out of her face. "Ummm-"

"I uh… It was a lot of… things." A sip of tea to fill the silence. It was hard for her to find the right words. She tried to smile thinly, more so she tried to make herself tell him. But after a visible internal struggle she sighed, unable to do so. "I want to tell you, just… not tonight, please?"

Her reservation turned into worry, "I-I'm sorry, I don't mean to-" Amani quieted and looked to the floor, afraid she'd quickly ruined the evening somehow. Either way felt like a lose-lose decision. "I'm sorry..."

Alicio Organa​