Shattered Expectatons.

[Felicity Mason]

"N-no. I'm s-sorry."

She wept, openly, honestly. Tears rolled down her freckled cheeks in almost ridiculously large drops. Her eyes were puffy. Her nose had turned red. She looked ugly when she cried. Ugly, But honest.

"Don't leave. P-please?"

She quickly wiped her eyes, hoping that would be enough. It wasn't. Her cheeks were getting soaked faster than she could wipe it away.

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

Whoa, she had just apologised? Things must have been very serious indeed. He sighed and slumped his shoulders before walking back and sitting down on the floor again, back against her bed. "Fine. How could I say no to that face?" he sighed and hung his head, waiting for her crying to rum its course.

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

Things were bad. In her own mind, it couldn't get worse than this. Not if she was looking to him for comfort. He was a vile boy, but somehow, she was always drifting between absolutely hating everything about him and wishing he would go, to actually enjoying that way he pushed her buttons. It was almost to the point that she might even miss him when he's not around.

Eventually her crying did run it's course. Nobody could cry forever. She gasped and sighed, wiping her face with her sleeve. Her pillow was soaked. She sat up, sniffing. Everybody needed a good cry. Everybody. She wondered if Owain ever cried. What could make him do it? He probably cried when his mom died. He couldn't be that heartless. No. She was sure he had a soft spot somewhere. She had a feeling that he wasn't nearly as tough as he pretended to be.

Wordlessly, and without any warning at all, Felicity leaned forward wrapping her arms around him from behind. He was a jerk, But he stuck around. That was more than most if her friends would ever do for her.

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

He sat there in silence, idly counting the bricks on the walls as she cried herself to sleep. When she fell silent, he waited to make sure she was asleep before leaving. It would be weird, creepy and somewhat awkward to stay in the same room as a sleeping Felicity. And then he felt her arms around him, holding him close. Owain tensed up immediately. Was she trying to choke him? Eliminate all witnesses of her moment of weakness? He sat frozen for a minute before relaxing. SHe wasn't applying anymore pressure. What....ah.

"H-heh, I suppose crying builds up an appetite, eh?" he asked with a nervous chuckle. "Though give me some warning next time alright?" he said, shifting forwards slightly so she could climb onto his back again. "And don't get used to it Princess, I ain't one of your servants."

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

Now it was her turn to be confused. What was he talking about? She wasn't hungry. Why was he moving like that?
Then she got it. He thought she was trying to climb onto his back again. Was he honestly capable of not acting like a complete moron for a day?

"...It's called a hug, you idiot. I'm hugging you."

Her voice was flat, but still sniffley. Seriously. How could he be this dumb? She didn't let go though, even if he had just proven himself socially inept. All the more reason to keep at it.

"What? Never been hugged before?"

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

He smiled slightly, knowing she wouldn't see it. Ah, that was much better. Almost back to normal. He could deal with this. "Oh. Guess I just never expected it from you, Princess. Fraternising with the help, what would the Queen think?" he teased gently, turning his smile into a smirk as he looked over his shoulder at her. Her question made him laugh a bit. "Not really, not since my mother died," he pointed out with a grin.

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

She smiled giving him a light playful nudge. He could keep trying to be a complete jerk, but Felicity knew the truth now. He was a jerk. But not a complete jerk. There was something almost nice in him. For Felicity, that pretty much was enough to make him her best frienemy.
At the very least, she knew he wasn't going to try to use her. She could trust him, even if she could only trust him to be awful to her. It was better than having a 'friend' that you knew would sell you out the moment someone else could offer them more.

"What was your mother like?" she asked, still not letting go, "You never really talk about her. Uncle B never mentions her either."

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

And a smile too. Yep, she was fine. He shrugged (he was doing that a lot lately. He should really stop that) as he spoke. "Well, they parted ways at a young age, and then he went AWOL with your father before I was born. So they never really interacted a lot once they hit their teens," the boy explained. Boring history was boring. "And not much to talk about really, I left her at a young age too to join the academy, wanted to be just like my dad. I'd visit her whenever I could though. She was...tough but fair. The best you could hope for in a parent," he said before leaning back against the bed and staring at the wall. He didn't like talking about the dead. They should be left to rest, along with their memories.

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

She could understand his attitude somewhat. After all, what did she know about the dead? Before the invasion, how many people had she actually lost? Not anybody really. She'd always thought getting upset about it was stupid. That was the end of it. When she saw the rows of bodies. Death, her death, became so real at that moment. She was going to die some day. All her family, her friends. Everyone was going to die some day. And nobody would know the day it would happen.

"Do you miss her?" she asked, relaxing her grip on him somewhat.

Was he capable of missing anyone?

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

"Sometimes, yeah," he replied. "I mean, it'd be great to ask her for advice on how to deal with a crying girl, for one," the boy pointed out, grinning at the girl behind him. "But I don't dwell on it. She'd smack me around the head if she could for such behaviour. Unbecoming of a Barnabus, she'd say," he laughed. "But I'm not alone. I got my uncle now. Though he's more liable to throw me under an air car than in it." Oh there would be a reckoning one day, and it would be GLORIOUS! Elliot Barnabus would RUE THE DAY he mocked and humiliated Owain Barnabus!

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

Her arms went limp and she more or less just hung off of him. He didn't seem to notice though. Maybe he was busy thinking about his mom.

"You've got me too, dummy," she smiled, "You are much nicer than you pretend to be."

She swept in to plant a quick peck on his cheek. Another one. The other cheek this time. She wondered if he'd get just as mad as before. Well, she doubted he'd attack an injured girl. She was probably safe, but just in case, she pulled away from him.

The score was Felicity- 2, Owain-0.

She actually kinda hoped he would get mad, that way she could pretend she did it just to get under his skin. That was probably for the best. If she was wrong, she might just have found her first actual crush, and she knew that would cause nothing but pain.


[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

"Gah!" the youth exclaimed, jerking away from her. "Damn, that was sneaky!" he snapped at her, though it was full of humour. Oh she'd played him like a fiddle. Sneaky. He approved. "Nice? Me? Pfft, nah. Pragmatic. That's all," he replied defensively, standing up. "Well, that was a pleasant therapy session," he continued with evident sarcasm, "but unless you need anything else from me, I'll be off." To sit in his room and wait for the blush he felt to die down. Damn this girl. SHe was so infuriating.

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

The blond was smiling sadly on her bed. He reacted exactly the wrong way. There was no helping it now. Nothing she could do about it. She was absolutely doomed.

"Yes. You probably should go."

He'd sat with her. He listened. And he actually smiled. He probably didn't even know he was doing it, but she saw him smile. Or she thought she did. Either way, he still managed to get her talking. More than that? She smiled too. For the first time since the invasion, she actually smiled back.

"My invitation still stands, by the way," she added quickly, "Naboo, I mean."


[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

He raised an eyebrow at the inflection she put into her words. "Should? Aww, little songbird gonna miss her crow?" he added in the sweetest voice he could manage, throwing her nickname for him back at her. "Naboo? What, to help rebuild? Sorry, not much of a builder. I mean, I can build basic trenches and a foxhole, but I don't think that's what you'd be after," he pointed out.

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

Deep breath. Her heart was racing. Was he just irritating her? Was that why?

"Try not to be a complete idiot if you can help it, Owain," she sighed, "I meant to visit."

She said nothing about his first comment, for reasons that she thought were obvious.

"I told you Naboo was great. Right now, my mother is working to restore it. In a few weeks, there is even going to be a victory celebration. There will be a parade and a ball. You should come. There is nothing quite like a party on Naboo."

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

He smirked as they fell back into their usual banter. Back int he comfort zone. "Eh, fancy shindigs just aren't my thing Princess. I'll leave that to you nobles," he said, folding his arms across his chest. Still...free trip to Naboo..."But I'm sure the locals will be holding their own little parties in the cantinas, which I wouldn't mind checking out. See how they drink on a green planet for a change," he admitted. Fancy wasn't his style. But a drunken good natured brawl? Oh yeah, there was no way better of meeting new folks.

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. It made sense, of course. Owain would never be able to fit in.

"Well, most of the guests will be soldiers, you know," she replied with a shrug, "But you probably don't even know how to dance anyway."

She snickered at the very thought. He didn't look like a dancer. He looked clumsy and awkward even now. But dressed to the nines and trying to glide across a dance floor? There was no way! He'd look ridiculous.

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

"No. No I do not," he freely admitted. Dancing had never been high on his list of interests. Besides, that came under Infiltration, which would have been an advnaced course taken by commandoes after graduating the Academy. At social functions he just stayed in the shadows and enjoyed the drinks. That trip to Nar Shadaa with uncle Elliot had certainly broadened his taste in alcohol. Though he didn't voice that, Felicity would only have more questions. "Besides, the cantinas is where the real partying takes place, away from the 'respectable' and 'responsible' eyes of the officials who have to play at being all 'proper' and can't really let themselves have any actual fun." He raised his hands and added air quotes with his fingers to support his claim.

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

Felicity herself had never actually been to a cantina. And the only sip of alcohol she'd even come close to tasting was some blossom wine from her Mother. The only sort of party she'd ever been exposed to was exactly the sort she was expecting to return to on Naboo. A party where people smiled and played nice. A party for those who were too fancy for their own good.

What other kind of party was there to have? What did one do at one? She was only fourteen, after all. And mother kept her close. She was watched almost constantly.

"...What kind of fun?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

"Well..." Owain started, scratching his head. "Actually, on a base level, pretty much the same as one of your shindigs, except without any of the formality. Drink, spice, music, dancing. Not being announced, dancing how you want, modern music," he listed off, thinking. "Less fancy food, wider variety of drinks...less open space, smaller venues," he finished. "It's just so much more free - less rules you have to worry about, and everyone there is having fun, not trying to play politics. What good is a party where you can't enjoy yourself becuase you constantly have to watch what you say?" he asked the girl, spreading his arms in a helpless gesture.

[member="Felicity Mason"]