Take a Chance On Me

[Zesiro]

After a tumultuous on again and off again relationship with [member="Milo Ren"], they finally had a more extended time they could spend together. Over the past few months, the Ren had started changing. It felt so familiar to Zesiro. He was beginning to remind him her former Master. This both thrilled and terrified her at the same time.

Their first adventure had been an archeology expedition so this adventure took them to more ruins.

The planet had been virtually wiped of life at least a millennia ago and people left it to find greener pastures. Leaving behind what are now the ruins of their culture.

She had already set up camp and had a campfire going in what would have been the grand entrance of a palace. Almost nothing was left the building proper. Mostly just an outline and a few areas where the weathered walls still stood. Time having taken its toll, the walls were hardly that, little more than ridges in the ground.

A campfire was little for them and Zesiro waited for her friend and companion to arrive.

 

[Milo Ren]

From the shadows of the entrance of the ruins, a figure separated itself from the darkness. It was Milo. Slowly sneaking behind Zesiro, the Sith had a mischievous grin on his face, about to jump out and scare her. It was hard to define what they were. Were they lovers, companions with a mutual understanding, or simply friends who had on-and-off relationships every time they met? The former Ren didn't know. Ever since they had made love on Endor, his entire wall set around his heart was crumbling, rapidly about to break. The man was sure as hell afraid to lose her, but the time they got to spend together was magical. Every day the budding Sith was being groomed more and more to earn the title of Sith Lord. With that kind of power, he could protect her from anything and anyone. He wasn't about to lose the woman that he had fallen for, who knew him and understood him better than anyone else in the galaxy did, perhaps even better than his Master, Darth Raxis. He would make sure of it.

Milo jumped behind Zesiro and suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist. With a jerk, he pulled her body close in to his, startling the woman, but as she recognized who it was, she began to melt into his arms. His appearance may have been part of the reason she was temporarily afraid. Between the last time she had seen him and now, the Sith had changed. He was still undoubtedly handsome, but his face had changed. Milo's face was pale, deathly pale, as if all the life had been sucked out of him. His nose was crooked ever so slightly, the result of a broken nose sustained while training. His hair, instead of the strong white it once was, was now drained of color, even greying in some parts. His eyes, while still green, had tints of yellow and red in them. Overall, it appeared that the 24 year old man had aged at least 15 to 20 years since the last time Zesiro had seen him. It was a sudden and shocking change, but it was most definitely him, the adventurous explorer and archeologist that she had fallen for over what seemed like such a long time ago.

"My dear Zesiro, how have you been?"

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

Momentarily startled as soon as Zesrio recognized the embrace, she relaxed and laid her weight on [member="Milo Ren"]. She turned around his arms and looked up at him. Her hand went to his pale face. Noticing the change right away, she knew he was as close to what her master had been. His eyes had been same red and yellow hues. She looked up into them for a brief moment and laid her head on his chest. She gave a fierce embrace and pulled only partially away, maintaining contact with him.

Deep in her heart, she hopes he will remain the man she met in route to Endor. Very afraid he was going to change. Only time would tell, but now they were together, she pushed that thought far to the back her mind.

She remained the same, nothing really changes with her. Only difference being, she actually wore a jacket. It wasn't closed or anything, just covering her arms and shoulders.

Looking up again into his eyes and gave him a large, happy smile.

"Wonderful now.
What has happened with you?"

 

[Milo Ren]

Milo looked into Zesiro's blue eyes quizzically, the Sith seemingly confused by the question.

"What do you mean, what has happened with me? Ah, my face. It is the power of the Dark Side. I have grown twice as strong as I once was under those foolish Knights of Ren. They chose neither the dark nor the light, and for that apathy, they chose death. I have chosen power, strength to keep everything...and everyone...I care for safe. No one will ever threaten us, Zesiro. No one. If my physical attraction is the price I must pay for that security, then so be it."

The former Ren didn't realize the question probably pertained to a multitude of other things, like where his travels had taken him, what had he learned, had he done anything interesting, etc. He automatically went for the worst case scenario and the negative side of him, which was rapidly becoming the dominant train of thought in his mind, began assaulting his mind.

You see? She was only attracted to you for your looks. Come on, Milo, you've seen this a million times before!

No, no...I probably misinterpreted the question.

Bah! How many men has she been with since we left her?

Milo valiantly attempted to fight against the darker side of him that was gaining control. Forcing a smile on his face, the Sith let go of his lover and turned his back to her, letting the fake smile vanish, leaving behind only a bitter scowl.

Why am I thinking like this? I should be happy!

You know why.

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

Not having spent her entire time with him, she had no idea just how negative his thoughts had become or what he was thinking at the moment. Though his answer seemed to indicate he had gained more power since the last time they had met. Even as she noticed the change in him, so had he. He knew the Dark Side was corrupting his looks. That did not matter to her though.

Having for way too long showed a false smile to people, Zesiro knew what one looked like. [member="Milo Ren"] presented her one just before he turned away.

Shaking her head, she reached out again for him to turn around.

"What does that matter, love?"
​
That word had never crossed her lips in the way she meant it tonight. She had never expected to discover the real meaning. On Endor she had.

 

[Milo Ren]

"I want you happy. I don't want you to be disgusted every time you kiss me, or to not be with me in public. I don't want you stuck with me like this."

With a sigh, Milo resigned himself to his fate. The cost was horrible, the Dark Side taking the appearance of youth from him, but with that he had power. The Sith turned around, facing Zesiro, and smiled, a thin one, but genuine. She really didn't care what he looked like. As long as Milo Zett remained Milo Zett, he was all right by her. Still, the topic was a sore one, and Milo didn't want to prod at it anymore.

"I'd rather not talk about this any further."

Taking a seat by the fire, one would notice that the former Ren was missing one of his iconic gear pieces: his helmet. Other than that, the man wore much of the same thing, although a more ornate lightsaber hung to his belt, replacing the ancient crossbeam design he once had.

"Where have your travels taken you?"

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

"But what would I be disgusted? This is what matters to me."

At that point he said he didn't want to talk about it anymore. Nodding she followed him to the fire that was waiting for them. He asked where her travels had taken her and she'd never before lied or mislead him and chose to continue that route.

"Well, I joined a group of pirates for a while. Hunting, plundering and stealing resources and making a living that way. I found that life style didn't really suit me though."

He probably would think the worst of her for that, but hoped it wouldn't cloud his opinion of her.

"Other than that, nothing."

She looked at him gently​, with real warmth in her eyes. The kind that's true and can't be driven away. She noticed his lack of helmet, but that made her happy. It meant one part of his life had ended and he had moved onto the next act. Would it include her? The thought kept nagging her at the back of her mind, not letting go.

"What about you?"

Though she had asked pre​viously, it had been phrased differently and he hadn't answered what she really wanted to know.

 

[Milo Ren]

"Pirates? Didn't take you for the swashbuckling type."

Milo grinned at Zesiro and noticed the real warmth in her eyes, as warm as the fire they were sitting besides. It was good to be in her company again.

"I've mostly been training. Studying. Mostly on Mygeeto. Word to the wise: don't ever go there out of your own free will. It's almost as bad as Hoth some days."

Unlike his companion, the Sith had no qualms with lying to her. He left out a lot of details: his Master, the near-death experiences, the battle over Voss. Milo didn't want her to know anything that could've harmed her or made her see him in a different light. It wasn't because he had something to hide; he was doing it for the good of them both.

"Boring stuff, really."

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

"Exactly why I didn't fit in well with them."

Zesiro replied with a great amount of humor in her voice. He finally mentioned what had occupied his time while they were apart. He had been training and that must have been what brought about this change in him.

"Then I will be sure to avoid a place like that."

If she could have gotten away with it, she likely would ran around in just skin, but that's not how the galaxy worked. As it was, she quite often pushed boundaries the way she dressed already. Putting on more to visit a snowball or ice rock was not her idea of fun.

"I can't imagine anything you do to be boring."

[member="Milo Ren"]

 

[Milo Ren]

"Oh, there's boring times, trust me. But it's part of the job."

Milo put an arm around Zesiro's shoulders, drawing her in close to him by the fire.

"Maybe I should bring you around sometime so you could see for yourself."

Another lie. He wouldn't risk bringing the person he cared about around danger. It was too risky. She was probably better off not being around him at all except for moments like these.

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

"I suppose you're right. There's always a time when things can get boring, but I've found those are few and far between."

Milo pulled her in close. She happily snuggled into arms, listening to his heart beat against her head. He offered to take her along sometime but she doubted that would happen. She reached her hand up and ran her fingers through his hair and caressed his face. They stayed this way making small talk until the fire started to burn down and all that was were the embers.

Zesiro detangled herself from him and stood up holding her hand out to him. With a true smile for him, hinting at the night ahead, she waits for him to accept. His eyes follow her movements and he accepts the hand offered. Putting her arm around his hips, with his around her, she leads him into the tent.

There are the normal camping supplies that go in a tent and in the middle is a large sleeping bag. The back wall contains her items and to the left of the bag is an area for Milo to keep his. Near the door, but outside are the cooking items. There is room inside the door for them to take their shoes off and leave them there.

Once inside, Zesiro wraps herself around her companion and kisses him like they hadn't seen one another in a lifetime. The sparks started to long ago on Endor come alive at the stoking of the small embers that had been left within her at that time.

[member="Milo Ren"]

 

[Milo Ren]

Milo eagerly returns the kiss, as if he were a man who found water after wandering the desert for two weeks (he knew that feeling from experience). It really had been too long since they had last seen each other. The passion that was there was clearly evident of that. The Sith grew excited, and deep within him, something stirred. As if he were unwrapping a present, the former Ren peeled off Zesiro's jacket and threw it to the side of the tent. His eyes were almost literally glowing with intensity, a promise to the night that laid ahead.

"Ready?"

Without awaiting a response, the man pushed her to the ground playfully and laid down on top of her, basically assaulting her with kisses in various places. With a free arm, he removed his robe top, revealing more scars than the woman would remember he had the last time they had made love. The tunic was thrown to one of the tent's corners, out of sight, out of mind.

"I missed you..."

Keep going like this, and you'll more than miss her when she dies.

Shut up. I don't want to think about that right now. I just want to enjoy this moment.

Suit yourself.

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

The next morning, Zesiro woke up feeling more refreshed than she had in a very long time. She took a few moments to look at [member="Milo Ren"] as he slept. Whatever had happened to him these past few months left him more scarred and marked. That didn't matter to her though, what did was that they were together.

Stretching, she rolled out of bed and got her clothes on. Made breakfast for the two of them, like he had on Endor and sat to eat hers while waiting for Milo to wake up.

The times they had together mean so much to her and they happen so rarely. She cherished and remembered all of them.

 

[Milo Ren]

Milo wasn't in this world anymore. Where was he? It was hot, dry, and he could smell his own flesh cooking. It was so bright he couldn't see. He could feel the pain crawling all over his skin, though...

The Sith sat up from the portable bed, panting and sweating. Another nightmare. They never ceased to stop haunting him. That last one was strange. He could remember a little bit of it, although it made no sense. Why was he having nightmares now of all times? Here, in his lover's arms, he should've been the most relaxed he's been in a while. It wasn't so.

Looking at his full plate of food, Milo shook his head slightly, with an apologetic look to Zesiro.

"I'm not hungry, my love."

The previous night was as good as it could be. The former Ren collected his clothes and put them on, then looked at Zesiro. Without a second thought, he strode over to her and gave a firm kiss. When their lips had parted, Milo breathed out two simple words.

"Thank you."

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

Just before Milo woke up, he was clearly having a distressing dream, Zesiro went to reach out, but he woke up before she could. He looked at the food and declined eating. If the dream scared off his appetite, then she understood fully.

Giving a smile of sympathy, she finished eating her own food and cleaned up the plates.

She watched as he moved around the tent, putting his own clothes on and continued to admire his form. That hadn't changed all that much since they last met up. He was still just as lean, but had bulked up in muscle. Whatever training he's had greatly improved that. Almost wishing they could just stay in the tent for the rest of time, Zesiro let out a sigh, more to herself than Milo though.

Once he was dressed, he came over to her to gave her a firm kiss in the mouth. It ended way too soon, but there would be time for more later. After he spoke, Zesiro looked at him a little confused.

"You're welcome, but for what?"

[member="Milo Ren"]

 

[Milo Ren]

"For being with me, my love. You mean the world to me."

Liar.

"I won't let anyone stand in our way."

The image of Massus' corpse bloating in the heat appeared violently in his mind, accompanied by the shrieks of pain of Sand People.

That's what you said before, and look what happened. You were weak, and you still are.

Desperately trying to ward away these dark thoughts, Milo pulled Zesiro towards him again and kissed her even harder than the first time, hands searching her body, desperately seeking the answer that he needed to continue on with his life in peace of mind. His lips sank into hers with such force that it was even slightly painful.

You will lose her. One cannot pursue the dark side and have people they care for at the same time. It is counterproductive.

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

"You mean more than anything to me as well, Milo."

She remembered what happened on Endor and the run in with the other Knight of Ren. He had tried to arrest them both, but had no been successful. Zesiro understood his sentiment and agreed. For a moment he appeared distracted and lost in thought. Maybe he too was remembering what happened.

In a sudden move, he pulled her to him and gave her an almost painful kiss. Both not wanting to draw away and also not wanting to be uncomfortable, she attempted to move ever so slightly to alleviate the ache.

[member="Milo Ren"]

 

[Milo Ren]

Milo pulled away, knowing that he was causing Zesiro pain. He ran a hand through his rapidly greying hair and apologized.

"I'm sorry. I don't want to lose you."

The Sith moved around the tent, thinking to himself of a way to distract him and her from this pressing thought. An idea formed in his head.

"Let's not think of such negative things. How's your swordsmanship? Have you been practicing?"

One thing that the historian loved to do was to teach. He had left her with the basics months ago, and now wanted to see how she was progressing. A genuine smile crossed his face as he awaited to further instruct his companion. It would certainly keep his mind off of the more negative thoughts.

Why waste your time on her? She is only a burden if you impart knowledge and she dies anyways.

She won't die if I teach her right. Then she can protect herself, and we won't have a repeat incident of what happened on Endor.

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

"Why apologize? I don't want to lose you either."

Zesiro watched him pace around the tent. Something was on his mind, but for whatever reason, he kept it from her. Ah the time they have right now, she'll get it out of him eventually.

"Ha, I'm the one took up with pirates! There some fights, so yes, but nothing much. I mean like hardly at all."

While he had showed the basics, she would rather seduce than fight. Looking at the floor of the tent, she nervous he would be disappointed in her.

[member="Milo Ren"]

 

[Milo Ren]

Milo shook his head, a little disappointed she hadn't practiced more than he expected her to.

"That's fine, dear. This place would actually make a decent site for some instruction. That is, if you want to learn more."

The Sith gestured to outside the tent, where the temple ruins were. He was, admittedly, eager to teach her. It was one of his passions.

"If not, it's fine. Just know I won't always be there to get you out of trouble."

[member="Zesiro"]