Together Again - A Wonderful Life [Shmi]

[Josh Dragovalor]

He'd wanted to take Shmi out on another date for quite some time. Sure, they were already married and had Jason... But he still wanted to spoil her when he could - show her that he still valued her and sought after her as though they were still just dating. It was his way of showing that just because they were married didn't mean that anything had to change... All marriage was, really, was a clear sign that they loved on another and intended to be together for the rest of their lives. All it was, was a symbol. Nothing more. So he tried to act like nothing had changed... Well, except for the fact that he acted as though he were going to be spending the rest of his life with her. That was a given. Luckily Jason was a pretty good reason for that to be so.

He would hold the door open for Shmi and Jason as she would carry in him, and nodded his head to her question. "The last time I was here, it was a chat with Karen Roberts, I believe... Shocking that this is my favorite restaurant and I haven't gone here since before we started dating. I'll tell you the Karen Roberts story in a moment, let's just get us seated" He would add as he would smile when she would shower him with affection, moving to nuzzle her nose with his own.

"I'll certainly make up for hibernating... Tonight, anyway" He would tease in a whisper against her lips before he would go and confirm their reservation, as the two were shown to their table.

[member="Shmi Labooda"]

 

[Pinda Solthar]

She rolled her eyes playfully at the fact that he'd tease her, it literally was a constant in their relationship. She didn't mind it at all either. She giggled under her breath and nodded before looking over at Jason who had displayed that same cheekily grin his father had; he was a happy kid. She had to extremely handsome boys in their household...that could be a good thing and a bad thing. But, she knew it was worth it because they had pieces of her heart.

He confirmed the reservations, and she followed behind him to their table. Well...she decided not to sit across from him, so when he sat down she took her seat next to him. Well he'd just come home and so of course she would cling to him whether he liked it or not; he better had liked it or she would fight him.

She cradled their son in her lap before there was some sort of booster seat brought over. "So, about the Karen story..." she laughed. Well she wanted to know.

"What was this chat about?"

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

It pretty much was, but she didn't seem to mind it all that much. Or at least he hoped not... Because he was totally going to keep doing it. He would shoot that cheeky grin again - turning to see his son mimicking it and mimicking it the same way! His look at first when he saw it was that of surprise, and then it would quickly switch to that of joy and a bit of hysterics as he would then immediately burst out into laughter. It was just a mix of emotions that made him start to laugh, and hard. But Jason was a happy kid, that he could agree to. And he was happy that he was happy, and happy Shmi was happy.

He had a feeling she was going to sit beside him, seeing as she'd been a bit clingy lately... But he didn't mind, really. Actually he enjoyed being close to her on the constant. He preferred her company and as closely as possible, at that. Both in casual, and in more... Precarious positions.

He rolled his eyes playfully as she would ask about the Karen story. "Oh, of course" He would remark.

"Well, let's see..."

He thought about it, for a moment, as though trying to piece together a proper wording... He knew though, no point. He might as well just be blunt and honest. But he did tend to overthink things, so was this truly a surprise?

"She just kind of wanted to meet up, check up, as I had heard nothing of her since I left the Order" He would admit. "And she ended up getting out of me that I was crushing, you know?" He added, shrugging his shoulders in turn. "I tried not to tell that sort of thing to people, I wasn't good at... Describing my feelings, back then, to be frank. I was more of a... Well, more of a soldieristic Jedi and all that, you know the drill. Less... Human, then I am now, I guess.

She was the first person who I admitted to that I felt for you. That you were constantly in my thoughts, that every waking moment of my being was filled with thoughts of you. I didn't explain it -well- but I... Well, I tried, you know? She told me to just kind of man the kark up and say something. Of course, being as shy and reserved with this kind of thing as I was... It took me a little longer. And some coaxing, from you, obviously" He added, laughing in turn.

"Never did see her again, so never did tell her how that all turned out. Crazy though, that we were married not even a year after that talk with her."

[member="Shmi Labooda"]

 

[Pinda Solthar]

"Hahaha stop! Don't you even." she referred to him rolling his eyes, of course she teased.

The seat came and she placed the kid inside of it while he peacefully played with his toys until he needed more attention. Of course while she was sticking his small legs through the holes she was listening to what Josh was saying, and it made her smile of course. Whenever he talked about how he felt about her it made her feel some sort of way, what person wouldn't?

"Awww..." she sat beside him trying to cover up her smile, funny in the fact that Josh was her husband now, but the type of relationship they had it always felt like they were just starting; it was always fresh.

Most times she look down and play with her fingers as a way to cope with the mushy feelings she got whenever he talked about her, this time was no different. "It's funny because even now it still amazes me...we were crushing on one another the entire time but both of us were nervous about it. I mean ugh...I just remember trying my hardest not to be awkward whenever you came around. It was hard..." she laughed afterward

"I wish I could've met her...she seems nice. I'm especially fond of her because I owe her for pushing you to say something to me haha...or me to you. Look we owe her!"

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"Makes me wish I'd flirted a little harder then, maybe you'd have said something sooner" He immediately joked back with a laugh in response as he would look toward Jason, reaching over to playfully boop the child's nose. "Boop~" He teased, with a grin, as the child stared at him wide eyed before beginning to giggle incessantly. "Boop boop~" He added, and laughed more as the child continued to giggle. Josh would let Jason be distracted by a toy for a bit as he looked back toward Shmi with that cheeky grin once again.

"Yeah... I wish I could have said something sooner, but I guess when it came to that kind of thing, I just didn't know how, you know? Especially when with you, well... Compared to any romantic encounter I've had in the past, it felt... Different. More... I don't know... Real?" He would admit, moving his hands around as though in some way they would convey his point.

"Either way, it thrills me more than anything that we're married" He would admit. "And it's been around what, 2? Close to 3 years? I need to get a count on the date" He would add, laughing in turn. "Usually I remember this stuff, yeesh."

It still didn't feel real sometimes, like it was still a dream. Him being married? To Shmi of all people? Like, it was the fact she was so wonderful that sometimes made it so unbelievable. But he wouldn't trade it. Wouldn't trade it, wouldn't trade her, or their son, or the memories they had made together... He wouldn't trade it for the world or anything in it.

"Don't say you owe her with her around, she might collect" He remarked with a laugh. "She's an odd duck. Do try to be cautious... She might collect and demand a trip to Zeltros."

[member="Shmi Labooda"]

 

[Pinda Solthar]

"Makes me wish you did too..." she said alluringly, staring at him while he laughed, only to start giggling herself afterward. The joke was always that he came to her quarters just to seduce her, in some regard he did she supposed. It really depending on how one told the story...it was more awkward than anything, even their first kiss.

"Yeah...I get it. It was much different from your physical encounters" she teased, "I'm glad you showed up that night...I was so excited to see you I almost thought you wouldn't come just given the events that transpired before that. But...you did and now look where we are..." She smirked before running her hand gently along the length of his face.

She laughed at the notion of Karen collecting whatever she was due, "Yeah you don't need to go to Zeltros..." she shook her head..."I don't trust that one bit..."

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He stuck his tongue at her in response. "I'm not the best at romance. Never was. But I try" He would admit, laughing in response. She would begin to talk about that night they finally admitted his feelings. And she did as well. Of course, he hadn't gone to that room with the intent of seducing her, as she constantly joked... Actually, she had called him there on business. The Jedi Order was failing, members were leaving, and she had known, of course how much this had meant to him. She had called him there to talk, and to seek counsel... Or at least, as far as he was told.

Though how quickly it went from business to personal feelings had made him suspect perhaps it was otherwise...

"Oh come on, I've had two "Physical encounters" my whole life before you, and one was in a committed relationship" He would remark, with a playful roll of his eyes. "Never bedded the first girlfriend. First time I saw her in that matter was when she was doing said bedding with some stoner" He would admit, shaking his head with a hint of disdain at the memory. "In my bed."

He would shrug, then. "But why wouldn't I have shown up? You did call me there on business" He teased, smirking in turn. "Or at least, that was what you told me anyway..."

"Yeah, I don't think I want to go to Zeltros anymore..." He remarked. "Some alien tried to drag me into the women's bathroom last time... No thanks."

[member="Shmi Labooda"]

 

[Pinda Solthar]

She shrugged, and shook her head when he spoke about his two physical encounters. She'd heard it all before, she would never know if it were really just two but she trusted Josh, and it didn't really bother her much anyway. She just always enjoyed his reactions after she teased him about it; it was funny to her.

"Mmhmm" she said playfully before laughing to herself and looking over at her son and matching his smile with her own. She turned back to playfully glare at him. "I did call you for just business...I didn't intend to speak on my feelings for you because one I was terrified, and two I thought you would be leaving..." she explained.

"But you just have this...I don't know...you drew me in and then you would make these comments and I didn't know if you were really interested in me or just enjoyed teasing me. Ugh, you use to make me so angry because I couldn't figure you out haha."

She playfully poked his shoulder repeatedly, "I just needed to know to be sure..."

"And see...this is why I won't allow that because of course that almost happened." she smirked and rolled her eyes.

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Thing was, Shmi knew something about Josh very well. He rarely, if ever, lied. He might withhold information here and there, but this was a case where that would be very hard to do with the ways he had worded thigs. He had said flat out, only two before Shmi and one had been an actual committed relationship. And then then? Josh was a terrible liar. If Josh was lying about something as big as this, Shmi would know right off the bat as Josh would not be able to convey it whatsoever as an actual legit fact and anything other than the lie that it was. He was just really, really bad at lying. Simple as that.

Shaking off her laughing at him about that, he slowly nodded his head as she would explain she indeed called him there for business... She had been afraid of him leaving.

“I was leaving” He would respond bluntly. “I was about ready to go back to Naboo and return to training and trying to help out in the Outer Rim my own way. I had lost my dream, after all, and knew that it most likely would never return. I mean, funnily enough, it’s slowly started coming together again, years later but... Yeah. At the time I was about ready to accept rock bottom once again and go” He would admit. Of course he’d stayed when their relationship had began, and when she had built a faction off the foundation... Even if that hadn’t exactly lasted either.

Of course, he had no idea he’d had any sort of pull or allure or enigma of any sort, until Shmi said it. But he didn’t think too much about it... And if it was there? Well if there was, he was thankful to it for landing him the greatest wife in the world.

“To be frank, I was interested in you from the beginning... Just didn’t know how to convey it” He would admit with a laugh. “Makes me wish I had said something earlier, but didn’t want to make it awkward considering you were my boss and all, if you said no and didn’t feel the same way. I was.. Really, really afraid you didn't.”

Though he’d laugh when she reaffirmed she did not want him going to Zeltros.

“Yeah... I think I’ll pass on a second trip. Not my style. Doesn’t really scream “Happily married man with child” to me.”

[member="Shmi Labooda"]

 

[Pinda Solthar]

"I knew it...I felt your want to leave outside the door that night. If you would have left...I'd be completely heartbroken I won't even lie to you. After that day I sometimes wonder just what if you did leave...each time it ends the same. I don't know I just..." she stopped talking about it for the moment.

Then he started with telling that he had been interested from the start, her head was low but he'd still be able to see a smile forming. When she did look up she him that same kittenish grin she was always able to produce. Uniquely, he'd been the only one to ever bring it out of her and would remain the only one with that power.

"Well I'm glad we're together now...I couldn't imagine my life any other way. I don't want to be anywhere else." she leaned in for a kiss on his cheek before turning to look at their son, "I've got everything I've ever wanted and more right here. And your the one who gave it to me..." she chuckled to herself before finally looking at the menu.

"What're you getting? I want whatever it is your getting. This is your favorite restaurant, so I know you know what's good or not."

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He raised a hand in dismissal and chuckled lightly, shooting her a lighthearted smile. "I think you'd have found me and told me either way" He spoke quietly. "If you felt as strongly as you did, you would have... Or perhaps I would have myself. Sure, I was shy, sure, I was... Well, I had a hard time conveying how I felt, a much harder, much more difficult time of it than you did and kind of needed the help getting it out... But I very well might have sought you out. Or the other way around.

I feel it, I do... In some fashion, we're linked, Shmi. We'd have found each other, one way or another."

He leaned in to allow the kiss, before looking toward Jason, then back at Shmi once she'd spoken.

"This means more to me than you'll ever know..." He spoke softly. "I don't want to be anywhere but here with you and our son... There's been something missing for so many years and I didn't know what it was. Or well, maybe I did... I just didn't know how to voice it. I could voice wants, but never what was missing... Now I know what was missing, and the fact is, that void is filled."

He gingerly took one of her hands, caressing it with his fingers. He wasn't always great at wording, especially romantic stuff, but he did try... "You and Jason were the missing pieces that I needed. And being here with you just feels... Right."

He let go of her hand at her question, and looked down at the menu.

"I usually get the 10oz steak, medium rare. Place is absolutely amazing for it. Has some of the best meats in the galaxy, if that's what you're game for."

[member="Shmi Labooda"]

 

[Pinda Solthar]

She bit down on her lips, shyly looking away from Josh. Whenever he'd express himself it made her feel warm inside, and he was just a different person when they were together. Even though she made a vow to him, and had already surrendered her heart to him long before that, he still managed to make her blush over the simplest things. She shook it off before he went on about steak.

"Alright, I'll try that then." She nodded before they were approached by a droid who'd be taking their orders, "I'll have whatever he's having so i'll let him go into detail about how he wants his meal." she nodded after motioning to Josh, and then her eyes fell on her little guy. "The little guy will have a kids meal!" her eyes grew big as she playfully poked at his stomach, watching him curl up in laughter from it.

Just then she shifted and looked over to Josh, while resting her hand on his thigh. She glanced over the menu again just to look over the other things they had.

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He would smile back, blushing in turn as he would scratch the back of his head nervously. He was rarely shy, but in moments like this, well... It popped up. "Shy" certainly was not something that the former Grandmaster Shmi Labooda, now Shmi DragonsFlame, had expected to come from Josh DragonsFlame, another Grandmaster himself. But well, here it was. But only with her, it seemed, when he was opening up. Even he got shy, especially when it came to his wife.

He nodded in turn as she wanted to just have whatever he was having, as the droid would come to them and ask for their orders. "Alright, then... I'll have the 10 oz, prime rib... Medium well, side of space fries. And a soda. Same for the lady, as she said and the kid's meal for Jason" He would speak calmly before the droid would go away. Looking over at Jason, he couldn't help but laugh as Shmi had poked him and the child had curled up in laughter.

"Can't believe he's almost 2..." He would speak softly, a smile spreading across his lips. One of pride, of happiness... It was those moments that it was written all over his face just how happy this wonderful new life had made him.

[member="Shmi DragonsFlame"]