Not In Our Stars

[Vittore Montegue]

Vittore pulled - no, tore - himself out of where Sadie had hugged her arms around him, the mere act of moving away feeling like agony in his soul. His fingers stayed touching her as long as possible, the hand draped around her shoulder trailing down her arm until it was able to snare hers, and ease her slowly to her feet with him. For maybe the first time, he truly became aware of how tiny she was by comparison. Not tiny tiny, but still enough to make the logistics of kissing her again without being sat or lying a mite bit complicated. Tiptoes maybe, or he could scoop her up in his arms a little, or maybe she'd jump at him and wrap her legs around his waste and -

A thought too far. Vittore's face flushed a little. He'd thought all kinds of thoughts about all kinds of girls before, but apparently now was the time where it felt kinda wrong doing so. Not because there was anything wrong with thinking that way about Sadie. Hot damn no. It just didn't feel okay. Didn't feel appropriate. Didn't feel like he'd earned the right to think of her like that just yet. Weird sensation, that. Every woman he'd ever been with had been a race, a desperate scramble from make out to naked, a whole lot of rushing and fumbling in between. Sadie was the first time it felt like going slow was the right path. Maybe he was just being careful, easing up to her like you would when you were trying not to spook something. Maybe he just realised how precious and precarious this was, and for once in his life he didn't want to go screwing up the amazing thing that was in his lap.

So with all that in mind, he didn't try for another kiss. Didn't try to slip his arm around her again. Didn't try to sneak a feel of anything as they walked. He just stood there, and smiled.

"F' someone askin' with eyes as pretty as yours? I think I can manage that."

* * *

Vittore let out a long, slow breath of relief as he closed the channel on the vid terminal he'd been using to report back to Cloud City. Atton was pretty pissed about the whole thing to be honest; yelled at him about how they'd bought him a ticket so that he could talk Sadie out of getting on her transport, not hop on their with her and go for a jaunt across the Sector. Hadn't really appreciated it when Vittore had pointed out how wasteful that was; better to at least make use of the tickets that creds had been spent on, rather than just throwing those credits away for nothing. Besides, as Vittore had sternly pointed out, some people had been dumping all kinds of knowledge bombs and secret computer suites on their poor unsuspecting nieces, and lo and behold it had got a bit too crazy-much for her. He'd been sure to put plenty of emphasis on Atton's culpability: there was more than enough blame that he was aiming at himself, but Kira and that damn Jedi deserved their share as well. He'd pointed out that it was probably for the best that Sadie be allowed to step away and catch her breath: get things straight in her head without Cloud City coming at her from all sides. He'd promised that they'd be on the first available ship back the next day.

And then he'd lied and said he needed to go because Sadie was coming out of the shower. Earned him a look from her, since she'd been watching him from off-screen, but it was worth it for the flash of horror in Kira's eyes as the comm had cut off.

He turned away and threw a shrug in Sadie's direction, all comfortable - or at least, as comfortable as she was willing to get right now - on the bed across the way. They hadn't talked much on the flight, she'd just sorta leaned against him, and despite the dead arm and numb fingers it had left him, he'd been so damn angry when they'd landed and the damned hostess droid had forced them to get up and leave. Wished he could've aimed a gun at the pilot and asked them to do a few more loops around orbit. Just a few more minutes.

But they were here now, and after Sadie had swept the room for bugs and listening devices - something that Vittore hadn't realised was quite as adorable as it was until now - they'd talked. About everything. About him. About her. About why Vittore was the way that he was, about the life that had led him to finding her, about all the scars that he had on his soul. She'd listened. She'd sniffed. She'd squeezed his hand at all the right points. She'd said some pretty dumb things too, pretty stupid misconceptions about how unimportant she thought she was versus the other people who'd been in Vittore's life before her, but he straightened that up real fast. It was weird. Vittore wasn't one for talking, not really. But to her? It felt weird the way that everything lifted a little; the way that having something else know made the stuff on his shoulders feel a little less heavy.

Weirder was the realisation that not only was he staring, it was okay to. He still stopped, an embarrassed little smile creeping on his features, but instead of burying that all down or brushing it off, he got to walk over to her; got to sit down on the bed next to her; got to take hold of her hand again.

"You holdin' up okay?"

[Sadie K'Vesh]

Despite all the upset and craziness thrown into her life, Sadie felt like she'd taken some sort of great heap of weight off her shoulders. Not havin' to go an' hide her feelin's 'bout Vittore was nice, but a lot of it came down t' just talkin'. She couldn't remember the last time she'd gone and spoken for so long, 'specially 'bout herself. Weren't a lot of secrets divulged, just chunks of story missin' 'bout her life an' all the things she'd learned and done that Vitt didn't know the details 'bout. Things ran the gamut from when she was real little and the so-called family she'd been a part of, to how she'd came across Inyos and Mandan and how they'd helped her and the others get out, then the band and how she'd bought her quetarra - the one Bog had smashed - and taught herself t' play. He asked some tougher questions too, 'bout why she'd stuck around the band as long as she had. Sadie weren't quite sure she answered that one too good, was hard to put into words. Other stuff, other worries aired that lookin' back were as silly as her own.

Now that it was done though, she felt drained. Not in a bad way, but definitely tired like. Instead of how she might have held that inside though, now she could let herself go and slump against Vitt a bit, her head restin' on his shoulder as she looked down at their hands again.

"Yeah, think everythin' will be all right. Feelin' better than I have in a long time. Like all this has patched some stuff up inside, y' know? Kinda embarassin' t' put it that way. Figure you've been kinda t' blame for that since y' had to do it for reals. Still feelin' kinda overwhelmed, if honest, though. Not sure what t' make of everythin' or m'self anymore. Ain't used t' havin' people care 'bout me. 'Pparently got an overabundance nowadays."

Sadie let a small laugh leave her, just a quickie. "Still not sure what t' make of this. Ain't had a proper boyfriend b'fore. Not sure what t' do or what's all expected."

[Vittore Montegue]

"Boyfriend, huh?"

Vittore couldn't help the small tug of a smile on his lips, but it quickly turned from teasing to bashful as he looked down at their hands, his thumb brushing gently against her fingers. Was it right to answer her question by saying that nothing he might have expected could ever be better than this? Just sitting with her, being close to her, knowing that she knew what he was thinking and feeling; knowing she felt something in the same wheelhouse? Before now, all his caring had boiled up inside him, and it had turned into anger, and worry, because that's all he was willing to let it be. Didn't want to admit that it might have been something else - something he was terrified of ever feeling again. But now he remembered why. Now he remembered the reason it had been so agonising the last time it had been taken away; and this, this was far more than that had ever been. This was like finding the other half to his whole, and he wanted nothing more than to just nestle up beside her and never move again.

"Don't think much needs t' change," he answered quietly, a little more hesitantly than he normally spoke, a hint of something nervous tugging at the edges of his usual suave and charm. Why was it harder to be that way around her? Why couldn't he just act with the same swagger he'd used around every other woman he'd ever known? What was it about Sadie that forced him to have to be honest about how he felt, and what he truly wanted to say.

"Think we just do what we've been doin' this whole time, 'cept maybe we sit a little closer on the couch when we're watchin' vids, walk a little closer an' maybe have our hands like this when we're goin' place to place. Smile a little more when we see each other first thing. Ain't gonna change how much we look out for each other, but maybe we look out for ourselves a little more, 'cause we know how much it's gonna hurt the other if we let anythin' happen t' ourselves. An', well, maybe -"

He'd leaned a little closer as he spoke, and now his eyes slowly climbed, trying to find Sadie's gaze but quickly finding themselves distracted by the sight of her lips.

"Maybe I don't have t' feel quite so guilty that I keep thinkin' about kissin' you all the time."

[Sadie K'Vesh]

"All th' time, eh?"

Joking was 'bout the only way that Sadie could make up for the full on foolish feelin' she had at lettin' that boyfriend thing slip. There weren't nothin' wrong with the word, she guessed. It just kinda sounded like those things that kids called each other when they though they had somethin' and were goin' on dates and all that. Seemed downright juvenile, bit beneath the both of 'em, but it weren't like there were some better terms for it all. Guy I'm Seein' sounded more nonchalant than Sadie wanted it to be, but less silly than the other. Whatever, they'd have time to worry about what to refer t' the other as later on.

"Could'a said somethin' y' know? Or just gone an' done it." Sadie continued, lettin' one of them small teasin' smiles work it's way back to her lips. "Ain't like y' hadn't done it b'fore, after all."

[Vittore Montegue]

Vittore actually blushed a little at that. It had been back when he'd rescued her. A distraction to stop her tensing up when he reset her dislocated shoulder back to where it belonged. He'd thought she was too out of it to remember; too much pain, too much blood loss. It was weird, how guilty it made him feel having stolen a kiss from her like that. Good intentions, sure, and it wasn't like he hadn't kissed a girl for less-than-noble reasons before. Hell, there were times when he half-wondered if kissing Miss Shadowstar would be the only way of getting her to shut up; not that he ever would, mind you. At least, not again. He'd heard stores since then. Dodged a bullet on that front.

With Sadie though, it was different. With Sadie, she deserved better; and he wanted to be better. Do right by her. "I'm sorry about that," he offered quietly, not completely ashamed, but certainly the closest thing to timid that Sadie had probably ever seen him. "I don't -"

He frowned. What didn't he? What was it he was trying to say? What was it that he needed to say? The sentiment clawed away at the back of his skull, but he couldn't quite work out how to make it into valid words.

"I guess that, before? That first time, an' times with other women and stuff, it was always just a thing that you do, y'know? Get drunk enough and it just happens. No big deal. Nothing fancy. But now, with you -"

He trailed off, an awkward fidget and an even more awkward tug of a tiny smile creeping onto his features.

"Guess I kinda feel that with you it means more, an' I didn't know how to tell you what that more was. Didn't think it was somethin' you'd want to hear from me."

[Sadie K'Vesh]

Sadie felt the smile form before she fully realized she was doin' it. It weren't some big grin or nothin' like that, it was more shy like on account of what Vitt was sayin' and how it was reflectin' a bit too much.

"Yeah, you ain't th' only one t' feel that way," was a timid sort of way she admitted it and Sadie ended up looking down and shoving her hands into the pockets of her hooded sweater. Was a nervous sort of tick that made her play with the little object there, her fingers idly flipping the small data chip that Atton had given her over her knuckles in the confines of the fabric.

"Gotta admit, figured y'd want nothin' t' do with me... Not like this, anyhow. Guessed y'd see me as the sorta... messed up kid, or somethin', y' know? Been down th' same kinda road but went a different way, I guess." Sadie couldn't help but laugh at that as she looked back up to Vitt.

Lookin' at him alone was enough to make the edges of her lips curl back upwards despite herself, though. "Ain't... really felt like this 'bout no one. I s'pose at some point someone came close t' matterin' but they went up and vanished b'fore things could settle and..." She was on the verge of ramblin' again and shut herself down right quick. "But... yeah, weren't the same. Nothin' was like this. Guess maybe that was part of why I went and ran. Was scared this was just me feelin' like this and didn't know how t' handle. Needed someone t' lean on for all this muck they tossed at me an' knew you'd back me up but... not in how I needed. Not... like this."

[Vittore Montegue]

She was hiding from him, shrinking down into that little hooded sweater the way she always did. Was kinda cute most of the time, but not now. Wasn't gonna just sit here and let her shy away from him: if she was running still, then he'd follow.

A slight shift on the mattress brought him a little closer, one arm resting itself gently around her waist, the other following her sleeve downwards to settle atop Sadie's pocketed hand. The fabric of the sweater was still there to protect her, her fingers not trapped or anything like that: just a gentle reminder that he was there. A kiss pressed against the top of her head completed the effect. If Sadie felt like she needed to hide from things, then fine. He'd wrap himself around her like a protective shield, and keep her safe from whatever it was.

"Ain't nothin' wrong with runnin'," he said quietly, letting his cheek rest against her hair, his thumb idly stroking across Sadie's hidden fingers without really even realising. "People act like only cowards run, but it ain't like that at all. Pretty much everythin' alive's got two basic reactions when stuff goes bad: fight, or flight. Fleein' is what keeps you safe. It's what stops you gettin' hurt when the fight's gonna be too tough to face. Ain't nothin' but rational about it."

The arm around Sadie's waist shifted a little, a little more affection added to his embrace.

"You an' me though? We get stuck with just the one. I got so good at fightin', and you got so good at fleein' that we don't even wonder if the other option might be better. But now I've got you in m' life, things are different. If I fight an' you flee, we're gonna end up gettin' separated an' I'm gonna lose you, an' -"

He trailed off, his head dropping, a kiss pressed against the thing fabric shielding her shoulder from him.

"It's time that I started tryin' to do both. If you run, then I run; but runnn' doesn't mean I stop fightin', just means I'm only ever gonna do it when I'm by your side. Means what I'm fightin' is gonna be the stuff that's tryin' to stop you bein' safe; the stuff that's gonna stop you wearin' that pretty smile on y' face. Whether it's keepin' you safe, or keepin' you around... don't make a difference to me, I'm gonna fight just as hard either way. I don't wanna lose you, Sadie. Gonna keep fightin' to my last breath t' make sure I don't."

[Sadie K'Vesh]

Might have been a silly thing to say and admit but Sadie liked this whole, sittin' and talkin' thing. Was new in a way. Usually attraction of any sort just resulted in clothin' bein' torn off an' a whole lot of action. This though? This was nice. The gentle pressure of Vitt's arm around her, the same for where his hand rested on hers even if it was hidden under fabric. Then there was the way he kept findin' excuses to press his lips against parts of her that weren't even exposed, was like a nice reminder he was there with all the intent without it bein' needy... or somethin' like that. Whatever. Tryin' to describe it was like tryin' to describe why that moment you hit a planet just right and their Summer was endin' and their respected sun or suns had gone down below the horizon but there was still enough light t' see by an' the air was just startin' to cool off was her favorite time of... ever. It just felt right, y'know?

She liked what he was sayin' too. No body said things like that to her, no body made her feel like she was actually worth a damn, really. Oh sure, she had value, to some folks but it always seemed like the kind you could look up in your books and actually put a credit amount to. Vitt was one of the first people who had made her feel like maybe there weren't quite a proper thing to ascribe to her worth, but it was there. Sadie could only hope she let him feel that same way.

That was probably the oddest thing about the day. All actual revelations aside, Sadie felt like she'd gone and learned a bit more about herself than she'd known; and not just names and blood and all that - though that was good too. Was more internal than that, more about what her head and things she was findin' important that never seemed like they would be. Stuff she'd written off as things she'd never experience suddenly makin' themselves all kinds of present. In a lot of ways, kinda literally. There were two folks in the verse that Sadie knew actually gave a kriff about her well bein'. That was two more than she'd ever thought she'd have.

One of them contented sighs left her as she found herself not real certain 'bout what all to say in reply to Vitt. She leaned against him a bit and let her eyes closed just long enough to appreciate the subtle warmth that bein' so close to another could offer. Still, as if fate itself was still tryin' to tug her around and refused to let her be, Sadie was still all kinds of aware of the data chit in her hand, opposite the one that Vitt had covered. That same annoyin' feelin' of curiosity that had lead to her Inyos was beconin' again and despite feelin' pretty burnt out, Sadie couldn't help but think there may have been some kind of wisdom in gettin' everything proper done with in one go. Yeah it was overwhelmin' and had made her make some not so great decisions, but that'd been solved and Vitt was here and...

She pulled the small device out of her pocket and rolled it between her fingers as her eyes reopened and settled on it. Her mother. Woman that Sadie had given up thinkin' bout; and supposedly everythin' she'd want to know was all right at her fingertips.

Frak it.

"Hand me m' datapadd, would y'?" She half mumbled to Vittore, who was closer to the bag she'd dropped on the bed.

[Vittore Montegue]

It took a moment for Vittore to even process the words, his brain was busy paying attention to all the other sensory input instead. The weight of her against him. The warmth he could feel from her being close. The scent of her hair. The gentle sound of her breathing. The feeling of elation and peace and safety that flooded through him. It was that same kind of awe as when you saw the perfect sunrise and couldn't help staring at it just that little bit longer, wishing you could somehow burn the experience into your mind. It was something Vittore hoped he would never forget; and while okay, if what both of them had said was true, there'd be other moments, other times like this - but it didn't matter. Right now, these moments were diamonds, and Sadie was a diamond mine. Just because there were would be more didn't make the first diamond any less precious: just meant you were gonna wind up with a whole kriff ton of diamonds.

So it was yet again with painful reluctance that Vittore found himself needing to pull away from Sadie's arms, to release her long enough to retrieve what she'd asked for. It would only be a moment or two, only a bit of stretching, maybe a step - but it was more separation from her than he was willing for right now. It was like that moment in the middle of a cold night where you found yourself busting for the 'fresher, but you couldn't bare the thought of leaving the warm bundle of bedsheets you'd cocooned yourself in, and you found yourself daring your bladder to do it's worst, trying to decide if wet pyjama pants and having to change the sheets in the morning was a price you were willing to pay to stay put.

It's a shame I can't -

That thought stopped in it's tracks. He couldn't reach the datapad without moving; but he'd learned things about Sadie today that required his worldview to be reshaped, and while she likes me was utterly at the forefront, there were other things worthy of remembering too. It was a weird feeling in a way, discovering that someone was Force sensitive and not reacting with fear, not feeling as if this new knowledge somehow posed a threat. But Vittore didn't feel the slightest bit uncomfortable, or in danger. The opposite in fact: it was almost fascinating in a way. Dad had raised him to hate such things on reflex. Anything that used the Force was inherently bad. Inquisitors. The Jedi who'd supposedly betrayed the Republic. Even mom. But the more he learned, the more complicated it became, and now, what? How did he think of it now? It was almost as if the Force itself had lost it's mystique. Using it was like firing a blaster. Sure, most people used blasters to kill, and harm, and threaten; bit in isolation, the prowess of a sniper or an expert gunslinger was impressive; worthy of admiration in it's own way. Was that how he saw the Force now, then? Just a tool, just a skill, defined only by the kind of person that used it? His dad would have yelled at him for thinking a thought like that. Vittore clung to it tighter. To hell with you, dad.

Vittore's arms held Sadie just a little bit tighter. "Can't you, y'know..." His voice trailed off, a sort of timid faintness in his words almost - not quite nervous but definitely cautious, not even sure how to phrase a question like this. "Jedi it over or somethin'?"

[Sadie K'Vesh]

A breath of a laugh went and left her, somewhere between shocked that he'd asked such a thing considerin' how much she'd spent tryin' not to let on about it, and the other part genuinely amused that for all his findin' out on his onsies, the hunter hadn't figured out all what she was capable of. Course, could have been a bit of a third thing...

"Ha, I wish. Well, I mean, I might be able t'. Don't really know, I guess. Ain't never just Jedi-ed somethin' over." Sadie gave Vitt a slight playful shove with her shoulder and the better part of the side of her body that was closest to him. A flicker of discomfort ran itself across her face, kinda at the odd tug of her skin that still bugged the ever livin' frak out of her and part at the way she'd set herself up for a whole heap more of confessions that Sadie had figured she weren't never gonna go and tell Vittore.

"Not like I really go an' experiment with it, y' know? I mean... I know I can kinda, use it t' make myself faster. Not, physically... well, okay maybe a bit. I think. Runnin as a kid, swift hands in pockets, that sort of dren. Ain't done that sort of thing in years though. Nah, comes from up here-" She paused and tapped the datachip to the side of her head. "Reason I guess I can keep up with droids an' such. It's hard t' describe, I guess. Ain't like a purposeful use or nothin' of that sort. It just kinda... happens? Took me a long time t' figure out what was goin' on... think it was th' first time I met Inyos that it got pointed out t' me."

Sadie felt another quick breath leave her, not quite managin' to pull it into a laugh or nothin' that time around. "Kinda hopin' he can help me figure more stuff out without... y'know... tryin' to convert me or drag me off t' some temple or somethin'. Don't think he will, says he just wants t' help keep me from fallin' t' Darkness or somethin'."

The small device danced across the back of her knuckles in an overly practiced motion that Sadie barely thought of how to keep it goin'. She fought the slight nervous tick of runnin' her hand through her hair, keepin' the one occupied with the data chip and the other secure under Vittore's, still tucked away in her pocket.

"Dunno if he'd be so concerned with that sort of thing if he knew all what I'd gone through though. Figure if anythin' was gonna do somethin' like that would have been th' hell you saved m' from and... well... think I'm doin' okay all things considerin'. Sure don't feel any darker."

[Vittore Montegue]

The mere vague suggestion of Sadie being dragged off to the Jedi created an urge to cling on to her tighter that Vittore struggled to resist. Whatever this was now between them, whatever term and descriptor it had earned, the thought of it being gone so suddenly twisted his insides. He felt a spike of anger, intended for the Jedi; the urge to keep Sadie away from him just in case, to drive him off Cloud City, to run him out of town -

A more rational part of his mind prevailed. Falling to darkness. That was what Inyos wanted to shield her from. If the Jedi wanted to safeguard Sadie against suffering the same fate that his mother had, well... that Vittore could live with; that he could tolerate, for as long as Sadie was willing to do the same. The instant that changed though, the instant Inyos Aamoran ceased to be someone that Sadie wanted around, he would be gone: either by transport, or by sudden egress through one of the city's airlocks, and a rapid descent towards the core of Bespin.

"I ain't an expert on this stuff," Vittore said quietly. Despite his efforts, a little fragment of that desire to hold her closer leaked through. "But I do know that th' darkness, or dark side, or whatever they call it -"

His stomach clenched, voice faltered, mouth forced itself to swallow against the sudden dryness in his throat.

"It takes away the people y' care about." Wasn't quite the way of phrasing it that had immediately come to mind; he was glad his mind had the forethought to avoid any words that might make Sadie run for orbit again. His lips pressed against her shoulder again, and for a fleeting moment he wished there was some way he could stop quite so much fabric being between them. "If this guy trainin' you means I get t' have you stick around instead a' loosin' you? Sounds... like a pretty good plan t' me."

[Sadie K'Vesh]

"Sorry I kinda almost ruined that."

Weren't no shortage of guilt that eased it's way on into her voice. Had been mighty stupid now that she could think clear again. Runnin' from a whole heap of craziness, away from problems that didn't really exist, and she never once gave it thought for how it might go and effect people now. Was supposed to save 'em all from whatever disaster was gonna follow in her wake in the long run, save 'em from whatever dumb skrag she was gonna stumble into or do herself. Had been like thinkin' bout takin' off one of them sticky bandages. Yeah it was probably gonna hurt, yeah it might tear somethin' back open and make y' bleed for a bit, but was best done quick like rather than draggin' it out over a long time. Course like a dumbass she'd gone and forgotten the fact that leavin' the thing on was best for you and it eventually came off painlessly on it's own when it was good an' ready. Whatever, was a stupid metaphor anyhow.

"Y'sure you're okay with this, though?" Sadie couldn't help but ask, despite the way Vitt was holdin' on to her pretty much answered anyway. "Seems a got a whole heap of baggage I didn't even realize I was carryin' around."

She held up the data chip, kinda lackadaisical in a way, as if it didn't hold some next big thing. "Atton said this here holds everythin' about m' Ma. Called me Lady... some noble house of planet Spacedust or somethin' like that. Not sure I want t' know what sort of Lady up and ditches her kid on th' shittiest damn planet in th' verse. Guess it's better than bein' blown t' th' seven hells though."

Sadie nodded her head back towards the datapadd in her bag. "Was gonna let it rest at first, then figured why th' frak not jus' get everythin' out of th' way, y' see? And... guess I got you here with me this time around on th' ol' Revelations Express. Don't matter what this thing turns up, no matter how bad it is or what sort of dren it brings with it... I... I got you with me t' back me up, yeah?"

[Vittore Montegue]

Ruined? Okay with this? Baggage?

The apologies, the negativity, the put-downs all compounded upon each other, blame and guilt crystallising into a shell that Sadie could hide inside, a barrier that Vittore found himself firmly on the other side of. All the sorrows and complications in the world, Vittore could cope with that. Was part of who she was, and everyone had that kind of crap; didn't phase him in the slightest. Trying to act like it would be too much for him though, like it was some unfair burden she was somehow throwing at his feet that he didn't have the fortitude or affection to want to help her carry? Steaming pile of nerfshit, that was.

One minute, Vittore was gone from her side. Next he was in front of her down on one knee - not like that - with one hand on her waist, the other in her hair. His eyes locked with hers, equal parts determined and pleading, utterly desperate for her to understand, demanding that she cut the crap and pay attention to the sentiment that he could barely do anything about except ride like a wave. He leaned into her, bringing his lips to hers, kissing her with so much passion and intensity that it was almost like he was trying to extract her foolish words and foolish notions right out of her lips. Not the sweet and gentle kiss of earlier: something urgent and insistent, something that threatened to drag him away like an undercurrent, something that when he started Vittore wasn't sure he even had it in him to stop.

Somehow he managed, but only barely, his forehead lingering against hers, a faint whisper all the voice he could muster.

"Always," he breathed, struggling to pull away just enough to find her eyes again, expression conflicting between a faint frown and a flicker of a smile, equal parts saddened by her doubts and overcome with his own affection. "That ain't ever a question y' even need t' ask."

[Sadie K'Vesh]

For a few seconds there, quite a few more than there was any right in doin', Sadie completely forgot about the damned data chip in her hand and the Jedi and Uncle waitin' on her back home. Okay, so maybe there weren't any guilt in that at all. This was what she really needed right? A bit of a breather, a moment of peace and damn quiet to get her head straight. She'd gotten it already by just gettin' away but everythin' had lingered in the back of her head ever since leavin' Bespin despite a lack of invite to do so.

Those few seconds though? That little bit of time where she could swear the entire galaxy stopped movin' and existin' and all that was left was just her and him? Yeah. That was good. That was damn good. That was the kind of sappy stuff you heard about in stories but didn't ever think was real and you'd experience it until apparently suddenly - Wham! Right person and the right time was all it took, apparently. She just never figured she'd ever find that person. Weren't like she'd been lookin' or hopin' or dreamin'. It just kinda... happened. Like it was the most natural damn thing in the verse.

She felt herself nod, just slightly, just enough to feel the motion against where his head rested with hers. "Guess I should'a known better."

Could have just left it there, she supposed, but he was too close for their own good and it took just about no effort at all - more to not do it, really - for Sadie to bring her lips back to his. Gods or whatever Force controlled everythin' she had wanted to do that for a while. Had considered it at times when they'd been back on the Tide, watchin' holovids and sittin' a bit too close to be entirely casual that she now looked back on and could have smacked herself upside the head for not actin' sooner. Better late than never, or however that sayin' went.

Didn't last long, that much self control was there. Oh sure, there were parts of her brain that were being all kids of laserbrained and considered just lettin' things go all out. Why the frak not? Well... answer to that was that Vitt weren't like any guy she'd been around before and somethin' about takin' things all kinds of far after such a tentative way of admittin' stuff to each other seemed all kinds of wrong. If we went and kissed her again like that though, well, all damn bets might be off. Course, there was still the problem of what might set on once clothin' started gettin' pulled off. Could like a person well enough, find yourself all kinds of attracted and wantin', but Sadie figured the tangle of scars etched into her would be downright impossible to ignore and one hell of a mood killer.

Best to not push things, then. She was vergin' on feelin' decent, no need to watch a flinch or somethin' tear all that down. Things were good as was, after all. Well... with one damn exception.

Sadie let a small sigh leave her as the weight of that damn data device came back to haunt her. Was probably the thing about the whole Force sensitivity deal that got under her skin and made her wish there was a way to tell it to frak off... and that was when the Galaxy got somethin' up it's big ol' arse that it felt you needed to know about, it didn't let up until you acted. Was what had caused the whole mess of the day, really, and now was comin' back for seconds. Was no gettin' around it and as much as Vitt was apparently more than capable of makin' it piss off for a bit, she couldn't exactly ask the guy to keep kissing her so she didn't have to find out about whatever woman spawned her. Okay, so Sadie probably could do it... but that lead back to all that other dren and to be downright honest, she was just tired of runnin' for the night.

Her eyes moved away from him, towards the data chip in her hand and she held it up again, not quite as prominently as the first time she'd explained the thing, "T'gether then, yeah? Well... I mean... figuratively. Kinda literally too, I s'pose. Ain't like I've got a mind t' keep secrets at this stage and all."

[Vittore Montegue]

"Together," Vittore agreed, letting a smile work it's way onto his lips.

There was an opportunity here, and Vittore took it; took the data chip too, easing it gently out of Sadie's hands before he turned away and headed for her discarded bag to retrieve the datapad she needed. He didn't exactly run, but his pace was a little swifter than normal. Kinda had a little bit of a spring to his step too, little smiles blossoming before quickly being downplayed by his lips as Sadie kissing him drifted across his thoughts every few seconds. Was kind of a weird thing, you know? Was one thing for him to kiss her, and her to let it happen; another thing entirely when it was her who wanted to.

He was gone about seven seconds; it felt like longer. He slotted the chip into the datapad before he returned to his place beside her, arm looping around her waist with a little more confidence this time; a little less trepidation that it might not be okay. An urge to let his fingers sneak beneath the seam of Sadie's shirt and brush across her skin was stifled - a whole lot of effort required, too. Vittore had seen what Sadie tried so hard to hide - seen them when they were fresh, obviously, but he'd caught glimpses here and there. He knew the way she felt about them; but they didn't phase him in the slightest. Wasn't anything to be phased over. Wasn't as if he'd ever known her without her scars, and they said so much about her; what she'd been through, what she was capable or surviving, why she and Vittore even knew each other in the first place. Given half a chance he'd kiss his way across every micron... not that he could exactly out and say that, of course. Was a fine line between trying to be reassuring and honest, and accidentally pressuring someone into doing stuff because they figure it's the way to give you what you want. Not now, then. Wait until the right moment, back home on the Tide maybe, a holomovie on the couch, leaning that turns into kissing, kissing that turns into hands roaming, Sadie saying that Vittore should stop because he wont like what he sees, Vittore assuring that there isn't a damn inch of her he wouldn't happily stare at for the rest of time, a nervous smile, a slow continuation, clothes teased aside skin on skin -

Vittore's face started to turn red as he began to frantically fumble those thoughts aside, passing the datapad to Sadie as a distraction in the hopes that she wouldn't notice. He knew it wasn't something he should feel embarrassed about, letting his mind wander like that, and he knew that part of her wouldn't mind; but maybe part of her would, and with all the honesty that had been shared between them now, he wasn't sure he had it in him to make up a lie if she came out and asked why he was blushing.

"My money's on supermodel, by the way," Vittore offered, adding a little embarrassment for Sadie to help disguise his own. "Don't get t' be as beautiful as you are without havin' damned attractive parents."