Bedtime |
Finda smiled at the Jedi apprentice sitting across from her. "You've lived here all your life?" She asked, quietly. Berja was just in the next room and Finda knew from personal experience exactly how light a sleeper Berja was. Obi-Wan nodded; belatedly realizing that Finda wouldn't see it. "Yes." "I've never been so high up before. The University is lower, not that I see much of anything anyway, but...Berja tells me about the view. In her words, it's sucks." "How did you...I mean, what happened?" Obi-Wan stuttered out. He felt like an idiot. He and his master had been all over the universe, he'd helped with many treaties and suddenly he couldn't talk to this one blind girl. Finda shrugged. "I was stupid when I was little. Our planet was having an eclipse and I wanted to watch it. No one told me that looking straight into the sun for a long time causes blindness." "How did you get into the University?" Finda straightened. She wasn't sure that she liked what this young Jedi was implying. "I'm not stupid, just blind. I applied just like everyone else and I got in. Plain and simple." Obi-Wan blushed, even though she couldn't see it. He hadn't meant to imply that Finda was anything less than worthy to go to the University, just that he wasn't sure how she coped in this large world. Coruscant was huge, and while he didn't get lost anymore, he couldn't even imagine not being able to see. He was certain he'd go insane. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply years ago, when I was just taken as a Padawan Learner, one of the missions we were assigned was to rescue this Jedi Knight from Melida/Daan. She had been tortured and beaten. She ended up blind. Master Tahl was-is the only contact I've had with blind people, and well it wasn't the greatest time for me." Finda frowned. There was more, so much more that he wasn't telling her, and in all reality she couldn't blame him. She'd met him, what 3 hours ago, and now she was sitting in his room talking to him. Quite strange that was. She rarely, if ever, moved this fast, but something inside of her was telling her it was ok. There was nothing to fear. "What happened?" She asked. "If it's too painful, I understand " Obi-Wan winced. He should have realized that Finda would pick up on what was going through him. Even though Qui-Gon and Tahl had forgiven him a long time ago, he still felt the pangs of guilt when he thought that Tahl had almost died because of his stupid mistake. "I made a mistake. I uh got caught up in the war on Melida/Daan. I could have gotten Master Tahl killed, and I left the order." "Pretty big decision." Finda said quietly. "But from what you said she didn't die." "No, she didn't. But she could have, and it would have been my fault. It was bad enough that I left the Order for a short time, and betrayed my Master. If she had died I would never have forgiven myself." "Not your fault." A voice told them from the doorway. Obi-Wan and Finda both turned to the sound of the voice. Berja was standing in the doorway, rubbing her eyes and looking thoroughly exhausted. "What do you mean?" Obi-Wan asked, as Finda scooted over to make room for her best friend. "Did you beat that Jedi Knight?" "No, of course not!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. "Then it's not your fault. We all make mistakes; we're only human. The trick is to only take responsibility for what you've done. Don't go borrowing guilt, it's not worth it." Berja replied. "I thought you were going to sleep?" Obi-Wan retorted. "I was, having a great dream too, and you two idiots woke me up. So I figured the sooner you could resolve this, the faster you could get on to quieter things." "Berja!" Finda exclaimed, feeling her face flush. It was one thing to say that when it was only the two of them, but right in front of the boy Berja was going to regret saying that. "What? I meant sleeping. Exactly where is your mind, young lady?" Berja teased, then yawned. "Ok, if you two promise to keep it down, I'm going to try to catch that dream again. Night." "Night Berja. Sweet dreams." Finda replied with a small smirk. She knew what was going on with her friend. Berja thought she was so clever, but Finda could read her like an open book. "Oh, and Finda? You should check out his good looks for yourself." "May I?" Finda asked, hesitantly bringing her hand up to Obi-Wan's face. "Ok" He replied not certain what Finda was going to do, but unwilling to deny her request. Finda smiled as she let her fingers trace the contours of the young man's face. It was something she usually didn't ask to do on first meeting someone. It had taken her two months of knowing Berja before she'd asked. Berja had immediately apologized for not offering sooner, and since then Berja had made it her purpose in life to explain as many sites to Finda as she could. There were still times when Berja forgot that her best friend couldn't see, but Finda found those moments comforting. She smiled as she pulled her mind back to the task at hand. Here she had, according to Berja and what her fingers were telling her, a very attractive man in front of her who didn't seem put off by the fact that she was blind. She edged closer, not wanting to lose the moment that was suddenly charged. Obi-wan let his eyes slide shut as the girl's fingers brushed over his face, feather soft. They started on the top of his head; briefly running through his hair, short as it was; it tickled slightly. They traced down over his forehead, and to his eyebrows, smoothing the hair there. The fingers gently pressed against his eyes, and he felt her shift closer. "What color are they?" She breathed. Obi-Wan licked his lips before answering, her fingers not yet leaving his eyes. "A green blue." He could imagine her smile, as she whispered, "pretty." Obi-wan's breath caught in his throat as her fingers traced his lips. He couldn't help himself and kissed the delicate tips. He had kept his eyes closed, but he could feel her shifting still closer, and then her lips brushed his. Obi-Wan relaxed and kissed the blind raven-haired girl back. Embolden by his response, Finda traced the line of his arms before twining her fingers in his hair, and letting her tongue ask for permission to explore further. Obi-Wan couldn't help the moan that escaped him, but he was aware enough that they weren't the only ones in the suite. He opened his eyes long enough to ensure the door was indeed closed before losing himself in his raging hormones. Or would have, if the bucket of ice water that was his Master hadn't chosen to interrupt. *Go to sleep Padawan.* The older man relayed with enough steel that Obi-Wan immediately broke off their kiss. "What's wrong?" Finda asked, her hands still enmeshed in the young Jedi's hair. Obi-wan gave her a rueful grin. "Nothing. Master Jinn just reminded me that we leave on a mission tomorrow and I should be well rested." Finda nodded and then smirked. "I hate it when that happens." The End |