[ His echoing laughter is quiet but it releases all of the tension in his shoulders, and softens the tightness in his eyes and around his mouth beneath the scruff of his beard. He looks almost younger, and when he looks into her eyes its with the clarity of someone who understands what this all means, what saying these words means, and believing them with all of the flow of the Force through every atom in his body.
He lifts a hand to gently stroke at her cheek with a finger, ever so fond, before he helps to close the distance between them. The press of his lips to hers is gentle, and admittedly a little tentative at first — the mark of someone who admittedly hasn't kissed anyone in some time, nor felt this way in so long that it takes a moment to draw back the memories he'd long since buried away in the name of fulfilling his duty. In putting the greater good first.
But if time and life and his dedication to the ways of the Force have shown him anything, it isn't that he should fully exclude one thing for another. (A mistake he has paid dearly for in the past.) He feels this way for Luthien and he doesn't feel as though the ghosts of the Council would admonish him for it. Or perhaps he doesn't care even if they do.
Now there's a thought.
A moment later, and Ben pulls back just enough to be able to speak again, the warmth and taste of her lips still on his tongue. ]
I fear that I may join you if they try to separate us.
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He lifts a hand to gently stroke at her cheek with a finger, ever so fond, before he helps to close the distance between them. The press of his lips to hers is gentle, and admittedly a little tentative at first — the mark of someone who admittedly hasn't kissed anyone in some time, nor felt this way in so long that it takes a moment to draw back the memories he'd long since buried away in the name of fulfilling his duty. In putting the greater good first.
But if time and life and his dedication to the ways of the Force have shown him anything, it isn't that he should fully exclude one thing for another. (A mistake he has paid dearly for in the past.) He feels this way for Luthien and he doesn't feel as though the ghosts of the Council would admonish him for it. Or perhaps he doesn't care even if they do.
Now there's a thought.
A moment later, and Ben pulls back just enough to be able to speak again, the warmth and taste of her lips still on his tongue. ]
I fear that I may join you if they try to separate us.
[ Just in case she had any doubt at all. ]