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Arri-zan walked through the giant gates along with Maul, Arcturus, and Savage. Arcturus was preening about the lightsaber duel he won in order to get them the trip, and Maul looked more enraged than normal. Savage and Arri-zan walked slightly behind the two of them, both feeling slightly awkward, although for very different reasons.
Arri-zan had been planning this day in her head since the date was set. She was going to confidently stride up to Savage and ask that they do the spa together, maybe throwing in a seductive wink for good measure. That did not happen. Instead, she anxiously sat at the opposite end of the bench from him the entire ship ride there, and was practically shaking by the time they touched ground. She was not prepared for this.
She looked up at the man walking next to her and quickly looked away. She was not at all prepared for this.
Maul begrudgingly paid for the four of them to get into the spa, rolling his eyes and clenching his teeth, and deepening his ever-present scowl. Arcturus was glowing with pride. Arri-zan was deeply nervous, but she tried not to let it show.
The voice of the clerk at the front desk cut through her mind like a white hot knife.
"Two couple's tickets, one for each of the lucky gentlemen! Have a wonderful time!"
He. Said. WHAT.
Arri-zan looked up at Savage, panicked, then towards Arcturus, who had gone completely white at the thought of any definition of his and Maul's relationship. She looked to Maul, who had an undercurrent of confusion in his scowl. She looked back to Savage, and his expression was completely unreadable.
She watched as Savage took the tickets and handed one to Arcturus, saying "You and my brother shall go together. Ensure that he does not destroy the masseuse."
Arri-zan blinked. Then blinked again, hoping to get her brain back in working order. This meant that she and Savage would be going together. With couples tickets. Going into hot tubs and getting massages and taking mud baths and seeing each other in little more than towels.
She shook her head of the thought, trying to remain decent.
She had to focus. This was a day of rest and relaxation and prime time to fuck with Maul. She couldn't let herself ruin it with that giant buff distraction of a man.
She took a deep breath and walked alongside Savage, not making eye contact at all. Up ahead, a guide led Arcturus and Maul to the massage area, and a second guide quickly stepped to Savage to guide the both of them to some hot tubs.
It was a short and silent walk, but it felt like forever. Arri-zan was slightly ahead of Savage, as though he was her bodyguard, and she'd be lying if she said that didn't hurt a little. She's been trying to be kind to him and get to know him for ages, but no matter what she does there's still that wall there. The same wall that separates them now, that makes him walk behind her, that makes him hold himself with such tension.
They arrive at the hot tubs and are sent to separate changing rooms. She's given a white bikini with golden tassles hanging from the fasteners on the bottom, and golden embroidery on the top. It's made with a light, breathable fabric thats easy to move around in. It reminds her of home, but she can't focus on that. She has to make it through the day without embarrassing herself before she can think about that.
She walks out of the changing room to see Savage in a similarly styled bathing suit. White swim trunks with golden embroidery adorn his waist, and he holds two fresh towels in his arms, both with golden hearts in the corners, courtesy of the couples tickets. He notices her, and for a moment an expression she's never seen from him before flicks across his face, but he rights himself before she can decipher its meaning.
Their eyes meet for the briefest of moments before their guide leads them to a secluded corner of the hot tubs, where a heart shaped tub lay bubbling, beckoning the two of them to come in and relax. Arri-zan hesitated, but a confused look from the guide was all it took for her to get in, and Savage followed suit.
The guide looked satisfied, and walked off, no doubt wondering what kind of couple goes through that whole process without saying a word to each other, but Arri-zan had larger problems to deal with. She and Savage sat awkwardly next to each other on the edge of the tub, not speaking. She was ready to die of embarrassment.
She sunk further under the water. She couldn't bear to look him in the eyes. Her one comfort was that Arcturus was no doubt going through a similar torture. She sunk further. The water was surprisingly deep. She took a deep breath through her gills, the first one in many years. Half-gone memories bubbled to the surface of her mind. Warm hands reaching out for her, a woman with strong arms cradling her, forests of kelp and seaweed, towers of coral, and the glow of a lantern in the dark nights of the ocean she used to call home. Perhaps that woman was her mother, long ago? The men in white and brown were talking with the woman. She looked conflicted, but Arri-zan was too focused on chasing a small shrimp through the kelp to bother understanding why. Rough hands picked her up. She bit them and swam back to the woman, who lifted her easily, kissed her forehead and murmured something in a comforting tone.
The woman hugged her tightly, smiled, and passed her to the men with rough hands. She sobbed and screamed but the woman did nothing. She only smiled and looked torn.
Arri-zan regained control of her mind. She shook her head violently to free herself from the thoughts, but she couldn't. She felt a painful prick at her tear ducts. She was crying. The bubbles in the hot tub had gone and she was crying. The warmth was too familiar. Too much like the place she once called home. Too much like the distant memories of stability and comfort.
Tears mixed with water, and all Arri-zan could do was hide her face. She took deep breaths through her gills, each one bringing a new memory. It felt like there was a hole in her chest being carved out with barbed wire and painfully sweet nostalgia.
She was awoken from her stupor by a large, rough hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Savage's hand, dark and broad like the rest of him. She turned further to see his face, and he looked the most concerned she had ever seen from him. He gestured for the two of them to go up, and she was struck with the realization that he had definitely seen her crying. She was mortified, and remained still.
He scanned her face, and took her hand gently, pulling her up to the surface with him. They reached air once more, and Savage took a breath, sitting down on the ledge. He stared at Arri-zan, looking for some sign of injury or something to cause such a reaction.
She said nothing and looked away, tears still running hot down her cheeks.
Seconds turned to minutes of his piercing gaze burning into her. She turned back to him, and he looked less concerned, but still utterly confused. Her breathing slowed to its regular pace. She hadn't even realized she was hyperventilating.
She opened her mouth before she could stop herself.
"I'm sorry Savage."
He looked even more confused than before, turning his whole body to face her.
"I hadn't expected the water to remind me so much of home" she choked out, tears welling in her eyes again. "I barely even remember anything from it, it's ridiculous that I'm so affected by it, but I just can't help it."
The corners of Savage's eyes softened.
"I think of that place, and I miss what I could have had." Arri-zan's voice was hopeless. "Everything could have been so simple."
Savage said nothing for a long time. He stared at her, examining her face, the slight tremor in her hands, the way she was curling in on herself, everything about her posture and stance. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. Every woman he's ever known has lied, schemed, manipulated and abused him and anyone else in their way. Every bounty hunter he's known never told anyone anything unless it gave them an advantage.
He couldn't fathom what she gained from behaving this way. What advantage could she possibly have from showing him this?
"I wish you would say something," said Arri-zan, somewhat bitterly.
Once again, Savage paused.
"What is there to say?"
The Nautolan sighed defeatedly, saying, "I honestly don't know. I just can't stand the silence."
"I... I apologize, I didn't know."
A moment passed. They both stared at the water.
Arri-zan took a breath. "You know, I would really like to get to know you better," yet again, tears pricked at her eyes, "but every time I try I just fail. I get too nervous, and even when I do manage to speak, you're brief with your responses, and quick to turn away from me."
The tears brimmed in her eyes, threatening to spill over. She was glowing with embarrassment, but she was in too deep to stop now.
"You treat me like I've hurt you in some way, and I'm truly sorry if I have, but it wasn't intentional. I feel like I make you uncomfortable, and it hurts to feel like that without knowing what I've done."
She got very quiet and the tremor in her hands returned.
"Please, Savage. Tell me what I've done. I'll leave you alone, I'll never speak to you again if that's what you want, but I have to know."
Savage was very quiet and very still. Since she had joined their group, he had been wary of her. A galaxy-renowned bounty hunter was not to be trusted easily, and a woman was a very dangerous thing to be. He was so confused each time she approached him. Everything about her body language had told him she was hiding something, yet she seemed not to mean him any harm. He kept his guard up.
When she was assigned to take cargo with him, he was even more confused. Their ship was raided by pirates, and he naturally stepped forward to defend his crew and the cargo, but she stepped in front of him, lightsabers ready. She clearly meant to defend him, and he couldn't fathom why. For once she didn't look like she was hiding something when she spoke. She had told him to "stay back" and that she would protect them both, and proceeded to mow through the pirates like they were nothing but flies. He was dumbfounded. No one besides Maul had ever wanted to protect him, and even then he was meant to go headlong into danger alongside him.
He was so utterly confused by the woman in front of him. She couldn't hold eye contact with him, she would fidget and stall in conversation with him. She was OBVIOUSLY hiding something, yet she seemed... Soft somehow? It seemed her kindness was genuine, but he had no idea why, especially when there were secrets plainly being kept from him.
Arri-zan huffed with disappointment. "Stoic as always, I see. I guess you don't have to give me an answer. I'm not the boss of you."
She went to sink back into the water, and Savage felt a part of him sinking with her.
He felt his body moving without his permission. He reached for her hand and took hold of it gently, yet firmly. She looked into his eyes for the first time since they met. Her hands were soft, with defined callouses from training with her lightsabers. Her eyes had the depth of the ocean she calls home. Savage was not prepared for this.
"Yes?" She spoke, and he noticed her lips, soft and glossy.
He was not at all prepared for this.
"I... I apologize. I did not know you felt that way."
Now it was Savage's turn to look away from embarrassment.
"I was afraid. A bounty hunter turning up at your door being friendly typically means there will be death in your near future." What he didn't say was that every other time he was around a woman for this long they ended up using him as a weapon or trying to kill him. "I kept my guard up as I was trained to, but now I see that was a mistake. You meant no harm in your conversation."
He kept his eyes on the water as he spoke.
"I have no quarrel with you."
He braced himself for the punishment that was surely on its way. Perhaps it would be a hand to strike him, or maybe she would be less gracious and it would be torment through the force.
Nothing happened.
Arri-zan looked at the tall man next to her. She was confused as to why he flinched, but was otherwise overjoyed. The whole time, his distance had been due to fear of her title instead of him finding her annoying or repulsive! Although, the joy quickly fell into concern when she looked at him again to see Savage shaking. He looked truly terrified.
He felt a hand on his shoulder. "There it is," he thought, "she just wanted to enjoy the suspense."
Nothing happened.
"Are you alright?" Arri-zan laid a second hand on him, gently touching his arm. "You're shaking." She spoke softly, so as not to startle him.
He turned to her sharply. He wasn't expecting to hear that.
"Why aren't you hurting me?" He spoke without his minds permission.
"Why would I hurt you?" Concern took full hold of the Nautolan's face, an expression that tugged at his heartstrings.
"I wronged you. I treated you as though you were dangerous when all you've ever done is show your worth as an ally. Such failure deserves punishment."
"Not where I'm from."
"What?"
"Where I'm from, we forgive accidents such as these. You hadn't realized the damage you were causing, and were certainly in the right to be on guard with a bounty hunter on your ship. Why hold onto the pain when we could both move on and let ourselves move past it?" Arri-zan smiled at him gently.
"I don't believe in such things, but thank you for sparing me the pain." Savage looked at her and then looked away again. He was very aware of her soft hands on him.
"... Of course," she hesitated before she spoke. It seemed like he needed to believe she was sparing him, and she didn't want to bog down the trip with any more heavy topics. Her body moved on it's own, and suddenly he was wrapped in her arms.
"What is this?" Savage said, his face heating up.
"I'm hugging you! It's a display of affection among friends or allies." Arri-zan giggled.
"Ah. Well then. Carry on, I suppose." He spoke haltingly, suddenly very aware of the lack of clothing on the both of them, but something in him stopped him from saying anything about it. Some strange, confusing part of him wanted to return the gesture.
Their guide returned, looking incredibly pleased upon seeing the 'happy couple' speaking with one another again.
"Shall we move on to the manicures?"