The Dark Academy on Korriban

He smiled brightly as he kept looking at her for a few precious seconds.

Tell her damn it!

He felt the inner conflict in his mind.

How? How is this the right moment?

He took a deep breath.

You look... radiant tonight? No, that sounds like a pick-up line... Aren't you trying to pick her up... Well, yes and No; it's not like that.... Then what are you gonna say Torsin?

Looking up at the Moon he said, "The moon is beautiful tonight huh?"

He then shook his head in disgust and said, "No, that's not what I wanted to say... Damn it."

His face reddened as he looked down and kicked a rock that was near his foot and watched it roll down into the dig.

Kristal was in practically in an entirely different world, and then the statement. It was a little jarring to her thoughts but it was true enough. Still, that slight jar to her thoughts inspired her to look to Sylvain. Which is when she caught him seemingly, verbally, fall over himself.

She didn't quite catch the reddened face yet, so first came the confusion placed into that cool Imperial tone, "Not what you wanted to say?"

You put your foot in it now hot-shot...

Sylvain huffed a bit of air out his nose in frustration as the red in his face deepened a bit.

Staring straight forward he opened his mouth for a second thinking of what to say. When the words finally came out there was a sense of embarrassment that was permeable in his presentation.

"Okay.... Just to let you know, I am being totally serious. There is no joke about this or any thing like that... after I get it out you can beat me up or tease me or whatever... it's better than letting me beat myself over it anymore..."

He paused briefly before continuing, but now at a much faster pace, "SeeingyouintthislightIthinkyouarethemostbeautifulwomanI'veevermetbothinsideandout. I'vewantedtotellyouthisforquitesometimebutcouldn'tmanagethecourage. Ihopeyoudon'tmind, butIaminfatuatedwithyouanddon'tcareabouthidingitanymore."

Sucking in a big breath for lack of air that came from getting that all out in one go, he threw himself back onto the dune and stared up into space. "Excuse me while I go die now. Thank you." He closed his eyes and pretended to be dead.

There was a bit of concern on Kristal's expression as Sylvain started to set himself up. It was worrying and didn't quite make sense. Beating him up over it, being given that as a suggestion dropped down the worry a few notches but raised the confusion.

Then it all came out. One giant blurb of words it brought Kristal right onto her toes metaphorically. Tyring to make sense of it as fast as it was happening. Sylvain was on the ground, pretending to be dead, by the time it all clicked. It was sincere. Kristal couldn't deny that, which brought her cheeks to a sudden red. Never had she been caught so off guard by something.

Suddenly she was aware of just about every part in her body. Arms, shoulders, legs, back. It was like they all came alive at once in a way. Given Sylvain playing dead, it gave her a moment to quickly collect her fleeing senses. Nothing to be done about the warm reddish cheeks in such a short time, but her demeanor was easily something to put together.

Before he knew it there was a little thud against the dune just beside him. Hands linked behind her head, keeping dirt or sand out of her hair. Looking up to the waning night sky. Elbow out to just near his head but pointed a bit up so it was out of the way.

Cool, Imperial, tone.

"Sylvain Torsin was found dead in a digsite this morning. Causes are yet unknown."

He kept his eyes closed for the moment and said, "Addendum: Cause later discovered to be the result of being struck through the heart by his closest friend."

Chuckling he shook his head in self-deprecating exasperation. "What a bad joke."

Opening his eyes he peeked over at Kristal, smiling timidly he flipped over onto his side to be able to look at her without craning his neck.

"So... go ahead... tease me all you want..." He looked at her, "Probably never thought of me that way huh?"

Looking to the sky, Kristal glanced for a moment without turning her head. Cheeks were still a bit warm but she'd just have to hope they weren't a bright color.

"Never thought about anyone that way..." she admitted, "To my father's detriment."

Despite the ones she was set up with in the past, perhaps that almost each and every one of them were scared off with her impressive martial ability was a hint all along to that very fact. Then she did as he expected, and she desired to take off the edge a bit. Cool herself down with some good ol' teasing.

"You've picked quite the spot for it Sylvain Torsin."

He smiled and nodded, "What a better time to let you know you like them than when you're about to separate for quite some time in a few weeks...? Gotta be the best timing there is right?"

His sarcasm was apparent, and he hoped a bit charming given the fact he was teasing himself with it.

Looking carefully at her cheeks he could see a bit of red in them. It was hard to tell what that meant... but since she hadn't run off he hoped it was something good.

"I'd thought about talking to your dad about... courting you... since my mom didn't seem to be in such a hurry to find me a spouse... I take it that would have been a bad idea?" He asked, holding nothing back now.

"Knowing my father," Kristal spoke, eyes now looking from one star to the next. Given the proximity to sunrise now though they were starting to dim. Last chance as it were to catch the sights before 'dawn.'

"He would have sat you down, put something strong in your hand, and told you he had no say in it."

Which was a positive thing as Kristal knew, but that he wasn't around all to often with his duties it was certainly plausible that Sylvain might not come to that conclusion quite so easily. This was something Kristal initially overlooked.

"First, you take me out to a frozen station where I got stabbed by a Jedi. Then you tell me this in a digsite that has likely seen it's fair share of death," she joked, followed by a light laugh.

He smiled and laughed with her, "You just said you wanted me to keep you on your toes."

He then reached up a hand to her cheek that was far away from him and gently tilted her face to look towards him.

"Where better than in her own element, to tell the most brave and honorable woman I know that I care for her...? I tried at the outpost... but you didn't seem to catch on." He smiled. He was regaining some of his confidence again.

Looking into her eyes with a glint of humor he said, "You know I blame you for this. If you weren't so damn admirable, I'd not have gotten stuck in this situation."

"I said you did, never said I liked it," she corrected just as she felt his hand. That silenced the light laugh that would of followed. Instead simply following the guidance he gently gave.

"You'll have to forgive me for the outpost.." she smiled, there was a tease coming. "I had been recently stabbed by a lightsaber at that time."

Kristal certainly deserved the chance at that joke. After all, she was stabbed by a lightsaber.

"I will do better to shame my family in the future then," she said, puffing up her shoulders which pushed sand with the movement. Humor like this, maybe Sylvain and Shaisha really had rubbed off on her quite a bit over the years. "Make it easier for you."

He laughed at her response, "There you go again... offering yourself up as a sacrifice for the benefit of others. Either way you handle it... just makes me like you more."

He looked probingly into her eyes, looking for something, not finding what he was looking for he said with a warm glint in his eye, "And what's with you and all these jokes? How dare you make me feel comfortable in my moment of humiliation?"

His next sentence was a gamble and part of him urged him to step on the brakes. But Kris had not shot him down immediately, he found himself opening up more and more with each moment.

"You're being so nice to me, I'd kiss you right now if you'd let me."

Commendation she could deal with, baseless flattery she could deflect, this she didn't readily have a response for. It was.. good though. Kristal looked back to him as he spoke of her jokes, a bit of a smile there as he called her out on something that came up almost instinctively. Making a friend comfortable. Probably matched to the earlier statement too.

Kristal felt good, but she shook her head in the negative when he got to the affirmation of intent. However, before his heart could completely fall apart she rolled onto her side. Looking straight ahead at Sylvain, head propped up.

"I will not have my first kiss just outside of a dig site covered in dirt and grime from a long day," she asserted with a lightness to her tone. Kristal was cool and collected on the outside but if she was going to be honest with herself the Jedi never made her chest pound as it did right now.

Sylvain smiled brightly, for it had not been a total failure, "That wouldn't be proper would it?"

He reached out and took her free hand and brought it to his mouth for a gentle kiss. "The lady of the House Serasai deserves much better than this pit."

Laying back down on his back he positioned his arm under her neck between it and the ground to allow her to rest on his shoulder or chest as a buffer between her and the sand beneath them.

"Okay... so no dirty pit next time; that was a rookie mistake." He held up the index finger and thumb on his free hand and held them close together, "I was this close."

Kristal shook her head the bit she could, looking to the smile as she did. Smiling lightly for her own as he brought her hand up and kissed it. There was something simple here, relaxing, as much as the drive she felt at almost every part of the day wanted to push on she didn't really want to. After everything with her day, all of it... she just wanted to rest for a moment. Just a few seconds she could afford.

"Much," she confirmed on the point.

As he positioned himself she laid her head on his shoulder. Looking ahead from where her head now lay. Glancing up to the space between his fingers with a smirk, "Quite close Sylvain Torsin, but not there. Not yet," she teased.

He smiled, "Tomorrow I'll push on. For now though... I'll enjoy the near success while I can."

Kristal was silent, she didn't respond at all. Head rested on his shoulder.

At some point; the blood she cleaned off the wall of peace, the laps they all had to run and how it affected her lingering affects of the wound, the failure at putting the lightsaber back into one piece, digging through dirt and grime for Relics, dealing with the affects of losing her father, the shame of him having been killed and named as a traitor.

All of it seemed to have caught up to her at some point. As Kristal was suddenly, unexpectedly asleep. Naturally he'd have to wake her up soon, but for now...

Surely, if anyone other than Sylvain was to learn of this his life would be cut far shorter than anyone could have anticipated.

Sylvain gently stroked Kristal's hair as he felt her warm breaths on his chest grow gradually slower and slower. He smiled down affectionately when she had finally passed out on his chest. Staring up into the sky his smile took on a look of pure content as he shifted his hand down to her back to scratch it carefully as she rested.

"I think this might be love Kris..." He said in a quiet voice several minutes after she had gone to sleep. He spent the remainder of the hour gently cradling his friend as she showed how deeply she trusted him in the purest of ways. There was something that warmed his heart as he looked up at the sky.

The words of his father came rushing into his mind... but this time they took on a new meaning.

...she is my moon and stars and I will not deny her...

Surely there couldn't have been better fitting words for his father to have left him with.

Picking up Kris in his arms he began climbing up out of the pit carrying her as far as he could before she would stir.

Kristal would stir nearly immediately, not managing to even shift into a seated position before she woke. Pushing herself up with tired eyes she looked about, taking into account the sudden change of position. Hand on his shoulder for support, other in the sand, she looked to him,

"I didn't."

"You did." He said with a smile and a kiss to her forehead.

"Let's get you back to your tent for some rest Kris. You're tired." He stood up and offered his hand to his groggy friend to help her up. There was something particularly calm and kind about his demeanor. It was perhaps the most genuinely happy Kris would have ever seen him.

Taking her hand from his shoulder she spread her fingers and pushed it up through her hair. Shaking her head as he offered his hand, "Long day."

When she looked up she saw it, she saw how he was happy and smiled. Then she got up on her own. Pushing off the ground. She wouldn't accept help when she had been stabbed, she wouldn't accept help merely because she fell asleep for a few moments. Sylvain being happy was a good look on him. Kristal liked to be able to see it. Something simple.

Once she was on her feet however, she turned the daggers on him. Voice cold as ice in that moment. Implying the only thing she could be.

"Speak of this to anyone."

He chuckled, "You mean I can't tell everyone I know we ''slept'' together? Whatever for?"

He did the bunny-ear quotation thing when he asked.

Kristal looked straight to him, conjuring up the announcer-esque voice, "Sylvain Torsin was found dead today after a tragic accident..."

He laughed heartily for a few seconds before nodding and saying, "Yes Ma'am. I'd never sully your image Kris." He gave her a little salute.

Standing up tall Kristal gave a firm nod, "Good."

Kristal looked back toward where the Imperial Encampment proper was. There was a smile there after the bit of joking about. Taking a few foot falls before she looked back to Sylvain.

"Let's get back."

He nodded and smiled, "You lead the way Kris. You're in charge of this transport now."

He chuckled and began to follow her.