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This was definitely not how she had expected the day to go, not by any stretch of the imagination did she think she'd be spending the day before Life Day stuck in the Jedi Temple of all places.
She certainly felt out of place, wandering behind Plo Koon and Mace Windu, the men who had offered to show her to the common area of the Temple.
She spent the silence admiring the delicate architecture surrounding her, the large pillars that held up the arched roof and the huge windows and curtains that somehow managed to give it a homey feel.
"Duchess!" A smiling Togrutan bounced up beside the three. "What are you doing here?" Ahsoka asked then shook her head, realising how that could be misconstrued. "Not that it isn't good to see you, of course it is, I'm just curious is all."
Satine smiled at the girl's rambling. "It would seem that the festive weather has put the whole of Coruscant on lock down, no one is to leave their homes until it is safer outside."
"So you're stuck here?" Ahsoka couldn't contain her grin.
The two Jedi and the Duchess raised their eyebrows at the young padawan's badly concealed happiness.
"For the time being yes," Satine smiled. "I was just being shown to the common area before we ran into you."
"Don't go to the common area," Ahsoka's eyes lit up with an idea. "Come with us to decorate!"
Satine paused for a moment at her excitement when Ahsoka acknowledged the Jedi master's either side of Satine.
"Master Plo," She nodded. "Master Windu," She nodded again. "A few of us are decorating the Temple hallways and we would love it if you could all join us."
Mace gave Plo a side eye before answering.
"I suppose I don't see any harm in that," He nodded at the jumping padawan. "However I refuse to handle anything covered in glitter."
"Not a problem," Ahsoka giggled.
The three followed Ahsoka down the hall, into a hallway full of boxes, Jedi and clones. Satine spotted a few Jedi that she recognised from other meetings, Aayla Secura and what Satine assumed was her clone Commander were busy lining the windowsills with fake snow, Anakin Skywalker was currently wrapping his very unamused Captain in tinsel.
It was then that Obi-Wan Kenobi decided to appear beside the four with a man that Satine had never met before by his side, he had long hair in dreadlocks and a yellow strip across his nose.
"Duchess," Obi-Wan said her name with a straight face of no emotion. "Whatever brings you here."
"The weather," Satine answered shortly.
"Oh," He nodded shortly. "So I'm assuming that peace talks with the sky didn't work?"
Ahsoka's head almost flew from her shoulders with the speed she snapped it over to Obi-Wan's direction. She couldn't believe he would start an argument when they were barely in the door, especially with Mace and Plo right there.
"No unfortunately the negotiations proved futile," Satine smiled tightly. "But I'm sure if you stepped outside now branshing your lightsaber of doom, you would yield great results."
Ahsoka watched the fiery glances exchanged between the two.
"Lightsaber of doom?" Obi-Wan asked her. "That's certainly a new one, wherever do you come up with these zingers? They are quite original."
"Probably the same place where you've purchased your infuriating droid-like personality," Satine smiled sweetly. "Now that is quite original."
Obi-Wan smiled back at her, clearly clenching his teeth beneath his tight smile.
"You know it is quite surprising that the weather has you stuck here," Obi-Wan commented.
"I can't wait to see where you'll go with this one," Satine jumped in before he could finish.
"Interrupting now, that's rather unbecoming of a Duchess," Obi-Wan shook his head. "I was simply going to say that I'm sure someone as cold as yourself should be able to withstand such temperatures."
"I think I should go strike up a conversation with the wall over there," Satine nodded in the direction. "It would be far more preferable to your company."
She had been filled with dread since she heard that she couldn't leave the Temple for an unknown period of time. She had just recently gotten into a fairly aggressive argument with Obi-Wan that had yet to be resolved and now here they stood making not so passive, passive-aggressive remarks, sure to make those around them feel uncomfortable.
"Oh I'm sure you'll find a way to argue with it in a matter of seconds," Obi-Wan returned. "You tend to have that effect on people."
"Okay Obes," The yellow striped man interrupted before turning to Satine, taking her hand in his own. "Quinlan Vos, I don't believe we've met."
"Satine Kryze," Satine introduced herself as the man bent to place a kiss upon her hand before straightening up and dropping her hand entirely. "And no we haven't met before."
"I thought not, I'm certain I wouldn't forget meeting a woman as beautiful as yourself," Quinlan smirked.
"Charming," Satine commended him. "It would appear that a large majority of the Jedi in your Order happen to be notorious flirts."
"Most likely," Vos grinned. "I don't see the problem with a little harmless flirting."
"No I don't suppose there is one," Satine smiled back before turning to Ahsoka.
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes at his friend. "Really Vos, you couldn't even wait two minutes."
"Relax Obes," Quinlan shuffled with the hair on his head, making Obi-Wan step away from him.
"I told you to stop doing that," Obi-Wan made to fix his hair.
"You really are no fun are you Master Kenobi?" Satine asked him with a tilt of her head.
"You say that as if you even know the meaning of the word," Obi-Wan pointed out.
"I assure you that I know how to have fun when the occasion permits," Satine told him. "You've never seen it because it just so happens that once you step foot inside a room you suck all the energy out like the joyless parasite that you love to present yourself as."
Obi-Wan opened his mouth but the retort died on his tongue. He snapped his mouth closed and watched as Satine began to follow Ahsoka towards Anakin.
"Let's go work on these lights," The girl had quickly thought up, pulling the Duchess away with her.
Vos turned to Obi-Wan with raised eyebrows. Plo and Mace had similar expressions.
"Well that was a lovely little chat," Plo commented sarcastically with an almost unnoticeable laugh in his voice.
"What exactly is your problem with the Duchess?" Vos asked Obi-Wan. "She seems like a perfectly nice woman, clearly quick-witted, I would have thought you two would get along."
"I have no problem with the Duchess," Obi-Wan dismissed it walking away from them towards Aayla and Bly.
"Yes, clearly," Vos shouted over at him only to be ignored.
* * * * *
"Duchess would you mind passing me some more tinsel?" Anakin asked as he continued to wrap up his Captain.
Satine raised an eyebrow while handing him the shiny silver garland.
"I apologise for this Captain," Satine smiled sympathetically to Rex.
"It's not a problem Your Grace," Rex smiled back before the tinsel got in his face forcing him to cough it away.
Satine smiled and threw another glance around the room. She noticed that some of the large windows had curtains hanging by their sides while others had the fabric bundled up underneath.
"Why are the curtains like that?" Satine asked Ahsoka.
"Oh that, well the curtains were just getting in the way so we're taking them down, we never use them anyway, they were just taking up space."
"Shall I finish taking them down?" Satine asked. "I would much rather do something helpful, I can't stand sitting idle."
"Sure," Ahsoka smiled. "If you would like, there's a ladder right there. They aren't really attached right so you just kind of have to rip them off."
Satine smiled and was off towards the ladder. She was thankful that she had decided not to wear her usual regal gown and headdress, opting instead for more casual attire, a green tunic covered by a rose coloured coat. A matching head band circled her head with a small bead in the middle.
She positioned the ladder beside the window, making a bit more noise than she had intended with the heavy ladder. She then began the climb.
"We could do that without the ladder you know," Obi-Wan chimed in.
Satine laughed as she continued climbing. "What happened to not using the force for frivolous purposes?" She smirked over her shoulder.
"If you recall, that was Qui-Gon's rule, one that I did not agree with," Obi-Wan responded trying to suppress a smile.
Satine shook her head as she reached the top of the ladder. She reached a hand out to tug at the fabric, it was gentle but the curtain wouldn't budge.
"Who put these curtains up and what vendetta do they have against the sun?" Satine asked herself, loud enough for the others to hear.
She tugged at it a little harder this time, still nothing.
"Are you sure you don't want any help?" Obi-Wan couldn't contain the smug sound in his voice or the grin as he watched her continuously tug the curtain to no avail.
Anakin, Rex and Ahsoka upon hearing Obi-Wan speaking, looked up at the interaction between the two. They could always depend on the two of them for entertainment.
"I am perfectly capable of removing a curtain without assistance, thank you very much." She responded hotly. The irritation was clear in her voice, she wasn't about to let a piece of fabric get the best of her. She continued to tug more aggressively this time.
At this Aayla, Cody and Bly looked over at them.
Obi-Wan shook his head. "It wouldn't kill you to ask for help every once in a while."
"Perhaps," She stopped pulling for a moment and turned her head to look at him. "But I don't intend on finding out." With a sly smile she turned back around and continued pulling on the curtains. "Are these nailed down?" She asked herself in a whisper.
"Yes I believe they are," Obi-Wan commented.
"Must you always have the last word?" Satine hissed at him.
Plo, Mace and Vos looked over to see what the fuss was all about.
"Not always," Obi-Wan told her. "You just make it easy."
"I'm starting to wish you actually were a droid," Satine commented. "At least then you would have a mute button."
She tugged once more, expecting nothing to happen at this point when all of a sudden the fabric came clean off the wall. The sudden shift caused her to lose her momentum on the ladder and come tumbling towards the ground.
Obi-Wan saw her lose her balance on the ladder and quickly moved forward to catch her in his arms. He hadn't given the action much thought when he saw her start to fall but now that she was there in his arms, bridal style with one arm around his neck and the other clutching the curtain he couldn't come up with a single coherent thought except her.
Satine had expected to hit the ground so when she now found herself staring into Obi-Wan's eyes she wasn't sure what to think. Her mind bombarded her with memories of when he'd held her like this before, running from venomites. She found it a bit ironic since last time he'd dropped her and now he's caught her.
The two continued to stare at each other in silence for what felt like eternity but was really only a few seconds. Satine's chest was heaving gently as the shock and adrenaline of the fall started to wear off.
Ahsoka watched them with a huge smile and looked towards Anakin with a knowing look. She raised her eyebrows and noticed his own smirk. The two had never missed a chance to tease Obi-Wan about the Duchess and he just gave him some of the best ammunition they'd ever seen.
Obi-Wan and Satine were in silence staring into each others eyes just a second longer than most would consider normal. They'd effectively forgotten that they weren't the only two in room.
"Thank you," Satine spoke gently.
"Not a problem," Obi-Wan smiled ever so slightly. "I couldn't very well let a Duchess fall."
"Well it wouldn't be the first time." Satine smirked.
"Yes well my rescuing abilities have improved," He commented with his own smirk.
"I'm sure," Sarcasm dripping from her words. "I still wouldn't trust you not to drop me again," She smiled.
"As you shouldn't." Obi-Wan made a face of innocence but Satine could see the mischievous glint in his eye.
He moved his arms in such way that it feigned him dropping her. He felt her hand grip his shoulder a little tighter when she thought she was going to fall and saw the quick look of panic in her eyes. A small squel, very unbecoming of a Duchess escaped her lips and Obi-Wan found it hilarious. He started laughing at her scowl.
She looks so adorable when she's angry, he thought to himself. He immediately cursed his inner voice for letting him focus on such a thing. He only had to pray Anakin didn't hear it across their bond, now that was a story he'd never hear the end of.
Satine slapped his chest with the hand holding the curtain. "Not funny," She glared.
"I disagree," Obi-Wan smiled.
Obi-Wan carefully lowered her to her feet. Once she was out of his arms he immediately missed having her so close.
Satine turned around to the large window with a smile. She then gathered up the curtain in her arms and turned back to Obi-Wan.
"I told you I could get the curtain down." She commented smugly as she walked past him, curtain in arms.
Obi-Wan slowly turned around with a smile and a retort fresh on the tip of his tongue when he caught the look on Anakin, Ahsoka, Plo, Vos, Mace, Aayla and the clones faces. His smile dropped and he looked down clearing his throat. He moved towards the other side of the room, opposite Satine and started to hang the garlands around the door frames.
* * * * *
A few minutes later and Satine had all the curtains down, the room was much brighter than before, the natural light shining through. The sound of heavy snow could be heard beating against the glass and the wind howled along with it.
Ahsoka had decided to play some Life Day songs to liven everyone up and much to the chagrin of Mace Windu, it was working. He even found himself smiling as he helped the young girl hang lights.
Satine took to untangling the lights for Ahsoka making it easier for her to hang them up. Obi-Wan arrived beside her after a few minutes of her working alone.
"I would ask if you need any help, but I have a feeling I already know how that argument will end," He smiled but Satine remained silent. His smile dropped and he picked up a bunch and got to untangling them. "I wanted to apologise," He glanced over at her. "You're not cold, please forgive me for my thoughtless words."
Satine looked up at him. "I suppose I owe you an apology too. I shouldn't have said you were droid-like it was cruel of me."
Obi-Wan caught her eye in the quiet that stretched between them and simply held it. A small smile grew over his features and he felt a heat rushing to the cheeks under his auburn beard, a reaction brought by nothing other than her eyes and her smile.
"You are forgiven," Obi-Wan assured her. "As I hope I am?"
"You are," Satine told him softly.
"That is quite the relief," Obi-Wan sighed. "You can hold quite the grudge if I remember correctly and if today is any indication."
Satine let out a laugh and Obi-Wan felt something tug in his chest at the simple sound. His own smile brightened just at the sound.
"Well the scar is a nice reminder," Satine smiled at him.
"Remind me to never drop you again," Obi-Wan said before realising the implications that he intended to hold her like that again.
The eye contact that followed was accompanied by a silence. Obi-Wan was calm and at peace when he looked at her. Every time he thought he had gotten over her, she would pull him back in, completely unbeknownst to herself. Obi-Wan then felt panicked when he remembered that the majority of people in the room with him could feel his emotions as clear as day.
"Is something wrong Obi?" Satine asked quietly, not even noticing that the old nickname slipped out.
"What?" Obi-Wan blinked at her a few times.
"You've gone rather red in the face," She pointed out. "And you look quite worried."
"Nothing is wrong," He assured her, stepping away from the lights. "I think I should just go outside for some air."
"There's a blizzard," Satine reminded him.
"Right, that there is," He glanced around the room, picking up on a few suspicious glances from the Jedi around him. "I think I'll just go help Cody and Bly unravel Rex from the tinsel.
"Alright," Satine narrowed her eyes at him. "Enjoy your endeavours."
She turned back to the lights and Obi-Wan turned away from her, slamming down his shields as fast as he could.
* * * * *
Later into the night after the decorations had been finished, Ahsoka and Vos turned on the twinkling lights. Ahsoka was more excited than Anakin had seen her in a while, staring happily at the lights.
"They're beautiful," Satine smiled at her.
Ahsoka grinned up at her when Obi-Wan returned to the room with news.
"Nobody is to leave their homes until tomorrow afternoon at the very earliest," Obi-Wan explained. "I've just received word from the Chancellors office."
"Well that's great," Anakin grumbled.
"Plans Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked with a smirk.
"What?" Anakin looked up with a blush staining his cheeks. "No, not at all, just wanted to uh, go see Dex, its been a while."
"Does that mean you'll be staying here Duchess?" Ahsoka asked happily.
"I suppose I'll have to," Satine said before realising how that sounded. "Not that I don't enjoy the company, of course I do. I just don't like the idea of imposing on all your Life Day plans."
"You aren't imposing at all Duchess," Ahsoka assured her. "You can stay with me and Anakin in our quarters for the night if you would like," Ahsoka looked to Anakin hopefully. "Right?"
"Absolutely," Anakin nodded.
"Thank you," Satine smiled warmly at her. "That sounds lovely."
"I'm sorry that you're stuck here," Ahsoka told her. "I'm sure all your plans are ruined now that you can't make it back to family and friends for Life Day."
"No actually," Satine cleared up somewhat uncomfortably. "I didn't have any plans and I didn't have anyone waiting for me back home anyway."
Ahsoka's heart clenched at that. While yes she didn't know her birth family, she always had the Jedi and Life Day in the Temple was always a happy and cheerful experience.
Satine cleared her throat and plastered on a smile. Some naive part of her had hoped that the Jedi wouldn't sense the sadness she had felt but she knew that wasn't the case.
"I'm glad you're here," Ahsoka told her with a smile. She moved closer to where she knew nobody else could hear her next words. "I know Master Kenobi is too."
Before Satine could say anything Ahsoka was off towards Plo Koon and Aayla Secura, smiling happily.
Obi-Wan approached Satine with a smile.
"Enjoying your stay in the Temple so far?" He asked her.
"I am, I have to say," She smiled back. "Everyone seems very pleasant, much like Qui-Gon when we first met. It would seem that only you give off bad first impressions."
"You wound me my dear," Obi-Wan laughed, not realising himself that the pet name had slipped out.
Satine was silent for a moment. They both were. It was in moments like this that they realised that no matter how hard they tried, they would never be platonic, they would never not love each other. There wasn't anything else that they could think to say, nothing else they could say really.
"Happy Life Day Obi," Satine smiled before turning away.
"Happy Life Day to you too my love," Obi-Wan mumbles to himself under his breath.