Quantum Entanglement: Howzer and Aurelia

27. Moonlight

The next day floated by as though Aurelia were on a cloud. She checked the holonet no fewer than eight separate times to confirm that it was the full moon, finding her excitement growing with each passing hour. It was a light day at the medical clinic, and she filled her spare minutes with a variety of restocking, tidying, and cleaning tasks that had been piling up. Her boss noticed her voracious tackling of her duties, and when she sheepishly admitted that she had plans for the evening, he responded with a kind chuckle and an invitation to leave work early. 

When Howzer trudged in, she was thoroughly primped up, beyond her usual low-maintenance style. He smiled, dropping his helmet and scooping her up onto the kitchen counter, pushing a single curl back behind her ear and giving her a tender, lingering kiss that sent shivers down her spine. He pulled back, leaning his forehead against hers, and muttered something in Twi'leki. 

"What was that?" she asked with a giggle.

"Eh... it's something I've heard the locals say. Mostly Cham, to Eleni, when he thinks nobody is listening," Howzer murmured quietly. 

"But what does it mean?" 

"I... don't exactly know..." he admitted, large eyes drifting off to the side. Aurelia laughed brightly, feeling her heart swell in her chest at the endless delight that could be found in a single person. 

"Well mubasa fashasha beneto leekaka to you too," she babbled, and his rumbling laugh was disproportionately rewarding as he wrapped her in a hug. When he pulled away, she could resist no longer, "Now where are we going?"

A glint appeared in his eye, and he waggled his eyebrows at her, "All I can tell you is that you can't wear that." 

* * * 

One hour and a disappointing amount of clothing later, Aurelia found herself comfortably bundled up, standing next to Howzer at the edge of a large lake. From seemingly nowhere, he pulled out a heavy-looking wooden canoe that rattled to a halt at the edge of the water. He pushed it in a few steps, retrieving an oar from within it, then beckoned for her to get in. This was definitely not what she had expected, but the full moon bathed everything in an otherworldly glow that made the landscape look surreal. She climbed into the canoe carefully, feeling wobbly as it tipped back and forth a little bit, but as it glided onto the lake, she nestled into Howzer, sitting behind her, calmly paddling them out.

The night was quiet, punctuated only by the gentle chirps of a few evening creatures and the quiet lapping of the water on the side of the canoe. The steady dipping of the paddle was threatening to lull Aurelia to sleep, and as they drew near the center of the lake and Howzer tucked the oar in next to them, she curled up between his legs and leaned back against his chest. He removed his helmet, wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and leaned back slightly to allow them both to recline and gaze at the sky. 

"Okay, this was worth putting all these clothes on," she teased quietly, again enjoying his little chuckle in response. 

"You're more than welcome to take them off if they bother you in the slightest," Howzer answered, laughing more loudly as she jabbed an elbow into his chest plate. The canoe rocked with the movement, and she gripped the sides automatically. "It's okay," he reassured, tightening his arms around her slightly, and she relaxed into his embrace. The water rippled out from the center, and Aurelia sat up to marvel at the fragmented reflection of the moon on its surface, bobbing along with the motion from the boat. 

They sat in silence, listening to each other's heartbeat and the quiet sounds of the environment. Somehow, even in this idyllic setting, Aurelia found herself worrying about the future. Clone troopers were entirely at the Empire's whims. What kind of life had she signed up for? The lack of security felt like a crevasse in the earth opening up beneath her, and the concerns threatened to overwhelm her. She turned to be able to see his face, which was tipped up toward the stars above. He lowered his eyes to hers, and the depth of his gaze struck a chord deep within her, further solidified by his small half-smile at her attention. She took a deep breath, reaching a hand up to gently caress his scarred cheek. 

The boat tipped suddenly, rocking violently as though it had been hit by something. The tender moment was broken by a startled gasp from Aurelia, and Howzer immediately pulled his helmet on, sitting up behind her and picking up the oar. The water glistened with movement, but the canoe slowly steadied. Still feeling unsteady, Howzer began paddling toward the shore. 

"Are there creatures in this lake?" Aurelia asked, seeing no other possible explanation. 

"It's a local fishing lake," he answered, head swiveling back and forth with alert attention. "So nothing big. I'm thinking a fish might have just lost its way, but that was a pretty big bump for the kind of fish that are here..." He drifted off uneasily, paddling steadily toward the shore, which was drawing closer. 

"We'll have to catch a few of them and eat them... for ruining our date..." she offered, an attempt at lighthearted humor to try to push aside the fear that was simmering in her stomach. 

His forced pity laugh was cut off by a loud burst of water as a large, slimy tentacle shot out of the lake next to the boat. It flailed in the air, falling with a crash through the middle of the canoe, and began to pull it backward. Aurelia yelped, scrambling to the opposite side from Howzer, who had taken a powerful swing at the arm with the paddle, landing a solid blow on it. Another one burst through the water on the other side, sweeping across the top of the canoe. Howzer leapt over it, swinging the paddle at it and firing a round from his blaster, but it knocked Aurelia backward, and she tipped over the side, falling into the water with a loud splash. 

Howzer aimed his blaster into the water after her, seeking a clear shot at the broad tentacles, but he couldn't tell where she was in the midst of it. Securing his blaster to his side, he dove in after her, finding her arms just below the surface. He wrapped an arm around her, kicking as hard as he could at the creature swirling around them, and felt his foot connect with something particularly soft. The tentacles jerked in response, moving quickly toward the bottom, and the two broke free and crashed to the surface, Aurelia gasping for air.

Howzer swam toward the shore, closing the distance quickly and dragging the two of them up onto the banks. He looked back at the water, ominously choppy still, and clambered to his feet, scooping Aurelia up and staggering away. Once they were a safe distance, in the thicker part of the forest, he stopped, panting in exhaustion, and set her down gently, ripping his helmet off. She was soaked to the bone, as well as all her layers of clothing. He sat on a tree trunk next to her, pushing his wet hair out of his face. 

"That was not the plan," he muttered, brushing droplets of water off his cheeks. Aurelia chuckled halfheartedly, looking around with trepidation. Howzer followed her gaze, scanning the perimeter for motion. "Sorry, not quite the relaxing evening I imagined."

"It's d-delightful," she answered, beginning to shiver now, "But I think a hot sh-shower would be a good way to end it."

"Agreed." 

* * * 

The walk home felt twice as long as the journey there, despite moving as quickly as they could to try to keep warm. Howzer's armor was doing a decent job for him, but Aurelia was not so fortunate. Teeth chattering, she smashed the key card against the reader a few times before it finally dinged, admitting them to her apartment, and she headed straight for the bathroom, stripping off layer after layer and dropping them all with a splat into the sink by the shower. It was hot and steamy within a minute, and she pulled the curtain closed, reveling in the warm water on her skin. 

A hand reached through the back of the shower, startling her, and she heard Howzer's voice as his fingers waggled, "Need some help in there?" 

Aurelia laughed, still feeling a bit sheepish at being seen naked, but also quite enticed by the proposition of lathering him up from head to toe. She reached for his hand, giving it a little pull, and with a stumbling shuffle, he stepped in, grinning at her with her arms folded across her chest. He moved closer, gently placing a hand on her waist, and she nestled against his chest, tingling at the sensation of skin on skin. 

"I guess this makes up for it," she said quietly against his neck. 

"I think I've got a little more debt than that," he murmured, tipping her chin up for a kiss.