Bitchin' Mara Jade

Chapter Three

It was February. Valentines Day to be specific. It wasn't Mara's favourite day. Every year she had to put up with couples being all over each other. She didn't mind people being in love but it was the fact cards and chocolates and everything like that had to be made a big deal of. She just felt that it should be a more private exchange of gifts if someone did celebrate and that's what her love life was like - private. And complicated. There'd be no heart shaped cards or chocolate boxes in her life that was for sure. Anyway Valentine's day wasn't her sort of day. She felt sick about the whole thing. She even made everyone know how much she hated it. Every time she saw couples getting cosy, she'd making gagging motions.

Luke had not failed to notice how cynical Mara was about it and hoped that it was just part of Mara's ever passionate personality of not going with every trend. He was going to ask her when she came by to pick up something she left behind after school on that very special day. But a lighthearted, less serious and more subtle way of determining that came to mind. "Came here to find your dignity?" Luke asked Mara.

"Shut up." Mara replied and found her work sheets where she'd left them. "I never had dignity to lose."

"Well if you did, it was lost when you started to imitate vomiting motions. I still love you don't worry."

He smiled at her, amused by her unpredictable mood that she was obviously in. Part of her looked happy, the other half of her looked like she wanted to kill someone - probably Saint Valentine. He'd admitted to her only a month before that he loved her. They had been spending a lot of time together. There was no secret now between them. The smile that appeared on her face when he told her... it made his heart melt.

Mara smiled and skipped up to him, her arms stretched out behind her back, her hands holding the sheets. "Don't think because it's Valentine's day I got you anything special. I don't do Valentine's day. Anyway it's based off of an old saint who used to marry couple's in secret after some emperor or other wanted people to not marry so more men would join the army."

"What did you come back for?" Luke asked.

"I'm not going to tell you." Mara replied and he tried to grab her sheets. "No!"

"Mara let me see." Luke laughed and she began to run away from him. He eventually caught her and the sheets fell. He was going to pick the up but the temptation to kiss her neck kicked in by how her hair had fallen and exposed it.

"Luke." she whispered as his lips brushed against her neck, his hands falling down her waist, smoothing out the sides of her skirt.

"Let's not call this Valentine's day. Let's call it our day." he said and moved all her hair over the one shoulder. He moved his hands back up and began to massage her shoulders. A lot of tension. "We could do anything we wanted."

"What do you want to do Mr Skywalker?" she asked.

"To let my instincts decide."

Mara smiled and turned around to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck, her lips colliding with his as he picked her up, sitting her on one of the desks. They were lost in their own world, just him and her until he pulled away in needed of oxygen.

"This isn't the best place." he said quietly.

"Okay. I'll get my chessboard and meet you at your place."

"It's cluedo day." he replied.

"I've got you calling clue cluedo! I'm so happy!" Mara smiled and got up, leaving the room.

He smiled at her, just in utter amazement before picking up the papers. "Mara!" he called but she was already gone.

He looked at the papers and realised what they were... chapters. Was Mara writing a book? He looked at the door.

*

Mara waited in Luke's room that he stayed in at the school. She'd brought Cluedo like he wanted. He wasn't there yet. Her arms folded as she sat on an armchair in the room, her legs outstretched. When the door opened she drew him a look.

"You took your time."

"I was reading your stories.... Mara... these are wonderful. I mean not that the ones you've done before aren't..."

"Short stories.... I put exaggeration in to install fear instantly. Like stabbing someone but with longer stories I prefer a slow rollercoaster ride of emotions. There's more foundations to build. more characterisation..."

"You'd almost think you were paying attention in class."

"I do play attention in class. To you." Mara responded and winked. "maybe you should pay more attention to me."

"I think I pay a lot of attention to you." Luke said and walked up to his mini fridge. "Are you hungry?"

"You have cake today don't you? You promised cake!"

He turned around and looked at her apologetically. "I only have wine in here. I promise I"ll go shopping for groceries tomorrow."

"Some boyfriend you are."

She pouted and he made his way over to her. "Don't be sad." He pouted back.

"Don't do that. Your'e so adorable!" she laughed. He pulled her out of the chair and kissed her. He loved it when she was happy.

She returned the kiss immediately and ran her hands through his hair. As she pulled away she tugged on his bottom lip with her teeth. As their eyes met, their lips swollen, his hands found the hem of her shirt. She moved her arms to help him take it off of her and his lips found their way to her neck, causing her to let out a sigh.

"Are you alright?" he whispered as she began to unbutton his shirt.

"Yeah." she whispered back and swallowed. "Are you?"

"Perfect." he responded and stroked her cheek. "I love you Mara."

"I know." Mara responded and let his shirt drop on the floor. He kissed her again, this time more urgently as he picked her up and carried her to his bed. There was one thing that could be certain, they were not going to be playing cluedo for a while - if at all.