boxofmisfits | Plucked From the Clutches of Death

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Plucked From the Clutches of Death

Ever since coming to the future, following the Force's whims had been something Altair had done less and less. He could still sense it, of course. Shutting himself off completely would be unacceptable to him, as it had always been his companion of sorts and while it would probably lead to less shenanigans, he could not close his eyes and cover his ears. He could hear the whispers, feel the threads of it weaving through the galaxy and it was beautiful. When he meditated whispers became a distant song, and threads became beckoning guides that wanted to lead him to far off places.

In the past, he would have let himself get swept along as time allowed, always certain that someone would be there to pick up any momentary slack. In this time, while he had faith in Thrawn's people and Thrawn himself, he couldn't justify taking the time to rush off whenever some new thread weaved itself into the galaxy's tapestry. There were no other Sith who would pick up his slack, and he had promised to assist Thrawn with his goal, after all. Tempting as it was to let himself drift in the river of fate to let it carry him to new and strange places, give him new and strange riches, he wouldn't, and couldn't.

At least that had been the case until a particularly insistent call in the Force had become too much to ignore.

It wasn't dangerous, was what he had said to Thrawn, upon seeking permission to leave for a time. Not dangerous. Not like the fleet, not like the Silencers, and Iokath. It just was. That nebulous concept had been what was most difficult to explain, really. But whether or not Thrawn understood didn't matter, because he had, at least, seen his seriousness and respected it.

Altair wondered what he'd think now.

The Force had led him to an ancient temple- Altair still wasn't certain if it was Sith or Jedi in origin- and that temple had led him to a strange place. Branching paths and moments in time. For a while he had wandered- admittedly he'd sought a way back to his own time. It would have broken his promise, which he hated doing, but still. A part of him would always miss his people.

He hadn't found it though.

But he had found many strange artifacts. Plucked them from moments in time whenever the Force felt like it was urging him to do so. Whether that was some kleptomaniac instinct or actually the Force though, he wasn't sure. Maybe both.

Through one such window into the past, he'd come across someone in a situation that wouldn't end well. Plucking items out of these moments was one thing- would maybe end in a bruised ego or two somewhere far in the past- but people? Still, it was the only glimpse that was truly an open door to be reached through. The Force was quiet, not urging him one way or another, despite its strong presence in the silence between moments and its somewhat subtle insistence that he claim artifacts before. In the end though, when given the opportunity to save someone, he had.

The idea of simply leaving someone to die when all he had to do to save them was reach out his hand pained him. He couldn't do it.

And so, outside of the temple in the dark and quiet night, he sat with the two people he'd rescued by the fire they'd built for light and warmth while they waited for morning to come so they could head for the ship he'd borrowed with the promise that he'd bring it back in one piece, without fear of anything that might be lurking in the blackness of the forest the temple was surrounded by.

It had been day when Altair had entered the temple and found his way into that strange place, and while he felt no more hunger than usual, Altair could somehow tell that this was not the first night that had passed since he first arrived. He assumed it had been a few days, at least.

He wondered how he was going to explain this one though.

A Chiss and a Jedi who- while remaining nearby- was perhaps expectedly standoffish in the presence of a Sith. Out of the two of them, Altair figured he'd have most luck talking to the Chiss, though they'd all exchanged relatively few words even now. Shock, Altair assumed.

Seemed the most likely explanation, and also understandable. Expecting death only to be yanked through the veil of death and time to safety was probably a lot to deal with for people who weren't used to it.

"You don't have to worry, you know. I have allies who will be able to help you. Wherever you may want to go, I'm certain it can be arranged."

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"When we first met, I may have agreed with that sentiment," Thrawn admitted. "At first, you were simply useful. I could think of many advantages to having a Sith who was loyal to me. Then when I realized that you are Chiss, I felt... relief. Relief at having another of my kind close by."

The Empire of the Hand had plenty of Chiss, of course, but it wasn't the same. He couldn't see them every day, for they had important duties around his empire. Having Altair nearby was a comfort, even if they had remained distant towards one another for a while after that revelation.

The path took them out of the trees, into a secluded statue garden. "You are useful as a Sith, but that is not your only worth."

"I didn't exactly intend for my secret to ever come out, but... I'm glad it did."

Back when his species was revealed, he had felt like fleeing. He'd trusted and believed in Thrawn's vision, but the man himself had been frightening. Had it not been for Altair's workaholism then perhaps they would be distant to each other still. Mistrustful and keeping each other at arm's length.

Now though, now he was glad for it.

Had things gone down differently, they certainly wouldn't be here. And maybe he never would have brought Thrass and Lorana back either, as twists and turns may have taken them both down other paths.

"And I know. I'm as good a friend as I am a Sith, no?"

Had he been any younger, then he might have seen himself otherwise- but he knew his value as a person too, and not just as a tool to be used.

Of course he knew his feelings for Thrawn were a bit different from those one would feel for a friend- a fact further punctuated by the racing of his heart at the general atmosphere and the seclusion of the statue garden- but he would say nothing of the sort, since he still had difficulties reading the other man and didn't want to do anything to make their relationship awkward again, even if it would be for a very different reason.

"I agree. Your presence has been most welcome." While he was close with Parck, their relationship didn't feel as personal as his friendship with Altair. Besides Thrass, Altair was the one Thrawn was closest to.

Now that they were away from the various couples, and had this secluded area of the park to themselves, Thrawn could hear himself think. What he wanted to say to Altair didn't need prying ears.

"Have you ever considered being more than friends?"

Altair had only just glanced away to look at the various statues, only to have his gaze snap back to Thrawn at that question that he was sure he hadn't actually heard. It... Had to have been a figment of his imagination. Didn't it?

He could feel his face heating up, and was fairly sure he was turning a deeper shade of purple than usual, a blush that spread over the tips of his ears and down his neck too.

"I..."

He could have asked him if he heard him right. Or even if he'd said anything at all. But no, that had definitely not been his imagination.

"I would be lying if I said my feelings don't run deeper than just friends."

Just when that shift had happened he wasn't sure about. But it had. And he would have kept on quietly carrying the feelings with him, not wanting to make things between them awkward.

"I assume- I mean- you too?"

Smooth.

Thrawn had embarrassed Altair, as evidenced by the purple hue on his face, his rise in temperature, and the overall body language and stuttering. Thrawn himself remained the picture of serenity, though a sharp-eyed person would notice a tinge of purple on the tips of his ears.

"I had my suspicions that you felt that way." Altair's emotions were so humanlike. Open and brazen, not at all like a Chiss. It was so strange to see one of his kind emote the way Altair did.

"I too would be lying if I denied any sort of affection for you." Perhaps it was Altair gifting him with the Eternal Fleet, or, more likely, Altair saving Thrass and bringing him back to Thrawn, that made him develop feelings for him. "I held back my thoughts and feelings on the matter until now."

It was easier when he thought of Altair as someone useful, or someone who was just a friendly ally. To admit that he felt more was to admit that he had something to lose.

"... I see."

Altair hadn't really noticed. Their conversations themselves had perhaps given a few hints, but Thrawn's tone was always cool and even and it was difficult to get a read on his emotions by his tone. Or perhaps Altair was just good at telling himself that there was nothing there. That he was imagining things.

After all, had he not done the same only moments ago.

"It's scary, isn't it?"

To love was to open oneself up to loss. Altair had lost most of the people he'd loved in his life. That loss still stung. If he opened his heart enough to love Thrawn not as a friend, but as something more, then he wasn't sure he'd be able to endure it should he lose him in the future.

But to ignore those feelings was to suffer, too.

"If you'd like to act on these feelings, then... I think I'd be okay with it. Because it's you."

Overcoming the fear of loss was difficult, but. Well, he wanted to try anyway. Because the joy of love was worth it.

"Yes, for it gives you something that you cannot bear to lose." But, he had Thrass back, and to lose Thrass again would destroy him. What was a romantic partner added onto that?

"But, I think we have denied things for far too long." He touched Altair's cheek with the tips of his fingers, then leaned down to kiss him.

They had. This was probably long overdue, really.

Altair thought they both just... Had a lot of issues sorting through their feelings. But now they had, and here they were.

The kiss was unexpected though. He hadn't thought Thrawn was the type to go for it out in public, even if they were in a secluded spot, and so he couldn't help the little noise of surprise. Even so, he didn't hesitate to lean up into it, closing his eyes for a moment to just enjoy the feeling.

Once he pulled away he couldn't help but laugh slightly, "I'm going to need to invest in some high heeled boots while we're here, I think."

So that Thrawn didn't have to lean down quite so far.

Altair just had to say something to distract from the fact that he'd gone an even more impressive shade of purple, and poking a bit of fun at his own height was good enough.

Seeing as it was just the two of them, and Thrawn hadn't heard anyone approaching, he figured he could be affectionate in semi-public just this once. "Perhaps Thrass will take you shopping for some."

The height difference made things slightly awkward, but they could work with it.

"Come, there is one more thing I wished to show you, and then we should meet back up with Thrass for dinner." Pulling away slightly, Thrawn led Altair back down the path, passing the statues. He paused for a second in front of a large statue of a bipedal insect, before continuing on his way.

After another couple minutes of walking, they emerged from the glen and onto a well-lit section of the park. Thrawn had brought Altair to a flower garden that spanned the length of a sports field, with all different sorts of flowers, in various colors. The flower placement wasn't random, but rather they all came together to form an intricate piece of artwork, showing a mountain range at sunset.

"I'll have to ask him."

Embarrassing as that was. Please help me pick out some high heels so I can kiss your brother more easily. Not exactly an easy thing to ask someone. He definitely did need to go shopping though, considering the difference in their heights. Altair had always known that any man he might fall for would likely be taller than he was, but Thrawn was a bit taller than what he'd fantasized about when he was much younger than he was now.

Following along with Thrawn, he also paused briefly in front of that statue, though was quick to catch back up with the other man, and deciding to be daring, moved to take a hold of his hand. He hoped he'd be allowed that much, even if they had moved away from the secluded spot where they'd kissed.

As they arrived at that flower garden though, he couldn't help but let out a surprised little oh. Everything else they'd seen up to this point was beautiful, but this...

"Gorgeous..."

How much time and care had to have gone into making something like this. Truly it was wonderful.

Thrawn allowed Altair to hold his hand, wrapping his fingers around his hand in return.

"I knew you'd like this." Thrawn liked it too, of course. "The artist carefully tends to this garden, until the winter months. Then, all flowers are uprooted, and made into pressings to be sold. When spring arrives, a new art piece is planted."

The flowers he and Thrass had picked had been in other parts of the park, where guests were free to do so. Picking a flower from this would get you a very hefty fine.

He stood there for a good few minutes, before looking at a nearby clock on a lamppost. "Thrass is expecting us soon."

"I think I may have to pop by to buy some of those when the time comes."

He was a bit of a wandering Sith when Thrawn didn't have anything in particular for him to do, after all, so he was sure he could find the time to slot that into his schedule. The flowers were pretty, and he appreciated that Thrawn had taken him to see them- and felt plenty inspired to make art of his own.

He was sure Thrawn would appreciate that.

"We shouldn't keep him waiting then."

A pause then, "Should we continue holding hands, or...?"

Thrass would probably have questions if they did.

"You are welcome to do so." They still had plenty of shore leave time for Altair to run an errand to buy a souvenir. He knew exactly what he was doing by showing Altair this display of flower art.

He looked down at their hands, regarding them for a moment. "I see no reason not to. If he asks, then I will tell him the truth."

Still holding Altair's hand, Thrawn led him down a path that would take them out of the garden, and back to the main trail so they could exit the park.

"I see."

His fingers flexed slightly, very gently squeezing Thrawn's hand a bit tighter. Since they were both Chiss and thus had lower body temperatures than humans or other similar species, Altair wasn't sure if warm was necessarily the most accurate description of how it felt, but... Well. It gave him a warm sort of fluttery feeling anyway.

A feeling he thought he was technically too old for, but he didn't resent feeling it.

He was still blushing a bit too, he was pretty sure. A bit more of an intense purple across his cheeks and a faint dusting of the color at the very tips of his ears too.

"Do you wish for it to be kept between us otherwise? Not a secret from your brother, but... Everyone else?"

Altair already knew, of course, that Thrawn was not one for public displays of affection. But whether he wished to keep it so private that only the people closest to them would know or not, that was something they probably should discuss.

Thrawn thought it over. "For now, I think it would be best if we kept this between ourselves and Thrass. I would prefer to minimize the risk of my enemies finding out for the time being." Altair was a powerful Sith and anybody who tried to hurt him to get to Thrawn would be in for a nasty surprise. But Thrawn knew Nuso Esva well enough that the less the warlord knew, the better.

"I also do not want my crew to believe there will be any conflicts of interest when it comes to you." Once Nuso Esva was gone, Thrawn would let the crew figure it out for themselves.

The restaurant where they were to meet Thrass wasn't very far, and was at most a fifteen minute walk away from the park. The Syndic was already there, waiting for them. As the pair got closer, Thrass looked at their joined hands.

"Well, it's about time."

"Of course."

Altair understood perfectly, all things considered. He had lived a long enough life full of enough strife and betrayal to understand that some things were best kept close to the chest. And at least there would probably be times like this now and then, even if it was unlikely to be very often. And he could live with that until the time came that Thrawn's most dangerous enemies were dead and gone.

As they finally rejoined Thrass, Altair couldn't help but blush again at that comment. About time. Had he really been that obvious? His gaze flicked up to Thrawn's face, wondering if he'd been obvious too. Probably not as obvious as him, at any rate.

"... How long have you known?"

Altair just had to know exactly how long he'd been acting like a fool, apparently.

"A long while," Thrass replied, his voice carrying a hint of smugness. "I wasn't sure at first, but the more you spoke about Thrawn the more sure I became. And then there was the way Thrawn spoke of you in return."

"I suppose I never could hide anything from you," Thrawn stated. "Not even the things I hid from myself."

"Not since we were small children, brother dear," Thrass said. He waved the two inside, where the found a table and sat down to order their food. Thrass looked over the top of his menu at Altair, "Did you enjoy the garden?"

"I'd lament the fact that I've apparently made a fool of myself, but..."

Looking to Thrawn briefly, he smiled, even though he was still a somewhat deeper shade of purple. He found that he didn't mind very much that he'd acted a fool, even if he was a little embarrassed.

"In this case I don't mind it so much."

He hummed, "He is the man I admire most in the entire galaxy, after all. How was I expected to keep my head screwed on right?"

A bit of a humorous tone, but entirely fond. Clearly embarrassed, and yet willing to say it as it was.

As they entered the restaurant and found a table, Altair was a little bit hesitant to let go of Thrawn's hand- giving a final squeeze before letting go so they could take their seat and browse the menu.

"I did, yes. It was beautiful."

It had been, but his gaze still flicked to Thrawn briefly as he said that, suggesting that the garden had rather paled in comparison to the man he'd been with. Still, he had enjoyed it very much. Even if the atmosphere had been rather wild when they'd been surrounded by couples.

Thrawn smiled at Altair. He knew that a lot of people admired him, but it felt different to hear it from Altair. Perhaps it was because Altair was a powerful Sith who could crush him easily, yet he looked to a man without the Force with admiration. Or perhaps it was because he had finally admitted to himself that he loved Altair and he liked hearing his new lover speak of him in such a manner.

He also caught that glimpse his way while they looked over the menu. "Speaking of, where are the flowers you picked, Thrass?"

"Back at the hotel. I bought a pair of vases and filled them with water," Thrass replied.

When their waitress came by, Thrass ordered a glass of wine, while Thrawn selected an iced tea. They also ordered their dinner, having already decided what they wanted.

"I'm looking forward to seeing them too."

Altair was curious about the flowers Thrass had picked too. He could put the ones he got from Thrawn in water once they got back to the hotel too- though there was no rush, since he was already using the Force to make sure that they wouldn't wilt before then. In the past he had used the Force to keep someone alive for just moments more for some reason or another. Never had he thought that he would use it for something like keeping flowers given to him by his lover alive.

He liked it though.

When the waitress came, Altair ordered a cup of tea, and another small portion of food for dinner- one of the soups on the menu would be sufficient, he felt. It was certainly more than he'd normally eat so soon, at least, thanks to the food not coming out of his personal stash of rations, keeping him from going into conservation mode.

Looking back to Thrass after ordering his food, he tilted his head, "Did you end up finding any music, by the way?"

Thrawn had said that Thrass went off in search of music shows, after all. It was probably not entirely truthful on Thrass's part, Altair knew, but still.

Thrass and Thrawn chose not to say anything about Altair ordering a smaller portion of food. Thrass just wondered how he ever had any energy, with how few calories he seemed to get.

"Hm? Oh yes, I found some music. Some lovely street musicians were performing, and I gave them a nice tip."

While Thrass had ditched Thrawn to be alone with Altair, he had in fact stopped to listen to some street performers. But then again, street performers were quite abundant here, so he wouldn't have had to look very long or hard to find some that were playing music.

"Be thankful that you did not have to witness overtly affectionate couples at the fountain," Thrawn said.

"I see. That was fortunate."

Perhaps it was worth looking into somewhere to go where they could all watch a musical performance. Since Thrass seemed to particularly enjoy music, it was probably something they could all do together while they had the time. And it had been a while since Altair had watched a performance too.

"I must admit I haven't attended a proper musical performance since I was on the Dark Council. The Kaas City opera was splendid though. Had my own private box there and everything."

As had been the case for all Dark Councilors of course, whether they were the type to attend or not. Still, Altair had liked it, and had even sponsored a few talents. Not as frequently as he did for other types of artists, but still.

Everything that had come after that had always been more informal affairs such as a bit of music to go with a specific celebration.

As Thrawn mentioned the couple at the fountain, his expression faltered a little bit, an awkward sort of look with a bit of a laugh, and a bit of a blush too, "Yes, the atmosphere there was... Certainly something."

"There's a few musical performances playing within the next few days, according to local entertainment announcements," Thrass said. "No opera, sadly, but the I concerts seem to be worth looking into."

Whenever Thrass dragged Thrawn to a live performance, be it a play, concert or opera, he always reserved a private box for just the two of them, so his brother didn't get overwhelmed.

"And you're okay now?" Thrass asked, concerned about Thrawn. He knew how socially awkward his brother was, and how he wasn't comfortable with overt displays of affection in public.

"Once we went to a more secluded area of the park, I was," Thrawn assured him.

"Perhaps we should attend one, then."

It would be nice to attend an opera again in the future, but that could wait until an opportunity arose. Though they had time off right now, the galaxy needed Thrawn, after all, and Altair wanted to be useful to him, so until certain enemies were dead and gone, the opera could indeed wait.

"Yes, thankfully it wasn't like that everywhere."

The atmosphere had been a bit much for him too. He was Sith of course, so perhaps a bit better at handling seeing something like that, but. He'd been glad to get away from it. And the more secluded area had certainly been advantageous, too.

Though he'd say nothing of the sort.

"It really was a very beautiful place though. I already have so many ideas for new artwork. I'm definitely going to need to stock up on some new crafting supplies though. The flowers in particular gave me a lot of inspiration."

"I'd like that," Thrass replied.

Their server came by with their drinks and their food. Thrawn had ordered a wrap, while Thrass got a salad, both looking more filling than the soup that Altair ordered.

"Fortunately, there's more than a few craft stores where you may stock up," Thrawn said. "Altair and I also agreed not to announce our relationship at the moment. You understand that it's a matter of pragmatism, of course."

"You know I'm no gossip," Thrass replied. "I will keep this information to myself." He looked at Altair. "Lorana mentioned the other week that Jedi aren't allowed to have romantic partners and are sworn to celibacy. Was that true of the Sith as well?"

Plucked From the Clutches of Death

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