Strawberries at a Random Corner in the Castle

Jacen didn't know where Jaina was. Jacen didn't want to know where Jaina was. Jacen was perfectly content not knowing where his lovely twin sister Jaina was.

Especially what happened last time, Jacen didn't even want to think about it. It completely put him off on going to the Boys Lavatory on the sixth floor. He had wanted to Oblivate himself afterwards. He simply couldn't wait for Paris - could not wait. What was she thinking inviting him to Paris?

He sighed and took a strawberry from the bowl he was carrying and ate it. At least he'd get to see Tony.

Jacen walked along the corridor stopping short of a window. He sat on the ledge, deciding it would be a good place to eat his strawberries without interrupting anyone.

It was silly, actually -- the little spot Kate liked to hide in. Childish. But sometimes the noise and bustle of the common room made it less than welcoming for her, and the library had too many watchful eyes to make her feel quite comfortable. So her little spot behind the beautiful tapestry of a golden lion was where she went when she needed to be alone. No one ever thought to look behind it -- there were so many similar places in the castle, and this one was in a particularly deserted corridor.

She'd started to drift off, her copy of Beetle the Bard on her knees, when she heard footsteps. Kate straightened up, suddenly keenly aware that her little hiding spot might be against school rules. Unfortunately, the quick motion sent her book clattering to the ground, and she froze behind the tapestry, hoping that whoever it was had simply walked past and noticed nothing.

Jacen was on his third strawberry when he noticed a book seemingly deserted on the floor. He put the bowl down the ledge and jumped off, making his way towards the book to investigate. Odd, he was sure it hadn't been there as he walked in. He look from his left, then to his right for any sort of hint of anyone who might have dropped it. Seeing none, he bend down to pick it up.

However, he noticed a draft and his eyes went over to the tapestry nearby. It was covering what should have been a solid wall but Jacen learned long ago nothing is what it seemed in the castle. He picked the book up and stood up. He then reached for the edge of the tapestry and pulled it open.

Behind the tapestry, Kate had closed her eyes, hearing footsteps near the wall. Most people didn't bother checking them -- there were so bloody many -- what were the chances of someone checking hers?

And then light suddenly filled her little space, blinding her. She cringed away, shielding her eyes. All she could make out was a silhouette of what seemed to be a male student.

"Please don't tell!" was all she could think to say, trying to make herself look less guilty.

Jacen was grinning a little to find someone in the little hiding spot behind the tapestry. He couldn't see her properly but he thought her voice was vaguely familiar. "Don't worry," he said in an attempt to pacify her. He wasn't going to snitch on her. There wasn't even anything to snitch. "I think you dropped your book." He offered the tome to her.

Kate accepted the book, rather confusedly. The voice was familiar, but she couldn't place it. In any case, it didn't seem like the boy intended to rat her out, and that was a good start.

Feeling rather silly now that her hiding place had been discovered, she climbed out, blinking rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the light. He was a lot taller than he'd looked, crouched down and peering at her...and oh Merlin, she definitely knew him. Her eyes dropped to the book in her hands as she blushed furiously.

"Thanks," she murmured, not sure what else to say. Why did it have to be him?, she wondered, ready to die of embarrassment. The whole thing was just so childish. Hiding away like a little kid -- of course Jacen Alonso would come find her.

"What're you doing here?" she asked quickly, and then blushed even deeper, realising her question probably sounded rude. Kate had unfortunately exhausted her meagre supply of bravery for the moment, and simply kept her eyes averted, determined not to speak further until she was capable of not embarrassing herself.

As she climbed out from her hiding spot Jacen's heart started to race. Katelyn Nighthook. He took a step back to steady himself.

"Oh er... I was just eating some strawberries." He finished lamely, glancing at the direction he left the bowl in. It occurred to him she was probably upset that he disturbed her. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to bother you."

Unconsciously, Kate's gaze followed his, finally landing on what indeed appeared to be a bowl full of strawberries. Her mouth watered; they were her favourite, and she'd lost track of time reading and hadn't realised she was hungry til now. Of course there wasn't really any way to ask Jacen if she could have a few without coming off as a bit of a creep. Who hid in corners by themselves and asked near-strangers for food? She blushed just thinking about it.

"No, it's fine," she murmured, still addressing the floor. "You weren't bothering me at all. I'd fallen asleep -- I might have stayed all night if it wasn't for you. You probably saved me a detention."

A sly smile appeared in his features as she mentioned detention. Thanks to his lovely sister's most recent stunt, they both had a month's worth of detention. "Shame - I wouldn't have mind seeing you in detention this week." What the hell was that? As soon as the words left his lips he regretted them. He sounded like a right prat! 'Wouldn't mind seeing you...' Gaaaaah! Was that Jaina now speaking for him even when she wasn't there? Merlin, please say she didn't hear that.

He turned quickly after that rather unintentional remark and headed towards his bowl of strawberries laying neglected by the still. Trying to save the situation he decided to offer her some - hopefully to distract her from his other rather git-like comment. "Would you like some?" He put a strawberry in his mouth to cork any further word vomits. Merlin... she was so pretty.

There was no way to be sure whether it was Jacen's comment or the smile that accompanied it that caused a flutter of butterflies to beat frantically against Kate's stomach. She must have heard him wrong, she reasoned, or more likely, he thought nothing of the little joke. After all, Jacen was pretty well-known for being a fixture in detention -- everyone had heard Melania Harper yelling at him or his sister for it one time or the other.

That smile though...she was very glad he'd turned away, because it gave her a moment to recover her composure somewhat. She was still blushing faintly when he turned back to her and nonchalantly popped a strawberry into his mouth. It took her a moment too long to realise she was staring at his lips, and not half a second later, her stomach protested loudly against the prolonged lack of food.

Well aware that her face must nearly match the colour of the strawberries in front of her, she hastily reached her hand into the bowl and bit into the bright red fruit. Fortunately, she'd plucked one of the larger strawberries from the bowl, which prevented the necessity of speaking for a few moments. Allowed to gather her thoughts somewhat, she managed to string together a perfectly polite -- if rushed -- response to his courteous offer.

"Thankyousomuch, strawberriesaremyfavourite." Well -- it could have been worse, anyway. At least she'd managed to close her mouth and stop gawking at him.

Jacen reached for another one. He grinned. "Are they really?" He felt a pleasant little chill of excitement going right down his spine. "Please then have some more!" He offered her the bowl once again.

"They're my favourite too." If they weren't before they were now. Oh he was so glad he choose the bowl of strawberries over the bowl of blue berries he had been contemplating earlier. He was a little bit afraid the the strawberries wouldn't have been very sweet, the blueberries would have been a much safer bet but sure enough they were. He was so chuffled he took the risk because as he took another bite of the strawberries - were they getting sweeter? They were her favourite. He made a mental note of that and stored it away. He was sure he could use the information again when the opportunity arose.

As he finished the strawberry he was currently holding he wondered what else she liked. Peaches maybe? Starfruit? Pomegranate? He hoped she liked cherries. He could maybe make her some cherry pie sometime, a la mode. He was getting a little too ahead of himself. Making pie for her? What was that? He didn't even know whether she liked him or not!

Kate nodded earnestly in response, shyly reaching into the bowl for a second strawberry. For a moment, she wondered why Jacen seemed so pleased by what she thought to be a pretty unexciting piece of information. His smile was so disorienting that it took her a moment to realise he'd answered her unspoken question. An almost uncomfortable silence ensued while Kate registered his comment, and then she actually laughed out loud in surprise, blurting out her next words with unrestrained excitement.

"I suppose that's why you're wandering around eating them, then. You must really like them, to have them plain instead of with cream or champagne or something. I mean that's good too, but you know...." Kate shrugged, not really sure how that sentence was supposed to end. She hadn't done this much talking to someone not in her immediate family in so long that it felt strange even just making small talk about something as innocuous as food.

"Yes." He did know. Strawberries were wonderful on their own but to include them in other things - well they become heavenly. For example, a moment ago these strawberries were on the bland side, sweet enough to satiate his current want for something fruity but certainly nothing revolutionary - but now, now as he looked at Katie Nighthook they were downright godly. "But the last thing I want is to get caught walking the halls with champagne. I'm meant to be the sensible twin." He said with a smile. Boy he must look mental. But he just couldn't help but smile when she was looking oh-so-very-pretty with the way the light was touching her face.

Change the topic. "Cream though. Hm... that could be a possibility. Nothing a quick visit to the kitchens wouldn't fix." As soon as the words were out of his mouth he felt a slight sense of dread. What was he doing? No - he knew what he was doing. He was showing off! That's what he was doing. He was trying to impress her! It was almost after hours and getting caught in another night-time escapade was not on the menu. Captain Lainey Harper already had them on a short leash. Another round of detention would surely get him off the team... but if Katie wanted cream... by Merlin she was going to get cream! And chocolate too! And whatever else she wanted.

He offered her his most dashing grin. "What do you say? Fancy a trip to the kitchens?"

"'Course not," Kate murmured, looking down at the floor again. Obviously he wouldn't be just wandering around with champagne...she silently berated herself for her stupidity while biting into the strawberry. It occurred to her that she blushed so much in front of him that he probably thought she had some kind of unattractive skin condition.

His invitation, therefore, took her by surprise even more than when Jacen had told her strawberries were also his favourite. Why on earth was a very attractive older boy paying any attention to her? It made no sense.

"Really?" she asked hesitantly, looking very unsure. Maybe he was playing some kind of joke on her. But no -- Jaina was the prankster twin. "I mean -- just you and me?"

Crap. Now she probably thought he was some kind of creep. Why in the world would she go with him alone in the kitchens?

"Y-yes." He said hesitantly. Maybe he should call in his twin for reinforcement... No. No. That was an even worse idea then going to the kitchens after hours. He didn't want Jaina involved! She'd make things worse! Or better... it was a 50-50 thing with her really. "Yes." He said surer. Just him and her. Just him and her. The thought both frightened and excited him. A trip to the kitchens with Kate Nighthook! He had to be in his very best! "Unless, you want someone else to come..." It would probably put her mind at ease if they brought one of her friends with them. Merlin please don't let it be another boy.

It was almost comical really -- the way Kate's head was nodding slowly before she had even come up with a logical response. Which probably explained the nonsense that was her next words to Jacen.

"No! I mean, I don't want anyone else to come, not that I don't want to come with you. I do want to go with you. But I mean if you wanted to invite people that's fine too though. But it'll be after hours too and sneaking a bunch of people around will most likely get us caught. Not that I mind detention really. I mean I've never gotten one but it's not bad, like....I mean not everyone who gets it. Detention, I mean. Like people who get detention aren't necessarily bad. Merlin...."

The longer she spoke, the worse it seemed to get. Kate bit her bottom lip to keep herself from tearing up; surely he would change his mind now that she continued to make a complete fool of herself.

Merlin's pants! Was... was she nervous? Be still my heart. Relax Jacen, it doesn't mean anything. It could mean she was dreading being caught - or it could mean he made her nervous. She wanted to come with him. She thought sneaking in with a bunch of people would get them caught - he shouldn't read into that right? It's logical enough. Bleh, his head was going to explode with all of this thinking. Jaina always said he thought too much. That he should just go with it. Do what felt right. Right. Stop it brain. Stop it.

He forced himself to relax. A nervous chuckle let him relive the tension. Then he smiled at her, a genuine smile - a warm smile. Then without really thinking about it, he held out his hand to her.

Of all the ways Jacen could have responded to her noticeably awkward, embarrasing ramblings, laughing was probably up there amongst the worst. Kate had just started to take a shaky step backward when movement caught her eye, and instinctively she reached out and...placed her hand in his. The electricity between them was almost tangible; she wondered if she was just imagining it. She looked up at him questioningly and realised that he was smiling at her kindly, not at all looking like he was ridiculing her.

"You're so kind," she whispered, looking down at her shoes again, her hand still grasping his.

The smile he had in place grew as she held his hand. Magic. That was the only word that could fully express the feeling he was feeling holding her hand for the first time. Electricity. Delight. Magic. He felt bloody invincible! Suddenly he felt no Prefect could touch them, no Professor could chide them. No, they were going to the kitchens without a trouble at all.

"Let's go." He urged her, pulling at her gently. He adjusted his hand, locking it with hers in a more comfortable position and he couldn't help notice how their hands seem to fit together perfectly. His hold was firm but loose enough that she could pull hers out if she wanted. Merlin, he hope she didn't. He rather enjoyed holding her hand. Still, that stupid smile was plastered on his face.

"Okay," Kate replied, almost whispering. She took a step closer to him when he tugged her hand, afraid that if she let go, she wouldn't be able to find a good excuse to hold it again. To be honest, she wasn't really too sure why he'd taken her hand in the first place. Obviously, he was going to lead the way to the kitchens, but he hadn't said that at first...

She looked up at him, intending to follow his lead, and instead of taking another step towards the kitchen, she stopped inches away from him, rooted to the spot by the smile on his face. It was difficult to understand how any person could look so appealing...his smile was absolutely radiant. She couldn't take her eyes off of him, and so she stared up at him, hand still in his, smiling back hesitantly.

Jacen stopped short of her stopping short. "What's wrong?" He looked over his shoulders - a reflex he acquired in one of those detention inducing escapades. He's breath caught once again as he looked at her. She looked absolutely stunning - and he was able to look beyond that to find she seemed to be rather hesitant to take another step. He neared her and smiled reassuringly. "We won't get caught - I promise. Jaina and I made this run hundreds of times."

He had the biggest urge to touch her cheek but he suppressed it. She let him hold her hand, but he didn't think he could push his luck that far. "And if we do get caught. Well you can run while I distract them. The worse they can do to me is detention and it's not like I don't have a month's worth already. What's a few more going to do?" Bowl of strawberries in one hand and Katie Nighthook in the other, in Jacen's mind, nothing bad could happen.

Hmm. Kate hadn't actually been worrying about detention, and she wasn't exactly sure how to explain that she had stopped simply for the pleasure of looking at his face, so she smiled reassuringly and nodded in response.

"Of course, you're right. It's not even after hours yet...we'll be fine for awhile longer." Daring to give his hand the gentlest of squeezes, Kate started walking again, this time keeping her admiration of Jacen to stolen glances as they hurried along.

Jacen grinned. He was feeling extremely giddy. "Come on." The squeeze she gave him was extremely encouraging and he felt like - well he felt like running. "Let's go." He gave her another urging pull, slightly stronger this time to convey his intent to run. He didn't know why but running at the moment seemed like a good idea.

Kate smiled, a little uncertainly. His mood was rather catching -- she picked up the pace at his insistent tugging, wondering if he meant to run all the way down to the kitchens. That was certainly one way of beating curfew.

"Shall we make a run for it?..." she asked, not particularly keen on embarrassing herself again.

"Just on this floor - I'm not too sure who the Prefect is here. Cole would be on the last two floors tonight. She wouldn't exactly be lenient but at least we know what we'll be in for." He flashed her a smile. "But it would probably be best if we avoided her too."