“Good,” Jax replied with a smile when An-Lok told him that she was feeling better. He gave her a kiss in return before she settled into his lap and they both began to eat the food he had brought. He couldn’t help but feel happy, maybe even a little proud of himself when she seemed happy with the drink he had brought her, even saying that it was perfect. “I’m glad,” he replied, kissing her cheek before taking another bite of his own food.<br/><br/>She was humming while she ate, which was a nice change of pace. He didn’t like seeing her feeling miserable, or when she didn’t want to eat. Having her actually accept the food and be happy to eat it was a welcomed change. He felt happy himself as he ate his own food, and occasionally took a bite of her own, since she had requested extra and was willing to share.<br/><br/>He followed her gaze when she looked at their things and her trunk, noting that she didn’t think all of their things would fit in what she had. “Yeah, you’re probably right,” he agreed. He had his backpack to help, but it wouldn’t fit everything. “Perhaps Aeris has something we can use?” he wondered, knowing that she had spent a lot of time traveling, and that she had a lot of things. He knew Jek didn’t have anything, so she was the best bet.<br/><br/>“I can go over and ask her once we pack what we can,” he offered after he’d taken and swallowed another bite of the food. “That way we know how much stuff we have leftover,” he added, explaining why he had thought to wait. He had pretty good special visualization, but in cases like this, he thought it better to be safe and make sure that he got something large enough. He was, of course, happy to hear her thoughts if he had any other suggestions.<br/><br/>--<br/><br/>Jek wasn’t wrong that the change in her behavior was partially owed to the fact that they would likely never be on this cruiser again, but that wasn’t all there was to it. Even knowing that, on a normal day, she still probably wouldn’t have acted this way; after all, even on planets where they were unlikely to visit again, she had still opted not to be too obvious about their relationship. Even in this galaxy, big though it was, there was always a chance that you would encounter the same vessel, the same people, or the same planet at some point. As such, she generally acted with the assumption that she would, to save herself a headache down the line.<br/><br/>The main reason for the change was likely the things that they would soon face; the reality that they might end up hurt or separated. It was a powerful motivator to focus a little less on external motivators and more on the internal ones. After all, there was little reason to focus on any potential long-term consequences when you weren’t even sure there would be a long-term. Of course, she wanted to believe that there would be, so she would not throw caution to the wind entirely, but it did mean that she cared more about being with him and making sure he knew this than what anyone else may or may not think.<br/><br/>When the elevator stopped and she had offered to let him come along with her, she had meant it. She really didn’t think that whatever was to be said would be all that interesting, but if he had wanted to come along, she wouldn’t have stopped him. Then again, if he asked, she would tell him anything he wanted to know. She might not have offered specifics as to where they were going, but it wasn’t because she was trying to hide it, but rather that it wasn’t pertinent to what she had told him.<br/><br/>They would all find out soon enough, anyways. But she would still be happy to tell him later if he wished to know. For now, she kissed his cheek in return and offered him a smile before hanging the bag off to them. “Thank you,” she said before returning his soft kiss, almost hesitating to let him go, but knowing that it wasn’t for long. She took a deep breath as the doors closed and the lift began to move up to the command deck.<br/><br/>When she arrived, she strode onto the command deck just as she always did, with silent footsteps and a commanding presence. “Commander,” she addressed him as she approached, meeting his eyes as he turned to face her. She had to give him props for not jumping as many of the soldiers might, especially when she could feel the surprise he felt. “Our mission is complete. I need you to set course for these coordinates,” she told him, handing him the coordinates.<br/><br/>“We will be delivering the Force Sensitives to the facilities on the planet and then my comrades and I will be going on our way,” she explained. She noted that he seemed surprised, but that he lacked any strong feelings otherwise, whether positive or negative. “As you wish,” the man had agreed. She gave a nod and turned to leave them behind, heading towards the lift.<br/><br/>She took the lift down to the deck that housed their quarters and headed down the hall. She opened the doors to their quarters to find Jek sitting on the bed, staring at the door, his bag packed. “Hey,” she greeted him with a smile, kicking off her boots and hanging her belt up before crossing the room to where he sat. She slipped easily into his space, straddling him with her knees resting on the bed as she sat down in his lap, wrapping her arms loosely behind his neck and giving him a small smile.<br/><br/>“Were you waiting for me?” she asked innocently, knowing full well that he had been. She tilted her head just a little as her emerald eyes gazed into the warm brown of his own. Looking into his eyes, she was filled with love for him, and she wanted to tell him as much, but it didn’t seem like enough. Instead, she leaned in and kissed him, soft and sweet, filled with all the love she didn’t have words strong enough to express.<br/><br/>They were on their way now, to drop off the Force Sensitives, and then they would be leaving this cruiser. There were so many events in motion now, so many possibilities, so many potential heartaches; for now, though, she didn’t want to think about them. She was happy just being here with him and enjoying this for just a little longer, before they would all have to face a cruel future and hope that they could come out on top.