#it was really windy and we weren't allowed to come back to my friends house bc family was using it afterwards

[myriadfrogs]

happy new year!! very late with this post

[dreamingyouth]

[Darth Maul x Bookworm!Reader] Part 3 - The most beautiful gift

New to this series? Please do check out part 1 and part 2 as well ! And if you want to read what's next, you can find part 4 here !

Word count : 2356

Warnings : None, except fluff !

"Do you think my reading speed has increased?"

Maul looked at you without a word. You didn't know for sure if he was thinking or waiting for you to continue; taking a bet on the latter at his silence, you explained yourself.

"No matter if they're just as big as the last ones, it seems like new books don't last me as long. I have a pretty big pile of books I want to read, but it's getting smaller! It never happened before."

The soft wind of late summer caressed your confused features, your light scarf sitting on your crossed legs as if preparing for the upcoming autumn temperatures. You have known the Dathomirian for months now, yet the daily habits were never forgotten; no matter the weather, you would see each other, either under the tree where you first met or at your house when it was too unbearable to stay outside. You were grateful to have him, and he was grateful to have you: he expected this time away from any mission to be excruciatingly long, but you made the time fly faster than it ever had.

You sighed. The answer to your interrogation left unknown, you scooted closer to the male, his arm wrapping around you out of habit as you relaxed against his side. You just finished another book and didn't plan any other to begin, leaving you without anything to do- which you didn't mind: after all, you were in good company.

"There were days I wondered if I'd have enough of a life to read all the books available here, but the more time goes on, the more I begin to wonder if I'll have enough stories to read at all. I devour them in a heartbeat.

- You must be the only one in the galaxy to ever say this kind of thing."

His remark made you laugh a little. Of course, there were a lot of places in the galaxy you could go to and try to get new books from; you could learn another language and find untranslated stories, little gems only a few could enjoy. However, wealth was not on your side: you lived simply and happily, yet you were unable to travel anywhere else. Getting to another city on this planet was already a luxury you couldn't afford every day.

"Hey, Maul... Have you ever been to one of those big libraries in the Core worlds? I heard they had thousands and thousands of books to choose from.

- Indeed, I have been to some of them. Sometimes I had to go to another planet or system to get the book I was looking for, so I never settled with one. They are all very different from each other, some are specialized, others have almost everything you could ever ask for... but I'm convinced you'd like them all.

- Really? Ah... I wish I could visit at least one before I die. It would be amazing."

You looked up at your Zabrak friend, a gentle smile growing on your face as he returned your gaze. His eyes had their usual fire-like glow; though you noticed something different about them. Where there once was a fiery passion raging behind the bright colors, all you could see was the warmth of genuine care, a liking you felt but never noticed so clearly before. It was overwhelming, how someone who was so mysterious and distant from you could grow so close and... attached? He enjoyed your company, of this you were sure, but you didn't know if he cherished you the way you did him. Maybe proximity was a usual thing for his kind, after all. This might as well be nothing but a mix of your imagination and fantasies from the love stories you read.

Yet, it felt so right.

His gaze leaving yours took you out of your daydream and you felt pressed closer to his chest. It quickly became your favorite place to be: you didn't waste much time, your eyes closing as your face found its spot in the crook of Maul's neck, your hands gently grabbing the fabric of his black cloak. He got the habit of resting his head on yours, always careful not to harm you with his horns; at times, they reminded you of a crown, making him the King of a faraway land.

"Someday, I'll take you to all the libraries and bookstores you wish to visit. I promise."

You couldn't help but feel your heart race. It wasn't much in the words he spoke, even if they held a thrilling promise: it was his tone, quiet, gentle, almost like a feather's touch on your very soul. It had an intimate feel to it, which only the two of you could understand. There was something more. A connection neither of you could deny.

***

With each day, you grew closer to the Dathomirian, to a point where you would wonder if you were still only friends. You tried not to think about this too much: you didn't want to get your hopes up or misunderstand any of his actions, but the way he held you against him and how his gaze softened when he looked at you spoke volumes. If you weren't more, you definitely were very, very close friends, at least.

Both of you had decided on a walk on this sunny, slightly windy afternoon. A light jacket on your shoulders, you took in the fresh air while enjoying the comfortable silence which settled earlier. This was something you cherished in your relationship with him: how you would enjoy talking as much as being in each other's presence without a word, how you would keep busy with separate things or find any activity to do together.

Remembering the tender moments between the two of you gifted you with a sense of bravery you never had until now. You glanced at the male from the corner of your eyes, your hand reaching out and gently holding his own- almost hesitantly, but you did, and this was something to be proud of. Even if you averted your eyes, you knew his gaze was on you. He was surprised, to say the least; he was always the one to initiate such intimacy. He chose to stay silent to keep you from further embarrassment and decided to answer the sweet touch by lacing your fingers together, his hand holding yours more firmly. If you weren't so unsure about the nature of your relationship, you would say the strength in his grasp was proof of a certain possessiveness towards you. 

You really should stop daydreaming.

"I'm guessing books are not a priority good for companies to deliver here, from what you told me."

His sudden attempt at a conversation took you off guard. After a second to gather your thoughts, you nodded, instinctively walking closer to him as you kept your hand in his.

"Yes... We barely get anything new around here, except what's coming from other cities. But it ends up always being the same... It's not like we have many authors on this planet if any author at all."

A soft sigh escaped your lips at your own words. Not living on a highly developed planet had its perks, like quiet and lovely green spaces, but this was one of the cons you wished would change; readers seemed to be few where you lived, which didn't help. However, you were ready to accept your fate if it allowed you to keep the Dathomirian by your side. You liked his company as much as your books, if not more, and you couldn't remember it having happened to you before. You were willing to live a life without new books. Not without Maul.

***

Your favorite big tree never looked so lonely. Your companion warned you he wouldn't be there until dusk, having errands of some sort to run. What was he up to? Was he alright? Was he thinking about you? You shook your head at the last question popping in your mind. Why would he think about you? He was busy. The truth was, you were missing him, terribly so. Although the days became shorter as autumn went by, the afternoon felt like days, weeks even, without him.

You went through your book, page after page. Now that you were used to his presence, to read alone under your tree felt odd. Your thoughts drifted away from time to time, distracted from the story at hand to wander and wonder about the man whose image never left you. You could recall every detail of him: how his eyes were like a bright, never-ending fire, how his red skin was marked by intricate, symmetrical black tattoos, how his horns formed a perfect crown on his head, how the black cloak he always wore seemed to float around him at each of his steps. You remembered the feeling of his arms around you, his strong chest, the way he looked at you or held your hand whenever he had the chance.

You never wanted him to leave you again.

As if hearing your wish, a familiar figure stepped out of the line of trees to walk toward you. You were quick to lift your head and, as your eyes met with his, a wide smile spread on your face. Your favorite bookmark found its way to the page where you stopped reading, the book in your hands carefully placed on the grass as you stood up.

"You came!

- I told you I would be here by dusk. Here I am."

You took some steps to close the distance between the two of you, your arms finding their way around him in a gentle hug. One of his arms wrapped around you in return; after passing by so slowly, the time had stopped, and you were enjoying it to the fullest. After a long, silent embrace, he finally released you- not without keeping your hand in his, of course.

"I went around the system today."

You wished you could do the same. You have always wondered what it would be like to fly away from your native planet, which worlds you would be able to discover; after all, you only knew them through your books, and it wasn't enough.

As you came back to the present, you noticed Maul looking for something in his cloak. What was he doing?

"And I got you something.

- You... got me something?"

The heat rushing to your face was unmistakable. Not only he kept his promise to come back before the sun would set, but he also brought you a gift. You felt so lucky. 

 Taking the paper bag from him with a shy 'thank you so much', you soon focused on opening your present- only to discover it with wide eyes. It was a book of your favorite genre, one many recommended, also one which was unavailable not only on your planet but on several others as well. It was, so to speak, one of your dream books. You never thought you'd have the opportunity to hold it in your hands, let alone own it.

And he went out of his way to get it for you.

"Maul, this... How did you know? Where did you find it? I'm so happy, I love you- it!! I mean 'it', I love it- not that I don't love you, of course I do, but I mean that's not the point and uhm-"

It dawned on you a second too late. You tried your best to get yourself out of this embarrassing situation without running away but you went deeper and deeper instead, which resulted in you hiding shyly behind the book you just received from Maul. How could you have been so carefree?

"I really should stop rambling, it makes me look even more like an idiot...

- A lovely idiot, then."

You felt his hands get a gentle hold of your wrists, slowly lowering your book away from your face. You were convinced it was at least as red as his at this point. You couldn't bring yourself to look at him in the eye, instead glancing at him every so often; you've missed him, after all, and you were dying to find comfort in the warmth of his gaze.

Knowing it was no use trying to talk about what you said, the Dathomirian came closer to you, one of his hand sliding up your arm to rest on your cheek.

It was the very first time he did anything of the sort. This was a new level of intimacy, and you longed for more. How many times have you dreamed about such proximity with him? About him actually returning your feelings? About him choosing you of all other existing beings to give his heart to?

You were living in a dream. This dream felt too real for you to be asleep, but how could this ever happen? You needed something to make sure this wasn't just a fantasy; and as if reading your thoughts, he provided it without hesitation, leaning towards you before pressing his lips against yours in a careful and tender kiss.

Your first kiss.

This felt just as wonderful as you've read. The loving intimacy in the gentle contact of your lips, how it carried the affection you both had for each other, everything seemed to fall back into place as you found the one you were destined to be with. You weren't just the weird, book-loving person next door; you were the guardian of his heart, and he was the king of yours.

"I never knew..."

Your words, barely audible, lost themselves against Maul's tattooed lips as you kissed again. Were you becoming addicted to it? Probably. At least, this was what the butterflies in your stomach suggested. As you finally parted, you smiled, his hand caressing your cheek a welcomed comfort.

"The book was an incredible present, but this is the most precious gift I've ever been given."

And this was the first time you saw him smile so genuinely.

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THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING SO PATIENT !! I had unexpected problems this week and I didn’t have time to write, but part 3 is up at last ! I hope you’ll like it. I stayed up until 2am to finish it haha, I felt like I owed it to you guys !

I love you all and if you liked it and want to be in the tag list, please let me know ! xo

Tags : @maulieber, @gooseyhouse, @gczanetti1​, @noiralei, @catsnkooks, @brilliantbutbatty, @mother-0f-monsters