( Maul tells his apprentice that they’re a contradiction and they are very confused about that and eventually confront him and there is kissing. @the-flying-elephant gave me this idea a long while ago, so enjoy, love!)
It’s the sun, more than anything, that’s driving you crazy.
You can deal with the sweat and the burning of your muscles, the sting of blows landing on you when you weren’t fast enough to dodge them. You can deal with moving so fast the world blurs around you.
But this heat - it’s making you angry. Which, possibly, was Maul’s intention, since you are training with the Dark Side and all.
The wooden staff smacks into your shoulder. “Ow!” you hiss, and bring your own up to knock it away.
“Pay attention,” Maul growls. “If this were a true fight I could’ve slain you nine times already.”
“Then get it over with,” you snip back, grinning at him as you swing your staff at his head. “Since I’m such a disappointment and all.” The staff glances off one of his horns, and the snap of sound echoes around the stony courtyard.
“Funny.” He takes your staff, then throws it, along with his, off to the side. “Hand to hand. No Force tricks. Fight me, apprentice.”
“You’re on, red man,” you pant, and lunge at him.
There’s a chaotic blur of heat and pain and motion. You grit your teeth, shut down, and react. Let your instincts take over, blocking and lunging. You’re doing better than usual, but it still ends the way it always does - with your back slamming into the ground with his forearm pinned across your shoulders. The breath huffs painfully out of your lungs and you cough, turning your face aside.
“Good one,” you croak. “Almost got it that time.”
“Oh, did you?” He smirks as he helps you to your feet. “Could’ve fooled me.”
“Well, maybe you’re easy to fool.” You shake the dust from your hair and clothes. “Maybe I’m letting you win.”
He laughs - an unexpected sound, loud and ringing and clear. You’ve made him smile before - quick, reluctant smiles mostly - but this is different. You’ve never heard him laugh like this. He looks you up and down, every dusty inch of you, and you really, really hope the heat creeping up your neck and face is from the sun. For a minute, you’re distracted by the vivid gold of his eyes.
“You’re quite the contradiction, my apprentice,” he says, and then turns on his heel and leaves.
Wait…what? You blink, staring after him and wishing you’d asked earlier. Just as you’re about to call after him, he shuts the door behind him.
Ooookay. You kick at the ground, frowning. “What does that even mean?”
Hours later, you’ve had about all you can take of pacing and wondering and thinking. And for some reason (you suspect he’s avoiding you, but why?) he left the house soon after your sparring session ended, saying nothing more than for you to stay there and wait.
“Wait, my ass,” you mutter venomously, watching the front gate with narrowed eyes. “He’s gonna get it when he gets back.”
“Oh, am I?” Maul strides through the gates, locking them behind him as his golden eyes flare. “Please, enlighten me as to how.”
“With a hacksaw,” you fire off automatically. Part of you cringes, but you’re miffed enough at him that you don’t stop; you stomp forward to meet him. “You can’t just say cryptic statements like that about me to someone so curious! I need to know things, okay?”
He narrows his eyes at you. “Careful,” he growls. “You know to whom you speak.”
You huff and look down. “Fine. Sorry. But please, just tell me what you meant? I’ve been going mad thinking about it all day.”
“Have you now?” he muses, the corner of his mouth lifting. “Well, that’s useful information.”
Unable to stop the reaction, you stomp your foot and whine at him. “Tell me! Come on, please?”
With his arms crossed, the zabrak tilts his chin up and considers you - again. With that raking gaze that makes your stomach flip. He so does that on purpose, you just know it.
“What did I mean?” His voice is quiet as he meets your eyes, and you can’t look away. “Just what I said - you’re a contradiction made flesh.”
“Thanks,” you say weakly. “That really clears it up.”
“You’re powerful, but vulnerable. Strong in your anger, but stronger in your laughter.” He smirks. “You hurl your petty insults at me, always ready with a clever comment, and yet I sense you crave my approval.”
Okay, your face is definitely too hot now. You look down. “I do not,” you mutter lamely. It’s a total lie.
“As you should,” he purrs, stepping closer to you. “Am I not your master, and you my apprentice?”
“Y-yes,” you mutter, swallowing hard. “And there’s maybe kind of a little bit of truth to that? Just a bit, though.”
“Of course.” His eyes flare and he smirks, stepping even closer. “That is also a reason, you know.”
“What is?” You’re hypnotized by him. Your voice is barely a whisper.
“You act like you feel nothing - like an accursed Jedi. And yet any fool with even the slightest Force sensitivity could sense the depth and intensity of your feelings.”
“Great,” you mutter, finally breaking his gaze. “So you know then.” You don’t have to say what he knows. He’ll - well, he’ll know. Know how much you love him.
“Of course I know.” Suddenly he’s inches from you - you can feel the heat of him, and look up sharply to meet his eyes just as he grabs your face and crushes his lips to yours, breaking away only seconds later. “How could I fail to see?”
And with the most smug face you’ve ever seen, he walks away from you for the second time that day. Only this time, you’re quick enough to go after him.
