For Spider-Man, time passed slowly as he continued staring into the distance, pondering what his life would look like after all these drastic events.
Eventually, Peter grew tired of watching the cityscape and headed back inside the Temple, where he encountered a familiar face walking nearby.
Barriss turned toward the New York native, looking surprised when she saw him.
"Peter," she said with a smile, walking over to him. "How are you?"
"Good," Spider-Man said, attempting to sound casual.
The Queens native instinctively flinched, looking around with exaggerated alarm.
"Whoa! What was that sound? Did you hear—"
He froze when he saw Barriss's wide-eyed, embarrassed expression.
The two stood in awkward silence for a moment until Spider-Man couldn't help but laugh.
"Are you hungry?" Spider-Man asked with a grin.
She puffed her cheeks slightly, mildly indignant at the teasing.
"Come on, I'll buy you a meal."
"Do you actually have credits?" Barriss asked in surprise.
"Would you like to walk, or take the scenic route?"
Barriss assumed a thinking pose, placing her index finger on her lips with a small, playful hum.
The decision didn't take long.
Spider-Man swung between buildings with Mirialan Padawan on his back, who whooped with excitement.
"This is amazing!" she exclaimed happily.
Spider-Man laughed. "Can't you use the Force to jump around like this?"
"It's completely different from what I've trained for," Barriss said, tilting her head back with her eyes closed, enjoying the wind against her face.
"Well, if you weren't already a gymnast, I'd advise against it, but since you're a Jedi... who knows, maybe I can teach you the basics."
"I might like that," she said happily. "I'm sure Ahsoka would jump at the chance."
Spider-Man grinned. "I have no doubt about that."
The two soon arrived at a popular restaurant. Once inside, they found a packed establishment with nearly every booth and seat occupied.
The atmosphere filled Spider-Man with nostalgia—it reminded him of home.
"How unfortunate," Barriss murmured in disappointment at the crowded space. "Perhaps we should order takeout."
Before Spider-Man could respond, a cheerful voice called out from behind the bar.
They turned to see a four-armed Besalisk waddling out of the kitchen with a huge smile on his face.
"Hey, Dex," Spider-Man said cheerfully.
The restaurant's owner walked straight up to the New Yorker.
"Well, well, little friend! What can I do for you?"
"We need a table for two, or some seats at the bar."
Dex waved dismissively. "Just had a table open up a few seconds ago. Just need to clean it."
"Are you sure? Looks like there's quite a line waiting."
"Bah, there's always a table for you and the Avengers," the Besalisk said happily, patting Spider-Man on the shoulder with one hand. "You and your people have been a gold mine since Obi-Wan introduced you. Business has been booming since you showed me those recipes from your homeworld. I'm opening more locations across Coruscant—maybe even on other worlds like Naboo or Alderaan. Any friendly Republic territory is a possibility."
Barriss watched with curiosity.
"How do you two know each other?"
Dex pointed at the Terran with both thumbs up. "This kid brought me pizza!"
The two were quickly led to a booth, and Dex pulled out a datapad.
"So what'll you have? My treat," he asked.
"Dex, you can't—"
"What's a measly meal to the kid who introduced me to pizza?" Dex interrupted before Spider-Man could finish. "Now come on, what do you want?"
The two studied the menu for a few minutes before placing their orders with Dex.
"Perfect, I'll have it right out." He bustled away.
"I'm leaving credits for the meal anyway," Spider-Man said matter-of-factly. "The tip I leave will more than cover our food."
Barriss simply smiled approvingly at her friend and leaned back in her seat to get comfortable.
The two chatted while waiting for their meals, both deliberately keeping the conversation away from the current war and conflict. They simply wanted to enjoy themselves without ruining the hard-won relaxed atmosphere by bringing up heavy topics.
It was surprisingly lighthearted and enjoyable, with both sharing stories of growing up and discussing topics of interest—science, history, and the cultures of their respective homeworlds.
This continued as they ate, joking and reminiscing about happier times from their pasts.
After finishing their meal, Spider-Man left a generous "tip" on the table before saying goodbye to Dex.
Soon they were swinging again, Barriss holding Spider-Man close, a feeling of contentment washing over her as they traveled aimlessly across Coruscant.
They continued for a while until Barriss asked if they could rest for a moment.
Landing on the rooftop of a high-rise building, the two teenagers looked out over the cityscape as Barriss caught her breath from the exhilaration.
"That was incredible," she said happily. "Do you always travel like this?"
"Not all the time, but it does help get around faster," Spider-Man said.
"I can see that."
The two fell silent for a long moment, simply enjoying the quiet, until—
"Thanks."
She looked at him with a confused smile. "For what?"
"It's just... I guess I didn't realize how much I needed this," Peter said, suddenly feeling considerably lighter. "I'm glad we did something fairly normal. Just me and a friend getting dinner together, not thinking about anything too serious."
Barriss looked at him in surprise, which transformed into a warm smile.
"I should be thanking you," she said softly. "I've never done anything like this before, you know. It was wonderful. I hope we can do it again sometime. Maybe Ahsoka can join us next time."
"Yeah, that'd be great," he said, turning to face her with a bright smile. "Though I'll need to figure out how you two can find me when I'm wandering around the city."
Barriss shrugged. "I'm sure we can work something out."
"Then it's a plan for next time."
She smiled at him and suddenly felt her heartbeat quicken.
It was subtle, but she felt it nonetheless.
A slight tightness welled up in her chest, something she couldn't quite identify. She thought back to the conversation she and Ahsoka had shared not long ago, and wondered if perhaps this was one of those feelings that had developed after spending so much time with the boy before her.
Barriss stared at Spider-Man, her gaze becoming distant as several images flashed unbidden through her mind.
Spider-Man, gravely injured after Jabiim.
Ahsoka lying beside her, slowly losing her healthy orange complexion until she was nearly translucent from the virus she'd contracted on Naboo.
Barriss let out a sharp, horrified gasp as the memory-visions faded.
The New York native immediately noticed and grew concerned.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Spider-Man moved directly in front of Barriss, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking at her worriedly. "Barriss, are you okay?"
The tightness in her chest intensified. She coughed, trying to shake his hands off her shoulders, but Spider-Man held firm.
"I-I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I-I don't know what's wrong."
"It's okay. But can you tell me what happened?"
She didn't answer immediately, trying to calm herself. On a deeper level, though, the visions she'd experienced were too intense.
Barriss had no idea what was happening. In the past, she'd been able to manage her emotions, but now it was becoming increasingly difficult.
She tried to suppress them, to ignore them, but it had the opposite effect.
The emotions quickly overwhelmed her, and after one final failed attempt at control, she stopped trying.
So she began to cry.
Spider-Man's eyes widened when he saw his friend's tears.
"Hey, hey, Barriss." He instinctively moved his hand to her cheek, gently wiping away a tear.
She released a shaky breath and closed her eyes, leaning into his palm despite her trembling.
Barriss opened her eyes when she heard Spider-Man nervously calling her name, looking up to find him visibly conflicted, clearly unsure what to do.
"Talk to me, Barriss," he said quietly. "What's wrong?"
Barriss stared into Spider-Man's eyes, her thoughts churning.
According to the Order she belonged to, certain things were forbidden.
While forming attachments was a complicated topic, allowing them to develop further was strongly discouraged within the Jedi Order.
Yet Barriss couldn't help how she felt after everything that had happened over the past few months.
Not long ago, she'd been confident in herself and her path, but now...
Now, after everything she'd been through...
The young Jedi was beginning to realize how terrifying these new emotions were for someone who'd always been instructed to be wary of them.
"I-I... I saw you and Ahsoka hurt. You were both..." she stuttered, squeezing her eyes shut, unable to finish the sentence as more tears streamed down her face and onto Spider-Man's hand.
Spider-Man's eyes widened considerably, not expecting that answer at all.
He opened his mouth, trying to find the right words, but his distressed friend moved before he could speak.
Barriss gripped Spider-Man's suit tightly, pulling him close and wrapping her arms around his neck while burying her face against his chest.
She felt him wrap his arms around her, holding her securely. Spider-Man gently patted her back, feeling her body go slack even as her grip on him remained strong.
"It's okay, Barriss. I'm here, I'm right here."
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