Princess Leia had just giggled.
There are few thing in the full spectrum of the universe that Jyn hated more than gigglers.
The sound of it makes her feel very uncivilized. Like she wants nothing more than to stomp through the sea of swaying guests – their cover and mission can just go damn itself – and smack some sense into Leia's pretty, giggly little bunned head.
Real, grownup, take-me-serious sort of women don't make that sort of noise. Jyn certainly never has. Or… or at least not in public when someone could actually hear her.
The fact that Cassian smiles back at it, wraps his arm closer around the Princess's waist, makes the back of Jyn's teeth itch and her palm long to fulfill her daydream.
It's all part of their mission, of course, but that doesn't make the Happy Couple's saccharine display any less offensive to Jyn's patience. They get to have all the fun parts of the evening: the laughing, the flirting, the affectionate looks that would be expected of a couple pretending to be madly in love. The giggling. In public. Jyn, on the other hand, got stuck on security detail because "she's not refined enough".
Technically, Kay had not told her that directly. Rather, he'd given a depressingly low estimation of her chances of being able to pull off the required role with any degree of credibility.
Apparently, the numbers were just not in the favor of Jyn Erso being a convincing delicate flower of a newlywed wife. Especially one who, at some point in the next three to seven minutes, will have to have a complete 180, get into a fight with her "husband", and dramatically flee to the women's toilets to cry. Then, naturally, the hostess of the party would be obliged to go in there and comfort her, and all eyes would be on the soap opera drama unfolding and not on Cassian slipping outside to hack into the building's security systems.
That part was so boring. Jyn had already done that part. Security system hacked. Intel currently being gathered remotely. Child's play. It would serve them right if she left her post as their emergency backup plan and just went to the open bar to get sloshed.
More artificial laughter rings in her ears. Jyn's eyes widen as she watches Cassian's hand drift lower on the Princess's waist. Not quite to cup her ass, but definitely approaching the perimeter.
And then, and then, he leans down. Princess tips her chin up. They're about to kiss and the knowing smirks of the crowd around them confirm just how adorable it's going to be.
Nope. That's it. Jyn's had enough.
The open bar is too far away, so Jyn settles on stomping out to one of the balconies. From here, she can see the lights still on upstairs. When they go off, it's their signal for Mission Complete. Show will be over and they can all go home where Jyn can be extra salty to Cassian and demand he not be so damn convincing next time.
"Oh! How dare you!"
Leia's fakely shocked cry echoes out through the open door, followed by ripples of surprise and gossip from the crowd.
Fine. Fine. Jyn missed the punchline moment she'd stuck around to see. She knew it was coming. Performed with perfect timing an execution. Leia herself had organized their timeline, so of course it would have gone without a hitch.
Yeah, the Princess had planned this whole thing. Right down to every detail. She must have done it on purpose. All of that.
And Jyn normally actually quite likes her, more or less. It's no secret that the Princess has a mild crush on Cassian, but it's never been an issue until now. Never before has Jyn felt so much like cornering her and telling her bitch, you'd better stay in your lane or-
The dapperly dressed figure of Cassian interrupts her internal-growl session. He joins her on the balcony, clearly having made it out of the scandalized crowd undetected.
"I told them that I needed some air." It's completely unnecessary that he explains himself, but in true Cassian fashion he does it anyhow. "I told them that my wife was drunk and getting hysterical. They all looked at me like I was a brute. I think they were glad to see me go."
Her hackles rise at his oh-so casual use of the word "wife". Oh yeah, I've just been flirting with a kriffing Princess all night. No big deal.
"That's nice," she forces her words out in an even keel. Refuses to look anywhere but out into the night skyline.
"Leia thinks that she can get some more intel out of them, actually." Does she? Oh how impressive of her. "I may have to do something else and be a real jerk. Keep them all feeling sorry for her. She thinks that may get them talking."
She nods crisply. "Sounds like you're having a lot of fun in there."
Cassian had been walking over to join her at the railing, but he pauses mid-step and regards her. No doubt taking in her tight body language, stiffly folded arms, and possibly even her annoyed scowl but Jyn's not sure if it's bright enough out here for him to see it.
"You're… angry."
He sounds surprised. Confused. It makes her even more annoyed at him.
It's not like they… They weren't dating. They've never officially been anything. But Cassian does have an almost boyfriend-like way of knowing exactly she's thinking without her having to say it.
Not that she's making it particularly hard to guess right now.
"Why are you angry?" he tries again when the silence grows between them.
Jyn huffs. Knows that she looks like a child right now but godsdamnit can this mission just end already?
"The lights are still on." She shrugs one shoulder in the direction of the upper level.
Cassian steps towards her to see. It brings him into closer range and his presence irritates her invisible touch bubble. When she gets riled like this, an arms reach of separation is more than close enough, buddy.
"I know. I need to turn-"
"Already did," she interrupts.
Her irritation only grows when he doesn't immediately say thank you for her doing his job.
"Jyn? What's wrong?"
"How's your wife? Maybe you should go back in, check that her part of the mission is going smoothly."
Another long pause. He moves closer. Silently. Watching her and she can feel the weight of his gaze but nope, still not looking at him.
Then he makes a sound. A soft, amused huff. She spins to face him, curling her hands into fists in a effort to reign her annoyance back in.
"Are you laughing at me?"
Yes. He is. He's smirking, watching her with open humor.
"Jyn, are you jealous? Don't tell me that you're jealous."
Jyn was beyond jealous. They had kissed. He and the princess. She hadn't even kissed Cassian yet, for all that they'd been circling each other in private. It wasn't fair. Doesn't kriffing matter that it was all in make-believe, a kiss was still a kiss.
"No. Of course not. Why would I be jealous?"
He smiles. A warm and deep smile that crinkles at his eyes and curls up the edges of his lips. The lips that were, just a few moments ago, pressed against a real-life princess.
"You are, aren't you?" he leans in, just a little, and Jyn has to look away.
"No."
Okay, now she really does sound like a child.
"Jyn..."
He sounds so damn flattered. Jyn feels her face start to warm but thank the gods he definitely can't see that little detail.
"Jyn, I have an idea."
She can feel his breath warm against the side of her face. The skyline is riveting. That's the only place she's going to look.
"My idea," he continues when it becomes obvious she's not going to respond, "is that I need people to think that I'm a real cad and to keep my wife sympathetic. What better way than-"
"Cad? Who the hell talks like that? And if you call her your 'wife' one more time in private I swear I'm going to-"
He pushes her jaw closed with a soft thumb to her chin. Then tips her head up and presses his lips lightly against her own.
It lasts for just one second before he pulls back.
"There. Now you're both even."
Happy now? Yes and no. But more in the no because, when Jyn traces her tongue over her lips, they taste like candy and lipgloss.
The princess, kriffing Princess Leia, wore a flavored lipgloss tonight. It's like she just knew that they would be-
Of course she did. She planned this whole thing from the very beginning.
"Oh that's it," she turns to face him, grabbing onto the lapels of his stupid dress jacket to yank him down. "That does it. That was the final straw."
Cassian starts to say something – no doubt something that would make everything much worse – but she stops him with her own mouth. Kisses him fully and not that polite and too-proper thing that he'd just offered to her as a consolation prize.
Savagely. That's the right word for it. Jyn kisses him with savagery. Feeling thoroughly so very angry. Feral. Annoyed.
She nips and sucks and bites his lower lip between her teeth. Strong hands grip her shoulders firmly; half pulling her away and half holding her in place.
She claws into his hair and all she can think of is the smell of his breath fanning across her open mouth as he gives a startled grunt of surprise.
"Jy-" he doesn't get too far into her name. Huffing it before she silences him completely again, pushing her mouth at his and daring him to pull away.
One of the hands on her shoulders flexes, holding her tight. Confused young man that he is, he still doesn't quite know what to make of the crazy woman in his arms. The one who out of the blue is now viciously attacking his lips like she owns them. Because she does. He just hasn't realized it.
The other hand – his other hand, because both of hers are fisting his scalp and pulling him down to reach her and she still has to stand on tip-toes and how obnoxious is that? - but his other hand drifts lower. Skims its way to her waist and she can feel his fingertips drumming against the small of her back.
Is he an ass-man? Because it kind of seems like he's thinking about grabbing her ass. He'd tried it with Leia before to and don't think that she's forgotten about that either.
The appendage drifts lower. Lower lower lower. Knuckles skimming beyond the first seam of her back pockets.
Jyn bites him extra hard, just to prove some sort of point.
And she lets go when he flinches.
She pulls back just enough so that they can pant into each other's open mouths. His lips are puffy and red. Swollen from her aggression and gods-be-damned if she doesn't see the indentation of her own front teeth pressed into the softly pinked skin.
A mark of possession. She rather likes it.
"Jyn?" he huffs. Sounding somehow both intrigued and deeply frustrated.
"Hmmm?" she hums, leaning up and forward again to resume where they'd left off.
He pulls away from her then, and she pouts but doesn't let go. The differences in their heights can be quite annoying, but this is about proving a point.
"What are you… are you sure you want to be doing this now?"
Why not now? It's a perfect time. And he had no hesitation about lip-locking with his fake wife back there when everyone was watching.
"I'm angry at you, Cassian."
She yanks him down again. They both stumble, and she yips in surprise when his hands come back and circle her waist.
"Yes, Jyn. I gathered that. I'm just trying to figure out why."
Why? Really? What a dolt.
"Kiss me or I'm going to kick you." And she will, since they're apparently only as good at discussing their feeling as two young children fighting on a playground.
"Somebody could walk out here and see us."
Despite the practical objection, he still lifts her up and puts her on the edge of the railing. It's actually a rather precarious spot, but she barely even notices because her legs naturally fall wider apart to make him a place to stand between them.
"Well then you'd really look like a dick of a husband, wouldn't you?"
He sighs. Frustrated with her as always. But he lets her pull him back to her again.
This third kiss is a little sweeter than the last, but only just slightly.
She lets go of her death grip on his hair to cradle his face with her hands. He holds her tightly around her waist, preventing any of her impassioned squirming from getting too carried away and sending her tumbling over the edge.
It seems only natural to wrap her legs around his hips. Strictly for the additional security it offers. And a chirp forms in her throat when he starts to suck on her tongue and a hand slides down to her butt. Okay, he's been trying to do that to someone all night. Glad to know she read him right.
She squeaks again when he squeezes, goosing her and making her cling all the more tightly to him.
She'd just squeaked. And she chirped. But she didn't giggle. That's an important distinction.
He pulls away a fraction, letting them both catch their breaths.
"Nervous, Jyn?" he asks.
She crinkles her nose. He's too damn pleased with himself right now.
"Of course not. I'm not the one cheating on my perfect little wife right now."
He laughs at that, even though she was still prickly over that whole topic.
"You know that I can feel you blush, right? I can feel your skin burning."
He tries to kiss her again. She bites his lip in punishment for him daring to be arrogant about that.
"I swear if I fall over this ledge, I'm taking you down with me."
"Is that your idea of romance?"
"Stop talking."
Yes. Too much talking. But they barely make it a few seconds into their next liplock before Cassian gets abruptly pulled away.
"How dare you?!" his fake wife cries out again for the second time that night.
She yanks on his arm, dragging him from the railing, and Jyn totters on her perch before pushing down off it and onto her feet.
Behind Leia – behind the Princess Wife with the Cad of a husband – is a throughly titillated audience of partygoers watching the drama unfold.
"Cassian! How could you!"
It's all part of her role of the bimbo, put-upon wifey, but Jyn can't help but think it suits her so well. Oops.
"Um..." Cassian glances between her and the crowd. Looks back to Jyn for help. She purses her lips and shakes her head. Nope. Get yourself out of this one.
"I'm sorry? Honey?"
The slap sounds like it really stings. Leia didn't pull it at all, and Jyn's own palm prickles in phantom sympathy.
Then she spins on her heel and stomps off, the crowd parting for her. Cassian rubs his cheek, glaring at Jyn as they are left alone again.
"You could have said something," he mutters.
She snorts.
"Said what? That I slipped and you were testing if you could carry me like a backpack? This should be the slanderous whatever that you need for your cover."
Indeed, the various dignitaries of the crowd are crowding around Leia. Offering shushed sympathies and – if she's hearing it right – already asking if she would like to stay for the night, they have a spare room and blah blah blah, Jyn doesn't care about that part anymore.
"Sounds like a mission success," she comments, looking up and seeing the new darkness coming from the higher windows. She straightens her clothes and feels a little inner spark at the dark scowl Cassian shoots her.
"You could sound a little more sympathetic. I think I'm going to have a palm mark on my face for the rest of the night."
"It will look good on you. Give you some distinction. Now you'd better go get your wife back. Wouldn't want Mrs. Andor to stay angry at you for too long."
Cassian looks like he's itching to retort, but he finally thinks better of it. The mission always comes first with him, but good thing that at least one of them is willing to put egos aside and act like a professional. He gives her one last pissy glare before stomping back in through the door to an audience of condemnation. Sounds like he's going to have a fun rest of the night, so there's that at least.
Jyn waits a few minutes before going in herself. A cloud of dark disapproval rains down over her, but none of them feel more resentful than from the princess herself.
If Jyn had been a bigger person, she would have resisted the impulse to shoot her a yeah, that's right sort of smirk. Instead she grabs a glass of champagne and raises it to her in a toast on her way out.
She's sure that she's going to hear about that later. Get a frosty debriefing and have to argue her point that hey, it worked. A success is a success and this ended up even better than their original plan.
All things considered, Jyn doesn't think she could have been any happier with how this evening worked out.
Author's Note:
Heh, that was fun. I'm trying to retrain myself away from some very bad writing habits like writing monstrously long 7-10K pieces so I'm hoping doing a series of shorter 1-shots will help. This was roughly based off a series of kiss prompts I stumbled across on Tumblr a little while ago. I couldn't find the original post for tagging, but this one was my version of "kiss possessively". Next time I might try "kiss softly" for a different take on their first kiss together.
Oh, and let's all just ignore the giant plot hole of freakin' Princess Leia being able to go undercover at a fancy political party, kay? Just don't pay that part any mind.