Hello! This is the first installment of a vignette collection I'm sporadically working on. Updates will be at random intervals, but I wanted to share this first part with y'all today. :) Still not sure where/when all these will fit into my timeline (s). If it's important to the viggie, I'll let you know. Mostly this is just an excuse for fluff.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars and am making no cash, credits, ingots, or bling of any kind from the writing & posting of this. All OCs are mine, however, and if you'd like to use them, please see the note on my profile. Thanks! Title and summary quote are from "Fire & Rain," by Matt Kearney, on City of Black and White.

One last thing: As stated in the summary, this series centers on a romantic relationship between two adult males. If that bothers you, I recommend looking elsewhere for your entertainment.

Otherwise, happy reading! :)

1.

Even half-asleep, Traxis recognized that he had never heard this song before. The slowly building melody tugged on the edges of his consciousness, gently urging him to open his eyes and wake. He complied after a moment's resistance, because the bunk was soft and he was comfortable, but even that pleasure would pale when compared to the male who would be beside him.

But when his eyes finally did open, Traxis realized he was alone in the cabin of the Stark Raven; there was only a faint impression in the mattress left by his Twi'lek lover. He would have frowned, but for the music.

It trickled from the direction of the galley, a sure sign that Ares was there, too, so Trax swung his legs out of the bunk and made his way out of the cabin. He didn't bother to throw on any clothes over his bare shebs; modesty was never one of his strong suits. Besides, he didn't think Ares would mind. He sure as kriff hadn't minded last night.

When Traxis palmed the galley door open, the music's volume increased exponentially, pouring out of the small space that it had already filled to bursting. If the lilting melody had not been so pleasant, Traxis might have been annoyed. But Ares had, among other things, excellent taste, and the clone had never found much to complain about with his companion's musical choices.

He had nothing to complain about, actually.

Ares' back was to the galley door as he stood before one of the galley counters. Like most light freighters of its class, the Stark Raven had been designed to make use maximum use of minimal space; appliances, like the conservator and sanitizer, were tucked neatly within the bulkhead, and a narrow rectangular table at the center of the room served as both dining and prep table. It was here the coral-skinned Twi'lek stood.

Ares was deceptively slender, but Trax knew the strength within his lithe frame. Knew it pretty kriffing well, in fact, but always enjoyed a good bout of rediscovery. Unlike the clone, Ares wore a faded cotton shirt, a pair of briefs that clung to his muscular buttocks, and – to Trax's amusement – a pair of black socks.

Judging from the motion of his arms and his swaying lekku, the Twi'lek was working the caf-press that he was so fardling fond of; he claimed the thing was the only proper way to drink caf. Trax had never used the device, but had often watched Ares push against the caf-press's lid to extract the drink from the grounds. Privately, he thought it was a lot of effort to expend when one could simply press a button on the percolator, but he couldn't deny the final result was always worth the wait. He inhaled deeply, savoring the rich scent.

Heedless of his audience, Ares began to sing, picking up exactly when the vocals of the song came in. His Ryl accent added a pleasing undercurrent to the music, and he swayed his hips as he sang and reached for one of two mugs he had on hand.

Just when Trax opened his mouth to announce himself, Ares turned, mug in his grasp and a crooked smile on his face, one that widened when he realized Traxis was in his vat suit. Ares stepped to Trax and pressed the mug in his hand, though he lingered with a kiss against the side of Trax's mouth.

He tilted his head so that his lekku fell to one side and spoke in Traxis' ear so the words would be discernible through the music. "Good morning."

As he spoke, his lips feathered Trax's ear and Traxis forgot all about the caf. Heat coursed through his veins at even the mild contact, and his body responded accordingly, more so when Ares' grin widened. The music was too kriffing loud; Trax didn't want to shout to be heard, so he contented himself with resting his free hand on Ares' waist and pulling him in for a proper kiss. Good morning.

Yes, it most definitely was.