Author's Note: Fluffapalooza. That is all.
Disclaimer per usual – I do not own Star Wars or any aspect of the SW universe; just a fan with an idea. No profit here, just fun for me.
Early Friday afternoon, Jyn and Bodhi head towards the SPCA adoption center to collect their new pets. Bodhi is almost vibrating with happy, something that makes Jyn happy, too. Bodhi can have his dark moments, and to see him nearly bouncingly joyful about something is so different from the Bodhi she used to have to protect in foster care that Jyn is almost dizzy from the change.
As she maneuvers them across Manhattan, Bodhi looks over at her. "So, how much have you and Cassian been apart since last Saturday?"
She looks at him sharply, biting back a defensive retort when she sees that he's teasing but not mocking. She softens. "As little as possible." She gives him a shy smile. It's the truth, too. Except for work and the time apart on Sunday and Monday nights, they've basically been together. "I'm sorry if I've been neglecting you, Bodes."
Bodhi frowns. "Jyn, you haven't been neglecting me. I'm a grown man, and I'm damned happy for you. Also, with Luke sick, it's not like I could be anywhere but with him." He refers to the fact that Luke came down with Strep on Monday and hasn't been able to go to the hospital since. He's not due to go back until a night shift on Sunday. Bodhi goes on, "Anyway, Jyn, Cassian is awesome, and you two are pretty perfect for each other, you know?"
She nods. "Yeah, I do know. I'm nervous about it. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop."
"What do you mean?" Bodhi cocks his head at her.
"I've never dated someone who I didn't fight with, who didn't piss me off more than half the time. I keep waiting for him to be a complete asshole to me." Jyn is embarrassed to admit this to Bodhi, but he just shakes his head.
"Jynnie, you dated assholes before. That's why they were assholes to you." He reaches across the car and gently pats her leg. "Cassian is definitely not an asshole."
"I know. Not that I regret it, because I have never cared for someone the way I care for Cass, but why did I do that? What the hell was the matter with me?" Jyn chews her lip, suddenly frustrated with herself.
Bodhi shrugs. "Maybe it was safer." Jyn glances over at him, and he goes on, "Jyn, Cassian is the first guy you've ever dated who was good enough for you. He's the first guy you've dated who could really be someone to you. The rest of them were safe because they were assholes. Nothing real was ever going to happen with any of them. You'd never get your heart broken."
Jyn thinks about that for a while, and Bodhi remains quiet while she does. After a few minutes, she sighs. "You're right, of course. Thirteen years of therapy, totally paying off."
Bodhi laughs out loud. "If it makes you feel any better, Jyn, I'm sure you guys will disagree on something sooner or later."
Jyn huffs. "He wouldn't let me help cook dinner last night."
"That's just self-preservation. You told me you almost set his kitchen on fire Wednesday morning." Bodhi gives her an incredulous look.
"I can't cook on gas, you know that." Jyn defends herself, looking at him as they sit at a light, but then she deflates. "I just wanted to do something nice for him."
"Jyn, sweetheart, you can't cook at all. You can bake – but you cannot cook to save your life, and you know it." Bodhi pats her leg again. "Order take out and make him cookies, if you want to 'make' him dinner. I'll even call him and vouch for your ability to bake. He's coming to your place tonight, though, isn't he?"
"Yes." She nods. "He said we should get Kyber comfortable at my place first, then take her to his. Is it nuts that I told him to bring what he needs for a few nights?"
"Did he act like he thought it was crazy?" Bodhi just smiles at her.
"No, he just asked if he should pick up any groceries since he may be there when we get back with the kitties." She refocuses on the road as the light turns green.
"OK, Jyn, not crazy. And he already has a key to your apartment and the doorman knows to let him in?" Bodhi's voice gives away that he's grinning like a fool.
Jyn feels her cheeks go warm. "Yes. And I have a key to his."
"Oh my God!" Bodhi bounces and literally claps his hands in his seat. "Jyn! That is important information! You exchanged keys! Why didn't you tell me when it happened?"
Jyn scoffs. "It's not that big a deal, Bodes."
"Seriously? Have you ever given anyone a key before?" Bodhi deadpans.
Damn it, Jyn knows that he's right. "Fine. It's a big deal. Shut up now."
"Shutting up." Bodhi tries to sound serious and respectful, but he fails miserably. After a few minutes of silence, Jyn almost tears up when Bodhi softly offers, "I'm really, really happy for you, Jynnie. Don't be afraid of it. Maybe you were both just waiting for each other without realizing it."
"You mean like soulmates or something?" She can't help but sound skeptical.
"Exactly like that. Jyn, you two just," he pauses, "Fit. You fit. He even puts up with all of our nonsense. You know the only reason Baze got in on the betting was to mess with you, right? To push you? We all think Chirrut is the eerily perceptive one, but Baze is damned good at seeing the truth, too."
Jyn just nods, gripping the wheel and the gearshift tight in her hands. She breathes in and out, trying to settle herself. "Soulmates. Do you think you and Luke - "
He cuts her off. "No. I love him. Can't see a future without him. But it wasn't easy. We both had to put aside some shit to get where we are. We had to adjust to each other. You and Cassian, not so much. It's not the same. I'm not saying it'll always be perfect, Jyn. I'm saying that you two are both capable and smart, and you both seem to just accept each other's shit. That's not a small or simple thing."
Jyn considers Bodhi's words as she pulls into the small lot at the SPCA. She has never been one to believe in things like soulmates, but it honestly feels not-at-all farfetched all of a sudden. She's certain that she's head over heels in love with Cassian, though she's still too scared to tell him. Turning off the car, she decides to set that all aside for now. She's got a cat to pick up. She grins. "Come on, Bodes. Pet parenting time."
######
Cassian waves at Jyn's doorman as he heads inside her building. The man gives him a knowing smile, and Cassian has to roll his eyes slightly. He heads for the elevator, shaking his head. Jyn had said she'd let them know that Cassian could be let up, and he's glad he didn't have to go talk to him, given the shit-eating grin.
He's not sure if Jyn and Bodhi will be back yet, though he certainly expects them by now. He winces, just hoping that Jyn isn't trying to cook. He seriously has no idea how she nearly managed to set scrambled eggs on fire. He's also vaguely concerned by the fact that he found it more endearing than horrifying. She's so damned capable, and it was adorable to watch her so beside herself about it.
The elevator dings, and he steps out onto her floor, heading down the hallway to her apartment. He loves his place, but he actually really likes hers, too. It's cozier and more lived-in feeling than his, at least to him. He knows that some of that is a function of it being so much smaller, maybe half the size of his place, tops, but reasons aside, he is happy to come back here even as he wonders how long he has to wait to bring up her possibly moving in with him. He already got a litter box, bowls, and food for Kyber and added an afghan to the back of the sofa for Jyn, who is almost always cold.
He can't even begin to imagine going to sleep without her in his arms, so until they do co-habitate, he knows it'll just be going back and forth between his place and hers. He's known her just under a week, a total of six nights, and for four of those, they've shared a bed. It's not about the sex, either. The sex is great, even pretty spectacular, but it's the closeness, the intimacy that is what he's been missing.
He had lunch with Melshi at the clinic today, and Scott had gently pushed him about Jyn, telling him that he thought she was pretty great, what little he'd seen. While they'd been eating, Maz had come by, and without pausing, she'd just said, "Inside of a year, you'll be married to that girl, and it's about damned time you two found each other. I can tell she's been as alone as you, mijo. Don't mess it up, you hear me?"
It had made him blink rapidly, staring after the old woman. Scott had laughed out loud. "Maz is never wrong, you know. And seriously, Andor, I've never seen you fall for anyone, and I've known you seven damned years. I can tell that she already matters a lot to you. You are head over heels, my friend."
Cassian had nodded, unable to argue with either of them. Kay is his closest friend, but Scott is a good guy. He's married with two kids, living not far from the office. Wedge is still single, and he's too much of a player for Cassian, always trying to get him to come out as his wing man. It's just not Cassian's thing, never was. The way he met Jyn feels like a validation of that in an odd way.
He blinks, realizing that he's been standing at her door for a couple of minutes. He shakes his head and knocks. He has her key, but he doesn't want to startle her if she is here. A moment later, he hears a noise behind the door, and then it opens. She's grinning, and the cat is literally standing on her shoulder.
He grins back, coming in and putting down his duffle bag and a back pack. He then shrugs out of his parka, hanging it on a hook in the hall. She closes the door and leans up to kiss Cassian, and he laughs, because the cat takes that as an invitation to find a new perch. She leaps effortlessly from Jyn's shoulder to his larger and apparently more accommodating one. He lets Jyn kiss him, and then he straightens back up, turning his head to peer at his new passenger. The cat meows softly at him and head butts his cheek.
Jyn's smile softens. "I think she remembers you."
"So it would seem," he replies, "She's a sweet girl." He gently picks her up, moving her back to Jyn's shoulder.
Jyn gives him a conspiratorial look. "She doesn't like Bodhi or Luke. She hissed at them. She tolerated Bodhi's kitten, though, that poor thing. They gave him an odd name."
"What did they name him?" Cassian cocks his head at her.
"Yoda. I have no idea what the hell that's about. It was apparently Luke's idea." She shrugs, making the cat yowl softly in protest.
He is about to say something else when there is a dinging sound, and he suddenly realizes that the apartment smells really good. She walks towards the small kitchen, and he follows, sitting down on a stool at the island, which doubles as a breakfast bar/table. She pulls Kyber from her shoulder, passing the small cat to Cassian. He tries to put her in his lap, but she just uses her claws to scale his sweater to get back to his shoulder, making him chuckle.
Jyn opens the oven, and she pulls out a tray of chocolate chip cookies. She puts them on top of the stove and flips the oven off. "So, you were right. I can't cook. But, I can bake. I made you cookies." There's a knock at the door, and she waves at him to stay seated. He hears the door open and soft voices, and then the door closes and she comes back with a paper bag. "And I ordered Chinese food."
He laughs. "Perfect."
A short while later, they settle down to eat, Kyber wolfing down cat food from her bowl on the floor. They have Chinese food boxes all over the island, chopsticks shoved into each. They're just sharing. "Kay would be appalled," Cassian observes, after Jyn eats some Kung Pow Chicken and then passes the box to him.
She laughs. "No double-dipping for Mr. Roboto, eh?"
He shakes his head. "Decidedly not."
"Given how much we've had our tongues in each other's mouths in the past week, I'd say communal Chinese food is kind of bush league in terms of sharing germs." She smirks, and he laughs out loud.
"Good point." He grins and takes a bite from one of the boxes. "Maybe that's why Kay doesn't date. The thought of any sort of fluid exchange sends him running."
Jyn snorts, but then she leans over and kisses Cassian hard on the mouth. When she pulls back, she says, "Ooh. That Mongolian Beef is good. Where's the box?"
He rolls his eyes and passes it to her. Then, a thought occurs to him. "Next time he's annoying me about something, we'll have to go for Dim Sum again, just so we can do that – kiss each other to taste something and then eat off of each other's plates using the same utensils or chopsticks."
"Oh dear, Dr. Andor. I think I may be a bad influence on you." She bats her eyes at him. "It's kinda sexy."
"Only kinda sexy?" He lifts an eyebrow at her.
"A little." She starts rubbing her foot up and down on his leg again.
He grins, putting the food down. She does the same, giving him a challenging look. He has to admit that her challenging look is infinitely sexier than any flirtatious batting of her eyes. He stands up, and without warning, he leans down and grabs her by the waist, picking her up over his shoulder. She shrieks in surprise first, but by the time he starts walking towards the alcove where her bed is, she's laughing. He feels a flash of relief at that. He'd have put her down immediately if she'd demanded it.
As it is, he sits her gently down on the bed. She grins up at him, reaching up and pulling him down to the bed with her. She flips him over, straddling him. "OK, it's more than a little sexy."
She leans down, kissing him, and his hands slide up to grip her rear before slipping up under her sweatshirt. They break apart when they hear a yowl, and they look towards the living room. Kyber is on the back of the sofa, ears back, staring at them. He starts laughing, and Jyn does, too. She leans back down, sucking lightly at a sensitive place under his ear. He groans, and he mumbles, "We have a witness here. That's going to take some getting used to."
She giggles against his neck. "Might as well practice, you know, so we can get accustomed to it."
"Practice does make perfect." He captures her lips with his. As he does, he flips them again, hovering over her. He pulls his sweater and t-shirt off, and then he does the same with her sweatshirt, taking a deep breath when he sees that she's not wearing anything underneath it. He looks back at the cat. "You might want to hide, Kyber. Things are about to get a little noisy in here."
Jyn laughs, moving her hands to his waist. "Very noisy. Sorry, kitty."
######
The next morning, Jyn wakes up tucked into Cassian's side and with Kyber asleep on the pillow next to her head. She can tell that Cassian is also still out by his steady, deep breaths. After they'd scared the ever-loving shit out of Kyber the night before, they'd gone back to the kitchen to put the Chinese food away and grab a plate of cookies. The empty plate is on her nightstand, and he'd shown her his appreciation for the cookies in a fairly creative way. She'd definitely approved of the method.
He'd also told her that he's taking a break from volunteering at the shelter for at least until after the holidays, as he wants to spend the time with her. She told him he didn't have to, but he'd sheepishly confessed that one of his main reasons for doing it was to have some place to go on Saturdays. That had hurt her heart a little, but he'd just kissed her and said it was something he loved and he found her because of it. He also said he'll go back to it, just not right now.
The shelter, according to Cassian, had enough volunteers and had apparently been understanding and promised that they had enough staff even for this weekend. He told her he would've gone in if they'd said they needed him when he called them on Monday. That was what had gotten her attention the most – that he'd called them on Monday.
The waves of affection that she has for this man take her breath away. She's fairly certain that she's completely in love with him, but she's afraid to say it – she's never said it to anyone in a romantic context. Instead, she finds herself thinking about Christmas. She's not particularly religious, but she, Baze, Chirrut, and Bodhi always have done Christmas, complete with big, obnoxious tree, huge dinner (Jyn bakes for it), and presents that are meant to be more fun than material.
He shifts next to her, and he moves to his side, pulling her even closer. His eyes remain closed, but she can tell that he's waking up. She nuzzles her face into his neck, leaning down and kissing along his collarbone. He shifts again, dragging her closer. "Good morning."
She smiles against his skin. "Good morning." She goes back to his neck, dropping open-mouthed kisses up to the edge of his beard. His hands move down her body, quickly finding skin. She's just wearing his t-shirt, him a pair of sleep pants, and it only takes a few moments for them to both be naked again. A few moments after that, the amount of movement on the bed sends Kyber scurrying away, meowing crossly at them, making them both laugh before they once again lose themselves in each other.
An hour later, fresh from a shower taken together (something far easier to accomplish at his place), Jyn, hair still damp, is dressed in leggings, wool socks, and an oversized sweatshirt, perched on the counter in the corner of her kitchen. He's making french toast and bacon for them, dressed similarly to her, sweatpants, socks, and a long-sleeved t-shirt, his hair similarly damp. She'd bought the food at the store yesterday, buying the same things she'd seen in his fridge and cupboards at his place.
She takes a sip of coffee from the mug in her hands. "I know we're to go over to Baze and Chirrut's tonight, but do you want to go get a Christmas tree with me today?"
He looks up at her with a smile. "I'd love that. I haven't had a tree since Tía Silvia passed away."
She furrows her brow. "Why not?"
He shrugs, putting some bacon on the large plate he has ready for the food. "I don't know – it just felt silly to do one just for me."
"What about Kay? Or people from work? You weren't alone, were you?" She can't help but feel a little appalled and sad – the holidays can be hard for people without families. She remembers the bleak years with Saw, but at least she and Bodhi had each other.
He shrugs again. "Kay hates the holidays – he thinks they're frivolous. The others have families. I usually would go have lunch with Maz on the 26th, though."
She puts her mug to the side and hops down from the counter, coming up behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Do you want to spend Christmas with us this year? It's nothing special, but dinner is always good and the presents are always completely cheesy. We usually sleep over at Chirrut and Baze's apartment in Brooklyn, and we do presents while still in PJs, the whole, silly shebang."
She feels him pull in a shaky breath as he moves the last of the toast to the large plate and turns the stove off. "I'd really like that. Are you sure I wouldn't be intruding?"
Shaking her head, she puts her hands on his waist and pushes at him so that he turns in her arms. She leans up and kisses him. Between kisses, she says, "Of course I'm sure, Cass." She pulls back enough to see him clearly. The look in his eyes – a heartbreaking combination of hopefulness, warmth, and years of pain and loss makes all of the fear she's been feeling melt away. "No way in hell is someone I love spending Christmas alone."
He blinks rapidly. His eyes meeting hers. "Someone you – what?"
She swallows hard, pushing the fear away again. Softly, she repeats, "Someone I love. I love you, Cass. I know it's too fast, and you probably think I'm crazy, and you'll probably bolt as soon as you can gracefully do so, but yes, I am head over heels, completely in love with you."
He blinks a few more times, and then, just as the silence grows long enough to make her start to panic a little, a smile slowly spreads across his face, lighting his eyes. His hands come up and cup her face, eyes full of wonder as his thumbs gently brush over her cheekbones. "I love you, too, querida." He then leans down and kisses her, moving his hands down to pull her close to him.
After several moments, he pulls back, leaning down and pressing his face into her neck. He's quiet, but she knows how he feels. It's terrifying and yet right in a way she never expected anything to feel. She rubs her head against the top of his. Kyber even comes over, snaking against both of their legs. She then smiles. "Now come on. Breakfast is getting cold, and cold french toast sucks."
He chuckles against her. "Yes, it does." He straightens up, brushing her hair back out of her eyes. He's clearly a little overwhelmed. "Jyn, I – "
She nods. "Yeah, I know." She repeats his gesture, brushing his hair back. "I know." She smiles. "Now, breakfast, Andor."