#tosdrabbles

A lil drabble for Reylo FF Anthology’s Love Bites.

Prompt: Love

It wasn’t love.

She told herself that when she snuck away from the Resistance under flimsy pretense, when they met in seedy hotels, in the between places where Jedi and Supreme Leader meant nothing,

When she grabbed onto him with hands and mouth, digging in like he would disappear if she let go, when she had chance after chance to cripple the First Order while its leader slept, she told herself it wasn’t love.

A lil drabble for Reylo FF Anthology’s Love Bites.

Prompt: Red

“You’re gonna behave yourself, right?” Rey asked.

Ben huffed quietly. “You know I’m going for one reason and one reason only.”

That ‘reason’ burst into the room, hunched, worrying aloud about crowds and forgetting his routine.

Rey watched as Ben knelt before his son, any irritation at the whole event evaporating instantly.

“Hey, look at me,” Ben said, “If you get scared, you look for Papa’s scarf, okay?”

The boy nodded, looking up from the floor to the bright red. “Okay.”

WHOOPS ITS BEEN 2 YEARS.

Sid was officially now Sara’s favorite person. Okay, secondto Jaal, but still. Definitely one of her favorite people ever.

It had taken a while for the cat DNA to actually goanywhere, the need for food trumping the need for comfort animals. But oncethere was a break in need-to-be-done stuff, the lab technicians on the Nexusgot to work.

It had taken months by the start for them to make and grow abunch of cats and then start breeding them.

Once one of the founder generation was able to successfullybring a litter to term, that was when Sara got the email.

And Sara squealed when she received word about a mother witha litter of three-week-old kittens in the lab.

“Pathfinder privilege,” the email said, would allow her tosee them before anyone else.

Now, she was a consummate professional and found the leastflimsy excuse available to head to the Nexus.

The lab tech, Reynolds, gave her a wry smile when she strodein.

“You ready, Pathfinder?”

She nodded.

Reynolds gestured at the door.

“The mom’s called Bravo, but the kittens don’t have namesyet. They’re in here.”

Sara followed his direction into a sterile-looking room andmade sure the door closed securely behind her.

There was a wall of cages, the ground decorated with littletoys and those carpet-textured jungle gym things.

Tucked against one wall was a cat-bed and a writhing andsqueaking mass of fur.

Sara grinned as she stepped closer and sat down so she wasjust arms’ length away from the bed.

The cream-colored mother-cat was curled up, 5 kittensclimbing over her and whining for her attention.

One kitten, covered with black and white fur, seemed to bethe most courageous of the bunch and wandered out to meet her.

“Oh, look at you! You’re so cute!” Sara cooed, holding outher hand to let him sniff.

He sniffed at her fingertips, then headbutted them.

She scooped him up; he was small enough that she could holdhim in one hand.

His sister—black and white as well—took the hint, tiny sharpnails biting into her pant leg as she climbed into her lap.

They were soft and small and reminded her of Earth. Earthwasn’t technically home anymore. It was now a small spaceship and her crew andher angara boyfriend.

But there was something about it that also felt like home.

Odds were she couldn’t adopt one and keep it on the Tempest. Besides, she already had herhamster, which was enough of a hassle on its own.

Also, she didn’t want the chance of coming back to herquarters with a furry, bloody mess all over her nice clean floors.

Bravo didn’t move much from where she was curled in the bed.She was probably grateful that Sara had shown up and given her relief from herchildren.

The other three waddled over to her, two of them cream coloredand the other spotted with grey.

Distantly, she heard the door open and close, but sheassumed it was one of the scientists until a familiar voice spoke up.

“What are they?”

She glanced behind her to see Jaal, watching her and the kittenswith confusion and curiosity.

“They’re cats. Animals from Earth. Sit down and play withthem!”

She patted the ground next to her with her free hand.

“I’m afraid I’ll crush them,” Jaal muttered, slowing sittingdown, legs crisscrossed.

He eyed the kittens on her lap, hands twitching in his lap.

“They look very soft.”

Bravo finally stood up and stretched, back curving. She mewedbefore padding over Jaal.

“Look. The mom wants you to pet her,” Sara said.

“Oh,” Jaal murmured, reaching out towards the approachingcat.

His hand barely touched the mom’s fur. There was thefaintest crackle and the cat’s fur stood on end until she looked more like apuffball.

Sara laughed as the mother-cat trilled in surprise, loudenough to startle one of the kittens dozing in her lap.

“What did I do?” Jaal asked, genuine worry in his voice.

She reached out and patted the raised fur, trying to pressit down flat.

“Static electricity, from your bioelectrics. Gods, that isthe funniest thing I’ve seen in a while.”

Bravo shook herself before hopping into Jaal’s lap, kneedingher paws into his legs.

“Sharp,” Jaal said, wincing.

“Revenge,” Sara quipped back.

She picked up each kitten and set them on Jaal’s legs,completing the picture.

“You know, I love you.”

“Are you talking to the cats or to me?” Jaal asked.

“Both, but mostly you.”

She crawled forward to press a kiss to his mouth.

“Can we keep them?” Jaal asked.

Oh look at me I’m back from the dead and writing things...albeit unedited and hastily written

When Rey’s hand started twitching, she knew that something was wrong.

Wrong, in the sense that this wasn’t some nervous tic that pulled at her muscles on occasion, but something like a pattern.

She didn’t need to think too hard to figure out where it came from.

Kylo. Ben.

Their bond was a static, closed-off thing now. After Crait, there was that final connection before everything went quiet. Unbroken, though. She couldn’t destroy this bond even if she wanted to.

And she wasn’t sure if she wanted to. She had gotten so close to bringing Ben back only to have the Dark slam down over him over again.

Her hand still twitched, fingers pinching together and wrist flickering in a way that had to be for some purpose.

Muscle-memory, transmitted from him to her, though the bond had been cold and unused for months.

She squinted at her hand, unsure what to do about this.

It wasn’t any threat to her, not yet.

But…curiosity pulled at her.

Was this some sort of message?

…

He had very little time for being by himself.

As Supreme Leader, he had much to do. Organize the troops—because he didn’t trust Hux. Track down the Resistance—because he didn’t trust Hux.

So, when he found a moment of time that he could retreat to his quarters, he found himself drawn to his desk.

The calligraphy set from when he trained with Skywalker had been crushed and destroyed when Luke tried to kill him and when he destroyed the fledgling Order.

It took years for him to replace it, higher-quality metal and wood and ink, the small luxury he was allowed.

Now that Snoke was dead—because of him because of that girl Rey who wormed her way into his heart and mind and left him out in the cold—he was allowed more things, in theory.

He was satisfied with the set, that was all he needed.

He pulled out a sheet of paper and started to practice.

It was a simple exercise: the Basic alphabet, over and over. Practice makes perfect, though he had been the envy of Skywalker’s students and had near-perfect penmanship.

It was habit, his muscles moving as if on their own accord.

His mind went blessedly blank for once, instead of wandering to thoughts that would likely anger him but that was likely to change. His attention snapped to and he glanced down at the paper.

Three letters in Basic, one word. Over and over and over.

R. E. Y.

Rey. Rey. Rey.

He couldn’t even be that surprised in himself. He thought about the scavenger Jedi more often than not.

But…something was wrong.

He felt…

“Ben.”

The room felt lighter in a painfully familiar way as a smaller, thinner hand with unkempt fingernails held his pen for the briefest moment, the word echoed and bounced around the inside of his head.

Kylo jerked as if struck, the pen crushing in his hand and leaving black ink dribbling over his fingers and onto the paper.

He lurched to his feet, chasing her as she lurched back.

She had been curious, he knew that. Something had come over the bond, unbeknownst to him. And the girl, his Rey, chased after it.

A girl who was curious about handwriting and enchanted by the precise Basic on the paper, now ruined.

Ink drip-dripped onto the floor, as he stared at the faintest image of the woman who abandoned him and haunted him.

“You have beautiful handwriting,” she said.

Her voice was flat, devoid of emotion. But he could sense the undertone of admiration.

It had been months, they were enemies now.

Why wasn’t he yelling at her to leave? Why wasn’t she yelling at him to leave?

The answer to those questions didn’t really matter. She blinked away from him a moment later and he was alone and cold again.

Kylo looked at the ink dripping from his hand, still wet.

He let some of it collect on the tip of his index finger and brought it down the part of his desk that wasn’t covered in ink and paper.

A swipe of the finger, another, another. Wetting his finger again as the ink began to dry.

Finally, it was done.

Three letters, one word. Crude, a child’s finger-painting on steel.

This was a fun one! Thanks for sending it!

The first time had been entirely an accident.

Liam wanted to drive. And since Sara had been the one todrive every other time they were in the Nomad and it was a relatively straightand flat shot between the forward station and the outpost, Sara relented.

So, she climbed into the back to sit next to Jaal, whosmiled, all friendly.

Liam grumbled something about being a chauffeur, which Saraignored. She was too busy swallowing the butterflies in her stomach that cameup every time she was near Jaal.

A little crush, a little distraction, she kept tellingherself ever since Jaal joined their crew. A break in the insanity that camewith trying to be a savior.

It was exhausting.

She settled in, crossing her arms across her chest.

A false start and Liam cursing about the driver’s seat beingon the wrong side, and they were off.

Her eyes shut during the lull.

She dreamt of nothing.

A jolt tore her out of sleep, making her scramble upright,trying to find her bearings.

“What? What did I miss?” she sputtered.

Jaal looked like he was blushing and Liam looked way toosmug for Sara’s liking in the mirror.

“Ah, nothing, Sara. We’re just a couple minutes away fromthe Tempest.”

Sara was suspicious, but didn’t question it. She put it outof her mind, getting underway and the post-mission debrief taking up all herattention.

Later, back on the Tempest,she heard Liam whispering to Vetra.

“You know when someone looks at someone else like they hungthe bloody moon in the sky? That’s how Jaal looked at Ryder when she wassleeping on him.”

Sara’s face flamed in equal parts shock and embarrassment andshe beat a hasty exit.

Okay, she had a crush on Jaal, something she had alreadyaccepted wasn’t going to be requited. But, apparently, there was some hope tobe had.

That didn’t mean she was going to do anything about it.

The next time, it was around a fire. Same as in the Nomad,it was entirely on accident.

Drack was in the middle of a ghost story that reallyshould’ve kept her up. Her eyes drifted shut anyway.

Her eyes drifted back open an indeterminate time later tothe fire dimming. The left side of her body was cold, exposed to moon’s air.Her right side was warm, pressed against something shifting and alive.

It was then she realized that she had leaned over to pressagainst Jaal, who was speaking quietly to Cora.

And it might’ve been her tired brain playing tricks on her,but she could swear he was leaning against her as well.

Sara pulled away from him with a soft apology, immediatelyregretting the loss of warmth.

He only patted her thigh, telling her there was no harmdone.

She didn’t know how much Jaal had savored every second of itand how he had to fight the urge to hold her hand as she slept against him.

Finally, on Havarl, under a hologram of stars.

Her memories of the planet couldn’t just be of a clearing,of an army and a standoff that almost ended her life and the life of the man lyingnext to her.

The wound on Jaal’s cheek still stung and she knew it. Shehad her bruises from the fight and he knew it.

Sara snuggled close to him and closed her eyes. His armmoved to cradle her against him.

She would think of Havarl and think of this. The hushed droneof a family just behind the door and Jaal’s breathing close enough for her toappreciate.

Sara awoke to Jaal almost draped over one side of her body,snoring in her ear.

She was entirely content.

Omlllllll I love kidfics so this was a joy to write. Thanks for the prompt! (And if you want biological babies, this fic exists 

“Mama-a-a!”

That was all the warning Sara got before a little turianscrambled on top of her, practically sitting on her stomach.

“Oof! Veleus, what is it?” Sara groaned.

“Papa won’t let me feed Fluffy!” came the reply.

She sighed. She had told Jaal to let the kids handlepet-related chores. Generally, he was good about remembering, but this time,apparently, he forgot.

“Did he already feed the hamster?”

His mandibles clicked and shifted in a frown.

“Yes, but I want to feed him! Sinia fed him yesterday and Barsanthe day before that. I want a turn.”

Sara sat up, moving Veleus to her lap. He was almost bigenough that she couldn’t carry him without strain. When did that happen?

“How about tomorrow? I’ll make sure that you’re the one tofeed Fluffy, okay?”

Veleus paused for a moment and then nodded.

“Okay. I wanna be like the big kids for once.”

Don’t grow up too fast. That was what Sara wanted to say,but she only smiled and kissed her son on the forehead.

“Love you, Mama,” Veleus said, pecking her cheek beforehopping off the bed and running out of the room.

Sara smiled and eased herself out of bed.

Children of tragedy, orphans from fights against the kett.The Initiative had been desperate to adopt out as many of them as possible, assoon as possible.

Jaal and Sara couldn’t have their own children together: an unfortunate consequence of biology.

But they were more than happy to adopt a legion: human,angara, turian, krogan.

There were only the younger kids in the house, the rest ofthem off at school.

Veleus was one. And then there was the youngest: Asha.

Speaking of, where was she?

It didn’t take much looking.

“What are you doing?” Sara asked as soon as Asha came intosight.

The angara stopped her bouncing on the living room couch toturn towards her mother, looking vaguely embarrassed. Sara glanced behind herto see that Asha’s dolls were scattered on the ground, likely knocked off bythe movement.

“Flying. Like Auntie Suvi.”

She bounced, once, twice, just as an example. Her blue skinwas flushed ever so slightly from the exertion.

Sara sighed. “Please, Asha, you already hit your head oncethis week. Don’t do it again.”

Gods knew how scared she had been when she heard the thumpand subsequent crying. Of course, omnigel patched up the little cut and bruisevery quickly, but still, Sara worried.

Asha patted her forehead, looking utterly unconcerned forher wellbeing.

“Don’t worry, Mom. Uncle Drack said I have a thick head.”

Sara bit back a smile, knowing that Drack didn’t mean thatin a good way.

“Come on. Get down from there,” Sara said, holding out herarms.

Asha reached forward and wrapped her arms around Sara’sneck, clinging to her. She was at least young and small enough that Sara couldcarry her. Sure, she could use herbiotics to help, but she never liked using them around the kids.

Mostly because then they would insist that she do trickswith them.

Sara jumped to the sound of a crash from the kitchen area,followed by Veleus’s raucous laughter.

“Everything okay in there?” Sara called out, carrying Ashato the source of the noise.

She turned the corner to see Jaal hunched over a face-downcasserole dish on the floor, Veleus sat at the counter with his hands coveringhis mouth in a poor attempt to squash his giggles.

Jaal gave Sara a long-suffering glance as he stood up withthe dish and half of what probably used to be macaroni.

“I’ll eat it off the floor,” Veleus suggested, looking atthe half that spread over the metallic floor.

“Me too!” Asha chimed in.

“No, you won’t,” Sara said firmly, sitting Asha down next toher brother. “Your Papa and I will make sandwiches after we clean this up.”

Jaal nodded, smiling jovially.

“Ah, yes, good idea, my darling wife.”

Jaal leaned over and kissed her, short and sweet, ignoringthe two-child chorus of ‘ew’s’.

BOI did this take me a while to finish but…better late than never, right?

6. Tipsy Kiss

There was a flush on her cheeks and a goofy smile pulling ather mouth.

“Jaal!” she greeted.

Her arms looped around his neck and she bounced on her toesso they were closer to eye-level. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pullingher close.

Jaal could smell the liquor in her breath the moment beforeshe kissed him. He could taste it on her tongue, strong and vaguely sweet.

They kissed, slow and languid. Jaal loved kissing her. Hecould kiss her forever and not get bored of it.

A giggle against his mouth, a wet sound as they pulled away.

She was still close, pressed up against his body, watchinghim.

“You’re so pretty,”she said, sounding in awe.

Jaal couldn’t help but preen a little at the compliment, asdrunken as it was. Word bled into word, just on the side of coherent where thetranslators could actually pick it up.

“How did I get so lucky?” she whispered.

Clumsy hands found his face, fingers over the flat of hisnose, the ridges of his cheeks.

“Dearest one, I believe you are drunk.”

Sara practically slumped on him, watching him. Her face wasslack and adoring.

“You’re probably right. Don’t remember what Peebee wasmixing, but it was good.”

Jaal wasn’t sure if he wanted to scold or thank the asarifor aiding and abetting Sara, who he already knew was a bit of a lightweight.

She swayed and stumbled in his arms. Her eyes were hooded,like she was about to fall over.

Jaal scooped her up before she could even think to do thatand she squealed.

“Hey!”

“I am getting you to bed, my love. Enough drink for thenight, I think.”

Sara sighed, head lolling on his shoulder. “There’s no nightin space, though.”

Jaal chuckled as he carried her to her quarters.

“Very well, but you need to sleep this off.”

“I’m not thatdrunk.”

Of course, Sara wasn’t going to admit it.

Gentle, he rested her on the bed and laid down next to her. Hespooned her from behind and rested an arm across her abdomen.

She hummed contentedly and wriggled close to him, mumblingsomething that the translator couldn’t pick up.

Jaal already knew she was going to have a terrible hangoverwhen she woke up and made a mental note to have some painkillers and coffee onstandby for her.

18. Kisses because I missed you and you really shouldn’t stay away so long

Sara was so glad to be back on Tempest. Just the approach on the Nomad brought a feeling ofexhausted relief that made her want to cry.

Everything that could possibly go wrong on Kadara did,extending what should have been a two day stop to a five day ordeal, nightsspent crammed in the Nomad and rations for meals.

This turf war between Sloane and Reyes was becoming a realpain in her ass, making the efforts for an Initiative outpost difficult, if notimpossible.

Of course, if she had just let Reyes execute Sloane, shewould’ve had a lot less to deal with. But no,she had to have a conscience.

What Sara accomplished was really a band-aid over a bulletwound, but it would stop the bleeding if for a small amount of time.

Liam and Vetra were itching to get underway, almost as antsyas she was.

Back to softer beds and running water and air conditioning.

Yeah, Sara needed a shower, a warm meal, and a nap.Preferably in that order.

The back door lowered to the Tempest and she eased the Nomad up the ramp. The engine shudderedto a stop.

She almost fell out of the Nomad. Her legs had forgotten howto work for a moment.

“Finally!” she groaned, yanking off her helmet .

“Dearest!”

She turned to get an armful of angara. It was jolting for amoment, like she had forgotten his body for a second. But she quickly relaxedinto it, arms wrapping around his waist.

Jaal cupped her face in his hands and kissed her.

She ignored the grossed-out noises from Vetra and Liam andGil. She just let her eyes flutter shut and enjoy kissing her boyfriend afterdays of being deprived of his presence.

They had whispered to each other over the omni-tool wheneverthe mission quieted to a lull, sometimes to give updates, sometimes just tohear each other breathe. It wasn’t the same as being in the same room, sharingthe same bed where she could rest her head on his chest.

It had been a substitute, but it got her through her hellishweek.

“Hey, Jaal,” she whispered as soon as they broke away.

She probably smelled like sweat and sulfur but that didn’tstop Jaal from all but covering her in his embrace and tucking his face againsther hair.

“I missed you,” Jaal murmured.

Her heart immediately melted at that, smiling into hisshoulder.

“I missed you too. And I’m beginning to see why you hateKadara so much.”

thumbs up emoji

There were stolen moments between them getting togetherofficially on Havarl and now.  As the Tempest flew to Aya. Fleeting touchesand kisses and whispers between missions.

He was content with that. It was satisfying to have theclose companionship.

But it was clear there was something more. They were on thecusp of something, heavy and intimate.

He caught her outside of the galley. He was always taken byher. She was unlike anyone he had ever known. And they attracted each otherlike opposite poles on a magnet. He loved her. He really did. It was almostpainful how much he cared about her.

And he wanted her in every way she would let him.

She smiled when she saw him, her entire face lighting upwith it. He grinned.

“My dearest.”

“Jaal.”

There was no one else around. So, he let himself take a fewliberties in the realm of decorum.

He closed the distance between them, enough so she coulddefinitely feel his body heat radiating off of him.

He looped one arm around her back, the other cupping hercheek. She smiled up at him, bit her lower lip, looped her arms around hisneck.

She was a mixture of soft and firm, every time he touchedher was a treat and a discovery for him. He wanted to know everything abouther. He wanted to learn her body and find out every single thing that wouldmake her feel good.

Liam had given him vids of human pornography, so he wasn’tentirely naive. But he knew that each body had to be different and he wanted tolearn Sara’s.

Sara hummed against his mouth and pulled him closer. Hetightened his arms around her in answer until there was almost no space betweenthem. He licked into her mouth, just to get a taste of her, and she gasped.

Her hands roamed, stroked behind his head, finding hissmooth and sensitive skin underneath the folds.

A shiver, like lightning, crawled down his spine, turninghis insides to liquid.

She couldn’t have known it was a sensitive spot, but herfingers tortured and danced over his skin, like she had picked up on hisreaction.

A tease. She was going to drive him mad.

Heat, a need to take and possess, had him pressing hercloser to the wall, wedging one leg between hers.

“I want you,” she whispered, lips only a breath away fromhis.

That was somethingJaal was yearning to hear.

While he knew, he knew that Sara felt something similar towhat he was feeling, it was wonderful to hear it aloud.

“In due time, dearest one.”

It wasn’t the answer either of them wanted. He was painfullyhard and she kept grinding down on the leg between her thighs.

He had plans. Soon, they would be on Aya and he would get toshow her.

“In due time,” he repeated, forcing himself to loosen hisgrip and pull away a little. “I want to make it special.”

Sara pouted and Jaal couldn’t help but try to kiss thatexpression away, kiss her breathless.

When they broke away, it was clear he succeeded, but she wasstill insistent.

“It’ll be special no matter where or when it is. Jaal, come on.”

He wrapped his arms around her, almost crushing her againsthim. Any crew members who would pass by would only see two people embracing.

Jaal leaned down until his lips brushed her ear. Sarashivered against him.

“When we are on Aya, I will take you. I will make you forgetyour own name.”

Sara moaned, just loud enough to hear, and rocked againsthim again. He growled in answer, both in arousal and frustration. He really wasn’thelping his case

He had to hold back and he pulled away as far as he could.He felt trapped in her orbit.

“Be patient, my dearest.”

Sara sighed and tilted her head back to rest against thewall. She was a sight to see, flushed cheeks, red lips, glazed-over eyes.

Jaal had to bite down the urge to forgo his plan on Aya andtake her to her quarters, his quarters, anywhere private.

“Now I’m going to need a cold shower, thanks to you.”

He understood that meaning and he flushed with it, not doinganything to temper his arousal.

“Will you think of me?”

Sara smiled wryly. He definitely deserved the tease.

“I always do.”