#userblossom

Fives beamed at you. He was in his dress uniform instead of his armor, but you knew that was only because those were the only other non-armor clothes he had. “I’m not that early, am I?” he asked, glancing at your bare feet as he walked past you.

You smiled, pulling him down for a kiss before answering, “Never too early, pretty boy. I just need a bit more time to pull my stuff together.”

He kissed your cheek quickly. “Take all the time you need, sunshine.”

The name caught your ear, even as you moved away to find the tickets you’d bought for the game this afternoon. “Why am I sunshine today?” you asked.

“Why not?”

You returned to put the tickets in your bag to find him leaning back against the kitchen table. His hands found their way to your waist, so you let him tug you close. “I dunno, you’ve never used it before.”

“Really?” His hands moved to cup your face, a gesture that always made you feel cherished in some special way. “I think it fits.”

“Yeah?” Your face was already warming under his hands from the adoration in his gaze. Fives could always manage to pour his affections into the smallest gestures.

He smiled at you. “Yeah. ‘Cause you always brighten up my day. And you’re beautiful and you give really warm hugs--”

“Fives…” you groaned, faceplanting into his chest in attempts to hide the deepening blush racing across your face under his flattery.

You felt his laugh as much as heard it. “What?” He wrapped his arms around your shoulders and pressed a kiss to the top of your head. “Just telling the truth, sunshine.”

“You’re a sap,” you muttered into the fabric of his jacket. It wasn’t very nice fabric. Pulling your head off his chest, you wound your arms around his neck before saying, “I have an idea.”

Fives raised an eyebrow at you, his arms falling to your waist. “I have liked your ideas in the past.”

You smiled. “After the game’s over, why don’t we go to the twenty-four-hour mall on level seventeen, and you can find clothes that aren’t blue, white, grey, or black? Because these don’t look comfortable.”

He looked at you for a moment, a tiny smile hovering on his face. “You know I can’t take them with me back to the front, right?”

“Of course, you’d keep them here,” you answered like it was the most obvious thing in the galaxy. It was, to you.

He blinked, the little smile disappearing for a moment. “You… want to keep stuff here for me?”

“Yeah, you’re always here when you’re on leave.” Your casual tone hid your very real awareness that you were doing the equivalent of asking him to move in. “And you can’t go around in armor or whatever this is all the time.”

There was another moment where he just gazed at you, but the smile was back on his face now. He nodded, his hold around your waist tightening slightly. “Sounds like a plan, sunshine.”

“Good,” you said with a triumphant smile. “Now kisses,” you demanded, leaning forward.

His smile grew, until it disappeared when his lips met yours. The kiss felt softer than yours normally did, like he was savoring the moment. It was a good moment. When you came apart, he stayed close, resting his forehead against yours. “Hey, I just remembered the other reason you’re sunshine today,” he murmured.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” and he paused to kiss your forehead. “You’re the light of my life.”

“There she is,” Fives smiled at you. “Hey, sweetheart.”

The holoprojector was off now, and the kitchen light was on behind the living room. Fives was already out of his armor and sitting on the couch next to your legs. You had been really out of it. You made a small noise and reached out to him, prompting him to pull you against his chest.

“Any particular reason you were out cold on the couch when I came in?” Fives asked, running a hand up and down your back.

You sighed, snuggling closer to his chest. “You said you’d be back tonight. Wanted to wait up for you,” you mumbled, hooking one arm under and around his shoulder.

He chuckled quietly. “I see. That would explain the holodramas, too, huh?”

You gave a small noise of affirmation.

Fives pressed his lips to your hair. “Well, I’m back, so let’s get us to bed, okay, sweetheart?”

“Okay,” you said into his chest.

“Alright.” Fives pulled back as he stood up, which made you whine in protest. “I’m not going anywhere, don’t worry,” he said, smiling at your tired frown. He slid one arm under your knees and the other around your back to lift you off the couch.

It struck you as he lifted you that you had yet to properly welcome him back. So, you reached over to turn his head to kiss him. He leaned into you, pulling you closer to him in his arms. Whatever remaining tension from the day of waiting finally drained from you, replaced by the feeling of perfect safety and belonging Fives always brought back with him.

When you pulled back, you immediately nuzzled into the crook of his neck, curling into his warmth. “Welcome back.”