“Kriff,” Sebastian hissed under his breath, snatching his hand away from the stove, pushing his thumb into his mouth to temporarily soothe a burn. Turning to the sink he ran some cool water over the reddening flesh until the sting subsided.
Behind him, two bantha burgers sizzled, the savory aroma filling the apartment.
He returned to the pan, proud that he had refined one of Lektra’s favorite dishes. Adjusting the seasoning, the time cooked, and the temperature. Despite knowing his way around the kitchen, he found it impossible not to burn himself in the process.
Everything felt surreal sometimes— having a place of their own. Not a room. Not a bed in passing— a real apartment. Home.
There were still some boxes in the corners. A pair of his boots near the door that he had been meaning to move. One of Lektra’s hoodies hanging on the back of the couch. It felt lived-in in a way that made his chest ache if he thought about it too long. So he didn’t.
He flipped the burgers, this time without fanfare. Turning down the heat, he moved the burgers onto plates.
“Lex!” He called, clearing his throat to try to hide the fondness of his call. “Food’s ready.”
Despite having left her life as a vigilante, Lektra refused to let her skills dull. Whilst Sebastian was in the kitchen, the young woman was doing pull ups on the bar Sebastian installed on their bedroom door frame after he caught her doing them on the edge of the fire escape.
She was mid rep when her lover called out, and she dropped immediately, letting out a huff. She wiped away the hairs matted on her forehead, “Coming!”
As she left the bedroom and walked down the hall, she couldn’t help but think about the journey that got them here. The fighting, the killing, the love and the loss. It was a cakewalk compared to the way she grew up, but she had never been faced with emotional challenges before Seb, and she was happy to push through them for him.
When she entered, she made a b-line for the man, wrapping her arms around him, trusting her manage to hold onto the plates. “Thanks, Seb.”
Seeing the speed of the woman approaching him, Sebastian braced his core, lifting the plate high above his head. The impact was brief but still powerful.
Despite Lektra’s small stature, she still packed some might, thanks to her muscle mass and years of training as a kind of super soldier.
Through his own training, he had improved his reflexes and balance. Something construction and drilling out in space would have never taught him.
He let out a soft grunt and then grinned, wrapping a long arm around the woman.
“’Course,” came his simple, yet affectionate reply, hand running down her back. “Let’s eat so we can get goin’.”
The young woman looked up at her love, studying his eyes as she often did. “Yes, let’s,” she said, her stomach rumbling just a tad. She always worried that the amount of food Sebastian ended up having to make her would get annoying, so she made sure to be as grateful as possible every time he did.
She pulled away a slight amount, keeping her hands at the man’s sides. “You are sure we’re up for this? A pet is a pretty big responsibility, and I know we’re home a lot more often than we used to be but if I ever get called away… you’re sure you’ll be able to feed it and take care of it without me?”
There was a beat while he studied her features a moment, a smile tugging the corner of his lips.
“Where you gonna go? Tryna get away again already?” He did his best to hide the waver in his voice, maintaining the small smile. “But yeah… I’ve got it.”
Seb knew she could be called back to her family at any moment. And he knew how important it was to her. He just couldn’t fathom the thought of losing her again. For any reason.
.
.
“I’m not trying to get away, not am I going anywhere. At least not any time soon, I hope,” the woman said before pecking his cheek to try and reassure him just a tiny bit. Lektra pulled away fully, a soft smile on her face. “Let’s not think about that right now. I’m more worried about how we’re going to keep something living in our apartment that could die at any moment if we do something wrong.”
The ‘I hope’ made his stomach drop. He craved nothing more than the certainty that he would have her around forever. Her peck on the cheek, her reassurance did assuage his concern for now.
“Heh,” he chuckled. “Guess you’re right.”
As she pulled away he moved the plates to the table and sat down, ready to eat his meal. “So whatcha thinkin’? Loft-cat? Merqaal? Porg?”
“Probably something low maintenance,” Lektra said, following him over and taking a seat across from him at their small dining table. “Just because with me busy school and you busy work and training we might not get too much time with it some days.”
The Firrereo sighed, the decision paralysis starting to set in. She decided to distract herself with the wonderful burger in front of her. She grabbed it with both hands and brought it to her mouth, taking a big ol’ bite, immediately humming her approval.
Seb’s broad shoulders slumped forward as she spoke, his neck dipping some. She was being so reasonable and responsible. Wise.
He supposed that’s why he fell in love. He was used to making choices on a whim without much thought… she had a working mind. A beautiful mind.
“Loft-cat then?”
“A tooka would be nice,” she said with a soft smile. “I’ve never had a pet before, I’m excited,” Lektra’s smile dropped for a moment as she thought back to the reasons why she could never have a pet growing up before she pushed it aside. That was her old life. She has a new life, a new family. She was safe.
To keep the conversation from growing sour, she took a hefty chomp of her burger, one that was always too big for her to chew properly but she couldn’t help it. She grew up needing to eat fast, always on the run. A warm hum emanated from her chest, her usual sign of approval.
The satisfied hum that left her was music to his ears. It reminded him there were a few things he could get right.
“A tooka would be cute,” he agreed with a small smile. “Guess we’re gonna see when we get there.”
Owning a pet tapped into his sense of pride and desire to care for things and people. It still brushed up against his premonition that he was supposed to parent a child with Lektra. But it was silly. Both of them were far too busy. Too young. Too broke. And he dreaded hearing her answer if he ever asked. The thought was wonderful and dreadful. He could fail in so many ways. He could turn into his father. Or he could rewrite all of that.
Whatever the case, he figured he should stop with the hypothetical scenarios and ask her.
“You ever thought about…” before he could finish his question, his mouth dried up. “Never mind.” He laughed nervously, shaking his head.
Now wasn’t the time.
“I hope you’re not allergic,” she said, realizing some people are allergic to things. “I… I hope I’m not allergic. I don’t think I’ve ever been around tookas before. It’s hard to keep track of, sometimes. Things… Blur together,” she said with a bit of a chuckle. As of late she had begun to disassociate more and more as she questioned just how real her surroundings might be. She knew it couldn’t be some ploy put on by the droids but what if losing Sulla had finally broken her and she’d been in some form of psychosis this whole time, thinking up all of these scenarios where she could finally be happy.
She hadn’t slept well in months.
Being back with Seb had helped but after breaking up with him and meeting her family, her grip on what was real seemed to slip just a bit more and, and each day she couldn’t help but wonder.
But, in the off chance things were real, she couldn’t put that sort of weight on her Sebastian.
“Thought about what, Seb?” She asked, setting down her burger.
“Oh, uh, it’s, nothin’,” he said and flashed her a smile. It felt to heavy to venture down that road.
“I don’t think I’m allergic though.” He did his best to soft pivot back to her valid concern. “If we are… I was thinkin’ about gettin’ a BB-8 droid.” They were fascinating. And cute. And were useful and could probably tolerate more neglect than a cat. “We can always throw some tooka ears on it for laughs.”
“It doesn’t feel like nothing, Sebby. I thought we were done with secrets,” said the chronic liar. But then he went and brought up getting a droid.
“I’m… Are you sure that would be smart? I don’t know if… Why would we need one? Why can’t we just find another animal?”
She was right. It wasn’t nothing but he didn’t have the heart for his heart being broken today.
“I mean, yeah, we can keep looking, Lex.” He did his best to reassure her, noticing the hesitation in her questions. “Just thought it would be cute, is all.”
The woman’s knuckles cracked, her fists clenched. “We’ll keep looking,” she parroted. She needed to move on. She needed to focus. She couldn’t disassociate now, she refused to ruin the day.
“What if… We…. Just went?” She asked, trying so hard to move the conversation along
“Ain’t that where we’re goin’ today?” He said with a soft, nervous chuckle, reaching across the table to steady her, his hand enveloping hers.
“I’m right here,” he assured her. “We can go right now, if you wanna.”
“Yes, let us go right now,” she said, not even bothering to look down at her unfinished burger. She never left food on her plate.
She pulled her hand out from under Seb’s and went to stand. “We should get some air.”
“We should?” His golden eyes scanned her expression, a pang of guilt running through him as she pulled her hand from his. “I-I mean yeah, let’s go.”
He rose with her, leaving his plate too. He grabbed her favorite hoodie (which was once his) and carried it to her. “Here.”
The idea of a droid in their home 24/7 brought her nothing but discomfort. She reached out and took the hoodie, sliding it over herself, hood up. Without warning she slammed her body into his, wrapping her arms around him and holding him tight. “An animal, please… Something living, something real…”
Sebastian let out a grunt as her body slammed into his “Woah, hey,” he lowered his face into her hair, his arms wound around her form. “Yeah, Lex. I’ll make sure it’s alive, alright? Blood and all that, yeah?”
“Please…” She pleaded, her voice getting quiet. She leaned her head into the man’s chest and took a deep breath in, trying to ground herself in his presence, letting him fill all of her senses. She kept track of how he felt, how he smelt, how he sounded… He had to be real.
“What’s goin’ on, Lex?” He asked, heart thrumming in his chest. Was it more secrets? He wasn’t hiding anything from her anymore and he hoped she was offering him the same respect. “You’re good here. Safe. Promise,” he murmured into her hair, anxious for what she might tell him.
“No droids… Not here… Not where it is safe,” she emphasized her last word. When she was with Seb she did finally feel safe. She felt as if everything would be okay and that she was free of the fear. “They cannot take you from me…”
“No droids. No one’s takin’ me,” he promised, planting a kiss on her head. “Now c’mon, we’ve got tookas to go see.”
“I will kill anyone who tries…” She murmured into his chest, more for herself than anyone. He was her very own slice of happy, and she would never let him go.
“Carry me…”
Sebastian sighed, his chest tightening.
It didn’t go unnoticed when she had moments like this. Like life was too good. Too good to be true.
He hated the idea of her throwing herself in harms way for him. He would rather be left to die. But as much as he wouldn’t sit idly by, he didn’t expect her to either.
Upon her request, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her, the muscles in his arms rippling as he held onto her.
Upon being lifted, a weight seemed to fall from her shoulders. The comfort that Sebastian always offered her once again began to save her from herself.
“Can… Can I have my bow?” She asked, hopeful that he would allow her to bring it with. She had devised a way to zip a cover over her quiver and she could break down the bow to sit on the side of it without issue, making it seem as if it was just a simple backpack. It always brought her at least some comfort when Seb couldn’t be holding her.
Sebastian frowned. He didn’t want to tell her no but, “You thinkin’ you’re gonna need it?”
He knew it brought her some solace in a way. But he had become trained enough in the Force that should something happen at the drop of a hat, he could protect himself and her and retreat to safety.
“Just in case…” She mumbled, shoving her face further into him. It wouldn’t be long until they were outside in fresh air where the woman could calm down with Seb at her side.
“I don’t think anythin’s happenin’, Lex.” He walked to the counter and lowered her onto it so he could look at her face. “I’ve got you, yknow?”
Lektra settled herself on the surface, scooting back and crossing her arms. “I know, and I have got you. We are a team, and we will do this together.” Her eyes were downcast, a small sense of shame budding in her. She realize was weird.
“Yes,” he did his best to enunciate as she did. “We are. And we will do this together.”
A smirk tugged the corner of his mouth as took her hands into his. “You can bring your bow, alright? Just gotta promise you won’t use it, yeah?”
He lifted one hand, curling all his fingers closed except his pinky.
“Sebastian, I am going to use my bow if I need to. I will not stand idly by if you are in danger,” she said, thinking the man’s request completely absurd. How could he think she would just allow him to be in danger if she had the ability to protect him.
“There’s no danger, Lex,” he said, his smile fading. “I know you’re gonna be safe. I’ll be safe too. No one’s gonna hurt us.”
Of course, there were a number of things that could go wrong but he wanted to do his best to assure her— a run to a pet store would not spell their end.
But what if they do Lektra thought to herself. She’d had this conversation with Seb before and chances were they’d have it again, but it wasn’t worth it right now. It seemed he would never understand.
“Okay…” She conceded, reaching out her arms to pull him in once more. “Let’s just go get a pet. Something to keep us company.”
Sebastian leaned into her reach, doing his best not to let his thoughts get the better of him. He hugged her. Tight. He’d never let go if it meant she didn’t fear anything anymore.
“Sounds like a plan. I just wanna make sure you’re happy.”
“And I just want to make sure you are safe,” she replied, letting out a hefty sigh. Once more it was time to put on a face and make sure he was okay and happy.
When she pulled away, her lips curled up as he looked into his eyes. “Carry me to the lobby?” She asked, intentionally pushing her luck. Maybe some playfulness would spare her
Sebastian groaned and sighed, while he mirrored her smile.
“Guess I can,” he feigned annoyance, despite it being everything to him that she asked. He built while training which helped tremendously. Despite her being able to manage on her own, her small asks made him feel useful.
He turned around so his back was facing her, his hands gripping beneath her thighs.
“Ready?” He asked as he felt her arms situate themselves around his shoulders.
And, like the backpack she commonly was, Lektra wrapped herself around Sebastian, her eyes closing as the dug her face into the crook of his neck. “I’m ready,” she said, taking him into all her senses.
From there, the couple made their way to the closet where Seb grabbed the woman’s bag with their next stop being the lobby. Once Sebastian started to put her down, Lektra perked up. “Can I drive?” She asked, her voice deceptively cutesy
His hair pricked up at the sensation of her face into the crook of his neck. Before his desires got the better of him, he marched forward, ensuring his backpack was secure.
Once they made it to the lobby, he lowered the woman to her feet. He spun around and looked at her while she spoke. “ ‘Course you can, Lex.”
It did make him a little nervous, but she was learning pretty well and he was there to guide her.
“Yay!” She said. The adrenaline she got from driving was not too far detached from the sensation of flying with her jetpack. It had a way of calming her in an odd way. Although the panic she instilled in Sebastian when she hit speeds well over the limit wasn’t her favorite.
She took her bag from the human and slung it around her back, making sure it was nice and secure. Already it helped calm her nerves. The vigilante grabbed her lover’s hand and began to drag him to the parking garage. “I don’t remember where we’re going,” she said
“To the pet shop,” Sebastian said, happily being dragged along. Seeing her excitement made him remember all of the challenges he faced were all worth it.
When they approached the speeder he looked at her with a smirk. “You sure you wanna drive today?”
“Yes but where is the pet shop, Seb? How am I supposed to know where to go?” She questioned as they approached the bike. Lektra turned and looked up at him. “Why shouldn’t I drive?” She asked
“Oh, kriff, yeah,” he pulled out a small datapad and sent something to her. “I sent the data-coordinates. Shouldn’t be more than ten minutes from here.”
As for her driving… “I just wanna make sure you feelin’ safe, Lex.”
“I mean…” She kicked a rock lazily. “If you want to drive you can drive,” she said, her tone dropping just a tad.
Sebastian chuckled, his foot reaching out to stop the skipping rock. “It’s okay, Lex. You can have fun, y'know?”
“I know I can have fun but I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, Seb. It you’d prefer to be the one driving, you can drive.”
Seb closed the distance, hooking a finger under her chin. “I want you to drive, Lex.”
Lektra’s eyes widened at the gesture, her mouth opening slightly as she tried to reply but nothing came out. All she could do was stare up at the man, enraptured by him.
Seb stared back. His eyes stayed on her, drinking in every detail like it was his last time seeing her face. Wordlessly, he leaned down, eyes closing as he laid a soft kiss on her lips, expecting her to return the gesture.
Lektra, as always, aimed to exceed his expectations. She reached a hand up to cup his cheek as their lips gently slotted together, something that had done hundreds of times before, yet for Lektra it always felt as exhilarating as the first. The open care and affection he gave to her was something she never knew she craved until they met. He was an addiction she would never quit.
The man hummed quietly into the kiss, his lips moving with hers. It was a moment or two before he slowed down.
Excitement overwhelmed him, which prompted him to end the kiss. But not before leaving a nibble on her lower lip. Of course, he didn’t leave it there— couldn’t leave it there. He leaned down and caught the flesh of her neck briefly between his teeth, leaving a quick love bite before pulling away with a devious smirk tugging at his lips.
“We should get goin’, yeah?”
It was moments like these that assured Lektra that her surroundings were real. The love, the affection, the attraction. Her mind would never have been able to think something like this up, wouldn’t be able to emulate the pure euphoria that Sebastian brought her on the daily.
The bite to her lower lip coaxed a high pitched sound from her lips, whilst the bite to her neck had the woman whimpering for more. But, greedily, Sebastian denied her any further touch when he pulled away, looking all proud of himself.
It took a moment for Lektra’s body to calm itself and her eyes to become present in the moment once again. The moment she was, she landed a slap upon the man’s chest. “You can’t just do that!”
“you know what you did!” She playfully shouted, a fake pout on her lips. “You better be done. If you pulled something like that while I was driving we’d be dead,” she said, being a bit of a drama queen
Sebastian laughed and curled away from the woman, a big smile on his face.
“Do what?”
He was being coy so he created distance between himself and the woman before she could land another slap.
“I’m done. Swear.”
“You sure?” he said with a dung-eating grin. “We can always put it to the test.”
“Sebastian!” She yelled, her face turning silver. She hoped that would get the point across, and if it didn’t, well, she’d just have to give him a taste of his own medicine.
Seb chuckled, smiling innocently. “What?”
He could do this all day since he adored seeing her get flustered.
“I’ll… I’ll take your leg!” She threatened. Seb knew she was dead serious, too. It wouldn’t have been the first time he’d suddenly not had his mechanical leg attached.
His jaw dropped as he fought to take a more… serious disposition.
“Wow, again? Cmon Lex, that—“ a snicker left him. “That ain’t funny.”
Lektra’s smile returned. “You’re laughing, aren’t you?” She asked, giggling just a bit as she began to approach, her steps predatory. “I just want to take a look”
“N-nope!” The man increased the distance between himself and the firrerreo. She was quick. He had learned ways to dodge faster opponents but he was not nearly as fast as her.
“I’m gonna behave.” He said, unable to keep his grin from forming. “I swear.”
“You swear?” She asked, straighteninh her posture to make herself look less threatening. She began to walk slower towards him. “Pinky promise?”
Seb, slow to trust in the moment, reached out his pinky. It was his offer for a truce. He’d keep his leg and he wouldn’t be too affectionate while they rode together.
When she was close enough, he hooked their pinkies together, shaking them as he would a handshake.
“Pinky promise.”
And with the pinky promise completed, Lektra looked him up and down. “You’re safe this time, Seb. But next time, I’ll get you” she joked, narrowing her eyes.
And she probably would. “Is that right?” Leveraging their newest truce, he pulled her into a tight hug. He kissed the top of her head to finalize the gesture.
“I love you, Lektra.”
There wasn’t an ounce of hesitation in Lektra as she wrapped herself around the man, burying her face into his chest, immersing herself in him
“I love you too, Sebastian.”
He chuckled. “Now cmon, we should get goin.”
Lektra smiled, pecked a kiss on his chest, and headed to the speeder. She threw one leg over the seat of the bike, settling herself atop it. “Hop on”
Sebastian followed, mounting the speeder behind her. He didn’t want to break the promise, but he was finding it difficult to resist even now.
Placing his hands lightly on her waist, he leaned forward. His chin found a place on her shoulder.
“Ready?” He asked, the air of his breath lightly ruffling some of her hair.
“I’m ready,” Lektra said, turning the ignition and zooming without an ounce of warning. It was time for a little payback.
The engine of the speeder whined as she sped way too fast down the streets, taking turns hard and with risk
Seb barely had all chance to brace his core before the woman launched his speeder out of the garage. His hands found their place on her hips, his torso angled forward.
Each turn made his stomach lurch. She took them hard. This kind of movement was only necessary when they were fleeing danger. Which, he knew, was her default stance. Even when there was no danger.
Thankfully, the ride was over before he knew it. They had arrived at the pet shop.
He was the first off the bike, straightening his outfit.
“Good job, Lex.”
Lektra hopped off the speeder, her heart racing, her mind clearer. “Thanks, Seb.”
And from there, the couple entered the pet store, hand in hand. The first thing that Lektra noticed was the smell. It was so filled with life and variety. She couldn’t tell if she hated it or not.
The further they walked in, the more immersed she became. The more she realized that it truly was dreadful. “Seb it smells bad in here…”
.
Sebastian had only visited a pet store a handful of times. The smell was something he had forgotten until he got there. It was a faint mix of hay, urine, and feces.
“I… know, Lex,” he said in solidarity mixed with a hint of lament that he couldn’t solve this problem for her.
“You kinda get used to it,” he added. But maybe not since her firrerreo senses were more enhanced compared to his. It was how she smelled all those people on his clothes.
Lektra knew she wouldn’t, but she decided to go along with it as to not stress her lover out even further. “Okay,” she said.
The pair made their way to the Tookas, already knowing what they were wanting. Now they just needed to find a cute one that was nice and cuddly. Or mean. Or anything else. Whatever Sebastian wanted, really. “Any catch your eye?”