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Reath Silas’s footsteps softly echoed along a carpeted corridor, as he tiredly trudged along. He looked to his left, catching sight of the night lights of Coronet City through the evenly-spaced windows. It reminded him of Coruscant, though the vibrancy of these lights seemed entirely different. Still, he had enough of the city for tonight. Having posed as an assassin for a long-gone organization, then fumbled the role of a bodyguard for some other local group before somehow being rescued by Ram’s equally bad acting, Reath was eager to return to the Corellia Jedi temple for some sleep and meditation.
There was certainly new information they had gathered that night that needed pondering, and plans for the next day he needed to be prepared for. Still, here Reath was running one last errand for the night. Reath could feel his energy dwindling as he tried to focus on following the directions he was given while keeping his guard up for any dangers lurking in the shadows. After some wrong turns, he eventually came to the door he was pretty sure led to Crash’s office.
Reath realized he was unsure how to enter. Crash gave a code to unlock the door, but should he knock first? Would anyone be in there? Reath was supposed to drop off the package he was given by Fezzonk, which he supposed had some equipment for the next night’s gala, and pick up his Jedi robes. But for all he knew some other member of Crash’s team could be there. Or even someone not on Crash’s team…
Deciding not to announce his entrance, Reath moved to the shadows and discreetly willed the door open through the Force. The room was lit by the city lights, which even at this hour were enough to see that while disorderly, it was a decent space for a no-frills operation like Crash’s. Though, he supposed she needed something presentable for meetings with her clients, which from what he gathered tended to be from the planet’s elite.
Reath was startled to realize Crash was sitting behind her desk, concealed in the shadows. Though her eyes locked with Reath’s, she seemed lost in thought for a moment before leaning forward and smiling.
“Congrats on a successful mission! Though it sounds like you won’t be appearing on the holos any time soon,” Crash teased.
Reath sighed as he walked in to the room. “I guess I need a new plan if I don’t make it as a Jedi.”
That got a laugh out of Crash. “I don’t see why you won’t. You held up well when shit hit the fan, and you stayed a hell of a lot calmer than I did back there.” Crash was still embarrassed for losing her cool and throwing the first punch, but a few hours after that fight she was relieved that the entire night didn’t go to waste. These Jedi were turning out to be useful, and she couldn’t help but be impressed by Reath.
Reath couldn’t stop himself from blushing. His own confidence in his Jedi journey had been wavering, but Crash’s complement felt meaningful. After all, she seemed to be a strong headed and competent woman, and Reath couldn’t help but respect her opinion even if he was the first Jedi she met.
As he crossed the room to hand her the package in his hand, he remembered the expression she was wearing when he walked in. “I’ve heard you’ve had a trying few days, and I don’t blame you. What are you doing here anyways? I’m hoping you don’t sleep at that desk.”
“Nah, I got another call to make before I turn in for the night, at a bed that is most definitely not here,” Crash half-smiled. Reath recognized it as a mask for some other emotions, and noticed some wetness in Crash’s eyes.
Hesitating for a moment, Reath leaned against Crash’s desk, trying to be friendly but not overstep. “I know I heard some things that maybe weren’t meant for my ears, and you have some…personal efforts you’re making with your team,” Reath recalled the comments from Svi'no, and Crash’s own admission to having trust issues. “But I’m here if you wanna talk about any of this. Or even just to review the intel we have so far.”
Reath knew there was something between Crash and Svi'no. There was an energy that flowed between the body guard and the pop star, and it didn’t require Force sensitivity to see the way they looked at each other. But it was clear they hadn’t discussed what it was, and perhaps that was part of the anguish he felt radiating from Crash.
Crash’s face fell, and her lips twitched as though she was trying to find the right expression to hide behind. After a moment she rose from her chair and turned to lean against the desk next to Reath, illuminating half her face in the city lights while hiding the other half in shadows. Her pink hair seemed multicolored in the neon rays from the outside world, varying from deep green to purple to black.
They sat on the edge of the desk like that for a few minutes, inches apart. Reath’s mind started to wander before Crash finally spoke.
“I lost my friend a few days ago. Until that point, I was so sure of everything. Who I am, what my role is, how to lead this team. But now I feel like I know nothing and if I stop to think then I’ll just spiral and lose myself to this sadness, to this doubt…” Crash’s voice trailed off. Whatever emotions she had, her body didn’t have the energy to fully express, or even to feel, as her body sagged.
Reath suddenly realized Crash’s hand was in his. He didn’t know when it had happened, or who reached for who. It was such a foreign feeling, yet he found himself rubbing circles into her hand with his thumb, finding the rhythm meditating. It seemed to have the same effect on Crash, as she sighed and leaned over, resting her head on Reath’s shoulder.
Reath stilled and felt like he couldn’t breathe. This was new but not…uncomfortable. The tiredness from his body seemed to be fading as he almost felt like his body was buzzing. Was it the Force, or was he imaging a tension in the air? Reath was hyper aware of Crash’s hair brushing against his cheek, as soft as he imagined it (wait, when had he imagined it?), her knees just an inch from his, and her face so close…
Turning his head with no idea what he was about to do, Reath moved against his own will as Crash lifted her head and met his lips with hers. Reath’s head was blurry, with no thoughts but the rush of the feeling of their lips together, her neck and hair in his hand, the other hand about to-
Crash pulled away an inch and looked into Reath’s eyes. He had barely moved but suddenly felt bare as she stared deep into his soul. Questions started forming in his head - why had he done that? Was there something emotional between them, or was this a pure physical desire? Had Reath betrayed his teachings? But this one act wasn’t an attachment, was it? Reath’s heart didn’t feel pulled to Crash like what he’s seen in the holos, but how would he know?
Panic started to set in, and Reath jumped up, detaching his hands from Crash’s body. “I’m sorry, I, I-”
“Sorry for what?” Crash reached out and found Reath’s hands and gently pulled him back towards her. Standing between Crash’s legs, Reath couldn’t help himself from looking up and down her body, noticing her muscles and curves. Crash let go of Reath’s hands, letting them drop to rest gently on her knees, and reached up to pull Reath in by the back of his neck.
Feeling her hands in his hair, Reath’s body went on autopilot as their lips met again, moving slower against each other than they first were. As their lips found a rhythm, so too did Reath’s hands, moving up and down Crash’s thigh, gently applying pressure as he stroked her legs. Her breath caught as he squeezed slightly harder, and their lips and now their tongues moved faster against each other. There were moments where Reath knew he was being clumsy and showing his inexperience, as their noses and teeth occasionally pressed against each other awkwardly, but that seemed to matter less and less as the hunger he was feeling was matched by Crash. Her hands moved from his neck to his back, and suddenly she was using them to pull herself forward and closer,-
And suddenly Reath pulled back with a moan he didn’t recognize escaping his lips, panting for breath as their bodies were touching in ways he had previously tried very hard not to imagine. He felt himself straining against the fabric of his pants, Crash’s legs wrapping around his waist, and that friction…
Reath’s body collapsed against Crash as he tried to hold himself together, and he found his lips on her neck, which rewarded him with moans and a faster pace as Crash grinded against him. With no conscious thought, Reath’s arms reached behind Crash to clear the desk as he heard the very package that brought him here fall to the ground, and he pulled her down to lay her back on one arm as his other braced his body against the surface of the desk. Reath thrusted his body against Crash’s, too many layers between them but both too desperate for release to remove anything. Suddenly it became all too much and his hips started moving erratically, and he felt himself release as fireworks went off behind his eyelids and inside his body. Crash continued to move against him for a few more moments before stopping as they rested there a moment, their chests rising and falling with exertion.
As Reath caught his breath, Crash opened her eyes, and when their eyes met the two started laughing uncontrollably. Reath fell backwards into the chair, not knowing what they were even laughing for, or where this energy had come from, but he knew it was going to fade soon. As their laughter died out, Crash lifted herself off the desk and smiled at Reath, a smug look in her face. Reath knew he was blushing and would probably have many thoughts rushing in his head soon, but in this moment, he felt loose and on top of the world, and was smiling back at Crash.
“Wow,” was all Reath could breathe out, which set them both into laughter again. As they collected their breath, Reath sputter out, “uh well, I guess I should get going.”
Crash giggled in the most relaxed Reath had seen her, and reached into a drawer, pulling out Reath’s Jedi robes. “I’ll turn around if you wanna change first,” she smiled.
Reath looked for the darkest part of the room away from the window and fumbled around to quickly change. “I’ll, uh, wash these and return them tomorrow?” he hesitated while folding the disguise he had borrowed.
“You can throw them out for all I care, I nicked them from a closet for your disguise and they wouldn’t fit any of my other guys anyways.” Crash was leaning back in her chair smiling at Reath, eyes drooping closed. “You better get going soon if you’re gonna make it to the temple to get some sleep before morning.”
Reath’s high was rapidly leaving his body and the exhaustion returning. “Right, yeah,” he coughed, turning for the door. “See you at the meeting point tomorrow.”
“Sure thing. And, Reath,” Crash called back. Reath looked over his shoulder to see her smirking at him. “We all need some moments of relief from this mess. Don’t think about it too hard.”
Reath returned her smile and walked out the door. He could tell his brain was already trying to go back into analysis mode, but his body wouldn’t let it. He was sure it would come later, but for now he listened to the Force to guide himself home safely, and when he did lay his head to rest, it was swimming with thoughts on the newly discovered sensations had just experienced.