Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ahsoka checked her phone again. 10:53 p.m.

Come on. Come on .

She wiped down the counter for the third time, hand moving idly. The machines were off, the pastry case was down to its last lonely croissant, and the espresso press had been thoroughly cleaned an hour ago. Everything gleamed, ready for the closeout checklist to be signed and submitted.

10:54.

She could already feel her shoes sticking slightly to the tile where the mop hadn’t fully dried. Hear the hum of the refrigerator as the sound of the night shift swallowed itself. Taste the rubbery, sodium-packed microwave meal waiting at home like a sad reward.

A delicious sad reward, though. Tonight was Trader Joe’s Microwave Mac & Cheese, and it was her budget-friendly alternative to Prozac.

She went through her day like it was The Twelve Days Of Christmas. Six hours on her feet, five requests for latte art(?), four burns, three polite customers, two forgotten tips.

10:55.

Ding.

Her head snapped up.

There he was. Like clockwork. 

One Mr. Comes-In-Five-Minutes-Before-Closing.

Or Fives, for short.

Technically, his name was Francisco.

She couldn’t decide which was stupider.

He was in his usual attire , a crisp suit and tie with his hair gelled to a curl that hung slightly off-center on his forehead. At first glance, he was a charming man: tan, tall, a killer smile that probably ruined lives and a low, rumbly voice that should have been doing audiobooks instead of newscasting. Maybe could've starred on Love Island or something.

At every glance after that, he was a dick.

He strolled in like he had nowhere else to be. All charming and self-approving, like this wasn’t the fifth time this week he’d rolled up just before she could lock the doors.

“Evening, sunshine,” he said, voice warm and low and undeniably smug.

“The sun doesn’t shine at night,” she mumbled under her breath, tossing the rag into a bin. She looked up at him and plastered on the most obviously-fake customer service smile she could muster. “We close at eleven.”

“And I am, as always, deeply respectful of your schedule.” He gave her a once-over that wasn’t creepy. Just annoyingly observant. “You look tired. New makeup?”

“I am tired,” she said flatly. “And we close at eleven.”

“It’s 10:55,” he replied, glancing at his Rolex with mock offense. “I’m five minutes early. That’s practically considerate.”

“Do you want something?” she started, already reaching for a paper cup. “Or are you here to waste my time?”

“I’m here for coffee. Don’t flatter yourself.” At his sudden tone, she looked up, eyes slightly wide. He winked. She wrinkled her nose. “Your finest black coffee, please,” he said, holding up his index and middle finger. “Two sugars. Extra sweet.” He added a little flirty wink at the end. She was beginning to think only one of his eyes worked.

“Sorry. I’m all out of sweet.”

He put his hand over his heart. “Yowch.”

She raised an eyebrow. He just kept grinning.

“Oh, come on. You like me,” he goaded.

She gave him a deadpan stare. He tried again.

”You tolerate me.”

“No,” she said, pouring the coffee, “But I have accepted that the universe is cruel and that time is, unfortunately, circular.”

He laughed, deep and easy, and she hated that it made the corners of her mouth twitch.

Fives had been coming in for about two months now. Always just before closing. Always dressed like he’d come from a boardroom, though the loosened tie and undone top button gave off more “I survived” than “I’m winning.” He flirted like it was a second job and smiled like he didn’t take any of it seriously.

And Ahsoka?

Ahsoka did not have time for charming men in expensive suits who rolled in at the last possible second with bedroom eyes and a smirk to match .

She slid the cup toward him. “Your easily-made-at-home beverage.”

“My hero,” he said, raising it like a toast.

She didn’t respond. She was already wiping down the espresso machine again, pretending she didn’t hear him humming to himself.

It was always like this. He came in. He flirted. She shut it down. He flirted more.

And the most annoying part was that he never stayed past eleven.

Not once.

No matter how much he pushed her buttons or leaned against the counter like he was auditioning for a cologne commercial, he always stood up at 10:59, thanked her sincerely, and left. Not a second late. Like he wanted to be obnoxious, but not rude.

He knew exactly how much he could get away with.

“Rough day?” he asked suddenly, watching her scrub a spot on the machine that was definitely already clean.

She didn’t look at him. “Every day’s a rough day when you’re making seven twenty-five an hour and someone calls you a ‘barista bimbo’ because they forgot to ask for an oat milk substitution.”

“Ouch.”

“Mhm.”

Fives sipped his coffee. “For the record, I’d never call you that. I’m very emotionally attuned.”

She snorted. “Emotionally attuned,” she repeated.

“It’s a curse, really.”

She gave him a side eye. “You drink black coffee.”

“Exactly. Deeply repressed. Classic trauma response. Very mysterious.” He took a long drink.

She rolled her eyes. “You’re not mysterious. You’re a…” She gestured vaguely, then snapped when she figured it out. “A personified LinkedIn profile.”

He scoffed. “Bold of you to assume I use LinkedIn.”

“You definitely do. Your whole aura screams ‘corporate swindler with a ridiculously preppy Spotify Wrapped.’”

That got a laugh out of him. It made her heart jump in shock, it was so real. Unpolished. She smirked.

“Did I hit a nerve?”

He shook his head. “My Spotify is fine. Very manly.”

She scoffed. “Manly?”

“Yep.”

“Manly.”

“Mhm.”

She nodded in mock-agreement. “I’m sure. You like Folklore or Evermore better?”

Fives made a show of squinting at her over the rim of his cup, eyes narrowed in mock suspicion. “That feels like a trap.”

Ahsoka leaned on the counter, folding her arms. “So Evermore.”

He looked offended. “Folklore.”

She laughed because she thought he was joking. He kept going.

“‘Peace’ is one of her best. Lyrically speaking.”

She blinked, thrown for a second. Was this not a bit? “You’re serious.”

“I contain multitudes,” he said solemnly.

Ahsoka was almost bewildered. But then she remembered exactly who she was talking to and resumed cleaning. “Yeah, thanks, but I’ve seen that before.” She cast a pointed glance up at him.

His expression faltered. “What?”

“I dunno,” she shrugged, not quite meeting his eyes. “I’ve just seen that move before. Performing feminism or whatever and thinking it’ll make every girl in earshot drop their panties.”

There was a flicker- something unreadable, maybe defensive- before he huffed a breath and looked away. “Damn. Alright then.”

She squinted. “Alright?”

He suddenly had something very important to do on his phone. “Yeah, uh. That’s not me. But whatever you say.”

She watched him, uncertain now. He wasn’t posturing, or smoldering, or putting on a charming face. He was tripped back. Real in a way she hadn’t expected. Ahsoka began to wonder if she hurt his feelings. Did he have feelings?

She pressed, quietly and tentatively.

“You really listen to her?”

He made a sound that could’ve been a laugh. “Is it really that big of a deal?”

Now it was her turn to look away. “I guess not. Just… unexpected, I guess.”

Did I seriously manage to mess up the one good interaction I had with this guy?

She cleared her throat awkwardly. “I, uh,” she started. “I don’t like, hate Taylor Swift, if that’s what you’re thinking. Or men,” she added quickly. “That music’s just… never seemed like my thing. You know?”

He leaned his elbows on the counter. “You should try it,” he shrugged absently. “I bet you’d like it more than you think.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“I mean it,” he said. “It’s…” He paused, searching. “It’s… kind of brutal, actually. It’s…” He hesitated again. “...personal. Like, ‘your-best-friend-frames-you-for-mass-murder’ personal.”

Her brow creased. She hadn’t expected him to talk about anything like that. Not so plainly, anyway. And definitely not with her.

She tried a smile. “You’ve clearly thought about this.”

He gave a little shrug. “I listen to stuff when it makes me feel something. Like a punch in the gut. That’s the point, isn’t it?”

She leaned on the counter. “Didn’t know a business sleaze could feel.”

Aaaand right back to the banter. Nice going, Tano. The second things get uncomfortable.

He, fortunately, actually laughed at that. “Emotionally attuned, remember?”

Now it was her turn to laugh.

He put on an expression of faux-offense. “Oh. It’s funny to you. God forbid a man has feelings.”

She nodded solemnly. “Terrifying.”

They shared a chuckle.

They fell into a surprisingly comfortable quiet.

Then, softly, “You should listen to it, though.”

She looked at him for a second. Then kept cleaning. He sipped his coffee, unbothered.

A beat of silence settled between them. The kind that wasn’t awkward so much as it was charged. Static, maybe. It went on for what usually would have been too long in her book, but she was surprisingly unhurried. Ahsoka was about to say something else, maybe ask how long he had been working for Channel 9, or if he’s watched anything good recently, when he glanced at his watch.

“10:59,” he said, standing and tossing his now-empty coffee cup in the garbage (that she had just emptied).

She didn’t look at him as he moved toward the door.

“See you tomorrow, sunshine,” he called over his shoulder.

She leaned forward, her palms pressing into the counter. “You’re not allowed to call me that.”

He turned to face her and walked backwards, arms spread. “And yet…” He flourished dramatically. “Here we are.”

The bell above the door jingled as it swung shut behind him. Ahsoka stared at it for a second longer than necessary, waiting for the echo of his voice to fade.

Then she exhaled, reached for her coat, and finally let herself smile. Just for a moment. Mac & cheese was still waiting, after all.

Chapter Text

It had started raining around 7PM. It was just a whisper at first. A gentle drizzle on the storefront windows, as if the sky was still deciding whether it wanted to commit.

By 9:00, it had made its decision. Just the weather that had been predicted yesterday on Channel 9.

Thunder cracked through the sky like someone had dropped a piano upstairs, and Ahsoka nearly fumbled the stack of paper cups in her hands. She barely managed to slide them into the dispenser before another flash of lightning painted the entire café in pale white light.

The shop was empty, obviously. No one wanted to brave this kind of weather for caffeine. Except one idiot, probably.

She checked her phone. 10:49PM.

He wouldn’t come out in this, would he?

She hoped not. She kind of hoped he would.

Lightning flashed somewhere out the window.

She held her breath and counted the seconds it took for the sound to reach her. One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three Mississippi. Four-

Another boom. Her stomach jumped.

There was something different about the café during a storm. Something that could have been either comforting or eerie, depending on the way you looked at it. The soft flicker of the lights. The hum of the espresso machine. The wind lashing against the windows, rhythmic, like the world outside had turned to watercolors. And her. Alone in it.

Or almost alone.

Because at 10:52, the door opened.

And of course, it was him.

Soaked through. Hair plastered to his forehead. Tie undone. He looked like a soaked cat.

“Evening, sunshine,” he said, like he wasn’t dripping onto the floor.

Ahsoka blinked. “You’re wet.”

He opened his mouth like he was about to make a cheeky comment about what she said, but he thought better of it. Instead, he nodded solemnly. “Astute.”

She grabbed a towel from under the counter and tossed it at him without ceremony. “You’re going to ruin the floor.”

“It’s water. I’m cleaning it,” he said, rubbing the towel through his hair.

She rolled her eyes and grabbed a cup.

“I didn’t think you’d come in,” she said, setting up the espresso machine.

He glanced up. “Yeah?”

She busied herself with the switches and buttons. “It’s a monsoon. I figured even you wouldn’t risk getting struck by lightning just to be a nuisance.”

"You underestimate my commitment." He made his way to the counter, leaving a trail of damp footprints. “Plus, miss my favorite girl? Perish the thought.” Her stomach did a small, stupid flip. She pretended not to hear him.

“Your usual?” she asked, already reaching for two sugars.

“You know what?” he seemed to think for a moment. “Surprise me.”

She glanced up, brows raised.

He tossed the wet towel to her and she caught it. “I trust you.”

That was new. And deeply annoying.

Still, she turned to the machine, turning it off. She tried to conjure something warm. Something sweet. Something he'd never ask for but would definitely like.

“You’re drenched,” she said over her shoulder. “Did you walk here?”

“No,” he said, sounding almost sheepish. “Bike.”

She turned. “Bike?”

“Moped,” he clarified. “Embarrassing. I know.”

She looked at him fully now. He was fussing at his hair with one hand, his suit jacket abandoned on a nearby stool, rain still dripping from everywhere on his body. His shirt clung to him, just translucent enough to be mildly distracting. Mildly. She rolled her eyes. “You're going to get pneumonia.”

“I’m going to get a story to tell,” he said. “And maybe a certain barista’s pity. You know, in some places, people will give you free drinks if they feel bad enough for you.”

She shoved the cup at him with a glare that really wasn’t serious.

He took it, hands brushing against hers.

He sipped.

Then blinked.

“This is good,” he said, surprised.

She smirked. “Told you.”

“What is it?”

“London Fog.”

“Ah.”

Silence. Then:

“What’s London Fog?”

She huffed a laugh. “It’s tea.”

“I see.” He sipped his drink again.

For a while, the only sounds were the storm outside and the quiet hum of the shop. The rain hit the windows like applause. Fives finally sat in a stool, sipping slowly, eyes fixed on her in that too-observant way of his.

“You ever get scared during storms?” he asked eventually.

She looked at him. “What?”

He shrugged. “When you were a kid. Or even now,” he added quickly. “I don’t judge.”

Ahsoka thought about it for a moment. “I used to,” she admitted. “But it wasn’t, like, the thunder or the sounds or whatever. It was the waiting.”

Fives scrunched up his face. “Explain.”

“That pause right after the lightning,” she elaborated. “When you know something loud is coming, but you don’t know when.”

Fives seemed to think for a moment. “That’s weirdly poetic,” he decided, sounding impressed.

“I read,” she said dryly.

“I noticed.”

A beat.

Then he chuckled a bit. “I used to get scared, too. But not because of anticipation or suspense or any sort of ”beautiful, metaphorical reason,” he said pointedly, which earned a laugh from her. He went on. “It was just because it was loud. I used to hide under the covers with a flashlight and some fantasy novel and drown out all the noise.”

She snorted. “You know how to read?”

“Shocking, I know.”

“No, just…” she tilted her head, genuinely curious. “What kind of books?”

He looked down into his cup. “You’re gonna laugh.”

“Probably.”

“Fine. Don’t judge me. But I was obsessed with Wings of Fire.”

She blinked. “The dragon books?”

“Yeah,” he said, eyes glinting. “I wanted a dragon so bad. I used to have a whole sketchbook dedicated to them I’d name them and shit.” He chuckled almost fondly. “Had this whole, like, lore built out. Secret kingdom, hidden powers. The works.”

She was stunned. “That is… unexpectedly wholesome.”

He shook his head. “It was a phase.”

“An adorable phase,” she muttered before she could stop herself.

He blinked.

She cleared her throat. “I mean. Nerdy. Very nerdy.”

“Too late,” he said with a grin. “You said adorable.”

“I take it back.”

“You can’t. No backsies.”

Ahsoka huffed, trying to hide the way her face warmed. She focused on wiping the counter.

Then something buzzed.

His phone. He glanced at it, thumbed the screen, then locked it again.

“You have to go?” she asked before she could think better of it.

He shook his head. “Nah. No plans. Just…” His voice went quiet. “Don't want to be home yet.”

Something about the way he said it made her pause.

She glanced at him for a long moment. His shoulders were slumped, tie hanging limp, eyebags that were probably a big no-no on camera.

“You okay?” she asked.

He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Just a day.”

She didn’t press, instead opting to grab a napkin and the last sad pastry in the window.

“You want the last croissant?” she offered, holding it out to him. "Extra stale."

He looked at her like she’d just handed him a piece of the moon.

“I always want the last croissant,” he said solemnly.

She handed it to him.

They coexisted for a minute. Rain slammed hard against the glass. The street outside was a blur of water and shadow.

“Do you ever feel like the quiet’s too loud?” he said suddenly.

She turned her head. “Dude. Seriously. Are you okay?”

Fives shook his head like he was clearing cobwebs. He managed a small laugh that felt more uneasy than she thought it was supposed to. “I’m good.”

“Clearly.”

He shot her a look. She leaned further onto the counter.

“...You wanna talk about it?”

Fives didn’t answer right away. She waited.

He offered a nonchalant shrug. “My brother’s been getting into some shit.”

Ahsoka’s eyes widened a fraction. “Like, with the law?”

"You've gotta understand," in a way that immediately told her he was deflecting. “Not everyone in my family is as stand-up of a guy as me.”

She snorted, but sobered quickly. “I.. Jesus. I’m sorry. That’s gotta suck.”

He offered a weak smile, and nodded, staring into his London Fog.

“Hey,” she said quietly. “You know that thing you were saying about how if someone pities you enough, they give you free stuff?”

He looked up. “Don’t.”

“Special sale,” she insisted.

“Seriously, you don’t have to-”

“Listen. You look pretty pity-able right now. Take it as an insult, if that’s the only way you’ll take it.”

He made a sound that seemed like he was trying to speak, but he gave up and just shook his head at her with a grin.

She grinned back.

Eventually, he glanced at the clock. 10:59.

“I should go,” he said.

She didn’t say anything.

But when he grabbed his suit jacket off of the stool next to him,  she blustered, “I- You can stay a minute longer.”

He paused.

And stayed.

Chapter Text

The shop was quiet in a way that she decided was comforting.

Fives was still perched at the counter like he owned the place, which, obviously, he absolutely didn’t, but he had that smug, I’m-charming-and-I-know-it air that made him seem like maybe he should.

Ahsoka leaned on her elbows, picking at the same worn spot on the counter for the third time. He was sipping his drink like it was fine wine, swirling it and smelling it, instead of treating it like the overpriced tea she cobbled together because she’d felt weirdly soft for him tonight. Dumb. Dumb and dangerous.

“So,” he began, voice way too casual, “do I get a loyalty card? Or is this whole free drink pity thing, like, a one-time deal? Can I get the discount with other baristas?”

She snorted. "Oh boy."

“I mean,” he gestured vaguely at himself, “I’m soaked, overworked, and emotionally delicate. What kind of monster would charge me every time I need to eat? Clearly not you."

“I wouldn't go around bragging about that," she advised. "It was my way of telling you you're pathetic.”

"Harsh."

"Plus, I was gonna eat the croissant. But I was feeling charitable."

"I needed it more."

"Leftovers are technically for staff."

"I'm basically staff."

"Wrong."

“I’ll make it up to you. You want, like... a very soggy hug?” He opened his arms as if to offer one from across the counter.

She stared like he grew horns. "Touch me and I'll sue.”

“Worth it.”

She threw a balled-up napkin at him. He caught it and grinned. She tried not to smile back and failed.

Outside, thunder cracked again, not as loud this time, but close enough to rattle the windowpanes. She flinched.

Fives glanced over, brow raised. “Still scared?”

“No,” she lied, then added, “Just startled. Reflex.”

“You sure? Because I could, like…” He trailed off, visibly floundering. “...stand near the door? Like a guard dog. Or something.”

Ahsoka blinked, then laughed. “That was the worst attempt at offering comfort I’ve ever seen.”

“I panicked,” he sighed. “Should I leave?”

“No!” It came out way too fast. She immediately backtracked. “I mean. No. You can stay. If you want.”

Fives tilted his head, giving her a look that was almost curious. Like he was cataloging her. Or trying not to smile too wide.

“Cool,” he said softly.

“Cool,” she echoed.

The word hung in the air. It was definitely past eleven. Which was fine, but- shoot.

She cleared her throat, abruptly remembering her car situation. “Hey, um. My car’s in a parking garage a block away. Just realized. So I actually do kind of need to get going.”

Fives, mid-sip, paused. “You walked here?”

“Yeah?”

He set his drink down, hard enough to make it slosh. “You're not walking out there alone.”

“It’s literally one block.”

“It’s literally a storm.” He pointed to the window. “You see that? That’s horror movie weather. This is how people die.”

She raised an eyebrow. “In parking garages?”

“Have you seen Happy Death Day?”

Ahsoka crossed her arms. “It's a legitimate establishment,” she defended. "I'll live."

“Okay, but what about the walk there?" he challenged. "I’ve seen enough true crime documentaries. I’m walking you.”

She blinked. “That’s not- You don’t have to do that.”

“I know I don’t,” he said, already shrugging back into his damp jacket with a dramatic shiver. “But I’m chivalrous.”

“Or obsessive. Maybe you're actually a killer and just trying to get me alone.” She crossed her arms and cocked her head with an "I gotcha" look.

“Touché,” he said with a dramatic sigh. “But I’m still walking you.”

Ahsoka opened her mouth to argue again, but he was already halfway to the door, shoving his sleeves up and muttering something about self-preservation instincts.

She rolled her eyes, grabbed her own jacket, and followed.

By the time she locked up the shop, the storm had graduated from “kind of dramatic” to “Mother Nature's going through some shit.” The rain wasn’t just falling, it was sideways, like it was trying to slap her.

She shoved her keys in her jacket pocket and pulled her hood up, muttering, “Seriously. It’s fine, it’s just a block-”

“I said I’m walking you,” Fives interrupted, appearing at her side like a determined, soggy puppy.

Ahsoka gave him a look. “You’re gonna get pneumonia.”

“I’ve come to terms with it."

She snorted and led the way, hugging herself tighter as the rain bit through her jacket.

Fives was quiet beside her. Not in a weird way, but more attentively quiet. He kept slightly to her left, like he was shielding her from the brunt of the wind, which was dumb because he was just as thin as she was and also very much not a superhero. Still. It was sweet.

“I've lived twenty-two years of my life without you, you know," she chattered, glancing up at him. "You don’t have to be all protective."

“Yeah, I do,” he replied without looking at her. Like it was obvious. Like it was fact.

She blinked and immediately looked away, heart doing this stupid skip thing she didn’t ask it to do.

By the time they reached the garage, she was dripping, and Fives looked like he’d swum there. He rubbed his hands together like it’d help. Her car, mercifully, wasn’t too far in. She beeped it open and glanced over her shoulder at him expectantly.

“You’re not gonna let me walk back alone, are you?” he asked, reading her mind.

“...No,” she admitted.

“Didn’t think so.” He nodded, satisfied.

She sighed, unlocking the doors. “Alright, wet dog. Get in.”

He made a triumphant sound and darted to the passenger side. “Shotgun.”

“You’re so weird.”

“Thank you.”

The second she started the engine, the heating system roared to life with a satisfying blast of warm air. Fives let out a moan that was far too dramatic to be normal.

“Oh my god,” he said, slumping against the seat and groaned like he was being reborn. “Heat. I forgot what this felt like. This is luxury.”

“Stop being so extra,” she said, but she was grinning.

He held his hands to the vents like a caveman discovering fire. “Can I put my feet up?”

“No.”

“What if I ask nicely?”

“No.”

“What if I put on good music?” he asked, already plugging his phone into the aux without permission.

That gave her pause. She gave him a slow, skeptical side eye. “You? Good music?”

He raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “I’ll have you know my taste is immaculate. Sophisticated. Devastating, if you will.”

“You're just gonna put on some lame sad indie nonsense."

And then he hit play.

A soft piano chord filled the car, low and gentle and aching. And then Taylor Swift's unmistakable voice. Ahsoka paused, making a face. She turned to him slowly. “Is this-?”

"Peace." He nodded, eyes forward, dead serious. "Had a feeling you’d never actually listen to it. I was right, clearly," he added with a cocky smirk.

She blinked. “You’re serious.”

“Dead serious. Sit down, shut up, and feel . ”

“Already sitting.”

“Shh.”

She stared at him. Then turned back to the road.

And yeah, okay. Fine. It was a good song. Or like, at least okay.

“I never had the courage of my convictions, As long as danger is near.”

Fives leaned his head against the window. He didn’t speak. Just stared out at the rain, humming low under his breath like it wasn’t even for her.

“I’d give you my wild, give you a child. Give you the silence that only comes when two people understand each other…”

Ahsoka tried to figure out what the ridiculously arcane lyrics could possibly mean.

“So it’s about getting pregnant," she guessed. "Or wanting kids. And like, she could never give him peace because the baby’s always crying."

He gave her a long, sow side eye. “I thought you said you read.”

"So not close?"

"Nope."

Ahsoka shrugged flippantly. “Maybe that was just my interpretation.”

“Well it’s certainly... creative," he offered.

“You mean it’s a stretch.”

“I mean it’s a stretch.”

She glanced at him. His eyes were still on the window, but his voice wasn’t playful anymore. It was soft. Raw around the edges.

“In my personal, much-less-creative opinion,” he began, looking at her pointedly with a defensive hand held up. “Like... look, I’m not some ideal person. Clearly. I’ve got baggage. I’m annoying as hell. I make dumb jokes in serious situations and get weird when I care too much. But this song’s like… yeah, I’m a mess, but I’d still give you everything . Even if I can’t promise calm. Or safety. Or…” He trailed off. “Well, peace.”

Ahsoka didn’t say anything.

The song kept playing. “All these people think love’s for show, but I would die for you in secret.”

And there was something about that line, about the idea of loving someone so devastatingly quietly, that made her stomach ache in a way she didn’t know how to name. She was not a fan.

Fives cleared his throat suddenly, breaking the spell. “Anyway,” he said, lighter now, “It also just sounds cool.”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t change the song.

They sat there for a while, the car humming beneath them, the rain tap-dancing a steady rhythm on the roof, and peace playing all the way through to the end.

When the song ended, neither of them rushed to change it.

Instead, he turned his head to look at her, face serious again for half a second. “You still think it's some stupid indie sad girl song?”

She hesitated. “...Yeah.”

He gave her a look that was part amused, part something else. Something unreadable and soft and kind of stupidly fond.

Ahsoka blinked. That wasn’t what she’d expected. Any of it. She watched him for a moment. The soft light from the streetlights lit his face in gold and blue and stormy gray. His expression was quiet. Thoughtful in a way that made her throat feel tight.

She turned her eyes back to the road. “You surprise me.”

“Good,” he said easily. “Means I’m not predictable.”

A beat of silence.

He looked over at her with a grin.

“You’re thinking about it now, huh?”

A scoff. “Please.”

“You’re adding it to a playlist the second I get out of this car.”

“Shut up,” she muttered, but there was no heat behind it.

They pulled up to the side street where his moped was tragically chained to a lamppost like it had committed a crime and was now part of a public humiliation ritual. It was definitely waterlogged, and Ahsoka grimaced sympathetically.

“Yikes.”

“She’s strong,” Fives said, staring at it like it had a soul. “She’ll make it.”

“She’s halfway to being a boat at this point.”

“I believe in her.”

Ahsoka put the car in park, but neither of them moved.

The rain tapped steadily against the roof. The song had ended, but neither of them reached to change it. The silence wasn’t awkward.

Fives shifted in his seat. “Thanks for the ride.”

“Thanks for not letting me get murdered in the garage,” she said lightly.

He smiled. “Anytime. It’s kind of my thing. Dramatic rescues.”

A beat.

She looked down at her hands. “Cool,” she said, because she was a coward.

Fives nodded slowly. “Cool.”

They sat there for another beat too long.

Then he reached for his seat belt buckle. “Guess I'll-”

“Wait,” she said before she could stop herself.

He paused.

She floundered. “You’re still soaked. Maybe just… wait in here for a second? Warm up a little more?”

He blinked at her. Then smiled. “Oh my god. You’re into me.”

“I am not .”

“You’re so into me.”

“Okay, get out of my car.”

He laughed, but he didn’t move.

Instead, he reclined the seat slightly, folded his arms behind his head, and sighed like he was settling in.

“This is nice,” he declared. “We should make this a weekly thing. Sit in your car. Play sad music. Get in touch with our feminine sides.”

Ahsoka stared at him.

Then she laughed. Stupidly and maybe a little too fondly.

And for a while, they just sat like that.

Warm. Damp. In a thunderstorm. It was kind of perfect.

Chapter Text

It was raining. Of course it was.

Not like it was the other day, thank goodness. Just a soft pitter-patter on the windows, and thin-but-constant clouds that made the night glow slate.

Ahsoka stood behind the counter, chin in her hand, tapping her fingers against her jaw as she stared blankly at the dark street outside. The raindrops were racing each other down the glass.

10:57.

No ding. No smug comment. No pressed suit with a half-undone tie.

No Fives.

She blinked. Weird. The monsoon just a few days before hadn’t stopped him, so why now?

She wasn’t expecting to miss him.

Not that she did . Obviously. She just… noticed, was all.

Ahsoka glanced at the door again, then at the clock.

10:58.

She’d even made the coffee already, half on autopilot, half out of habit. His usual: black, two sugars, embellished tonight with a little smiley face  drawn on the cup. It was still sitting there. Getting cold.

Whatever. He was probably busy. Maybe he finally ran out of reasons to pester the exhausted barista after hours. Maybe he realized she wasn’t as fun as he thought.

Maybe he finally got the hint.

Aw man.

She shoved that thought down and wiped down the counter. Again. The silence tonight wasn’t peaceful like it usually sat. It was echoey. Empty. 

At 11:13, she locked the door.

Trader Joe’s was aggressively cheerful.

It was the next morning, and Ahsoka was dead on her feet, damp from the still-drizzling rain(!!!) and deeply regretting her decision to run errands on no sleep. She had a shift in two hours and a fridge full of melancholy. The mac & cheese was officially gone, and she refused to live like this.

She tossed a basket over her arm and wandered into produce.

She grabbed bananas. Spinach. Multi colored carrots. More cheese. The essentials. She passed a cheerful little sample stand where a woman in a red polo and a greying bob was handing out tiny cups of cauliflower gnocchi.

“Would you like to try one?” the woman beamed.

Ahsoka gave a polite smile and grabbed one. It was… okay. Weirdly chewy. Kinda good?

She popped the rest in her mouth and kept moving, distracted by a shelf of tapioca mochi bites. Trader Joe’s always made her feel like she was playing pretend in someone else’s more functional life. One with meal preps and matching mugs and people who went on hikes for fun.

It was honestly really entertaining.

She turned the corner into the next aisle and stopped short.

Because there, standing in front of the pasta sauces with a toddler sitting in the seat of a shopping cart full of frozen meals, was Fives .

In sweats.

And racecar-blue Crocs.

And the most chaotic energy she had ever felt.

Ahsoka blinked like she was hallucinating. There was no way. There was no way that Mr. Suave-Newscaster-Nightly-Smirk was out here dressed like a divorced uncle at soccer practice.

He hadn’t seen her. Yet.

The baby- an actual baby- gurgled happily from its little carrier, slapping one chubby fist against his hoodie.

“Oh, you like that one?” Fives was saying, holding up a box of frozen spicy chicken nuggets and showing it to the baby. “Too spicy for you, bud. Sorry. Plus you’ve got, like, four teeth. Nice try, though.”

The baby made a delighted squeal.

Fives grinned. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Okay. So she was dreaming. That was the only logical explanation.

Ahsoka took a cautious step forward, heart thudding for reasons she didn’t want to unpack.

“I, um. Hey Fives.”

He didn’t turn around.

"Fives."

Nothing.

Shit. Right.

“Francisco.”

He turned. And froze when he saw her.

Then, after a half-second, he smiled. A little surprised. A little sheepish.

“Well, well,” he said, putting the chicken back in the freezer. “Didn’t think I’d run into you here.”

Ahsoka raised a brow, arms folded over her basket. “Didn’t think you’d be caught dead in Crocs.”

He looked down, then back up. “Rude. They’re my comfy shoes.”

“You didn’t show last night,” she blurted before she could stop herself. Real smooth.

Fives tilted his head, an unreadable expression passing over his face. “Yeah. Sorry about that. Had to babysit.”

She blinked. “That your kid?”

He snorted. “What? No. Hell no. I love sleep too much.”

He booped the kid’s nose, which made the thing laugh. “This little lady’s my niece. Like I said, my brother’s getting into it with the law. So Uncle Francisco stepped in.”

The baby squawked in agreement.

Ahsoka stared. “You… babysit.”

“Damn.” He looked mock-offended. “Do you think I’m heartless or something?”

“I just-” She blustered. “I mean, you- suits ,” she tried, like that was explanation enough.

Fives laughed, easy and warm. “The two are not mutually exclusive. I have layers, remember? Multitudes.”

She gave him a look. “We already did this bit.”

“Can’t help it if it’s true.” He shrugged. “Also, her name’s Omega. She’s a drooler, but we vibe.”

Omega, like clockwork, blew a spit bubble and slapped Fives in the chin.

Fives winced. “Yup. Vibe check.”

Ahsoka watched him wipe his chin with the sleeve of his hoodie, still smiling.

He looked different like this, l ike maybe an airbrushed version of his regular self. Softer. It made something flutter in her chest.

Gross.

“You doing okay?” he asked suddenly, glancing at her basket. “You look like you’ve been up all night.”

"New makeup," She shrugged. When he chuckled at the callback, she answered for real. “Late shift. Plus, mac & cheese emergency. Those are taxing.”

“Brutal,” he said gravely.

“I survived.”

There was a short pause. Neither of them moved.

Fives looked over the other frozen meals in the freezer, almost ashamed. He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything. About not showing up. I didn’t think you’d… notice.”

She almost laughed. “Yeah. Well.”

He nodded once. “Next time I’ll call my PR team and let them know.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You have a PR team?”

“Obviously. They run my LinkedIn.”

She actually laughed that time.

Their eyes met and lingered. Just for a moment.

It wasn’t charged like before. It was gentle. Almost curious.

Ahsoka looked away first.

“So,” she said, fumbling for something else to focus on. “You, uh… you listen to Folklore while you do this, or…”

He grinned. “Only when we’re making bottles. Grocery runs are for Dua Lipa."

“You and Omega have... taste.” She was careful not to say it was good.

Fives leaned closer conspiratorially. “She loves ‘Scared To Be Lonely.’ Gets all quiet when it plays. Real music gal."

"Ah."

"Trying to start her on vinyl young.”

“I respect it.”

Another small silence.

Then Omega let out a giant hiccup.

Fives looked down quickly. “Uh-oh.”

“Uh-oh?”

“Means a spit-up’s coming.”

Ahsoka stepped back. “I love kids. From a distance.”

He laughed. “Smart.”

She took a step forward again, then hesitated. “Hey… would you wanna, uh…”

Fives tilted his head. “Wanna…?”

Ahsoka gestured awkwardly. “I mean, when you’re not covered in baby vomit. Coffee. I make good coffee. For, um, my job.”

Oh my God. Ahsoka. Get it together.

He blinked. Slowly.

Then smiled.

"Was that you asking me out ?”

She felt her cheeks heat up.

“It was me asking if you wanted coffee ." She protectively crossed her arms. "Dumbass," she added quickly.

He bit back a grin. “Totally. Absolutely. A transactional meeting."

Sha made a face.

"Coffee transactional."

“Exactly.”

“I’d love that,” he said, softer this time. He whipped out his phone and held it out to her and motioned for her to do the same. She hesitantly did, and he pressed a button. Her phone vibrated, and his contact name and photo appeared on her screen. "Francisco Fett," accompanied with a candid photo of him getting into hair and makeup. Obviously he looked flawless.

"Branding," he explained simply.

She didn’t know what to say to that. So she just nodded, a little too quickly.

“Cool. Okay. See you… then. Whenever."

“I’ll bring Omega,” he joked, starting to roll the cart away.

“Don’t you dare.”

“Too late, she likes you.”

Omega giggled as if on cue.

Ahsoka didn’t look back until he was two aisles away.

Then she grinned. Stupidly. So very stupidly.

Chapter Text

Ahsoka had cleaned everything half an hour early. And then re-cleaned it. And then cleaned it again for good measure.

She was nervous.

Or excited. It was hard to tell which. 

She and Fives had been texting almost nonstop over the past few days, save for when he’d come in to get his coffee. She was now equipped with plenty of information that could make small talk. He loved dogs and cats. His favorite color is blue (same as her!!!). He liked bad music. He works stupid early in the morning. He has a niece. He named his moped. His brother’s in trouble with the law.

She decided to maybe save that last one for the third date.

If there was a third date. Or even a second one.

Don’t get ahead of yourself.

It was 10:58. At night. They had tried to make something midday work, but he worked early as hell (as aforementioned) and she worked from noon to eleven. So they had decided to do something late-night.

Her fingers drummed on the counter anxiously. She kept checking her phone. She contemplated cleaning the machines for a fourth time when the bell that hung above the door chirped. She looked up, heart aflutter.

It wasn’t him.

It was a guy that looked corporately evil. His hair was slicked into a helmet and his suit and tie were smugly kempt. He greeted her with a voice so gravelly and deep, it was grating, and a smile that was sinisterly perfect. He leaned against the counter in a way that she assumed was supposed to be charming, but it really made him look like an actor that wormed his way into politics.

“Hey, Sweetheart,” he drawled in a way that made her skin crawl. “I’d like a coffee with almond milk. Thanks.” Then, to make matters worse, he winked. She rolled her eyes and turned to make his drink. With the machines that she just cleaned.

“You got any plans for tonight?” he asked.

She didn’t look back when she answered. “Yup.”

“Care to enlighten me?”

“Nope.”

He chuckled. “Damn. Cold. Who hurt you?”

What the fuck?

She said nothing.

She turned to give him his drink, and he moved to take it out of her hand. He squeezed the cup when he grabbed it, making the coffee spill on her wrist. She hissed. He grinned at her. Ahsoka set the cup down on the counter and grabbed a rag. The man took a sip and made a refreshed “ah” sound.

“Delicious. Thank you, Sweetheart.”

She smiled fakely. “We close at eleven.”

He smirked. “Oh, come on. Don’t be like that.”

“We close at eleven.”

He just sipped his coffee.

“Sir-”

“Then give me your number, at least. Or your Snapchat. You look young.”

Her customer service smile dropped instantly.

“I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

“Just give me a minute!” he snapped. Her stomach twisted something that had a lot less to do with butterflies and a lot more to do with danger. She eyed the frothing pitcher, wondering how much damage it could do if it came down to it.

She looked over at Creepo with obvious distaste. “I’m no longer getting paid to be here. So I’m gonna lock down the shop. If you want to be stuck in here when I do, then be my guest.” She set the rag down and grabbed her bag. “See you in the morning,” she finished sweetly, walking around the counter like she was about to leave.

The man stood up quickly. The feeling in her gut intensified, and she immediately went into her bag to search for something. Pepper spray, maybe. Did she have that? Car keys?

The bell above the door chimed.

“Hey-” A pause. She looked up, and there was Fives, with a small bouquet of flowers and a coffee. He was still in his work clothes, with a well-fitting three-piece and his usual perfectly-styled curl. He looked completely bewildered. “...Everything okay in here?” He eyed the man warily, then looked to Ahsoka for answers.

She took her hand out of her bag and crossed her arms over her chest, looking pointedly at Creepo. The man didn’t back off. He took another slow sip of his coffee, clearly trying to prove a point.

Fives stood in the doorway, halfway between casual and ready to throw down. When no one responded, he repeated himself.

“Everything okay in here?” he asked again, voice a little lower now.

Creepo turned to him. “Just having a nice little chat with your girlfriend.”

Ahsoka’s eyebrows shot up.

Fives, without missing a single beat, smiled. Not sweetly.

“Oh. My girlfriend?”

He stepped forward and handed the flowers and coffee to Ahsoka without looking away from the man. She took them uncertainly. Fives' tone was light and laced with threat.

“Babe,” he said to her, “you alright?”

Ahsoka blinked. Then smiled. It was tight-lipped and still tense, but catching on. “I was just telling this man to leave.”

Fives turned his full attention back to Creepo, who suddenly seemed a little less smug.

“She told you to leave?” Fives asked, still friendly. Still easy.

The man sipped his coffee once more. “A few times. Yeah.”

“So why aren’t you gone?”

Creepo shrugged. “Free country.”

“Oh, absolutely,” Fives agreed. “But if we’re talking laws, this establishment is private property, and your welcome was officially revoked about…” He looked to Ahsoka expectantly.

She blinked a few times, still a little shocked from the whole thing. “Um. Like, six minutes?”

“-Six minutes ago,” Fives repeated firmly to the guy. “She’s the employee on duty. She says go, you go. If you don’t, you’re trespassing. And they actually have charges just for that,” he added, like the idea was novel.

The guy looked between them. His expression cracked just slightly, a hint of uncertainty curling the edges of his mouth.

“So, my friend. What’ll it be? You gonna leave like a big boy, or do I get to call the cops and tell them you like harassing women half your age in empty shops at night?"

“I didn’t even do anything!” Creepo exclaimed.

“She asked you to leave, and you didn’t,” Fives said again, firmer now. He still smiled. "When I say restraining, you say order, Restraining!" He pointed at Creepo, encouraging him to finish the chant.

The man set his coffee down slowly. Then he straightened his jacket, looked Ahsoka up and down one last time (ugh) and muttered, “Didn’t realize she needed a bodyguard.”

“She doesn't. She’s got a killer uppercut,” Fives said matter-of-factly, putting an arm around Ahsoka. Kind of. He let it hover. “I’m just saving you some teeth.”

Creepo made a scoffing noise and walked toward the door. 

The guy left.

The bell jingled behind him.

And then silence.

It was like the air finally rushed back into the room.

Fives turned to her instantly, removing his arm from around her and looking her over. He was clearly concerned. “Hey. Ahsoka. Are you okay?”

She opened her mouth, but her throat felt tight.

“I’m fine,” she said eventually. Then paused. “No. I mean- yeah. I guess. Just…”

Fives reached out and let his hand rest above her shoulder. She nodded a bit, and he let it fall there. “You sure?”

She shook her head yes, but her arms were still crossed. She was defensive. Closed off.

“He was just… weird,” she muttered. “Like, actual red flag city. He said I looked young and then asked for my Snapchat .”

Fives took in a breath. “Yeah. Okay.” He took his hand off of her shoulder and turned to walk away. “Be right back.”

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow. “Where are you going?”

“To key his car before he can get in it!” he called over his shoulder.

She snorted despite herself. “You don’t even know what he drives.”

“I’ll key all the cars.”

She laughed again, but then realized he was probably serious. She chased after him and grabbed his arm. He smiled when she turned him around, but his eyes flicked to the doors like if she let go he’s take off running.

She then held out the coffee to him. “Here,” she said.

He looked down at the cup, confused. “I- What? Do you not like it?”

Now she was confused. “Was it for me?”

“Um. Yeah.”

“Why?”

Fives looked at her like it was obvious. “It was a gesture.” he scoffed, waving his hand vaguely. “You make me coffee all the time, so I made you some.” A pause. “Well, bought. I don't have a coffee maker.”

“I-” She looked down at the cup, and then back up at him. “If you bought it here, I would’ve gotten the tip.”

The fear in his eyes was comical. “Oh. Oh my God. You’re right. Here-” He took his wallet from his back pocket and started to pull out some dollar bills.

Ahsoka laughed and put her hand on his to stop him once again. “I’m kidding."

Relief flooded his face. He shook his head, chuckling. “The flowers are for you, too.” He gave her a teasing smirk. “Anything to say about those, too?”

She made a contemplative expression. "I'm kind of allergic. But it's okay."

He looked genuinely terrified.

She snorted. He lightly smacked her arm.

The tension in the room was fading now, settling into something hazy and tired. Ahsoka looked down at the flowers again- slightly crushed from how tightly she’d been holding them.

“You wanna still go?” she asked after a beat. “To the park?”

Fives seemed to think for a moment. He eyed her curiously. “Do you wanna still go?”

She hesitated, which was apparently answer enough.

“Alright,” he said, clapping his hands once. “New plan. You hungry?”

He read her so quickly it made her stomach flip. He didn’t press, didn’t frown, didn’t make a big show of disappointment. He just nodded slowly, the gesture saying “everything's all good.”

She blinked. “Kind of?”

“Great,” he said with a grin. “Then I say we ditch this public nonsense. My place?”

Her eyes widened and she just stared at him.

“Not-” He immediately panicked as he realized the implications. “Not like that! At all! Um. I just meant… Um. Somewhere private.” He slapped his forehead, dragging a hand down his face. “Not, like, private private, I just thought maybe somewhere away from people. Or-” He cut himself off when he saw how she was grinning at him. “I don’t know. Up to you.”

"Oh, no, by all means," she began. "We can do whatever. Since I'm your girlfriend, now, apparently?"

He opened his mouth like he was going to argue, but just huffed a laugh instead. "Sorry. I thought it would be, like-"

"No, it was good-"

"-like, a more credible story-"

"For sure."

"...Yeah." he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

An awkward pause.

And then they both laughed.

She collected her thoughts, scrubbing a hand down her face. “My place is fine,” she offered, still chuckling. “I mean, it’s small. And sad. But it smells okay.”

“Okay,” Fives said with a soft smile. “Your place it is.”

He held out his hand, and at first she thought he was trying to hold hers. But then he gestured to her bag and the flowers, and she realized he was offering to hold them. She blushed and gave them to him.

He slung her purse over his shoulder and held the bouquet delicately. “Alright,” he smiled. “Text me the directions, and-”

Her mood changed instantly.

“You’re not taking your moped.”

He pouted. “But I love her.”

“Lady Vespa stays parked.”

She gave him a pitying look. He gave her a pitiful one. Even added a little bottom-lip-sticking-out action. She didn’t relent.

Fives groaned eventually. “Fine. But I get aux.”

“Nope.”

“Okay.”

He held the door open for her as she turned off the lights. She stepped outside and locked the shop up. Fives locked up his moped while she started up the car. He hopped in the passenger’s seat and immediately started messing with the settings as she pulled out of her spot.

Once he was comfortable, he leaned back with a relaxed “ahh.”

“Just like old times,” he reminisced.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. “That was, like, less than a week ago.”

“It was eleven days ago,” he corrected. “And that’s in the past. It’s still old times.”

She shook her head fondly.

And then she sped a little bit. But only by, like, seven miles per hour.

(What can I say? The girl’s excited.)

Chapter Text

The drive back was pleasant. Peaceful. Fives, much to Ahsoka’s chagrin, managed to weasel himself into her car’s Bluetooth system. So, yes, he did get aux privileges. Despite the win in his favor, though, he spent the entire drive looking melancholically out the window, his forehead pressed to the glass.

“I miss her,” he mumbled softly every few minutes.

“Lady Vespa will be fine,” she assured him flatly.

“I just worry,” he agonized. “She’s a beaut, but that’s all she has, you know? No street smarts.”

“Mhm.”

“She’s got a rebellious streak. That’s what drew me in, you know? But it’s also what’s gonna get her arrested. Or worse.”

“I’m sure.”

The car fell silent, save for the Sabrina Carpenter playing. “Bed Chem” came on and Fives immediately skipped it.

Ahsoka told herself that she was reading too far into it when she thought that he might’ve done it so as not to make her uncomfortable. It really was none of her business.

But then again…

They pulled up to her apartment complex a few short minutes later. She parked and shut off the headlights and they got out. Fives, once again, grabbed her purse and flowers. He also managed to make his way over to the driver’s side door just in time to close it for her.

“Lead the way,” he said, sweeping his arm out the best he could. Ahsoka did just that.

They made their way into the building, where they were greeted by the doorwoman giving Ahsoka a knowing look. She shot her a glare that said “Be cool, Evelyn.”

They went up the stairs (of course the elevator was out of service) and both were obviously out of shape when they reached the top.

“Goddamn,” he wheezed. “You live here? You do that every day?”

Ahsoka went to her room number, 332, and unlocked the door. “Builds character.” 

“Right, but at what cost?”

The pair stepped inside and she turned on the lights.

The place was modest, to say the most. The floors were an old and slightly-warped hardwood. The walls and popcorn ceiling were an off-white that was impossible to tell if it was from age of it that was just the color.

Ahsoka stepped inside first, tossing her keys into the little dish by the door. Fives followed, doing a slow 360 as he took everything in with the drama of a man entering The Sistine Chapel.

“This is so you, ” he said immediately, nodding his head like he was putting clues together.

She blinked at him. “What?”

He shrugged. “I dunno. It’s warm. It’s a little messy. There’s… Wow. There’s a lot of mugs.”

She squinted. “You’ve been here for five seconds. You don't get to judge.”

“I have eyes. You, on the other hand, have… at least eleven mugs on your kitchen counter.” He turned to her, baffled. “You don’t even have a dishwasher.”

“I like mugs,” she said defensively.

“You like mugs,” he repeated, dramatically reverent. “They’re your sense of stability. I totally get it.”

Ahsoka rolled her eyes, already regretting this, and gestured vaguely at the apartment. “Anyway. Here it is. Don’t touch anything.”

Fives ignored the directive immediately, kicking off his shoes and taking off his suit jacket, setting the flowers and bag down on her tiny dining table, and wandering around, checking everything out. “How do you get light in here?” he called from the other room. “The windows are so small.” He peeked his head in the doorframe. “Are you a hobbit?”

“You’re so rude.”

“I’m observant ,” he corrected, stepping back in and rummaging through her cabinets. He pulled out a vase with an “aha!” and set it on the counter. “Bet you only open that window on rainy days. Or when you’re cleaning. Or when you realize you haven’t in a while,” he guessed, grabbing the bouquet and chopping off the ends of the stems.

She opened her mouth to argue, and then promptly shut it.

She crossed her arms. “I’m about to kick you out.”

“God forbid,” he sighed with a dramatic shake of his head. He filled the vase with water and set the flowers in it. He moved it to a windowsill. “Do you have anything to drink?” he asked, turning to face her.

“I’m a barista,” she said flatly. “I can make literally anything.”

“Then surprise me.” He gave her a cheeky little salute, heading toward the living room. “While you do that, I’m gonna look around some more.”

She was grabbing her blender when she called back “You mean, snoop?”

“Snoop, look around, potato, potato,” his muffled voice replied, pronouncing both potatoes both the same way and very incorrectly.

She got to work and leaned against the counter as the blender was going, watching him poke around her bookshelf.

“You have three copies of 'Annihalation’?” he shouted over the noise, scandalized.

She shot him a look. “Dude. I have neighbors.”

He waited patiently until she turned her blender off.

“Three copies,” he repeated simply.

“They’re annotated differently!”

“God, you’re so… something,” he mumbled with a laugh, but it came out soft. He traced a finger over one of the covers and then moved on to her record player. “This even work?”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes. And it’s vintage, so don’t touch it.”

He did touch it, flipping the power switch. He grinned at her when nothing happened.

Ahsoka bristled. “Shut up.”

He held up his hands. “Didn’t say anything.”

“Shut up.”

He laughed.

She poured the drink into mason jars, added metal straws, and padded back over to where he was now sitting cross-legged on the couch, flipping through a photo album she had left out before she knew she'd have a guest.

He took the jar and looked at it. “What is it?”

“Matcha frap,” she shrugged. “It’s what I had on hand. Sorry.”

He shrugged and sipped the drink. He nodded sagely, as though he were deeply impressed by it.

“Yeah, yeah,” she muttered, offering a hand to help him up. “Come on.”

“Come where?”

“My room. TV’s in there.”

“Your room ?” he echoed with a devilish grin.

She gave him a flat look.

He followed anyway, carrying his drink like it was a chalice of truth, still in his socks, still making himself at home.

And weirdly… it didn’t feel wrong.

Ahsoka! Stop that! Seriously.

Ahsoka’s room was small. Cozy, as an optimist might put it. There was a massive knitted blanket thrown half on the floor, a few socks and a pencil sharpener on the dresser, and a pair of pajama pants slung across the footboard. She scooped those up quickly and shoved them into the closet.

Fives didn’t comment. He just made his way over to the foot of the bed and sat, crisscross, without hesitation. She mirrored him, leaving a respectable amount of space between them.

He took a sip of his matcha. “This room’s cute.”

She raised an eyebrow, turning on the TV. “You say that like you’re surprised.”

“I’m not,” he said immediately. “Just… I dunno. I like seeing your stuff. Like the real-life version of you.”

She froze for a second at that, then made a noncommittal sound and grabbed the remote. “Netflix or Hulu?”

“Dealer’s choice.”

She flicked through options on the former streaming platform before finally settling on Detroiters.

“What’s this about?” Fives asked, leaning back on his elbows.

“It’s... a trip,” she answered simply.

“That’s not an answer.”

“It is.”

They watched in silence for a bit. The light from the TV danced across both their faces in soft flashes as they sipped their drinks. Ahsoka finished hers quickly, while Fives sipped his in a ladylike fashion.

“Why’s the only TV in your bedroom?” he asked eventually.

“The one in the common area broke and I can’t afford to fix it.”

He made a sound of acknowledgement, then pressed. “Why don’t you just move this one out there?”

Ahsoka turned to look at him. “This was my uncle’s old apartment. I got it when he died. I dunno, it just feels kinda weird moving his stuff.”

“Ah.”

“Yeah. Funny story: this is the room he died in,” she said, turning back to look at the television.

Fives paused. “I… Oh,” he said simply.

“Yep,” Ahsoka continued, popping the “p.” “Same mattress, too.”

Fives sat up quickly, then immediately disguised it as a cough. “I… You didn’t change it?”

“Like I said: feels weird moving his stuff.”

“...Ah.”

She let him stew in his own internal panic before turning back around. “I’m kidding, by the way.”

Fives let out a long breath and found it in himself to chuckle. After a minute

“Jesus,” he laughed. “I was about to pass out.”

Ahsoka smirked. “No, yeah. You’re good. He didn’t even die in the house.”

Fives seemed captivated.

“Heart attack in a gas station,” she elaborated.

Fives’ eyes went wide. “ My dad died at a gas station!”

Ahsoka matched his expression. “Woah!”

“Yeah! This guy just came in and shot him!”

“That’s a solid story.”

“I know!”

“Did they ever catch the guy?”

“Nope.”

“Maybe you’re next.”

Fives grinned wildly, “That would be so cool!”

They turned back to the screen for a bit, the low hum of the TV filling the silence. Fives let out the occasional giggle at the more absurd moments, while Ahsoka mostly just watched him from the corner of her eye. His profile lit up in flashes- those long lashes, that dumb little dimple, the way his brows crinkled slightly when he was trying to understand a joke that was intellectually above him.

She may have been a little creepy.

Eventually, he shifted, stretching his legs out and cracking his knuckles loudly. “You ever think about getting a pet?”

The question caught her off-guard, but she'd be lying if she said she hadn't gotten it before. “Uh… sometimes? Not really. Why?”

“You’ve got pet energy.”

“I’ve got pet energy?”

“Not like you would be a pet,” he clarified quickly, holding up a finger. “I mean like… you need one. You need something to talk to that isn’t a customer or your blender.”

“I do not talk to my blender.”

“You absolutely do. You said, ‘come on, baby’ to it in the kitchen like, ten minutes ago.”

She rolled her eyes. “He was struggling. The man needed encouragement.”

Fives tilted his head, eyes sparkling with mischief. “ He? You gendered the blender?”

“Oh my god,” she groaned, flopping back onto the bed dramatically.

“I bet you named him too, huh?”

“I hate you.”

“Is it Tristan?” he guessed. “Or like… Winston.”

“Please leave my house.”

“Gary.”

“Go home.”

“Larry? Barry.”

She grabbed a throw pillow and chucked it at him. He caught it mid-air like some sort of smug, reflex-having asshole and hugged it to his chest proudly.

“Thank you,” he said, all mock sweetness. He ran his hand reverently over the material. “I will cherish this always.”

She rolled her eyes, trying not to smile again.

He made himself comfortable like he’d always belonged here, which should’ve irritated her. It didn’t.

“Who are you to talk, anyway?” she scoffed. “You named Lady Vespa.”

“Right,” he said, like it was obvious. “All vehicles are ‘she’s.”

“That feels sexist.”

“Might be. Doesn’t change the fact that she’s a lady.”

She huffed a laugh. “Okay. Well then maybe my blender’s a dude.”

Fives shook his head in disappointment. “No, no- You can’t just decide that!” He was getting frustrated at that point. “I’m not forcing Lady Vespa into a gendered box. She’s a lady. I know that, she knows that, we all know that,” he said, making short chopping motions to emphasize his point. “You’re forcing your blender into a conformity it doesn’t necessarily identify with!”

“He’s masculine!” she insisted, taking a drink from her jar.

“Never gender the blender!” he shouted.

Ahsoka choked on her drink. “What?”

“It’s a movement,” Fives said, eyes suddenly wild as though he was coming up with the cure to cancer. “Oh my God. Yes. Hashtag it.”

She couldn’t help the amused grin on her face. “Oh, I will.”

He gave her a side eye. “I’m sure you have a mug around here that we could put it on.”

She threw another pillow at him, which made them both dissolve into laughter,

Eventually, Ahsoka got up, taking Fives’ drink from him.

“Gonna go wash these,” she announced. He nodded and she turned to go. Before she was out the door, she turned back. “Don’t snoop,” she said dangerously.

He put up his hands like “I’m a good guy! What do you think I’m gonna do?” and she rolled her eyes and left. She set the jars in the sink and ran the water so that she sounded busy. She then got out her phone and texted her older brother, Anakin.

🛸Anakin

Dude

Dude

Youll never guess whos at my apartment rn

His response was instantaneous.

What is uppp

Wait whos at ur house

Francisco fucking fett

IS THAT HIS REAL NAME??

Also whos that

Not the fucking part its just francisco fett

And hes literally the news guy????

Like????

The tv one???

Ohhhhhh

Yeah i dont watch the news

Huh

Please dont vote

Padme just tells me who to vote for

Wait i just looked up a picture of him

DAMN

RIGHT??????

YES WOW

GET SOME SIS

Huh

Wait what

No

Dude

Its not like

No

Dude

Anakin!!!

The man had stopped responding.

With a heavy sigh, She tucked her phone into her back pocket and made her way back into her bedroom. She joined Fives at the foot of the bed, laying down on the mattress with a huff.

“Did you snoop?” she asked, turning her head to look at him.

“You’ll be pleased to know that I behaved myself,” he announced proudly. “I usually save bedside snooping for the second date.”

This was a date. She had almost forgotten.

“I’ll be sure not to invite you over anytime soon, then.”

He chuckled and they continued watching the show.

“Did you check on the blender? Everything okay with them?”

She scoffed. “ He’s fine.”

“I’m sure.”

“I’ve decided on a name, though.”

He looked at her, more obviously excited than he was trying to let on. “Yeah?”

“I’m going with Lord Breville.”

A dorky, enthusiastic smile took over his face. “Like, to match Lady Vespa?”

“Yep.”

“Oh my God. They can have playdates!”

“That’s what I’m hoping. Unless things get bad between us.”

He seemed to think hard for a long moment. “I think they’ll find their way to each other regardless. Maybe have a forbidden love kind of sitch.”

Ahsoka pointed a finger at him. “You’re so right.”

“Always.”

And they returned their attention to the TV.

But then when he yawned, she yawned too. And the episode that they were on came to a close.

Damn it. No no no-

“I should head out,” he said, sitting up a little straighter and cracking his back.

Ahsoka looked at the time. It was almost two in the morning. But still, the thought of him leaving made something unpleasant twist in her gut.

“You can crash here if you want,” she blurted.

He looked at her, surprised. “Yeah?”

“Just… because I’m not in the mood to drive you to Lady Vespa.”

He smirked.

“Couch is yours.”

His smile turned wry. “I'd hate to piss off the ghost of your uncle.”

She smirked. “He likes you.”

“You think he does,” Fives corrected, already grabbing his hoodie off the floor. “And The Ves’ is just a block away. I can walk.”

There was a distinct sinking in her stomach, but she kept on her amused smirk. “It’s whatever you want.”

“I won’t impose.”

“Okay, then.”

She stood up and walked him to the door, pausing at the threshold as he slid his shoes back on.

“Um,” she started awkwardly. “Text me. When you get to the shop. And then when you get home.”

He paused for a moment, his eyes widening a fraction, before he breathed a laugh. “Sure, Mom.”

She rolled her eyes, fighting back a smile. “'Night.”

“Goodnight, Ahsoka.”

And then he was gone.

And she stood there in the quiet for a long time, hand still on the doorknob, heart very much not quiet in her chest.

Chapter Text

Give you the silence that only comes when two people understand each other

Ahsoka sank into the couch, staring at her phone. She read along with the lyrics and waited for some sort of epiphany. However, she just got more and more confused. Taylor’s voice rang through her small living room, muddled and sesquipedalistic as ever.

But there's robbers to the east, clowns to the west/I'd give you my sunshine, give you my best/

But the rain is always gonna come if you're standing with me

“What the hell are you even talking about?” she muttered, trying to summon her inner poet. But nothing came up. “So does she, like, summon weather? Or what.”

She shook her head, closing out of Spotify as the song came to an end and taking a bite of her oatmeal.

“That was… not good,” she sighed. She opened her messages app and texted Fives.

Fives(isco)

hey

listened to peace

She waited. That was the sort of thing, she knew by now, that would probably warrant ten all-caps messages from him and two phone calls.

She finished her oatmeal. And washed the dish. And brushed her teeth. And got dressed.

Still nothing from Fives.

Huh.

It wasn’t that she was crazy about him. She was maybe just concerned. Or something.

So she did something she’d never done before.

She double-texted.

She tried for something that would piss him off enough to respond.

Fives(isco)

I didnt get it

I feel like she was just making shit up lol

That was bound to get him.

If anything could summon Fives from whatever annoying journalist-y thing he was doing, it was suggesting that Taylor Swift had no lyrical depth.

But still nothing.

Weird.

She tossed her phone on the couch and decided to just get on with her day. So she did her hair and makeup and found a pair of matching socks and what could he possibly be doing that’s so important?

By the time her shift rolled around, she was pissed off and a little worried.

She rolled up to the shop and tagged out her coworker. She served a few coffees to people that were nice enough. And then the three o’clock lull struck, and she grabbed her phone.

She called him.

She hated calling. But she had a weird gut feeling and if he was on the news the next day, not reporting but murdered, she’d like to be able to say she did everything she could.

“Francisco here. Temperature’s currently 98.6 degrees and incredibly hot. Right now the radar’s showing scattered responsibilities, a strong brain fog coming my way, and a 40% chance I'll get back to you. The low-pressure system says… uh, maybe. Leave a message after the beep, and I’ll get back to you when the weather clears up. Unless you're a category five disaster, in which case, evacuate.”

Voicemail.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes and greeted the next customer. She put a mix on in her AirPod and made her goal simply to focus on getting through her shift. She began to settle into the music.

Francisco by Swim Deep. Skip.

Five Years by David Bowie. Skip.

9 to 5 by Dolly Parton. Skip.

San Francisco by 5 Seconds of Summer. What the hell-

She gave up on music.

The late shift was quiet. The café was dim, calm, and borderline dreamy. It was her favorite time of the night, when there was no one in the room but her and the lights were low and it smelled like night. She leaned against the counter, cleaning cups and thinking about maybe possibly sending one more dramatic follow-up text.

And then her phone rang.

Fives.

She picked up fast. “Hello?”

His voice was on the other end. “Hey.”

“Dude,” she sighed, half out of relief and half out of frustration. “ Where have you been? Did you die?” She paused, and more quietly, added, "Are you good?”

There was a long pause. And then his voice, low and kind of tired:

“Um. Yeah. Sorry. Didn’t die.” It was followed by a laugh, but it sounded forced.

She waited. It seemed like there was more.

He sighed eventually. “Hunter- that’s Omega’s dad- got picked up. Again. Earlier tonight.”

Ahsoka stilled. “Your brother?”

“I… Yeah.”

“Well, shit.”

“I know.”

“I… Wow. I’m, uh,  still working, but, um. If you wanted to, like, hang out, or something…”

“I’m already on my way.”

Ahsoka snorted, furrowing her brow. “Huh?”

He continued on, completely serious. “Yeah. um. I got out of the precinct and just kinda started walking. I’m, like, seven minutes out.”

“Oh. I… Okay.”

“If that’s okay.”

“Yeah! Um. Yes. Of course it’s okay,” she quickly assured him. “Yeah. I’ll, uh keep the lights on.”

“Cool. Thank you.”

“Um… See you then?”

“Yeah.”

And then he hung up.

Her chest hurt when she set her phone down. He was usually so cocky. So self-assured. Now he just sounded… small.

The door chimed at 11:04.

Ahsoka looked up immediately. There he was.

His “Mouse Rat” hoodie was thrown on, the drawstring knotted and wrinkled like he’d been messing with it incessantly. His eyes were rimmed the kind of red that meant he’d cried but didn’t want anyone to know. He stepped inside, and without even thinking, Ahsoka walked straight to him and wrapped her arms around his middle.

He didn’t say a word. He just melted into her, like he’d needed that hug all day. His arms came up around her shoulders and his nose pressed into her hair. He breathed slowly, like the weight of the world had finally shifted just enough to exhale.

She held on tighter.

When they both finally stepped back and made their way to their counter, handed him the drink that she’d put together.

“Made you something,” she said quietly, sliding the cup across the surface.

He blinked at it a few times. It was a hot chocolate with cinnamon. The top was all foamy and creamy, and she risked it all by putting a cocoa powder heart on top of it all. It was the comfort drink to end all comfort drinks.

She hoped.

He stared for a minute, then took a picture, which made her lips twitch. Then he took a sip and sighed.

“That’s… It’s delicious.” he said eventually. “Thank you.”

“Yeah. Of course.”

He finally caught a glance of the side of the cup, where it clearly read “Phrancisco.”

He blinked up at her. “I… That’s…” he seemed to ponder the best way to say it, “You spelled my name wrong.”

“Yeah,” she said with a shrug and a sympathetic half-smile. “On purpose. You seemed like you needed a reason to cry.”

He laughed at that- a wet, choked sound- and then, in a moment, his expression cracked. His eyes welled up and he rested his head in his hands and just let it happen.

Ahsoka stepped around the counter to sit next to him. She rubbed his back.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, sniffling. “Sorry, this is so dumb-”

“You’re good,” she said softly, in a tone that she hoped was nonjudgmental and encouraging.

“I’m just… tired,” he sniffed.

“I figured.”

“I was at the precinct for, like, five hours trying to get him processed out,” he said, his voice gruff. “Something with his parole, I guess? He didn’t show up to check in or some bullshit, so they picked him up, or- I don’t even know the full story yet.”

“It's just because he didn’t check in?” Ahsoka didn’t know nearly as much as she should about the legal system, but she was determined to be supportive.

“They threatened to hold him.”

“Damn,” she whispered. She at least knew what that meant.

“Yeah.”

“I think they’re gonna try to revoke his parole,” he said in a voice so tense she assumed the words physically hurt to say.

Ahsoka turned toward him, fully now. “What?”

“I know.”

“Whatever he did couldn’t have been that bad.”

“It wasn’t!” Fives exclaimed, clearly frustrated. “I- Yeah. It wasn’t his fault, really. I assume. I don’t even know.”

Ahsoka sucked in a breath. She had sworn she was gonna save this for the third date, but here they were. “Uh,” she began awkwardly. “What… What did he do? Or not do,” she added quickly. She made a face. “What happened?”

Fives rubbed the heel of his hand into his eye and exhaled deeply. His voice, when it came out, was a little steadier than before.”

“I didn’t even know when it was happening," he said finally.

Ahsoka glanced over at him, quiet. She listened.

“I was, like… twenty? Just starting out at the station. Big dreams of being, like, a star newscaster.”

“Which you are,” she pointed out.

“Which I am. But that's pretty much all I focused on." He huffed like it wasn’t funny but he wished it was. “Hunter was doing what he always did: odd jobs, construction gigs, delivery work, whatever he could get. We were struggling pretty badly at the time. He didn’t talk about it much. Said he was figuring it out.”

A beat.

“I thought he was just hustling. You know? Like, scraping by like the rest of us.”

She nodded slowly. “But?”

“But turns out some of the jobs weren’t exactly… legal,” Fives muttered, his jaw ticking. “He’d picked up work with this guy he met through a temp agency. Or that’s what he told me, anyway,” he added with a rueful chuckle. “Who knows? But anyway. He always gave Hunter cash up front, no questions asked.”

He stared at his drink with a purpose.

“I didn’t even know he was involved with anyone shady. But then I got a call from a number I didn’t recognize at, like, one in the morning. I thought…” He paused. “Hell, I don’t know what I thought. But it wasn’t ‘your brother got arrested as an accessory to burglary.’”

Ahsoka’s brows pulled together.

“He was the driver,” Fives said hurriedly, finally looking up. “He didn’t break into anything himself, didn’t even know the guys were inside until they sprinted out of the building carrying bags. I guess they’d told him he was, like, a Lyft driver?”

“Oh.”

“I know. They’d used him to case the joint, too, a few weeks before that. They had him deliver a package there. And Hunter… If you saw him, you’d think he was this broody badass that kicks ass and takes names. But he’s not.” Fives grew contemplative. “He likes to see the best in people.”

Ahsoka reached out without thinking, one of her hands wrapping over both of his.

“He pled out,” Fives went on. “Which got him a lot of time, but he got out after a bit with a shit ton of parole and a record. The whole nine yards. And that was years ago. But every time something glitches in the system, every time he misses a check-in or someone runs his name for something stupid like a parking ticket…” He blew out a sharp breath. “Back in cuffs.”

He leaned back, head tipped up like he was trying not to cry again. “He’s not perfect. Definitely. I know that. He can be trusting. And stubborn. And really damn good at pretending he knows what he’s doing. But he’s not a criminal. He was just trying to make rent.”

They sat there a while. Her thumb brushed softly across his knuckles.

“I’m sorry,” she said finally, and she meant it.

Fives blinked slowly, eyes still on the ceiling. “Yeah. Me too.” A long pause. "Anyway. Some guy he used to work with got caught in some illegal shit yesterday, and apparently Hunter’s name is in some of the logs. Like… barely. A few mentions. I think, like, two signatures. But enough that his PO flagged it and made a report.” He rubbed the heel of his palm over his eye. Ahsoka winced. “And it’s just… He doesn’t need that. I know I’m biased, but he’s raising a whole fucking kid on his own, you know?”

Ahsoka nodded and decided that a new topic of conversation for the third date would be how he acquired Omega.

“Is she okay?” Ahsoka asked softly.

Fives sighed. “Yeah. She doesn’t know what’s going on, really.”

“That’s… Good?” she tried.

He managed a smile and a glance in her direction. “It is.”

“I just hate seeing him like this,” he whispered. “He tries so hard. He’s got this little kid who depends on him for everything. And now he’s scared he’s gonna get pulled back into the system and lose her.” He took a long breath, shaking his head, and then his head snapped up. He was wide-eyed. “Oh my god. I just… Oh my god. I’m so sorry.”

Ahsoka breathed a laugh. “You’re good. You needed it, clearly.”

“I did,” he laughed. “Jesus.”

They both went quiet for a second, letting the silence soak in and soften everything around it. The low hum of the café’s fridge filled the gap, and then, on top of that, her stomach growled.

She decided to gaslight him into thinking that she was not the offender.

Ahsoka raised a teasing eyebrow in his direction. “You hungry?”

He chuckled, either believing her or entertaining her. “Honestly? Terribly.”

“You want to grab something?” she offered, before remembering the weight of their situation. “Or… do you need to get back to him?”

Fives hesitated. “He and Omega are with one of my other brothers right now. So I’m free if you are.”

Ahsoka grinned. “You think I have plans?”

Fives laughed, and she shook her head.

“I was gonna watch a movie and fall asleep on my couch. So, yeah. I’m free.”

He raised his eyebrows. “That was… actually my plan, too.”

“Stalker.”

“Jerk.”

They chuckled.

“Wanna come over?” he asked suddenly. “We can pick something up on the way. My treat.”

“Because you walked here and don’t wanna walk back,” Ahsoka guessed.

Fives paused. “Um. I’ll let you pick the movie, too,” he tried.

That made her laugh. She stood, still smiling, and grabbed her bag. “Alright then.”

He brightened. “We’re going?”

“If you hurry.”

He rushed to her side as she locked up the shop. She noticed the cocoa still in his hand, and raised an eyebrow. “It’s okay if you didn’t like it,” she assured him.

His eyes widened. “No! No, no. I love it. I just didn’t want to ruin the heart.”

She made a noncommittal sound and led him to her car. Her own heart was probably beating loud enough to hear.

He pulled out his phone as they reached the car. “Mexican sound okay?”

“I love Mexican.”

He grinned. “Perfect. There’s a taco place nearby that makes ridiculously good carnitas.”

Ten minutes later, they were out of the sketchiest, but most delicious-smelling drive-thru Ahsoka had ever been to in her life. Fives directed her to the high-rise he lived in. Her face fell when it came into view. It was all glass and chrome, with a million levels and valet parking.

She parked in a guest spot and trailed behind him into the building.

The lobby alone was enough to make her say “ oh my god ” out loud and do a 360, similar to the way Fives had when he first entered her place. The place had shifting mood lighting, sculptures, and a smell she could only describe as expensive.

They rode the elevator up in silence, her arms full of takeout, his hands fidgeting with his hoodie string.

His apartment was even worse.

The door opened to a sleek, glowing, absurdly fancy bachelor dream pad. There were windows as tall as two of Fives with remote-controlled shades. LED lights lined the ceiling and floors. The whole place looked untouched and un-partied, but his sofa could easily seat eight. A minimalist kitchen with a faucet lit up blue when the water was cold and had a screen on the fridge that showed the weather and Spotify.

“Oh my god,” she said again.

“You like?” he grinned, but there was uncharacteristic anxiety in his eyes.

“Your countertop… is quartz?”

“And opal.”

“Wow.”

“I know.”

“It’s… fancy,” she noted, sitting at one of the barstools by the counter.

He chuckled and set the food down in front of her. “I needed a project after my last promotion. This was it. My little…” he flung an arm out dramatically “...oasis of bad spending choices.”

Ahsoka rolled her eyes with a chuckle.

He grabbed a bottle from the cabinet- a dark glass with no label- and poured himself a shot of something that looked expensive. He made a big deal of grabbing a second shot glass, asking if she wanted one.

She arched a brow. “It’s a Wednesday.”

“It’s Saturday somewhere,” he shrugged, downing the shot.

Ahsoka pursed her lips. “Not sure that’s how the saying goes.”

Fives seemed completely unbothered, and he poured himself another. “What’d you get for food?”

She unpacked the bag and got out a burrito and held it up for him to see. He grinned.

“Nice. Chicken or beef?”

“Beef.”

His eyes lit up. “Twins!” She smirked and set his burrito down. He grabbed it and started heading to the other room. When Ahsoka didn’t follow, he looked back. “You gonna come eat, or what?”

Ahsoka shrugged and followed. She had assumed that they’d eat, you know, in the dining room, but she’d follow the house rules.

They sat on his massive couch with burritos, the hot chocolate, and LED lighting glowing soft purple-blue behind the sofa. For a few minutes, all was quiet. Just chewing and breathing and 30 Rock on the TV.

But Ahsoka was not blind to Fives checking his phone. Again and again. Then rubbing his palms together. Then bouncing one knee.

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, and he didn’t seem to notice. After staring for far too long, she set her burrito down on the coffee table. He did the same and looked at her expectantly.

She hesitated. “You okay?”

He exhaled, as if he had been waiting for that question, and leaned back.

“Not… really,” he muttered. “I mean, I’m here. That’s good. Just… Distracted, is all.”

Ahsoka scooted a little bit closer. “Do you… I mean, do you wanna talk about it?”

He shook his head. “Nah. I just mean, like, what if he loses custody of Omega? What if he’s gotta go back to court? I mean, fuck, he’s not perfect, but he’s trying-” He paused, catching himself. Then he chuckled. “Shit. Maybe I do want to talk about it." He chuckled self-deprecatingly.

Ahsoka breathed a laugh.

“But…” Fives continued. “That’s not your burden to bear.”

Her smile dropped a little.

“Don’t worry,” he assured her easily. “I’ve got my brothers.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

A silence settled heavy between them. After a long beat, he looked up at Ahsoka with a smirk.

“So,” he began. “‘Peace.’”

She groaned, but it came out with half a laugh. “Oh my god. We’re circling back to that?”

“Uh, yeah. I saw your texts. I have to hold you accountable.”

She laughed. “Okay.”

“Tell me what you didn't like.”

Ahsoka paused, held up a finger in a “one moment” gesture, and whipped out her phone. Fives furrowed a brow, then realized.

He chuckled. “You’re looking up the lyrics.”

“I’m looking up the lyrics,” she confirmed, matching his smile. She pulled them up and scrolled through them. “Okay. Okay, okay. So. First of all, ‘I never had the courage of my convictions.’ Not a real sentence. And then ‘the devil’s in the details, but you’ve got a friend in me’? Two unrelated statements. And just… I guess all of it,” she shrugged, pocketing her phone. “It didn’t resonate. Felt all disjointed. Like she was trying too had.”

Fives gave her a look.

“I know, I know ,” she said, hands up defensively. “But you said it’s about loving someone even if you’re too broken, or whatever, to give them peace, right?”

He nodded. “Which is beautiful.”

“Well,” she continued, “Maybe I just don’t believe in that. Like… if you can’t give someone peace, maybe that’s a sign it’s not love. Maybe that’s selfish.”

Fives blinked at her.

“Damn.”

She shrugged.

He shook his head, almost in disbelief. “That’s… terrifying.”

She shrugged again. “But that’s just my two cents.”

He looked at her again, and this time there was something contemplative in his eyes, like he wanted to say something else.

His head tilted a little toward her. “I… You really think that?”

“Think what?”

“That it’s selfish?”

Ahsoka pondered for a long moment, but then nodded. “I mean, yeah. Maybe I’m just a cynic, but I think it’s kinda stupid to think that love, or romance, or whatever, is this all-encompassing, ever-shiny, tragically poetic thing, Like, it didn’t matter if it hurt, because it was love.”

“Exactly.”

“No,” she said, laughing a bit. “Not ‘exactly.’ I think there’s a ton of value in feeling safe with somebody instead of trying to survive them.”

Fives shook his head. “What if they love you more than anyone ever could, though?”

Her stomach flipped at the question, and she wasn’t quite sure why. “...If they did, then they’d put my happiness first, I think. Or at least, they should. ‘If you love someone, let them go,’ or whatever.”

“Okay, yeah,” Fives relented. “I’ll give you that. But back to my point: what if they really, really, love you? Like they’re crazy about you? But they have some sort of trauma or whatever. That's not their fault, right?”

“It is if they haven’t made any effort to heal that trauma.”

“Okay,” he said slowly, like he was taking it to heart. “Okay. What if it’s ongoing. Like, they’re going through a big life event right now.”

“Then…”

She hesitated.

She met his gaze, earnest and unyielding.

“Then maybe it’s a right person, wrong time sort of sitch.”

He sighed. “Right,” he said, almost to himself. Then he frowned. “But what if they’re impatient?”

And his eyes were on hers again.

Something in the air felt a lot more personal, more raw, than it had just a second before. He was leaning in, and she looked down at herself. She matched his angle.

“Then maybe…” she started, though she had nowhere in mind that she was going. “Maybe they need to stop and think for a second. Because maybe the other person’s just as gone-”

“What if they hate thinking?”

“Then maybe-”

And then they were kissing. He had leaned in, and she had met him halfway because it felt like “of course.”

It wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t rough.

It was a question.

Her answer was “yes 100% definitely.”

She lacked eloquence, but she felt it got the point across.

His hand cupped the side of her face like she might disappear if he wasn’t careful. And she she melted into it. Her fingers found the hem of his sleeve and curled there. But the second they started, guilt began to claw its way up her throat.

She pulled back.

“Shit,” she breathed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have-”

He kissed her again. And damn, was it hard to pull away. But the moment she did, his hands were completely off of her, and now he was the one apologizing.

“Oh God. I’m so sorry. Did I-”

“No! No, you’re good, I-”

“-move too fast or something?”

“Just started thinking too hard.”

Silence. Then they both chuckled.

“I’m sorry,” he said finally.

She paused, raising an eyebrow. “Huh? No. What? I’m sorry.”

“What? Why? I kissed you .”

“Yeah but you’re going through stuff and I don’t wanna be that person-”

“Hey. It’s okay.”

She shook her head. “We don’t have to do that right now. Whatever this is. Let’s just… get through everything first, and then if we wanna get crazy later, we can.”

He stared at her. Then smiled. “Okay.”

Silence again.

Then, because he couldn’t not be a smartass-

“So I was right. In your car, like, two weeks ago. When I said you were into me.”

She groaned and dropped her head on his shoulder. “Oh my god.”

He laughed.

She got up, stole one of his fuzzy throw blankets from the couch, and draped it over his lap.

“Go to sleep,” she murmured. “You need it.”

“Yeah,” he said. “You tucking me in?”

“Someone’s gotta.”

She kissed his forehead. He looked completely taken aback for a long moment, but then he grinned and blushed hard and she knew she hadn’t overstepped.

“Goodnight,” she called, grabbing her bag. “You can save the rest of my burrito.”

“You’re the best. See you tomorrow.”

Then she grabbed her bag, turned off the lamp, and walked out.

Chapter Text

Fives(isco)

Wednesday, 7:37AM

Hey

hey lol

Sorry about last night

Ur good

lol

Thanks

Sorry again

👍

Thursday, 12:45PM

Sorry cant make it today

Stuff w hunter

Yeah np

Friday, 10:58PM

hey im not working today

lol

Yeah i figured

?

I showed up and u werent there lol

Oh

Sorry

👍

The door opened at 3:17.

“Hi. Welcome to Cad Bean. What can I get for you?” she asked on autopilot without looking up.

“Hey, um." The customer cleared their throat awkwardly. "Could I get a black coffee, two sugars, and a second chance? Maybe a date?”

Ahsoka’s head snapped up.

Fives.

In a t-shirt. And jeans. And hair that wasn’t gelled.

Ahsoka put a hand on her hip.

“The hell kind of rom-com line was that?”

He managed a self-deprecating laugh at that, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“So… Not clever?”

She moved her hand in a “more or less” sign.

“Damn,” he chuckled nervously, running a hand through his hair. “Well. Spent the past three days working on that. So, uh.” He rocked back and forth on his heels.

Ahsoka stared at him, unimpressed. "And that's what made the final cut?”

“It sounded good in my head!” he insisted. “I went over it, like, twelve times. There was a version with a pun about espresso-ing my feelings.” 

She blinked at him. “Well, you should’ve led with that.”

Fives lit up a little. “Really?”

“No.”

He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Okay, that’s fair.” He took a cautious step closer. “But… I did mean it. My order. About the second chance thing.”

Ahsoka crossed her arms. “You basically ghosted me for two days.”

“I texted you for two days,” he corrected. “And I was being passive-aggressively ignored.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You kissed me and then dipped.”

“You left! ”

“You kissed me first!”

“Okay but you kissed me back and then-”

“I said we should wait!”

He threw his hands up. “Which I respected!”

Ahsoka sighed, closing her eyes tightly for a moment before looking up at him. “I…" She took a deep breath. "...am working right now. You know my hours.”

“Yeah, well. Figured I’d check if you were in today before I stayed up ‘til eleven to see you.”

Ahsoka had nothing to say to that. “I… Damn.”

“Yeah.”

“...Mhm.”

“But you’ll be here tonight,” he said, not quite asking. “At eleven.”

“I will.”

“Alright.” The bell rang, and he cast a glance over his shoulder at the person coming into line behind him. He turned to her. “Then, uh… I’ll see you then?”

She huffed a laugh and smiled tiredly. “You will.” He was turning to go, when she blurted, “Hey.” He looked back. “Did you still want that coffee?”

He smirked, returning to the counter and leaning on it. “Actually…” He pretended to look at the menu for a second. “Actually, I had a really good hot chocolate the other day. Any chance you can make me one of those?”

Ahsoka had to bite back her smile. “Coming right up.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

She rolled her eyes and got started on the hot chocolate. She put whipped cream on it, and, against her better judgement, sprinkled a little heart on top.

“Order for Fives!” she called, setting the cup and the lid (separately, so that he could see the heart) on the pickup counter. She searched for him in the room. He was on his phone. “Fives!” she called again. He finally looked glanced over, confused. She gestured to his coffee, and he gave her a look that she couldn’t read.

Fives came up to the counter slowly, smiled a little at the heart, and said “Thanks, Sixes.” And he was off.

Sixes?

The hell?

Oh. Shit.

“Francisco,” she muttered under her breath. “Francisco, Francisco, Francisco.” A pause. That was fun to say.

The day crawled by at a snail’s pace.

Everyone was a little louder than usual. A little slower. Just a bit more annoying. It was almost a relief when the door chimed at 10:55.

Almost.

She was cleaning the espresso machine and decided not to look up this time.

“Hey,” came that voice. And then she looked up anyway.

Fives stood in the doorway in the same clothes from earlier, but this time with a hopeful little smile.

Ahsoka looked him up and down. “Hey.”

“So…” He walked up to the counter and leaned on it. “Talk?”

Ahsoka breathed an awkward laugh. “There’s really not a lot to say.”

“Strongly disagree.”

“Even if there was, I’m closing up.”

“Then come to my place.”

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow.

He grinned. “I walked here," he said with a hint of singsong in his voice.

She found it in herself to chuckle. “Just so that I’d have to drive you home?”

“Just so that you’d offer.” He shrugged. “No obligation.”

Ahsoka locked the register. “There’s a moral obligation.”

“I’ll pay for takeout.”

“You trying to bribe me?”

“I’m desperately trying to bribe you, yeah.”

They shared a small, quiet laugh. Then Ahsoka looked up at Fives.

“Alright. Deal.”

He smiled, his eyes widening in excitement. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

He grinned, standing up. “Hell yeah. Let’s go.”

Ahsoka locked the place up and they went to her car. Fives’ phone automatically connected to the Bluetooth, and he put on some sad indie artist that Ahsoka didn’t recognize.

They didn’t talk much on the drive, save for when she asked for his Wendy’s order. Then they got their food and it was silent again. They walked into his bougie apartment building and made it all the way into the elevator without saying a word. It wasn’t terribly awkward, surprisingly. But it was tense.

Fives, naturally, was the one to break it.

“The food smells really good.”

Ahsoka looked at him, then down to the bag of fast food in her hand. “...Yeah.”

And that was pretty much it.

They made it to his room and sat on the couch. Fives set up some superhero show while she unpacked the takeout bag. He grabbed his burger and took a big bite out of it, speaking with his mouth full. “So.”

She waited for him to continue. He did not.

“So…?”

“So.” He shrugged. “What’s up?”

She snorted, shrugging her shoulders helplessly.

He smirked. “Are we gonna do small talk first?”

“No point, really.”

He snapped his fingers into a finger gun, pointing at her. “I like that. You have anything you wanna say first, or can I just go?”

Ahsoka leaned back, grabbing her chicken nuggets. “By all means, go right on ahead.”

“Alright.” He shifted so that he faced her more. “Not gonna lie, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking.”

“That’s surprising.”

“I know,” he agreed, either not getting the joke or overlooking it. Probably the former. “But yeah. I know my life’s… a mess. But, you know, it’s actually always like that. I kind of always have something going on.”

Ahsoka chewed thoughtfully, nodding. He continued.

“My point is, yeah, my brother’s having trouble right now. Yeah, that’s kind of a big life thing. But I’m used to it. You know? I always have something going on. I’m... used to it.”

Ahsoka swallowed her bite. “So your life is constant chaos.”

“Essentially.”

“You’re making a really strong case for yourself.”

He laughed at that, easy and light. Then he set his burger down on the coffee table. That meant things were getting serious.

“But I like you,” he said finally, like that could erase the whole “I’m a tornado” conversation from seconds earlier. “And I know that sucks right now. And I know we agreed it was, like, a ‘wrong time’ sort of situation. But with me, I’m really not sure there will ever be a right time. And I know it was a dick move to kiss you the other day, and you have every right to be pissed. But I swear, I didn’t plan it. I didn’t have an ulterior motive for inviting you over that night.”

“No?”

“Nope. It just kind of popped into my head, and you looked like maybe you might not hate the idea.” He took a breath and looked down, shaking his head. “Anyway. That’s my piece,” he said simply, looking back up at her. “Up to you where you want to go from here.”

Ahsoka quickly stuffed a piece of chicken into her mouth to prolong her needing to speak. It would buy her a few seconds to think.

Think of what, exactly?

Well, that was one thing she needed to think about.

Was he asking to pursue a relationship? Or the beginning of it? Maybe. If he was, would that be such a bad idea?

Maybe.

But it wasn’t like she was a terribly complicated person, anyway. If he had chaos, she could handle it. Probably. Maybe it could even them out. He’d have a shoulder to cry on, and she’d have a real-life soap opera to watch.

And also, the apartment?

She could get used to that.

Oh, come on, Ahsoka. Be better than that.

And then the chicken had been chewed far too many times, and she swallowed it.

Time was up.

She looked to him. He was waiting earnestly, his eyes boring into hers with such intensity that it took her aback. She opened her mouth to speak and it took a moment before any words actually came out.

“What are you asking?”

“I’m asking if you’ll try,” he responded immediately. “Just… hanging out.”

Ahsoka snorted. “You sound like a middle schooler.”

“You know what I mean.”

She sighed, meeting his gaze again. “I do.”

“Take… Take whatever time you need.”

Ahsoka nodded, leaning back on the couch, arms crossed. She let out a long sigh. “I mean, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t tempting.”

“Sounds like a business deal,” he chuckled. Then his face straightened. “But yeah. I’m giving you the reins.” Then he paused. “Wait, no. A few more things.”

Ahsoka blinked. “That wasn’t it?”

He smiled weakly. “That was the appetizer.”

She gestured, nugget in hand. “Floor’s still yours.”

Fives sat up straighter, ran a hand through his hair, then just let it fall to the couch next to him. “Alright, so… here’s the thing.”

Ahsoka set her food down.

“If we do pursue something, I might not give you flowers on anniversaries. Or special dates,” Fives began. Strong start. “I mean, I’ll try. Obviously. But I’ll probably forget.” Still super strong. “But I’ll give you flowers on a random Thursday, just because. Or make you food when you have a bad day. And yeah, I might not always say the right thing or text back on time or make it to brunch with your extended family or whatever. I won’t always be easy to be with. I get moody, and I overthink, and I’ve got this tendency to make jokes when I’m overwhelmed.”

“You’re making a great case for yourself,” Ahsoka smirked.

He gave her a sheepish glance, then continued. “I’ve got stuff. Real stuff. Stuff with Hunter, and Omega, and my job, and my history, and none of it’s glamorous. And sometimes I wake up with this pit in my stomach that I’ll never be healthy, or normal, or enough, or whatever. And it scares me.”

He rubbed his palms against his jeans anxiously.

“I’m never gonna be someone who gives you… simplicity. Or calm,” he said, soft now. “The kind where everything is quiet and neat. I’ll never be a blank slate. I come with noise. A lot of it.”

Ahsoka watched him, silently listening.

“I like you more than I should,” he said. “Like, a lot more. Like, it's annoying, honestly. You’re in my brain constantly. It’s loud enough up there, and then there’s you, somehow louder than all of it.” He laughed ruefully, and Ahsoka matched him. “I want- if you want- I want to try. Even if I can’t promise you constant awesomeness. I can’t. But I can promise effort. And honesty.”

There was a long silence.

“And fast food,” he added.

Ahsoka stared at him.

Then she exhaled slowly, looking at him seriously. “You done?”

“Maybe,” he said, eyes wide like a kid waiting to get scolded.

Ahsoka nodded, like she was considering her options. Then:

“I can deal with that.”

Fives looked at her like she’d asked him for money. “What?”

“I can deal with that,” she repeated, a little more certain. “I don’t need quiet. I don’t even know what that would look like. Honestly? I think I’d get bored.”

He stared. His mouth opened, then shut. Then it opened again. “I- Really?”

“Yeah. Really.”

“But I said all that stuff. Like…” He waved a hand. “All the lame, emotional, dumpster fire stuff.”

She laughed. “I recall.”

“And you still wanna try?”

She leaned in a little. “Just because I feel bad for you.”

He smiled easily. “Sounds about right.” He grabbed his burger again. “Well, I appreciate your charity.”

She gave him a slow, teasing smile, then picked her chicken nuggets back up. “So. Are we gonna make this awkward and weird for a couple more hours, or do you wanna put on a movie and maybe make out a little?”

He choked on his burger.

Ahsoka shrugged, deadpan. “I’m a busy woman.”

He stared at her for a long time, then looked to the door, like maybe he should lock it, and then back to her, uncertainty written all over his face. "I..."

Finally, Ahsoka snorted. “I’m kidding,” she assured him. He laughed in turn, but his expression was a weird mix between relief and disappointment.

“Right," he said, coughing. Ahsoka worried that her joke had maybe made things more awkward than they were going to be anyway. Damn it, Ahsoka. "Um. So.”

She looked at him. “So?”

“...What do you wanna do?”

She shrugged. “I dunno. We could talk.”

“Okay. We can do, like, a game where we ask each other things about each other?”

Ahsoka gave Fives a sideways smile. “I think you’re overthinking this.”

He laughed too, seeming to loosen up a bit. “True. I do have a question for you, though.”

“Shoot.”

“Um. Fives?”

Ahsoka stiffened.

She opened her mouth to answer. Then closed it. “I…” She shook her head at herself, chuckling. "Um. For the longest time, I called you ‘Fives’ in my head. Still kinda do, actually.”

Fives looked cautiously intrigued. “...Why? Because I was born on May fifth? Can you see my birthday from my credit card information when I pay?”

Ahsoka’s eyebrows raised at that. “Um. No. But that’s cool.” She shook her head. “Anyway. Uh, because you’d always come in at 10:55. So, like, in my head, I called you Mr. Comes-In-Five-Minutes-Before-Closing. So, Fives for short.”

He seemed to contemplate that for a long moment. Then he smirked. “Huh,” he huffed thoughtfully. “I don’t hate it.”

Ahsoka smiled a little. “Seriously?”

“Yeah. It’s weirdly endearing.”

Ahsoka smiled. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Endearing," she repeated. "I’ll take it.”

He looked at her.

She looked back.

Neither of them moved for a long moment.

Then, softly, Fives spoke. “So… do I get to kiss you again? Or is that, like, an off-limits thi-”

Before she had time to think better of it, she leaned in. And then they were kissing again.

But this time, when they pulled back, both of them stayed.

...And they kissed some more.