#also winnie! in the corner! she follows me around ;v;

[ad-hawkeye]

i went to anime nyc as the little painter herself! i got complimented on my cosplay a lot - though it was always followed up with "what show is it from?" :,,) i suppose i'm an honorary member of lbc's global marketing team now...!

[ilovemygaydad]

part 3/? of punk!patton gets adopted by single parent logan

part one - part two - part four - part five - ao3 version - masterlist (includes asks)

pairings: one-sided pining moxiety, eventual logince, background pining remceit, mentions of past thomas/female oc

warnings: swearing, lots of emotions, anxiety, worry, sympathetic deceit (his name is DC), jealousy, sadness, one-sided pining, rivalry mentions, depression mentions, divorce mentions, being held back a grade, arguments, anger, crying, unhealthy coping mechanisms, embarrassment, like some angst (sorry buds but emotionally closed off patton is an angst fest), food mentions, possibly something else

***feel free to send me questions or comments! i’ll answer them to the best of my ability, and everything is tagged under “punk!patton au”

a/n: this one is.... so long

(a clarification: logan and patton aren’t really father and son--they’re more like legal guardian and child. neither of them were looking for a father/son relationship, so they agreed that it wasn’t for them. i just didn’t clarify)

a few weeks had passed since the whole clothes incident, and patton and virgil had actually become real friends

which was why patton was unnerved when virgil’s foot wouldn’t stop tapping in their first block class

patton scribbled out a quick “you okay?” on a piece loose leaf paper and nudged virgil’s leg to get his attention and passed over the note

a few moments later, the paper is passed back to patton, and virgil’s neat writing reads “yeah, just nervous”

“about what?”

“well... i was going to ask you if you wanted to join my family for our twice-monthly disney marathon on saturday. dad’s college friend comes with his son, dc. he’s a senior. everyone wears onesies, and we just chill and watch cartoons for the night. you don’t have to come if you don’t want, but i thought you might enjoy it.”

and patton’s like

oh

okay

this is... a thing

so he writes back, “sure. i think dc is in my photography class?”

and virgil passes the note back one last time, but the timing went poorly, and the teacher sees

she’s like “mr sanders. mr summers. are you passing notes?”

and patton rolls his eyes as he takes the paper and clips it into his binder “no, ms w. virgil thought that he’d missed some of the notes yesterday by accident, so i gave him my sheet so he could double check.”

and the teacher is like ,,,,,,, fine and goes back to teaching, but virgil looks over at patton and gives him this small, thankful smile

and if patton has some weird, fluttery feelings about it, then that’s fine

even though he doesn’t

(the note says “7pm--last house on zora lane downtown. you’ll know the one ;)” and patton finds it really cute)

so saturday rolls around, and patton picks out some pajamas to go in because he doesn’t have a onesie

logan had offered to buy him a onesie, but patton looked up one that he thought he might like, and it was nearly forty dollars. he refused to let logan spend so much money on something so stupid

he settles on a black muscle tank and black jogger sweats because there’s no way he’s going to break his aesthetic for a disney marathon

he does wear his glasses, though, because he doesn’t want to deal with the hassle of taking out his contacts before going to sleep and then putting them back in before anyone wakes back up, and he’s too blind to just go without

and he hates how the huge, square frames look on his face, and the lenses are so damn thick

but he wears them anyway because he has to

logan drives him to virgil’s house and it definitely wasn’t because logan was hoping to catch a glimpse of virgil’s dad what???

virgil was right--his house was so easy to find. it had a ranbow flag flying by the door, and about twenty little rainbow pinwheels stuck around the garden

it was either the sanders’ house, or it belonged to the world’s most excited five year old

the thing is, virgil didn’t mention that it was huge with gigantic fucking windows and a chandelier that was visible from the fucking street

patton gives a quick goodbye to logan and goes up to the door. he rings the doorbell, and almost immediately, the door swings open. there’s a tall man in a stitch onesie and round glasses smiling at him, and all patton can choke out is a small “hello”

and this man squeals

like

squeals

and then he says, “you must be patton! virgil has told us so much about you--come in!”

it isn’t like patton is just going to say no, so he walks inside and follows this stranger through the house, looking around as they go

the place is just as big as it looks from the outside. there’s a formal dining room to the right and a large office to the left

patton wouldn’t really call the dining room “formal,” however, since all the chairs and the table are random colors and sizes and styles

but that doesn’t even mention the vast foyer with floating stairs to the second level on the left side of the hall and bridging to the upstairs on the right

patton couldn’t believe he was somewhere so fucking nice

they keep going and patton gets a few glimpses of the shiny kitchen and lush living room as they head through a door to the basement

disney music filtered up the stairwell as they descended into the finished basement

it smells like cookies and popcorn

they round the corner and there’s a little entertainment area with a rainbow of giant, fluffy bean bag chairs and a very large flatscreen tv that was currently on the main screen of winnie the pooh

there was also a bookshelf full of disney DVDs (and even a few VHS tapes of the classics)

virgil, roman, and dc were sitting on a couple of the bean bags, but virgil immediately hopped up and threw himself at patton when he noticed that he was downstairs

“you actually came! and you have glasses!!!”

patton huffs out a laugh as he wraps his arms around virgil and hugs him back “yes, i did show up, v. i wasn’t going to stand you up. and, yeah, i do have glasses. i didn’t want the hassle of bringing my contacts and solution and shit, so i just wore my glasses even though they look stupid”

“that’s bullshit!” virgil almost shouts, but he quickly corrects his volume “the glasses look really nice, pat. i swear.”

and there’s that stupid fluttery feeling again

patton rolls his eyes as virgil releases him from a hug, and he’s actually able to get a good look at his friend

virgil’s wearing an eeyore onesie, which matches the disney onesie theme of roman’s mushu onesie and dc’s beymax onesie

patton almost feels left out in his regular pajamas, but he cuts that shit out right the fuck away

virgil gestures to the man who brought pat downstairs “that’s emile. he’s dad’s college friend, and you said you know who dc is already” he still points to the boy who was draped over his bean bag upside down and staring at them with his heterochromatic eyes—the gold one standing out against the darker birthmark around his eye. dc flashed a peace sign, and patton waved back

virgil turns his gaze to the cookies and popcorn set out in the middle of the floor by the tv “those are free to eat—just don’t get between dad and the snickerdoodle ones. he’s vicious. and, i’m only telling you this because i know for a fact that i’m speaking too fast for him to understand”

so they all sit down and watch the movie

patton decides to not notice when virgil moves from a pink beanbag to a purple one right next to patton’s blue one

the movie starts, and it’s all goofy and fun in the basement. the sanders and picanis are quoting the characters and singing along to the little songs

even roman, who signs along with a soft smile on his face

patton is kind of in awe at how relaxed everyone is

he’s also in awe at how freaking cold it is in the basement

he can feel himself curling up and shivering, and he totally regrets wearing a tank top

patton doesn’t know how, but virgil sees him shivering and hops up from his chair, whispering a hasty “i’ll be right back” before sprinting upstairs

when virgil returns, he’s holding a bundle of gray fabric that he tosses to patton

when the bundle is unfolded, patton sees that it’s a hoodie with cat ears and paws and a big pouch in the front

“sorry that it’s so cutesy,” virgil whispers. “it was the most black thing that i own...”

and patton just laughs a little because,,,, virgil’s thought process is really adorable and weird sometimes

like any hoodie or blanket would have done, but virgil absolutely had to get patton the darkest colored one

pat puts it on and instantly feels much warmer

after winnie the pooh, they change to black cauldron

roman whines for a little bit because “there aren’t even any songs!” but eventually concedes because it’s virgil’s favorite and he isn’t going to not let his son watch the movie on disney night

after that’s done, the adults decide they’re going to go to sleep

emile says it’s because they’re old, roman says it’s because he has yet to meet his prince charming in his dreams, and he is looking forward to it

as soon as the adults are gone, the teenagers move closer to the food in the middle

“so,” virgil starts. “it’s time for our gossip session. patton, you’re completely free to sit out if you feel uncomfortable”

“what, uh, does this ‘gossip session’ include...?” pat asks because honestly ???? he’s a bit afraid of what he might hear

dc decides to answer, saying, “usually it’s about what teachers are being shitty again, how classes are going, do we have any annoying group partners. that sort of fun stuff”

and patton just nods because that’s not bad at all

and then virgil does that cute thing like in the movies where he crosses his legs and rests his elbows on his knees and he puts his chin on his hands and he leans forward

you know

that thing

and he says, “sooooo dc. what’s up with that cute boy from school that you like? oh, what was his name? ryan? ray???”

dc rolls his eyes and crosses his arms, and his voice comes out clipped and low

“i don’t have a crush on remy sanders, who you already know because he is your cousin. first of all, stop doing that every time you bring him up. second, stop fucking bringing him up”

virgil just kinda goes “aw, bud, you totally have a crush on him!”

and dc flips out

“you fucking know how much i hate your teasing about crushes, and then you go and tease me in front of someone i barely know? at least i don’t do that! actually, you know what? maybe i will tell patton who you have a crush on because, fuck it! we’re letting all of our secrets out, anyway! virgil has a crush on—“

virgil cuts him off with a loud “STOP” and patton swears that time froze in that room as everyone stares at each other

“i’m sorry,” he continues. “it was so uncool of me to tease you in front of patton without your consent. i just—i think you and remy would be good together, even if it’s just as friends”

dc stands up and starts to march to the stairs “remy and i were nothing more rivals in school, and now that he’s out of the competition, we don’t have anything to connect us. just fucking drop it. i’m going to bed”

patton doesn’t really know what the hell is going on with this remy guy, but he knows some major shit just went down

he decides to focus on virgil instead of the twinge in his chest at the mention of virgil having a crush on someone

really softly, patton asks who remy is

“he’s my cousin,” says virgil “he’s technically the year above, but he got held back last year because of some personal stuff that messed with his school work.

“ever since we were kids, remy and dc were rivals in school. they were both smart and athletic and talented, and they wanted to be the best. they had a lot of chemistry despite the constant bickering, and i tried to get them to become friends instead of rivals. it never worked because remy spends weekends with his moms, so he couldn’t do disney nights, and on the days he was with his dad and could hang out, dc was busy with gymnastics.

“then, after rem got held back, they pretty much ceased all contact. i knew that both of them were hurting because they lost the thing that fueled them to be the best that they could be, but it was pretty obvious that they were missing each other, too.

“i just want them to be happy!” virgil ends, hunching in on himself

patton hesitantly opens up his arms

“do you... do you want a hug”

virgil doesn’t even answer; he just launches himself forward and pretty much tackles patton to the floor in a hug

he’s sobbing now, and patton doesn’t really know what to do, so he pats virgil’s back every so often and whispers nice things to him

eventually, virgil’s breathing evens out and he’s just sniffling into the soaked cat hoodie

patton slowly releases him and rubs virgil’s arms gently in a reassuring gesture

“i’ve never actually done this whole sleepover thing before,” pat says with a sheepish grin, trying to play up the act (even if it is partially real). “would you mind if i slept in your room?”

virgil looks surprised for a second, but then his face smooths out into a tiny smile

“yeah, sure. it’s getting kinda late.”

they pack up the leftover food and stick it in a cupboard by the stairs before going upstairs

virgil grabs patton’s hand as the make their way to his room because tbh he needs the comfort

patton doesn’t mind

virgil opens the door to his room, and it looks just how patton expected

the bed is straight ahead from the door and placed at the bottom of a large window with pink curtains. the blanket and pillows are floral patterned in pastel colors. there are tall, white bookshelves on both sides of the bed that are filled with books of all sizes and colors; however, they look to be organized by age and genre, starting with children’s books and ending with adult fiction and nonfiction. there’s a door that leads to what patton assumes is an en suite bathroom and double sliding doors to the closet. the walls are painted a very light purple, and the remaining furniture are all a slightly darker purple. there’s a wooden desk strewn with tons of office supplies and a vanity with a large mirror and makeup neatly organized in small plastic drawers

everything just screams virgil

while patton is busy ogling at the room, virgil had gone and grabbed a sleeping bag and extra pillow, setting them up on the floor

“i’m gonna go brush my teeth, so make yourself comfy in the bed!” virgil said as he walked into the bathroom

“woah, wait—i’m not sleeping in the bed! this is your house. you get your bed!” patton argues as he takes off the wet sweatshirt and looks for a place to put his glasses for the night

“nuh uh!” virgil sticks his head out the doorway, toothbrush in hand and toothpaste all over his mouth. “you sleep in the bed”

“you aren’t sleeping in that sleeping bag. i refuse to let you do that.”

“fine!” virgil went back into the bathroom, and patton assumed that the argument was over, but virgil came back out with the same fiery look in his eyes. “if i can’t sleep in the sleeping bag, neither can you. get your ass in that bed before i tackle you”

patton had never been so afraid of a 5’7”, 130 pound boy before

he quickly slid under the covers with virgil following after he flicked off the lights

within just a few minutes, both boys were fast asleep

there is so much warmth when patton starts to stir in the morning

he’s just so warm, and he loves it

he curls into the warmth, and for a second he thinks about falling back asleep

and then there was a soft giggle

patton jolted back, opening his eyes to see that he was face to face with virgil

he had been cuddling virgil

and virgil was laughing at him

“awwww, pat! you’re so cute when you’re asleep! you kept trying to cuddle me.”

“shut the fuck up,” patton grumbled, putting his glasses back on and slipping out of the bed

“but it was so cute!!!”

“and if you tell anyone,” patton growls (although, there isn’t much bite behind it) “i will end you. I have a reputation to uphold, and i won’t let you ruin it”

virgil just laughs and follows patton downstairs, teasing him the whole way to the kitchen

roman’s already there, sitting on the counter and stirring a bowl of something

“morning, dad!”

“morning, starshine. why does patton look so grumpy?”

patton slumps into a chair at the table all emo and grumpy, and virgil softly sighs

“i was teasing him, and he got a bit grumpy at me. i’m sure he’ll lighten up as soon as we have pancakes to eat.”

surprised, patton glances over at virgil. he was expecting virgil to completely expose him like the older kids at the orphanage had done, but virgil hadn’t. the smaller boy smiles gently and winks, sitting down next to pat

there’s this strong urge in patton to lean close to virgil, but he squashes that feeling down right the fuck away

“hey, has dc been down yet...?” virgil asks, and patton can see that he’s genuinely still worried and upset about what happened last night

“i am now,” dc announces as he walks into the kitchen

patton is Extremely uncomfortable right now

dc and virgil are just staring at each other when virgil speaks up again

“look, dc, i’m really sorry. it was super selfish of me to try and force your life a certain way based on what i wanted. i’ve always just wanted you two to be happy, but i let my own emotions get in the way”

there was a long pause, and for a second, patton thought that dc was going to throw hands or something

“i forgive you, virge,” dc sighs, and he sits down next to virgil. “i’m sorry, too. i was about to deal a low blow, and that was equally shitty.” he groaned and hid his face in his hands. “and you were right”

“right about... what, exactly?” virgil asked

“i have a crush on remy”

“oh. oh! oh my gosh, dc! that’s sweet! aw, i’m proud of you.”

patton has NO clue what’s going on, but he thinks it’s a nice family moment, so he decides not to intrude

dc and virgil chat for a few minutes, and patton stares at the table silently

it feels a bit like breakfasts at the orphanage where everyone else would laugh and talk and be normal kids

and he would just

sit

alone

all the while, roman had been cooking, and he shouts out, “alright, every-gay--i mean, except patton?”

“nah, i’m... i’m gay, too.” 

“sweet!” roman says with a sigh of relief. “every-gay, it is time for... cinnamon roll pancakes!”  

a huge--like, at least thirty--pile of pancakes was set in the center of the circle, and everyone immediately began to set pancakes on their own plates and slather the frosting on top

dc and virgil began to banter with each other and, against his better judgement, patton joined in

and it felt...

really nice

patton was getting to know virgil’s friends and family better, and it was so interesting to finally be part of some sort of family dynamic for the first time

then he looked over at virgil, who was stuffing pancakes into his face and

the feelings kind of hit him straight in the face

he’s in love with virgil

virgil, his best friend

virgil, who tried to defend him even after he’d been a total asshole

virgil, who... had a crush on someone else

patton almost drops his fork as a sick, sad feeling twists inside of his stomach

he can’t be in love with virgil because virgil doesn’t love him

for the rest of the morning, patton’s all fake smiles, and he keeps quiet

he says a quick goodbye to virgil when logan shows up to drive him home, and he sits silently in the car as logan chats with roman for a few minutes

he doesn’t turn around to wave at virgil

when he gets home, he immediately goes to his room and cries into his pillow

life was a lot easier when he stifled his emotions...

to be continued... in part four

asks are loved and encouraged 💖💖💖

tag list: @residentanchor @eeveeawesome @xionical @absolutesandersidestrash @stormcrawler75 @musikasworld @ironwoman359 @a-weirdo-with-a-computer @thegaypotatoroyalty707 @darkrainbow333 @ravenclawunicorn1 @noahlovescoffee @whymustibedraggedintofandomhell @romansleftshoulderpad @still-waiting-for-cookies @emounicorn2006 @lana–22 @angels-ofthe-sea @demonickittykat @lonelysoul43 @the-virgil-mary @five-second-cookies @noisywolfbatbakery @band-be-boss-blog @heck-im-lost@lamp-calm-sanders @patton-e @knightofbloodcancer @cloudchaser7 @really-sleep-deprived-nerd @era-eclipsed @khadij-al-kubra @anxiousmorality @are-you-really-sure-about-that @today-only-happens-once @notalwaysthevillian @backatthebein @sunshineandteddybears @ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2 @emo-sanders-sides-loving-unicorn @dodos-in-damnation @some-lost-meme-boi @dead4sevenyears @spookyingarbageisland @the-poison-apple-of-art@radioactivehelena @the-melody-of-eliza @im-a-mess-aaaaaa @whycantihavemorethan32characters @broadwaytheanimatedseries @veryvirginvirgil @llamaavocado @unisaurioamorfo @caterpiller-tea @cornycornfriendo @simon-at-3am 

[otterandterrierwrites]

{Hungry hearts} V. Polystarch and nerf-burgers

Ordinarily, nothing much went on in the moon of Uoth as far as sentient beings were concerned. The entirety of its terrain was volcanic in nature; the rest was water. Most of the planet’s life forms were aquatic and of little value to the Empire, which meant they never bothered with a visit.

That was their mistake.

Today, there weren’t only birds, frogs and crabs on the ground; there were also rebel soldiers.

Leia walked over the solidified lava that made up the landscape, shaped like soft round rocks here, rising in geometrical pillars there, at once ground, hills, steps, caves. The grey basalt contrasted starkly against the light and deep blues of sky and ocean; that and the patches of white salt, green algae and yellow lichen that coloured it saved the planet from being bleak.

It was beautiful in its own unique way, and Leia would have never visited it, either, if it wasn’t for the war. It was easy to forget the misery in the world, the peril they would face in mere hours, when you stood still and looked at those clear skies and rumbling, white-crested waves.

But, right now, she was allowed to forget about it for a while. Plumes of smoke rose in the breeze a few meters ahead; as she approached Han Solo, Leia heard the tantalizing sizzle of grilling meat. Her mouth watered in anticipation.

Han’s bare torso wasn’t sizzling but it seemed equally appealing, with its gilded, shapely muscles under the sun.

Cheeks considerably warmer, Leia averted her sight, looking instead at the small group of tents erected nearby, next to the shuttle that would take them down to Vangar that night. She surveyed the crew she’d chosen to command for this mission. Apart from her and Han, there was Chewie, of course, presently tinkering with the shuttle. Luke and Artoo (they had decided they could do without Threepio this time) sat near a group of the natural chimney-like structures, overlooking the water. Leia was sure that Luke had taken out his lightsaber and was examining it, as if hoping for answers to reveal themselves if he rubbed it the right way.

She had also chosen Jyn Odan---the woman was like a female version of Han: reckless, agile, a quick draw and more importantly, a skilled smuggler. Even if Han’s professional jealousy insisted he and Chewie were all she needed, Leia knew better. For this mission, she’d needed Odan too. Her black hair shone whenever she cocked her head as she cleaned and checked her weapons. Leia couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but the sounds of her conversation with Croy Winnis carried in the air.

Not having anywhere else to be, she finally walked up to Han and the battered grill he was working.

‘These were a really good idea,’ Leia commented, pushing a multitude of air-swept baby hairs off her face. ‘They’re looking fantastic.’

Han turned to her and his chest immediately puffed up, a hand going to rest on his hip. Leia forced herself not to follow it. ‘Yep. That’s ‘cos I’m an amazing cook.’

She rolled her eyes. ‘If you wanted to show it, you should have picked something that required more than flipping over.’

Waving her off, he turned back to the nerf-burgers, which up close smelled as good as they looked. ‘How was your excursion?’

‘Fine. It’s an interesting place. Anything I can do to help?’

‘You can start makin’ the polystarch, these are nearly done.’

‘Okay.’ Leia kneeled in front of a bag of supplies that sat next to the portable chiller unit and started removing the portioned polystarch powder. ‘That’s the one thing that will be less than perfect for this picnic. Polystarch isn’t nearly as good as bread.’

She immediately regretted voicing her thoughts. Bread? Was she really wishing for bread, when the nerf-burgers were enough of a rare treat as to be luxurious? And to Han, no less. She’d have no right to complain when he treated her as a pampered little princess.

He didn’t seem about to do that now, though. He just kept poking at the coals and said, ‘Can’t argue with that, ‘cept to say if we did have bread, it’d feel too much like a last meal.’

Leia chuckled, feeling her tension ease up. She sat down on the ground next to a tiny folding table and picked up a deep plate, poured the brownish powder from one of the packages and added water. After stirring it briefly with a spoon, the mixture rose and became solid, shaped like a lumpy, round loaf of bread.

‘Right,’ she said. ‘We have to keep it real.’

She repeated the process six times, the bread piling up on the table (she kept checking that they weren’t about to spill over onto the ground). Meanwhile, Han seemed to be doing the same with the burgers, making a heap on a plate that he kept on top of a crate.

‘How many burgers are there for each of us?’

‘Three, and one more for Chewie.’ He finally left the grill alone and came over to her. ‘Give me these, I wanna toast them up a bit.’

‘You think that’ll improve the flavour?’ she joked.

‘A bit.’ He placed them on top of the grill, then bent down to rummage through the bag she’d retrieved the polystarch from. With a lopsided grin, he showed her his prize: a handful of little sachets of condiments. ‘This might help, too.’

A disbelieving gasp rushed out through her open mouth and, before she could stop herself, she said, ‘You are amazing.’

Han looked so genuinely shocked, it took him a full second to say, ‘Been tellin’ you that, Princess.’

Leia rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth turned up as she started to make a new batch of polystarch. She had two more buns ready when Han started taking out the now toasty loaves. He set them all next to the cooked burgers and opened the chiller before laying out another six discs of nerf meat on the grill.

There was a dirty rag hanging from his back pocket; the smuggler took it out and wiped his face, neck and at last, his hands, then he put it back. The motion made her look at his shiny, toned arms. Once again, Leia looked away before he saw, pressing her lips.

It wasn’t the first time she saw him without a shirt; he often took it off to work on the Falcon whenever they were stationed in warm climates. At first, she hadn’t paid it any attention. She hadn’t know Han well back then: she had a strong instinct that he wasn’t all he pretended to be, and that made her hold on to him as a valuable asset. However, his personality had been repellent to her, and so had been the rest of him by association. But as they’d grown closer, developing a physical attraction to him had been inevitable. Sometimes she regretted not kissing him that night on Karinda, as they shared All Hallows’ Eve traditions and chocolate. Maybe it’d be good to have someone she could go to whenever things got too much. When that thought occurred to her, she’d immediately shook it off. No; she was glad they had avoided that. Things would get more complicated than they already were. Besides, it had been him who’d pulled away. So, despite his constant flirting and innuendo, maybe he didn’t actually want to sleep with her. He’d probably like someone more like Jyn Odan.

It was a good thing Han constantly gave her reasons to dislike the whole of him again.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Han now taking a polystarch bun and cutting it in half.

‘Shall we start calling people over?’ Leia asked.

‘No, not yet.’ He picked up a sachet of Bimm mustard and spread it generously on each half of polystarch.

‘So… are you going to start preparing all the burgers then?’

Han gave her an incredulous look. ‘No, I’m gonna have one now. I’ll still be grillin’ while you all eat, so I get a headstart.’

That was partly true: the grill wasn’t big enough to make all the burgers at once, but he could still eat while he checked on it.

Leia scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest after she’d deposited another bun on the tiny table. ‘That sounds like bullshit.’

‘That sounds like you’re hungry,’ Han said with a grin.

‘Of course I am, we all are!’

‘Tell you what, you can have half of mine. C’mon, we’ll just have this and call the others,’ he added when she looked uncertain. She was very hungry, and the burgers seemed like a heavenly meal. If she had to watch Han eating one in front of her, she might jump to his throat. The inside of her mouth felt uncomfortably wet.

‘Fine,’ she mumbled, swallowing as she casted a quick glance at the rest of the team.

His satisfied smile was wide as he speared a thick nerf-burger with his knife and sandwiched it between the two buns. He placed it on top of the crate to cut it in half and offered hers with a sardonic bow.

After weeks of bland rations and mess food, she couldn’t even pretend to slow down: Leia bit her half of nerf-burger and groaned loudly.

‘As good as it looked,’ she said, covering her half-full mouth with a hand.

That made Han break out in a hearty, surprised ‘Ha!’ before he dove into his own burger.

Sitting on the ground, only Han’s legs were in Leia’s field of vision as he stood in front of her, eating. The breeze had picked up and played with her loose strands of hair, which whipped at her face and got into her mouth as she tried to take another bite. Leia tried to push them away but, on top of its comparative blandness, polystarch was also crumblier than bread and threatened to fall apart unless she held it tightly with both hands.

She stiffened as something long---a finger, she realized a second later---hooked the rebellious locks and pushed them up, and then the hand it belonged to stayed pressed against her forehead like a hair barrier.

‘Go on,’ Han said. ‘Can’t let you choke on your own hair, Your Worship.’

Leia stared up at him in disbelief, but he wasn’t joking: he simply stood there, with the warm back of his hand against his skin as if he was feeling for a fever, waiting for her to finish eating.

‘Oi! Coulda let us know food was ready, couldn’t ya?’ Winnis called out suddenly. Leia turned around and saw that everyone had approached when they saw them eating.

‘Sorry folks, we were just quality-testing them,’ Han said, dropping his hand. ‘First round is ready, if you wanna put them together.’

He passed around the tray with the cooked burgers and buns, then threw each of them a sachet of condiment.

‘Can confirm they’re good.’ Giving Leia a wink, he added, ‘The Imps won’t know what hit ‘em.’