#i will always think about kal's soft little “zeb”

[tending-the-hearth]

thinking about alexsander kallus who starts off being a passionate servant to the empire and proud destroyer of lasan who has a strong mutual hatred for zeb

alexsander kallus who never really sat well with the massacre on lasan after it happened, because it was never supposed to happen that way, who starts to question things after being trapped on bahryn with zeb, who actually gets to talk with his enemy and come to a shaky, shaky truce

alexsander kallus who helps sabine escape even before he's officially fulcrum, just because he knows he owes zeb, and he knows how important sabine is to him

alexsander kallus who becomes fulcrum because he knows it's the right thing to do, because he knows that the events on lasan have happened to so many other planets, and he realizes how wrong he was, and how he's been changed

"heart of a rebel" alexsander kallus who fights against thrawn and manages to escape and becomes an unofficial spector as he gets folded into the rebels

alexsander kallus who, after feeling guilty and twisted for so long because of the lasan massacre, who has atoned for so many mistakes, who has struggled for so long to find his place, is shown to the planet where the lasat people are thriving, who is welcomed into their home, forgiven and seen as one of them

just... alexsander kallus

[kanerallels]

Homeward Bound

(for Kanera Week, based on the prompt "reunion/making up for lost time")

Read on AO3 here!

@kaneraweek

Word Count: 1,828

Tags/Warning: rated G

Summary: Five years after the battle of Yavin, the Empire is defeated above Jakku. It's an important day for all of the galaxy-- but for Kanan Jarrus and Jacen Syndulla, it's especially meaningful.

Kanan was busy making dinner when the call came. He heard the beep of the holocom going off, and didn’t turn from slicing the kajaka roots in front of him. “Kasmir, can you get that?” he called.

The Kalleran, who’d moved to Ryloth with him to take care of Jacen, headed across the room. “Don’t let the steaks burn while I’m gone, or Cham will never let it go,” he warned Kanan. “Your father-in-law is notoriously picky about how well done his steaks are.”

Letting out a snort, Kanan said, “And yet you consist in making them well done. I wonder why that is?”

Kasmir ignored him, which was unsurprising. Kanan was definitely grateful for Kasmir hanging around. However, he had a habit of clashing with Hera’s father. The only thing the two of them could agree on was Jacen, and the fact the kid deserves the best.

As he continued chopping up the kajaka roots, he heard Kasmir whistling as he checked the com. Then he stopped abruptly, and Kanan felt his heart skip a beat.

The only people who called them on that holocom, other than Sabine from time to time, was the New Republic. Which meant there was some kind of news from Hera.

Setting down the knife, he moved towards the door. “Kasmir. What is it?”

“It’s… good news,” Kasmir said, his voice stunned. “Jakku’s been taken. The Imperial fleet has surrendered.”

Feeling shock cut through him, Kanan took a deep breath. “Does that-- you’re saying--”

“She’s coming home,” Kasmir said, the grin in his voice obvious. “The captain’s coming home.”

Kanan could feel a smile spreading across his face. Force. She’s coming back. Finally, she’s coming home. Turning, he managed to keep his voice steady as he called, “Jacen! Come here for a minute!”

The sound of thumping feet caught his ear, and Jacen raced into the room. “Yeah, Dad? What’s up?”

Cham was a few steps behind his grandson, and Kanan felt his curious gaze resting on him. “Is there something wrong?” he asked, his voice wary-- clearly he’d heard the holocom go off as well, and connected the dots.

“No,” Kanan said. “The Empire surrendered.” He could sense the shock radiating from Cham as he turned to Jacen. “Jacen, your mom’s coming home.”

Jacen let out a whoop and launched himself at Kanan. “REALLY?? Really really? Mom’s coming home? For how long?”

“For good, kiddo,” Kanan said, hugging his son tightly. “The fight’s over. She’s not going anywhere once she gets home.”

“YES!!!” Jacen said, wriggling free from Kanan’s grasp to start jumping around the kitchen. “When? When are we going to see her?”

“ETA, three days,” Kasmir said, and Jacen let out another shout of delight.

“Time to start planning the welcome home dinner,” Cham said, his voice satisfied. “Only the best to welcome home our Hera.”

Chuckling, Kanan said, “I guess we’d better start making some calls. The others are going to want to be here for this.”

As Jacen jumped around the kitchen and Cham started planning the dinner out loud and Kasmir made fun of him, Kanan could smell the steaks burning in the other room. But he didn’t care. Hera was coming home.

The next few days slipped by with surprising speed as the four of them made calls and prepared for the welcome home dinner. A message from Hera confirmed her arrival time, which only heightened the excitement.

The guests started arriving the day of-- Kallus and Zeb, of course. Sabine, along with Rex and Ahsoka, bringing stories from the Outer Rim, and even Numa and Gobi, Cham’s seconds in command. The house was filled with people, talking and laughing and helping with dinner. Zeb, Ahsoka, Kasmir and Rex had commandeered the kitchen, with Cham supervising, Numa and Gobi were entertaining Jacen by telling him stories, and Sabine and Kallus were discussing tactics. Everyone was there-- except Kanan and Jacen.

Leaning back on the heels of his hands, Kanan tilted his head up to the sky, enjoying the cool night air as he asked, “Do you see anything yet?”

“Nope,” Jacen reported. He’d managed to convince Kanan that they could wait for Hera up on the roof-- which, admittedly, hadn’t taken much. The only person more excited than Jacen was Kanan, although he didn’t show it as much as his son did.

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, savoring the thought of Hera, finally home to stay. It had been a long two years, with visits every now and then, but mostly so much time apart. Kanan missed her, aching to hold her in his arms again. Force, it would be so good to have her back.

Next to him, Jacen let out an impatient sigh. “How long is this gonna take?”

“Hang in there, kid,” Kanan said with a grin. “She’ll be here soon. Your mom isn’t late often.”

“How are you so patient?” Jacen grumbled.

Feeling a soft smile crossing his face, Kanan replied, “I’ve spent a lifetime waiting for your mom. I can wait a little longer.”

“Well, I haven’t spent that long, and I don’t want to.”

“Someday, you’ll find someone you’d wait that long for,” Kanan replied absently, running his fingers through his beard. “And you may find you don’t mind as much.”

“Ew,” Jacen muttered, and Kanan laughed.

“You might not want to hear it, but you’ll understand when you get older.”

“I don’t think I want to understand-- THERE!” Jacen jumped to his feet, and Kanan lunged forward, grabbing him by the back of the shirt to prevent him from plummeting off the edge. Disregarding his near-death experience, Jacen said, “It’s Mom! It’s the Ghost!”

Even as he said the words, Kanan could hear the familiar rumble of the Ghost’s engines as it cruised overhead, setting down a little ways away.

“Take it easy, we don’t want you to fall off the roof before you see your mom again,” Kanan said, feeling a similar buzz of excitement going through him even as he spoke. Hera was right there. She was right there, and she was finally home. “Come on-- do you want to take the direct way down?”

“Yes!”

“Okay, hang on.” Grabbing Jacen, he swung the boy up and over one of his shoulders. Jacen let out a shrieking laugh as Kanan called on the Force and jumped from the rooftop, landing lightly next to the door just as Kasmir stepped out. He gave a strangled yelp, clutching his chest.

“Holy-- don’t scare me like that!”

“Sorry,” Kanan said with a grin, depositing Jacen on the ground. His son immediately took off towards where the Ghost was-- Kanan could hear the ramp lowering even from where he stood. The next thing he heard was Jacen shouting for his mom, his voice filled with pure joy. And then he heard her. Hera’s voice. No matter how long he lived, Kanan knew that hearing her voice would always be one of the greatest experiences of his life.

As he started towards them, he heard Hera hugging and kissing Jacen. “Oh, look at you, you’ve gotten so big--”

“Mom, guess what? Sabine says there are planets on the Outer Rim that have swoop bike races, and the bikes have these crazy engines on them,” Jacen said, all but bouncing in place. “And she said they take entrances as young as fifteen, so when I get that old, I wanna go there and beat the record--”

“We’ll talk when you’re older, dear,” Hera said, humor in her voice.

“--and guess what, Uncle Zeb and Uncle Kal are here, and Rex is making dinner, and he said he’d teach me how to use his blasters, and Dad said that Rex is one of the only people he’d want to teach me that, but I have to wait until I’m older but can we please do it now--”

“Hey, what have I told you about that divide and conquer stuff?” Kanan called as he came up to them. “I already gave my answer to that one.”

Jacen let out a disappointed groan, but Kanan felt Hera’s gaze on him and he had only one thing on his mind right now. Closing the distance between them, he pulled Hera into a warm hug. “Welcome home, General Hera,” he whispered.

He felt her let out a soft chuckle. “No general now. I resigned my commission. I’m officially a civilian like everyone else, and very happy about it.”

“Maybe. But you’ll always be my captain,” Kanan said. Leaning back, he let his hands slide down to rest on her hips. “So, what are your plans now that you’re home?”

Placing the palms of her hands against his chest, Hera murmured, “I’ve got a few ideas.” The mischief in her voice brought a grin to Kanan’s face, and he leaned down, catching her lips against his in a kiss. Her hands slipped up and twined around his neck, and Hera pulled herself closer to him, kissing him back with such intensity Kanan almost lost his balance.

The next sound he properly heard was the disapproving beeps of an astromech droid. Hera laughed against his lips, and Kanan shook his head. “I’m still somehow glad you survived, Chop,” he told the droid. “Thanks for taking care of her for me.”

Chopper grumbled something, and Hera smacked him in the arm as she stepped back. “I took care of myself, thanks for noticing, love.”

“Oh, I’m aware,” Kanan said, tugging her forward into his arms again. “But you know those flyboys in the New Republic. One of them might have tried to steal your heart, and then where would we be?”

Hera came willingly into his embrace as she replied, “How can they steal it when you’re taking such good care of it?”

Kanan grinned at that. “Oh, that’s a good one.”

“Isn’t it?”

“I’ll have to remember that.” He was about to kiss her again when a shout came from the house.

“Hey, lovebirds! If you’d like to take a minute for the rest of us, dinner’s about ready,” Kasmir yelled. “And the others would like to see Captain H as well.”

Kanan released a long sigh, and Hera chuckled softly. “Later, dear,” she said.

“Later,” Kanan agreed. Unable to resist, he leaned in and pressed a quick kiss against the side of her jaw, and murmured, “I’m so glad you’re back.”

“Me, too,” she said, her voice a tad breathless, and Kanan grinned.

“Can we have dinner instead of kissing now?” Jacen asked.

Letting out a laugh, Hera said, “Of course, Jacen.” Stepping away from Kanan, she led the way to the house, catching hold of Kanan’s hand as she went. Kanan willingly went after her, letting himself be pulled back into the chaos in the house. Their reunion could continue later. Because now, they had a lifetime for it. Neither of them were going anywhere, and that-- that was more than enough for Kanan.

[mightylauren]

Let Your Heart Hold Fast Snippet

(Since there’s no chapter this week and I really like how this little scene turned out I’m posting this bit of what will be either chapter 6 or 7. To set the scene it is Kallus’ first field mission since his escape. He’s going out with the Ghost to assist since Kanan, Ezra, Sabine, and Chopper are all on Mandalore.)

|-o-|

        “Sabacc!” Kallus declared, triumphantly, tossing down his cards.

        Zeb stared, flabbergasted, both at the cards on the table and the loose, relaxed state of the man before him.

        “What happened to ��I’ve hardly played this game’?” Zeb asked, tossing his losing cards down.

        “Hardly, not never,” Kallus said. “Plus, I’m very sorry to tell you that you have an easy tell to read.”

        “Do not!”

        “Maybe not everyone can read it, but I am too well acquainted with you now,” Kallus said, leaning forward and flicking one of the Lasat’s pointy ears. “Your ears. Can’t read everything from them yet, but I can decipher enough to know when you’re bluffing.”

        “Karabast…” Though, internally, the fact that Kallus was learning to read his ears was flattering. He’d worked with people for years who didn’t pay his ears any mind at all. Clearly Kallus paid very close attention, which was welcome news as Zeb definitely paid close attention to Kallus.

        “We should get some sleep.”

        Zeb wanted to stay up, continue enjoying their time together, but he knew that the human was right. They had five hours left enough for a solid block of rest and they would need it.

        Not that Kallus was waiting for input as he divested himself of his jacket and bent over to dig in his bag for something.

        If Zeb wasn’t admiring the Kallus’ backside as he did so, he definitely was once the man tugged down his trousers revealing boxer briefs beneath. It suddenly felt much warmer in the cabin as he watched Kallus slide on what seemed to be softer cloth pants for sleeping in.

        Before he got himself caught gawking, Zeb unstuck himself, turning to clean up the cards and ration trash from the table.

        “I’m assuming the top bunk is me,” Kallus said.

        Unless you want to share with me. “Yep.”

        Kallus swung up easily into the bunk, Zeb unable to keep himself from admiring the way the muscles in the human’s back flexed beneath his shirt as he did so.

        “Going to assume the pillow and blanket aren’t actually Bridger’s.”

        Zeb chuckled. “Nah, I put those there for you,” Zeb said.

        “I appreciate it.”

        “No problem.”

        As he climbed into his own bunk, he glanced up to see Kallus was lying on his back, tucking the pillow beneath his head. Zeb rolled over onto his side, facing the back wall. He wasn’t sure how quickly Kallus was capable of falling asleep so Zeb stayed quiet.

        After what felt like a long while, Kallus spoke.

        “You ever think about that first time we faced each other head on?”

        Zeb blinked, as this question certainly felt like it came out of nowhere. “Over the ion disrupters? What about it?”

        “Sometimes I look back at that moment, and ponder what might’ve happened if Bridger hadn’t been there,” Kallus said, there was a haunted quality to his words. “If I’d struck you down, I’d never have left the Empire. We’d never have ended up on that moon. I’d never have—.”

        Zeb rolled over, eyes on the bottom of the bunk above him.

        “That’s not what happened, Kal,” Zeb said in what he hoped was a reassuring voice. “What even makes you think of it?”

        There was a beat of silence. “It’s… it’s one of my recurring dreams, or should I say nightmares,” Kallus answered. “Only, Bridger is never present to save you and I —to think a split second could have changed my whole destiny.”

        “Could have, yes, but didn’t. You didn’t do it, and you’re here now. We both are because this is what was meant to be,” Zeb said. “So no, I don’t think about that fight or any of our fights before Bahryn because that guy wasn’t you.”

        “I am always relieved to hear that you no longer regard me as the agent any longer.”

        “Agent Kallus is gone. Captain Kallus is far superior in many ways,” Zeb said.

         “Thank you, Garazeb,” Kallus said, voice now sounding sleepy. “I’m so glad Bridger was there. I had no way of knowing then you were to become the most important person in my life.”

        Zeb was struck speechless by the admission. He wanted badly to see the man’s face.

        “Do you really mean that?” Zeb asked. “Because you’re very important to me too. More than you know.”

        Silence greeted him and for a second Zeb thought the human regretted having said it.

        “Kal?”

        Then Zeb heard the soft snore drifting down from above. He was equal parts disappointed and relieved. As quietly as he could, Zeb slipped from his bunk, rising up on his legs to peer at the sleeping human.

        Kallus had rolled over onto his belly, head on the pillow, golden hair fallen into his face. He was truly handsome even in sleep and Zeb vowed himself that he wouldn’t wait too much longer to tell the human just that.

[kingdomheartsloversstuff]

Happy Anniversary

It was their first anniversary, but Kallus was forced to wait for Zeb’s return home.

Read it on AO3

Gift fic for @white-rainbowff and could be seen as kind of a sequel to The Goal is Not to Fall. Hope you guys enjoy it!!

Kallus leaned back, absentmindedly flipping through the reports on his datapad, desperately trying to distract himself as he waited for Zeb to finally return. It was their anniversary today, but instead of being with Kallus celebrating, he was out on a mission. Though Kallus wasn’t angry at Zeb, he was starting to get concerned. The team had left three days ago and was supposed to have returned late last night. He knew missions often did not go according to plan, but it still worried him.

 So many things could go wrong, they could get captured and killed, a stray tie could take their ship out, or traders could capture Zeb and-

 “They’ll be fine,” Hera said, as if reading his mind.

 “I know,” Kallus said.

 “Oh good, because for a second there I thought you were worrying yourself sick again.” Hera informed him.

 “Well I’m not,” Kallus lied.

 “Right,” Hera agreed, smirking at him as Kallus ducked his head to hide his embarrassment; how had it become so easy to read him?

 “Kallus you can stop your worrying!” Sabine loudly declared as she entered the room.

 “Why does everyone assume I’m worrying?” Kallus grumbled.

 “Fine, you can stop you’re not worrying because the guys are heading home!”

 “They are?” Kallus eagerly asked, jumping to his feet.

 “Yep, they just finished up their mission and should be back in about two hours,” Sabine informed him.

 “That’s wonderful news,” Hera said. “Was their mission a success?”

 “Mostly,” Sabine said.

 “What’s that supposed to mean?” Hera asked with a raised eyebrow.

 “Chopper didn’t say, just that they accomplished the goals and everyone is unharmed,” Sabine said.

 “I’ll call that a success,” Hera declared after a moment’s thought.

 “They’ll be back in two hours you said?” Kallus asked, mind reeling. Maybe, just maybe he could whip up a nice anniversary dinner for himself and Zeb if he hurried.

 “Yep,” Sabine said, “Why?”

 “That gives me just enough time,” Kallus said, turning on his heel and hurrying back to the Ghost. He had work to do.

 ------

 “Nothing, absolutely nothing!” Kallus groaned as he angrily looked through his pantry for ingredients, or lack of ingredients as the case was. He knew the rebellion had much more limited access to resources then the Empire, but it frustrated him to no end seeing how little they had in terms of food. How was he supposed to make up a romantic anniversary dinner with no food?

 Ever since joining the rebellion, Kallus had desperately wanted to make Zeb me’montri, however he had yet to find another mercy root, and without the root, he could not make the dish. Though looking through the ingredients he had, he doubted he could have made his prized dish even if he had the root.

 Next stockpile of food we steal is staying with the Rebellion. Kallus angrily thought to himself as he continued to look through the available ingredients to see if he could come up with something to make. There had to be something! Maybe….no, it was too simple to bland. It was something they had all the time! Then a thought hit Kallus, a twist on the classic dish that his mother once made.

 It was still a fairly plain dish, not something that he wanted to present Zeb on their anniversary, but he didn’t have much of a choice at the moment. Kallus let out a small sigh, silently praying Zeb would still like the meal he made.

 ------

 With how long it had taken Kallus to finally figure out what he was going to make Zeb, Kallus was still putting the finishing touches on their meal when Zeb wondered into the kitchen calling,

 “Kal? You in here? Hera said you might be here-?”

 “I’m here Zeb,” Kallus replied. “I’m putting the last touches on our anniversary dinner.”

 “Oh um…I’m sorry I missed most of our anniversary….” Zeb guiltily mumbled.

 “Zeb, don’t be sorry, I understand, the Rebellion has to come first-“ Kallus gently assured.

 “Yea but on our anniversary?” Zeb asked.

 “I don’t love it but the war doesn’t stop for us,” Kallus sighed, placing a hand on Zeb’s cheek. “But someday there won’t be a war and we can enjoy our anniversary in peace.”

 “I hope that day’s real soon,” Zeb mumbled, pressing his forehead against Kallus’s.

 “For now though let’s enjoy what we have right now,” Kallus said.

 “Yea,” Zeb breathed, tilting his head up to kiss Kallus’s forehead. “How about we try that amazing dinner of yours?”

 “It’s hardly amazing-“

 “You made it so it must be!” Zeb declared.

 “No, really it’s…not,” Kallus sighed, gesturing to the meal, waffles and friend chicken. Zeb curiously eyed the food and asked,

 “I thought waffles where breakfast and chicken dinner?”

 “Well usually yes,” Kallus agreed, face turning red, thinking this was a horrible mistake. “But some people like to have breakfast foods for dinner and others still like to combine fried chicken with waffles to create a unique flavor, If you don’t want to I can-“

 “No, no,” Zeb said, sitting down at the table. “If you like it I want to try it!”

 “Are you sure?” Kallus uncertainly asked.

 “Of course!” Zeb assured. “So how does this meal work?”

 “Well it depends on the person,” Kallus said, placing waffles on both of their plates. “Some people like to stack the chicken on their waffles and others prefer to have it on the side to keep the syrup from sogging it out too much.”

 “Do you have a preference?��� Zeb asked.

 “I like to keep the chicken off the syrup until I cut a piece to eat with my waffles,” Kallus admitted.

 “I’ll try it like that then,” Zeb declared.

 “Alright,” Kallus agreed, holding out the plate of chicken for Zeb to take whatever pieces he wanted. Zeb carefully took a piece of chicken and placed it on his plate, Kallus doing the same, pouring some syrup for himself before passing it over to a now curious Zeb.

 “Not going to lie, this is unlike anything I’ve had before.”

 “It is different,” Kallus agreed. “Even for humans.” Zeb chuckled before pouring syrup for himself. Once he poured enough for himself he set it aside and cut off a piece of chicken and waffle and took a bite. Kallus hesitated to start eating, eager to see Zeb’s reaction to the dish. Zeb slowly chewed and swallowed before saying,

 “Interesting, but really good actually. I didn’t think they’d complement each other but they really do!”

 “So you like it?” Kallus asked.

 “You made it! How can I not love it?” Zeb asked as he eagerly continued to eat. Kallus chuckled and shook his head saying,

 “I should have known you’d love anything I made after going on such a long mission!”

 “What? I’m hungry!” Zeb cried.

 “I know,” Kallus assured with a laugh. “I’m just happy you’re home.”

 “There’s nothing in the galaxy that could have kept me from you,” Zeb firmly said. “Nothing.”

 “As…wonderful as that sounds, we both know anything could happen to either one of us-“

 “True, but I wasn’t about to die without giving you your anniversary gift,” Zeb informed him as he set a small box on the table.

 “Zeb you didn’t-” Kallus protested.

 “It’s a Lasat tradition,” Zeb interrupted. “It’ll make more sense if you open your gift before I explain.”

 “Alright…” Kallus reluctantly agreed, picking up the box and carefully opening it, gasping when he saw two beads carefully carved out of what appeared to be the same meteorite that Zeb had given Kallus on their ice moon. They beads where not perfectly rounded, but Kallus could care less. The beads still faintly glowed, giving off just a little bit of light. He knew soon they would go out, but Kallus knew he’d still love them long after they went out.

 “For Lasat, its traditional that on each anniversary the proposer add something onto the token they gave the proposed. Beads or stones or even additional carvings depending on what the token was. It’s a way to show how long two have been together. I um…I thought it was appropriate that our first anniversary be a meteorite like the one I gave you. Kind of a reminder of something that brought you here.”

 “It’s perfect Zeb,” Kallus breathed. “I love it.”

 “You do?” Zeb hopefully asked.

 “I do,” Kallus assured, reaching across the table to take Zeb’s hand. “Thank you Zeb.”

 “Your welcome.”

 “I’m just sorry I didn’t get you anything-”

 “I didn’t expect you to Kal,” Zeb tenderly said.

 “I know but I still feel like I should have done something for you.”

 “You did,” Zeb firmly said. “You made me this fantastic meal!”

 “I always cook for you though,” Kallus said with a raised eyebrow.

 “And I always carve for you,” Zeb countered. “So what?”

 “I suppose you have a point,” Kallus said with a soft chuckle, reaching behind his neck to unclasp the necklace.

 “May I?” Zeb tentatively asked, holding out his hand.

 “Of course,” Kallus said, placing the necklace in Zeb’s hand. With gentle hands Zeb carefully but the bead on the left cord of the necklace before carefully replacing it around Kallus’s neck.

 “There,” Zeb breathed, his hands curling around Kallus’s neck. “Perfect.”

 Zeb leaned in closer, tenderly brushing his lips against Kallus’s, a soft sigh escaping between his lips, followed by a gaging noise, startling the pair apart, Zeb’s head whipping around to face the source of the noise.

 “What are you two doing here?” Zeb roared.

 “I just wanted to get some food-“ Ezra lied. Chopper beeped something about repairs, but Kallus knew they were both lying.

 “Get out!” Zeb snapped, “Before I toss you out!”

 “Okay, okay I’m going!” Ezra cried.

 “You too Chopper!” Zeb snapped. Chopper angrily beeped that they would have to deal with Hera before rolling after Ezra, but Kallus knew they would face no such repercussions from her.

 “I want to wring their necks!” Zeb growled, half standing up.

 “Don’t let them ruin our anniversary,” Kallus gently said, taking Zeb’s hand and squeezing it.

 “…alright,” Zeb sighed, sinking back down into his seat.

 “Let’s just enjoy the time we have left okay?” Kallus begged.

 Zeb sighed heavily before promising, “Okay, you’re right, let’s enjoy this.”

“Thank you,” Kallus sighed. “May I put the other bead on your necklace?”

 “I was hoping you’d ask,” Zeb purred, pulling out his necklace from beneath his jumpsuit and handing it to Kallus who carefully placed the bead on the necklace before carefully putting it back on Zeb.

 “Their…now where were we?” Kallus breathed, wrapping his arms around Zeb’s neck.

 “Somewhere around here,” Zeb breathed as he leaned down to properly kiss him. Someday, they would have a proper anniversary, but for now as long as he was with Zeb, he would be more than happy with whatever he was given.

[jumpingjaxx13]

@jay-tee-key Oh, if you are still in need of prompts, can I have kalluzeb with sick Zeb and Kallus as grumpy, but very caring nurse? ((Not sure if this is as much ‘grumpy’ as it is ‘tired with Zeb’s shit’, but I tried!))

“Lay back down. Now.”

Zeb sat on the edge of the bed, nausea making his head spin and vision blur. His hands braced the mattress to hold him up, feet brushing the ground as he swung them lazily. Muscles screamed for him to go that one step further- to stand and to move and to use them after having lain still for so long- but the snapping voice penetrated and obliterated any thought of escape.

Green eyes blinked into focus, making out the image of the intruder standing in the doorway. A frown tugged on the human’s lips, contorting his expression into one of immense displeasure, and his arms were crossed over his chest, fingers drumming in time with the tapping of his foot. Inwardly, Zeb groaned.

“Yes, Mum,” he muttered, loosening his grip enough on the bed to flop back, internally amused by the bounce of the mattress under his sudden weight; an error, it appeared, since the motion stirred up another bout of sickness in his gut. Damn Geonosis…

“Don’t sound so grateful,” Kallus retorted, finally stepping fully into the room and over to the bed. Save for Hera, he’d been the only one brave enough to breathe the same air as the ailing Lasat. He did, however, have enough sense to wear gloves. “Swamp flu is miserable, I know. It won’t kill you, but you won’t heal any faster if you keep disturbing yourself. Trust me.”

A gloved hand pressed against his forehead, the sensitive skin of his inner wrist feeling through latex to deduce temperature. Zeb closed his eyes, letting out a long sigh and relaxing faintly under the touch. One benefit of Lasan harboring a variety of terrains (from forests to mountains to plains) was a natural immunity to a large myriad of diseases which could easily incapacitate a weaker species. Humans, no matter how resilient, were subject to contracting diseases before building up defenses- a bit retroactive, if you asked him, but it worked for them. And allergies- oh, allergies bewildered him to no end. Whenever they landed on a planet in its blooming season, all of the Ghost’s resident humans spent the next handful of days sneezing and sniffling without real cause. On one occasion, Kallus himself had been the victim of a hornet’s wrath and had swollen up so awfully… He insisted that everything was fine, but Zeb hadn’t been too convinced. There were certain foods Ezra couldn’t eat, or his throat would close up, but he consumed them regardless. He swore that the reaction wasn’t too severe- that it was just a little dose of discomfort more than actual danger- but Zeb didn’t like it one bit. No, humans were fragile- much more so than Lasat- so, one could only imagine his surprise when he was the only one who contracted the Swamp Flu after their last rendezvous on Geonosis.

“Bah…” Zeb huffed in response, though he made no move to defy his self-proclaimed caretaker. Hells, he would glue himself to the bed if it meant that he wouldn’t retract his touch. If the sickness itself wasn’t enough, sleeping alone in cold sweats had emphasized the misery of his condition.“I suppose ya speak from experience?”

“Personal experience? No,” Kallus confessed, letting his hand trail from his sick lover’s forehead to the crook behind his ears and stroking comfortingly. The gentle purr was more tangible than audible, and, had he not been fussing so fervently over this fool Lasat, it would have made him smile. “But I do have experience in caring for people who did.”

Slowly, one green eye opened, brow arched curiously. “Ya don’t strike me as the nursing type.”

Kallus pursed his lips, retracting his hand just to see him pout. “Then what, exactly, do you think I’m doing here?”

The second eye joined the first, a teasing glint shining in otherwise sick-heavy orbs. “Caterin’ to me, of course,” he mused, groping bonelessly for Kallus’s hand. “‘Sides, this is what ya signed up for when you agreed to be my partner. You're obligated.”

“Obligated, hm?” Kallus mused, taking pity on Zeb and taking his hand, thumb tracing aimlessly over his knuckles. “Any way I could cut the contract?”

“Nope,” he replied easily, flashing a cheeky smile. “You're stuck with me.”

“Blast. You're lucky I love you, you big, purple oaf.” The words didn't hold a drop of animosity- if anything, they were coated with that strange kind of affection their banter always held. He caressed his hand, cradling it between his own as he sighed. Somehow, even though he'd come in fully intent on scolding his rebellious idiot of a boyfriend, he'd wound up beside him in the special, peaceful atmosphere only a statement of love could create.

“...It was a couple months before Onderon,” Kallus started, closing his own eyes to recount his history. While he didn't necessarily mind talking about his first battalion, there was always that melancholy trickle of sentiment that went along with it. So long as he didn't venture past that first blast- so long as he restricted himself to the quirky little anecdotes he'd maintained in their memory- he should be fine. Nevertheless, he appreciated the way Zeb’s grip on his hand tightened fractionally.

“We'd been scoping out Geonosis when the first wave hit. Baxter and Sting were the first ones to go down, and, since we hadn't been aware of the excessive transmissibility, it spread like wildfire. Somehow, I was the only one who didn't get sucker punched by this disease, so I was knee deep in my squad’s vomit and taking care of them until Commander Reste answered our beacon.” He opened his eyes when his tale was interrupted by a low, rumbling chuckle that quickly morphed into a rasping cough. Arching a brow, he soothed his lover’s hand through his coughing fit patiently. “Something...amusing?”

Coming down from the abuse of his throat, Zeb blinked back tears and shook his head. “Ah.. I’m just imagining you like that. You, the guy who can’t have a single kriffing hair out of line, playing healer droid to a bunch of sweaty, pukey, germy- hey!”

“Yes, yes, I get it!” Kallus snapped, fresh from having given Zeb a gentle blow to the arm. “And now I’m here, sitting beside a sweaty, pukey, germy, smelly Lasat! Of all the awful things!” he exclaimed, his pout vacillating between irritated and amused. “One that can’t even manage to stay in bed, to say the least.”

“It’s boring,” Zeb protested, crossing his arms over his chest. If he had anything to say about it, the entire bug would come out with one final, hearty heave, but his own voice was silenced in the matter. Yet, it was moments like these when Kallus’s face let his true frustrations shine through, he couldn’t help but feel guilty. “Doin’ nothin’ but lay here all day. Then at night, you’re not with me. It gets cold, and ah… And a little lonely, too. I don’t mean to get you upset, but I just can’t stay here…”

The frown on Kallus’s face deepened, though the light in his eyes appeared more pitifully pensive than irritated. The hand which had struck him moments earlier brushed over his cheek, prompting Zeb to nuzzle into it. A soft sigh broke the tentative silence between them.

“......Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt if I set up a cot down here,” Kallus suggested eventually, gesturing to the floor that, save for a couple trash baskets, was rather vacant. “I do seem to have some sort of immunity to it, after all. And I suppose I haven’t been as attentive as I could have been…”

“Karabast, Kal. Do you hear yourself?” Zeb interrupted. “You haven’t been leaving me alone! When you caught me earlier, it was the first time I’ve been able to get off my back. Not that I’m complaining, of course. I, ah…” He moistened his lips, a shy smile gracing them as he looked up at his lover. “I guess I kinda like this, you caring for me like this. Spending time with you and all. Just wish it wasn’t like this…”

At this, Kallus’s expression softened into one of affectionate understanding. “I understand. I would much prefer to be around you if you weren’t prime to vomit on me at any moment,” he confessed, resuming his gentle caress of Zeb’s cheek. “Once you’re feeling better, we can set up an excursion, if you like. I’m still the only crew member here who hasn’t visited Lira San..?”

Zeb snorted, dancing on the edge of a sneeze before regaining his grip. “And I think it’s gonna stay that way, too. No offense,” he tacked on, greeted by Kallus’s coy smile as a response. “But, yeah. I’d like that. No missions, no danger-”

“-I wouldn’t go that far.”

“Alright, alright. No kids. No duties. Just us. And no flu.”

Kallus smirked. “And that, my dear Garazeb, is the most important part.” With that, the human rose from where he rested by the bed and stretched out his leg with a wince. That bum leg… They really needed to get that checked out, but they’ve yet to find the time…

“Where are you going?” Zeb asked, feeling the sudden loss of contact as a pull on his heartstrings, tempting him to trail after the other man.

“To get the preparations for the cot, of course. Unless you’ve changed your mind about sleeping alone?”

Slightly relieved by the reassurance, the Lasat allowed a spark of humor to slip back into his demeanor as he lay back once again. “Mm… I think I’d much rather have you up here with me…”

Kallus arched a brow, the smirk on his lips growing wider and the glimmer in his eyes growing fonder with every passing second. Crossing his arms, he spoke with a single shake of his head. “Well then. If you can somehow magically cure yourself by the time I get back with the cot, I’ll join you in your bunk. Until then, I’ll get what I need.”

This time, when he watched his lover leave, that phantom longing which was usually left in his wake was nowhere to be found. Having spent the last few days as the prisoner of this pesky pathogen, Zeb was more than ready to shed it, especially with the promise of Kallus as a reward.

Then again, he thought with a smile, skin prickling where Kallus had petted him so gently- treated him so lovingly and carefully, Maybe this isn’t all that bad.

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