#is it late?

[sev-on-kamino]

30 Days of Blossoming Romance (9)

Day 9: Exchanging gifts for the first time (prompt list here)

Tup x afab!Reader

warnings: we’re back in the fluff zone! I made up my own holiday, and with all the planets in the Republic, it feels like I can get a pass for that. I attempted to proofread but my brain is fried, pls gimme grace 😅

word count: 1276

Tup didn’t have much, if any, dating experience to compare it to, but he knew that he felt different with you. Like the claws of war couldn’t take him under as long as you were there. Like there was a future where the two of you could have the sort of life in the sweet stories you read to him off of your holopad.

Every moment with you felt like a gift, so when you told him you were nearing a holiday on your home world where friends exchanged gifts and treats, he knew he had to find the perfect gift. Searching was difficult because troopers didn’t have a lot of free time, and what little Tup had was spent with you. Worried he’d blow the whole surprise, he enlisted Jesse and Fives to keep you busy.

“And you need me to do this now?” you asked, looking at the pair of ARC troopers in front of you like they each had two heads.

“Yes, we need a neutral third party, and here you are,” Jesse said looking hopeful for a yes.

“It’s just sparring though. What’s the score for?” you asked.

“It helps Rex in our quarterly assessments,” Fives said grinning.

“Quarterly assessments?” Your eyes narrowed.

They both nodded, and began to drag you towards the training room.

“Listen, boys, it’s not that I don’t want to help, it’s just that I haven’t seen Tup in like 3 days, and I miss him, so…” you trailed off. The neediness in your voice made both of them feel guilty for lying, but confident that you’d appreciate whatever Tup presented you with.

“Rex has him and Kix doing something or another, so you can help while he’s out,” Jesse said.

“Fine, fine, I’ll help,” you conceded, so they’d stop tugging you along. They were awful liars, and you didn’t buy it for a second, but you were curious about their endgame.

***

Kix and Tup were scouring the lower levels of Coruscant for something special for you. Despite each of them having deep wells of patience, they were both growing frustrated. Tup was frustrated with the search, Kix was frustrated with Tup.

“It just has to be perfect,” Tup said frowning as he passed yet another stall.

“We’ve passed no less than a dozen things she’d love, vod,” Kix replied.

Tup paused and looked at Kix.

“I’ve completely overthought this, haven’t I?”

“It’s understandable. You want it to be special for her, but she just wants you.”

A smile spread across Tup’s face at that, and he suddenly knew exactly what to get you.

***

Your calendar beeped and you were struck with a wave of homesickness. It was the morning of Wintersbloom back home. That night the Snow Lilies would blossom, and everyone would share gifts and food. Your eyes flitted over to the neatly wrapped gift you’d grabbed for Tup after Jesse and Fives had set you free for the afternoon. You hadn’t gotten to see Tup at all except for passing each other in the corridor as you came to grab food from the mess hall before bed. Seeing his face had given you a boost, but you needed more. You wanted to hold his hand, snuggle up against him. You didn’t even care that you were being needy at this point. You just wanted 10 uninterrupted minutes where you could give him the attention he deserved.

The thought of his face lighting up when he opened his gift quelled the twisting pain in your stomach, and silenced the needy voice in your head, as you forced yourself out of bed. It would be a great night, and if you were lucky, you could kiss him at what would be twilight back home. It was a good omen for a relationship, and in the midst of a war, you needed all the help you could get.

At approximately 1700 hours, Tup walked into the med bay looking excited yet nervous. You brightened instantly at the sight of him. Racing around your desk, you leapt right into his arms. He held you tightly, pressing his face into your neck.

“Hi, mesh’la, can I steal you away for a little while?” he asked.

“I can’t really leave right now, but I got you a Wintersbloom gift!”

“No, no!” Kix said, interrupting you. “You can leave for a little while. I’ll comm you if I need you.”

“I don’t care what anyone says, you’re the best, Kix,” you say grinning, as you put your things.

“Awww thanks…wait, who said otherwise?” He questioned, brow furrowed.

“See ya in a bit!” you said grabbing Tup’s hand, and dragging him towards the exit.

“You’re gonna tell me later,” he shouts at your retreating figures.

***

Tup lead you to the starboard observation room. You’re surprised it’s empty, as there was almost someone in there relaxing, reading, or napping. The pair of you sat in the window seat facing each other. Your heart raced, as you pulled your gift for him out of your pocket. A small package, wrapped in purple silk, held closed with a silvery cord.

“Mesh’la, what-? It’s so fancy. I hope you didn’t spend too much,” Tup said even more anxious about his present for you.

“Oh stop it, Tup,” you shushed him. “You deserve this and so much more.” You pressed the gift into his hands. You swallow before continuing.

“So back home, what you wrap a gift in is as important as the gift.”

Tup toys with the cord, “So what does purple silk mean?”

“Silk for romance, purple for trust.”

Tup looked up at you then, vulnerable, gentle. Your heart skipped a beat. He was so beautiful, so kind, so yours. He pulled at the cord, and the silk fell away revealing a small box.

He opened the little box, and found a flat, bright blue metal disc with coordinates around the rim.

“That’s where we were when we first met,” you supplied. You bit your lip as you watched him pull off one of his gloves to lift the little disc, and hold it in his hand. He looked up at you once more, and cupped your face with his free hand to bring his lips to yours. The kiss was like Tup. Gentle on the surface, hiding power and passion underneath.

When he pulled away he rested his forehead against yours.

“Thank you, cyare.”

“You’re welcome. I’m so glad you like it.”

He kissed you softly once more before passing you a little box as well. You accepted it with a grin, fingers rubbing over the soft surface before you opened it and lifted out a little tear-shaped pendant. It was made of blue and white plastoid with soft black fabric on the back.

“Is this what I think it is?” You asked, tears prickling at the corners of your eyes. Tup nodded.

“Yeah, it’s bit of my armor. I needed a new pauldron, so I saved a piece of the old one for you, and the fabric is from my blacks. Do you…”

“I love it!” You interrupted, throwing your arms around him. “It’s a little piece of you that I can always keep close. Thank you, Tup.”

“Anything for you, mesh’la.”

“Really? Because I would really love one more thing that only you can give me,” you said scooting closer.

“It’s yours.”

Your watch beeped again.

“A kiss. My people believe a kiss at twilight provides a relationship with good fortune.”

Tup replied by wrapping his arms around you, and kissing you deeply. The ache that had lingered inside you all day began to dissipate, and a warm satisfaction took its place.

[child-of-the-cosmos]

Sitting here wrapped in my little blanket with my little projects.

[chiisana-lion]

[wynsvre]

hi this is a comic about me please be nice

[frownyalfred]

Tips for writing those gala scenes, from someone who goes to them occasionally:

Generally you unbutton and re-button a suit coat when you sit down and stand up.

You’re supposed to hold wine or champagne glasses by the stem to avoid warming up the liquid inside. A character out of their depth might hold the glass around the sides instead.

When rich/important people forget your name and they’re drunk, they usually just tell you that they don’t remember or completely skip over any opportunity to use your name so they don’t look silly.

A good way to indicate you don’t want to shake someone’s hand at an event is to hold a drink in your right hand (and if you’re a woman, a purse in the other so you definitely can’t shift the glass to another hand and then shake)

Americans who still kiss cheeks as a welcome generally don’t press lips to cheeks, it’s more of a touch of cheek to cheek or even a hover (these days, mostly to avoid smudging a woman’s makeup)

The distinctions between dress codes (black tie, cocktail, etc) are very intricate but obvious to those who know how to look. If you wear a short skirt to a black tie event for example, people would clock that instantly even if the dress itself was very formal. Same thing goes for certain articles of men’s clothing.

Open bars / cash bars at events usually carry limited options. They’re meant to serve lots of people very quickly, so nobody is getting a cosmo or a Manhattan etc.

Members of the press generally aren’t allowed to freely circulate at nicer galas/events without a very good reason. When they do, they need to identify themselves before talking with someone.

[magpie-to-the-morning]

I don’t WANT a career. I want to cuddle and sleep and eat and read and create and love and be loved.

[amygdalae]

he can infodump so deep inside me I'll have trivia running down my leg

[lilithism1848]

[soaptaculart]

The cat and the dad she said she "didn't want"

[memingursa]

Looks like a fucking train car in an anti communist sci fi novel released in the 50s and I mean that in the most derogatory way possible

[bipolarmango]

My doctor and therapist: now with this autism + ADHD diagnosis you need to learn to unmask because masking all the time will make you burn out again and feel like shit

Other people: well it's just interesting how after getting the diagnosis you suddenly start behaving like that I mean I'm not saying you're faking it's just funny how you suddenly cannot be normal like you were before

[tr-shb-g]

"never too late to be who you might have been" by sara yukiko mon | still from i saw the tv glow, "there is still time"

[cl0wnah0lic]

cooking up some stuff on twitter

[milkymolle]

i think kabru should be allowed to infodump on laios. equality

[nighthawkes]

I must sleep. Sleep is the mind-healer. Sleep is the big-life that brings total ability to fucking do anything. I will face my bed. I will permit the blankie to pass over me and snores to pass through me. And when sleep has gone past I will turn the outer eye to greet the new morning. When the sleep has gone there will be everything. Energy and will to live will remain.