#the mantis not the roommate

[kawaiianimeredhead]

My roommate's class pet is getting up there in age and she's thinking she might be passing soon so my roommate is taking her everywhere with her so she won't be alone when she goes

[evorathesylvurr]

limbus company is like <hi my name is dante, and here are my 12 very normal i promise pets: a very quiet mink, a quiet ferret, a cat/dog who would kill for those she loves, a venomous snake, the world's most obedient tortoise, hong lu, a wolfdog who loves his wife, an otter who loves her wife, a cheetah, the cheetah's weird bird child, an ex-vet dog with ptsd, and a cockroach also with ptsd>

[zelkwin]

Two ladies having a chat over the back fence

Photo from UC ANR Bug Squad Blog

[yippeleeka]

Two of my original characters, both of which are different species of crustaceans. They're shrimp besties and roommates.

[carnivoured]

[mayorwhisper]

😂😂😂

[roaringheat]

TYYY im cherishing this little guy

[graceofagodswrath]

Menstrual Cycles and Aliens

“I apologize, but Williams is doing what?”

Kate sighed, brown eyes rolling at Ka’oolai’s stiff confusion. “Bleeding Niagara Falls out of her uterus. She’s gonna need a couple days.”

“Katy.” Jasmine hissed. “That is not how you explain this shit to people.”

Kate’s lips thinned in exasperation. “It makes them listen! God knows how many times I had to describe it so graphically to get all the men in my family to understand that you can’t just ‘suck it up!’”

The three sat in the dining lounge, a room on the transport ship meant for relaxation for workers on their breaks. Ka’looai, the ship’s second-in-command, had inquired about Pilot William’s ask for absence. Kate Blanche, the engineer and second roommate to De’maya, had answered in her usually blunt way. Luckily, The third roommate and Quartermaster of the ship, Jasmine Lativos, had been there to cushion Ka’looai’s immediate confusion.

Ka’looai held up their four hands to the two humans, insectoid limbs the notable deep, iridescent purple of their native race, Yamogai. They resembled a mix of a beetle and praying mantis, tall with hard, spiny exoskeletons. They displayed a variety of colors like humans (tho more vibrant), but the most common was purple.

“I apologize… I do not understand. Does Pilot Williams have an open wound? Do they need to go to the medibay?” Ka’looai’s voice sounded like the vibrating of beating wings, so they had to pronunciate other languages precisely in order to be understood. So they spoke slowly and with a deliberate concentration. This voice also gave way to an accent that made them pronounce certain letters like ‘v’s. There was a running joke with humans that Yamogai were related to Germans, as their accents were similar when speaking English.

Jasmine shook her head. “No. She’s experiencing a part of her menstrual cycle, the human female reproductive cycle.” Ka’looai cocked their head, so Jasmine continued. “Every month, we expel the inside lining of our uterus, the organ that develops a human fetus if the female is pregnant. If a female isn’t pregnant, our uterus removes the old lining of tissue and blood and gets rid of it from our body to create a new lining in case she does become pregnant. It’s the same muscle contractions as childbirth, though at a smaller fraction. This process can be extremely painful for some, if not most people, and De’maya is one of them. So she just needs some time off to deal with and recover from this experience.”

Ka’looai stared for a moment, mantis-like eyes seeming to stare through the humans souls. “I… see. I will inform the captain, then. Is there anything else we must know about this… event? I assume you two experience it as well as you said every human female does?”

Kate shrugged, long brown braid shifting in her shoulders. “Mine isn’t so bad usually. I’m one of the lucky ones. I get irritable and the occasional back pains, but I don’t need time off recuperate necessarily.”

“Irritable?”

Jasmine smiled, more of grimace for those experienced in reading human expressions. “Annoyed. Aggressive. The process increases the amount of estrogen and testosterone in our bodies, hormones that can heavily influence our emotional states. So we can be a bit…” Jasmine paused to think. “Intense.”

“Ah.” Ka’looai’s antennae twitched emphatically. “That is why I sensed the rise in strange pheromones. So this increase of chemicals affects you physically, emotionally, and mentally. I see why Pilot Williams asked for an absence then. Will the two of you require the same?”

Jasmine made an expression that Ka’looai could not understands. She bared her teeth while narrowing here eyes and scrunching her nose, dark skin wrinkling. Her hands rolled synchronously back and forth, a gesture the Yamogai recognized as a sign for uncertainty. “My cycle is more chaotic. Many factors can influence the way it is, and I tend to be influenced heavily by those.” She gestured at the other human. “Whereas Kate’s average is light and less painful, and De’maya’s average is heavy and extreme pain, mine can be either depending on my situation. If I’m stressed and haven’t taken care of myself, it’s usually pretty painful. If the opposite, I can usually function pain free. It depends.”

“What do you mean by light and heavy?”

“That refers to the amount of blood and tissue we expel. Light is very little, medium is a bit more, heavy means a lot. Some people have more lining than others. The heavier the flow can also increase the amount of pain.”

“Is this process different for every human?”

Both women nodded.

“And you still work through such obstacles?”

“Pretty much.” Jasmine confirmed.

“Interesting.” Ka’looai hummed, the sound vibrating the air rhythmically. “So human females expel a large amount of their own blood and tissue every month simply for not reproducing. And it is incredibly painful, yet some of you still function through it. No wonder females are in higher demand than males. You are a hardy species.” Their laugh sounded like the erratic buzzing of fly multiplied by ten. “Is there anything else I need to know?”

“Oh, there’s a shit ton if you wanna properly educate yourself on human reproduction.” Kate waved a scarred, oil darkened hand. “But Jaz gave you the basics. Hah, you may know and understand it better than the average human male.” Kate chuckled dryly and Jasmine huffed. “But that’s a debate hole that can be saved for another time.”

“If you want to learn more, read some human biology books, and we can answer any questions you have.” Said Jasmine. “Make sure they’re recent ones tho, the outdated ones are full of a lot of misinformation.”

“I see. I will do so. Human biology continues to fascinate. I have always found learning about other races to be rather intriguing, and humans never disappoint.”

“Yeup.” Kate leaned back and threw her arms behind her head. “Just don’t start making jokes about us leaving puddles and shit everywhere, or not being trusted behind the wheel.” Her eyes narrowed and she bared her teeth in a not-friendly-smile. “I will commit some “transgressions,” if so.”

Ka’looai’s antennae twitched. “Understood.”

~~~~~~

I’m currently going through this month’s rounds, and felt like distracting myself. Finally had the motivation to write and of course it was during a shitty time of my life. Needed me some alien feels that understand my woes better than my own family. I know this prompt has been done a lot, but I wanted to give my own take on it.

[heartfullofleeches]

What about v and easily frightened reader

V walks out of his bedroom to the sound of you falling out of bed. You cower under your desk as he enters, swatting and combing through your hair as you stare eyes wide at the bed.

"What happened?"

Your knees muffle your words as you hold them to your chest. "spider...."

"What? I can't hear you when you mumble."

You point at the bed. "There was a huge one in my bed. It was in my hair..."

V pulls back the blankets. Your eight legged assailant skaters cross your pillow, crawling onto his hand as he holds it in front of the creature. He had dealt with enough insects feeding a pet mantis as a child, and he had enough knowledge to know this spider was harmless to people. He takes it outside and let's it wander off as he heads back inside to take care of the greater issue at hand.

For as long as he's known you you've been afraid of your own shadow. V was fortunate you had a brief run in during high school or he may have never gotten you to be his roommate. As frustrating as it could be for you, V loved your easily frightened nature. Since he was the only one around most of the time, you had no choice but to depend on him, and those faces you made were the cutest thing he'd ever seen. He was tempted to bring the spider over to you just to see the fear in your pretty eyes just a little longer, but he decided to play nice for once.

"Is it gone?..."

"Yeah, probably off bothering some other couple by now."

You're too shaken up to call him out on his mistake, crawling out of your hiding place and into his open arms. His hand rests in the center of your back as your breathing slowly steadies, stroking down the curve of your spine. He's reluctant to let go as you pull away, but your heistant ask makes him all the more willing.

"Can.. I sleep in your bed tonight? I've had a rough night.. not just because of the spider."

V bites the inner wall of his lip to make sure he isn't dreamily, the copper taste in his mouth made sweet by your gaze. "Sure. Just let me go clear some stuff up."

V rushes in his room, hiding his clothes and ones you lost under his bed and in his collect. He shoves your toothbrush in a drawer before calling you in his room. You walk in, standing at the doorway and carrying a pillow in your arms. Sometimes he swore he could just devour you on the spot.

"You can take the corner if you want."

You climb into his bed and make yourself at home against the wall. V gets in and pulls the covers over the both of you, ignoring the little personal space he usually gave you as he warms up to your back and hugs your waist. You seem at peace with this as you soon fall asleep. V watches over you, sitting up as you turn to face him in your sleep. How could someone be so cute, and yet the biggest pain in his ass. Sleeping in his bed, letting him comfort and hold you like this - and you still weren't his. It was infuriating. He could just kiss you.

V thinks back to all the times you've apologized for your actions. When he's accidentally startled you awake when he thought you were up and you nearly attacked him. A wicked idea comes to mind as he runs his finger over your lips. Leaning in, V kisses the corner of your mouth- ghosting his nails up the crease of your neck to stimulate you more. He feels you shift, but only hovers his lips over yours at he tangles his fingers in your hair. Your eyes shoot open as his lock with yours, your hand soaring directly into his lower jaw.

You sit up screaming as V back away clutching his swelling jaw. Blood cakes in his mouth, but his pain is nulled in the way you ball the covers to your chest and stare wildly around the room, completely unaware of what just happened.

"Ow.... fuck."

You look at V, letting out a gasp as your eyes adjust to the dark drops on his shirt. "V?.. Did I hurt you?"

V sticks his fingers in his mouth, tips coated in a mixture of saliva and thickening blood. "You were moving around so much I tried to wake you up and you punched me... It still hurts."

V hides his eyes with his sleeves. It really did hurt, but there was no harm in playing up his pain.

"I... didn't mean to. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

Blood flashes in the grin he wears. "Kiss me better?"

[sifu-kisu]

My Journey in Learning Bagua Zhang

In the traditional martial arts world, especially in Tai Chi, it is expected to use Laozi's Tao Te Ching phrase "The highest good is like water" to describe the inclusive and transformative nature of martial arts power. In fact, if we apply the philosophy of water to any form of Chinese martial arts, it makes sense. For example:

• Baji Quan is like a thunderstorm,

• Pigua Zhang is like a windstorm,

• Praying Mantis Quan is like a sudden rainstorm,

• So, what about Bagua Zhang? It is like a dense fog!

My experience with Bagua Zhang comes from my grandmaster, Liu Yunqiao. Before that, I had also learned about the 64 palms of Bagua Zhang elsewhere. At that time, I did not understand it, and after learning it, I forgot almost everything. I still remember the first time I learned Bagua Zhang, from the initial excitement and joy before learning it to the later disappointment and frustration. This significant psychological shift made me resent "Bagua" for many years. I thought Bagua Zhang was just about spinning in circles to confuse the enemy (actually, it was me who got confused), a fancy, complicated, and impractical martial art. One day after I joined Wutan, the martial arts center in Taipei, Grandmaster Liu saw me practicing Baji Quan and suddenly said, "You should learn Bagua Zhang; it will absolutely help you." My first reaction was, "Oh no, not this again!" But I dared not disobey my master. I thought, "It's okay. It's just spinning in circles again." However, when I encountered this unusual Bagua Zhang passed down from our grandmaster Gong Baotian, I was utterly convinced and finally understood what Bagua Zhang truly is. This feeling reminded me of when I first came to the United States to study in 1974. My Italian American roommate asked if I had ever eaten pizza. I replied that I had, but it wasn't delicious. He said he would show me authentic Italian pizza. True to his word, after I tried the pizza he introduced, I completely changed my view and fell in love with traditional Italian pizza. My passion for Bagua Zhang grew in the same way.

Bagua Zhang seems shrouded in a mysterious veil or like a dense fog to outsiders. Compared to some ancient martial arts with hundreds or thousands of years of history, Bagua Zhang is merely a baby in traditional martial arts. However, it should not be underestimated; it inherits the core philosophy of Chinese martial arts culture. It possesses the finest martial arts DNA, absorbing the essence of various martial arts styles. Years of practicing, teaching, and researching Bagua Zhang have made me deeply respect the experience and wisdom of the Bagua Zhang predecessors.

Next time, I will begin to write about the principles and techniques of our school’s Bagua Zhang.

我學八卦掌的心路歷程

傳統武術界尤其是太極拳喜歡用老子道德經的 ”上善若水”來形容武術的勁道如水一般的包容與變化，其實如果我們將水的哲學應用到任何一種中國拳術都講得通，例如：

八極是雷雨，劈掛是風雨，螳螂是驟雨等等那麼八卦是什麼呢？它是濃霧!

我的八卦掌是來自師爺劉公雲樵。在這以前也曾在別處學過八卦64掌。 學時不知所云，學後遺忘殆盡。猶記得第一次學八卦掌，由學之前的激動與喜悅，到後來的灰心失望，那種心理大幅度的轉變，使我多年望“卦”生厭.認為八卦掌不過是轉轉圈，讓敵人昏頭 (其實是我昏頭) 一種花俏，複雜又不切實際的武術。加入武壇後有一天師爺看我練習八極拳，突然說道：“你應該學學八卦掌，那對你有絕對的幫助.”。我當時第一個反應是“天啦，怎麼又是它！” 但師命不敢不從， 我心想：“沒事，不過是再回到轉圈而已”。 那知道當我接觸到本門傳自宮師祖寶田的八卦掌後我徹底地心服口服，才開始知道什麼是八卦掌。那種感覺使我想起1974年當我初來美國留學時，我的意大利後裔室友曾問我吃過披薩嗎？ 我的回答是吃過但不怎麼好吃。他說我帶你見識真正的意大利式披薩。誠不我欺， 我吃過他介紹我的那家披薩後，從此對披薩改觀。 進而愛上傳統的意大利披薩。我對八卦掌的愛戀亦復如此。

外人看八卦掌像是蒙了一層神秘的面紗 或是看不清楚前方的濃霧， 其實，八卦掌是比起一些動徹就是幾百幾千年歷史的老拳種，它不過是個傳武中的小嬰兒，然而絕不能小看它，它繼承了中國武術文化的中心思想。 它有著最優良的武術DNA, 吸取了各家武術的營養。多少年來對八卦掌的練習，教學與專研，使我我深深地敬佩八卦先輩們的經驗與智慧。

下囘我會開始寫寫本門八卦掌的原理與技術。

[kawaiianimeredhead]

For those of you who enjoyed my last post about my roommate's previous mantis, here is an update on a new one she has. Her name is Princess Greenbean and we took her to see Santa today as well as did a photo shoot of her outside on my plants

[mourninglamby]

roommate and I are takin a gay ass entomology class so heres our bugsonas (spiny flower mantis and Luna moth)

[lives-in-midgard]

Bucky Barnes Masterlist

One Shots:

I'm Here: Bucky comforts reader after a nightmare.

A special gift: Reader celebrates Christmas with the Avengers.

Locked feelings: Reader gets locked in the bathroom and calls her roommate Bucky for help.

Cat Rescue: Reader meets Bucky at the park and helps him find Alpine.

Welcome to New York: Reader moves to New York to start a new life and meets Bucky there....

Beautiful Dream: Bucky comforts you when you can't sleep.

Comfort hug: Bucky comforts reader after a bad day.

Injured in love: Reader lies to the doctor, so she can see Bucky in the hospital.

You'll never be alone: Bucky comforts reader after a family dinner.

Coney Island: On your trip to Coney Island you and Bucky have a lot of fun.

Revealed Secret: At an Avengers party, Mantis revealed your secret crush for Bucky.

It's gonna be okay: Bucky comes back from a mission and finds reader sick in bed then takes care of her.

Stuck with me: When you and Bucky come home from a date night you have to tell him how much you love him.

Sleepless Night: When reader can't sleep she and Bucky meet each other in the kitchen and spend time together.

Don't tell Bucky: After a night out with Natasha and Wanda reader gets drunk and tells someone about her secret crush on Bucky.

Secret injury: Trying to hide an embarrassing injury from Bucky isn't as easy as you thought.

My Soulmate: After years of not knowing your soulmate you finally find him.

Bucky's Birthday Surprise: You thought everyone forgot your birthday but actually Bucky prepared a surprise for you.

You Finally Belong: You are a new Avenger and can't find your place with them until Bucky decides to do something about it.

Make You Feel Better: Bucky immediately knows that something is wrong when reader got hurt during training.

I Still Love You: Four months have passed since your breakup with Bucky when you suddenly get a call from Steve.

Real Superhero: Bucky's adopted son goes back to school and gets a homework that surprises Bucky.

New Year's Confession: At the Avengers New Year's party you and Bucky sneak away to watch the firework together.

They All Love You: Bucky and the Avengers ask reader to move in with them.

Mommy's Special Friend: Bucky offers to take care of your son while you are out of town.

Back To You: A few months after Bucky and you broke up you find out that it was all just a big misunderstanding.

Date In The Air: Bucky takes you on a special first date.

A Cute Couple: You distant yourself from Bucky because you think he doesn't feel the same, not knowing that he is also in love with you.

A Little Different: When Bucky shows your daugther his new look you get an interesting and cute reaction from her.

Finally, Back: When you hear a loud noise in the middle of the night, you think someone is breaking into your apartment, turns out it's just Bucky who is back from his mission.

Part of the Community: When Bucky asks you about the pride parade, you decided that it's the right time to tell him that you're part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Sneaking Away: The Avengers and you were invited to a musical, when it gets boring you and Bucky sneak away.

Finally Safe: After being kidnapped from Hydra you get saved by Bucky and the Avengers.

Cozy Day: It's a rainy autumn day, so you and Bucky decide to have a cozy day at home.

Headcannons:

Dating Bucky Barnes would include

Bucky calling you at work

Lazy Sunday with Bucky

Valentine's Day with Bucky

Bucky dating reader who has anxiety

Bucky dating reader who has depression

Bucky on your birthday

Musician AU

Fluffcember 2023

Moodboard Masterlist

[the-adoring-beaste]

My roommate was on the way to a date with their partner but came back to the apartment to ask if I wanted to see the praying mantis they'd found on the sidewalk–

[theidiotwhowritesthings]

New Girl [01]

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

(slow burn, endgame, as in you’ll be seeing some short term pairings here and then as well)

MODERN DAY AU

Word count: 5,417

Warning: self-doubt, anxiety, hurt/comfort, cursing

Summary: Life threw you a curve ball when you walked in on  your long term boyfriend making out with someone who definitely wasn’t  you. Since living with him was no longer an option, you’ve ventured out  at the advice of a work friend and found the absolute perfect loft to  reside in. The only issue?

You suddenly have four very odd roommates.

[01]: REBOUND SEX

“Wow, I regret this.” Bucky bobbed his head once and turned to look at Peter who stood in the kitchen with him, “What the fuck did you do to us?”

“How is this my fault??” Peter scoffed.

Bucky narrowed his eyes, “Uh, I think your exact words were, ‘Come on, guys. Models will be crawling around the apartment. This will be an absolute dream.’” He pointed to the living room where you were slumped over on the couch watching the same movie you had put on a week and a half ago. “We have used tissues, a crying girl, and I now have the ability to quote Legally Blonde in my sleep.”

“There are less models than I thought there’d be.” Peter mumbled to himself.

Clint stepped out of his bedroom door, it sat by the kitchen, and clapped his hands, “Legally Blonde is a great movie. Excuse you.”

“Yeah, I agreed until about the 132nd hour of it.” Bucky said between clenched teeth. “We need to do something to stop this nonsense, and by we I mean you.” He turned to point at Peter. “You got us into this. You get us out.”

“What am I supposed to do?”

Bucky crossed his arms, “I don’t know. Crying girls aren’t my specialty.”

“And they’re mine??” Peter scoffed.

Clint shrugged, “We just assumed you make girls cry all the time. Plus, you’re like super tight with Gamora and Mantis, right? They’re girls.”

“What part of who Gamora is makes you think she cries at all?” Peter replied.

“Yeah, but Mantis seems like the type to tear up every other day at the least.” Bucky countered. Well, he wasn’t wrong. Mantis was empathetic to an extreme. He had just watched her cry at a commercial where a dog kept trying to hide a bone, but people kept digging it up. That didn’t mean he wanted this responsibility placed on him though.

Peter’s mouth fell open with a silent argument, but Bucky just glared at him and Clint’s attention was already focused in on the coffee pot. He grumbled under his breath and turned to stalk over to the living room couch where you were sprawled out sniffling.

“Heeeeey.” Peter dragged the word out as chirpily as he could.

You turned your face away from the screen to look at Peter who had just sat down by your feet. He gave you a sheepish smile and began to pat your ankle with his hand at an awkward pace. You assumed he was trying to bring you comfort, that’s probably what the whisper fight in the kitchen had been about, but it didn’t help.

“Hi.” You greeted before blowing your nose. Peter grimaced, but you just slowly sat up and pointed to the screen. “You wanna watch Legally Blonde with me?”

Peter shook his head, “No. No, I really don’t. I’d love to never see this movie ever again. Ever.“

“Sorry.” You deflated. “I know it’s annoying, but Legally Blonde is my breakup movie.”

“Right. I get that.” He paused. “Well, I really don’t actually because I don’t understand how this is your breakup movie.”

You stuck your lower lip out into a pout, “Elle Woods is a strong independent woman who needs no man.”

“Mhmm, okay.” Peter reached out for the remote and paused the TV, “Here’s the thing though. This isn’t going to make you feel better. What we need to do is go out and find you a rebound.”

You shook your head, “I don’t know if I’m ready for a rebound.”

“You’re so ready for a rebound. Sex with strangers fixes everything.”

“I don’t know…” You replied skeptically. For the past three years, you had only been with one guy. In fact, you had mentally already established that he would be the only guy you’d be with for the rest of your life. He had been your future. The thought of going out and trying to find someone new was… daunting. It also sounded a little impossible. Did you even remember how to flirt with a stranger? You grimaced, “I don’t even think I know how—”

“That’s what we’re for!” Peter gave you a broad grin, “You’re coming out with us tonight and we are going to find you someone new.”

“Really?”

Peter nodded and set his hand on your shoulder, “Absolutely. We are going to get you some good, after breakup sex.” He smirked. “Even if I have to knuckle down and get in there myself—”

“Jar!” Bucky and Clint yelled from the kitchen.

Peter cursed under his breath and moved to put money in the jar designed for him. His words hadn’t even fazed you, your time here had gotten you used to some of the things Peter said. He was a really good guy who sometimes slipped into a douchebag headspace. All the guys here were good guys. Clint was a disaster, you found him sitting on the dining room table at 2 AM once chugging coffee from the actual pot and he still used a flip phone for some odd reason, but he was also sweetheart that would sit on the couch with you at some odd time in the morning to watch your comfort movie. Sam seemed the more responsible one in the loft, when he wasn’t trying to one up or mock Bucky, and he reminded you of a caring older brother. Especially when he made you breakfast last week before the two of you left for work and talked to you about one of his worse breakups. Then there was Bucky. Bucky was… well, he was grumpy for lack of a more accurate word. He was kind of like a 100-year-old trapped inside a 26-year-old’s body. You hadn’t gotten to spend much time with him yet but you knew he meant well. He was protective of the loft group.

You sunk in your seat and rolled the thought of going out around your head. The idea of finding someone new was terrifying, but you couldn’t sit on this couch and cry forever. Plus, the boys would be there to make sure you didn’t cave in on yourself. Peter had said so himself. Fortune favored the bold, right?

You shifted in the booth and tried to readjust the dress you had put on. It felt weird to be in something that wasn’t your pajamas or your work clothes. The bar was crowded, unsurprising on a Friday night, and the atmosphere was comfortable. You hadn’t really found a bar in the city that you liked enough to frequent, but this one was actually kind of nice. It was kind of a mess, not in a super great area of the city, and some would probably use the word ‘sketchy’ or ‘ancient’ or ‘weird, carpeted drinking hole in the wall’ to describe it, but you liked it. This was the bar where Bucky worked and somehow that made sense to you.

“You look great, stop fidgeting.” Peter said from beside you. Sam, on his other side, nodded in agreement and you gave the boys a small smile. It did kind of feel nice to clean up again. “Here comes Buck.”

You glanced over to see your roommate make his way toward the booth with drinks in his hands. Bucky wore jeans with a long sleeve t-shirt and a short sleeve one on top of that. His sleeves were rolled up though and he had a rag thrown over his shoulder casually. “Alright, here.” Bucky set the two beer bottles he was carrying in one hand onto the table in front of Peter and Sam then set a glass of wine in front of you. It was the same as the type you drank at home. “You coach her into finding a winner yet, Quill?”

“I don’t like your tone.” Peter replied then took a swig of his beer. Bucky chuckled once, shook his head, then wandered back to the bar. Peter turned to you, “Alright. Rules of the night. You will speak in short sentences, you will not mention anything about your ex, unless you’re talking about rebound sex, and you will be going home with a date at the very least or my name isn’t Star Lord.”

Sam narrowed his eyes and scoffed, “Your name isn’t Star Lord, dumbass.”

“Stage name, Sam. Jesus. How many times do I have to have this conversation with you people?”

“Okay.” You ignored the argument between them that you definitely had heard before and looked around the bar. There was a cute guy leaning against a pillar talking to some of his friends. He wasn’t half bad. “He’s kind of cute.”

Peter focused back on you, “Go get him, tiger.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

“Go…talk to him?? Like where he can hear me?”

“Him hearing you is an important part yes.”

Your hand tightened around your glass. Sam cleared his throat and motioned to you with his bottle, “You don’t have to do this. As the self-appointed voice of reason, I think I’m supposed to suggest waiting until you’re ready.”

“Waiting ‘til you’re ready is for pussies.” Peter said.

“Jar.” Sam snapped his gaze to him.

“We aren’t even in the loft! There’s no bar jar!”

You didn’t want to wait. You wanted to be over your shitty ex-boyfriend and if this was how you had to do it then so be it. Without waiting, you threw back half the wine in your glass, Peter and Sam both made noises of surprise, then you stood up and pointed at them, “Rebound sex, bitches.”

Peter and Sam both chuckled and you whipped around to go talk to the cute guy. You could do this. You could do this. You were a fucking catch, and any guy would be lucky to have you. Obviously, your ex didn’t think that when he cheated on you. Apparently, you weren’t good enough for him—no! No, bad thoughts. Just flirty thoughts. You could do this damn it.

Could you do this??

Bucky poured another drink, delivered it, then moved to wipe the bar of any spills. When he looked back up, both Sam and Peter were sitting at the bar in front of him. Clint was at work tonight, which meant they had no idea where he was, but that was the norm for them. Peter leaned onto the bar and clasped his hands together.

“Bucky, I need you to get us into the Stark party.”

“How am I supposed to do that?” Bucky replied. Peter gave him a hard look and he rolled his eyes in response, “I am not calling my ex-girlfriend to get you into this dumb party—”

“We go every year! You can’t take this from me. The theme is wild wild west. Do you know how cute of an outlaw I make? We have to go.”

Bucky shook his head, “I am not calling Elektra.”

“Why?” Sam raised an eyebrow at him, “You call her drunk all the time.”

“I do not.” Bucky glared at him.

“You literally called her drunk three days ago.” Peter said. “Now please—”

Bucky shook his head again, “No. I’m not gonna do it.”

“I thought you loved me!”

“Well, like always, you were wrong.” Bucky replied dryly. He glanced around the bar, “Where is little miss rebound sex? Did you idiots leave her alone?”

“She’s fine. She’s picking up a dude right now.” Peter pointed behind him. Bucky leaned to the side to look past his giant head and spotted you leaning against the wall talking to some random guy. From the looks of it you were talking very, very fast, maybe not even breathing, and your hands were flying around as you told whatever story you were telling.Your hand caught the edge of his drink and it spilled back on the dude. Bucky grimaced, Sam flinched, and Peter groaned. “Okay. Maybe she’s not picking up a dude right now.”

Bucky pointed in your direction, “That was painful to watch. Go save her.”

“She’s a big girl. She’s just gotta…brush off the cobwebs. Get back in the groove.” Peter argued.

Sam took a big sip of his beer then set it down and stood, “I’ll go get her.”

“Thank you.” Bucky replied and went to serve another customer. When he came back, Peter was giving him a pleading look that bordered on pathetic and pitiful. “Quill, I said no.”

Peter grumbled, “I can’t believe you’d betray me like this.”

“—and I think it was going okay until I spilled his drink.” You said as Sam motioned for you to take what had been his seat. All three men shook their heads at you, and you groaned in defeat before setting your head down at the bar. God, you were so out of practice.

Peter and Sam said you needed a break and they peeled away to talk to some other friends while you moped at the bar. This was the place for it after all. Someone cleared their throat, and when you looked up Bucky was still in front of you. He had placed a new wine glass by your resting head. You took it with a small smile, “Thanks.” He nodded his head once. You took a long sip then spoke, “Well I guess at the end of the day, I just can’t hide my crazy enough to pick up a guy anymore.”

“I really don’t think you’re trying that hard to hide it, doll.” Bucky shook his head.

You chuckled, “I’ve just…never been good at this.” Sad thoughts began to creep in again. Doubts that you’d ever find someone to put up with for another three years. You took another big sip of your drink and motioned to Bucky, “Well, at least I’m not alone.” He raised an eyebrow at you and you continued. “Just a couple of dumped losers, huh?”

“I’m fine.” Bucky argued with a shake of his head. “It’s been six months.”

“Do you know why she dumped you?”

He shrugged, “Doesn’t matter. I don’t care. Didn’t make a difference.” Bucky grabbed a glass to clear with his rag and gave you a tight lipped, awkward smile, “All I knew was that I wanted to set her trash cans on fire afterwards so…”

“You don’t wonder, like, what you could’ve done differently?” You asked, leaning onto the bar, “Racking your brain at night, wondering what’s wrong with you.” Bucky gave you a skeptical look and you forced another chuckle. “You know what happens when you keep all your emotions bottled up inside like you do?”

Bucky hummed, “What?”

“You become old, and bitter, and sad, and a little weird.”

“Who says I’m not already all of that?” Bucky scoffed.

You pointed at him, “You can’t just pretend it didn’t happen, Barnes.”

Bucky stared at you for a moment, his jaw locked, then he leaned forward with another smile that wasn’t quite a smile, “You’re right. Maybe I should just be more like you. Watching weird movies on repeat and burning through twelve boxes of tissues and talking about it with anyone who stands too close to me.”

“Yes!” You nodded with a smile, “Exactly! Let it out!”

“I’m trying to be mean to you.” Bucky replied. “I’m very obviously not going to do that.”

“Why not??” You asked.

Bucky gave you a deadpanned look, “Because I have a penis.”

You stared back at him for a moment before speaking in a deep, mocking, grumpy tone, “’My name is Bucky Barnes and I have a penis, blah, blah, and I won’t talk about my feelings, blah, blah’,” Bucky’s lips twitched up in the corner to form a smirk, “’And I wanna set trash cans on fire or something, blah.’”

Bucky glanced away, steeling his features, then looked back to you, “Doll, I watched you spill a $30 glass of whiskey on a guy.”

“Jesus, it cost him $30?? Who pays that much for a drink??” You pressed. Bucky tilted his head slightly and you cleared your throat and straightened your back as you spoke with dignity, “I mean, maybe that’s just one of my moves, Barnes.”

Bucky nodded, “Mhmm.”

You gave him a bright grin, but the conversation was interrupted when someone suddenly sat beside you. It was a curly haired guy that you had seen speaking with Peter earlier in the night. One of his friends who was also in a band of some kind or another. He leaned on the bar with a smirk, “Hey.”

“Hi.” You replied nervously, your eyes darted to Bucky who gave you a nod. Encouraged you introduced yourself.

The guy asked if you wanted to find a booth and you rose eagerly and followed his lead. Bucky watched you walk across the bar toward a back booth. He wasn’t crazy about any of Peter’s band friends. They were all assholes, and he was a bit hesitant to let you walk away with one. You suddenly turned and shot him a thumb’s up while mouthing, ‘oh yeah’. When you turned back to the guy, Bucky chuckled to himself with a shake of his head.

To be honest, he was surprised to see how okay you seemed to be. It had been a couple weeks since your boyfriend cheated on you and yet here you were trying to get back on the horse. It had been six months since him and Elektra broke up and he was still drunk dialing her.

Bucky reached under the bar to grab his phone and shot off a brief text asking if Elektra could get them into the Stark party. She was one of the assistants that worked there, and she usually got them in every year.

Ten minutes later, Peter and Sam circled back around, and both were surprised to see you in the corner booth talking to a guy. Peter nodded, “Damn, that’s Jonny. Look at her go. What a pull.”

“Jonny is a tool.” Sam replied.

“Yeah, but rebound sex is rebound sex.” Peter replied. Sam opened his mouth to argue, but Peter whipped around to face Bucky, “One last time. I am begging—”

Bucky interrupted him, “I already texted Elektra. She got us in.” Sam’s eyes widened in surprise before narrowing skeptically. Peter on the other hand let out a squeal of excitement and then lunged his top half over the bar to hug him. Bucky hugged back briefly, but as Peter pulled back, he felt a kiss on his shoulder. Bucky motioned to him, “Did you just kiss me on the arm?”

“Yes.” Peter replied unashamedly. “You deserve it.”

A couple more minutes passed before you ran over while Jonny left. All eyes shot to you and you pumped your fist in excitement, “Guess who has a date!” The men cheered for you and you gave Peter and Sam high fives. “Yeah, I just spoke in short sentences, didn’t wave my arms around, and then I told him I want rebound sex—”

Bucky’s eyes widened, “You what??”

“—and then he asked me out!” You jumped in place. “Tomorrow is date night!”

Peter shook his head and yanked your forward into a hug, “I’m so proud of you. Our little girl is all grown up.”

Jonny wasn’t your soulmate by any means, but a date was a date. This was a very good step in the right direction and you were beyond excited to move your thoughts away from your ex.

The loft was silent as five people sat in the living room staring at one another. Well, more accurately four men were staring at one gorgeous, red headed model. Natasha Romanoff sat in a recliner facing the couch while her best friend’s new roommates sat across from her staring—no, gawking.

She crossed her legs, “Do the shoes fit?”

From your in the back she heard a loud thud then you yelled back that you were alright. Natasha turned her attention back to the men in front of her. The one named Clint gave her a small nod, “You a model or something?”

“Yes.” She replied slowly. “Mostly print right now so…”

Peter, sitting between Bucky and Sam, sat forward, “You said it was Natasha?” She didn’t reply. He smirked and Bucky began to roll his eyes before words even left the blond’s mouth. “Tell me, what are your hopes and dreams?” Natasha narrowed her eyes at him. He shifted in his seat, “Are you—Are you warm? It’s a little—”

“Don’t.” Bucky said firmly, but Peter was already shrugging out of his shirt. “I said—”

Peter threw the shirt behind him, “I’m a little warm right now.”

Natasha raised an eyebrow at him, “Please put your shirt back on. Don’t make me laugh at you.”

“Can i get you a drink? Coffee? Water? Some tea?” Peter questioned. Sam and Bucky were both just staring at him now while Clint just continued to gawk at her in stunned silence. Peter nodded, “Some tea bag action.”

Sam nodded, “There it is. Douchebag.”

“Got it.” Bucky reached over to grab the jar and slapped it into Peter’s chest making him yelp in pain while trying to dig out dollar bill from his jeans.

Natasha just watched the interaction and wondered what exactly you had gotten yourself into. The red head uncrossed her legs and leaned forward slightly, with a smile she knew was more menacing than charming, “Listen to me. That girl back there is my best friend. The greatest person to walk this planet. An angel.” She laced her fingers together while Bucky took the, now one dollar heavier, jar and placed it back on the shelf. “If you guys let anything happen to her, if you hurt her, I am going to come here and crazy murder you.”

The men all bobbed their heads in agreement. Sam respected the loyalty, Bucky was a little fearful because the woman definitely had eyes that screamed, ‘I’ve killed someone before’, Clint fell a little more in love, and Peter… well, Peter.

“I’m gonna be honest with you.” Their resident idiot started again. “I did not hear a word you said because I can kind of see your party hats right now through that dress.”

Bucky sighed, “There we go.” He leaned over to grab the jar and gave it back to Peter. “Just hold onto that until she leaves, yeah?”

Natasha called out for you and stood to seek you out. She distinctly heard Sam question why Peter was talking this way while she walked out. When she opened the first door on the right in the hallway she came face to face with you lying sprawled out on the floor wearing pajamas and her heels.

You sat up partially to see Natasha standing in the door staring at you quizzically. You gave her a tight smile, “Nat! I fell and I can’t get up. I think I live here now.”

“Okay, let’s go.” Natasha walked over and helped you sit up. “You okay?”

“No.” You groaned and buried your face into your hands, “I can’t go on a date. What if it’s horrible?? What if I have nothing to talk about??”

Natasha reached forward to grip your chin, “Then you go to the bathroom, you call me, and  I show up to rescue you.”

“Maybe I just shouldn’t go.” You mumbled. The excitement from last night had simmered as you sobered up and all day today your nerves just grew and grew and grew.

“Babe, you got hurt.” Natasha replied. “That doesn’t mean you stop trying.”

Natasha was right. She was always right. From the moment you met her in the 7th grade, you knew she was right. The red head been there for you through thick and thin and you had been there for her. It took several days to convince her not to actually murder your ex-boyfriend because you didn’t want to have to hang out with her in jail instead of your favorite coffee place.

She looped her arm through yours and dragged you into your closet to change. Fifteen minutes later, you were all dolled up and feeling confident. Your friend had a very good way of turning your mess into something special. Natasha was gorgeous, and an amazing model, but you always felt like her talents were wasted. She’d make such a good stylist or designer. You turned to her and gave her a tight lip smile, “Thanks, Nat. You’re the best.”

“I know.” She replied with a quick hug. “Now go knock your date dead and if he hurts you—”

“You’ll knock him dead. I know, I know.” You laughed.

Stark parties were known for being loud, crowded, and wild. The billionaire knew how to throw them that was for damn sure. For someone like Peter who thrived on huge crowds and large music, it was paradise. For someone like Bucky who liked day drinking in an uncrowded bar, this was kind of a nightmare. Still, his friends enjoyed it and he could usually have a good time as long as his friends did. Maybe he could be a little more like you and find a rebound himself.

The theme tonight was ‘Wild, Wild West’. Bucky wore his normal clothes, Sam wore his normal clothes, but with a cowboy hat, Clint had a bundle of rope wrapped around his torso which made him look more like a rock climber than a cowboy, and Peter was decked out in full outlaw costume.

“Oh, there she is. Go get us in.” Peter slapped his chest and Bucky shot him a glare.

Like Peter had said, his ex-girlfriend stood outside the doors by the line waiting for them. She looked great tonight. Elektra hadn’t dressed in costume. Instead she had on a tight, red mini dress with her dark hair pulled up into a long ponytail. Bucky swallowed the nervous lump in his throat and wandered over. His friends stayed a few steps back.

“El.” He greeted awkwardly. “Hey.”

“Bucky.” She beamed. “It’s nice to see you. I was happy to get a text from you while you were sober rather than a 3 AM drunk dial.”

Bucky waved off her words, “Drunk dial? No. You must be getting pranked or something. That wasn’t me.”

“I have caller ID, Buck.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, “Anyways, so the party?”

“Let me go talk to the bouncer and I’ll get you guys in.” She gave him a soft look, “Then maybe me and you can catch up?”

The logical side of him said that was a bad idea, but every single other side was thrilled. He nodded and watched her walk over to the bouncer. As he turned around to let the others know what was going on, some of Peter’s asshole buddies wandered up. The two loud men greeted them, and Bucky suddenly recognized one of them.

“You’re Jonny.”

“That’s me! What up, my man—”

Bucky demanded to know where you were. The others stiffened while all eyes shot to the curly haired man. “Did your date already end or did you bring her?”

Jonny shook his head, cowboy hat nearly falling off, “Who?”

Sam snapped your name at the man, then added, “The girl from last night.”

“Ohhh, yeah.” He laughed, “Look, I was just looking for a hook up. She was texting me all day long. Constantly. I didn’t want nothing to do with that.”

Clint crossed his arms, “And you told her this?”

“No. Why would I?”

“So, she’s just at the restaurant alone waiting for you?!” Sam cried out.

Jonny shrugged and Bucky had to physically resist the urge to punch the man. God, this was awful. Your had been so excited for the date. Your friend had gotten you all dressed up and now you were alone somewhere being stood up. Bucky shook his head, “Come on, guys. We gotta go.”

“But—But the party?” Peter motioned behind him.

“Pete.” Clint said. The outlaw of a man nodded once in agreement. Bucky glanced over his shoulder, spotting Elektra still talking to the bouncer, then sighed. You needed them and they didn’t leave a roommate behind.

You sat at the table, eating your third basket of bread, and wondering if your water glass was deep enough to drown yourself in. This was probably one of the more pathetic moments of your life. Stood up by a guy who played tambourine in whatever band he was in. Jonny hadn’t been your type, but a rebound was just about getting back on the bike, right? Well, you had jumped onto the bike only to immediately ride out into traffic and get hit by a semi.

The waitress began to make her way back to you and you couldn’t help but sink in your seat a little. Maybe she wouldn’t see you. The woman stopped in front of you and picked up the empty bread basket with a frown, “Ma’am, I’m sorry, but I’m gonna have to ask you to give up the table now.”

“Can I get…one more bread basket?” You mumbled.

“No.”

You nodded in understanding and went to grab your purse. Before you could stand from your chair though, you heard yelling at the front and suddenly four familiar faces ran into the upscale restaurant. Sam was in a cowboy hat, Clint was carrying rope around his chest, and Peter was literally dressed like a space cowboy of some kind. Bucky looked like Bucky though. The four of them ran over to your table yelling that they were here and you laughed.

“We’re here. Sorry we’re late.” Bucky said to the waitress.

“You’re her date? All of you?”

Sam nodded, “Yes. We are her boyfriends.”

“One isn’t enough for her.” Clint shrugged. “We’re sister wives, but the male version.”

“Brother husbands?” Peter supplied.

You chuckled, but you could feel your eyes watering at the sight of them. Bucky leaned his hands on the chair in front of you and shook his head, “Doll, that guy was an asshole.” The other guys nodded and chimed in agreement. “He’s missing out.”

“You guys skipped your party to come and see me?”

“Course.” Bucky answered. “We care about you. We like you.”

Sam nodded and sat down at the chair to your left, “You’re family. Whether you like it or not.”

“I do like it.” You said, holding back tears. “I like it a lot.”

Peter dropped down into the chair on your right, “Besides, it’s Stark. He’ll always throw another party. It’s kind of what the guy is known for.”

Clint pulled a chair away from a table beside you, ignoring the glares from the couple sitting there, and brought it to the table to sit while Bucky took the chair he had his hands on. The guys picked up menus and began to look them over and you felt your chest swell in happiness. You didn’t think it was possible to be so happy considering how sad you had been just moments before. You liked these guys, and knowing they liked you enough to take care of you like this just made you so soft.

Bucky caught your eye, and he gave you a smile. Not a tense one, not an awkward one or a half grimace like you had seen, he gave you a real smile that made his entire face brighten. The kind that up until now you only saw the guys pull out of him. It made you feel like you belonged, “We got your back, doll.”

“Hey, guys.” Clint said slowly and looked up from his menu, “Yeah, I can only afford the tap water here.”

Sam flipped his menu over and his eyes widened, “Jesus, that’s excessive for a salad.”

You nodded, “It’s stupid expensive. That’s why I’ve only eaten the bread.”

“Alright,” Bucky tossed the menu onto the table, “Pizza at the loft?”

There was a chorus of agreements and everyone rose from the table. You stood and when Sam held one arm out to you, you didn’t hesitate to fold into his side for a hug. The boys walked you out of the restaurant while Clint told some story about his odd job yesterday and while the others laughed at his expense all you could do was bask in the warmth they radiated. You always thought the best part of the loft was the open floor plan, but as it turns out, the best part was the adopted family you accidentally fell into.

[inchesinbetweenus]

cal kestis x fem!reader

Tatooine, a planet of not too many things. Deserted and barren land spread across its surface. Giving a bit of a boring look it.

Tatooine wasn't the nicest planet, but it certainly was good for an overnight pit stop. The harsh winds and heat caused many people to turn away from it, and search for a more hospitable-looking place to spend the night.

Most that lived on the planet liked to keep to themselves. Probably more focused on getting past the sweltering heat, rather than the business of others.

The Mantis had gotten damaged in a chase with an accidental run-in with a TIE Fighter. So you were forced to make an emergency landing on Tatooine.

You didn't object to the idea of spending the night. As long as it meant you could sleep, you were alright with it. There was an inn that allowed the five of you to stay, splitting into duos, and you ended up taking three rooms.

Roommates were figured out pretty easily, you with Cal, Merrin with Cere, and Greez ended up having to room with BD-1. After that was all figured out, you all gladly went to bed.

You slept wonderfully that night. Back in the Mantis, there wasn't much room for you to get to sleep next to Cal, so you did appreciate the larger bed that was provided. There wasn't much cuddling that night, mostly because the two of you were pretty drained from previous missions. But that doesn't mean you couldn't do it in the morning, and that was exactly your plan.

What your plan didn't account for, was you being pretty rudely awoken by a certain someone's arm smacking across your stomach.

Your eyes snapped open from the sudden feeling. A gasp left your lips as your gaze went to the male beside you. The culprit was contently sleeping as if he did absolutely nothing.

Normally, you would've smiled at the rather adorable sight. Cal still was plagued with nightmares from time to time. Most of the Mantis crew did as well; it was just something that came with trauma, I guess. So it was a bit of a rare thing to see Cal sleeping so calmly. Too bad he had managed to wake you up and take up most of the bed space in the process.

With a sigh, you decided to let it go as it only happened once. You removed Cal's arm from your stomach and pushed yourself further from the sleeping Jedi. Just give him space and it'll be alright. That seemed to be the case. For the next five minutes. Your head turned to Cal as he had woken you up, yet again, by laying his arm across you. Was this the universe telling you not to go back to sleep, or something? Because if so, you were fully prepared to not listen.

Again, you pushed Cal's arm off of your stomach and rolled away from the male. What was his deal? Couldn't he tell you were just trying to sleep? Apparently not, because not long after you did so; Cal did it again.

You rolled over to face the culprit, grumbling mostly nonsense. He did look pretty cute, but there was no time for fawning over your boyfriend right now. This meant war.

Your hand reached over to his forehead, flicking it directly in the center. You may or may not have used a bit of the force to pull him into it, just to make it hurt a little bit more. What? He had kept you away from sleep, of course, you were going to be petty. Cal, on the other hand, did not appreciate this. His eyes lazily opened as he stared at you with an annoyed look.

"Good morning, sunshine." You spoke with a smug tone. "Did I wake you up? Oops, my finger must've slipped. My bad."

Cal blinked, rolling his eyes at your antics. He wasn't aware enough to deal with you this early. Though, with the Tatooine sun, it looked like it could've been midday. His spread-out position curled up into a more defensive one. He then pulled the blanket over his head to attempt to disappear from you and your anger.

"No, you don't, mister." You tried to pull the blanket down, scooting yourself closer to him. Resting on your elbow, you leaned over the younger male. "Don't think you can just get out of this. You did it to yourself."

Cal ripped the blanket out of your grip and pulled it away from his head. A deadpan expression on his face.

"I was asleep!"

"Yeah, and so was I, but looks like that was ruined for the both of us." You said matter-of-factly. After being violently awoken so many times, you could say you weren't experiencing any grogginess anymore. "Now, you must pay for your crimes." You announced as you pushed yourself up. Using the newly gained height, you proceeded to lie across Cal's stomach. "Now, you are trapped."

Cal groaned under the weight, his barely awake body struggled to keep up with everything that was happening.

"I'm going to push you off the bed."

"You won't."

Maybe being sassy with a freshly awoken Cal wasn't the best idea, but it's too late for that. The next thing you knew, you were flying off the side of the bed. Landing with a thud, you looked up at Cal with an offended expression. To which the redhead just giggled before burying his head in a pillow.

"Oh, it's on." You warned as you got up and jumped onto the bed. Looming over Cal, you stood thinking of your next move. Cal just looked at you with a look of slight fear. Taking this chance to attack, you fell to your knees, placing your hands on either side of Cal's head. With him trapped (and flustered), you grabbed a pillow and pressed it to his face. "Suffocate, Jedi."

Cal gasped as you held the pillow against his face, and tried to fight his way out of it. You held on pretty tightly, but what you didn't count on was Cal force pushing you off the bed. As you started to fly off the bed, yet again, you used the force to pull Cal along with you.

An even louder thud rang through your ears as the two of you lay on the floor. There was a silence, both of you more focused on catching your breaths. That was quite a bit of physical activity for having just woken up, and it turns out you two weren't the only ones that were awoken by your roughhousing.

There was a knock on the door, knowing it was one of the other crew members. (It comes in handy to have a designated knocking pattern.)

"Come in?" Cal said, confused by why someone would come to their room so randomly.

An irritated Cere opened the door, sending a glare to you as she spotted your figures on the floor.

"Some of us are trying to sleep. If I knew you two were going to wake up so early; I wouldn't have taken the room below yours." Cere groggily announced.

Growing embarrassed, you and Cal silently nodded at her. Resembling young children getting scolded by their mother. "Oh, and Merrin says if you wake us up again, then she'll bury you next to Malicos." At that, Cere shut the door and left.

There was silence for a few minutes before the two of you burst out into a fit of giggles. Despite having just been told to be quieter, both you and Cal felt the need to get out and do something. So, you two changed into your casual clothing, talking about what you wanted to do.

"We could train out in the sand. I've always wanted to see if you can use the force to push sand in someone's face." Cal admitted, quite curiously. Though there was a bit of malicious intent behind those words that made you want to avoid that situation as best you could.

"Yeah, no." You responded, pulling out two hooded ponchos. "I'd rather not get sand in my clothes, shoes, hair, and probably eyes. You can do that on your own though." Clicking your tongue as you winked at your boyfriend.

He rolled his eyes, catching the poncho you tossed to him. "Fine, but we're doing that next time we're here."

"Totally."

Cal pulled his gloves from a bag, fixing them onto his hands.

"Or we could look around the shops. Greez said he found a repair shop for the Mantis, so we just have to wait until this afternoon."

That sounded like a pretty good idea. All the times you've been to Tatooine, there were always interesting things to be found in the little shops. Whether it be beautiful jewelry or Tatooine-style clothing, there was always something new to discover.

"See, I knew you had a brain up there." You teased Cal, messing up his hair after you spoke.

The Jedi did not appreciate it. "Might I remind you that this brain has saved your life countless times?"

A chuckle escapes your lips as you listened to Cal's retort. His freckles had darkened from all the time you two had spent on more sunny planets, and wow, you loved it so much. You could make a list of all the little things about your boyfriend that you adored. 

Like his freckles or that little tuft of hair that almost always managed to lay on his forehead rather than stay brushed back. The multiple scars that were littered across his body; all showed their own story. You always thought scars were the coolest. No matter where they came from, and no matter who gave them to someone. They all had a story, some more tragic than others but all one big part of the life that person lived.

Often times you would ask Cal about a specific scar, and he would just chuckle while recounting the tale of how he fell from a ship he was scrapping. Or how he had to get rid of an animal that had made its home in the wreckage. Those were the most common, but at other times there would be a bit of pain in the stories. Like the ones, he got from the purge. Those were always the hardest stories to tell.

Your chuckle turned into a smile. Stepping towards Cal, your hand rested against his cheek. As you maintained eye contact, you couldn't help but smile a bit wider at Cal's pupils widening slightly. The visible effect you had on him was priceless sometimes.

"It has, and I love you even more for it." Pulling his face towards yours, you pressed a soft kiss to his lips. You couldn't deny the fluttering feeling in your chest as Cal placed his hands on your waist. As he leaned into you, you couldn't help but smile into the kiss. But you were still in need of giving the younger Jedi payback for waking you up. So you pulled away just a little too soon.

Cal let out a quiet whine as you stepped back, but it quickly turned into an irritated groan. You laughed, an amused expression spreading across your face as you turned on your heel.

"Meet me outside. I'll grab BD." You announced before leaving a flustered Cal to watch you walk out the door.

God, he loved you too much.