#this scene litteraly won't leave my brain

[fulcrumstardust]

non-zero-sum game sounds really interesting and quite fitting. I'm also curious of learning the game. I feel like it's another college AU but maybe I'm totally wrong!

So, “non-zero-sum game” is my take on the sex pollen trope. 

I don’t have much except some vague idea of the things I *don’t* want it to be (because, you know, consent) but it’s more likely to be Jyn getting under the influence during a mission, either forced or by accident. And then having to deal with the situation under the care of Cassian (who is a pragmatic dude and treats it as any other work thing), hoping it won’t be worse than a bad hangover. Spoiler alert: it is. So they agree that the best thing to do is for her to get laid and Jyn decides to pay a nice lady for that, but it doesn’t go exactly as planned. Enters more comfort from Cassian, always here to have his partner’s back, and well. He helps. 👀 “learning the game” is indeed a college AU! I’m impressed, wow! It’s just a PWP fun little party idea, I’m considering merging it with another fic, but there’s this scene I really like where Cassian teaches Jyn to play brisca. 

He turned his head and looked in her direction (looked at her) and smiled. Jyn’s heart nearly stopped. How handsome he was… dark hair, dark eyes, such a sweet smile—not unknowing of her presence. He lowered his face, reflexively, almost shyly. Not quite so. Jyn took her cue, pushing herself from the wall to cross the room before she could change her mind, blood pounding in her ears.

She stopped next to the couch he was sat on, doing her best to brush her nervousness aside, and bravely said: “Hi.”

He smiled at her again, tilting his head up to meet her eyes. “Hi.” …Damn, his voice was as attractive as the rest of him. Maybe even more.

“What are you playing?” Jyn managed to ask.

“Brisca,” he said, showing her his hand of cards—not the typical French suits she expected—but batons, swords, and other symbols in deep shades of red and green.

“I've never heard of it.”

“I can teach you if you want,” he offered with another smile. “It's very easy to play.”

She would have been stupid to pass on such an opportunity. “Sure.”

He moved aside, making some space for her to sit on the couch. Jyn sunk next to him, trying to ignore the curious stares from his friends, her leg pressed again his own with a pleasant warmth. Her breath caught in her throat when her eyes went up to his face, now so close, seeing the corners of his mouth curving up with a friendly expression.

“I’m Cassian,” he introduced himself.

Even his name sounded way more attractive than anything she had ever heard. Come on, pull yourself together, girl.

“Jyn.”

“Jyn,” he said, and no one had ever said her name like he did. “So, like I said: very easy. The goal is to have the highest score at the end. See the card on the table? It’s copas… cups, so that’s the trumps for this game.” Jyn nodded as she followed the explanation. “It’s Melshi’s turn to go first…” And surely enough, the guy on his left put down one of his cards: six of swords. “Since it’s not copas, the player will the highest trump will win the trick—if not, the highest espadas. You follow me?”

“Yes,” Jyn said, frowning in concentration.

It was Cassian’s turn next. He bent forward and put down the two of cups, then drew another card to replace it in his hand. 

Turning his face to her, he continued his explanation while the others played: “All cards have face value, except the Three is stronger than the King.” Jyn naturally leaned toward him, as to see his cards, a little behind his shoulder. “Okay, so Shara has played four of copas so she wins this trick.”

On the other side of the coffee table, the girl named ‘Shara’ gathered the cards with a little smile of victory and everyone drew another set of cards. This time, Cassian went first while Jyn tried to get more familiar with the different suits. Additionally, seating so close to him, she found herself registering the smell of his perfume like a particularly… enticing detail of his person. 

She even surprised herself in feeling so strangely comfortable in that closeness, despite knowing next to nothing about him.

Cassian won the round. “Want to go next?” he then asked, handing his cards to her.

“Oh, sure,” Jyn said with only half her confidence.

“I’ll help you.”

“Isn’t that cheating?” someone joked. Jyn tried to trace back the voice to its owner. Sitting on the carpet next to Shara, another guy wearing dog tags over his t-shirt (that she thought lived here) flashed a mocking smile to Cassian. He didn't respond and the question got lost between some laughs and the ambient music.

Jyn waited for her turn on the next round, trying to remember everything Cassian had just said. She showed him the card she thought made the most strategic sense and searched for his approbation: “This?”

Leaning back on his arm, Cassian nodded at her. His right hand rested right behind her on the couch and she could've easily invited herself into a hug. A little agitation burst into her chest at the idea, but she needed to make sure he was into her… and not just an actually friendly guy.

Jyn won a few tricks (still under Cassian's supervision) but ultimately finished last after everyone had counted their points. She didn't really care, more intrigued by the guy sitting next to her than anything else tonight. 

Cassian had reared back on the couch, keeping his arm loosely extended. When Jyn did the same, she placed herself into his embrace almost by accident. Very smooth. Anyone else pulling this move on her and she might have been irritated, but it worked like a charm with him—most likely because she wanted it to. Her heartbeat certainly seemed to agree. 

Jyn fell against his side, thrilled by the possibility of seduction, and his arm curled a little around her waist. Not in a restrictive way, but enough for her to notice that he was holding her against him.

“Are you a fraternity member?” Jyn asked, turning her face to him.

“No,” he said, looking back into her eyes. “I just like to crash their parties…  but I've never seen you here before.”

“Maybe you don't remember,” she nagged.

“Oh, I would remember you.” He smiled again, more with his eyes than his mouth, and Jyn felt a blush on her cheeks. Hopefully, he couldn’t tell. 

Wondering what to do with her hands, Jyn settled one on his stomach. Even through his t-shirt, the warmth of his body spread to her palm, feeling him breathing quietly under her touch. Once again, her attention lingered on his musky perfume and she barely reminded her brain to follow on the conversation.

“I'm more of a dorm party kind of girl,” she said, “but Bodhi asked me to come so I thought I’d make an exception.”

“You're friend with Bodhi?” he asked with a slight surprise.

“Yeah, we’re in the same course.”

“Oh.” Cassian’s expression faltered, making Jyn frown in reaction. “So… you’re a freshman.”

Shit. She looked at him more closely, trying to evaluate the situation. Evidently enough, he wasn’t enthusiastic about it. Jyn could’ve lied about her age, but she couldn’t justify such a shitty move. She took a deep breath and said: “Yeah, that’s a problem?”

Cassian gave her a half-smile, apologetic. “Depends… It might be.”

“Might?”

“I’m twenty-four,” he said, “so… I think I’m a little old for you…”

Jyn’s (fuzzy) brain couldn’t decide which information to prioritize. One thing was for sure: she could always trust her daddy issues to being attracted to older guys. On the other hand, Tanith had said ��no freshman’ so, hey. Her mind shrugged. “I can decide by myself if you’re too old or not.” …God, if this isn’t what a fourteen-year-old would say.

Jyn started to think that her chances to go beyond an innocent flirt had just died—and she wasn’t happy about it.

“Hmm,” Cassian voiced, “I guess we’re just talking right now.”

She wondered if he was asking her or himself. “Sure.”

If ‘just talking’ included being snuggled against him with his hand on her waist, she could live with that just fine.