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Title: Bruised Not Broken
Fandom: Star Wars Rogue One
Pairing: Galen/Bodhi
Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Star Wars. It's not my toy box and I'm merely playing.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Galen meets Bodhi in an empty cafeteria.
A/N: Written for smaragdbird for Not Prime Time.
Bruised Not Broken:
The man is crying silently as he sits in the small cafeteria. It makes Galen pause in the entrance. The man is the only occupant, and he’s weeping openly as he stares at a small metal disk he keeps turning over and over in his hands. Galen takes one step back out into the hall, checking that no one is coming their way. It’s the early hours of the morning and the hallways are blessedly empty. Galen hesitates only briefly before he steps fully back into the room. He fills the mug he’s brought with him from the lab, before setting it down, and filling one of the disposable cups provided. Then Galen makes his way over and sits opposite the man who’s crying.
The man stills, the tears still slide down his face, but every other part of him is just suddenly painfully still. Galen takes a sip from the disposable cup to show its safe before setting it before the man. Then Galen wraps his hands around his own mug. He takes in the medal disk in the man’s hand, a recorded message.
“What is it?” the man asks, peering into the cup.
“Just caf.”
“I’m meant to be asleep,” the man frowns, before he’s wiping at his face.
“So am I,” Galen agrees. “I’m Galen.”
The man wets his lips, glances up at Galen nervously. “Bodhi.”
Bodhi swipe at his face again and Galen reaches for the disposable napkin container on the other end of the table. He pushes it over. Bodhi huffs and stares at it.
“I won’t tell,” Galen promises. “I’m just one of the many scientist they keep here.”
“I’m a pilot,” Bodhi says quietly, “From Jedha or I was from Jedha. I’m not sure that matters anymore.”
Galen winces. Jedha is where the Empire is getting most of their kyber crystals to power the weapon Galen and the other scientist are doing their best to stall. If Bodhi notices he doesn’t comment, he goes back to turning his disk over in his hands. Galen takes a sip of his coffee.
“It’s a stimulant,” Bodhi says quietly. “Not as strong as the ones they give us to be able to fly run after run, but caf is a stimulant and I’m not meant to have a stimulant right now. Hype us up on the stims so we can do their work, then give us another drug to bring us down and make us sleep, only to wake up to stims. Keeps you in an endless exhausted cycle so all you do is pilot and never question why you’re piloting or what you’re piloting and it really didn’t matter because at least I knew the money was going home. I knew my mom was getting her treatments paid for and my sister could put food on the table. I knew my nieces and nephews weren’t starving, but then my sister sends me a message. My mother’s dead, it didn’t help, and my sister would beg me to come home, except there’s no home worth going back to and she’s leaving. She won’t tell me where because while I was helping ruin some other world, mine was also being destroyed for the good of the Empire. I can’t even pretend I didn’t know. I worked from home when I first started. I just…stimulants and depressants, it’s an endless cycle, but I don’t even think I can blame the drugs.”
Bodhi trails off and swallows hard. He glances around the room as if suddenly hearing his own words. He drops the disk on the table and presses the heels of his palms against his eyes, taking several shuddering breaths.
“We’re not supposed to question, we’re just supposed to do,” Bodhi whispers.
Galen agrees and takes a long pull of his caf before glancing at the door, making sure they’re still alone. He doesn’t see any cameras, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Tears spill down Bodhi’s cheeks again and Galen reaches out to take his hands. “Deep breaths, in and out. You can’t let anyone see you like this.”
“Why do you think I’m not in my dorm?” Bodhi asks ruefully.
“I’d offer to find you somewhere private in my room, but I’m relatively sure everything is monitored.”
Bodhi wrinkles his nose. “That’s weird.”
“I can’t decide if that’s just the Galactic Empire for you or if it's Director Krennic’s overly vested interest in me.”
“That one,” Bodhi says with disgust before he picks up the disk and spirits it into a pocket. “Probably wouldn’t want you talking to a pilot.”
“Probably not,” Galen acknowledges.
Bodhi’s hand start to close around his coffee mug, but he groans as the tears start sliding down his face again. He swipes at his face. “I can’t.”
Eventually someone is going to walk in. Galen shoves more napkins at him and tells him. “Take another deep breaths, get a hold of yourself, then come with me.”
Galen cleans up the napkins, then pours out his caf and the one he’d gotten for Bodhi. He’s not sure if he’s doing the right thing, but he leads Bodhi back to his room, then heads to his bedroom. Once there he strips down to his underwear and Bodhi doesn’t say anything, just follows along stripping down to his underwear as well. He gets Bodhi to lay down, the pulls the covers over both their heads. “There, if you start crying, they’ll think it’s something else.”
Bodhi huffs a laugh against Galen’s shoulders and for a moment Galen realizes the ridiculousness of what he’s just done, but then Bodhi is crying. He’s still mostly silent in his tears, but his shoulders are shaking. Galen pulls him close, rubs at his back, and tells him to let it out. Eventually Bodhi’s tears taper off and he settles in against Galen. It’s longer still till his breathing evens out. Then Bodhi whispers, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. You can stay here if you like. I can set an alarm.”
It’s been so long since Galen was this close to another person he’s forgotten what it feels like. He may have been holding Bodhi while he cried, but now Galen isn’t ready to let go either. Bodhi gives him a time and Galen sets the alarm. Bodhi presses a kiss to his shoulder and it makes Galen ache with a different kind of longing. How long has it been since he just touched someone? How long has it been since he had a friend instead of just colleagues? How long has it been since he’s loved someone? Unsure if he’s taking tentative steps towards something that could ruin them both Galen wraps his arms around Bodhi, trying to enjoy every moment before they both drift off to sleep.
Galen's reluctant to let Bodhi go the next morning. How long has it been since he's slept so comfortably next to someone? He's still drowsy, arms holding Bodhi close when the other man squirms to shut off the alarm.
"I have to go to work," Bodhi whispers. "What time do you need the alarm reset for?"
"I already set it for both of us," Galen manages. He should open his eyes.
Bodhi cups his face. "Go back to sleep. Thank you."
The kiss is brief. Bodhi's lips brush against his. Galen struggles to wake up, but Bodhi tucks him back in, and he drifts back to sleep.
When Galen wakes up he can't help but press his fingers to his lip, missing the possibilities in that kiss. He thinks he won't see Bodhi again, but then two days latter Bodhi is standing in front of his door offering him fruit that he's managed to snag on one of his piloting trips. Galen hesitates. He knows he shouldn't be selfish, he should turn away this beautiful man with bright wishful eyes because he knows Krennic will find a way to punish both of them for finding some semblance of hope and happiness in their shared captivity. Galen hesitates, but only briefly. He tells himself he's selfish and lonely, but Bodhi is standing in front of him. Galen invites him in, thanks Bodhi for coming back, and sets the fruit on the table before pulling him into a kiss. Bodhi sighs against his mouth, hands moving around Galen's neck and into his hair, pressing close. Galen sinks into the feeling of Bodhi in his arms, of not being alone. This is so much better than loneliness. This is so much better than crying alone.
Fandom: Star Wars Rogue One
Pairing: Galen/Bodhi
Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Star Wars. It's not my toy box and I'm merely playing.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Galen meets Bodhi in an empty cafeteria.
A/N: Written for smaragdbird for Not Prime Time.
Bruised Not Broken:
The man is crying silently as he sits in the small cafeteria. It makes Galen pause in the entrance. The man is the only occupant, and he’s weeping openly as he stares at a small metal disk he keeps turning over and over in his hands. Galen takes one step back out into the hall, checking that no one is coming their way. It’s the early hours of the morning and the hallways are blessedly empty. Galen hesitates only briefly before he steps fully back into the room. He fills the mug he’s brought with him from the lab, before setting it down, and filling one of the disposable cups provided. Then Galen makes his way over and sits opposite the man who’s crying.
The man stills, the tears still slide down his face, but every other part of him is just suddenly painfully still. Galen takes a sip from the disposable cup to show its safe before setting it before the man. Then Galen wraps his hands around his own mug. He takes in the medal disk in the man’s hand, a recorded message.
“What is it?” the man asks, peering into the cup.
“Just caf.”
“I’m meant to be asleep,” the man frowns, before he’s wiping at his face.
“So am I,” Galen agrees. “I’m Galen.”
The man wets his lips, glances up at Galen nervously. “Bodhi.”
Bodhi swipe at his face again and Galen reaches for the disposable napkin container on the other end of the table. He pushes it over. Bodhi huffs and stares at it.
“I won’t tell,” Galen promises. “I’m just one of the many scientist they keep here.”
“I’m a pilot,” Bodhi says quietly, “From Jedha or I was from Jedha. I’m not sure that matters anymore.”
Galen winces. Jedha is where the Empire is getting most of their kyber crystals to power the weapon Galen and the other scientist are doing their best to stall. If Bodhi notices he doesn’t comment, he goes back to turning his disk over in his hands. Galen takes a sip of his coffee.
“It’s a stimulant,” Bodhi says quietly. “Not as strong as the ones they give us to be able to fly run after run, but caf is a stimulant and I’m not meant to have a stimulant right now. Hype us up on the stims so we can do their work, then give us another drug to bring us down and make us sleep, only to wake up to stims. Keeps you in an endless exhausted cycle so all you do is pilot and never question why you’re piloting or what you’re piloting and it really didn’t matter because at least I knew the money was going home. I knew my mom was getting her treatments paid for and my sister could put food on the table. I knew my nieces and nephews weren’t starving, but then my sister sends me a message. My mother’s dead, it didn’t help, and my sister would beg me to come home, except there’s no home worth going back to and she’s leaving. She won’t tell me where because while I was helping ruin some other world, mine was also being destroyed for the good of the Empire. I can’t even pretend I didn’t know. I worked from home when I first started. I just…stimulants and depressants, it’s an endless cycle, but I don’t even think I can blame the drugs.”
Bodhi trails off and swallows hard. He glances around the room as if suddenly hearing his own words. He drops the disk on the table and presses the heels of his palms against his eyes, taking several shuddering breaths.
“We’re not supposed to question, we’re just supposed to do,” Bodhi whispers.
Galen agrees and takes a long pull of his caf before glancing at the door, making sure they’re still alone. He doesn’t see any cameras, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Tears spill down Bodhi’s cheeks again and Galen reaches out to take his hands. “Deep breaths, in and out. You can’t let anyone see you like this.”
“Why do you think I’m not in my dorm?” Bodhi asks ruefully.
“I’d offer to find you somewhere private in my room, but I’m relatively sure everything is monitored.”
Bodhi wrinkles his nose. “That’s weird.”
“I can’t decide if that’s just the Galactic Empire for you or if it's Director Krennic’s overly vested interest in me.”
“That one,” Bodhi says with disgust before he picks up the disk and spirits it into a pocket. “Probably wouldn’t want you talking to a pilot.”
“Probably not,” Galen acknowledges.
Bodhi’s hand start to close around his coffee mug, but he groans as the tears start sliding down his face again. He swipes at his face. “I can’t.”
Eventually someone is going to walk in. Galen shoves more napkins at him and tells him. “Take another deep breaths, get a hold of yourself, then come with me.”
Galen cleans up the napkins, then pours out his caf and the one he’d gotten for Bodhi. He’s not sure if he’s doing the right thing, but he leads Bodhi back to his room, then heads to his bedroom. Once there he strips down to his underwear and Bodhi doesn’t say anything, just follows along stripping down to his underwear as well. He gets Bodhi to lay down, the pulls the covers over both their heads. “There, if you start crying, they’ll think it’s something else.”
Bodhi huffs a laugh against Galen’s shoulders and for a moment Galen realizes the ridiculousness of what he’s just done, but then Bodhi is crying. He’s still mostly silent in his tears, but his shoulders are shaking. Galen pulls him close, rubs at his back, and tells him to let it out. Eventually Bodhi’s tears taper off and he settles in against Galen. It’s longer still till his breathing evens out. Then Bodhi whispers, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. You can stay here if you like. I can set an alarm.”
It’s been so long since Galen was this close to another person he’s forgotten what it feels like. He may have been holding Bodhi while he cried, but now Galen isn’t ready to let go either. Bodhi gives him a time and Galen sets the alarm. Bodhi presses a kiss to his shoulder and it makes Galen ache with a different kind of longing. How long has it been since he just touched someone? How long has it been since he had a friend instead of just colleagues? How long has it been since he’s loved someone? Unsure if he’s taking tentative steps towards something that could ruin them both Galen wraps his arms around Bodhi, trying to enjoy every moment before they both drift off to sleep.
Galen's reluctant to let Bodhi go the next morning. How long has it been since he's slept so comfortably next to someone? He's still drowsy, arms holding Bodhi close when the other man squirms to shut off the alarm.
"I have to go to work," Bodhi whispers. "What time do you need the alarm reset for?"
"I already set it for both of us," Galen manages. He should open his eyes.
Bodhi cups his face. "Go back to sleep. Thank you."
The kiss is brief. Bodhi's lips brush against his. Galen struggles to wake up, but Bodhi tucks him back in, and he drifts back to sleep.
When Galen wakes up he can't help but press his fingers to his lip, missing the possibilities in that kiss. He thinks he won't see Bodhi again, but then two days latter Bodhi is standing in front of his door offering him fruit that he's managed to snag on one of his piloting trips. Galen hesitates. He knows he shouldn't be selfish, he should turn away this beautiful man with bright wishful eyes because he knows Krennic will find a way to punish both of them for finding some semblance of hope and happiness in their shared captivity. Galen hesitates, but only briefly. He tells himself he's selfish and lonely, but Bodhi is standing in front of him. Galen invites him in, thanks Bodhi for coming back, and sets the fruit on the table before pulling him into a kiss. Bodhi sighs against his mouth, hands moving around Galen's neck and into his hair, pressing close. Galen sinks into the feeling of Bodhi in his arms, of not being alone. This is so much better than loneliness. This is so much better than crying alone.
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