riverviewlogs | ( closed ) I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain

[ cassian and jyn's apartment is actually surprisingly nice, given the two disasters that live in it. it's bright and open and almost decadently comfortable and, while there is still very little in the way of personal effects, there are little marks of their presence in the home -- from the over half dozen distinctly different jackets hung neatly in the closet to jyn's wall stand of plants and herbs, boots tucked by the door, a pile of scarves looped around the posts of one of the twin beds shoved together to make one large bed. it looks lived in even if it is hard to tell at first glance who lives in it.

dinner is easy and normal, chatter about space, about work, about past planetary adventures, about jyn's paintball win. they're clustered around the table and sharing the food cassian had placed in the middle, spicy beef with rice and some kind of bread that works as a spoon because while there is cutlery at the table, they can just as easily eat with their hands. their little gingery cat sits patiently on the fourth chair, watching them with her big blue eyes.

once it's all done and cleared away by jyn, she drops down at the table again, welcoming the cat into her lap. ] We have ice cream for dessert.

[ a beat, as she gestures to the shrimp dispenser next to the fridge, her paintball prize. ]

Or shrimp.

[ It really is a lovely place, which admittedly surprises Jim. He's not sure what else he was expecting, really. Regardless of what world they might've come from, or what their circumstances were there, it stands to reason that they'd like some place nicer and more comfortable to live in.

Jim can understand that, really. He can't even say he came from a world where he was in a trying situation and even he enjoys having a cozy little place to live in here. Even if it is depressingly empty and quiet right now.

He glances to the dispenser and chuckles, shaking his head. ]

Ice cream sounds great. [ So long as it doesn't have strawberries. ] You two have a really nice place, by the way. Thanks for inviting me.

[ He looks around again while he says it, doing them the favor of not asking about the beds. Well, bed technically, let's be real here. ~~God you two are a pair of losers.~~ ]

[their house is their space and cassian is usually pretty hesitant about letting just anyone inside. but jim is their friend and he had a really shitty month. food is an easy way that cassian feels useful, so asking jim over for dinner seems like a good and logical idea.]

[sometimes it's weird having lived in the same space for six months, knowing as long as he wants to, he can stay there. long enough that jim can compliment it. he brushes off the thank you, but only in that polite 'oh it's nothing' sort of way.] Maybe we are just making sure you are eating.

[which is a fair and valid concern. then he gets up, sweeping towards the freezer to get the ice cream and a couple of bowls to settle on the table. with spoons this time, they need cutlery for ice cream.]

[ jyn can eat ice cream without a spoon, don't you dare tell her otherwise. also, side note: y'all are friends with a farm animal in the shape of a young woman. other side note: strawberries are the one fruit jyn won't eat. THE SEEDS ARE ON THE OUTSIDE IT'S UNNATURAL.

grapes tho. they have A Lot of grapes.

anyway, all that to say that jim is safe from strawberry ice cream, it's most likely chocolate because chocolate is delicious. setting the cat on the floor, jyn twists around cassian to snag a shrimp from the shrimp dispenser even though she'd just sat down because now that she's remembered it, she cannot resist. some coconut shrimp will pair nicely with her ice cream. ]

And 'cause Cassian makes too much food anyway.

[ Jim can't even remember what strawberries taste like, honestly. One scary trip to the hospital when he was only four years old was more than enough to put him off from ever trying to eat the damn fruit again. Well, that and a bunch of other berries, just in case.

That's quite possibly the weirdest machine Jim's ever seen, and that's saying something. But he doesn't say anything, because... well, to each their own, and really, have all the coconut shrimp you want, girl. ]

I am eating, just for the record. [ Mostly takeout or sandwiches, but it's still eating! Look, he can't cook and he doesn't have anyone around to do it for him anymore, so. ] If there are too many leftovers, I'll gladly take a few off your hands.

[ Nope, he has no shame. Speaking of— he looks between Cassian and Jyn, then turns his attention to the latter, shifting so he's facing her and leaning forward just a hint. ] By the way, Jyn. I've been meaning to ask you— [ Pointedly not looking at Cassian right now, but perfectly aware that he's watching, and listening. That is the whole point, after all. ] You wanna go out sometime? For drinks, dinner. Whatever you like.

[he's going to shove so many leftovers at jim tbh. he's about two seconds from telling jim that he can take whatever is left home, when them an abruptly changes subject and - asks jyn? on a date?]

[what.]

[what???]

[cassian stiffens in his seat, and his eyes widen for two seconds before he puts something much more collected back on his face. he glances at jyn, and she has that recognizable slapped by a fish look, then looks over at jim and his apparent perfectly serious question.]

[no, he wants to say, to answer for her, and there's a lot to unpack there but none of this is aimed at him, so while jyn might look as though she's been slapped by a fish, cassian certainly feels that way himself too. he can't say no for jyn, even though it's all he wants to do.]

[no!!!!!!!!!!!!!! nope nope no, he is having the biggest moment of NOPE right now, and his very stiff and still posture might be a hint about that.]

Edited 2018-03-02 16:41 (UTC)

[ jyn is twenty one -- no. she is twenty two, she had a birthday -- she has been asked out before. she might have been seventeen at the time and had the same startled expression, but it has happened before! jim kirk is just a hell of a lot smoother than a seventeen year old boy that thought calling her weird was a compliment.

(of course she'd called him stupid so maybe the whole thing could be chalked up to teenagers.)

she closes her mouth when the shrimp dispenser pops out another coconut shrimp with a soft whir, jerking her back to the present. on one hand, dating is... ew and jyn doesn't wanna do it because socializing is for chumps but on the other hand, jim is her friend and ]

You'll pay? I can order anything?

[ he said dinner and she is weak. ]

[ She's not wrong, he is very smooth. Part due to charm, part due to habit. He's asked a lot of people out in his lifetime, not always for serious dates, but he's had plenty of flings and certainly doesn't lack in practice. It also has been a very long time since Jim's struggled socially or felt awkward asking anyone to go out for a good time, so.

He doesn't hear a peep from Cassian, not even a shift in his seat. He knows he's watching the whole thing, and (he hopes) not liking a single word of it. Good, that's what he was aiming for. He'd be seriously surprised and a little disappointed if Cassian lost his cool and said something— or worse yet, jumped into Jim's face about it.

And then Jyn's answer only makes it better. Jim's instant reaction is to let out a chuckle, because really. It's... kind of cute, he has to admit. If he weren't doing this just because he wants to force these two idiots to admit they have feelings for each other, he might've actually changed his mind right then and there and taken her out on a real date. ]

Yes, I'll pay. Anything you want. [ A pause, then, ] So, is that a yes?

[it's not explicitly a yes, but it's close enough to one that it kind of pinches cassian's chest a little bit. it's just food. jyn loves food! she will go literally anywhere to get free food, and he has used that reasoning to get her to come with him to several places during their time at the quarantine. hook, line, sinker. a tried and true method.]

[she's probably going to say yes? it's food, and she has no reason to say no. jyn can do what she wants! date who she wants! it's fine, this is fine. he likes jyn, he likes jim, this is fine.]

[cassian still doesn't move. he does not like this no matter how fine it is! almost like it senses cassian's internal distress, the cat comes over and rubs her face on his legs under the table, but he doesn't have it in him to really respond.]

[maybe.... maybe it is not fine?]

[ jyn ponders the invitations for a long moment, mouth twisted in thought. briefly she looks from jim to cassian, but he doesn't seem to have an opinion. maybe he doesn't... care. and why would he, she supposes, they're just friends. if he doesn't care (and that makes a funny, uncomfortable feeling settle in her stomach), she shouldn't care either.

everyone is always telling her she needs to get out so. ]

Alright. [ her shoulders lift in a shrug as she sits back down at the table. ] Sure. We're going to that seafood place and I'm ordering that weird crustacean thing with the load of legs that's the most expensive thing on the menu and I'm not kissing you at the end of the night.

[ a beat. ] Or ever, no offence. You're not my type.

[ The stipulations don't bother him much at all, and he doesn't seem put off in the least. Look, it would discourage him if he actually wanted this to be a romantic date, but he doesn't, so. He just nods, smiling at her. ]

A lobster. And done— it's a date. [ His answer is prompt. Jim doesn't even take a second to answer.

Also wow Jyn how dare you, James T. Kirk is everyone's type. ]

Does tomorrow work for you?

[it's a date. jyn said jim wasn't her type but they're still going on a date. cassian keeps telling himself over and over that she's just doing it for the free food, but the idea of it still makes him very uncomfortable and unhappy and uncertain, none of which he likes. there's no logic or reason behind it, because he should have no reason to care - but he does. he cares a lot, he doesn't want jyn to go on a date with jim or anyone for that matter, and it's -]

[oh. oh, he knows what this is. he's... jealous.]

[he stands up abruptly.] I need to -

[he does not say what he needs to do, he just moves away from the table towards the sink. the cat trots after him, and the line in his shoulders is clearly unhappy.]

[ jyn jerks a little in her seat when cassian abruptly stands, watching him walk to the sink. to do... something. there is an agreed upon rule that the one of them that doesn't cook clears the table and does the dishes and since cassian cooked he should be staying the heck away from the sink.

she doesn't know what could have made him suddenly unhappy except the obvious culprit of jim's proposal but even that seems ridiculous. despite living together, jyn and cassian aren't together. he is her best friend, her clearly platonic war buddy. maybe he is just disappointed she wants to order the incredibly expensive seafood that he doesn't like thus rendering any leftovers to be solely jyn's but that seems even more ridiculous.

maybe he wanted to go out with jim. jyn supposes she can see the appeal, even if jim is still not her type, deciding that must be the cause.

in defense of her stupidity: she has no experience in the magic world of dating, despite having been on one. one single date that was interrupted mid-meal by her terrible adolescence. she is ill equipped to realize anyone is into her, it took her a year to realize someone was flirting with her -- literally.

she looks back at jim with a tiny exhale of a sigh. ]

Tomorrow's fine, yeah. You know I'm not dressing up, right?

Edited 2018-03-03 03:27 (UTC)

[ A tiny part of Jim feels a little bad for doing this to Cassian, but also— it's for a good cause, when he thinks about it. He has no hidden intentions towards Jyn. She's his friend and that's the way he wants to keep it, no more no less.

He calls it a date, but really, it'll be more like an outing between two friends. He's not going to make that clear now because there is a purpose to all this, and Cassian's not going to Get It if Jim tells him he's not actually into Jyn at all and that he's not going to pursue anything with her.

He's right where Jim hoped he'd be— on edge, miserable and so jealous that it practically oozes out of him. Good, maybe like this he'll stop being a blind idiot and see what's so obvious to literally anyone who looks at the two of them.

Not that Jyn couldn't use opening her eyes too, because seriously. He's never seen a pair more clueless than the two of them. ]

I wasn't counting on it. Casual's better, anyway. More comfortable. We'll just be going out for some fun. [ He shrugs, reaching for the ice cream. ] I've never actually had lobster. That'll be a first for me.

[he is stupidly tempted to leave the room, which is 1) impossible unless he wants to hide in the bathroom and 2) he doesn't want to run away from his own guest and housemate. but he doesn't want to listen to this! it shouldn't really be anything to worry about, because it's no different from just two friends hanging out, but the word date keeps hanging over his head and souring everything about it.]

[their unspoken rule states jyn needs to wash the dishes but he Cannot go back to the table, so he turns the water on and just sort of... rinses out some of the plates. he's not using soap, he's not breaking the rule!]

[cassian is jealous and that's a wickedly uncomfortable thought. despite all assumptions otherwise, he and jyn aren't... romantic. he knows they're very physical with each other, but they're both very touch starved individuals who are probably more similar than they care to admit. they died together.]

[but jim asked her out on a date and he recoiled immediately. he's never been confronted with someone else showing any interest in jyn. he's sulking by the sink, and it's so completely unlike him, that maybe... maybe despite all stubborn declarations otherwise, his feelings for jyn might not be so perfectly platonic.]

[well shit.]

I lived on a planet with a lot of shore line and very little herd animals, we ate a lot of seafood. [ it comes out distracted, which is probably why it slips out in the first place. tidbits of her childhood are rare and she keeps a tight grasp on all of them. she's concerned with cassian's...

concerning behavior.

she glances from cassian to jim and then back again, wondering if she should say something. this isn't normal behavior! although maybe she doesn't know what is normal behavior, they didn't know each other before... her shoulders sag and she looks back at jim. ]

You can't eat it all, you know.

Mm, my planet has a little bit of everything, but— I grew up on a farm, far away from the coastline. A lot of farm animals, corn and the like, not a lot of anything else.

[ Besides, people didn't really eat a lot of lobster anymore, rare animal that it was. A lot of the sea life has left the plate, actually, in an attempt to save and repopulate oceans, before it was all but gone.

He helps himself to some ice cream, acting as though he can't see the weird way Cassian acts, or how Jyn keeps glancing back towards him. If she didn't make note of it somehow, then he'd be genuinely surprised— and a little disappointed. ]

What, a whole lobster? Maybe not. But you'll be there too. We could just share?

[he's feeling like a third wheel at the same time he's feeling like he just might be a little bit in love with jyn. how Unfortunate. the cat circles around his feet, almost like it senses his Internal Distress and is trying to be helpful.]

[maybe he'll just run tomorrow!!! run till he drops!! no he won't because he's not that stupid, but he is definitely not going to be home so it's time to figure out how to drown himself in work at the guard, alongside an extra little run. if there's anything cassian is good at, it's swallowing down and shrinking his emotions into neat little boxes and stacking them away to ignore until the spring cleaning that never comes because spring is slowly disappearing thanks to climate change.]

[he does try to turn it off though, because he doesn't want to overanalyze it now, least of all in front of them both. he doesn't want to be jealous, he just wants jyn to be happy. maybe she could be happy with jim!]

[love. yeah okay sounds fake, but it's here, apparently, burrowing in his chest and that's terrifying. he'd like to say he's only dimly aware of what they're discussing, but he's cassian andor rebel spy so he's paying attention to every detail on instinct. he should just! turn off all of the emotions! but he doesn't want to, he doesn't have to do that anymore. maybe he can put it on pause. or temporary mute. the tension slips out of his shoulders, but his body stays stiff. more closed off. there's a difference.]

[he can't just stand here rinsing dishes but he really has no desire to go back to the table right now. she's busy with jim, maybe he can just. open the dishwasher. which he does. slowly, like maybe she won't notice.]

I meant the ice cream, [ jyn tells jim patiently, snagging the container back so she can scoop some ice cream into her bowl. they're sharing the ice cream because: ]

I'm not sharing lobster with you.

[ that's not a jim thing though, she barely shares food with cassian. speaking of cassian, she feels oddly unhappy that is he not contributing to the conversation, like they've cut him out, and she glances over at him again. which is when she notices he is doing her job. ]

Hey! [ she flings her spoon at him and it hits him right on the butt, thanks to her wicked aim, she supposes. she's just very excellent at hitting. ] Will you sit down with us and stop fussing?

Wow, rude! [ Jim gasps, unable to feign any actual upset over it. He's smiling amusedly after a second or two, shrugging. ] Fine. If you're eating a whole lobster by yourself I'm definitely taking pictures.

[ Well, unless she threatens to stab him with one of the lobster's pincers. Which he has a feeling would be a very real possibility.

Her first exclamation surprises him a little, cutting him short before he even gets to say anything else. He startles when she throws the spoon across the room, admittedly impressed at her aim, and vaguely amused that it just... bounces right off. Nice ass, Cassian. ] Ouch.

[ That was mean, Jyn, can't you tell he's just trying not to choke Jim out of pure jealousy??? ]

[if cassian didn't know jyn incapable of flirting, he might think they were. their back and forth is so easy! it doesn't occur to him to compare it to how much easier she is with him, too stuck in his own self pitying spiral.]

[he stiffens when she hurls the spoon at him, and he chastises himself for being in a position that would even allow it to happen. he grimaces, still facing the sink. the cat hops over and bats at the spoon, spinning it on the floor.]

[flatly:] It didn't hurt. And I am not fussing.

[he's totally fussing, which is exactly why he draws in a breath and closes his eyes. counts to three. when he finally turns around, his expression is very blank, a soldier's neutrality while he preps himself for sitting back down. he still doesn't want to, but it's just too weird if he doesn't.]

[he scoops up the cat, carrying her back over to his chair with him. at least he'll be able to turn his attention at the animal, since he apparently! has no place! in a conversation! about their date!]

[he doesn't like any of these stupid feelings.]

[ he is definitely fussing, but jyn doesn't point it out a second time only because cassian did come to sit down with them. even if he has that expression on his face, the one he had before... before scarif, when it seemed like he was shuttering himself away. a spy's mask.

she finds suddenly that she regrets asking him back to the table but she stubbornly ignores it. maybe he is just cross with her for hitting him and doesn't want to snap at her in front of their friend. that's probably it. she chooses to decide that is it and so she carries on as if nothing is wrong at all, offering him a scoop of her ice cream since she just threw his spoon across the room anyway.

she turns back to jim, trying not to be concerned. ] So tomorrow. Shall we meet here? Do you think they will let me take food home?

[ is that allowed at restaurants??? ]

[ Jim has to admit, he feels a little bad. It's not like he meant to completely break Cassian, though he is glad that it seems he's becoming aware of how yes, he does care about Jyn, and yes, he would mind it if she were to actually go out and date someone else.

It's not gonna happen with Jim, obviously. She's made that much clear, too. And yet he still is clearly upset. GO FIGURE.

He can't keep back a chuckle at her question, his smile genuinely endeared. Cute. ]

Yes, they even have doggie bags so you can take your leftover food home. [ As for the first question, ] How about I come pick you up? At, hmm... around seven?

[cassian blinks a little when she offers him the ice cream. jyn's very possessive of her food, and it's not like it's rare for her to share with him, but it seems like some weird kind of peace offering right now. it also gets him thinking about jyn and food. she will do literally anything for food. it's a fact he already made himself aware of during this whole stupid ordeal. he got her in a dress for free food. anyone could get her out on a date with the offer to pay, probably.]

[but that small part of him still worries she might like jim, despite her very blatant shut down. it's his miraculous ability to assume the worst.]

[he reaches out and takes her spoon, eating the scoop. normally he might just lean over and eat it from her, but it feels too weird with jim in the room. which begs the question of why something so seemingly innocuous for them might now suddenly feel weird to do in front of another person??]

[he has so many things to think about tonight, this is gross.]

[the cat paws at his hand, wanting some of the ice cream, but it's already gone by the time he hands the spoon back to jyn, brushing her fingers. he half smiles at raddus, that spy mask cracking a little.]

[ seven seems a little early for the night owl, but at least it isn't offensively early like five. she nods, decisive and pleased that she will be able to take the leftovers home even from some place far more fancy than she is used to frequenting. ]

Alright, yeah, seven's good.

[ still time to hang out and go for her nightly run and watch a movie, okay seven is an acceptable time. she scoops up another chunk of ice cream and shoves it in her mouth.

which means her mouth is still full when she turns the conversation to something more casual -- "have you even seen a bee?". eventually cassian contributes to the conversation and jyn is summarily educated on the charming fluffiness of bees. later in the night, when the tension has dropped somewhat, jim excuses himself and heads home.

c'est fini. ]

( closed ) I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain

for jim & cassian

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