#leo ashold

[commander-krios]

The Sweetest Taste In The Galaxy

Starting OC Kiss Week off early with some Dash and @tiredassmage's Leo!

The door to the refresher slid open, a cloud of steam curling from the room before disappearing into the cool air of the apartment. Dash glanced up from where he sat on the sofa, the sounds of his favorite show relegated to background noise as Leo exited, hair still damp as it brushed against the top of his shoulders.

Dash Felaeon was a simple man.

There were three things in life he enjoyed: a stiff drink, an entertaining holodrama, and a pretty man. 

Thankfully, he had all three within reach tonight.

Leo ran a towel over his dark waves at some pathetic attempt at drying the strands. They fell limply against his forehead, his neck, his cheek. Hot water had left his skin red and blotted, scars and a light dusting of chest hair breaking up the expanse of exposed skin, a pair of sweatpants worn loosely on his bottom half. A moment passed, a heartbeat between seconds, an intake of breath, then Leo glanced at him, bright blue eyes shining in the dim apartment lighting.

Raising an eyebrow, the Imperial soldier turned smuggler turned Republic privateer gave him a flash of a grin, mischievous, up to no good as usual, Dash could tell just by the look in his eyes. “See somethin’ you like, Major?”

Dash snorted, rolling his eyes dramatically, kicking his feet up on the short table in front of the sofa. Turning his attention back to the holo drama, he lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. “Not like it’s something I haven’t seen before.”

Silence met his words. 

Little shocked Leo nowadays, but apparently this did. Dash refused to be the first to break the quiet, knowing if he did, Leo’s ego would inflate so large that he’d be impossible to live with for the next few weeks. Months, even. He was bad enough now, knowing how he affected Dash by his mere presence. The sly grins, the affectionate teasing, the flashes of skin for Dash’s benefit… Well, some things pushed different buttons for him.

And he gave as good as he got. There weren’t many afternoons when Leo wasn’t blushing like a fool because of a sweet word.

His patience was quickly rewarded as Leo finally collapsed on the opposite end of the couch, a disgruntled sigh leaving his lips. Dash side eyed him quickly, noting that the towel was gone, his hair curling slightly where it started to dry. He resisted the immediate desire to reach out and ruffle it. He adored the feel of Leo’s dark hair between his fingers, the longer it was, the easier it was to tug him closer-

Coughing slightly, Dash fixed his gaze back on the screen, goosebumps spreading over his forearms, his mind trying to distract him with images of Leo, shirtless… naked…

“Hey.” Leo’s voice interrupted, completely unaware of Dash’s train of thought. “What are you watchin’?”

Dash leaned forward to retrieve the bowl of popcorn from the table, settling back against the comfortable pillows with a sigh. “Zeltrons In Love. It’s a favorite.”

Leo grabbed a handful of kernels before popping them into his mouth, chewing with a thoughtful expression on his face. “I thought you finished that one.”

“I did. It’s worth a rewatch.”

“We should watch something new.” Leo sat cross-legged on the couch, draping a blanket over his lap as he munched on the snack. “I heard that the Crash Krill Yirt movie was good.”

Dash snorted, trying not to choke on his own mouth full of popcorn. Managing to swallow, he finally glanced at his boyfriend beside him. “Who told you that? Corso? I can’t believe anyone watches that trash.”

“Farm boy has good taste.” Leo pouted, reaching for another handful of popcorn. “Besides, all you watch is rom-coms. Dumb men who walk around without knowing that the main character is in love with them.”

Dash chuckled under his breath, only to receive a glare in return.

“Don’t even say it.”

Dash held his hands up in defense, trying not to laugh again. Leo’s eyes were like hard sapphires, a cold rage burning behind them. “I didn’t say anything.”

“Ya didn’t have to. I know you.” 

“Leo, I’m not implying that you’re stupid-” Dash set the bowl between them, reaching out to squeeze Leo’s knee in reassurance. “I’d never think that.”

“Yeah, well, everyone else does.” Leo muttered, a pink flush coloring his pale cheeks. He turned away, hiding how the reminder of both of their stupidity in the months before their romance bloomed made him uncomfortable.

Dash grinned, hand trailing higher on his leg, stopping a few inches from where Leo’s thigh met his hip. A shuddering breath escaped Leo’s mouth before the man met his gaze, blue of his irises nearly swallowed by the void of his pupils. “They aren’t me and my opinion is the only one that matters.”

Leo rolled his eyes, but it was obviously a half-hearted attempt to appear unaffected. “Be serious.”

“Me? Be serious?” Dash tsked, nearly knocking the popcorn bowl over as he leaned closer, and Leo’s eyes widened at his sudden proximity. “You should know me better than that.”

Leo laughed breathlessly, shifting closer as well, his mouth just out of reach. Still too far for Dash’s liking. “I do know ya, Dash. And I know what you’re tryin’ to do.”

“Hmm, that so?” The scent of butter and salt hung in the air between them and Dash had never been hungrier. “Care to enlighten me?”

Leo groaned as Dash’s fingers brushed against a scar on his abdomen, white and puckered, an old wound long healed. It wouldn’t take much to get him to fold. Dash trailed his hand up Leo’s stomach, over the curve of his chest, brushing through scattered dark hair.

“You don’t fight fair.” Leo gasped out as Dash’s lips settled on his neck. Blood rushed beneath the skin, heart beating a fast rhythm in his chest. And Dash felt every single beat where he lingered.

“How do you think I got to Major?”

Leo grinned, huffing a laugh before tangling his fingers in Dash’s hair. The bowl tipped as he moved to half sit on Dash’s lap, the blanket falling in a heap on the ground, popcorn getting crushed into the couch cushions. Dash ignored it all to wrap his arms around Leo’s waist, securing him where he wanted him. He didn’t plan on letting him leave any time soon.

The smuggler leaned closer, his lips desperately seeking out Dash’s in a flurry of kisses that tasted of butter, salt, of cheap Corellian whiskey. And all thoughts of the holodramas disappeared, his entire world the man in his arms, the lips upon his the sweetest taste in the entire galaxy.

[commander-krios]

Answering some "couple questions" for @viennen about Dash and Leo. Tagging @tiredassmage in case you want to add more.

What do they think of each other's family? And how does the family feel?

For Dash, he doesn't much care for Leo's family, especially considering how they treated Leo in the past. It doesn't help that they're Imperial, on the wrong side in the war in his opinion, and he's heard bits and pieces of how Vorza treated his son. If he ever met the man in real life, he'd immediately punch him in the face. The only one that Dash will actually like if they met is Liv. Mostly, because she's always been close with Leo and supportive of him. I assume that the rest of the family past Liv doesn't even know of Dash's existence. It would be dangerous for everyone if they did.

What's different about their backgrounds? Do those differences affect the relationship?

Leo is a born Imperial, defecting after a couple years in the military, choosing a life as a smuggler instead of enlisting with the Republic. (Dash wouldn't let him anyway, not after what he'd been through). I don't think it changes much about how they work together, how their friendship and romance get on, mostly because Dash doesn't let it define what he thinks about Leo. Because Leo is a good man, he can see that, and he's his best friend. Neither of them would've made it off of Begeren without the other and that's enough for him.

What was their first impression of each other?

Dash saw him as just another Imperial, given their circumstances. Dash was a POW, Leo was one of the Imperials giving him medical inspections during their transfer to the prison. What he didn't expect was to find someone who so deeply despised what the Empire was as much as he did.

How did they fall for each other?

How does anyone fall for someone? They became good friends, relied on each other through hardships, bullshit, gangs on Coruscant. Without Dash, I figure Leo probably would've found himself in more trouble than he liked and with no way to get out of it. Dash found someone he could come home to, someone he was excited to see, someone who wouldn't judge him for the bad things and would celebrate the good with him. Before Leo moved in with him, Dash mostly moved about his day without a care, not bothering to worry what happened to him because who would care past his sisters, his cousin? They were all in this war as soldiers or jedi, and one day, they would bite the dust. It was hard for him to form relationships because of that. But with Leo, he had someone to take care of, someone who gave a shit about him, not the soldier, but the person. And it changed something in him. He felt needed and that was all it took for him to slowly start falling for Leo.

Where is their relationship the strongest?

For Dash, it's in the trust. They trust each other without hesitation, knowing the other will have their back. That at the end of the day, he knows that Leo will be there and he appreciates that.

[commander-krios]

For any SWTOR ship you haven't wrote about for a while: ❝ A life without regret is a life well-lived. ❞

Ahhhh it's done, finally! I've been working on this fic for months now but here it is!

I wrote up the aftermath of this fic by @tiredassmage between Leo and Dash, enjoy!

~~~~

The freighter was still, silent, the smuggler’s crew gone to party on the Nar Shaddaa streets while they had the chance. Dash should’ve been with them, enjoying his last night on the Hutt controlled moon before he took off after Tavus, hopefully ending this shit for good. He’d left Jonas Balkar at the cantina when a stranger called, giving him cryptic information about Leo. He hadn’t thought twice when he left, taking off to the spaceport, hoping to interrupt whatever the stranger and Leo had gotten up to.

The cantina had been loud, irritating, not his usual haunt if he was being honest, but Jonas Balkar was good company and Dash wasn’t one to turn down a free drink. So there he’d been, sitting at the bar, the best liquor a person could find on this hunk of rock in his glass, and a nice buzz in his belly. And then his holocommunicator went off.

Jonas had given him a look the moment he’d closed his commlink. He wasn’t interested in what the look meant, but knowing Jonas as he did, the SIS agent wasn’t going to let it rest until he got what he needed to say out into the open.

“Ah. Your friend.” Jonas cleared his throat, almost as if he was uncomfortable with the change in conversation. “You are aware that he…”

Jonas let the insinuation hang in the air, but Dash hated platitudes and how people spoke without actually saying anything. “Just spill what you want to say, Jonas. Screwing around doesn’t interest me.”

The SIS agent held his hands up in defense. “Hey. Wasn’t sure if you knew your friend was a smuggler. That’s all.”

“Yes. I’m aware of what Leo is. I fail to see how that affects me.”

Jonas tilted his head curiously. “Considering you’re the CO of Havoc Squad, I’d think it was obvious.”

“I’m not a fucking cop.”

“That’s… not what I meant.”

“Jonas, I’ve done worse things as a soldier than Leo has as a smuggler. I can guarantee that.” Things he wasn’t finished doing. Sadly, he didn’t see any other way out for his former commander. A traitor was a traitor and that usually meant a death sentence.

“I doubt-”

Dash flashed a glare in his direction. “I trust Leo. With my life and have for a long time. If you don’t know him past an SIS report, that’s your fault.”

Jonas had little to say after that, taking a long gulp of a warm drink before waving him away to go be the hero.

Now he was sitting here with the man in question, Dash keeping silent watch over him as he slept fitfully. Leo’s hands clutched the pillow beneath his head, his eyes moving beneath the lids, fighting some nightmare that he would refuse to acknowledge once he woke. So many ghosts haunted Leo and he tried to hide them behind that handsome smile Dash loved, but each time he covered his fears with a laugh, Dash could see the pain he tried to hide.

With a sigh, Dash reached out, brushing some of Leo’s dark hair out of his face, the puckered skin of his scar harsh against pale skin. It was a difficult reminder for both of them of that awful day in the rocky deserts of Begeren. How things could’ve turned out differently if Leo wasn’t already regretting his role in the Imperial military. And if it wasn’t Dash who’d been a prisoner of war, looking for any way to get he and his men to safety after the execution of their commander.

Kicking off his boots and tossing his coat on the end of the bed, Dash stretched himself out beside Leo, making sure to keep from touching his friend, before resting the back of his head on his folded arms, eyes trained on Leo for any sign of waking. 

Nothing. 

With another sigh, he relaxed, closing his eyes in the hopes of getting some rest, praying they’d go undisturbed until the early morning hours. The bed shifted suddenly and the warmth of Leo’s body pressed against him, soft and gentle and oh so perfect. His eyes snapped open, body going rigid as Leo draped an arm over his chest, muttering something in his sleep. He didn’t realize it wasn’t the stranger anymore, Dash tried to assure himself, as if that was truly any comfort at all. 

If only Leo knew what Dash felt as he snuggled closer, the soldier’s heart nearly jumping through his chest at an intimacy he craved each time Leo smiled at him in that carefree way when he was truly at peace. 

That same peace that Dash only knew in the presence of his best friend in the entire galaxy. 

Swallowing past the sudden lump in his throat, he wrapped an arm around Leo, making excuses for the sudden flash of desire as Leo’s strong body folded around his. His fingers brushed against the soft strands of hair that lay against his chest, black as the night and just as beautiful. He resisted the temptation to card his fingers through it. Not when Leo so obviously came here with another man to do things that… he didn’t want to think about.

Dash shut his eyes, trying to focus on his breathing, wishing sleep would take him so he wouldn’t have to suffer this anymore, but all he could feel was the warmth of Leo pressed against him, his breath puffing against his shirt, small mutterings coming from his mouth as he slept.

The longing would be the end of him.

Dash considered his cousin’s advice from only a few months before.

Tell him, Adarsh, or you will spend the rest of your life with a heart that aches for what it cannot have. A life without regret is a life well-lived. 

Karking Jedi.

He didn’t regret his friendship with Leo, and he never would because in the last five years, he’s known a joy that he didn’t know was possible. Why would he give that up? Why would he risk what they had for his own selfish desires?

Why were the Jedi teachings rubbing off on him?

Leo shifted again, his fingers tightening in Dash’s shirt as he wiggled even closer. Did he even realize what he was doing? Leo was so starved for affection and comfort, but getting him to admit that fact was like trying to trim a nexu’s claws. And whenever he was asleep in Dash’s presence, he was even more needy, practically ending up in Dash’s lap on multiple occasions.

The memories of those easy nights before this war, when they would settle on the couch in their shared and sparse apartment to watch a vid and eat the unhealthiest food they could find, those memories kept him going through the Republic’s devastating war with the Empire.

He wasn’t sure when he’d fallen asleep, but it felt like almost no time when the bed shifted and a little gasp broke through his dreamless sleep. When he opened his eyes to the dim lighting of Leo’s room, he found his best friend standing at the side of the bed, hair disheveled

“Dash, er, when did you get here? And why were we in bed… together?” A faint blush colored Leo’s pale cheeks, flustered as he tried to find the words. “We didn’t … do anything, did we?”

Dash sat on the edge of the bed, fingers clutching the blankets as he tried to focus, as he tried not to immediately cross the distance between him and Leo, to pull the man he so desperately adored into his arms and pepper his face with kisses. The impulse was overwhelming, nearly the most difficult thing he’d ever done was resist.

He bit back a laugh at the absurd question. “No, I came to check on you. Your visitor left not long after and you were so drunk, it felt wrong to let you fend for yourself.”

Leo’s cheeks darkened more if that was possible. He turned away, eyes on something across the room. “Thanks? Did my visitor say anything on the way out? Like if he was coming back?”

Dash hesitated, not wanting to admit that they’d nearly come to blows over him. He doubted that Leo would think fighting for his honor was worth it, not if someone got hurt. “No.”

Leo cleared his throat, brushing a hand through his hair before it got stuck on a knot. “Ok… How was your date with Jonas?”

The question was like a bucket of cold water over his head. He flinched, visibly flinched, and the movement drew Leo’s gaze. He kept his gaze on his hands instead, unable to meet those bright blue eyes that he dreamed about far too often.

“Dash, is everything ok?”

Was it? He didn’t even know anymore.

“I should probably be going.” He said instead, standing and grabbing his coat from where it’d fallen on the floor during the night. “I’ll see you at the next port, Leo.”

Dash was out of the room and down the boarding ramp before his heart had caught up.

Another regret to add to the list.

[commander-krios]

Six Sentence Sunday

Some Dash/Leo WIP for everyone on this fine Sunday evening.

With another sigh, he relaxed, closing his eyes in the hopes of getting some rest, praying they’d go undisturbed until the early morning hours. The bed shifted suddenly and the warmth of Leo’s body pressed against him, soft and gentle and oh so perfect. His eyes snapped open, body going rigid as Leo draped an arm over his chest, muttering something in his sleep. He didn’t realize it wasn’t the stranger anymore, Dash tried to assure himself, as if that was truly any comfort at all.  If only Leo knew what Dash felt as he snuggled closer, the soldier’s heart nearly jumping through his chest at an intimacy he craved each time Leo smiled at him in that carefree way he did when he was truly at peace.  A peace that Dash only knew in the presence of his best friend in the entire galaxy.

[commander-krios]

@jbnonsensework @tiredassmage

They are such a cute squad.

[commander-krios]

@tiredassmage honestly these boys are going to be a barrel full of laughs 😂