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cienie-isengardu · 1 year

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I see a lot in fics this portrayal of stormtroopers/501st as being intensely loyal to Vader, sometimes even over the Empire. Is that really true in canon/Legends? I know Lords of the Sith referenced this, but otherwise I haven't read enough of the EU to confirm how much of this is just fanon. I'm assuming you know bc of your Vader's Men tag lol

The intensive stormtrooper training is conditioning people to be loyal to Empire and so obedience to Vader, as the one of highest imperial commanders is a natural order of the things but yes, there are stories and tie-in materials that strongly suggest or outright says that certain stormtroopers and imperial officers in fact admire Darth Vader and their loyalty run beyond the usual level of allegiance required from imperial soldiers. So no, this portrait in fanwork is not solely invention of fans as it has a solid ground in source materials although it should be taken into account that:

a) the level of personal loyalty will vary from one character to another

b) there are not many stories in which imperial soldiers are forced to choose between Vader and the Emperor so it is really hard to predict if those people are in fact more loyal to Vader as a person than to the Empire(Palpatine) as a whole. When it comes to imperial army, in most cases Vader and the Empire/Palpatine are seen as inseparable as Vader is the epitome of loyalty to Empire to most Imperials (which makes sense, as Vader usually rely on bounty hunters or his vast different sort of agents if his personal goals are against Palpatine’s will and the discretion is needed. Otherwise he is commanding troopers to kill/destroy whoever incur his anger and then deals with his master’s displeasure).

The second point is especially vital in regard to imperials like admiral Piett that in general is acknowledged in sources as one of officers that Vader truly respects but through the decades Firmus sadly didn’t get that much focus as character to give us absolute certainty of his allegiance beyond the general idea of “serving the Empire”. Which makes it hard to make an objective analysis if Piett was forced to choose, would he betray the Empire out of loyalty to Vader or not. A scenario that has been a common thing in fanwork for years. Which is why I’m bringing Piett to illustrate that fans’ interpretation of imperial characters and their loyalty to Vader may be exaggerated beyond what sources provided. Which doesn’t necessarily mean it is a wrong assumption but rather that focus of tie-in materials is pretty much limited when it comes to Imperials, especially those of Old Trilogy or stormtroopers in general.

At the same time, Vader was introduced from the start as someone that has a better working relationship with common troopers and the imperial officers serving directly under him than with high-ranking Imperials. There is no need to look further than A New Hope to see the difference between how the Sith Lord acts around his men and Admiral Motti (or later in The Empire Strikes Back, how he treats Admiral Ozzel or Captain Needa). It shows up in his speech patterns, like “There'll be no one to stop us this time” or “We’ll have to destroy them ship to ship” when he is talking to his men (as he is including himself and his men in the “us/we”) but it is for sure a me vs you talk with Motti during a meeting on Death Star. When questioned by Commander Daine Jir* Vader is willing to explain himself and shows zero anger at the man for not obeying at once

while having no second thought about force-choking admiral Motti. Through the Original Trilogy, Vader did not threaten common imperial troopers but he did not have any reservations about killing the officers if they failed him. What is even more important, Vader is one of few high-ranking imperials that takes an active part in widely understood “warzone”, be it the search of stolen Death Star’s plans or taking part in space battle to protect the imperial station or taking over rebel Echo Base on Hoth - and tie-in material even claims that Vader flying his own fighter into battle(s) incurs the wrath of high officers,which implies the Dark Lord of the Sith’s active part during fight breaks imperial norms.

This is the ground on which I believe was built the idea that stormtroopers may feel a great respect and even personal loyalty for Vader - and to be honest, from the perspective of common soldiers it makes perfect sense. Vader is the right-hand man of Emperor Palpatine, a man that wields a mystic power and runs the Empire and who for sure does not need to risk his life on the battlefield yet he is marching alongside stormtroopers into one battle after another, sometimes even saving said troopers in the process (x)(x)(x) while most high-ranking officers (especially those presented in the Old Trilogy) usually stay behind in the safety while soldiers die fighting. Also, quite often the sources provided examples in which Vader on purpose does not involve troopers accompanying him into fights as he prefers to face dangerous and personal foes/tasks alone (x)(x)(x)(x)("Go," Vader said to them. "The ship is lost." Most of them nodded, turned, and headed off immediately, but three of the stormtroopers remained. "Sir, we should accompany you to an escape pod." "Unnecessary," Vader said. "I'll find my own way. Now go. That's my order.", Lords or the Sith) which I suspect is another habit of Vader that common stormtroopers may interpret as specific sign of their commander’s care for their well-being - is it truth or not is up to debate of course, but whatever the reasoning, it really looks like Vader did not endanger the lives of soldiers unnecessarily and even could kill an officer that ordered the troops into an unwinnable scenario. Or like Ozzel did, lost the element of surprise for imperial invasion.

And really, the image of Vader leading troops or being surrounded by stormtroopers is one of the most common things in the Star Wars franchise that is included in films, comics, books, games and other tie-in materials. Considering what a powerhouse Vader is on his own, it is easy to imagine how his presence on battlefront raises morale of imperial soldiers or why it means so much to stormtroopers to know the Dark Lord of the Sith is there with them on battlefront.

Another thing that adds a lot to common troopers’ perception of the Dark Lord is that Vader does not care for people’s place of origin, family or political connections or even species. Through the sources Vader favors skills, competence and loyalty above anything else. Which means that people born in Outer Rims or people for whatever reason not meeting the specific standards set by the military/political elite can easily get promoted under Vader’s wings if they prove themselves - be it on battlefront or thinking outside the box (x followed by x). And this especially was visible in older sources, when aliens, women and droids were part of a wide range of Vader’s agents despite the bias toward those groups within the Empire. So working with Vader often resulted with many benefits in the long run for those who managed to impress the Dark Lord. What is very important, as many promising troopers and officers that normally would be hold back by lack of proper connection or birthplace were hand-picked personally by the Dark Lord of the Sith, either for his 501st Legion or for general benefit of the Empire - what for many “lowly cogs in the imperial machine” literally means new possibilities opened up solely thanks to Vader and this probably adds a lot of weight to their personal loyalty. Serving under Vader could bring a person a chance for fast promotion (general Veers is the best example) but also provide protection (x)(x) or access to the best medical help even when said person couldn’t anymore serve the Dark Lord, as happened with Erv Lekauf:

Vader’s suit could withstand nearly every assault. But Lekauf, a man trained to react without pausing to debate, flung himself in front of him and took the brunt of the flame. He fell, gasping, as the clones closed in on the Dark Jedi and Vader burst apart their Force shields with pure focused rage. [A Two-Edged Sword]

and

“My granddad thought the world of him. When he got badly burned on a mission and had to be discharged from the Imperial Army, Lord Vader made sure he was taken care of for the rest of his life. Whatever some people say about Vader, monsters don't look out for lieutenants." [Legacy of the Force: Sacrifice]

As I mentioned before, a great number of people serving Vader were hand-picked personally by the Dark Lord of the Sith which includes his own 501st Legion - and that for sure increases the reason for personal loyalty of said soldiers.

Members of the 501st are hand-picked by Lord Darth Vader from within the stormtrooper units. Battlefield promotions are awarded to those who earn his respect [The Imperial Handbook].

Worse, walking into a local garrison or fleet anchorage meant taking whatever they had available, whether good and competent or lazy and useless. Picking out random stormtroopers was an even shakier proposition these days, given Vader’s habit of periodically combing through the ranks and transferring all the best and brightest into his personal 501st Legion. [Choices of one]

When Lieutenant Daine Jir first spoke out against one of Darth Vader’s suggestions, murmurs of “dead man walking” immediately followed. But instead of choking the life out of the Imperial officer, Vader promoted him to the rank of commander.

Jir was one of few officers, along with Admiral Piett and Captain Janus Bonn, to earn Vader’s respect. The Dark Lord appreciated Jir’s brutal honesty, in contrast to the manipulative rhetoric of most Imperial lackeys. Jir, a competent and ruthless member of the 501st stormtrooper legion [...]

The New Canon also seems to follow this special bond that Vader has with some stormtroopers, as could be seen with sergeant Kreel (x) who was even gifted the Jedi lightsaber by the Dark Lord (though so far Kreel is also loyal to Palpatine… who has like zero idea or care who the stormtrooper is).

So to answer your question, yes, there are plenty of stormtroopers (or in general imperials) who greatly respect Darth Vader and in some cases this respect runs as deep as personal loyalty toward the Dark Lord of the Sith. And this specific bond between Vader and troopers can be traced through various source material, like:

For reasons that went beyond the armor and helmets, the imaging systems and boots, Vader felt more at home among the troopers than he did around other flesh-and-bloods.

And Appo and the rest of Vader's cadre of stormtroopers seemed to be at ease with their new superior. To them it was only reasonable that Vader wore a bodysuit and armor. Some had always wondered why the Jedi left themselves exposed, as if they had had something to prove by it. [Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader by James Luceno]

After Anakin Skywalker turned to the dark side, his 501st Legion clone troopers remained loyal to him. For their brutality and efficiency, they became known as “Vader’s fist”.

(And no, this has nothing to do with the chip-in-brain nonsense of TCW/New Canon)

(and here a fun fact! The Anakin/Vader's personal stormtrooper legion is named after fan organization 501st Legion that was introduced into canon thanks to Timothy Zahn and Lucasfilm, as a nod to fans and their great hand-made costumes and charity work! Which adds another layer why 501st Legion is always seen as the elite between elites and so important part of Anakin/Vader's legacy)

As the shuttle descended through Hockaleg’s atmosphere, Vader said, “I am curious about the details of your demotion.”

“It’s all on record, sir,” the trooper said, angling the shuttle toward the spaceport.

“I would prefer to hear it from you.”

“Permission to speak freely, sir?”

“Granted.”

The trooper cleared his throat.

“You are aware I’m a clone, sir?”

“Yes.”

“Well, twenty years ago, after Shadow Squadron was disbanded, I had a new commanding officer-a non-clone. When he ordered me to kill my gunner - who had been wounded in combat, but not mortally - I refused. And when my commanding officer tried to shoot me for refusing, I broke his jaw. I spent a year in solitary.”

Vader considered the details, then said, “What happened to the injured clone?”

“He recovered, although he was killed several months later during a bombing run.”

“Do you regret your actions?”

“No. sir. Everybody dies. I’m just glad I helped a friend live a bit longer.”

As the spaceport came into view, Vader said, “If you were to serve under my command, would you ever disobey an order?”

“Yes, sir, but only if it helped you live longer.”

Vader was stunned by the aged clone’s words and the implication that he might disobey one of his orders…or that he might consider the Sith Lord a friend. Before he could ask the clone for an explanation, the clone tested the comm and received a loud burst of static. [Vader Adrift]

or mentioned Erv Lerkauf

The assassins paused for a frantic reload.

“Lord Vader…” said Lekauf, but he was pinned flat by the Force, arms flailing.

“Stay down,” snapped Vader. […]

One man dropped instantly without his intervention. Vader lunged forward and sliced through two more, left-right. The fourth lost his arm and blaster in the same slicing movement and dropped to his knees, utterly silent, mouth open wide in frozen agony as he stared at the seared stump. Vader brought the lightsaber down across his neck. The hangar was silent now except for the sound of his own breath. He looked down at the back of the one man he hadn’t killed. The black tunic was still smoking a little.

“Fine shot, Lekauf,” said Vader. He released his Force pressure. “I told you to stay down.”

Lekauf got to his knees and holstered his blaster. “I never rose, my lord. I can fire from a prone position, though, and you made no mention of that.”

Lekauf stood up and went to him as if to check him for injury. It suddenly struck Vader that he was solid and a good height. And he was loyal enough to step in the line of fire, and then-defy him to cover his back.

Good man. At least one possible template, then. [In his Image]

and

""Me, too." Jacen found he enjoyed the company of 967. They all had the corporal's general optimism. "How long have you been in the army?"

"Since I graduated, sir. Four years."

"What made you sign up?"

Lekauf smiled, almost embarrassed. "My grandfather served under your grandfather in the Imperial Army, sir. He always talked about how Lord Vader put himself in the front line. Meant a lot to him, that did."

Jacen patted Lekauf's shoulder. It was humbling to see how loyalty could last generations. Whatever sins Anakin Skywalker had committed as Vader, there were still those who recognized his qualities as an inspirational commander. Jacen decided it might be safe to walk back in time and watch him again. [Legacy of the Force: Bloodlines]

or a nostalgia trip of retired stormtrooper:

Dark Lord told us it wasn’t our fault the Falcon got out from the Hoth blockade. Then he executed half the squad. But you could tell he was proud of us.

“Supreme confidence reigned in the heart of every crew member in this Imperial death squadron, especially among the personnel on the monstrous central Star Destroyer. But something also blazed within their souls. Fear - fear of merely the sound of the familiar heavy footsteps as they echoed through the enormous ship. Crew members dreaded these footfalls and shuddered whenever they were heard approaching, bringing their much feared, but much respected leader.” [The Empire Strikes Back]

I’ve heard that the regular officers hate him, but the Stormtrooper Corps almost worships him. [Lords of the Sith]

and

The Truest Duty by Christie Golden [From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back]

And to be honest, this special stormtroopers’ admiration for Vader is not seen only in “serious” source material but also in humorous variations like Lego Star Wars Vader reading book to stormtroopers or Droid Tales episode 5, in which C-3PO and Lando distract stormtroopers with a tale about Darth Vader (and how the Lord of the Sith saved rebellion on Endor) and just look at the troopers happily listening about their boss.

So in general, fans may sometimes exaggerate the intensivity of stormtroopers or in general imperial soldiers' loyalty toward Vader but this specific bond between Dark Lord of the Sith and common soldiers is grounded deeply in star wars lore.

#star wars #darth vader #vader and stormtroopers #vader's men #my replies #sorry for not providing all source names and going with what i already posted on my tumblr #right now i'm visiting sister so i'm cut from my source material collection #sadly tie in materials doesn't focus much on common troopers #and even piett gets little proper focus beside TESB moments #veers on another hand is so die-hard fan of vader :D :D #but seriously just imagine you are just a stormtrooper and the one high ranking imperial that shows up on battlefield is vader #who not only fight side to side with imperial soldiers but usually is the person leading attack and fighting in the first line ahead #of everyone #it is not hard to imagine why stormtroopers admired vader so much even if the man is a beast that may or may not kill you at some point #clone troopers especially in legends were fond of vader as their commanding officer and the respect was mutual #but i guess tcw likes to mess with stuff like that lol

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borderlineomniverse · 11 months

Text

Gorgeous: a Jebrex Flash Fic

a/n: I know I'm sorry it's taken me this long. Just dont judge too hard, okay? The beginning is a little janky cause I didn't know how to start it but this came to me in a fit of inspired passion so I'm passing it along to you. Also, happy two years to Borderline Forever! This release synced up perfectly.

Based on the Taylor Swift song of the same name, no major warnings, but there's a weird POV change tho if you're not into that sort of thing. Also, language. Enjoy!

~~~

It’s not fair. Why does he have to look… like that.

There he is, the big dork. Looking really funny in his bright red shirt. A mismatched pair of khakis and brown loafers that look just a tad too small. Messy hair (I’m shocked he’s not wearing a hat), tapping and twirling along to the bashful bubblegum beat.

I inhale sharply and decide to sit down with Scott. He’s laughing at something Jerry said.

“Where’s Terry?” they ask.

Another sigh. Where indeed did my boyfriend disappear off to? “The club, I think. Who knows what he’s doing.”

“Not you.” Rex slides into the booth at my side. My breath stops in my throat and I look directly ahead. Out the window, a beautiful sunset. It’s vibrant shades of orange and red, matching his button up. Oh gosh why’d it have to look like that.

Whiskey is served. Normally I don’t drink too heavily, but this night all bets are off. My fingers lock on the bottle and have the cap unscrewed before Scott can sit up and thank the waiter.

“Hot damn. Someone’s thirsty,” says Jerry.

“Yeah, thirsty for something,” Rex teases. Fuck, I shouldn’t have glanced at him when he said that. A bite of the lip and a flirty wink. Why does he have to be like this?

I down the bottle. Then the second. The waiter brings out more. How many have I had now? I can’t tell, Jerry keeps clearing them away before I can count them. They don’t seem to pay much attention to me, laughing and checking out the other partygoers. Rex comments on the pretty brunette. I’ve had enough.

“You’ve got. *gulp* The worst vocabulary I’ve ever heard.”

I get a few weird glances from the table.

“Honestly. Dumpy?? That’s the best word you can think of? Dumbass?”

“Oh yeah? What word would you have used?”

“And your drawl. ULGH it makes me sick.” Or maybe it’s just the whiskey. I hate whiskey. Why did I have so much?

“You’re drunk.”

“And you’re mean.”

“What did I do this time?” Rex stands, exasperated. “You’re the one insulting me.”

“Payback for Thursday,” I growl, also rising out of the booth.

Jerry puts his hands up in a gesture of calming. “Hey guys, why don’t y’all just…”

“SHUT.” The two of us say in unison. It makes me look back at his dumb, gorgeous face. I can’t stand it.

“Look, if you can’t handle being without me for one night…” Rex starts, almost sleazily.

“You told me you would be at my apartment at 5:00!” I yell, turning heads. “So I waited, and waited. And waited. And by the time it was 11 all I got was a dumb text saying you wouldn’t show up; how can you do that to a person?? Your communication skills…”

“Hey, uhh, why don’t we head outside?” suggests Scott. I try to protest but before I know it the four of us are in the parking lot and Scott’s sitting me in his passenger seat. He shouldn’t have rolled the windows down; I give Rex a middle finger as we drive away. I get a violent honk in response.

“What is going on with you two?” asks Scott, turning off the radio.

“I don’t know,” I whine, the sting of tears gracing my eyes.

“Look. I know things haven’t been great with you and Terry lately, and I know you’ve always cared about Rex…”

“I love him, Scott,” I sob, choking on my spit as tears start to free fall. “Why do I have to love him?”

“Have you always?”

“I don’t know. No. Yes. I don’t…” I wipe my eyes with the sleeve of my sports coat, which if you’ve ever tried to do that you’d know that that’s like trying to dry your eyes with a countertop. Not extremely effective.

“Then why’d you ask out Terry?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I was hoping…”

“To make Rex jealous?”

I cough. “Sure.”

We drive down the cold open Ohio road in silence for what seems like forever. When lights start to appear on the horizon, Scott takes a deep breath. “Break up with Terry.”

“Huh?”

“Break up with Terry. I think he’d rather be just friends anyway. And then maybe… I think you’d be surprised by Rex’s reaction.”

“What, like he’d notice? Dumbass wouldn’t know if a snake bit him on the nose.”

Scott gives me a side eye. “You’re smiling.”

“Am not.”

“Sleep on it. Think about it. But… I do think that would be the right decision.”

I’m sure Scott is right. He always is.

~~~

The seasons pass. Jeb and Terry break up; its for the best, to be honest. I never thought they were good together, and they're both still friends. I don't think Jeb could handle the communications issues, and Terry wasn't 100% in it. Oh well.

The hardest part was seeing my best friend look so down. He didn't talk for days. He finally started to brighten back up after the first month, but still... something's off. I can sense it.

There he is, in a gecko green button up. Almost four hours have past at this stupid party and he's chatted it up with everyone here, except me. When Employee and I came to say hi, all I got was a quick handshake before he dashed to the dessert table and snarfed up all the cookies and a glass of champagne. Here we go. He's never had that good alcohol tolerance, this night is going to be a mess...

I sit, a little dejected, at an empty table. He walks by; I catch his eye. There's a flash of a little something... terror? Sadness? Guilt? I give him my best soft smile. He stops in his tracks. His smile says he's happy, but his eyes say he's drowning. Fuck, why can't I get anything right? It's like no matter how I talk to him or look at him, I've hurt him. I motion for him to join me. He obeys.

"What's up with you?" I ask him as he takes a seat.

He looks at me with a blank stare. "What?"

"You're not yourself. Is Terry still bothering you?"

He winces. "No. I'm fine. I've gotten over him."

"Then what is it. I've known you for years, Jeb, and I..."

When I speak his name, his back straightens. "It's fine, Rex. I'm okay." He gives me his best fake smile. "Life of the party, right? I'm having fun."

He goes to get up, but I grab his hand as it caresses the tablecloth. He jolts, half standing. I get up and gently take his hand in mine, looking him right in the eye.

"Jeb. You can't keep doing this. Don't keep ignoring me."

"I'm not..."

"Yes, yes you are. I know it, Scott knows it, hell even Jerry noticed, and he never notices anything."

He chuckles lightly, and even though the smile is slightly pained it puts a smile on my own face. I haven't seen him chuckle like that in what feels like forever.

But the moment doesn't last; I feel his hand yank out of mine and he stumbles past me. "My cats need me. I have to get home."

Record scratch. "You got cats?"

He looks back at me, smiling a little bit. "Yeah, right after I moved out of Scott's.

Perfect opportunity. "Can I meet them?"

His face drops for a moment, but then a grin creeps onto his face. "Don't you want to stay here?"

"I'd much rather be with you."

A glint graces his eyes. "Come along, then."

Since we took separate cars to get here, I tell him I'll meet him at his place and I let Employee know he'll have to get a ride with someone else. He understands.

After I ensure that he secures transportation with Scott, I head to my car and ignore all laws of traffic to get to Jeb's apartment as quickly as I can. Music blasts on the stereo; some vibrant pop number. Something about ocean blue eyes.

I park on the street next to Jeb's new apartment. I've only been here once, to help him move in. He never invited me over after that. He's been dodging all my calls and questions. Hopefully tonight I'll be able to get to the bottom of why.

I tentatively rap on the door and wait for it to open. It creaks cautiously, and behind it Jeb stands, still in his formal getup.

"Welcome to my humble home," he says, escorting me inside.

Its clean. Way too clean. You ever walked into a new house or apartment for sale and it's clear that no one lives inside it? That's what his little studio feels like. Nothing has been touched, not a knife in the kitchen or the fabric of the couch. This raises a few alarm bells in my head; clearly, Jeb has not been living. At least, not really. There's one thing to have a clean place that's lived in, and then there's another to have a home completely devoid of life.

"What do you do all day?" I ask.

There's a flash of... something in his eyes. "Sleep, play with my cats. Play some Gex. Work."

"You don't have any hobbies? Nothing you're doing?"

"Gex?"

"But like. You're not staying productive? At all?"

The concern in my voice raises his emotional barriers. "You're not my mom. I'm fine. I didn't invite you in here to tell me how to live my life. Come see my cats."

I want to press the matter more, but I don't. He leads me to the back of his apartment, where his bed is set up. He gets down on the floor and looks underneath it. "Look, there they are. They like to hide here."

I get down and lay prone, sniper style. Indeed, two tabby cats; one lithe and orange, the other burly and brown.

Normally, I'm not a huge cat person, but I feel the need to encourage my clearly distraught friend. "They're so cute! Wha'dge you name them?"

He blushes. "Gex and Stanley."

I laugh; some warm feeling spreads throughout my chest. "Perfect names. Which one's which?"

"Stanley is the bigger one."

"Gotcha."

I keep looking at the cute little cats for the moment, but then I realize how close we are. Jeb's lying next to me, our faces inches apart. I look over at him, and his eyes catch mine. My chest tightens.

"Jeb?" I whisper.

"Yeah?"

"Why've you been so distant, buddy?" My throat tightens. "I've missed you."

His eyes start to cloud. "I. Well. I don't know."

I sit up. "That's not good enough. I know something's hurting you, you've been bothered for a while now. I always thought you would come to me with anything, and usually when something's bothering you I'm the first one you go to. But ever since you and Terry broke up..."

"It's you, okay?" Something snaps in him and the tears start to fall freely. "I. I can't stand being around you all the time."

Initially, a little anger and hurt rises to the top of my brain, but he rolls on.

"You're too perfect, it actually hurts. We've always been close, and I've always loved that, but... I don't know. It's become too much. You make me so happy it just turns back to sad. And I know you're always off looking for some girl to pick up..."

Too far. "Hey hey hey, I never just pick up girls. I haven't had a date in months."

He sniffs. "Wait, really?"

I shrug. "Maybe you're not the only one with a crush."

His head, perhaps subconsciously, cocks to the side. "What?!"

"Jeb, I've always loved you. Me playing around... that's always just been a joke. And seeing you in pain all these months... it's driven me nuts. I hate it when you're sad. I've just been trying to make you happy and reach out and see if, well. Since you broke up with Terry, I thought maybe we'd have a chance..."

"Wait wait. You wanted to ask me out after Terry?"

I inhale. "Before Terry."

The corners of his mouth turn up and the tears stop. "Oh."

I smile sheepishly. "Maybe you shouldn't have assumed you couldn't have me and should have asked me instead."

He bites his lip and takes a few deep breaths before letting out a pained laugh. "I'm so stupid."

I grin. "No stupider than me."

"Gosh, why couldn't this have happened like a normal couple. Why couldn't have we, I don't know. Gone to the river and asked each other out in a normal way instead of..."

"Crying on the ground covered in cat hair?" I laugh. "That's not us Jeb. This was never gonna happen normally. And I'm glad. It's more memorable this way.

He laughs, for real this time. "Yeah. I suppose it is."

We're still close on the floor, even though we're both sitting up now. I stare lovingly into his eyes. They're still a little glassy, but the honey brown is clearer now. He smiles softly, and so do I.

"You're gorgeous, you know that?"

~~~

Pining playlist for your consideration that inspired this post

Thanks for reading!

#it's been a while since I've written please don't think this is the best I can do #sorry for the weird POV change I thought it fit the story better #I'm a little high right now I hope this is mildly coherent #may revise later #jebrex #fanfiction #stw fic #jeb jab #rex mohs #gorgeous taylor swift #borderline blue

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