The View From Here

Chapter 2

No matter what his official status was with the Grand Army of the Republic, Rex's body wouldn't let him sleep past 0600 hours when he would normally be getting up aboard the Resolute and starting his day. Despite his intense hangover and the fact that he had nowhere to be, this morning was no different as his internal clock woke him up the crack of dawn.

But it was different. In every way imaginable.

The cool late night air had brought them closer together in their sleep, resulting in Ahsoka pressed closely against his side and her head resting on top of Rex's chest as his arms were wrapped around her. It was...unusual...to say the least, but not unwelcome. Rex scolded himself for thinking about just how welcome their current position was. Like last night, he was fighting an overwhelming desire to lean down and kiss the top of her head between her montrals, but now he didn't have the excuse of alcohol to dismiss his reaction.

What she had shared with him last night, bringing him into her new world even after the rejection from the GAR and the Jedi, came flooding back to him, and his chest filled with warmth for her. He was spiraling and she pulled him back.

Careful not to move her, Rex lifted his head ever so slightly to try and get a look at Ahsoka's sleeping face.

"Good morning," she said to his surprise. Her voice was light and alert, as if she had been awake for a while but hadn't moved from his side yet. Rex regretting having moved his head at all when she pulled away from him to sit up, but the blush he caught on her cheeks at being caught made him smile. She had stayed in his arms because she wanted to.

Ahoska looked away from him back towards the city scape to stretch and hide her growing blush. She couldn't believe she got caught, though she also couldn't bring herself to regret it. Seeing Rex again had stirred something in her that she wasn't able to identify initially. At first, she thought it just the familiarity of seeing an old friend. She and Rex had been so close for years, of course seeing him again would be comforting.

But it was more than that, and she knew it.

The two of them had a different kind of bond now. One she wish they didn't, but knew she wouldn't trade it away nonetheless. Their disillusion with the war and its leadership underscored how much they needed one another to survive.

The warm feeling she had when his arms were around her was an added bonus.

When Ahsoka finally turned back around, Rex was staring at her with a look she couldn't pinpoint. Despite having fought alongside him for years, she hadn't seen that look before. She raised her eyebrow questioningly and suddenly it was his turn to blush.

"Thank you for last night," he said to break the silence. "For rescuing me from myself at the bar and taking me here." Ahsoka smiled warmly and put her hand on top of his.

"Thanks for trusting me," she said with a soft squeeze of his hand before pulling it away. She stood up and he followed suit.

"Come on," she said, walking back towards the lift they took last night and motioning for him to follow. "Your tour of the Corosaunt outskirts isn't over." He chuckled and followed her.

He'd follow her anywhere.

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Their day was spent wandering between shops and cafes, aimlessly exploring the city's hidden gems. Though they were no longer on duty, the alertness to their surroundings was still a part of their movements. Rex opted for new civies that covered his shaved head, obscuring his face to anyone able to identify a clone. Thought Ahsoka no longer had her old Jedi robes, she still donned a simple cloak that made her blend in with the crowds they slipped between.