Xander McClure is (dependable_xan) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2021-12-28 17:26:00 |
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Entry tags: | !closed, !completed gdoc, !log, [event] winterlude, rey (force_awakens), xander mcclure (dependable_xan), ~2021 december |
Who: Rey and Xander
What: checking out Winterlude
Where: Winterlude
When: Wed (Dec. 15th)
Warnings: TBD
Xander looked forward to his night out with Rey. They spent a considerable amount of time together, but he always felt excited about his seeing her. Plus, an outing to something different added to the enjoyment.
Tonight he threw on the ugly Sailor Moon sweater Kenzi bought him, along with jeans and a coat. Rey might ask about the sweater, but one of his best friends did buy it for him. He snapped a photo of himself wearing it and sent it with the caption: “Wearing this sweater by moonlight/slinging drinks by daylight (and moonlight)/never running from a real fight (especially against mermaids)/he is the one named Sailor Xan.” Would it crack the top 10? Never.
Once ready, Xan grabbed his keys, jacket, and tuque, before he set out to meet Rey. He knocked on the door once he arrived at her house, and waited for someone to answer the door.
***
Rey was in a modern coat, though it was in her usual tones. She didn’t find the cold in Madison too bad, but she wore fingerless gloves and had a hat in her pocket in case she needed it. When the knock came, she grabbed her keys and opened the door. “Xan.” She was getting used to saying his name like that more and more now.
She was already smiling and she brought up her phone with the picture of him in the sweater as she walked outside and closed the door behind her. “Is this an Earth tradition?” The reference was lost on her, but she could tell it was still supposed to be funny.
--
“Hey Rey.” Xan smiled and leaned over to kiss her cheek. He startled at the question, and looked at her phone. “Oh man. I thought I only sent it to Kenz. Not an Earth tradition.” He pulled out his phone and found a clip of the Sailor Moon theme song. “It’s to go with the Christmas sweater Kenz drunkenly bought me.”
She looked pretty and Xan complimented her. “You look great.” He loved the weather. “I haven’t experienced a Midwestern winter, so this should be fun! You ready?” Xan held out his arm before they started their walk.
***
Her smile widened. She might not totally get it, but she understood enough now to get it was a joke and that it was between him and Kenzi, a girl she knew to be a good friend of his. “It’s not too bad here.” It wasn’t exactly a desert panet, but she had been to enough cold planets in her time to at least get used to it. Madison at least was hospitable.
She took his arm as they started to walk. “BB-8 might join us later. He went to Leo’s to work. He’s missing R2D2 a little more than he wants to admit, I think.” Which was understandable. “But everyone thinks it’s best if he goes back to keep Anakin company.” Since him being alone sounded like a terrible and dangerous idea.
–
Xan thought it lucky to have as close a friend as Kenzi and Rey as a romantic partner.
“And BB-8 can’t go hang out with R2D2 and Anakin?” Xan didn’t quite understand decorum for droids, so he didn’t think it odd to ask the question. “I’m sure he does. I’d miss my buddy too if he needed to go spend time with someone else. I’ll be happy to see BB-8.” He found himself liking the orange and white droid.
They made it to the winterlude a few minutes later. “So, what would you like to do first?” Xan liked the idea of everything offered at Winterlude, so he was happy to do whatever Rey chose.
***
“He can. I think he’s still trying to figure out the whole Anakin/Darth Vadar thing. For some people in the Resistance, it’s hard to think of a Sith Lord as being just a regular person at some point.” Considering she could have gone to the Dark Side, she knew how easily it could happen. It was harder for someone who wasn’t put in that position. “I’m hoping I could sense if Anakin ends up conflicted.” This was the hope, anyway.
At the question, Rey looked around. “Hot chocolate and see about the slides?” She remembered fondly, now, the slip and slide and Kristoff. An ice one would be different, but could be fun? “If you’re feeling up for that.”
–
Xan nodded. While his knowledge of Rey’s world basically began and ended with the movies, and whatever Rey told him, he grasped what she meant. Sometimes he still struggled with viewing merfolk as individuals with personalities and needs. “Do you think it’s possible to sense his conflict?”
“Yes, I love both of these ideas.” Xan led the way to the hot chocolate booth, and ordered himself a gingerbread hot chocolate, along with a cookie he and Rey could share. “And whatever drink Rey wants as well.” He realized he should have allowed Rey to order first, but too late now.
***
“If I’m close enough, yes… and I doubt if he turned to the Dark Side I’d miss it. But I don’t want to spend my whole time in Madison worrying about him either.” Especially since she had Xander now and he meant a lot to her.
Not quite as adventurous, Rey ordered a cinnamon hot chocolate, but was clearly looking forward to it. While they waited, she took the opportunity to look around before her eyes fell back onto Xander. He looked especially good in the winter gear and around the snow which somehow made him look even more ‘magical’.
“Xan -” Her heart raced a little more as she moved to stand more in front of him and then kissed him. This kiss was slow and lingering even if blood rushed into her ears the more it lingered. It was exhilarating which was probably silly for most people, but for Rey it really was.
She almost forgot how to breathe and it was the vendor’s voice that broke the ‘spell’. She pulled back, seemingly ‘coming to’ to the world around them. Rey was flushed as she took a small step back, but was smiling even if she didn’t make eye contact to the guy who was handing out their drinks.
–
“Nah, no use in your worrying about something that might not happen. Hopefully his being here will help him fight the urges to turn to the Dark Side.” Xan realized in any other situation he’d sound ridiculous, but these were actual concerns Rey had.
He went to say something else and found himself in an unexpected but wonderful kiss. As the kiss lingered, Xan’s hands moved to Rey’s face to gently cup it. His brain told him this was what he wanted and his heart agreed.
When they did break apart, Xan looked a bit disoriented, but managed to grab their drinks and cookie. “You look absolutely beautiful, by the way, Rey.” He leaned over to kiss her cheek, before he sipped his hot chocolate. To the vendor, he commented, “This is made with crack, isn’t it? I may need another.” Because, wow. To both the kiss and the hot chocolate. He couldn’t hide his grin either.
***
Xander had such a way of making things feel simpler and easier. She let out a small little laugh at his question to the vendor and it helped her come back out of her shell. Rey took a sip of her own hot chocolate. “It is very good.” She managed to look at the vendor with a smile after that before looking at Xander. “We should come back and get another one before we leave today,” Her eyes also said ‘thank you’ to him silently.
–
He winked at Rey, in a ‘you’re welcome’ sort of fashion. “Yeah, let’s go enjoy some winter activities before I buy my weight in hot chocolate.” Xan thought for a moment. “Do you celebrate Christmas?” He assumed it didn’t exist in her world.
***
“We have something called Life Day. There’s some similarities, like feasts and decorations, but Santa isn’t part of it.” She smiled at the idea of Santa in her world. No, she liked Life Day the way it was. “But I think Christmas is fun. I saw how happy people were last year when I was here… I think any holiday that encourages people to be together and to share with others are good holidays.”
–
“I agree. I love the holidays, although I enjoyed them more when my dad was still alive.” He missed his father still, obviously.
“Should we make some Christmas plans? We could exchange a gift on Christmas Eve?” He planned on making her a stocking.
***
Rey smiled with a nod. "I'd like that. And I've had some time practice on gift giving since being here." So hopefully her gift to him wouldn't be terrible. He deserved something nice. She looked forward to the holidays more with Xander around.