Cejanr (A Rexsoka SWTCW Fanfic)

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They both stood there for a moment, frozen. Then Cody leaned against Rex, clinging to him before slipping to his knees. Rex knelt quickly beside him, pulling his older brother close so he was cradled against his chest.

Cody's breathing was shallow and ragged. He reached up, touching Rex's face with a shaking and slightly heavy hand.

"Don't cry for me, brother." He whispered. "This was my choice. And I wouldn't change it for anything. Not when other options leave you and your family in danger."

"But you are my family. Just as much as Ahsoka is." Rex's voice shook, the words strangled and thin. Cody gave a flicker of a smile. He tilted his head back, away from Rex and stared blankly at the pale moonlit clouds overhead.

"Look, Rex. I can see the stars." He whispered. Rex looked up, even though no stars shone through the clouds. What ever Cody was seeing was for his eyes alone, he realized. "They're beautiful."

"They are." Rex agreed, even though he couldn't see them himself. He wasn't sure how he knew. But it was like a whisper of cool air that brushed by him. He knew the exact moment Cody died.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there, staring at the shell of his brother, a ghost of a smile permanently frozen onto his face.

***

He flinched as a hand brushed his shoulder. He looked up, meeting Ahsoka's eyes as tears began to well up in his. He opened his mouth, then closed it silently.

Ahsoka seemed to understand. "Where do you need me?" She asked.

Rex closed his eyes, unshed tears finally spilling down his cheeks. "Stay with me?"

Ahsoka squeezed his shoulder and clumsily knelt next to him, resting a hand on the obvious distention of her stomach. Hesitantly, as if it wasn't her place, she reached up and brushed Cody's eyes closed. She whispered softly into the stillness, and Rex joined in.

"Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc. Ni partayli, gar darasuum. Nuhoy bal draar kar'taylir akaan tug'yc, vod."

There were a few moments of silence.

"You remembered." He murmured, scrubbing at his eyes with the hand not wrapped around Cody. "We need to bury him." He whispered.

"Now or wait until morning?" Ahsoka asked. Rex cradled Cody a little closer, as if hugging him tighter would make him breath again.

"Now." He said, laying Cody down gently. "Please."

Ahsoka nodded. Together, using some thick branches and a little help from the force, they dug a deep pit and carefully lowered Cody's body into it. Rex shoved the mound of displaced dirt into the hole, filling it up.

Ahsoka stared at the raised spot for a second for a second, then held out her hand and compacted the dirt flat. Then, straining, the soil on the top shifted and pressed down even farther to form an indent in the symbol of the republic.

She half crumpled, half sank to her knees, panting hard. Rex knelt next to her, automatically wrapping an arm around her.

"We should go back to bed." She whispered once she caught her breath.

"You think I'm going to be able to sleep?" Rex rasped.

Ahsoka leaned her head on his shoulder. "No. But staying out here isn't good for you."

Rex shook his head, his breathing strangled for several seconds. "I don't wanna... I want to stay with him."

Ahsoka closed her eyes. Opening them, the reached up to wipe the tears from his cheeks and tilt his head down to look at her. "He's gone, Rex. He's not coming back."

Rex took a shallow breath. "I know. I know haar'chak! I... I felt him die, Ahsoka." He whispered. "I felt him go and I couldn't do anything to stop it."

Ahsoka paused, then tilted her head up to kiss his cheek. "I knew you were becoming more in tune with the force but... I'm so, so sorry, Rex." She clung to him. "The first death is always the worst. It hits you the hardest. Especially with how close...." She cut herself off as he hid his face in her shoulder.

"Does it ever get any easier?" He asked. Ahsoka nuzzled his neck gently.

"I wish I could say it does." She murmured. "Let's go inside. We can come back in the daylight and leave flowers here." She said.

Rex nodded into her shoulder and let her lead him back to the house. He collapsed on the couch with a soft grunt, curling into a ball. Ahsoka dragged the blankets from their bed and wrapped them around the two of them.

Rex leaned against her. He felt a little guilty, she was close to Cody too and here she was taking care of him and herself at the same time.

She shifted so they were half sitting half laying down across the couch in a tangle of tight limbs holding the other close. They sat in silence, occasionally tracing small circles on the other or trading kisses as they waited for the sun to rise.

A/N ~ This was hard to write. I knew it had to be done, and it was in the plans from the beginning (or... rough middle) but I didn't like writing it. Between that and actually starting high school for the first time it took forever and I'm sorry. I'll try to get back to updating on the daily.