Ahsoka and Rex - I want to go far away and never come back

Prologue part 3

Edited early August 2022. Maybe worth a re-read if you read it for the first time before that, but nothing major that's relevant to the plot has changed, though it's much longer now.

"Are you my girlfriend?" Rex asked.

Ahsoka froze up. Her shoulders and hands tensed. She didn't seem to be prepared or expecting the question. Her nose scrunched up and the corners of her mouth dipped slightly. Rex was afraid he had made a mistake and was completely wrong about the situation before she spoke up: "I don't like that word." He went still too and tilted his head. He had been preparing to rush explanations for his question but paused to listen. "It doesn't feel right. It feels like people only use it when they're little kids and 'date' for fun."

"So we're not like that? Together?"

Ahsoka seemed to understand his meaning, what he really wanted to know.

"We're friends, of course.." She thought loudly. "But we like each other more than so. Yet, we aren't dating..." Ahsoka bit the inside of her cheek and Rex observed how she gained a small wrinkle on her forehead as she was deep in thought.

He really wanted to know. Because, he wanted her to be his girlfriend, or whatever other term they would find. Risky or not, he liked her much.

"We're partners." Ahsoka looked up, now out of her thoughts, her eyes shining. "I'm a Jedi, and you're a clone, so we're already partnering in the army. And as Captain and Commander, we're partners in our ranks and positions leading the 501st. And, as soldiers we're combat... ?"

"Partners?"

"Yes! Isn't it perfect? In a way, we're partners through our friendship as well, so it makes sense now; being partners through whatever this is" -Ahsoka gestured between them, referring to their bond. "So what do you say, alor'ad, will you be ner oy riduur?" She got a little closer to her captain, her alor'ad, though not enough that it would be suspicious to anyone walking by.

"My life partner," Rex translated her words. The pronunciation was excellent. He crossed his arms and smirked. He absolutely loved it, but, "Riduur also translates to spouse, just so you know to be careful with it around the guys."

Ahsoka matched his expression and pose. "And in some contexts it is used as 'good company'. Trust me; I'm fully aware." She had a sly glint in her eyes. "So what do you say?"

Rex thought about it, and it was pretty perfect, as she had said. They were already partners in many ways, sometimes even using it to describe them.

They were Combat Partners, aka an assigned pair of soldiers for battle and outside of it. It took too much time arranging placings in the barracks, patrol groups and making sure nobody wandered off, plus, it didn't hurt to have someone watching your six in the midst of blaster fire and missiles, so everyone was permanently paired up with a partner. If you went somewhere you told your partner, or brought them with you. They needed help with cleaning their blaster?; you helped them. They needed a training buddy during leave?; You went with them. Someone had to hold the flashlight for them while they did their business behind a bush because they feared the dark?; you did it. Every single time. It was as simple as that.

Usually Captains would never have a Combat Partner, they were trained separately from the foot soldiers to be independent leaders alone in their ranks. Rex had been specially paired with Ahsoka ever since she began joining missions and leading forces on her own as she was still new to all the terms and regulations.

It would be so easy to disguise their relationship as their designation in the field. And the term was comfortable, something they both understood well, unlike boyfriend and girlfriend or dating.