Author's Note

I know that the crew of the Ghost don't exactly show up in the original trilogy, and so it's likely that canon will eventually lead to an explanation as to why they don't pop up in A New Hope or The Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi. But as for now, I'd like to assume that their cell still serves the Rebellion even as Luke and his gang steal the spotlight. So, I may deviate just a bit from canon as it continues to be established, but the premise of this fic is that it takes place starting just a few weeks before the Death Star plans fall into the hands of an unlikely Tatooine farmboy. So, in canon timeline, the beginning of this fic (below) happens to be during the same year as the battle of Yavin (which, as you Star Wars savvy people know, is the event that splits history in half for the Galaxy Far Far Away). In other words, it takes place five years after we're first introduced to our beloved Rebels. Since the fic will revolve mostly around Sabine and Ezra and how they navigate their relationship in the waning days of the Empire, it's important to note that Sabine is 21, and Ezra is now 19. That being said, since they're older and adults and such, their relationship is going to be a bit more mature than your average teenage relationship. (No, this is not going to be an M-Rated story. Absolutely not.)

The timeline will be loose, flowy, and may jump ahead a bit if necessary. The chapters will most likely read more like a series of drabbles as opposed to a structured narrative. (Which is new for me, and I actually really enjoy the freedom of the style and hope you enjoy it too.) It also allows me to really focus on Sabine and Ezra, which, let's be honest, is really the only reason any of you decided to check out this fic anyways, right? (; To those of my readers wondering if this fic will interfere with Sweet Sixteen, I can assure you it won't. That fic is my heart and soul as a fanfiction writer and I promise it's continuing to get the attention it deserves and desperately needs. This fic is a side project I'm very excited to explore, however.

Disclaimer: Star Wars belongs to Disney, Rebels and their characters and plot belong to Dave Filoni.
Although I do blame the FanFiction community for making the Sabine and Ezra pairing an obsession of mine. This is all on you guys.

Sabine has known Theron Nett for only about four days, but the youngest pilot of the squadron assigned to train their cell on the Rebellion's new starfighter prototype has already become a friend of hers.

He's tall, sandy-haired with chocolate eyes and an easy grin, and Sabine enjoys how easy it is to get along with him as they trade jokes over the intercom and she learns how to take on the galaxy from the cockpit of an X-wing.

Ezra doesn't seem to enjoy him at all.

Theron tactlessly brings it up as they regroup at the hangar, climbing down ladders and once again meeting solid ground with jelly legs after an hour of boundless freedom in the stars. As Wedge Antilles gives Hera just a few additional pointers on how to perfect a spin move Sabine could never pull off in a million years, Theron sidles over to her before she even has the chance to remove the pilot's helmet that's much bulkier and less appealing than her own.

"So, how long have you and Bridger been a thing?"

Sabine freezes, and there's a hesitation in her voice that is fueled by a sudden and irrational feeling that she'd just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "Ezra and I…aren't…" She clears her throat. "We aren't a 'thing.'" She tries to sound disinterested in the topic of conversation, but the way Theron frowns makes her wonder if he's able to pick up on the tired disappointment in her voice.

His eyes squint a bit in speculation. "You don't sound so sure about that."

She sighs, the weariness in her voice returning as she revisits the topic of conversation that she occasionally only carries with Hera, usually after drinking just a little too much juma juice because they're adults now and it makes the feelings she usually can only express through art much easier to articulate verbally. "He used to have a crush on me, when we were kids and I was uninterested, but he grew out of it. I think I'd notice if he grew back into it, considering I live just across the hall from him."

"I'm going to pretend like I didn't catch on to the fact that you just mentioned that being uninterested in him was a thing of the past and that you've obviously changed your mind." He grinned at the narrowing of Sabine's honey-colored eyes upon him. "Because he's definitely grown back into it."

Sabine folds arms across her armored chest and cocks an eyebrow, unable to keep the sass from dripping into her tone of voice. "Yeah, person I just recently met, please tell me more about how you know everything about me and the guy I've known for five years now."

Theron chuckles. "All I'm saying is that he's got some definite physical tells that he wants to, at the very least, plant one right on your mouth." Theron doesn't flinch as Sabine smacks his arm. "Most notably his not-so-subtle dislike of yours truly."

"Don't take it personally. I doubt it means anything. Sometimes Ezra just… doesn't like people." The lie is terrible and they both know it, but Force help her if she gives in to Theron's silly theories. If Ezra hasn't done anything in five years to advance the state of their relationship beyond friendship, there likely isn't anything to advance it to.

Theron just has a wicked gleam in his eye as he watches Ezra walk into the hangar alongside Kanan to rejoin the members of the Ghost crew that had completed the X-wing training. Vibrant blue eyes immediately lock onto the pair and narrow. "Well," Theron says, and the way he says it, full of mischief, gives Sabine the feeling that he's up to no good. "I guess we'll see."

And he reaches up, gently placing a hand on either side of Sabine's pilot's helmet, and pulls it up slowly over her head, setting it down on a crate and giving a feather touch to the bottom of her chin and a suggestive wink before striding confidently away.

She laughs a bit at both his bold flirtation and the ease at which he'd slipped into such a role, and the smile is still ghosting her lips when she turns to glance at Ezra from across the hangar. Even from this distance, she can see the subtle flex of his biceps and clench of his fists as he glares daggers at Theron's retreating form. Brilliantly blue eyes make contact with hers for just a brief moment as he catches the smile on her face and Sabine can tell he's jealous by the way his eyes roll as he whips back around and retreats from the hangar.

She can't really tell what emotion she's feeling as she's hit with unchecked nervousness and unbridled hope all at the same time, and it's only when she glances up and catches Theron turning back around to give her a wink and a big thumbs up that it clicks in her head.

"Oh my Force."

Red Squadron leaves just a few days later, returning to the Rebels' main base on a planet kept classified from their cell for safety's sake, although Kanan stubbornly believes it's just a ploy to keep them off the front lines. In those few days, Theron's flirtatious displays increase exponentially and Sabine rolls her eyes at the fact that he's simply doing it all to get a reaction out of Ezra every time.

And react Ezra does.

When Theron leaves, he grows bold enough to brush his lips across Sabine's forehead in farewell. The way Ezra blatantly avoids his handshake just a moment later makes Sabine's heart race in her chest as she considers his thoughts.

Then Red Squadron flies out, a perfect formation of X-Wings departing from the massive hangar of Commander Sato's Corellian Corvette. Sabine sits on the nose of one of the remaining X-Wings in the hangar after they leave as Hera and Kanan discuss next steps with the commander. It's then that Ezra joins her, motioning to the space next to her with a simple "May I?"

She nods, and he leaps up with the assistance of the Force, landing easily on both feet before he plops down next to her in a sitting position.

"So, uh, you seemed to really like Theron," he says quietly, and Sabine swallows hard at how quickly he gets to the point in a conversation she'd expected him to beat around the bush for.

She swings her hanging legs a little as she answers. "I do like him." And it's the truth, although not in the way that Ezra likely interprets it. "He's funny, and talented, and a real gentleman. Handsome too."

Raven hair flops forward as Ezra hangs his head. "Seems like a real catch."

"Not really my type, though."

His head shoots back up in an instant, and his jaw hangs open a bit as he searches for words and fails.

"You know me, I like color. And he was rather dull in that department. Pale hair, dark eyes, skin somewhere in between. Sure, he's handsome, but that's a lot of neutrals for a girl who's into… you know…" She trails off and meets brilliant blue eyes. "Vibrancy."

The hint isn't even remotely subtle, and alongside knowledge picked up from five years of close encounters and barely suppressed feelings from both sides, Ezra picks it up in a second. "Am I vibrant?" he asks, although by the way his lips are twitching in defiance of a smile, Sabine is sure he already knows the answer.

The first time Sabine kisses Ezra is quick and clumsy, five years of patient waiting for the moment culminating in a simple need for their mouths to connect and causing her to toss aside all thoughts of finesse. Their noses bump together and she huffs a bit in impatience as she grabs him by the collar of his shirt and yanks him in to press her lips fervently against his. They're soft and gentle and fit perfectly to the curve of her mouth, and Sabine giggles as they pull apart, partly due to the struggle and awkwardness of the ordeal and partly due to how long she'd waited to feel the nonsensical warmth in her chest that she was feeling right now.

Ezra grins and shakes his head even as he slips his hand in hers, and Sabine can't help but take notice of how perfectly their fingers fit together even with her pilot's gloves on. "You guys were making me jealous on purpose, weren't you?"

She laughs. "It was his idea actually. Had a crazy theory that you had a thing for me."

Ezra shrugs in that moment, adorably helpless. "I do have a thing for you."

Sabine smiles then, glad to hear affirmation of what he'd already proven true by returning the kiss. "Then… can we try that again?" Her tone is shy and tentative as she says it, but there's nothing shy and tentative, nor quick and clumsy, about the first time Ezra kisses Sabine.

What he's unable to express through words, Ezra says in the way his lips press slowly and firmly against hers. And in those lips she finds intentionality and assurance, and she smiles into the kiss at the thought that this is simply the beginning.