"Actually." Another face, spitting this out is like pulling teeth, but she can't not tell him. She'd debated springing it on him in Denmark but that would be cruel. "Remember when we were flirting over socialism and you teased me about how I know so much about monarchies?"
UGH JUST SAY IT, JYN. Say the words. SAY IT!!!
"I'm sort of related to the Danish monarchy." She winces like she is expecting him to be mad and yell at her or yank himself away or throw her out or any number of terrible outcomes.
He gives her a bit of a look, something between amusement and interest. He isn't mad, just a little confused. Related to the monarchy can mean a lot of different things!
"Sort of," he repeats, because it's a very open window. But he can tell this is very difficult for her to talk about, so instead of yanking his hand away, he just winds their fingers together further. "How much is sort of that you are so informed?"
He's never googled her, though it would have been easy to. He never likes to google people he's interested in, because he'd rather they tell him important stuff on their own.
She takes a deep breath, pushes it out and frowns that she notices it is shaky. This is make or break and she knows it. Bodhi is adopted and inherits nothing except a title in name only and she has watched people bolt from relationships with him. Her aunt only married a couple years ago because it took her ages to find someone who didn't care about her title.
Jyn always expected to be alone, she didn't expect Cassian to be a thing she wanted to keep.
"My father is, um. He's-- his name is Galen. He's a scientist, he used to study self-sustainable renewable energy sources." She cannot manage to get the words out, paralyzed at the idea of saying it out loud, practically radiating tension and anxiety. "Hey Siri? Who is Galen Erso."
Her phone's South African accent chirps: Galen I is the King of Denmark, as well as the supreme authority of the Church of Denmark and Commander-in-Chief of the Danish Defence. He was the eldest child of Frederick IX of Denmark.
He frowns a little at the visual of her nerves. Any urge to tease her to lighten the mood dissipates and he turns his attention entirely on her.
She'd idly mentioned her parents being very into the sciences in the past, that much isn't a surprise, but it's what she tells Siri to google for her that seems to rip the air right out of the room. He was expecting something like a famous scientist duke cousin, but no.
Galen I, King of Denmark. Her father is the King of Denmark. Jyn's father is a king which makes her -
"You are a princess?"
An actual, honest to god princess?? He just. Needs to ask, because even though the implication is there, he's kind of floored by the concept and needs that confirmation.
He is shocked, she can tell, but she doesn't know if he's too shocked. Should she gather her shoes and leave? Should she start processing her transfer to University of Copenhagen? If this blows up there is no way she could stay knowing that Cassian hates her because she is part of something he loathes.
She is waiting for him to tell her to get out. Despite him tightening their handhold earlier, this is different.
"Yes," she admits quietly, feeling suddenly so foolish. Of course this was never going to last. "I'm their only Danish child, so. Crown Princess."
She looks like she's about to burst into tears over admitting it, and Cassian's heart hurts for how upset she is. He reaches out and cups her cheek, because he's trying to process this information while simultaneously wanting to wipe that expression off her face.
Jyn is a princess. His girlfriend, his best friend, is the crown princess of Denmark, meaning one day she is going to be a literal queen.
He feels a little dizzy, honestly, but he doesn't let go of her hand or her face, even if his mouth opens and closes in the shock of it. He bursts out a nervous laugh. "How long have you known?"
There, he can make a joke in his attempts to diffuse this tension, because he doesn't want her to flee and he needs to give himself a few more moments for this reality to continue to sink in.
"Oh, shut up, I'd be less nervous if I was coming out or pregnant!" She gives him a little shove with her free hand but joking is good, isn't it? He wouldn't be teasing her if he wanted her to leave.
Bodhi had cautioned her about getting involved but Cassian was honestly meant to be something light and fun and easy at first, it was only once they both got back to school that it stumbled into something more. She hadn't expected to care so much, despite Cassian being her best friend, so she never thought she'd have to go through what he'd gone through with boyfriends and girlfriends leaving him or using him or, the absolute worst, being disappointed he wasn't better. As if her big brother weren't the best thing in the world.
Chantico pads in and shoves her huge head into Jyn's lap, jostling their clasped hands and immediately drawing Jyn's attention from the elephant in the room. "Oh, I'm sorry we haven't pet you in two minutes, you must have been so forlorn."
Joking is very good! He can still joke with his girlfriend, who is a princess! His girlfriend is a princess.
Chantico comes to life as an intrusive thought, but he has to admit he's a little grateful for the interruption. She whines as Jyn pets her, and Cassian reaches over to do the same.
"We would have needed to have sex for you to be pregnant." Okay, so she's a princess, that's a new thing, but he's not about to pretend they're suddenly not dating anymore, that they haven't been trying to get laid for weeks to no avail. His dog is a good distraction though; it gives them both a different focal point while her admission fills the room. "I hope you are not expecting me to call you your highness."
Except with sarcasm, obviously. Will he ever actually address any of this for real?? Yes, eventually. Maybe in another minute.
Running her fingers through the dog's fur as she puts her paws in Jyn's lap to stretch up as if that will make it easier for Jyn to pet her. It does not, but that doesn't mean Jyn stops petting her, just leans back further on the couch so she has space to breathe without dog in her face. "I'll get you a tiara, mija."
A dog tiara.
She glances at Cassian, still nervous. "Invitation still stands."
He pauses. "Is it terrible to say I do not really care how you are styled?"
She knows he doesn't give a shit about monarchies, she cannot be surprised that it doesn't matter to him what her proper title is. Besides, maybe it'll help everything feel... normal. He wants to stay normal.
Even though she is petting his dog, he reaches out and puts his hand atop of hers, nudging it so he can wind their fingers together. Chantico can wait.
"I just want to keep calling you Jyn," he says, finally addressing some of it in a less joking way. She's royalty, but they're not in Denmark, and he's not Danish. He can just focus on how much he still adores Jyn and still wants to be with her. "I don't want this to change anything about us. The fact that you have invited me to meet your family is important to me."
"I don't really care either. I mean about calling me anything but Jyn, I care a lot about you coming to Christmas with me and it's starting to freak me out a little that you haven't actually said yes."
Freak out more than she already is, the anxiety still rolling through her, waiting for a hundred shoes to drop. It doesn't matter that he doesn't want it to change anything about them or that he took her hand again. Until he says yes or no she is going to be too nervous to function.
She just wants her parents and grandfather to meet this boy she is probably in love with, it's fine!
"My door back home has a lock and we can have loads of sex finally. No one to interrupt us, not even Bodhi." She is not past bribing him with sex.
It occurs to him just now, at her note, that she is correct and he has not actually agreed to it yet. He's already been thinking like he's going, sort of mentally planning for what this sort of trip might take out of him, to the concept of meeting her very royal parents. It's already a given in his head, because he adores her, and he wants to spend more time with her, regardless of surprise lineage. But it's a big trip! His thought process, yet again, has gotten away from him.
"Sex in a castle certainly has a lot of appeal." He leans over, reaching out to cradle her face, and when she doesn't reject it, he ducks down to kiss her softly. "Yes, I would like to come with you and meet your family. You will forgive me if I am still a little surprised by a few things. You are always full of distractions."
He kisses her and she melts, an absolute sucker for his affection. He said some stuff but she is the one distracted now, pushing forward a bit more to kiss him once he stops talking. Maybe before he stopped talking.
She's pretty sure he said yes.
She should... check. With some reluctance, Jyn draws back. "You said yes, right?"
Good, great, perfect, they're still kissing, she's melting into it, and it's so familiar that at least for now it settles some of his own nerves from this revelation.
When she pulls back, he gives her a tiny grin, still cradling her face between his hands very gently. "Yes. I would want to spend the holidays with you regardless of your apparent status in your home country. Consider your invite accepted."
He should probably think about the trip more? It's a big deal? But also, consider, his girlfriend is warm under his touch and his big takeaway is more that she wants him to meet her family. He was worried he might not ever get to, and given how much he really, really likes Jyn, the thought was kind of a downer.
She hums a happy noise, intent on clarifying some pertinent details like if his passport is still valid and how he needs to get a passport for the dog, which is such a delightfully charming prospect that she also wants to demand coming along for the pet passport procurement, but also.
She just really wants to kiss him and they're alone right now so maybe this is their freakin' chance to bang? Right here on the couch? The whole locking door in Denmark was part of swaying him to join her for Christmas but maybe they can make a go of it right now.
No. She draws back with a little pout. Eye on the prize, the prize is Christmas with her boyfriend. "Chantico needs a passport."
They can fuck in Denmark and fuck here too!! Whenever the chance arises, with their luck. It vaguely occurs to him as an option right now too, but he's also just happy to keep kissing her, stealing smooches between the conversation.
Even when she draws back, he keeps ahold on her face, brushing his thumb over her cheek. His eyebrows furrow. "Chantico needs a passport?"
Why is travel so weird?? How much is a dog passport?? Shit, where is his? He's pretty sure it's still valid, he and Shara only got theirs renewed recently to take a trip to Mexico, only a few months before she found out she was pregnant with Poe. "Do they come faster than people passports?"
"It is only paperwork from the veterinarian, don't worry."
She will get Chantico an EU passport though and it will look like a real passport, if only because Jyn is deeply charmed by the pet passports. A dog with a passport! A dog with their own valise! It's precious and Chantico is precious to her.
"Records of her shots and her chip, things like that."
It's... charming, and he is imagining getting her picture taken at the post office, filling out the forms and information at the vet.
"I am not sure we will get her to sit still enough for a decent photo." What kind of treats and toys will they have to pull out for that?? Maybe she'll need a grooming first. Gotta make his dog look her best. "Are they as expensive as a regular passport? Do we do it all at the vet?"
no subject
UGH JUST SAY IT, JYN. Say the words. SAY IT!!!
"I'm sort of related to the Danish monarchy." She winces like she is expecting him to be mad and yell at her or yank himself away or throw her out or any number of terrible outcomes.
no subject
"Sort of," he repeats, because it's a very open window. But he can tell this is very difficult for her to talk about, so instead of yanking his hand away, he just winds their fingers together further. "How much is sort of that you are so informed?"
He's never googled her, though it would have been easy to. He never likes to google people he's interested in, because he'd rather they tell him important stuff on their own.
no subject
Okay.
She takes a deep breath, pushes it out and frowns that she notices it is shaky. This is make or break and she knows it. Bodhi is adopted and inherits nothing except a title in name only and she has watched people bolt from relationships with him. Her aunt only married a couple years ago because it took her ages to find someone who didn't care about her title.
Jyn always expected to be alone, she didn't expect Cassian to be a thing she wanted to keep.
"My father is, um. He's-- his name is Galen. He's a scientist, he used to study self-sustainable renewable energy sources." She cannot manage to get the words out, paralyzed at the idea of saying it out loud, practically radiating tension and anxiety. "Hey Siri? Who is Galen Erso."
Her phone's South African accent chirps: Galen I is the King of Denmark, as well as the supreme authority of the Church of Denmark and Commander-in-Chief of the Danish Defence. He was the eldest child of Frederick IX of Denmark.
That is one way to do it.
no subject
She'd idly mentioned her parents being very into the sciences in the past, that much isn't a surprise, but it's what she tells Siri to google for her that seems to rip the air right out of the room. He was expecting something like a famous scientist duke cousin, but no.
Galen I, King of Denmark. Her father is the King of Denmark. Jyn's father is a king which makes her -
"You are a princess?"
An actual, honest to god princess?? He just. Needs to ask, because even though the implication is there, he's kind of floored by the concept and needs that confirmation.
no subject
She is waiting for him to tell her to get out. Despite him tightening their handhold earlier, this is different.
"Yes," she admits quietly, feeling suddenly so foolish. Of course this was never going to last. "I'm their only Danish child, so. Crown Princess."
no subject
Jyn is a princess. His girlfriend, his best friend, is the crown princess of Denmark, meaning one day she is going to be a literal queen.
He feels a little dizzy, honestly, but he doesn't let go of her hand or her face, even if his mouth opens and closes in the shock of it. He bursts out a nervous laugh. "How long have you known?"
There, he can make a joke in his attempts to diffuse this tension, because he doesn't want her to flee and he needs to give himself a few more moments for this reality to continue to sink in.
no subject
Bodhi had cautioned her about getting involved but Cassian was honestly meant to be something light and fun and easy at first, it was only once they both got back to school that it stumbled into something more. She hadn't expected to care so much, despite Cassian being her best friend, so she never thought she'd have to go through what he'd gone through with boyfriends and girlfriends leaving him or using him or, the absolute worst, being disappointed he wasn't better. As if her big brother weren't the best thing in the world.
Chantico pads in and shoves her huge head into Jyn's lap, jostling their clasped hands and immediately drawing Jyn's attention from the elephant in the room. "Oh, I'm sorry we haven't pet you in two minutes, you must have been so forlorn."
no subject
Chantico comes to life as an intrusive thought, but he has to admit he's a little grateful for the interruption. She whines as Jyn pets her, and Cassian reaches over to do the same.
"We would have needed to have sex for you to be pregnant." Okay, so she's a princess, that's a new thing, but he's not about to pretend they're suddenly not dating anymore, that they haven't been trying to get laid for weeks to no avail. His dog is a good distraction though; it gives them both a different focal point while her admission fills the room. "I hope you are not expecting me to call you your highness."
Except with sarcasm, obviously. Will he ever actually address any of this for real?? Yes, eventually. Maybe in another minute.
no subject
She is a royal highness, get it right.
Running her fingers through the dog's fur as she puts her paws in Jyn's lap to stretch up as if that will make it easier for Jyn to pet her. It does not, but that doesn't mean Jyn stops petting her, just leans back further on the couch so she has space to breathe without dog in her face. "I'll get you a tiara, mija."
A dog tiara.
She glances at Cassian, still nervous. "Invitation still stands."
no subject
She knows he doesn't give a shit about monarchies, she cannot be surprised that it doesn't matter to him what her proper title is. Besides, maybe it'll help everything feel... normal. He wants to stay normal.
Even though she is petting his dog, he reaches out and puts his hand atop of hers, nudging it so he can wind their fingers together. Chantico can wait.
"I just want to keep calling you Jyn," he says, finally addressing some of it in a less joking way. She's royalty, but they're not in Denmark, and he's not Danish. He can just focus on how much he still adores Jyn and still wants to be with her. "I don't want this to change anything about us. The fact that you have invited me to meet your family is important to me."
no subject
Freak out more than she already is, the anxiety still rolling through her, waiting for a hundred shoes to drop. It doesn't matter that he doesn't want it to change anything about them or that he took her hand again. Until he says yes or no she is going to be too nervous to function.
She just wants her parents and grandfather to meet this boy she is probably in love with, it's fine!
"My door back home has a lock and we can have loads of sex finally. No one to interrupt us, not even Bodhi." She is not past bribing him with sex.
no subject
"Sex in a castle certainly has a lot of appeal." He leans over, reaching out to cradle her face, and when she doesn't reject it, he ducks down to kiss her softly. "Yes, I would like to come with you and meet your family. You will forgive me if I am still a little surprised by a few things. You are always full of distractions."
no subject
She's pretty sure he said yes.
She should... check. With some reluctance, Jyn draws back. "You said yes, right?"
no subject
When she pulls back, he gives her a tiny grin, still cradling her face between his hands very gently. "Yes. I would want to spend the holidays with you regardless of your apparent status in your home country. Consider your invite accepted."
He should probably think about the trip more? It's a big deal? But also, consider, his girlfriend is warm under his touch and his big takeaway is more that she wants him to meet her family. He was worried he might not ever get to, and given how much he really, really likes Jyn, the thought was kind of a downer.
no subject
She just really wants to kiss him and they're alone right now so maybe this is their freakin' chance to bang? Right here on the couch? The whole locking door in Denmark was part of swaying him to join her for Christmas but maybe they can make a go of it right now.
No. She draws back with a little pout. Eye on the prize, the prize is Christmas with her boyfriend. "Chantico needs a passport."
no subject
Even when she draws back, he keeps ahold on her face, brushing his thumb over her cheek. His eyebrows furrow. "Chantico needs a passport?"
Why is travel so weird?? How much is a dog passport?? Shit, where is his? He's pretty sure it's still valid, he and Shara only got theirs renewed recently to take a trip to Mexico, only a few months before she found out she was pregnant with Poe. "Do they come faster than people passports?"
no subject
She will get Chantico an EU passport though and it will look like a real passport, if only because Jyn is deeply charmed by the pet passports. A dog with a passport! A dog with their own valise! It's precious and Chantico is precious to her.
"Records of her shots and her chip, things like that."
no subject
"I am not sure we will get her to sit still enough for a decent photo." What kind of treats and toys will they have to pull out for that?? Maybe she'll need a grooming first. Gotta make his dog look her best. "Are they as expensive as a regular passport? Do we do it all at the vet?"