In Command (#1 Post-Order 66 Series)

In Command - Part 29

"What the hell was that?" Echo asked quietly once she was out of earshot.

"I think she's still working through some things. She took today pretty hard," Rex replied.

"Trauma responses can manifest in a number of ways based on the individual," Tech agreed. "Still, we should keep an eye on her. Her behavior does seem fairly irregular."

Hunter sat quietly staring at his plate.

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Senna was sitting on the floor deep in meditation when Rex quietly entered the bedroom. He tiptoed around to try and avoid disturbing her, and he jumped when she spoke up. "It's fine, Rex."

"I just didn't want to break your concentration," he said sheepishly.

"You didn't," she said, smiling gently as she opened her eyes. Getting to her feet, she crossed the room, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her face against his chest. He was taken aback at the sudden affection, especially after how closed off she'd been just a few hours before, but he couldn't help but return her embrace.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he murmured into her hair, and he felt her fingers tighten against his body.

"No, but I will be," she whispered. "Now, let's not worry about all of that tonight."

Quietly, she helped him remove his armor, neatly stacking it in the corner of the room before she pulled him into her again. She gently reached up and wrapped her fingers around the back of his neck, pulling his lips down to meet hers, and he melted into her kiss. It was tender in a way that she had only been a few times before, and he let his hands slip up the small of her back underneath her shirt, pressing against her skin. Her fingers drifted down to the edge of his blacks, tugging the fabric up and over his head. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, the cool metal of her cybernetic limb resting against his muscles, and he slowly walked her backwards towards the bed.

As he eased her down onto the sheets, he felt a wetness on his cheeks. He reached up to stroke the tears from her face as they silently fell. "Senna, we don't have to do this. We can just hold each other. It's alright."

"Rex, I need you," she whispered, her voice breaking apart.

"Are you certain?"

She opened her eyes to meet his, and he was falling into their blue depths again. "Yes. Please."

Their bodies moved together in the dark, the silence only broken by the rustling of the sheets and their whispers of "I love you,". Senna traced her fingers across every scar on Rex's body as he tangled his fingers in her hair, pressing his lips to her ear and down her throat. He found the scar on her collar bone and let his lips linger there, gently pressing kisses along the length of the healed wound. Rex felt the tension slip from her body in the dark as she breathed against his skin, wrapping her limbs around him to pull him closer as if she could merge their bodies into one.

After they were finished, she lay in his arms, interlacing her fingers with his. "I wish we could stay like this forever," she whispered quietly.

"We will someday," he replied, brushing some hair behind her back so that he could press a kiss to her temple.

"I hope you're right, Rex."

"Aren't I always?" he joked, but he could feel her body stiffen slightly next to him, and there was no laughter in her eyes as she looked up at him.

"I love you," she whispered. It looked as though there were other things she wanted to say, but she left it at that. Bringing his hand up to cup her cheek, Rex searched her eyes.