One Step at a Time

One Step at a Time - Part 11

A/N: HI HELLO I HAVE RETURNED WITH A NEW CHAPTER! This one's been in the works for a while, and I am SO VERY excited to finally share it. STRAP IN FOR AN EXORBITANT AMOUNT OF DOMESTIC FLUFF. As always, thank you to the wonderful Teletraan_1 (AO3) for beta-reading this chapter for me and getting me so very excited to post it!!!!

Warnings: mention of domestic violence/abuse, language

Chuckles hardly slept that night, his mind swirling between worry that he'd forgotten something for the surprise party or that Arni had figured out their plan. When he wasn't worrying, images of dark curls, golden eyes, purple flushed cheeks, and the smell of cinnamon and vanilla haunted his dreams.

Once he'd extricated himself from the desk, his goodbye to Endi had been cordial and brief enough. There had been a moment though where their eyes had lingered just a touch too long, and for a millisecond, he'd wondered if she wanted him to kiss her.

Too fast. Too soon.

He'd opted to squeeze her upper arm instead, which felt stupid in hindsight. In the moment, he'd left so quickly, he'd forgotten Arni's gifts were still in her apartment. He'd sent her a message when he'd gotten back to the Starlight and realized, and she'd replied not to worry about it, that she'd have them ready for him tomorrow.

You're such an idiot. For so many reasons.

The kids had only beaten him home by a little, and he'd worked up an excuse about needing to chat with Anj about the schedule next week to explain his absence. Arni had never questioned it, instead opting to regale him with their adventure from that day. Of course, they hadn't found the mother tooka or her kits, but they'd still managed to find some very interesting insects and flowers, all of which Arni had documented in their journal in careful detail.

After dinner, Arni went to shower, and Chuckles used that opportunity to fill Nita in on the plan for the following day. He had to shush her when she squealed with excitement about her designated position as Head of Decorations.

"It's gonna be so great and they're gonna be so surprised," she whispered loudly.

"They absolutely are. Just make sure you don't spill the beans before then, kiddo."

Nita pulled her fingers across her lips as though she was zipping them shut and then offered Chuckles her pinky, which he locked with his.

Now, as the sun was just beginning to trickle in through the viewport, signaling the dawn of the next day, Chuckles could already hear the tiny Pantoran shifting around in the bunk. He'd figured she'd be up early from the excitement, and had to chew the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing when he heard her wake up Arni. The Twi'lek was muttering under their breath when they emerged from the shared bunk, readjusting their headgear as they trudged towards the kitchenette. Chuckles reached over for his commlink, firing off a quick message to Helly and receiving an almost instant response. He grinned.

She may be just as excited as Nita.

The little Pantoran was already bouncing at his elbow as he rolled over in his bunk. Her golden eyes were sparkling with excitement, and her grin was threatening to split her face in half.

"They don't suspect anything!" she whispered loudly.

"Let's keep it that way then. Helly's on her way over, so you gotta keep it under wraps for just a little bit longer, ok?"

Nita saluted him. "Yes, sir."

"Good, now go eat breakfast. It's gonna be a busy day as soon as Arni and Helly leave."