Alright guys, twist my arm. I'll write another part with 6k words. (I had way too much fun and I'm not sorry.)
The weeks since that night at the motel have been interesting, to say the least. Things haven't necessarily changed between you and Crosshair. While you get massive butterflies just being close to him, you're still able to keep a casual relationship with him. After all, he is a member of your squad. You have objectives to complete together and need to maintain a good friendship in order to succeed.
Still, your need to keep things professional doesn't stop you from thinking about that night. As much as you try to push the feelings away, you wish you would be given another opportunity to be that close and personal with him again.
If the others have picked up on your increased feelings for Crosshair, they haven't mentioned it. In fact, Hunter actually complimented you both on how well you worked together on the last mission. You were bashful at his praise, but Crosshair simply shrugged it off with a grumble that you were both just executing the plan.
So yes, it seems like you have fallen harder and he's been totally unaffected by that experience.
Currently, you're on your way to Coruscant. It's been a fairly uneventful trip. You've spent most of your time helping Tech in the cockpit. After the last firefight, you're both concerned that you'll even make it to your destination.
You tense up as a hand rests on the back of your seat. You don't have to look to know it's Crosshair. "How much longer till we're there?"
You turn in your seat to meet his gaze and answer, but Tech beats you. "Half a standard rotation as long as our hyperdrive holds out."
He rolls the toothpick in his mouth and looks at his brother from the corner of his eyes. "Thanks, Tech."
"Not a problem." He shrugs, either missing the hint of annoyance in his voice or choosing to ignore it.
Crosshair shakes his head and then returns his attention to you. "I was wondering if I could add a few things to your weapons request form. Mind if I take a look at what you have on there?"
"Yeah, sure." You say as you stand up from your seat. He takes a step back, letting you pass by him in the tight space. He follows you out of the cockpit and through the ship. You walk by the game of sabacc happening on the floor, pleasantly surprised that a fight hasn't broken out yet. Echo acknowledges your passing presence with a nod while Hunter and Wrecker stare each other down.
"You didn't want to join?" You tease over your shoulder once you're past them.
"Hunter says I cheat."
"Do you?"
"Sometimes. But he didn't have to call me out." He says getting a laugh out of you. You internally cringe because that sounds nothing like your normal laugh.
He doesn't say anything about it, and instead, a half smile appears.
Before you can embarrass yourself more, you grab your datapad from your bed. You quickly find your request form on it and hand it over to him. "What exactly are you low on?" You ask as he meticulously swipes at it.
"A few more cables would be nice."
"Alright, that I can handle." You reply. You had expected his extended list to consist of hard-to-find pieces. Between him and Wrecker, you often have to hangle for items that are deemed unnecessary. Sometimes, you're even instructed to keep personal track of the weapons and make sure they are using them as intended, so a few cables are not unreasonable to add on.
He looks up. "I also need more reflector disks."
"Cross." You scold dragging out his name. "I just ordered you two packs. These were supposed to last you another few months. They're not just toys to toss around willy-nilly to make cool trick shots."
He smirks. "So you were impressed by my last shot."
"That's not the point." You huff, feeling your neck go warm. "You go through these disks like they're free. Do you know how hard I had to work to get the last ones in our restock?"
"I'm sure you'll think of something." He says as he hands back your datapad. "That last guy seemed excited to find out you were our supply specialist. Maybe you can work something out with him."
You scrunch your nose. The last guy was painfully flirting with you the entire time. Though the guys were standing right there, they left you to drown in his insufferable advances in order to get the extra thermal detonators Wrecker had been begging for.
You're sure if he had actually laid a hand on you or said something out of line they would have let him have it, but since it was practically harmless, they didn't bother stepping in to help.
"I hope I never have to see that guy again." You frown as you set your datapad aside. "He was really creepy and annoying."
"Yeah." Crosshair shrugs. He pulls his toothpick out and rolls it between his fingers. "He was right, though. He just said it all wrong."
Before you can ask him what he's implying, the ship jolts and you fall into Crossshair's grasp. "The hell?" He spits. You shake your head in confusion and he helps you stand back up. He marches past you and you follow right behind him.
"What's going on?" He asks when you enter the cockpit. There, you find the others swarming Tech with the same question.
"Ace was right. The hyperdrive was not stable enough to make it Coruscant. We're going to have to stop at the nearest planet and fix it." Tech coolly answers as his hands fly at the controls.
"Which is where, Tech?" Hunter asks, sliding in to take the passenger seat beside him.
"About a 2-hour coast in our current direction."
"Can't we just coast to Coruscant and have someone fix it there?" Wrecker asks.
"We'll need to stop. Unfortunately, the hyperdrive isn't all that was damaged. If we continue flying, I estimate the odds of us successfully surviving at about 15 percent."
The small space rapidly becomes thick with tension. "Thanks, Tech." You say.
"But it'll make it to this other planet?" Echo asks, hoping to clear the air.
"Easily," Tech says. "But Coruscant is too far in our current condition."
"Just get us somewhere alive, please," Hunter says.
"That's the plan," Tech replies, sending him a subtle glare.
Before anyone can get in another word, you turn on your heels and head back for your bed. If you're going to be spending another two hours in this unstable ship, you might as well spend it sleeping. You know when you finally land on the planet, Tech will need help fixing the ship and you'd rather do it after getting some much-needed rest.
Plus if it does end up exploding, at least you won't see it coming.
x x x
You awake with a harsh shake. Blearily, you blink up at whoever woke you. "What?" You groan, swatting the annoying hand away.
"Tech is about to make the landing and wants you to strap in," Crosshair says. "He says it's going to be rough."
You sigh, covering your eyes with the crook of your elbow. "Just give me five more minutes."
"Already did," He says. "I took pity on your lifeless form and waited till the last minute to wake you."
If Tech says it's going to be rough, then you know you better strap in. You hold your hand out. "Help me up."
With an eye roll, he helps you to sit up and move immediately to your feet. You rub your eyes with a yawn as you follow Crosshair to the seats with over-the-shoulder restraints. "Have a nice rest, Ace?" Wrecker teases as you strap in beside him.
"Well, it was a nice rest." You reply. "Until I had to be so rudely woken up."
"I could have been meaner," Crosshair says from his seat next to Hunter.
Immediately, the ship starts to rumble and you hear Tech and Echo cursing at each other in the cockpit. "Tech!" Hunter growls, leaning forward in his seat to make his voice heard.
"I'm working on it!" Tech snaps back as the lights begin to flash around you and some warnings start buzzing.
"Oh, we're gonna die. We gonna die. We gonna die." Wrecker repeatedly grumbles under his breath. His eyes are pinched tight and his head is back against the seat.
"Shut up." Crosshair spits, but you don't miss the worry in his voice.
You're starting to wish you had said some final goodbyes to your friends and family when the ship levels out and you feel it touch down. Everyone lets out a collective sigh of relief, the tension in their muscles relaxing.
"Have you no faith in me?" Tech asks as he exits the cockpit.
"You were surely testing it," Hunter says before releasing his restraint.
The rest of you follow suit and head outside to figure out the damage to the ship. By the time you've narrowed down everything that needs to be fixed in order for it to fly safely again, the sun is already casting its final rays for the day.
"Alright, let's call it a night," Hunter says as you reenter the Marauder. "No use messing around with it now. Not when we're low on sleep."
"Well, we can't stay here," Echo argues. "The ship has no AC and it's already getting uncomfortably warm in here," he says. "We have to find somewhere else to stay, or else we'll be at each other's throats."
"Just admit you want another chance at a better motel stay." You tease under your breath as you elbow his side.
"And you don't?" Echo fires back.
You shrug with a grin. You're more than willing to get a chance to be alone with Crosshair again, but you won't admit that out loud.
"Hunter, can we please?" Wrecker loudly begs.
"I don't know. We don't really have the credits for it."
"But we totally deserve it after this last mission. We did a great job." He pouts. Murmurs of agreement flutter around the ship and you can tell that Hunter is close to caving.
"If you're worried about credits, I can add it to our list of expenses." You offer. "I'll just file it under our emergencies and write up a believable claim. After all, it'll be the only motel stay we have listed so it shouldn't raise any eyebrows."
"Yeah, let Ace do all the paperwork. She can handle it!" Wrecker joins in as his large arm wraps you in for a tight squeeze. You lightly laugh, patting his hand as Hunter shakes his head.
"Alright. Fine. One night." He says. As everyone celebrates the win, they miss him slipping out of the room.
The expected chaos ensues at the reappearance of Hunter mixing up the damn straws behind his back. Begrudgingly, everyone takes one until he's left with the last one.
You find yourself quickly checking to see if you and Crosshair are rooming together again but are blocked by Wrecker pulling Echo into a tight hug.
"Well, at least I'm guaranteed a stress-free night," Hunter says as he taps his straw against yours.
You smile back at him. "You won't have to worry about me, Sarge."
You hope you don't look too upset at the results. You were really praying that the stars would align for you two to be placed together again.
As Tech begins chattering away at Crosshair about their rooming situation, you can't help but wonder if he is just as disappointed as you.
x x x
By the time you arrive at the hotel, it's fairly late. Few people are still lingering in the lobby, their attention falling on your squad for a bit before returning to their private conversations. This place is better than the last one and probably more expensive, but you don't have any other choice.
Well, Hunter did offer the option to sleep outside, but that was not well-received.
Thankfully, there are three doubles left. (You triple-checked with the receptionist to make sure they were all doubles.) Hunter doesn't bother setting his expectations. Everyone is ready to go straight to bed. "Let's meet down here at dawn. We have to get right to work on our ship." He simply says as he hands out the keys.
Together, you pack into the elevator and ride to your floors. Wrecker and Echo get out on the second floor, stumbling over the rest of you to try and get out. You and Hunter split ways with Tech and Crosshair on the third floor, making a beeline right to your room.
"You can have first dibs on the refresher." He says as he swipes his key at the door. "There are a few things I need to clean up and send out now that we're stranded here."
"Alright. I won't take long." You say as you follow him into the room. You toss your stuff on the bed farthest from the door, claiming that one as yours. You gather everything you'll need to get ready and head straight to the refresher.
After taking your sweet time cleaning up for bed, you enter the room again and are surprised to see Hunter actually watching the holoprojector instead of typing away at his datapad. He doesn't seem to notice your presence at all.
"Got everything squared away?" You ask with a smile as you tuck your belongings away.
"Huh?" He says. He pulls his eyes from the screen to glance at you over his shoulder for a second. "Oh, yeah. Everything's in order."
You lightly chuckle, amused that he's so into this holodrama. He doesn't strike you as the type to get distracted by cheesy explosions and lame dialogue. "Well, the refresher is open if you'd like. I'm just going to spend a little downtime reading my lame book."
"Uh-huh. Okay." He nods. "I just need to see how this ends. Then I'll get ready for bed."
When it finally does end, you can't help but laugh at the predictable ending. Hunter, however, is impressed with it. He's so pleased with it in fact, that you can't ruin his good mood by telling him that it ended as all action-packed holodramas do.
"That was amazing." He muses as he gathers his things. "I can't believe more people aren't talking about it."
"Pretty wild." You reply, trying to hold back a smile.
He mutes the holoprojector when he passes by it on his way to the refresher. Now that it's finally quiet, you settle into bed and pull up your book on your datapad. Just as you're about to start reading, you receive a message from Tech.
You let out a groan and toss your head back. What could he possibly want this late into the night?
Meet me at the vending machine on the third floor.
Strange request.
You hear the shower turn on and you know it'll be a while before you see Hunter again. With his hair routine, it's a miracle he doesn't complain about not having real water on the ship more often.
You read Tech's message again, debating whether to ignore it and tell him tomorrow that you were already asleep when another message comes through.
I know you read my message, Ace.
Sneaky gundark.
You force yourself out of bed and slip on the only pair of shoes you have. You look absolutely ridiculous in your mismatched pajamas, damp hair, and uniform boots, but you're not changing for him. Taking the key with you and some credits, you slip out to the vending machine.
It takes you a little longer than it should to find the damn thing, but when you get there, Tech is typing away on his datapad like a madman.
"Why'd you make me meet you at the vending machine?" You ask as you approach him. "Why couldn't you just knock at the door like a normal person?"
"What I'm sharing with you is sensitive information." He replies. His eyes study you for a quick second, and a soft smirk settles on his face. You wonder if he's making fun of your goofy appearance or if he's thinking of something entirely else.
"Sensitive information?" You repeat with a scoff. "What do you need to tell me that Hunter can't know about?" You ask with a glare. Before he can reply, you jump in with, "Did you two break something valuable in your room?"
He shakes his head with a smile. "It would not be a first, but no. Just answer the door in five minutes." He says. "I'm going to tell you that Crosshair is aggravating me and I need to switch rooms for the night. You offer to swap and we'll trade rooms."
"Huh?"
He adjusts his goggles and shrugs. "Crosshair offered me 10 credits to switch places with you. That is, only if you want to."
"He did?" You ask, your stomach instantly dropping to the floor. You take a step closer and lower your voice. "Did he say why?"
"He promised another 15 if I didn't ask." He answers. He eyes you up and down as if he's marking your reaction for later. When you don't respond quickly enough, he says, "So, are you alright with switching?"
"Yeah. Yes!" You quickly say as nervousness and excitement awake you back up. "I'm good to switch if you are." You grin.
"I'm getting 25 credits if I room with Hunter. I'll gladly swap." He says as he turns away. "Oh, and Ace?" He adds as he pauses in the hallway.
"Yeah?"
"Better buy something to keep Hunter off our trail." He subtly smirks.
You fumble for the credits in your pocket. "Right. Thanks, Tech."
"I'll see you in five." He says, walking back down the hallway.
You punch in a random code at the vending machine, not really caring what you get. You're just in shock that Crosshair actually wants to room with you.
And that he's paying Tech to swap and keep quiet about it.
You know it could mean nothing. Maybe he just enjoyed having you as a roommate. Not to brag, but you like to think you're one of the better ones in the squad to room with.
Yet a small part of you is hoping that perhaps he wants to room with you because he likes you too. You've been praying that whatever happened between you that night didn't just affect your feelings.
And after the comment on the ship, you're itching to figure out what going on in his head.
The bag of chips drops with a soft thud, taking you out of your spiraling thoughts. You only have a few moments to collect yourself before heading back to the room. With Hunter's enhanced senses, he's bound to catch your excitement if you don't calm down.
Who are you kidding? You're not going to be able to calm down. You opt to take a few quick paces down the hallway.
Now you can claim your heart rate is up because you were doing physical activity. After taking a deep breath, you enter your room again. "There you are." Hunter greets as he dries his hair with a towel. "I came out and didn't see you so I got a bit worried."
You hold up a bag of chips. "Just went for a quick snack."
"And you didn't bring me back any?" He asks as he sits on the edge of his bed.
"Sorry. Only have enough credits for me." You lightly laugh as you open them up. "But, I am willing to share." You say as you point the bag towards him.
"Thanks." He smiles before taking a handful. After a few seconds, he narrows his eyes at you. "Geez, Ace. Did you run to the vending machine and back?"
"Yeah. I was starving." You reply. To keep him from asking any more questions, you stuff some chips into your mouth.
He simply shakes his head and unmutes the holoprojector. Instead of the cliché action-packed holodrama you were expecting, he stops at some lame show about a Trandoshan and a Rodian that collect antique items from around the galaxy.
You jump when the knock finally happens. Before Hunter has a chance, you hop to your feet and walk to the door. You glance through the peephole to make sure it really is him then open the door. "Tech. What's going on?"
You hear Hunter lean forward on his bed, probably trying to get a view of the door. You have to make this as natural as possible.
"Someone needs to switch rooms with me. Crosshair is being more aggravating than usual."
You let out a sigh, trying to act annoyed. "Okay." You say. You hope Hunter is falling for this stupid stunt and your lame acting. "Just let me get my stuff and we can switch. I'll be right back."
You shut the door and head for your belongings.
"Problem?" Hunter asks though you know he heard everything with his damn heightened hearing.
"Tech needs someone to switch rooms with him. Crosshair is apparently being an annoying roommate." You reply, getting a soft chuckle from Hunter at your description. You start gathering your things and shoving them haphazardly into your bag.
He rises from his bed. "You don't have to go." He softly says as he approaches you. "You can stay in here with Tech and I'll put up with Cross's bad mood."
"It's fine." You say, waving him off. "I was able to deal with him last time. We didn't have any issues rooming together so I think I'll be alright."
"You sure?" He asks as you continue gathering your things. "Sometimes he can get ornery. I'd hate for you two to end up fighting when it could have been avoided."
"You don't have to worry about me, Hunter." You smile before slinging your backpack over your shoulder. "He probably just needs someone to tell him to suck it up. We'll be fine together."
"Alright, it's your call." He shrugs. "But if you find that you can't put up with his attitude either, just come get me. I'll happily stay with him."
"Thanks." You say.
You open the door and Tech scurries in. "Thanks, Ace." He says, barely looking up from his datapad.
"It's no problem." You reply. "What room are you in?"
"314."
You nod and exit. As you get closer to his room, your heart picks up the pace. You think you're about to pass out as you knock on the door. For a fleeting moment, you worry that you're at the wrong room, but you're greeted by him in his blacks.
"Hi." You say.
"Hi." He repeats. He opens the door wider to let you duck under his arm to enter.
"Tech said you were being more aggravating than usual." You say, trying to start a conversation without making it weird.
"Is that what he said?" He asks after placing the deadbolt over the door. "I told him we should save you from Hunter's obnoxious holodrama choices."
You set your things on the open bed then turn back and smile at him. "He's got some interesting choices. And for having sensitive hearing, he sure has the volume up loud enough."
Crosshair merely shrugs and crosses the room. "Does that really surprise you?"
"Not really."
The conversation comes to a halt, both of you unsure of what to say or how to proceed. Do you acknowledge the bantha in the room or settle into this strained silence?
He sighs, looking at the floor. "It's getting late, and Hunter wants us up by dawn."
"Yeah. We should probably get to bed." You softly say as you trace your hand over your bag.
Screw it. He paid Tech to switch places with you. You know he did it for more than just the excuse of saving you from Hunter's loud holodrama viewings. If he's not going to be the one to make the suggestion, then damn it you will.
"You know, I was hoping for the bed by the window." You say, making sure to lock eyes with him.
It's subtle, but you see his right eye squint as he tries to process what you're up to. You feel your heart begin to race as he takes his time responding, and you start to think he didn't catch your request.
"Well, we already know we can fit in one bed comfortably." He slowly says, as if testing the water. When a soft smile breaks out on your face, he shrugs. "As long as you promise to stay on your side this time, we can share again."
"Ha. Ha." You sarcastically say as you approach the bed. "You won't have to worry about that."
"We'll see." He says as he crawls into bed. You follow suit, trying to keep the grin off of your face at the chance of being so close to him again.
This time, neither of you creates a pillow border or sets boundaries that the other can't cross. This omission makes it painfully obvious that both of you are craving the intimacy that the last experience left off on.
While it was only a brief instance of rare vulnerability, you have been hoping that maybe he's been replaying that moment as often as you do.
And that he's been, maybe, possibly, longing for something more than just an accidental sleep cuddle.
"Can I get the lights?" You ask, stealing a glance at him lounging out in bed. He nods his head, keeping his steady gaze on you.
You turn off the lamp, sending the two of you into immediate darkness. Your heart is pounding so hard and loud in your chest that you're almost surprised it isn't echoing in the room.
For a moment, everything is silent and still.
Then you feel the bed dip as he scoots toward your side.
So he is definitely on the same page as you.
You follow his lead and shuffle your body slightly to him.
You continue this game of slowly closing the gap until you feel his side brush up against you as you meet in the middle. You freeze, your breath catching in your throat.
You swallow, afraid to make the first move.
Kriff, part of you is screaming that this is wrong. He's your teammate and a solid friend. Crossing this line will only strain your professional relationship and cause problems if he doesn't feel the same.
But the other, louder half is shouting that if he didn't feel the same, he wouldn't have paid for you to swap with Tech. He wouldn't have let you into the same bed as him if there was another in the room.
And he surely wouldn't have made that comment on the ship.
So you take a deep breath and shuffle further under the blankets. You lay your body at a slight diagonal while he remains lounged out on his back. You don't want to overstep and completely smother the man, so you try a safe approach.
You pull the covers to rest over your shoulders then tuck your head to rest against the side of his chest and between his arm. He's tense, but he makes no attempt to push you away or move. "Is this okay?" You ask as you settle in.
"You can lay on me if you want." He quietly replies, and you catch the hitch in his voice. "I don't mind."
So you take him up on the offer. Slowly, you make yourself comfortable by laying your head and upper chest on him. You move your hips so they're just touching his. Needing somewhere to lay your arms, you end up laying one under your head while the other wraps around his waist.
"Tell me if this is too much."
"You're fine." He rumbles in your ear. You hear his heart loudly thumping in his chest, gaining speed the longer you lay on him.
As you begin to drift off to the sound of his steady breathing, your leg unconsciously moves to cover his. Quickly processing what you're doing, you snap it back down to remain off of him. Laying on his chest is one thing, but interlocking legs is something entirely different.
Without a single word, he grabs your thigh and pulls it back to wrap your leg between his again.
Now you tense up.
You're really doing this. Both of you are consciously and deliberately choosing to go past the limits of your professional friendship. You're actively flirting with the danger of becoming something much more intimate.
Clearly picking on your uncertainty, his hand goes to your back and rubs smooth, long circles.
The warmth of his body against yours, his familiar earthy aroma, and his comforting touch relax you immediately. It doesn't take more than a few minutes for you to peacefully fall asleep.
x x x
You rapidly blink, suddenly pulled out of your deep slumber. You try to process what's going on and where you are as firm hands grab your waist.
"I'm sorry." He suddenly whispers in your ear, nearly making you melt. "I need to use the refresher, I didn't mean to wake you. I'll be right back." He says as he gently moves you off of him.
You watch him slip out of bed and enter the refresher without turning on the lights. At first, your foggy brain can't comprehend how he's walking around in the dark without bumping into anything until you remember his enhanced vision.
It's a little freaky, you have to admit, but also it's nice not to get blinded by the obnoxious florescent lights and go deaf from the automatic fan in the refresher.
You curl onto your side, feeling slightly chilly now that his body is no longer next to yours. You hear the water running from the sink and wonder if he'll let you sleep on him again or if that time has passed.
Force, you can't believe what's actually happening. You steal a glance at the clock, seeing it's nearly two. You drop your head back against the cool pillow, processing everything that's happened in these past few hours.
When he returns, you expect him to lay on his back and let you make the first move again. You're pleasantly surprised when his arms wrap around you and pull you towards him.
His jaw rests against the top of your head and your face is pressed against his chest. He takes a deep breath, moving you closer. "Tell me if this is too much." He gruffly sighs, repeating exactly what you told him.
"I'm good." You breathe with closed eyes. "This is good." You nod against him. This is the most secure you have felt in years. Being this tight in his arms, you can ignore the war and the dangers you're constantly facing. Your worries and doubts about the future slip away without a care and all you can think about is him and how this is more than you dared let yourself hope for.
His hand goes to your hair and you find yourself clinging onto his blacks as if you can pull him any closer. Maker, it's so nice to have someone hold you again. Since joining the GAR, you've forgotten how serene these moments can be, if only for a night.
And you're immensely grateful that you get to share it with Crosshair.
x x x
You wish you could smash the clock on the nightstand. Its incessant alarm is blaring in your ears, taking you out of your blissful dream. You reach over, poking the top of it until it finally shuts up.
It's still dark in the room. Even the sun is not up and peeking through the window.
You and Crosshair are on opposite sides of the bed, but his arm is still draped over your waist. You shake his arm. "Crosshair, wake up." You grumble.
"I'm awake." He mumbles into his pillow.
"Hunter wants us downstairs by dawn." You say before running your hand through your hair to remove some of the snarls.
"Five more minutes. Then I'll get up." He bargains, turning his head to face you. His eyes remain shut and you allow yourself a chance to study his face.
"No. We can't have them come looking for us."
His hand slightly shifts to grab you. You tense as his thumb begins to trace soft circles on your hip. "Five more minutes." He drawls.
You're angry at yourself for caving to his gentle, yet determined touch. You give him three extra minutes, refusing to let him win all because he knows your weakness. "Your time is up. I'm getting up to get ready."
"No." He growls as you remove his hand and drop it away from you. Before he can get any second ideas, you toss the blankets off and make a beeline for your things. He doesn't move from the bed but does complain about it being too early under his breath.
You take what you need to get ready and enter the refresher. You prepare yourself for the long day ahead that's bound to be filled with arguing and shenanigans. So, basically, a normal day with the Bad Batch.
When you exit, you find Crosshair sitting on the edge of the bed to finish suiting up. He glances up when you sling your backpack over your shoulder, but his eyes fall when they met yours. "About last night." He starts.
"I know." You quickly say. When he looks at you again, you slide your fingers over your lips like you're sealing them shut.
He stands up. "No. Not that." He shakes his head and approaches you. "I didn't really tell Tech to switch because of Hunter. I--" He bites on his toothpick, his gaze falling again. You stand in silence for a moment, waiting for him to build.
When he doesn't, you ask, "Then why did you, Crosshair?"
"Well, isn't it obvious?" He shrugs.
"If it was obvious you wouldn't feel the need to clarify anything." You say. You fumble with the straps on your backpack, needing to find something to keep your hands busy. Your stomach is in knots as you wait for his response.
He suddenly glares. "You have no idea at all why I paid him to switch?"
You take a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "I mean, I have my suspicions. But honestly, it's a little complicated."
"Yeah." He agrees, his voice dropping. "I've complicated things between us, haven't I?"
"We've complicated things." You sigh with a shrug of your shoulder. "I think we just need to be honest at this point." You say, earning a scowl. "I mean, that's the only way to un-complicate them, right? Just say what's going on?"
"Fine." He says. He gestures like he's giving you the stage. "You go first."
"No way!"
"It was your idea."
"You started this painful conversation."
"You're the one dragging it out."
You huff and cross your arms over your chest, earning you a smirk in response. With a defeated sigh, you shake your head. "Then I guess we'll never know why you paid Tech to switch with me."
He gently shoves you towards the door. "You know exactly why I paid him. And why you willingly swapped." He says. "Just admit it, Ace." He adds once you're in the hallway.
Your cheeks heat and you refuse to look at him. If he's not going to say it out loud, then neither are you. After last night, you have pretty solid evidence to back up that you have shared feelings. Still, uncertainty rests in the pit of your stomach, and a voice that painfully reminds you of your mother whispers that he's only using you for physical comfort and the chance of going farther than a shared bed.
So until you get verbal confirmation, you're content to deal with whatever you have going on and know it may only be one-sided feelings.
When you're sure that your cheeks are no longer red, you steal a glance up at him. You watch as he pulls out his pack of stupid toothpicks even though he has one already set between his teeth.
"Why do you like those things so much?" You ask, getting his attention.
He shrugs. "I don't know. They just became my thing."
You stop in the hallway and hold out your hand. "Can I try?"
He pulls one out of the pack and you expect him to give you it. Instead, he leans over your hand and drops the one from his mouth. You let out a disgusted yell at the sight.
"What? I don't want to waste one on you." He argues, but you hear the smile in his voice.
You immediately drop his used toothpick and wipe your hand over your shirt to clean it from his spit. "Give me your new one to try."
He rolls his eyes but places it in your hand. You grin and slide it into your mouth. "Huh? How do I look?" You ask. You attempt to roll it to the other side of your mouth. "Do I look as mean and deadly as you?" You tease as you copy his scowl at him.
"You look dumb." He says without missing a beat and plucks it from your mouth. Your jaw slightly drops as he places it between his lips instead.
"Yuck. That was in my mouth." You say, but you can't hold back a chuckle.
"I told you, I'm not wasting any. These are precious to me." He says as you begin walking again. "They're probably harder to come by than those reflector disks you can't seem to get."
You'd love to see him do your job. Especially with the crap he and Wrecker give you to deal with. He wouldn't last a day trying to fill out all those release forms.
~~~~~~~~~~~
idc idc idc. Now that I've written this, I have to write part three. . . Right?