One week later. They'd completed the mission on Yalbec Prime by the skin of their teeth. Bruised and bloodied, Clone Force 99 landed in Tipoca City, the stairs of the Marauder folding out elegantly as if they hadn't just been in the fight of their lives. Crosshair slinked away for some solitude, Wrecker beelined for refreshment, and Hunter had a report to deliver. Tech remained on the ship, his face uncharacteristically hard. His lips were in a thin line, brows heavy, and he responded with merely a jerk of the head as the others split up. Vel wasn't sure what to do with herself and decided that now was as good a time as any to work on the capacitor that she was fairly certain Tech had tampered with again.
She was torn... she knew that he was holding himself entirely responsible for the mishaps that resulted in the injuries and setbacks they had faced, and she could tell he was fuming for not having predicted the entire situation precisely down to the last detail. Which was a ridiculous expectation, of course, but... She wanted to comfort him, to bring that spark back to his beautiful brown eyes. Opting to let him come to her, she made herself busy in the corner of the cargo hold, fiddling with the maintenance panel that connected the capacitor to the other stuff.
It was maybe five minutes when the door whooshed open, admitting the armored pilot who stalked in and threw his helmet to the ground with a shocking amount of force. Vel was startled at such an uncharacteristic display of anger. Armor plate after armor plate dropped beside it as he freed himself of the plastoid exoskeleton, treating it as though it were repulsive to him. Once his attire had been reduced to just his blacks, he banged a fist against the side wall and leaned his head on it, letting out a frustrated sigh.
"Tech, there was no way--" Vel began.
"There is always a way, and I should have seen it," Tech interrupted angrily, whirling to face her. "Yet I did not, and it created far more complexity than we should have had."
Putting her hands out helplessly to the sides, Vel gestured her surrender. She'd never seen him like this before and felt simultaneously cautious and intrigued. He continued to look at her, eyes hard behind yellow lenses, emanating an energy that made him look taller than usual. He dropped his fist from the wall, taking a deep breath. She approached slowly, setting her spanner on a nearby crate as she sidled toward him. She found herself unable to take her eyes away from his. There was a conflict going on; she could feel it. But she couldn't discern what it was. His fist clenched and released at his side, and now he took a step closer to her.
"I have not had a truly clear mind in a while, and I believe you are the cause," he said accusingly, though without any trace of malice. Was that... playfulness? Factual flirtation? He took a deep breath and took another step forward, now getting into her personal space. The inches between them were electrifying, but Vel still felt indicted somehow.
"I'm... sorry?" she said, furrowing her brow. "I think that's a pretty standard part of the infatuation stage of a relationship..."
"Relationship?" Tech asked, as though he'd never heard the word in his life. Every remnant of his anger vaporized in light of this revelation. It sent a chill through Vel as she realized with shock that perhaps he was only interested in exploring the physical connection? But no... the words he'd spoken to her, the way he saw her... It couldn't be just that...
"Is... Isn't that..." she stuttered, taking a deep breath before speaking calmly. "Isn't that what this is?"
"A relationship can be defined in many ways. I am hesitant to accept any sort of label without being clear as to precisely what it entails." Their closeness in stance but distance in communication was jarring, and Vel struggled to gather her thoughts.
"Um, you want me to... like... lay down the parameters? Or what?"
"I believe it would be beneficial for each of us to describe what is expected, so that there is no misunderstanding or disappointment."
"That's kinda hard," Vel said softly, placing a tentative hand on his shoulder in an attempt to feel reassured. He responded with a light touch to her waist, relief cascading over her. "I don't want to scare you away with some lofty, detailed idea of the future. It feels like it would be too much."
"Why would it be too much?" Tech inquired, mouth twisting in thought. "One does not begin to build a ship without a clear blueprint of the steps and the desired end product. To do so would lead to inconsistent progress and haphazard results. It seems only natural that one would declare their intentions and desires, so that both partners are united in pursuit of a shared goal."
"I don't know how you make it sound so romantic," Vel laughed, only partly joking. He was so unlike anyone she had ever known, so complex and intelligent, equally curious and knowledgeable, witty and insightful. "You go first," she said sheepishly, still feeling wildly unbalanced by his straightforward admission.
"Well, barring any extraneous variables that are impossible to account for at the present, I would like to pursue further emotional and physical intimacy with you, as well as a deeper level of companionship, all increasing in direct correlation with our solidifying commitment to each other. I understand that there may be unreconcilable differences or events that may change the course of our intentions, but..." he paused, tilting his head. "But as it is impossible to foresee... I would like to enjoy every moment that we have... together."
A light quip was all Vel could access in her hurricane of a brain, swirling with excitement and affection, "Most people just say 'I love you'", she chuckled, still feeling a jolt of tingles through her chest as she said the words.
"Hmm, perhaps I was unclear," Tech answered with an almost playful tone, lifting a hand to caress her cheek. "I am not yet professing such a thing." Her heart sank, and she wondered how long she could endure this roller coaster of emotions. "However," he continued, gently brushing a thumb across her lips, "With the exception of any recklessly foolish actions on your part, I do not think it will be long before I do."
Vel laughed, a flush of relief and joy and utterly blissful confusion sweeping away all the fears and anxieties. She marveled at her immense affection for him, as well as his own ridiculous way of communicating that was both frustrating and intoxicating, and gazed at him with a slightly dumbfounded expression, simply in awe of where the universe had brought her. The look on her face brought a small smile to his lips, and Tech tilted his head to regard her with a glimmer in his owlish brown eyes.
"Humor," he murmured, "I have it too."
She laughed again, shaking her head minutely and burying her face in his neck. "You are the most confounding, tantalizing person I have ever met."
His curled fingers gently tipped her chin, bringing her face up to meet his. He leaned in, their mouths so close they were almost touching, but paused with just enough restraint to create a magnetic sense of authority and confidence. Vel's lips parted with expectation, exhaling softly and closing her eyes. He looked at her for a split second, then closed his eyes as well, placing his lips over hers with a soft yet powerful force. She inhaled deeply through her nose, filled with his scent and strength, and felt an electric current surge through her entire body as she brought her hands to his chest.
She could have stayed there forever, but he pulled away, moving his hand to caress her cheek and meet her eyes. He waited a painstakingly long second before slowly coming in for more. He kissed her longer this time, hand roving back up her cheek to nestle on her neck, behind her ear, fingers wrapping around the back.
He was precise, calculated, and completely focused. His other hand snaked around her waist to the small of her back, pulling her up against him. She felt herself melt, reaching her arms up around his neck, but he paused for a moment again. The teasing rhythm was intoxicating.
"I do not want to cross any lines," he murmured, face inches from hers.
Vel had no words to respond, but reached for him, one hand stretching up the back of his neck, pulling his lips toward hers. The other hand dropped to his waist, where she slid it up under his black shirt, and he shuddered at her touch on the side of his stomach. It was a shocking, novel sensation that ran through him like an electric current. She started to reach further upward, but he stopped her suddenly, pulling back once more.
She hesitated, unsure if she'd gone too far, searching his eyes for a clue. No reply came; instead he picked her up swiftly, setting her on a crate and stepping in close, her legs dangling on either side of him. He reached his arms around her, pulling her to the very edge, up against him so there was no space between. She felt lost in his presence, senses on fire from his scent, taste, and touch.
He kissed her hard, the edges of his lenses digging into her brows. He was an inexplicable combination of gentleness and passion, tenderness and confidence. Breaking for a breath of air, Vel tentatively reached up to his goggles, but he placed his hands over hers.
"I... do not like to take them off," he said, slightly breathless.
"I'm sorry! Of course. I just thought it would be nice... for you..." Vel replied earnestly.
"I am sure it would be," Tech mused, lowering his head and dropping his hands to his sides for a moment, "But to be perfectly honest, and as impractical as it is to even consider, I already feel... insufficient in appearance, and even more so without them, due to my lack of the traditionally attractive physical traits of even my fellow brothers."
Her heart swelled, feeling such warmth at the complexity and vulnerability of this man. She traced her fingers down one cheek, cradling his face with her other hand, bringing her fingers to the tip of his chin and placing a single, tender kiss on his lips.
"I do not find you to be lacking in any way," she said, using his own words from the waterfall. The shadow of a smile flitted across his lips, and he bowed his head in acceptance, closing his eyes. She gently pulled the goggles away, lifting them over his head and setting them on the crate beside her. Now it was her turn to tip his chin.
"Tech," she whispered, yearning to cover him with affirmation that would allow him to see himself the way she saw him. But words weren't enough. She traced her thumbs across his eyebrows, down along the indents above his ears where the straps made their permanent residence known. "Look at me," she invited.
He opened his eyes, a rich honey brown, smaller in appearance without the illusion of the glass and yet brimming with emotion. He squinted at her, blinking a few times, before opening them a bit wider. "You are significantly fuzzier around the edges than I would prefer," he mused.
"Perhaps you're neglecting the full experience by focusing only on the visual," Vel said with a smile, again echoing his words from their forest exploration.
"Do you plan to turn all of my decadent wisdom against me?"
"Maybe," she replied, laughing softly.
His arms returned around her waist, pulling her closer yet again and kissing her deeply. Vel raked her fingernails gently up his back, feeling an involuntary shudder run up his spine. One hand remained on his shoulder while the other continued up into his hair, fingers clenching to give it a gentle pull.
A low, guttural sound rumbled from his throat, and Tech traced his mouth from hers down to her neck, brushing his lips along the curve while letting out a slow exhale. It was now Vel's turn to shiver, and she tilted her head as he explored her collarbone with feather-light kisses. He brought a hand to her cheek, raising his chin to meet her mouth, and gave her one last deep kiss before resting his forehead against hers.
They stayed there for a moment, eyes closed, hearts racing, and noses barely touching. Vel never wanted it to stop, tipping her chin forward to search for his lips again. They brushed against hers, his arms squeezing her tight, and then he took a step back, blowing out a breath and standing before her in a tousled mess of heat and bewilderment and confidence and vulnerability. She had groped his hair into a rumpled mess, giving him more of a faux hawk than his usual neatly-combed tragedy of a hairstyle, and she bit her lip at his incendiary appearance.
Without warning, the lift whooshed open and Hunter strode out into the clearing, mouth opening to speak before it promptly snapped shut. His eyes moved from Vel's flushed cheeks to Tech's head, noting the hair that had never once before been out of place. The hold reeked of all that had just transpired, assaulting his senses on every front.
He cleared his throat, minutely shaking his head as if to clear it all, "We, uhh, apparently missed a transmission when we were on Yalbec Prime. We're being sent right back out. Commander Cody wants to meet us on Anaxes."
Tech stared wordlessly, and Vel could practically see the gears turning in his head as he considered the situation. He looked like a wide-mouthed Gooba fish, and before he could concoct a response, she slid down off the crate. "Got it," she said simply, heading to her corner without another word.
Hunter nodded in response, eyes following her across the room before returning to Tech. They regarded each other for a moment, an entire conversation exchanged in the silence, then Hunter returned to the lift. The door remained open as he waited for Tech to join.
Delicately picking up his armor, Tech fetched his helmet from the corner where he'd tossed it, then quietly entered the lift, turning to face the open room along with Hunter as the door whooshed shut in front of them. Just before it closed, Vel caught a sidelong glance between the two of them, as well as the lightning-quick smirk on the corner of Hunter's lips.