if you don't agree that tratie is literally han and leia, then we can't be friends :D
i wrote this because i was watching star wars and cried over han and leia, and thought to myself, "this is literally a tratie moment waiting to happen." so here's this lol.
words: 1310
. . .
Katie huffed in frustration as she pulled on the lever to reengage the valve. She couldn't stand that everyone on the ship thought she was useless, because she'd just welded an entire valve system without the help of any of the stupid men on board!
Especially Travis.
She growled to herself again as she thought of him, and she yanked harder at the lever that wouldn't budge. That stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking...
His arms were around her.
For a split second, his fingers laid over hers to help her unstick the lever. But Katie wasn't about to let that happen - she shouldered him off roughly and harrumphed.
"Hey, Your Worship, I'm only trying to help." His nonchalance irritated her beyond end, especially considering she knew he thought so little of her.
She tugged harder at the contraption. "Would you please stop calling me that?"
Katie mentally cursed at herself for sounding softer. She should've yelled at him for coming up on her like that, surprising her, calling her that stupid nickname...
"Sure, Katie."
Hearing him sigh, she knew he was still standing behind her. She didn't know why he followed her around like a dog, but she hadn't nearly gotten a moment's peace without him barging in on her. He was so annoying and couldn't take a hint.
"You make it so difficult sometimes," she commented offhandedly, voicing her thoughts.
"I do, I really do."
His smirk was evident in his tone, but it quickly switched to defensive as he shifted behind her.
"But you could be a little nicer, though."
Finally spinning to face him, Katie gaped at the rebel, offended. How dare he talk about her like that? He deserved nothing more than to be blasted with the Death Star.
Travis only grinned at her. "C'mon, admit it. Sometimes you think I'm alright."
At that, Katie yanked a bit too hard on the lever and felt a singing pain in her hand. She jumped away, hissing and rubbing her sore hand.
Okay, perhaps that was true. He'd proved himself to be a valuable asset to their cause, and an impressive fighter. He was able to evade and charm, and he could've talked himself out of any situation if he had to.
Even on a more personal level, they'd talked and grown closer. Though Katie hated to admit it, Travis wasn't the hardhearted barbarian she'd thought him to be at first. Sure, he was difficult to get along with at first, but once you got to know him on a deeper stance, he could've even passed as a mature adult.
"Occasionally," she relented, a small smile on her lips, "when you aren't acting like a scoundrel."
His eyes widened, entertainment glistening in his pupils. "Scoundrel?" He laughed. "Scoundrel!"
She wrinkled her nose and nodded, desperately trying to ignore how he leaned towards her and wouldn't back up.
He whispered, "I like the sound of that."
And she did not like the sound of that.
The issue was, however, she did. She loved it. She loved his gruff, slurred voice and his easygoing tone. She couldn't get enough of it.
And that was exactly why he was a scoundrel.
He reached to her slightly-throbbing hand and rubbed lazy circles into it with his palms and fingers. She would've melted into the massage if she hadn't known who was doing it, but she did.
Then why was she still enjoying it?
"Stop that." She hated how breathless she was, from such a rascally man doing nothing but toying with her emotions.
"Stop what?" he asked innocently.
But oh, she knew he was far from innocent.
"Stop that!" She attempted to tug her hand away from him, but he easily kept it in his. "My hands are dirty."
"My hands are dirty, too. What are you afraid of?"
The question seemed like he was asking about much more than dirty hands. His eyes implored her to reach for whatever it was he offered, whatever it was he wanted her to understand. She knew there was more meaning behind his words than what met the eye, and she had a feeling she knew exactly what it was.
She lifted her eyes to lock with his. "Afraid?"
Katie would've said more - she would've said a thousand more words, if it meant sorting this all out like she wanted to. But all grasp of the English language left her as he dipped to have his face at her height, and in that moment she didn't care that they hadn't sorted it out. He was so intense, but it didn't matter. The whole galaxy was in a state of intensity, she knew she could handle a little more.
Travis' free hand slid down to Katie's other one, which gripped the console behind her. He brought it up to join both their hands, and he squeezed her. "You're trembling."
"I'm not trembling."
She was most definitely trembling.
The energy between the two choked her up with emotion - she could barely breathe with the tension acting like static in the air. Her back was glued against the wall as she tried to lean away from him, but Travis only trailed after her. He rested a hand on one side of her face, pressing into it as he came temptingly close.
"You like me because I'm a scoundrel. There aren't enough scoundrels in your life."
Her lungs caught in an inhale as she whispered a bit too excitedly. "I happen to like nice men."
He nodded. "I'm a nice man."
She would've shaken her head in disagreement, but they were so near each other that the slightest movement would've caused a disruption in their physical contact. "No you're not, you're-"
Kissing me.
With searing lips, Travis gifted Katie with the most groundbreaking kiss she'd ever experienced. Nice men didn't kiss like that. Nice men also didn't wrap their arms around her like that, and they most certainly didn't groan into her mouth.
Travis Stoll was not a nice man.
But he was a scoundrel, and he was right.
She liked scoundrels.
His lips were hot on hers; burning, torching her very insides with an emotion she'd never had before: allowance. She was allowing herself to get lost in that kiss, allowing herself to let go, just this once.
She would've been sent among the stars, had she not been there already.
He acted like they had all the time in the world, putting a neverending schedule centered on her. When his hand traveled up her spine, she thought she could have fainted. She herself could hardly find the wherewithal to do anything with her hands except grip the collar of his vest like it was the only thing she knew how to do.
Nice men couldn't do that to her.
When their everlasting connection broke, Katie couldn't so much as suck in a new breath from her amazement. He looked just as surprised, just as hopeful. She'd allowed that to happen. She'd allowed the questionable man before her to take her feelings in his hands and mold them how he pleased.
She wanted to allow it more.
This time, she was the one to close the gap between them.
"Travis! Trav," called a voice from the ship's corridor.
Katie shoved Travis off of her just in time for Connor to round the corner and grin.
"I isolated the reverse power flux coupling."
Breaths ragged, Travis turned to face the beaming crew member. Katie could've sworn he would kill him on the spot.
Katie understood the feeling.
"Thank you," Travis spat through ground teeth. "Thank you very much."
One side of Connor's mouth lifted, as he undoubtedly knew what he'd interrupted. "You're perfectly welcome."
Without a second glance, Travis stormed out of the cramped area with Connor, leaving Katie with conflicted thoughts and no reassurance.
What a scoundrel.