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The Marauder hovers in the void around the Delphidian cluster, engines idling and interior unusually empty. The stellar nursery sits on the edge of Wild Space in the Mid Rim, a hop skip and a very large jump from Ord Mantell, where the rest of the Batch is posted - in between jobs for now.
Tech had said it was supposed to be spectacular, but... The light of it seeps through the UV filters on the ship’s viewport, painting over your face in shades of soft pinks and deep, rubicund red; and Echo can't tear his eyes away long enough to look at it.
"It's beautiful." You murmur, breaking the quiet of the ships's interior, and Echo fights the urge to say something corny like not as beautiful as you.
This sort of thing has never been his strong point.
Fives was always the charismatic one. All easy charm and easier flirtations that he could never mimic. He used to roll his eyes at his brother, poke at him for it, but now he's wishing he'd paid closer attention. Maybe he'd feel a little less like he's swallowing his own tongue, watching the glow from the budding stars flutter in a kaleidoscope across your cheek.
"You're staring." You say in the face of his silence, without even looking at him, and embarassment bursts like a solar flare in his gut.
"I, uh." The words stick like molasses behind his teeth, difficult but sweet.
He sees your brow arch, the corner of your mouth twitch, but your eyes stay fixed on the view outside, watching the nebula spit out stars in slow motion arcs of molten matter and light.
"You're... Easy to stare at." Smooth. Definitely not stiff.
"That almost sounded like a compliment." You say, wry enough that he knows you're teasing him. "You can try again, if you want."
You're always like this with him. Playfulness layered over patience, like you're as afraid of this vulnerability as he is. You just hide it better. He can see it for what it is, coaxing, because you won't take that leap of faith; but you will open your arms to catch him.
So he braces himself, and jumps.
"Wrecker said I should do something. A gesture."
"Like chapter seventeen of 'A Corellian Courtship'." You fill in for him, because you're well aware of his brother's penchant towards trashy romance holonovels. "When the smuggler brings Senator Orlan that etren crystal because it was the same colour as her eyes."
You finally look at him, something soft in your expression that speaks to that warm, fluttering thing behind his sternum. Makes it jump and kick against the cage of his ribs.
"I like this more than any gemstone."
"Good." More an exhale than a word, tinged with dizzying relief. "Because you don't want to know the things I promised Tech so I could take the Marauder out."
You grin at that, a sly little thing that makes him think of a nexu but with far less teeth. Just as dangerous. though. For his heart rate, at least.
"You wagered your soul for me?"
"Near enough." He gripes, but there's no real edge to it. Just a sweet, melting softness that deepens as you shift a little closer, leaning the side of your head against his shoulder.
His scomp settles on your hip, and he's never missed his flesh and blood arm more, because he'd give anything to feel you, warm and close under his palm — but then you're pushing into him, pulling him in by his belt,and oh.
Your lips are soft. Gentler than he'd expected. You kiss him like he's something precious, like this is something worth savouring; no tongue or teeth just achingly chaste pressure. He presses into you with a quiet little exhale, the kind that comes with a full-body shudder when you break away, forehead pressed to his like you can't bear to be apart just yet...
His organic hand comes up to cup your jaw, tentative but wanting, thumb skimming over your cheek as it rises in a smug little smirk that he'd find insufferable if he didn't like you so damn much.
"Was it worth the cost?" You tease him, and he kisses you again in recompense, makes you grin wider like you've won.
He doesn't feel like he's lost, though. Especially not when you use your grip on his belt to tug him backwards, away from the cockpit and towards the racks with the promise of more than just a kiss.