Prompt: “You don’t give yourself enough credit.”
Characters: Smuggler Keeleigh Noir and Corso Riggs
Word Count: 739
“This is all my fault,” Corso said miserably. It should have been him lying in the hospital bed he sat next to, not the captain. He had tried to make her slow down, take cover when the firefight had started in the underbelly of Nar Shaadda but she was too hard headed and stubborn. The starberry on the top of his massive failure was she had gotten injured while trying to cover him.
Corso has just managed to catch up to her and was doing his best to keep her safe when Keeleigh shoved him to the ground. He’d fallen face first on the ground, cursing at the shock and then again when he realized she had gone still across his back. Finding the large blaster burns on her back and side, wounds that should have been his, made his heart stop. It felt like everything stopped for a moment, one terrifying moment when she didn’t respond to him saying her name. To him pleading for her to open her eyes.
Even now, crammed into an uncomfortable hospital chair, he couldn’t quite push that fear away completely. Not when she had yet to open her eyes again.
Gently he took her hand in his, rubbing his thumb across her smooth, green skin. He loved her color, it was a vibrant, lively tone that against the dark brown of his own reminded him of nature and growing things. Almost like the fields he had grown up playing and working in back on Ord Mantell. But it was more than that, Keeleigh didn’t just remind him of home, she was home.
The first one he’d found since his family had been murdered and if he lost her now, he would truly be lost.
“You gotta wake up darlin’,” he said, lifting her hand to press a soft kiss to her knuckles, “I can’t lose you, not like this. Not because of my own stupidity.”
“You give yourself too much credit.” The words were so soft and partially mumbled that for a moment Corso thought he had imagined them. Then he looked up and saw Keeleigh’s eyes open just enough to show a sliver of their deep red orange color.
“Ginza toad in your throat?” She asked, her voice clearer than the first time, when he couldn’t do anything other than gape at her. Her lips curled into a smirk and he laughed.
“How are you feeling?” Corso shifted closer to brush her hair out of her face. Really, he wanted to kiss her, pull her into his arms, anything to show how relieved he was. However as much as he knew he was in love with her, he also knew she wasn’t there.
“I feel fuzzy, you got me the good stuff, didn’t you?”
Corso smiled, “only the best for you Captain.”
Keeleigh groaned, “what did I tell you about using my name? How many more times do I have to ask?”
“Aw shucks Keeleigh, you know it’s a habit of mine.” Corso squeezed her hand, smiling when she returned the gesture, “you shouldn’t have done that Keeleigh, what if…” his voice trailed off and he let out a shaky breath when he couldn’t voice his fears.
Lifting her other hand, Keeleigh motioned for him to move closer. Curious, Corso moved from the chair to sit on the edge of her bed. To his surprise she cupped the back of his neck and pulled him down into a firm kiss. He froze against her, his mind struggling to process what was going on before she leaned back against her pillows to smile at him sweetly.
“Key?” Corso just managed to gasp out her nickname, looking down at her curiously.
“I’ve wanted to do that for a while now,” she replied, rubbing her thumb across his cheek where she still held his face before frowning. “I’m sorry if I worried you, but I couldn’t just let you get hurt Corso.”
Closing her eyes, Keeleigh shook her head. “Not if I could help it. Besides, I kind of like waking up to find you waiting for me.”
Unable to resist, Corso cupped her cheek in one hand and traced the outline of her lips with his thumb. “And how long have you wanted to kiss me?”
“Don’t get all mushy on me now,” Keeleigh sighed, pulling him closer. “I’m tired, sore and I want you to kiss me again.”