(The Bad Batch) Beach Vacation - Wrecker’s Ending
The Bad Batch lands on the tropical resort planet of Spira. A contact of theirs is helping you all out by letting you lay low in a private beach house on one of the islands. You and Wrecker have been secretly dating for a little while, and you hope to make the most of the romantic setting.
Word count: 1,477
Warnings: some kissy
“I think I’ll explore with Wrecker.”
Wrecker stole a not-so-subtle look in your direction, and you were positive that everyone in the room noticed. While technically you hadn’t gone “public” with your relationship with Wrecker, he wasn’t exactly the best at keeping it on the down-low. While he’d learned to restrain his awesome strength until an appropriate occasion, he had never quite mastered the art of keeping his feelings beneath the surface.
That was one of the many things you loved about him.
Not only was he a terrible fibber, there was no part of him that wanted to anyway. Wrecker never kept you in the dark about his feelings. He was an open book. Some might find that boring, but that was never a thought in your mind. On the contrary, that was part of what made him interesting.
“You two have fun,” Crosshair taunted, giving you a sly smirk. Unlike the others, he didn’t allow you the dignity of pretending that he didn’t know what was going on between you and his brother.
“If you need anything, give us a comm,” Tech added. To your relief, he disregarded the sniper’s comment entirely instead of adding to it. “And make sure-”
“Thanks, seeyouguyslater!” Wrecker hollered as he carried you out the front door.
Once the door to the bungalow closed behind you, you burst into laughter. “Wrecker!” You shook your head playfully. “Could you be any more obvious?”
“Sorry, ________,” he replied, though he didn’t sound the least bit sorry. “Tech wouldn’t have stopped talking, and I couldn’t wait any longer! I gotta hug you.” He stood still and gave you a good squeeze. You let your head rest against his chest for a moment as his warmth flooded you from your head to your toes. Wrecker’s hugs were always like that. They made you feel so loved.
Eventually, he set you down on your feet, though your hands remained joined as you walked along the sandy beach.
“The lanterns were this way… I think.”
“You think?” you smile.
“Ah.” He waved off your playful concern passively. “You’ll know ‘em when you see ‘em.”
It wasn’t long until the soft glow appeared before you. The sun was disappearing behind the horizon. Orange, red, and pink light bled into the water to create a truly stunning scene that took your breath away.
“Look, Wrecker! Dolphins!” You tugged on his arm, prompting him to follow your gaze. His eyes shone from the lovely sunset, and his expression was one of wonderment as he watched the school of dolphins leaping from the water.
He gasped. “Wowww.”
You leaned your forehead against the pillar of solid muscle that was his arm. “I’m so happy to be sharing this with you.”
Wrecker glanced down at you, looking as if he very well might melt. “Me too.” He leaned down to press his lips to yours tenderly. Depending on his mood, kisses could be anywhere from a whisper of his lips against yours to playful smooches that left your lips puffy. This kiss was feather-light, romantic. It made your heart flutter like butterfly wings.
The two of you continued on your way, following the trail of lanterns. While the sky was a brilliant display of vibrant colors, it was already growing dark in the jungle where plants created a sheltering barrier with their lush leaves. Even the air was cooler in there because it was shielded from the scorching sun..
A shiver ran down your spine at the call of some strange animal in the jungle. You couldn’t see it, but it had a rolling growl that echoed.
You instinctively clutched Wrecker’s arm tighter. He patted your head.
“Don’t worry, ________! I’ll protect you from any monsters.”
His tone danced along the line between playful and entirely serious- like he was trying to play it down as if there was nothing to worry about, but wanted to reassure you that he would indeed protect you if there was something out there.
In your mind, he didn’t even have to say it. You knew he’d protect you. That’s just the kind of guy he was: strong, caring, and never in a million years a coward.
With the lovely, flickering lanterns to light the way, both of you continued on the path. There was never a moment of awkward silence. You chatted with each other the entire way, only being silenced by the frequent, affectionate kisses that you shared. Not only was he brave on the battlefield, but he was also never a coward when it came to expressing himself. He never shied away from telling or showing you his true feelings.
You adored him for it.
The path curved around a bend, keeping the end of the path just out of sight due to the heavy brush. Wrecker exchanged a wide-eyed look of excitement with you.
“It looks like the mystery of the secret path is about to be solved,” you said.
“Yeah. You ready?”
You grinned. “Ready when you are.”
Both of you rounded the bend, fingers interlocked. Your jaws dropped at the sight before you.
A spectacular white gazebo sat in the middle of a clearing. Lanterns hung on each of its sides, bathing the scene in a soft glow. The gazebo was full of elaborate carvings- elegant flowers with vines curling into beautiful designs. Even the clearing itself was surrounded with tropical flowers blooming on the bushes. You gazed at the scene in utter wonderment, absolutely breathless.
“It’s so beautiful,” Wrecker said. You stole a glance up to see his eyes wide and shining from the lanterns.
“It really is,” you agreed wholeheartedly. “Want to get a closer look?”
“You kiddin’ me?” He led you up the steps of the gazebo without so much as a pause. He released your hand as you shuffled to the opposite side of the structure. You leaned just slightly over the railing to view the tropical blooms in awe.
“Wow, this was a great idea, Wrecker.”
You straightened up, curious as to why he’d suddenly gone quiet. To your delight, you were met with a pink blossom that he grasped delicately between his thumb and forefinger. Your gaze traveled up to meet his eyes, but they avoided yours as he turned his face away rather bashfully.
“How sweet,” you murmured, accepting the flower with a smile. “Thank you.”
“It’s nothin,’” he replied, rubbing the back of his head. Shyness was a rare emotion for your Wrecker. Your smile grew as he took a seat on the nearby wooden bench and motioned for you to join him. It wasn’t much of a surprise, but it was glee when he pulled you onto his lap instead of letting you take the seat beside him.
You would’ve been too far away otherwise. He simply couldn’t allow it.
Wrecker wrapped his muscular arms around your form and held you closely against his chest. The warm, humid air had become crisp and cool, so you welcomed the warmth that his embrace provided. It was like being wrapped in a heated blanket. Only after a minute or so of sitting like that, your eyelids began to grow heavy.
Wrecker was getting sleepy as well as the two of you carried on the conversation. You could tell by the way the rise and fall of his chest grew steadier. And when he spoke, it wasn’t in his usual booming voice. Each sentence came out as a low rumble that washed over you and ushered you that much closer to dreamland.
At one point, silence had fallen between you both as you began to drift.
Begrudgingly, you forced your eyes open and stole a glance up at his head which was tilted back. His eyes were closed and mouth was open in the beginning of a snore. “We should head back and get some actual sleep.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he mumbled.
He didn’t move.
“Wrecker.” You gave him a nudge. “ You’ll be glad to stretch out on your bunk. It’ll be nice and cozy.”
“I’m already nice and cozy.”
You smiled sleepily. “You’ll hurt your back sleeping like this. Just think, we can hit the beach tomorrow morning after a good night’s rest.”
That seemed to get his attention. He opened his eyes and took in your pleading expression before stretching his mouth wide open in a yawn. “Alright, alright.” Both of you stood to your feet and began the reluctant trudge back to the bungalow.
You didn’t remember much of the return journey. You were much too tired.
What did you remember, though, was Wrecker and you creeping back into the bungalow, him giving you one last peck on the forehead before your lips joined together again for a breathtaking kiss that lingered long after you climbed into your bunk for the night.
That night, you dreamt about lanterns and sea air.