Darling
Pairing: Tech x F!Reader
Word count: 3.5k
Prompt: Mostly fluff, a teensy sprinkle of angst. No use of Y/n
Warnings: typical canon violence, smooching, slightly awkward situation
a/n: i just started the bad batch a few weeks ago and while i haven't finished season 3 yet, i have unfortunately recently became a victim to plan 99. needless to say, i took that personally, considering i haven't written something in years. tech took a minute to grow on me, but when i fell for him i fell harder than he did (i'm so sorry i'm trying to cope ok i'm still recovering) - i'll stop rambling now, but basically this probably sucks as i'm super rusty so i do apologize! look at this as a way of me getting back on my feet and potentially dipping my toes into writing more wooo! (btw this fic was supposed to be a flashback in a different fic i was writing. i ended up liking this as a standalone and trashing the other one) *not proof read!*
"I've always wanted to visit Alderaan. I would've preferred to see it with its endless blue sky and warm sun, though, not during the rainiest time of the year." You frowned a little, stepping out of the Maurauder with Omega, Tech, and Echo while Hunter & Wrecker stayed on the ship.
"Y'know, as much as it rained on Kamino, I still love it!" Omega chirped, smiling up at the sky and allowing the water to fall onto her face.
That was enough to make you smile. You made your way over to her and pulled up the hood of her cloak so far up that it covered her face. "Hey!" She griped, reaching up to move the hood to rest atop her head. You smirked, a small chuckle passing your lips as she lightly bumped a closed fist into your side.
"You'll catch a cold if you're not careful with your admiraiton for the rain." You commented, your left hand coming to land softly on her shoulder.
"You'll catch my wrath!" She giggled, raising her fists in a fighting manner.
"Ooooh I'm so scared" You teased, hands over your heart in false fear.
Tech had his nose in his datapad as per usual, but he kept at least one eye the two of you as the banter continued.
"You should be!" She went to tackle you (All 60 some-odd pounds of her), when Echo held her back by her wrist.
"Alright, that's enough, children." He shook his head, a small smile on his lips. Not that he minded the sibling-like banter, he was just more focused on the mission.
"Right... We're stealing fancy clothing from a corrupt businessman?" You recalled, pulling the hood of your well-worn cloak up onto your head.
"That is one way to put it, yes. Cid has instructed us to steal a singular container filled to the brim with items of clothing that someone on her endless list of clientele is paying good credits to get their hands on. Or paws, whichever species this client is, I am unsure." Tech had put his datapad away now, attention on the three in front of him.
"Didn't exactly see myself visiting Alderaan for the first time for illegal purposes... Hopefully its as easy as she made it sound." You sighed, pulling your scarf up to serve as a mask to cover below your eyes. You'd rather not be caught stealing with your face on display. Ideally, you'd like to return here in the future simply on a mission to enjoy the planet.
"When is it ever as easy as she makes it sound?" Tech returned your sigh with a sigh of his own, his eyes meeting yours.
"Fair point. Let's get this over with."
.
The trek to the village was a rather long one.
A quiet cuss slipped past your lips as the rain soaked through your old cloak, making its way to your clothes - which were quickly becoming damp, and likely soon to be drenched considering the rain wasn't letting up any time soon.
You hadn't noticed Tech glance back at you until his pace slowed to meet yours, Echo and Omega now leading the group. "It appears that your old reliable cloak isn't quite as reliable as you've claimed it to be." Behind his goggles, his eyes searched for yours, which were trained on the path until he spoke up.
"Well, did I mention I picked it up on Tatooine?"
"A planet that never rains?"
"That's the one."
"That was hardly a wise choice, considering the terrible business-folk scattered all over that planet. Not to mention the fact that they were selling you a cloak that I presume was labeled as rain resistant?"
"It wasn't for sale." You bumped shoulders with him. With your scarf pulled over your mouth, he was unable to see the small mischievous smile forming on your lips, but your eyes told the same story of mischief.
His steps stuttered for half a second as he processed your words. "Allow me to get this straight - you stole a cloak off of a desert planet and assumed it could protect you against all weather?"
"I never claimed it was the wisest decision I've ever made." You shrugged, fingers pulling the cloak as close to you as possible.
"It wasn't an entirely horrible decision if you were planning to use it for certain desert purposes, such as easing the rays of the sun or breaking the harshness of the wind. The horrible decision was keeping the cloak and using it for rain." He stated, poking the sopping material covering your body.
"I'm well aware of this, thank you, Tech." You mumbled, sounding a bit defeated as you returned your gaze to the path ahead.
Tech decided against speaking on his thoughts. Instead, he chose to let his actions speak for him later.
.
The mission was going well thus far. The four of you were in a storage room connected to the clothing store. Unfortunately for all of you, Cid's client had a list of everything that was supposed to be in the container. Omega and Echo were sorting through the clothing while Tech was checking off each item on his datapad. You were standing guard by the door that connected to the store, just in case the storeowner entered the room. Your cloak was discarded in a corner of the room, not planning on putting that thing back on.
"Everything alright? Do I need to fly overhead for a quick escape?" Hunter's voice sounded over the comms, probably wondering why no one's checked in for a while.
"Quite alright, Hunter, it's taking a hair longer than previously anticipated to make sure all the contents are in this container." Tech responded.
A moment or so goes by when you hear Omega gasp. You turned in their direction, and Echo was blocking your view. "We're ready to go." He said, something off in his voice. You squinted your eyes up at him before nudging him out of your original line of sight.
"You good?" You asked Omega, who was making her way over to you.
"Yep! I uh- almost got my finger stuck in the container, is all."
Hardly believable, so you shift your gaze to Tech, who had his nose buried in his datapad for a moment before he looked up at you. "All set."
Beyond confused but ready to return to your warm blankets on the Maurauder, you pushed your suspicions to the back of your mind and shrugged, heading towards the exit when the door you had just walked away from slid open, revealing the unsuspecting storeowner, a rather high-class looking woman behind him.
"Shit." All of you, including Omega, cursed.
"What the blazes is going on here?!" The storeowner roared, blaster raised, to which you raised your blaster in his direction.
The woman behind the man turned around and ran out of the store, more than likely to find local authorities, or even more likely, her personal bodyguards.
The storeowner wasted no time shooting a blaster bolt in you direction, which you narrowly dodged, but not narrowly enough. The smell of something burning quickly reached your nostrils and the slight burn in your right shoulder following made you groan. Tech noticed this immediately and wasted no time sending a stun bolt into the man's chest, sending him backwards and onto the floor with a loud thud.
"Hunter, we may need that pick-me-up." Echo tapped into his comm as the four of you slipped out the back door, the container of clothes in his arms. Omega followed Echo, and you followed Omega, Tech bringing up the rear. Your brain barely had time to register the faint presence of his hand on your lower back before blaster fire erupted on your right. Both you and Tech put yourselves in front of Omega & Echo, Tech close at your side you as you each sent stun bolts in the direction of the blaster fire.
"Sooner better than later, Hunter!" Echo griped, trying not to drop the container as you all continued forward, finding cover in the trees. You'd expected a snippy response from the sergeant over the comms; instead the response was the sound of the Maurauder flying overhead, cables quickly dropping down to where the four of you were.
"What happened to quick and easy stealth mission?" Hunter grumbled over the comms, holding the ship steady as Echo hooked the cable to the container.
Rolling your eyes, you focused your blaster fire, trying to cover Omega as she made her way to the cables. She ended up slipping in the mud, letting out a squeak as she did so. Concern and adrenaline rushed through you. You threw a glance at Tech, silently asking him to cover you as you ran to Omega's side, picking her up and handing her to Echo on top of the container. "Go!" You shouted at them, returning some more blaster fire.
The cable pulled the container with Echo & Omega atop up to the ship, to safety, as you turned on your heel to aid Tech in your escape, but you hadn't noticed that Tech made it to the second cable until you felt his arm wrap around your waist and pull your body close to his. He immediately recognized he had startled you. "Apologies, but we must hurry. Hang on." His hold on your waist tightened as the cable pulled the both of you to safety, your back pressed into his broad chest and both your hands holding onto his arm around your middle for dear life. Similar to Wrecker, you weren't too entirely keen on heights.
When you finally reached the ramp of the Maurauder, you and Tech separated, but only slightly. As you both rushed inside, his hand had remained on your lower back yet again, making sure you made it inside safely.
"Hang onto something." Hunter shouted, and the ship jerked seconds after. You would have fallen over if Tech hadn't grabbed your hand and practically dragged you to the seats. Once secure, you relaxed just a hair. You almost wondered how you were able to keep calm as Hunter was moving the ship around so frantically, when you realized your hand was tightly gripping Tech's. You almost let go, but his eyes were already gazing into yours. "I've got you."
.
Once the ship finally entered hyperspace, you felt like you could breathe a little better, your hand going limp in Tech's hand and head lowering a little in exhaustion. "Let us have a look at your shoulder." He waisted no time making sure you were okay, already on his feet in front of you, slowly allowing your hand to drop so that you could release the safety bar.
Grumbling something under your breath, you reluctantly stood. "It's quite literally just a scratch, Tech... We don't need to waste supplies on something so small."
"Would you like for it to become infected and turn into something far worse than its current state?" Tech quickly replied. He hadn't removed his helmet yet, but you didn't need to see his face to know that his face was in a pinch
Holding his gaze for a moment, you debated on what to say, but you were too tired to argue. Wordlessly, you turned, making your way ahead of him to the bunks. You took a seat on the edge of one of the bottom bunks, looking up at him expectantly. "What do you need from me, Doc?" You teased, folding your arms over your chest.
Tech removed his helmet, gently setting it beside you before focusing his eyes on your shoulder. He removed his battle-worn gloves, trying to be as sterile as possible. Gently, he moved some fabric of your top around, trying to get a better look at the wound. A sigh passed his lips. Sure, the blaster bolt hadn't made a significant impact, but for just a graze, it wasn't pretty. "This is not simply a scratch, Cyar'ika."
His choice of words caused your heart to stutter, and you felt like a handful of butterflies stirred in your stomach, even if you didn't understand what it meant. You were suddenly aware of every slight touch of his, feeling like your skin was on fire from such a small touch on your shoulder.
As he stood straight, Tech hesitantly spoke up. "I need you to remove your top."
You blankly stared at him, still adjusting to his nickname for you only a moment ago. Taking a moment to gather your senses, you muttered "At least take me to dinner first." Your hands dropped to the hem of your shirt, beginning to remove your shirt when you felt Tech's hands cover your own, a hint of... was that concern in his eyes? You couldn't tell.
"While I hardly see how me taking you out to dinner has any impact on mending to your injury, I-"
"Oh my stars, Tech-" You let out a laugh, gently taking his hands into your own for a moment. "I was joking... We... Can discuss dinner another time." Giving him a warm smile, you released his hands, returning to the task of removing your shirt. You discarded your shirt onto the floor, doing your best to relax as you sat in front of Tech, now only wearing a bra from the waist up.
Unsurprisingly, Tech was a complete and utter gentleman. He only took half a second to regain composure before he returned to the task at hand: Your shoulder.
As his fingers began working at dressing your wound, he could almost sense the tension beneath your skin since you removed your top. "Do try and relax," His voice was just as soft as the occasional dance of his fingers along your skin. "I've got you."
You could've melted in that very moment, but if you had, Tech would've more than likely scolded you for not holding still. Admittedly, you wanted nothing more than for his touch to never leave your skin.
"What does that word mean? Cyar'ika?"
Silence and stillness met your question, causing you to look up at Tech. Not often was he silent when asked a question, normally he'd flow into a long, more often than not, complicated, answer. It only took a few seconds before he cleared his throat and spoke up, but it was noticable to you.
"Cyar'ika originates from the Mandalorian language, Mando'a. It translates to terms of endearment," The lighting on the Maurauder was horrible, but you could make out the faintest touch of pink on his cheeks as he continued. "such as darling or sweetheart." He finished laying the bacta over your wound, almost hesitant to meet your gaze.
All you could hear was the distant hum of the Maurauder in hyperspace and the relatively fast beat of your heart against your chest.
"I... got you something."
"What?" You blinked. When the kriff did he have time to get you something recently?
As Tech stepped away, you leaned down to grab your previously discarded shirt, pulling it over your head. He removed his pack from his back and set it on the floor to rummage through it. At the top of the pack was a green cloak, which he tugged out. He took a seat beside you on your right, the material resting in his hands. "I would not recommend wearing it around Ord Mantell any time soon, you may run into a very unhappy client of Cid's."
Before your fingers reached the cloak, you froze, trying to read his face. "What do you mean? Wha-" Realization dawned on you. That's why Omega was acting so odd and why Echo had not so subtly tried to block your view of Tech earlier. "You did not!"
"Steal from a client of Cid's and completely erase it off of the list of items that the client requested?" He looked proud of himself. "I did."
"You-" Your hands covered your mouth as you stifled a laugh. "I cannot believe you did that!"
"Well it seemed reasonable, considering how horrible the promised payment was, and I simply could not allow you to keep wearing that awful cloak from Tatooine." All he did was shrug before he lifted it a bit, giving you a better look at it. It had more material to cover the chest than your previous one had, which would give much better guarantee of not getting drenched in the rain. "I scanned the material of each item in that container, and this one seemed the best fit for what you need. May I?" He ebbed it towards you, hinting to helping you adorn it.
You nodded, a smile seeming to take permanent residence on your lips for the time being. He lifted it above your head before lowering it onto your shoulders, the hood resting weightlessly atop your head. Tech quietly reached into your space, adjusting your hair as needed, seemingly knowing that the cloak had trapped your hair uncomfortably beneath its material. Finally, he adjusted a few stray hairs along your face by tucking them behind your ears, and leaned back a little, admiring his work and allowing his hands to settle on his thighs.
"The material is Gabal wool. Gabals are a furry creature native to and often discovered on Rhinnal, particularly the Zirfan Glacier. According to my research, Rhinnal is quite an extraordinary planet. Located in the Darpa sector of the core worlds, there seemed to be incredible medicinal breakthroughs- Are you alright?"
Busted. You couldn't help but adore him more than ever in this very moment. The break of his tangent brought you back to reality, blinking a few times before responding. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you stop. I just-" Words were difficult right now as you practically choked down the feelings that were bubbling to the surface. "I appreciate you." Horrible choice of words. Obviously you loved the entire crew, including Tech, and you were pretty certain he was aware of this, but saying it directly to his face while you were juggling the feelings in your heart just didn't seem possible. "I love it when you explain things in great detail." That wasn't a lie, you definitely enjoyed listening to him talk.
"You do?" His voice was quieter now.
Nodding and your heart quickening, you spoke up once more. "What was that Mando'a word? Cyar'ika?" It was his turn to nod. "Can I call you that?"
Tech actually looked confused for a brief moment before speaking. "Of course... It's a term of endearment." He reminded you, that faint pink hitting his cheeks once again.
"I know. Thank you... Cyar'ika."
A number of heartbeats passed before his right hand found your left that was resting quietly on your thigh, lacing his fingers through your own. With his left hand, cupped your cheek. His honeyed eyes searched yours for consent, and you gave the faintest of nods before he leaned in to press his forehead against your own, dropping his gaze to take a moment to reminisce in your touch.
Like the waves on Kamino, Tech's lips crashed into your own. While you had been expecting it, it still caught you a little off guard. His left hand trailed from your cheek to the side of your neck, his thumb resting on your cheek, as your right hand traveled from his wrist to land on his chestpiece.
Too soon, he broke the kiss, his breathing heavy, matching your own. Your foreheads remained against each other, and when he went to sit up, you grabbed the upper edge of his chest piece and pulled him forward, accidentally bumping noses together as it was your turn to kiss him first. This urged a small gasp to escape him, not expecting the sudden contact. A small smile crossed your lips as you noticed his surprise, your right hand moving upward to the side of his neck as your lips parted, his own lips following in suit shortly.
You leaned into him, and his right hand released your left, and found your thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze, which earned a small noise of pleasure to escape you. Your left hand dragged up his arm from his hand, and landed on his shoulder, which you used to help pull yourself into his lap. He helped, of course, the hand on your thigh making its way to your hip for a moment.
Tech's left hand made its way to the base of your skull, finding your hair, which only encouraged another noise of pleasure from you. You felt his lips shift into a smirk before breaking the kiss, his eyes meeting yours immediately. "Do not allow me to forget to note your sensitive areas."
That earned him a smack on the chest, and a laugh from you. "You're a smug little shit. I know you, you wouldn't forget the galaxy's most difficult mathematical equation."
He returned your laugh with a soft chuckle, and reached up to cup your cheek again with his left hand. "You cannot imagine how long I have wanted to do that."
You leaned in for another kiss when knock at the door interrupted the two of you, both of your bodies tensing for a moment.
"A ridiculously long time. It's about time. Come on, you two, we need you out here." Hunter. Of course it was Hunter. Hunter and his stupid heightened senses.
