Private Rescue Me Next Space Cowboy

[Sylvia Alvaro]

​

tag: Nate Phantoms
wearing: xXx

Sylvia waited with bated breath, staring down to meet the inferno in his eyes without hesitation or fear. If he wanted to hurt her, he would have done so long before this moment; he was, after all, a force user. So when his fist slammed into the counter, she had not flinched away; she had not been startled; she had only stared down at him with clenched teeth and held her breath. When he finally gave in, having seen the logic in not fighting her, (because honestly, this was a stupid hill to die on), Sylvia released the breath she was holding and sighed deeply.

The tension bled out of her body, and she took a step back to make room for him to remove his boots and position himself in the seat. "Thank you," she said once he had settled down, a hint of sarcasm dripping from each word.

Even as words dipped in poison dripped from her pretty mouth, she'd moved to kneel at his side, taking his right arm into her hands as she turned it over to first examine the damage done. Sylvia was gentler than she had just been, despite her lingering annoyance; her touch was careful, fingertips softly ghosting over the cuts and bruises.

Her brow furrowed as she removed each piece of shrapnel in a quick movement so the pain wouldn't last longer than needed. She felt sympathy for him, knowing he had been through so much. He had been right; she wasn't a doctor and wasn't quite as skilled as Taylin at tending wounds, but she was thorough. Each cut was cleaned with antiseptic, and those that were severe enough were treated and covered with gauze.

Having finished with his arm, she moved on to the wounds at his side. She allowed herself a brief distraction here. "So, the tattoos," she said softly, her fingertips tracing one of the ones over his ribs. Sylvia wasn't a stranger to a tattooist's needle; she had one herself, flowers on her shoulder, but these seemed different somehow, more thought out and less meaningless than her own. His seemed to be of far greater importance. Or maybe she was just letting her thoughts get away from her.

"Is it a sith thing? Alchemy?"
​

​

 

[Nate Phantoms]

Despite both of their previous anger, he let her do what she deemed important. his arm dwarfed hers in comparison but she still managed to turn and rotate it carefully, her knife and pliers going to work. Nate sat nearly completely still, not flinching or giving any outcry at her work. The pain from the shrapnel was insignificant compared to the normal mind bending agony he felt the nano-bots work and when his wounds did manage to close up.

His gaze had remained locked on a small corner of the tiles below them until he felt something new. No cold metal, no blood leaking across his skin. Instead it was soft and delicate, her albeit dirty but still soft hands trace a line from the bottom of his shoulder blade across his oblique. Immediately the walls went up at her questions, turning to look over at her as his brow furrowed slightly. Her soft touch and words to match were foreign; he was completely intent on sitting there in silence.

"Sith? What makes you think that." Scoffing, his head turned away so he wasn't staring at her too intently. "Just something I got a long time ago. Those there are connected to the piece on my back." His words were heavy with fatigue, the day catching up to him. The large, swirling lines of the black ink on his back was faded and interrupted by the many scars that lined his body, some small from wounds while the others that ran the lengths of his limbs and torso were thick and geometric. Nearly perfect as they were done by dozens of robotic hands.

Looking back at her direction, he inclined his head towards his hand, rotating it slowly. There, five dark bands wrapped around his forearm, two directly under his wrist, the others right below his elbow. "Those are for significant losses. The dates scattered about are for peoples births."

Kissing his teeth he shook his head slightly, unsure on what else he could say to explain it to this near stranger. "Or death dates." Nates head leaned back against the counter, letting her continue for now.

Sylvia Alvaro

 

[Sylvia Alvaro]

tag: Nate Phantoms
wearing: xXx

She wasn't offended by his response. In truth, Sylvia had assumed his tattoos were a Sith thing because he was a force user, and because the last one she'd encountered, the one who rutted around in her head until she was on the ground crying, had tattoos of a similar nature along his arms. He'd been very vocal about being a Sith alchemist. She'd also assumed this because she hadn't had many encounters with force users; sure, she knew about Jedi and Sith and even witches, but they were all cut from the same cloth in her eyes.

She didn't say this out loud, however, as he was explaining the meaning behind his markings. At least as much as he was comfortable sharing with a stranger, so she didn't prod for more information. She simply listened thoughtfully, reflecting on his words. When he presented his hand, she traced the black ink ribboned around his forearm; she'd seen them earlier but thought tending to him was more important than indulging her own curiosity. But now that it was offered freely, she had done just that.

Death dates.

If she did the same, she imagined she wouldn't have any skin left to see. Returning to silence, she resumed treating him, moving to his side now, where she found a wound still bleeding. She was careful not to hurt him as she disinfected and dressed it, though she doubted he would say anything either way. He appeared to be a marble statue, with chiselled features and a jaw that could cut ice. Despite their meeting and the lingering distrust between them, she could appreciate that he was a handsome man; tall, dark, and brooding had been an all too accurate way to describe him.

Certainly not beguiled by him, she could understand why others might be drawn to the flame in his eyes, like lambs to the slaughter. She moved to stand behind him, grateful that he was leaning forward, finally catching sight of his back tattoo. And she couldn't help but touch him this time. She started at his shoulder, tracing the intricate details down the length of his back and feeling the scars that littered his skin. She imagined it had taken hours.

She sighed as she finished treating his visible injuries and finally set down the first aid kit. "I'm done. Unless you want to take your pants off too." She said this jokingly and not seriously.
​

 

[Nate Phantoms]

Surprisingly, there were no more words or mindless banter. Instead it was a mix of the momentary sting of antiseptic and the knife, followed by her soft touch and trace of his marked skin. Despite his eyes fluttering from the mix of fatigue and slightly comforting feeling knowing someone was actively looking over him, the mans eyes would open whenever he felt her touch, or hear the shuffle of her feet. Despite being cut, bruised and covered in burns, he could have fallen asleep right there in a heartbeat.

It was when he felt her hands move down his back he shivered slightly. Goosebumps followed her touch, unable to control the grimace that spread across his face slightly as she felt the many scars that covered him. Unlike the ink and scars, the memories never faded from memory. At least never enough.

Luckily, his thoughts were interrupted by her moving back in-front of his chair, looking up to meet her eyes, disbelief soon replacing his grimace. Grunting, Nate pushed himself up off the chair, lumbering past her and the first aid kit to the back room, where he saw the bed. "You'll have to try harder than that." Even as he stood, he could feel the tug of his body trying to sleep, urging him to recharge. But he ignored it, leaning up against the door frame as the door hissed open. "C'mon, let's get you to your room."

Sylvia Alvaro

 

[Sylvia Alvaro]

tag: Nate Phantoms

Sylvia couldn't help but shake her head tiredly at his response. He was all hot air and bravado, despite the fact that he'd been on the verge of falling asleep under her fingers only moments before. She followed him all the way to the door, where she reached for the control pad and shut it. "No," she said softly. "I'm too tired to keep fighting with you. So go to bed before you pass out, and I'm going to go for a shower." Sylvia lingered at his side for a moment longer, staring up at him and watching how he leaned on the wall for support.

It wasn't all that difficult to notice how he was falling asleep while she cleaned his wounds, and while she was grateful that he was so hellbent on helping her, she was tired, and so was he. Her fight was gone, and so was his. All she wanted to do was be alone for a few minutes and use all the hot water. Sylvia patted him gently on the back and gave him a little nudge towards the bed, which might be misconstrued as condescending, before she walked away, not waiting to hear anything he might say.

Back in the bathroom, she locked the door and stripped off her torn and bloodied clothing. Taylin would very likely scold her for showering with fresh burns, but Sylvia couldn’t find it in herself to care at that moment. The rumble of water in the pipes was loud, cold at first, making her skin prickle with goosebumps, and then hot enough to leave her fair skin tinged red. Maybe it was a bad idea; she’d probably regret it in the morning, but right now the heat soothed her sore muscles. She stood beneath the stream of water until it ran cold, until the soot, ash, and blood had been washed away, and until she was on the verge of sleep herself.

Having assumed he would be asleep, she crept through the darkened room to the wardrobe, where she found a pair of pants and a shirt that were at least two sizes too big. Sure, she could have gone looking for another room; she could have left him alone; but as the day's events and the lingering stiffness in her muscles began to drag her down, she decided against it. Sylvia managed to crawl into the bed beside him, positioning herself so that her back was pressed against the wall and so that she was facing him. Normally, she would have given him a wide berth and slept on the floor with her blaster in hand, but she didn't care; she was content to drift off to sleep
​

 

[Nate Phantoms]

Grumbling to himself at her words, he sighed as she patted his back softly. She was right. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing that however. Careful to remove his blood soaked trousers, he switched over into what he assumed was standard night wear tucked into the drawers. The olive drab colored fabric hugged his thighs slightly, just enough to flatter them. For fucks sake.

Shaking his head he sat on the edge of the bed, listening to the water start up. The rhythmic sound was enough to make his mind shut down, but he shook his head slightly and stood up, walking around the room to look for some more clothes for tomorrow. Much to Nates disappointment, there was little else to find, least of all anything black. Another sigh of defeat followed him as he finally moved to the side of the bed, unsure of the best way to position himself.

After pulling the sheets out from under the corner of his side, he spread out onto of them, leaving enough for here of course. Sighing his head fit rather nicely into the pillow as he lay with his arms crossed, staring up at the ceiling. It wasn't very long before the large mans breathing had slowed and his eyes shut naturally, but his subconscious stayed wide awake as the sounds of her shower still filled the room. It was only when he heard the soft patter of bare feet on the cold floor and the weight of the bed shift did his eyes open slowly.

At first he ignored her, but soon enough his head turned to look at her intently. The flames and fire had died down behind his eyes, now just replaced with warm embers as his brow furrowed slightly at her position. No matter how small she was it didn't look comfortable. Running from her almost ridiculously oversized shirt to her green eyes and lips, his stare flashed if only for a moment before dying back down again, his voice rumbling across the otherwise silent room to her.

"It's Nathan. Nate for short."

Sylvia Alvaro

 

[Sylvia Alvaro]

tag: Nate Phantoms

It was the blissful silence that lulled her slowly to sleep. Sylvia could hear him softly breathing and could feel him so close in their shared space, but she was comfortable for the most part; she was too tired to stay on edge. That is, until he spoke. His voice was a deep rumble that jolted her to her core. Not fear, but rather something else. Normally, she was more sensible. Normally, she wouldn't have cared.

Maybe it was because she was so tired—practically exhausted to the point of unconsciousness—and hyperaware of their surroundings. Maybe it was just the closeness they shared in that bed. Either way, her eyes opened to meet his, and for a moment, she was lost. Normally, his stare wouldn't have done anything. But eye contact with him was a dangerous, dangerous thing. But lovely. God, so lovely.

She could understand how a woman could fall under his spell so quickly and so effortlessly. Her own traitorous gaze flicked to his mouth, her mind racing a mile a minute. A gentleman would have at least bought me a drink before looking at me like that, she thought. Sylvia wondered, just for a second, if it had been intentional. If he was looking at her like that for a reason or if his gaze was just naturally this intense and smouldering.

Pulling a hand from beneath the pillow, she reached out with sluggish movements to rest it on his arm, fingertips absentmindedly finding one of the bands to gently trace. "It's nice to meet you, Nate," she said softly, her voice thick with sleep. "Now go to sleep before you burn me with that gaze of yours."
​

 

[Nate Phantoms]

Kissing the inside of his teeth at her words, he turned to look back at the ceiling, a small smirk playing across his lips. Maybe that was the goal. Despite her words, he agreed. Sleep sounded way better than anything else he would have done. The gentle trace of her fingers on his skin continued for a minute or two before finally slowing down, her breathing following suit. When focused hard enough, blocking out all other sounds, her heartbeat was sufficient to put him to sleep, his eyes fluttering shut almost immediately.

That wasn't before he had inched closer, tucking his head against her chest lightly, the two facing each other in the darkness. Subconsciously his arms crossed against his torso and his legs bent slightly to help him fit into the small bed, but none of that bothered him as soon enough he was deep asleep.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't have lasted very long, his mind racing a hundred miles a minute, the sound of the ship's crew and outside personnel rousing him several times. After the first disruption, his saber had managed to fly into his open palm as he rose at the waist slowly, careful not to wake her with his sudden movement. A few more times and the morning had rolled around, the hologram displaying "0418" on the table in hazy blue light.

Despite the warmth and comfort of being close to someone else, he slid out of bed, his bare feet making virtually no noise on the floor. Nate sighed softly, turning around to look down at her, moving the sheets back over her still frame. Content that she would be fine, his steps took him to the shower, carefully stripping to reveal his war-stained body. Ignoring his reflection, he flipped the overhead lights off, preferring the semi-darkness for some odd reason. Stepping onto the tile, a quick wave of his hand and the nozzle rotated entirely to the side, freshly scalding water cascading over him.

Keeping the bandages out of the water as best he could, he stood still as the water burnt his skin. Dirt, blood, and ash washed away slowly, soon reaching for the washcloth to begin methodically wiping away what remained. Slowly but surely his body returned to its natural hue, no longer covered by a thin layer of grime. After he was satisfied with his cleanliness, he continued to stand there under the hot water until the sun rose. The man's forehead rested on the wall, letting the water burn a path down his neck and back. Taking one last deep sigh, he shut the water off and stepped out onto the cold bathroom floor. Carefully wrapping a towel around his waist, he moved to the cabinets nearby, looking for a suitable outfit to cover his naked body.

Sylvia Alvaro

 

[Sylvia Alvaro]

tag: Nate Phantoms

Unlike him, she had slept through the noise of the crew outside, but by no means had she been relaxed. Each time he moved, she moved with him, shuffling closer and at one point even wrapping an arm around his torso to pull him closer. Had she been awake and not the victim of a crash, a choke, and a building collapse, she wouldn't have done so. Intimacy like this was foreign to her; it often made her question a person's intentions, but in those few hours before morning, past worries and trauma were forgotten. The warmth of his body, and the strength in his arms as she pressed against him were a comfort that kept her from waking.

It wasn't until she heard the rumble of water in the pipes that she sat up, startled awake, her eyes darting to the door leading outside their quarters. It was still closed and locked, the crew milling about outside seemingly oblivious to their presence, but her heart had still kicked into overdrive, slamming so hard against her breastbone that she thought it might snap. He'd left, but his side of the bed was still warm.

In her rousing panic, she shoved a hand beneath the pillows, searching for her blaster; she didn't find it but didn't come away empty-handed. His lightsaber was there. A grimace flickered over her mouth as she pressed her back against the headboard and brought her knees to her chest. Her muscles were aching, and the bruising had settled in while they slept.

Her throat was ringed in blue and black, and she could feel silimar-coloured marks on her back as she stretched it, imagining the rest of her to be the same.

Sylvia didn't remember him having it when they went to sleep. She wondered if he'd fetched it during the night, if he kept it close for protection, or for some other reason. Given that the last time it was out, she'd firmly cemented herself into the shelter of his body to avoid the damn thing, this was the first time she was getting a good look at it. It was heavy, much heavier than her own weapons, probably because he was larger and could handle the weight.

She turned it slowly, scrutinising it, thumbing over the spiked parts, avoiding the obvious ignition switch. That is until a door hissed open, her head snapped up, and the lightsaber was held out in front of her like she knew what she was doing.
​

 

[Nate Phantoms]

As the steam from the hot shower dissipated around him, his gaze landed on her frame atop the bed. She was very much awake, not at all how he left her. He could sense her curiosity, let alone see it on her face. Not bothering to dry off, he shook the excess water from his hair, letting it droop down over his eyebrows.

“Am I interrupting?” Scoffing, one hand held the towel around his waist tightly, moving to the laundry shoot opposite the bed. Turning back around his eyes locked on hers, blinking slowly as if he was annoyed with her. Luckily there was very little light in the room, but every few seconds a flash of blue would shine through the view port, the droplets of water covering his body illuminating.

Tugging the fold of his towel to the side of his hip he wrung his hands together, a hand outstretching as he stepped towards her. “Should probably be careful with that before you hurt yourself.”

Sylvia Alvaro

 

[Sylvia Alvaro]

When he came into view, her heartbeat slowed as she realised it was only him and not someone else here to attack them again. This calm lasted only seconds before the vision in front of her registered in her brain: him standing across the room, staring with that burning intensity, wearing only a towel. As a Nish, the darkness hadn't mattered to her. Sylvia saw as well in low light as she did normally. Her teeth bit into the inside of her cheek again as her gaze moved down his body, noting each scar and tattoo, then back up until she was staring into his eyes with a poker-faced expression that contrasted sharply with the racing of her mind.

Sylvia wondered if he could see just as well as she could. If he saw how she shifted beneath the sheets, thighs pressing together, fingers tightening around the sabre's hilt, how her eyes widened ever so slightly and narrowed again. She assumed that he could; his gaze certainly wasn't natural. Was it the force manifesting in him? Sylvia swallowed the lump in her throat and would have winced at the discomfort if his approach hadn't sufficiently distracted her.

Now that he was closer, she could see the lines of his tattoos again and remembered the feeling of his skin beneath her fingertips as she'd traced them. She could see the way the water dripped from his hair, his brows, and his sharp features; she could see the way the droplets of water followed the contours of his muscles, lost in the towel wrapped around his waist. Finding his gaze again, she did not place the lightsaber in his awaiting hand but rather held it just out of his reach. Sylvia licked her lips slowly and purposefully, not breaking eye contact.

"Here, I thought you'd be the one to hurt me with this."

 

[Nate Phantoms]

And spring the trap. Chuckling softly, a wicked grin split across his features despite trying not to. No longer able to hide it, the smirk stayed on his features as he continued to move closer. Nate did not need his eyesight to see the effect he was having on her. His senses were attuned to sense all manners of emotions directed towards him, and hers were no more difficult than picking up those of hostile intent.

"Oh, I could never." Sarcasm dripped from his words as he leaned closer to her, a hand pressing into the mattress on either side of her thighs. He knew by the sly look in her eyes she had no intention of giving up, but he wasn't going to let her just fly so close to the sun without getting burned. "Looking back at it, however-"

As the distance closed between them his voice got softer, and the flames behind his eyes grew brighter. His hand moved up her outstretched arm slowly, tracing over her soft skin while pushing his weight against hers back onto the bed. "I might just..." There was little to no space between them; the moisture left on his chest rubbed off onto her shirt as he barely held himself above her, his tongue running against the back of his teeth.

Chest to chest and eye to eye. Tilting his head to the side, his gaze shot to her lips if only for a second before back to meet hers as the already minuscule separation between their lips vanished. Practically whispering, his fingers pushed into her palm and around the hilt of his saber, gently pulling it free from her grasp with a devilish grin as his lips barely brushed against hers. "..have to reconsider."

Sylvia Alvaro

 

[Sylvia Alvaro]

tag: Nate Phantoms

Her breath became trapped in her lungs when he came closer again, like a wolf stalking prey, but she was certainly not a lamb. He was playing with her. The thought occurred to her when the mattress dipped with his weight. It irritated and upset her for some ungodly reason. She was not a common wench, not a woman who could be considered easy, and she was not someone who would ever be a man's toy again, but he certainly had a strong effect on her, and she was certain she had one on him too.

If he wanted to play with fire, she would strike the match.

Her skin prickled with goosebumps between the touches of his fingers; it was warm and gentle. Now beneath him, she shifted ever so slowly, a thigh brushing against his hip as she welcomed him into the shelter of her body. Her fingers closed over his, refusing to relinquish the sabre out of spite now, her nails biting into the back of his hand when he tried to withdraw. Sylvia pressed closer to him, purposefully, so that he would feel the swell of her bosom as she breathed and would feel her lips parting against his.

"You're certainly welcome to try." Her own voice was soft and raspy, with both discomfort and something else. Holding his gaze, the other hand found his waist, fingers teasing the edge of the towel as though she intended to pull it open. Instead, she traced the line of a tattoo she'd not touched before, from hip to chest, then to shoulder, where fingers continued their path around his neck before burrowing into his wet locks. She held him there and kissed him softly, a fleeting embrace of their lips before she tugged hard on his locks.

"I will not make things easy for you."
​

 

[Nate Phantoms]

His breath hitched at her touch, her nails and fingers driving him wild. It was only when her hand locked into his hair did he inhale sharply, looking down at her in disbelief. She had to be joking. Her kiss was a surprise as well, but her reluctant behavior indicated she was playing along with his game. Scoffing he raised an eyebrow, sitting up slightly to pull his hand free and pinch her cheeks.

“Oh my dear Sylvia-“ chuckling softly he pulled against her grip, kissing the back of his teeth. “You misunderstand me.” By no means was this confrontation accidental, but he prioritized their safety over a momentary satisfaction. Granted, would he complain? Absolutely not, but there was a time and place and he felt perhaps now wouldn’t be the most spectacular moment. Despite the crew being completely unaware and the door locked firmly behind them, he wouldn’t chance it. Not yet. If she felt the same however, he was soon to find out.

His thumb came up to gently pull down on her bottom lip ever so lightly, enjoying this shared moment. It was a welcome change of pace to nearly dying.

“Don’t worry though, as soon as your ass becomes more important than your safety, I’ll be sure to say something.”

Sylvia Alvaro

 

[Sylvia Alvaro]

It was her time to be shocked by words. Misunderstood? Her mind was reeling over the events of the last few minutes, trying to pinpoint where her intuition had gone wrong. Had it? He’d been the one dressed in only a towel. He’d been the one to instigate this whole mess, crawling over her like some stalking shadow, so close that she could barely talk without their lips brushing together. He'd been the one to take them to sudden intimacy. Had this all truly been just to get his damned lightsaber back? And had she really just played his stupid game like some horny fucking teenager?

Gods, what the hell was wrong with her? Her hand in his hair let go, falling back to land on the bed as she pressed her back harder into the mattress in an effort to put some distance between them. She was mad at him, but more so at herself for being so ridiculous and stupid. He wasn't the first man to lean over her like this, and certainly not the first shirtless one she'd seen. There was no reason for her to be infatuated with him like this.

His thumb's feather-light stroke of her lower lip drew her attention back from her racing thoughts. Her tongue traced the path of his thumb, less purposefully but no less wantonly. There was an urge to bite at his thumb, to kiss him again, to fall deeper into the moment. But she only stared at him. "If you're not going to kiss me," she said softly, the fire in her voice returning. "Then go put some damn pants on..." In spite of herself, she placed the ball firmly in his court.

 

[Nate Phantoms]

This time, a much lighter chuckle escaped the man. Pouting down at her mockingly, his gaze stayed on hers, dropping his saber onto the bed beside her with that same wicked grin of his. She was cute. She was very cute. Her words prompted a scoff, surprised she even said anything about it. Playing nice took a lot of self-control; to maintain his composure. But on the other hand- what was the worst that could happen?

Without another thought, Nate's arm shot out to pull her chin up, once again pressing against her chest. There was only a moment's hesitation as his lips hovered over hers before he dove straight in. It wasn't needy or rushed, but a slower, heavier type of contact. Warmth blossomed in his chest at the feeling, only pulling back after a few seconds for oxygen. Still close enough to do so, he dug his teeth into her bottom lip and pulled back just a bit before letting her go with a soft exhale.

"Because you asked so nicely," Speaking softly over her, he rose at the waist before stepping back towards the bathroom. "I'll gladly do both." Shrugging in feigned innocence, his saber flew across the room into his open palm as he winked at her mischievously. A few more steps back and he spun around to begin searching for more clothes, his voice carrying to her. "Do get dressed, we still have actual work to do."

Sylvia Alvaro

 

[Sylvia Alvaro]

tag: Nate Phantoms
wearing: xXx

The sound that crawled up her throat was, to be frank, whoreish. Sylvia hadn't been entirely convinced Nate would listen, much less care for her, in that moment—not when she was holding his lightsaber hostage in some stupid game. So when he grabbed her chin, tilting her mouth to meet his, she was pleasantly surprised. She hadn't expected his response to be as passionate as it was, but she enjoyed every moment of it. Heat shot through her veins, spread out through her chest, and settled in her cheeks.

Despite having been content to stay in that moment, a breathy exhale was made when he withdrew. He was an nerf herder, she decided. for everything up to this point, but especially for the way he ended that kiss: with his teeth dug into her lip, leaving a lovely sting in his wake. She'd been pulled from the moment only when that fucking sabre shot up from beside her and flew across the room. A string of muttered curse words left her lips, damning him, the force, and that goddamn lightsabre.

He was lucky he was across the room; otherwise, she would have smacked him right in that smart mouth of his. He had to have done that on purpose, knowing it would both startle and upset her, poking fun at a trauma he knew nothing about. Sylvia almost wanted to go back to sleep, just to spite him and annoy him, but she didn't. Instead, she threw the sheets away and stomped across the room to rifle through one of the drawers. She managed to find an old, torn pair of black pants that were a size too small but that would still fit and a checkered shirt.

"Move." She snapped at him, pushing past him and into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She changed quickly, pulling on those same heeled boots from the day before. Sylvia wasn't sure if he felt the subtle changes in the way the freighter moved—one minute floating almost weightlessly through space, the next moving a little slower, as though a weight had returned to it. It was a strange sensation, not one easily recognised by everyone, but enough to indicate they'd dropped out of lightspeed.

"You better have pants on!" Sylvia called through the door, hesitating for just a second before opening it. She avoided looking at him for a moment, moving to the bed to look out of the view port to see if anything could be seen. Outside the door, the crew seemed to have come to life. She could sense them milling about. "I think we're landing," she said softly. "I can't see where."
​

​

 

[Nate Phantoms]

Someone's feisty. Her words and actions gave him all the satisfaction he needed for now. She was flustered. The normally cool and calculated pilot, now lost for words. It was good to see that she too wasn't invincible to smart remarks or actions. The distrust part, however, they could work on later. Letting her have her little moment, he let the towel drop to the floor as he began to change into some dark grey cargo pants with a navy blue shirt that could have been a tad bit baggier.

"And if I don't?" Nate rolled his eyes at her words, having already tied one of his boots and was working on the other when she came storming out. Looking up for a moment he followed her sassy form with his eyes before returning to his laces, both boots now firmly hugging his feet. Pushing himself off the chair, he moved behind her to look out the viewport with her, his hand moving to pat her hip lightly. From behind her, his arm pointed out into the abyss. "Don't get your hopes up." As if on command, the sleek black-on-black form of his ship hurtled out of hyperspace alongside them. "The Bane will be your new home for a bit till we actually land."

Sylvia Alvaro

 

[Sylvia Alvaro]

Sylvia felt him move behind her, closing the distance once more to invade her personal space under the guise of looking out the view port also. His hand on to her hip, patting softly, felt much too familiar and intimate from someone that was still practically a stranger but refused to give him the satisfaction of moving away. He had gotten enough of a reaction out of her with his previous behaviour. "Oh, get my hopes up? Never." Her voice was honey dropped sarcasm as her head lulled back to land on his shoulder, staying up at him with a haughty expression. Sylvia had not taken kindly to his early mocking and it was evident it had soured her mood.

It didn't matter that he was attractive, or that eye contact with him was lovely and dangers, and it hadn't mattered that she pressed her back against him. There was an evident sarcasm and irritation in the way she rolled eye eyes before following his pointing fingers. She watched the ship that came into view, wondering for a moment when he'd called it, or if getting to it had been his plan from the beginning. That was until he said its name. This time her lips did pull into a smirk, as mocking as his had been. "Seriously? The Bane? That's like putting a neon sign up that's says “don't trust me, I'm evil”." It was almost like a calling card of trouble. Was he implying that he was a bane on other people? Because that definitely seemed like something a sith would do.

Laughing softly Sylvia pushed back harder against him, making sure that he would feel the curve of her backside for just a fleeting moment. It was a stupid game of tit-for-tat. He's flustered her and it was only fair that she returned the favour. "The Bane,” she chuckled again. "It's definitely something. So that's our ride out of here?”

 

[Nate Phantoms]

"Heavens Bane actually-" Sighing he shook his head, her words twinged at his humor. It seemed she had already figured out this little game of his and was just as good at biting back. Evil. If only she knew the truth about some of his time aboard that ship. Despite her pressing back into him his mind raced back into time as the nearby stars' solar light reflected off the glossy black stripe that ran down the hull of his ship. Perfect? Never. A monster? At one point in time; he wasn't called a demon for no reason. "Easy now, she's old but you're more than welcome to stay here." His voice was low and dangerous, his mind still reeling. Setting his jaw he took a step back, moving to where he had left his cloak, a sour taste in his mouth.

Despite being charred, torn, and battered from countless battles and days like the last, his cloak was one of the few things that held up about as well as he was. Reaching down he tightened his holster and belt around his hips, his gaze landing at the lone saber glinting in the low light. Both of the weapons were a testament to the pain and suffering her had endured, but also the sins and vengeful acts he went through with. The man's lip curled in distaste as he shoved it back into its rightful place in the small of his back, the familiar weight of both combined slightly comforting in a way only he could explain.

Slipping his arms into the cloak he shrugged it onto his large frame, his mind occupied. Even as the alarms and sirens went off around them as the crew was surely in fear at the sight of his ship moving to dock alongside the freighter. Flexing his jaw he turned to look over his shoulder at her before moving to the door, his cloak swirling around him as his long strides took him down the hallway.

Sylvia Alvaro