A/N: Here's a lil Corso/Smuggler one-shot that I've been wanting to put into writing for a while now. This is how I think the return of Torchy should have played out. Please leave me a review and let me know what you all think! Anyhoo, please, as always, enjoy!
Edit: Made some slight corrections and fixed some dialogue bits that were bugging me.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, except a gremlin, and even that's questionable.
Captain Ellie Vallene fought the urge to roll her eyes as her friend made his fifteenth pass across the doorway to the galley. As soon as his his heel cleared her line of sight, she scrubbed a hand across her face with a long-suffering sigh. She knew exactly what the man wanted to ask, what she couldn't understand was why it was taking him so long to actually do it.
They hadn't even completely cleared Alderaan's orbit before he had starting fidgeting.
Now Ellie was a terrific captain (she would grudgingly admit that) and she had a plethora of talents, charm, wit, and good looks (another modest admission). What she had very little of was patience.
As soon as her boots had hit the bridge of The Unicorn's Fancy, Corso had come bolting through the sliding doors like a colt on its first run. His expressive brown eyes had been wide with curiousity and excitement. She had watched him, fighting to keep her lips from curving into an amused smile, as he had opened his mouth and then promptly shut it again. Ellie had pretended not to notice as she threw herself into the pilot's seat, letting her head fall back against the head rest tiredly.
"So, how-hooow is Alderaan, Captain?" he had asked, rushing his normally slow, Mantallian drawl and she could almost see his hands resting on his hips, feet shuffling against the metal grating of the floor.
She had to bit her lip to keep her breath of laughter from escaping.
"Aside from Civil War, rampaging nerfs, and the Empire's attempts to snuff out all hope of finding a decent cantina with a good shot of juma juice and a game of pazaak?" She had lifted her shoulders in a casual shrug. "Not bad."
She had propped her boots up on the console, giving in to the urge to smirk as she heard him snort behind her.
"Yeah, I reckon that'll put a damper on anybody's day."
She had craned her neck to the side, peering behind her at him, brow arching.
"Ya think?"
He had leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms over his broad chest with a grin.
"Nope. After rompin' around the galaxy with you, I know the lack of a cantina on any planet is a travisty."
Her smug grin had clearly indicated her agreement. Corso had shifted his weight from one leg to the other, a restless energy rolling off of him. Her neck had started to hurt, so Ellie had swiveled the chair around to face him, crossing her long legs and propping her cheek against one fist.
"I guess you found Skavic too, huh?" he had asked and she had nodded, biting her tongue to keep her sarcasm in check. That didn't mean she was just going to hand anything to him just yet. Watching him squirm was just too entertaining.
On more than one level, a little voice had whispered near the back of her mind and she had to wholeheartedly agree.
After that, their conversation had been utterly casual, though she saw the urgent question burning just beneath the warm chocolate of his eyes.
Three days later and he still hadn't asked.
Ellie saw him skulk past the door to her quarters as she swirled iced whiskey in her tumbler late in the evening.
He found a reason to loiter on the bridge as she charted courses to distant planets with need of supplies and a willingness to ignore shipping regulations.
He would drop in on her chats with Risha, giving Ellie the impression of an eager puppy with his ears perked forward.
She had even literally bumped into him one morning on her way to the refresher, with nothing on but a towel and her crooked smile. He had rounded the corner, obviously en route to her door, his head bowed. Had she been paying attention herself, or at least had the Force sense to know he had been rounding that corner, she'd have easily sidestepped past him. As it happened, the Force hardly seemed to have noticed her that morning (or any other for that matter), and she found herself running right smack dab into the center of his stride. Her saving grace from falling flat on her pretty little arse was the realization that her chest was not supposed to hit leather at any point during the daylight hours, and, of course, Corso's gentlemanly reflexes.
Stumbling, his arms had encircled her waist as his feet tangled with hers and both of them let out a surprised yelp. By twisting his upper body (in a display of dexterity that would have had her complete attention at any other given time) he slammed his back against the metal wall with a dull bang. Ellie's momentum was slowed by his protective grip on her linen-clad hips, but she still wound up with her hands braced just above each of his shoulders, her body forcibly molded against his as his hold on her was the only thing keeping her upright at that moment.
She'd found herself looking into his surprised eyes, his expression probably as startled as her own. The warmth of his fingertips against her thigh was a pleasant sensation and she had a sudden desire to feel them slide higher along her smooth skin. Something flashed behind those velvety irises of his, striking her with the notion that a similiar thought had also crossed his mind. She had recovered faster, however, a shameless grin gracing her lips.
"Well-that's one way to catch me," she'd purred, lowering her lashes and her voice.
Seeing the flush flood his cheeks and his hard swallow as she had subtly shifted against him, her thigh sliding between his sensously, had been completely worth it.
He'd mumbled something in an adorably embarrassed way before gently setting her back into the hallway and making a beeline for the crew's quarters, a noticeable bulge in his trousers.
And still, he hadn't asked.
Frankly, Ellie was torn between her frustration at having him constantly underfoot and her curiosity to see if he would simply bust before he gave in.
Of course, what she wanted him to give in to was a question all on its own.
And then, finally, he came through that door, with his eyes firmly on the floor and his teeth worrying at his bottom lip. Ellie's irritated brow smoothed. There was just simply no way for him to keep his thoughts to himself, it was all in his face; it was an endearing quality, really. She tried, really tried, to keep her expression neutral, but...
Well, the man was just too damned cute, especially when it came to his guns.
The Captain glanced over at her Wookie friend as he briskly dried the plates they had just finished using. He met her gaze, his large blue eyes crinkling at the corners in what she had come to know as the closest thing to a smile a Wookie could get. He delicately placed the final dish in the cabinet and tossed the rag he had been using over his shoulder.
Captain, he growled cordially and she saluted him leisurely as she leaned one hip against the bar.
"Night," she called after him as he brushed past Corso, his shaggy head bowing politely as he passed.
Corso raised his hand, then dropped it, the Wookie's long stride already placing him well out of sight. Ellie grinned at him, her smile gently teasing as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Captain," he said quietly, so quietly that she almost didn't hear him over the hum of the ship.
"Corso," she replied, tilting her head to the side, though the sarcastic comment she had wanted to add burned at the tip of her tongue.
Silence fell between them. With a soft grunt, she lifted herself from her comfortable position and swung around the edge of the breakfast bar. Reaching up, she grabbed a dark green bottle, the cold glass a familiar sensation against her palm. Lifting it so that he could see it over her shoulder, she plucked up two small glasses.
"Care to join me?"
"That I would," she heard him agree as she turned on her heel to set her light burdens down with a soft clatter.
Ellie popped open the cork with her teeth, then poured a generous amount into each tumbler. Sliding one towards him, she promptly bottled the amber liquid and twisted, facing him. She leaned back against the counter, glass in hand. He gave her a skeptical glance as he lifted his to inspect.
"What, no ice?"
Ellie tipped hers back in a quick motion, downing it with an appreciative murmur at the warm burn in her chest the whiskey left in its wake.
"Takes the heat from the liquor," she answered with a smirk, eyeing her now empty glass contemplatively, "And I could use something with a little burn tonight."
She looked towards him as she set the tumbler aside and her smirk became a smile, her eyes dancing with a silent laughter as his cheeks flushed before he quickly swallowed his own whiskey, shaking his head roughly with a grimace. When he looked back up at her, it was with a boyish kind of grin. It warmed her in a different way, and it was enough to give her a moment of pause. Leaning forward, her fingers curling around the edge of the counter as she braced her hands back, next to her hips. The game's rules changed.
"So, when are you going to ask me about Torchy?"
He set down his glass and straightened from where he had been bracing his palms against the counter's surface, putting them on his waist and shaking his head again. He glanced back up with a sheepish smile.
"You're not gonna pull any punches, are ya?"
She arched a brow.
"Not if you're going to dance around how badly you miss that gun."
He chuckled, lifting a hand to run a hand over his dreadlocks.
"Fair enough. Alright, Captain."
He took a breath, stepping around the counter, his hands still on his hips. He couldn't seem to bring himself to look her directly in the eye, however, his gaze firmly once again on the floor.
"Captain...I've been meanin' to ask," he stopped, clearly uncomfortable. Ellie fought the urge to roll her eyes.
"C'mon, Corso, spit it out," she grinned, unable to resist adding, "Nothing wrong with a man longing to hold his gun."
His cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red.
"And she wonders why I didn't wanna ask?" he quiered under his breath, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Did you happen to...when you fought with Skavic...was Torchy there?"
Ellie reached behind her, lifting the back of her vest with deft fingers and pulling out a slender blaster.
"She's all yours, Corso. Use her in good health."
Laying it on the counter next to her with a flourish, she grinned when he surged forward, resting his hands on his knees as she gazed lovingly at the gun.
"Torchy! It's good to have you back girl! I'm never going to let another man hold you again!"
Ellie thought for sure he was going to immediately seize Torchy and place her safely back at his hip. Instead, he completely surprised her when he crossed the space between them and hauled her off her perch and against him, his mouth swooping down to capture hers.
Her hands braced against his armored chest, hot sparks skittering from where her lips molded beneath his straight down her spine. She felt his gloved fingers drag up her back to tangle in the thick strands of her hair. He tasted like whiskey and something warmer, smokier, that she didn't have a name for. Corso slanted his mouth, deepening the kiss, and her lips parted eagerly. Ellie stretched up to wrap her arms around his neck, swiping her tongue boldly across his bottom lip. She felt more than heard the low rumble deep in his chest when he nipped at her lips and her fingers flexed at the nape of his neck. He pulled back for a sip of air, but then he was kissing her again, his muscular body pressing her more slender one back against the counter.
Ellie could feel the hard metal edge digging into her lower back, but she couldn't seem to summon the energy to care. Corso was tasting her lips as if she were a unique liquor that he couldn't get enough of. She sipped at lips, sucking on his lower one with a soft moan as the leather of his gloves grazed the sensitive flesh of her ear. His large hands cupped her face before journeying down the curves of her sides to rest possessively on the flair of her hips. She wished that she could feel anything except the cold plate of his armor and the hard, rough mesh beneath her fingers. A coil was tightening low in her belly, making her want to writhe, to seek some kind of relief for the building tension that was moistening between her legs. She shifted against him, undulating her hips in an attempt to bring him closer and she was rewarded with when he groaned in response.
They parted again, both of them breathing unsteadily. She looked up into his hooded eyes, their caramel brown darkened to an impossible shade of black, the naked want simmering in them making her almost shiver. Corso leaned his forhead against hers, her arms still around his neck and Ellie couldn't resist allowing her fingers to play in the thick ropes of his hair. She itched to unbind them and run her hands through them, to test if they felt as coarse as they looked. She was mightily distracted, however, when she felt his warm breath fan her cheek, his eyes closing, and she noted how close his mouth remained to hers. It would have taken so little effort to take up where they left off, but she held her impulse in check.
"Captain, I-I'm sorry, I-I just wanted-I mean, I was just so damned happy that you brought Torchy back to me that-"
She silenced his rush of words by bringing a finger up against his lips, knowing that her own eyes were reflecting the desire she had already witnessed in his.
"You call me Captain in that sweet, husky tone again and all bets are off, mister. I'll have you stripped and under me on this galley floor before you can say 'ronto bustin'."
The corners of his eyes crinkled when they opened, a twinkle in them that made her stomach flutter as he chuckled richly.
"As temptin' as that is, I believe I asked to court ya. Not sure that would count, seein' as you'd claim top in that scenario."
The tension in his body relaxed visibly as they moved back into easy banter, albeit sexually charged banter. He was much smoother when he wasn't trying to match her wit or live up to what he thought she wanted. Ellie doubted that he understood that he was exactly what she wanted, but she suspected that he was beginning to get the idea. Her response to that brand of 'thank you' should have been the biggest clue to date.
"C'mon, Corso, you really think I'd just let you claim that position?" she lowered her voice, arching her back and parting her lips deliberately, "You haven't worked nearly hard enough for that."
She could see the temptation in his face as he unconsciously licked his lips, how his eyes darted from hers to her mouth and back again. It made her want to smile how expressive his features were and how easily she could tell what he was thinking by how he just looked at her.
"I'm pretty sure that's a challenge, Captain," he replied in that same tone she'd warned him about. So he did want to play this game?
She rose to her tiptoes to press her lips against his ear, loving the shudder that racked his body as her words warmly caressed against the highly sensitized shell.
"And what if it is, Corso? Got any bite behind that growl of yours?"
Ellie let out a startled gasp when his fingers were quite suddenly at the back of her thighs and lifting her up with absolutely no effort. She wasn't sure to be turned on or offended by the ease in which he accomplished that feat, her feet dangling, but the roughened timbre of his voice made the decision for her.
"Careful, Captain. Them's fightin' words and you might regret the bout."
Ellie fingers ghosted across the tanned skin of his neck, upwards to spread across his cheeks, fingertips gently teasing the curve of his ears. She bent and brought her face closer to his, their noses bumping.
"The only thing I could regret, Corso, is if I let this bout pass."
Her eyes bored into his, the contrast of their colors sharpened by the darkened quality that was flashing behind their hues.
She wasn't sure who moved first, but his mouth was devouring hers again, raking the dimming embers into a sparking fire once more. Her one concern, that he was the one that would have regrets in the morning, was burned away in an instant. Ellie was barely aware of moving until she was quite suddenly on her feet again, his hands roaming her body over her clothes, his tongue dueling with hers. Stumbling into the corridor, she managed to keep enough of her senses to navigate in the direction of her quarters. She tore her mouth from his, turning to fumble with the code as Corso's body pressed against her from behind, his gloves having been shed without her knowledge. His bare fingers snaked their way beneath the hem of her shirt, his thumb grazing a burning path across her abdomen as his lips feathered along the soft skin of her neck, causing gooseflesh to erupt across her body. She couldn't stop the shiver and muttered a colorful curse as the code flew from her memory.
"Havin' trouble, Captain?" he asked her with a dark chuckle. She really had to start giving him more credit.
He spun her around, her back slamming against the door as his mouth blazed down towards her collarbone, lightly biting at the fluttering pulse point he found there. His palms smoothed up her ribcage, ignoring the layers of clothing she wore as he explored the path to heaven beneath. Ellie let her head fall back as she felt his tongue brush against the pressure point just below her ear as his fingers skimmed the underside of her breast. Arching her back, she reached behind her and drew the knife she kept nestled at her the base of her spine, jamming it into the door control.
She was prepared as the door slid open, sending them both tumbling into the room. Corso landed on top of her, catching most of his weight on his hands as he landed on all fours. But she was faster, shoving her palm against his chest and snaking her leg around his calf, flipping them over. Her smirk held a hint of feminine pride as she straddled his hips, rolling hers and watching his eyes roll back in his head before his hands clamped down on her waist to keep her still.
"Too slow," she murmured, deft fingers quickly finding and unclasping the buckles that held his armor in place.
Hot lust warred with wariness in his features as his chocolate orbs flicked towards the open doorway.
"Uh, Captain?" he asked, nodding his head in that direction before letting his head drop back down against the cold floor with a groan when her fingers slithered beneath the now loosened waistband of his trousers.
"Trust me, no one on this ship is that unaware," she replied between tongue-flicked kisses against the exposed skin of his throat.
The fingertips of one hand caressed against his velvety length wickedly while the other busied itself with unbuttoning her vest and shirt. His hands were gripping her hips so tightly it was almost bruising as she rocked against him, creating a hot friction that made his hips buck helplessly into her palm.
"Flyin' stars, Ellie," he managed as the last button came undone, her name passing his lips for the first time.
When she withdrew her hand, he groaned again, this time in protest, but seemed to forgive her as she reached down, guiding his hands up through the gaping opening of her shirt to touch skin once more. As his fingers dipped beneath her breastband, his thumb teasing across the pebbled tips, Ellie moaned, bracing her hands against his chest and leaning down to melt her mouth against his. Then she was on her back again, one of his hands cupping her as his hips settled in the cradle of hers. Then it was moving downwards to struggle with the buckle of her belt. Corso pulled back for air, then dove down to swirl his tongue around the slope of one breast, reaching the hardened peak and suckling hard. The sensation made her gasp, like a molten cord was tied from there to the core of her, a tight wave crashing into her.
"Corso," she whispered, her fingers threading through his dreadlocks, seeking and tugging the tie that held them back. They spilled around his shoulders and he lifted his head, eyes blazing down at her as her belt finally came undone.
"Again," he growled.
She obeyed, his eyes bleeding to a color that she had no word adequate enough to describe the burning within them, and that was when something inside him seemed to just let go.
Surging to his feet, he pulled her up with him, his arms coming around her like steel bands as he crushed her mouth against his. His hands dove past her waistband, kneading the rounded flesh and steadily moving her backwards. The back of her knees hit the edge of the bed as he drug his palms up, taking her shirt and everything else with it. He paused in his assault on her lips only to rip the clothes over her head. Her own hands had pulled the material of his under armor from the confines of his trousers, then proceeded to explore the hard, silky plains of his chest, marveling at the feel of corded muscle clenching under her touch.
Impatiently, he pulled the mesh over up and off. Ellie traced delicate patterns across his abdomen, leaning into him to enjoy the delicious feel of his bare skin against hers. His lips gentled on hers then, their kisses becoming less frenzied and more languid. One blended into another, and another, until she couldn't be certain where one ended and another began. Corso slid one large hand up her spine, fisting in her hair as she found the last clasp to his lower armor, the plate landing on the floor with a thunk. She hooked her thumbs and eased them down his hips, breaking from him to softly press her mouth in other, tempting places. He hummed his approval as she straightened, his eyes roving over her body as she rid herself of her own pants with a lazy smile.
Shimmying, material pooled at her feet and she stepped out of her boots. She watched his face as she shed the last of her clothes, a heated look in his gaze as his hands started to travel from her shoulders, dipping into the valley between her breasts, down the flat expanse of her stomach, and lower. She stepped closer to him, closing her eyes and tilting her head as his lips found their way back to her neck. Then the calloused pads of his fingers were teasing at the tiny bundle of nerves that sent bolts of electricity through every nerve of her body.
Ellie moaned, her hips moving of their own violation as Corso gently tipped her back across the bed, his thumb applying a soft, circling pressure as another finger dipped into the slick heat of her folds. He raised his head from where his mouth had been worshipping her.
"Ellie, I-I can't-"
She cut him off as her fingers stroked his straining erection firmly through the confines of his trousers, making him take in a hiss of breath through clenched teeth.
"Don't have to," she murmured.
He left her and she immediately missed his warmth, but forgave him when he returned, fully, wonderfully naked against her, his mouth covering hers and his desire for her pressing insistently against her inner thigh.
"Have I done enough work-Captain?" he asked between bone-melting kisses.
Ellie shifted, wrapping her legs around his waist and angling her hips upwards to slip him inside her in a dexterous response. Corso moaned against hers lips, bracing on his forearms above and she relished the hard, thick feel of him, clenching her walls and causing him to make a strangled sound. Breaking away from her, he buried his face in the crook of her neck as her fingernails dug into the flesh of his broad shoulders.
"Most assuredly," she whispered, tilting her hips insistently.
"Just-just gimme a sec, Ellie, or I'm not going to last," he requested into her skin and she relented, stilling her body despite what her instincts were telling her.
Finally, he begain to move, slowly pulling back his hips before thrusting forward powerfully. It was like unleashing a shockwave through her and Ellie couldn't keep the low moan from escaping past her lips. Heat was prickling over her skin, sweat slickening her skin so that his slid against hers. The twin frictions were maddening, widening the pleasurable ripples from within her core further, encompassing her senses as Corso's kisses began to echo the motion of his hips. It was a rhythm as old as the stars, her heart beating in time and she dimly noted somewhere in the haze that had settled over her that his matched. Every thrust felt deeper, every motion increasing in intensity till she thought she might very well lose herself in the sensation.
"Corso, please," she pleaded, and he seemed to know what she was asking for without her having to complete asking.
Then his fingers were applying just the right amount of pressure to the sweet bundle just above her center and his hips were surging to rub against that spot deep inside her. Her climax engulfed her, scorching away everything except the encroaching waves of heat and sensation that echoed through her. Her body undulated, writhed, beneath his and it broke the last vestiage of his control. He slammed into her, his hips bucking hard and fast against her. The crescent of the next orgasm was more forceful, felt clear down to her toes as Corso rocked into her. Grunting out her name, he released inside her, his entire body going rigid as he pulsed within her.
Ellie very nearly purred as he rolled to her side and she turned to curl around him, entangling her legs with his as his fingers tiredly lifted to caress her cheek.
"Helluva thank you. I'll have to make it a habit of hiding your guns so I can find them for you later," she teased softly, her voice steadier than she had thought it would be.
He laughed, a low, rich sound that made her smile widen into a grin.
"Why do I think you're goin' to do just that, Captain?"
Her eyes were dancing impishly.
"Because you know me."
He sobered then, his thumb brushing across her swollen lips.
"I think I do."
Ellie's brows rose.
"Better than anyone," she chided quietly.
He nodded then bit his lip, a hesitant look creeping into his brown eyes.
"Ellie, do you think-"
She knew that look and she quickly moved to straddle him, crossing her arms on his chest and propping her chin there.
"Do not regret this, Corso. I don't, and unless you want it to be, I'm not going to consider what's between us as a romp in the back room," she leaned down and kissed him quickly, pouring into it what she could before lifting her head again.
He was quiet for a while and she shifted so that she could lay her cheek over his heart, listening to the comforting sound of his heartbeat as his hands rose to lightly stroke the skin of her spine, his thumbs stroking along the curves of her sides. When he spoke again, his tone was light.
"I reckon I do know how to thank a woman."
She sat up swiftly and swatted at him, her eyes twinkling as her brow arched.
"Perhaps so, but I think it's far more likely that I just inspire an overhwhelming sense of-" she searched for the right word, before she smirked mischieviously, "gratitude."
He chuckled.
"Gratitude, huh?"
"Among other things," she replied, leaning down to whisper in his ear.
His eyes widened, then darkened as she teasingly tapped her fingertips against his chest, his hands ceasing their idle exploration. He let out a strangled sound, his cheeks flushing.
"Torchy, I think I'm in trouble."