Taz grabbed her gun, and strode confidently down the dim hallway. Looking left and right, she scanned the walls of the hallway, looking at the pictures of past and current Starship Rangers. Her eyes lingered on Commander Up's photo.
"You know you like him, you bitch. Just tell him." She thought.
Taz shook her head, and continued walking, this time her mind filled with thoughts of her Commander. She pushed past the heavy doors, and squinted into the bright light of day. Her breath greeted her, a cloud of fog in the otherwise crystal clear air.
She was going home. Or what was left of it. Not much of a home anymore, the robots had made sure of that. She shivered at the thought of the cruel, soulless beasts.
"Hey. You… okay?" A voice wavered behind her. A voice usually filled with confidence, one she was very familiar with
She turned her head slowly around, and her own brown eyes meeting the ocean blue eyes of her Commander.
"Of course I'm fine. You think I'm soft?" Taz asked in her usual semi-psychotic tone.
"No I just-" Up paused, lost in thought.
Taz was confused. She tried denying her feelings for the man, there were too many things between them; Age, injuries, Ranger Rules. She was a child compared to him. She was…
Lost in thought. That's what she was.
"Watcha thinking 'bout?" Up asked, a smirk crossing his face. He chuckled lightly at the Lieutenant.
There were a few things Taz hated in this world: The growing feelings she had for Up, Softies, Robots, and being made fun of.
She scrunched her eyes shut.
"Don't punch him in the face. Don't punch him in the face." She thought.
Her tiny hands balled into fists. She was going to punch him.
Taz still had her eyes closed, but she raised her hands to shoulder height, preparing to slug the man. All of a sudden there was something under her hands.
She opened up her eyes, only to find Up staring lovingly into hers, his face only inches away from her own.
"What? I-" Taz started. She was confused, again. Why were men so confusing?
"Welcome home." Up whispered.
It was when he said those two words when Taz became fully aware of her emotions. She didn't just like the Commander, and she had been hiding it for far too long. It was him that saved her at her Quinceañera him that saved her from bullies, him that formed her into the young, badass woman she was today.
She was in love. It went against everything she was, but, Taz was one for rebellion.
She could have swore. She could've punched him for being in her space and for making fun of her. She could get out her gun and blast this son-of-a-bitch all the way to Farm Planet. But love makes you do crazy things.
That's why she didn't hesitate to lean in and kiss him.