A/N: WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! PURE, UNASHAMED FLUFF AHEAD! PURE, UNASHAMED FLUFF AHEAD! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! But ignore the cheesiness and enjoy! If you dare.
DISCLAIMER: Seriously, if I owned this, these two would have an entire universe centered around them. There is no universe, so safe to say I don't own it. X(
Jango stumbled from the cockpit of the ship, and winced with the pain that shot up his side with movement. Bruised and beaten, at least he was still alive.
This bounty had been especially difficult. An Ithorian by the name of 'Four-Throats' L'Toph. 'Four-Throats' L'Toph and all his gang. Not particularly good shots, but when there were enough of 'em, he was bound to get hit every once in a while.
Not for the first time, Jango felt a twinge of pain and caught himself wishing he had brought Zam along. Sure, she was reckless, stubborn, and sometimes annoying, but she was a pretty good shot, a fine pilot, and she sure knew how to fight hand-to-hand. He used to think he worked best alone, but he had to hand it to her, Zam had intricately made herself the one he wanted watching his back in a fire-fight.
Plus, she was smart.
And tough.
And pretty.
And he may or may-not have…feelings for her.
And in that last statement lay the true reason Jango had neglected to inform his partner about this most recent mission. He hadn't even told Boba about the mission so that Zam wouldn't find out. Jango had known it was going to be hard, and he hadn't wanted to put Zam in harm's way.
I guess I really must care for her. I've never thought that way about anyone. Except my son.
He shook his head with a slight snarl and passed off the frustrating thoughts as the result of numerous cuts, burns, and bruises. It would be better when he could get to his own quarters, treat his wounds, and sleep most of the pain off. He wondered vaguely if Taun We had already put Boba to bed.
Pain fuzzed the world around him. As he lurched from the hold of the Slave I into the torrential downpour that was Kamino, he hardly noticed the tiny starfighter that shared the landing pad.
Rain pounding his helmet, Jango turned back to his ship and began to gather the cargo as best he could. Lifting the bag was difficult, but he was nothing if not disciplined to ignore the pain. He just had to make it a few meters to the base door, and then he could drop everything and rest.
So when he looked up towards said door to find something obstructing it, he blinked.
The door was open. White light streamed from inside the immaculate lab, silhouetting a tall, thin, human figure, immobile in the doorway.
Jango froze. He stared at the shadow, muddled mind attempting to determine threat or friend. He was in no condition to fight, but if need be he would not hesitate to kill the creature. How had it gotten in the base? Was Boba alright?
Jango's pulse jumped with the images that flashed through his mind. Nothing cut through pain like someone threatening his son.
He needn't have worried.
For when the human made the first movement and began to run towards him with all the speed it could muster, it passed under one of the many lights illuminating the landing pad.
And at the unforgettable face, practically every muscle in Jango's body melted with relief.
Soaked to the skin, as house clothes were much less waterproof than her usual purple suit, Zam Wesell streaked across the landing pad in record time.
Jango had barely enough time to drop the cargo and brace himself before the changeling charged into him with all the force of a bantha stampede.
"Ow! Zam, ow!"
"Shut up! I don't want to hear anything out of you!"
Her arms were strangling him, and her wisteria scent made it hard to think. "Zam, it hurts! Ow!"
"Yeah? Well, it should hurt! How could you do that? Just up and run off to a deadly mission without telling at least Boba. Without telling me!"
But her arms obediently lessened their grip. With pain at a minimum, Jango could finally breathe and realize that she was…holding him.
"I was in the Outlanders' Club when I heard about the job. I knew you'd be the first to take it, so I came here as fast as I could. But you'd already left."
Her hands were warm, despite the chilling rain. They found the back of his neck under his helmet and stayed there, fingertips secured in the skin as though clinging for dear life.
"I asked Taun We where you were, praying that you hadn't gone alone. She suggested I look in your room. When you weren't there, I knew I was too late. And then Boba…"
She choked. Jango hesitantly folded an arm around her waist. The armor was cold, hard, and wet, but for some reason, Zam didn't seem to notice. She continued to mumble into his neck.
"Boba came out, said hi, and asked if I knew where you were. He said he had searched the whole base but hadn't seen you. He wanted to try out the hoverboard, and wanted your permission."
He didn't know why she was telling him all this, but he didn't mind. The warmth of her body slid through the crevices and cracks of his armor and warmed his skin, while the chilling rain pounded on his back.
"Gods above, Jango," she finished, hiccupping softly into the area between his helmet and shoulder. Her arms held him so close he was sure that thumping was her heart beating against his chest. "I was so scared."
It was funny, how the pain just vanished the further her warmth permeated his body. He loved the feel of it. He caught himself wishing it would never leave.
Warmth all around him. Warmth inside him. Let it rain an arctic ocean if it wanted to, he was too warm to care.
Gently, he slid a gloved hand up the back of Zam's neck, and buried the fingers in her thoroughly soaked blonde hair. He wondered if he should say something. But he didn't have anything to say. The only noise was her soft sobbing into his skin, and the rain hammering the landing pad.
And then her gentle whisper, so low it was barely there:
"I love you."
His heart stopped. His breath stopped. He froze.
And she froze. As though she had just let slip the secret of universal destruction, Zam backed away, green eyes enormous. Warm fingers wrenched away from his skin, and flew to pink lips, in a futile attempt to swallow those three words.
Jango stared at her as though seeing her for the first time. Arms she had abandoned were limp at his sides. "Wh…What?"
She said nothing. Just stared at him, fingers chaining lips together, refusing further slip-ups. Raindrops plastered her short hair to her head, and fell into the vulnerable eyes that refused to blink.
Slowly, like she was a spooked animal, Jango removed his helmet and let it drop to the ground. The clunk made Zam flinch, but Jango ignored it. His heart still hadn't restarted.
"Zam, what did you say?"
She closed her eyes and shook her head, sending drops of water scattering. Her fingers still locked together over her lips.
"Zam."
"No, Jango," she interrupted with a fierceness that would have shocked him had his brain been functioning properly. "I shouldn't have said it, please don't make me repeat it."
"Zam."
"It's…ridiculous, and foolish, and unprofessional, and a whole more list of adjectives that elude me at the moment," she continued, shaking her head till water droplets shot outwards like bullets. "I won't say it again, and I'm sorry I did."
"Zam."
"Jango, please…"
He crossed the few feet that separated them in one stride, obviously stunning her. Before she could back away, he raised both gloved hands and touched her cheeks.
She blinked a few times, caught in his gaze like a bird. Green eyes stared into deep brown, locked, unable to look away. He wondered if she had stopped breathing. He hadn't breathed since she had whispered.
"Zam."
Her breath hitched audibly. The noise made all sorts of electric tingles shoot through his limbs.
Her face was so close to his that he felt the warmth again. From his palms and his forehead, it was slowly retaking ground.
"What did you say?"
He watched her struggle. The rain had been able to wash away the tears from before, but it could do nothing to hide the fear, the sheer vulnerability in her eyes.
Her eyes flitted over his face. He wondered what she saw. A soaked, battle scarred, rugged man, lined and creased before his time. The cold, unemotional, heartless bounty hunter she first met on Oovo IV all those years ago. More?
His heart still hadn't restarted.
And then she gave up. Staring through his eyes, she whispered again, with the smallest hint of a sheepish smile:
"I love you."
And his heart restarted. And raced.
If a star had exploded in his chest, such warmth would not have existed such as this. He almost fell over. Only his hands on her cheeks kept him from doing so.
Cheeks that were rapidly reddening. Jango couldn't help it. He smiled. He smiled the widest he had ever smiled. He grinned.
She loved him.
Zam frowned in disapproval. "For the love of the gods, Jango, say something."
He almost couldn't believe it. "You love me."
Zam's blush deepened. "Yes, we've already established that, Fett."
The rain had drenched both of them to the core. He couldn't care less. "You love me."
"I know. I've said that, haven't I?"
He lowered his forehead to hers, bringing her closer, so close maybe she could feel the obnoxious amount of warmth surging through his veins. Her lips suddenly caught his gaze, and held it fast. "You love me."
"Like nothing else in the universe, Jango! What more do you want me to—mff!"
His lips interrupted as they crashed into hers with all the force they could muster.
Jango had felt her mouth before, once, on his cheek after the job on Coruscant. He hadn't realized quite how much his body had been craving another touch.
Burning flew through his nerves, lips down. The warmth swamped him, enveloped him, dragged him down into the depthless bottom. He didn't fight.
His hands couldn't stay on her face or they'd break it. They wrapped around her back, crushing her form so close each shiver of her skin shot fire across his chest. Her feet weren't touching the ground.
The rain still fell, each suddenly happy tinkle serving only to cool the heat. Did he imagine the rising steam?
His eyes shot open in surprise when Zam delicately bit his bottom lip, begging for entrance. But he couldn't have refused if he wanted. With a sigh that helped ease the ache in his swelling chest, he parted his lips.
As she entered, her hands tangled in his hair and drew him closer. She was swallowing him, every inch. Or maybe she already had.
Her tongue challenged his as it entered, and he replied, wrestling with her in a brief battle for dominance. He won easily, and swept inside her wisteria mouth to claim his spoils.
She broke away first, gasping for air. "Jango…"
"Hush." Judging she had gained sufficient air supply, he continued his assault, forcing her around and slamming her roughly against the hull of the ship.
She murmured into his mouth, "How long…?"
"Vosa's moon," he responded. But it wasn't true. "No, earlier. But then you betrayed me."
She gave what must have been a breathy laugh before gasping. Jango had given into the begging of her long, wet neck for attention.
"You?" he muttered against her skin as he tasted every raindrop.
"Malastare," she whispered. "I talked to Roz. But probably Oovo IV."
His hands flew over every inch of her back, but still left something to be hungered. He realized it was the clothes.
"Jango, let's go inside."
"I love you," was his answer. He thought the rusty words would be clumsy and awkward coming from him, but they felt so natural it was almost scary. "Stay out here with me."
"Boba's been looking for you."
"He can wait."
"Jango!"
"What?"
Zam looked down at him in amusement as he finally wrenched his lips away from her collarbone and frowned up at her. "He's your son."
"Zam, would you marry me if I asked you?"
Silence.
If Zam's eyes could get any wider, they would pop out of her head. "What?"
"I love you." The words tumbled out. It stunned him how easy it was to say. "And I have for ten years now. If that's not grounds for marriage I don't know what is."
"Jango…" Blinking the astonishment out of her eyes as best she could, Zam gaped. "Think of what you're saying. It's late. You're hurt and cold. You're not thinking straight."
"Maybe not, but would you?"
"Would I what?"
This stupid giddy smile refused to leave his face, and he half-answered and half-asked tenderly, "Marry me."
"Jango, why, for the love of all things good and holy, would someone like you want to marry someone like me?"
"What does that mean, Zam?"
"Well…" The flustered changeling stared at him as though he had gone completely insane. Maybe he had. "Jango, you're not the marrying type."
"I could be."
"And besides, we couldn't."
"Why not?"
"Well…well, because!"
"Because why?"
Zam stared down at him, cheeks bright red, mouth sputtering like a failing engine. Adorable. "W-Well, f-first there's our jobs."
"We quit. We have enough money for a handful of lifetimes. Next reason."
Stunned at the swift dismissal of what she had been sure would spell victory, Zam floundered. "W-Well, then there's Boba."
"That's not a reason and you know it," Jango scoffed with a tender smile. "And he'd loves you like a mother already. Next reason."
"The war."
"Who cares?"
"Our enemies."
"Please."
"I'm not human."
"Yes. I know. Next reason, if you can think of one."
Her mouth opened and closed a few times, like a fish out of water. Jango smirked a triumphant smile, his eyes sparkling. "If you're through…?"
"You mean it, don't you?"
"Zam," he murmured softly, taking her cheeks in both of his gloved hands. "If I asked you, would you marry me?"
The poor changeling was turning all sorts of red colors. "I swear, Fett, if you make a fool out of me…"
"I'm asking you truly." He brought his forehead down to hers, and relished the taste of her breath on his lips. "Would you?"
She bit her bottom lip in nervousness, and he held his breath. The only noise was the downpour.
He was ready to explode when she said, "I'll answer only if you promise not to ask me right now."
He nodded, holding her face tighter. He had faced down countless monsters, innumerable thugs, and a seriously nasty dark Jedi without a thought—he asked a girl to marry him and he was a nervous wreck.
"Yes. I would say yes."
The rain falling on them increased ten-fold, but he didn't notice. Not all the rain in the universe could chill that warmth inside him.
And he kissed her like the world was falling down around their shoulders, murmuring with every breath, "I love you." The words felt so good.
He didn't know how they got inside the base. The obnoxious fluorescent lights glinted off the diamond rain on their skin as they continued, touching, exploring, falling.
She was beautiful. She was the most amazing thing in the universe, and he had been blind to not see it from the beginning.
Most of the base had gone to bed. It had to be close to two in the morning. Without letting go of this magnificent creature he had just discovered, Jango turned off the hall lights, plunging the space into pure, loving darkness.
Somehow they made it to the sitting room. He knew because Zam tripped backwards over an ottoman, and with a muffled yelp sprawled on the couch.
Before she had a chance to get comfy, Jango jerked her back to her feet and enveloped her once more. Every heartbeat, every gasp, every sigh blurred into a whirlwind of warmth.
They made it to his room, dark, pitch black.
The last thing he remembered was closing the door behind him, and somehow Zam's warm hands had begun to work at the clasps in his armor.
That's when everything swirled and blended into a pure sea of warmth.
He woke to the smell of wisteria, and the feeling of warmth in his arms. Without opening his eyes, he smiled, and drew the woman next to him further into his chest.
She mumbled, clearly still asleep, and adjusted her position, breathing softly and soundly.
Unable to resist, Jango opened his eyes a tiny bit. In the dim light, he made out her beautiful face, eyelashes fluttering as she dreamt. She should be resting in her natural Clawdite form, but had obviously trained herself to maintain human form even as she slept.
It felt so right. He wondered how long he had been wishing for this.
He buried his face in her neck, inhaling her scent as deeply as he could. Stars, this was heaven. He felt so good. So whole.
He wanted to punch himself in the nose for taking so long to realize it. All he needed had been right in front of him.
He was drifting back off to sleep. Clutching her tighter, relishing the feel of her blazing skin under his, Jango smiled again.
He wasn't going to ask her now, but someday, he would.
He could certainly get used to this.
FIN.
A/N: Argh! The CHEESE! *runs for fondue pot and bread* But, man, I tell you what, this was fun to write. If you thought it was moving a mite too fast, yeah, it was. But hey, ten years...Review!