The next 'morning', Zavvi surfaced from sleep first, her eyes opening slowly and taking in the fact that there was a warm, softly snoring body next to hers. Having woken up like this before it didn't faze her too much, but the feeling of utter contentment and relaxation was a new one. She realized one of Corso's arms was still around her from when they'd turned in for the night, and she was surprised that it hadn't gone to sleep itself, though she figured he must have moved it occasionally whilst the both of them were still slumbering. That was a thought; for a farm boy, he certainly was sleeping in. I must have worn him out last night. She thought. I'm sure he'll last longer once he gets used to it.

That triggered an important thought, and Zavvi glanced at Corso briefly, checking that he was deeply asleep before she reached over to her bedside table, trying not to shift too much to wake him, as he looked so sweet. He wasn't snoring too loudly either, despite Risha's complaints to the contrary. Maybe she'd just been lucky. Pulling open the drawer, she gently hooked out a med scanner, switching it on. Though there was one in the med bay, she always kept one in her room as a spare, just in case. She switched it on, glad she'd turned its settings to 'silent', and subtly scanned Corso. After a couple of seconds she checked it, smiling. Aside from a flu virus being ripped to death by his immune system he was clean. The Twi'lek should have expected that someone like Corso wouldn't have any STIs, but it never hurt to check, especially after her sister had given her a lecture a year or two ago about some people being carriers of a disease but never suffering from it themselves. She was sure the Jedi was trying to make sure she stayed healthy, but at the time it had been something akin to a horror story.

That said, she had checked herself regularly to make sure nothing turned up. Nothing worse than spreading Bothan Nether Rot; she smirked as she remembered how the slicer Kixi had manipulated Skavak's profile to include that as an affliction. Needless to say, the thief wasn't too pleased about it. Well, if he was going to steal her ship and hurt her crew, he deserved it.

She was roused from her thoughts as she felt Corso shift next to her, rolling onto his side and pulling her into him, their noses brushing. His brown eyes opened slowly, warm yet still a little bit tired, and he smiled as he saw her.
"G'morning gorgeous." He rumbled deeply. "You sleep well?" Zavvi smiled back, gently stroking his cheek.
"Yeah, I did, handsome." She replied. "I assuming you did as well?"
"Mmmhmm..." He hummed, pulling her a little closer to him. He smelt of faint traces of gun oil and blaster ash, and something else, like spices but not, something that she couldn't identify. "My life'd be about perfect if I could stay right here forever..." He murmured softly, yet somehow intensely, his eyes affecting a serious look. "I won't let anyone hurt you again." He said, idly tracing one of her cheek tattoos.
As tender and gentle as the moment was, the smuggler couldn't help but try to ruin it, despite the part of her that wanted this assurance of his protection.
"Just because you like watching my rear doesn't mean I can't still kick yours, Corso." She said, with a little smirk. Corso seemed to perk up immediately to that, propping himself up on one arm.
"I doubt that a moment, Captain. I mean, havin' seen you fight, I think I'd be an idiot to get in your way." He grinned. "But there's things a man's gotta do, and one is to keep his lady safe. Even if she could blast him to component atoms." The grin became a smirk. "The other's this..."

And with that he kissed her, licking against her lips as he did so. Zavvi was surprised that he was ready for more so soon, but she wasn't about to stop him if he wanted her. She kissed back, deciding to tease him by not opening her mouth, seeing if she could spark something more from him. He growled in response to her teasing, and rolled on top of her, but not before running a hand carefully over the back of her head to make sure he didn't crush her tender lekku with their combined weight. Luckily they'd found their way up over her pillow, resting in the gap between the pillow and the headboard, but even so, she appreciated the care Corso took to make sure she wasn't hurt.
He nipped hungrily at her lips, and Zavvi grinned as she managed to push him back, taking in his slightly annoyed look.
"Are you teasin' me, Captain?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. She giggled at him.
"Don't you have better things to do with your mouth than all this yapping?" She asked with a smirk, and she noticed his focus sharpen on her, and shiver ran down her spine.
"Like this?" He asked, no, almost purred, and he lowered his head down to her breasts, running his tongue up the curve to her nipple. The smuggler sighed with contentment, arching her back slightly.

However, Corso decided to tease her as she'd done to him, and began to slowly move down her body, not heeding the Twi'lek's soft whimper for more. He silently promised he'd give her more of what she wanted, but only on his terms...
He squirmed into place between her legs, gently nudging them apart and relishing the shiver Zavvi affected in anticipation. He ran a finger over her, enjoying the almost power he had over her, teasing her slowly. He took a deep breath and lowered his head, running his tongue over her and feeling a jolt to his loins as she gasped, arching her back. Of course, this only encouraged him to continue, sweeping his tongue over her and concentrating on her nub when he found it again, revelling in the gasps, moans and writhes he was drawing out of her.

Zavvi came with a gasp, her mind having a brief second to think hey, I could get used to this before the wave of pleasure washed over her. A slight jab with her knee told Corso to stop and let her nerves calm down, the Mantellian shifting back up to her, licking his lips.
"Mmm, fun..." He mused, and the smuggler chuckled breathlessly.
"Well, that is a much better use of your mouth..." She admitted, grinning. She glanced to the side and noticed the wine bottle on the bedside table, untouched. "Oh, look what we forgot about..." She picked up the bottle to show Corso, who chuckled.
"I think we were too distracted, Captain." He said, grinning at her.
"I'm of the opinion it was an excuse to get into bed with me." Zavvi commented, chuckling as Corso's feathers were predictably ruffled.
"It wasn't! I just, well..." He shifted slightly, and there was a brief hesitation. "I did want to sleep with you, Captain. But I wasn't try'na get you drunk or anything, I just..."

Zavvi shifted closer to him, resting a hand on his chest.
"I never said you were, Corso." She smiled. "The wine was because it was gonna be special, right? As a celebration?"
"Yeah." He replied, with a blush. "I've never, you know..." Zavvi played with his hair.
"I thought as much. Don't worry, you're just safe with me..." She said, kissing his nose. "Everyone's gonna learn sometime, right? And better that it's with me than someone who's gonna laugh at ya."
"Yeah." He smiled back, a twinkle in his eyes. "But I don't want any other lady but you, Captain."

Zavvi blushed, looking away. The thought she had last night came back, and that comment was a little bit close to the skin for right now.
"There aren't many men like you, Corso." She murmured softly, reaching for her headband and gathering her lekku, replacing it on her head. That was as clear as a dismissal that Corso had ever seen, and so he dropped the subject, and shifted over to the edge of the bed, surveying the floor. He blushed as he saw that their clothes were scattered over the room, and the thought came to him that he'd need to go back to the crew's quarters to get changed. That meant getting past Risha at least once, and Corso winced; he couldn't even to begin to imagine the teasing that would been inflicted on him and he sighed through his nose.

Zavvi heard this sigh and figured what he was worrying about, and smiled. She could help him with that little problem. Zavvi slipped out of bed, feeling Corso's eyes being drawn to her and tracing her form, so she made sure to take her time, to let him look his fill. It was strange...She would feel uncomfortable with the leers of others, yet somehow the mercenary's gaze was acceptable, and even desirable. She pushed the thought aside as she picked up her 'dressing gown' and wrapped it around her, looking over her shoulder as the young man moved over to join her, but not before slipping his boxer shorts back on.

"Get your stuff back on, Corso, and I'll check that you're clear." The Twi'lek said, before she grinned. "Oh, and if Risha teases you, remind her that you slept with her boss. Should be enough to shut her up." She giggled as he blushed at that.
"Ah, I'll try to remember that, Captain." He replied, doing he was told.
As soon as he was decent, Zavvi tinkered with the door, sliding it open a couple of inches and peeking her head out and listening intently as well as looking up and down the curving corridor. She could hear movement in the galley nearby, so Corso would have to cross the gauntlet if he went the shortest way.
She leaned back into the room, opening the door all the way for him.
"Go the long way, farm boy. They're probably in the galley." She said, and he nodded.
"Thanks, Captain." He said, pausing only gently touch his head to hers in a gesture that made the smuggler's heart skip. He quickly hurried out and Zavvi watched him go appreciatively, noting to herself that she must tell him how nice his backside looked...

"So, Captain, sounds like you two had a good time together..." Risha grinned, Zavvi rolling her eyes. As soon as the captain had been up, showered and dressed, she had been wanting to chat to her, and it didn't take the Twi'lek two shakes to work out what the mechanic wanted to talk about. After keeping her waiting through breakfast and then for C2 to make Zavvi a cup of Alderaanian tea, the two women sat down in the main room, the Twi'lek on the couch and the older woman on a chair. Corso was busy tinkering with his weapons (especially Sergeant Boom Boom thanks to the trip on Balmorra), whilst Bowdaar and Akaavi were spending time training together, so they were free to discuss it without being overheard, though Zavvi figured that only Corso would care about it.

"You could say that, yeah." The smuggler grinned, sipping her tea. Risha chuckled, leaning back against the chair.
"So, tell me about it, Captain. Good, bad, average?" Her eyes flashed deviously. "Oh wait, this is the farm boy we're talking about. Did he even know what to do?"
"He wasn't useless, Rish!" Zavvi snorted. "Just inexperienced. It's gonna take a while for him to learn all the ropes, but, well..." She blushed. "He's a quick learner, I must say."
"Oh, so was that why you were kicking off this morning?" The mechanic grinned. "Why, I didn't think our gentle ronto herder was capable of that..." Zavvi blushed harder.
"Hey, give him some credit! He's, well...Pretty good at it, actually..." The Twi'lek mumbled, twirling her foot around the metal floor. Risha's brows raised.
"Really? Now that is a surprise..." Then she grinned devilishly. "Say, Zavvi, how...well endowed was he?"
Zavvi paused a little while, to annoy her a little.
"You know the phrase that it's always the ones you least expect? Rings true for Corso. He's nothing special, sure, but he's..." She grinned, Risha looking impressed.
"Colour me shocked. I guess they grow them big out in the Outer Rim..."
"Rish, Ord Mantell is a Core World!" Zavvi retorted, laughing.
"I know that! But the way he acts, he could be off the Outer Rim for all we know." The princess said, grinning.

Zavvi drank some more tea, and her mind swirled onto another topic, namely the realization she'd had the night before. The realization she loved that same farm boy they were talking about. She didn't really know how to take such a thought, having never loved and opened her heart up to any man before. It seemed such a big leap from dating to being...lovers.
As a silence fell between the two women, Risha became curious as to Zavvi's withdrawal into herself, sensing something was amiss.
"You alright, Captain?" She asked. The Twi'lek blinked hard, and shook her head slightly as if to clear it.
"Yeah, yeah..." She pulled a face, rubbing her ear and looking from side to side, checking the room. "Listen, Rish, could you keep a secret? I mean, I proper secret that you can't just blab around."
"You can trust me, Captain. I promise." Risha nodded seriously, though she was extremely intrigued now about it. She might not be completely truthful about keeping the secret, but she'd make sure only people she really trusted heard. Namely, only herself. And maybe Bowdaar. But the captain didn't need to know that.

Zavvi sighed.
"Look, Risha, this seems so silly, but..." A pause. "Force, this is harder to say than I thought."
"Come on Captain, it can't be that bad. I hid the fact that I was the heir to the throne of Dubrillion and my father was Nok Drayen from you, and you were completely alright with that, so I don't see what's worse than that."
"I've fallen in love with Corso Riggs." Zavvi blurted out.
A brief silence fell, the smuggler looking very nervous and the mechanic's expression being general incomprehensible. After a few minutes Risha looked at the younger woman and said;
"Took you long enough." The Twi'lek's eyebrows shot up so quickly the older woman thought they were going to fly off her head.
"What?! You mean you- huh?" Zavvi managed, making Risha chuckle at her loss for words.
"Okay, confession time, you know you went out with Corso on Nar Shaddaa after you found the treasure? Well, me and Bowdaar followed you two and I maybe sliced the security cameras and saw you two dancing." She said smugly, watching a great big blush blooming over the captain's features so intense it turned her light blue skin purple. "And that, along with how you two act around each other anyway kinda screams that you two are into each other, don't you think? I think I'm more surprised you didn't realize sooner."
"I know, but..." Zavvi ran her hands over her thighs. "I didn't want us to be used against each other, you know? I didn't want to be hurt..."
"I get that, and that's fair." Risha nodded. "But if you ask me, there are a lot worse than Corso. He's backwards, but I doubt he's going to cheat on you or anything."
"I know, but what it's only a phase? I don't want to break his heart or hurt his feelings or-"
"Zavvi, I don't think you will. Look, he loves you, you love him; what's the problem? He's not going to cheat on you or run off or do anything on purpose to hurt you, and you could die tomorrow. Why not enjoy yourself now?" She smiled. "Look, you put up with him when he's obviously never slept with a woman and you taught him what to do, so you must feel something for him! Besides," a smirk, "you two are sickeningly adorable together."

"Risha!" Zavvi cried, much to the mechanic's amusement. She scowled slightly. "Doesn't make telling him any easier, though."
"Well, I can't help you there, Captain." Risha shrugged. "That's your problem. I guess you could just wait, though. I'm sure Corso's either going to burst or tell you he feels for you at some point."
The Twi'lek didn't look convinced, scuffing her foot against the floor.
"I guess...But I feel that I should tell him, before something happens..." She murmured. Risha got up with a nonchalant shrug.
"Well, like I said, Captain, that's in your hands. But I think you should." The princess said before she walked off to probably check the sublight engines and other parts of the Skylark were in working order.

Zavvi sat for a few moments, pondering this for quite a while and drinking her tea as she did. It took her to the bottom of her cup to finally get the thought that she should find Corso and tell him of her feelings for him and get it over with right now. Setting her cup to the side for C2 to deal with later, she got up and went to where she assumed Corso would be; namely, the cargo hold. She wandered over there, noticing Bowdaar getting himself a drink from the galley from the corner of her eye, before standing in the entrance to the hold, watching the mercenary tending to his weaponry.

He talked to them as if they were his children; praising them, making concerned noises at any dirt or grime or damage he found on their parts and even chiding them if a certain part wouldn't slot in properly or somehow misbehaved. It was laughable, but it was undeniably 'Corso', and Zavvi found herself smiling as she watched, observing his skill, and also his form, the way his dreadlocks were tied up again and remembering what they looked like down, how he looked in a shirt and how his muscles danced under his skin and a multitude of other things. She must have zoned out, as the next thing she remembered was Corso asking;
"Captain? You alright?" He looked curiously at her, with an ounce of concern in his deep brown eyes. She shook her head slightly to wake herself up.
"No, I'm fine, Cor." She replied, eyes widening as her nickname for him slipped from her lips before she could stop it. He blushed at it, but bless him, he took it in his stride. "I just wanted to...to..." Zavvi tried to say those three words, but somehow they wouldn't come. "I wanted to..." What's wrong with me?! Why can't I say it to him?! She inwardly cursed.
Corso's brows dipped slightly at her stumbling, which was when she realized that she wasn't going to get it out of her and she quickly fought for a Plan Besh. The fact she'd been watching him repair his weapons came to the rescue.

"I wanted to...I wanted for you to have a look at Flashy and Sparkles. I mean, you're doing all of your own stuff and they were originally yours, so I thought that maybe...Maybe you should be the one to have a look at them." She said, trying for a smile and hoping it wasn't too wobbly.
His slight frown remained for a few seconds before the tension released, and he smiled back.
"Sure, I'd be happy to have a look at them, Captain." He nodded, taking the blasters from her. "But they are yours, Captain. I may've looked afta them a while, but I gave them to you, so they're all yours." Suddenly his eyes flashed with excitement. "Hey, maybe I could show you the finer points of how to look after them! I mean, you don't neglect them or anythin', far from it, but if I show you some of their little quirks you wouldn't have to keep givin' them to me to look after." He looked hopefully up at her, looking more like a mischievous boy than the grown man he was. Zavvi smiled, unable to resist his enthusiasm.
"I'd be more than happy if you showed me." She said, taking a chair from the side and moving it to sit beside him at the workbench, who politely shifted to the side to allow her more room. "But you know, Corso, you're the best weapons guy on this ship except for maybe Akaavi. I'd still give them to you because I trust you to get the best results and fix guns I'd think were busted completely." She told him, the Mantellian's eyes widening.
"You, you really think so?" He said, a timbre of awe in his tone.
"Yeah, I do." The Twi'lek nodded. "Besides, I'd only trust you in teaching me my way around blaster maintenance anyway."

There was a brief pause from Corso, before he smiled, one that warmed the smuggler's heart and even made it skip a beat or two.
"Thank you, Captain." He replied. "I know you don't say these things lightly." Then his smile became a grin, and he immediately launched into teaching Zavvi the intricacies of her two weapons. Though she did try to pay attention to what he was telling her, at some point her focus tuned out, and rather than listen to the content of his voice, she just listened to his voice itself. The drawl that carried his words and rolled out certain ones like waves, the deepness of it somehow making her feel a little bit drowsy. She wasn't sure how it happened, but she found herself leaning against him, not remembering the action of shifting her chair closer to him (or had he come to her?).

And she certainly didn't remember him putting his arm around her either, but for some reason it felt right, curled around her waist, and she left it there, watching him work and listening to his voice, not minding if he was explaining the most boring thing in the galaxy to her. She only wanted the mercenary to keep talking, to which he was only to happy to oblige.

They didn't notice the wookie pass by the door and pause, seeing them there. He chuffed softly with amusement, the couple too engrossed in each other to notice, and walked off, wondering what Risha had to tell him...