Chapter Summary: One's a Sustained Jennerit spymistress, the other is a crazy defective clone. Together, they make for a good couple and she's gonna tell you readers why.

Notes: This is one of my OTPs for Battleborn. And it's a canon one! This was fun to write.

What really won me over for this was the fic Tango. Go read it, it's awesome.

Chapter 10: Deande

Deande couldn't say for certain when she first became interested in Whiskey. Maybe it was after reading his profile along with the other Rogues', and learning about his past, his will to survive.

Maybe it was when she first saw him in person, and there'd been something about him that made him more impressive than other battle-hardened men she had met before.

Maybe it had been when she'd introduced herself to the Rogues, and instead of shaking her offered hand, he'd gently taken it in his own and placed a kiss on the back of her hand. It'd been the first time he revealed there was more to him than what Reyna had chosen to reveal on the profile.

Whichever moment it was, she had become interested in him, and she slowly found reason to spend time with him. They sparred, went on missions (which she didn't plan, because the situation that allows them to know each other is not one where she can be selfish and risk the lives of others by doing so), had late night chats, and looked out for each other. Without really trying, they had started courting in ways that Jennerit society would find inappropriate, simply because it went against their own customs, and wasn't needlessly complicated and or lacking in emotion.

Whiskey was someone she could relax with, someone she could trust to save her if her strength failed, and who trusted her to save him if his did. He wasn't afraid to carry her to bed if she was overworking herself, and she would sit in a chair next to him in the medbay if it meant he stayed in bed like he was supposed to. Because it scared her when he was hurt bad enough at the end of a mission to be in there, and he spent too long having to look out for himself and worry about any doctors possibly turning him over for one reason or another to be good and stay put the first five time he was told.

She had been subjected to Jennerit courtship quite a few times before. Or rather, to attempts at it, as the would-be suitors only lasted until they realized that, no, they weren't making any progress with her. Anything they had done for her had been obviously planned as a way to further themselves, and thus was ultimately selfish. Whiskey did things just to try to make her happy and spend time with her.

He brought her flowers when he could, and learned to fold paper ones when it became difficult for him to find the time for that. He didn't quite understand why she insisted on keeping his early flowers, which weren't quite so neatly folded, but the effort and intentions made them perfect to her.

He brought her food when she couldn't take a break from work to go get it herself. He even brought her whatever gossip he heard to entertain her while she ate.

He took looking after Constable Cuddles seriously, even if she'd given him the job to spend time with him, he said he wanted her choice to be justified to the other Jennerit. And he was far more adorable with that pug than he had any right to be. Honestly, though, he can be adorable without him, too, such as when he was flustered.

If she wasn't feeling well (while rare, it did happen), he'd read something to her. he'd read as much as he needed until she relaxed enough to sleep, even if she did make herself stay awake for longer just so she could keep listening sometimes.

He told her pick-up lines with varying levels of cheesiness (even after they started dating), and came up with ridiculous nicknames, all just so she would roll her eyes and smile at them. It didn't even matter if she heard them before, he was willing to sound like a fool just so she would smile and laugh.

Sometimes, Whiskey would send her a message, telling her if he was going to sleep in his room, as an invitation to join him when she was done with whatever work she had for the day, or in her room, so that when she finally went to bed, her bed would already be warm and extra inviting.

He could make her feel like a teenager, something she hadn't been in centuries, and he had never really been. But it felt nice, watching horrible movies with him, or listening to him practice piano (occasionally being unfair to him by lounging on the piano in front of him, even if she wasn't wearing revealing clothing), or going on walks with him and Constable Cuddles.

There is a chance that some of the Jennerit under her have figured it out. She knows at least one guard does, having walked in on the two of them napping on a couch with the pug, and quite pointedly acted like he hadn't see anything odd at all. The younger Jennerit, it would seem, are more open-minded about other species.

In another world, in another life, they might be able to be together openly. Together, in world that isn't at risk from the Varelsi, and they can plan for a future.

But she's happy to have him in however she can. Whiskey Foxtrot is her badass, defective clone boyfriend, and Deande wouldn't have him any other way.

Notes:

I wonder if I should name that guard... eh, I'll get to it later.

I like to think that Deande and Whiskey are a cute couple... who we all know have healthy sex life. Reason I didn't talk about that is because... well, we already know about it. Maybe I'll do another fic about that in the future.

Whiksey doesn't really have a problem with medics... Beatrix just freaks him out, and she's the one actually in charge of the medbay.

The next chapter came to me in an interesting place, and so our fic will end with Foxtrot himself.

Comments are appreciated.