Tech runs for as long as he can, building up the momentum to make the jump to safety. The bridge begins to crumble beneath his feet, the stone and brick falling away, and he's forced to jump sooner than would have been ideal. He soars through the air, the cliffside coming closer and closer and closer and...not quite close enough. He misses the cliff by a metre. Panic seizes his body in a way it never had before as he starts to fall. Then a solid presence thumps into him and a strong arm wraps around his waist. "Don't go scaring us like that," Phee says. "You're too cute to die."
He blushes fiercely and loops his arms over Phee's shoulders to support his weight. "I assure you I did not mean to." There's not any time for more exchanging of words as the cliffside is rapidly approaching. Phee doesn't seem to struggle with his added weight even with only one arm holding onto the grapple the other still wrapped around his waist, and considering all of his armour and weapons he is not at all light, Tech has to admit it's quite attractive.
Their landing is not so graceful, his greater height means he hits the ground before she does but with the force and weight of both of them and it sends them tumbling. His clasp comes loose on his helmet and it falls off during the tumble but they finally come to a stop with Phee sprawled horizontally across his back. "Thank you for the rescue," he manages to say as he catches his breath.
"Anytime, handsome." Tech knows that there is a wink accompanying that statement and he finds himself smiling at it. Phee groans as she picks herself up and dusts herself off. "Not the smoothest landing but we made do. Are you ok?" She offers her hand to help him up.
"I believe so." He takes it. I would very much like to kiss you. His brain helpfully supplies when now is not at all an appropriate time for such thoughts. Phee's eyebrows shoot up in surprise and it's only then that Tech realises. "Did I say that out loud?" He slaps his hand over his mouth.
Phee laughs and it's the most beautiful sound Tech has ever heard. He's sure that thought stays in his head though. Phee steps up closer to him. "Well, Browneyes, I could be convinced to comply with that request." She teases, her finger finds his chin lifting his head so his gaze meets hers. Tech can't bring himself to break it. He swallows and notes that her eyes follow the line of his throat before settling back on his lips. "Though, it might not take much convincing." Her smile is bright and Tech finds himself speechless. It keeps happening around her, her presence seems to scramble his brain, and he can't say he dislikes it. "May I?" Her hand moves from his chin to lightly cup his cheek, eyes fixed back on his.
"Yes," he whispers in reply, afraid that if he speaks too loudly the moment will shatter.
Phee smiles and pushes up onto her tip toes so she can reach his lips. When their lips meet Tech's mind is quiet for the first time in his life ever. His lips tingle where they meet hers, his heart is beating so hard that it feels like it might beat out of his chest. The kiss is sweet, almost innocent in nature. Her hand remains on his face and his hands remain by his side, both of them are tentative and unsure despite Tech's knowledge of Phee's many previous romantic endeavours and his own much less expansive, but still existent, list of encounters.
Phee breaks the kiss and her feet are flat on the ground again, those precarious inches between them once more. Tech knows his cheeks are flushed red and he is breathless despite the kiss not being that long. He is comforted to see that Phee seems to be the same way. He watches as her eyes seem to sparkle and she watches him right back, they stay like that for a moment more before they're both going in for another kiss. This time they meet in the middle his head bowed to accommodate her more. Their hands move, his hands find her hips and he pulls her closer. One of her hands is braced on his chest the other on the back of his neck angling his head to deepen the kiss. His lips part under hers and a contented hum sounds from deep in his chest.
The sound of a cough from their left has them both jumping apart. Tech spins quickly to see who it is and standing there are his brothers and sister. Hunter has his hands over Omega's eyes but the girl is giggling anyway as she bats at Hunter's hands. "I already saw, Hunter."
"We came to see if you were both ok," Hunter says as his hands fall away from Omega's eyes. "We didn't think we'd be interrupting anything."
"Yes, well, as you can see, we are both perfectly safe," Tech says. Omega giggles again though she tries to hide it behind her hand, it doesn't work.
"Well, this has been fun boys and girls, but maybe we should be heading back." Phee grins, her cheeks are also flushed but she is very clearly not embarrassed at having been caught. Tech feels a little proud at having been the one to put it there but he is mostly very embarrassed at having been caught because he has three brothers and a sister who are going to pester and tease him about it. Phee winks at him before she walks off and Tech rubs the back of his neck as he looks between them all.
"Omega, go catch up with Phee." Hunter prompts and Omega salutes before running off in the direction Phee went.
"It's about time." Wrecker laughs and slings his arm around Tech's shoulders once Omega is out of earshot.
"I thought you'd never make a move, and I haven't even been back that long," Crosshair says, his usual gravelly drawl tinged with amusement, or Tech thinks it's amusement, he's never been good at deciphering tones.
"Oh, you're lucky." Hunter chuckles a low rumbling sound, one that they've been hearing more often as of late. "It's been torture watching him. I thought I'd have to take matters into my own hands and lock them in a cupboard or something."
"You know that wouldn't have worked on me."
"Yeah, you'd just have a panic attack from being in such a confined space."
"Or I'd come up with a way to get out."
"Most likely the panic attack," Hunter and Crosshair agree. Tech had really missed Crosshair up until this point, now he was beginning to reconsider. (That was a blatant lie, he was glad to have him back, even if it meant enduring this.)
"Then she'd have to rescue you. Again."
"I am perfectly capable of rescuing myself also, Wrecker. Though I was most definitely grateful for her rescue on this occasion."
"Yeah, we could all see how grateful you were."
Tech attempts to thwart the blush threatening to blotch his cheeks- "Oh, look, he's blushing again." Crosshair's nimble finger pokes at his cheek.
Tech bats him away and knew Crosshair was wearing that smug smirk of his behind his helmet. "I'm not going to hear the end of this, am I?"
Hunter places a hand on his shoulder. "Not for a long time."
He should feel annoyed at that, but he doesn't. In fact, the teasing he'll endure from his brothers will all be worth it for that kiss alone, and who knows maybe Phee will want to kiss him again, that would be very good indeed.