Downtime - Part 2
Hands slid over the plush curve of her hips, her tattooed fingers dragged down the planes of his muscled back and then back up to grip his shoulders. Her whole body felt hot. His mouth ghosted her neck, ragged breaths against her throat. Even that was enough to make her back arch against the hot, firm body that loomed over her. She was caged by him, his large, strong hands worshipping every pale inked inch of her skin. A shiver ran through her as she looked up.
Gold eyes glowed in the gloom.
Hungry.
Intense.
They looked through her into her mind, into her very soul and drew her desires roaring to the surface. She could not hide from him. With a look he could reach in with a silent demand and she would have no choice. No, not even that. It made it seem like she was not willing. No, with a look she would gladly fall to him, gaze up into those eyes and let him have her at his whim. She was powerless to him, but by her own choice. She would give him that.
Give him all of her.
The hand not pressed to the soft sheets beside her slid back up her body from her soft but thick thighs, over the soft, slightly plump belly, skated the swell of her large breasts and her breath hitched, her own hands trembling, daring not to move as he touched her. Then as his hand found a home around her throat it was like a jolt of electricity ran up her spine. Her eyes rolled as he leaned in, her own body practically liquid to his command. Her moan was more of a rasp, though he did not squeeze hard, just enough for her to feel it. Enough for her breath to catch again and to know he was in control. She melted at once and from the flash of his teeth she could tell he was enjoying it. Her fingers weakly dug into his arms, a pathetic attempt to keep him there.
"This is what you crave, is it not?" he whispered his gaze searching her face.
"Yes," she replied breathily, "Yes, sire."
"Ah," he squeezed her neck a little more firmly, reminding her of his previous request.
"M-Maul…!" she corrected, and he grinned.
"Much better," he leaned in and his sweet and wicked mouth captured hers. Her eyes rolled back yet again, any touch he gave her was so pleasurable, so addicting. She craved his touch, his kiss, his voice… anything of him, all of him. He moved to pull back and her teeth captured his lower lip dragging across the tattooed skin until it slipped from her grasp. There was a heavy pause before he dove back in, inflamed by her semi-bite and growled slightly against her hot mouth.
So, he liked that.
"Is this what you want?" he whispered. He was unsure? She looked him over and realised, no, he knew she wanted this, wanted him, but he wanted to hear it. Her arms slid around him, as if to punctuate her words with her desire to have him close.
"Yes… Maul…" saying his name still felt so sacred. "I want this, I want you, I want you more than I have ever wanted anything in this galaxy…" she breathed, fingers of one hand brushed his stomach, barely touching his scar but she felt him shudder. He bit his lip and it awoke something deep in her belly, a heat blooming within her at the sight.
"I need you. I crave you…" she hissed, kissing his jaw. She heard the soft intake of his breath. "You are everything I have ever wanted… all I want…" Her kisses trailed higher up his jaw, reaching his ear, and she felt him tense. Her warm pressed softly to his ear, full lips parting to capture the lobe, tugging on it slightly. A low purr escaped him and she felt him shiver. Her breath fanned across his ear as she whispered again.
"Only you… always you…" Her teeth gently closed over the silver piercing, her tongue flicking across it and all strength left him instantly.
He all but collapsed on her and the sound he made was nothing short of sinful. She felt herself clench around nothing, the sound striking something deep in her core. She wanted to hear it again. Her lips and tongue joined her gentle bite and his moan was a little louder, both hands now gripping her waist and hips tightly. She could feel him press against her, the warm weight of his body on hers. His breathing became heavier and a groan escaped him as she continued to nibble on his ear. Who would have thought they were so sensitive…?
"Maul…" she breathed and he let out a deep, almost agonised groan, and one of his hands slid down, and down… Thick fingers curled against her inner thigh, and her smooth creamy legs parted for him, her teeth bit a little harder and he hissed. Instantly she released him - had she hurt him? -but his hands gripped her tighter. Gods she hoped she had bruises there later…
"Don't stop…!" he commanded in a strained groan of pleasure and she whimpered pathetically in response, "again…!"
She did as he commanded, her teeth bit down again and she felt his hands drag across her thigh and his palm against her lower stomach, teasing her, but his hands twitched as her tongue explored the contours of his ear.
"Perfect…" he moaned softly, his hand slid lower, towards the aching source of heat. Slick with delicious agony, she needed him so badly it hurt. Strong hands pried her pliant thighs apart, one leg wrapped around his hips.
"Please…" she gasped against his ear. She needed this, needed him. The ache was almost unbearable. Her hips rocked upward, urging him onward.
His fingers trailed-
A shrill beeping interrupted her blissful and embarrassing dream. She was hot all over, the sheet clung to her. Fanged God's left nipple, she needed a bath… or a dunk in the freezing ocean outside. What was wrong with her?! She sat up slowly. She was in her quarters on Kamino. She'd been back for a few weeks now, having been significantly chided by more or less everyone for her lack of self care and her little excursion. Luckily she had not had to explain exactly where she had been.
Maul had not taken it well. Seeing him in the dream state he had raged at her for her foolishness. He was not wrong, of course. She wondered for a moment why he had looked so frightened, before realising that was foolish. Why would he even be frightened? She must have imagined it. Stupid thing to do really, getting so angry that she lost control.
He was pleased how she handled the neimoidian, though he had become wide-eyed and furious at the mention of the knife. He wasn't the only one. The medics on Kamino lectured her, as did Shaak-Ti, as did Rex and Fox and Alpha when she had contacted them for their regular chats.
She was sure to look after herself from here…. If only to shut them all up. She didn't even know why they were getting so upset. The medics said she would have still had several hours before she was in serious trouble. She did agree however that injuries made her job a little harder. She was not fully mobile until a week later, and even then it still hurt. Though she knew how to deal with the pain.
Now however she peeled the sheets from her sweaty body and forced herself to the 'fresher. At least she had a private one. She decided to get herself cleaned up, she had a few plans for the day regarding the cadets and the dream team of enhanced clones. Officially the Kaminoans had classed them as Clone Force 99 for the sake of their serial numbers, but they had taken to calling themselves the Bad Batch from the last month or so… though she suspected it was from the mocking nickname the regular clones had given them.
There was something she had to take to them, a little surprise for her star squad; and she wanted the help of Ninety-Nine when she enacted her plan. She tried to focus on that and not the dream that burned in her mind.
The rumour of her capture had already made its rounds of the City in the past week or so, and she found herself battling the attentions of the ever curious cadets and their incessant questions. She should tell them to kriff off… though it's not easy when they look at her with big eyes and smiles… Winged Goddess she was getting soft.
Zaiya sat in the mess hall when sure enough some of the cadets approached and sat opposite her. The two in the middle she recognised, they'd been the ones that had approached her before. She didn't say anything at first, not even looking up from her datapad while she ate. They stared at her and she could feel them burning a hole in her.
"Do you require something, CT-9415?" she asked, hoping he'd at least gotten a name for himself this time, she hated to refer to the men by their numbers.
"You …remember me?" he asked, sounding surprised.
"You and your friend, though the other two I have not met," she admitted, still not having looked up, "do you have a name I may call you?"
There was a pause, "i-it's Hardcase, ma'am- I mean, Lieutenant-General," he sputtered, "this is Soul, Dogma and Tup." He gestured to the others and this time she looked up to take each of them in. She gave a nod and looked back to her datapad.
"If we're interrupting, Lieutenant-General-" Dogma began.
"Since you have already interrupted me, you may as well make it worth it," she replied with a slight shrug and took another bite of her food.
"It is true-"
"Probably not." There was a longer pause and Zaiya sighed as she rolled her neck, feeling it crack and relieve a little tension. She pushed her lunch tray to one side, laid down the data pad and folded her arms on the table before her, giving them her undivided attention this time. She looked at each of them, looking a mix of hesitant and disappointed, almost like children that had just been told 'no'.
"You have three minutes," she said patiently. Alpha would laugh at her about now. She waited for the questions to come, about the capture, or the invasion or the ARCs.
"Oh!" Hardcase brightened. "Is it true you taught the Commanders songs?" She blinked. Well, that was not what question she'd been expecting. "Soul wanted to know," Hardcase gestured to the clone beside him with the sides of his head shaved, the top left long and -somehow- straightened. She didn't realise they were allowed to have hair straighteners. He seemed more slender than his brothers, and had a bright look in his eye. Despite his shy expression, he somehow managed to be the most baby-faced among them, and yet they all had a similar way about them. Little baby batch. She pursed her lips so as not to smile.
"It is," she replied, letting her amusing little thought pass. Soul was an interesting name for a soldier.
"Can-can you teach us some?" Hardcase pleaded, so far he was the only one talking, the other three were bashful and she was reminded of Ninety-Nine a little.
"That will take longer than three minutes," she observed, but he seemed to take it as an outright rejection and he deflated, his ever-bright smile fading. Winged Goddess help her. "One song, I haven't much time today." She shifted and stood, picking up the datapad, gesturing to them to follow along with her.
"Lieutenant…?" Hardcase queried, looking confused.
"Well I am not about to start something in the middle of the mess," she said as she gestured to the room around her. The four clones were quick to follow her along the corridor toward her office.
"Is it true you took a blaster bolt for ARC Captain Alpha-17?" the one called Dogma asked with a sudden burst of energy. She smirked slightly as she walked beside him.
"That was what I was expecting you to ask," she chuckled, "it was more of a graze really," she shrugged. She tried to minimise such enquiries, as she didn't wish to brag nor have the troopers expect more from her than she was able to give. She was not some war hero, she just did what she needed to. She could feel them looking at each other behind her shoulder.
"So it's also true about… that you're… you're family…?" Another interesting question, this time Tup was the one to ask, her agreement to teach them something must have broken whatever apprehensions they had.
"Yes," she nodded, "for my part at least." Even without her connection to Jango she felt a kinship with them after having been around them for the last few months. They reached her office and she tossed the datapad to the desk as she turned to face them. She gestured to the lounge and table in the 'reception' area of her office, they didn't immediately sit so she took a seat on one of the arms of the couch. "Come, sit, you're making the place look untidy," she insisted, and at the "command".
Dogma was quick to drop into the seat opposite her, his posture rigid and as though he were itching to salute her. Tup and Soul gingerly lowered themselves into their own seats and Hardcase was eager to take the spot closest to her, looking up with bright eyes and an even brighter smile.
"So, you want to learn a song, do you?" she looked at Soul directly who ducked his head a little under the weight of her gaze. "Sing me something." This time his head snapped up and he looked at her with wide eyes. She just nodded to confirm what he'd heard. "If I know what you sound like, I can teach you something to suit."
"He's a pretty good singer…!" Hardcase interjected, he seemed excited. "We always hear him singing or humming, don't we?" he looked to Dogma and Tup who nodded in agreement. Soul rubbed the back of his neck, put on the spot all of a sudden, but he seemed to come up with something, looking away as though the words came to him from the air somewhere before him. Perhaps they did…
"Beginnin' to think that I'm wastin' time
I don't understand the things I do
The world outside looks so unkind
Now I'm countin' on you to carry me through
Oh, give me the beat, boys, and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your rock 'n' roll and drift away…" it was a soft and gentle song but even from the first word she could feel a passion in him that burned like a star. She nodded her head along with his words and closed her eyes, drifting as the song suggested.
His voice was beautiful, warm, soothing. It was so strange. It was a sense of 'home', a feeling of surety that all was well. It was the sensation she imagined when others described what home felt like to them.
Once he had finished, she couldn't help the little smile on her face. She leaned back against the desk and her eyes opened slowly. She always heard music, in every being, in the little sounds around her. It felt like she finally had met another that 'heard' the world like she did. It was comforting and she melted just a little, in spite of herself. She knew a song to teach him. Her lips curled and she looked back at him with a chuckle.
"Mesh'la," she murmured with a nod, "I think I know one you might like…" she sat up straighter, the music turning in air around her, unheard to all but her. Then she began to sing.
Her voice was vastly different to Soul's, he sounded like a warm comforting autumn sunset, and hers sounded like the overcast skies near a grey ocean, cold, mysterious in comparison. As though a Siren of the old worlds had indeed called to them and beckoned them to follow. She felt the Force ripple and shift, Soul's eyes becoming wider than his brothers' and the bittersweet tune seemed to affect him the most. Hardcase beside her, his eyes glittering in wonder as the song faded into silence. The three stared at her for a moment, as though she had indeed cast a spell on them. A knock to her door broke the moment and Zaiya looked over as the metal slid open, her lips parting in a smile.
"A-am I interrupting?" Ninety-Nine asked.
"Not at all, Ninety-Nine, I was just teaching the baby batch here a little tune I know," she smirked and Hardcase let out a snort.
"Baby batch?!" he laughed, seeming to find her affectionate term for them rather amusing. She arched a brow and raised a crooked finger to nudge the underside of his chin in order to tilt his face up a little.
"Look at your sweet cadet faces, huh?" she teased. An odd, lidded look crossed his face and she realised her actions were too forward and quickly withdrew. They were still soldiers of course and fully capable… but there was something like innocence about them. It reminded her of Ninety-Nine if she were honest and she wished to protect them. She knew they did not need it, nor could she do so… but the thought was there.
"Oh that sounds like a mighty treat for the boys!" Ninety-Nine chuckled, "I can come back later?" he asked as he approached, the only fully grown clone to be shorter than her, and she bent at the waist to meet his eye.
"Nonsense, Ninety-Nine, we have work to do, you and I, and I need you for a very important task." He grinned at that and she turned back to the others and straightened. "It seems our time must be cut short, but I shall search the holo-net for some of the songs I know and can bring them to you if you like, Soul…?" Soul himself seemed a little startled when she spoke to him directly and he nodded.
"I-I'd like that," he managed and a pleased smile crossed her mouth, she leaned down to address Ninety-Nine again.
"Have you had the pleasure of Soul's singing…?" she asked, "He'd give me a run for my money anyday."
"Now that sounds like something to behold," the withered clone's eyes crinkled at the edges and she could see the warmth and affection he had for his brothers in them. The other three moved and she stood straight, there was a question in Hardcase's eyes but before she had time to address it, Ninety-Nine spoke up.
"Are you sure we have time?" he seemed worried as she dipped a third time to see his face. A word was not enough to soothe him and she laid a hand on his shoulder, a gentle touch, just enough to assure him she was serious.
"Yes, I will always make time for you," his eyes widened slightly, perhaps due to her soft tone, but he seemed to cheer up, his smile growing to split his face with happiness. She looked back to Hardcase who had finally come to his question.
"Why do you do that?" he blurted.
"Do what?" she quirked a brow at him.
"The-" he bent down sideways the same way she had been doing. "-thing,"
"I don't like to look down on Ninety Nine when I speak to him," she replied simply. She looked between them as they stared at her. Why did so many of the clones look at her like that? A second later she was startled by arms around her torso and she jolted, looking down in alarm to see Hardcase was now latched to her side.
He was… hugging her.
Notes: Here we are again! Thank you my friends for reading another soft and gentle chapter of APOD. I figured we needed one after the last one ended with her somewhat skewered.
As promised, the second APOD chapter for you in celebration of my birthday! Also, as mentioned, I will post a chapter of Sins this week, so if you also read that then there is a bonus over there too!
I hope you liked it!
As always, thank you so so much for previous comments and if you wish to leave a comment or some feedback, then please please do! If you wanna see art of Zaiya or fanart or commissions I have gotten done of her, checkout my tumblr - my username is kimageddon over there too.
I hope you all have a wonderful week and had a great weekend, and I look forward to seeing you next week we will see how this hugging this works out for Hardcase, and see what Zaiya has planned for the Bad Batch!
See you then!
