#howzerweek2021

The Havoc Marauder isn’t nearly big enough for all of them. Frankly, Howzer isn’t sure how they all lived on the ship even before he and Crosshair joined and rejoined the Bad Batch, respectively. Even with Omega rooming in the gun turret, the rest of them are packed in tighter than Howzer ever was on Ryloth.

It’s hard to be too upset about being packed in close when that means he gets to sleep with Crosshair tucked in against him, cheek squished against Howzer’s shoulder. His tattoo crinkles when he sleeps on his side like that and it’s impossibly sweet.

But being in such close quarters means that that’s all it ever is. Sleeping. They have exactly no privacy, which isn’t unheard of among clones, but Howzer certainly doesn’t feel close enough with the Batch to be comfortable having sex with Crosshair in the same room as the rest of them. Crosshair seems to agree. At the very least, he doesn’t initiate at any point.

Which is fine. It’s really fine, it is; Howzer doesn’t mind.

Except that on top of the not-having-sex thing, Crosshair also seems to be withdrawing. For all that they’re all sandwiched in together, Howzer is pretty sure Crosshair is talking less now than he was when he was still in recovery from brain surgery. When he does talk, it’s not really talking; it’s sniping, or bickering, or snide commentary.

Which, again, is fine. Howzer knew that Crosshair would have to do some settling in again. Crosshair and Hunter have obviously been walking on eggshells around each other and the others are following suit. Howzer was ready for that.

What Howzer wasn’t ready for was how different it is being with the Batch. Oh, he wasn’t expecting it to be the same as running with his squad, and he knew he wouldn’t be in charge. He’s okay with that. He can take orders from Hunter in the field without question. It’s the off the field part that gets weird.

Howzer watches in dismay at the Batch interacting and cannot possibly fathom how he can fit into their dynamic. He watches Tech helping Echo do maintenance on his prostheses. He watches Wrecker doing lifts with the gonk droid and then with Omega to make her laugh. He watches the way that Hunter and Crosshair look at each other, the amount of history in every look, in every passing interaction. The others all move around the ship like it’s a part of them, like they’re used to being on top of each other. Crosshair and Omega are the least familiar with each other, but they’re so familiar with the others that Howzer would barely be able to tell if he didn’t already know.

Which just leaves Howzer as the odd man out and feeling every single second of it. The Bad Batch isn’t his squad, no matter how much he thinks that maybe Sock and Tech could get along or Medley would have delighted in working out with Wrecker. Omega isn’t Hera, even if he sometimes finds Hera’s name on the tip of his tongue when he’s trying to talk to Omega. Hunter isn’t Cham. He wants to say something to Crosshair, try to explain, but it’s so cramped and there’s never any privacy and it’s not something Howzer wants any of the others to hear.

So he just doesn’t say anything. He knows that’s not the smart play here, but what other choice does he have?

Tech and Crosshair start arguing one day, a few weeks in. It’s got the edge that Crosshair gets when he’s feeling defensive, all bared teeth and hackles up. Tech seems to be giving as good as he’s getting and Howzer knows that there are things he’s missing in their argument. Old hurts, familiar insults. He’s watching them argue in mute despair when he gets a gentle nudge. The touch startles him, but when he looks over, it’s just Echo sitting beside him and watching them too.

“This is normal for them,” Echo says, tone half-exasperated and half-affectionate. “I know it doesn’t look it, but this is a good thing.”

“This is a good thing?” Howzer asks in disbelief. “How do you even tell?”

“Time. You get used to them.” Echo pauses to allow Wrecker to scoop him up and take his seat, leaving Echo to sit on Wrecker’s lap and be held like a favorite toy. “Wrecker, you know they’re fine.”

“I know.” Wrecker’s voice shows no little amount of concern all the same. “Just don’t want Cross to leave.”

“He’s not going to leave over a fight with Tech,” Echo assures him. “How many times have they had this exact fight?”

“A whole bunch,” Wrecker has to reluctantly agree.

A whole bunch? So this is yet another argument that Howzer has no context for. Just like everything else on this ship.

“Hey.” Echo gently nudges a foot against Howzer’s knee. “You okay?”

Howzer shakes his head. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” He knows he’s the new man on this ship. He knows that Crosshair has history with all these people and that’s fine. It probably would be just as weird for Crosshair to end up surrounded by Howzer’s squad.

He just wants so badly to understand.

“It does get easier,” Echo says. When Howzer turns to look at him in confusion, Echo grins at him. “I had the same learning curve you’re going through. Not easy to join this bunch, and I was the first one to do it.”

“’S true,” Wrecker says. He gently butts his head against Echo’s. “We’d never picked up a reg before.”

“It was a rough few months,” Echo admits. “It’ll get better. You’re joining at a weird time so it might be a little rockier with...” Echo trails off and gestures vaguely in Crosshair’s direction with his scomp link arm. “But it’ll be alright. Just let them work themselves out.”

“You sound pretty sure about that,” Howzer says. Meanwhile, Hunter has intervened in the fight to break it up. Tech heads up to the cockpit while Crosshair just stands where he was, glaring at Tech’s retreating back.

“You know, Crosshair would punch you if you said it to him,” Echo leans over to whisper conspiratorially to Howzer, “but you had to know some vode like this bunch. Tight knit, fought each other like hell, but fought everyone else even more. They’re not regs, but they’re still vode.” He pats Howzer’s knee with his hand before he straightens and lets Wrecker continue to cuddle him. “Really.”

Howzer sighs. Echo probably isn’t wrong, but it doesn’t really help the gnawing feeling in his chest right now. He stands.

“Thanks, Echo,” he says because he feels like he should. He does appreciate that Echo is trying to help, but it feels like not much is actually going to help. “I’m going to go lay down for a minute. Get a little quiet.”

“Yeah, good luck.” Echo leans himself back against Wrecker’s chest. “I’ll keep an eye on them while you’re gone.”

Howzer nods and heads for the small bunkroom. Omega glances down at him from her perch in her gun turret, but doesn’t say anything. He can’t tell if she can read his expression or just doesn’t know him enough to want to talk to him. Crosshair’s bunk is as small as the rest of them, barely big enough for two, but Howzer sinks onto it gratefully. He rolls over to face the wall and closes his eyes. He’s in full armor, but he’s not inclined to get up and change just for a small break. There’s only been a couple blessed minutes of silence when he hears a raised voice--it’s Crosshair.

“You shouldn’t have come back for me then!”

The door opens and closes and Howzer hears footsteps coming in behind him. He isn’t really in the mood for any more conversation, much less dealing with whatever mood Crosshair must be in. The footsteps stop right behind him and there’s silence for a long moment--Howzer is about to turn over to see what’s happening when the bunk dips and a familiar frame is pressing up against Howzer’s back.

“Hey, Crosshair,” Howzer says, half into the pillow. The bunk is barely big enough for the two of them normally, much less with both of them in their armor. Crosshair makes a vague sound into the back of his neck. He wraps his arms around Howzer’s waist tight. It’s quiet. Familiar. Howzer lets the silence drag on for a long moment before twisting to glance over his shoulder. “...Something wrong?”

Crosshair clings. There’s another stretch of quiet before he sighs and just nuzzles in closer. “No. Just tired.” He’s lying. Howzer can feel Crosshair’s lashes as he closes his eyes against the back of Howzer’s neck.

“Yeah? Me too.” Howzer settles his hand over Crosshair’s. “I thought I was used to close quarters before, but this is a whole new level.” Crosshair nods and squeezes Howzer tighter. If it wasn’t for Howzer’s armor, he’s pretty sure he’d be bruised. “...You okay? You’ve been on edge.”

“...Yeah. Just...” Crosshair falls quiet and Howzer knows better than to push. Is it a comfort that Crosshair is as uncomfortable as Howzer is? Or does that all make it worse? If Crosshair isn’t happy here, then why is Howzer trying to force it to fit? “...You want to leave, don’t you?” Crosshair’s voice is low, rough.

“The thought occurred to me,” Howzer admits. “Echo assures me it’ll get easier, and you want to be here. I thought I’d give it a little longer before I brought it up.” The quiet comes again.

“It will,” Crosshair says finally, “get better.”

“Yeah?” Howzer certainly hadn’t expected an attempt at comfort from Crosshair of all people. He twists to try and look at Crosshair again, but Crosshair’s face is hidden against him.

“Yeah.” Crosshair’s breath comes out in a shaky exhale. “I can’t...” He nuzzles in closer, impossibly closer. “I can’t leave them.”

“I know,” Howzer says soothingly. He does know. He would never expect Crosshair to leave them, no matter how uncomfortable Howzer is. “I know you can’t.”

The breath against Howzer’s neck feels like relief and when Howzer links their fingers together, the breath becomes a soft, open-mouthed kiss. He feels Crosshair relax, one muscle at a time, until his breathing levels out into soft sleep.

Being with the Bad Batch is certainly strange. Stranger than Howzer had expected.

It was quite a visual with the clone soldiers and their devoted shebby gals all dancing and grabbing at everything a hand could touch on a body.

For a good moment, Freena forgot her judgments about the creation of a clone army and the morality of it all. The men were here, nothing could be done about that. They were alive when many of their fellow soldiers had died. How close had Captain Howzer come to losing his whole beautiful face, or worse? Ultimately, the clones were people and they deserved a lot more respect than she had given them.

Freena was looking at Captain Howzer, and he was looking up at the ceiling, pretending to enjoy the music with some offbeat nods. He was clearly studying the lighting rigs and wiring. Freena could see he was as uncomfortable in the club as she was. She missed their earlier conversation that got cut off. And after what they both had to endure when they first met getting to and from the bathroom stalls, she knew 79’s was only going to get crazier. They were both doomed wallflowers who needed some quiet.

She looked over and tapped his big shoulder plate, “I never know what to do at these places!”

Howzer immediately responded and smiled at her as he shouted, “WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU NOW!”

She shouted as loud as she could, “I SAID...I NEVER KNOW-- NEVER MIND!”

They both laughed in frustration, shrugging up their arms and looking around at the wild scene playing out around them.

Freena then remembered how happy she was that she is a workaholic wallflower. She pulls out her datapad from her purse and types...

“You wanna get out of here, Captain?”

He beams a smile at the glow from the datapad as she hands it to him. He reads it eagerly. He looked at her with an attempt to speak, but then thought for a moment. Freena watches as he hurriedly takes off his gloves with his teeth and proceeds to type his message under hers. Very proud of himself, he hands her back the datapad.

“Yes! As soon as possible...”

They are now acting out some strange silent holovid scene as they giggle and type messages back and forth to each other at the table. Howzer peeks to see what she is writing. Freena holds her datapad to her chest, shooing him away. He laughs. She then slides it over.

“But you'll be abandoning your men to all these dangerous SHEBBIES:O They may not make it out. Are you allowed to just leave like that?”

Freena passed the datapad back to him. Howzer laughed out loud when he read it. Then he diligently typed away...

“Of course I can! I’m the Captain :) We’re all on liberty leave until tomorrow anyway,”

he sneaked a look at her before he kept typing,

“NGL, it’s better if I’m not around these knuckleheads when they are wild like this”

He finally hands her the datapad back, shaking his head shamefully. She eagerly reads his informative and funny, longer message and then looks up at him. Howzer was holding his two hands up in a reverent pleading prayer, flashing puppy dog eyes, as his gorgeous face was nosing towards the exit. She laughed as she grabbed her purse and stood up from the table. He jumped up and put her chair back in for her as she started walking towards the exit. Freena was so excited to leave 79’s it barely occurred to her that she had the unique honor of having Captain Howzer the Wowzer walking beside her. He eventually was stopped and checked in with some of his soldiers, spoke to some non-Wowzer clones briefly, and then quickly waved his goodbyes to them all.

Freena isn’t foolish enough to think this will be anything other than a friendly adventure walking the city. Once upon a time, she had the curvy, tight body and endless energy that could consider what hooking up with him would be like. Those days were long gone. Her ex had never failed to remind her of that, even when he called off the wedding.

On that day, her ex still brought it up; if only she hadn’t let herself go. She didn’t want to think about that now. As Freena stood by the door and watched Howzer, helmet in hand, hurry towards her, or the exit. Maybe both.

There’s something very grounded and unexpected about him. Freena now figured that women like Deb and her shebby friends have absolutely every right to drool over these men and fall for whatever this weird lifestyle is, clones and shebbies. She’s not going to argue with that anymore. For Freena though, after eight months of humiliation and despair, just having a nice conversation with a kind, handsome man like Captain Howzer would be all the pleasure she needed.

She was completely fine with just that, as they exited 79’s together.

EXTERIOR - NIGHT - CORUSCANT’S UPPER ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT

The two walked throughout the capital city.

They were more than enjoying each other’s company, barely registering the luxury of the shopping district and the busyness of the speeder traffic above. It was all background and soundscape to the main event that was the intelligent (and often humorous) dialogue between these two near-complete strangers.

The conversation flowed so easily between them. Howzer relished the opportunity to learn what civilians in the capital city thought about the war and Freena was more than ready to tell him. He fascinated her with stories of the Syndullas and added remarkably that she reminded him of Elani Syndulla. Freena, a simple human, knew she didn’t have the body or exotic beauty of a Twi’lek woman. He just casually compared her personality to one of the galaxy’s most famous female freedom fighters. It might have been the most phenomenal thing anyone had ever said to her.

When he began to ask about her personal life, she made sure she kept the topic to her job. She was amused by Howzer’s severe interest in the middle management issues of the housing application process. For most people, the Office of Residential Authority was a conversation killer. For Howzer, it was a whole fascinating institutional world he never knew. He seemed intrigued by the slew of problems and he wanted to theorize and strategize solutions. Freena quietly admitted to herself as he was explaining the different protocols of the GAR on Ryloth, that she missed a few points he was making because she would get lost in his masculine beauty. His face, his hair, his chiseled jawline. His eyelashes. Why do men have the longest eyelashes?

Almost three hours had vanished with their walking and talking, they now found themselves coming up on an overview walkway and were closer to the fancy hotel where Deb and Freena were supposed to spend their “girls-only" weekend.

Suddenly, they came upon a young couple arguing viciously, which alerted Howzer’s reflexes to immediately snap into readiness should anything turn violent. Instead, within moments, it turned brazenly sensual and obscene. The fiery couple quickly made up and began lopping at each other with filthy forgiving kisses and grabs at each other everywhere. Freena looked away and was blushing. If the city’s lights weren’t so bright and colorful, she would be sure that Captain Howzer was also blushing. Which was adorable.

He let out an awkward laugh as he spoke, “See…and you said things never work out.”

“I what?” Fixated on the way the couple engaged without care, Freena had now witnessed more sexual encounters throughout this one night than she and her ex had shared in their last two years together.

Howzer was still trying to be a gentleman and ignored them. “They seemed to have worked thin— Oh my, she’s…yup…let’s walk over there to the platform.”

They both were mildly embarrassed, laughing at themselves and the awkwardness. When their laughs faded into the sounds of the city, they walked silently to the overlook platform’s railing while stealing glances at each other, bashfully smiling at each other. He was the brave one who spoke first,

“What you said earlier at 79s, about things never working out…,” he looked down as he kicked the broken glass out of the way so she could step closer to the railing and enjoy the view. Howzer looked back up at Freena, his honey amber eyes were focused, but gentle. He offered his right hand for her to balance and slipped his other behind to guide the small of her back as she stepped closer to the railing, “Careful there’s some glass I couldn’t get.”

“Thank you, Captain,” she jumped at the trace of his touch. If she stumbled, it wasn’t going to be the fault of some scattered pieces of glass on the ground.

“I’m sorry if I’m prying, but...did something, with someone...not workout? When you said that earlier, it seemed like you were speaking from experience,” his tone was now softer, as though he was speaking to a wounded bird.

“Oh that,” she knew she’d asked for it with her cynical comment earlier in the evening.

She really didn’t want to talk about this right now. Freena was impressed by his intuitiveness, it was almost as impressive as, well, him. She didn’t want to hide her heartbreaking tale of being dumped before her wedding day, but it also wasn’t going to ruin her night and define her. Not today. She’ll be honest with him, but guarded should the same response that everyone always gives play out.

“Yes, I was with a man for a long time.”

“At least a year?” Howzer said seriously and naively at the same time.

“Um...no. Nine years, and um...we weren’t married but I thought we were happy. Married or not, couples have problems…sorry, I got sidetracked,” she sighed to get herself through the whole script of basic bullet points, “So, we decided, well oddly enough he decided that it was finally time we get married. I had always wanted that deep down, but I don’t know. Anyway, he called it off the night before. So. That is what happened. That is why I am the one who thinks things never work out. I’m still a bit jaded, I guess.”

Howzer responded quickly without hesitation, “You're telling me that a man you loved and were devoted to for nine years of your life finally asked you to marry him...and then he called it off the night before?”

Freena had been here before. The pity and shock on people’s faces. The next is the series of questions people always have for her to explain and clarify. Questions she never really got answers to so why would she know why he did what he did? Or worse they have nothing to say, except how sorry that is and they hope she will get through it. She is still getting through it. It has seemed to have no end to this whole “through it” nightmare she’d been living in. She was feeding of Howzer’s tone and let herself continue,

“He didn’t just call off the wedding. He ended everything the night before. He said he hadn’t been in love with me for years, was hoping being married would help. That he had been having affairs with other women, how many I’ll never know, and now he just wanted to give ‘being by himself' a try?

Howzer’s face twisted up in fury. The most beautiful anger Freena had ever seen, she thought she was imagining it.

“Being by himself... iba...os’ik. Qa an boc'ara”

“Excuse me?” Freena had no idea what he was saying.

“Os’ik means shit, and I called him an idiot in Twi’leki. What a shit. I- I can’t understand this. It’s infuriating. You?! You’re perfectly delightful. I’ve enjoyed every minute I’ve spent with you.”

“Well, we just met, Captain...”

“No, from the moment we first spoke, I could see you were special.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that…”

“I do! I might not get the chance again,” Freena registered the saddest truth of what he just stated as he continued, “You’re smart, attractive, caring, intelligent, very classy, incredible legs with a woman’s full figure to hold—

“I wouldn’t ever use half of those words to describe myself. Wait—what was that last part?”

“I would never abandon a woman like you, and he did this in such a dishonorable way. Especially after you had been so loyal for nine years? Pardon me for saying so, but that man you loved, I’m sorry he’s an asshole, a complete and utter loser by my standards.”

“Oh, um...okay, wow. You’re quite intense, Captain Howzer.”

“I feel very strongly about this, Freena. When something is wrong, I have to speak up.”

Freena was definitely not going to stop him from speaking up now. Howzer was gripping his helmet at his side with his left hand. His frustration boiled over as he tapped the helmet against his thigh plate repeatedly in thought. His right hand was grabbing the railing to brace his anger, as he looked out over the city and up to the stars shaking his head. She couldn’t see his right hand through the glove, but she could assume they were white-knuckled and punishing that poor innocent railing.

“Whether it’s jerk di’kuts here in the capital or some of these Twi’lek men on Ryloth, when I hear stories of how some nat-born men treat their women…,”

He then turned to her,

“I just want to say to them…,” he was now holding out his helmet, expressively gripping it in his left hand as he practically shouted to the entire city,

“MEN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU COME INTO A WOMAN'S LIFE AND HOPE SHE FALLS IN LOVE WITH YOU AND YOU’VE SUCCEEDED. BUT THEN, YOU START LOOKING AROUND YOU AND YOU CHOOSE TO BE UNFAITHFUL? YOU’RE DELIBERATELY HURTING THE VERY WOMAN YOU ONCE LONGED FOR AND WERE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT? IT’S WRONG AND YOU ALL KNOW IT! AS A CLONE, NO, AS A MAN, I WILL NOT STAND FOR IT ANY LONGER!”

Freena’s breath was taken away. She didn’t know if she should applaud, but it really felt like she should. When Captain Howzer had a conviction, he certainly knew how to make it known. Whatever her response should have been, she was now standing before him crying.

“Oh no! I didn’t want to make you cry,” he quickly clipped his helmet to his belt and stepped so wonderfully closer to Freena.

“Meshla, no.”

“Huh?” Freena was snapped out of her sobs.

“It means beautiful. There, there. I’ve seen so many women crying, please not you. Not this face.”

Freena heard his words and studied the beautiful scar on his beautiful face. What he’s seen, been through, fought through, it filled her with a sense of courage she hadn’t felt in months, years maybe. She got her words together with each comfort of his gloved touch tenderly soothing her shoulders and wiping her tears.

“Captain Howzer…I’m…crying…because I’m so grateful. For what you’ve just said.”

“Grateful?”

“Yes!” She was now softly choking laughs, smiling wide and gleeful through wiping her tears. Captain Howzer’s eyes widened with curiosity and adoration. He even let a small smile escape.

“I don’t understand.”

Freena forgot that he was wearing armor, but thank goodness he was. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed her embrace through his cuirass.

“What you just said, stars alive, shouted, to the whole damn city. In the last eight months, that is all I have wanted to hear someone say when they find out what happened.”

Freena pulled back and watched as her hands begged her not to pull away from him. She had to wipe her tears and fix her makeup though. Her nose was a little runny, now too. She prayed to every deity in the galaxy that she had a tissue or something in her purse.

“Freena? What do people usually say when they hear what happened?”

He was getting that intense, protective look in his dark, golden eyes again as he handed her his handkerchief that was pulled from a small compartment in his belt. She wiped her runny nose all over the side with the Republic logo and then attempted to fix her make-up with the other side.

He was so patiently waiting for her to respond. She was starting to get very comfortable with the expressions of his peculiarly handsome face.

“That I should’ve known better. That if he hadn’t married me after so long, why even bother. That I stayed because I was scared to be alone. Was I sure I didn’t know he had cheated? Or I should have left him years ago when what I thought was a one-time mistake happened. But it turned out it was a lot more than one time. He just got smarter and I got stupider, I guess.”

“Please don’t say that about yourself. Ever.”

He took her hands in his and brought them to his chest

“A woman like you…Maker of Men! What I would give to be able to come home and wake up every day with a woman like you, Freena. You could bicker at me to take out the garbage, I would tell you to stop taking so long getting ready. I would adore your sweet face and soft skin every day. Those Kaminoans could have cloned thousands just like you for my brothers, but you, you Freena, would be the one for me.

“Captain?” She didn’t wait for a response. She was practically trembling but knew she had to say the next few words quickly,

“Kiss me, Howzer. Please.”

He didn’t pull away, he stayed right where he was holding ground, to be honest with her,

“Freena, mesh’la, I can’t have any of those things with you, you know that right?” It looked like his eyes were watering.

“You have now. You have right now with me.” Freena was looking up at him, her trembling hands were soon happy to be back on his cuirass and dying to feel him underneath his armor.

He brushed her hair away, his eyes fixed on hers. He then cupped his gloved hand to her face and kissed her gently. It was sweet and entirely maddening. She was bursting within, longing for him to do so much more.

He pulled back to give her the keldabe kiss and touched his forehead to hers, as he begged his next words, “Freena, can...can I please touch your hips? They’ve been driving me crazy all night.”

Her eyes widened with surprise hearing his polite and lusting request, “Yes, Howzer, do it.”

Then he timidly leaned in for the next kiss as he held his view of her for a moment. It was the point of no return now. His perfect lips guided hers open to release a fire that cleansed the haunted, cold landscape of her womanhood. Freena felt the shell within had cracked open revealing the young woman she once was years ago. The Freena that had felt beautiful, desirable, happy, and hell, even powerful.

That Freena was young, thinner, and clueless. Good riddance. Freena now, kissing Captain Howzer, she had the mind, experience, and full figure of a woman to hold.

Two shy wallflowers they clearly were, but their kisses were definitely not. Passionate breaths were competing to keep up with the wet and wild dance of their lips and tongues sharing lust and adoration with each other.

His hands were taking their time exploring every inch of her sides from her ribcage that was somewhere under the soft flesh around her torso (barely) holding her heart and lungs in her body and settled on squeezing every part of her waist. They kissed like lovers from another time who had been searching through the epics and ages, now finally reunited.

His tongue did everything she wanted it to and she couldn’t help but wrap her lips around it. He curled a grin when she did. Her lips against his were delicate and soft and he couldn’t help but nibble them. She sighed each time he did.

And her body, her resurrected body, rejoiced as he finally got to his requested destination and dug his hands into her soft rumps of thick begging hips. She was nervous he’d tear her poor excuse for a dress Deb had lent her. His kisses grew with intensity to match his two massaging grips on either side of her. Eagerly he now moved to trace her tummy and feel how soft and full it was. This move and the breathy moan he let out sent Freena the message that her “let herself go” body was actually very much the exact type that Captain Howzer most desired.

He moved his hands to his mouth to tear off his glove again with his teeth so he could feel her skin touch his finally. The simple innocent action from earlier in the evening at 79’s now made her wild as his teeth bit into the fabric and his hand pulled out of the glove. She only realized then they were still standing on the platform! Freena gently kissed him just under his jaw, all along his neck, and back up to his jaw towards his earlobe. He was moaning and leaning into it, his mouth quivering, “Free- Freena?” When he spoke it almost snapped her out of the ecstasy, she softened her kisses and landed a final one on his lips.

“Wha?”, she was barely on the planet at this point.

“It doesn’t bother you?” Howzer was clearly worried anticipating her response.

“What?! Wha- what would bother me, Howzer?”

“My scar?”

Freena was floored. She cupped his face as she looked up at this magnificent human being who had just awoken a wing of her soul that had been abandoned. What in the galaxy had happened to this man that he thought his scar would make him even slightly bothersome?