#phech

“Oh, about time!” Phee grabbed a red peg to place on the other side of her board. “Alright, hit me with your best shot.”

“F-3?”

“Hit,” Phee sighed and placed in the final peg. “And you’ve destroyed my last starship.”

“Ah. The game is now over then, I assume?”

“Yeah. I figured I was going to lose to you, but not this badly.”

“You did hit two of my starships.”

“I sunk only one, and hit another by the time you took out my last ship,” Phee corrected while helping put the boards and pieces away. “I’ll find something new for when I come over tomorrow.”

“And I look forward to it.”

-0-

“Wrecker would like this one.”

“You think?”

“Well, he’d like the board game pieces most of all. He’s started collecting miniature figures now that we’ve settled down.”

“There’s a max of four people who can play this one, so it might not be great for when your family wants to play together.”

“Crosshair would probably not participate in this one at first.”

“Could be. Depends on what he’s like that day I think. Now go ahead and roll.”

Tech rolled the dice. After observing the total, he took one of his pieces and knocked Phee’s off the space he landed on.

“Aw, really, Brown Eyes?”

“You sent me back to the starting line earlier.”

“Touche.”

-0-

Phee looked up at Tech over the board. “You already know this one, don’t you?”

“I do,” Tech confirmed as he moved the piece. “I often played holochess against a computer when we were stationed at bases during the war. Otherwise, I played with Crosshair or Echo.”

“And the other two?”

“They’re terrible,” Tech admitted. “Wrecker’s ADHD kicks in if the game goes too long. Hunter only does slightly better, but also doesn’t like how it drags out. The other two are more patient.”

“And Omega?”

“She prefers other games to this,” he shrugged. “But I always enjoy playing with you.”

“Well, thank you,” Phee grinned under the praise before moving her piece. “I like playing with you too.”

Tech looked down at where she had moved. “Are you sure you want to move there?”

“Oh, come on!”

-0-

“That will be Phee,” Tech said as he moved past Hunter to the door the next evening.

Hunter raised an eyebrow at him. “You invited her over? Again?”

Tech stopped. “Yes.”

“You’ve been inviting her over a lot lately.”

“She’s…” Tech faltered.

They hadn’t really discussed labels for their relationship. Granted, they were an item since they’d started playing board games. 

“Close to me,” he finally decided.

“Yeah,” Crosshair called from the couch. “We figured from all the time you two spend in your room.”

“We like privacy. Unless you’d rather we do our activities out here.”

“No!” Hunter held up his hands. “No, no, no. I just want to, ah, make sure you two are being safe.”

Tech looked at his brother. “We are.”

“Good. Good. Well, you two have fun.”

Weird conversation with his oldest brother aside, Tech opened the door to let Phee in. She entered with a brightly colored box, slightly larger than the ones she usually arrived with. He led her through the living room quickly to his own bedroom and closed the door behind them.

“So what do you have for tonight?”

“It’s a bit different,” Phee set down the box. “You okay with getting a little physical tonight? The board game is more of a mat.”

“Interesting,” Tech took the box from her as she pulled the mat and a spinner from inside. “I think I am comfortable enough with you to engage in this game.”

“Okay,” she said. “But if it gets too much, say the word and we’ll stop.”

The game started off simple with the spinner directing them to place a certain hand or foot in a certain spot. The longer it went on, the more flexible both had to be. Eventually, they did end up in closer proximity while talking about the events of the day. Phee was positioned in a way that her torso was under his head. Tech tried to reach under her for the spinner.

“Stretch,” she urged, trying to bat it towards him.

“I am!”

“Stretch more!”

He tried, but lost balance and fell on top of her. They both crashed down onto the mat in a tangle of limbs. Before he could ask if she was okay, Phee started laughing.

“That was…something,” he stated from where he lay on Phee.

“Oh, yeah,” she wheezed. “That’s what happens with this. One minute you’re upright and the next, you’re all spread out on each other.”

“I think I would have found this quite awkward as a cadet,” Tech decided.

“What about now?”

Tech looked up at her. “Having known you for a significant amount of time and harboring romantic emotions for you, I do not see awkwardness right now. But anyone else…I do not know if I would be as at ease.”

She leaned forward and kissed the top of his head. “I like you too, Tech. You wanna go for another round?”

Before Tech could respond, the closed door was pounded on.

“You two gotta cut it out!” Hunter’s voice said from the other side. “Please. We can hear you and Omega is here!”

Phee jolted up, sending him upward too. “Is he serious?”

“Hunter, we’re just playing Twister with each other!” Tech called through the door.

A strangled noise came from the other side. “Tech, I don’t need details.”

Details? Tech furrowed his brow.

“Oh Force,” Phee put her head in her hands.

“I don’t-”

“Double meaning, Brown Eyes. Oh boy.”

The neurons fired rapidly as he put the alternative meaning together, paired with the comments Hunter had made earlier that evening.

“Hunter!” Tech cried, offended. “Don’t be crass!”

“We really are just playing a game,” Phee added, snorting at the end. “Look, we’re both decent, Hunter!”

There was silence on the other side for a while before Hunter spoke again. “Is it really just board games?”

“Yes!” they both insisted. 

“I’m gonna kick Crosshair’s ass,” Hunter grumbled. “Sorry. Keep doing your games. Be safe.”

Tech listened for Hunter to leave and looked at Phee. “Did he really think we were having sex?”

Phee sniggered. “I think he did.”

Tech shook his head. “He’s one to talk, especially since he’s the only one who’s been caught in the act?”

“Are you kidding?”

I will need a haircut soon, Tech thought as looked at his reflection in the cockpit window of Phee’s ship. Perhaps he could enlist Phee’s assistance. Usually, one of his brothers would be the one to cut his hair as he never found it a pleasant experience, but since they were all on Pabu, with the exception of Echo, whom Tech would not trust to cut his hair, the only option left was Phee. He trusted she would do an infinitely better job than Echo would. Perhaps Tech could ask her when she returned with whatever artifact she was retrieving now. 

About two months after his return, he joined Phee in her travels across the galaxy as an additional pilot and marksman if needed. Unfortunately, he was not much use in hand-to-hand combat, thanks to his damaged legs. But both thankfully and surprisingly, they had yet to run into any unsavory company. He was sure that would change soon. 

Normally, he would go with her when retrieving an item but his legs ached more than usual today so she insisted he stay behind and rest. She refused to listen to any of his protests and if he was honest, they were mostly half-hearted ones. While he was grateful for escaping Edriu with his life, he hated that it was at the cost of his legs. Somedays, not even medicine could dull the pain. Those were the days where unless she absolutely needed to be somewhere else, Phee would stay by his side, attempting to help in any way possible. Today was more of a halfway between his regular ache and his unbearable ache. Needless to say, not ideal but not intolerable either. 

He was pulled away from his thoughts by the ship’s communications going off. Curious, he grabbed his cane, pulled himself up, and shuffled over to the beeping machine. Upon closer inspection, Tech discovered that Phee was sending her current location but the message said nothing about pick-up. Frowning, he pulled up the coordinates on his pad to reveal a bar. Thankfully it wasn’t far from his current location but he was slightly concerned as to why she sent the coordinates. She stated that originally the item she was retrieving would be at a pawn shop and this bar was nowhere near the shop. 

Concern growing with every second, he grabbed his comms and quickly headed outside, making sure to lock the ship before he ventured toward the bar. Some civilians looked at him curiously as his gait was more of a hobble than an actual run but he ignored them. He had only one focus. 

As he neared the bar, he unholstered his blaster and held it close as he slowed down, in case she was outside instead. He cautiously approached the first alleyway and peeked ever so slightly around the corner. When he didn’t see her, he hurried to the other alleyway next to the bar. He heard her before he saw her. 

“Now gentleman,” Phee said in a light tone, “Let’s be civil about this. No need for violence.”

“Sure,” a blue male twi'lek replied, “Hand over the artifact or we’ll shoot you.”

“No can do. Like I told your friends earlier, this item is spoken for.”

“Not for much longer.”

Tech heard enough and eyed his targets. Thankfully there were only two of them, which made this easier. The twi'lek was well built, with a small blaster holstered on his hip. His companion was a large falleen male, obviously the muscle between the two. Calculating for the muscle mass of the falleen, he would take longer to stun and while the twi’lek might be a quick draw, he needed to take out the falleen first if he and Phee wanted to escape. He trusted she would handle the twi’lek while he focused on the falleen. 

He took a deep breath before he rounded the corner and fired multiple shots toward the falleen. Shocked by the sudden attack, the twi’lek attempted to draw his blaster, but made the mistake of turning his back on Phee, letting her take the opportunity to kick the back of his knee. As he fell forward, she drew her blaster and fired a stun shot into his back, rendering him unconscious. 

The falleen on the other hand appeared tougher than Tech originally thought. While albeit at a slower pace, he began to charge toward Tech. He attempted to back away, but only managed to fall backward, causing his blaster to fly from his hand. With no armor to break his fall, he landed harshly on the ground. Quickly recovering, he scrambled to get his blaster before the falleen could reach him. 

“Hey ugly!” Both the falleen and Tech turned at the sound of Phee’s voice. She threw something toward the larger man and Tech recognized it as one of the smoke bombs she used for quick getaways. 

The bomb went off, giving both Tech the time he needed to reach his blaster and Phee the time to reach him. Snatching his cane, she helped him to his feet and asked if could walk. He nodded to reassure her but she pulled his arm around her shoulder regardless. They moved as quickly as possible, with Tech pushing himself more than he had before. Shouts could be heard from behind them, but thankfully they were too far behind. 

When they reached the ship, Phee deposited Tech on the nearest seat as she dashed toward the pilot’s seat. He sat for a moment, confused as to why she didn’t help him to the pilot’s seat instead. Not that she wasn’t a capable pilot, but that was his job. There wasn’t much he could do just sit. He began to lift himself, when she shouted, “Don’t you dare move from that seat Tech!”

Oh. His real name. She was serious. It would be wise to do as she said lest he incurred her wrath. Phee was rarely angry, especially towards him, but he did not wish to find out what it would be like. 

As he fiddled with his cane, the ship soon broke atmo and made the familiar jolt before jumping into hyperspace. 

He listened as she deeply sighed, stood from her seat, and walked past him toward the fresher. When she exited with a stim in one hand and something, most likely pain meds, in the other hand. She made a quick pit stop in the kitchen, grabbing a cup and filling it up with water before she finally made her way in front of him. 

“Ah,” Tech said after a moment, “Thank you, but I assure you I don’t need-”

“Your legs are hurting right?” she interrupted, an unimpressed look across her face. 

“No more than usual. I am more concerned about you. Did they hurt you?”

“Thanks to you, they didn’t land a finger on me. You on the other hand, I know for a fact ran to my location and pushed more than you should have, so don’t avoid the question .”

A part of him wanted to double down and deny it, but a small part of him knew if he didn’t take the medicine and stim now, the pain would be unbearable later, making it not only difficult to walk but perhaps also rest. He was still debating when she spoke again. 

“We’re a team right?” He nodded. “And a team looks out for each other, just like how you rescued me. Now let me take care of you.”

Well, she had him there. Telling her no, especially when it came to her caring for his well-being, was difficult. Sometimes he wondered if she felt guilty like his brothers did. He wished none of them would. None of them could have known and besides, he was well cared for. 

He took the medicine and water from her while she administered the stim in his upper arm. The stim quickly helped to relieve some of the tension in his legs. As he swallowed the medicine, Phee walked over to the ship’s communication. 

“Who are you sending a message to?”

“My contact I visited today. I know he had nothing to do with those guys but we did just make some of them angry, so I’m sending them a message that I’m going to head to Tatooine and thanks for the item.”

Tech knew for a fact that the ship was making several jumps through hyperspace for anyone trying to follow them to throw them off their tail. He also knew they were headed to Lothal next for some supplies. 

“Extra precautions. Good idea.”

“Glad you think so.” The corner of his mouth turned slightly. Her words were full of teasing he had learned to recognize from their time spent together. 

“So,” she continued as she walked back over to him, “Anything you want to do since I know you’ll be up for a few hours as the stim runs its course.”

“If you would not mind, I am beginning to be in need of a haircut. Normally one of my brothers would do it as I do not care for the experience and the few times I have done it, it turned out horrible. If you are uncomfortable with the task, I can wait till we return to Pabu.”

“No, it’s alright. I’m actually quite honored you trust me. But just so you know, I don’t have any good scissors. Just the ones from the kitchen.”

He nodded and stated that it was fine as it was quite some time before his brothers were able to acquire the proper scissors. 

Later they found themselves in the fresher, with Tech sitting on the seat installed in the sonic. The snip of the scissors echoed against the familiar hum of the ship. That coupled with Phee occasionally running her fingers through his hair was surprisingly soothing. Even with the stim keeping him awake, the sound and feeling were like a siren, tempting him into a deep sleep. 

“Not falling asleep on me are ya?” Phee teased quietly, obviously being careful not to break the bubble that had enveloped them. 

“The stim will not exit my bloodstream for several more hours.” His reply was just as quiet. Even though he knew it for a fact, his body seemed to be trying to fight it.

“I think your body is trying to prove you wrong.” her chuckle ricocheted around the fresher, making him hum and smile. 

As a comfortable silence fell between them once again, Tech could feel his resolve slowly slip further and further away. Just as he began to surrender, Phee announced she was done. 

“How does that feel?” She asked as she rounded him, gently brushing off any excess hair from his clothes. 

Tech ran his hand over his hair and responded, “Much better. Thank you, darling.”

“Of course handsome. Maybe next time, you can help me with my hair.”

Next time. That sounded lovely. He wanted a thousand ‘Next times’ if it meant her at his side. It’d only been six months since his return, three since he joined her, but the time they’ve spent has been beyond anything he could have hoped for. As he watched her exit the fresher and move about the ship, he decided he didn’t wish to be anywhere but by her side. 

He pulled himself up, walked to the fresher door, and leaned against the frame, his eyes never leaving her. 

“Phee.” She hummed, “What are your thoughts on marriage?”

She failed to register his words as she continued about the ship. 

“I don’t think I ever gave it much thought. Guess if it was with the right person, I wouldn’t mind. Why? Did Crosshair propose to Jana?”

So she did register his question, but assumed he was not asking for them, which is understandable seeing as they’ve never discussed it before. No time like the present he supposed. 

“No. I asked because I wish to.”

Finally, she stopped her movement. After another minute, she faced him, her eyes wide, and whispered “What do you mean?”

“I thought it was obvious. I wish to marry you. If you’ll have me that is.”

Her mouth opened and closed like a fish before she finally uttered, “Do you mean it?”

He tilted his head confused. Was he not clear? Perhaps she imagined a different proposal? He could attempt to get down on one knee, but he would no doubt need help standing back up. It could be worth it if she said yes. 

He had begun to lower himself when she suddenly rushed forward and stopped him, questioning what he was doing. 

“I thought perhaps you wished for a more traditional proposal since you don’t appear to be responding to my proposal.”

“Oh Brown Eyes, that’s not it. I guess I was just shocked that you asked. You don’t think we’re moving too fast do you?”

He considered her words. Most would agree with her assessment, but not everyone is like them. They have both been through much together and Tech wished to experience more by her side. 

“You and my family were my only thoughts as I recovered from my fall,” he began as he looked into her eyes, “Three months after my return I asked to join you on your expeditions thus allowing us to spend more time with each other that would have been wasted waiting. I trusted you to know what to do in our fight today, just as you trusted me to save you in the first place. We are partners out on the field and now I wish to be partners off the field. I do not wish to die for you but to live. To live by your side until our hair has turned gray and years are shown through the lines on our face.”

“Tech,” she began as her hand cupped his cheek, bringing back the memories of the night of his return. To think that was only half a year ago, amazed Tech. So much time has passed and his affection since then has doubled. He could only hope she said yes.

“I would love to marry you,” she finally answered, with a smile on her lips and tears in her eyes. 

He sighed and smiled as he grabbed the hand that wasn’t cupping his cheek and brought the knuckles to his lips.

“I believe we will need to add another item to pick up on Lothal,” he said as he let their hands drop but didn’t release hers. The hand that cupped his cheek moved to rest on the hand that held his cane. Her thumb brushed his knuckles as she smiled softly and asked, “Yeah? What’s that?”

“A betrothal item.”

She raised an eyebrow as she smirked. 

“An item? Why not a ring?”

“If that is what you wish. From my years of research on different planets and cultures, I’ve learned there are many ways one becomes betrothed to another. One such example is on one planet, you propose by tossing a local fruit to the intended. If they catch it, it means they accept.”

“And why do you know this particular set of information?” she laughed. Not in a mean, teasing sort of way, but in a pleasantly confused sort of way. 

“Wrecker was proposed to on one of our missions, but we did not realize until it was almost too late. Hunter ordered me to add betrothal customs to my research from then on.”

“Well then. Sounds like you know your stuff. Why don’t you tell me some of your favorites and maybe I’ll pick one of them. I’ll have to warn you though, I’m a little more used to rings as a sign of engagement.”

“Are there any special customs on Pabu?”

“Not really. Everyone kind of does their own thing. Didn’t stick around long on my planet of birth so I couldn't care less about their traditions.”

“Very well. I will keep that in mind.” 

Her smile turned soft once more before she stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. “I love you” she whispered reverently into his cheek. 

“And I you,” he responded as he leaned forward to kiss her properly.