#transchalupatwin

 it’s only a small cut, probably from the rocks they’d had flung at them by laughing village boys. he hates humans, he hates the rain, and he hates seeing lup hurt – - she’s crying, too. and the worst part is, he doesn’t know what to do. without thinking, he scoots up close to her and takes her bleeding hand into his own, and kisses the marks splayed across her knuckles.

“to make it better!” he explains, when she gives him a weird look. after a moment, though, she bursts into giggles, and soon after he joins in. they stay there under a tree, alternating between laughing and crying, until the sun comes out again.

2 ;

“taako!”

he pops his head around the doorway, toothbrush still hanging out of his mouth, at the call of his sister. she’s surrounded by clothes and looking incredibly frazzled. a scene he’s all too familiar with, since they moved in with their aunt.

“yeah?” 

“what do i wear toniiiiight”

he sighs and takes the toothbrush out, setting it to the side despite her disgusted noise. “i’unno, whatever you want? he’s not going to care, you’re hot shit anyway”

“taako!” she throws a shirt at him, which he catches, before sauntering over and handing it back with a kiss to the cheek. 

“seriously, lup, don’t sweat it. if he’s a dick we can always break his nose.”

she pulls a face. “that didn’t work with the last one, though.”

“yeah, well, third time’s the charm?”

3 ; 

besides him, in the clinical air of the waiting room, lup is shaking. he doesn’t blame her. he is too. in the silence before her next words, she takes his hand.

“what if we don’t get the job? we sold - like - all of our shit just to get the tickets to get up here, taako. fuck. we fucked up, didn’t we, fuck!”

he tightens his grip on her hands, then, deciding that isnt enough, pulls her into a sidelong hug. neither of them can break their eyes way from the door on the far end of the room, a door that will basically make or break their future, so it’ll have to do.

“i don’t want to have to go back to stealing just to get bye, taako.” she whispers.

“i know,” he replies, and presses a kiss to her shoulder.

then, the door opens, and they see a stout gnome with an exquisite mustache. he pauses, smiles, and beckons them in. 

4 ;

cycle after cycle after cycle. they come, just as repetitive as night and day, and taako has never felt more stable in his life. he has also never felt more bored. one day, in between her “science-ing with barry” sessions, he catches lup in the hallways and asks her to spar. he’s never seen his sister’s eyes light up so fast.

of course, she kicks his ass, and he ends up flat on his back in the middle of a sandy arena. only because he lets her, of course. but in the back of his head he does make a mental note to maaybe train a little bit harder.

“dude, i’m totally making you kiss my foot?”

“lup”

“do it taako. do iiiit. you face the consequences of your actioooons.”

he sighs, and relents, because somehow, he’s still unable to say no to her.

5 ; 

the mood on the starblaster, despite the music and the beverages and the finger food, is the most somber taako has ever seen it. they’d fucked up. they’d fucked up, and everyone knew it, and even merle’s drunken antics couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt and horror surrounding the crew. he’s up on the deck, looking out over the world they’d forsaken and losing himself in his thoughts, when a voice jolts him back to reality.

“whats up, goofus?” lup says, quietly, and in a tone that says she already knows the answer but doesn’t expect taako to reply sincerely.

“thinkin’ about how some people think it’s okay to serve chicken unseasoned.” he replies, quietly, and in a tone that means lup still knows him better than he knows himself.

“yeah. thought so.” surprisingly, he watches as his sister turns away from him - and before he can stop himself, he catches her hand in his own, pulling her back to face him. she’s crying. how hadn’t he noticed? fuck.