Stuck With Me: A Cad Bane Novel

Chapter 12

A/N: yall this is literally one of my favourite chapters in this book-

Warnings: alcohol, pirates, swearing, cad wants a certain lady, cad sulks, kissing (what? who? where?), shit gets tense,

Word count: 1548

 Cad is too aware of Gwarm's gaze on him as Hondo strides over, arms spread wide in a welcoming gesture. He's never been too sure about the Weequay's second in command, but now he can feel the aggression radiating off the man, he's finding it a bit hard to remain indifferent. Especially with the mark around your wrist turning a ripe purple, and although it may not have been Gwarm himself, he still let it happen on his watch.

'And who is this?'

Cad, aware that the question was addressed to him, snaps out of his thoughts. He opens his mouth, about to answer, but you beat him to it, telling Hondo your name and shaking his hand. The Weequay shoots a glance at Cad, and he shrugs.

'She was Russ' slave. I freed her, and she chose to stay with me.'
'Oh,' Hondo says, raising an eyebrow. He doesn't scoff like Gwarm did, doesn't mock Cad, and for that he's glad, because he doubts he'd be able to keep his mouth in line. Intrigued, Hondo squints at you, curiosity glinting in his eyes. 'So, how did you convince the great Cad Bane to keep you alive?'
Cad sees your memory of his story last night flash in your eyes, but you shrug. 'I cooked for him. He likes what I make. And I fix up the ship too.'
Hondo chuckles. 'Must have been some mighty fine food to melt that stony bastard's heart.'

Cad scowls but doesn't answer. In a way, it's true; he did - and still does - make excuses to himself that he keeps you around for your cooking and your mechanics, but with his words to you last night staring him in the face, he can't completely deny it. He's never told anyone about his mother, about the terrible years after her death, and then you come along with your warm skin and bright smile and beautiful soul, and the words come pouring out.

Talking about something Cad can't be bothered to follow which you nod along politely to, Hondo ushers you and Cad inside, pouring you both some Weequay pirate brew. The green liquid sloshes onto the table, and you pick up the cup and sniff inquisitively before sipping it. Your face remains straight, but your fingers tighten ever so slightly on the cup. Cad hides a smile at the brief flash of surprise on Hondo's face. Pirate brew is strong and potent - especially the stuff that Hondo's gang drinks - and it's quite a feat to stomach it without wincing.

Interest now thoroughly piqued, Hondo flashes you with a curious gaze before laying a hand on your arm and topping up your cup. A measured move - if you flinch, it's a likely sign to Hondo that Cad hasn't been treating you well, but you don't, instead thanking him for the extra pirate brew and patting his hand. No fear flashes across your face, only mild discomfort and bewilderment at the attention the head of the Ohnaka gang is paying you. Unashamedly, the Weequay starts flirting now, having noticed two things - neither Cad or you protested visibly when Hondo touched your arm, and you aren't terrified of the grinning pirate.

Cad's hands ball into fists under the table. Surely, Hondo knows he isn't going to get you into his bed; he knows exactly who you are, who you had belonged to, and yet he's still sliding a hand down your shoulder, and you're looking up at him, head cocked, unsure if this is normal behaviour from the leader of the pirate gang or if it's specially for you. Biting back the throaty growl that begs to leave his throat when Hondo strokes your hair, Cad just catches the mischievous smile on the Weequay's face before his head ducks down to lean into you again.

This time, Cad doesn't stop the hissing snarl that starts deep in his chest. So, Hondo isn't doing this because he wants you in his bed. Hondo is doing this because he's trying to get a reaction out of Cad, and Cad fucking hates that it's working. Abruptly, he stands.

'Alright, we're leavin' now,' he announces to no one in particular.
'So soon?' Hondo croons. 'I was having fun with your little lady here.'
Cad snarls again. 'She's not my - '
'You'd like her to be, though,' Hondo fires right back.

The look on your face... Cad can't take it. Spitting a curse out in Durese, he turns and storms out, the familiar tails of his brown trench coat fluttering in his wake as he exits. Outside, you hear a taunting voice and then the Duros hunter's harsh reply, a yelp, a thump, and then Hondo's second in command appears in the doorway, cradling his ribs.

'Bane's gone, sir.'
You stand up. 'I - I'd better go too, I guess.'

─────•~❉᯽❉~•─────

Cad glances up when you stroll over, a small smile on your lips as you look at him from where he sits on a crate in the hull. His hat is in his hands, and he glares at it when you pat his shoulder, walking past him and into the kitchen section.

'You do love your dramatic entrances and exits, don't you?' You say, rummaging through one of the cabinets.
He huffs. 'Hondo was bein' a bastard.'
You glance over. 'You love sulking too.'
'I'm not - '
You laugh. 'Look at you, of course you are.'

Cad's standing over you in barely a second, red eyes aflame, and you stare coolly in return. Oh, how far you've come. You used to flinch at his gaze, and now he can stand here, mere millimetres from you, glaring down at you, and you'll casually glower right back, knowing that he won't hurt you, maybe can't hurt you. He snarls but doesn't move closer. If it was anyone else, he'd have had them backed against the wall by now, his hands either side of their head, boxing them in with his smouldering presence, but you aren't anyone else. You're the single person in the whole galaxy to which he's spilled his soul to, Maker knows why.

Well, maybe the Maker doesn't know, but Hondo does. He'd have never laid his hands on you if he didn't. And now, staring into your wide set not quite Human eyes, Cad finds himself having to confront why - why he spared you, why he kept you around, why he lets you listen to his breathing every night, why he told you what he did last night, why he reacted the way he did to Hondo's taunting.

He turns away from your steady gaze.

For the first time in years, the deadly Duros hunter looks away first.

And who made him break? You. Gavinc Russ' ex slave, a woman at least a foot shorter than his strong, slim frame, who used to flinch at his touch, who gets nightmares from her past every night, who needs his breathing to feel safe, and she still made him look away first.

Cad wants to lunge forward. He wants to seize you in his arms and pin you to his chest and lose himself in the sweet scent that laces your warm skin, but he doesn't. He doesn't, because he's terrified that it'll scare you off.

Stars, he thinks. What's happenin' to me?
The voice in his head replies, Ya know exactly what's happenin' to ya, Bane.

Realisation registers in your eyes. It's as if you can read his traitorous mind, sense the emotions radiating from his infernal heart - a heart which does indeed exist - and you lurch forward, one hand gripping his shoulder and yanking him towards you and -

You pause for just a moment, so he feels the fleeting brush of your sweet, warm blooded breath on his lips, and Maker, he doubts he's ever wanted something so much. It's agonising, the half a second that you leave him there, frozen in time, not daring to move, his heart simultaneously thundering deafeningly in his ears yet not beating at all, motionless like the rest of him.

And then you free him and dart forward, pressing your warm lips to his cool ones. His eyes almost roll back in his head with the pleasure you bring him with one kiss, your small body pressed to the hard, scarred planes of his. You radiate heat as you curl your arms around his head, fingers trailing over his blue scalp. Vaguely, he's aware of his grip tightening on you and your feet lifting off the ground, but he's too lost in the feeling of your mouth, pressed hard and rough against his own.

Cad feels like he's going to combust. No one else, no woman or man, has made him feel like this, like his heart is going to burst out of his chest. All he can feel is your body pressed against his, and he's sure that if he died now, he'd be a happy man.

You pull back, and he runs his eyes over your face, your ruffled hair, your bright eyes, your tongue - Maker, that tongue - darting out to moisten your lips, and thinks, I've never seen anything so beautiful.

Thinks, You're stuck with me.