Stuck With Me: A Cad Bane Novel

Chapter 27

Warnings: kinda fluffy, kinda tame for this book ngl, obviously still swearing, highkey a bit of a filler/set up chapter,

Word count: 1.2k

Cad's words are still spinning around your head when you arrive in the cantina to get your next target from Tygrav. Sweet Maker, he'd said, and the absolute, sheer wonder in his tone had stunned you for a moment; you've never heard such raw emotion in his voice. And then that word: fullua. It's the only word apart from izrin that he's called you in Durese, and something about the way he uttered it indicates to you that it holds more gravity than izrin, because the way he lets it fall from his lips and roll off his tongue like gooey, golden honey... It makes it sound almost holy, as if he's worshipping you.

'So, you're still alive?'
Your head jerks up at the sound of Tygrav's voice. 'Yeah,' you reply nonchalantly. 'But I just want the next job, thanks.'
Tygrav laughs raucously, as if you just told the funniest joke ever. 'Hell, Mr Bane here taught you well. Y'know, the first day you walked in here, I thought you were finished, but I guess occasionally both suns shine on a womp rat's tail.'
'Mhm,' you exchange a glance with said Mr Bane, hiding a smile as you open your mouth to speak, but Tygrav interrupts.
'I heard about your fight in the Garkata Fighting Arena. Apparently you're quite a beast in there. You shoulda finished off Lictor, though.'

Cold slithers down your spine. Did the word really get out that fast? Schooling your features into neutrality, you fight to camouflage your reaction to Tygrav's uncanny ability to get his hands on information and knock back your glass of spotchka before glancing up at him, pointedly ignoring his probing statements.

'So, what's our next job?'
Tygrav sighs. 'I've only got one for you. It's a job on Nal Koska - '
'Great,' you mumble. 'Back in the shithole they call Hutt Space.'
' - and you'll be hunting a female Jablogian called Droskigan Ullus. Interesting woman. Anyway, she stole some jewels from Ziro the Hutt, and among them happened to be Sy Snootles' favourite necklace.' He chuckles. 'Y'know, his girlfriend, the lounge singer - '
'Yes,' Cad snaps, voice clipped.
'Well, it's worth a good forty thousand credits, with an extra five thousand thrown on because Ziro's a good friend of yours, and he wants the best to get his girlfriend's necklace back - and the thief, of course.'

You lean back, placing your head on Cad's arm where he's resting it on the back of the booth. Something about Tygrav's words sets off radars in your head - a Jablogian, native to Nar Kanji, run to a planet in the same system to hide from Ziro the Hutt, Jabba the Hutt's fucking uncle? There's something Tygrav isn't saying, or something Ziro didn't say to Tygrav, but there's got to be some gap in the information you've been provided, because it simply doesn't make sense that a bounty in their right mind would hide so close to the ones they're hiding from.

Glancing over at Cad, you raise your eyebrows fractionally, as if to ask, should we take this one?
He shrugs a little. What choice do we have?
You tilt your head. Fair enough.
Tygrav clears his throat. 'If you're done talking to each other with your eyes, are you taking the job?'
'Yeah,' you reply.
He claps his hands together. 'Wonderful.'

You and Cad are silent as you leave the cantina, both waiting until you're well out of the cantina and deep in the Coruscant crowds before you speak up. 'You really think we should do this one? Don't you find it weird that Ullus is hiding so close to Ziro?'
Cad shrugs. 'It's the only job he offered, and I think we can handle whatever happens fine.' He grins. 'I mean, did ya see yerself in the arena? Fuckin' deadly.'

Warmth flutters through you at his praise. You're pretty sure he's never complimented anyone like that before, and you know what he's saying isn't just words - you still have hickeys from him showing you how hot he thought you were back on Nar Shaddaa. Reaching out, you lace your fingers with his for a short, heart stopping moment before you let go, too aware of the sheer number of people surrounding the two of you. From the shadows of his hat, his eyes glow red as they stare down at you, telling you exactly what he wants to do in the few hours in hyperspace on the way to Nal Koska. Curving your lips up into a smirk, you return the suggestive gaze through your lashes, another wave of warmth flooding through your body when his eyes dance with amusement.

Gesturing grandly to you as the Justifier's ramp opens before you, you roll your eyes at Cad as you climb into the ship, momentarily reminded of the first time you saw it, of how you'd been shocked by how damn big it had been. You recall also being absolutely petrified by the bounty hunter who had piloted the ship, so much so that you hadn't dared take your eyes off him. And now, you know every single one of the wires in the bowels of the Justifier; you know how to read... most of the emotions that flit in and out of Cad Bane's eyes.

Yawning, your bounty hunter slumps down in the pilot's seat and pulls his hat over his crimson eyes. Raising your brows, you nudge him with your foot as you collapse into the co - pilot's seat. He groans, batting you away, closing his eyes tightly. An amused smile tugs at the corners of your lips, and you poke him again.

'I jus' wanna sleep, now,' he mumbles, reaching for you. 'We can fuck later.'
You snort, dodging away from his grasp. 'You are so full of shit, Cad.'
He sighs, peeking out from the brim of his hat. 'Please?'
'Fine,' you cross your arms. 'But only if we sleep on the bed and not in your chair, you bastard.'

With a world weary sigh, Cad scoops you up in his arms, pausing momentarily to nuzzle his face against yours, and you go soft in his arms, leaning your head against his shoulder as he carries you to the bedroom. With a huff, he heaves you onto the bed, and you laugh as he flops onto you, pinning you down with his weight so you're unable to move as he cuddles into you. An indignant squeak leaves you as he shoves his cold fingers under your shirt so he can warm them on your stomach, and you pinch his arm when he chuckles at you, the low sound rumbling through his chest. Squirming beneath him, you wriggle around in the sheets until you manage to get an arm out, so you can throw it over him and hold him close, the comforting weight of his head on your chest soothing you to sleep.

'We - we can...' Cad interrupts himself with a yawn. 'We - we can fuck... Later.'