imthepilot | (no subject)

Galen gets a message late one evening. The evening Bodhi was planning to spent down in the barracks with the other cargo crews.

The message from the head medic. You better get down here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

galen_erso

It's the kind of message that will get anybody running, so it's at quite a hurry that Galen sweeps into the med bay.

"What happened?"

From:

imthepilot

Bodhi is one side of the room with an icepack on his black eye. Another hauler crewman is on the other side of the room with a bacta patch on his ribs and a big one side of his face swallow.

And the medic standing between them, glaring. "That that one back. I want him out of here for now."

From:

galen_erso

A brawl?? With Bodhi?? Damaging that big crewman??

Galen probably looks as flabbergasted as he feels.

"Yes, right away," he says, looking perplexedly between Bodhi and the medic.

From:

imthepilot

Bodhi pulls himself off the bed and nods to the medic before following Galen out.

From:

galen_erso

Galen makes sure they they are completely out of sight and earshot before he pulls Bodhi into his arms. "What happened?" He asks yet again.

From:

imthepilot

"Long story." Bodhi mutters darkly. "They've been stuck here too long. The crews are getting restless."

From:

galen_erso

"So he attacked and you won?" Galen asks.

This is definitely new to him. He never had to get Lyra after an actual brawl, not even that time the creepy merchant had stalked her on Coruscant.

From:

imthepilot

Bodhi's teeth almost grind. "He got offensive." And yes, Bodhi's knuckles are split and red.

From:

galen_erso

"To you?" Galen asks.

It seems a stupid idea to him. Why offend harmless Bodhi?

Well, perhaps not entirely harmless.

"What was his problem?"

He looks into Bodhi's eyes, worried.

From:

imthepilot

Bodhi doesn't answer till they're back in one or other of their rooms. He didn't actually notice which. "He implied- he straight out said I'd saved your life in exchange for sexual favours."

Bodhi's voice is a dark growl. Not at all his usual self.

From:

galen_erso

It's Galen's room, and he's brewing caf when Bodhi spits that out.

He turns around and stares.

"They think -- they know we??"

It doesn't make any sense.

"They just inferred -- stars, did he even look at me or you?"

It doesn't make any sense that lovely Bodhi gets accused of having to twist anybody's arm to get them into bed.

"Was he jealous?"

From:

imthepilot

"They don't know." Bodhi asserts, pacing somewhat. "He was a friend of the crewman we were helping when the tanks ruptured. He blames me for his friend's death. He was looking to provoke me."

From:

galen_erso

"So he probably accused you of the next bizarrely offensive thing he could think of, never thinking that we really -- that no favour currying or arm twisting was needed at all, because we're actually lovers all along."

Galen shakes his head. "He probably deserved it."

From:

imthepilot

Bodhi huffs a bitter laugh, still wound up tight and passing. "Between spacers, implying someone is whoring themselves to a superior officer for favours is about the worst thing you can say. And saying it to their face is the same as throwing the first punch."

From:

galen_erso

Galen looks very dismayed and goes to pull the bristling pilot into his arms.

From:

imthepilot

Bodhi almost flinches away but stops himself in time. He's so wound up and he's not use to people touching him.

He lets Galen hug him, resting his arms loosely around Galen's waist. "They don't know anything. Just that I'm getting special treatment because I saved your life. It doesn't matter that it's true we're sleeping together. The point is I couldn't let that insult stand." All of it through clenched teeth.

From:

galen_erso

"No, you couldn't," Galen agrees, his arms resting lightly around Bodhi. "And I couldn't possibly use -- abuse -- my authority to refute the insult. That would make the slur into a rumour. So your fists it was, and it seems to have worked."

Pause.

"You need something to let off steam? Make yeast dough? Start an argument on the net?"

Two things Lyra had sometimes done. She had a temper, and could go ballistic at times. Something Krennic had banked on when...

From:

imthepilot

"You need to stay well clear of it. The medic saw it. She'll have to report us both for brawling but-" But his record is pretty clean. He can wear one reprimand easily enough. "You'll get the report soon enough, as chief."

He shakes his head. "I need to hit the fresher. I'll be okay. I just need to cool off."

From:

galen_erso

"All yours," Galen says. "I'll make caf."

As bizarrely different as Lyra and Bodhi seem to be, Galen does seem to have a type -- competent, with a temper, infinitely more practical than he himself. With Bodhi, he feels whole again. As whole as he can be.

From:

imthepilot

Bodhi nods and starts to strip off. There's a red mark on his stomach but it doesn't look like the punch landed with any force. Just the blackening eye. "At least here I don't have to worry about wasting water."

From:

galen_erso

"No, water is the one thing free and plentiful on Eadu," Galen says. He reaches out to touch Bodhi's bare shoulder.

From:

imthepilot

Bodhi shudders slightly. So much pent up energy looking for a release. But he doesn't move to touch Galen back. Mostly because he doesn't trust himself.

From:

galen_erso

"Bodhi?"

From:

imthepilot

Bodhi takes a slow breath and takes Galen's hands in his. "I'm sorry, I'm still..." He kisses Galen's knuckles and takes a step back. "After." He promises.