OOM: The Job

[iprotectyou]

The job pays well, at least. That's the only good thing about it.

The intel Baze was given was shaky at best, and while his target goes down without a fight, the Selkath bodyguard she employed is a surprise. An aquatic species resembling a catfish with aqua-colored skin, the Selkath fights viciously, tackling Baze from above and mauling his arm with venom-tipped claws.

Baze bellows, swinging his repeater cannon up and around to fire upon the creature. He pumps blaster bolts into him, stumbling away when the Selkath disengages. Baze didn't expect the claws. To a Selkath, use of their retractable claws is dishonorable, a sign of madness. Baze's arm burns, and he grits his teeth against the pain. He knows he has to find an antidote, and fast.

He staggers back home, back to Chirrut.

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[iprotectyou]

Baze scoots to the end of the bed, his legs dangling over the edge and his feet resting on the floor. He wraps his arms around Chirrut, tugging him close and smoothing a hand over his short-cropped hair. Cupping the back of his head, Baze rests his cheek on his friend's.

"I'll be fine," he says, his heart thudding against his taped-up ribs. He's sure Chirrut can feel it, as close as they are. "I won't sleep, knowing you're in the market"--throwing his own words back at him--"but you should go eat something."

[idontneedluck]

Chirrut sighs, overly gusty in Baze's ear to register his displeasure at the whole scheme, and pulls away.

"I'll be back as fast as I can. Don't... do anything. Just don't. I'll be back soon." There should be a joke there, something about how if Baze died when he was gone he'd never let him live it down, or...

He can't joke. Not yet. His tone is earnest, and he hasn't actually made it any closer to the door.

[iprotectyou]

"You will," Baze says, gently disengaging and pushing him away. The larger man manages a smile for the smaller one, and hopes he hears it in his voice. "I trust you. You're a speedy monkey on the best of days; I suspect you'll be back sooner than I expect."

Baze nudges Chirrut's thin shoulder, intending to push him towards the door. "Off with you. The sooner you're back, the sooner we can get to sleep."

[idontneedluck]

Chirrut's steps drag as he heads for the door, collecting his staff on the way.

But he does go. If he doesn't, Baze will try, and that is an impossibility.

If he happens to run there, and back... that's his own business.

He also bought food to go (both because he can be back sooner, and because then he can prove he ate something, hah) along with some more grain and dried fruit for porridge later.

If he... just kinda bursts into the room full of anxiety, just... ignore that.

[iprotectyou]

Baze is, as he promised, completely fine when Chirrut gets back.

Before was another story. Chirrut wasn't gone for very long, but the time was long enough for Baze's fears to ramp up his breathing and make his hands twitchy. What if something happens to Chirrut? What if the Imperial patrols are too much, and Chirrut is captured? What if the poison comes back? Baze stews in bed until it becomes unbearable, and ends up hopping from foot to foot by the door.

Which is to say he meets Chirrut by the door with a winning smile on his face. "I knew you'd come back soon."

And he's telling the truth. Baze Malbus can't tell a lie to save his life and he knows it, so he doesn't try. He wraps his arms around Chirrut, one of them flooded with stabbing pains, and leans on his friend.

[idontneedluck]

Chirrut calms, almost immediately, when Baze gets a hold of him. Baze is alright. He's here, he's...

"Why are you up?" Chirrut asks, exasperation heavy in his tone. "You're going to fall over, and then I'll have to drag you back to bed, and you won't enjoy it. I'll make sure of that."

He doesn't really let go of Baze, however - he can walk with him back to the bed, that's fine.

"And I have steamed buns too."

[iprotectyou]

"I'm up because I wanted to greet you, you baby bantha," Baze says, cheerful despite the agony lancing through his arm and chest. He tries drawing a deep breath, but it's no good. He's relegated to smaller ones.

Baze allows himself to be guided back to bed, releasing Chirrut so that the larger man can sit down on it. "Steamed buns are good. You should eat them. I'm full."

This is a dirty, filthy lie. Baze is never full, not anymore, Times are lean, but he thinks that if Chirrut has a chance at being full, he should take it.

[idontneedluck]

"I got two for me, and one for you." Chirrut replies firmly, unwrapping the bundle the buns came in once he's seated. "And if you think I'm going to eat your food, you are clearly suffering a brain injury."

He takes out one of the buns, nearly as large as his hand, and holds it carefully to avoid getting scorched, offering it to Baze. He's clearly prepared to go on sitting there all night waiting.

[iprotectyou]

Baze looks at his expectant friend, and sighs. "You mean you brought half a bun for me," the larger man says, tearing Chirrut's offering into two pieces, and making sure Chirrut's half is bigger. He stuffs his fraction into his mouth and chews, and then swallows. "Thank you ever so much."

[idontneedluck]

There's a long moment while Chirrut decides how much of a fight he wants. He really wants Baze to eat the rest of the bun already.

He's tired, and stressed, and doesn't want a fight on top of everything else.

He sets the half bun off to one side and starts in on one of his two, wordlessly. It probably doesn't help his cause that he demolishes his bun rapidly, but... some things just can't be helped.

[iprotectyou]

Good, because Baze wasn't going to eat that half of the bun, damn it. He's full!

He uses his good hand to knead the shoulder of Chirrut that Baze can easily reach. He considers apologizing for being obstinate, but Chirrut never would, so neither should Baze. "When you're done," he says slowly, testing the waters, "we should go to sleep."

[idontneedluck]

Chirrut really doesn't feel much like eating the second bun, but he eats it anyway - he knows he needs the calories, and it won't taste nearly as good cold. So he does, stubbornly, and then pitches the wrappers at the wastebasket. He accidentally had hit the wastebasket in all of the drama, so the little bundle fails to go in.

He doesn't feel like fixing that problem right now.

"That... is a good plan."

[iprotectyou]

Baze sighs through his nose. He tugs Chirrut close and drags him into a lying position on the bed, burying Baze's nose in his short-cropped hair. The larger man cradles the smaller one in the cage of Baze's massive arms and against his unarmored, taped-up chest, resolutely ignoring the pain. He doesn't say anything; nothing needs to be said.

[idontneedluck]

Chirrut doesn't mean to fall asleep. He really doesn't. He wants to just lie here and listen to Baze's heart beating steadily.

It's the best sound in the universe.

But exhaustion, fading adrenaline, and a belly full of hot foot conspire against him. He finds himself drifting without meaning to, catching himself once, twice...

His breathing evens out as he lies warm and comforted against his best friend in the universe.

[iprotectyou]

Good. This is good. It takes Baze a lot longer to fall asleep, fighting pain and the terror of the day--which punched him in the gut unexpectedly as soon as he slowed down enough to think. He almost left Chirrut, and Baze hurt him by it, too. Baze is too keyed up to sleep, despite the calming sound of Chirrut's steady breathing.

He almost wishes he still believed in the Force. The mantras which passed his lips for so many decades were bolstering, and he misses that certainty about his fate. He almost gives in to temptation and whispers the chant again, but doesn't, just in case Chirrut hears him. He doesn't want to break the Guardian's heart. Things will never be the way they were again, and Baze doesn't want to offer his friend false hope.

Eventually, the adrenaline dies, and exhaustion closes Baze's eyes. Tomorrow will be better, he tells himself, right before falling asleep. Yes. Tomorrow will be.