Chapter Text
It didn't start like a good day for Boba. Actually, more like a pretty bad one. He got up with a throbbing headache to Vader's barking. The Sith Lord was following into his footsteps while he grabbed some Symoxin from the fresher, and didn't shut up for even a second. It happened from time to time, even Sith Lords had worse days. Seems like this was one of them. When Boba decided to take a quick nap, before his meds kick in, his lover stood above him not letting him drift away.
He almost kicked Fett out of bed, snapping at him constantly about how much people got on his nerves today, and it was just morning. If Boba didn't grow used to those mood swings by now, he would probably be taken aback. Fortunately for him, he was long beyond the point of being intimidated by Vader. So he just kept humming in agreement to whatever his lover was saying, and hoped silently that Vader will get bored in a minute, and find somebody else to boss around.
"I will inform Tarkin, that you will be at his service today"
"Whatever you want" Boba just mumbled sleepily, curling up into warm linens "Does it have to be Tarkin though? He's not very fond of me"
"That's exactly why I chose him" Vader clearly wasn't in mood, judging by how he was barking at his usually cherished bounty hunter "He's the only person here that you still hadn't wrapped around your finger, and the only one that does not lust after you"
Boba chuckled at that."Is that a challenge?"
"I'm in no mood for games today. I have much work to do. Behave yourself, and be sure to do whatever Tarkin wants you to. I don't need him running after me with complaints" his tone sharp.
"Oh I will be sure to give him whatever he wants" Fett purred, still not making any move to get out of bed. He could feel the air next to him shift, as Vader bent down above him.
"Do not forget who you belong to" Boba jut shrugged mentally, and decided to let Vader have the satisfaction of winning an argument for once.
He did expect some pat on the head at least, but Vader stormed out before any of that happened. Guess it really wasn't his day.
Fett however lost all traces of sleep he had left, and wasn't able to fulfill his napping plans. Deciding it was best to have Tarkin dealt with sooner than later, he managed to scramble out of bed, and into his armor, the helmet keeping his unhappy grimace away. With that he went straight towards the Commanding Center.
He had heard Grand Moff before he saw him. His steely voice carried itself around the corridor as he snapped at an engineer. Boba waited for him to finish his lecture before stepping out of the shadow.
"Grand Moff, I have been assigned to help you by..."
"Yes, I've been informed" he barked even before Fett was ended "Right now I have duties to attend to. Talk with the Generals about the latest security issues, and do not forget to take notes. We will meet later, and talk them over dinner. But be sure to wear something less... formal. This is an Imperial ship, not the Outer Rim. There's no need for an armor" looked him up and down. His features showing clear displeasure.
"As you wish" Boba kept his steady posture, as Tarkin disappeared seconds after, storming down the corridor.
Fett looked up the ceiling, slowly breathing out. It was going to be a long day
~*~
He didn't know how many Genrals he had spoken to. They all blurred together, and he was pretty sure that he talked with some of them more than once. The so called 'issues' Tarkin mentioned, were actually not very important, and very dull in description, but he made sure to take valid notes. He preferred that to being yelled at by the Grand Moff.
He wasnt' even ended with another meeting, when Tarkin sent him a message. A short notification that his presence is requested at the officer canteen, as soon as possible. So he made his excuses, and run towards the Imperial restaurant, just to remember that he was supposed to be without his armor on. A sharp turn, and he was storming back into his room, pulling out first non-military clothes he grabbed. Plain black tunic, and matching set of pants. This shouldn't seem too unprofessional. Even if it did, he had no time to fret about that. He didn't want Tarkin to have to wait any further.
Finally, Fett was taking the route back to the dining area. He was so caught up in his mind, not paying attention to his surroundings that he finally bumped into something, cursing under his breath, when his visor was met with utter darkness. He backed away just to see Darth Vader in front of him, or at least his chest.
"Where are you going" Vader startled him, his tone showed that his bad mood wasn't completely gone. Yet, there was some sort of curiosity, and a tingle of affection towards the smaller man.
"I have a meeting with Tarkin"
"Yes, and I see you cannot wait to get there" Vader said moving closer. His hand supported at his hips, and Fett felt kind of like a child, about to be scolded by an overprotective parent "And you are going out dressed like that?"
"Like what?" Vader didn't respond, just kept glaring at him. It was a difference, his body, usually covered by his armor, was now snuggled with the material. It wasn't a provoking look whatsoever, and yet Vader's tone implied that.
"At least put your helmet on"
"Really? I'm going to eat a dinner with him, there is no point in wearing a helmet"
Vader froze. The surrounding atmosphere grew thicker, almost suffocating. Boba felt some sort of dangerous aura lurking in the shadow. Goosebumps popped out on his skin, as the corridor seemed to be chilly out of all sudden.
"You said you have a meeting with him. You didn't mention that it's a date"
"Because it's not a date, it's a meeting, a business one. He just asked me not to wear my armor. Besides, you should be pleased. You'd told me to help him with whatever he needs, and I listened to you for once"
"Yes, I meant for you to work with him, not dine" he barked "Be careful, or soon you may cross a line"
Fett almost made a remark at that, but there was no point to keep arguing with the Sith. He liked to have the last word, and if Boba pushed enough they could have a serious quarrel going on. That was the last thing he wanted right now. He had to many problems without it, making the Grand Moff wait was one of them.
Boba just quickly scanned the area, making sure there was no one to see them. He stood on his tiptoes, reaching Vader's helmet. He planted a soft kiss on the cold metal, trying to calm the Sith Lord down.
"It shouldn't be long, and when I come back I can show you just how badly I can cross a line" he winked, but Vader's stiff posture didn't change a one bit at the statement. Fett just shrugged, and continued his way towards the canitna. All he had left was to hope that Vader won't be such a wet blanket for long.
~*~
Boba presented Tarkin with all the problems he gathered in his notes, and Grand Moff in return kept telling him about all the information he had already acquired. Boba tried to be polite, he could stand that for a while longer. Nodded now and then to show that he was listening, and mentally cursed the day he agreed to help Vader's subordinates. He could just go back to the old good bounty hunting, but it was kind of too late for that, since he was already sitting with Tarkin. He was stuck with Imperial problems for the time being.
He looked towards the door, where two white helmets kept popping in and out. More precisely appeared whenever Boba was focused on Tarkin, what he caught with the corner of his eye, and disappeared whenever Fett looked towards the door. The officer opposite of him didn't seem to notice anything, maybe he was to focused on his speeches about the greatness of the Empire, and how he plans to improve it further.
A ridiculous thought came to Boba, and he couldn't stop processing it. Surely Vader wouldn't lower himself to this. He wouldn't just tell his Stormtroopers to spy on him. Besides how would he explain this to them. 'Boba Fett will be dining with Grand Moff Tarkin, spy on them because they might have a romance, and romancing aboard this ship is forbidden'? No, it just wasn't Sith's style, and yet when Boba looked towards the entrance both Stormtroopers slid away from the door.
"That's all, bounty hunter. I do hope you will take this matter seriously. I expect you to keep track of security records, and start planning on extra precautions. Be sure to report all of your progress to me" He didn't stand up, but it was clear that their meeting was over.
Fett was beyond happy, they sat here for so long. Hi muscles were tense, and he had enough Imperial talks for the upcoming weeks. He bid his goodbyes to Tarkin and stormed towards the door. Clearly the Stormtroopers weren't peppered for that.
As soon as he appeared they scrambled, trying to figure out what to do. They stood up straight, blasters at ready. Boba couldn't help but feel a need to face palm. Did they really pretend to have a watch over the canteen door? A brilliant idea indeed.
He decided to leave them alone, too tired to comment, and walked through the corridors. They probably were calling Vader right now via comlink to inform him that the meeting was over. Fett was about to enter the turbo lift, and finally be able to take a break, when a voice rang through the halls.
"Fett" he heard Tarkin snap, and his eyes involuntary rolled. Did this ever stopped working? "To my office at once" not even waiting for an answer, the Grand Moff stormed towards his work place.
Boba could swear their meeting has ended less than a minute ago, and yet it seemed like Tariin needed another one. Then again, the Grand Moff was a man devoted to his work, and apparently he expected the bounty hunter to do the same. Boba cursed mentally, and braced himself for another dose of Tarkin’s revelations.
~*~
Fortunately, the information that were sent to Tarkin's data pad, a second after Boba had left, weren't that important after all. With a dismissive wave of hand Grand Moff let him go, and Boba had never walked so fast in his life. He didn't run, because Tarkin could make him stay longer just for the record. No, he needed to keep up his appearances, so he walked. Very fast, and straight inside the turbo lift. On the way to his room, he kept wondering about Vader. He kind of hoped to see the Sith, it wasn't very late, but he could be finished with his tasks already. A smile spread across Fett's face when he saw a familiar figure lingering in his living room, looking outside the viewport.
"Where have you been this long?" That much of a warm welcome.
"On a meeting with Tarkin, remember?" There was a hint of disappointment in Boba's voice. He knew that Vader's moods came, and went rather fast. He truly did hope that the Sith would be over with his moping.
"And after that?"
"What after?" Boba looked up, Vader still stood with his back turned, looking outside on the pitch black sky "I just walked out of there"
"Do not lie to me. I know the meeting ended over an hour ago" his voice was cutting sharp through the air, muscles tense as though he was ready to pounce on Fett at any moment.
"Oh, really? And where did you get that information?"
"I have my sources"
"I bet you do. Next time, tell your sources not to linger in the door like a pair of idiots" he couldn't help, but crack a smile. He plopped down on the sofa, his head tilted back and eyes closed.
"Do not change the subject. Where did you go after the meeting with Tarkin?" he finally faced Boba, and crossed his arms, clearly displeased with Fett's lack of seriousness.
"On another meeting with Tarkin"
"And why's that?"
"Because he wanted me to, and I spent my day doing whatever he wished for" he was so relieved to finally be able to relax a bit. His muscles were sore, and tiredness started to kick in.
"And did he wish for anything unprofessional?" It was a well-thought-out question. Vader's tone wasn't really accusatory. After spending some time together, Boba started to understand Sith's mental processes a bit better. For some funny reason, probably his own ego, he believed that everyone were head over heels for Fett, and just waited to lure him away. Well, not like Boba wasn't attractive, and aware of the fact, but believing that Tarkin just waited to tear clothes off him was an exaggeration.
He thought about the answer. He felt a childish urge to provoke Vader by an enigmatic response. He stopped himself though. Since it wasn't Sith's day from the very beginning of it, he decided to let it slip this once. He could live a day without making Vader lose his mind.
"No, and even if he did I would shoo him away. You know why?" Vader didn't answer. He just sat next to Fett. Boba shifted, his body curling up, head in Sith's lap "I like men in power, and you are the embodiment of it. I don't need anyone else"
Vader's fingers kept going through Boba's hair in a comforting manner. It was a calming ritual, for both of them "I will tell Tarkin to find somebody else for his dirty work. I have a feeling you will be occupied for the upcoming days"
"Making your dreams come true?" Boba smiled lightly, his voice thick.
"You will accompany me on my trip to Mustafar" one hand still in Fett's hair, while Vader's finger ghosted over his face. Leather tingling his skin, making Boba's eyes flutter close.
"Mhm, and what about my usefulness to the Empire?" He mumbled, earning himself a harder grip on his dark locks.
"I do not share. Not even with the Empire" there was a certain edge to it. It was hard to say if it was promise or a threat, and Fett had to admit to himself, that he was fine with both.