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Fox stepped into the elevator, adjusting his tux jacket and then smoothing out the lapels.
Thire, Wolffe and Rex moved into the other side of the lift and smirked at each other. They kept eyeing him as Fox moved onto his cufflinks, fixing the sleeves so the metal jewelry in the shape of tiny 10s were visible.
Cody ignored all of them and walked into the elevator stiffly, over to stand straight-backed at Fox's side. As the doors closed, Cody stood motionlessly still, staring unseeingly at the doors as the gentle hum of the machinery filled the air and they began to ascend to the penthouse bar.
Out of the corner of his eye, Fox could see their mischievous grins and steeled himself to ignore them, following Cody's example.
“Looks like someone thinks they're going to get lucky tonight,” Wolffe said with a deep chuckle.
“Fox is very much the finest eye-candy out of all of us, right now,” Thire said happily, sounding good-natured in his ribbing.
Fox turned away from them, checking that no stray hairs or eyebrow hairs were out of place in the mirrored sides of the car. He could see his brothers’ giggling smirks reflected behind him and closed his eyes with a sigh. He hoped they wouldn’t stick around him the whole evening.
“Leave him alone you two,” Rex chimed in, his grin bigger than the other two. “He's just hoping a certain purple-haired senator will be there tonight, so she can see just how dolled up he is.”
“If the only requirement for Fox’s attention is purple hair, we could dye Rex's hair purple. Those two would be lovely together,” Wolffe laughed teasingly.
“Hey!” Rex growled and grabbed at Wolffe, trying to put him in a headlock.
They were headed to one of the most exclusive clubs in all of Coruscant, Cody had been able to get them on the guest list for tonight. How he'd been able to swing that, Fox really didn't know. But Cody could move mountains when he wanted to. Sometimes that made Fox a little afraid of his brother, and very glad indeed that there was only goodwill between them.
Rex, Wolffe and Cody often seemed to play practical jokes on each other when they had been in each other's orbit, especially back during the war. So Fox had been happy enough to be stuck on Coruscant if only so that he could stay the kriff out of those games. Some of the ingenious things that Cody could think up and execute were both legendary in their hilarity and cruelty.
Like the time Wolffe had made a joke about General Kenobi in Cody's earshot and the next day had woken up to the entire Wolfpack's armor painted completely gold in the 212th's color. Fox heard that it had taken them weeks to scrub the color off their armor... Cody had added some chemical agent that had made the paint almost indestructible.
Or the time Rex had accidentally lost sight of Kenobi on the battlefield, when Cody had been leading another battalion in a different direction. Apparently Rex had woken up the next morning with his underarms completely shaved and the hair glued to his face in the shape of a beard... and it had been glued on using military grade glue they used on their armor. Poor Rex had lived with that horrible glued-on beard for a couple weeks until the skin had naturally fallen away.
Cody always did do his best work at night. Though how Rex hadn't woken up during the process, Fox would never know.
“Stop it Wolffe!” Rex whined, scrabbling at Wolffe's arms that had somehow broken Rex's headlock and had turned the tables on Rex. Wolffe was giving a very firm noogie to Rex's bristly, blond buzzcut.
“Stop it you two, or you won't be joining us in the club. The reservation is under my name, after all,” Cody finally broke his silence, his hard tone stopping their brothers in their tracks.
“Sorry Cody,” they both murmured and straightened like chastened children.
Cody was terrifying.
And maybe, Fox had dressed up a little too much. Thire, Rex and Wolffe were just wearing normal suits and Cody was in his Full Dress Uniform—which for most of them, almost never saw the light of day. It did somehow make Cody's shoulders look wider and his legs slimmer, but it also gave a bit of a cold, gleaming spark to his eyes that made him a bit unapproachable. And that was saying something coming from Fox, since they both had the same face.
So Fox stood out a bit next to his brothers, but wasn't that the point of tonight? Sure, Cody had invited Thire, Rex and Wolffe along, but hadn't Cody meant this as a favor to Fox so he could see Riyo outside of their duties?
He didn't actually know. Fox could only guess as Cody rarely explained himself when he didn't need to. But regardless, Fox just hoped the Senator was there tonight.
The doors opened and the five brothers stepped out of the elevator and approached the muscular Ikototchi in a tight white dress shirt and tie, holding a 'pad and guarding the door.
Soft somber music floated on the air out of the club: a lonely sax, pianoforte and rolling drum playing slow and sweet together.
“Name?” The Ikototchi peered at them suspiciously, his voice low and scratchy. The Ikotochi had obviously groomed his look to be intimidating, one of his horns was chipped and broken at the end, the other had been sharpened to a frightening point. His expression was one of unkind loathing in a way that made Fox feel a little out of place; almost like they shouldn't be there.
“Commander Cody and guests,” Cody nodded knowingly, standing tall and attentive as the man checked his list.
The Ikotochi finally nodded after a few tense moments, pulling aside the dark-velvet curtain that blocked the doorway.
The brothers entered the room, looking around in awe at the tasteful decorations and some of Coruscant's highest society mingling in ravish outfits, while others sat in dark booths or tiny tables: drinking or eating tiny portions of food.
Cody was the only one who didn't stop to stare and instead headed over to an open barstool at the bar. A soft, cool blue light shone behind the long, smooth counter, casting the bar attendants face's into mysterious shadows.
Fox cautiously approached one of the stools next to Cody, still looking for Senator Chuchi.
There was a small, mostly empty, dance floor next to the small stage where a three-piece Jazz ensemble was still playing softly. Fox had never been anywhere like this before, sure he'd been in a few rowdy bars (79's was one all the Vod’e frequented), but this place was different. The lighting was dim and soft, and the whispering drum beat really added to a distant feeling of nostalgia for something he had never experienced.
Riyo wasn't here, at least from what Fox could see. So he turned around in his stool, surprised to find a drink already in front of him that matched Cody's.
Fox took a big gulp to steady his nerves and choked at its strength. He coughed, covering his mouth, trying not to be too loud so as to draw stares from other patrons. “What is this?” He rasped, looking at the wide, heavy glass filled with only a fingerful of smoky, amber liquid.
“Concordian Brandy, from 3573 ATC,” Cody said with a smirk.
“This is... 50 years older than us?” Fox said with concern. “Am I even allowed to drink this?”
“It—” Cody started, but then his head turned away like his attention was suddenly drawn somewhere else, his eyes softening.
Fox turned his head slowly, following Cody's gaze to the door of the club. Rex and Thire had moved on to the dance floor and were slow dancing with each other tiredly. They were slumped over each other, their arms were tucked closely around each other's necks in comfort. Maybe they shouldn't have brought Rex, who'd just gotten back with the 501st on a peace-keeping mission to Ansion. The vod's exhaustion was probably what had caused the roughhousing in the elevator to escalate so fast. It didn’t help that Wolffe had egged him on. Wolffe himself was nowhere to be seen, which made Fox very suspicious.
But right now, standing just inside the entrance to the club was General Kenobi, in his more formal Jedi robes. His eyes were searching the crowd with a little secret smile on his face, until he eventually finished his scan by locking eyes with Cody. Neither man moved, and for a split second it felt like the whole club had stopped breathing, waiting with bated breath to see what was going to happen.
Fox rolled his eyes, hard, at the transparency of his vod's feelings.
But then everything in the club felt like it swung back into motion as Kenobi took a step towards them. As he moved out of the way of the door, he revealed Senator Chuchi coming in just behind him: resplendent in a lavender dress that was one shade lighter than her hair. The color made her indigo skin glow. She looked beautiful! But then, she always did.
Fox didn't realize he was staring like a gawking shiny during their first trip to 79's, until Kenobi was leaning against the bar on the other side of Cody, speaking in a soft murmur to a bar attendant.
Riyo caught his eyes, blushed and then floated off to talk to another senator she knew.
Fox gulped, glad he hadn't been walking or he probably would have tripped all over himself.
“—are you doing, this evening Commander Fox?” Kenobi was leaning over Cody to address Fox.
“Uhm, what?” Fox blinked, feeling a bit like a tooka in a speeder's headlights.
“Leave him alone,” Cody muttered into the glass he was holding, about to take another sip. “Can't you see he's busy drooling?”
And then General Kenobi did something Fox never thought he'd seen the man do: he bit his lip and tried to smother a giggle. What in all Correllian hells?
Generally, High General Obi-Wan Kenobi cut a rather stoic figure to the vod'e, and Fox had always figured the man was quite a bit like Cody: serious with an intensity that could be physically felt and someone with a dark, sadistic sense of humor. Oh Cody was happy sometimes, but he rarely showed it on his face. Except there was something joyful and carefree on Kenobi's face, right now. And that definitely didn't fit with what Fox had thought he was like.
“Fox,” Cody said calmly, his expression masking his emotions. “Just go over there and ask her to dance.”
His vod set down his glass, which Kenobi picked up and took a small sip of, a warm smile curling on his face at the taste and strength.
Kriffing Regs, Fox thought darkly. He hadn't touched his own glass since he'd gulped it a bit too fast earlier.
“It's creepy watching you just sit here and stare at her,” Cody said wisely and then snatched back his glass back from Kenobi's hand, with an added glare at his General.
“Oh, leave the poor baby pom hopper alone, my dear. I'm sure not all of your brother's have the balls you did to just approach someone they're interested in and talk to them,” Kenobi said with only a hint of dry sarcasm.
Fox's face flushed red with anger and embarrassment. He did too have the courage to talk to her!
He had already marched halfway to where Riyo was calmly talking to an older Cosian gentleman and his partner when he realized he'd been fooled. He slowed his pace, about to turn around when she looked up from her conversation and smiled at him, her eyes closing for a second in joy.
Fox felt his face flush dark for a different reason and continued to slowly walk over to the table and around the people seated.
“Senator Chuchi,” he said, his voice squeaking out, “Sers,” he nodded to the two sentients sitting at the table. “I was wondering if you would join me for a dance, Senator.”
“Oh,” she breathed, her cheeks flushing a sweet shade of dark purple, “I would be delighted, Commander. We must speak again some other time Ser Yis’Tor,” she bowed to the Cosian gentleman. “Nice to meet you,” she nodded to the other seated male and then held out her hand for Fox to take.
Praying to Ka'ra that his hands weren't too sweaty, he took her hand and led her through the tables and towards the dance floor. Rex and Thire had finally abandoned dancing themselves, but a few more couples had wandered on. The added dancers made Fox feel a little better about what was sure to be a very subpar example of leading his partner in a slow dance.
When her hand rested on his shoulder, a small shudder of pleasure worked up his spine, the base of his neck tingling at her closeness.
“You look beautiful tonight,” he said a bit awkwardly, not quite sure of what else to say.
She let out one amused huff and grinned up at him, “Thank-you. And thank-you for asking me to dance. I know at the Senate we chat sometimes, but there is never quite the right time to...” Her voice trailed off and she looked away.
“To?” Fox prodded her. They had both danced around this topic since they’d known each other. They had awkwardly flirted at work more times than he could count, but they never crossed their own lines of professionalism.
She looked up at him, her golden eyes sparkling in the muted light. “To see if we really do feel the same way. To see if this attraction goes deeper.”
He was both surprised at her boldness, but grateful too. “And does it?” His voice cracked like a blue-back who had gotten old enough to begin combat training. He didn't need that, thank-you very much. And if he could stop blushing like some teenaged Shiny taking their first biology class, that would be great.
Her eyes flickered between his, trying to read something. “I'm not sure yet, but I have a good feeling about this,” she squeezed the hand holding hers.
The slow song eventually wound down and a new one started, even slower than before. The percussionist and the piano player were calmly playing a soothing rhythmic melody. Gradually the pianist began to add in a line of harmony that made him relax into his swaying steps.
At the intimate tone of the song and his relaxed posture, Riyo stepped closer to him, leaning her head against his lower chest. “Is this alright?” She asked, her voice slightly muffled against his jacket.
“More than alright,” Fox replied, his face warming. He slowly rested his head on top of hers, taking in the soothing herbal scent of her soap. His arm left arm tightened around her back, enjoying their closeness.
Out of the side of his eye, Fox spied Cody picking Rex up from a table that he seemed to have collapsed into, dead asleep. Fox would have wondered when that had happened, and where exactly Thire and Wolffe had gotten to, but he cared little beyond the woman in his arms.
You're on your own, Cody hand signed to him, gesturing to Rex and then the exit, where General Kenobi was waiting patiently.
Fox signed back an affirmative.
I'll want details later, Cody signed, an almost-smirk in his eyes.
Fox waved him off and settled his arm back around Riyo.
“Everything alright?” Riyo pulled back and looked at him with concern. She must have felt his hand leave her back. “Do you need to leave?”
He just smiled. “I think I'm good right here.”
She smiled back, her golden eyes lit in happiness.
The End.
Meanwhile, back at the Coruscant Guard's barracks, Thire and Wolffe (who had stopped at 79's on the way back), were drunkenly cutting holes in the crotch of all of Fox's black bodysuits.
“He's gonna need easy access once him and Chuchi are together,” Wolffe grinned hazily and Thire happily smacked his vod on the shoulder so hard, he fell over.
“Haha, Coruscant Guard Red and Chuchi blue... They'll have purple babies! Where's his profa… prophylac-tic stash? I'm gonna hide them all,” Thire giggled and then sat down on Fox's bed. Propped up against the side of the bunk he tried to open the nearby drawer but instead slowly fell asleep, hand on the still unopened bedside drawer.
Wolffe guffawed at his vod's inability to stay conscious while they were in the midst of pranking Thire's own commanding officer. He dumped the unfolded, massacred bodysuits back in the drawer he’d found them in, smacking the compartment shut. As he moved for the door, he decided to leave Thire where he is. After all, there was no sense in taking the blame when there was a perfectly good fall man ready and waiting for Fox, when he returned from his date.