Chapter Text
‘Food is food, right? But come on, eating something called a nerf nugget?’
“This is the missions we are reduced to doing now? Running a meals on wings service?”
Echo wasn’t feeling it, the grumpiness clearly there.
The planet they had been on, a farming planet mostly, sparse with people, but plentiful with nerfs. But the muddy roads, the surprises left behind by the animals… those surprises having been left lying every which where. Being careful with ones step never really enough.
The two of them having waited for a long while, before getting their produce loaded onto the ship.
The smells alone… well, needless to say, it had been no paradise! Guess it was simply taking some getting used to it all, as the farmers there surely did not complain.
But, the two clones, even if having seen all kinds of carnage, having smelled various odours during their battles around every which world in the galaxy… still, none if it compared to the smells of this exact planet.
But, as the nerf nuggets were a delicacy, apparently, Cid having paid the big credits to transport them to the hungry patrons wanting to actually eat them? Well, Hunter simply had not been able to refuse the job.
“Echo, a job is a job.”
Hunter reminded Echo.
“Yeah, we do whatever as long as we get paid.”
Certainly, a sarcastically grumpy Echo.
“Exactly.”
Echo gave Hunter the glare. The one none of them liked to be at the receiving end of. The only one ever managing to even closely rival it, had been Crosshair. But he, wasn’t there now, was he.
Hunter was kind of getting tired of the ever increasing whining of Echo’s though.
As it was, business for Cid was low and the gigs she was able to give the Batch becoming scarce. So, if they were going to get paid for running, well, meals on wings jobs? Then fine, that was what they were going to do!
It wasn’t as the two of the had not been butting heads a lot lately either.
But, after their little talk, trying to settle things for the moment. About doing the more Echo was demanding. Or at least, Hunter had wanted to kind of put the whole thing on the side burner, so, making promises, little white lies really, to maybe do the more soon, but not just now.
Oddly though, Echo had kind of bought the whole deal.
Especially after Hunter having taken really good care of Echo in their bedroom. Something which never really failed. Not for either of them as in the past, Echo had similarly pulled one over Hunter’s head in doing the exact same thing. Guess paybacks were a real bitch after all!?
“Hunter, when I agreed to let the topic of joining with Rex on hold for the moment, I really wasn’t expecting to exchange the betterment of the galaxy for this!”
Oh-oh! Echo was onto Hunter’s little deception!
Well, it wasn’t little really, quite big actually! Heh! And Echo had certainly not complained about the size either. No, it had been all totally great, for both of them.
But clearly, all that bliss had been left in the bunk room. And now, well, Echo was back to being annoyed by the life choices the Batch had made since the war ended.
Hunter’s little hack had been called out and clearly, confronting Echo was not an option.
Nor did Hunter want to make further promises of a change either. Even if he was pretty sure that would calm Echo down considerably and change his fowl mood too to something more, chipper?
Then again, the others were starting to side with Echo. So guess Hunter too needed to rethink his rigid decision of staying out of the Empire’s radar, laying low and trying to only care for his immediate family.
Hunter was quickly thinking on his feet, trying to figure out something to sooth the other man.
Well, there was one sure thing which would work for certain. After all, they had a long way back to Ord Mantell. The Marauder was on autopilot and well, the thing had worked before.
It wasn’t fair, Hunter knew as much, using pleasure to distract Echo in this way. But, they still had a rotations worth of travel time and Hunter was at the end of his rope.
Besides, it wasn’t like they weren’t doing it anyway right? They did have a rich and rewarding intimate life after all. And if Hunter was side tracking a bit to get what he wanted, then, it was all still good right?
Truth being told, despite their disagreements, Hunter really loved Echo and so, what if he was trying to distract Echo from his grumpy mood by offering personal services? They were a couple so it was all alright.
Hunter felt torn for a moment, not really liking the deception. So, deciding to have a chat instead with Echo, Hunter took the co-pilot’s seat and turned to Echo.
“Look, Echo, I am sorry we are dragging out this, decision to be made of joining with Rex. But…”
Yeah there always was one with Hunter, the but. (But, not the well rounded big butt of his, the one no one was complaining about.)
Echo sighed before Hunter could even finish the sentence.
Having heard all the excuses already. And Echo knew quite well it was his own fault as he always gave into Hunter’s excuses. Well, what could he do short from leaving the Batch, alone? And Echo wasn’t really prepared to leave, not the group and especially not Hunter.
And so.
“Hunter, shut the kriff up.”
The words might have been mean, but the tone was low, velvety seductive.
Closing the gap between them, Echo captured Hunter’s lips with his own, giving the other man a most hunger filled kiss possible.
Apparently, it was Echo’s time to pull one over Hunter. Again.