Maintenance

[Sumas Solus]

Petram Prime/Gartek Spaceport​

15:22 local time​

Despite being a solid and reliable ship that could take a beating and still fly effortlessly, the Meteor was still just that: a ship. And just like any ship, if it wasn't properly maintained then it wouldn't function properly.

Sumas seemed to have learned that the hard way.

He had never bothered to actually properly go over his ship to make sure everything was fine and now he was suffering system failures in the middle of hyperspace. Thankfully the safety systems pulled him out and he managed to fly the ship to the nearest spaceport. Another stroke of luck was having a proper mechanic on board in the form of his friend, Skylar. The two haven't known each other that long but they were already close friends. Given their friendship was a rather interesting one, it wasn't exactly all that surprising.

"This is one place I haven't been to. Gonna have to watch our backs here." he commented over his shoulder as he steered the Meteor into position and touched down on a landing pad. "We're going to need to find the parts before we can get anything done. I hope you know what to look for." he commented casually as he rose from the pilot's seat and gave him a light bump on the shoulder. He picked up his helmet and slid it on before he walked to the cargo hold's ramp and lowered it to disembark.

The spaceport was bustling with all manner of characters. Smugglers, mercenaries, gangsters, bounty hunters and various other less-than-savoury people were all doing their own thing. Sumas stuck close to Skylar as they walked through the spaceport in search of a parts shop. "Glad you could tag along, though. I would have had trouble if you weren't along for the ride." he admitted with a chuckle as they walked.

@Insalius

 

[Skylar Rook]

It was probably because Skylar had managed some quick repairs on the fly that the two had been able to land in the first place. Part of him wondered if this was the legacy of the one known as Crasher Badger, but he didn't like thinking of Sumas in that way. The man was positive, willful, and very sweet when he wanted to be. He didn't deserve the ridicule he seemed to get, and seemed to be okay with. Still, that was ultimately his choice, for his part Skylar would treat him with the respect and love he deserved. On that last note, that first time had been quite special to the Shistavanen, though he knew that Sumas was still grappling internally with something about it. He wouldn't force any conversations, instead give time for the Solus to process and think while he stood by his side as long as he wanted.

"I know what parts to look for. Well, to just fix the ship, at least. There's a few things I saw down there that could do with some maintenance that'll make her last longer after the fix, so if you've any extra credits, we can get those. Or I can. I keep a good store of money just for things like this..." He spoke as he took one last look at the engine compartment, keeping a mental note of the list of parts needed. Then with a smile he moved over to Sumas, perhaps pressing just a bit closer for a moment in a show of affection. His tail was wagging quite fast, something that had only happened after that night together. It had really done a lot to the mood of the bestial Mandalorian.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Sumas Solus]

He listened as Skylar spoke, giving a nod. "I'd prefer to completely fix her up, not just patch work. And don't worry about using your credits, I have more than enough money to pay for the parts. I just need someone to help install it." he explained as he glanced at Skylar. The Shistavanen caught up and Sumas caught the motion to slide in closer. He gave a smile as his hand reached up to pull Skylar closer by the shoulder in a hug. For a second he felt a familiar stir in his heart...a stir he usually felt if he met a girl he liked. In this particular case, though, he wasn't sure what to think of it.

He pushed the thoughts aside as he let go of Skylar with a smile. "Just be careful not to knock something over with that tail of yours." he quipped, nodding behind them towards Skylar's tail.

Leading the way, they entered the marketplace of the space port. All kinds of shops, stalls and buildings were lining the entire path they walked. It was bustling with people going about their business. One guy tackled another to the ground as they walked past a bar. Sumas merely watched the two go at it as he moved over and walked past them. "Guess we know where all the fun is, then." he joked as they walked.

Eventually the two came upon a parts shop that didn't look like it was planning on mugging a person. Sumas let Skylar enter first before following after him, his left hand resting on the grip of a pistol. "Hopefully this place has what we need." he mumbled as he looked over the place. It certainly looked like it had a bit of everything.

@Insalius

 

[Skylar Rook]

The comment about his tail made Skylar blush again, trying to force the appendage into being more behaved. Every time he stopped thinking about it, though, it would start right back up again. "O-Okay, I'll try...It usually doesn't do that..." While they walked through the streets the Mandalorian checked his tools, making sure he had everything they would need in case he had to assemble or check anything on the fly. Most of his people would outfit themselves in weapons, though while capable for combat Skylar wasn't able to excel like his more well-known peers. The presence of tools comforted him, though Sumas did far more on that score right now. He wouldn't let the man down, not if it was the last thing he did.

"Do they...do this often?" Skylar stopped to watch the fight for a bit, head slightly tilted at the display. He knew that combat was a part of life, but there was something about just random brutality that never sat well with him. When Sumas moved on he followed, thinking. "I don't think I've ever managed to actually tackle someone to the ground before. The closest I got was..." He stopped talking, blushing as the event he was about to mention was something the other man should have known well. It seemed the nickname Crashing Badger meant a lot of things, as while the Shistavanen couldn't sit right for a few days afterward it was still just as amazing as he had hoped.

Trusting Sumas to have his back, Skylar made his way into the shop and immediately focused on the parts they would need. "Hmm...It might be better to just make the coupling instead of buying one whole...these parts look to be stronger than what's already built...Though, hold on..." The engineer used some magnifiers to take a closer look at the parts he had been inspecting, trying to find defects or cracks that were less about being cheated and more about making sure what he put into Sumas' ship didn't explode on them. He began to pile the approved parts on a nearby table, completely engrossed in his work.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Sumas Solus]

Sumas quickly noticed when Skylar decided to watch on in awe as the two men beat the crap out of each other. Sumas merely turned around to watch as well as some guys came rushing out to break up the fight. [color=yellow ]"This is nothing. You should see how thing can go crazy on backwaters like Tatooine."[/color] he commented as he waited for Skylar to catch up. As they walked, Skylar's comment confused Sumas. He looked at Skylar for a second or two before he realized what he was hinting at. He gave a laugh looked around. "Calm down, furball." he joked as his laugh started to die down. That familiar feeling came stirring back up again as they walked.

As they entered the shop, Sumas immediately saw that Skylar was in his element. "I'll leave the decision making to you." he said as he started to look around. A Toydarian shopkeeper came flying towards them, but Sumas quickly waved him off. The last thing they needed was that abomination harassing them for a sale.

He hung back to let Skylar pick out the parts, merely helping him look for stuff if he couldn't find it right away. "If you've got it all, I'll see if we can get a discount from that guy." he muttered to Skylar as he stood next to him with folded arms.

Once business was concluded, the parts would be loaded up onto a repulsorlift and sent back to the ship...with Sumas right next to it. He wasn't leaving their parts alone that easily...

@Insalius

 

[Skylar Rook]

"A discount?" Skylar blinked, brought out of his reverie by the notion. He hadn't ever actually thought of trying to get such a thing before, meaning that looking back on some previous possibly shady deals he had most likely been ripped off. As Sumas did his thing to try to get a reduction in price, the Shistavanen considered things a bit deeper in those moments. There were things he just didn't think of or see, despite his normally great attention to detail, and he wasn't as seemingly physically strong as other Mandalorians were seen. Sumas WAS, though, and was more positive and willful. Basically, he was many things that the canine humanoid wasn't, in a way almost like how a puzzle piece would fit together with another. He blushed at the thought, smiling beneath his helmet in a kind of goofy way as he felt the warmth in his chest grow just a bit more. Unlike the Solus he knew what that feeling was, though he wouldn't say anything until he knew he wouldn't confuse or upset the other man.

Taking the parts back to the ship, Skylar was able to concentrate on them not losing anything because the stronger man was looking out for their protection. Another thing that took anxiety off of the Shistavanen, allowing him to focus where he usually couldn't. Without problems they returned to the ship, Skylar taking them to where they were needed to begin work. "Well...This may take a bit. If you want to help, I've got some tools I may need handed to me. Or you can take a break. Thank you, again." He had just taken off most of his armor and clothing except a covering for his waist, as it would get in the way as he crawled into the cramped spaces of the ship's engines and systems, and gave Sumas an appreciative hug. He slipped under the engine, head and chest concealed to show off his lithe, muscled stomach and lower body as he worked to replace the worn parts in the engine. He seemed oblivious to much during this time, completely in his element, but he paid close attention to anything Sumas would do or say.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Sumas Solus]

They dragged the necessary parts into the ship and before getting to work, the both of them decided to get rid of his armour. Sumas dropped all his armour on his bed, donning only his boots, baggy pants and a simple t-shirt to help out with. He followed Skylar to the engine compartment before the Shistavanen thanked Sumas. "I'll help, yeah. Only one way to learn how this thing works." he stated simply with a shrug. He came in for a hug and Sumas returned it gladly, that stir coming up again as he smiled. "Oh, don't mention it. I should be thanking you for helping me with this mess." he admitted as he looked at Skylar.

Skylar wasted no time in crawling under a part of the ship to start working on the repairs. Sumas stood next to where he laid with folded arms and leaning against part of the engine. The toolbox was next to him, making it easy to hand stuff to Skylar and work on other things at the top. He had to admit that Skylar was a lot better built for this situation than him. His smaller and thinner build made it much easier to work on the ship compared to the Zabrak's own muscular and solid body. "You get splattered with grease down there and I'm hauling your tail to the shower with industrial grade soap." he said with a chuckle as he wrenched on a panel that didn't want to budge. With a sigh and a hard punch the thing popped off just like that. Percussive maintenance seemed to always work best...

After a while of wrenching and working, Sumas decided to drop his wrench into the toolbox and leaned against the engine again with a wipe of his brow. He simply stayed in that position for a second before deciding to speak up. "Hey, Skylar..." he started before looking down at the Shistavanen, waiting for him to crawl out from under there. "How would you describe this...thing...between us." he asked rather stiffly, not very confident in the wording. He was rather nervous about this topic, despite trying to hide it. Though some of it was still seeping through the Zabrak's calm facade.

@Insalius

 

[Skylar Rook]

Damn, Sumas was handsome. Muscled, confident poise, even his voice could drive Skylar crazy. He had to control himself as he worked, thinking this would be an awkward moment to show just what effect the other man had on him. He did appreciate the help, tail wagging slowly as he worked. With good parts and the help it didn't take long to get a good amount of the work done. Just a few more parts of the system to repair and they'd be done. The ship would probably survive quite a while longer now, too. There was a smile on his face as he slipped out, though he was nervous internally at the question. He knew what he wanted, but it didn't seem that Sumas knew fully how he felt. It wouldn't be right to force anything on the man, especially not after everything they'd been through and shared. He took a deep breath, thinking of what he should say. He decided to speak from the heart.

"To me, it's...special. It's a connection with someone that I haven't had before, and it feels good. A warmth all over, especially when I see you smile." He blushes lightly at this, as he always did. "I know it's not as normal a thing for you as it is for me...It's probably confusing. I don't want to force you into anything you don't like, so...if you want, we can talk about it. How do you feel? I know it might be hard to describe, but I'll listen to anything you want to say. Even if it's to break this off." He couldn't help his ears from drooping a bit at the thought, but he kept a determined look on his face. "You make me feel special, and it makes me happy to see you happy, so that's the most important thing to me."

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Sumas Solus]

Sumas listened to Skylar speak, taking note of his body language as well as his words. The blush, the ears falling flat...it was quite clear what Skylar thought of the Zabrak and how he felt. When Skylar turned the question on him, he didn't answer. He kept listening to Skylar, and even after the Shistavanen fell silent he didn't answer immediately. He looked at Skylar for a few seconds then looked off to the side. A faint red spread over his face as he poured over his thoughts.

He finally sighed as he rubbed his forehead. "I don't want to break it off, Skylar. And I know exactly what the feeling is I feel when I'm with you. It's just very new, all of this is very new to me. I've never been in a position like this before." he admitted to him as he looked at him again with sincere green eyes. He took a step closer to Skylar. "But I can't deny what I feel for you, so...what if..." he looked to the side again and to the floor. He was struggling to find the words. It wasn't that he was embarrassed or afraid...he was shy. For the first time in a very long time, the Zabrak was shy. "Do you think...what if...oh, kark me." he mumbled as he looked down once more. "Do you think it's possible...if this between us became something more?" he finally managed to say without falling over his words.

He was sure Sklyar understood what he asked of him, though his method of asking the Shistavanen sucked. He took another step and came to a halt right in front of Skylar, his hands resting on his hips as he looked Skylar in the eyes. "If...we...were something more?" he continued. He was clearly nervous over the situation. He was in way over his head right now.

@Insalius

 

[Skylar Rook]

The blush deepened, not having expected this from Sumas. Not that it was a bad thing, of course. He knew what the other man was feeling because he was feeling it himself, though the realization that they were feeling the same thing somehow amplified it to nearly cause the Shistavanen to swoon on his feet. No, he couldn't do that, not now. This was probably the most important moment of his life up to this moment and he would NOT collapse. That would be VERY un-Mandalorian of himself to do that. To be honest, though, he couldn't think of anything smart to say to reassure the man better than just saying yes. That wasn't enough, though, not for a decision like this. Words wouldn't suffice, he realized, he needed to act. There was only one thing that came to mind, a sudden burst of inspiration, and before his anxiety could stop him from moving he nearly leapt into action.

He pressed up against Sumas, wrapping his arms around the man's neck to pull him into a deep kiss. He'd gotten used to doing so using his muzzle on the man, having gotten a fair amount of practice up to this point. This was the deepest kiss he'd ever given him, though, pouring his whole heart into the act as he gave a small whine of happiness. After a few moments he pulled back, reluctantly, and finally the words started coming to him. "Yes...I'd love to be more, with you. You make me want to be a better person, and you make me smile and enjoy living. If I can even do a fraction of that for you...I'd be so happy to be yours, as long as you want." He rested his head on the man's chest, nuzzling over his heart as his tail brushed against the Solus' leg. This was one of the happiest moments of his life.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Sumas Solus]

Sumas was rather taken by surprise as Skylar flung his arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. He was frozen for a second before his eyes closed, his arms snaked around Skylar's sides and he returned the kiss. It was still an odd sensation, feeling the fur against his own lips, but it was insignificant compared to the feeling the two shared for each other. He held Skylar close until the Shistavanen decided to break off. He agreed to Sumas' question and confessed his feelings to the Zabrak before resting his head against Sumas' chest. Sumas held the Shistavanen close, his thumb brushing Skylar's side as he simply stood and held him close. "I can't guarantee how long I'll be around, given the missions I go on...but as long as I'm here, I'm willing to make the most of this with you." he spoke softly, making sure Sklyar understood the risks. He placed a kiss on Skylar's head and sighed with relief. This was a ton of weight off his shoulders, he had to admit.

A smirk came to his lips as he pulled back slightly to look Skylar over. "I told you that if you got grease on you, I'm dragging your ass off to the shower." he said as he looked at him. "I don't make idle threats." he continued with a joking authority as his hands pulled Skylar close again. This was still all very new to him...but with what he felt for Skylar, he was willing to explore this new direction his life had taken.

He let go of Skylar and instead wrapped an arm around his shoulders to hold him close as he walked out of the engine bay towards the bathroom with a sly grin.

@Insalius

 

[Skylar Rook]

The mortality of their people was something Skylar knew all too well. He just had to think back to Medriaas, or Mandalore, to see the truth of that fact. He shook his head, gently kissing Sumas' forehead as he mentioned that. "I know...And I wouldn't want to stop you from going on those missions, people count on you to do your best. It looks like I'll need to make sure all your equipment is kept in the best shape, that way nothing fails on you while in the field. That'll be my best way of protecting you, dear." He blushed as he made a little heart shape with his hands, something his parents had done when he was young. As he was led away, though, the blush deepened even as he had his own grin on his face. He'd been researching some things when Sumas wasn't looking. He had a few things to try, the shower being the perfect place for testing. "Be sure to scrub extra hard. For some reason I tend to be VERY dirty."

/Endthread