#corso x fsmuggler

[shabre-legacy]

snuggling in a blanket fort for Leikael Sorcha Shabre

Sorry this took so long, and also sorry it’s a little rough, my brain has been difficult but it’s done!

The song at the beginning is “Would Anyone Care” by Citizen Soldier

“Would anyone care? Would anyone cry, if I finally stepped off of this ledge tonight? Would anything change? Would you all be just fine? Cause I need a reason to not throw the fight. It just might save my life.” 

Corso sighed as he heard the strains of the song come from under the door to his and Leikael’s room. Well technically, it was only Leikael’s since she had partial ownership of this Nar Shaddaa apartment. Though he had moved into her quarters on the ship a few weeks back and she’d made it clear that the arrangement included the apartment. They’d arrived the day before and while the rest of the crew wanted to hit the cantina’s and markets, Kael had locked herself in her room and hadn’t left. It had been a terrible coincidence, running into what was left of the crew that had grabbed her on Tatooine, and a crew that had turned on her on Mek-Sha (he hadn’t known who they were then or they wouldn’t still be breathing) at the same time. Then getting some tragic news about some of the Solar Flare crews they’d been working with recently as soon as they got back to the ship. He wasn’t surprised that the usually tough as nails captain was falling apart. But he couldn’t stand seeing her like this. He’d sat with her all night. He was the only one she wanted to talk about what had happened with. He’d only stepped out to get some food for them since the apartment only had really old ration bars that were probably just dust by now. It seemed like she’d gotten worse in just the few minutes that he’d been gone. 

As he placed the food on the counter and started pulling out a few plates. His girl really needed to eat, it had been what, two days now, since he’d last seen her eat anything that wasn’t soaked in alcohol. He listened for any other sounds. It didn’t seem like there was anyone else in the apartment. 

What could he do though? He’d spent the night holding her, comforting her, trying to help, but it hadn’t seemed to have any effect. The experiences just dragging up old memories and old pain from earlier times in her life. By the Force, thinking about her past hurt him! And he hadn’t even been the one to live it! She’d lived through so much, endured so much, had her childhood shattered and erased far too young and her suffering just seemed to continue. He couldn’t seem to stop it from haunting her, no matter how much he wanted to. Her childhood, it had ended far too early, but it was the last time she felt life was safe. That gave him an idea. It possibly wasn’t the best he’d ever had, but it was something he hadn’t tried yet. 

If he remembered correctly, and he was certain he did, she hadn’t had anything resembling a childhood since she was six, so maybe a piece of that would help her. He needed supplies though. He tucked the food in the reheater to stay warm and slipped into the room where Leikael lay curled under a single blanket, staring blankly ahead, her eyes still red and drying tear tracks on her cheeks. Another one of those painfully sad songs started. His heart nearly broke at the sight of the woman he loved more than anything in the galaxy looking so sad and scared and alone. He sat next to her and brushed the hair from her face, leaning down to place a gentle kiss to her forehead. She instantly curled around him, hiding her face and trapping him where he was. She was a tactile woman, touch was something that meant so much to her and while she was careful with it, he’d found she seemed to never get enough. 

“I thought of something that might help you feel a little better darling. Do you think you could try and eat?”

Leikael watched as Corso filled his arms with all the blankets from their room and most of the pillows and walked out of the room. He’d sat with her for a few minutes before pulling out his datapad and telling her he was getting rooms at one of the Cantina’s for the crew and letting them know. He’d told her he’d only be another minute, slipped out of her arms and started grabbing the soft things in the room. She heard what sounded like furniture being moved in the other room, the one with a big terminal for holovids from the sounds of things. It was an investment that she’d been happy about when she and Nat had finally had enough credits to buy anything after getting this place. If she had any energy left, she’d be curious about what he was up to, but she was just so tired, tired and useless and pathetic and everything hurt. It’d be so easy to just walk out of the apartment, but even the room seemed so big, and she was so tired. She let the music play on and lost herself in the melodies. The lyrics filled with as much pain as she felt. 

She wasn’t sure how long she’d zoned out for when she felt a hand gently touch her lower arm. She blinked back to awareness and as she did, Corso smiled down at her before sliding his arms underneath her and picking her up along with her blanket. He carried her across the apartment to the holovid room as she’d taken to calling it. 

There, in the middle of the room where there was usually a variety of furniture was a strange structure made of the back of a couch, many blankets and what appeared to be the chairs from around the table in the kitchen. “What is that?”

Corso blinked down at her for a moment before gently setting her on her feet and helping to hold her up as he guided her towards the thing in the room. “It’s a blanket fort. Didn’t you build these with your sisters when you were a kid?”

“They weren’t this big. It was usually a blanket over a table” She stared in confusion. How had he managed to get the blankets to stay up?

“Well, that wouldn’t fit us, now would it.” He smiled at her, and crouched down crawling through a small entrance that he’d somehow fit into the design. As she got to the interior, she looked around. The space was small and contained, but cozy and not constricting. The floor was covered in pillows and blankets except for a small table on which sat two plates, some bottles of water and a pile of various snacks. Corso had settled himself in the middle of the fort leaning back completely relaxed, an arms reach away from the food and the remote for the terminal, which had been moved onto the ground and into the blanket fort. He opened his arms and her heart hurt. She’d been a mess for almost two days straight, she was tired and hurt and nothing like herself. She’d dealt with panic attacks and pushed him away, and all he did was open up more, give more to try and help her. She silently thanked the Force for sending him into her life as she dragged herself over to him and collapsed into his arms. He held her quietly for a few moments, before helping her sit up against him and handing her the plate with the smaller portion and pushing a button on the remote. “Way I see it, you haven’t had a chance to relax with a good old blanket fort and movie night in years. This is one me and my sister would watch all the time as kids. Mama would help us build the Fort and sometimes, we were able to persuade her to sit and watch movies with us.” She stared at the food, not wanting to eat, but as the colorful movie with it’s soft and sweet soundtrack began playing and Corso wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to rest against his chest, tucked under blankets and surrounded by the warmth and the soft lights. The hurt felt a little further away and she was able to take a few bites. 

Corso tucked his chin over her head and gently squeezed, his beautiful, deep voice softly singing along with the opening song of the movie that held so much meaning for him, she felt herself drifting off softly. He lifted the plate and returned it to the table as she curled tighter against him and his arms wrapped around her again. The movie played as they held each other, the comfort blocking out all the pain that the galaxy had heaped upon them, at least for a few hours. They had each other, and cuddles and blanket forts, and for tonight, that was just enough.

[fyeahcorsoriggs]

A fantastic rec for a Corso/Smuggler romance song. From Rock of Ages. Thanks @black-rogue!

[achantersayswhat]

[Wedding fic! Or, well, telling the rest of the crew/reception/honeymoon fic. For storyline context, I had the marriage conversation in between Voss and the final confrontation with Rogun on Tatooine.]

When they call everyone together on the ship's intercom the next morning, Jass thinks the others are probably expecting some sort of briefing that's very different from what they end up getting.

"We wanted to let you all know," she says, looking over at Corso with a giddy, still-getting-used-to-the-fact-that-this is real smile, "that Corso and I got married last night."

Guss is the first to react, stepping forward to shake both their hands while smiling about as wide as a Mon Calamari can. "Congratulations! If I'd known you were planning a wedding I would have offered my services as an officiant. I am an ordained minister in three different belief systems, after all--"

"Any of those ordinations legal and above-board?" Jass asks, and when he hesitates, she laughs and punches his shoulder lightly. "Never mind. And thanks. And...we didn't exactly put much planning into it."

"Wait, you got married?" Risha asks, as if she's just parsing that part. "Not 'we're getting married'? Because I think I would have noticed if there was a wedding on this ship last night."

"Well, it was pretty much just the two of us in the cockpit," Corso says, exchanging glances with Jass.

"Corso pointed out that as a captain, I'm licensed by the Republic to officiate weddings on my ship," she says. "And I'm pretty sure there's nothing anywhere that says it can't be my own wedding…"

"And I guess neither of us saw any reason to wait, so…"

Jass waves her hands in a ta-da! gesture. "Married!"

Bowdaar's the next to step forward, pulling Jass into a one-armed hug and putting his other hand on Corso's shoulder.

"I'm glad to see you so happy," he says to Jass, and then to Corso, "If you ever hurt her I'll rip your arms off, but as long as you make her happy I'll rip the arms off anyone who tries to hurt you."

"Uh, thanks, buddy," Corso says, patting his arm a bit cautiously. "I guess."

Jass smiles, hugging Bowdaar around the middle. "Thanks. He might be my best guy, but you're still my best Wookiee."

Risha still looks nonplussed. "I just don't get you two, sometimes. As far as I'm concerned, the only good reasons to get married are for a political alliance or an excuse to throw a party. Well, and wedding gifts don't hurt, I suppose."

"Oh, gifts, that's a good idea!" Guss interjects. "You should put an announcement up on the Holonet so people can send us--I mean, you, gifts."

"I disagree," Akaavi says in her calm, 'I'm going to tell you exactly how wrong you are but it's nothing personal' manner. "Marriages should give strength and stability to one's clan and provide a good support network for raising offspring." She looks at Jass and Corso assessingly. "I assume this will not affect the chain of command among the crew?"

"Nope," they both say at once.

Akaavi nods, seeming satisfied, and then looks Corso up and down. "I've seen how loyal he is to you and he's not useless in a fight, captain. You could do worse."

"I...think that's the most almost-nice thing you've ever said about me, Akaavi," Corso says with a wry smile. "I'm touched."

"You are not what I would choose in a mate," she tells him frankly. "But since you are the Captain's choice, I wish you a long and good life together."

"Aww, c'mon, don't you start gettin' all mushy on us now," Jass says, and then holds out a hand, which Akaavi clasps firmly. "Thank you."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Risha says, stepping forward. She gives Jass a quick hug, then holds out a hand to Corso. "Judging by how happy you two seem to make each other, you must be doing something right. Congratulations."

"Thank you," Corso says, shaking her hand. "And hey, just because we didn't take the time for a big ceremony doesn't mean we can't celebrate now. What do you say, captain?"

He puts a hand on her hip, and Jass leans into him with a smile (somehow, the fact that he's still calling her 'captain' doesn't seem odd, probably because he manages to make it sound like an endearment). "Eh, the Republic probably won't fall into total chaos if we stop over at Port Nowhere for a bit before we keep looking for Rogun. Should we call ahead and tell Darmas to make sure they're stocked up on the good liquor?"

"Leave all the arrangements to me," Risha says with a smirk. "Call it your first wedding gift."

***

They end up staying docked at Port Nowhere for five days straight. Risha's arrangements include finding temporarily lodging for the rest of the crew so that Jass and Corso can have some privacy aboard the ship ("...You mean we've got the whole ship to ourselves?" Jass asks, to which Risha replies "I don't want to know anything about what you do with that fact, just enjoy it"), and putting the word out about the marriage.

Darmas keeps opining on what a shame it is for a woman like Jass to tie herself down, but he also keeps buying everyone drinks. Most of the other friends they've made while knocking around the galaxy couldn't get to Port Nowhere themselves on such short notice, but once they've been there a few days, gifts start arriving. The Republic governor of Ord Mantell sends a matching pair of brand-new blasters. House Organa sends a set of delicate gold-and-crystal stemware that's probably worth more than the ship, along with a smaller, more discreet package containing some flimsy shimmersilk garments that make Corso turn an interesting shade of red when Jass holds them up. Rogun the Butcher sends three bounty hunters who, when the whole crew draws on them and Jass asks sweetly "Now, do you boys really want to start a firefight in the middle of my wedding reception?", decide that the answer is no.

Even more than the gifts, Jass is floored by the letters of congratulation and well-wishes they keep getting. Every time she or Corso check their inboxes there are more of them--from Beryl Thorne, from Jettison, from Alilia, who's still taking care of Trick on Tython, from Danla Zin and the rest of the Balmorran Resistance.

"I hadn't even realized we knew this many people," Jass says on the last night before they plan to head out again. She's lying on her stomach in bed, propped up on her elbows with a datapad in front of her, and scrolling through a letter that's primarily from Supervisor Aldough but has the names of seemingly every Ortolan on Hoth attached to it.

Corso settles on the bed next to her, leaning down to kiss her bare shoulder. "You've made a big difference in a lot of people's lives."

Jass puts the datapad aside and rolls over to face him. "We have. I probably wouldn't have gone in for half the heroics we've pulled off if you weren't hanging around being a good influence. It's really inconvenient sometimes."

"Uh-uh, sweetheart, I know you too well for that," Corso tells her with a grin. "You're just as much of a do-gooder as I am when it comes to people needing help."

Jass sits up, drawing her legs up and leaning her elbows on her knees. "Guilty as charged. I'm still blaming you for the fact that I ended up going so legit, though. Back in the day, I never exactly saw myself officially working for the Republic."

"Do you ever regret it?" he asks, and she makes a thoughtful face, pulling her mouth to one side.

"I wouldn't say 'regret' so much as 'wonder what it would be like if I went a different way'. Like, this thing with Darmas where he keeps trying to convince me I should take over Rogun's criminal empire?"

Corso's brow furrows. "What about it?"

"Do I think sometimes about what it would be like to be an intergalactically known and feared pirate queen? Sure. I mean, obviously I do, what girl wouldn't? But then I think about what I've been able to do as a privateer--the people we've helped and the fact that I've managed to turn some nice profits while still being able to go to sleep with a clear conscience at the end of the day--and I think 'nah, I've got a pretty good thing going here'."

"I'm glad you feel that way." Corso leans forward to kiss her, then pulls back and says thoughtfully, "You would make a pretty good pirate queen, though."

"Oh, I'd be so good at it!" Jass declares, waving her hands around enthusiastically. "I'd wear all black and have one of those nicknames that sounds really sexy and dangerous at the same time, like...like...well, see, now I put myself on the spot and I can't think of anything. But it'd be good."

Corso laughs, tugging her into his arms and flopping back on the bed. "Just as well. Sexy and dangerous pirate queen sounds fun, but I kinda like bein' married to a hero of the Republic, instead."

Jass makes herself comfortable on top of him, then leans down for a kiss. "Me too."

[shabre-legacy]

[shabre-legacy]

[fyeahcorsoriggs]

That Thing You Love

“Corso?!” The cry resonated through the metal frame of the XS freighter even before the airlock had closed.

The tired mercenary chuckled as he heard the clunk of rapid footfalls, and when Vacy came running around the curve of the main corridor, he stepped forward and swept her into his arms. “Ah, darlin’,” he whispered, cradling her close. “I’m sorry I was gone so long.”

“Missed you,” she mumbled against the curve of his neck, adding a little nibble.

He shivered. “I, ah… I can tell.” He tilted his chin up. Her nuzzles sent a tingle down his spine that made it difficult to remember the important thing he needed to say to her, but at the moment, he didn’t care. “Missed you too.” And the odd thing was that while he’d felt the loss of her every moment he was gone, he hadn’t realized the depth of that emptiness until he’d had her in his arms again.

She rested her head on his shoulder with a little sigh. “Missed you more,” she returned.

“Nuh-uh,” he retorted, touching a soft kiss to her temple. “You’ve had Risha and Bowie and Guss for company. I’ve been allllll alone.”

Vacy shook her head, the tip of her nose brushing softly back and forth against his neck. “Nopers. They’re all out on jobs too.”

Realization shot through him, and he stifled a groan. “So… y'mean… we’ve got the ship to ourselves?”

She grinned, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “Yup!”

His breath caught in his throat, and his arms tightened around her. He could feel warmth spreading across his face and all the way out to the tips of his ears as he thought about the reason for that grin. Letting that breath out in a strangled sigh, he tilted her chin up and slanted his mouth against hers in a deep, hungry kiss.

He’d lost track of how long he’d been holding her by the time she pulled her head back and wrinkled her nose at him. “You know… we have the whole ship, not just like this one spot. Like the cabin. Y'know, the cabin with a bed?” Grinning, she knocked against his armor. “And this kinda gets in the way of snuggles,” she added, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

He swallowed, thickly, then set her down. “Well… do you know what day today happens to be?”

She blinked at him. “Um. Centaxday? I think?”

Corso smiled, shaking his head, and reached into one of the small compartments in his belt, taking out a small vial. “Nope. It’s officially one Standard year from the day you got the Wonder back. I thought while I was out on a job I might… pick up something special for ya. Y'know, nothing big, just somethin’ kinda nice, to kinda commemorate th’ occasion.” He knew he was babbling but couldn’t seem to stop himself.

Peering at him almost suspiciously, she took the vial from his hand. “So this is what kept you away so long?” She frowned as she looked at it.

“Yeah, had to go all the way to Coruscant for it. Ain’t many places that carry it. Comes all the way from Naboo, and the store won’t ship it, count of it doesn’t have a long shelf life and if it goes bad while it’s sittin’ there in somebody else’s shop then it makes their shop look bad an’ of course they don’t want that…” Stars, he was doing it again. He shut his mouth and pressed his lips together, willing himself to shut the hell up, hoping she’d like it, wishing the nervous knot in his stomach would untangle.

“But … what IS it?” She looked from it up to him, brows pulled together curiously.

Okay, now he was going to have to talk again. He took a shaky breath. “It’s a lotion. S'posta be all silky and nice-smellin’. Lots of folks have said it’s the best thing out there. Sounded like a right proper gift for a lady.”

She wrinkled her nose at him again. “I keep tellin’ ya, Riggs – I ain’t a lady.”

He flipped the latches on his gauntlets and tucked them under one arm, then gently untied the laces on Vacy’s snug leather gloves and carefully pulled them off. “You’ll always be a lady to me, Captain,” he replied softly. He took the vial back from her, unscrewed its lid, and poured a tiny amount of the lotion out into his hand.

Then he reached out and took one of her hands in both of his, spreading the lotion over her skin before slowly rubbing up and down each finger, along the back of her hand, around her wrist, and back and forth in slow circles on her palm. “Seems like you’ve got this idea that you don’t deserve nice things, or that you can’t expect folks to treat you respectful. And that just ain’t right.”

He took her other hand in his and began to massage it as well, feeling the way her skin softened as it absorbed the lotion. “Bein’ a lady means you deserve respect not just for everythin’ you’re able to accomplish, but just for bein’ you. You’re important and special regardless of how rich an’ famous you are – or aren’t.” He lifted her hand to his lips and touched a tender kiss to her knuckles. He could hear the longing in his own voice There was more he wanted to say, that he’d held back for so long, but he knew she still wasn’t ready. “You matter. Always.”

She was silent for a long moment, looking up at him with large, dark eyes. “Cabin,” she whispered, her voice low and ragged. “Now.”

It was some time later, as they were catching their breath, that she told him that the lotion was a lovely present, but when it ran low, he’d darn well better take her with him to Coruscant. And if the shop was out, all the way to Naboo. Then he wouldn’t have to be away so long.

He laughed, wrapping his arms around her and planting a kiss on her forehead. “I think I like when you miss me,” he teased.

She grinned devilishly. “But don’t you like when you’re with me even more?”

Corso laughed again, and grinned back at her. “You got it.”

[achantersayswhat]

[Got to the “I love you” conversation with Corso in SWTOR today and the timing seemed to coincide perfectly with @fyeahcorsoriggs’s Valentine’s challenge, so here’s a little something with Corso and my smuggler. Everything else I’ve written for them can be found under the “swtor fic” or “jass'orish” tags on this blog.]

They say it a long time before they actually say it, in a lot of different ways. They say it with good morning and I was gonna grab something to eat, you hungry? and I’ll take the helm for a while, you go get some rest, with are you okay? and there’s no one I’d rather have at my back and there, that oughta fix you.

They say it plenty of ways without words, too; hands on shoulders when one of them comes into the cockpit to find the other sitting there looking out at the stars, well-timed assists on the battlefield, hot cups of caf on mornings when the holoterminal starts beeping too blasted early. Corso says it with blasters kept cleaned and polished to within an inch of their lives, Jass says it with the things she picks up in her travels that make her think Corso would like this.

They both feel it and they both know it, but that doesn’t mean Jass’s heart isn’t in her throat the first time Corso says it, or that it’s easy for her to say back. It’s easy to show it–to lean in close and kiss him, her hand on his chest and his pressed against the small of her back, to take his hand and pull him down the hall to her bunk, to lie in his arms afterward feeling more content than she knew she could be. It seems like saying it should be easy, too, but even now her first impulse is to make some dumb joke or smartass remark, and she has to stop herself and take a deep breath before just saying it, simple and honest.

“I love you, too, Corso.”

“It’s good to hear you say that,” he replies softly.

“It’s not something I have a lot of practice saying.” Jass lifts her head from his shoulder, meeting his eyes. “But I don’t ever want you to think it’s not true. I love you.”

“Even when I’m being a dumb country boy with old-fashioned ideas?” Corso asks, lifting a hand to cup her cheek.

She smiles teasingly. “If you still love me when I’m charging into fights where we’re outnumbered and bringing Mandalorians and Jedi impersonators back to the ship to live with us.”

He leans forward to kiss her, smiling against her mouth. “Deal.”

[achantersayswhat]

[Another little bit of SWTOR smuggler fic, jumping off the “doing dangerous missions with Bowdaar and then telling everyone back on the ship about it” thing from a few posts ago. Established Corso/lady smuggler.]

“…You did what?”

In different circumstances, Jass thinks, this would be funny: Corso and Risha speaking practically in unison, the two of them in perfect agreement for once. It’s less funny when the thing they’re united in is staring at her in a mix of disbelief and horror.

“…Let a Republic doctor inject me with an experimental vaccine for the rakghoul virus and then purposefully let a rakghoul bite me so we could test whether it worked or not?” Jass pauses, reviewing that statement in her mind. “Okay, when I say it like that, it sounds crazy, but Doctor Cel made her case very convincingly.” They’re both still looking at her like she just suggested they all go back to Nar Shaddaa and become permanent members of Drooga the Hutt’s entourage. She looks over her shoulder at Bowdaar. “Bowie, come on, back me up here.”

Bowdaar leans back and folds his arms, giving a amused-sounding huff that she takes to mean she’s on her own.

“Don’t think you’re not in trouble, too, big guy,” Corso says. “You were supposed to be looking out for the captain, and you just let her go through with something like that?”

The series of roars and grunts Bowdaar gives in response makes Corso furrow his brow and look from Jass to Risha and back. “My Shyriiwook’s still pretty shaky, what’d he say?”

“As best as I can translate it, he said ‘I didn’t let her do anything, have you met her?’” Risha says, looking amused. “And he’s got a point. Can’t say I would have done the same in your place, captain, but I have to admire your courage.”

Jass looks down at the spot where a kolto patch still covers the bite on her arm. “Eh, it wasn’t so bad. Bite still itches like crazy, but the doc’s medical droid fixed me up good. And I promise if I do start hungering for anyone’s delicious, delicious flesh, I’ll give plenty of advance warning so you can lock me in the cargo hold. Deal?”

That gets a laugh out of Risha, but Corso still doesn’t look amused. Later, when it’s just the two of them in the cockpit, Jass puts her hand on his arm.

“Hey. I’m really okay, I promise.”

“I know you are,” he says quietly, looking down at the patch on her arm. He skims his hand over it carefully, then curls his fingers around her wrist. “I don’t like you putting yourself in that kind of danger, but I know I can’t ask you to stop taking risks.”

“Well, you’re right about that.” Jass steps closer, smiling up at him in the hopes of teasing a smile out of him as well. “You knew what you were getting into with me, sweetheart.”

He looks up to meet her eyes with a crooked little smile. “Yeah, I did.” He lifts his other hand to her face, brushing her cheek with the backs of his fingers, and his expression turns serious again. “Just…don’t do it lightly, okay? I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”

“Hey, trust me, I don’t plan on getting lost.” Jass turns her hand over and tangles her fingers with his. “And if it helps, having you in my life is pretty good incentive to only put myself on the line for a good reason.”

He smiles, stroking her cheek. “That does help.”

Jass leans up to kiss him, and then, feeling only a little bad for it, nips at his bottom lip with a passable imitation of a rakghoul’s snarl.

Corso rears back to look at her. “That was uncalled for, captain,” he says, trying to sound disapproving, but Jass can tell he’s struggling not to smile.