For Once

“Vos,” Fox grumbles, swatting halfheartedly at the kriffing child of a man hanging on his shoulders. “I have work to do.” 

“Fox,” he sighs back, burying his face in the crook of Fox’s neck. “I have cuddles to give.” 

Quinlan huffs again, rubbing his face against the little bit of Fox’s skin visible above his armor. One of his locs has come loose from his ponytail and hangs over Fox’s shoulder, just in his line of sight. Fox bites his tongue hard enough to taste blood. 

“Vos, I don’t have time for this. Leave.” Fox is so tired he might fall asleep like this, with Quinlan pressed up against his back and a steady weight on his shoulders. “Don’t you have better things to be doing?” 

“Not tonight, love,” Quinlan murmurs in that infuriatingly gentle way of his. Then, of course, the softness gives way to a whine. “Cryo’s down for the count with pneumonia and I’m not allowed to go back in the field until she’s allowed to go back in the field and she doesn’t want me hovering around medbay and-” Quinlan pauses to draw an overly-dramatic breath “- Aayla’s hanging out with Bly and Obi-Wan’s off-planet and Luminara’s in the Outer Rim and I haven’t even seen anyone fun in like, forever.” 

Fox can’t focus on his datapad through Quinlan’s fucking talking. “You’re annoying.” 

“Thanks.” Quinlan presses a quick kiss to Fox’s jaw. “You’re exhausted.” 

Fox sighs, setting the datapad down and bringing his hands up to cover Quinlan’s where they rest on his chestplate. He knows Quinlan’s right, knows he can probably feel how tired Fox is in the Force, or something, but he’s so busy. He has too much to do to stop now. 

If he takes a break, he might never catch up again. 

“Fox,” Quinlan says, and this time, his mouth is almost on Fox’s ear. “Please. I’m worried about you, sweetheart.” 

Fox has never been a strong man. 

He leans back into Quinlan’s embrace, letting his eyes flutter shut for just a moment, just one second, and Quinlan releases one of his hands to brush Fox’s hair off his forehead. 

“Let me come with you to your quarters,” Quinlan says. Actually go to your quarters, Fox hears. 

“Okay.” 

“Thank you, love,” Quinlan says into his hair. Then, hands are under Fox’s arms, pulling him to his feet. He tries to stand, he really does, but the world goes fuzzy around the edges and his head hurts too badly to balance and Quinlan scoops him up, armor and all, like he’s a doll and not a fully grown soldier. Fox takes a moment to be glad for the limited foot traffic at this time of night, then turns his face into Quinlan’s robes and lets himself be carried to bed. 

Vaguely, he remembers being set on his bed. He thinks Quinlan helped him out of his armor and he’s pretty sure he was made to drink some water and eat something, but he’s not sure. 

He loses some time, but he’s sure for once that nothing happened, because he wakes up with a Jedi half-on-top of him and a warm feeling straight through to his bones. 

Of course, immediately after the warm feeling comes the wake-up stab of anxiety that pushes through his chest, up his throat, and straight to the top of his head. Work. What’s happened while I was asleep?

He doesn’t get far in his musings, though, because Quinlan moves on top of him. “I can hear you thinking,” he says, voice muffled by Fox’s sweatshirt. “Quit it.” 

“You’re awake?” Fox asks.

Quinlan snorts, picking his head up to raise an eyebrow at Fox. “I think that’s my line. You’ve been out for nearly twelve hours.” Fox’s alarm must be evident on his face, because Quinlan catches his hand and squeezes it. “It’s alright,” he soothes. “Stone’s taking your shift today. Sephra’s filling in for him.” 

Oh, gods. Sephra’s a great fighter, but she’s also one of the shiniest vod in the Guard. Fox shudders to think what she’ll get up to in the company of Thorn and Thire. 

Quinlan laughs. “Sorry, Foxy. She was the only one I could find with a free enough schedule.”

“‘S okay,” Fox mumbles, closing his eyes again. “She’s got to learn at some point.” 

“Don’t we all?” Quinlan agrees, shifting to tangle his legs with Fox’s. “Don’t we all.”