The Bad Batch: Tech and Vel

29. Reactivity

One week later. They'd completed the mission on Yalbec Prime by the skin of their teeth. Bruised and bloodied, Clone Force 99 landed in Tipoca City, the stairs of the Marauder folding out elegantly as if they hadn't just been in the fight of their lives. Crosshair slinked away for some solitude, Wrecker beelined for refreshment, and Hunter had a report to deliver. Tech remained on the ship, his face uncharacteristically hard. His lips were in a thin line, brows heavy, and he responded with merely a jerk of the head as the others split up. Vel wasn't sure what to do with herself and decided that now was as good a time as any to work on the capacitor that she was fairly certain Tech had tampered with again. 

She was torn... she knew that he was holding himself entirely responsible for the mishaps that resulted in the injuries and setbacks they had faced, and she could tell he was fuming for not having predicted the entire situation precisely down to the last detail. Which was a ridiculous expectation, of course, but... She wanted to comfort him, to bring that spark back to his beautiful brown eyes. Opting to let him come to her, she made herself busy in the corner of the cargo hold, fiddling with the maintenance panel that connected the capacitor to the other stuff. 

It was maybe five minutes when the door whooshed open, admitting the armored pilot who stalked in and threw his helmet to the ground with a shocking amount of force. Vel was startled at such an uncharacteristic display of anger. Armor plate after armor plate dropped beside it as he freed himself of the plastoid exoskeleton, treating it as though it were repulsive to him. Once his attire had been reduced to just his blacks, he banged a fist against the side wall and leaned his head on it, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Tech, there was no way--" Vel began.

"There is always a way, and I should have seen it," Tech interrupted angrily, whirling to face her. "Yet I did not, and it created far more complexity than we should have had."

Putting her hands out helplessly to the sides, Vel gestured her surrender. She'd never seen him like this before and felt simultaneously cautious and intrigued. He continued to look at her, eyes hard behind yellow lenses, emanating an energy that made him look taller than usual. He dropped his fist from the wall, taking a deep breath. She approached slowly, setting her spanner on a nearby crate as she sidled toward him. She found herself unable to take her eyes away from his. There was a conflict going on; she could feel it. But she couldn't discern what it was. His fist clenched and released at his side, and now he took a step closer to her.

"I have not had a truly clear mind in a while, and I believe you are the cause," he said accusingly, though without any trace of malice. Was that... playfulness? Factual flirtation? He took a deep breath and took another step forward, now getting into her personal space. The inches between them were electrifying, but Vel still felt indicted somehow.

"I'm... sorry?" she said, furrowing her brow. "I think that's a pretty standard part of the infatuation stage of a relationship..." 

"Relationship?" Tech asked, as though he'd never heard the word in his life. Every remnant of his anger vaporized in light of this revelation. It sent a chill through Vel as she realized with shock that perhaps he was only interested in exploring the physical connection? But no... the words he'd spoken to her, the way he saw her... It couldn't be just that... 

"Is... Isn't that..." she stuttered, taking a deep breath before speaking calmly. "Isn't that what this is?"

"A relationship can be defined in many ways. I am hesitant to accept any sort of label without being clear as to precisely what it entails." Their closeness in stance but distance in communication was jarring, and Vel struggled to gather her thoughts. 

"Um, you want me to... like... lay down the parameters? Or what?" 

"I believe it would be beneficial for each of us to describe what is expected, so that there is no misunderstanding or disappointment."