Inevitable {Tech}

Chapter Twenty Six: Corellia

Cass sat comfortably in the co-pilots chair, knees pulled to her chest as she quietly read aloud the properties of the right hemisphere of the brain.

"And the right frontal lobe controls problem solving, judgement, and personality," she explained and shifted in her chair. "If this area of the brain is used for decision-making and motor function, it would make perfect sense as to why the Kaminoans would place the chip there."

Tech listened distantly while he was still wrapping his head around the events that preceded. He held his chip scanner in one hand and his tool in the other, yet he couldn't bring himself to cohere one thought that didn't involve their kiss.

"And it can also alter function to the left side of your body since the right lobe..." she trailed off as she looked over and noticed Tech hadn't nodded once.

She sighed in amusement and rested Tech's data pad in her lap.

"Are you still thinking about it?" she quirked an eyebrow and swiveled in her seat to admire the man next to her.

"Of course not," he crinkled his forehead and cleared his throat. He sat up straighter and avoided her eyes.

She squinted at him playfully, sensing that he was going to crack any second.

He eventually exhaled defeatedly into the silence and shook his head. "Of course I am, Cassiopeia. How am I not supposed to think about it? The chemicals in my brain make it literally impossible to stop replaying it in my head."

"Oh, I'm well aware," she sing-songed teasingly. "The oxytocin, the dopamine, seratonin..."

"Yes, yes those. The dopamine released during a kiss can stimulate the same area of the brain activated by spice," he explained anxiously.

"So...you are quite literally...high off of me?" Cass smirked and tilted her head as she held back an amused snicker.

"It's not funny," Tech put shortly.

"Eh, it's a little funny," Cass teased.

"Well...if that's the expression you want to use, I suppose it is comprehensible," Tech shrugged and placed the tools on the dash, then swiveled his chair towards her. "None of this is my area of expertise, so it would seem."

"Well it's not mine either, I can assure you that," she relaxed her shoulders and melted into his gaze. "But we'll figure it out."

"How are you going about this so casually?" Tech sputtered. "As enjoyable as that was, I'm afraid I haven't stopped evaluating the ramifications that could develop my means of this relationship."

"Oh...okay well," she dropped the teasing tone upon seeing that his anxious demeanor didn't let up. "What are you worried about specifically?"

"Well for one thing, it could cause a shift in the team's dynamic and surely I wouldn't want to make anyone uncomfortable," Tech began as he shifted in his seat and gestured with an unsure hand.

"Okay..." Cass leaned back in her chair and nodded, taking a moment to fully speculate his concerns. "Well think about it this way, it's not like everyone here is a coworker, Tech, they're your siblings...they're family. I'm sure they would be nothing other than happy for you and...well, some awkwardness comes with the territory, you can't get away from that."

Tech bit the inside of his lip as he thought deeply about her points.

"Do you...wanna keep going with this?" Cass asked cautiously, not wanting to push Tech past his limit.

Tech nodded slowly. "I believe someone once told me that verbalizing your feelings can ease anxiety," Tech conceded, the most subtle of grins laced his lips.