“Zorra?”

That familiar voice had her fur standing up on end.  Unable to believe her ears, she spun around and her eyes widened at the sight of her old friend.

“Lombardi?”

“Zorra!” Falco exclaimed, but not in a way that she expected.  He sounded more pissed than pleased to see her.  “What the heck are you doing in a Wolfen?”

“What’s it to you?” she asked, crossing her arms.  She thought he’d be happy for her that she finally got out of that deathtrap she had been flying…  Or y’know… that they got to see each other for the first time in who knows when.  From what she remembered they had parted on good terms.  She really didn’t get his attitude.

Falco looked her over.  His eyes settled on her belt buckle and he scoffed.

“Star Wolf?” he asked.  “Are you kidding me?  Don’t tell me you’re hooked up with those losers.”

“Oh, don’t give me any shit,” the raccoon said.  Like hell he was going to scold her.  “Where the hell did you run off to anyway?  One day, you say you’re leaving the gang and I never hear from you again.”

“I’m with Star Fox now.”

Now that he mentioned it, she could see the fox patch on the sleeve of his jacket with his arms folded like that.

“You’re shitting me.”

Suddenly, his reaction to seeing her made a whole lot more sense.  Her face hit her palm.  Of all the gigs in the galaxy, how did she and he end up on rival teams? 

Zorra didn’t know much about Star Fox.  She knew that they partnered with the Cornerian army and that her boss had a huge bone to pick with them, but nothing beyond that.  She tried to mind her own business.  She definitely wasn’t one for asking Wolf questions when he was in a bad mood, and he was always in a bad mood when Star Fox was mentioned.  Had she known that Falco was flying with them, she probably would have paid a little more attention when they got brought up.

“Listen,” she said when she raised her head.  “You had your reasons for leaving the Hot Rodders; I had mine.  You and me both know I don’t exactly have the best prospects when it comes to making a living.”

He stared at her for a moment before sighing and easing his posture.

“Not gonna pretend I like that you fly around with those assholes, Zor.  I think you can do better than that,” said Falco.  “But you’re a big girl.  You can make your own decisions…  Even if they’re stupid ones.”

Zorra laughed.  That’s what she always appreciated about Falco.  Honest to a fault.

“So…  No hard feelings.  Right, Lombardi?” she weakly asked while rubbing the back of her head.  “This doesn’t mean we can’t still be friends, does it?”

“I might can let it slide,” he said.  “As long as you don’t try shooting me or mine out of the sky.”

“You’re one thing.  If your boys can’t avoid me, maybe they need the lesson.”

For the first time that night, she saw a smirk crack at the corner of his beak.

“Pfft…  You know that’s not fair, Zor,” he said.  “If you were a good shot before, you’re probably hell in something that isn’t about to fall apart.”

Smiling herself, she gave a nonchalant shrug.

“So, were you here to get a drink?”

“I sure as hell wasn’t here for the scenery.”

“Smart-ass,” he laughed.  “C’mon.  Let’s go inside.”

He threw an arm over her shoulder and walked her into the bar.

✩

After a drink or two, this evening with Falco began to feel just like old times.  Zorra had missed him.  They had spent so much time together for so long, it was rough adjusting to life without him.  She was grateful they were able to pick up where they left off.

Though, she couldn’t ignore that things were different now.  They weren’t two dumb kids in the same gang anymore.  Falco acted so much more mature than the street punk she knew.  He seemed like he had his shit together now.  When he told her about what he had been up to, he sounded like a bona fide hero.  She had no lack of excitement in her own life, but his team’s involvement in the Lylat Wars made what she had been doing feel like child’s play.  Though he’d likely never admit to it, he acted like he was actually happy now.  Honestly, it made him that much more attractive than she had always found him.  During a lull in the conversation, with the help of a few drinks, she ended up admitting what was on her mind.

“I’m proud of you, Lombardi.”

This comment from her had Falco choking on his drink.  He placed his glass down and looked over in her direction.

“Huh?  Why’s that?”

For fear of being too sappy, she decided to tone it back.

“That G-suit you’re wearing makes you look like a real pilot.”

“I am a real pilot.”

“Oh, I never doubted that.  You’re still the best pilot I’ve ever met,” she said.  “You clean up nice is all I’m saying.”

Falco shut his beak and looked straight ahead, avoiding contact with her.  The bird was always so easy to fluster.  She was glad to see that never changed.

“And uh…  You don’t look so bad in leather,” said Falco.  “You wear it better than the rest of those Star Wolf jackasses, that’s for sure.”

Zorra cracked up.

“You think?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he said.  With a side eye and a smirk, he added, “Though, you’d look way without that stupid uniform.”

Yeah, underneath that shiny new exterior, he was still the same Falco she knew.  She had been trying not to think about it, but had been wondering if they were still considered friends with benefits.  Zorra leaned over.  She placed a hand on his thigh as she whispered to him.

“You know,” she said under her breath.  “The idea of a little rival team rendezvous is… kinda hot.”

“Guess it does make things a little interesting, huh?”

“Mhm.”

Falco downed the rest of his drink before his hand landed on top of hers.

“Let’s get out of here, Zor.  I think we got some catching up to do.”

✩

The moment they were behind closed doors, they hit the bed.  With both seated on the edge of the mattress, Falco went to feel her up, but instead of being greeted by Zorra’s soft body, there was something hard beneath her big bomber jacket.  He pushed the jacket off her shoulders to find her shoulder holster.

“What have you got here?” he asked, admiring the blasters on either side of her chest.  Grinning, she pulled them out and wielded both of them for him.

“Like my new toys?” she asked.

“Not bad,” he said.  He took one from her to look it over.  After inspecting it, he raised it and asked, “Are these legal?”

She snatched it away from him and put it back in its holster.  “Depends on the planet.”

The bird cracked up at this response.

“Geez... When’d you become such a bad girl?” Falco asked.

Bad girl?  She wasn’t a bad girl…  But if he wanted her to be, she could certainly play the part.  With the gun she still had in her other hand, she ghosted the barrel up his thigh.

“Do bad girls turn you on, Lombardi?”

He sucked in a breath and turned his head from her, but didn’t bother trying to brush her hand away.

“You’re crazy,” he mumbled.

“You used to be, too,” she whispered.  The gun crept higher, and the way his legs parted slightly wasn’t lost on her.  “I bet you still are.”

Feathered fingers gripped the edge of the blanket as she rubbed the blaster between his legs.  The G-suit he was in did little to hide how much he was enjoying this.

“Let’s have some fun,” said Zorra.  “We’re practically enemies now, yeah?  Let’s fuck like it.”