#TEARDROP APPRECIATION SQUAD RISE UP

[softichill]

YYEEAAAAHH MY GIRL LEARNING SIGN LANGUAGE BABEY

[rainydaydream-gal18]

(The Bad Batch) Wrecker x Reader: Everything is Different

(Author’s Note:  So I logged onto tumblr to post this angst, got caught up in a tag game, and now I’m coming back to this like....T^T I don’t usually write a whole lot of angst, but for some reason, this is my second angsty fic in one day.

This one is rough, people. I listened to emotional music looped for like half an hour for this.

Warnings:  ANGST.  And some comfort.  Enjoy, fam.

Word Count: 964). 

   Cid’s place had been less rowdy than usual.  You realized it was because Wrecker was nowhere to be found in the space.  It had been some time since you’d seen your favorite gentle giant.  That could mean one of two things; either he was getting into trouble somewhere, or something was wrong.

   You approached the bar where Hunter was perched in a stool watching the rest of his squad playing at one of the game boards with a drink in his hand.  Every now and then, he smiled fondly at how Omega cheered when she won.  He glanced your way when you approached.  As if he already knew your concern, his smile faded.

   “Everything alright?”

   “Yeah, I’m just wondering where Wrecker is.”

   Hunter didn’t need to do a sweep of the room to know that Wrecker wasn’t there.  The six foot six man with a booming voice and echoing laughter was kind of hard to miss.  “Haven’t seen him.”

   “That’s what worries me,” you said with a sigh.

   Hunter sipped his drink, shrugging as he set the glass down on the counter.  “Maybe he’s on board the Marauder.”

   The idea piqued your interest.  “Hm, maybe.  I’m going to check.”  Hunter nodded, and you began to weave your way through the crowded room, passing by Tech and Echo.  You gave a little wave before stepping outside.

   By the time you got to the Havoc Marauder, your growing suspicion that something was wrong had settled as a knot in your stomach.  It wasn’t like Wrecker to wander off, especially alone.  Your legs picked up the pace until you were practically running up the ramp of the parked ship.  Once you stumbled onboard, a sound from farther inside caught your attention.

   It was a quiet sound, like the rush of air.  You held your breath to listen again, and that’s when you realized it had been a sniffle.  You walked down the dimly-lit hall, hand skimming the wall beside you.  The sniffling grew louder until you were close enough to hear that they were accompanied by the occasional whimper.  A form was crouched in the middle of the hall, the silhouette cast by a glowing datapad that laid on the floor.

   “Wrecker?” you called softly.

   The sniffling stopped for a moment.  “__________?”

   “Yeah, hun, it’s me.”  You knelt down beside him and gently rested your hand on his knee.  He swiped the back of his hand across his cheek, collecting a teardrop or two, before glancing up.

   “What is it?” he asked.  His voice was so quiet.

   “Nothing, I was just looking for you.  You disappeared on me, and I was worried.”  You offered a small smile.  “Is everything alright?”

   Wrecker stared at the floor, and you saw another glistening tear drop from his eye.  It was silent for a few seconds before he finally responded, though his gaze remained lowered.  

   “No.”

   He didn’t elaborate right away, but you stayed patient.  “What’s wrong?”

   “Everything is different.  When the Empire was first announced, I thought that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.  But then it just got worse.”  Wrecker ran a hand over his shaved head, sniffling again.  “We lost a member of our squad.”

   You nodded in understanding.  Of course he missed Crosshair.  You all missed him.  Even though he fell under the effects of his inhibitor chip and was an unwilling ally to the Empire, he was not forgotten.  There were little reminders of him all over the Marauder.

   “I miss Crosshair too,” you said.

   “And we’ve been on the run ever since,” he continued.  “Nothing feels the same anymore.  Today, I…”  Wrecker trailed off, his frown deepening and defining the lines on his face.  It was an expression you’d never seen on him before, and it was rather unsettling.  “Today, I wanted to tune in to Senator Amidala’s channel and maybe see what she has to say about all this.  She always made sense to me.”  Your heart split down the middle as yet another tear trailed down his cheek.  “But she wasn’t on.  Turns out...she...she passed away.”  

   Your hand covered your mouth in shock.  So much had happened in the recent transition from Republic to Empire.  This news hadn’t reached you until that moment.

   “Oh, Wrecker, I’m sorry.”  You lifted the hand from his knee to rest it on the shoulder of his blacks.  “She was a great woman.  So young, too.”

   Wrecker sighed, leaning into your touch.  He looked at you again before his eyes flickered to your legs.  You gave a smile of understanding at his silent request, shifting so that you were seated on the floor with your legs crossed.  Wrecker laid his head down on your lap with the rest of his body curling up.

   “I never met her,” he said.  “I don’t know why I’m so sad.”

   “It’s a sad thing when someone passes away,” you replied, petting his head comfortingly.  “And with everything else going on, I’m sure it wasn’t the news you wanted to hear.  Besides, you and the squad really admired her.”

   His sniffles had ceased, and you continued to trace your fingers delicately along his face to soothe him.  He closed his eyes, and the rise and fall of his chest had slowed.

   “Thanks,” Wrecker said, voice a little more gravelly.  “For comin’ to find me.”

   “Of course, love.”

   Finally, for the first time since you’d walked in, he smiled.  The edges of his shut eyes crinkled a bit as he hummed in appreciation.  “That feels nice.”  

   You smiled to yourself as your feathery touch travelled the length of his nose before giving it a playful “boop.”  Wrecker cracked open an eye, his smile growing wider.

   “Love you.”  You bent down a little to give him a kiss.

   “Love you,” he murmured back.