#echo was an arc troopers and hung out with fives

[dangraccoon]

Just Borrowing

Echo x Reader

@clonexreaderbingo

Square filled: "that's mine!"

Word Count: 684

Warnings: canon typical violence, injuries, blaster wounds, a little suggestive at the end

This is not how this was supposed to go, you thought bitterly, tucked behind a large rock for cover. The blasterfire overhead was proof that plan A had failed… along with plans B, C, and D. The shots to your shoulder and leg only proved as further evidence.

“Hang in there,” Echo commed to you. “We’re on our way.”

“Would you hurry it up?” you groaned, firing a few shots towards the droid battalion slowly making its way towards you.

“Tech’s a quarter-klick away,” Echo assured.

“Where are you?”

There were a few seconds where no reply came, despite comms still being live. Echo was hesitating. “We’re pinned up here.”

Echo hated when you were separated in battle. Despite his general hesitancy to express his more than platonic feelings for you, he’d told you that before. He knew that being put together every mission was simply not feasible, and it could make either one of you a liability in the field, but he hated it all the same.

“It’s okay,” you reassured him. “I’ll see you back at the ship.” The comms became too cluttered with orders and warnings being bounced between the others. Tech field-dressed your wounds and helped you back to the ship, depositing you in one of the seats before running off to the cockpit to go pick up the rest of the boys. You limped over to the gunner’s nest, painfully dragging yourself up the ladder. 

As the ship flew over the others’ position, you saw they were surrounded. You began firing, taking out several tanks.

“Nice shootin’, verd’ika!” Wrecker cheered, laughing gleefully as your shots along with his previously placed explosives caused a massive chain reaction, taking out most of the remaining droids.

Tech landed the ship a little ways away from the others and you decided to change out of your grimy and now burned blacks. Sitting on the edge of your bunk, you lifted the lid to your footlocker to grab- damn. This was your last set of undamaged blacks.

You scowled at your nearly empty storage, contemplating what you could do when an idea popped in. 

By the time the others filed in, you were getting comfortable in your bunk in a clean shirt.

As Wrecker’s adrenaline-fueled retelling of the battle they had all just been in began to quiet down, you heard Echo’s voice.

“Where’s-”

“Bunks,” Hunter answered.

You could hear Echo’s footsteps through the ship as the others went back to talking. “Hey, are you-” he froze next to your bunk, eyes wide with surprise.

“Hi,” you mumbled, barely able to contain a grin.

Echo’s mouth opened, but the words failed to come as he seemed to struggle with the sight of you.

“Echo?” you prompted.

He blinked at you.

“I know I probably should’ve asked, but I’d gone through all my blacks and I needed something to change into. Yours was the closest, and honestly the cleanest-”

“That’s mine!” he nearly shouted in disbelief.

The shortened right sleeve gave it away pretty easily, even though you’d cuffed the other sleeve to match.

“Yeah, I just need to borrow it until we get to a base-”

“No,” he protested before clearing his throat. “I mean you- you don’t have to give it back.”

You smirked a little. “Echo, do you like that I’m wearing your shirt?”

His eyes went wide again as he sheepishly tried to find something - anything - else to look at.

“You do!” you teased, taking delight in the way his cheeks flushed to a bright red that extended down his neck.

Echo closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. When he opened them, they landed on you, the warm, golden tones sinking into your skin with an intensity you’d not seen from him before.

“I do like seeing my shirt on you,” he murmured, sitting on the edge of your bunk. “But I think I’d like to see it on the floor next to your bunk even better.”

Your jaw dropped open, your face burning hot as he smirked, patting your thigh. 

“Get some rest, mesh’la," he chuckled with a wink.

Thanks for reading! - River

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[nahoney22]

Would it be possible to commission you for a few more one shot of the spontaneous helmet kiss prompt for the other batchers and possibly other clone soldiers like Rex or Howzer?? I WAS IN LOVE WITH YOUR TAKE WITH TECH’S!

Thank you & Absolutely you can! Let’s gooo (decided to just do little one shots in this post, hope u don’t mind nonny 😚)

Helmet Kisses

All Bad Batch boys + Rex, Fives & Howzer X GN!Reader

Little HC about reader giving our boys a spontaneous helmet kiss.

warnings: none, pure fluff. Little mentions of injury. Not proofread

A/N- Originally inspired by this post by @whoneedsname501. I’ve already done Tech which you can read here so this will be all the others 😊

Masterlist

𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁 𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁 𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁 𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙

☾ Echo

This man was smitten the day he had met you so when you kissed him on the helmet one day, his body just did not compute what happened.

The Batchers including him had been away on a mission for two days now and thought it was best that you stay with the ship as a ‘just incase’. Which, you didn’t mind.

You were in a forest in Raxxus and wildlife was absolutely your thing. The sight of new plants, herbs and animals always amazed you and it was something Echo thought was quite endearing about you. Although he is usually grumpy, he did perk up around you when you would go on a tangible rant and rave about something new.

On his return back to the ship, he notices a strange looking orange plant with sweet smelling leaves. So, he grabs a handful (he did hide away from his brothers when he did this because he didn’t want to hike back to the ship with them teasing him all the way) and stuffs them in his pocket carefully and would give them to you on arrival.

You’re sitting on the steps of the ship with your head in your holopad when you heard the crunch of branches and leaves and sure enough your clones were in view.

“Hey guys! How’d it go?” You wave over at them, standing to your feet and bound down the steps to greet them.

They tell you all went well so in return you tell them you brewed something up for them food wise in the ship if they’re hungry. Of course, Wrecker went racing inside with the others following aside from Echo who hung back a little.

“Hello my Arc Trooper, you alright?” You beam at him teasingly as you nudge his shoulder playfully. Luckily for him, he was wearing his helmet still so he could hide the stupid smile on his face when you called him ‘my Arc Trooper’.

“Very well. Though, I found something you may be interested in?”

Your ears perk at this and watch as he reaches into his pocket and pulls something out. He hands it to you and your eyes widen in surprise. It was a herb from what you can tell but it was new and that excited you. “Oh wow!” You took them into your hands and inspected them closely. “They smell nice. Could be good in some stew of some kind?” You spoke more to yourself than at him but he watches you and again, smiles.

When you do look back at him to see him still standing there, you’re thankful for the kind gesture. So thankful that you don’t realise that you leaned towards him and placed a small kiss to the side of his helmet.

Echo stilled and cursed to all what was greater in the Galaxy for having his damn helmet on. But then again, would you have thanked him with a kiss if he didn’t?

Your mouth is moving as he stares at you but he hears nothing. It’s not until a confused expression crosses your face and you place a hand on his arm gently when his senses come back to him. “Are you okay?”

Nodding quickly, way too quickly for it to be believable he walks past you and goes to his bunk to research more rare herbs for another kiss to happen again.

☾ Hunter

“Hey Sarge, what are you doing up?”

Hunter turns around to face you and that’s when you spot your blaster in his grasp. “Did I wake you?” He questions you before you could ask what he was doing with one of your weapons.

“No,” you shake your head, stepping towards him to see what he was doing, “I usually wake at this time anyway. What are you doing with my stuff?” You question, curious and a little apprehensive. Truthfully, you were quite forgettable when it came to maintaining your kit and you really didn’t want to get in Hunter’s bad books. After all, you did have a tinchy-tiny crush on the long-haired Clone.

His voice is a little modulated by his helmet but you’re sure he chuckles a little before holding up a rag. “Cleaning your gear for you.”

Your face drops and a wave of embarrassment and shame washes over you. “Hunter, you don’t have to do that. I’m sorry, I thought I was up to date with all this stuff.” You grimace at yourself for being foolish.

Hunter didn’t need his senses to know how tense you suddenly got and he hated that he could have made you anxious for no fault at all. “Easy there cyare,” he says very softly and almost hesitantly places a hand on your shoulder, “I’m only cleaning it because I saw it on the side when I was doing mine. Thought I’d, uh, spruce it up a little.” He tries not to show that he’s shy at the confession but he’s also trying to hold his own as he feels the warmth of your body seeping in through his gloved hand.

Relief washes over you and your shoulders drop in relaxation. “You didn’t have to do that for me.” You’re blushing a little and his heart picks up as he notices that his action had good consequences.

“Wanted to. You’ve been busy taking care of us lot so it’s only fair.” He says casually, looking back to your blaster and giving the barrel a bit of a wipe. “Don’t want it jamming up in battle now do we?”

You watch him and the action you want to do next is a bit of a risk but since it would only be on his helmet, you weren’t breaking a huge boundary in your mind. So, you ever so gently place a hand on his shoulder this time, lean up and place a kiss to the right side of his helmet.

His reaction is quick as he turns to look at you, baffled but also feeling very warm and grateful. “W-what was that for?” He stammers, not realising the rag in his harsh grasp had slipped onto the floor.

Gushing at what you did, you tuck your hands behind your back and rock back and forth on your heels shyly. “Just a thank you.”

“Can you do it again?” He blurts out.

☾ Wrecker

Usually, your sparring buddy would be Hunter so when you heard that Wrecker wanted to you were both very excited yet a little nervous. After all, he was a very large and muscular guy.

“Ya ready for this cyar’ika?” You tried to ignore the feeling you got at the name, something he would always call you out of endearment.

You alter your stance, hands coming up in defence whilst Wrecker forms his offence position. You pause for a second and frown. “You’re wearing your armour? How am I meant to spar with you?”

He laughs behind his helmet. “Gotta be prepared for all types of scenarios. Now c’mon over ‘ere and hit me with ya best shot!” He teases whilst also being deadly serious.

So you do. You managed to land a few blows and managed to dodge those he threw back at you. It’s going well, well you thought it was until a piece of uneven ground decided to surprise you that sent you toppling down whilst in an awkward grappling embrace with Wrecker who falls down too.

He’s quick however and softens your fall all the while he places his hands on either side of your head to stop himself from completely crushing you. Sweat glistens at your brow and a sigh of relief washes over you.

“Kriff, you alright?” He too sighs in relief but you’re too tense to speak as his right hand cups your bare cheek, as if to inspect you.

You gulp, a little flustered when you realise that Wrecker, someone who you had liked for a while, was hovering over your body and giving you the softest of touches to your face. “F-fine.”

“Ya sure? Didn’t hurt ya did I?” He’s nervous in his question, knowing that he was a little more rough-handed than the others and the last thing he wanted to do was to hurt you.

A smile grows on your face and you softly nod. “I’m fine, don’t worry.”

“But I do worry. A lot.” He sighs, almost as if he was ashamed and at blame that you could have gotten hurt which couldn’t have been further from the truth.

No matter how many times you would reassure him, he would think the latter and so as you gaze up at him through his visor, a bold idea pops into your mind.

Ever so gently, you prop yourself up on your elbows and purse your lips before kissing his helmet, a little bit over where his lips would have been if it weren't for the gear.

The second you pull away, blood rushes to your cheeks as you whisper to him that you really were alright but Wrecker was in to much shock to even do anything. It wasn’t until you spoke his name softly that he snapped out of this haze.

“You kissed me.” He states, a wide smile behind his bucket.

“Technically I kissed your helmet.” You smirk a little, head tilting to the side and into his hand that he still hadn’t moved.

A second later, he pulls the helmet away from his head and sure enough, the man is flustered to the max and shyly asks if he could kiss you.

☾ Crosshair

Kissing Crosshair on his helmet would either be the best decision you had made or the worst. There were no thoughts in your mind when you did it but there were certainly a lot of thoughts in his mind.

It’s a late evening, so maybe you were a little drowsy when you spontaneously kissed him but you were all playing a game of Sabacc. One by one, each batcher got eliminated until it was just the two of you left. The others had gone off to bed which just left you and Cross. Truthfully, you had no idea how you managed to beat the likes of Echo and Tech but somehow you did.

“You know it’s kinda cheating wearing your helmet, Cross.” You taunt with a playful wiggle at your brows.

“No it isn’t. It’s strategic.” He mumbled, eyes focused on his set of cards. You had no idea if he was looking at you or the cards.

“That strategy being able to see what cards I have with the vision in your helmet?”

“Disabled. Now make your move.” He prods at you with a kick of his foot under the table to which you kick back just as hard.

There’s tension in the air but after all, there’s a measly ten credits at stake.

When your cards are shown, you hear a small snarl as Crosshair slams his luminescent cards on the table which only meant:

“Have I won?!” You try to bite down your excitement but it’s hard to do when it comes to beating Crosshair at something. For the first time, too.

He’s grumbling but as you finally let out a small cheer and scoop up your credits, he can’t help but smile a little underneath his helmet upon seeing you so happy. “Well played.”

He stands and you do too but as he does, a bunch of credits fall off his lap. You’re confused but then the slow realisation of what was really happening dawned on you. “YOU CHEATER!”

Cross freezes and raises his hands in mock defence. “I see it as helping you win against Tech.” The Marksman declares casually. You can’t help but feel a little deflated that he had been helping you win all along somehow but you were curious as to why he would let you win in the first place.

“Didn’t know you were a softie for me.” You’re teasing him but you noticed how stiff as a board he got. Him being called soft felt odd but it wasn’t something he found not necessarily hating.

“Am not.” He mutters, voice raspy as he stares you down as you approach him.

“Yeah yeah,” you roll your eyes, smiling up at him through his visor, “goodnight Crosshair.”

Then you kissed him. Well, you leaned up and placed a kiss in the middle of his breath filters, the centre of his helmet where his lips would have been.

You realised what you did straight away and backed away, mumbled a quick apology before scooting off but Crosshair was adamant to get the real deal.

You heard footsteps behind you and you were certain it was Crosshair who was about to give you a telling off. But when you turned around to face him, you didn’t expect him to be ripping his helmet off and tossing it to the side as he bound towards you.

“If you’re gonna kiss me, do it properly.”

In a second, he has you pinned to the wall with his body, one hand in your hair and the other to your waist as he flushed his lips to yours in a heated embrace.

Your eyes are wide and hands are flailing pathetically as you were both unsure where to put them or if you could even touch him. A second before you felt yourself melt into the kiss he pulled away, panting a little but there was that infamous smirk.

“Better?” You gasp out, not quite believing what just happened.

“Better.”

Bonus

☾ Rex

Seeing Rex get injured on the battlefield crushed your heart. Thankfully, he only came into the medic tent with a sore ankle and a nasty blaster shot to his left arm.

He didn’t like his teammates seeing him like this and so those who could leave, you politely discharged to give your Captain some more space.

Rex is laying on a cot as you sit on a stool beside him when you’re patching up his arm. “Can’t believe I got shot.” He grouches, wincing a little as you fix up a tender spot.

“You’re a soldier, Captain. It’s bound to happen some time.” You say as a matter of fact. It wasn’t exactly a nice truth, but a truth nonetheless. To which, he agreed with a small grunt.

“Suppose. And I told you to call me Rex.” He lifts his head up a little to gaze across at you, heart fluttering as he becomes easily smitten at your deep concentrating face.

You rolled your eyes and grabbed a medpatch, applying it to the wound in the hopes it’ll heal up nicely. “Well Rex,” you say playfully, helping him sit up, “you’re all done.”

He cranes his neck to the side and swings his legs around on the cot. He knows he has to go back out there and finish the mission, but he found himself much rather being here and beside you. His crush on you was deepening but he just didn’t know how to tell you. “Thank you. You’re, uh, a great medic.”

It’s awkward the way he compliments you but from him? It meant everything. You always valued what he had to say and to hear him praise you sent a warmth through you. “I appreciate your words Cap- I mean Rex.” You enthuse shyly. “But it’s best if you get back to it.” With a nod towards the front of the tent where the mission was happening just on the outskirts, Rex sighs but nods in agreement.

He stands and places his bucket back on his head. He’s turning to face you to bid his goodbyes when you lean up and place a kiss to the centre of his helmet. His eyes comedically widen and his lips part in pure awe as he watches you giggle, wave him off and quickly rush to the aid of a new incoming clone. Rex definitely had to speak to you about that kiss later.

☾ Fives

You both like each other, that much is clear but you’re too shy to make commitments just yet but Fives still wanted you to know that you were all he wanted when he had the chance.

It was a quick start to some romance; love at first sight if you will. He saw you leaning on a bar one night, uninterested in your date at the time when the two of you locked eyes across the room. Then that was it, you were both rather smitten. And you loved, adored his teasing.

However, liking someone in the GAR is never easy. Especially a clone. Not only is it frowned upon by superiority forces, but there was always the risk of never seeing them again. And sadly, today could be one of those days.

Fives comes up to you in the Hangar before he’s set to leave for a mission. He’s already suited up in his Arc Trooper armour and if it wasn’t so bittersweet, you would say that you definitely had the hots for him right now.

“Mesh’la, we’re leaving soon.”

You smile sadly, wrapping your arms around your body as the two of you walk somewhere a little more private and out of ear and eye shot. “How long do you think you’ll be gone?” Your tone is meak and it crushes Fives to hear.

“I don’t know this time.” He says truthfully, stopping to stand in front of you. “But I’ll come back for you? Okay? I promise.”

It’s hard not to get emotional with goodbyes and it’s especially harder when you find yourself having some unexplainable feelings for someone. “You better.”

You take a step to him, shaking hands coming up to grip the side of his helmet before you bring his head down a little so you could plant a kiss to his helmet, just where you wished his lips would be.

“Oh mesh’la please let me take it off so I can kiss you properly.” He begs quietly, taking a hold of your waist but you shake your head with an emotional smile.

“Come back to me first… then we can kiss forever.”

☾ Howzer

Howzer came to your market stall more and more as the weeks passed by. You’re new to the city and had already taken the eye of a certain Clone Captain.

You sold an arrangement of bric-a-brac things including the odd jewel and you always managed to have something new that Howzer was interested in.

He’s walking into the market, meant to be patrolling but when in reality he just wanted to see you. But on his arrival he hears shouting followed by

some smashing. He rushes to see the commotion and is flawed when he sees you get robbed! In broad daylight!

“GET BACK HERE!” He calls after the thief and begins his mad dash to retrieve whatever was stolen and to also implement a form of punishment.

You're saddened by the events and do your best to tidy up the mess that was caused, sweeping the smashed vase on floor up. Even some of the locals helped too.

“Sorry about that, but the perpetrator has been caught and taken into custody by some of my men.” You turn to see Howzer walking towards you and you smile thankfully at him.

“Thanks for that. Not what I needed today at all.” You sigh, placing your hands on your hips as you look at the mess that you still had to clear up.

Howzer gives you a sympathetic smile yet it’s covered by his helmet so you couldn’t see it. But for some reason, you had felt it.

“I believe this belongs to you?” He holds out the stolen item, a ring.

“Yeah. They didn’t even steal it from the stall either. Yanked it straight off my finger!” You frowned at first but that soon dwindled as you let Howzer - quite sweetly you may add - slip it back on your finger.

He realises his actions may have come across a little… intimate but he saw how happy you were to have the ring back and that’s all that mattered. You both look at each other with a hint of awkwardness until you break it by saying you should close shop for the day.

He understands but is a little dejected that he didn’t get to speak to you as much as he would like. But then, you leaned across and placed a kiss to the side of his helmet. “Thanks again for the help. Means a lot.” You say softly before walking away.

Howzer is left pretty dumbfounded. He also felt slight guilt that he wouldn’t mind if he was your saviour again from getting robbed if that was the reward. Maybe he could ask you out on a date if he read your relationship with each other correctly

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Masterlist

tags: @teletraan-meets-jarvis @jennamelinda12 @nunanuggets @andyoufollowyourheart @littlefeatherr @kaitou2417 @eyecandyeoz z @captxin-rex x @cwarssimp @jesseeka @ashotofspotchka a @oohyesplease @megafrost4 @adriiibell @theroguesully @equalityforcats @rexandechosandwich @mustluvecho @inagalaxywickedfahaway @misogirl828 8 @ladykatakuri i @sadspring @chxpsi @alexandrisonfire @arctrooper69 @padawancat97 @salaminus @by-the-primes @torchbearerkyle @tech-aficionado @in-the-crosshairs @therealnekomari @a-c-lee @autumnleaves1991-blog @tech-depression-inventory @mylifeinthetardisforever @brynhildrmimi @greaser-wolf @lucyysthings @the-good-shittt @buddee @s1st3r @cosmic-persephone @imalovernotahater @ilovebadboys

[ktrivia]

A Sniper's Competition (Crosshair x Reader)

Summary:

The Republic had many humanized weapons in this war but all of them were well known by the Separatist forces. All of them but me, that is. The Republic brought me in at the beginning of this war to be one of their secret weapons. A sniper who could go undercover and stay unknown to the enemy. As the war grows closer to a close, the Republic is sending me on a new mission, one that includes four experimental clones. Which another sniper, who was known for his disdain for others, already in the squad, things were sure to get interesting.

Author’s note:

Sorry for the long wait everyone! Life has been very hectic (major exams and catching Covid for the first time). This story is back and shit is going down! I'm excited for the plot to really begin now and the twists and turns to start. Please let me know what you think because your comments and reblogs are truly what keep me motivated to keep going with this story!

P.S. Let me know if you catch an Easter egg of a well-loved Bad Batch character

Also I am officially writing Fives x Reader oneshots and drabbles as a prequel to this series! There is now a section on my master list for and I would love to write more for one of our favorite ARC Troopers so please PLEASE send in some requests! Sometimes we all just need a little Fives goodness in our lives.

Enjoy the chapter!

Mando'an translations:

Vod: Brother

Gar kebbur gar jatne: You tried your best (just like I'm trying to string together sentences in Mando'a)

<- Previous Chapter : Next Chapter ->

______________________________________________________________

CHAPTER 13

The only men sitting past the door were Rex, Echo and Anakin which meant the rest of the Batch was in the cockpit. The four of us looked at each other, no one sure of what to say first. The events of the day had taken a toll on everyone it seemed. 

“How much longer are we in hyperspace?” I questioned as I moved to sit next to Anakin who sat across from two of the only remaining men from the original 501st. 

“A couple hours,” Rex answered, checking me over once again for injuries. “How are you feeling?”

“A lot better, Rexxie,” I assured before turning to Anakin. “But I need your help.” 

Before I could continue on, he spoke. 

“You can’t feel the force can you?” 

“Not at all,” I confirmed. “And it honestly feels like I’m missing a limb.”

“It happens,” Anakin began, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “You basically fried the receptors in your body that let you feel the force because you used so much of it at one time. That part of you needs to heal. You were never trained to recognize the warning signs of wearing yourself out like that.”

“How long will it be like this?” I asked, trying to keep myself from reaching out to the emotions of the men around me. 

“Give it a couple days and it should start to come back. If it doesn’t then come by my quarters and we’ll contact the temple for suggestions.” 

I reached up to my shoulder and gripped his hand in thanks before turning to Echo who now wore someone’s spare set of blacks. Because of his emaciated state, they hung loosely on his thin frame.

“What about you, Echo? How are you feeling?”

He gave me a small smile and explained that Tech had performed another health assessment on him and done what he could to make him more comfortable until we got back to base to a proper medic. They had given him a bit of food and water, but he had a hard time keeping it down so they had held off after that. The room went quiet, the four of us still taking in the reunion that had occurred hours ago. 

“I’ve uh, been meaning to ask,” Echo prompted hesitantly, sorrow in his eyes. “What happened to Fives?”

My heart stopped as I met Rex’s panicked expression. How did we tell Echo that his twin had died? How did we even begin to broach what had happened?

“I assume he’s gone,” Echo said, his voice cracking as he did. “Otherwise, I’m sure he would have been here for this.” 

Tears sprung to my eyes at the thought. There’s no way in hell that Fives would have missed this. He would have fought anyone and everyone to be on this mission to rescue his brother. 

“Yeah, Echo.” I confirmed. “He’s gone.”

My voice broke and I couldn’t help the tears that streamed down my cheeks. Across from me, I could see Rex’s eyes glistening as he tried to keep it together. 

I barely noticed the door to the bunk area whooshing open as Crosshair emerged. He quickly took in everyone’s expression but those observant eyes landed on me and widened. 

I thought he was about to get jealous of either Anakin’s hand that still rested on my shoulder or the mention of Fives, but he surprised us all by quickly claiming the seat next to mine and grabbing hold of my hand. He gently caressed it in soothing motions, but didn’t say a word. He sat there as a reassuring presence. Maybe he was ready to make the effort for there to be a relationship between us.

“Can I ask what happened?” Echo asked timidly. 

“Of course you can, Echo,” I confirmed, willing strength into my voice. 

“He was your brother. You have every right to ask that,” Rex added, ferocity clear on his face. There were many cases where the clones wouldn’t know what happened to a lost brother and when they would try to ask, their requests would be denied. The administration didn’t bother to keep track of which clones were lost, only that their numbers had been depleted in general. 

I wasn’t sure where to begin the story, but thankfully Anakin spoke up. 

“It started with Tup,” he began, voice going quiet like what he said was a secret. To be fair, it was a secret to most. 

“He killed Master Tiplar,” Anakin continued solemnly. Echo’s face somehow paled more than it already was. 

“He killed a Jedi?” He asked disbelievingly in a whisper. His gaze went foggy, and Rex put his hand on Echo’s shoulder in comfort. It dawned on me that Echo had also just discovered Tup’s passing as well. Crosshair’s hand now clenched mine tightly. Glancing over, I could see confusion and discomfort apparent on his face. Echo wasn’t going to be the only person hearing this story for the first time. 

“He did,” Anakin confirmed with a sorrowful nod. “It was clear that something was wrong. We thought it was some kind of virus or biological agent so we sent him back to Kamino with Fives in charge of him. Even when Tup left he wasn’t mentally sound. He couldn’t focus and just kept repeating himself.”

Anakin’s head bowed and I gently grasped his hand, offering him comfort. Anakin bonded with his soldiers, clones or not, and I remembered how hard this whole situation had hit him when it happened. 

“Then what?” Echo asked quietly. Anakin turned to me. 

“You’re probably the best person to tell him the next part,” He offered, Echo’s face contorted into a look of confusion.

“Why?” He asked.

“Because I was on Kamino when they got there,” I explained, voice growing thick as the memories flooded me. Crosshair tensed next to me.

“You were there?” He murmured, eyes shockingly full of concern. I nodded my confirmation and squeezed his hand before turning back to Echo.

“I hadn’t seen Fives since we had broken up,” I started. “We were together for about a year, and I hadn’t seen him for a few months. The second he saw me he tried to tell me what had happened with Tup, but I was about to leave on an assignment. I just-,”

My words choked off and it felt like the air around me grew physically heavy. My eyes widened in panic as I tried to pull in air, but even that felt like I was inhaling lead. Crosshair’s hand pulled from mine and wrapped around my shoulders pulling me against his chest. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to focus on breathing. When I re-opened them, Anakin was crouched in front of me. 

“Hey,” he said quietly, placing his hand on my knee. “You’re ok. It's just the force. It can be a little overwhelming at first when it comes back on line, but it’ll ease. There are a lot of heavy emotions in here right now and that can be hard to feel.” 

At the mention of the force, I could feel Crosshair almost retract his hold on me, but instead he squeezed tighter, hands roaming over my shoulder and arm. I worked to pace my breaths in time with Crosshair’s rising chest, and while they were still weighted, it was slowly getting easier to breathe again. When I could finally speak without gasping for air, I looked back to Echo. 

“I’m so sorry. This is your story and time and I just interrupted it.”

He shakily rose to his feet and stumbled over to me. His flesh hand reached out and grasped mine, squeezing as hard as he could. 

“It’s our story, Vod. You take your time,” he reassured. The three of them grounded me until I was ready to continue the story. 

“Fives tried to tell me something was wrong,” I began again. “He tried to tell me something had happened to Tup, but I had to leave. He never knew, but I stopped in the med bay to check on them, but they told me Tup would be fine and Fives was healthy. The Kaminoans don’t usually lie to me. I could feel they were lying, but I thought it was because they didn’t know what was wrong with Tup yet. But I had to go, so I left. I have a little friend who works in the med center that kept me updated as much as she could, but her droid could only find out so much information once the Chancellor got involved.”

“The Chancellor?” Echo questioned, sunken eyes widening. I hummed in agreement. 

“Fives said he had discovered something and the Chancellor needed to hear it. But they say that once he got to Coruscant, he tried to murder the Chancellor in his office. Then he got a hold of Rex and Anakin.” 

I trailed off and looked to them to continue the story. Rex spoke this time.

“He found Kix at 79s and had him contact me and the General. We went to meet with Fives and he trapped us in a ray shield. He tried explaining himself but the Coruscant Guard… they shot him. We tried- we really tried to help him but he was too far gone. All he said was the nightmare was over.”

Rex’s hand clasped together as his shoulders hunched over and his breathing shortened. With effort, I extricated myself from the men around me and made the short crossing to the Captain. Standing in front of him, I pulled his forehead to my chest and stroked gently over his cropped hair. Strong arms pulled me as close as possible as his breaths turned ragged. 

“You did what you could, vod,” I reassured. “We all did. Gar kebbur gar jatne.” 

I held him there for a while as the silence of the room settled. Resurfaced memories had reopened old wounds and everyone was trying to grapple with it in their own ways. Clanking footsteps came closer and I glanced over to see Echo standing there. He sat down next to Rex and put his arm over his shoulders, pulling him away from my hold. Tears almost left me again at the sight of Echo comforting his brother. Even after all this time and the torture he undoubtably endured, he remembered the little things that helped Rex while he was mourning. 

The exhaustion hit me suddenly from the conversation and events of the mission so I went back over to where Crosshair was still seated. I rested my head on his shoulder and sighed in content when his arm circled my shoulders, a warm and reassuring weight. My eyes drifted shut as I listened to the lingering conversation. I was almost asleep, Crosshair's light rubbing on my shoulder lulling me, when I heard Echo ask a question that made me perk up. 

“Before Fives was sh-shot,” he began to Rex, “what was he trying to warn you about?” 

My eyes remained closed but I was alert and listening. 

“He said there was a plot against the Jedi,” Rex said softly. Crosshairs ministrations froze at the mention of the Jedi and I grumbled at him, displeased with the lack of the soothing motion. He huffed a small laugh before resuming again. I felt the tension leaving my body as his hand worked its way up towards my neck, rubbing the tight muscles there. I groaned quietly at the sensation. 

“Get a room,” Anakin muttered under his breath. 

“You’d hear me either way, Skywalker,” I grumbled back. Crosshair choked on his breath and I could only laugh. Anakin said something else but I didn’t hear it as part of Rex’s comment caught my attention. 

“-he said something about a chip controlling us. That we were programmed.”

My eyes shot open and I bolted upright. Connections were rapidly forming in my mind. I could hear the four of them questioning me as I ran to the cockpit of the ship. The door slid open and my eyes landed on Tech in the pilot’s chair as he typed on a datapad. In the periphery, my mind took note that Hunter and Wrecker were also there, the larger of the two sound asleep. 

“Tech, where are the scans of Echo’s brain?” I asked frantically. Hunter stiffened at the tone of my voice. 

“They are on my data pad,” Tech replied simply, not looking up from what he was doing. 

“I need it. Now,” I demanded. Tech glanced up, confusion clear. 

“Why do you need it?” 

“Give me the datapad, Tech. I need to check something and time may be of the essence.”

I stormed towards him, ready to take the datapad from him whether he wanted me to or not, but Hunter blocked my path. 

“You need to calm down,” he instructed, arms crossed in front of his chest. 

“It is ok, Hunter. She can have it,” Tech said calmly. Hunter glanced back at him, not convinced I wouldn’t do something to Tech, and stepped just far enough out of the way for Tech to hand me the datapad. 

“I pulled up his scans for you,” Tech stated as I wrenched it from his hand. 

I scrolled through the slices of the scan as quickly as I could, looking for what I had seen earlier on Skako Minor. I made a sound of success when I found the right slice. I turned it back to Tech and pointed at it.

“What the hell is this and why did you tell me to ignore it?” I questioned. His eyes squinted as he focused on the spot before his face smoothed into understanding. 

“Oh! That is Echo’s inhibitor chip.”

Taglist (let me know if you would like to be added!):

@1fineslytherin @buddee @possiblyexisting @ttzamara @angstforce99 @crosshairscyare @rndmpeep @whore4rex @twinkofthedink @clone-whore-99 @the-sith-in-the-sky-with-diamond @sweetsunflowerkisses @amyroswell @mellowstatesmanhandsempath

@ben-is-a-hoe @scioness-7 @eternalwaffle @espuma-y-arrecife @philiasoul 

[jedipoodoo]

I posted 1,090 times in 2022

That's 941 more posts than 2021!

211 posts created (19%)

879 posts reblogged (81%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@twinkofthedink

@jedipoodoo

@lizartgurl

@emperor-palpaminty

@queenquazar

I tagged 886 of my posts in 2022

Only 19% of my posts had no tags

#sergeant hunter - 311 posts

#lizart writes - 134 posts

#the bad batch - 95 posts

#lizart speaks - 70 posts

#omega - 67 posts

#my ocs - 60 posts

#saachi gunder - 58 posts

#the bad batch x reader - 56 posts

#arc trooper echo - 52 posts

#tbb x reader - 51 posts

Longest Tag: 135 characters

#also i hate the little 'draft saved' box that pops up every two seconds when you're posting on desktop does it jumpscare anyone else???

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Hey!! Any chance I could request a labor fic w fives? If not that’s totally ok I’m just super into pregnant readers lol

YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN ANON I AM GOING INSANE WITH THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS ASK

(I am also super into pregnant readers in case you can't tell xP)

I Want You Forever And Always (Fives x Pregnant!Reader)

Notes/Warnings: reference to Fives' death but SPOILERS! He's not actually dead. Labor and delivery, pregnancy, angst with a happy ending, hurt/comfort, Order 66 o_o This one is kind of long but i doubt yall will mind

he's just so pretty......

Deep breaths. That's all you had to do. Never mind that a sentient being the size of a bowling ball was preparing to make its entrance to the waking world via a hole on your body that was usually no bigger than a grape. No matter that the galaxy was in the middle of a war that tore each planet at the seams. no matter that your family was stuck on the other side of the galaxy and none of them could be there to support you in this crucial moment

Never mind that the father of your child was dead.

You held the dog tag so tightly in your hand that it left an imprint on your palm. It wasn't an actual dog tag, the Kaminoans were far too advanced to require those, but Fives was charmed with the story you had once told him of how when your grandfather had died in battle during the Hyperspace war, he left a tag with his name, station, and one of his favorite sayings hanging on a chain of metal. When Fives got a fresh suit of armor, he'd cut a piece off of his old chestplate, just above his heart, and hung it on a chain.

You wore the tag like a charm ever since he died, hoping some of the insane good luck that had kept him alive through most of the Clone War would rub off on you and your unborn child.

It worked, kind of. You still had crippling anxiety about raising your child alone on Coruscaunt. You could move back to Dantooine with your family, but there you could only make half on the farm there of what you did with your office job here.

And what if the Kaminoans and the Republic got wind of who the father was? Fives was dead, they couldn't punish him for inappropriate relations, but what if they took your child, claiming that it was their property, just as they had with Fives and the millions of brothers who had died before him in this pointless, endless war.

Despite your worries, the labor was progressing well, or so the med-droid told you. It was covered in a soft, rubbery material that mimicked human skin, offering a comforting touch or an arm to lean on. It was all you had, you weren't complaining.

"Have you picked out a name?" It asked. the modulated voice sounded like your wrinkled old grandmother.

"No, not yet." Another contraction hit, and you breathed steadily as you continued your walk around the room. It wasn't too bad, it was just boring, but the doctor said it was meant to help the birth go faster. Who were you to deny yourself?

"I have a database of every recorded name in the galaxy, should you require inspiration. Would you like me to suggest some appropriate names?"

Names, names, what's in a name? Fives and his brothers had some of the most ridiculous names, but you loved them.

"Sure, why not?" You had nothing else to do, and the news playing on the holomonitor behind you wasn't very interesting at the moment.

Without hesitation, the droid began to rattle off a list of names and their meanings, some of which weren't even in basic.

"Luke is a popular boy's name that originated from Tattooine. In Huttese, it means 'little dragon'."

"Really?" You struggled to stay polite. as another contraction knocked the wind out of your lungs. You gripped the railing of your hospital bed for support.

The nursing droid stroked your arm, but otherwise seemed blissfully unaware of your pain.

"There is also the name Lando, menaing land." Original.

"Of course, Many families have taken to naming their sons after the Jedi Generals who have impacted their lives. Have you any such interactions with the Jedi?"

The most you'd interacted with a Jedi was Fives' General, the Jedi Anakin Skywalker. And that was when you'd drunk him under the table at 79's. Fives had been so proud of you that night.

"Not really," You said, breathing evening out, but now you had to hold back tears again. You had a few more minutes before the next contraction.

"Very well," The lights in the droid's eyes blinked. If droids could feel annoyed, this one certainly would be.

"If all else fails, you could name them after the father."

You laughed humorlessly. "Do you have any definitions for the name Fives?"

"I do not understand," the nurse droid said, "the definition of Five would be 'equivalent to the sum of two and three; one more than four, or half of ten'."

See the full post

322 notes - Posted February 4, 2022

#4

Kiss Me Slowly (Crosshair x GN!Reader)

Notes: possessive Crosshair, jealous audience, 79's, established Crosshair x Reader. Not stated explicitly, but Cross is wearing a biker jacket on his night out ^_^

Both the Wolfpack and the 212th were on Coruscant, so of course 79's would be packed. Crosshair told you to meet him and the rest of the Batch, but you had barely managed to get off work in time. Even then, there was still a bunch of traffic to get through, and work didn't have you in the best of moods.

Crosshair was waiting for you when you came in, but you brushed him off.

"Not right now," You muttered. You had a headache and you needed Corellian Ale before you could even begin to entertain the idea of spending the rest of your precocious downtime in a crowded, sweaty bar, even if it was with Crosshair.

The hurt on his face haunted you behind closed eyelids as you waited for your drink. Scanning the crowd, you found Crosshair sulking in the usual booth with his brothers.

A small crowd was beginning to form around the infamous Clone Force Ninety-Nine. Hunter and Tech had managed to bring their partners to the side of the booth closest to the wall where they would be the least disturbed, and Wrecker was introducing Echo to some of their friends. Crosshair, however, was being assaulted by a gaggle of tittering fangirls.

You sighed, taking pity on your boyfriend, and figured you may as well go rescue him.

The crowd had tripled by the time you reached them, and you carefully sheltered your drink. You skirted humans, Twi'leks, and other multitudes of species, trying to make your way to the spot Crosshair had saved for you. a spot a blonde-haired natborn was trying to edge her way into, with long lashes and a ruby-red smile. One of the groupies bumped into you from behind, and your drink splashed all over her. Completely on accident, of course.

She let out a vindictive screech as the alcohol soaked into her dress, and spun on you, seething.

"Watch where you're going!" She screeched.

You blinked. "Uh...sorry? It's really crowded in here."

She rolled her eyes, "Of course it's crowded when people like you are just allowed to run amok."

The toothpick in Crosshair's hand snapped in half, and His brothers looked over in silence as her words hung over the group.

You swallowed, struggling to keep your voice calm.

"Excuse me?"

The groupie rolled her eyes, and one of her friends scoffed.

"I mean, seriously, I've seen your kind before. Staring at the boys all night like some creep. You think you'd honestly have a chance with them?" She sneered.

Wrecker couldn't help it anymore, and let out a boisterous laugh that echoed through the bar for a moment, before the music returned to its usual volume. Some of the groupies took that as permission to titter with giggles at your expense.

Hunter smirked into his glass as he took a sip, and then leaned back into the booth with his partner to enjoy the show.

"Who's gonna tell them?" He asked. His partner grinned back at him mischievously. The question was rhetorical, you all knew who was going to make the situation as clear as a kyber crystal to the groupies.

However, your accuser seemed convinced that Hunter was on their side.

"Yeah," She turned back to you, lips curled back to show off pointed canines, "Who's going to tell you, creep?" She almost jabbed a finger at your chest, but someone grabbed her wrist.

Crosshair had seen enough.

"Not them. You," He snarled, shoving her back. The next second, he had an arm around your waist and pulled you flush against his side.

"They're mine."

The groupie paled. "Y-you mean...?"

"They're your partner?" Her friend squeaked.

Crosshair flicked his toothpick halves at them. He didn't say a word as he swept you over to the booth, and tucked you into the seat beside him, his arm still firmly around your waist and holding you so close you were practically sitting on his lap.

"As far as you are concerned," He slowly met the groupie's embarrassed gaze, "They're my spouse."

See the full post

326 notes - Posted April 5, 2022

#3

Adore You (Crosshair x Pregnant! Reader)

Notes: pregnancy, morning sickness, etc, one suggestive line because it's Crosshair, Soft! Crosshair.

Seeing as I have secured my place as the Bad Batch writer with perpetual baby fever, I figured I needed to give the other boys the same treatment. Crosshair was the first request to be made. @writer1

Mando’a translations:

mesh'la - beautiful

ad'ika - little one, child, small one, etc.

buir - parent, mother/father

ba'vod'u - aunt/uncle

Ni kar'tayl gai sa'ad - "I know your name as my child"

Crosshair chuckled. "You look better in my clothes than I do."

You flashed him a smile before pulling the collar of his blacks up over your nose, taking in a deep breath of his scent that lingered on his shirt

"Careful, mesh'la," He warned in a low voice, "You do remember how we ended up in this situation, don't you?"

His hands caressed the swell of your stomach, and Baby kicked out vigorously at the touch of its father.

"You're complaining?" you smirked back at him, placing your hands over his. Crosshair couldn't help but smile, and leaned in to press a kiss to your stomach. He turned slightly, his ear against your tummy, and you gently ran your hands through his curls.

"What do you think they're dreaming about?" He murmured.

You pursed your lips for a moment as you thought, "How excited they are to meet their buir."

Crosshair's fingers traced circles on your tummy. "Hurry up, ad'ika, your buir's dying to meet you."

You laughed, and after a moment the kicking slowed down. Baby was tired, and so were you.

Crosshair kissed your belly one more time before he got up, collecting the rags and dirty clothes from your morning sickness.

"Do you need anything to eat?" he asked.

"Not right now," You took a sip from your canteen, falling back into the pillows. GAR-rationed pillows definitely weren't the most comfortable in the galaxy, but with the ad'ika on the way, all the future ba'vod'u had willingly given up a their pillows to build you a veritable throne. It was perfect to rest in when you got too tired, which was all the time.

You woke up about an hour later to Crosshair massaging your swollen ankles.

"Mmm, that feels heavenly," You told him, "thank you."

"Of course, mesh'la." Crosshair crawled up the bed to lay beside you. You lifted your head slightly so he could tuck one arm under your shoulders, and the other returned to its rightful place on your belly.

He was silent, but that wasn't unusual for him. What was unusual was the touching. Crosshair let you touch him far more than anyone else, but since you got pregnant he was scarcely able to keep his hands off of you.

Tech joked that he enjoyed the "package deal", holding you and the baby at the same time. You had broken down crying from how sweet the thought was (thanks hormones), and it took ten minutes to convince Crosshair that you were okay and they were happy tears and Tech hadn't done anything to upset you.

"Do you think they'll like me?" Crosshair asked out of the blue.

You looked at up him. "Who? The baby?"

He nodded.

You snuggled closer, resting your head against his shoulder. "You're their buir, why wouldn't they love you?"

See the full post

342 notes - Posted January 16, 2022

#2

Straight Through My Heart (Sergeant Hunter x Reader)

Notes: Knives, Physical Proximity, Hunter teaches you how to use a knife properly. Y'all can blame @queenquazar for this one. Love ya boo.

Warnings: Steamy, shameless self-indulgence. Let's say T for Teens.

"Where'd you get this piece of garbage?" Hunter asked all of a sudden. You turned, and you saw him holding the knife you had just bought.

"It was cheap," You shrugged, "And I need a weapon."

Hunter chuckled and shook his head. "This is a Melchi survival knife. It's literally the worst kind you can get." He spun so that he wasn't facing you, and tossed the knife at the target by the door of the Parlor. It just barely skirted the bullseye.

"So it weighs different than your knife."

"No, it weighs the same, but the weight is unevenly distributed. There's no substance in the handle to counterbalance the blade." Hunter waved for you to follow him, and you watched him staring at the knife critically. He gripped the leather-wrapped handle, and instead of pulling it from the wall, he pulled down with all his strength, nearly folding the blade in half before he yanked it out of the wall.

"You ruined it!" You gasped.

"You can have mine." He said quickly. It almost sounded like a joke.

Almost.

Hunter pointed at the different parts of your knife, which now resembled some misshapen corner.

"All knives bend. But if they're made properly, they'll spring back into place." He took his knife and sliced away the leather wrappings. The metal that made up the blade stopped at the handguard, leaving the handle to be made out of crudely polished wood.

Hunter smiled self-righteously. "When the metal goes all the way through the hilt, the knife is more durable and more balanced."

He slipped his knife into your hand, letting you test the weight of it in your palm. It felt almost lighter than air, regardless of how firm the steel was against your fingertip. Hunter slid a finger down the back of the knife, showing you the cutaway section of the knife to prove the metal went all the way down to the hilt. You suppressed a shiver at the sharpness of the blade as you tested your thumb against it.

"I stand corrected, Sergeant," you admitted with wounded pride, "It seems I have much to learn."

Hunter chuckled. "That's what I'm here for, sweetheart. Want a few pointers?"

Your heart beat loudly. You knew how to defend yourself, just not necessarily with a blade as short as Hunter's knife.

"Sure," You shrugged and tossed him his knife, trying to play it off.

Hunter took the leather from your poor excuse of a knife, and carefully wrapped it around the blade for protection.

"When I trained on Kamino, I used a short wooden staff. Just be careful with this," He warned you. His voice was so soft and gentle, you had to nod in compliance.

He smiled, "The first thing you wanna learn, after knowing that you don't hold the sharp end-" He tossed the knife up in the air, catching the blade between his fingertips, "-Is how to keep it balanced."

He demonstrated one of his usual tricks, effortlessly weaving the blade around and in between his fingers fluidly. It hypnotized you like an optical illusion, and you shook your head to make yourself pay attention.

Hunter handed you the hilt of the knife, and you tried to copy what you had seen him do.

He chuckled, shaking his head at your failed attempt. "No, you wanna get your fingers out of the way. If you spin in like that, the uncovered blade will slice your palm open. Move your fingers out of the way, the momentum of the knife will take care of the motions."

You tried again, and the leather-wrapped blade smacked into the palm of your hand. You huffed in frustration.

"Here," Hunter came around behind you, placing his palm on the back of your hand. He lined up his fingers with each of yours, using the lightest of pressure.

"Try slower," He whispered, resting his chin on your opposite shoulder so he could peer around your head to watch your next attempt.

"It's the thumb and the middle finger. Rotate your wrist with the spin so the knife goes under your hand."

With your thumb and middle finger lightly pinched between his fingers and the blade, you gave a little flick with your wrist. Hunter's grip wouldn't let you go too fast, though, and you slowly followed his motions through the twist.

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430 notes - Posted March 28, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Hello dear! I have a request for you, so lately I have been having the craziest baby fever, so I was thinking, how are the batches baby fever like? I like to hc that they slowly hint it out for a while until they really want to have a baby 😅

THIS IS THE BEST ASK I HAVE GOTTEN IN THE HISTORY OF MY ASKS

Notes: I focused a lot more on pregnancy than adoption in this one, with an exception for Echo because I really don't know for sure what happened to his body. That being said, adoption is a perfectly viable option even if both parents are able to conceive. If you would like me to write something centered on adoption, feel free to drop an ask!

Warnings: babies, baby fever, pregnancy, labor, morning sickness, infertility, adoption, Couvade Syndrome.

The Bad Batch + Baby Fever (afab Reader)

First of all, loyalty means everything to the clones, and loyalty means family. They would do anything for their brothers.

They've been kept from so much in their short lives, the idea of having a spouse and kids of their own seems impossible during the war

So once the war is over (in canon or in one where Papa Palps kicks the bucket before Order 66) endless opportunities are suddenly presented to the Bad Batch.

The one that stands out to them is having a family. Having a loyal partner, and having or adopting kids that they can give a better future than they grew up with.

There have been so many things in the galaxy they can't control, but this is one that they can.

Echo:

Echo wants to be a dad SO BAD

Growing up with Domino squad, he always felt so protective of his brothers and when nights on Rishi got long and boring, they'd talk about what their lives would be like after the war.

After Rishi, he felt like he'd lost the opportunity to have that future he'd imagined with his brothers, but at least had Fives to dream of that future with.

Echo needs people. He needs family. He is so glad to have the batch now, and you.

When you start talking about a family, he is really nervous about pressing anything. But you can tell how much he's holding back.

Once you tell him you want to have kids, the dam bursts. He physically cannot keep it in.

He has a list of baby names a mile long. Most are in honor of the many brothers he's interacted with, but he does some looking into traditionally feminine names as well.

Everyone says Tech's the one doing research but Echo is the one who reads operation manuals for fun.

This man has read every parenting book/pamphlet in existence, and has promptly thrown out the ones that aren't helpful.

He will read these parenting helps to you at night, and it does help you fall asleep but Echo keeps pinching you to stay awake because "This is important, Cyare!"

Because of his trauma, you have to get a bit creative. You can adopt, or you can do IVF. His brothers would be happy to help out.

You can't go through any adoption agencies with the Empire on your tail, so most of it is being on the lookout for kids that need help when you're on missions or walking through Mantell City.

"What about that one-" "Her mom is right over there, babe."

Echo will adopt every child in sight. He is just as bad as Hunter.

If you choose to end up getting pregnant, he goes insane. He can't take his eyes off of you. He hates being away from you, and if he can't bask in your presence for >.2 seconds expect lots of calls like "Hi Cyar’ika how are you and the baby doing?? 🥺"

(if you happen to find out that you're having twins he will faint on the spot. And then promptly rearrange his blueprints for the nursery).

Tech:

Tech gets a baby shoved into his arms when they're trying to evacuate a village while it's mother takes another one of her children to safety.

Tech.exe has stopped working.

See the full post

705 notes - Posted April 4, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[whirlybirbs]

FEVER-DREAM    ;    echo/reader 

summary: echo is fine-tuning his new prosthesis. you have experience, you help. unspoken feelings are acted on. adoration blooms. you learn what mesh’la means.

word count: 3k

pairing: echo / f!reader

tags: mutual pining, lots of tender looks, victorian-era hand-touching sluttiness, echo is a gentle soul, reader is head over heels, a touch of ptsd mention, set on ord mantell, mention of our boy fives, in this house we love assistive devices, enough sexual tension to power the death star

a/n: this is me round-house kicking the bad batch writers in the throat because they made echo cosplay a droid — but, also because this man deserves to be treated as more than a means to a mission’s end. majority of you know i am ~bitter~ (understatement of the century) of tbb’s plot/design/writing. but echo has been a favorite from the original days... so have some very soft fic.

i reference character redesigns by @nibeul​ in this piece — please go peep them here, and some updated character spreads here! they’re really beautiful and add a phenomenal layer of storytelling to the existing designs that’s lacking. nibuel’s art and writing is lovely. please give them a follow — i can’t rec their work enough. 

“How does it feel?”

The words are nearly whispered; it’s clear you didn’t want to startle him, and Echo can feel the pinch in his brow soften at your sudden appearence in the doorway. 

His bunk, at the back of the Havoc Marauder, is small — the space itself even more so. There’s a makeshift partition, hooked together with spare parts and meant to offer a bit of privacy on the cramped vessel. Its slate grey color has faded, and the edges have become tattered in the cycles of use. 

When Echo pulls his dark eyes up from his work, you’re leaning against the frame — your expression is earnest.

For a moment, the once-ARC Trooper is quiet. 

He wonders if he’ll ever get used to your attention. Each and every time, it sends him into a spiral; his heart catches as he inhales and tries to push down the warm stir in his gut. The sight of you is enough, nowadays, to melt Echo’s well-maintained irritability. His attention is stolen from his ever-present pain, if only for a bit.

There are plenty of days where he misses the old him — the wide-eyed, eager ARC Trooper who had his brothers by his side. His real brothers. Hevy, Cutup, Droidbait... Fives. 

Fuckin’ hell, Fives was probably staring down at him now laughing. 

No matter what changes, you’re still shit with the ladies, vod’ika. 

In a way he hasn’t fully admitted to himself, you make him feel like himself again. Like... Like some shiny cadet, on leave and distracted by the promises of pretty smiles passing-by. It’s good.

This makes him feel... good. 

He flexes, and his right hand — the new, gunmetal durasteel cyberized-prosthesis — closes into a tight fist. It’s taken him a bit, but the feeling isn’t so foreign now. It’s still... slow. Slower than he’s used to, but you’d mentioned it may take some time. The phantom feelings get better, too. All in all, it’s a good thing.

Your own hand, your left, glimmers back in the same gunmetal color.

(Echo had never pressed you about the missing limb — not until one day, in Cid’s, you’d joined him in a quiet corner. You’d spilled your drink and a complaint about getting the star-cherry syrup out of the joints had slipped out. Echo had laughed; a real laugh, the sort that was so rare coming from him, it had you staring at him as if he’d hung ever star in the sky. 

Can I ask how it happened? he’d said, breaking the heavy silence when your eyes never left his.

The Pykes, you’d said, and that was enough.)

“I haven’t, uh... Haven’t gotten the sensory calibration right yet.”

Then, his prosthesis cramps. His fingers go rigid, and Echo curses sharply as he reaches around his forearm to quickly reboot the appendage. It goes slack, then hums alive once more.

You wince.

You’re slow to move into the room — and you settle atop one of the crates Echo had stolen from the belly of the ship, an old Mantell Mix shipping container. You’re mindful to set his datapad aside, to not disturb his space too much. Before you reach for his hand, however, you lift your chin and open your hands in your lap.

“May I?” you ask, just as soft as before.

Echo feels small under your gaze.

Truth be told, you’re doing more than just... asking. You’re taking him in — appreciating him. It’s a habit that’s grown more and more apparent to not only himself, but the others.

In recent rotations, Echo has let his hair grow out — not long, but the once close buzz he’d kept has begun to curl at the top. Not entirely dissimilair to how it was before the Citadel. The dermal implants, the ones the Techno Union installed in order to parse the nuerological data in his head, stand out against his warm-colored skin. 

His usual AJ^6-inspired headpiece is resting on his bunk.

That damn thing.

A neccesary tool. One that, given the amount of user data Tech had procured when working on modifying the implant, Echo found himself immediately distrusting. It wasn’t as if the AJ^6 cyborg construct had a beautiful track record, and frankly, Echo would like to keep his personality in tact, thank you very much. There were plenty of days he felt machine enough. 

It wasn’t often you saw him without the headset; you knew it made linking in via his scomp easier to handle, it made the visualization of data transfers as easy as breathing. For Echo, it was a part of his vast kit, an important tool. For you, seeing him without it bubbles up a bit of a smile.

Echo catches it.

His eyes narrow playfully.

He looks... well. You — hell, are there words for it? For the way the sight of him makes you feel? It’s like there’s a world full of potential there, a thousand words unsaid, and feelings that have steeped in the warmth of longing gazes and half-there touches.

You’re still looking up at him, knees bent on the crate.

You blink, realizing you’ve been caught staring — not for the first time and certainly not for the last. In the beginning, it had left a sour taste in Echo’s mouth. But, now... Well, it stokes a sort of pride in his chest that he hangs onto. 

It never gets easier to recover from — certainly not when Echo smirks. He moves to allow you to take his prosthesis into your lap. The gesture is gentle; your fingers cradle the firm yet pliable metal.

“What?” he asks. His voice, low and rough and warm, is tinted with amusement.

“Nothing,” you say vaguely with a shrug — as if that’s supposed to explain any part of your enamored stare. Your attention moves to the prosthesis.

“Nothing?” he asks, moving to thumb his left ear with his free hand with a dash of nervousness. A habit. Echo tilts his head as his fingers brush the cochlear implant there. The panel rests neatly against the side of his head, a small rounded-off square. The bite of self-consciousness has dwindled around you — but still, it creeps back up every now and again.

The Corporal’s brows knot playfully as you turn his new hand over in your lap; you’re admiring the upgraded feel, the more seamless panelling in comparison to your own. Echo watches your lashes flutter in silent thought.

Then:

“You’re a terrible liar, you know.”

You blink slowly at the hand, swallow down your sudden sheepishness and ignore his gaze. You bite back the smile digging into your cheeks. “Maybe.”

“Do I have something on my face?” he asks suddenly, and you look up.

A baited trick. He’s smiling. 

The warm sort — the sort reserved for you and for Omega. The two souls that hold a piece of his heart, with all its ticking valves and electric timed pulses. There are machinisms that keep him alive, and then there is you. Your wide-eyed expression melts, giving way to the sort of smile he’s tried to memorize over and over. It’s the same smile that has warded off that reoccuring nightmare of the night on the tarmac at the Citadel, the same smile that has pulled him through the grit of phantom pains.

“What—” a sudden laugh bursts from your chest, “What is that supposed to mean?”

“You were staring, mesh’la,” he rumbles out as a reminder, enjoying the fact he’s suddenly become the center of your attention. Echo leans back, his boot toeing yours. You nudge it back. Your face feels hot. You ignore his pointedly teasing look with a roll of your eyes.

The nickname started a few weeks ago. You haven’t asked what it means — no, for now it’s meaning hangs in the balance. Untouched but there. The affection the word carries makes your heart feel heavier and unbelievably full.

“Bad habit,” you chirp back, looking up at him through your lashes.

His laugh is warm.

“Maybe not.”

“No,” you say quietly; your voice is soft as your eyes bounce across his face, tracing the lines of his face with your gaze, “I don’t think it is.”

There’s a silence that slips between you — a comfortable one. It’s heavier than before. That has begun to happen recently, especially with the petal-soft utterance of mesh’la becoming more and more frequent. You hold his gaze. Echo lets out a soft, contented sigh.

Then, you remember the task at hand.

You clear your throat.

“Uh... The access panel I’m looking for,” you say slowly as your raise your finger to point to your own arm, “It’s on your bicep.”

Echo blinks. He clears his own throat before looking down — he hadn’t even noticed that access panel. That could explain the jarring miscommunication stalling the limb. This model had more bells and whistles than he initally realized. 

Better than a fuckin’ scomp link, that’s for sure.

Wordlessly, Echo makes room on his bunk. You move to settle beside him, your bent leg resting aginst his hip as you half-straddle the bed; your other knee brushes his thigh — and Echo tries to sit still. You’re close, now. 

“Is it okay if...?” you trail off, fingers tugging on the short sleeve of his blacks; you pause until Echo offers a curt nod. You catch him swallow. You push onward, fingers nimbly rolling the fabric up over his broad bicep. 

Echo steals a glance your way as your fingers pass across a slip of his bare skin. 

In his lap, both his hands twitch.

He’s no small man. Lean and athletic, Echo is built like a soldier. Omega had said once that Echo was an ARC Trooper, one of the best of the best. You believed every bit of it, and you’d hung on her words when she’d rambled on about ARC training, about Kamino, and about who Echo was before you knew him. It was all in the past, though. That Echo is a part of this Echo but... They’re different men. He’s been changed by the things that have happened.

You don’t press him on the details. 

In time, they’re slipped into conversation here and there — between the here and now.  

In the beginning, when you’d found yourself amongst the crew of the Havoc Marauder — be it for a simple job on Cid’s behalf — Echo had hardly paid you a moment of attention, though you admit you’d been curious from the start. It had taken three jobs for you to finally see his face. Then began the slow and gradual bonding over catching joints, grating plates, and hardware updates. His legs, your arm. Two pieces of a pair.

Now, he has this. A beautiful new upgrade — something he’s wanted for a long time. A part of his old self is back, in a way.

You liked that it was more than just a tool. That, in having this piece of his body back, he felt like more than a tool. More than a scomp link. 

After all, he is a man — a... a very handsome man. One whose proximity is sort of distracting you, again, from the task at hand.

“The panel here,” you say as you slowly press on the seam that enables the settings panel to be revealed; you’re mindful to explain, “It controls sensory outputs, as well as synchonized synaptic commands. The panel on my forearm does the same to my hand, yours is just... well, you’ve got the new and improve version.”

Echo ducks his head as you work, watching you from the corner of his eye. “Feeling a bit jealous, mesh’la?”

“Maybe,” you breathe out with a smile. 

Then, you lift your eyes. You intended to see that he was still comfortable, but instead you come face to face with the Corporal. His nose nearly brushes yours when you lift you chin, completely dragged in by the closeness shared.

There’s a beat of tension. Echo’s mouth goes dry.

You fingers pause. You swallow hard. “How... uh, how does it feel?”

Echo tightens his grip, then releases. His breath tickles your cheeks. His eyes, a deep, warm brown, flit from your eyes to your mouth, and then back. His voice is a croak. 

“...Same as before.”

You tinker with a dial, eyes never leaving his; your voice is above a whisper. “And now?”

It’s immediate. Like a rush of cold air up his arm — and on instinct, Echo’s hand twitches. His fingers grip the fabric of his blacks, along his thigh, and... he feels it. The smooth, stretch of the material. It’s... it feels like a lot. His fingertips, metallic and cyberized, tingle. It’s distracting.

He can feel. 

His hand is slow. It moves across to bridge the space between you. His pointer finger settles on the curve of your knee; the feeling of your tactical pants beneath his fingertip is ignored, instead he chases the heat of your body.

Your breath catches at the touch. 

Echo’s face is turned to you, but... his attention has settled on his hand. His palm then sweeps across your thigh. He follows the curve, soaks in the feeling. You’re frozen in place, beating back the desperate sound of appreciation that threatens to be pulled from your throat. The touch is... more than welcomed. 

The closeness itself is making you dizzy.

Then, Echo turns — and the warm, durasteel-plated palm finds your cheek.

Your skin is hot. 

“Is this okay, mesh’la?” he whispers, words riding on a quiet exhale — the sort that make you feel... well, you don’t even have words for the way he makes you feel. Echo is... kind, honest, and loyal. Above all else, he’s gentle. Despite it all, despite every bit of horror he’d been put through, he’d never lost sight of the importance of a gentle hand. Especially now in a moment as intimate as this. It coaxes you closer.

You lean into the cybernetic attachment, cheek resting in his palm. You nod, then, with eyes eager to take in every bit of this moment.

He chuckles at the enthusiasm. Echo’s thumb, deft and smooth, then traces the line of your lower lip.

The feeling is... the gnawing pain that he’s felt for nearly a year has melted. Finally, the itch has been scratched in his brain and the hollow ache of his bones is gone. It’s relief, and comfort, and excitement and all these beautiful things — and you. 

You’re stuck — you don’t want to move, you won’t move. He’s rooted you completely, and when his other hand — the calloused and warm one of flesh and blood — finds it’s spot along your thigh, you swallow a lovesick sigh that would only exaserbate your desperation. 

Your mouth is moving before you realize it. 

“What does it mean?”

Echo’s eyes narrow, only a bit, and he runs his thumb up your cheekbone.

“What does what mean?” 

“Mesh’la,” it sounds foreign on your tongue. It’s not Hutteese or Twi’leki, not like any language you know, “Will you tell me what it means, Echo?”

The corner of his lips quirk. Your eyes jump to it.

You feel like someone’s reached right into your chest and given your heart a squeeze — and it only worsens when he laughs. He laughs, deep and quiet and warm, like a thunderstorm on a summer night. It feels cruel, to string you along like this when you’re here, lips parted, hanging off his every touch and his every word.

“Beautiful,” he says quietly as his other hand touches your jaw — it’s so damn reverent, this little moment in time, that you almost don’t believe it’s real.

It feels like a dream — like someone has come in and stolen your thoughts from you; like the unrequited yearning has finally stoked a fire large enough to burn you up entirely, a fever you never knew you wanted.

His nose brushes yours.

Your fingers wind into the fabric of his chest. You’re clinging, lost to the moment — and you can’t help wonder if this is how it feels when he catches you adoring him. He’s admiring you so tenderly that you nearly break.

You want to kiss him.

He’s thought about nothing but kissing you for the last five days at least. Longer in his dreams. Nowadays, it’s a constant pull, a constant want.

And now, it’s here — a present and current moment where it can happen. Where he can stop being a shiny cadet and he can make a move...

Enter Omega.

“Echo, we’re back—!”

The telltale hammer of a girl’s boots on the floor signals that the party is back from their supply run — but you’re so far off, spinning in a different universe, you don’t even hear her until its too late... Until Echo is yanking himself away and clearing his throat and rolling his wrist to test the prosthesis in a different way, a less intimate way. 

You blink, then rattle yourself back to the present. Omega is in the doorway staring with a quizzical look. Clearly, your state does little to dissuade the assumptions she’s already making and you can see the gears turning in her head. The dark-haired girl then slowly grins.

“Hi.”

You swallow. “Hi, Omega.”

“...Whatcha guys doin’?”

Echo coughs. “Uh, just fine-tuning the new upgrade.”

“...Riiiiiight.” 

You rub your cheeks and laugh — clearly forced and incredibly pained — as you stand up and nearly ram your head right into the top of Echo’s bunk. It’s met with a hiss of warning from the trooper as he jumps up to try and protect you from the impact. 

“Well! Uh, thanks for letting me help, Echo,” you clap, rocking back and forth on your boots, “I, uh... Oh, Cid called. I should... I should get back—”

“Yea,” he says, straining a bit to find the words, “Yea, I’ll... I’ll comm you if it starts to, uh... If it starts to act up?”

Omega watches the exchange, big brown eyes moving from left to right. 

“Good, great — yea, that’s,” you inhale as you rub your thighs and move towards the door, “Perfect. Okay.”

“Okay.”

“Bye!” Omega calls, waving.

You wave back, smiling. “Bye, Omega.”

Then, once it’s only Echo and Omega in the bunk, the tween speaks.

“...What the kriff was that?”

[lightsabersandblaster]

A New Chapter (Buir Reader)

Summary: After the loss of your love, you contemplate leaving Kamino.

Author's Notes: The beginning of a oneshot series about the reader being the parental figure to all clones. For the full summary of the series, check out the masterlist and feel free to request scenarios! Here's what Buir looks like!: https://i.imgur.com/dujLWtv.jpg

I'm also assuming what the other Batchers CT Numbers are based on Crosshair's one until they are revealed, perhaps in Bad Batch Season 2. We shall see.

Masterlist

Buir - Parent

Ade - Children

Ad'ika - Little One

Ret'urcye mhi, Cyare - Perhaps we'll meet again, Love or Goodbye, Love

"Buir..."

Echo's call fell upon deaf ears as you held your 99 close to your chest, unable to tear your glossy-eyed gaze from his face. Your calloused hand rose to caress his cheek like you had done so many times before — a gesture customarily greeted with a smile as he held your hand in return.

Not this time.

His face remained still as if he was merely sleeping, but you knew no matter what you did, he wouldn't be waking up. Tears fell haphazardly down your cheeks as you brought him closer, pressing your lips to his forehead.

"Ret'urcye mhi, Cyare." You whimpered as you closed your eyes, praying for this to be a bad dream.

"Cyare!?" you gasped, bolting upright on your mattress, instinctively palming the space next to you to find your partner, though you only felt the cold sheets. Glancing at the empty space, you clenched the fabric till your knuckles were white; it didn't stop the sting of tears in your eyes. Nothing could stop them.

Swallowing the lump in your throat, you dragged yourself out of your bed to suit up. Strapping the pieces of your grey beskar armour to your form and patting down your collar of bantha fur to prepare for your typical day to day tasks. Reaching down for your helmet, you stopped upon seeing an all too familiar medal beside your beskar.

"Oh, Hevy..." You sighed, tracing the four-pointed star fondly. All you could see was the proud smile he wore when you first clipped it to his chest. Attaching it to your fur collar and carrying your helmet under your arm, you finally left your quarters. You stopped just before the door to take a deep breath and placed your helmet on for good measure.

Kamino felt lifeless now, despite the multitude of clones that marched past you, always taking the time to greet you warmly. But you could only muster a nod in return, focused on your destination.

Engine noise faded into the background as your gaze landed on your boys in blue. Rex had his helmet tucked under his arm as he watched Fives and Echo adjust their newly earned pauldrons around their shoulders. Boyish grins, practically glowing with pride that made your heart swell.

"Looking good, boys," Their heads snapped in your head direction as you stopped merely a few feet away.

"Buir!" The lads were quick to raise their arms to salute you, but you swiftly motioned for them to stop.

"None of that now," You spoke sternly, only to perk up. "Come on! Let me look at ya two!" Gesturing for the two to step forward, you cupped their cheeks, tenderly caressing them with your gloved thumb — A gesture that they both melted into. "My Dominos... Feels like it was only yesterday that you were boys, now ARC Troopers! I'm so proud of you..."

"So is he," You whispered, abruptly pulling them to you in an embrace and squeezing. The unspoken grief hung in the air as they wrapped their arms around you, encasing you in a protective hold. But just what did they believe they were shielding you from?

"We'll visit," Fives broke the silence, clearly hoping to lighten the air. But they were met with silence as you hesitantly released them, letting them step back. Brows furrowed, Echo called you back to reality with a mumble of your title, which Fives echoed not long after.

Looking down, you clenched the fabric of your scrappy red cloak in your fist. "I'm not staying on Kamino." Their brows shot up in surprise, but they didn't respond immediately. How were they supposed to react to news like that? Fives opened his mouth, but nothing was said.

"Where will you go?" Rex spoke up this time around, grabbing your shoulder to turn you towards him. Your shoulders rose and fell in a shrug as you held his hand, caressing it gently.

"Where ever the galaxy takes me. The Halberd's been neglected for long enough, don't you think?" The laugh you hoped to lighten the mood came out forced, accomplishing the exact opposite of your intention. Their shoulders sagged. "My Ade, this is not the end of our time together. We will meet again, I promise you,"

Rex pulled you into a hug, providing a prolonged squeeze, even burying his face into your collar. Feeling your hand cradle the back of his head, he nuzzled further into the fur.

Silent tears remained hidden behind your helmet as Echo and Fives joined the embrace again.

This warmth. Something you never deserved... You were going to miss it.

"I'm sure General Skywalker's waiting for you boys, don't let me delay you." Inwardly praising your steady voice, you stepped back from their arms to stare at the men they've become.

To their surprise, you raised your arm in a salute. "It's been my pleasure to know you and your brothers. Keep going great things,"

Fives blinked rapidly and bit his lip, but that washed away into a smirk. "None of that now!" He chuckled, mimicking your earlier tone, "You said it yourself, this isn't the last time we'll see each other," Echo chimed in.

Despite their smiles, their brows were still furrowed. You were the same behind the dark visor, but it still broke your heart to see it on their faces; all you envisioned was a time when their cheeks were so chubby and pinchable.

You giggled as you lowered your arm, leaving them to enter their ship. The engines started as you turned away to approach the Halberd. Poor thing hadn't been used in months; it wouldn't be a shock if she'd kicked the bucket.

"Hey, old girl. Can you ever forgive me?" You muttered, letting your hand trail along her hull till you reached the hatch door. Pressing the open button, a wave of dust washed over you, thoroughly caking your armour in a dry beige coat.

A hacking cough ripped itself from your throat and you frantically used your cloak to fan away the onslaught. "I'll take that as a no," You sassed the empty ship, almost hitting your head when a sneeze processed you.

"Caretaker,"

Halting a few steps barely into your ship, you didn't need to turn your head to know who called for you. "Nala Se," You responded coldly, "What is it?" You turned to face the long-neck with your arms crossed over your chest.

"I need you to come with me,"

"No! No! I'm done." You barked, stepping back on the Halberd's ramp. "I've been here long enough; my debt was paid long ago. Nothing's going to make me stay," You swiped your arm through the air, drawing your line in the sand while glaring into her soul.

Nala Se, however, didn't react to your aggression and simply stared down at you. "We'll see if your resolve weakens when you see the new specimens," The Kaminoan then began a stride out of the hangar and into the corridor.

"Spec... Specimens?" You muttered, your fist clenching at your side. "Son of a bantha," You seethed, stomping your way to Nala Se's side and keeping pace with her. Glancing up at the Kaminoan, you saw she was looking down with a tony smug smile on her face. Glaring daggers at her through your visor, you growled, "This means nothing, Long-neck,"

"Of course," Was her sarcastic response to your hostility. How you lived on Kamino for so long remained unknown to you, especially when you had to interact with these people daily. They better thank the maker for your blessed patience.

"What's new about these clones?" After a few minutes of silent travel through the facilities, you began to question. Despite the years, you've inhabited the establishment, it was new wherever Nala Se led you. The signs you did pass indicated rooms you've never been in, causing you to raise an eyebrow. Coming to a hatch, you both halted.

"They are enhanced clones, specialised with different abilities." She started, pressing a few buttons on the wall, which opened the hatch, revealing a lab. It was dark and baren, though you could have sworn you spotted a flash of blonde, it was gone before you could focus on the form if there was anyone there at all. But it seemed as if you were the only ones there.

"Weird," You whispered to yourself, but a sound from further in drew your attention away. Leaving Nala Se at the entrance, you followed it, allowing three little voices to become evident the closer you got. Turning the corner, your eyes widened.

Right there were not three, but four young boys. There were some differences to note with each of them. The one with long hair was doing his best to twirl a knife around his fingers, but it was too big for his tiny hand and fell to the ground.

The larger one was trying to lift a craft at least twice his size... and succeeding. A smaller one with lighter hair was messing with the keypad in the room, standing on a nearby crate to reach it. Finally, the lanky one with grey hair sat on the bunk, biting his nails.

Feeling a familiar tug at your heart, your helmet met the wall with a slight tang, and a defeated sigh escaped your lips. Glancing over your shoulder, your blood boiled at the sight of Nala Se's stupid smug smile. Biting back your curses, you grumbled, "Tell me more,"

The long-neck caught up with you, taking place behind you as she spoke proudly. "They'll be trained as a special forces unit-" You quickly became distracted watching the boys as Nala Se went on about the finer details about these modified clones. You should have learned by now not to ask for more information; it was always the same despite the differences they claimed.

"And they will be known as Clone Force 99," Your brow shot up, snapping your head to look up at Nala Se, who was staring at you intently — a rare flash of sympathy appearing in her large eyes.

"99..." You sighed, looking towards the wall like he was right there beside you again, holding your hand tenderly. What would he think? What would he say was the right thing to do?

"You win," Was all you told Nala Se before approaching the young clones.

It didn't take long for them to notice your presence. Most of them appeared curious about you, raising eyebrows, while the lanky boy's eyes narrowed into a glare.

"Hello, boys," Your modulated voice greeted them as you squatted down to their level. "What're your names?" Your helmet tilted curiously as you glanced between them.

"CT-9901, Sir," The kid with long hair stepped forward to stand before you. He then gestured to his brothers, "That's CT-9902," first to the one by the keypad, "CT-9903," The bigger boy smiled at you upon being introduced, "And CT-9904." The grey-haired kid's glare didn't let up when your gaze fell on him.

Those weren't the name you wanted, you lamented to yourself with a sigh. But they were still young; you shouldn't be complaining.

"Who are you, Sir?" The boy in front of you asked, his shoulders squaring with reasonable caution. But you chuckled, ruffling his hair, catching the poor boy off guard.

"Lay off the 'sir', Ad'ika," You told him, standing at your full height once again. "They call me the Caretaker around here." You smiled behind the visor as you looked at the cadets again, basking in the waves of personality each of them displayed in these few moments you've known them. Perhaps this was the start of something new...

"But you can call me Buir,"

P.S. Author's Notes: Oh, Fives and Echo are gonna be so pissed when they find out Buir stayed O.O Shhh, don't tell them

[gaeasun]

For Febuwhump: How long has it been? And Echo! :)

Lasts Long Passed

I don't think anyone's ever requested Echo from me before so thank you! It was fun to write. I couldn't pick just one scene though so I wrote multiple little ones.

All troopers were used to thunder and lightning. CT-1409 was no exception. But today they had learned about explosives, all the damage they could do to droids, organics, and their surroundings. The images from flash training hung in his mind.

He felt like he’d been in his pod forever. Shaking with each strike of lightning and desperate for the ignorance of sleep.

Another strike, and CT-1409 bolted.

He climbed up a few rungs, smacked the opening button, dove in, and hit the close before the other occupant could get a sleep-addled word out.

Inside the pod, CT-1409 felt much safer. Instead of being rattled against his bare mat, he shoved himself against his brother and let the storm shake their small bodies together.

He heard a huff, and a sigh, before arms pulled him closer against his brother.

“The training?” CT-5555 asked, sending little puffs of warmth and humidity into CT-1409’s hair. It tickled. He liked it.

“The training,” he confirmed. “Can I stay?”

“‘F course,” CT-5555 mumbled, already close to sleep again. “Night.”

“Night,” CT-1409 echoed back, and followed his brother into sleep.

******

For all that he was named Echo, Fives always did a pretty good job of repeating the thoughts knocking around in his head.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it,” Fives murmured. Even though every cold blank wall of Kamino was the same, he stared at them with the intensity of someone trying to understand a piece of art.

“A long while.” So long, they’d actually had their brothers with them. Their batchmates. Sometimes they didn’t even feel real anymore, like they’d been from some separate life.

Echo watched the other clones pass by, those who had Hevy and Cutup and Droidbait’s faces, and tried to find comfort.

*****

One moment stretched out for an eternity.

Bolts flew over his head. The ship exploded and burned. Echo burned.

But none of it hurt more than the sheer panic written all over Fives.

I’m sorry vod. Ret’urcye mhi.

*****

He was cold. Everything ached; froze and burned. He’d been here forever and a year.

The walls shook and ARC-1409 couldn’t help but reflexively think it was supposed to mean something. There was something he needed to do.

Whatever it was, it lay just out of reach.

*****

give user identification.

He couldn’t remember the last time someone had asked him that. Who was he? He didn’t really remember anymore. It didn’t matter.

The four letter code was sent off, and he returned to his torpor.

*****

Echo thumbed through the little book. He still didn’t know where Tech had gotten his hands on it, but he was grateful for it anyways. It gave him a little practice with his left hand, not that scoring small straight lines was too much work.

The first page was the worst. Shaky little squiggles, some breaking off into small tears in the flimsi. Some were etched several pages deep. The entire first page was crisp and stained, the way flimsi got when it was water damaged.

But there was progress. The lines got straighter. The water marks grew fewer and farther between, and less marks went through the page.

He flipped to the last page and scored two more lines. He’d been too busy, too much in pain to take the time. That was ok.

“What’s that?”

A lifetime of training was apparently just enough to keep him from snapping the stylus, but not enough to keep him aware of his vod’ika coming in. He needed to do better.

He showed Omega some of the latter pages. “They’re marks. Each one is a day.”

“What do they mean?” Her eyes, as always, were bright with determination and curiosity. Like another sibling Echo was remembering.

“Have I told you about my brother Fives?”

*****

They hadn’t met Rex in a while. But finally their paths crossed again, and Echo was glad.

Eventually, Rex finished talking business with Hunter and came to Echo.

“Vod’ika,” he greeted, as his etched lines of pain softened.

Echo chuckled lowly. “I haven’t been a vod’ika in a long time.”

“I know.” Rex pulled him into a hug. In spite of himself, Echo leaned his head on Rex’s shoulder and let his eyes burn.

“I know, and I’m sorry,” Rex whispered. “You’ve always deserved better than this, Echo.”

Echo buried his face in Rex’s shoulder and tried to believe.

[rowansparrow]

By Any Other Name: Chapter Seven

Summary: You and Rex have a conversation on the rooftop.

Chapter Rating: Teen 

Warnings: Alcohol, some drunk-ness. Sad, so very sad.

Ships: Rex x Female!Reader, Fives x Female!Reader, Clone OC x Female!Reader, other ships tbd.

Tags: #ByAnyOtherName, #BAON

Word Count: 3.1k

A/N: *insert that Always Sunny in Philadelphia Meme: “NEWSFLASH ASSHOLE, REX HAS BEEN IN LOVE WITH READER THE ENTIRE GODDAMN TIME* As always, bless @fat-zygerrian for being my beta reader!

Comment if you want to be tagged! Reblogs are SO appreciated!

Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six

You were supposed to meet him that night.

You’d planned on going to 79’s instead of the rooftop as usual. Rose said the boys had missed you and wanted to play cards again. You’d gotten all dolled up and were about to head out when your comm beeped.

“Hey,” You grinned, shutting your apartment door behind you. “I was just heading out.”

“Yeah… about that,” Rose sounded embarrassed. “There’s been a change in plans. I won’t be able to make it. In fact, none of us will. We got – err – held up on base.”

“Really?” You asked, pausing as you started to head down to the main level of your building. “Okay… well can we meet after?”

“I’m not supposed to go off base but – yeah, yeah I’ll see what I can do. Keep your comm close.”

He hung up and you hesitated in the stairwell for a beat. Fuck it. Even if Rose couldn’t come along, you were still going to have a nice time tonight!

You had gotten more confident about going to 79’s ever since you and Rose had gotten close. You could recognize a few distinct faces now, just from people Rose had pointed out to you or introduced to you in passing. There was a notable absence of 501st blue, which at least confirmed Rose wasn’t just ditching you and had in fact gotten held up at the base with the rest of his battalion.

You approached the bar, settling in and glancing around to look for any familiar faces to keep you company while you waited for Rose. Further down the bar, you spotted Marshal Commander Cody and your breath hitched for just a moment. Rose had told you all about him – the most highly decorated clone soldier in the entire Republic Army. You would’ve been able to guess it even if Rose hadn’t told you about the curved scar on the side of his face. For the way Cody carried himself, even here, held an air of authority, of gravitas and poise.

He was talking to someone, the other person obscured by his own body. You ordered a drink, trying not to look as starstruck by the Commander as you felt.

“I’d try your luck with someone a little less ranked if I were you,” The bartender teased, catching you staring. “I’ve never once seen the Marshal Commander take up an offer to go home with somebody.”

“That’s – that isn’t my intention.” You blushed, taking the drink with a short huff. Still, you glanced at Cody again and watched him clap his hand on the shoulder of the man he’d been speaking with.

“Alright, see you around, Rex ‘ole boy. Stay out of trouble.”

Now that made you turn instantly. As Cody moved away, you were able to get a better look at the man he’d been talking to, and gods above, it was him. It was Captain Rex. Rose had told you so many stories about him that it felt strange finally seeing him in the flesh.

Rose had warned you about how much trouble you both could get in if anyone ever found out you were seeing each other. Your friendship was frowned upon enough as is, but now that it had become something more, Rose had given you the full dressing-down on what could happen to him if you were ever caught.

As such, you hadn’t ever met Rose’s superior officer, and since Rose wasn’t here…

You downed the rest of your drink quickly. There’s no reason the Captain would be suspicious of you. Besides, you wanted to meet him, get to know the man who was such a huge part of Rose’s life.

You wanted to meet his family.

“Hi.”

In truth, maybe your introduction could’ve been a little stronger. But as you sidled over to the Captain and leaned one hand on the bar, he gave you a small smile, nodding once.

“Ma’am.”

“Can I buy you a drink?”

Rex seemed surprised and looked you over carefully. He seemed to be waging a war with himself for a split second but eventually nodded.

“I don’t see why not.”

You grinned, settling into the seat beside him and waving the bartender over, tucking a hand under your chin. “What’s your name? I’m Y/N.”

“Rex.” He replied, offering his hand to shake. You repressed the urge to giggle. He was such a gentleman.

“What do you drink, Rex?”

He chuckled. “Whiskey.”

“Two of those, then.” You told the bartender. Rex’s eyebrow jumped up but you barely noticed.

“So. You must be a Captain, right? With all this fancy gear?” You said, motioning to his pauldron and kama.

“How d’you know I’m not just some ARC trooper who likes showing off?” Rex replied, smirking and leaning forward a bit.

“I’ve met an ARC trooper or two, and you don’t seem the type to boast.”

Rex chuckled again, taking his glass as the bartender returned. “You must get around, then.”

It wasn’t an insult and you didn’t take it as such. “Maybe I’m just good at making friends.”

Rex smiled and his eyes seemed to appraise you for a moment, taking all of you in, calculating. He took a swig.

“You here with any of those friends?” He asked.

“All alone, tonight.” You replied. “My friends got held up and you looked lonely. Thought I’d keep you company. It’s the least I can do for a soldier like you.”

Rex chuckled, low and sweet. “Most pretty girls don’t just find themselves in 79’s.” Rex drawled, setting his glass down again. “From what I can tell, they’re usually looking for trouble.”

He turned slightly to face you better. “Are you looking for trouble, mesh’la?”

Your heart skipped a beat. You knew that word, but didn’t know what it meant. Rose had called you that before.

“It looks like I already found it.” You replied.

Rex grinned. “Then I guess you better stay close so I can keep a proper eye on you.”

You chuckled, picking up your own drink and finally taking a sip. The whiskey burned your throat but it warmed you to the core. Rex looked impressed which was its own bonus.

“You never answered my question.” You said. “Are you a Captain?”

“I command the 501st attack battalion.” Rex said, a note of pride in his voice.

“Ah, then you must know Echo and Fives.” You prompted.

Rex seemed to age ten years at just the mention of their names. “I take it those are the ARC troopers you’ve met?” He asked. “My condolences.”

You giggled. “We played cards a few times. They’re nice but definitely a handful.”

“They’re all a handful.” Rex waved over the bartender to get another drink. “Every last one of them. That’s why none of them were allowed off base tonight.”

“Oh?” You grinned. “Do tell.”

Once he got going talking about his men, he couldn’t stop. Rex regaled you with the story of how earlier that afternoon he’d discovered his men were not only hiding a loth cat in the barracks, but it had given birth. They had managed to keep it a secret for weeks until the kittens started wreaking havoc. According to his men, Fives and Hardcase had been the ringleaders.

“That’s what they all say at least.” Rex amended. “’Course, Fives’ll take credit for just about anything. But Rose and Echo were suspiciously quiet the whole time. Kix was the only one with the good sense not to show his face in the barracks when I caught them. Still, I’ve got a feeling he encouraged the others to go along with it. Di’kuts, all of them.”

He shook his head but smiled as you laughed. “Anyway. They’re cleaning up the mess and finding natborns to rehome all the kits with. And when they finish with that, they’re supposed to take over the latrine shifts and canteen shifts for any other battalions.”

“Aw, seems a steep punishment for hiding loth cats.” You laughed.

“You didn’t see the state of the barracks.” Rex said, shaking his head slowly. “Apparently a bucket of paint got upended. They should all be scrubbing paw prints out of the durasteel right about now.”

You smiled fondly at Rex. Even as he retold the story, you could tell he was trying not to smile at the antics. It was clear he cared very deeply for his men, even if he had to be the tired parent of them all.

“Sounds like they wear you out.” You teased. “You deserve a break.”

“Are you offering me one?” Rex prompted.

You tilted your head to the side. “What do you mean?”

Rex smirked, and downed the rest of his drink. He took a deep breath, as though he was steeling himself to ask you something.

“Y/N!”

You recognized the voice and turned quickly as Rose hurried up to you. He had a small streak of blue paint across his cheek, but otherwise was beaming.

“Hey, you should’ve told me you’d be here. I went all the way to your apartment and had to backtrack -.”

He noticed the Captain a beat too late and you watched as all the color comically drained from his face. “Captain! Sir!” He snapped to attention. “I ah – I can explain…”

You glanced between Rose and Rex, your own heart pounding. Rose had all but given away the two of you were seeing each other. Rex looked at Rose before looking at you. He then turned to his glass, picking it up and making a big scene of looking it over.

“Sir…?” Rose asked nervously.

“Oh, I’m just inspecting my beverage.” Rex replied smoothly. “I must’ve been drugged you see, because surely I am not seeing my Lieutenant standing here, not when he is under strict orders to stay on base tonight.”

Rose cringed. “Yeah, sir, about that -.”

“It’s my fault.” You spoke up quickly, throwing together a lie. “Rose and I met yesterday, we’d been playing Sabacc with some of his brothers and he very kindly walked me home afterwards. I promised him drinks tonight to thank him and I wouldn’t take no for an answer.” You glanced to Rose. “He was just being a gentleman.”

Rex raised an eyebrow, glancing at Rose. “Funny.” He said. “Could’ve sworn I saw you in the weight room with Fives last night.”

“We… came here afterwards sir.” Rose lied, shifting a little closer to you, almost protective. “Ask him, he’ll say the same thing.”

“I’m sure he will.” Rex stood, picking his helmet up off the counter and knocked his knuckles lightly against the bar. “It was lovely to meet you, ma’am.” He said. “Rose?”

Your soldier stood at attention once again but Rex just put a hand on his shoulder.

“We have a briefing tomorrow morning. Oh-eight-hundred. Don’t be late.”

“Thank you, sir.” Rose was barely audible over the roar of the music in the bar. He looked like his knees would give out at any moment.

You could’ve sworn you saw Rex give Rose a little wink, but it must’ve been a trick of the light. He gave you one last nod before quietly departing.

Neither you nor Rose saw him glance back at you over his shoulder one last time before stepping out of the bar.

~

You’d lost track of how long you sat on the roof with Rex. Partially because he’d gone downstairs and returned with a bottle of your favorite whiskey and two glasses, pouring drinks for you both.

“For Rose,” Rex toasted, clinking your glasses together.

You smiled and for the first time that you could remember, Rose’s name didn’t make your heart ache. “For Rose.”

You both tossed the glasses back, that familiar burn searing your throat and chest before you shook yourself out, watching as Rex poured you both a second glass, entirely unfazed.

“He was very unsubtle about sneaking off base to go see you.” Rex told you, leaning back on one hand and closing his eyes as the breeze kissed his cheeks. “I’d give him a job and it would either be done in record time or it would’ve been passed off to somebody else. He once almost missed a debriefing because he’d spent the night with you. Skidded in right as I was about to start.” He chuckled. “I didn’t mind. He was happy. Gods know we soldiers deserve whatever happiness we can find.”

You hummed, smiling as you took another drink. “He talked about you all the time.” You said, leaning slightly against Rex’s side. “Idolized you, actually. He told me about the battles you’d been in together, how well you led your men.” You smiled to yourself, finishing your second drink and making your way towards a third. “He told me about that virus. Blue Shadow Virus, right?”

Rex hummed, getting himself another drink as well. “That was an ugly mission.”

“He said you were hovering a lot.” You teased. “Because he was always so sick when he was little. You were worried about him.”

“Brothers were dropping dead, left and right. Hells, even Commander Tano passed out at one point.” Rex recalled, shuddering to himself. “I thought we were all going to die.”

“He told me he wasn’t scared because you weren’t scared.” You smiled. “I guess you did a good job of hiding it.”

“He had way too many close calls.” Rex chuckled. “That virus almost took him out. We got rescued just in time. There was another time he was scouting with me and a few others on Saleucami -.”

“I remember that. You were shot.” You recalled and Rex chuckled.

“He really did tell you everything, didn’t he?”

“He was terrified. He told me he thought you were dead, the way you flew off the back of the speeder after getting hit..” You murmured.

“What he probably didn’t tell you is that shot just barely missed him.” Rex replied. “I’d been leading but he’d circled around me to get in front. He was goofing around with Hardcase. Bolt whizzed just an inch past his head and hit me instead. He had a blaster burn on the side of his helmet to prove it.”

You shuddered at the thought. “He didn’t tell me that part.”

“Probably also didn’t tell you that he got shot pretty good on Toydaria.” Rex replied. “Not once, but twice, once in the leg and another straight through the chest. Kix thought for sure he was a goner.”

You were familiar with those wounds. A frown pulled your lips. “He didn’t tell me. I had to find them myself.” You grumbled, still bitter. “He’d come back from the mission and told me he’d gotten hurt, but it was nothing serious.” You threw back your drink again. “Bantha shit, if I brushed against him, he winced. Finally made him show me.”

“I’m sure he got an earful after that.” Rex laughed.

“Oh, he did. And he wasn’t even that bothered that he’d nearly died, no, he was more concerned about the fact that his tattoos had been damaged by the shots. He was worried he wouldn’t be able to get new ink over the scars.” You rolled your eyes. “That man…”

“He was just trying not to worry you.” Rex smiled, taking another drink.

“I always worry.” You murmured, rubbing your thumb along the rim of your glass. “Always. About all of you. I always worried that one day Rose would come home and tell me something had happened to Fives, Echo, you… or any of the others.” You chuckled humorlessly, finishing your drink. “And then… one day you showed up at my door instead.”

A heavy silence fell between you. Rex took your empty glass, filling it up once again.

“It seems so silly.” You said. “That he should survive all of that and then just get shot and killed during a routine supply drop. I thought he was unbreakable.” You shook your head. “Guess I was wrong.”

Rex wouldn’t look you in the eye, instead focusing very intently on the glass in his hands.

“It was quick.” Rex said finally, still avoiding your eyes. “He didn’t feel anything. I promise.”

“I know.” You gave him a small, sad smile, squeezing his bicep gently. “And I guess I have that at least. At least… at least I know he didn’t suffer. He wasn’t alone or – or afraid.”

You smiled wistfully, looking out over the skyline.

“There’s a dress in my closet,” You began. “It’s nothing fancy, just a white sundress with lace around the hem and sleeves.”

Rex already seemed to know where this was going. He took a very long drink and followed your gaze out towards the skyline.

“We were going to leave together.” You said quietly. “Get married. Have a family. He had this whole, crazy plan.” You chuckled. “I’d told him I wanted to think about it. It was a big decision, he’d be on the run for the rest of his life, hiding from the Republic. And I’d be part of that.”

You glanced over at Rex. “He told me he was going to tell you. He said we could trust you. Did he ever…?”

Rex shook his head. “No. He never got the chance.”

You nodded, turning back towards the sky. “I was going to say yes.” You whispered. “I was going to go with him when he came back. We were going to run away together… It was all very romantic.” You shook your head, staring down at your glass. “And it was so stupid.”

Rex was quiet for several long moments until finally he rose to his feet, offering you his hand.

“C’mon.” he murmured. “I think that’s enough drinking for one night. Let’s get you home.”

You nodded, taking his hand and letting him pull you to your feet. You swayed. You didn’t realize how much you’d had to drink until you stumbled, falling slightly against his chest.

“The Rose Lounge owner can’t hold her liquor?” Rex teased. “Ironic.”

“Shuddup.” You mumbled, giving him a little shove. “I can walk.”

“Oh no you can’t, Tipsy. C’mere.” He crouched down slightly, and you slumped against his back. He picked you up with ease, bouncing you once to hike you higher up his back. He wrapped his arms around your legs, holding them snug against his torso while your hands wrapped around his shoulders.

“Don’t puke on me.” Rex warned, carrying you piggyback style towards the stairs.

“’M gonna fall off.” You muttered.

“No you won’t. Trust me.”

Your eyes were heavy, cheek pressed against the back of Rex’s neck and you remembered a time very long ago when another man had carried you on his back to this rooftop, and said the very same thing.

“I trust you, Rose.”

Rex was still. You hadn’t noticed your slip, your eyes already slipping closed.

“Okay.” His voice echoed. “I’ve got you.”

I’ve got you.

~

TAG LIST:  @fat-zygerrian @ladydiomede @pro-fangirls-unsocial-life @threevie @cheesemachine44 @bubblyacey @fivedicksinatrenchcoat @loverofclones @starwarsgarbage @hockeyjedi13 @crazygirlwithasword @dar-manda-rjct @gotomarvelgal @baba-fett @whore4rex

[rainydaydream-gal18]

(Clone Wars) ARC Trooper Echo x Reader: Sightseeing PART 2

(Requested by the amazing @nahoney22

I hope you likez!!!!

Warnings: some kissy kissy

Word Count: 2,146)

Link to Part 1

   You wrenched the final bolt in, teeth clenched with the effort.  Despite the quick thrum of your heart at the set of boots that were visible from beneath the ship, you kept your focus on the work in front of you.  Finally, the bolt would not screw in any father, and you set the wrench down with a loud clang.

   Swiping the back of your hand across your forehead, you sighed and began to climb out from under the vehicle.  The bright lights of the hangar made you squint, though a silhouette stepped into view.  Those boots you saw before were a few feet from your head.

   The man knelt down, extending his gloved hand in your direction.  You smiled as you took it, and he hauled you to your feet in an effortless motion.  Suddenly, you felt a little self-conscious in your dirtied jumpsuit with grease smeared on your skin.  You avoided his gaze as you brushed off what you could from your jumpsuit.

   “All done?” Echo finally spoke, and you could hear the smile in his voice.

   You finally met his eyes.  It was hard to feel self-conscious when he was looking at you with tender adoration.  One would think you were wearing the most elegant gown with the way his eyes glinted.

   “All done,” you said.  “Thank you for waiting.  You didn’t have to, you know.  You could’ve gone ahead to see the town.”

   Echo shrugged his armored shoulders.  It was so casual, like it was no big deal that he stood in the hangar for forty-five minutes waiting for your shift to end.  He didn’t have a whole lot of time off as an ARC trooper, and you didn’t want him to miss out because of you.  “It wouldn’t have been the same without you.”

   A smile crept onto your features.  There were times when he couldn’t formulate a sentence in front of you, and other times when he could be so smooth and so sweet.  You knew it came from a genuine place and not from someone looking to score a date.  Besides, it had been several months since your meeting, and he still hadn’t officially asked you out.  It became a tradition for the two of you to go sightseeing on the planets you came across, but nothing had been said about them being dates.

   Fives complained about it often enough.

   “I need about ten minutes to shower,” you said.

   Echo nodded.  “I’ll be waiting...if you still want to go with me.”

   “Of course I do.  I just feel bad you’ve been waiting so long.”

   “Like I said, it just wouldn’t be the same without you.”

   “Alright, well I’ll be back in a few.”

   Fifteen or so minutes later, you found Echo waiting patiently as ever near the exit.  You caught up with him, feeling much better about your appearance.  He simply smiled when he saw you.

   “Ready?”

   “As I’ll ever be,” you said.  The two of you were able to take a military transport into town.  It was a short ride, and the transport was filled with your chatter as you shared information about the planet.  Echo had used his waiting time wisely to read up on some of the cuisine.  He listed off some interesting restaurant ideas, making both of your mouths water. Apparently a festival was going on, so there would be lots of things to see,

   When you stepped off the transport, Echo extended his arm slightly towards you so that you could loop your arm through it.  No doubt the two of you looked like a couple, which was why you waited until getting into town to make such contact.

   Your faced warmed as you observed his profile for a moment.  His eyes were wide and fascinated as he glanced around the ongoing festival.  Citizens wore colorful outfits and masks, bustling here and there.  Cheerful music played by musicians with stringed instruments filled the air.  Many delicious smells teased your senses.  A loud growl from your stomach made Echo’s gaze snap back to you.

   “Hungry?” he asked, amused.

   “I haven’t eaten since before my shift,” you admitted with a bashful smile.

   “Well, we’ll be sure to get something right away then.”  He nodded in the direction of the nearest stand.  “Let’s go.”

   Several happy citizens were leaving the stand with food in hand, smiling and talking amongst themselves.  You caught a whiff of one of the dishes.  “Ooh, we should get that,” you told Echo.  He followed your gaze and nodded.

   “Mm, that does look good.”

   Suddenly, you felt a rough hand grab your shoulder and give you a little shake.  Your heart quickened at the potential danger, but as you turned your head, you saw a gloved hand on Echo’s shoulder too.

   “There you are!” Fives exclaimed, giving you and Echo another affectionate shake.   You exhaled at the realization it was just your friend.  “I was wondering when you two lovebirds would venture out!”

   Your poor companion’s words caught in his throat.  “We’re not-  I mean…”  Echo stole a glance at you, flustered.  Finally, he seemed to gather some resolve as he raised a brow.  “No offense, but it’s none of your business.”

   “Oh-ho-ho.”  Fives chuckled, giving his brother a playful nudge.  “I’m just teasing.  No harm done.”

   Echo rolled his eyes, nudging him back.  “I’m sure.”

   You smiled at the brothers’ banter.  It was almost always like that when they hung out, which was all the time.  Fives had also become a good friend of yours as you got to know Echo better.  The three of you would often eat together at the mess hall or cause trouble at whatever places you found yourselves at on these new planets.  

   “Next!”  the lady at the stand called.  She wore a bright red costume with the sleeves rolled up as she put away the money from previous customers and closed the box.  Only her smiling eyes could be seen behind the matching mask.  “Troops!  We appreciate the protection the Republic has provided our planet.  What can I get you?”

   “We’d like two of those,” Echo ordered, pointing at the menu item that you had mentioned earlier.

   “Make that three,” Fives interjected.

   “Okay, three of those.  And could we also get two cups of tea.  Fives, you want one too?”

   “Count me in.”

   Echo nodded and turned back to the lady.  “Sorry, three cups of tea.  And that’ll do it.”

   She nodded and began adding up the cost.  Echo handed over the credits, and you pitched in to tip the woman.  She uttered her thanks, and the cook behind her started serving up the order.

   “These are our special desserts that are only made during this festival,” she said, packaging up three little cakes.  “You must try some!”

   Echo reached back into his pouch for more credits.  “How much?” 

   “On the house!” she said.  “I insist!  Enjoy the festival!”

   “Oh, thank you!” you accepted the packages, and Fives and Echo grabbed the food and teas.  The three of you headed over to one of the empty picnic tables and claimed your meals.  You sipped the cold cup of tea, smiling at the mildly sweet flavor and how refreshing it was.

   Fives had already dug into his food.  “This is great!” he mumbled through a mouthful.

   “Yeah?”  Echo took a bite of his own.  “Wow, you’re right.”

   Another loud growl sounded in your stomach, making Fives laugh and earning him an elbow in the side from Echo, as you finally tried your portion of the meal.  It did taste good, and it was very filling, though you had just enough room to have the dessert after.

   When you were done, you started cleaning up the picnic table and dropped the garbage into a nearby trash can.  On your way over, you overheard a conversation between the two ARC troopers.  They were trying to speak over the volume of the festival and remain out of earshot of you- to no avail.

   “So, Echo,” Fives said.  “You know you don’t have to do the whole ‘secret relationship’ thing in front of me, right?  Of all people, I’m not gonna’ say anything.”

   “There is no secret relationship,” Echo muttered.  “I was serious before.  We’re not together.”

   “Oh my gosh.”  Fives shook his head.  “Well, you’d better hurry up and claim her.  Or someone else will.  I’m telling you, she likes you.”

   “Shh, she’s coming back.

   You smiled, pretending you didn’t hear a word over your shoulder.  “What is next on the agenda?”

   “I’m actually going to go off on my own again,” Fives answered.  “You two have fun.”  Before either of you could even say “goodbye” for now, he left.  You looked to Echo, shrugging, and looped your arm with his again.

   The two of you did an initial sweep of the festival, checking out the games and activities as well as taking notes on any that you’d like to try as the evening went on.  There was something different about this outing.  You’d been to many places with Echo before, but this time, it seemed he was being a little more forward.  In a good way, of course.  You figured it was because of his conversation with Fives, but even so, you had not expected him to be as confident as he was.  At one point, he removed his arm from yours and took your hand instead, shooting you an inquisitive look.

   You nodded in silent approval of the gesture, giving his gloved hand a squeeze.  The smile on his face was so handsome.  It was nearly impossible to look away.  Pretty soon, the two of you were stopped in the middle of the festival with folks going around you.  He gazed back into your eyes, the smile slowly fading into an expression you’d never seen on him before.  Excitement coursed through your veins as he suddenly gave your hand a tug, leading you through the swarm of people until the two of you were in a small alley between two of the town’s shops.  It gave you a nice view of the festival from where you stood without being crowded out by other people.

   “What’s this about?” you asked, though you had a feeling you already knew.  Echo leaned his shoulder against the wall, glancing down at your intertwined fingers.

   “I wanted to play it cool,” he said.  “But I’m afraid I’ve been playing it too cool.”  His eyes met yours again, and you didn’t miss the way his chest rose and fell with a deep breath, as if he was preparing himself for something daring.  “The truth is... I really like you.  I have since the moment I first saw you.”

   “Nothing wrong with taking your time,” you replied.  “I’ve enjoyed getting to know you.”

   “I’ve enjoyed getting to know you too,” he agreed, your response visibly putting him at ease.  The smile returned to his face.  “I don’t consider any of the time we’ve spent wasted.  And if you’d rather we stay friends, I can do that.  I just...wanted you to know.  I care about you.”

   Your insides were practically melting at his words, though your heart was thudding fast and strong.  From the start, it was like gravity had been bringing you closer together.  You revolved around each other; not quite touching, but never too far.

   Suddenly, gravity brought you even closer.  You took a step forward.  He pushed off the wall slightly to meet you halfway, releasing your hand only to wrap his arms around you in a firm embrace.

   “I care about you too,” you told him softly.  He regarded your misty gaze with another one of his smiles before his eyes fell on your lips with intent.  Echo, ever the chivalrous, shifted so that his back was to the crowd.  Once you were concealed from any curious stares of those passing the alley, his lips caught yours. 

   The kiss was planet-shattering.  It held all the tenderness you would’ve expected at first, and then slowly built up with tension the two of you had been keeping tucked away for some time.  Something snapped, then.  Your lips were meeting his faster, needier; and he was happy to oblige.  

   Both of you were unwilling to part, but the sounds of the festival brought you back.  Echo was still tilting your chin as he pulled away to see your loving gaze.

   “Beautiful,” he murmured.

   “You sure are,” you said with a chuckle.

   He chuckled too with the slightest shake of his head in amusement.  “And she has a sense of humor.  How’d I get so lucky?”

   You pretended to consider his question for a moment, your face scrunching up in thought.  “It sure is a mystery,” you joked lightly, leaning in to press a kiss to his cheek.  He caught your lips one more time before you pulled away completely, and you nearly swooned.

[gospelofme]

Unfortunate Eavesdropping

I’m so sorry guys. But I had to.

Echo picked at the food in front of him. His appetite was slowly returning, but he felt this was more homesickness than lack of interest. More than once he had laid awake wondering if he had made the right decision, leaving the 501st for Clone Force 99. He hadn’t gotten much opportunity to catch up with Captain Rex after he was rescued. There just never was a good time, between evading the Techno Union and processing his freedom. Captain Rex had looked different from when Echo had last seen him. He looked like he had seen things he wished he hadn’t.

“If you don’t eat that food, the Kaminoans will feed you via that tube again.” Tech pointed out, not looking up from his datapad. Echo made a face, he had hated that tube. He took a bite of tasteless food and tried to force himself to like it. He had wanted to access records and files on his comrades, but he feared what he would find. The list of those KIA and MIA grew every day.

Behind him, two clones sat down and were in the midst of chatting about something. Echo tried not to listen in on their conversation, he’d always considered that rude.

“So apparently the 501st has a missing medic, Kix.”

“Why does his name sound familiar?”

“Well, rumor has it, he was seen with that one ARC Trooper who went kriffin’ insane and tried to murder the Chancellor.”

“Yeah! What was his name...”

“Fives I think...yeah, because his number was all fives.”

Echo froze. Tech froze. Crosshair froze. Wrecker froze. Hunter froze. Clone Force 99 looked apprehensively at their new member. They’d researched him when he joined their squad, just to get some background information. It was clearly documented that Echo had partnered up with ARC Trooper Fives on numerous missions. That their relationship went all the way back to being cadets together. They’d known what had happened to Fives, just the surface information though. Tech hadn’t been able to crack the access code for the confidential stuff.

Hunter hadn’t been sure how to bring up the fact his batch brother had lost it. Fives hadn’t been the first trooper to do so, another one killed his General as well.

“Apparently Fox had to put him down when he trapped General Skywalker and Captain Rex in a warehouse. But it’s weird how the medic is now missing.”

Echo turned around on the bench,

“What did you say?” He asked the troopers behind him. One glanced over his shoulder,

“That the 501st has a missing medic?” He repeated himself.

“No, before that. About the ARC Trooper?” Echo clarified, his voice calm and even.

“Oh him, just that he lost his kriffin’ mind and tried to shoot the chancellor.” The trooper next to him giggled a bit, crossing his eyes and circling his finger near his temple in the sign for crazy. Both troopers laughed at that.

Crosshair tried, but wasn’t fast enough with grabbing Echo, who sat across from him. The recovering ARC-Trooper swung a hard left fist that connected with the trooper in front of him. The man fell, knocked out cold, as his buddy leapt to defend him. Echo was thrown backwards onto the table, Hunter shoving the attacking trooper away from him. Crosshair quickly grabbed Echo’s arms and pulled him across to the other side of the table.

“Later Echo, you can’t afford to get disciplined right now!” He whispered to his newest brother.

The team escorted Echo back to their barracks, Echo silently fuming the whole way. They hung back, allowing their new brother to stalk ahead of them.

“How dare he disrespect Fives like that!” He ranted when he got back to their quarters. Silence answered him.

“How can he say those things!?” He asked. Silence answered him.

Echo sat up and looked over at his new team.

“He was wrong to talk like that!” He shouted at them. Tech was the first to speak up, to meet his gaze as the others couldn’t.

“But...he wasn’t wrong...” he began tentatively, Echo standing up to confront him.

“Factually I mean.” Tech hurried on. Echo looked confused.

“He did try to assassinate the Chancellor. They’re saying a virus is what caused him to go crazy. That’s the story anyways.” Tech explained as gently as he could.

“You’re wrong.” Echo stated bluntly. He was three seconds away from walking out on this squad. He would find a shuttle and use it to get back to the 501st and ask General Skywalker himself.

Tech must’ve seen the change in body language from defiance to defeat. He approached his brother carefully, holding out his datapad with the files pulled up.

“That’s all we could get...there is a confidential addition but it’s protected. I couldn’t break the code.” Echo took the datapad and sat down on his bunk. His face remained expressionless as he read through the report. Crosshair busied himself with cleaning his rifle, Wrecker added a couple tallies to the wall. Hunter and Tech sat in silence. The report wasn’t long, but it seemed to take Echo hours to read it. Realistically it was only 10 minutes, but the silence seemed to make it stretch.

The sound of metal clattering to the floor made them jump. They looked to Echo who had his face partially buried in his left hand. His other, with the access key attached, was propped awkwardly against his forehead. He was weeping. His prosthetic slipped and Echo shook his right arm in frustration, as if trying to shake the access key off.

“I can’t even cry properly anymore!” He yelled.

Hunter got up and went to the distressed clone’s side. He wasn’t good at this, none of them were. Comfort wasn’t something they knew how to bestow on others, apart from each other. But Echo was one of them now. He put a hand on Echo’s back apprehensively. He wasn’t sure how much contact his brother wanted.

“Why didn’t he say anything?” Echo asked, wiping tears from his face with his hand.

“Who?”

“Rex! He didn’t say anything about Fives to me! Nothing!! Neither did the General!” Echo said exasperatedly.

“You were in no state, mental or physical, to be told such information.” Crosshair said from across the room. He didn’t look up from polishing a scope lens that was already spotless. He was the least experienced with comforting others, but Hunter was pleased that he at least tried. Echo wanted to debate that point, but couldn’t find any valid comeback.

“There was another trooper who went...” Tech started, a look from Hunter made him search for another word.

“...who lost control, they think it was the same virus. He shot and killed his General. Fives pulled him away from her and that’s when they think he contracted the virus.” Echo gave Tech a look that reinforced how much bullshit he thought that cause was. Tech put his hands up defensively,

“Their words, not mine.” He added.

“And now Kix is missing...” Echo said weakly. Hunter stayed silent.

“Do you think they’re even looking for him? Are they even aware he is gone?” Echo asked, it was almost rhetorical.

“Of course they are. Medics are pretty essential.” Hunter said immediately, unsure if it would help comfort Echo.

Echo shifted away from Hunter, who took the hint and backed off. He got off Echo’s bunk as his brother laid down, his back to them. He needed time to process the loss of the last member of his batch squad. The loss of his best friend. The team knew Echo didn’t sleep at all that night, as they heard him quietly weeping.

Tag List

@jgvfhl @nelba @leias-left-hair-bun

@baby-queen-zen @halzore @escapedthesarlacc

[halzore]

Tenderly

Characters: Fives x Reader

Note: Omg Look! It my two favourite things. Fives and Jazz. For the purposes of my sanity I am REFUSING to call it jizz. I need to have a strong word with George because frankly, its a travesty. Feedback is appreciated. Anyway, enough housekeeping. ENJOY!

Contains: Mild swearing, a female reader, a very good tune (listen here) and some actual tooth-rotting fluff.

Tags: @a-lil-perspective

Centaxday was a strange time for Fives to be going to 79s. Centaxday was usually either for work, or training, never for pleasure. But tonight was different, Echo was on mission investigating a separatist plot and Fives had to stay on Coruscant to run point, to chase any leads that made their way back to the mysterious metropolis.

79s was grimy as usual, a little less packed than when he had been here on leave with the 501st. The lighting was warmer, the pounding bass gone, the room filled instead with the chattering of Naval Officers having a cheeky pint together after a mundane shift.

His eyes scanned around the room. He cursed to himself, the informant was late.

Typical.

He made his way up to the bar, perching on a stool. A simple motion to the bar tender and he was ordering a drink. Thats when he heard the crackle of the microphone. The buzzing of the amp.

He glanced around and saw you setting up, fussing with the keyboard you had propped on a stand in front of you.

Strange, he thought. He’d never seen a live performance.

He shifted back around focussing on his drink, hoping that his stupid informant would show up soon, he looked pretty sad drinking alone without his squad. A few more swigs and Fives ears were greeted with the flourishing openings of the piano. An arpeggio leading somewhere, somewhere Fives was not sure.

He turned around properly this time, giving you his undivided attention.

“The evening breeze, caressed the trees, Tenderly.” Your voice was rich and sultry, unlike anything Fives had ever heard.

“The trembling trees, embraced the breeze, Tenderly.” You had not seen the ARC trooper, whose eyes were transfixed on your form. No, your eyes were closed, enjoying the melody, swaying gently as your fingers tapped the familiar accompaniment on the keys.

You opened them, looking out into the crowd, the sea of grey uniforms you had grown used to greeted you. The warm smiles from familiar faces as they soaked in the words from another one of your sets.

But then you saw him, a trooper, in armour.

You hadn’t seen one of those before, and he was looking at you as if you were the first person he had ever seen. A soft smile graced you features as you sang.

“Then you and I, came wandering by, and lost in a sigh were we.” Your eyes met, the trooper’s face morphed into a mixture of awe and surprise. You didn’t take your eyes off of him until you finished the last line.

“You took my lips, you took my love, so tenderly.” You could have sworn that the man’s life force had left his body, the vacant shock so plainly on his familiar features.

~~~

You were the most beautiful woman Fives had ever seen. He watched as your velvety purple lips moved, forming the heavenly tones. He couldn’t take his eyes of you. He watched as your fingers caressed the piano so gently, he traced every curve of your body as it gently swayed in time with your song. All thoughts of his mission had ceased to exist. He could only think of you

The muffling of the microphone being ousted from its stand brought Fives from his daydream.

“Alright my GAR boys, humanoids and other folk, thats my set for tonight,” A few whines of protest came from the audience. You chuckled a little. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back next Centaxday with more tunes for you. And remember, stay safe out there, there is a war going on.” You gave the patrons of 79s a wink before beginning to pack down.

~~~

Fives sat at the bar, nursing his drink.

How could he have let you go without saying something? He was kicking himself. So much for being the designated flirt of the 501st.

His informant hadn’t come, but he didn’t care. He only cared that his pride was hurt. He took a pitiful sip of fire whiskey and then hung his head.

“Hey handsome,” Fives felt a nudge on his shoulder plate. He looked over, it was you! “Ya reckon you could buy me a drink?”

Fives had forgotten how to function. You were standing in front of him, you came back? And that dress… Fives mind wandered.

“Eyes up here champ.” Fives shook his head a little, jolting him back to the present.

“Oh.. Uh yeah… sorry… A Drink!” The sheepish apology was quickly replaced with a manic quest to wave down the bartender. “Can I get something for our wonderful singer?”

You told the man behind the bar your favourite drink before perching yourself on the stool next to Fives. You two talked for hours, he was different to the officers that had hit on you in the past. This man was nervous, but he had game, much more likeable than some of the shitty moves some other clones tried to pull on you. You had never thought you would be a part of one of those stories you so frequently sung about in your songs, but here you were as a nice feeling started to blossom inside you.

“What’s your name?” You asked after a while.

“Fives.”

“Thats interesting.. but in a good way.” You hurriedly specified.

“Uh, yeah I guess.”

“What’s up?” There was a something settling on the face of Fives, you couldn’t tell what it was.

“A civvie has never asked for my name before.”

“Well I am glad I’m the first.” Fives fixed you with a big grin to match your own.

You continued talking, comparing war stories. His from the battlefield, yours from the back alleys of seedy pubs with awful men trying to hit on you. Fives was easy to laugh with, he was just easy to talk with. You felt safe. But the night was drawing to close, and your life had to go on.

“I’ve got an early start in rehearsal tomorrow, but I’ll see ya round?”

“Definitely.”

You exchanged holo frequencies, Fives promising he would try and come to your next gig. He got up to leave with you, slinging an arm around your waist as a crowd of your incredulous regulars stared him down with envy. You made it all the way out the door before you pulled him to the side and pushed him up against the wall.

The bewildered look that had been on Fives’ face when he first saw you had returned. You stood up high on your tippy toes, hands on his shoulders, your lips meeting his tenderly.

“I’ll definitely see ya around Fives.” A grin plastered on your face, you left Fives, and escaped into the night.

[big1ron]

The Venator “Resolute” had jumped right into a separatist trap. Somehow a virus infecting the main computer has scrambled the hyperspace jump coordinates, and now the companies on board were outnumbered and without reinforcements, deep in separatist space. A few last, desperate SOSs to nobody, and the ship was quickly overwhelmed with fire. The Resolute was going down. But not before each of the escape pods could be jettisoned.

————- Chapter Five: Waiting. -————

- I think this one may be short aswell, sorry for the wait I’ve just not been doing amazing. But it’s here! Sorry. -

“Sir, we’re receiving a transition from a separatist base somewhere near the Vinda system. Should we patch it though?”

“Vinda? That’s certainly strange. Patch it though, but don’t respond. Make sure they can’t trace us.”

The radio crackles to life, and there is a significant amount of static and interference, but the message can be made out. “Haha! Yes! Great! If you’re receiving this, this is ARC-5555 “Fives” of the five-oh-first. We’ve been shot down, though most of the escape pods launched. There should be a coordinates package sent with this transmission. And- Wait hardcase what are you doing....” the message pauses, something that sounds like a response in the background. “No! Don’t do that! Hey, stop!” Another pause “I literally AM the boss of you!” A longer pause this time “no, what does that have anything to do with anything at all.” A slight shorter pause, “no, that’s stupid! You’re literally not even making any sense.” “ NO, NO you’re just wrong. I do not have time for this. You’re just wrong. Now I’m trying to get us off this planet so shut up please.” He sighs. “Sending the coordinates now.” The transmission ends.

Obiwan snickers. “Well that certainly wasn’t droids. Forward that message, and the attached files to general koon please, Cody.”

“Yes sir” man is Cody glad the 212th doesn’t usually behave like that. He doesn’t envy Rex, but those troopers sure are entertaining. He’s definitely going to tease Rex about this later.

Wolffe received the translation and chuckled to himself. The 501st sure was something else. “General, we’ve been looking in the wrong place! They’re way off course.”

Plo koon nodded and pressed a button on his comm link. “All units return to carriers. Set our course for the Vinda system!” The general gave the orders, and the 501st was finally looking at a rescue.

“Hey master, I found a road!” Ahsoka had been dragging her bike in the low power ‘hover’ mode while they had been searching for a refuelling stop.

“Great job snips. Now which direction do you want to take?”

“Hmmm left.”

“Yeah I was thinking right too. Alright, let’s go.”

“You’re impossible sky guy.”

“Wait, with all due respect sir, this is a separatist planet. Won’t this path take us right into a separatist base of some kind?” Rex cuts in.

“What’s the matter captain? Afraid of a little action? Besides, these are separatist issue bikes, a separatist base is exactly what we need.” So General skywalker leads the group leftwards down the path, dragging his bike behind beside him.

Soon enough, they spot the refuelling station that the road leads to. The three of them dive to the tree line, even though any droids should have surely heard or seen them by now. There are two wrecked speeder bikes by the refuelling station and a few destroyed droids littered about. Rex dares leave their cover enter the small base down the main road.

“Looks like a few of the boys have already been here.”

“Or are still here. Look!” Anakin points to the window of the small command outlet tower, and though it’s shaded glass, Rex can make out the back of a troopers head and shoulders, no doubt leaning against the terminal inside. “Ahsoka and I will refuel the speeders. You go check it out.”

Anakin and ahsoka moved the destroyed speeders out of the way with the force before moving their own to the station, while Rex cautiously entered the command outlet. He paused in the small corridor between the main communications room (probably a droid charging outlet) and listed in before entering, just out of personal curiosity more than anything.

“Oh my godssss-“

“-no no, no no listen to me-“

“-no how did you even get that conclusion!? How does ‘cereal is a salad’ equate to ‘general grievous should be classified as a sauce?!’ And why do you think those two things true?!”

“Just LISTEN to me! Ok? Because general grievous has his organs in a sack right? And those organs are in a liquid, right? It’s like a sauce. And his robot suit is just a really fancy jar because it keeps it contained and-“

“GENERAL GRIEVOUS IS NOT A SAUCE”

“SHUT UP AND LET ME EXPLAIN! Listen! You’ve never even seen him. And the droids, they’re all controlled by chips right? And- hey wait the cereal is a salad thing was a completely different topic! But milk is like the dressing you put on the salad, cause it’s optional and-“

“HOW IS GENERAL GRIEVOUS A SAUCE”

As much as rex really does want to hear how hardcase ends up explaining this one, he doesn’t want to keep the general waiting much longer and he doesn’t want one of them to end up maimed over cyborg sauces. He enters the room and immediately a blaster bolt whizzes right by his ear.

“You missed. Also, you almost shot me.”

“Rex! You found us!” Fives holstered his blaster and practically jumped up out of the chair he was leaning back in

“See? Both plans worked out. We took the base and we found rex.” Hardcase stopped pacing.

“At ease” Rex said sarcastically, as neither of them had actually gone to attention. Not that he really minded, but still. “It’s good to see you two. And nice work taking the post. Did you get a signal out?”

“Yes, I think so. We made a connection with a republic flagship, but the communication was one way. If the officers were doing their job right, we can assume help is on the way.”

“That’s great then. ...may I ask if there was another trooper in the pod with you?”

Hardcase and Fives hung their heads and looked to the floor. Hardcase rocked back on his heels and began fidgeting with his hands. “It was Tup sir... we lost him. Got separated.”

“Oh. I see.” Tup was an independent enough trooper, Rex had hope that he would survive alone. But if he didn’t turn up soon he would no doubt be left behind. “Well, I’ll tell the generals. We’ll stay here until rescue arrives. As you were.”

“Why do you get to decide which direction we go?” Asked echo to jesse, who was at the head of the group still with dogma on his back.

“Because I’m the highest rank here, so I’m in charge.”

“But we have the exact same rank. And I’ve been an ARC trooper longer.”

“Yeah but I’ve been with the 501st longer. And I’m older”

“Yeah well I’m Rex’s favourite so I should be in charge.”

“YOU’RE not his favourite! I don’t think he has favourites. And if he did it would probably be Hardcase.”

“Hardcase?! Hardcase isn’t even an ARC trooper. And i got into ARC training way before you did, while being in the 501st for a way shorter time. Rex clearly likes me best, or at least better than you.”

“Well he’s left me in charge multiple times while he’s gone. Even when you and Fives are available. So he trusts me to lead more responsibly obviously.“

“Will you two just cut it out?” Interjects Coric at the same time as Kix’s “just shut up already!”

Echo stuck out his leg and tripped Kix, not to be denied this victory. Jesse dropped Dogma and put himself between his favourite vod and Echo. But before things could even start Coric shoved them both apart

“If you two can’t stop fighting about who’s in charge, then we’ll go by seniority and that would be me. So you two stop annoying each other and behave! Echo, there’s no reason for you to be so mean to Kix, Jesse consider Dogma a bit more will you? And if all four of you can’t just get along I swear to kark I will MAKE you! Do I make myself clear?!”

“Yes coric.” Echo and Jesse mumble.

Tup slowly opened his eyes. He must have passed out at some point during that nightmare. He had lost time, and he had no idea where he was or what direction he was facing. Right, he was headed towards the rising sun, but what time was it? He grabbed a nearby tree and used it to pull himself up. His head spun for a few seconds, but other than a mild headache the fruit seemed to have no lasting side effects. His chest plate was hanging half off and he was missing various other armour pieces. His hair was a mess. Full of knots and leaves. And his blaster was gone. Whatever. He was still alive and even if he was going to be left behind for the rest of his life, he wasn’t dead. This was all Fives and Hardcase’s fault. And when he saw them again he would let them know it.

He took a minute to fix himself up best he could, but he still looked like a wreck and his other armour pieces were nowhere in sight. He felt unsafe without his blaster, so he settled with a reasonably sized stick he found (somewhere around 5ft long) to replace it. Yes, he was 1000% going to die here, but he pressed on anyways.

[dew-itowo]

Why shadows follow you, but roam in the dark.

(This is part one on this fic, I have more coming soon so just sit tight.)

Black, soulless voids stared back. Each edge of his smile carved back farther than humanly possible. White bone from his jaw glinted in the light. His jaw slack and his neck in a horribly mangled position as he hung from the vines of the cavern. Frost patched all over his now pale face. A gold necklace proved as a noose. 

Fives was glad that he didn’t eat his rations. Rex stood next to him too still. They’ve never seen a death quite like this. Rex almost looked green as he looked over the newer, now dead member of their legion. 

He’d been dead for a while, the smell of decay was heavy and had made many of the vod leave quickly to find a place to lose their lunches. 

Fives almost wished he hadn’t let the trooper explore. He’d been missing little over a week now. And here he was, cold, dead, and mangled. This was why they couldn’t get attached to much. 

A hand brushed against his. Echo had finally come back with Skywalker and the rest of the team. He had his helmet on, but Fives knew he had the same look on his face. Pity. 

“General Skywalker and I found him on our first round. We still have no clue how he was killed out here.”

Rex looked away from the dead trooper and sighed, his hand resting shakily on his blaster holder. 

“Just be on high alert. He wasn’t killed by a separatist.”

“That’s for damned sure.” Fives muttered under his breath. A sour metallic taste on his tongue from biting his cheek to hard. 

Leaving the body they made their way further into the cavern. An eerie feeling of being watched settling down upon them. Every man had their blasters on kill. 

Rex hung back with the Arc troopers to cover the company's tail. Though he was actually worried about Fives. He’d looked like he’d seen his own ghost back there. Not much scared Fives, but that, that had petrified him to stone. 

He was the one to find the body, he had the blood on his armor to prove it. Fives had been completely silent since. 

Rex put his hand on his friend's shoulder and looked at him questioningly. He’d taken his helmet off when it became too hot for him. Fives had refused to take his off. Kix wasn’t too happy about it. 

“Brother, I know what you saw back there was terrifying. But we need to focus on the mission, then we can go back to the barracks and talk about this.” Five just shrugged his hand off and growled. 

“You don’t know what I saw. You only were there for the beginning of this shit show.” 

“The beginning? Fives what the kriff have you gone mad?” Silence only answered Rex before FIves picked up his pace to walk up front. Echo and Jesse watched with worried looks. 

“I think he’s just gone crazy.” 

Echo glared at Jesse. If looks could kill Jesse would be dust. 

“My brother isn’t crazy. None of us are. He’s just-” 

He was cut off by a scream echoing throughout the walls of the cavern. Fives stepped in front of Skywalker looking like he was protecting him and his brothers. He flips his recon tag down. Scanning the cave in front of them. 

Jesse made an disapproving sound that made Echo want to kill him more. His twin wasn’t crazy. 

The echoed laughter started. Many of the troopers charged their weapons. Anakin ignited his saber. He free hand pulling Fives back. 

Another laugh rang from behind them. Rex and Echo flip down their tags to look for any heat signatures. Finding something terrifying instead. 

The body from earlier was standing in front of them. His neck hanging at an odd angle, he looked like a puppet. His eye sockets wide and his mouth smiling a deadly toothy grin. Echo was the first to be grabbed, his blaster dropped and went off lighting up the dark cave. Several dead and decaying puppets clung to the rock walls. Rex grabbed hold of Echo’s wrist, the poor man screamed in pain as the decayed monster pulled him back with almost inhuman strength.  

“ECHO!” Fives yelled while helping Rex pull him back. 

Another one of those monsters joined the other by pouncing on Echo’s back, knocking off his helmet on impact. Echo had wide terrified eyes. The creature on his back reached around and scratched his face, cutting deep. Blood dripped down his cheek. 

“FIVES!” Echo whimpered, a third creature pulling him out of their grips. Both troopers tried to reach for his hand again but the creatures were too quick. He screamed for them as they dragged him into the shadows.

[glorious-kt]

Fex Smut, because you are all animals

“You’re in my way,” Rex narrowed his eyes at the ARC Trooper in front of him, irritation slowly crawling up his spine as he stared at the infuriating grin on Fives’ face.

  “Kiss me and I’ll move. Maybe,” Fives grinned back at him, blocking the door of the Captain’s room, keeping the two of them inside of Rex’s quarters.

  Rex fought back the urge to hit the ARC even if it was oh so tempting to do so. Logically, he knew Fives meant well. He knew that the ARC was trying to get him to rest. Their last campaign had taken a lot out of him, but even so he had stayed awake and finished up his reports and checked on his men. Fives was trying to force him into playing into his games, into falling for his trap. A trap that forced him to rest.

  In most cases, Rex would have kissed Fives, shoved him out of the way and kept going, but this wasn’t most cases. He felt like he deserved this. That grin meant a lot of things, both on and off the battlefield, and it promised very good things. He didn’t feel like pushing against Fives tonight. So, instead he stepped closer to the ARC. He watched as Fives’ eyes dilated ever so slightly, as his tongue flicked over his lips softly, as his stance shifted into a more relaxed state. Rex smirked a bit as he stepped into Fives’ personal space, shifting to hover his hands over the younger clone’s hips. Not touching them, but hovering just above them so that Fives could feel the heat of his palms without the contact. An echo of their last dance, one that had made Rex ache for days only this time their roles were reversed.

  The ARC visibly shivered and tilted his head to try and kiss Rex, but the Captain shifted his head to avoid it. No, not yet verd’ika. Not yet. He stayed in Fives’ space, but he also kept himself just out of reach. Fives wouldn’t reach up to touch him with his hands until he explicitly said that it was okay, and Rex wouldn’t initiate the first contact until he was absolutely sure that Fives wanted this. If him taking the lead was okay.

  Rex could feel the air of Fives’ breathing, he could feel the body heat coming off of him. Fives was so close that Rex could have counted his eyelashes if he desired to. His heart drummed at a quick and steady pace in his chest as he slowly gave Fives a once over. Rex studied the coiling tension in the ARC’s shoulders, the calm adoration in his eyes, the infuriating smile, the relaxed set of his jaw, the soft rise and fall of his chest, the warm and gentle hands that hung low at his sides, the narrow waist that was covered by a kama, and the beautifully cut legs. Yes, Fives was just as beautiful in armor than when he was out of armor.

  He had seen how deadly Fives was on the battlefield, even if sometimes he gave him a headache. He’d seen the strength behind those arms and legs, the grace behind his movements, the clumsiness and recklessness behind his actions sometimes. It was a beautiful sight to watch. Rex has also seen the type of person Fives was out of armor. The steady and calm right hand man that he had watched Fives become was backed up by Fives’ strong moral code, his people skills, and his strategic thinking.

  The silence seemed to stretch on for an eternity as Rex continued to study Fives. The ARC was vibrating beneath his skin, waiting for Rex to act. Yes, the silence stretched on and on, but it spoke in volumes about the very obvious tension that always seemed to hang around them. It was a tension that had half the battalion worried that they would end up mauling each other to death and had the other half convinced that they were riduur or something similar. Unfortunately neither side was correct, but they weren’t wrong either.

  “And If I decide I want something other than a kiss,” Rex asked softly as he leaned closer, brushing his lips along the shell of Fives’ ear, causing the younger clone to shiver lightly and bite his lip.

  They were so close and yet so far. Rex smirked at the obvious shiver, at how Fives’ eyes darkened just a little. Dangerous. Rex watched as pearl white teeth bit into plush lips, making them brighten into a charming red. Beautiful.

  “What did you have in mind,” Fives asked, tilting his head lightly to brush his nose along Rex’s jaw line, not quite willing to raise his hands just yet.

  Good boy. Despite the recklessness and the defiance that Fives carried he was surprisingly good at following unsaid orders. Rex stepped a little closer, reaching behind the ARC briefly to lock the door before returning his hand to their previous position. The soft noise made Fives twitch even if he hadn’t taken his eyes off Rex.

  “Fancy a good kriff, Fiv’ika,” Rex asked, purring into his ARC’s ear, finally digging his hands into Fives’ hips.

  The ARC hummed lightly, arching into the touch with a beautiful shiver. His body molding into Rex’s touch, his head tilting to brush his lips along Rex’s. Rex allowed the soft kiss to connect. It went deep and harsh rather quickly though as the two began to devour each other. Rex bit into Fives’ bottom lip in retribution, calming the ARC briefly. The older clone pulled away, grinning sharply as he stared at the bruised lips of the ARC, dragging his eyes down the sharp line of Fives’ neck.

  “Blasting or guarding,” Fives gasped lightly when Rex reached up with one hand to grab at Fives’ hair, exposing the line of his neck in order nose along it.

  “Blasting. I love the sounds you make with my cock in you,” Rex growled lowly, the sound deep in his chest and hitting Fives’ voice kink dead center.

  The ARC whimpered softly, his head thumping against the door to the room. The noise was deafening in the nearly silent room. Rex bit down the soft spot behind Fives’ ear causing him to jerk his hips.

  “Rex,” Fives gasped as his spine bowed towards the Captain, pressing the two of them together.

  Rex dragged Fives away from the doorway by his belt, smirking as he watched Fives allow himself to be manhandled. The ARC shivered with a quiet, wordless groan when the Captain began to slowly peel off the armor that kept the two separate. His hands twitched at his side, longing to touch, to scratch, to push and pull. He hadn’t been given permission to touch though, so he kept them at his side as Rex traced the lines of his arms, his stomach, and his legs as he pulled him out of his armor.

  “Meshla,” Rex whispered against Fives’ ear, laying a spread hand over the ARC’s heart once he had stripped Fives of all his armor.

  Fives couldn’t fight back the whine that threatened to fall from his lips at the word. Rex directed the ARC backwards, forcing him into the wall. His head thumped back against the durasteel wall with a dull noise as Rex traced his hands up and down the lines of his muscles beneath his blacks.

  “Meshla, ARC. I know what you were trying to do,” Rex smirked as he dragged his teeth along the tendon in Fives’ neck.

  “And that is,” Fives asked, his voice strained and his hands clenching at his sides.

  Rex huffed lightly at Fives’ horrible attempt to play innocent. The Captain smiled softly as he shifted his right leg in between Fives’. The ARC made a noise in the back of his throat at the slight shift, tilting his head back down to meet Rex’s gaze, pleading for permission to touch, to bite, to pull, to push, to just do something. Rex laughed softly at the expression and leaned forward, brushing his lips along Fives’.

  “You can touch, Fives,” Rex grinned against Fives’ lips, barely brushing them together, a tease.

  The explicit order given, Fives reached up with both hands and pulled Rex forward by his neck and kissed him. The kiss was a battlefield of tongue and teeth, neither allowing the other to easily claim dominance. Rex bit at Fives’ bottom lip again as the ARC struggled to get Rex’s armor off. The Captain ended up winning the dominance battle due to Fives being forced to multitask, not that either seemed to care too much. The Captain pulled away after a long moment, grabbing at Fives’ hands and pinning them to the wall behind him once the ARC had finished pulling Rex out of his armor. He was unsure of where he wanted to take the night. He was torn between completely wrecking Fives with fast and simple techniques and heading back to work, or taking his time with him and breaking him down to rebuild him. Fives saw the moment of indecision, and calculation slides through the hazy pleasure in those warm golden eyes. Rex smirked dangerously. Rex smirked dangerously and leaned forward, dragging his teeth along the ARC’s exposed neck, going up to his ear. That decided it for him.

  “Strip. Then get on the bed, soldier.” 

---------------------------------------------------

Are you happy now? Do you like your preview? 

@rowansparrow

[ythankucaptainmccoy]

Do you have any headcannons about what each member of the 501st would be like as a best friend to the reader/someone outside of the group?

I took this as being an outsider and not having a whole lot of friends and also added some friend with benefits because why not. So here we go.

Rex: At first he was all professional, but after he warms up he is absolutely loyal. He would be the one to help you through personal problems by making caff, and letting you talk about your problems. If you aren’t in a talking mood he won’t push, but will cuddle you as long as you need. 100% supportive in anything you do as long as it isn’t illegal. You learned that this mans trigger finger is very useful in other ways.

Jesse: He is sort of like Rex at first, but he warms up to you a lot faster. You both have deep conversations about what life would be like after the war ends. He finds your presence soothing, and definitely not as hectic as his brothers. If you need cuddles he will cuddle you, but if one of his brothers is close he may seem like he doesn’t care because he tries to be macho. If someone makes you cry he will take you to 79s with the boys. After getting back Jesse decides to show you how much you mean to him by showing you what his mouth can do.

Kix: This hot hunk of medic warms right up to your personality, and can’t understand why more people other than his brothers talk to you. He is 100% always looking after your health. If you have had a long day he will seek you out to make sure you have at least eaten something. If you haven’t this boy will throw you over his shoulder, and take you to the mess hall demanding that you eat or you don’t get to leave the mess hall. If he finds out your sick rest assured that this boy is going to give you the five star treatment, and five star treatment in bed when your better.

Fives: Oh boy when he meets you he thinks you are the most bad ass person he has ever met. It doesn’t matter if your just filing something away into the archives he thinks you hung the moon and stars. Be prepared for nights where he just wants someone to talk to and he will listen in return. This boy loves having you run your fingers through his hair. He will fall asleep on you if you do this. If he falls asleep be prepared to sit there for a couple hours, because he is clingy and protests when you try to wake him. If someone messes with you this boy takes up arms and is ready to beat who ever messed with you into a pulp. You learned that with Fives if you call him Arc Trooper Fives you are in for a wild night.

Echo: This poor little bean was enamored when you told him that reading reg manuals was a good way to stay sharp. He often refers to you as his “reading partner”, and of course Fives makes inappropriate jokes with Hardcase. Echo almost went feral one time when an officer told you you were worthless. He hates it when others pick on you even if you think its funny. You both can often be found reading under a tree while on leave as the sun comes shinning through. One day it began to pour so you went back to your apartment, and you both stripping turned into something steamy.

Hardcase: This man knows no bounds. He just walked up to you with a cheesy joke, and when you giggled he knew you were going to be friends. You both watch cheesy horror and good horror films. Hardcase likes to watch the scary ones so he can scare you later. Often he gets Fives to help him scare or prank you. As much as he jokes with you he once got in trouble for beating on a shiny for making sexual jokes at you. Rex was not happy taking the shiny to Kix for a broken nose. When I said he knows no bounds he will playful swat you on the ass, give you hugs from behind and over all cuddles. He has no shame when you all got caught making out in the common room.

Dogma: He was extremely standoffish from his brothers. You had noticed that even his brothers seemed to dislike him. He was a rule follower, and when you had made the comment that just because he is a rule follower doesn’t mean he has to act like he had a stick up his ass he laughed. He had actually laughed, and when you smiled at him he knew that he could be himself around you. You were like the connecting bridge between him and his vode. You showed him that not everything has to be by the book. When you stole a kiss from him in a turbo lift he had to go to Kix because he thought his heart had stopped. This man would do anything to protect you.

Tup: Don’t let this boys outer shyness fool you. He was one suave dude, but he was having trouble with his hair one day, and you stepped in to help. Ever since you helped put up his hair he would seek you out for you to do it. You were both friends for a while, but one trip to 79s on leave, and you invited him back to your apartment, and he was like a walking sex archive. You couldn’t believe how much he knew how to do, and that night you learned how he got his name.

There you have it if there are any I missed let me know.

[kriffingunlucky]

can i get an echo fanfic where the reader is a fashion designer for the senator he has to protect and he walks in on her working and she’s like “oh hi” and they just go on from there?

Echo quickly adjusted his kama, belt and holsters. His run over here had made them all crooked and loose, because he didn't properly put them on in the first place. Grumbling under his breath as he walks down the hallways, "Stupid, Fives. Didn't tell me about the assignment, and when I asked he did and told me the wrong time, Force I swear that man is trying to make me shoot him." He lets out a small sigh, pushing a gloved hand through his hair before plopping his helmet over his head. "He's just jealous because the Captain chose me over him as Senator (L/n)'s body guard for today."

Straightening himself, he knocks politely on your hotel room door. He heard some shuffling, a couple of things falling, mumbling then a moment later the door opened. The woman gave the clone a soft smile. "Hello, sir. I assume you're ARC Trooper Echo?"

"I am, yes ma'am." Echo nods, not knowing if he should salute her or not. So his hand just kind of awkwardly raises in acknowledgement.

And that makes the cheerful senator giggle, opening her door wider and stepping to the side. Motioning for him to enter. "Don't bother with the ma'ams and salutes, you can call me (Y/n) or (N/n), that's what my friends call me."

"Yes ma- ...(Y/n)." The ARC flinches as he corrects himself.

The brightly (e/c) eyed girl closes the door after him, walking to the table she was at before he'd knocked. Smoothing her dress she sits on the soft (f/c), felt stool. Her lips pressed together in thought as she looked at the paper which had figures and other stuff that Echo couldn't quite make out yet, she taps a pencil that she just picked up against the table.

Taking a moment to look around the room, he notices that it's well designed. The kitchen scheme was a clean black marble with white trim and cabinets. Cute little gadgets and random items line many of the shelves, along with many books, some of them filled with recipes others with intriguing stories. Your living room seemed to be of the same colors, but less tidy. Many colorful materials are strowed out all over the place, on your soft white couch and matching ottoman, the rug that covers your beautiful wooden floors was black and very fuzzy. But also covered in cloth scraps. Your house also had many hanging plants hung on hooks attached to the ceiling, green, purple, red and blue. Some pretty flowers blooming from the vines, Echo couldn't help but admire them.

Looking up you raise an eyebrow at the man, he still was standing and had his helmet on. He looked like he felt awkward, but was marveling at your small hanging garden. "Which color is your favorite?" You ask him softly.

He jumps slightly, looking over at you. "Ma'am?"

"I asked which color was your favorite." You sigh and push some of your (h/c) behind your ear, finishing your sentence with a laugh. "But I'd also said earlier that you didn't have to call me ma'am or anything, it makes me feel old. I'm about as old as you, y'know."

"Sorry." He kind of rubs the back of his neck, looking at the plants again. His eyes just couldn't pull away from the beautiful purple one, how the edges of the leaves are a darker color and the middle becomes soft, how the white puffs have a lavender tinge to them in some parts of the petal. "I rather like the purple one."

"Ah, yes." You smile. "I figured you would like the blue one, because of your legions colors, but I do think the purple one is a good favorite. Please, sit and get comfortable, take your helmet off as well. I won't bite."

He lets out a small laugh, finding a place on your ottoman that sat near your desk. Where you're at. He unclasps his helmet and pulls it from his head, setting on his knee and his arm atop that. His strong, tan features catching your attention. His face was perfect, honestly, no scars and no tattoos. His brown hair short but long enough to be fluffy, his natural curls visible. His deep brown eyes captivating, a warm color that draws you in. Somehow they were soft even though he was in war, you could see the sweet, kind-hearted look in his eye. 

"What's your favorite out of these?" He asks, bringing you out of your thoughts with a tilt of his head.

"O-oh." You stumble over your words, swallowing down your rising blush that comes because you realized that you were staring, rubbing your hands together you reply. "I like the green one myself, it's a bright, happy color."

He lets a grin take over his features, “Just like you.”

Your eyes get slightly wide and face a darker shade of pink, realizing that he’d complimented you. “Thank you.” You smile back at him and look back down at your papers.

Echo doesn’t respond, but merely nods. His eyes still wandering around your house.

Pressing your lips together as you look at the paper in front of you for a moment, then steal a glance at him. Looking back at the paper, then at him, then back at the paper, at him, at the paper, at him, at the paper, at him. You narrow your eyes and continue to look at both subjects, over and over.

Eventually he notices and makes a very cute, but obviously confused face. “Um, is there something wrong?”

“Can you do me a favor?” You ask, eyes narrowed still and lips pushed out in thought.

“I suppose so.” He nods, face scrunched up in concern now. “What is it?”

Your face lights up, a special gleam in your eye when he complied. Looking down at your papers again you stand, pushing the stool back. Popping your back you shoot him a mischievous look. “You’ll see soon enough, just follow me.”

Standing with his helmet in hand, he follows you through your small hallway and into what looks like your bedroom. He examines it and then turns to you, who is now digging through the drawers of your dresser. “Uh, can I know now what I’m doing?”

“Sure.” You reply, finding the tape measures and pulling them from the drawer, walking to him. “First can you remove your armor?”

Echo’s face turns to slight panic, the tips of his ears pink but you didn’t see that. “Why?”

“I’m not gonna up and shoot you.” You laugh, pulling your (h/c) into a bun so it’s out of the way. “I’m going to measure you and use you as a model for my new line of men's suits. If you don’t mind too much, that is.”

“Oh.” He breathes out in relief and nods, starting to remove his armor with some hesitation. You’d turned to your closet, taking the pieces of the suit that you’d finished out and hanging them up, so by the time you turn to him again he was awkwardly shifting in his blacks.

You freeze, in your own world as you examined his well built body. Unknowingly enjoying the sight of the tight fitting black body suit on him. Damn, he looks good in just his blacks. Who knew someone with such a muscular body could have such sexy curves..

Looking down at his feet, embarrassed at your staring, he clears his throat. “What do I put on first?”

You snap out of the weird trance he put you in and you chuckle nervously. “Oh, yeah, yeah. Sorry.” Taking the first piece you hand it to him as you walk out, “Put these pants on and tell me when you’re done so I can come back and help you put the shirt on.”

He nods, yet again, and closes the door after you’d walked out. Slowly and unsurely peeling off his blacks, he steps into the pants. Adjusting them and straightening them, he sighs. “How the hell did I end up becoming a model, I was supposed to protect the senator.” He moves in the pants a little, inspecting himself. “Well, they are kind of comfy.”

“You done yet?” You call from the other side of the door, knocking on it softly.

“Yeah.” He replies and walks to the door, opening it. A small smile on his face as he asks jokingly. “How do I look?”

Your eyes trail up and down, dragging over his now bare chest. The blacks were nice, yes. But they didn’t do him justice. Swallowing and attempting to keep down the blush that threatens to rise to your face again at his well toned chest, shoulders, arms and basically everything else. Crossing your arms you let out a small chuckle, a smile on your lips. “You look very nice, yes. Now let us get the rest of your outfit on!”

Echo turns to follow you to the closet, his arms crossed in front of his chest and lips pressed together. You take the shirt off of the hangar and hold it out for him to slide his arms into the sleeves, which he does, and you pull it to in the front. Buttoning the golden buttons, you straighten the collar and the sleeves.

His eyes were trained on your face all through it, he liked how you’d stick your tongue out slightly when you were focused and how your eyebrows would crease together. His lips had a light smile, he couldn’t help it, you were just so cute.

“Now for the coat.” You turn and pick the coat up, holding it out in the same way you did the shirt he responds the same, sticking his arms through the sleeves. You start to adjust it, same as before. Brushing it off and smoothing out the creases you turn and find some socks, the pair of shoes that go with it and the handkerchief that goes in his suit pocket. Handing the first two items, you wait until he puts them on and sits back up, to tuck and arrange the piece of soft cloth. Your smile widening as you stepped back, holding your hands out in a showy way.

“And here he is, my best model and member of the GAR, ARC Trooper Echo!” You do your jazz hands and he laughs, “Ta-da!”

“Well thank you.” Echo blushes slightly, averting his eyes away from you, he catches himself in the long mirror you had on your wall. Staring for a moment and looking at himself, he tilts his head and breaks into a smile. Apparently liking the suit.

He definitely looked good in it.

“Now for the pictures!” You clap excitedly, gaining his attention with raised eyebrows.

“What?”

-later after the day is basically over-

Echo sits in a pair of comfy, designer skinny jeans and a soft baby blue sweater on your couch with you beside him in some leggings and a large sweater as well, it being an apple red color. You’d both enjoyed the photo shoot after he shook off his awkward feelings, even getting some pictures together when the photographer insisted on it. He sips on the hot tea you had made, as do you, the sun shining on the both of you as you lean against him at peace. You both laugh about how awkward he was at the beginning of the day, silently enjoying each others laughter.

You were making another joke, smiling like crazy when he interrupts you with a large breath. “You’re beautiful, (N/n).”

“Wh-what?” You stammer, surprised.

“You’re beautiful. And I’m ever so lucky that I got to meet you.” He smiles, his dimples showing with his bright smile. It was more beautiful to you than the sunset, brighter than the sun itself.

Your heart melts and you peck his nose. “Thank you, Echo. But I’m the lucky one to have met you.”

He sets his cup of tea on the table beside the sofa and pulls you into a large hug, you both just sitting happily together. You didn’t need anymore words to express how you both were feeling. It was obvious and you knew it.

You loved him and he loved you.

----

I apologize so deeply for how long it took me to get this piece of crap out but it’s here! I tried really hard because it’s such a precious idea, and I hope I made you happy with it. Please forgive my slowness.