#i just love this silent unspoken thing her and rex have going

[nahoney22]

Keep Me Close

Echo X GN!Reader

word count: 824

warnings: SPOILERS FROM EP 8 SO DON’T READ IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN IT 💜 Angst, one sided confessions, secret mutual pining. But some fluff if you squint

Echo decides to stay with Rex to fight for his brothers - you can’t let him go without saying your peace.

Masterlist

As the others made their way to the ship, bidding farewell to Echo with heavy hearts, you were left standing there, facing him with a mixture of sadness and regret. Omega approached, her eyes filled with tears, and offered you a sympathetic look before she too returned to the ship.

Echo stood before you, his expression unreadable, but your eyes were already starting to burn with unshed tears, the reality of saying goodbye to him hitting you like a freight train.

"We'll give you a moment," Captain Rex spoke up, leading Riyo to a more private area and leaving the two of you alone in the hangar.

There was a moment of awkward silence before Echo took a step forward, trying to speak, but you raised a hand to stop him. "You couldn't even tell me you were doing this?" Your voice was tinged with hurt, the pain of his departure hitting you hard.

"Cyare, let me explain," he sighed, the soft nickname he used for you only serving to exacerbate the ache in your heart. "I have to do this. I can't keep losing my brothers. It's the right thing to do."

You were silent, absorbing his words and struggling with the realisation that the thought of him joining Rex and leaving you behind was no longer just a distant worry. Your love for him, which you had kept hidden, was tearing you apart. He was the person you wanted to spend countless hours with, the person you considered your safe haven, but now all those feelings remained unspoken. Your love for him was always like the rain, starting out slow but growing stronger with each passing moment.

"I understand," you said, wiping your eyes as if trying to wake up from a nightmare. "I just wish you had told me earlier, not just as we were about to leave."

As he rubs the back of his head, regret gnaws at him for never confessing what he was about to do. "I'm sorry," he apologises, his voice barely above a whisper. The sincerity in those two simple words is enough for you to close the gap between you, pulling him into a tight embrace.

He buries his face into your shoulder, his eyes closing tightly as he savors the warmth of your touch. Your heart feels as if it's splintering into a million pieces, both from the pain of his departure and the intensity of your embrace. "Finish what Fives started, Echo," you whisper in his ear, pulling away to gaze into his eyes that hold a mixture of courage and sadness.

"I will," he replies with conviction. "This isn't goodbye. I'll be back, like I told Omega."

With a quiet sniffle, you ask the question that's been plaguing you, "And what if you don't?" Your lips quivers as you look down, but his gentle touch lifts your face back up to meet his gaze.

"I will," he says firmly, promising you with all his heart.

In a moment of recklessness and perhaps selfishness, you make a confession that had been weighing on your heart. "I love you, Echo."

His eyes widen in surprise, and for a moment you swear you see his lips tremble. He struggles to find the words to express the depth of his feelings, voice stuck in his throat as he begs his mind to let him speak, to let him shout and scream how much he feels the same. He’s looking at your eyes, your lips, your skin, everything. He wants to encase your lips with his own; a desperate surge of emotion.

But all that escapes him is a ragged breath, as if something is choking his voice.

His silence was enough however and you let out a choked sob before turning away from him, wiping your tears as you head back to the ship.

You sniffle, trying to hold back your tears that were pouring, but before you can go too far, you glance over your shoulder and offer him one last smile. It's a heartbreakingly beautiful sight that may haunt him for leaving you.

"Keep us close, yeah?" you say, your voice cracking with emotion.

"Keep me close," he whispers back, watching as you disappear from sight.

If he does make it back, you'll be there waiting, ready to love him with all your heart. Because deep down, you know his love for you is real, even if he never says the words.

Your love for each other was like a cruel twist of fate, the epitome of a "right person, wrong time." Though he can't say it, his love for you shines through in every moment you have shared together.

You felt his love. He didn’t need to say it. He showed it everyday.

Masterlist

More Echo Works

Tags: @nunanuggets @andyoufollowyourheart @littlefeatherr @kaitou2417 @eyecandyeoz @captxin-rex @cwarssimp @jesseeka @ashotofspotchka @oohyesplease @megafrost4 @theroguesully @equalityforcats @mustluvecho @misogirl828 @ladykatakuri i @jambolska-grozdova @chxpsi @arctrooper69 @padawancat97 @rain-on-kamino @either-madness-or-brilliance @staycalmandhugaclone @ko-neko-san @echos-girlfriend @fiveshelmet @tech-aficionado @grizabellasolo @therealnekomari @autumnleaves1991-blog @tech-depression-inventory @brynhildrmimi @greaser-wolf @lucyysthings @tinyreadersmur @agenteliix @myinnerwonderlandmind @rintheemolion @kaminocasey @hotpinkplastoid @cosmic-persephone @imalovernotahater @swiftiexstarwarssimp @crystal076 @the-good-shittt @photogirl894 @s1st3r @taskfork-archive @by-the-primes

[clone-anon-after-dark]

A Little Closer (Captain Rex x GN Asexual Aromantic Reader)

Word Count: 2722

Warnings: minors DNI, frank discussions of sex but nothing more, some chaste kissing, reader is sex-repulsed aroace, angst in regards to Order 66 (I'm sorry okay! This was getting long and I didn't know how to also make it an Everyone Lives AU also)

A/N: I wrote these headcanons for clones with ace partners and basically now I want to write at least one fic for each clone with a partner who is somewhere on the aroace spectrum.  (I’m taking requests if you have any.)  Ultimately the relationship in this one is going to be a queerplatonic partnership with I love yous. There is some reverse comfort. No use of reader's pronouns.

I would be remiss if I didn't say thank you @starrrgazingbunny! Your reblog and comments on those headcanons helped shape the relationship in this story.

You sat near 79’s and wanted to cry.  All you could think about were those many nights with the 501st boys, laughing, eating, dancing, and sharing stories.  You didn’t jump on the dance floor immediately, but it was hard to be shy when Hardcase, Fives, and Jesse all shuffled you toward the center of the room.  They had no shame in their dance moves and brought out more of your fun side.  You smiled to yourself as you thought of all the times you talked and took their mind off the war.  You remember the night someone had pulled the fire alarm and you were all kicked out. You invited the boys home to hang out for a little while.  Rex chuckled watching Tup, Dogma, Kix, Fives, Jesse, and Hardcase all try to sit on your couch followed by Hardcase insisting there was room for everyone as long as you, Rex, and Echo sat on their laps. There was not, in fact, any more room and your poor sofa creaked beneath them.  You just grinned and got some extra chairs out and moved the table so everyone could sit somewhere. No one seemed to mind it being a little crowded.

It was the same night that the boys were discussing their futures. Not so much about the war, but Hardcase had met a woman he loved and disappeared to her every day he could when they were on Coruscant.  Jesse was in the process of getting to know someone and Dogma had a date lined up.  They had never been prepared for social relationships outside of the GAR, nevermind romantic relationships. They quickly turned to you for advice, as a nat-born.  

“Sorry to disappoint,” you said. “I’m aroace and will never have sex.”  Each man tilted his head and knitted his eyebrows slightly, mulling over this statement. You took the time to explain the spectrum of sexual and romantic attraction and that, yes, you still liked people and platonic relationships.  You even thought about having a committed relationship sometimes, but hadn’t found the right person for that.  You carefully waded into the topic of lost loves and unspoken wishes when you knew a friend would only remain a friend. You told them you dreamed more about building a home and sharing a life with someone, but that didn’t have to include the things romantic movies seemed to covet.  

“Are those things not important regardless of how you feel about sex, or even romance?”  The question came from Rex, who up until now, had been practically silent. You looked into his eyes, and felt a spark of hope.  It was quickly interrupted by a well-meaning Hardcase.

“Yeah, I love more than sex. I feel a connection when I’m with my girlfriend. She understands me. We spend time doing more than making out and getting naked.”

“Thank you for that information,” Tup said, rolling his eyes.

You smiled, getting his meaning.  “I think that strong, long-lasting relationships are built on closeness and understanding.  There are some people out there who have no interest in getting close to someone on an emotional level and only want the physical, sure. I think it’s pretty normal to figure out what you want and seek that out.”

“People tend to want to be understood and care for each other,” Rex added quietly.  The men all nodded their heads and you couldn’t help but find a smile tugging on the corner of your mouth.

You didn’t tell the boys some things. Like how you were sometimes up front about being sex-repulsed because you knew it would weed out some people.  It felt like a shield against future pain.  You knew not everyone would understand and you didn’t want to waste your time, but that night you felt like they were doing their best to understand.

You now felt a pang thinking back to that night.  All those men figuring themselves out in the way that nat-borns normally had years to do.  They grew up too fast to fight a war, but they had the same basic needs and desires as anyone.  Now that the Empire was in power, so much had changed.  You didn’t know where they all were, but you missed each one of them.  You especially missed Rex.  That night had been one filled with hope for you.  Hope that someone would understand what you wanted in a relationship and not demand you sacrifice your body and wishes for their own needs.  Now you were really alone, trying to figure out how to function with so much changed.

Your old job with the GAR had been terminated and you were left to trade parts and barter your skills as a mechanic.  It was in the process of trading parts that you met the Martez sisters.  One night you found yourself on their platform, agreeing to help fix a ship for a friend of theirs while they were off on a job. You weren’t given a name or anything, just a description that included blonde hair and a more thorough description of the ship. They neglected to tell you that he was a clone.  The ship landed and you stepped toward it as the door opened to reveal a familiar face.

“Rex?” You dropped the tool in your hand and tears came to your eyes. He was dressed more like a civilian, but that face was unmistakable.

His breath was nearly knocked out of him as he quickly covered the short space between you and pulled you into his arms.

“It’s so, so good to see you,” he said, breathing a sigh of relief.  “I wanted to find you. Find someone. After everything I couldn’t come back to the barracks. I couldn’t…” His voice was barely a whisper and he pulled you in for another hug.

As you worked on his ship, he helped, handing you tools and filling you in on what happened.  You thought of Hardcase, Tup, and Fives gone. You mourned for them during the war.  Now Jesse. Rex didn’t know what happened to Dogma or Kix, but at least Echo was okay. He sat, staring forward, and tears streamed down his face.  You stopped your work and sat next to him, pulling him close while he cried into your shoulder.

As he quieted he apologized.  “I’m so sorry. I think of them every day.”

“You don’t have to be sorry, Rex. I miss them. I missed you. I never thought I’d see you again.”

That day changed your life.  You did everything you could to help Rex and the network of clones.  When more were rescued, you were ready with food and clean clothes.  You fixed ships and saved credits.  Eventually, you started going on missions that weren’t so much on the dangerous side as the practical side. Helping rescued clones start new lives in a handful of places that were as far away from the Empire as possible, expanding the network.  You helped Rex find several places to lay low and a few escape routes through the galaxy.  While you had offered to come on all the missions, he insisted he didn’t want you put in the way of more danger, but then one day, Rex and Gregor barely made it back.  You and Wolffe were waiting after a supply run and were both practically tearing your hair out.  

“What happened?!” You both shouted once the door to the shuttle opened.  Gregor explained that there had been some mechanical trouble, lost comms, and they had to jump around that part of the galaxy for a while to find someone to assist. 

“It was beyond our expertise,” Rex added.

You rolled your eyes. “If only you knew someone who was a mechanic,” you replied.

“It’s too dangerous,” Rex insisted.

“I chose this, Rex.”  You looked between him, Wolffe, and Gregor. “Now I know Gregor and Wolffe have told me that they would appreciate the help, but you keep saying ‘no.’ Why? I’m with you. I want to do this!”

Gregor and Wolffe froze in place and silently looked between each other and Rex.  Rex just rolled his eyes and sighed.

“I don’t want you getting hurt,” he admitted.

“Then help me with my blaster aim.”

He couldn’t help but grin at that.  Joining the boys consistently changed a lot of things.  You became better on your feet in sticky situations and since you weren’t a clone, you blended into certain scenarios much easier.  It was an advantage.  You also got to know the boys much better.  Knowing someone you worked with and becoming friends that way was one thing.  Living on a ship with them, sometimes for months at a time, was another.  While you had become closer to all three of them, you started to feel something for Rex that couldn’t quite be put into words. It was some form of love, but you didn’t know what to make of it.

One evening Gregor and Wolffe turned in early so they could get some sleep before their watch.  You stayed sitting by the campfire with Rex.  You felt some discomfort from him, but waited as he formed his thoughts.  Your heart dropped at the thought he might have noticed you acting a bit differently around him. Were you acting different? You couldn’t quite tell.  You tried to play it cool, but that didn’t always work out.  You were brought out of your thoughts when he cleared his throat.

“Hey,” he said quietly. “How do I put this?”  You waited until he continued. “Many rotations ago, a few cycles ago now, we were at your place with some of the boys talking about relationships and you said you don’t feel romantic love or want to be, umm, intimate.  Is that still true?”

“Wha?” The partially-formed word left your lips before you could stop it. You weren’t expecting him to be so forward. “Yeah. Yeah I still feel that way.”

Rex continued. “But you do feel love. I mean, you show us all love in some form. And I was just wondering if you… if it’s okay that I love you.”

“If it’s okay that you love me? Of course it’s okay,” you answered, much to his relief.

“I just don’t know how to go about some of these things,” he said, “But I feel such love for you. Love unlike any I’ve known. I don’t know what to call it and in many ways I don’t care.”

“I do love you,” you told him. “I am happiest with you, even on the worst days when everything breaks down. I am most content with you. My footing is solid when you’re with me.”

Rex scooted a little closer to you. “How can I show you how I feel? What do we call this?”

You shrugged at the last part. “Let’s figure it out together. Maybe we could start with this.” You held out your hand to take his and he gladly intertwined his fingers with yours.  He wanted to kiss you, but asked first.  You didn’t want to say no, but simply said, “Give me time.”  He nodded and instead rested his forehead on yours. That felt pretty perfect.

It took time to figure out what did and didn’t work for you.  You always enjoyed the idea of cuddling and started there.  You invited him into your bed, first for afternoon cuddles and then to sleep.  You were both asleep almost instantly once you found a comfortable position in each other's arms. You started spending time snuggling against each other and one day while sitting in the cockpit he gently started to pull you onto his lap.

“This okay,” he asked. 

You nodded and sat.  You rested your forehead to his and put an arm around his shoulders, whispering “I love you.”

When your ship was barely worth anything for scarp, you sold it, and were surprised to find Rex already knew what ship you’d get next.  It wasn’t new, but it was still in excellent condition.  When you moved your belongings inside you found that there were only three bunks, but he then showed you how a fourth extended out from the wall, giving the two of you more room in bed together.

“I love this,” you said. “Is that the only reason you picked this ship?”  

He grinned and scratched the back of his head. “Well, not the only reason. There’s also more storage space.”

You looked into his deep brown eyes. He had put so much thought into it just to make sure you were comfortable and not squished too badly between him and the wall.  You realized that this was the nicest bed he’d probably ever slept in and your heart danced thinking about how you’d be the one sharing it with him.

When it came time to turn in, you found Wolffe and Gregor laying in the bed, hands behind their heads, looking up at you.

“What are you two doing?”

“Who says you and Rex get this bed,” Gregor playfully asked.

“Maybe we’d like to stretch out a bit sometimes,” Wolffe added.

“Well, finish your stretching and get going because I need to snuggle with my partner.”

They both looked at you with raised eyebrows. You hadn’t put a name to the relationship before, but your heart sang at the word. Partner. Rex was your partner and that made you very happy.  When he came to bed, Rex found you laying under the covers reading a holonovel.  The lights were low and he felt calm as he got in next to you.

“Partner, eh,” he asked with a soft smile.  You nodded with a shy smile, not realizing he overheard.

“I like that,” he said. “Feels pretty perfect.” 

He laid down and opened his arms up for you. You smiled as he pulled you.  You buried your face in his neck and gave him a little squeeze.  

“I love you, Rex.”

“I love you too.”  You both fell asleep feeling at total peace.

Life would not always be easy. Certainly hiding from the Empire was hard enough, but then there was dealing with the psychological aftermath of the war.  On the eve of Empire Day, you woke up to Rex shaking in his sleep. His mumbles got louder and you shook him, whispering his name to wake him.  When he woke up, his eyes searched yours in a frenzy as tears streamed down his cheeks.  He looked lost and utterly devastated. You knew he was dreaming about his chip activation.  You don’t know what came over you, but you kissed his forehead and caressed his face, wiping his tears away.  You’d never kissed before, but it was the best way you could express that everything was okay now, you were here with him, you loved him, and he didn’t have to be afraid.  The emotions overwhelmed him and he sobbed for a little while as you cradled him in your arms.

“It’s okay now,” you said quietly. “You’re here with me and I’m not going anywhere.”

As he calmed down he looked into your eyes. “Can I kiss you too?”

“Yes,” you said.  “I’m sorry I took so long to come around to it.”

“No, no, don’t be sorry for knowing what you need,” he replied.

“Maybe not on the lips,” you asked.

“I know. How about your beautiful cheeks?”

You nodded.  Rex cupped your face and kissed each cheek.  He nuzzled his nose against yours ever so gently.  Your body felt a little stiff, taking in the new sensation, but it was wonderful and you soon melted into his arms again.

“I like that,” you admitted.

“So do I.”

The next morning you woke up before Rex and while usually you’d get up and ready for the day, you decided to stay in bed with him.  As if he could sense you making this decision, he held you a little closer.  You smiled to yourself.  When you both eventually got up, you found Wolffe and Gregor around a fire, making a late breakfast.  You joined them, you sat right next to Rex, arm against arm as you ate.  You leaned your head against his shoulder and he instinctively put his head on yours.  It was the best place in the galaxy and you wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Tagging: @dukeoftheblackstar @staycalmandhugaclone

[obwjam]

the tiniest jedi: the hidden enemy, part 2

a/n: part two is here!!! i completely lost my focus in the middle of this but i finally was able to crank it out lmao this was originally going to be three parts but it’s gonna be four now or else this chapter would be like 8k words and uhh no thank u sir

>> part one

——————-

Rex had never felt this awkward in his short life. He did trust General Skywalker. He was programmed to follow orders. And despite the shock of seeing someone so small, he believed that the Jedi wouldn’t send someone to the front who wasn’t fully capable of handling themselves.

And yet, doubt nagged at the back of his mind. It didn’t really compute how someone so tiny could fight like Anakin. Or Obi-Wan. Or… any Jedi, really.

But above all, Rex had a duty to lead his men. If this General Nor’al was their commanding officer for the day, then he was going to respect it. Even if the rest of the 501st griped about it, he knew they would ultimately fall in line and do their duty.

He just hoped he wouldn’t have to bring back any bad news.

Briefing his ARC troopers went about as well as he expected it to. They were a little confused at first, wondering why Rex was pinching his fingers in such a way when he described the new general, and there were skeptical faces when he went over the plan.

“So you two will be on standby here and here, laying down cover fire while I get her as close to the tank as possible,” Rex explained. “At my word, we rendezvous here and Hawk will pick us up with the gunship.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” said one trooper. “But the catch is…”

“...she’s about as tall as a kriffing Zilkin,” another finished.

Rex cleared his throat, snapping his men back to attention. “Look, I know it’s a bit of a… strange situation. But General Skywalker is counting on us to make this work, and the information we get from that droid will save countless lives. It’s important that we execute this plan flawlessly.”

As Rex went to meet Obi-Wan and Jayla, he could only wonder how Cody was handling it all. Even though he wouldn’t be part of the stealth mission, he was no doubt aware that this tiny Jedi existed. Well, if Cody can look past the obvious, Rex thought, then I can too.

“Well, that went better than I was expecting.”

Jayla rolled her eyes at Obi-Wan’s comment as she stretched out on a small section of the table in a break room. Cody was leaning against the corner of the wall, helmet off. Obi-Wan insisted he be there while they wait.

“Are you kidding? That might have been the most awkward interaction I’ve ever had in my life,” Jayla sighed. “That’s saying a lot, you know.”

“Aw, cut him some slack,” Cody shrugged. “He was caught off-guard.”

Obi-Wan cracked a smile. “We owe that one to Anakin.”

“As much as I love blaming him, you did the exact same thing when I first met Cody,” Jayla tutted, standing up. “Remember that, Cody? It wasn’t that weird, was it?”

Cody snickered. In his mind, it was that weird, but he wasn’t going to admit it. It was sometime after the Battle of Geonosis, he couldn’t quite remember when. He didn’t participate, but he could feel the pain in the quavers of his brothers’ voices whenever they discussed it in passing.

It was strange that Obi-Wan wanted to meet him outside of the battlefield, and even stranger that their meeting place was the Jedi temple. Did he want to discuss battle strategy? Expectations? Requirements? He wasn’t made for small talk.

He glanced nervously around the halls as he knocked on a door he hoped was the right one. He could hear mumbling.

“Do come in,” a prim voice called out from the other side. Oh great. He’s one of these Jedi.

Cody walked in cautiously, unsure of who and what to expect. Obi-Wan was sitting cross-legged on a pillow with his back to the door. There was a knee-high table in front of him with two cups on either side. Obi-Wan was talking, too softly to make out, and presumably, to himself. Cody raised an eyebrow.

“Sorry, sir, if this is a bad time…” he stared, but Obi-Wan held his hand up.

“Not at all. I should have warned you that we might have a guest.”

Cody was about to open his mouth when he caught something in the corner of his eye. Something was moving on the table.

Cody’s hand flew to his blaster and he cocked it up in seconds. “Sir, don’t move. There’s something--”

“Commander!” Obi-Wan huffed as he stood swiftly. Cody’s eager eyes darted from Obi-Wan to the table, where… where a very, very small person was standing being a cup, wielding a lightsaber. Looking like a deer in headlights, Cody lowered his blaster.

“Sir--” Cody started, taking a step forward. He stopped when he saw the tiny figure flinch.

“Jay, it’s alright,” Obi-Wan said softly, taking a knee beside the table. “I asked him here.”

“That’s one of the clones?” the tiny girl asked warily, glancing up at Cody, whose face was bright red.

“This is Commander Cody, my new second-in-command,” Obi-Wan stated. “He’ll be leading the 212th Attack Battalion.”

“Oh.” She put away her lightsaber as Cody put his blaster back in its holster. “I-I’m Jayla Nor’al. I’m Master Yoda’s padawan.” She took a few shaky steps from behind the cup. “I’m sorry for the scare.”

Cody blinked. “It--it’s alright. Sorry about the blaster.”

Obi-Wan smiled. “Well, now that that’s all out of the way. Why don’t you take a seat, Commander. I hope you like tea.”

Cody smirked at the memory. “You Jedi sure have a thing for surprises,” he said cheekily. “Just give Rex some time. He’s a good soldier. He’ll get over it quickly.”

“I just hope he trusts me out there,” Jayla mumbled.

“Oh, I have no doubt he will,” Obi-Wan reassured. “The question is, will you trust him?”

Jayla’s eyes fell to the table. She hated the way Obi-Wan seemed to read her mind at the most inopportune times.

She didn’t get a lot of time to dwell on it as the door whooshed open and Rex cantered in. He first noticed Cody before his eyes fell right to Jayla. I should probably stop staring now.

“Captain,” Obi-Wan smiled as Rex removed his helmet. “Thank you for joining us.”

“Of course, sir,” Rex said stiffly. Seeing him with his helmet off, Jayla wasn’t sure what to make of him. If they were all, well, clones… why did this one look so different? Maybe it was the blond hair, or how worn down he looked. Or maybe it was the slight wideness of the eyes and the small pursing of his lips.

“I thought it would be beneficial for us to go over the plan once more in a quieter space,” Obi-Wan started. Rex, who was deliberately staring at the wall ahead of him to avoid looking down, broke his concentration when he could feel the heat of Obi-Wan’s gaze on him. “Captain, do you have a map of the terrain?”

“Yes sir,” Rex said, pulling the holoprojector from his belt. Without thinking, he set it down on the table. His eyes flashed down in concern, but Jayla calmly took a few steps back and found her way to Obi-Wan’s hand again.

“Well, the tac droid will be in this tank here,” Rex pointed. “It’s always the most heavily guarded, but we suspect they’ll be more clankers around it than usual.”

“My battalion and the rest of the attack squad will be over here, pushing through on the main road to the city,” Cody said as the map widened. “They’ll be hundreds of us. The chance of them noticing a few men splitting off is low.”

“General Nor’al, you’ll be with me,” Rex said. “I, uh, I don’t know exactly where you’d like to, uh, ride… but once you finish getting the information we need, meet me at the extraction point here. Hawk will come down with a gunship and we’ll be on our way.”

Jayla cleared her throat as Obi-Wan handed her a comically large piece of tech. “When I get in, I have to disable the tac droid first or else it’s gonna be impossible to do anything. Its weakness is in its neck, so as long as it’s engaged, I’ll be able to scale it without it noticing.” She heaved up the piece of tech, which was about the size of a rotary blaster to her. These were the moments that Obi-Wan tried hard not to smile and Jayla tried hard not to get flustered. “I’m going to plug into the droid at the base of its head. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes for the download. I’ll cut a hole out the back of the tank and meet you for extraction,” she finished, glancing up at Rex. His face was stoic.

“Well, I think we’ve got a good grasp on this,” Obi-Wan said with a smirk. “Must be a nice change of pace for you, Captain. You hardly ever get the chance to follow a plan.”

“Whatever I need to do, General,” Rex replied. He jumped a little when Cody appeared next to him and put his hand on his shoulder.

“If you don’t mind, Generals, we’ll head down to the hangar for our equipment check,” Cody said. Obi-Wan nodded.

“Thank you, sirs,” Rex said, his gaze lingering on Jayla for a few extra seconds. Rex didn’t need the powers of the Force to know they were both thinking the same thing about each other. The signs of apprehension were universal. But for him, at least, the moment he stepped onto the battlefield was the moment his mind went blank and he was only concerned with achieving one goal. If she had the respect of both Kenobi and Skywalker, then what was the source of his unease? Why couldn’t he stop thinking about her, staring at her, worrying about her?

He was glad Cody got him out of there.

“So,” Obi-Wan said when the two clones left. “Where are you going to ride?”

“I was really trying not to think about that,” Jayla groaned. “You know, you didn’t have to bring him in to go over the plan again. I’m the one who came up with it.”

“You can never be too prepared.”

Jayla took a shaky breath. “And do I really have to go on the gunship with everyone? I don’t want anyone to stare.”

“How else are you planning on getting down to the planet’s surface? A free fall?”

“I think I’d rather,” she mumbled. “Well, do I have to--”

“--you can stay with me until we reach the ground,” Obi-Wan assured, his face softening. “It’s alright.”

Jayla released a breath she had been holding and plopped down, leaning against the curl of Obi-Wan’s fingers.

“Rex is one of the finest,” he said in a hushed voice. “He’ll take good care of you out there.”

“I’m not the one who needs taking care of,” she snapped. “I’m fine.”

“I can sense your worry.”

Jayla sighed. There really was no fooling Obi-Wan. “I just… I don’t want to mess up. I don’t want to… I want to make sure everyone gets back alright, you know? This is my mission. I’m responsible.”

Obi-Wan furrowed his brow. He figured the completion of the mission would have been her main focus. Gently, he raised the index finger on his free hand and stroked Jayla’s back. She flinched at his touch, but quickly melted into it. “As a Jedi, you are more than capable. As a leader, there are few who can inspire people like you do.” He paused to let her smile. “There are things in war you can’t control. Casualties are one of them. The men you lead in battle today will not be the same as the ones tomorrow.”

Jayla couldn’t find anything to say.

“You’ve gone over this one plan more times in the last thirty minutes than Anakin has with any plan his whole life.” That one earned a full laugh from her. “And when things inevitably go wrong, you will adapt. You are ready for this.”

Jayla looked up and met Obi-Wan’s clear blue eyes. In them, she only saw admiration. In him, she only felt confidence. She cracked a small smile, sat up and folded her legs criss-cross. She closed her eyes. The Force pulsed excitedly around her.

She was ready.

—-

“How’d’you know her so well, anyway?”

Rex and Cody were just about at the hangar bay, and Rex was eager to know why she seemed to trust being around Cody but shied away from him.

“General Kenobi does a lot of negotiating in addition to his fighting,” Cody laughed. “She’s with him quite a lot on those trips. I imagine it’s deliberate on his part. Gets her used to being around clones and all that.”

“Well, that explains why I’ve never met her before,” Rex snickered. “General Skywalker never negotiates.”

Cody smirked. “But I wouldn’t say I know her well. She… doesn’t take to people very easily. Still has never let me take her anywhere, despite my plentiful offers. I’ve only ever seen her with Kenobi or Skywalker.”

“Must be a Jedi thing,” Rex snorted. Of course she has a thing against clones.

“Well, if the Jedi are all she’s ever known, I can’t say I blame her,” Cody countered. He could easily see Rex’s irritation in the form of his clenched fists. “The galaxy is not built for people her size. Especially a galaxy at war.”

Rex hummed. He had… never really thought of it that way. “Have you seen her in action before?”

“A few times, when negotiations went south. She moves quicker than anyone I’ve ever seen, that’s for sure. And if she gets scared, she doesn’t show it. I don’t think I’d be able to do what she does if everyone towered over me like a kriffing building.”

Rex pursed his lips, trying to visualize for the first time what it might look like if his brothers stood a hundred feet taller than him. He shivered at the thought.

“Rex? You alright, vod?”

Cody had stopped walking. They were at the hangar. Red swallowed.

“I’m… I guess I’m just surprised someone so small could be such a powerful Jedi.”

“Trust me,” Cody said, slipping his helmet on, “you’re not the only one.”

Rex humphed as he followed suit, joining his small group of ARCs near the larger 501st. Close by were Obi-Wan and Anakin, chatting amongst themselves. He almost didn’t notice Jayla on Obi-Wan’s shoulder, legs swinging as she laughed at something Anakin said. Well, she certainly looks happier.

“Just hang on tight, and you’ll have nothing to worry about!” Anakin said as they climbed into the gunship.

“There’s a reason I’m trusting Obi-Wan instead of you here,” Jayla snipped, regaining her balance as Obi-Wan reached his arm up to grab a handle. “He wouldn’t jerk his shoulder really hard to make sure I was secure enough.”

“Are you telling me he’s not preparing you properly? That’s interesting.”

“Tell me why they stuck me on this mission with both of you,” Obi-Wan groaned, pinching the brim of his nose.

Jayla grinned. “Maybe it’s punishment.”

“No crime is worth this.”

Rex sniffed a laugh under his helmet. She’s just like a mini Anakin.

With a ferocious whoosh, the gunship doors sealed shut and the engine fired up. As quickly as the jokes had come before, any semblance of lightheartedness was gone now. Jayla tightened her grip on Obi-Wan’s robe, Obi-Wan cupped his free hand in front of her, and Anakin stood alert, keeping a close eye on their surroundings.

Rex couldn’t keep his eyes off her, either. When the gunship lurched forward as it took to the air, even he could see how white her knuckles were. She kept her eyes trained on a single stationary item in front of her, trying to stay steady and ignore the small glances she was getting from the 15 other clones packed inside. She stayed fairly still through it all, but every jerk of the ship as it picked up speed and entered the atmosphere caused her face to contort into a sick grimace. Rex could only imagine how many of his other daily experiences were like a nightmare to her.

Jayla could feel Rex’s gaze on her. Something about that was comforting as they rumbled toward the surface. Even over the wind, she could hear the sharp pitch of blaster fire. There was a lot of it.

Her stomach keeled when the gunship made its slow descent to the ground. It was time.

“Jayla?” Obi-Wan spoke as soft as he possibly could over the noise. “I’m going to give you over to Rex now. Are you ready?”

Jayla could only nod as Obi-Wan moved his hand in front of her and she stepped on. She wobbled when Obi-Wan took a few steps forward to meet Rex, who was trying not to seem so flustered. Anakin’s hand was resting on his lightsaber.

Obi-Wan made the split-second decision to place her on Rex’s shoulder pauldron. There wasn’t a whole lot to grab onto, so a wide surface would make it easier for her to stay steady. He knew she wasn’t going to like being in Rex’s hand, and he could sense Rex’s unease with that possibility.

With a little bit of hesitation, she leaped off Obi-Wan’s hand and onto the pauldron, taking note of how it felt like walking on a training mat instead of the hard plastoid she assumed it was. Rex turned his head as best he could not only to make sure she was secure, but to get a better look at her. It was hard to see what she looked like from so far away, but she was mere inches from him now. He didn’t really know what he was expecting, but he was still surprised to see she looked… human. Her long hair was pulled into a loop, like a ponytail but the end was tucked back into its elastic. Her ears were slightly pointed, but almost by a negligible amount. With the sleeve of her tunic blowing around in the wind, he could barely see the tiny markings of a tattoo on her wrist. She was definitely fit to fight — her arms were toned and her face looked battle-hardened. Well, save for the way her wide eyes seemed to tremble as she stared at the ground from her new vantage point.

“Are you okay, General?”

General. It took a moment for Jayla to realize Rex was addressing her.

“Hm—yeah— yeah, I’m good,” she said, staggering her legs for better balance. There was absolutely nothing to grab onto. If all else failed, there was always the ammo box pinned to his chest. “Just—try not to make any sudden movements. Or lean forward. Or fall.”

“Can’t make any promises, General,” Rex replied, dead serious. He splayed his fingers and held his palm out flat. “You sure you don’t want to—“

“I’m fine here, Captain,” she grumbled. “Let’s get going.”

She wasn’t sure what to expect when the doors to the gunship opened, but never in a thousand years could she have been prepared for it.

The towering buildings of Christophsis merely faded into the background for her; like mountains too far off in the distance to properly understand their size. The whole planet had a green hue to it, but the air was thick with red and blue blaster bolts whizzing by in either direction. Jayla could barely get a sense of where she was by eyesight alone. When she finally snapped out of her entranced state, she shut her eyes and let the Force tell her what she needed to know. Droids to her left. Hundreds of them. Thousands. Battle droids, destroyers, super battle droids. All arranged in an impossibly precise formation. To her right, the GAR. Hundreds of clones with heavy breath and piercing shouts in organized chaos. Every few seconds, she felt a sharp pain, like the poke of a needle on her back. Someone got shot. Someone got back up. Someone didn’t.

Through it all, Jayla was still able to hear Anakin's upbeat voice. “Good luck out there, General!”

Jayla managed a laugh, watching with a small smile as Anakin and Obi-Wan ignited their sabers and jumped head-on into the oncoming fire. Rex hopped out of the gunship with two other troopers with the same swooping shoulder pauldrons. Jayla immediately fell to one knee and threw her hand down for extra support as Rex charged forward, finding shelter behind what appeared to be a large piece of metal.

He turned to his troopers and pointed across the way, where there was an elevated structure along the main road. “Positions!” The two ARCs nodded and sprinted over. “That’ll be a good place to lay down some cover,” Rex said to himself as he flipped down his HUD.

“There.” He pointed to a row of tanks several hundred yards away. “The tac droid’s in the middle one.”

Jayla nodded, forgetting that Rex couldn’t see her. She quickly began carving out the best path to get them there safely, which unfortunately required a lot of places where they would be fully exposed.

“I hope those guys are a good shot,” she called out. “Or else we’re toast.”

“There are a lot of clankers out there... stay low and hold on tight, sir,” Rex said, giving her a moment to adjust her position. He flinched at the sudden sound of a small whoosh. Her lightsaber.

“Let’s go, Rex.”

[wangshuus]

love like you | xiao

pairing: xiao/gn!reader

genre: angst+fluff

wc: 4.1k

summary: you and xiao are polar opposites according to him and because of that, he deems himself unworthy. 

note: this is my first time writing for genshin and i love xiao so much so this is essentially a bunch of word vomit i whipped together while listening to love like you from the su soundtrack :’) 

(i’ll have to go in for another proof read after but pls take this for now)

fic under the cut

In the land of Liyue, the Adepti were acknowledged for being the protectors of the sacred land, guarding both it and its people. As most of the adepti resided in their abodes, there was but one that stayed within the vicinity of the Wangshu Inn. Xiao; the Vigilant Yaksha, Conqueror of Demons, Alatus. He went by many titles, many names all of which carried the story of the adeptus himself. Upon the years of history carried through Liyue in its passing generations, it’s known to many that despite having the looks of a young man, the adeptus was not someone you would want to take lightly. The Yaksha carried thousands of years worth of burden, shackles of guilt and terror binding him to unpleasant memories. With every passing day, he is harshly reminded of the way he and his polearm skillfully worked through the bloodied dance of weapons on the battlefield, crimson liquid painting the ground and his very hands. It stains so intensely that it was like an unseen tattoo that reminded him of eons of slaughter he partook in, the lives and dreams he so greedily took from people. It was something only he could see and something he would continue to see for many more years to come according to him. 

He very rarely got close to anything or anyone, devoting his life to duty and the orders granted to him by Rex Lapis to protect the beloved land of Liyue. For this very reason, he never thought much about emotions or the overall concept of it, seeing it as a worthless matter, a weakness even, for it could not help in the slaying of those in battle. All he ever knew at that point was violence, having his purity harshly stolen from his grasp all those centuries ago and being left with not even a single grain of what it was like to feel anything pleasant. Whenever he did feel anything, pain, suffering and agony were the only things that filled his system therefore to him, it was better to feel nothing at all. Needless to say, he was somewhat unapproachable on several levels, but who could blame him? 

There then came a day in which all of this would away as an estranged guest made your way merry when into the Inn. You, (Y/n) were a mere mortal traveler with a dendro vision chained upon your hip, specializing in the field of healing. You stumbled upon the inn, looking to take on commissions and requests in exchange for a room for the time being. Your fates clashed with each other during your first encounter when you were tasked to deliver almond tofu to the adeptus that was specially made by yourself. You could still remember stuttering over your words in embarrassment during your first meeting as he revealed himself to you, commending you for your culinary skills but telling you to leave immediately, saying something along the lines of it being ‘too dangerous for mere mortals to stay in the presence of adepti for too long’. It was accurate to say that you two took an interest in the oddity of the situation. Why did Xiao decide to reveal himself to the simple human, knowing very well his mere presence was already a threat to you. Why did you not turn away in fear just from the adeptus’ profound deathly gaze? There were several unspoken questions between you two at the time but that one fateful encounter had caused a shift.

You had decided to extend your stay at the inn a little longer than you intended to. You went about the daily tasks set out by Verr in exchange for your stay every day that you were there. The completion of your tasks leads to a delivery that had become habitual to you during your stay at the inn. Every day you’d made your way up to the highest terrace in the inn to drop off a plate of almond tofu to the adeptus. On some days, he’d reveal himself and on some others, he chose to remain unseen-- and to you, this was okay. As the days passed, it began to be more apparent how odd this whole shift was for the both of them.

You are an adventurer, someone who sought out to travel the lands, and yet, you remained grounded at the Inn, your fascination and curiosity driving your patience to learn about the distant Yaksha and fuelling your willingness to stay settled at the inn instead of seeking for the thrill of adventure. Xiao was an adeptus, a being that has lived for many years on end, a being that has slaughtered countless, a being that carried an indescribable amount of karmic debt for all the treacherous and ungodly amount of terror he has bestowed upon thousands in the past. He could not explain to himself why he even decided to associate with a simple mortal, thinking that there was something wrong with him at the time because he knew that if he were in his right mind, he would have never even bothered taking a glance at the human. But then again, not all things could be explained. From the days that you had stayed at the Inn for that time, you would find yourself visiting the lone adeptus every evening, delivering a plate of what became familiar to him as your almond tofu, the one that deemed to be the closest to that of the dreams he so greedily devoured all those years ago. 

Months had passed since the first day you first set foot into the inn. You had managed other work and commissions throughout the time but often found herself coming back. you became well acquainted with everyone who worked there, practically making it her second home in fact. Even when you did have to part ways, you would pass by whenever you could, sparing your time and energy at least once a week to come reeling back like a moth drawn to a flame. The reason behind it was very evident to you, nothing that you would ever admit to hiding at this point. You did enjoy the company and atmosphere of the other humans at the inn but at the end of the day, everything came back down to the enigmatic adeptus that resided there. 

Sensing your presence had become second nature to the adeptus, him knowing the very moment you set foot into the Inn. He would never admit it to himself, but he found himself looking forward to the mortal’s visits. He still thought about the first day he decided to reveal himself to you, feeling a little more content about it with every passing day. But something about the whole ordeal scared him to no end. He wished it wasn’t the case but he was well aware of all the changes and feelings that had bloomed since you waltzed into his life. The feeling of bubbling excitement inside of him every time you came back to him, the feeling of embarrassment of when you’d blurt out compliments towards him, feeling more comfortable and daring as the visits continued. The feeling of protectiveness washing over him when you told him stories in which you got even the slightest bit injured. One may view this just as someone showing emotion; but that was the problem for him. He wasn’t supposed to show emotion-- he wasn’t supposed to feel-- according to himself at least. Rather, he didn’t deem himself worthy to feel pleasant emotions.

“Xiao” A familiar voice called out to him, turning to face the direction from where he stood, which happened to be the spot where he viewed the familiar landscape of Liyue.

You made your way towards him, holding out a plate of almond tofu which he had come to admire. He took the plate from your grasp and greeted her with a light hum of acknowledgment before beginning to munch down on the tofu. You let out a soft chuckle before standing next to him and leaning on the railing, staring off into the starry skies you had become accustomed to seeing, though every time, it never failed to amaze you. Your eyes gazed at the twinkling stars in the sky as you began your usual routine of speaking about how your life has been since you last saw each other. You had become accustomed to Xiao’s aloof demeanor at times like this because you knew that despite him seemingly looking uncaring, he was secretly listening to your rambling. You stared off into the distance as you spoke, your attention being stolen by the stars. While at work on the plate of almond tofu in his hands, Xiao took these moments to look at you as he silently listened to your long-winded sentences.

In serene moments like these, it was hard for Xiao to keep his composure. Though the stars in the sky glimmered so beautifully, they paled in comparison to your eyes when they sparkled so passionately when you spoke of your adventures. In moments like these, Xiao was reminded of your courteous nature. He was reminded of how good you are, going about your time adventuring the lands, specializing in the art of healing with the assistance of the beloved vision clipped at your side. You lived for adventure; you lived to help those in need. It was in moments like these when he became painfully aware of how different you were from each other.

It had been so long since Xiao ever considered himself to be good in any way. He was all too aware of the disgusting red that painted his hands permanently, the hands which have slain countless beings in the past. The hands that he did not see worthy to touch anything so fragile in fear that it would break, feeling as if anything would die at even the slightest touch of his fingertips. You see, when he met you, he was so sure that he was far from anything good and you proved himself to be right in his mind; because you were what he deemed to be good in his eyes. And he was nothing like you.

Before he knew it, he was left with an empty plate and a bustling mind full of thoughts as he looked out into the distance along with your words flowing freely with the wind. You turned back to see Xiao in all his glory, taking in his presence, eyes lingering upon him like the first time you met him. There was never a day that passed where he didn’t look stunning in your eyes. The reserved yaksha was nothing short of a challenge for you to get close to. Even to this day, there are times where he was standoffish towards you. In moments like these, you’re reminded of how you’ve barely scratched the surface of his character, being well aware that he’s lived far longer than you and will quite possibly continue to live way beyond your time. Though he hasn’t explained every single detail of his past to you, there have been significant points in time where he has opened up about snippets of his past, to which you grasped and held onto as much detail as you could when he went on. You’ve picked up that Xiao isn’t the most well-articulated when it comes to explaining his feelings but you paid no mind to it, taking pride over the fact that he has yet to slit your throat open with his spear. There have been countless occasions in which you’ve praised Xiao but none of them have truly projected your feelings towards the adeptus.

Xiao was not truly aware of how deeply you felt for him. Sure, he thought that you were interested enough to stick around and pester him for who knows whatever reason. However, it went way beyond that. You admired him so dearly, his presence being one in which you ironically found an indescribable amount of comfort in. You’ve listened intently to his wise words of wisdom, his tales of his bloodstained past that he was willing to share, as well as his little remarks about how peculiar humans are. You saw beyond the seemingly frigid, cold, and distant demeanor of Xiao and instead saw a boy with such a yearning to be tender, gentleness being beyond his reach according to him but to you, he was gentle. 

You noticed the way he would handle the little things involving you. You notice the way his tone has changed in the slightest when talking to you whenever he does, softer than the first time you had initially met. You notice the way he acts when it comes to physical touch, preferring to make little to no contact to you but his touches were soft and fleeting whenever touch was necessary. He’s told you several times in the past that he has a brute touch preferring a distance to keep himself from hurting you. From that alone, you knew he’s gentle, reluctant to admit it though due to the events of the past but nonetheless, his gentleness was hard to grasp but must be cherished greatly and that is something that you have done. 

“Xiao” You called out to him. He turned to face you, noticing how you were staring right back at him, your arms resting upon the railing as you gazed at him.

“Is something wrong? You seem a little more spaced out today.” You spoke out again.

He sighed before clicking his tongue. “It's nothing that should be of any concern to mo--” 

“--mortals like you, I know yada yada yada. You’ve said that far too many times in the past. Now tell me, what’s truly wrong Xiao. I did make you listen to my rambling so it’s only fair that you shoot something my way.” You cut him off. 

Annoyance laced his features as he let out his nth sigh of the day. He turned to look at you, giving you a serious, almost cold look.

“I am already greatly aware of how odd some human tendencies are, knowing you mortals do some strange actions that even I question to this day. But you, you are the most peculiar of ones that I have encountered. You wish to stay with someone as myself, someone who could take your life in a single heartbeat. So tell me, why does someone like you continue to linger?”

Lo and behold, a question that you were surprised to hear from him, though you knew the day would eventually come when he would ask. Why did you continue to come to him time and time around? You let out an exasperated sigh as you turned to him with a lighthearted smile in an attempt to lighten the tension that filled the air.

“I enjoy your company, that’s all. Is it so wrong to spend time with someone when you enjoy them being around?” You stated. His eyes narrowed at your response.

“I do not believe it is normal to risk your life simply for mere company, it is not worth it. I refuse to believe that your motives are as light-hearted as that. Is there something that you desire that is beyond that of human capabilities?” He stated.

Your eyebrows furrowed and your smile faltered at his aloof response. What was with the sudden cold demeanor he decided to put up front? You held eye contact with his warm amber orbs that held a stare ironically as cold as the mountains of Dragonspine.

“It’s because you’re you, Xiao. I come back and spend my time here because you are you. I enjoy the little things about you and the time we spend together, y’know? I enjoy the way your eyes light up at the sight of almond tofu, I enjoy your little declarations of how odd us mortals are, I enjoy hearing you open up about even the littlest of things. You’re special in my eyes, Xiao. You’re strong in so many different aspects, you’re wise in the words of advice you speak and last but not least, you’re gentle. Those are just a few of many aspects of yourself that make you so special to me.”

Xiao’s face contorted to one of bewilderment for a brief moment before morphing to one of disbelief, scoffing at the statement. ‘Gentle’ he thought. When you mentioned him being gentle, he thought to himself that it was a load of pure nonsense.

“Calling me gentle is simply blasphemous. I have told you countless times that I am far anything related to that of a tender nature. I leave nothing but a trail of anguish and regret. You’re foolish to see me in anything of a good kind of special, even more so if you see me as gentle.” He firmly stated as his arms crossed tightly across his torso.

Archon’s Xiao’s mind was a mess. He was in a stubborn state of denial as he refused to believe the words that slipped past your lips, writing them off as lies. He covered the creeping insecurity that arose in him with a stone cold demeanor like he always did. He couldn’t accept it, he couldn't even fathom to believe what makes you think he’s so special. 

“Listen Xiao, you’re being awfully stubborn right now.” You said dejectedly. Despite his current manner, you wouldn’t back down, seeing this as one of the only opportunities where you could truly and openly speak about how you felt towards him. You turned so that you were fully facing him, standing your ground as you spoke to him.

“You think so lowly of yourself sometimes y’know? It saddens me to know that you only ever see yourself like that.” You stated.

“I am stating nothing but the tru--” Xiao spoke.

“Listen to me, Xiao.” You cut him off, him being surprised by your snapback.

“You’re far more than your own past. I’m aware of everything you’ve gone through from what you’ve told me. Forgive me for I’m unable to fully sympathize with you but I can’t let you continue to do this to yourself. I’ve only known you for mere months out of the thousands of years you’ve lived but I’ve been around you long enough to know that you’re not as bad as you claim yourself to be.” You paused for a moment to gather yourself before you continued on, looking that Xiao was very much paying attention, an unreadable look on his face.

“You’ve told me yourself that you’ve been around long enough to capture the knowledge of the world to an extent. You’ve told me that you’re aware of how barbaric and lethal your own strength is but you’ve never told me that you hold tenderness inside you, even after all you’ve been through. You hold such valuable knowledge in the field of strength but you’ve failed to notice that the gentleness in you is not completely gone.” Your own hands stretched out and firmly held onto his gloved ones as you continued speaking. 

“You speak about yourself as if you’re not worthy of feeling anything but the anguish and pain as a price to pay for your actions. You’re allowed to feel vulnerable, you’re allowed to feel curious, you’re allowed to feel happiness. I want you to be more honest with yourself so that you can see that you’re worthy enough to feel good emotions. You can extend yourself out to others and the human world and allow yourself to be free. Still after all this time, I sense you feel that it’s necessary to keep me at an arm's length but that’s not true nor is it something that I want. Though this fact alone proves my statement. The fact you wish to keep me away is a sign that you hold that gentleness within but you can still learn to be gentle without having to lock everyone out. Your loneliness isn’t an inevitable conclusion, and I’ll prove to you that it isn't. I wish to stay with you not only because I enjoy your company but because I found something in you worth cherishing. I want to see you grow from whatever anguish you hold, even if it’s just a little bit. I know my life might be merely a second in yours but please, let me do what I can in my lifetime to make you feel worthy and feel loved, because I truly do love and care for you, Xiao.” Your grip tightened around his hands, fearing that he’d yank them away from you with every passing second. Although you firmly stand your ground, you were internally malfunctioning at the whole-hearted confession to the adeptus in front of you.

Xiao felt as if the wind was knocked out of his lungs, face contorted into that of even more disbelief as he found himself still trying to process this whole ordeal. He took the time in processing the words that came directly from your heart as it went straight into his, a warm feeling erupting inside of him, something that felt to foreign to him that it scared him a little. Though your words held a weight to them, it was much more pleasant compared to that of his past memories, but it wasn’t enough to distract him from the way you desperately held onto him.

He was well aware that he could pull away from you at any moment, knowing that your strength could in no way match his but he couldn’t do it. The moment your hands touched his, even through his gloves he felt the firm gentleness of your grasp. You were no hydro user but in that very moment, he felt as if you washed away the bloody sins that stained his hands for years on end. For once he felt clean; for once he felt pure, rid of all the unpleasantries of the world for these very moments that he spent with you.

You noticed how Xiao stood still. You feared that you might’ve severely angered him from the way you snapped at him, but the look on his face told you otherwise.

The usually serious and stern face of the adeptus held such a soft, perhaps vulnerable look. His eyes were wide and in the moonlight, you could tell that they were glossed over from the way they shone with emotion, mouth slightly ajar, possibly trying to find the right words to respond to you. He didn’t need to say anything though because from that look alone, you got all the answers that you needed.

You slowly let go of his hands as one arm moved to wrap around his waist and the other going towards the back of his head, reeling him in closely for a foreign yet mellow embrace. His hands awkwardly stayed at his sides before they slowly and hesitantly moved to hug you back, leaning in gently to your touch as your hand led his head to the crook of your neck, allowing him to bask in the warmth you so generously offered him. For the first time in archons knows how long, Xiao felt a warm liquid spill from his eyes, staining your shirt. Your hands ruffled through his hair in an attempt to soothe him in his time of vulnerability. His hold on you was still so light, almost as if he was afraid he’d break you if he held on even tighter. The hand that ghosted over his back made its way to one of his arms and tugged at it, encouraging him to hold on as much as he needed.

“It’s okay Xiao, you can hold on tighter. I’m not as fragile as you may think. You don’t have to be scared of breaking me.” You chuckled lightheartedly.

His grip did tighten, as he began to mumble words with his face still buried at your side. Something along the lines of apologizing for snapping at you earlier. Your smile widened as you held onto him even tighter if that was possible.

Xiao knew he wasn’t perfect, he was far from it in fact. He had so many flaws and rough edges but that was okay--that’s what made him Xiao. He never understood until now why you thought he was so special and to be quite frank, he still didn’t understand, but he was determined to understand it one day. He wasn’t good like you but he wanted to start believing that he was good in his own way, wishing to truly do something that he felt was right by you in the future. Though it wouldn’t be the easiest of journeys, he was determined to do something that feared him to no end--for you. He wanted to learn how to love, how to love you even more and openly express it to you but also, learn how to love himself, just as you loved him. 

“Thank you, (Y/n).”

[raamyun-and-rambles]

Of Qingxins and Rattles: One

Fandom: Genshin Impact  Pairing: Xiao x Reader 

Summary: He's afraid to reach out, to touch something so pure that a being like him must never hold. The voices in his head scream blasphemy and lies.

———–

Xiao was a being that has existed for thousands of centuries. 

Which meant that he has outlived countless of people, watching them come and go as they eventually get taken by the passage of time.

It was also safe to say that the yaksha has experienced much more than any other mortal could in their entire lifetime. He's travelled the entirety of Liyue on foot, has bore witness to phenomenon that people could only talk about in hushed whispers as the eons pass them by and has fought a number of battles that no human could ever imagine. The blood that stained his hands wasn't something that could be easily washed away and Xiao was convinced that anything good touched by those hands would wither and perish. He was a sinner and Xiao was determined to live the rest of his life paying off the debt of his sins in perpetual agony until you waltzed into his life, turning everything he's come to known in disarray the moment he saw the breeze catch locks of your  (h/c)  as you overlooked Dihua Marsh from Wangshu Inn's balcony.

In retrospect, the Yaksha should have known better than to meddle in trivial human affairs. You were just another face among thousands he's met. You shouldn't have been able to draw him in the way you did. Yet here he was now, putty in your arms as you stroked gentle circles on the small of his back, whispering words of love and reassurance that Xiao knows he doesn't deserve but soaks it up all the same. 

Perhaps...just maybe - Xiao thinks with a hopeful afterthought as his lips press against yours in a silent act of worship of your presence, fingers ghosting feather light touches onto your skin - maybe he too deserved even a moment of respite, to love and be loved.

To simply exist in bliss. 

Xiao looks at you with a gaze that displays deep unspoken emotion. He watches you in awe even with the simplest of his things.

He watches in awe as you work your way in the kitchen, weaving your way through the space and he fights back a chuckle as you almost trip. He catches you before you could hurt yourself though (he always does).

He watches in awe even when you rouse from your sleep, admiring the way the sun bathes you in a warm glow as it floods into the room from the open window. He admires the way your lashes slowly flutter as you attempt to blink away the sleep that raptures your system, sending him a small smile as you nuzzle further into his embrace, murmuring something about needing a couple more hours of rest. Xiao scoffs at that every time, knowing you'd oversleep (yet he always allows you). 

Mortal traditions don't normally interest Xiao, yet he watches in awe as you walked down the makeshift aisle the inn staff had prepared, donned in fine silk and Qingxin braided in your hair. Xiao thought you've never looked more beautiful, like a goddess that has descended from Celestia itself. It takes him a while to recover from the sight and by then you're already standing next to him with the brightest of smiles, holding his hand and intertwining your fingers. The entire world tuned out of existence and the only thing Xiao could see was you. He doesn't even remember what he said for his vows, too awestruck to even form a coherent sentence as his thoughts reeled a thousand miles per second. Whatever it was he said seemed to make you happy and Xiao allows himself to smile as he slips the ring onto your finger. There weren't many to bear witness to the day you both promised to be one - except perhaps Verr, Huai'an and the traveler who each played a part - but for Xiao it was more than enough to feel the plush of your lips against his under the light of the moon and the stars.

(Zhongli couldn't help but smile at the scene before him but he leaves without another word, receding into the darkness of the night before anyone could take notice.) 

Xiao worried the most throughout your pregnancy and even more so on the day you gave birth. Mortals are far too fragile of a creature and Xiao was hyperaware of this fact as he paced to and fro outside the door, could only hear the way you cry out and the midwife's gentle encouragement as she eases you through the process. There was a moment of silence and Xiao had to fight the urge to burst into the room, thinking that something terrible must have gone wrong until suddenly there was a tiny cry and Xiao's heart seized up in his throat. 

He was allowed inside a moment later and he immediately moves to your side, gently stroking your hair as you smiled up at him tiredly before turning your gaze to the baby swaddled in your arms. 

"Congratulations," the midwife had said, a smile on her face before leaving the room, "it's a healthy baby girl." 

No amount of words could have ever expressed the emotion swirling in Xiao's eyes, both anxiety, joy and excitement clashing within amber speckled orbs but his hand stops in mid-air and all of a sudden time feels as though it was suddenly put to a halt.

Is this truly alright?

He's afraid to reach out, to touch something so pure that a being like him must never hold. The voices in his head scream blasphemy and lies.

Perhaps this was just some dream he's conjured up in the hazy murk of his mind and he'll wake up on the roof of the inn like he's always had with only the frigid wind keeping him company. That's right, maybe this wasn't true at all. He's simply far too gone that he's fabricated an ideal world of his making. One where he lives in peace, where he's loved and accepted. The iron tang of blood suddenly fills the air and all at once he imagines the battles he's fought, the sickening squelch of metal against flesh and the dust and grime of battles waged in war. The screams, the cries, the pain, the agony- 

A small hand wrapping itself around his pinky successfully pulls him out of his trance and the soft giggle and coo that followed after it made Xiao's chest constrict tightly with an emotion he can't seem to place. 

Xiao's breath catches in his throat as the small fist around his finger grounded him back to reality.

For a moment Xiao felt stupid for allowing himself to be consumed by how his mind wandered back into one of the darkest fragments of his memory, how could he when he was in front of the very two things that shone light in his life of perpetual agony? 

The adepti allowed a shaky breath himself a shaky breath at long last, leaning closer so he could rest his head against yours while he allowed his daughter to hold onto his pinky. 

"Can I..." he started, fumbling with his words as he kept his gaze fixated on the infant, "can I hold her?" 

The apprehension in his voice was terribly apparent and in an effort to calm his nerves you gently press a kiss to his cheek, nodding before carefully placing the child in his awkward attempt of a cradle. He quickly adjusts himself with your careful guidance, much more silent than he already usually is as the baby babbled sleepily. You will yourself to stay awake despite the fatigue and discomfort settling in your bones, opting instead to lean back against the headboard as you watch Xiao marvel in the presence of your child. 

"I'll protect you." Xiao says a moment later, voice soft yet filled with determination. 

He turns to face you this time and you swore you saw his eyes glisten with the beginning of tears but you don't get so much of a second chance to look before he rests his forehead against your shoulder, purposely hiding so you won't see the way he breaks and the vulnerability that lies behind the battle-hardened warrior of one of Rex Lapis' strongest Yakshas.

"I'll protect the both of you no matter what the cost." 

You're both terribly precious to me. 

———–

I feel like I idealize relationships with these characters so much because of how touch-starved and affection craved I am but I live for soff Xiao so here. Take this mushy thing I made during class again wwww

I do hope it wasn’t too OOC at least

[reydjarinkenobi]

Ohhhhh, I would love to see more of that Finn/Poe time-travel fanfiction! (Especially if it has Clones & Finn interactions)

Hii, so I’m actually writing again after a bit of an unscheduled break. My state went back into lockdown in Australia, so I’ve been kind of bummed about that, and just stressed in general. I’ve also just gone back to school since year 12′s are like the only thing still running. Writing might be slow going but I will try and get through a few of the built up pompts. I’m sorry to whoever sent through asks. I always forget to check them and my writing has been pretty non-existent.

----

Cody sat next to Ponds in the medbay.

 The four time travellers were occupying three of the beds. Chewbacca was reclined in one near the corner, grumbling quietly to himself whilst Commander Finn and Commander Dameron were sitting next to each other on one two lots over, their legs dangling over the edge as Kix and Helix took blood and performed various other tests on them.

 Cross-legged on the bed in the middle was Commander Rey talking amicably with Commanders Tano and Offee, who had dragged their chairs closer to her bed once her own tests had been finished. She'd elected to have the blood taken from her wrist rather than have to take off her arm bindings - even though Cody knew from experience that it was more painful - and was now idly fiddling with the end of the fabric near her wrist as she conversed with the other two girls.

 The earlier melancholy that had overtaken her at the end of their conversation was gone now and she smiled widely, providing an effective (and Cody suspected, unwitting) distraction for the two padawans, who had been annoyed at being left out of the discussion that the generals were currently engaged in. General Kenobi (or Obi-Wan, as he insisted Cody address him as when they were not on duty) had informed Cody that Rey was perhaps a year older than Padawan Offee, and no more than three years older than Commander Tano. It was good for them to interact with others around their age, especially since Rey could relate so well to their situation.

 Commanders Dameron and Finn would occasionally contribute to their conversation, though the two were mostly distracted by answering the medics' questions.

 They would all need to be vaccinated as well as go on a round of antibiotics, anti-viral and anti-contagion medication because of the disparity between bacteria and diseases between their time periods. Luckily, none of them had been carrying anything immediately deadly or damaging. 

 Ponds and Cody had silently agreed to watch over their new commanders, both to ensure their protection and to further judge their character.

 To be honest, Cody hadn't even started to process what he'd heard in the ship. He couldn't afford to think about it. He knew that he would break down as soon as he did.

 He had wanted to deny the truth that had been revealed to him; there was no way that the Vode would betray their Jedi. He couldn't be able to do that to Obi-Wan. It was impossible. But then him and Ponds had gotten their heads scanned and now he was nursing a fading headache, the point on his head where they had removed the chip not even leaving a scar behind. The only sign was the strips of hair shaved out of their heads.

 They had only done the two clone commanders so far, wanting to study the chips further and get onto a Jedi ship, where they were surrounded by only allies, before they did further operations. They didn't want to draw attention from the wrong senators.

 Cody was glad that Kix and Helix had let them sit in the chairs near the door instead of forcing them onto beds as they recovered. From here, he could pretend that there was nothing wrong, that the only reason he was sitting there beside his vod was to protect his new commanders. Well, their new commanders.

 The 212th and the 187th would be working closely together from now on which meant that, though technically each new commander only belonged to one of the battalions, they would be watched over both. There was an unspoken but clandestine agreement of that fact.

 Besides, the commanders needed to be protected, deserved to be protected, just as much as their often misunderstood generals.

 Commander Rey's story reminded Cody hauntingly of what he knew of General Skywalker's past. Though, he hadn't seen any of the bitter anger that seemed to surround General Skywalker in her. Yet. He had only known the girl for a few hours.

 And Commander Finn? Well, he was a brother. Cody and Ponds had agreed on that almost instantly. Whilst the others had potential to be accepted into the fold just as deeply as the 501st held Commander Tano, their vod'ika, Commander Finn was already one of them. He could understand them. He was one of them.

 And didn't that just make Cody feel worse? He knew that what had been done to them was awful. He hadn't always really understood. He knew that what he'd seen the long necks do to his brothers made him angry, he knew it left him with this deep seated fear that he was only just beginning to erode at, but only after finding Obi-Wan staring out one of the viewports, tears pouring down his cheeks and listened to his speech, did Cody really understand the injustice of their treatment. And to find out that it was used as inspiration to harm children made him feel infinitely worse.

 It was true that, outside of the Jedi, Cody had little love to spare for natborns, but he wouldn't wish his own child upon any innocent.

 Ponds bumped Cody's shoulder lightly and broke him out of his thoughts. Cody glanced to the side, inclining his head forward slightly in thanks, and refocused on his new charges.

 Neither Ponds or Cody had ever had a Jedi commander, and he hadn't really understood other vode when they talked about their own. But, only a few hours after getting his own, he thought he was beginning to get the feeling all the others spoke of, even if these ones were much older than the usual.

 He'd always thought that it would be just like having another general. He certainly felt protective of Obi-Wan. He wouldn't let anyone harm his general.

 However, for Commander Finn and Commander Rey it was different. It was almost… paternal?

 It was different than what he felt for Commander Tano. She was Rex's. So, he watched over like he watched over his closest vod outside his battalion, but she wasn't his commander. He didn't panic at the thought of leaving her with other people.

 Cody fought to keep his frown off his face.

 He needed to get control of himself.

 Commander Finn and Commander Rey were adults. They weren't like the usual padawans. Never mind that they were almost more vulnerable than most Jedi commanders, since they both had so little training and such traumatic childhoods. His fist tightened involuntarily.

 Ponds glanced down at the movement and then met Cody's eye.

 "I know, vod," he murmured. "They feel so… bright."

 Cody almost sighed. At least it wasn't only him.

 "We won't let them out of our sight," he whispered and Ponds nodded.

 "Deal."

 Commander Tano jumping to her feet drew Cody's attention.

 "Are they all cleared, Kix?" she asked, pushing herself up onto her toes.

 Helix glanced down at his pad whilst Regret - the 187th's head medic - bustled over.

 "I would like to get you, Commander Rey, on a vitamin plan, as you're severely deficient in many," Regret informed her. "You'll need to go on a strict meal plan as well."

 "You're not as bad, Commander Finn," Helix informed the man. "But I'll still give you some tablets with your dinner. Otherwise, you're all cleared to go. We'll have follow up shots in about a week to make sure you get full immunity and we're still waiting on a few test results, but you don't need to be while we analyse them."

 The commanders, who had both wrinkled their noses slightly (whether it was at the formalities or the medication, Cody didn't know, but he still made note to make sure they followed medic regs. Force knows he had enough practice with his own self-sacrificing battalion and general) grinned and jumped up.

 "Great!" Commander Tano exclaimed. "Then we can see you guys spar. I want to see how you're fighting is."

 Commander Finn glanced down whilst Commander Dameron grinned broadly and bumped his shoulder whilst a small blush crept onto Commander Rey's features.

 "I'm sure you'll be underwhelmed. We have virtually no training."

 "That's okay," Commander Tano assured her brightly. "It'll be good to see your instincts anyway. Skyguy is often put on missions with Master Obi-Wan since they make such a good team, and since you guys have to stick together, I'm sure I'll be training with you pretty often."

 "I'm also curious to see your fighting styles," Commander Offee stated. "And we can demonstrate our lightsaber forms for you after."

 Commander Rey grinned. "I'd love to see that."

 She glanced up at the two men that had also just stood up, who gave enthusiastic nods, before looking back at the Wookie, who was still lying down.

 "Are you coming, Chewie?"

 Chewbacca let out a roar that sounded distinctly annoyed, but he stood up.

 "What about you, commanders?" Commander Finn asked, looking at Ponds and Cody. "Are you cleared to leave."

 Both of them nodded, ignoring the indignant glares of their medics as they got out of their chairs.

 "It would be beneficial to see your base skill levels," Ponds said.

 "Great!" Commander Tano decided. "Then we'll all go."

 They mad an unusual sight, all of them strolling through the corridors, with a spherical astromech and a small one-wheeled droid doing excited circles around their group, weaving between the time travellers' legs as they chattered away in a mix of basic and binary.

 When they got there, Commander Tano gestured over to a circle that had been drawn on the ground in the centre of the large room. It had fancier obstacles and training simulations than the Jedi cruisers had, even though the only combatants it normally held were guards, and perhaps an unusually trained dignitary, but Cody supposed that in ships like this, things were there for money rather than use.

 Although, he couldn't complain about the extensive kitchen and food storage areas. He hadn't eaten this well for so many consecutive days well… ever. 

 Commander Rey and Commander Finn took up their places about ten metres away from each other after depositing their other weapons with their companions.

 "Just give me a moment," Commander Rey requested as she removed her weapon from her belt.

 When it was activated, Cody noted with some surprise that it was a double-bladed lightsaber, one with two different colours, a deep gold and a brilliant azure blue.

 "This is going to be interesting," Commander Dameron informed them quietly, as Commander Rey took a few warm up swings with her saber, slowly twirling it around her body whilst Commander Finn rolled his shoulders, his deactivated saber in his right palm.

 "Why?" Cody couldn't stop himself from asking.

 "They've never both had sabers before. They usually sparred with sticks or metal pipes. There was that one time they borrowed a few actual metal swords but they didn't like those, said the balance was different."

 "Are you saying that she's never used a double-bladed saber before?" Commander Offee asked, awe tinting her voice.

 Commander Dameron shrugged. "No, but she does prefer her spear. She said the saber never felt right."

 Before the conversation could continue, Commander Rey stopped her experimentation, holding the saber out in front of her, parallel to the ground.

 "Alright," she announced, "I'm ready."

 Commander Finn grinned and nodded, activating his own saber and holding it in a double-handed grip in front of him.

 "Okay," Commander Dameron called. "Begin."

 They both ran in to meet each other with Commander Rey immediately bracing to block Commander Finn's overhead attack, she swung the other end of her staff around in a deadly ark that Commander Finn only barely deflected, and was forced to dodge as the other end came up, dancing backwards.

 His eyes were slightly wide, and it was obvious that he'd never had to face something like this before.

 They exchanged a few more blows after that, but six months was a big difference in experience when you were talking about eight months and two months of training. And, though Commander Rey faltered somewhat with her new saber, she clearly had a solid background in similar weapons born of years of fighting whilst Commander Finn wasn't nearly as familiar with his own.

 The fight ended when they Commander Finn was knocked slightly off balance as he blocked one of Commander Rey's blows, leaving him not enough time to react as her golden blade swung around to his exposed ribs, stopping mere inches away from hitting it.

 The both tensed, breathing heavily for a few seconds before they stepped away from each other, grinning.

 "Good job," the said simultaneously and Commander Tano bounced up to them, Commander Dameron not far behind as he threw an arm over Commander Finn's shoulders.

 "You'll get her next time," the pilot assured him but Commander Finn just laughed.

 "Maybe not if she actually starts training with the staff."

 "You were very good for someone with so little experience with a lightsaber," Commander Offee commented, smiling slightly.

 Commander Finn looked down at the comment. "I have been trained extensively in other melee weapons… just not swords before."

 "Finn can absolutely obliterate me in blaster practice," Commander Rey proclaimed proudly. "In fact, he taught me pretty much everything I know about shooting one of them."

 There was a story there, but Commander Tano didn't have time to aske before the doors to the training room were opened.

 The four general walked into the room, with Gree and Rex flanking them.

 As usually, the only one clearly dispalying their emotions was General Skywalker, who was scowling thunderously.

 Cody and Ponds saluted whilst Commanders Offee and Tano bowed, with Commanders Finn and Rey following a beat after, leaving Chewbacca and Commander Dameron to nod respectfully.

 "Masters," Commander Offee greeted and the three older generals nodded in acknowledgment.

 "What's wrong?" Commander Tano asked.

 The generals exchanged glances.

 "A few of the tests returned… unexpected results," Obi-Wan admitted.

 Commander Dameron frowned. "What does that mean."

 General Windu stepped forward, looking his new padawan in the eye.

 "Rey, what do you know about your parents?"