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trixie2023 · 3 months ago

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As always, amazingly perfectly written. I expected no less. Sweet Echo 🥰

I loved the back and forth flashbacks.

Rex being a great captain and friend to Echo. ❤️

A Second Chance

Rating: 18+, Minors do NOT read

Pairing: TBB Echo x fem!reader

Wordcount: 7k

Warnings: Some sadness and pining, hurt/comfort, romance, friends to lovers, porn with plot...

A/N: Reader has hair but no further description. The story is settled somewhere before TBB S1 and after S3... and in my fantasy he'll always wear that damn sexy kama. Credit and a huuuge Thank you to @tecker for being an inspiration, muse, friend and part of my life.

Summary: Some things aren’t just meant to be... at least when it comes to Echo and you. Right?

The dark grey dust that was stirred up during landing has not yet had time to settle when the boarding ramp of the Remora lowers. Rex is the first to leave the ship. He nods politely your way as the clones step onto the surface of Yavin 4 one by one. But something about him seems to be different… somehow… constrained. Not only a second later, following in his wake, the Bad Batch appears. Hunter, Crosshair… and then... Luckily the ambient noise is so loud that no one can hear your gasp. Echo.

For a moment, he appears like a vision, blurred in the veil of dust. His head held high, his shoulders squared. The kama is gently swaying around his legs with every brisk step he takes down the ramp. Not... not again. Desperately, you try to ignore the stab in your heart. And yet, the very first glimpse of him feels so painful, so real, as if it were only yesterday. Yet it's been more than two years.

It was one of those hot summer nights on Coruscant. Once again, you were at 79s with friends, and once again, you spent the evening glancing over at him, furtively adoring him, until your friend finally gave you a little push in his direction.

“Come on! Go ahead and ask him if he wants to have a drink with you.”

“What do I do if he says no?”

“You’re kidding me? You did see the way he’s looking at you? Echo definitely won't say no.”

The way he’s looking at you?! No, you actually hadn't noticed, and the knowledge about it only made you more nervous than you already were. Especially with all the other women in the bar, who were buzzing around the boys in white, or in this case, black and red, like moths to a flame. And why had she suddenly known his name?

"Yeah… but… what am I even supposed to tell him? Excuse me... but I think I'm madly in love with you?" Your voice had vibrated with excitement and you had shaken your head, too embarrassed and unsure. "No. No, I can't."

"Hun..." Your friend's hands wrapped around your shoulders, giving you an encouraging squeeze.

"...just try the gentle approach. Tell him you've seen him before and you'd like to talk to him. And then... who knows what might happen?" She winked at you, and the next moment you found yourself eye to eye with the most attractive, most handsome man you'd ever met. Despite and because of the fact that he was a clone.

What followed was the best evening of your life up to that point. The two of you had sat at a small table in a booth at the edge of the bar, chatting. You had laughed together and... flirted. Or what else could you call it when he was hanging on your every word, literally... his eyes, that is... and he blushed whenever you caught him doing it and teased him a little by nibbling on said lips with your teeth.

Every now and then, his hand had found yours, his fingertips brushing against yours for a split second, each time lighting you up like a live wire. And each time, he'd pulled them back as if he'd burned himself on you. This mixture of boldness and shyness, his entire being dancing on a fine line of extremes. Simply ravishing.

And then... when the evening was almost over and it was time for you to leave...

"I have to go. Thank you so much for a truly lovely evening, mesh'la. It's so rare..." Echo shook his head and grinned at you, "that there are women in here who don't want to get laid by us clones right away. None of them see anything in me or my brothers other than a bargain. Or an opportunity to play with fire. Not one of them seems to care that there might already be someone in my life. You are so pleasantly different. That means a lot to me."

He stood up, and you did the same, the lump in your throat almost made you choke. But how could you have said anything other than what he wanted to hear when the gentle expression on his face revealed nothing but gratitude for your friendship? And so you swallowed your grief, careful not to let him see it, and gave him your brightest smile.

"Anytime. I hope to see you again, Echo. You know where to find me." With trembling fingers, you wrote down your personal com number for him.

"I'm looking forward to it."

For half a minute, he just stood there, gazing at you. There was a tinge of regret in his eyes. Or was that just your wounded vanity trying to deceive you? Suddenly, his arms were around you, his body as strong and sturdy and as close as he'd ever been before, and his lips were placing a peck on your cheek just below your ear.

"Ret'urcye mhi, mesh'la."

And then he was gone... and all you had left was the soft, warm feeling, the inkling of what could have been, on your skin.

Then the tears came.

And right now, you feel that kiss again, as if it were only minutes ago. And as always, the desire burns as hot as the grief on your cheek. At least you can hold back the tears, even when he's standing right in front of you: tall, strong, imposing.

"Hello."

Even if your voice sounds a little rough, you still can be proud of yourself that you've managed to get a word out at all. He doesn't seem to notice your inner struggle, instead he puts his arms around you in greeting and hugs you tightly, pulling you flash against him, as he always does. Well, to the unyielding plastoid armor. And as always, you return his gesture with a brave smile, wishing time would stand still for just a moment. It was Rex who told you long ago that Echo and his girlfriend broke off. And yet... Whatever you had hoped for, it never happened. Echo and you... you had never tested the boundaries of your friendship, let alone crossed them. He obviously wanted it that way, and you were never brave enough to reveal your true feelings to him. The chance had passed.

"Su'cuy, mesh'la." He swallows dryly. You can see his Adam's apple nervously rise and fall again.

A few seconds pass in silence, then a few more. Kriff, why is it so hard for you to act normal and easy-going around him? It was what you promised him. Friendship. While he spends his few free hours in someone else's bed... You almost sob, but you manage to pull yourself together just in time. Or not? He suddenly looks so self-conscious.

"Would you have...?"

Echo gives a weary sigh and breaks off, so unsure in stark contrast to his usual confident demeanor. The one that turns your knees to jelly every time you meet him. And now? Something's bothering him. You'd like to throw all restraint aside and clasp him in your arms for comfort, but you don't know if you'd be able to hold back then. In a way, the whole thing is even more... dangerous.

“Would I — what?” you try to help him, noticing how difficult it seems for him to continue speaking.

With a shy smile finally appearing on his face, he asks you, “Would you have a minute for me? I… um… would like to… um… talk to you.” After a quick glance over at his brothers, he adds, so quietly that you have trouble hearing, “Alone.”

“Sure.”

Weird. In all the years you've known each other, you've met, celebrated, and talked to each other many times. Though not as often as you would have liked. But not once has it felt like it does now. Somehow... precarious.

Echo starts walking, leading you away from the ship and the base, a little way into the surrounding jungle. You follow with a tight feeling in your chest. Did something go wrong on the last mission? No. The others all seemed normal when they left the ship, and you can make out a few new faces in the crowd of clones, which means this rescue mission was a success. So is it something personal that's bothering him? Kriff... he... he doesn't want to ask you for relationship advice or anything, does he?

About two minutes later - two endlessly long minutes in which the thoughts are spinning inside your head, wondering what he might want and why in the nine hells you feel like a terrified nuna, after all, you're taking a walk with a friend - he suddenly stops in a small clearing, turning to you, and regarding you intently. Almost like back on Coruscant... when...

Echo takes a step closer to you, and in that moment, in the amber gleam of his brown eyes, you recognize the same chaos of emotions raging within you. Or are you just imagining it? No. Suddenly, his voice sounds even deeper than usual. The timbre, already warm and soft, is even a touch softer. Your knees are now on the verge of giving way, and if it weren't for the thousand birdsongs and the chirping of insects, you'd be sure your heartbeat would be heard throughout the entire area.

“There's something I need to figure out.”

That doesn't sound good, does it?

Another small step closer. Now he's so close that you have to tilt your head back a little to maintain eye contact with him. The familiar scent mixed with traces of blaster residues, Echo's scent, suddenly envelops you like a soft veil, his warm breath wafting across your face and sending a shiver of excitement through your body. Whatever it’s happening here is so unprecedented, inappropriate in a sort of way, and so incredibly hot…

“A-And what would that be?”

While you're still trying to somehow comprehend the situation, to figure out whether this is a dream or reality, his left hand finds your neck and his fingers wind ever so gently into your hair, while his right arm wraps around your waist and pulls you closer. And then his lips are on yours. So soft and gentle. Tentative.

Maybe you would be shocked by the way things suddenly have changed between you, but in that moment your mind decided to stop working and your heart... With a quiet sigh you let yourself fall into the indescribable feeling of his closeness.

KARK.

Kark, kark, kark…

His eyes are still open, afraid that if he closes them, you might suddenly disappear. And so he can vaguely perceive how your shocked expression gives way to a sweet smile, while his own emotions rush over him like waves. For one thing, there's this overwhelming guilty conscience. He… he had one, no, a thousand reasons why he did not want to strike up a relationship with you. Why he didn't want to expose you to the danger that he is, to disappointment. For so long, he's remained strong, resisted the temptation, and stayed away from you. No matter how much it hurt him.

And how much he grated on his brothers’ nerves. Not a single day had gone by in the last few years without him mentioning you. Whether he was talking about what you had done or said in one situation or another, or whether he was wondering aloud what you were doing right now… unfortunately, he had voiced his thoughts unwittingly instead of just keeping them to himself. Your face appeared so bright and clear in his mind's eye when he was crouching in some shab’la cover, the plasma charges of blaster shots whizzing past him. Would you ever know what had become of him? Would you care? And as much as he wanted you to be the one he comes home to and holding him, he didn't want you to be the one who would undoubtedly cry for him one day.

Besides, you had said that you were friends. Friends. How could he have compromised what you had built up over the years, just like that? He felt cheap night after night, imagining you naked. He dreamed it wasn't his own hand touching himself and giving him what he craved, but your soft body. It was almost ridiculous how easily he could get into that mood and let himself be overcome by desire. He hated himself for it.

And even though he thought he had kept his feelings private, he couldn't fool Rex.

"Go and talk to her!"

"I can't. She... doesn't feel anything like that for me. Not..." He almost said, 'like I do feel for her,' but then he remembered that this should remain a secret he would take to his grave, and he fell silent. Rex gave him a smug grin. Kark! The two had known each other for so long, there was nothing he could keep a secret from his captain. Echo scowled.

"I won't let you continue destroying yourself with your self-imposed restraint, Echo. I won't let you endanger yourself or any of our brothers because you're zoned out!" Rex's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Sir... I..."

"That's an order. Kark, Echo! You're an ARC. Go and make do."

As if it were that simple. First of all, he was no longer an ARC, but just another clone among many, lucky enough to be half-cyborg instead of dead, no matter what Rex claimed otherwise, and secondly...

"What if she doesn't want me after all this time?" After all, years had passed since that summer night on Coruscant. And even though he remembered the glimmer in your eyes all too well... Things could be different by now.

"Why so sure?" Rex smiled once again and then turned away. Echo stayed behind. Confused. He wanted to run after him and ask how the captain knew he wouldn't leave a huge mess behind when he’d confront you and himself with the truth. But he didn't. Instead, he had spent hour after hour on the flight back, thinking about how to address you. Every word seemed too much and out of place.

But right now, you raise your hand to cup his cheek. He feels the careful movement of your thumb brushing against his stubble. The gentle tingling... The part of him that has fought time and again, the guilt, the question of whether it is right or wrong to be with you, lays down his arms, and Echo surrenders.

With a deep groan, he closes his eyes and pulls you even tighter to him. Holding you like this is both bliss and torture. He had fought it for so long. So long... The soft sound of his longing echoes between the two of you, tingling where his lips brush against yours like the gentle hint of something much more profound. When he finally, slowly pulls away from you, he's not the only one left breathless.

A second or two pass, yet it feels like an eternity, until you open your eyes and look up at him. His own tenderness and fear are reflected in your gaze. The coil in his chest tightens at the sight. The spark that has been ignited between the two of you all those years ago hadn't been extinguished. And yet...

"Echo." You whisper his name, and it feels like a gentle touch. "Did... did you find out what you wanted to know?"

"Hmmm." He carefully leans back a little and reluctantly releases you from his embrace. But in that same moment, he realizes he's made a mistake. He's only increased your self-doubt. Ner mirsh solus.

"I'm sorry. I... am a hypocrite. I should have told you, but I didn't mean..." he hears you stammer and curses himself for his insensitivity. You give him a long, fear-filled look from beneath your lowered lashes, and it seems to him as if you're peering directly into his soul, if he has one at all. "Please forgive me."

Everything, he would forgive you everything. But... A twinge of panic rises within him. You can't want that you both just continue as before. Cause he certainly can't. From the beginning, he knew that once he held you, he wouldn't be able to let go. Can't you see that? Can't you feel it? He'd always thought he was an open book to you. Now he sees how wrong he was.

"Cyar'ika," the sound of his voice is now husky, almost hoarse. His hand breaks free from its rigidity, gliding up the curve of your neck. Finally, his index finger slides under your chin, gently lifting it. "I've wanted to kiss you ever since the day you talked to me. I thought I'd missed my chance."

Well…

Who is this man you've pined after for so long, the man who consistently irritates you and yet captivated you from the very beginning? The man who doesn't just make your heart beat faster... The man who, despite everything you've experienced together, has left you in the dark about his true feelings. Until today... Until this very moment.

There's so much you could say in response. You could tell him that back then, you also had wanted nothing more than to kiss him. Or how often you've imagined this kiss in your dreams in the meantime. You could quip that he'd better get going now, after all, there's so much to catch up on. Or you could tell him that no matter how many chances he needs, you'll give them to him again and again, because no matter what… you could never give up on the dream of the two of you ending up as a couple. No matter how unlikely it is... was... But you can't utter a single damn word and remain silent. The words form a lump in your throat and make your lips tremble, while he still gently holds your chin up. Don't... don't cry.

For a while, the two of you just keep standing there, so close to each other, and all the sounds on the base are nothing more than a faint white noise in the background. You feel the comfort of his presence, giving you warmth and making you forget that you’ve been stricken by sorrow about him. Every damned, lonely night you spent without him fades into the sea of oblivion.

With a smile, you finally summon the courage to place your hands around his waist, touching the battered plastoid of his armor as gently as you've never touched it before. He answers your silent approach and embraces you. His hand wraps around the side of your ribcage, demure, yet close enough that you feel the warmth radiating onto your curves. His scomp mimics the touch, awkward yet eager.

"Do you know how many times I've wondered what it would be like to hold you in my arms? Not as a friend..."

His words elicit a soft gasp from you. And finally, finally, you find your voice again. Even if it’s still hesitant.

"What then?"

He doesn’t answer.

The tension between you is almost palpable, like he’s determined to hold onto it and drag it out as long as he can. You're aware that you're playing with fire, with the way you breathe the words. The way you look at him, pleading and challenging, and catching your lower lip between your teeth…

Almost forcefully he tears himself away from your gaze. Exuding his exciting, masculine scent, he lowers his head again to kiss you. And this time it's not a tentative touch, nor testing the waters. This time it's pure, desperate desire. Your body is about to combust as his tongue pushes itself insistently between your lips, tasting your passion. This kiss is long and deep and so much more.

Finally! A sweet shiver of arousal rushes through you. And his own, desperate arousal, presses against your stomach as you snuggle even closer to him. With gentle determination, his hand gropes its way down to your buttock, skirting it eventually. A pleasurable, unprecedented sensation pools in your core. So this is what it feels like…

"Echo..." The rest of whatever you were about to say fades into a stifled sigh as his hand resumes roaming, dipping under your tunic, and then slides up and further up, until it finally cups your curve. For a second, he hesitates, giving you the opportunity to retreat. Nothing is further from your mind. Then his thumb slowly brushes the spot where your bud peeks beneath the cotton of your bra. His soft touch makes it bloom and harden just for him.

"Echo..." Are...? 'Are we doing the right thing?' you want to ask, but all that slips out of your mouth is a moan of pleasure.

When he pulls away after what felt like eternity and yet could only be minutes, your lips are swollen, your hair is disheveled, and your heart is racing like a galloping fathier. You almost feel dizzy as you watch him run his tongue over his own flushed lips.

"Cyar'ika. Haar'chak!" His voice sounds even raspier now, his voice that you’ve heard a million times… but right now it’s so… intimate.

You giggle. Everything inside you suddenly feels so light and carefree. "I don't know what that means, but if you say it, it must be true."

That, in turn, makes him laugh and the sound of his joy makes your heart leap.

It is the right thing. You spent years right next to him, trying to ignore the gap separating you. You've been casually talking about the weather and missions, and neither one of you was saying a damn word about this intangible thing between you while you gazed at each other. And you never saw him as happy as he’s right now. For years you were both winding up each other, pretending - no forcing - this relationship to be strictly platonic, while in fact it was kind of an agonizing foreplay.

It's never been a question of 'if', you realise, but a question of 'when' he’ll finally give in and touch you. Every second you spent together or lightyears apart from each other, lying to yourselves, were meant to get you into his arms... into his bed...

"You are all I've ever wanted," you whisper.

His lips find the sensitive spot in the crook of your neck, and he murmurs something in Mando'a on your skin you don't understand. How you wish you knew what those melodious words mean, but you lack the strength to ask.

When he raises his head and looks at you, there is burning desire in his amber eyes. Light as a breeze, his lips brush against yours, while his scomp strokes a spot just above your backside that you didn't even know would bring you so much pleasure, making your loins tingle.

"I want you," he whispers back.

You know what he’s asking... He’s asking you to irreversibly cross the line from being just friends to lovers. He's asking to expose you and quench this bottled-up desire. And it fills your belly with a simmering heat, twisting up your insides with need and setting you on fire.

Your body is giving the answer your voice can't find. The desire for him nearly consumes you, and you feel dizzy as your hand slides to the inside of his thigh, finding the gap in the armor. With skillful fingers, you gingerly massage the taint between his tense legs, amazed about the warm and sweaty sensation.

"Come," Echo rasps.

While you're still trying to reach out your hand so he can lead you back to your quarters, he already slides his arm under you with a decisive motion and lifts you as effortlessly as anything from the ground. Kriff! It’s not that you didn’t expect him to be strong, yet he still surprises you with this sheer display of physical performance. The tinge of showing-off from the otherwise level-headed trooper. It doesn’t fail its purpose. You gasp and entrust your weight to his strong arms.

In a way you still feel as if caught in a dream, even though his body does in fact feel pretty solid, wrapped around you like that. It makes you almost frantic with the desire to fulfil your connection with him before it can be ripped away like it was before.

The evening breeze gently blows through the branches of the trees and palms. As Echo purposefully carries you back to base and across the hangar into the ancient Massassi temple where the quarters are located, you see a few of his brothers leering and hear one or two of them shouting something to Echo that you don't understand. The strangest thing, however, is when you look over Echo's shoulder and see Rex smiling at you with a satisfied smile on his lips, almost as if he… You wink, and he mouths a silent ‘You’re welcome.’

With a quiet hissing noise, the door to your quarters closes. The dim light in the windowless room welcomes you, barely revealing the small table, chairs, and a bed. It’s not much that you call your own since you’ve joined the clone rebellion, but the few things are all you need. No ballast if you have to strike camp abruptly. Yet as uninviting as the room may be, right now it’s the perfect love shack for you and him. Echo. He’s been in your quarters every now and then: for smalltalk, to pick you up for a briefing, to say goodbye. He always held up a platonic impression and pretended the bed wasn’t there. Now the tempting piece of furniture is the only thing that matters. Carefully, as if holding a fragile treasure in his arms, he lays you down on the sheet. The mattress sinks in when he sits down on the edge of the bed next to you.

“Are you comfortable?” Echo asks, his amber eyes regarding you coseley.

“Mmmm,” you hum in response. “Never felt better.”

Echo chuckles. How much better will you even feel when he’s going to have his way with you? But then again, he can totally relate to your sentiment. Still incredible to see you like this.

Almost reverently, he grazes along your jawline with his scomp. The sight of the harsh, battered metal against your silky skin stabs his chest for a split second. He can’t feel a single karking thing in his right arm, at least the lower part. And maybe it has been one of the more idiotic reasons to stay away from you, but somewhere deep inside Echo wondered all those years if he could ever be enough for you. More machine than man, at least percentage wise. Yes, thank you very much Tech. You never gave the impression that you’d see him inferior to one of his brothers or that his disability would mind you at all. It took him lots of self-persuasion to agree with you. Until that moment that is. You’ve raised your hand to place it gently on his scomp, your fingers running across the insensitive device. The scomp may be a part of him, a pretty useful most of the time to be honest, but of what use is the thing if he can't sense your touch right now. Tech did make him a prosthetic hand, covered with synth-flesh, one that was actually able to sense… but somehow it doesn’t feel right to interrupt your togetherness to ‘switch’ arms. Ridiculous. And unnecessary, he notes as you turn your head to softly blow a kiss on the drill bit.

The gesture, as small and insignificant as it is, is the last reassurance he needs to dive into this new and thrilling experience with you. To indulge in desires long held back and turn friendship into something new. Instantly, he imagines you splayed out on your bed, your cheeks flushed with excitement and your hair disheveled. This time… the pictures won’t remain just wishful thinking, not just a wet dream at night. His hard-on presses ever more fiercely against the confines of his codpiece, reminding him that some of his parts are still human and that he’s enough of a man to satisfy the both of you. Multiple times.

Echo bends with a smile. "I want you to feel good. I'm gonna make you feel good. Waited far too long for this," he murmurs next to your ear. His nimble fingers carefully free you from your tunic and binders shortly after, and the warmth you radiate only adds fuel to the fire of his own lustful thoughts. Nothing's gonna stop him from becoming one with you. Next, his hand pushes your pants and underwear over your hips leaving you lying exposed before him. For a moment, he lets his gaze glide over your nakedness, taking his time to admire your body before…

The kiss he places on your mouth is softer than any other he has ever given… and yet it turns into a sinful, tender, slow motion as he drops his head to follow the curve of your neck. His lips brush along your skin and his tongue unhastingly, almost lazily, licks wet patterns as he discovers your taste with relish, and devotes himself to you. A burning desire washes over him and makes him almost combust inside his armor when his mouth climbs your mound and your tempting scent enfolds him.

You gasp in surprise, eyes shut in delight, as his lips wrap around your erect nipple and suckle while he’s thumbing the neglected one with a gloved hand. Ugh… just… just the mental picture of him in full armor bent over your naked body…

"Please... don't stop," you whisper hotly, your hands starting to roam over his head, neck and shoulders.

Somewhere in your sex-addled mind you wonder if he’s been too impatient to undress himself first or if he’s doing it on purpose. Spoiling you and serving your undoubted kink. Kriff… the things you wanted to do to that particular armor for years. And now your legs wrap themselves around his back, and the pressure as the edges dig into your skin in stark contrast to the soft and tender way his hand massages your breast, almost has you reaching your climax just then and there.

Plop. With a throaty chuckle, he interrupts his attention and raises his head. In the dim light, you can see him licking his lips. "Not for anything in the galaxy."

He smirks then lowers his head again, and his lips wander further. Deeper. Your own lips part in a silent gasp as he circles his tongue around your navel. And then you toss your head to the side as his soft kisses tingle on your lower belly while he leaves an agonizingly slow, moist trail down your slope…

"E-Ech..." Your body arches up from the mattress in blinding pleasure as he tastes your wet warmth for the first time with a loud moan.

“Sweet like honey.”

Or something like that you think he whimpers between your legs while he’s rutting against the mattress, but you can’t be sure cause you’re about to lose your mind. In a slow and steady pace he starts lapping at your leaking arousal, curling and flicking his tongue around your clit as if it’s all he ever wanted. All you can do is to moan helplessly as you feel his fingers ever so slowly sink into you and his mouth sucking on your most sensitive parts. Consumed by desire you give in to the loving play of his tongue and fingers before you eventually fall apart in a shivering orgasm.

“You have no idea, cyar’ika, how often I’ve thought about this. Of how you’d taste…,” he rasps quietly as he emerges from between your thighs. And by gods, what a sight he is. Not a hint of his usual, subliminal scowl. There’s a soft expression on his face, his eyes brim over with affection and his lips still shimmer sinfully with your juice coating them.

“You… all you had to do was ask,” you say brokenly. And are those tears in your beautiful eyes?

There is it again… the sharp pain of regret flashing up and he swallows the lump in his throat. He’s wasted so many precious years. Time he could have spent in your embrace passed by.

“I was nervous… didn’t know how to act…“ He takes a second of consideration before he resumes speaking and wipes his thumb across your cheek.

“Cyar’ika… look… I’m everything but proud about how I’ve treated you on this first night.”

But… but what could he have done differently? He was trapped. In a relationship that demanded more of him than it gave him. And trapped in his own convictions and misplaced loyalty. He was too much of a coward or maybe too coaxed by the attention he got. And then there were you like the glow of a spark of hope in the darkness. He could not have stayed away from you even if it would have been the right thing to do. He was too stubborn for his own good. But no matter how much he wishes to turn back time, it’s beyond his power.

“And if you would have told me that you never wanted to talk to me again, I couldn’t have blamed you. I can’t undo what happened… but I will be damned if I won’t treat you like you deserve from this day on…” ‘…and for the rest of my life if only you’ll let me.’ Instead of voicing his promise, he leans in again to kiss you sweetly… sweet… swee… t… ho.. hot… How salacious is that to let you taste yourself from his lips? And why’s he still wearing that karking armor to keep himself in rein?

Yes, he wants to please you. Wants to make you feel what you mean to him. He wants to make sure that there’s no doubt about his words. But… nghhh…. Now that he gets a taste of your passion with the way you respond to his kiss, he longs to find out how you feel when you move against him… when it’s your skin on his.

The air in the room is cold against your heated body as Echo gets up. With your eyes still closed the reminiscence of his warmth still wafts through your senses like a vanishing dream in the morning. Only you’re not dreaming this time… he’s still there as you open your eyes, right next to your bed. At the edge of your consciousness, you watch him stripping off his armor. Piece by piece... until he's only wrapped in his undersuit. The supple black fabric hugs and accentuates every elevated plain and valley of his muscles, turning your friend in the the shell of a hardened ARC trooper into that gorgeous man with all his edges… yet so soft to the touch. You've been waiting so long to see him like that, and against all odds, tonight your time together has come. Your gaze caresses every inch of his shape. You want to touch him so badly…

Letting your fingertips brush down along his thigh, you feel him hesitate for a second as you reach the patch where the strong corded muscles change over to the transtibial prosthesis. Yet before you even have a chance to pull back and apologize for being too pushy, he apparently has decided for himself that you’ll get all of what makes him. And finally, the last barrier slides to the floor, and you hear yourself quietly suck in a breath as he stands before you in all his masculinity. Beautiful and… The skin of his shoulders and chest is coated with a thin layer of sweat, the many ports all over his torso gleam like liquid gold in the lamplight. He’s taking your breath away just by letting you see him like this.

“You’re so beautiful, Echo.” The outspoken compliment really makes him blush, and you almost sob as you watch him bashfully rub his neck.

“I’m just…,” he trails off.

“No… not ‘just’. You’re beautiful Echo… and I will say it again and again until you’ll believe me.”

Propped up on your forearm, you let your free hand trace along his ribcage, the hipbone, the outer curve of his thigh.. The tender touch causes goosebumps on his skin and makes him shiver… the strangled sigh that slips from his throat tells you that it’s the good kind of shiver. The very good kind of, actually… and it emboldens you to purr your next words: “Or… you'll give me a reason to keep quiet.”

Deliberately, you lick your lips, and your gaze drops from his eyes down to his crotch, where you watch the most enticing hard-on you've ever seen. The velvety skin is a shade darker than his other slightly tanned skin, the glans glistening with a thin icing of precum. The thick vein pulsing imperceptibly…

“Not yet.” He interrupts your delicious daydream, denying you the opportunity to taste his desire. When you pout, he chuckles… and like a predator chasing his prey, he crawls on the bed, hovering over you far enough to be out of reach for the moment, close enough to let you feel the radiating body heat.

“I promise, cyar’ika, that you can have whatever you want from me. Any time, anywhere… I'm gonna fuck you in every position you want me to…” To emphasize his words, he tilts his hips just the littlest bit to let you feel his cock grind like a delusion against your pubis. The slight touch still sends a jolt of arousal through your whole body. On their own will your legs fall open for him as your heartbeat accelerates and your quiet whimper fans over his face.

“But first….” His head drops enough that you can brush the tip of your tongue over his bottom lip. “Let me have you like that. Let me make love to you…”

Ohhh…. You’re about to faint. And to keep you anchored in reality, your hands cling to his shoulders. Your body arches, chasing after him as he keeps hovering above you and your lips seal with his. All of that convincing you that he’s not just another dream.

Finally, he can no longer contain his own excitement. Echo lines himself up at your velvety folds, prodding the entrance tentatively…. For a split second, your eyes meet, sealing the promise of your bodies in silent consent as his weight settles heavily and comfortably over you. With a firm, agonizingly slow thrust, he sinks into you.

Both of you gasp, a mixture of excitement and relief, indulging in the overwhelming feeling of being melted and truly one. Even now, without him moving at all, he can feel your walls clench around him and hold him deep inside you. Sh…

“Shit. I’m so distracted… forgot to wear… protection.”

Immediately, he’s about to pull out, cursing himself for his inattentiveness, yet you hold him in place.

“I’m safe… Ech… you don’t need any protection when you’re with me.”

You’re a dream, right? Some celestial being, made just for him. At least that’s how he feels right now. For another endless moment, he just remains motionless, letting the two of you float in limbo until nothing else matters anymore except you and him, two souls and bodies in unison. Echo grinds his hips against yours, and he’s drowning in your wet heat, consumed by the sensation of you, soft and pliable around him. The moan that leaves your lungs in reward, he's swallowing eagerly. He then starts moving, settling into a slow but firm rhythm, pounding into you again and again.

You lustfully dig your fingers into firm muscles on his upper back as you move rhythmically in concert on the cool sheets, both panting and moaning with pleasure. And still he doesn’t have you close enough, still needs more of you. His hand is reaching for your leg, hooking it around his waist. And he never saw something as erotic as that, when you throw your head back with a load groan, baring your neck to him, as he hits inside you just right. You surrender to him, and he’s more than willing to satisfy your every desire. Only vaguely he's aware of how your mutual pleasure reaches ever higher heights. In a frenzy of unbridled passion, held back for far too long, he makes love to you until the wave finally, finally, crashes over you in another consuming orgasm and your quivering body is sweeping him along. He's shaking and trembling, filling you with white, hot ropes of his seed… almost crying.

He never would have believed love could feel like this…

“I love you, cyar'ika.”

“I love you too, Echo.”

Drenched in sweat, you snuggle against him, and he listens to the soft sound of your breathing as you calm down in his arms a few minutes later. Your curves fit his angular, battered body as if they were made for him.

The first rush of unbridled lust has subsided… Now he's bathing in the warm feeling of your love. For the first time in forever, maybe for the first time at all, Echo feels safe and sound. Loved. Not just another one among a million. Your fingertips prickle on his skin as they dance tenderly around his ports, assuring him that you'll accept him the way he is… More man than machine in all term that matter. And more than enough to love you… in each and every way possible. Why the kriff, did he need so long to find out?

"Thank you for giving me a second chance."

Taglist: @june-girl-86 @nahoney22 @mavendeb @ashotofspotchka @deewithani @samrubio @thefact0rygirl @boomtowngirl @briefartnaturewolf @kaminocasey @misogirl828 @the-sith-in-the-sky-with-diamond @tecker @rexandechosandwich @aconstructofamind @lune-de-miel-au-paradis @ladykatakuri @nekotaetae @sunflowerrex @lucyysthings @hated-by-me @darkangel4121 @obihiddlenox @padawancat97 @starstofillmydream @starqueensthings @moodymisty @donsani @jediknightjana @fxlsealarm @punkpirate82 @idoubleswearimawriter @flawsandgoodintent @clio3kantarella @trixie2023 @ladytano420 @cw80831 @clonethirstingisreal @pb-jellybeans @griffedeloup @aheavenlylake @marierg @ura5 @lovebugcody @hipwell

#tbb echo x reader #rain on kamino's writing #sweet echo #such a great story #loved it

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trixie2023 · 3 months ago

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YAY!!! I’m super excited about this.

CT-4760 "Stretcher"

Remember your high school gym teacher? This is them as a clone.

#high ground animations #stretcher #tukk tales #hill company #the clone wars

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trixie2023 · 3 months ago

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Awwww. So cute. 🥰

You know how much I love the Skirata boys. ❤️😍

started reading Hard Contact and FI IS SOOOOOOO CUTE I JUST WANNA SQUISH HIMMMMMM GRRRRRRRHRHDHG

Could you pretty pretty please with a cherry on top write something goofy abt the reader getting cuteness aggression towards Fi… 🙏🙏🙏🥺🥺🥺

Rainy Days

Summary: You’ve been dating Fi for about a year now, and you know that he’s the one for you. And, though you know it’s kind of strange, you can’t help but to stare at him.

Pairing: Fi Skirata x GN!Reader

Word Count: 748

Warnings: None

A/N: So I'm not sure if this is what you were looking for, but I hope you like it anyway. Also Spikea is Space Ikea. I'm so clever at naming things, I know~

Click HERE to be added to my taglist

You think you love rainy days.

You love how your home dims when the sky gets dark with storm clouds, and you love being able to sit in front of the window to watch the rain fall from the sky.

But, more importantly, you love that Fi stays home with you on rainy days.

Sometimes, the pair of you will put on a movie and you’ll cuddle together. Other times he’ll busy himself in the kitchen, trying new recipes. And, if it seems like it’s going to storm, you’ll put on music to distract him and dance with him around the house.

It’s not his fault he’s afraid of storms, after all. And anything you can do to make them easier on him, you will.

But, it’s not storming today.

Sure, it’s pouring rain, but there’s no thunder, lightning, or hail. Just water.

All the same, Fi is still home and you couldn’t be happier about it.

You shift so you’re able to fold your legs on the cushion that covered the window seat, and you focus your attention on Fi. He knows you’re there, but he’s not really paying attention to you.

Which is fine, you don’t need his attention every moment of every day.

He’s sitting on the floor in front of the couch, a disassembled side table spread out in front of him, and the instructions sitting in his hands. It’s the first of four side tables that need to be assembled.

To be fair, Spikea was having a sale and you got one of those side tables for free. And you and Fi really needed them. Though, you didn’t expect him to put them together. You were going to do it yourself, once you got some time to yourself.

But, you suppose he wanted to put them together for you.

You shift again, resting your chin on the palm of your hand as you watch him work. He reads aloud to himself when he’s focused hard on something. Not loud enough that you can hear him, but you can see his lips moving as he reads off the instructions.

And once again, you’re struck by both how much you love him, and how cute he is.

You absently tap out a rhythm on your knee, and then you unfold your legs and cross the room to Fi. He glances up at you just before you drape yourself across his back, your arms tight around him as you bury your face in his neck.

His hand comes up to press against the side of your face, “What’s this?”

“You’re just too cute, I had to come and hug you.”

You hear him laugh, and then you squeak in surprise when he effortlessly flips you over his shoulder and settles you on his lap, “There, now you can hug me better.”

“I was trying to hug you in a way that wasn’t distracting.” You counter, even as you slide your arms around his neck and pull yourself up so you’re able to hug him properly.

“Well, your hugs are always distracting, so that was never going to work.” Fi’s arms slide tightly around you, and you squeak again as he tightens his arms around you. “You’re just too cute, cyare.” He says with a grin as he presses a loud kiss to your cheek.

“Nuh-uh. You’re the cute one.” You reply, “I’m nothing compared to you.”

His grin widens and he lightly bumps his nose against yours, “Ooh, what’s it like to be so wrong all of the time?”

You pout at him, “I’m not wrong, you’re just biased.”

“Oh, absolutely. But I’m also right.” He kisses you quickly, “That’s just how it is.”

“Mm. Fine. I shall let you win today, but only because you’re cozy.”

“How magnanimous of you.” Fi kisses you again, “Do you want to watch a movie?”

“You need to put these together, and I need to be in your way. So not right now.” You say with a small grin.

“Oh, so you wanna be a brat then.”

“Yep~” You chirp, making sure you pop the p annoyingly.

“Nice. That means I get to punish you,”

“Nope~”

“Well, I’m gonna do it anyway. Starting with a million kisses.” Fi replies with a small grin. And then he presses a loud kiss to your cheek, “One,” he leans in again to press another kiss to your cheek, and you dissolve into laughter.

Yeah. You love rainy days at home with Fi.

@heidnspeak

@justiceandwar98

@etod

@kiss-anon

@lonewolflupe

@silly-starfish

@msmeredithrose

@cdblake1565

@badbatch-bitch

@continous-mistakes

@falconfeather23435

@tiredbi-peach

@kimiheartblade

@clones-cyare

@cc--2224

@0revna0

@mira-loves-star-wars

@trixie2023

@rebell-ious

@padawancat97

@sweater-sloot

@bb8-99

@maniacalbooper

@wax-birds

@adriennelenoir

@omegaprime18

@bad4amficideas

@dukeoftheblackstar

@yoitsjay

@liz-stat

@arctech-fox

@lokigirlszendaya

@sailorflora

@jetiimasterbekah

@six-1mpossiblethings

@clonetrooperjournals

#skirata boys😍#fi skirata x reader #republic commando #the clone wars

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trixie2023 · 3 months ago

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It’s Howzer. We will definitely read it. 🥰

I have this idea for a post order 66 Howzer fic but I'm low key worried no one will read it lol

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trixie2023 · 3 months ago

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Love you my friend 🥰

Neon Lights and Satin

Chapter 1 - The Charge

Rating: Will be 18+ in later chapters

Pairing: Commander Thorn x OC Caja Chiona

Wordcount: 3,3k

Warning: Murder Mystery, Canon typical violence, Bodyguard Romance, Safehouse, Only one bed... nothing serious yet in this chapter, but you see where this is heading to 😉

A/N: OP 2023/04/20... I don’t know why U never re-posted it on tumblr again after I deleted the old account. But here we are... Enjoy it as a contribution for the foxmoon2025 event. Cause even though he’s not the main protagonist - our dear Commander makes a cool and meaningful appearance in this story too.

Summary: One evening Caja Chiona, a senator's daughter, witnesses a crime in the senate's building. Or not? Whether she likes it or not, she's sheltered in a safehouse until the incident is resolved. With Commander Thorn as her personal guard and her only connection to the world outside. Both of them equally unhappy about the fact.

Caja Chiona always thought she was good at reading people's faces. But these two men... they puzzle her.

One of them, Tan Divo, Inspector of the civil investigation authority, only puts on an air of importance and an, if anything, bored expression as he restlessly walks up and down. His oversized eyes remind her of a sad porg. The other… Commander Fox, of the Coruscant Guard...sitting behind his desk, has no face at all. Just a helmet.

The three of them are situated in the small room which is more of a storage closet, of the senate’s building that serves as a makeshift office for the commander. It’s cold and comfortless, the bright neon lights make her even more awkward. She’s been in there for what feels like hours. The guard brought her in and then she waited endlessly for someone to come and tell her what’s going on at all. Commander Fox was first, but he only let her know that a police inspector was on his way.

“Miss Chiona,” Divo sneers, “ahmmm...would you please recap what you said...ahmm...allegedly… happened at the senate building this evening.”

Allegedly?

Caja can feel herself getting upset and nervous at his question, which rather sounded like a denunciation. Even before the interrogation has begun, the inspector already denies her credibility. Not exactly what she would call fair terms. Then again, when has anything related to the Senate ever been considered fair? It's bad enough that she has to go through it all again, now she feels like a liar who craves attention, too. Furtively, she tries to dry her wet palms on her dress, before she prepares to answer. Fox beats her to it.

“Sir. If you don’t mind, we should wait until everyone involved in the case is present.”

Divo raises his eyebrow in resentment and turns towards Fox with a snide ‘hm.’ “I didn’t know that anyone besides myself is involved in the investigations.”

“I took the liberty of summoning Commander Thorn to witness the inquiry and further investigations.”

It’s impossible for Caja to tell if that’s a good thing or not. The blank visor gives her no indication at all. But when she looks at the miffed face of the inspector, the presence of another member of the Coruscant Guard might be in her interest. While Divo huffs an unamused sound of acknowledgment, she dares to throw the semblance of a shy smile across the desk at Commander Fox. And she could be wrong… but the helmet tilts just the slightest bit in the ‘you’re welcome’ sort of way.

About two minutes of awkward silence later the door slides open and another clone in white and red armor enters the room. His tall and trim figure looms over Caja as he positions himself next to her without a word and stands to attention. The two clones don’t share a word, and yet she thinks they still have a silent conversation at which end both of them seem content.

“Are we complete now?” Divo asks disdainfully. “Good. Miss Chiona… ahmm… if you would make the effort of telling us what happened.”

Caja turns her head towards the inspector and inhales deeply. She tries to remember the course of events, but there is only a vague image of hooded figures and the blurred hallways of the building as she ran for her life. The leery expression of him doesn’t help either, but she musters all her courage to give a confident, trustworthy appearance.

“I was on my way to my mother’s office as I…”

“Senator Leean Chiona of Bestin IV?”

“Yes. As I said, I was…”

“As far as I know her office is… ahmm… located on the 27th floor. So why were you three floors below?”

Caja sighs. The perpetual interruptions are getting on her nerves, but she’s too much of a well-bred young lady to let that slip through. At least for the moment.

“I got lost.” She waits for a moment, but this time the inspector doesn’t seem to have any objections, of course not now that she admitted a inadequacy of hers, and so she proceeds reporting.

“I was on my way to her office to meet her for tonight’s senator’s banquet. But I got distracted in the elevator and dismounted on the wrong floor. When I tried to find my way back I came across three men in one of the hallways. One of them was…” Involuntarily her hands clench in her lap as the images of the scene condense, but she forces herself to speak further and get this interrogation over with.

“One of them was lying on the floor. I couldn’t see if he was injured or worse. And two other men were hunched over him. I couldn’t make out their faces as they were hooded.”

“I see. What happened next?”

Caja couldn’t explain, and maybe it wasn’t anything at all, but the uneasy feeling she got sent chills down her spine and tightened a coil in her chest in the worst possible way. She stood rooted to the spot and then she gasped in surprise and the small sound, as quiet as it was, drew the men’s attention. She’d turned in a flash and ran down the corridors for her life.

“I ran off. I don’t know where to exactly but at some point I bumped into a patrol and after I told them what just happened one of the guards brought me here to wait while the others were heading to the place I just came from.”

“Aha, interesting. What makes you think that you witnessed a crime instead of just a normal first aid situation?”

The hooded men probably? The malicious glares they gave her? The fact that nobody said anything to calm her and told her what's going on?

“I… don’t know,” she murmurs. “It was just a feeling.”

Divo huffs. The clones remain silent.

Her gaze falls down to the sweaty hands in her lap and again she subtly tries to dry them on the dark red silk of her gown, the fabric already getting rumpled. Damn decorum! She’s so overdressed and misplaced in here. Too much of a representative of the upper class instead of the fragile woman she feels like at the moment.

Suddenly Caja remembers why she came to the senate in the first place and that she didn’t get to see or contact her mother. Stars, she doesn’t even have an idea how long it’s been since she’s here in that small retreat. Surely her mother would be worried by now about her absence.

“I wish to see my mother,” she begs, forcing her gaze back to the inspector.

“I’m afraid that's impossible. Senator Chiona… ahmm.. is attending the banquet as planned.”

“What? But… how can you still host a dinner when there are criminals inside this building?” Caja wants to know, her voice slightly louder and shriller than she intends to and as her mother would say not at all appropriate for someone in her position.

“Miss Chiona. The guard has searched the whole building, and beside your… ahm… unreliable story there’s no proof that an incident as you… ahmm… describe has happened at all.”

No proof. Caja’s cheeks heat up, indignation and shame rising inside her. So the inspector doesn’t trust her at all. And she already can imagine her mom’s disapproval once she joins her at dinner - delayed. But she doesn’t just fancy the occurrences. The fear. The body on the floor. It’s hard to hold back her tears when she all of a sudden feels misunderstood and denounced as a liar or a hysterical woman.

And why doesn’t any of the commanders object? She almost can feel their judgment behind their dark visors. Her hope that Commander Fox could be a kind of support vanished in thin air. Slowly anger replaces her insecurities and she straightens her position.

“Very well, Inspector Divo. Then there’s probably no further reason to keep me here. If you may excuse me, I have a banquet to attend.”

Just as Caja is about to rise from her seat, and the inspector gives her a disparaging wave of his hand while telling her that she will have to come to the headquarters to sign the police report tomorrow, Commander Fox intervenes.

“Ma’am. I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to walk around unguarded. Not as long as the case isn’t fully solved. I recommend sheltering you in a safehouse for the time being.”

Her heart skips a beat. And then a second one as she realizes that she’s apparently about to be disposed of.

“Commander Fox!” Divo raises his voice and for once he doesn’t sound bored or derogative. No, this time he’s truly offended by the clones' suggestion. “There is no such thing as a ‘case’. As I said, without proof that anything happened at all, the investigations are scrapped. There’s no need to…”

“Inspector Divo,” a determined Fox now interrupts him and Caja gets the uneasy feeling that this is a display of true courage and disobedience just the same. “You and I both know very well that the search of the building is still incomplete.”

“And it doesn’t matter at all, Commander, as no clues will be found anyway. This search is a waste of resources just because a senator’s daughter's imagination is running wild.”

Yet again, Divo not only blatantly states that he doesn’t trust her an inch but also that he’s not willing to put any effort in further investigations. Caja wonders why. He should also be interested in clarifying the events. Right? She glances back and forth in disbelief between those two men, who couldn’t be any more different. Commander Thorn beside her stands just a little closer to her, his right hand subtly twitching.

“I highly recommend that the Coruscant Guard should… ahm… give up the search. And there’s no need to give special treatment to Miss Chiona.”

“With all due respect, Sir,” Fox states and even the vocoder in his helmet is barely able to hide the temper in voice. “It is my job to guarantee safety for the senators and their entourage and therefore I won’t take any recommendations or orders on how to do exactly that. It is your job to find out where these delinquents are and I do not recommend jumping to conclusions.”

Caja can’t do anything else besides listening. Maybe she should interfere in the argument and voice her own thoughts, but truth to be told, she doesn’t even know what her thoughts are. A safehouse? At the first moment it seems like an overreaction to accommodate her in a secret hideout and she’s all but pleased to have her plans for the upcoming… what? Hours? Days?... ruined. But the way the inspector so obviously tries to denunciate her as a liar and plays down the incident is giving her bad vibes. She almost laughs at that, despite the tense situation she’s in right now, already hearing her mother lament that ‘bad vibes’ aren’t words a lady should use in her position at all. It’s inappropriate. If only she knew who of the men she should trust.

“Fine,” Tan Divo answers, his voice so cold that the temperature in the room suddenly drops several degrees.

“Fine,” Fox gives back, just as cold. “Rest assured that Miss Chiona will be in safe hands until your authority has fully investigated today’s events.”

“What are you driving at, sir?”

It’s the first time Thorn interrupts the conversation between Fox and Divo. The vocal filter in his helmet is giving him a commander’s voice, just like Fox'. Deep and dull… tinny… matter-of-factly.

"You will escort Miss Chiona to the safehouse and await your orders until further notice."

Period.

“Sir.”

For a moment it’s quiet in the small room. So quiet that Caja can hear the blood rush in her ears. Are the clones having a wordless argument? There’s an unspoken tension in the air that she believes she senses radiating from them. It makes her shudder. Not a second ago she was mad about the way the commander and the inspector talk about her as if she’s nothing more than a charge for one of them and a nuisance for the latter - as if she was absent during the whole conversation. Now there’s something else… something intangible when she looks at the two armored men.

It’s then, just as she is about to protest, that the inspector disrupts the silence to express his doubts but nevertheless surrenders to Commander Fox’s instructions. Nice to know the two men apparently agree on her further whereabouts. Idiots! All of them!

“Since the further procedure is apparently settled, there’s no reason for me to stay any longer. I will advance the investigations as soon as I have the final reports from the senate’s search and will keep you informed, Commander Fox.”

And with that he leaves the office… and Caja with the unpleasant feeling of being lost.

“Ma’am. Would you be so kind as to follow me?” Thorn eventually addresses her.

Instead of answering, of taking her last chance to refuse what’s about to come, she only nods wordlessly. Thorn pulls back her chair to make it easier for her to rise and Fox comes round the desk to give his commander some final orders. Even with the high-heels she’s wearing, Caja feels so small between them. And cold suddenly. She clutches her wrap and pulls the delicate fabric tighter around her shoulders. It doesn’t help to keep her warm.

“I… need my luggage. And I need to see my mother to tell her what happened,” she says, much shyer than intended.

“I will send someone over to provide you with clothes and utility articles Miss Chiona,” Fox answers. “But I’m afraid you won’t be able to see your mother right now. It’s better that you leave the senate’s building immediately. Senator Chiona will be informed about your whereabouts as far as the circumstances permit.”

He’s probably right and there’s no point to argue any further. Once she’s in the safehouse, Caja can rethink her options and maybe even negotiate the conditions, but for now there’s nothing left to do but follow Commander Thorn. She nods again, a little more confident this time.

“Goodnight, Commander Fox.”

“Goodnight, Miss,” he responds politely but still with this matter-of-factly tone, she can’t get used to.

“Thorn! I count on you!”

“Sir.”

She waits for Commander Thorn to lead her out of the office but he just implies for her to go ahead with an outstretched arm. Very well! As soon as the door slides open she walks outside on the hallway and turns right, only to hear a quiet harrumph, her bodyguard telling her that she took the wrong turn. Rolling her eyes, Caja spins on her heel and struts down the hallway in the opposite direction.

“Commander Thorn, right?” She addresses the clone trooper over her shoulder to his utter surprise with his name and not just his designation. “Fair enough that you have to keep an eye on me… but you do realize that I have absolutely no clue where to go.”

Once again, Thorn’s glad about the privacy of his helmet, like so many times already this evening. The smirk that spreads across his face wouldn’t be considered appropriate at all towards a member of the senator’s entourage. It could at least get him a reprimand. But hey, maybe it would be worth a try. If she’s going to complain about him and solicit that he should be replaced by one of his brothers he wouldn’t be stuck in a hideout for only Force knows how long with a spoiled little miss of the upper echelon.

“Just a short distance straight ahead, miss. We’re going to use the elevator that’s reserved for the guard.”

And in fact, only a minute later the corridor ends and an elevator appears in their sight. Quietly Caja waits till Thorn calls the elevator cab and both enter before standing next to each other with their faces towards the door. Shielded by his dark visor Thorn watches amused how Caja is glancing at him through the corner of her eye. That’s what they usually do - all these politicians when they are accompanied by the Coruscant Guard on their diplomatic journeys - at least at the beginning before they ignore them. He wonders if Caja isn’t used to having guards around yet. Well fuck it, it’s none of his business.

“May I ask where you are taking me?”

“To a safehouse,” Thorn can’t help but deadpans.

“Obviously Commander. But where is this safehouse?” She’s kidding, right?

“Obviously, Miss, it wouldn’t be a secret hideout if everybody would know about the location,” he tells the closed door in front of him.

But then… was it a small sigh she gave? It sounded almost forlorn and he may want it or not, Thorn suddenly feels sorry for her.

“Of course, Commander. Yet it’s not that I get the chance to tell anyone anyway. Not when I’m locked up inside like a prisoner.”

Ah for fuck’s sake! Now he feels bad for complaining about his bodyguard duty. It’s not that he’s the only one trapped in that safehouse. At least he’s able to contact his brothers or can even be replaced for some time. But his charge will be stuck until Fox gives the permission to end her preventive secret accommodation.

Fortunately the elevator just then arrives in the basement and saves him to give her an answer of any kind. He wouldn’t know what he could say to comfort her anyway. Comfort? Oh… that’s not even part of his duty, so why does he consider a thing like that at all?

With a miniscule hand signal Thorn indicates to her that she should wait inside the elevator cab. Drawing one of his DC-17-blaster pistols he peeks out into the corridor and turns his head to either side to check if the coast is clear. When he’s convinced that no one’s around, he places his free hand on her back without thinking twice and gently pushes her alongside him out of the elevator, towards some airspeeders that are parked down here in the basement.

The soft click of her heels on the duracrete floor echoes in the large hall, amplified by the building’s bulbous architecture, and Thorn would have been worried about the noise if he weren’t so distracted by the delicate flex of the muscles in her back as she walks. Even his gloves and the thin silk of her dress can’t prevent him from feeling how warm and soft she feels and he finds himself wishing for a split second there wouldn’t be any layers to separate her skin from his fingertips.

What’s gotten into him? He tears away his hand from her as if burned. Fox would kill him if he ever finds out. The startled look Caja gives him only makes his compunction worse. He’d better get his professional attitude back or he’ll find himself in trouble much sooner than he would care for.

“Right over there, Miss Chiona,” he says, his voice toneless, leading her to one of the speeders.

And as he gives her a helping hand to climb into the vehicle, he no longer gives a thought that he is already touching her again. It’s business as usual.

“I will bring us out here as fast as I can,” he lets her know, “ but please try to keep your head low just to be sure.”

While Caja slides a little forward and slouches in the passenger seat as well as possible with her wide dress, Thorn starts the airspeeder and then pilots them out of the building and into Coruscant's nightlife, the illumination all sparkling and bright.

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trixie2023 · 3 months ago

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Thorn!!! Eeeekkk!!! I loved this. Can’t wait for the next chapter. I’m so happy you posted. I’ll read it again because it’s that good.