I HAVE A MIGHTY NEED TO BAKE FOR THE WOLFPACK NO ACTUALLY THE ENTIRE GAR.

Bathroom reveries

Summary: Echo has a bath. That’s literally it. Established relationship, Echo x GN reader.

Word count: 1060

Warnings: N/A, possibly inaccurate medical talk???

Authors note: I just wanted to do some fluff for one of my favourite boys. Lmk if you like it. My inbox is open for chats and requests. ❤️

Echo slipped deeper into the water, a sigh escaping his lips. He’d not had a bath before. The water was warm around his shoulders, the soft bubbles tickling his skin and easing him into relaxation. You had helped him remove his prosthetics, which had been causing his limbs to ache for quite some time, and then helped him into the water. At first the prospect of a bath seemed a useless hassle to him, but seeing how much you enjoyed them had him acquiescing to see what all the fuss was about. In the little bathroom with the steam fogging up the windows, he had to admit, he got it. Bathing was quite relaxing. He sank deeper into the water, eyes closing.

A knock at the door interrupted his reveries. “It’s only me, can I come in?” Your voice called in from the other side.

“Mhm.”

You opened the door, leaning your weight against the frame and cocked your eyebrow. Echo hadn’t even opened his eyes. “I knew a bath would do your limbs good.”

He smiled. “Yeah, yeah, happy now?”

“Very. I’m just making a cuppa, d’you want one?”

“No thank you, Cyare.”

“Okay. Don’t fall asleep in there.” You wagged a finger at him despite how he still had his eyes closed.

“Oh actually,” he called out, eyes shooting open. “Join me?”

“Give me two minutes.”

Echo watched you gently shut the door, his gaze lingering in your direction. You’d known each other since before his accident. As a medic on Kamino, you’d had plenty of interaction with the clones, and when he’d been found by Rex and the Batch, it was only natural for you to treat him. From then on, you’d sort of been paired together and had joined the Batch as their unofficial medic, although the term was ‘escort’. As if Echo needed one, you’d always scoffed. Through the months you’d become closer still, and it felt inevitable to the two of you that you’d end up together. Echo still remembered the shaking in your hands as you’d held his, eyes wide with anxiety when you told him how you felt.

That was four years ago. The home you’d built on Pabu for the two of you had quickly grown to become a safe zone for Echo, a place where he could relax slightly from the terrors of war. Not that he minded, since he volunteered to aid Rex and the Rebellion, but his body was beginning to fail him, and he was spending more and more time at home. This was how he had ended up in the bath, your special soaps filling the water and easing his aching muscles.

The door creaked open and you reappeared, holding a mug of tea. He watched as you shut the door, quietly wandered over to him, and sat on the ground. You let your weight lean against the bath on one side, your legs folding up to your chest with your tea cradled in your hands.

“When do you think you’ll be flying back to Rex?”

Echo sighed, brushing his hand over his face. “I dunno. Depends on my knees.”

“Hmm… is the water helping?” You sipped your tea.

“It is actually.”

He watched as you smiled behind the rim of your mug. “Maybe you should take baths more often.”

“Maybe I will. I must be a bloody hassle to get in and out though.”

“I don’t mind looking after you.”

“I'm well aware of that cyar’ika.”

The water splashed slightly as he lifted himself up to a sitting position. With his missing limbs, he struggled not to slip in the bath, but you’d been a Saint (as usual) and bought bath grips for the bottom of the surface. His thighs leant against them, hand gripping the handle of the wall that you’d had installed. When he was comfortable, he shifted so he could lean his arm over the side of the bath to rest his chin against. His fingers drummed against the porcelain.

Your eyes narrowed as he stared at you. “What?”

“I was thinking we should watch a movie later.”

“Ooh, which one?”

“Well-“

You put your mug down, snapping your fingers excitedly. “Oh, Phee was on about a horror that sounds pretty good. Or maybe we should watch something a bit more chill? Wait no, I’ve got it.”

Echo grinned, “go on.”

“Princess Mononoke. You’ll love it, I know it.”

“Alright, I’m happy with that. Is it on the Holonet?”

“Yeah. I’ll get it uploaded so we can watch it in bed.”

The soldier agreed, his head lolling to the side so his cheek was against his forearm. You’d never seen him so relaxed; it was quite the sight. Time seemed to pass quickly as you drank your tea and chatted with Echo, the pair of you easily slipping into conversation. Once the mug was empty, you put it down and dipped your hands into the water.

“Ooh getting a bit cold. Do you wanna get out soon?”

You watched Echo nod. “Please.”

“Okay,” your hands automatically found the shower gel you kept to the side, and squeezed some into your palms. When you started cleaning Echo’s skin, he began to protest but you interrupted with a tut.

“I want to. You’re supposed to be relaxing.”

“I guess there’s no stopping you then.” He tried not to smile but did anyway, turning around so you could reach his back.

Your hands worked mindfully around his spine, something which Echo had always been grateful for. You never treated him like he was delicate, but you were thoughtful and no longer needed to ask if what you were doing was alright. The micro-expressions Echo struggled to keep to himself always told you the answers you were looking for. As he turned around completely, you leant forward and pressed a kiss to his shoulder. The soldier smiled and tilted his head to the side, soapy hand coming up to tilt your chin so he could kiss you.

“Hmm,” he watched your eyes linger shut for a moment. “Legs?”

“I’ll do them.”

When he had finished cleaning his thighs, you helped him up onto the side of the bath so he could hold the handrail as you drained the water. The stub of his left arm found your side.

“Hey,”

“Hey.”

“Thank you.”

You smiled softly, “always.”

You are so kind ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I’m envisioning Papa Plo as a Mr Bennett figure, patiently trying to shepherd the wolf pack through polite society whilst Waxer and Boil attend every ball in high spirits like Kitty and Lydia Bennett.

Wolffe meanwhile stands back from polite society, reserved and alone and worries for the fortunes of his brothers once the war ends. His closest confidant, his brother Fox, has moved to London to support the Prime Minister in the war effort but Wolffe fears for him too as a darkened shadow of the ministers influence falls over Parliament.

Originally this was supposed to be Wolffe x reader where you're at a party enjoying goodies with Papa Plo and the Wolfpack...but it didnt stay that way 🤣

P.s. Thank you @dystopicjumpsuit (and the Plo simps) for coming to the conclusion Plo bakes good cookies!

Using the prompt Holiday Cookies for @clone-wars-winter-challenge !

Warnings: mentions of sw typical violence and treatment of clones, papa plo is nosy, reader has no formal pronouns but is a strategist, secret relationship, 1 mention of children. If I missed something lemme know

Buir's Cookies

Wolffe x Reader

When you'd been invited to the temple by general Plo Koon, you originally had thought it was because you were in trouble. Perhaps you had given the wrong maps, calculated the wrong trajectory, anticipated the wrong strategy for a battle...perhaps your battle plan had resulted in a great loss - though you never got any report saying such...

Regardless, you put on your best clothes, did yourself up the best and most professional-ish way you could and made your way over.

You'd never been in the temple before, only ever saw glimpses of it from afar. So standing at the enterance now, amongst the excessively large statues...well you'd be lying if you said you had nerves of beskar and that you totally didn't leave your stomach behind right then and there.

Thankfully, General Plo had decided to wait for you at the mouth of a long walkway, either side showcasing just how large and ornate the temple was

"I was beginning to think you had not received my message" his tone left little error to beleive he was anything but teasing

"I'm so sorry general, I...I've never been to the temple" you admitted a bit robotically

"It's quite alright, I can see how the temple is daunting to one who has never stepped foot on its premisies." he explained with a smile to his voice "You'd be surrpised how many younglings end up crying upon seeing it fir the first time"

"Really?" you asked in surprise "I always thought they could sense it was their spot"

"Really" he confirmed turning anf beginning to walk "this way"

You hurried to follow in step with the Kel Dor

"Younglings often are unsure about the temple at first, everything they knew before is gone and this is what they are brought to in return. I try to avoid the front entrance if I am bringing a little one in" he explained as you walked "We are going to one of the gardens, I hope you do not mind"

"Not at all, General" you said quickly, not wanting to offend

"You can relax, you are not in trouble" Plo chuckled, having sensed your nervousness through the force - or perhaps just from having been alive so long he's learned to pick that up in anyone...

"The garden we're going to is encased, so you won't have to worry about the biting air" the jedi added sweetly

"I appreciate that"

You followed him down a few more corridors, making small chit chat along the way, before he paused at an archway and gestured for you to enter first.

The moment you stepped inside, you felt overcome with a tremendous awe. It was like a small, tamed forset within! Plants littered most of the space, in all their glory - be that hanging along trelisses or shooting straight up, proud and tall or as sweeping sprawls of colour. Each plant looked unique yet somehow they all seemed to fit perfectly with one another as if they were always meant to have been that way - nor did they appear groomed, somehow existing perfectly without a single blemish or weed.

"This is beautiful!" You exclaimed, gawking at all around you

"I thought you would appreciate this garden over a sitting room" the jedi beamed as he followed in behind you "I've set a table for us to sit at while we chat"

You smiled and followed your general to a small but ornate looking garden table with three chairs. The table's surface was covered in sweet pasteries and somehow had a teapot and three cups squeezed within.

You raised your brow at the third setting but dismissed it as you took the seat he offered you and watched as he settled upon the other side

"I wanted to thank you for being such a valuable asset to us all" he began softly, as he poured you each a cup

"I'm just doing my job" you defended softly

"You do much more than that" he insisted "You spend hours pouring over information and only ever suggest strategies once you are entirely sure. You never leave opportunity to let my men faulter without a back up plan...or three"

You blinked in surprise, you hadn't noticed he paid that much attention to your efforts to keep him and the wolfpack safe...

"Cookie?" he settled the kettle down and waved his hand above the array of shapes and flavours

It was a bit overwhelming if you were entirely honest, but they all looked so absolutely delicious...

Nodding, you reached and grabbed a dark vermillion coloured cookie that was cresent moon shaped. Bringing it to your mouth, you paused noticing his attention zeroed in on your reaction

"Go on," he urged gently "Let me know how it is"

You peeked at the cookie, briefly wondering if you were about to be poisioned and that is how jedi fire people from the grand army of the republic...but then you took a bite

"This is really, really good general..." you mumbled, cheek full of cookie

"Good, I'm glad" he beamed, an unseen grin plastered to his face

You took a sip of your tea and then took another bite of your cookie

"Now, what are you intentions towards my dear Commander Wolffe?"

You froze at the sudden ask. Not only because of its nature but his unreadably guarded tone

"I...uh..."

Your mind raced a mile a minute, as did your heart, as panic begun to flood your system. How did he know? How long has he known? You and Wolffe both thought you were being extra careful around one another. Wary to not let on to the nature of your relations. Nobody knew about your sneaking off to see him and vice versa. About the passionate nights or the stolen kisses - right?

"General?"

Your head whipped to the right, where you'd entered the gardens, to find your beloved commander standing there with his helmut in his hands

"You...called me here...?" his mismatched gaze settled on you and for a brief second his eyes widened before he returned his attention to your shared jedi general

"Yes. Wolffe, come here" Plo urged sweetly, patted the third seat settled between your forms. "I have a spot for you as well"

You felt sweat begin to pool on your body as you watched Wolffe cooly made his way over, settled into his seat and place his helmut upon his lap

"I wasn't aware we were having a strategy meeting..." he mumbled already reaching for a cookie, clearly this was a norm with the two

"Oh you aren't...I am" Plo admitted while pouring Wolffe some tea as well

"I'm...I'm sorry sir?" Wolffe gawked

"I hope you are" The jedi huffed, setting the kettle down once more "I'm tired of you two thinking you can hide this from me"

Both you and Wolffe sat a bit straighter, wanting to glance to the other for assistance but unable and unwilling to risk showing your hands more than you already had.

"I have been alive for a very, very long time" Plo explained in a gentle yet scolding tone "Did you two think I cannot see? I am not blind behind these pressurized goggles"

The tease did nothing to ease either your nor your beloved's nerves and upon seeing such, the Kel Dor sighed

"I have no intention of punishing either of you, but I must know" he then turned to pointedly look at you "Do you love Wolffe?"

Your heart pounded in your ears and your emotions began to overwhelm you as panic left you unable to respond

"I see, I picked the wrong one to start with" Plo muttered under his breath then turned to his commander "Wolffe? Do y-"

"Yes" Your lover's words came forth as suddenly and sure as his hand had reached under the table to hold your own trembling one

You gasped softly at his unabashed or faultered words, watching him as any and all air left your lungs at his proclamation

Unseen to you, Plo relished in the emotions he was sensing through the force. Your utter surprise and delight, Wolffe's determination and honesty. Then watched as Wolffe turned to you and said in a more tender tone

"I'm in love with you"

Your heart felt as if it would burst any moment as you took in the most wonderful information you'd ever been privy to

"Well...? What do we say....?"

You barely heard Plo's encouragement but felt compelled to admit your own feelings aloud. The ones you'd kept locked away and only allowed to leak out in affectionate actions, but never words

"...I love you, Wolffe..." you whispered

You watched as his eyes creased and grew soft as he gazed down at you, his hand squeezing your own breifly before moving to tangle your fingers together

"Well...now that is settled..." Plo breathed in releif before asked as if he were relaying a scandalous secret "When am I to expect my grandbabies?"

"G-General!"

Plo laughed gleefully at both your young, flushed faces. Perhaps that was a question that should have been reserved for another time with more cookies...

Winter Solstice Fics Masterlist

Yule dividers by me

Reblog divider by dystopicjumpsuit 💜

Oh as the owner of the worlds coldest feet (and terroriser of my husband with them) - I absolutely adore this. I can feel Alpha’s grump through the screen which is brilliant. Thank you so much for sharing this delightful piece of wintertime goodness.

PS is it bad I would let Alpha get away with doing no housework. Like he could just sit there and look pretty???

So I wasn't going to do ANY winter fics until after my Birthday (I just hate Christmas before my birthday, sorry) but I wrote this fic and 🤣 Well, truth be told...it's just me tormenting Alpha (lovingly) through Reader 🤣🤣🤣

So I thought you'd all enjoy reading this.

This is also a fic for @clone-wars-winter-challenge using prompts "I'm cold" and Fluffy Blanket I just happened to pick Alpha, I know he doesn't count towards prompts

P.s. I decided to use my winter/'xmas' (Yule) divider since it will be part of that masterlist on my blog. Plus I probably won't have too many this year 😅

Warnings: Reader is referred to a she once, has hair long enough to cover their face and wears panties+nightshirt to bed. Established relationship, lots of silliness, poor Alpha is tortured via cold feet, suggestive - spice that fades to black but nothing explicit. Reader likes to annoy Alpha and Alpha likes to pretend he hates every second of it. Alpha is soft and twitterpated, but definitely sounds harsher at first. Dialogue prompt is in blue!

Cold Feet Lead to Bedtime Heat

Alpha-17 x Reader

You slowly closed down your residence, ensuring all the doors were locked, all the curtains were drawn, that the designated "safety" light above your stove was left on, and that your elderly tooka had not only fresh water and kibble, but that you took his fluffy blanket out of the dryer and bunched it up on your lover's favourite chair for the old boy - he loved sleeping there but this time of year always left him colder. Especially now nearing the end of his life. And with a goodnight kiss pressed to the mostly black feline, you headed straight to your bedroom

"Finally done?" you lover mumbled, still awake and reading something on his datapad.

One hand holding said pad and scrolling with his thumb, while the other held a still steaming mug of either cocoa or cider, you weren't sure which but it didn't really matter. Both tasted good on his lips in your opinion.

"Well, if you helped get the house ready for bed...then I wouldn't take so long" you teased shimmying out of your clothes

"And miss this view?" came the appreciative hum as you bent to reach into your drawers "Not on your life"

You snorted at the flirt and continued to gather new pjs, trying to ignore the heat that stoked just enough to let you know it had returned

"One of these days, you're going to have to come up with something better as an excuse" you said as you pulled the nightshirt over your head

"Right" he nodded curtly, his attention darting back to the datapad

"And what will it be then? hmm?" you urged with a hunch of what he'd turn to next

"How about 'I'm too old'?" he mumbled before taking another sip

"Not too old to tackle me into the bed and enjoy hours of passion, but too old to help close down the home you share with me?" you asked turning around to face him

"Absolutely" there was a hint of a smirk on his lips as he peeked back up at you "You coming in here or what?"

A mischievious smile grew on your lips as you rushed the bed and grasped at the blankets, but before you could yank them up, his heavy hand slapped at them

"Oh no. I know that look. You are not putting your cold ass feet on me again" he growled, quickly setting his mug on the bedside table, knowing full well what happens if he has to move quickly with it and not wanting to deal with the mess that it leads to.

"Whaaaat? Nooo" you drew out acting as innocent as possible "My darling, I would never....!"

"'My darling', my shebs. I know you too kriffing well Cyare." he pointed his finger at you accusingly "Not. Tonight"

The stare down of the century too place between you both before you whined and pouted - technically giving up but not surrendering to the mini war effort, just conceeding the singular battle

Alpha stared at you for a good few more minutes, suspicious of your play - and rightfully so. Because you were still bound determined to get him.

But when you dramatically fell across the blankets about to lament about how cruel your lover was and how much be truly must no longer love you

"Get in bed," the large clone scoffed, hiding his smile well "Don't start that up again. It's late."

He flipped back a portion of the blankets - which there were a total of 5, three normal and two super fluffy, on your shared bed - to invite you in

"Hurry up, the heat I procured is leaving" he grumbled

Knowing better than to make him wait in a situation like this - nor wanting to sit in the frigid air with your only panty-covered ass out, you dove into the blankets.

Quickly your body sunk into the mattress as you sighed loudly. Then you wiggled - er perhaps thrashed controllably are the better descriptors- in the sheets to get comfy. Entirely ignoring Alpha's sounds of displeasure at being jostled with you, knowing he found it amusing more than annoying. You did so until you had successfully buried yourself in the bedding

"All done?" he called softly, peeking at the hole left behind in your wake

"Yes...!" you practically purred in delight "I'm nice and cozy now"

Your dear beloved chuckled deeply and nodded, leaning back to his side of the bed to reach for his mug

"That's go-"

With a sudden glimmer of miacheif returning to your eyes, you ripped your legs to the side and settled your freezing bare feets along his thighs, inciting a shout and the mug to drop back against the table top.

"SON OF A-" He yelled then quickly reached under the blankets to rip your feet off him "THE KRIFF IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

You didn't respond, too busy cackling and gasping for air as you did so. Your legs trying their best to out maneuver him and touch your feet to his bare skin again - hopefully somewhere with more heat.

But just as you freed one foot from his strong grip and was a mere cm from touching the apex of his thighs-

"I don't karking think so!" he growled, rolling ontop of you and pinning your hand on either side of your head.

In the process of the movement he'd tangled the blankets around you and trapped you alone within them, his bare form now out of the covers and in full display for your greedy gaze.

His annoyance melted into a huff of pout once he noticed he'd lost all the heat and you had successfully stolen it all.

"Brat" he practically spat the word, although his eyes creased with an adoration at your annoying but adorable grin on your lips.

His eyes drifted to the mass of messy hair tangled about your face and parcially obscuring you, your glittering-with-giddiness irises that had entirely abandoned meeting his in favour to oogle.

"You're lucky I love you" he grumbled, leaning in and working his face through the tendrils of hair to get to your lips amd kiss you breifly "Now, I'm cold"

"Ah well, you see" you cooed softly, chasing after his lips "I happen to have this excess of heat here...and I would just love someone to snuggle with and share it with me"

"Oh really," he grumbled sarcastically "What a coincidence"

You giggled loudly again

"And I wouldn't mind making more heat...if it meant I got a certain pair of nice, strong arms around me"

"Of course" he chuckled "You also wouldn't happen to be looking for a chest to use later for your pillow...would you"

Alpha watched as you dramatically gasped in mock surprise

"Why yes! It's as if you read my very mind, good sir!"

Your lover snorted at your words and hung his head

"Why are you like this" he chuckled out

"Because you love me like this" you answered, but then added when you saw his head shake "And because I was specifically made just for you"

"Oh wow" came the sarcastic reply "Who could've forseen that. Someone created just for me when she was born well before me"

You both struggled a bit at the blankets to let him back inti their warmth - which you promptly wrapped your arms around his neck and gazed lovingly up at him.

"I combat all the bad, awful and sad things you went through" you whisper "I make sure the rest of your days are full of stupid shenanigans, laughter and love"

With a tender look filling his gaze and a smile unashamedly posessing his lips, Alpha pinned you to the mattress once mire. However, this time it was full of gentility and sweetness.

"I think I can stomach that" he whispered "So long as you're alright stomaching a grouchy, cold man who's seen too much"

"Funny, I was just telling my two best friends that, that is just the very specific, hard to find kind of man I need" you whispered in return as he pulled the warm blankets around you both further and further to obscure you both from the galaxy

"Funny" he answered lips just above your own

"A man like that, who hides just how tender and loving he can be" your lashes flicked down as your gaze left his in favour of staring at his lips

"I'll see if I can suffer to oblige, Cyare" he breathed out, his lips moving against your own until the words became muffled with the kiss you both shared.

The kiss that quickly grew into that heat you both wanted so desperately.

Winter Solstice Masterlist

Yule dividers by me

Reblog divider by dystopicjumpsuit 💜

Working Parts

Pairing: Echo x F!Reader

Summary: There was always something about Echo that drew you to him, you had no idea that he'd feel the same way. But when he shares his past with you, you know you want to be there to comfort him in the future.

Warnings: Hurt/Comfort, pregnancy mention, lots of angst, but it's also so soft

Notes: This was written for the @cloneficgiftexchange run by @ghostofskywalker and this fic was written for @jedipoodoo , I hope you enjoy!!

Prompts: "You're okay, I'm right here." ||"I won't leave you." - and you also included that you love stories about parenthood and pregnancy, so I did my best!

Word Count: 3.4k

Read on AO3 Here

Taglist: None, let me know if you'd like to be added!

Masterlist

The first time you saw Echo, he had just disembarked from his ship, visiting his brothers and his sister. You happened to be near the landing port, and you looked over just as he descended the ramp, and from there you knew that you wanted to meet him, to get to know him. 

But you also knew that you weren't really the type to walk up to someone new, especially here. You were new enough to Pabu, the idea of putting yourself out there when you had just come here to hide from the Empire just seemed counter intuitive. It wasn't as if you were in any kind of trouble, after all, you were a mechanic and if anything would be an asset to them, but it seemed safer to stay out of sight, you could think of only a few things worse than being forced into the Empire.

“His name is Echo.” You heard a voice ring out from beside you, making you jump. You turned to your right, the voice had come from another one of the new arrivals, you had only learned that his name was Tech a few weeks prior when he walked into your shop looking for parts for his ship.

“W-What?” Your voice was still flustered from the sudden scare.

“I assumed you would want the name of the person you were so obviously staring at.”

“No, I–” You began to protest before sighing, knowing it was pointless to argue.

Tech waited for you to continue your sentence, but when you didn't, he adjusted his goggles and walked over to greet his brother.

“Like he'd want to meet me..” You muttered to yourself, but almost as soon as Tech made it over to Echo, the latter had turned his head to face you. That was your cue to turn and leave, not wanting to make him uncomfortable with your apparent staring.

~ ~ ~

The second time you saw Echo was a few months following the initial visit. He and his brothers had all come by your shop. Tech had placed another order for his seemingly never-ending tinkering, and the others - whose names you had finally learned - decided to accompany him.

You were surprised to see them all there in your little shop, but especially surprised to see Echo. It seemed that his visits to Pabu were few and far between. 

You did absolutely everything you could to avoid staring. 

When you were busying yourself with re-organizing drawers of miscellaneous parts, you heard your name being called out from behind you. It caused you to jump and knock over a pile of bolts onto the ground.

“Oh kriff, sorry about that.” 

You turned around slowly, trying not to let the embarrassment show in your face, only to be faced with the one you were internally trying to avoid.

“Don’t worry about it.” You said, a bit too shakily..

“That is your name though, right?” He asked, and when you nodded, he smiled. “Good to know, I’m Echo.”

“Nice to meet you.” You forced a smile back.

The tallest of them, Wrecker, wandered up to the front counter to join the two of you, and slapped a hand across Echo’s shoulder.

“Weird you two have never met!” He laughed, “I mean, Echo always just stares at you whenever he sees you, so it’s nice you finally have a chance to talk!” 

“...Thanks, Wreck.” Echo sighed, and looked at you with a slightly guilty expression.

You smiled and shook your head in reassurance to his unspoken apology, knowing you were guilty of the same thing. This almost gave you hope that your desire to get to know him was mutual. Almost.

Before long, the others approached the counter to collect their order and purchase the additional parts they had gathered in your shop. 

As they left, Echo took one last look toward you before ducking out of the building, and you got to work cleaning up the bolts you had knocked over.

Kriff. You sighed to yourself.

~ ~ ~

The time between Echo’s visits seemed longer and longer the more you eventually started getting to know him. You would never admit it out loud, but you even began to miss him when he wasn’t around.

He was kind, and he was quick-witted; he definitely matched his brothers' sarcasm and humour. And when the evening sun shone on him, his eyes almost appeared to glow gold.

It didn't take long for you to completely fall for him, he had a way of speaking that invited you in, he was charming and confident, certainly the type who could have any girl he wanted. 

For that reason, in addition to his frequent trips off-world, you decided not to say anything to him about your feelings. At least you wouldn't pine after him when you didn't have to see him every day, you had figured.

You had put the kettle on one evening and began sorting through your to-do list for the next day, getting lost in your thoughts when a loud knock on the door startled you out of them. 

Cautiously, you walked to the front window, peering out to see who could possibly be visiting, when you saw Echo standing on your front steps, looking around nervously, with his hand rubbing the back of his neck.

You unlocked the door and opened it. 

"Echo? What are you doing here?" You didn’t even realize he was on-world.

"I uh.. was just nearby and wanted to say hi." He was shuffling his feet a little, and his tone was hesitant.

Everything you had thought of his confidence seemed to fizzle away with his words, but still you smiled. 

"Hi," you repeated in greeting.

"Right well.. I should just.." He sighed, "I had a whole idea of what I was going to say but..."

You shook your head, still smiling. "I just put the kettle on, would you like to come in for some tea?" 

He breathed a sigh of relief, "I'd love to."

Echo entered your house slowly, as if he wasn't fully sure if he was actually welcome.

"Make yourself at home," you told him, reassuringly. "Tea should be ready soon."

"Thank you." He sat down on the sofa, taking in his surroundings. 

Your living room was warm and inviting, it certainly felt like you. He smiled, eying some of the photos on the wall.

He knew fairly early on how he felt about you, the fact that you seemed just as nervous as he was when you had first met gave him courage that you might even feel the same way. You were smart, you knew your way around all the working parts of any droid or ship on the planet. Something that he almost felt was humourous, given the fact that it made up most of him too. But more than that, his own darker thoughts figured that meant you’d want nothing to do with him. For that reason, he could never be open about his feelings toward you, but he had enough of hiding it. This revelation was what brought him to your door.

You returned to the living room holding two tea cups, and you set his down in front of him before sitting down on a nearby armchair.

"So what did you have to say?" You asked when you were settled.

"I'm sorry?" He asked, taking a sip of his drink.

"You said you had an idea of something you wanted to say."

"Oh, right I-..." 

He looked down at the teacup.

"I guess I just wanted to talk to you. We’ve been getting to know each other, but I feel like I still don’t know much about you."

You smiled, "Well there's not much to know. I came to Pabu after the Empire began occupying Lothal, opened up my shop, and have been here ever since."

"I see. Not the worst place to escape to," He noted. "Do you er... Anyone special?" 

You could feel blood rise to your cheeks at his question. 

"N-No, not really. Do.. you?" 

"Nah, me neither." His admission brought a feeling of relief to you. He had a sad look as he continued. “Not really sure it’s in my cards. Part of me always kinda wanted a family, especially after meeting Cut and Suu, knowing that some clones out there are living comfortably, but..” He trailed off.

You wanted so badly to comfort him in some way, but you didn’t know how. Anything you thought of saying would only reveal your feelings toward him, and you weren’t really ready to do that.

It grew silent with neither of you knowing what to say.

Eventually, you spoke up, figuring the best thing to do was to change the subject.

"What do you think of Pabu?" You asked him.

He thought about his answer, then he looked at you earnestly, with a spark in his eye that you couldn't quite place. 

"Honestly? I know I’m gone for long periods of time, but… It's getting harder and harder to leave." 

"You could stay." You blurted out without thinking, and you quickly tried to recover, "I mean, since the others live here and all.." 

You mentally facepalmed at your outburst.

But instead of poking fun at you, you heard a quiet chuckle.

"Maybe I will, after my job out there is done."

Your curiosity got the better of you. “What is it that you do when you’re away?”

“We help lost clones find places where they can be safe and comfortable, and above all, free.” 

You smiled, “That’s really noble.”

“It’s the least we can do. Rex and I both feel like we’re only alive today because of the blood our brothers spilled for us, so it’s only fair that we use that to help the ones still out there.”

“What was the war like for you?”

He paused and looked down at his cup. “It’s kind of hard to say.”

You waited to see if he would continue.

“It took me and my squad a long time to even pass the training drill to leave Kamino. They used to call us the Domino squad because we always seemed to fall one after the other. When we did finally get deployed, we were sent to an outpost on the Rishi moon and in our first real battle, we lost three of our men.”

“I see…”

“After that though, Fives and I were taken into the 501st under Captain Rex, where we eventually were made ARC Troopers, but after that was the Citadel.”

“What happened?”

“I got blown up.” He stated, his tone was laced with almost dry humour but he wasn’t laughing. “Seps got me and turned me into, well, this. And now I’m here. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful that Rex and the boys found me on Skako Minor, but I still get nightmares about it sometimes.”

He looked over at you, and his expression turned sympathetic after he saw how upset you looked.

“I guess I unloaded there, sorry.”

“Don’t be, I’m glad you told me. I just wish I knew what to say.”

He smiled a half smile at you, “I appreciate you listening.”

Without really thinking, you moved closer to him, wrapping your arms around his neck in a tight embrace. You stayed there for a moment, and soon you felt his arm reach around you, holding you there.

~ ~ ~

After that night, your relationship with Echo changed. He trusted you, you knew that just from the fact that he was willing to tell you everything about his past. 

When he’d arrive on Pabu, he always met you with an embrace, and more times than not, he’d show up at your house to discuss his missions and any news you had over a cup of tea.

And one of those nights, he had finally confessed his feelings for you. 

He didn’t work up to it in any sense. Instead, when you opened the door to let him inside, he stood on the doorstep, holding a bouquet of flowers out to you.

“What’s this?” You said smiling at the gift.

“I love you.” He announced, a faint blush growing across his cheeks, he was slightly shaking, but his eyes were serious.

“You- What?” Was all you could manage to say in reply. You heard him, but you couldn’t believe what you were hearing.

“I have for a while now. I knew from the start that I had feelings for you, but.. Ever since the night where I told you about, well, everything, I knew how deep those feelings were. If you don’t… Feel the same way, that’s okay, but I needed you to know.”

“Echo…” You managed to say, quietly. “I do feel the same.”

“What?” Echo was surprised, and he immediately believed he misheard you.

“Come in, please.” You said, and all but pulled him into your house. “I love you too.”

“But why? I.. Since when?”

“The same time as you.” You sighed and stood closer to him. “I’ve always had feelings for you, since we met. And when you opened up to me, when you trusted me with your past, I couldn’t ignore it anymore, but I always thought I was alone in it, so I couldn’t bring myself to tell you.”

He smiled softly and placed his hand on your cheek, drawing your face closer to his. 

“You’re not alone. I’m right here with you.” He told you before he closed the distance, pressing his lips to yours, and you wrapped your arms around him, smiling into the kiss.

Echo broke the kiss before you both ran out of air, but still he held you close to him, pressing his forehead against yours.

“I’m relieved that you feel the same way, but I would understand if you didn’t, with me being this.”

“Oh shush,” you told him. “You’ll need a mechanic to keep everything in order.”

He smiled at you before placing a kiss against your lips once again.

~ ~ ~

You felt him tossing in the bed next to you. Another nightmare, you thought to yourself. 

He was getting them more frequently, and it worried you. It had been some time since he was rescued from Skako Minor, but the memories he had of his life before that had never quite faded. Memories of a life he could never quite return to. And you knew that something else was causing him stress. His nightmares grew more frequent ever since you had told him that you were pregnant. 

He was happy to be on Pabu with you, to start a family with you. But you knew it was still a hard adjustment for him. Not just living on Pabu, but everything since waking up from the stasis chamber he was put in. Everything that he had told you about all those years ago still haunted him to this day, and you wished that there was some way that you could help, but he had always told you that just being there with him was enough.

All you could really do in these moments was to try and calm him down, gently ease him out of his nightmares, try to get him to talk to you about them when he woke up, but sometimes it was easier said than done. 

You lay next to him, rubbing his back gently guiding your hand up and down next to the cybernetics, attempting to soothe him from his nightmare without waking him. He stirred gently under your touch before his eyes fluttered open.

"Fives!" He yelled as he lifted himself up off the bed. 

He took a moment to look around, eyes adjusting to the dark room.

"Shh.. You're okay." You whispered to him. 

He fell back onto the bed, turning to look at the ceiling before turning to face you.

"You should be sleeping." He said quietly, "I didn't wake you, did I?"

You shook your head, "No, I was already awake." 

He sighed and pulled you close to him, you adjusted yourself so you could rest your back against his chest, and he held you there, with a hand rubbing your belly gently. 

"I dreamt about the Citadel." He began. "Only instead of me getting hurt, it was Fives." 

You could feel his breath get shakier, and you intertwined your fingers with his. 

"I couldn't protect him. I couldn't protect any of them. Fives, Cutup, Droidbait, Hevy... I'm the only one left." 

You could tell from his voice that this wasn't entirely about his nightmare, and you turned back around to face him.

"Echo.." You gently reached your hand up to rest it on the side of his face.

He wouldn't meet your gaze, his eyes became fixed on your belly.

"What if I can't protect our child?" He asked quietly. 

"You can't think like that, I know you'll do anything for them." 

"But what if I can't?" He sighed, "You deserve someone you can rely on, someone strong to stand beside you. A good father for your children."

"And I have him." You reassured him. "Echo, everything you've described is you. I know you're afraid, and it's okay to be. In a couple months, we'll have someone else to look out for, but I know we'll be able to do this together. I didn't know them, but I know that Fives, Hevy, everyone would be so proud of you, for everything you've made it through, and everything that is coming our way." 

He sighed in frustration, clearly not hearing your words. “I won’t even be able to hold them properly without hurting them. How am I supposed to take care of a child?”

“Because you’re not doing it alone. Echo, I’m still here. I’ll always be here, we’ll be in this together, just like we always have.”

You pressed your forehead against his. "I'm right here with you." 

Echo nudged his forehead into yours gently, and pressed a kiss against your lips. 

"Thank you, mesh'la. You always know what I need to hear. I'm.. sorry."

"You don't need to be sorry. Anytime you need to hear it, I'll be here. I won't leave you."

~ ~ ~

If there was one thing Echo didn’t need to worry about, it was whether or not he would be a good father. 

He was nervous about it, of course. His nerves couldn’t be calmed until the moment he looked into the big brown eyes, his eyes, on this tiny person. His insecurities and worries all melted away from that moment onward.

He had a bit of practice with Omega, but fatherhood really came naturally to him. You remembered hearing a joke once that it was the Mandalorian genes, but to you, it was just how Echo was. He was always kind, gentle, and caring, and these traits became even stronger once your child was born. 

He was a perfect father, perhaps a little overly cautious at times, but caring all the same. You remembered laughing at his idea to wrap a soft blanket around his scomp link so that it didn’t dig into your child’s skin, but he did it anyway.

And he was proud that his child had such a loving family, the other batchers became the best uncles overnight. Hunter and Wrecker immediately took to doting on and fawning over your child, Tech took to adding all kinds of child safety measures to the Marauder, and Omega was ecstatic to finally be an aunt. 

You knew that there was still a part of Echo that he tried his best to keep hidden that longed to see the other members of the Domino squad be part of your little loving family, to watch your child grow up, to play games with them, to teach them to fly, to tell them stories about their dad that even you haven’t heard, to just be there, to be alive, but all you could do was reassure him that, wherever they are, they were looking out for him, and the new addition. 

From there, everything seemed to fall into place. Everything made sense. 

Echo had told you once, all that time ago that he had wanted a family of his own, a dream of his and yours that became reality with you by his side. 

The two of you were working parts, you helped each other move and grow, and you would continue to do so for as long as you could.

Absence//Fonder Pt. 2

Summary: The boys surprise you with a trip to your home world and a vocabulary lesson.

Pairing: The Bad Batch x medic fem!reader (pronouns she/her, no physical descriptions, no y/n, pet names)

Warnings: Crosshair, angst (not much I swear!), fluff so sweet you’ll need your dentist, sweet kisses ( the smut happens in chapter 3 😏) but MINORS DNI

Written while listening to “Tell Her You Love Her” by Echosmith

Series playlist can be found here!

Part 1 Part 3

Word count: 3132

Crosshair had been called many things in his life. Talented, cocky, aloof to name a few. No one had ever called him a coward though. It was in his very nature to look at the impossible and find a way.

The odds didn’t matter.

He and his brothers had faced forces that would have given much larger squads pause, and they’d never hesitated. Never felt like they couldn’t get the job done.

Yet there he was, stomach twisted into knots, muscles in his legs twitching with the desire to bolt, afraid. Not afraid of a battalion of clankers, rollies, and spiders.

No. He was afraid of a nat born medic, who clutched Wrecker’s arm like a lifeline during turbulence. A medic who could sew up her own wounded leg without batting an eye, but would discharge her blaster at the sight of an insect. A medic who was the epitome of soft, yet had the power to crush him in the palm of her hand.

He’d never told anyone he cared for them, nor had he asked anyone what they felt for him. Quite frankly he didn’t give a fuck. The fleeting attentions of strangers, whose names he would forget immediately, had been more than enough to scratch the well-concealed itch for a semblance of connection.

Now, you were ruining him without even trying. Punching a hole straight through his carefully crafted armor. Making him weak.

And in a few moments, depending on your reaction, you could break all five of them. Clone Force 99 could be brought to its knees by you in a single instant.

He watched his brothers as they led you towards the location Tech had chosen. Excitement radiated off of you like a sun’s rays. He would never admit it, but he was dying to be wrong this time. He wanted to believe that you could love them. That you could love him.

Blindfolded, you were unable to see the looks of hope and affection etched onto their shared features. You were simply excited for another adventure with them. Hunter’s hands rested securely on your shoulders with your hands over them.

The sergeant had woken you up upon landing with a bandana in hand.

“We’ve got a surprise for you,” he said, as you got dressed.

“Really?” you asked, mind racing as you tried to imagine what it was. It wasn’t your birthday, their decant day, or any other holiday. Not that it mattered. The fact that the five of them had formed a plan to surprise you damn near made your brain short circuit. That showed a level of care and consideration you had rarely even received from people you were seriously dating.

“Yep, gotta make sure you don’t peek though,” he said waving the bandana.

You resisted the urge to make a filthy joke about being tied up for them and instead turned so Hunter could tie the bandana on. The world went dark, and you took a nervous breath until you felt Hunter’s hands on your shoulders, and you relaxed. He would never let anything happen to you.

“Where’s my bucket?” You asked, suddenly feeling naked without it.

“You won’t need it here,” Hunter said, steering you towards the door.

“Is this some kind of initiation thing?” you asked, breaking the silence. “Testing my bravery to prove I’m one of you?”

Wrecker snorted, “That’s a pretty good idea! We could dangle you over a cliff by your ankle?”

“If I don’t scream, I’m in?” You asked with a giggle.

“Grow up, you two,” Crosshair said, and you swore you could hear him rolling his eyes.

“…yes.” Wrecker whispered in answer to your question, setting off more giggles.

“We’ve got a little hike coming up, so one of us will carry you,” Hunter said, as you all came to a stop.

Even blindfolded you knew where all of them were by their steps. You reached for Wrecker, but Hunter caught your hand.

“Wrecker’s got his hands full,” Hunter said, and you could hear a smile in his voice. It made your stomach flip with excitement.

“Ooooh, the plot thickens.” You stepped forward and instead found Tech’s shoulders, wrapping your arms around him. You made a soft noise of surprise, as he grabbed your thighs, and hoisted you off the ground easily.

“Are you comfortable?” Tech asked.

“Yes, sir,” you reply, face pressed against the side of Tech’s helmet.

You hum softly, listening to the sound of your squads’ steps, mind conjuring all sorts of fantastic scenarios for what they could have planned.

It was quiet and warm, and you could hear their boots crunching over dry ground, so you knew you weren’t on Kamino. You had been sleeping for the majority of the trip, and blindfolded before stepping off of the ship, so you couldn’t use the stars for clues.

You hummed softly as the trek continued, occasionally grinning when Wrecker would chuckle at some joke from Echo you couldn’t quite make out. You were close to beginning a round of “Are we there yet?” when Tech stopped, and slowly released his grip on your thighs.

“We have arrived at our intended destination,” he said, as you got your feet under yourself after several minutes of being carried.

Hunter removed the bandana, and you looked around. A small city twinkled in the valley below your position atop a massive hill. You looked to the rich blue night sky above, and connected the stars. Your brow furrowed a moment before the realization hit you. You were home…well, your home world. Home was the Marauder now. A lump formed in your throat, and tears pooled in your eyes.

“You brought me home?” You asked, turning to face them, smiling even as the tears poured down your face.

“We missed you, and we thought this would be a good welcome home surprise,” Echo said.

“It was Hunter’s idea,” Tech supplied.

“Oh, Hunter, this is perfect!” You wrapped your arms around his waist and rested your head against his chest. “Thank you.”

Hunter held you close a moment, before releasing you slowly to smile down at you.

“This is a pretty special spot, you know?” You asked tucking your arms behind your back and rising up on the balls of your feet.

“Yes, I selected it for that very reason. The local population has designated this as a place to share important news with loved ones,” Tech said, clearly proud of himself.

“Right as always, Tech,” you beamed at him. “Planning to share some news?”

“Actually we thought today might be a nice day to teach you some Mando’a, so you know what we’re saying to you,” Hunter said nodding towards Wrecker, who took a deep breath and stepped up to take your hands.

“Finally!” You cheered, buzzing with excitement.

A bright smile lit up your features as you looked up at him. He smiled warmly, eyes roaming your face. You’d only been gone a couple of weeks, but Wrecker had missed you fiercely every moment.

“Well, we call you ‘mesh’la’ cause it means beautiful. Easy to see why. You are beautiful inside and out,” Wrecker said before taking you gently by your arms and pressing a kiss to the top of your head.

Your heart jumped and your breath hitched. You cleared your throat and said, “I knew I liked that one.”

He smiled warmly, and stepped to the side, gently guiding you to Echo, who took one of your hands next. He rested his scomplink against your waist, and you held his bicep, as you beamed expectantly at him.

“We call you ‘saraad’ because it means flower. You make every place you’re in brighter, more alive.” Echo kissed your forehead, and you felt anticipation buzzing in your chest. Your heart beat faster than before, as Tech took his place before you could even react.

“Senaar’ika means little bird. You are always eager to take flight whether you are ready or not. Brave, reckless to be certain, but brave nonetheless,” straight to the point as ever, Tech pressed a kiss to your cheek.

You released a shuddering breath, your face warming up under their gentle affections. Am I dreaming? You thought, now scared to move or speak for fear of breaking the spell they were weaving around you.

Hunter hesitated only a moment before resting a hand on your waist, as the other cupped your cheek, his thumb rubbing soothingly over your cheekbone. Your eyes met his, as you placed your hands on his chest and held your breath.

“‘Cyare’ is one you’ve heard more and more lately. The closest word in basic is beloved,” Hunter said, and you knew he’d heard your heart skip a beat before racing away.

“You’re special to us, and we want to keep you close…closer,” Hunter took a deep breath, his warm brown eyes held yours. “We’ve fallen for you, and we hope that’s ok. Nothing has to change if you don’t want it to.”

“You’ve fallen for me? I-, I…I can’t even…” you stammered, simultaneously thrilled and confused. You took a deep breath, lifting one hand to rest over his against your face, the other sliding up to caress his face.

“Is it ok, if I kiss you now?” He asked. You nodded immediately.

He smiled and leaned down to press his lips to yours. You didn’t wake up. His arm wrapped around your waist, and you knew it was real. He pulled back and pressed his forehead to yours.

“Been wanting to do that for awhile now,” he confessed.

“That makes two of us…or maybe 6 of us,” you said with a nervous laugh.

You’d thought of no less than a dozen different scenarios when Hunter had blindfolded you, but you never imagined this could be a possibility. Not even in your wildest dreams did you allow yourself to believe that the 5 amazing men standing before you could care for you the way you cared for them.

There’s a relieved sigh from behind Hunter, and you leaned around him to see Crosshair properly. His eyes were taking you in much like he had upon your return. Drinking you in while he figured out what to say. You looked up at Hunter, and he nodded, stepping back to give you a path to Crosshair. Taking a deep breath, you make your way towards the sniper.

For the first time since you met him, you reached for Crosshair, taking hold of him with confidence. Your eyes met his, a light smile playing on your lips.

“Any special words you wanna teach me, Crosshair?” You asked, hoping your voice was steady.

“You already know my favorite word for you. The one that’s been going through my mind since you left,” Crosshair said quietly, bringing his lips within an inch of yours.

“And what word would that be?” you asked, moving closer to let your lips brush his.

“Mine,” he said before closing the distance between you, kissing you with relief. The first kiss had been almost hesistant, as a part of him was sure he was stealing affection that wasn’t meant for him. But it was meant for him. You wanted him…all of them. You weren’t running away or pulling back. You were in his arms, holding him close like he belonged to you.

Wrecker cleared his throat noisily, and Crosshair broke the kiss to give him a look.

“Just for that, you can go last,” Crosshair sneered, guiding you towards Tech, who pulled you close and let his arms settle comfortably around your waist. Just like before your arms rested over his shoulders, this time your fingers carded gently through his hair.

“I hope that you will be willing to answer a few questions for me, senaar’ika. I have been compiling data for quite some time, and despite today’s success, I still have some theories to test in order to draw definitive conclusions.”

“I’ll indulge your experiments, if you’ll indulge mine,” you said with a mysterious little smile.

“Well, of course, I am more than happy to assist in the pursuit of knowledge,” Tech replied. Happy with your response he leaned in to brush his lips softly over yours. You whined, wanting more, and he pressed closer, letting you feel his need for you. Tech’s kiss was just like him, a curious exploration that left you giddy.

He pulled back, and opened his mouth to say more, but Wrecker cut him off, “Maker, Tech, you can talk her ear off later. We’ve still got another thing to give her!”

“Despite the rudeness of his delivery, Wrecker is correct. We do have another surprise for you,” Tech said, releasing you slowly, as Echo moved close to pull you into his arms.

“I almost slipped up and kissed you last night, so I may need to make up for that,” Echo said, before kissing you slow and deep. You were so sure your heart was actually going to break its way out of your ribcage if they kept going at this rate.

“Stars, Echo, I can think of a few more things for you to make up,” you said breathlessly, as he pulled back with a grin.

“Finally!” Wrecker said, spinning you around and scooping you up into his arms to press the softest kiss of all to your lips. He handled you with such care and affection, you couldn’t help but sigh happily against his lips.

“Kriff me, if I’d known this would happen, I’d have left sooner,” you said with a laugh, as Wrecker set you back down on your feet.

“Well, no more running off to help Cody because we missed you too much,” Wrecker said, caressing your face gently.

“I promise I won’t be doing that again for quite some time,” you confessed.

“Good, because Cross here, was worse than usual,” Hunter teased.

Crosshair scowled and folded his arms. “Just tell her the next surprise.”

“You belong with us no matter what, so Crosshair gave your helmet a little update,” Echo said from just beyond Wrecker, where Hunter and Tech had set up a fire, and a tent. You suspected that’s what had kept Wrecker’s hands full.

Echo straightened up and passed you your bucket. You looked down at it, and a smile slowly spread across your face. A tiny skull and a 99 now adorned your helmet like a kiss on the cheek.

“Cross, you did this for me?” You asked, turning to the sniper. It was difficult to tell in the low light, you could have sworn he was blushing.

“We thought you might like it,” Hunter said.

“I love it.”

***

The six of you gathered around a happily crackling fire, as you finally answered all of their questions about your time away. Crosshair watched you with rapt attention, appreciating all of your little quirks, as you discussed the missions you’d participated in, including the one that had resulted in your injury.

“Still pissed you got shot. Not surprised though. That always happens with regs,” Wrecker said, tightening his hold on your waist, as he held you to his side.

“Hey!” Echo said, leaning around you and gesturing to himself. “I’d never let her get shot.”

“You know I don’t mean you, Echo,” Wrecker said dismissively.

“It’s just a scratch, boys,” you laughed. “There’s barely even a scar.”

“We sent you to Commander Cody with no scratches, and we expected you to come back in the same condition,” Crosshair said gesturing at you with a toothpick.

“Though I would have chosen a less objectifying way to phrase it, I agree with Crosshair,” Tech said, looking up from his datapad. “I would have thought you would be in excellent hands with our Marshal Commander, and not in a position to take damage from a sniper.”

“Awwww, did Cody let your favorite toy get all scuffed? You want a new one?” You asked with a teasing lilt to your voice.

Crosshair shook his head slowly. Tech looked offended at the suggestion.

“And have to break in another one?” Hunter interjected. “No way. You’re stuck with us now.”

“Oh no,” you gasped in mock anguish. “Whatever shall I do? Stuck with my favorite people in the galaxy. Torture.”

You draped yourself dramatically over Wrecker’s legs, much to his amusement. His hearty laughter rumbled out of his chest, as he pulled you close to his chest, so you were sitting in his lap.

“Your favorite people? In the whole galaxy?” He asked, his mismatched eyes full of hope as they focused on yours.

“Absolutely. You have been for awhile,” you confessed. “I hated being away from all of you.” You looked around the fire at each of them before bringing your focus back to Wrecker. “I mean it. I don’t wanna do that again for a good long while.”

Satisfied, Wrecker cupped your face and brought his lips to yours again. Your eyes fluttered closed, and you felt yourself relax against him. His lips moved over yours with a gentle confidence that made you hum low in your throat, and press closer to him.

You broke the kiss, as a yawn forced its way out of you. You were still absolutely exhausted. The thrill of their confession had given you the sweetest sugar high, and you were crashing.

“You require rest,” Tech said, “I will take first watch.”

“I’ll take it,” Crosshair said, shooting a glance at Hunter, who had covered him the night before. He’d gotten you all to himself for several hours, and he knew the others were itching to snuggle with you. He was too relieved to be selfish. For now.

You stood up and stretched, reaching for the sky you’d grown up under before wandering over to Crosshair and kneeling down to press a soft kiss to his lips.

“Come snuggle with me soon,” you whispered.

He nodded, as he watched you rise and make your way into the tent.

“We’ll keep you company, Cross,” Wrecker said with a grin, as Tech and Echo followed you into the tent, and Hunter relaxed on his back to look up at the stars.

“Oh goody,” the sniper replied with a halfhearted roll of his eyes.

***

You’d worried it would be awkward, but going to sleep between Tech and Echo felt as natural as breathing. Echo spooned up behind you, your face against Tech’s chest. The three of you chatted quietly for a little while, while their hands moved over your body absently.

You began to drift in and out of consciousness, despite your desire to stay awake and enjoy their presence.

“Sleep, saraad,” Echo commanded gently. “We’ll all be here in the morning.”

“Promise?” You asked sleepily, as you nuzzled against Tech.

“Promise,” He said, wrapping his arm around your waist.

Warm and safe, you left yourself drift away.

tagging: @secondaryrealm @dystopicjumpsuit @iamburdened @sunshinesdaydream @mythical-illustrator @the1sunshine1girl @stardusthuntress @thebahdbitch @wings-and-beskar @arctrooper69 @golden-nyx-ghost @iloveallmenandwomen @rexxdjarin @sleepingsun501 @starrylothcat @ladyzirkonia @pb-jellybeans @clio3kantarella @staycalmandhugaclone @ceraryn09 @skellymom @808tsuika

how do people get through their lives without thinking about fiction during their every waking hour

NATALIE PORTMAN as PADMÉ AMIDALA STAR WARS: REVENGE OF THE SITH (2005)

Absolutely understandable incredible concept 10/10 would also look disrespectfully

I’m the staring type-

[shoutout to @lonewolflupe for the idea prompt <3]