intricatechaosofyou

[intricatechaosofyou]

AHHHH THIS IS SO CUTE!!! I COULD DIE!! ITS BEEN A WHILE SINCE IVE READ A HUNTER FIC AND THIS WAS SUCH A GOOD WAY TO GET BACK INTO THINGS!! ❤️🩶

Life Day Wishes

Hunter/Fem!Reader

Words: 4,478

Summary: [Modern/Neighbors AU] You had long since become a true member of Hunter's family, even if it took him over five years to actually admit to you how he feels.

Prompts: gift exchange || "i hope you know how much i love you" (which was slightly modified to fit the fic - i hope that's okay!)

Note: this is one of my contributions to the @cloneficgiftexchange life day exchange, which i ran! i was so excited to receive @captainpains as my giftee, and i wanted to write something silly, fluffy, and fun for you :) hope you enjoy!

Clone Troopers Masterlist

Holiday advertisements were playing on practically every channel as you flipped through the stations on the TV, different snippets of Life Day music being cut short with each press of the remote. It’s not that you were tired of the holidays or that you disliked them, but right now everything was a constant reminder of the fact that you wouldn’t have anyone to spend them with this year. Your sister and her family would be spending the holidays at a soccer tournament for your nephew, so you didn’t really envy her, but it still meant that you would be spending Life Day completely alone for the first time. 

An infomercial for a fancy kind of chiller was lighting up the screen as you turned back to check on Omega. Hunched over the kitchen table with homework spread out in front of you, she was hard at work. You worked at the school she attended (though you didn’t usually see her at all during the day), so you drove her home in the afternoons and made sure she didn’t accidentally set the house on fire until her dad got home from work. 

“You almost done over there?” you asked, a smile on your face. This evening, Hunter had told you that he would be home a little later than usual, so you had a small surprise for Omega. 

“Just two more math problems!” she called back, still focused intently on the papers in front of her. “I already did my social studies homework.” 

You hummed in response as you turned your attention back to the TV, not wanting to bother her while she was still working. Despite the fact that it was a Friday and she technically didn’t have to finish everything, you had heard stories in the past of forgotten projects and her rushing to get everything done before bed on Sunday night, which you weren’t looking to facilitate. 

A few moments later though, you were getting up from Hunter’s (incredibly comfortable) armchair and pulling a folder out of your bag. “Since it’s gonna be us this evening, I thought we could order a pizza and then make some Life Day cookies,” you said, watching Omega’s face light up at the idea. 

“Yes!” Omega said, running over and throwing her arms around you as you pulled out a cookie recipe. “Can we get the tooka shaped pizza from Dex’s?” 

“Of course!” You said, returning her hug. You knew that Hunter tried his best to be there for her, but the fact that he was a single dad certainly made things a little more difficult. He had confided in you that he picked up some overtime to make sure he could get the best Life Day gifts for Omega, but she didn’t know that, and you could tell she was probably feeling a little sad that she didn’t see him as much.

A little while later, after the two of you were done tearing into your adorably shaped dinner, ingredients for cookies were being removed from cabinets as you asked Omega about her plans for Life Day. 

“My uncles are going to come over and we’ll have a big dinner,” she said. “I think next weekend my dad and I are going to put up the decorations.” 

“That’s great,” you said. “Do you know what you’re going to get your dad and uncles yet?” 

Omega shook her head. “I don’t, and I don’t think the holiday market at school will have things they’d want.” 

You laughed; she was certainly right about that statement. The school holiday market, which was great for getting kids used to handling money and making a budget based on how many people they had to buy gifts for, was not the best place to look for meaningful presents. “I’m sure your dad and uncles would appreciate anything, as long as it came from you.” 

You weren’t lying about that. Living next door to Hunter and Omega for the past five years meant that you were also close with her uncles and even some of her extended family, and many a summer night had been spent sitting around the fire pit in their backyard, drinking with Hunter and his brothers as Omega hung out with her friends on the swingset. You knew for a fact that even if she handed them a pile of painted bantha shit, Tech, Wrecker, Echo, and even Crosshair would smile and pretend she had gifted them a priceless artifact. 

“I know,” she said, placing her measuring cup in the container of sugar and starting to scoop out what the recipe required. “But I still want to get them something nice.” 

“Why don’t you ask your dad to take you out shopping?” you asked. “He’s spent enough time with his brothers to help you pick something out.” 

Omega nodded. “That’s a good idea.” 

“And if you want, I can help you out when it comes to shopping for your dad,” you said. “I don’t even know what I’m going to get him anyway.” 

Your statement was not one you considered to be scandalous or abnormal, but Omega stopped what she was doing to stare incredulously in your direction. “Why are you getting my dad a gift?” 

The real answer was considerably more complicated, but you didn’t dare get into that with a middle schooler as you stood in the center of her kitchen. “Because we’re friends,” you said. “I got him and your uncles something last year, why would this year be any different?” 

“Oh,” was Omega’s response, and the way she latched onto your words certainly struck you as odd. There was no way she picked up on your feelings for her father, you had done so well hiding them from everyone (yourself included, since you didn’t even realize you liked Hunter until a little over a year ago). “I forgot how long we’ve known you.” 

“That’s okay, sometimes I do the same thing,” you said, a smile on your face. “You can make it up to me by telling me what your dad might want for Life Day though.” 

The young girl paused before speaking. “There is this caf machine he’s been looking at,” she said. “But I think it’s pretty expensive.” 

You nodded as Omega tried to remember the name of the machine, but it just wasn’t coming to her. “Don’t worry about it,” you said. “If he talks about it again, let me know and we can look for it when we go shopping. If you still want to go shopping with me of course.” Omega nodded brightly, and the conversation trailed off as things began to require your full attention. 

Hunter walked in the door about an hour later, and the house was alight with laughter as the two of you rolled out cookies and dipped them in sprinkles and sugar before placing them on baking sheets. The moment she noticed her dad, Omega dropped her rolling pin and ran over to tackle him in a hug, effectively covering him in flour as it transferred from her clothes. 

“Hey Megs!” Hunter said, happily returning his daughter’s powdery hug. “Having fun?” 

“We’re making cookies!”

“I can tell,” he said, gaze meeting yours as he surveyed his (now very messy) kitchen. 

“We’re almost done,” you said warmly, holding up the last dough ball that has yet to be shaped. “Do you want to do the honors?” 

 Hunter nodded, walking over to you (after a quick detour to the sink, where Omega made him wash his hands) and taking the rolling pin from where it had been discarded before, and with a little bit of help, the last cookie took shape. 

Once the kitchen had been cleaned and the cookies lay cooling, it was just you and Hunter. “Thank you for doing this with her,” he said sincerely. “I know she can tell I’ve been gone longer than usual.” 

You nodded. “She doesn’t blame you, but I think she worries.” 

“I know,” Hunter sighed. “Maker, I wish things were easier.”

“You’re definitely not alone with that sentiment.” 

“I have the week after Life Day off, I think I’m going to see if she wants to do anything special.”

“That’s a good idea,” you said. “I know things get busy as you’re planning everything for the holiday.” 

Hunter nodded. “Yeah. At least you only host half the time.” 

“And this year I don’t have to do anything,” you said, continuing when Hunter shot you a quizzical look. “My sister and her family are going to a soccer tournament over break, so I’ll have the day to myself.” 

“You should come over here,” was his immediate response, followed by a rushed “only if you want to.” 

“Please, you know I enjoy spending time with your family,” you laughed. “I don’t want to be any trouble though, if things are already planned.” 

Now it was his turn to scoff. “You could never be a bother,” he said. “I promise.” 

“Then I’ll be there,” you said. 

The smile he gave you in response nearly stopped your heart right then and there. Now your gift for him definitely had to be perfect. 

***

The rotations until Life Day were slipping away faster than Hunter could have ever expected, and it still felt like he hadn’t even started preparing. There was still so much to shop for, plan for, and don’t even get him started on the pile of gifts for his daughter slowly accumulating in the trunk of his car and the back of his closet (that would all need to be wrapped when she wasn’t around to peek at them). 

It was something of a relief when you offered to take Omega shopping for Life Day presents one weekend, because that meant he could recruit his brothers to help out in other ways and he didn’t have to worry about Omega walking in and seeing any of her gifts.

Tech and Crosshair were in charge of gift wrapping, and they operated like a well-oiled machine as they sat on the floor in the living room, tinsel, bows and patterned rolls of paper spread all within arm’s reach. The mountain of presents had been pulled from their hiding places, and it appears that Hunter may have gone a little overboard this year when shopping for Omega. 

Echo and Wrecker were in charge of the menu and the grocery list for Life Day dinner, and Hunter could hear the playful bickering between the two as they squabbled over how many side dishes they should have and whether or not three dessert options was too much (Wrecker believed there should be at least five options, a sentiment Hunter did not disagree with, if he was being honest). 

His job out of all this was looking at the gifts already purchased and making a list of people he still needed to shop for, along with making sure the gifts they had for Omega’s teachers were done. Omega would (hopefully) be returning from her outing today with presents purchased for all her uncles, but that still meant Hunter had to buy something for them, as well as for a few other friends. He had just finished the list of people he would need to shop for when he heard Crosshair’s voice over his shoulder. 

“I expected that we’d be low on the list of priorities, but your girlfriend? That’s just mean.” 

Hunter, his mind still running through a list of all the people he knew in an effort to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anyone, looked up at him with confusion. “What are you talking about? I don’t have a girlfriend.” 

Crosshair raised his eyebrows, and everyone else in the house stopped what they were doing to stare at Hunter, because they knew exactly where this conversation was heading. “Really? Where’s your kid right now?” 

“She’s with-” Hunter started to respond before catching on to his brother’s implication. “How many times do I have to tell you that we’re not together?” 

“You could be, if you just asked her out already. Honestly, if you keep at this pace Omega will have bought a house of her own before you even think about making a move.” 

A heaving sigh left Hunter’s mouth. “First of all, I don’t like her in that way.”

Before he could continue his statement, the house erupted with laughter (a reaction that Hunter did not appreciate). “Give it up Hunter,” Echo said as he looked up from the menu he was penning. “Omega practically calls her mom and you get a stupid look on your face whenever you mention her.” 

As much as he would have liked to continue denying his feelings to protect his pride, Hunter had to admit that his brothers were right. He had been absolutely smitten from the first moment he met you five years ago. You had knocked on their door to introduce yourself, with homemade muffins in your hands and a smile on your face, and he had almost forgotten how to talk. As the years went by and you got closer and closer to him and his daughter, it had become increasingly more difficult to ignore the attraction he felt. “Fine, you di’kuts are right,” he said. “But she doesn’t feel the same way, and I’m not going to ruin the positive relationship she has with Omega. Besides, I can’t afford an actual babysitter.” 

“Omega is more than capable of spending the afternoons by herself, and she could take the bus home after school,” Tech said. “Also, you are decidedly incorrect about her not feeling the same way.” 

“Guys-” 

“It’s true!” Wrecker boomed. “We’ve spent enough time with her at your summer barbecues to catch how she looks at you.”

“And now she’s coming to Life Day dinner,” Crosshair said. “Face it Hunter, you’re in love.”

“I invited her because she didn’t have anywhere else to go!” 

“Two things can be true at the same time,” Tech said. 

“Maybe you could say something on Life Day,” Wrecker cut in. “What are you going to get her?” 

There was a significant pause before Hunter responded, his voice much quieter than it had been before. “I don’t know.” 

Hunter loved his brothers, he truly did. But right now, as they rattled off endless suggestions of things he could get you, he wanted to be anywhere else but here at the moment. 

The feeling of his phone buzzing in his pocket provided a welcome distraction, and he looked down to see your name on the screen. Omega and I are going out to lunch and then we’ll be home, you’ve got about an hour left to finish wrapping her gifts, the text message read. 

Thanks for the heads up, he texted back. I’ll make sure things are all cleaned up by then. 

No matter how hard he tried to hide the smile that crossed his face, it was an impossible feat, as was getting his brothers to stop teasing him and get back to work, since they really didn’t have much time to get everything done. 

He still needed to think about a gift for you, and time was certainly running out. Trying to ignore the way his brain wandered towards easy daydreams was another unattainable goal, and he couldn’t help but play through all different scenarios in his head of you and him, hearts and souls intertwined in domestic bliss. 

As much as he didn’t want to admit it, his brothers were right. Five years was long enough, he just needed to find the courage to actually tell you how he felt without chickening out, and maybe this Life Day he would prove successful. 

***

Hunter’s home was less than a minute walk for you, but your heart was racing as you stepped up to the front door, as if you had run a marathon on the way. But the homemade cake you had brought was balanced precariously atop the gifts in your hands, and a single misstep could have spelled imminent disaster.

Thankfully, the door opened before you had finished ascending the porch stairs, and Hunter immediately pulled the cake from the top of the gift stack. “Need any other help?” he asked.

“No, but thank you,” you breathed, stepping inside and immediately walking through to the living room. Once the presents in your arms were deposited safely next to the tree, you were nearly tackled in a hug. 

“Happy Life Day!” Omega said brightly, arms tight around your middle. 

“Happy Life Day to you too,” you said, unable to keep a goofy smile from appearing on your face. Despite the fact that you didn’t live here, something about this space, and especially these people, felt like home in a way you could never truly articulate. 

When Omega finally let you go, you turned to Hunter. “Am I the first one here?” Even though you lived next door, you would have thought someone else would be here by now, especially since you arrived a little late (trying to close your own door with the gifts and cake was quite a challenge, but you managed). 

Hunter nodded. “The others aren’t supposed to be here for another half hour,” he said. “Omega wanted to give you your gift as early as possible.” 

You looked back at Omega, who was practically vibrating with excitement. “Well, I can’t leave her waiting any longer, can I?” 

After being directed to the couch, you watched Hunter sit down on the armchair across the room with a smile on his face. As Omega brought over a small box wrapped in tooka-patterned paper, you jokingly shook it, feeling something heavy rustle around. As you tore open the paper and opened the box, your eyes widened. 

Glittering in the light of the tree across the room were two crystalline statues of your favorite animal. You had spent many hours doodling with Omega when she was younger at her kitchen table, and it was clear that this gift was her idea, as she had seen enough of your attempts at drawing these to know they were your favorite. “I love them,” you said sincerely, placing the statues on the couch side table before sweeping her up in a hug. “Do you want to open your gift now?” you asked, and her eyes lit up. 

Hunter watched in amusement as you walked over to the tree and presented Omega’s two gifts to her. She was much less gentle with the wrapping than you were, but that didn’t really matter. “Wow!” she said as she realized what it was, eyes wide as she took in the present, a high-quality set of paints, paintbrushes, and a pack of canvases, since she talked all the time about how much she enjoyed painting in art class. 

Hunter opened his mouth, probably to prompt his daughter to say thank you, but she beat him to it, wrapping you in a hug once more and babbling excitedly about what she’s going to paint with her new supplies. 

When she finally let you go, you got up from the couch and stepped over towards the tree, where you picked up a large box and presented it to Hunter. His eyes widened. “For me?” 

“Yes!” you said. “Omega helped me pick it out, so technically it’s from both of us.” 

He took the box from you. “It’s heavy.”

You watched with bated breath as he ripped open the paper, a smile crossing his face as he realized what it was. “Omega spilled the beans about you wanting a new caf machine,” you said. “And I’ll admit, we did get a slightly better model than the one you have now.” 

“That’s an understatement,” he said, staring at the graphics on the box that outlined all the different things this machine could do. “You didn’t have to get me anything.” 

“I wanted to,” you said, and the two of you locked eyes for a moment. There was so much you wanted to tell him, but you didn’t exactly want to do it with an audience.

“Thank you,” he said warmly, putting the box down to get up from his chair. He moved to hug you, but his daughter beat him to it. You had hugged Omega so many times today that part of your mind wished Hunter was the one to wrap your arms around you, but you tried to push those thoughts away. 

After the moment had ended, you immediately moved to grab the used wrapping paper from the floor, and Omega took off somewhere else in the house, excitedly talking about how she couldn’t wait for her uncles to arrive. 

You and Hunter worked like you could read each others’ minds, something you only noticed when you realized that you had wordlessly begun setting out hors d'oeuvres on the table in preparation for the rest of the family to arrive. Maker, things just felt so right here, with him, so much so that you never wanted to leave.  

“Hey,” Hunter’s voice interrupted your thoughts. “You didn’t open all your gifts yet.” 

You looked at him with a confused look on your face. “But-” 

He shook his head. “We- I have one more thing for you.” 

You took note of the way he corrected himself, watching as he left the kitchen and returned with a small box in his hands. It was completely silent as you tore open the paper and popped open the jewelry box to reveal a simple necklace, your first initial hanging from a silver chain. 

“I didn’t know what to get you, and then my brothers got in my head about making sure I got something good, so-”

“Hunter,” you said softly, cutting off his rambling. “I love it.” 

He breathed an obvious sigh of relief, and you gently put the box down on the counter before moving towards him, throwing your arms around him and breathing in his scent. He returned the hug, and you felt as though you might die right here and now. You had hugged Hunter before, but they had always been quick goodbyes and polite greetings, never something like his. 

As you moved to pull away, he gripped your side a little tighter. “Wait,” he said, voice soft. Your faces were much closer than they had ever been before, and you wondered if he could hear the way your heart was beating faster than usual. 

“What is it?” you breathed.

“Can I kiss you?” 

Despite having daydreamed about him saying those words to you multiple times since you met, it took a few seconds for you to register that they were actually leaving his lips at this moment. “Yes,” you responded, allowing him to close the gap between you. 

Kissing Hunter was like coming upon an oasis in the desert, the feeling of his lips on yours suddenly becoming a desperate need. If you were dreaming, you never wanted to wake up. One of your hands moved to his hair as his tightened around your waist, every ounce of passion that both of you had been keeping locked away finally bubbling to the forefront. 

The sound of excited shrieking was what finally detached your lips from each other, and you both turned to see Omega standing in the doorway of the kitchen, a smile on her face. “Does this mean I can call you mom?” she asked, looking expectantly at you. 

Hunter shifted where he stood. “Omega-” 

But before he could say anything, you jumped in. “If you promise not to say anything to your uncles, yes.” 

She nodded excitedly and ran up to the two of you for a hug before mumbling something about giving you space, leaving the room as empty as it had been a minute ago.

“I’m sorry if I’m overstepping,” you said quickly. “If you don’t want her to call me that I can tell her I was mistaken.” 

“I was about to tell her that it was your decision,” he said warmly. “I don’t want you to think that just because we kissed I was expecting anything more.” 

“What if I wanted something more?” you asked. “Hunter, I’ve cared about you for so long now I barely even noticed my feelings until a year ago. But there’s no mistaking how I feel anymore, and I want you to know how much I love you.” 

He pulled you into another hug. “I think I fell in love with you the moment we met,” he said. “My brothers have been bugging me about you for longer than I want to admit.” 

You laughed, only imagining the types of teasing he has endured over the last few years. “Then let’s go for it.” 

Hunter responded by leaning down to kiss you again, and you certainly weren’t complaining. 

The next thing to grab your attention was the sound of the doorbell ringing, and you pulled away from Hunter (who, swear to Maker, emitted something of a whine as he lost contact with your lips). “How long do you think it’s going to take Omega to spill the beans?” you whispered as you heard her footsteps through the house, no doubt moving to open the door for whichever of her uncles had arrived first. 

“Seconds, probably,” he whispered back.

You laughed. “Come on, let’s go see who it is.” 

“Do we have to?” 

Playfully swatting his shoulder as his face morphed into a pout, you nodded before pulling away from his touch.

You greeted Crosshair with a bright smile and a polite hug, and he didn’t say anything about knowing what had just transpired between you and his brother moments before, so there was a small sliver of hope that Omega had been able to keep your secret. 

However, the moment you sat down on the couch with a plate of snacks, you could feel your phone buzz in your pocket, and a text from Crosshair to both you and Hunter reflected on the home screen. 

Have a good makeout session? 

Before you could think about what to say, a response from Hunter followed. 

Did Omega tell you?

Crosshair, who was sitting on the armchair as Omega rooted around under the tree for his gift, just smiled as he typed back. 

She didn’t have to, one look at your hair told me everything I needed to know.

Hunter quickly tried to tame his hair where your hands had mussed it, and Crosshair just watched with an amused smile. As the doorbell rang once more and Omega ran to greet the next arrival, a sincere smile appeared on his face. “Congrats you two.” 

“Thanks,” you said sincerely. “We finally figured things out.” 

As Hunter sat down on the couch next to you and intertwined your fingers with his, you realized that you couldn’t have dreamed of a more perfect Life Day, and you would never again have to consider spending the holiday alone.

- the end -

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[intricatechaosofyou]

Oh my 😍 this is fantastic! What a beautifully written story. The tension when she was wrapping his injuries was unmatched! I could feel it as I was reading! The characters have so much personality and this is so, so adorable! Thank you for writing such a gorgeous fic about our favorite grumpy Wolffe! 🩶🤍

A Bad Case of Loving You (4406 words) by rc1788 Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: CC-3636 | Wolffe/Reader Characters: CC-3636 | Wolffe, Plo Koon, Reader, Original Female Character(s) Additional Tags: Fluff, Romantic Fluff, Fic Exchange, CC-3636 | Wolffe Needs A Hug, a tiny bit spicy but not TOO spicy, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, patching up wounds (no gore not even blood!), injuries: sprained ankle and broken ribs with bruises, not described in intimate detail but just so you know!, mild mature content: makeout session that fades to black Summary: You are a doctor that met Commander Wolffe while serving as a commissioned civilian with the 104th Battalion. You're both working too hard to look into the chemistry you have with each other--until you both catch a break for Life Day.

My @cloneficgiftexchange Life Day fic for @intricatechaosofyou !!

Here's a little preview:

Down the hall, Wolffe is standing with his helmet on his hip talking to Sinker, Boost, and a couple of troopers. His eyes follow you as you pass by, and if you’re not mistaken, he’d been mid-sentence and stopped talking. “Uh, sir?” one of the troopers asks. You turn into the lift and press the controls, watching Wolffe watching you. Your traitorous wrist reminds you of how his hand felt when he touched you a few minutes ago. Oh, no, you think as your stomach does a few somersaults. The lift doors shut.

[intricatechaosofyou]

Can This Be a Real Thing, Can It?

Pairing: Fives x f!reader

Fandom: The Clone Wars; Star Wars

Summary: During a rotation on a snowy planet, Fives’ blanket cocoon is infiltrated. Turns out, it’s the newest mechanic who wants to show him something beautiful and convince him the cold isn’t that bad after all.

Using the prompt: “Want‬‭ to‬‭ see‬‭ something‬‭ amazing?”‬‭ (reader takes clone to see Aurora Borealis)

Also, the title is a Taylor Swift reference!

Warnings: n/a

Author’s note: I had the pleasure of writing for @urfriendlyneighbornightfury. I think this is the second fic I’ve written for you, but I hope you enjoy this one! Your prompt made me think of Snow on the Beach by Taylor Swift! Happy holidays and I hope your end of 2024 is fantastic! And of course, thank you to @ghostofskywalker / @cloneficgiftexchange for hosting this exchange! Second annual life day exchange in the books!

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Fives hated the snow just as much as Anakin. After being created on Kamino and suffering through endless rotations of nothing but rain, the clone hated any kind of precipitation but especially the cold kind.

His brothers, namely Hardcase and Jesse, found a childlike wonder in the snow. Kix and Echo, on the other hand, saw it as a perfect opportunity to catch up on some reading on the holopad. No matter what their fancy was, the white powder never failed to bring a grin to the faces of the 501st. Except for Fives.

While his other brothers in the 501st enjoyed snowball fights and warm beverages they hardly ever indulged in on their few hours of downtime, Fives uncharacteristically preferred to stay in their bunks, buried under the thin regiment blankets and a frown on his face.

So when you had asked Rex where the Arc trooper was, you were confused when he laughed at you like you were left out of a huge secret.

“He’s where he always is when we’re on these planets,” Rex said, a husky laugh bubbling out of him.

“What do you mean?”

“Fives hates the cold,” Jesse chimed in.

You tilted your head, brows furrowing at the information. This was news to you. Sure, you hadn’t been with General Skywalker and the 501st for long, but it this was common knowledge, why didn’t anyone tell you?

“He hates the cold?”

Jesse and Rex nodded, glancing at each other like they were exchanging a secret. And you hated not being in on it.

Fives had been a longtime friend crush and the fact everyone seemed to know about his distaste for the cold except you left a bitter taste in your mouth—worse than the one the rations gave you.

“So where is he?” You asked.

Another pointed look was exchanged between the two clones before Jesse answered you. “Check his barracks. Probably under the pile of blankets.”

You nodded and gave a nod to the two men before setting off on your mission to find Fives.

And lo and behold, when the door to his barracks slid open there was a pile of blankets on his bed.

A soft smile found its way onto your face and a warmth spread in your chest despite the cold of the base.

“Well, doesn’t this look comfy?” You questioned in an exaggerated voice as you stepped into the room. “I could take a nap in this big pile of blankets.”

You watched, but there wasn’t a movement from the pile so you continued your ploit.

Faking a yawn, you stretched out before unceremoniously flopping right onto the pile of blankets and heard it scream.

“Gah! Hey, get off!”

You laughed as the pile of blankets squirmed underneath you, and as the fuzzy blue one on top was pulled back, you finally saw the face of the man you were searching for, his characteristic goatee and tattoo making you grin.

“Gotcha,” you grinned.

“What’re you doing here?” He asked.

Your reply was simply a little shrug. “I was looking for you and a little Captain told me that I might find you here.”

An uncharacteristic groan came from Fives. Usually he was the most cheerful person in the room, but at the moment, he was even grumpier than General Windu.

“Why the frown? You’re grumpier than a wampa.”

Another groan echoed through the room. “Didn’t Rex tell you? I-“

“Hate the cold, yes, yes,” you interrupted. “But c'mon, don’t you want to see something amazing?”

Fives simply huffed and pulled the blankets over his head again, nearly knocking you off his little cocoon in the process.

“Fivessss,” you whined, getting up and standing next to his bunk. “You’ll love it! Please?”

“No.”

Fives was stubborn but you weren’t going down without a fight. With a swift tug, you pulled the pile of blankets off of him.

The man gasped and reached out to try to grab the fuzzy garments back, but you dragged them out of his reach.

“Nuh-uh. C’mon, Fives. Let me show you something!”

With a groan, Fives ran his hand over his face. “Then I get the blankets back?”

You nodded, teasingly waving the blankets in your hand.

“Fine,” Fives agreed begrudgingly. “Let me grab my coat.”

You grinned victoriously, tossing the blankets back in the bed as Fives gathered his coat and gloves.

“Don’t look so pleased with yourself,” Fives scolded.

You simply laughed and grabbed his arm, tugging him out of the barracks and towards the bay doors.

“I’m not gonna like this,” Fives protested as you neared the snowy entrance.

“You’re gonna love it.”

“I doubt it,” he mumbled under his breath as you finally pulled him outside into the cold night.

Your breath froze in the air as you exhaled, making your eyes light up in excitement. Keeping a tight grip on Fives’ arm, you brought him to a nearby hill, ignoring his protests and complaints.

“Look,” you instructed, nodding to the sky.

With slight reluctance, Fives looked out to the horizon, and he gasped.

The sky was lit up in brilliant green and blues and purples. The colors merged together and swirled across in effortless waves that entranced the clone.

He opened and closed his mouth a few times, scared to speak as if the sparkling colors and twinkling stars in front of him would suddenly vanish.

“What- what is it?”

“The aurora borealis. It’s caused by something or other with the atmosphere,” you whispered, eyes fixated on Fives as he stared at the sky.

“It’s beautiful, cyare, absolutely beautiful.”

A swell of pride filled your chest. “I knew you’d like it.”

“Thank you.”

“Cold isn’t so bad anymore, is it?”

And for the first time that night, a small chuckle left Fives’ mouth and he felt like himself again. “No, not at all.”

With a smile, you wrapped your arm around the man’s middle and leaned into him as you stared at the sky, the cold forgotten for a single moment the two of you got to share.

[intricatechaosofyou]

FRIDAY MOTIVATION LOVES!!! <3

When I’m mean to myself I imagine Tech’s voice in my head disagreeing with everything I say about myself.

Me: “I’m not good at anything I’m the worst everyone hates me.”

Tech, in my head: “That is factually inaccurate. Plenty of people love you and you have many skills and talents that you, frankly, under value. We do this every few weeks and my answer is always the same which is: you are wrong. Try again.”

I recommend it. Tech is hard to argue with.

[intricatechaosofyou]

Here we go!!!

sign ups for the 2024 exchange are officially open, and will continue to be through october 26th!

the faq for the event can be found here and the rules can be found here, and you can find specific information about life day and what it could mean for fic here!

here’s how the exchange will work: 

1. Read over this post, reblog it to the blog you want to participate with, and fill out the sign up form linked below!!

When you sign up, you’ll choose which of the clones you would like to receive an xreader fic about. Because this event is random, I require participants to at least be comfortable writing and reading for Rex, so no one gets an assignment they can’t fulfill.

2. The day sign ups end, you will receive two emails from me:

I’ll be using a secret santa website to do the matching, so one email will come from that website, and it will tell you who you will be writing for. I can easily randomize the assignments this way, and it ensures that everyone has a match. 

The second email will come from this blog’s event email (cloneficgiftexchange@gmail.com) and it will have posting information, general information for the participants, and a document of all the prompts. Once you find out from the secret santa website who your person is, you just need to find them on the list to see your prompt and the characters you have the option of writing for.

3. You will have about seven weeks to write your fic, and the word minimum is 800 words. On December 14th (that’s a Saturday), participants will post their fics to tumblr. I’ll send out more details about posting when the event gets closer, so don’t worry about that. I will also put together a list of all the fics when the event is over, which will be linked on the blog’s pinned post with the other past exchanges.

you can sign up here!!

please feel free to reach out to me with any questions! hope to see you in the signups :)

tagging those who said they were interested: @urfriendlyneighbornightfury @eclec-tech @dragonrider9905 @rinksu-no-joo @intricatechaosofyou @winniethewife @caerulea-divilu

[intricatechaosofyou]

😭❤️

REBELCAPTAIN APPRECIATION WEEK 2024 | @therebelcaptainnetwork

↳ Day 7: Free Day: Rebelcaptain + tumblr textposts

[intricatechaosofyou]

What a gorgeous story! And what a fantastic way for Crosshair to gain some peace about his training and his new life! I love that they have a similar past and can relate to each other!! I’m so grateful you wrote this and I hope you’re feeling better!! <3

PAIRING: Crosshair x Fem! Reader

SUMMARY: Crosshair must reach into a dark place to rescue from a group of pirates who captured you during a mission. But you show him there's always a way out of it.

LYRIC: "Tell me it's alright/Give me the green light." - 5 Seconds of Summer

WORDS: 4.7K

WARNINGS: Blood, Violence, and Swearing

This story is dedicated to @intricatechaosofyou as part of the Clone x Reader Song Fic Exchange.

I am profoundly sorry about how late this is. I had a stressful month due to a cardiac issue, which has been resolved now, and I didn't realize how long it would take to tell the story I wanted to tell. As a result, I wrote this as fast as I could. It's not my best work, and I'm still getting used to writing for the Clone fandom, but the ending is fluffy.

It was an honor writing for you, and I beg your forgiveness for the delay.

@callsign-denmark @jedi-princess-kestis @cloneficgiftexchange

Idanus’s dual moons shined high in the Outer Rim’s azure night sky amongst an endless sea of twinkling stars. The verdant branches of the planet’s montane forests danced in a temperate breeze, causing water beads from a recent rainstorm to slide from the glistening leaves and drip into the muddy underbrush below amidst an aroma of petrichor. Despite being nighttime, a chorus of nocturnal creatures performed a soft melody of buzzing and croaking throughout the scrub as they socialized and foraged for food. 

An abandoned Republic intelligence base stood in a sprawling meadow against the idyllic scenery of herbage and mountain ranges. Nature had long since begun to reclaim her rightful lands from the behemoth, spreading greenery across the rusted grey walls with an eerie beauty. A lone red scroll from Clone Wars, bearing the torn visage of a black Galactic roundel, hung adjacent to one of the base’s entrances, the final thread of a tragic past. Yet, the square turquoise lights decorating the installation’s facade continued to flicker, meaning someone reactivated the power after years of activity.”

Several pirates dressed in discordant, makeshift armor stood guard in the staging grounds with DC-15 rifles resting against their shoulders, probably burgled from the armory. They conversed under the watchful eye of a rival sniper lying prone on the roof. He scanned the jungle horizon from a provisional nest constructed from plywood, searching for any hungry predators who caught a taste for unwashed humans. Little did they know, a much more dangerous and unprecedented hunter watched them like prey above an overlook.

A scowl appeared on the sniper’s scarred face as he noticed brush moving on the cliffside through his night scope. “What the kriff was that?” he grumbled as he switched to thermal imaging and returned his eye to the lens. He hoped to pick up the heat signature of a small harmless rodent who emerged from its underground burrow and scampered around the precipice. Instead, the scope detected the tall, lithe frame of a fellow marksperson flat upon the ground with their crosshairs fixated on the base. The pirate scrambled to his feet and activated his communicator, yelling, “Hey, we have a problem out here! There’s another sniper across the cany-”

“Nest, could you restate that?” buzzed the person on the other side of the radio. But his crewmate could only manage an anguished groan as he released his rifle and fell forward deceased. A miniature burn hole sizzled with tibanna residue in the back of his skull, the characteristic entry wound of the 773 Firepuncher. Startled by the response, the crewmate bellowed, “Nest, do you you copy?! Nest!”

Crosshair chuckled as he rose to his knees and tapped the side of his helmet to access their communication frequency. “What’s the matter? Did someone lose their sniper?”

“What? Who are you? How the kriff did you access our comms?” the perplexed pirate said.

“It doesn’t matter because none of you will be alive to tell the tale.”

“Are you threatening us?”

“I don’t make threats. I make promises, especially when a bunch of bandits steal someone precious to me.”

“Screw you and your girl!”

“Let this be your first and final warning. Run while you can because when I come down there, I will hunt you like the cowardly little rats you are…” Crosshair stated as he returned his eye to his scope, watching the frantic pirates as they fled back into their hovel. They pointed their carbines in all directions as they backed towards the door, desperate to find and incapacitate Crosshair. After some time, the group reached the base’s gargantuan metal doors and scrambled inside, closing them with a thud. “...and eliminate every one of you.”

A Klaxon blared in the background as the line went dead. “Let the games begin!” Crosshair announced, standing and looking across the ravine.

His gaze followed the seemingly endless cragged escarpment as it fell several hundred feet until it met a thin cerulean creek. Straining, he could almost see the whitewater from the violent rapids splashing against the boulder jutting out from the water. Crosshair returned his attention to the base and shook his head, attempting to eliminate his vertigo. He couldn’t risk jumping several hundred feet without the team here, but neither could the pirates or the Republic analysts who once called this place home.

There had to be some way across the chasm.

Suddenly, the soft chord of an engine’s roar appeared in the background of the verdure’s orchestra. Crosshair lifted his reticle again and espied a pair of massive in-groud doors opening to receive the inbound vessel. It was less than a klick away and approaching fast based on its dynamics, meaning Crosshair would only have one shot at accessing the base as he loaded an adhesive grapple and aimed it at the starry sky. 

His knuckles tightened around the gun’s handle, holding his breath as he waited for the cruiser to zoom past. He could hear his heart pounding in his chest, almost as if it was urging the ship to hurry the fuck up. As the minutes ticked away, a torrent of thoughts ravaged his mind over what would happen if he couldn’t get there swiftly. Crosshair attempted to assuage the pain spreading through his bones that you were a talented mercenary who could get out of almost anything. However, the past year taught him that skill sometimes does not displace luck. Images of finding your corpse in the middle of the base, executed for being dead weight, taunted his psyche. He didn’t know what he would do or say if he returned to Pabu with your body for burial.

The ship’s engine crescendoed until a Z-95 appeared against the firmament. Crosshair pressed the trigger, launching the adhesive toward an opening section of the ship’s dirty red and white chassis. It stuck and lifted Crosshair into the air as he retracted and tightened the line. As planned, the Z-95 carried him across the gorge’s breadth toward the gaping metal maw. Crosshair lifted his head as the ship stalled its engines, preparing to land. Sirens across the hangar illuminated the room red and blared at each other like a pack of ice vultures fighting over carrion. However, aside from the pilot, there appeared to be no one else in the vicinity, giving Crosshair ample opportunity to begin his rampage.

The pilot landed on the pad in the center of the room and quickly unbuckled his belt before grabbing his gun. Crosshair shifted his weight, moving closer to the ship’s edge to see better the impromptu chauffeur racing down the exit ramp. Like the others, he wore mismatched armor, most likely pieces stolen from his victims. However, aside from a knife attached to the outside of his thigh, he didn’t seem to have any other weaponry. The man ran to a console on the other side of the room, speaking into his intercom to get an update from the crew. 

Crosshair loaded several armor-piercing bolts and fired at the tarnished metal plate protecting the corsair’s torso. A smile crept across his face as his target crumbled to the ground, unmoving. He stowed his rifle and crawled out from underneath the cockpit, resembling a spider who caught a fly in its web. On and off, and on and off, went the hangar’s red siren lights as Crosshair stalked towards his paralyzed prey. 

The frightened pirate whimpered, watching his mysterious hunter with wide eyes. “Please don’t hurt me. I don’t know what you want. But I will give you anything, anything you could want. Please, just let me go,” he sputtered. 

“Oh, no! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! Please don’t tell me that kriffing nerf-herder is in the base!” pleaded a horrified crewmate over the mounted console’s comms.

Crosshair circled the incapacitated desperado lying on the floor, not shifting his gaze as he wandered over the terminal and pushed its green PTT button. “Tick, tock, tick, tock!” he hissed. “Also, don’t worry about your friend. We’re going to play a little game, which will be a blast.” 

As he finished his sentence, a shot whipped past Crosshair’s head, leaving a burn spot on the enormous automatic doors sealing both him and the pilot in the hangar. But Crosshair didn’t flinch and instead coldly glanced over his shoulder to the pirate, who held a blaster in his trembling hand. The man moved the gun back and forth, in a final attempt to escape the encounter alive but could not find an efficient target on the angel of death before him. Crosshair crooked his head, standing frozen and watching, taunting the sobbing bandit. He permitted several more minutes of sniveling and pathetic invocations before pouncing on the man’s hand and twisting his wrist.

“Drop it. Drop it now before you wind up with a broken hand and a bullet through the skull,” Crosshair growled, applying more pressure to the man’s wrist. After some time, the bandit’s finger unfurled from the handle and trigger, allowing the blaster to fall with a clatter. A satisfied Crosshair pushed the firearm to the other side of the room before kneeling on the man’s arm to prevent him from doing anything foolish. 

He watched as the bandit struggled to free his arm, like a rat caught in a trap, before continuing, “Now that wasn’t so hard, was it? Here’s what will happen. I meant what I said when I would hunt all of you down. But you, you little cretin, are helpful for now. Thanks to your friends, this whole base is in lockdown. The good news is that all Republic bases have a door code allowing the officers to travel freely between the halls. I know you know it because I heard you asking for it from your friend. Tell me it and your death will be clean.”

However, the man only responded with a gulp and some snuffles, staring at Crosshair with tear-filled eyes. “What’s the matter? Does a Loth-cat have your tongue? Well, maybe a little paint will loosen it,” Crosshair said as he grabbed the man’s knife and drove it into drive into his bicep. A torment cry fell from the bandit’s lips as he attempted to pry his arm away more vigorously, but the activity only caused more of his blood to seep out from his armor. “You’re bleeding pretty heavily. This is your last chance. Tell me the code before I bleed you dry.”

“It’s 192225! 192225!” the guy shouted in desperation. 

“Are you lying?”

“No, I ain’t lying. It’s 192225 after 19 BBY, the year the Empire decommissioned this base.”

Crosshair rose to his feet, leaving the knife in the man’s arm, and said with a click of his tongue, “How touching and do not move the knife. I need you alive for a few more moments.” He typed the code into the console, causing the hangar doors to part. “Well, it appears some of you bandits are truthful after all. I appreciate your honesty. Pleasant dreams.”

Crosshair fired a blast into the man’s head, causing it to fall back onto the floor with a burning hole. His eyes shifted to the knife, still embedded in his arm, reflecting the forming blood pool on the mirror of the blade. “I will also take your knife. Aberrantium is hard to come by now that the Empire has depleted almost all of the mines,” he stated, removing the dagger and painting his chest plate with blood.

Leaving the corpse to exsanguinate in the landing dock, he stepped out into the hallway and turned his attention to the resounding sirens. He had no reason to be silent as he detached and stowed his silencer. The last thing these assholes will hear is their screams echoing through the base would be the roar of the Firepuncher, and screams of horror as the syndicate falls.

And that is precisely what Crosshair did.

He walked the ghostly halls, only giving the bandits a brief look at his deadly mien before striking the darkness. Blaster fire erupted as the pirates did their best to stay alive, but it was too late as Crosshair dodged their bolts with balletic precision and transformed the base into a killing ground. One by one, bodies fell upon the ground as anything and everything in their maelstrom’s path became a weapon, from an unassuming shard of glass to one of the stolen DC-15s. A metallic fetor soon permeated the air as Crosshair continued his rampage, staining the walls red.

A xenohistorian, several millenniums in the future, would eventually stumble upon the 

base and wonder what monster caused the carnage. Little did they know that the brute was a passionate man trying to get back one of the few people in the Universe who loved him past his flaws.

“There you are, you bastard!” the pirate said as Crosshair opened the doors to the inner warm room. He tightened the grip his forearm had around your neck and dug the barrel of his blaster into your temple, dragging you further into the room.

“You’re going the wrong way,” Crosshair derided, stepping into the room.

“It doesn’t matter because I’ll take you down myself.”

Crosshair held up his knife perpendicular to his helmet, a testament to his strength and skill. “Do you see this? This is all that remains of your crew. What makes you think that you’re any different?”

The captain stood there in silence, watching the vitality of his people drip from the tip with a steady rhythm. He tried to retain his stoic facade as he shifted his body and grip on you. But he couldn’t hide the minute tremors in his shooting hand or beads of sweat forming on his forehead. With each passing moment, it became more apparent that there was no way out for him without releasing you. He shifted his gaze between Crosshair, who had now lowered his dagger, and you. “Fine. If that’s how you want to play!” 

“Hey, asshole! Do you want to play a game?” you blurted out before he could pull the trigger.

“A game?”

“Yeah, a game. Have you ever played Red Light, Green Light?”

“What that kriff is that?”

“Come on, just humor me as a last request,” you teased, moving your head to rest your chin on his forearm and creating space between him and your larynx.

“Alright, fine. How do you play?”

“It’s easy. All you have to do is reply ‘green light’ after you say ‘red light.’ Ready?”

The captain furrowed his brow but affirmed with a not.

“Red light!” 

“Uh, green light?”

Before he could finish his sentence, Crosshair launched the knife by its tip. It flew across the room and wedged into the captain’s skull between his eyebrows. He let out a gurgle as a rivulet ran down his nose from the wound before loosening his grip around you and falling backward.

You and Crosshair watched the body briefly before he looked at you. “What were you thinking? How could you be so stupid as to run off without telling anyone?” he finally said. “It’s good that I planted a tracker on your suit.”

You blinked several times, and your mouth fell agape at his words because of his tone and the revelation that you had a tracker somewhere on your person. You spun in a circle, searching every crevice of your suit until your elegant fingers ran over an inconspicuous bump in your underarmor’s sleeve. At first, you thought it was just a normal tear from being kept by a pirate crew for the past few hours. However, upon further inspection, something rigid and circular embedded into the suit fabric formed the bump. 

“How did you get it in there?” you questioned with a scowl.

“One of the Pabu seamstresses helped sew in it.”

Your gaze softened, and you turned your head to your sleeve. You had no reason to be mad at Crosshair. When Fennec Shand contacted you about a lead on a job, you disappeared into the night without telling Crosshair or the rest of Clone Force 99 where you went. It was stupid, yes. But at the time, you thought you were protecting them because you were always wary of mercenaries. Pabu had been through enough over the past year, and the last thing you wanted was to bring them more trouble due to a job gone awry.

You returned your attention to Crosshair, who characteristically loured at you with his arms crossed. He remained surly and reticent even after he departed from the Empire and sometimes still stewed in his emotions when angry. However, underneath his withdrawn shell, there was a kind and selfless man if you dug long and hard enough. The blood spots on his armor attested to that. He just needed someone patient enough to wait for him until he was safe to express his emotions.

“Thank you,” you said with a smile after a few moments.

Crosshair furrowed his brow in confusion and straightened his back, clearly not expecting your gratitude. He assumed you would get mad at him for planting an unknown tracker in your suit, telling him that you didn’t need his help to stay safe. You had always been headstrong that way. But perhaps that was what endeared you to him, enough to make him travel across the stars to some backwater mercenary haven in the Outer Rim.

Back on the island, he would have to sneak into a nearby alleyway to prevent anyone from seeing him smile. The Force knows that Hunter and Wrecker would not let him live it down if they caught him joyful over something. However, he would always be nearby, watching you from the shadows. He studied your smile and memorized the intonation of your laugh as you played with the Pabu children along the shoreline.

The two of you shared a similar story: Imperial agents who left the Empire for a better life. Of course, your story didn’t have nearly as many trials and tribulations as his. You were an Imperial tactician sent to oversee the stormtroopers accompanying CX-2 in his mission to recover Omega. However, after the unwarranted destruction of Kamino, the decimation of Pabu flipped the switch on light flickering in your heart for a long time. The Empire never cared about its citizens and never would. As a result, you set your ship to self-destruct and jump off on the island’s sandy shores.

Given your past, it took some time for Pabu’s citizens to accept you. But as you helped the settlement rebuild, you started ingratiating yourself into society until everyone trusted you except Crosshair. He’d frown at you, never speaking, almost as if he used you as a catharsis for the pain he suffered at the hands of both of your former employers. 

But your tactical training taught you therein lay the answer. Whatever happened to Crosshair still pained him.

While the rest of Clone Force 99 began to move on from their harrowing journey, Crosshair remained imprisoned in his cell. He continued to be irritable and withdrawn despite being reunited with his brothers and having autonomy over his life. Omega’s meditation techniques had created cracks in his proverbial prison. However, it would take someone who truly knew the brutality of the Empire, someone like you, to free him from his mind. 

After weeks of trying, he initially relented because you were the only one who recognized that his pain didn’t end when Hemlock’s body fell off the bridge. However, minuscule changes began to appear whenever he was around you: a smile here and a gentle touch there. Now, he transversed half of the Outer Rim to rescue you from a backwater mercenary haven and murdered an entire base of people, a morbid but admirable goal.

Crosshair closed the gap between you and took your hands in his. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he whispered.

“Me too!” you replied, smiling and studying his angular features. “Now, let’s get back to Pabu. Omega will be expecting us for the summer festival.”

“Do we have to?” an annoyed Crosshair grumbled as you pulled his hand, leading him past his victims back to the hangar.

“You made a promise that you would be there.”

“I just fought an entire pirate crew. Can I not have a few moments of rest?” “We still have to make it off of Idanus. You can rest when we get back to the island.”

Pabu’s sun shimmered high in the azure sky, reflecting against the calm waves lapping against the sand. Avian creatures soared on the warm winds filling the tropical air, signing their gentle melody. Meanwhile, a pack of mischievous moonyos stole several pieces of fruit from bowls laid out by the residents before climbing back to their trees in Upper Pabu.

Due to the island’s small size and contiguous buildings, there wasn’t much room for expansive farms. But survivors adapt, after all. The residents scoured the Archium’s tomes, holding the secrets of the island’s ancient residents, searching for anything to assist their horticulture. To their joy, they found diagrams of farmers from a bygone era using hatcheries, vertical farming, and aquaculture to produce crops and marine resources to sustain themselves. They set about recreating the techniques described in the diagrams, constructing large poles for climbing vines and vast nests to capture fish and other wildlife.

The crop never yielded much, only enough to sate the island residents. Whatever surplus they received, if any harvest, got shipped off-world to help make little money for the supplies the island could not provide. As a result, whenever a good summer crop, the island residents tried to give back to the earth by hosting a summer festival to bring the community together. They used a portion of their production to cook enough dishes to make even a glutton like Wrecker sick and hung green lights around the settlement to signify growth and inspire the elements to bring them a good harvest in the fall.

The people sang and danced in the square, enjoying each other’s company. That is, all except for one. Crosshair was never one for soirees and gaiety. But in the interest of trying to put his past behind him, the two of you always kept proximity to the activities Today, however, he was gone, like a sylph. You searched Upper and Lower Pabu, from the beaches to the home the two of you shared with the rest of the Bad Batch, and found no sign of him. 

Where could he have gone?

You sighed and placed your elbows on a half wall, looking out into the endless ocean as you restrategized and thought of any new places to search. Below, you could see Omega laughing and kicking a ball with a few children from below. A smile appeared on your face as you watched her finally receive the chance to be a kid. Though you had only known each other for a few months, you learned from the stories told by Hunter and the rest that she had a difficult life from the moment she left Kamino. Yet, no one would ever think twice about trying to leave her with the Lawquanes again. Her story, while arduous, made her and the Bad Batch who they are today. Nevertheless, it was nice to see her being a child for once instead of dealing with adult issues.

That’s when it hit you: the cove.

Since returning from Weyland, the cove underneath Lower Pabu had become a makeshift sanctuary for the group. The way nature carved the grotto permitted one to contemplate one's life under the comfort of shade and amongst the calming breezes and splashes of the sea. You grabbed a faint purple fruit shaped like a small melon, beloved by a particular sniper for its sweetness, from a nearby table before following the grand stairs down to the shore. 

Cautiously, you jumped from rock to rock until you reached the archway to the oasis. You looked around at the beautiful decorations, surprised that a group of men who spent most of their time in frigid, austere military bases would have such an idea for detail. They scattered vibrant flowers throughout the area, complementing the pile of pillows and blankets in the middle. Against a wall, Tech's carved effigy stood as part of a small memorial decorated with little trinkets. The Bad Bad had a precious habit of collecting small items they thought Tech would like during their travels and placing him at his shrine to keep his memory alive. You smiled as you picture Tech’s spirit wandering around and talking to himself about the history and minutiae of the objects.

Near the sea cliff, a familiar person sat in meditation. He replaced his dark grey armor with a simple short-sleeved white tunic and tan pants, but he kept his Firepuncher by his side out of nervous habit. His remaining hand rested on his knee, just as Omega taught him, as he relaxed amongst the waves' soothing sounds and the sea salt aroma. You sat next to him and placed the fruit in his open palm, causing him to grimace at the sudden sensation of the fruit’s leathery skin. He played with it in his hand for a moment before opening his chocolate eyes to look at the vegetation.

“You’re missing the party,” you commented, gathering his attention.

“I don’t like people,” Crosshair retorted, placing the fruit in his lap.

“I know, but you’re usually not this secluded. I can typically find you somewhere in the settlement, not out here, which means you have something on your mind. Do you want to talk about it?”

A frown appeared on Crosshair’s face as he watched the green rays swimming around the estuaries. As if like clockwork, his hand left hand began to flex, mimicking the right one before he lost it during the Seige of Tanttis. It was a nervous tick he had whenever he was thinking about his time with the Empire, one that you knew all too well. You took his hand in yours, running a gentle thumb over the back while you waited for him to find the words he searched for.

After a few minutes, Crosshair lifted his head and sighed. “I keep thinking back to Idanus about how I promised never to use that training again. It reminds me of how close I came to becoming a monster and how things could be so different. I know that’s false, but I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“You’re right. It’s not true because you’re not a monster,” you responded. “You’re Crosshair. Sure, you can be gloomy and a bit dark at times. But that’s part of your charm. There is a man worth loving under all that gibe, and I think allowing people inside has worked out for you so far.”

Crosshair turned his head to meet your warm smile and gaze. There was a glimmer of something unknown in his eyes. It wasn't anger or disdain but warm and inviting, as if the words you had told him so many times before had finally begun to affect him. Before you could even respond, he planted a peck on your cheek so fast that you almost missed it. You raised your hand to the spot where he kissed you and focused on a stalactite reaching down from the top, trying to stop your heart from racing. There was no mistaking. Crosshair, who seldom shared his feelings with anyone, had kissed you.

“If you tell anyone I did that, I will kill you,” he stated as he broke apart the fruit and handed a piece to you.

“That assumes you can touch me,” you responded, accepting the fruit and planting a more significant kiss on recoiling Crosshair’s cheek.

“You’re good, but you’re not good.”

“Excuse me, I have taken down several soldiers in my time.”

“From the safety of an Imperial strategy room, maybe. But I have taken down far more than that in hand-to-hand combat.”

You gave Crosshair a playful jab in the ribs as you sat in the cove, having your tête-à-tête while the others danced above you.

Peace, albeit temporary, had returned to the Bad Batch once more.

[intricatechaosofyou]

AHHH!! This is so perfect for Crosshair!! Someone finally melted his cold heart and he just couldn’t tell her!! And I love Hunter and Omega’s meddling! Thank you for writing such a great story <3

Stop Running From Love

Crosshair/Fem!Reader

Words: 2,968

Summary: Lost after finally escaping from the Empire, Crosshair crash lands on your property. While he's recovering, he realizes something important about himself, but it takes the meddling of his brothers for him to actually admit it.

Prompt: “Falling in love, no, it ain’t for the weak" (In The Kitchen, Renee Rapp)

Notes: this is a gift for the lovely @intricatechaosofyou in the @cloneficgiftexchange song lyric exchange! I thought Crosshair fit the vibes of this lyric especially well because he would be the most apprehensive about falling in love. there's some canon divergence here, and in my head it takes place in a world where crosshair escapes the empire sometime in season 2. I hope you enjoy it :)

Clone Troopers Masterlist

When Crosshair first opened his eyes, he didn’t recognize his surroundings. He remembered the escape pod hurtling through the atmosphere of a planet he didn’t recognize, and of course he remembered crashing on the outskirts of a forest and field, but that was about it. By the time he hit the ground his vision had gone blurry, but he remembered the jolting feeling before all his other senses decided to sign off as well. 

Now, the first thing he registered was the wafting smell of something cooking in the next room. It had been so long since he had any kind of food other than stolen Imperial rations, and even then, he could tell that whatever was being made now would be infinitely better than the flavorless slop and rock-hard bricks they used to serve at the bases and send on missions. 

The second thing he noticed was how warm his body was. Spending a seemingly endless amount of time trapped with the same air in that escape pod was completely different than the soft blanket that was currently resting atop his body, and there was no way the Empire would hand out supplies like this to clones, let alone prisoners. Running his hand across the fabric, a small smile curled on his lips.

Maybe he was dead. He couldn’t imagine a version of reality where he would be afforded these comforts, not after what he had done to his family. He had spent so much time in that tiny vessel, chasing down an ice cold trail his brothers left in the endless expanse of the galaxy, maybe that crash had finally put that journey to an unsatisfying end. 

But those thoughts immediately exited his head as he heard someone enter the space, and he turned to see you approaching his resting place. “You’re awake,” you said softly, still at a distance. “That’s good, I was just about to come and change your dressings.” 

In that moment Crosshair realized another thing, that his armor was gone. He was wearing the bottom part of his blacks, but there was a loose tunic of unfamiliar fabric resting over his top half. He shifted as he sat up to face you, and he could feel the tightness of bandages wrapping across his right shoulder and upper area of his chest. 

“Who are you?” he said, and this version of his voice was alien to even him. It was scratchy and hoarse, a product of both the injuries and the fact that he hadn’t spoken aloud in quite some time. He hoped his tone wasn’t accusatory, especially if you had taken care of him while he was unconscious. 

You told him your name as you stepped closer, fresh bandages in your hand. “Your escape pod crashed at the edge of my property and when I found you, I didn’t know how long it would be until you woke up.”

If you woke up. You didn’t say that part, but Crosshair was willing to bet you’d considered it. 

“Is the escape pod still functional?” he asked, his voice coming out sharper than it had before. That thing, cramped (and now busted) as it was, was his ticket off this planet.

You stared at him for a moment before responding. You were so close to him now, one hand reaching out to remove his tunic. “I don’t know. It’ll need some new parts and heavy repairs at the very least, but I might be able to make it fly.” 

Whew. That was at least something he could work with. “Where can I find-” 

At this point you had begun to remove his old bandage dressing, but you stopped as you registered his words, raising your eyebrows. “Woah buddy,” you said. “With your injuries, you’re not going anywhere anytime soon. You need to focus on healing, and then we can tackle the task of your ship.” 

He scoffed. Who did you think you were? This was his life, and if he wanted to make terrible decisions he was fully within his right to do that. Besides, the voice in his head he so desperately tried to ignore chimed in, he didn’t deserved to be treated with this kindness. “I need to leave as soon as possible,” he said, his gaze turning steely. 

You returned the expression, gesturing down to the bleeding gash on his chest and burns on his shoulder, which were both thanks to his less-than-graceful landing. “Not in this condition.” 

“It doesn’t matter what condition I’m in, I need to leave.” 

You must have noticed the desperation in his voice, because your tone softened as you began to apply a bacta solution to his shoulder. “Look,” you said. “I don’t know what happened to you, or what you’re looking for beyond this planet, but I do know this. Unless the Empire is seconds behind you, which they aren’t since you’ve been passed out on my couch for over a rotation, leaving hurriedly will do you absolutely no good.” 

“How do you know?” he said, too shocked to elaborate but hoping you understood. 

“Your armor was a pretty dead giveaway,” you said. “And besides, people who aren’t on the run usually let their wounds fully heal.” He was silent, his mind still attempting to figure out exactly what your game was. “I don’t work for the Empire, that’s one thing I can promise. All I want is to help you, but I can’t do that if I’m worried you’re going to bolt the moment I turn my back.”

“Fine,” he said, though it came out more like a growl than he intended. 

A smile crossed your face, clearly happy at the small victory you had won over him. “Excellent,” you said as you finished re-applying his bandages. “And now, since you already know my name, can I ask yours?” 

“Crosshair.” He still wasn’t happy about the current state of things, even though he knew it would be for the best. 

“It’s nice to meet you Crosshair,” you responded, seemingly not bothered by the annoyance in his voice. “Would you like some soup?”  He nodded, and you left the room to fetch it, humming an upbeat tune under your breath as you did so.  

As much as he didn’t really want to admit it, something about you made him want to stay, and the thought was terrifying. 

Over the next few rotations, Crosshair got a glimpse of what it would be like to settle down. Yes, you lived away from others (there wasn’t another home nearby that he could see), but you didn’t do so out of fear, like he would have (and like other clones who defected were forced to). You grew your own produce, sewed your own clothes from fabrics purchased at the local market, and made a life working as a droid and speeder mechanic. In a different life, Crosshair could see himself going about his days in a similar fashion. 

The internal conflict started not long after. The escape pod he had been traveling in turned out to be crushed beyond repair, so you had pulled a decrepit-looking starship from your shed and offered that to him, and he didn’t really have any other options. 

You didn’t let him help because the injuries on his chest were still too fresh, but he made himself useful in other ways as he sat on a chair next to where you were working on the ship.  “Could you toss me the wrench next to you?” 

“The small one or the large one?” 

You poked your head out of the ship’s cockpit. “Small one please.” Crosshair nodded and tossed the tool in your direction. “Thanks!” 

Kriff, he wanted to stay. But he needed to finish what he started, to find his family and at the very least apologize for not listening to them about the Empire. And while you were so kind, could he really ask you to permanently allow him to live here? He doubted you felt the same way about him that he did about you, so those desires would have to remain in his mind for now. 

“Okay, I refitted the hyperdrive and adjusted the control panel in the cockpit,” you said, popping into view and tossing the tools in your hand to the ground with a clatter. “With a new set of converters, she should be able to go as fast as you want her to.” 

“When are you going to let me out of your clutches?” Crosshair asked, leaning back slightly in his chair. 

“Why, you want to escape or something?”  you fired back, raising your eyebrows in his direction as a playful smile crossed your face. “A few rotations probably, once your chest wound closes up more and doesn’t take as much gauze.”

“I don’t want to take up more of your time and resources.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” you said. “It’s been nice to have someone else around here.”

Maker, did he want to stay. 

But he couldn’t. 

In a very Crosshair fashion, he slipped away in the dead of night, the moment his wounds were healed. As much as it hurt not saying goodbye, it would hurt more if your feelings didn’t match his.  

***

On the surface, the man standing at the produce stall didn’t really look like Crosshair (for one, he had a rather striking face tattoo), but you could see resemblance in their mannerisms. Or you were just crazy, because there was no way those two could be connected. At this point, you had accepted that Crosshair was not coming back, and that was the end of things. 

It had stung, to wake up one morning and see him gone, with the cot he slept in perfectly made and a scrawled note on the pillow thanking you for everything you did. Of course you knew he would leave, but you at least expected that you would be around to say goodbye. 

Clearly he didn’t feel the same way about you that you did about him, or this would not have happened. It was stupid, to allow yourself to fall for your temporary houseguest, and you were paying the price for it now. You just didn’t know that paying the price meant you had to be content with seeing ghosts of him at every turn. 

You were looking at the homemade sweets one Twi’lek was selling as you watched as a young girl drag the man with the face tattoo over in your direction. “Hunter, let’s get some candy for everyone back at the ship!” 

You smiled quickly before turning away, they didn’t need you watching their every move. “Do have leftover credits?” 

“Yes, and Crosshair gave me some as well, though I don’t know why.” 

Wait. 

Crosshair? 

Maybe you hadn’t been so incorrect when you noted their facial similarities earlier. 

The man and young girl walked up to the booth, and you couldn’t stop the words from falling out of your mouth. “Excuse me, did I hear you say Crosshair?” 

The man instantly stood up straighter, a threatening gaze on his face. “What’s it to you?” 

But you stood your ground and didn’t back away. “I knew someone by that name,” you said. “I was just wondering if it was the same person, as I’d like to send him a message.” 

At this point, you saw the girl’s eyes widen, and you could hear your name in a quiet voice. The man stopped. “What did you say Omega?” 

“This is the person who helped Crosshair,” she said excitedly. “That must be why he gave me the extra credits when he heard we were coming to this system!”

The man’s face changed instantly, the threatening expression evaporating in a second. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “But usually, people who talk about my brother aren’t exactly happy to see him.”

You laughed and introduced yourself to the two, moving away from the bustling market to talk. “Crosshair told me a lot about his brothers and sister, but he never told me any of your names.” 

The man, who you learned was called Hunter, smiled. “That sounds like Crosshair for sure. He owes you a great deal, for saving his life.” 

“He doesn’t owe me anything,” you said, shaking your head. “It’s just nice to know that he found what he was looking for.”

You didn’t say anything about how he left, not sure what he had told his family. “He should have still waited around to say goodbye though,” Omega said, and Hunter stopped. 

“How do you know about that?” he asked, and you had the same question. 

“I overheard him talking to you and Echo when he first came back and you asked him about his injuries,” she said, before turning her attention back to you. “He really likes you, you know.” 

That was certainly news to you. “He does?” 

Hunter nodded. “The di’kut just didn’t know what to do, and he made the decision he thought he had to.” 

“I wish he would have said something,” you said softly, before you could think twice about it. 

“Crosshair won’t admit it, but he feels the same way,” Hunter said. 

Omega’s voice was bright as her face lit up with a realization. “You should come back with us!”

Immediately, you shook your head. “No, I don’t think that would be such a good idea,” you said. 

“If you’re worried about Crosshair being mad at you, that won’t be an issue,” Hunter said. “But if you’d prefer to move on completely, I understand. We won’t say anything about seeing you here if you don’t want us to.” 

You had to admit, the choice was a difficult one. And despite a knot of worry taking hold in your stomach, you eventually agreed to return to the ship with Hunter and Omega. If all went well, you certainly had enough land and resources for your family to grow by six, and if it didn’t, you could always pretend this day never happened. 

Omega gave you a hug as you nodded, and soon you were walking with the two of them to the rendezvous point, anxiously staring at the sky. What if Hunter and Omega were wrong? Could you handle that embarrassment? 

You wanted to run as a ship descended from the sky, but you stayed rooted in place. As the ramp touched the ground you could see three figures in the doorway, and Omega gleefully shouted across the space. “Hey Crosshair! Look who we ran into at the market!” 

Crosshair’s eyes widened as he registered you standing there, and he pushed past the other two people on the platform to step onto the ground. “We’ll give you two some privacy,” Hunter said, shooing both his brothers and Omega back into the ship. 

“It wasn’t my idea to come back with them,” you said quickly, still unsure if he was unhappy with the current situation or not. 

“I know,” he said. “When I told them how I left, I got a lecture about how I should have said goodbye, and I knew they were right. I need to apologize for that, I didn’t want to take your aid for granted.” 

“Why did you leave?” you asked, your voice quiet. “I didn’t truly imprison you, did I?” 

“It was the opposite actually,” he said, shaking his head. “I liked spending time with you so much that it terrified me, because I didn’t think you felt the same way. It wasn’t fair of me to do that, but I don’t think I would have been able to resist if you asked me to stay.” 

The feeling of worry in your stomach dissipated instantly, and it was replaced with a thunderous herd of butterflies. “Crosshair,” you said kindly, reaching up to softly run your fingertips across his cheek. “I would have never asked that of you, no matter how much I wanted to.”

His hand moved to rest over yours, and the feeling of warmth that overtook your body was honestly a little embarrassing. “I wanted you to ask,” he said. “More than anything. And I thought that these feelings were unimportant, that I could just move past them, but I couldn’t. Eventually it was Hunter who demanded I tell him why I was moping around all the time.” 

You smiled. “Well, you’ve seen my place,” you said. “I’d be happy for you and your family to come live there, if you’d be interested.” 

“Yes, we would be,” he breathed, his hands moving down to rest on your waist. 

Suddenly your faces were much closer than you realized, and your gaze flickered down to his lips. It seemed that Crosshair had the same thought, because he moved even closer. “Can I kiss you?” he asked, the look on his face akin to that of a desperate plea. 

Instead of torturing him any longer, you closed the gap between you two, crashing your lips into his. It was everything you’d dreamed of, the feeling of his hands resting on your waist and his lips against yours for the first time something you would remember for the rest of your days. 

You were so utterly lost in each other that you didn’t hear the ramp of the ship descend again, but the gleeful shouts of Crosshair’s family did pull you two apart. “Shut up,” Crosshair growled at Hunter, whose grin was the widest of them all. 

You smiled, placing a quick peck on his lips. “They’re just happy for you,” you said softly. 

“It’s annoying.” 

You laughed. “Come on, we can always continue this back home.” 

Crosshair’s grip on your waist tightened for a moment. “That better be a promise, mesh’la.” 

You just smiled as you pulled away from him, excited to extend your offer to your new family, whether they knew it yet or not.

- the end -

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[intricatechaosofyou]

Potato <3

[intricatechaosofyou]

To Keep Memories Alive

Pairing: Echo x f!reader

Fandom: The Bad Batch; Star Wars

Summary: The Republic might be gone, but that doesn’t mean the war is over, especially not for the clones. You and Echo manage to find solace in each other. And memories would always remain. But sometimes you just need someone to listen to you.

Based off the song “Ghosts That We Knew” by Mumford & Sons

Lyrics: “And the ghosts that we knew will flicker from view // And we’ll have a long life”

Warnings: angsty, talk of death and loss, hopefully a touching ending!

Author’s note: Happy @cloneficgiftexchange day!! As usual, @ghostofskywalker hosts an amazing event and I’m so grateful to participate!This was such a fun prompt to work with! I saw the characters and the song and knew exactly who I had to write for! Thanks to @akaanade for such a fun idea, and I hope you like what I have for you babe! Happy summer to all the clone lovers <3

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No one exactly knew who decided to create the clones. One day, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi ventured to a planet called Kamino, and the next, the clone army served the Republic.

They fought side by side with their Jedi generals, helping to bring about the end of the Separatist army and restore peace to the galaxy.

Until it all changed.

Suddenly, the Jedi were deemed traitors of the Republic and the clones that once fought with them now had orders to eliminate them.

You remember that day. The smoke from the Temple, the panic in the senate, the day the Republic turned into the Galactic Empire.

And now the Empire was trying to phase out clones, the clones who fought so valiantly in the name of the Republic, and now in the name of the Empire.

As an aide for the Pantoran Senator Chuchi, you worked with her side by side to fight for the rights of the clones.

That’s how you ended up in ties with the unofficial clone rebellion.

There were familiar faces, like Captain Rex and Captain Howzer, distinguished clones you had met before during assignments with Senator Chuchi.

But among the group of identical faces, there were some you knew you hadn’t met before like Fireball and Gregor.

And Echo.

The ex-ARC trooper was unlike any other clone you had met. His bravery and intelligence were unlike anything you had ever seen, not even in a clone trooper.

Between missions, when you had downtime and weren’t required by the Senator. You’d find yourself seeking him out, hoping to hear another story, to hear about his brothers that he held in such high esteem.

You’d hear tales about his days stationed at the Richi Outpost with the Domino Squad, his missions alongside the 501st as an ARC-trooper, and then there were stories about his most recent adventures alongside Clone Force 99, more commonly called the Bad Batch. His stories about the special troopers and the young girl, Omega, who joined them never failed to make you smile.

While you loved all of his stories, the ones about his brother named Fives were always your favorite. You could watch the wistful look in his eyes grow as he recounted their adventures and heroics—and of course, their (mostly Fives’) accidents.

“And when Rex walked in, Fives stood at attention hoping Rex wouldn’t notice the fact he had gotten his bucket stuck on his foot.”

Your laughter echoed through the night air as you listened to the tale from Echo’s ARC-trooper days.

“What did you do?” You managed to get out between your giggles.

Echo chuckled and shook his head. “When Rex asked what Fives had done, I looked him dead in the eyes and asked ‘who’s Fives?’”

“You didn’t!” You gasped, grabbing onto his shoulder in an attempt to keep yourself steady as another bout of laughter came on.

The clone nodded, chuckling quietly to himself at your reaction. Recounting stories of his fallen brothers was often painful. Even the mere thought of them was enough to put him in a stupor for the rest of the day.

But somehow you made his recollections a little lighter. The way you listened so intently, the way you asked questions and got involved in the conversation, the way you would rest your hand on his knee when you noticed his words start to stall and voice started to waver.

As you finally recovered from your fit of laughter, you turned your head to look at Echo only to find him already looking at you with a soft smile.

A warmth bloomed in your stomach at his expression and you found yourself matching his smile. There was something about the way he looked at you that made you feel giddy despite yourself.

“What?” You asked.

Echo’s answer was immediate. “Thank you for listening.”

Although it was a simple thanks, there was a deeper meaning behind his words.

It wasn’t just a thank you for listening, it was a thank you for being there with him, a thank you for your kind smile, a thank you for reminding him that there was still good in the galaxy after everything he had lost. You gave him hope that one day he’d see the light again.

And maybe he’d express all of that to one day. But for now, his simple thank you would have to do.

You grinned at him. “Anytime, Echo. I love your stories.”

You laid your hand on his shoulder, leaning towards him and planting a kiss on his cheek.

A small part of you relished the way he flushed at the action.

“They’re hard to tell sometimes,” he admits, glancing up at the stars above your heads.

You nodded, keeping your hand on his shoulder as you noticed his somber tone.

“But that’s why it’s good to tell them. Your brothers live on in your stories, they’re not just memories anymore.”

You let your hand slide down his shoulder until it reached his own good hand. You tangled your fingers with his, giving his palm a gentle squeeze.

He turned his head to you, gently pressing your foreheads together. He had told you about this gesture before. It was a Keldabe kiss, a tradition of the Mandalorians. And in moments like these, it felt more intimate than a normal kiss.

Maybe one day the fighting would stop and things would settle down once the peace returned. And as Echo sat with you in a moment of serenity, he was sure of it: the ghosts that he knew would flicker from view, and the two of you would have a long life.

[intricatechaosofyou]

It’s the first day of August 1893 2024!!

happy tuck everlasting day to all who celebrate

[intricatechaosofyou]

WE ARE BACK BABY

the second clone exchange of the year is looking for the song(s) of the summer!  Sign ups for this event close on June 21, 2024, at 5 PM EST.

here’s how the exchange will work: 

1. Read over this post, reblog it to the blog you want to participate with, and fill out the sign up form linked below!! The event’s rules will be available on the sign up form for you to agree to, but you can also find them HERE!

When you sign up, you’ll choose which of the clones you would like to receive an xreader fic about. Because this event is random, I require participants to at least be comfortable writing and reading for Cody, so no one gets an assignment they can’t fulfill.

You’ll also give a prompt that the person who has you will use in their fic! This time, prompts will be song lyrics, which can be used as either dialogue prompts or just general vibe prompts. however, a song can only be on the prompt list once, so it's advised that you have a backup choice just in case the one you sign up with is already taken!

2. A day or two after sign ups end (extra time has been allotted to make sure there are no repeat songs on the list), you will receive two emails from me:

I’ll be using a secret santa website to do the matching, so one email will come from that website, and it will tell you who you will be writing for. I can easily randomize the assignments this way, and it ensures that everyone has a match. 

The second email will come from this blog’s event email (cloneficgiftexchange@gmail.com) and it will have posting information, general information for the participants, and a document of all the prompts. Once you find out from the secret santa website who your person is, you just need to find them on the list to see your prompt and the characters you have the option of writing for.

3. You will have about six weeks to write your fic, and the word minimum is 800 words. On Saturday, August 10th, participants will post their fics to tumblr. I’ll send out more details about posting when the event gets closer, so don’t worry about that. I will also put together a list of all the fics when the event is over, which will be linked on the blog’s pinned post with the other past exchanges.

you can sign up here!!

please feel free to reach out to me with any questions! hope to see you in the signups :)

[intricatechaosofyou]

This discourse telling bi women to leave their boyfriends at home during pride is absolutely ridiculous for so many reasons, main one being is that allies are allowed to go to pride, you know that right? People have to also let go of this idea that they can 'tell' who is queer. No you can't! Plenty of trans men pass as cis men, and plenty of bi women date bi men.

[intricatechaosofyou]

Only crying a little bit 😭

Happy last bad batch eve guys

[intricatechaosofyou]

The Right Wrong Turn

Pairing: Crosshair x f!reader

Fandom: The Bad Batch; Star Wars

Summary: A hiccup in the mission ends up with you on a rooftop with the Batch’s sniper. Using the prompt “This did not go the way I expected.”

Warnings: 18+!!!!, blasters, shootouts, cursing, some sexual tension, a couple of references to lines in season 3 but NO SPOILERS (tell me if you find my references though ;) !!)

Author’s note: Happy Bad Batch season my loves!! Our boys are back and I couldn’t be happier (or sadder). I had the privilege of writing for @urfriendlyneighbornightfury so I hope you enjoy this babe! I had so much fun writing it. Italics indicate small flashbacks. Also, please keep in mind that this is post-Echo but pre-Order 66.

The Bad Batch has meant so much to me over the years and while it feels like the end has come far too quickly, I’m grateful for everything it’s done for me and the rest of the Star Wars community! Thank you to @ghostofskywalker / @cloneficgiftexchange for putting on this event!! I’m so grateful to participate in this huge event!!

Sending everyone a Wrecker-sized hug and a happy season 3!! <3

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You panted as you made a sharp turn down an alleyway, trying to lose your pursuers.

It was supposed to be a simple mission: sneak in while Hunter and Wrecker distracted the guards, download a few files, then Echo and Tech would pick you all up in the Marauder.

What you hadn’t planned for, however, was the heavy encryption on the files you needed.

———————

“Tech, I thought you said I just had to plug this data stick in and the files would download!” You whispered into your comm as a red screen appeared on the datapad.

“Theoretically, that should be all you have to do. However, I do suppose the encryptions on the files could prevent the transfer,” Tech replied, his static voice from the comm making you angrier by the second.

Your failed attempts at transferring the files had set off the alarm. You needed to get out of there, but you needed those files first.

“Keep the data stick in,” Tech requested. “I can undo the encryption from my end and transfer the files manually.”

A blaster shot fired right past your shoulder and you immediately ducked behind the large desk in the office. Sneaking a look, you counted three guards with their blasters pulled on you.

Kriff. You had to get out of there.

“Cross,” you hissed into your comm as you pulled your blaster from its holster on your hip.

You didn’t even have to finish your sentence before you heard the sniper’s voice crackle through the comm.

“I’ve got eyes on them. I take middle.”

You couldn’t see him on the next rooftop over, but you knew he was already lining up his shot through the large glass window behind the desk you were hiding behind.

“No fair. I wanted middle this time,” you answered, a smirk forming on your face.

Crosshair tutted. “Too bad, sweets.”

You rolled your eyes as you shifted your blaster in your hands, getting ready to fire.

As soon as Crosshair’s shot came through, shattering the window behind you and killing the assailant in the middle, you stood and shot the two remaining.

“Tech, how’re we looking?” You questioned.

“Files are transferred. Make your way back to the Marauder.”

You grabbed the data stick and booked it to the stairs just as another group of guards bursted into the office.

———————

You thought that they’d give up once you exited the building, but they were still managing to follow you through the busy streets of Bracca.

It was getting harder to lose the guards behind you as you dashed through the streets. One wrong turn and you knew you were in deep trouble.

As you turned down the next alleyway in hopes that you’d finally outpace the guards you heard someone hiss your name.

Looking up you found Crosshair, leaning over the roof of a nearby building, hand outstretched to you.

“Hurry up before those di’kuts catch up.”

You smiled and grabbed his hand, allowing him to hoist you up onto the roof.

“Could’ve used some help earlier, Cro—“

The clone’s hand covered your mouth before you could finish your snarky comment, pushing you to lay down the cold metal roof as he followed suit, laying halfway on top of you as the guards flooded into the alley in pursuit of you.

He lowered his head, sharp eyes watching the guards, ensuring that they didn’t spot the two of you.

But you? You watched him.

He had shed his bucket before helping you onto the roof, granting you full freedom to ogle at his face. You watched the way his eyes darted across the length of the alley, the way jaw clenched every time a guard spoke, the way his lips were parted as he took slow, steady breaths.

Suddenly, the chill of the night was replaced with a heavy heat and you were overcome with the need to move out from under him.

The hard plastoid of his armor dug into your skin as you attempted to shift out from underneath him. But your movement only caused him to hold you down harder, his free hand pressing your hips down to keep you from squirming.

You stifled a frustrated groan, going to shift again but the way he turned to look at you made you freeze. He stared you down, almost daring you to move again.

Unfortunately for him, you loved getting under his skin.

You tried to shift out from under him again, accepting the unspoken challenge from the sniper.

He retaliated, pressing his entire forearm against your hips to prevent your movements.

With a huff, you realized this might be one battle you wouldn’t win. You resigned yourself to watching him again as he took a glance back at the alley.

When his eyes found yours again, he finally took his hand away from your mouth but his arm across your hips stayed in place.

“You nearly got us caught,” he hissed.

“Yeah, well, this didn’t go the way I expected,” you replied, a sarcastic smile on your face as you once again attempted to get out from under him.

The way he put more weight on your hips told you he wasn’t letting you go that easy. “What did you expect? That I’d just let you stand around up here and let the guards catch both of us?” He questioned.

“Stow it,” you demanded, trying to ignore the way your face felt hot. “We need to get back to the Marauder.”

“Not until you answer my question, sweets.”

You huffed, letting your head fall back. Maker, this man was stubborn. “Don’t call me that. You know I hate it.”

“Hate what, sweets?”

“You calling me that!”

“Why, sweets?”

You bit back a snarl at the way he emphasized the name just for the sake of driving you crazy. “I said stow it.”

“What’re you gonna do about it? I seem to have the upper hand, sweets.”

You hated the way his lips curled up into his signature smirk as the nickname left his mouth. Your hands acted on their own accord as they grabbed his face and crashed his lips onto yours. His response was automatic, hands coming to cradle your face to bring you closer to himself.

The kiss was a mess of tongue and teeth, both of you still in an attempt to win an imaginary battle against the other. He pushed you and you pushed back harder against him. Around and around you two went in desperate attempts to put the other in their place…until Crosshair’s comm sounded.

The sniper let out a discontented huff as your mouth left his as you pulled the comm from the belt at his hips.

“We’re still on a mission, sweets,” you reminded him, reveling in the way his jaw ticked as you used the nickname against him before turning back to the comm and assuring Hunter that you and Crosshair were en route to the Marauder. “We gotta get going.”

Despite his groaning, he still shifted off of you and offered you a hand to help you stand up.

You brushed yourself off and took in Crosshair’s usual frown. “Cheer up, Cross.”

“I don’t like being interrupted,” he replied, pulling a toothpick from the pocket on his belt.

Shrugging, you grabbed the toothpick from his hand and put it in your own mouth. “Don’t worry. We’ll finish this later.”

The corners of Crosshair’s mouth ticked up at your insinuation. “I like that plan, sweets.”

Although you rolled your eyes, you couldn’t help the fond smile from growing on your face. Instead of granting him a response you simply turned and started the trek back to the Marauder with Crosshair right beside you, his hand resting on the small of your back. Yeah, you’d definitely be finishing this later.

[intricatechaosofyou]

It’s here!! ❤️🖤

sign ups are officially open, and it's just in time for us to see the bad batch return to our screens for season 3! Sign ups for this event close on February 25, 2024, at 2 PM EST.

here’s how the exchange will work: 

1. Read over this post, reblog it to the blog you want to participate with, and fill out the sign up form linked below!! The event's rules will be available on the sign up form for you to agree to, but you can also find them HERE!

When you sign up, you’ll choose which bad batchers you would like to read about. Because this event is random, I require participants to at least be comfortable writing and reading for Hunter, so no one gets an assignment they can't fulfill. You’ll also give a few prompts that the person who has you will use in their fic!

2. The day after sign ups end, you will receive two emails from me:

I’ll be using a secret santa website to do the matching, so one email will come from that website, and it will tell you who you will be writing for. I can easily randomize the assignments this way, and it ensures that everyone has a match. 

The second email will come from this blog’s event email (cloneficgiftexchange@gmail.com) and it will have posting information, general information for the participants, and a document of all the prompts. Once you find out from the secret santa website who your person is, you just need to find them on the list to see your prompt and the characters you have the option of writing for.

3. You will have about six weeks to write your fic, and the word minimum is 800 words. On Saturday, April 13th, participants will post their fics to tumblr. I’ll send out more details about posting when the event gets closer, so don’t worry about that. I will also put together a list of all the fics when the event is over, which will be linked on the blog’s pinned post with the other past exchanges.

you can sign up here!!

tagging those who said they were interested: @ladyanidala @dragonrider9905 @urfriendlyneighbornightfury @lizartgurl @intricatechaosofyou @flyiingsly @freesia-writes @frostycatblr-fandom-files @rosegold-darling @knightprincess @lightwise @skellymom @masterjedilenawrites @hexerein @apocalyp-tech-a

[intricatechaosofyou]

HAPPY CODY DAY MY LOVES!! 🧡🤍

happy cody day!!!!!!