#But I live for the little 💕 Fondle 💕 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

jenstar1992-2 · 3 years ago

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Whole Again

Pairing: Echo x Mechanic! reader

A/N: Wow, this turned out longer than expected, but I finally finished it, sorry for the wait. Okay, first, yes, a flat-holo is a thing, I looked it up. 😄 Second, there is a portion of this story that includes NSFW content, but I have marked it off so that anyone who wants to skip that part can do so. My intention was to show two people attempting to rekindle their love life and a woman who wants to show her man that he is still wanted, I wasn’t going for pure smut with this one. However, it is descriptive so… 18+ readers only for that portion please.

*Sections in italics = flashbacks

Warnings: Language, mentions of fighting and injury, an a-hole bar patron, self- doubt, Echo’s insecurities, mentions of scars, talk of nightmares, missing loved ones, sad Lena, mentions of drinking/ people getting drunk; NSFW warnings: Fondling/ groping, biting, oral sex (M and F receiving), unprotected vaginal sex (yes, reader says she’s protected, but real life birth control can be finicky so please be safe and use additional forms of protection irl, better safe than sorry guys, I say this out of love 💕). Other than that there are a bunch of sweet family moments, Lena is such a sweetie. (If there is anything I forgot, please let me know)

Word count: 18,326

Taglist: @let-them-hear / @imabeautifulbutterfly / @mangoberry99 / @magoowilson

Part 1

To say Lena was thrilled to finally meet her father was an understatement. Just the memory of the scene that had played out when you’d brought Echo and his new comrades back to your apartment to make the official introduction, had your heart melting all over again.

Rex had been cleaning the mess left from their movie night, back to you, when you’d all walked in. You were sure the event went longer than they’d first planned, seeing as Lena always managed to get an extra holomovie or two in with the use of her giant puppy dog eyes, which never failed to work on her uncles. You swore that little girl had each and every one of them wrapped around her tiny finger and boy did she know it, using it to her advantage quite often. This is why you had been sure she’d still be awake upon your return home.

“So, how many did she get out of you guys tonight”, you asked Rex as you walked toward him, while simultaneously gesturing for the men behind you to make themselves comfortable, which they did, albeit after some slight hesitation from a few of the group’s members, Echo opting to follow you instead. Ever since your reunion on the platform, he’d refused to leave your general vicinity, staying either by your side or right on your heels, not that you minded, you didn’t want to be distanced from him either.

“Just two this time, I made sure Jesse started her bedtime routine as soon as the second one ended, before she could work another one in”, Rex responded, chuckling, as he went to the kitchen to throw away the last of the wrappers and other trash that had been strewn about the living room area. “They should be finishing up soon, then she’ll be ready for her tuck-in.” It wasn’t until he walked back into the room that he noticed his brother, helmet now removed, glued to your side.

He let out a huff of laughter. “Well, it’s about time, glad to see you finally came to your senses vod”, he said, directing his words at Echo, who simply offered him an innocent shrug.

“Yeah, well, you could’ve given me a heads up”, you said, crossing your arms and raising a brow at the captain, a playful smirk adorning your face throughout.

Rex gave his own shrug then. “Sorry, (Y/N), this one had me promise not to, and I’m nothing if not a man of my word”, he explained.

You turned your gaze to the man beside you, giving him the same expression you’d given his brother.

His eyes went wide for a second and a slight blush began to grow over his features, embarrassed at being called out. He then turned to you, looking apologetic.

“Sorry cyare, I would’ve revealed myself sooner, I was just…”, he began to explain, but found that it was harder to voice all the conflicting emotions that had run through him at that first sight of you than he’d anticipated.

You could see the internal struggle play out on his face, and decided to make things easier on him, as you already had a general idea of what he wanted to say anyway.

You placed a light hand to the side of his face, softening your expression.

“I know”, you said softly, watching as he then smiled and leaned into your touch, “and I forgive you, both of you”, you continued, looking from Echo to Rex, then back again. “Just promise me one thing.”

“Anything”, Echo said, wasting no time in his response.

“No more hiding, not from me, okay?”

His smile widened a bit before he replied. “I promise, no more hiding.”

“And no more secrets, from either of you”, you said, glancing over to Rex once again, who raised a hand, as if taking a vow.

“No more secrets”, he promised.

You nodded before turning your head back to look Echo in the eye.

“Good”, you said, smiling softly, a gesture he returned in kind.

“Mommy’s home”, you heard your daughter shout, before hearing the quick pattering of her feet running down the hall.

You looked to see her barreling toward you, Jesse walking a few feet behind her. Her obvious excitement caused you to smile, and you bent down to catch her in a hug.

“Hey, you”, you said before pulling away to look at her. “Shouldn’t you be in bed already?”

She let out a little giggle before responding.

“No”, she said mischievously, holding her hands down in front of her and turning her body from side to side, feigning innocence.

You rolled your eyes at her antics and let out a heavy sigh, but before you could say another word, she had become distracted, noticing the others in the room and quickly walking over to the two who were sitting at the dining room table, stopping in front of one of them and raising her arms.

“Up please”, she asked the squad’s leader, who looked down at her with surprise.

“Lena, you can’t just…”, you began, but were cut off by the sergeant.

“It’s alright”, Hunter reassured you, as he gently lifted Lena, allowing her to stand on his lap so her face was almost level with his own. “Hey kid, what can I do for you”, he asked, his tone kind.

“What you name”, Lena asked as you raised to your feet and stood beside Echo and Rex, Jesse coming to join you as you all looked on at the interaction playing out before you.

“Now watch your daughter work her magic”, Rex whispered to Echo, who gave him a confused look before focusing back to the two.

After Hunter gave his short introduction, Lena repeated his name before giving him a wide smile. She then reached her hands out, lightly grabbing a fistful of the man’s hair, opening and closing her hand, as if trying to get a better feel of it. Thankfully, she had never been a hair puller, but she was curious, and a bit handsy.

“Pretty”, she said, causing him to let out a small laugh.

“Thanks, but it’s not as pretty as yours”, he replied.

Lena let go of his hair and brought her hands to her head to feel the soft curls that reached just above her shoulders.

“Thank you”, she said, smile now beaming, earning another laugh from the sergeant.

She then turned her attention to the man sitting in the chair adjacent to them and reached out to him in the same manner she had Hunter. However, unlike Hunter, he raised a brow and looked to the girl, unsure and clearly a bit uncomfortable with the idea of complying to her unspoken request.

“Come on Tech, she doesn’t bite”, Hunter assured him, and he sighed before hesitantly reaching for the child and transferring her to his lap, then looking at her quizzically, as if he were trying to figure her out.

“Tech”, she exclaimed.

“Yes, that is my name”, he said matter-of-factly.

Lena squinted her eyes and put her face closer to his, performing an analysis of her own. Then she leaned back and made grabby hands at his face.

“See, please”, she asked.

Tech gave her a confused expression before realizing what she was referring to, considering her request for a moment before eventually conceding and removing his goggles, handing them over to her.

Lena smiled, taking them eagerly and holding them over her eyes so she could look through the lenses, giggling as she looked around the room, handing them back once she was satisfied.

“Thank you”, she said.

Tech regarded her for another moment, before his lips then stretched into a small smile.

“You’re welcome”, he replied.

“My turn next”, came the boisterous voice of the larger commando, who had left his spot on the edge of your couch and now stood but a few feet away from Lena and his brothers. Lena looked over to him, breaking out into another wide smile when she noticed his excitement.

Tech lowered her to the floor, letting go once she’d gotten her balance, before putting his goggles back on and watching her run the short distance to the mountain of a man, her not seeming intimidated in the slightest.

He bent down to catch her and promptly lifted her as high as his arms would allow, causing her to laugh excitedly, then bringing her back down and holding her comfortably in his arms.

“Hey Lena, I’m Wrecker”, he introduced himself.

“Wrecker”, Lena repeated.

“Yeah, you got it”, he told her.

She kept a wide smile, until she noticed something and gave a small gasp.

“Oh no”, she said, concern in her voice as she placed a hand to the scars adorning the side of his head. “You got boo-boo.”

“Oh, that, nah, that happened a long time ago, doesn’t hurt anymore”, Wrecker explained, but Lena wasn’t buying it, and gave him her best distressed pout before kissing her palm and placing it back atop the scars.

“All better”, she asked, her voice suddenly hopeful.

This caused Echo to smile, remembering when she did the same thing for him back in the hangar. Something he’d come to realize about his daughter just within these short interactions was that she had a truly kind heart, something he knew had come from you. In fact, your kindness had been one of the things that had drawn him closer to you, and even though you had a short fuse at times and would often put up a tough front, he could always find that natural kindness behind your eyes, and he adored that about you.

“Yeah, all better, thanks kid”, Wrecker responded.

“Welcome.”

Lena then looked over Wrecker’s shoulder, eyes fixing on something before she asked to be put down, to which he complied, setting her down so she could make her way to her next destination, that being the couch. She climbed up onto the furniture and stood on the cushions beside the fourth member of the group, who had been quiet and seemingly not interested ever since he stepped through the door. He avoided her intense stare for another minute before finally side-eying her and giving her a curt, “What?”

“What you name”, she asked sweetly.

“Why do you need to know?”

Lena gave him a look, confused by his response.

“Ah, don’t mind him Lena, Crosshair just gets grumpy sometimes, well, a lot of times actually, don’t take it personally”, Wrecker explained.

Lena’s eyebrows furrowed as she returned her gaze to the sniper.

“You mad”, she asked, and when all she received from him was another sideways glare of annoyance, she began contemplating. “You want ice cream?”

You smiled and shook your head, knowing that your little girl thought a sweet treat was the cure to all ailments, and an instant mood booster, although, you’d never completely disagreed with her on that last part. However, you doubted that trick would work in this instance, and you were proven correct when he uttered a simple, “No”, then adding a low, “thank you” after a short pause. Well, at least he had some semblance of manners. Unfortunately, this didn’t sway Lena, who was now visibly wracking her brain for another solution, a cute little pout on her face. She then gave a small gasp, an idea coming to her, and she quickly hopped off the couch and ran to her bedroom. This causing several pairs of eyes to look at you questioningly, but all you could offer was a shrug.

“Don’t look at me, I have no clue what’s going on in that girl’s head half the time”, you confessed.

Just as soon as she’d left, she was back, and carrying her little stuffed tooka doll, which she promptly presented to the gruff man, setting it on his lap and smiling up at him again.

Your eyes went wide at what you’d just witnessed.

“Lena, Stripes, are you sure”, you asked.

“Am I to assume this doll has a greater significance”, Tech asked.

You looked to him before responding. “Yeah, he’s pretty important to her, the closest thing to a prized possession she has, not to mention a major comfort item for her. I can’t even wash the thing without her putting up a fight”, you explained. “Lena, baby, don’t give Stripes away, I thought you needed him.”

Lena turned to you with a surprisingly serious expression.

“But, he need more Mommy”, she said.

Crosshair stared down at the doll in his hands, at first giving it a look of indifference, but once you gave your little explanation of its significance to the child, you noticed something shift in his gaze. His eyes softened just a bit, and he gave a small sigh before looking to Lena, who was still turned away from him, focused on you.

“Hey kid”, he said, his tone noticeably less harsh as he tried to get her attention. Lena turned her gaze back to the sniper. “You’d better keep him, I don’t think he likes me much anyway.”

He held the doll out to her, offering it back, but instead of taking it, she looked at him with a small frown and pushed the doll back toward him.

“No, Stripes help you feel better”, she explained insistently.

Crosshair thought for a moment, clearly trying to come up with another, more feasible, reason as to why he couldn’t take her toy away from her.

“But if he goes with me, he’ll miss you, and that would make him sad, you wouldn’t want that, would you”, he asked her, attempting to be as convincing as possible. It was hard, trying to get a point across to such a young child, not something he was accustomed to for sure, not to mention, her unwavering kindness, which threw him for a bit of a loop as no one outside his brothers had showed him such kindness, and not even they had done it to this magnitude.

Lena hummed as she considered this, looking a bit concerned, before coming up with a compromise.

“Okay, you borrow”, she offered.

This seemed to cause his hardened exterior to crack ever so slightly as he let out a low huff of laughter. This kid knew what she was doing, that had become obvious to him, but he couldn’t seem to let it upset him, instead giving in to it.

“Alright, deal”, he said.

Lena smiled then, offering her hand to him. He hesitantly took it between his three fingers and shook it lightly, the action prompting a smirk to ghost over his lips. Yep, she was good alright.

Once she released his hand, she looked back behind her to the fifth and final member of their group and walked to stand before him, craning her neck to look up at him, and noticing his face was now uncovered, decided she wanted to get a closer look. She raised her arms in a silent request.

Echo hesitated for a second, but slowly bent down, wrapping his left arm around the child, allowing her to wrap hers around his neck as he lifted her up.

Once she was in a comfortable hold, she loosened her grip on him to lean back and take in his features. Her eyes scanned from his chin to the top of his head, before landing on the rivets along its sides.

“Hurt”, she asked him, looking concerned again.

“What”, he asked, confused as to what she was referring.

Lena then put her hands on the sides of her own head before responding.

“Head hurt”, she clarified.

“Oh, no, not anymore”, he told her, smiling as he relished in the concern she showed for him, something that made him feel more loved, a feeling that before he had only ever gotten from you, now it was as if he was experiencing it two-fold. He briefly wondered how he’d gotten so lucky as to have two people who cared so much about him and his well-being. He hadn’t known his daughter long, but he was already completely enamored with her. You were his everything, and now, so was she.

Lena smiled back but it was soon replaced with a new expression as she suddenly scrunched up her face, eyes seeming as if they were looking for something, as if they were trying to look right into his very being. His smile faded then and switched to a look of confusion as he attempted to decipher his daughter’s expression. She then shook her head and placed a hand on either side of his face, right next to each corner of his mouth, slightly pushed them back, trying to recreate the smile that had been there seconds prior. This caused him to form the smile on his own and he let out a soft chuckle.

“What are you doing”, he asked her.

She didn’t answer, but instead asked to be let down, quickly running off to her room once more after her feet hit the floor. Leaving him confused yet again, but also a bit hurt; had he upset her, or worse, did he scare her, why had she run off like that?

You saw his slightly pained expression and it broke your heart. You didn’t know the reason for your daughter’s actions, but you weren’t about to let her run away from someone she’d just met, especially when the person was her own father.

“Lena”, you called after her, beginning to follow, until you felt a firm hand on your shoulder hold you back. You turned to see Rex looking at you, his mouth set in a calm smile.

“Just give her a minute”, he told you, then turning to his brother and placing his other hand atop his shoulder as well. “Trust me.”

You did, and you were right to because not a minute later Lena came running back into the room, this time with her datapad clutched in her hands. Rex had given it to her as a gift shortly after her first birthday, taking time to teach her how to use it for basic purposes, and even transferring some old photos from his own onto it for her, one in particular soon becoming her favorite.

She ran back to Echo and raised her arms once more. He complied immediately, picking her up, glad to have her in his arms again.

She turned the screen of the device on and quickly brought up an image, one she’d viewed and showed off many times over, the one she would often fall asleep looking at, because it was the only one she had of him. She then tapped the screen to enlarge the image, zooming in on the face of the man at the far right of the frame. She looked from the image to Echo’s face, then back, repeating this a few more times before looking into his eyes.

“Daddy?”

Your eyes widened, shocked that she could make the connection so quickly, and you weren’t the only one surprised by this.

“How did she…”, Jesse began to ask, but Rex cut him off.

“She’s a smart kid”, he said proudly.

Echo couldn’t find the words to answer her, so he simply nodded, his smile widening. Lena then smiled and audibly inhaled, before throwing her arms around his neck.

“DADDY”, she exclaimed, hugging him with all the force she could muster.

Echo reciprocated and hugged his daughter close, suddenly feeling the prick of tears behind his eyes, which he instinctively tried to fight down by squeezing them shut, and once he felt it safe to open them, he looked to you over Lena’s shoulder. He shifted her weight to his cybernetic arm so he could reach out to you with the other. You stepped into his embrace and wrapped your arms around the both of them, basking in the pure joy of finally having your family together.

“Daddy, what happen, where you go”, Lena asked, leaning back to look at her father questioningly.

“I was… in a bad place, for a long time…”, he explained, his expression saddened, “but, I’m back now, and that’s all that matters”, he said, giving her a reassuring smile.

“I love you Daddy”, Lena said, smiling brightly at him.

Echo smiled back and gently pulled her into another hug, the tears he’d held back moments ago now making themselves known as he couldn’t find the strength to hold them back any longer.

“I love you too Sweetheart”, he responded, then looking down to meet your gaze. “Both of you.”

***

After reuniting with his family, Echo had been quite reluctant to leave Coruscant.

“I can’t leave them, not again”, he’d tried telling his new squad, and while they were understanding, they also made it clear that they needed him as he had become a great asset to their team, meaning they were reluctant to leave him behind. So, you decided to set your own wants aside and convinced him to go with them.

“It’ll be okay, I’ll only take on planet work from now on, that way we’ll both be here whenever you return”, you reassured him, “I know it’s not the family life we had envisioned, but it’ll have to work for now, at least until this war is over and we can finally move to that far off planet we always talked about.”

He'd chuckled at that. Although he still didn’t like the idea of leaving, he finally agreed, and before you knew it, you and Lena were saying your goodbyes as the group loaded onto their ship.

Echo stopped at the bottom of the ramp to turn and take one last look at the two of you before then making his way up to the ship’s entrance, but before he could make it halfway, Lena freed herself from your grasp and ran full speed towards him, clinging to his leg once she’d reached him, tears now running down her cheeks.

“No Daddy don’t go”, she cried, the sight making both of your hearts break.

Echo took a knee in front of her before bringing her into his arms.

“I’m sorry Sweetheart, I don’t want to, but I have to. Don’t worry, I’ll be back before you know it”, he said, trying to reassure her as her little sobs turned into sniffles.

“You promise”, she asked, pulling back, big brown eyes staring right into his.

“I promise, no matter what, I will always come back to you and Mommy, you trust me?”

She nodded while wiping her eyes with the back of her hands. He then picked her up and brought her back to you, allowing you to take her from his hold. He then placed a soft kiss to his daughter’s forehead before taking your lips with his, the same softness within the action.

“I love you both so much, and I’ll see you soon.”

***

Echo had kept to his word, returning a few weeks later. This soon became the new routine; he would return to Coruscant after a mission, spend as much time with you and Lena as possible until new orders were given and he had to leave again, the cycle then repeating itself, and this worked for you all, that is, until about a few months in, when all hell broke loose.

At the time, you hadn’t fully understood what was happening, even after getting a general explanation from Echo and Tech, it still didn’t make sense to you. The men you had grown to consider family, the ones who cared for you and your daughter when you had needed them the most, who you trusted with your very lives above anyone else, had turned on their greatest allies, the jedi, taking them out all across the galaxy without any warning or prelude. You were confused to say the least, but also devastated by the news. You had never been very close with them, but you knew enough jedi personally to know that they were not traitors, they couldn’t be. This was only confirmed after you all had learned of the inhibitor chips implanted in the brain of every clone. To you, this explained everything, and somehow this fact made the situation that much more heartbreaking, they had no choice, they couldn’t help it.

Luckily, the boys had returned briefly to Coruscant to retrieve you and Lena, before leaving the planet unseen would’ve been almost impossible.

You knew something was off as soon as you’d entered the ship. You noticed a new face among the group, and one missing. As it turned out, the batch’s chips hadn’t activated due to their mutations, and it was theorized that Echo’s had been damaged on Skako Minor. Crosshair, however, was not as lucky, and you were told he was now working with the Empire. All of this was painful, but not nearly as painful as Lena’s questioning of where her uncles were, why she couldn’t see them anymore, and the look of utter sadness in her eyes when you’d informed her of that fact; this hurt the most.

Not everything was completely bleak though; Lena had gained a new friend in Omega, and as the weeks went by the two girls only grew closer to the point where they now shared something more akin to a sisterly bond. You could tell Omega enjoyed the idea of being an older sister figure, helping look after Lena when the boys were away, giving her any bit of advice she could even with her limited life experience, and just being someone Lena could look up to; it seemed to bring the young girl joy, and you were more than happy to let her have that.

A few weeks back, you all had run into Rex, or rather, he’d found you. You had been so happy and relieved to see him unharmed, as well as, not under the control of his inhibitor chip, which you’d learned had been removed. But your happiness couldn’t begin to compare to the joy emitted from your daughter upon seeing her uncle again; she’d practically tackled him to the ground with the speed and force in which she’d used to get to him. It was a touching reunion to say the least.

After this, Rex had helped the boys remove their chips as well, before then leaving to continue aiding in the fight against the Empire, one you wished you could assist in, but you couldn’t, you had your family to think about. Lena was upset at his departure but was slowly coming to understand that he had to go, he was needed elsewhere. She also understood that this didn’t mean it was the last she’d see of him, and that brought her comfort.

You all now found yourselves on a remote planet somewhere in the Outer Rim, after it was decided that a few days in hiding on a planet with little to no inhabitants might be the best way to go; your last run in with the Empire having not gone so well, as it had resulted in Omega getting captured by a bounty hunter. Thankfully, you all had managed to get her back, and she was now safe once again.

You didn’t know the name of this planet, but then again, you didn’t rightfully care. It was quiet, and more importantly, safe; the perfect place to hide out for a while, so you put worry out of your mind for the time being and settled yourselves in.

With all the additional bodies added to the crew the Marauder had become quite cramped, and because of this the decision was made to set up the tents they had stored onboard so everyone would have more room and would hopefully be able to get a more restful sleep, something that had become hard to do as of late. You found it interesting; for men that were known for running into situations headfirst, and sometimes without much forethought, you came to realize just how prepared they really were, for even the most unlikely events, such as the one you were currently in. That being said, they hadn’t exactly accounted for providing shelter for this many people and there weren’t enough tents for all of you. This wasn’t too big of an issue though, as you and Echo had opted to sleep in the ship, allowing the other three men to each have a tent to themselves, leaving the last to be shared by Omega and Lena, both of which had practically begged you to do so. You had agreed without too much deliberation after seeing the looks of excitement on the two girls’ faces, as neither one of them had ever been camping before but were very much looking forward to the experience.

You had settled the girls in for the night only an hour ago, but you could hear little giggles and whispered words coming from their tent, so you made your way back out to give it another attempt.

You hesitated as you reached for the zipper, listening outside the tent for a moment, then unzipping the tent and entering after you heard your daughter whisper, “…and this one my most favorite.”

Both girls snapped their gazes to look at you as you stepped into the small tent, half crouched so as not to have your head meet its top; you then kneeled before them, hands on your hips and a stern expression on your face.

“Girls, I thought we said bedtime was an hour ago, what are you two still doing up?”

They both stared at you, not speaking, and giving you looks that you were all too familiar with as it was the look a child gives after they’ve been caught doing something they knew they weren’t supposed to be doing, that look of guilt with a touch of feigned innocence. You weren’t so easily fooled and so you raised your eyebrow even higher and stared the two down, waiting for a better answer than silence; that’s when Omega finally decided to explain.

“Sorry, Lena was just showing me some of her favorite flat-holos, I know we should be sleeping but I was curious, and she was so excited to show me, and…”, she said before letting out a small sigh, “I’m sorry.”

You smiled warmly at her before turning your attention to the datapad in your daughter’s hands, an all too familiar image displayed on its screen.

“Please Mommy, one more, this the best one”, Lena asked, giving you her best big-eyed stare, the one she knew you couldn’t resist.

You sighed heavily. “Alright fine, one more, but then it’s straight to bed, okay?”

Lena nodded fervently. “Yes Mommy”, she said.

You smiled and went to sit beside her, pulling her into your lap once you were seated and peering over her shoulder at the glowing image. Omega scooched closer until she was right beside you, leaning her head against your arm as she too stared at the image.

“So, why is this one your favorite Lena”, Omega asked the girl.

Lena looked up at you, displaying a smile that put every tooth in her mouth on display, and exuded pure happiness. You chuckled at your daughter’s excitement before giving a short explanation.

“Because it has some of her favorite people in it”, you said.

Omega looked over the faces on the screen, analyzing them before asking her next question.

“I recognize him”, she said, pointing to the man sporting blonde hair, “but who are the others”, she asked.

You smiled and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her in a bit more, then pointed to the man on the far left, before continuing down the line, naming each person as you went.

“This is Cody, Rex, Fives, and…”

Before you could even get the name out Lena shouted in excitement, “Daddy!”

You shook your head, your smile widening.

“Yes, and Daddy”, you said with a light chuckle.

“Oh”, Omega said, a look of realization taking over her features, “now I understand.”

You turned to her and nodded, the two of you sharing a look before turning back to the screen.

“Alright, you got what you wanted, now it’s time for bed”, you told Lena as you gently took the datapad from her hands. She pouted up at you but conceded, nonetheless.

You tucked Lena in as Omega snuggled herself under the giant blanket the two were sharing. You gave them each a warm smile and kissed Lena’s forehead before saying your goodnights and exiting the tent.

When you entered the ship all you heard was silence, a rarity for the usually bustling vessel, and when you made it to the sleeping quarters you found Echo fiddling with his new cybernetic arm, opening and closing the fingers as if testing their functionality.

“How’s the arm treating you Love, everything okay”, you asked as you opened the wall panel where you kept your clothes, pulling out a sleepwear set that consisted of a thin tank top and shorts, neither of which left much to the imagination. You had packed in a haste and hadn’t noticed you’d brought this outfit until you unpacked everything on the ship. You’d pushed it to the back of the little compartment, knowing you’d never be able to wear it given that you were constantly surrounded by men who did not need to see that much of you, not to mention the children, but now that you were getting a little privacy and the only man around was one who had already seen every part of you, you figured it was alright.

“Yeah, just checking to make sure everything is in working order after that last scuffle, that guy was huge, it was like punching a wall”, Echo responded, referring to the fight he’d been involved in with one of the patrons at Cid’s place, who had thought it was a good idea to hit on you while the boys were in the back speaking with Cid. When you’d refused his advances, he tried a bit harder, but when you again denied him, that’s when he got angry and began to get rough with you, grabbing your arm and squeezing it to the point of bruising as he got in your face. You’d reared back for a punch, but he’d caught you by the wrist, laughing at your poor attempt to defend yourself. That’s when the others returned from the back and upon seeing what was happening Echo yelled at the man, getting his attention.

“Get your hands off her”, he’d demanded, his voice hitting a tone lower than you’d ever heard from him before.

The guy just laughed as he turned to face him, letting go of your wrist in the process, but keeping his tight grip on your arm.

“And what are you gonna do if I don’t?”

Echo answered this by quickly approaching the man, and without hesitation brought his right fist to connect with the guy’s jaw. The sound of cracking bone that followed had you flinching with sympathy pain, not that you felt sorry for the asshole, quite the opposite, it was just a knee-jerk reaction. Echo then went to you, looking concerned.

“Are you okay, did he hurt you”, he’d asked you.

All you could do was stare in shock down at the now unconscious man before slowly nodding, indicating that you were fine. Then, before Echo could say another word, your lips were on his as you trapped him in a searing kiss. His actions had sparked something in you, something you hadn’t felt in a long time, and in all honesty, it had been a complete turn on.

He was surprised by the spontaneous kiss, but after the briefest of moments was returning it in kind.

Unfortunately, a heated kiss was all you two had been able to share at the time, and it left you both wanting more. As bothered as you were by this, you decided patience was the best course of action, knowing that you’d get the chance to rekindle your love life when the time was right, and that moment was not it.

Shortly after this incident you all had left to find a place to lay low, so Echo hadn’t had much time to assess any damage sustained from his heroic actions.

“Well, that punch was much appreciated, and you looked so hot doing it”, you told him with a sultry smile.

He looked to you then, eyebrow cocked. “Oh yeah?”

You nodded in response, and he laughed before turning his gaze back to his arm and continuing his assessment. “I’ll have to punch guys more often then”, he said, causing you to laugh as well.

“Seriously though, how’s the arm, does it need any fixing”, you asked.

He shook his head and held the limb up for you to view better.

“Nope, held up great, not even a scratch, not that I’m surprised, it is your work after all”, he said, giving you a proud smile, prompting one of appreciation from you. He always knew what to say to make you feel good about yourself. “So, what were the girls up to, because it clearly wasn’t sleeping”, he asked, pulling the sleeve of his blacks back down, dropping his arm and leaning back on the small pile of pillows you two had scrounged up for your makeshift bed of blankets; you’d decided to make good use of the extra space you were allotted for the night.

“Lena was just showing off some of her flat-holos again”, you told him, holding up your daughter’s datapad and handing it to him. “She saved the best for last though.”

He gave you a curious look, then turned the device on, the aforementioned image popping up on the screen.

He chuckled. “She really likes this one, huh?”

“Yep, it’s her favorite”, you replied with a smile as you changed.

“Can’t imagine why, it does have her favorite uncle in it”, he said as he scanned the image with his eyes, his smile fading when they landed on himself. You noticed the change in him and knew instantly what was running through his head, knowing much of it centered around self-doubt and disappointment.

You two had, had many a conversation on this subject since the day he returned to you, but you knew that no matter what, these feelings would never truly leave him, but you also knew that you would do everything in your power to reassure him and always be there when he hit those lows to lift him back up; you wanted nothing more than to make him feel worthy, needed, loved, make him feel wanted. This is what he deserved, what he needed, and this is what you had to do for him now.

You set the clothes you’d previously been wearing aside and walked over to join him on the “bed”, sitting close, your head coming to lean on his shoulder, one hand resting on his bicep, while the other snaked its way around his back and pulled him closer from the opposite side.

“That’s not why she loves it so much”, you said softly, turning to gaze up at him as you spoke your next words. “It’s because her dad’s in it.”

He looked down at you. “You think?”

“I know”, you replied with a smile before looking back to the image. “She’s shown that off more times than I can count, happily telling whoever would listen all about her uncles, but when she’d get to you, she’d break out in this huge smile and tell them, ‘That’s my daddy’. She’s always been so proud of you.”

You looked back up to see him giving you a confused stare.

“But she didn’t even know me”, he said.

“That’s not entirely true”, you said, and when his brow furrowed again in confusion, you continued, “She knew enough from what her uncles told her of you, and even then, she always wanted to know more. Whenever either Rex or Fives were charged with reading her a bedtime story, she’d ask them to tell her a ‘Daddy’ story instead, and they were more than happy to oblige. You didn’t have to physically be there for you to be her hero, although, she is thrilled that you’re here now; a sentiment we both share”, you explained.

You saw his eyes become glossy with unshed tears as you told him all this, and you placed a hand to his cheek, catching the single tear that did eventually fall with your thumb. He then covered your hand with his.

“How’d I get so damn lucky”, he asked, a warm smile growing over his lips.

“I often ask myself the same question”, you responded.

He pulled back a bit and shot you a sarcastic look.

“You’ve often wondered how I got so lucky too, you mean you don’t have the answer?”

You laughed and shook your head before then pulling him close again, close enough that your lips ghosted over his.

“You know what I mean”, you said.

He chuckled before then leaning in to close the miniscule gap between you, connecting his lips with yours.

The kiss was loving, tender, and you found yourself getting lost in it, bringing your other hand to lightly grip the side of his neck, gently pulling him closer to deepen it. Echo gave in to your non-verbal request and leaned more into the kiss, setting the datapad aside blindly, to free his hands so he could wrap an arm around you and pull you even closer. It wasn’t until he placed his other hand to the back of your head and used it to deepen the kiss even further that you noticed the shift in him.

*** NSFW content below, skip ahead if you’d like; readers under 18 please skip ahead***

Suddenly, Echo’s actions seemed almost, desperate, for what you weren’t sure, but you could guess. It had been a while, for the both of you, and you quickly realized this feeling of desperation was one you shared, so you tightened your grip, signaling that you wanted the same thing.

Knowing this was your way of giving your consent, he allowed himself to calm his thoughts and let his body take over, now acting on instinct as he then lifted you onto his lap, so you were straddling him, all while never breaking the passionate kiss you two were entangled in.

At first you held yourself above him, not wanting to put your full weight on him. You knew he wasn’t fragile by any means, but part of you still worried sometimes. It didn’t take him long to realize what you were doing, and he couldn’t help but give a light chuckle at your actions before then grabbing you by the hips and pulling you the rest of the way down, causing you to let out a soft moan as your clothed heat was now flush against him and you could feel the warmth radiating off of him through the thin material. Hearing this only seemed to spur him on as he then pulled at your bottom lip with his teeth, requesting access, which you gave freely.

As your tongues began their dance, each seeking dominance over the other, you felt his hands moving down your frame, coming to rest upon the globes of your ass. You gasped as you felt him give them a hard squeeze, that gasp then turning into another moan as he used this grip to pull you down further, effectively grinding your clothed center against him, and that’s when you noticed something that had you pulling away slightly, a look of surprise on your face.

“What’s wrong”, Echo asked, concerned.

You quickly shook your head. “Nothing, it’s just… I wasn’t sure if…”, you tried to explain, but as you tried to form the words in your head, they sounded more idiotic with each rephrasing, and you were left sitting there in the awkward silence you created. You looked away out of embarrassment, but your gaze was soon brought back to his as you felt a soft hand caress the side of your face before then applying the slightest amount of pressure, coaxing your head to turn.

“What is it cyare, you know you can tell me”, he said softly.

“It’s just that, I wasn’t sure of the… extent of your injuries… not that it would matter either way, I just…”, you said, losing your words, face turning red out of sheer embarrassment as you cast your eyes away from his gaze once again.

You hadn’t spoken much about his losses on a physical level, especially since you knew it was a sensitive topic for him, as his unwillingness to reveal himself upon his initial return had shown you. He’d thought you wouldn’t want him because of the way he looked, and even after all your reassurance, you could still tell those thoughts nagged at him, even if he was slowly becoming more comfortable with you again. Once he’d made some passing comment about not being the man he was before, and that sometimes it was hard to feel like one at all. You weren’t entirely sure what he’d meant by that, but the thought that he might’ve lost more than you’d initially suspected did run through the back of your mind. You hadn’t pushed the subject though, as you didn’t want to rush him, figuring he’d tell you in his own time.

Echo stared at you confused for a few seconds before his eyes widened in realization.

“Oh”, he said. He then let out an amused laugh, which caused you to look back at him with a questioning expression, prompting him to continue. “No Love, he survived”, he said with a playful grin.

You then let out a laugh of your own as you playfully rolled your eyes.

“’He’, why do you always do that”, you asked, referring to the way in which he referred to his manhood.

He shrugged. “Because I know it makes you laugh, and I just love seeing you smile”, he explained.

This response made the smile you were already wearing widen as you slowly leaned down, bringing your lips back to his in a soft kiss.

“You wanna know something else”, he asked as your lips briefly parted, and you nodded your reply. He grinned and returned both hands to your rear. “He missed you”, he said, working you against him again, this time bucking his hips upward to meet your center. You moaned as you felt his hardening member through the thin material of your shorts, it now being much more noticeable thanks to his building arousal.

You leant down again, brushing your lips against his. “The feeling’s mutual”, you said through a sigh.

That was all it took for him to snap back into his previous state of lust fueled actions, and he closed the gap once more, kissing you hungrily. This continued for a few more moments, and his hands began to wander, savoring every inch they touched, before finding themselves at the hem of your top, sliding underneath to feel the soft skin that lay there, and you shuttered at the sensation. It had been so long since you’d been touched in such a way, and you were glad that he didn’t seem to be in a rush. You then felt Echo tug lightly at the garment before slowly pulling back to look at you, a grin already plastered on his face.

“I like this, is it new, don’t remember seeing it before”, he said, looking over your outfit.

“If you mean, did I get it after your return, then yes”, you replied.

Echo let out a grateful hum. “Looks good on you, but I think you’d look even better without it” he said, taking the material between his fingers on either side and looking up at you, wordlessly asking permission, to which you nodded. He then wasted no time in lifting the top and pulling it over your head, discarding it off to the side once you were completely rid of it. He then took a minute to gaze at your bare chest, letting out a small, shuddered breath as he took in the sight before him. He’d always loved your breasts, something he’d made very clear both verbally and physically in the past and watching the way he ogled them now had your own arousal growing that much more.

His hands were on you again in seconds, starting at your hips and slowly making their way up and over every curve along your form. Once they reached the sides of your upper torso, they came around to softly fondle your breasts, and you let out a shaky breath as you felt his fingers work your nipples until they were fully perked. He then leaned forward, taking one between his lips and languidly drawing it into his mouth. You couldn’t help the small whimpers that escaped your lips as he took his time sucking, nipping, and running his tongue in slow circles around each hardened nub, making sure to give each one equal attention, not stopping until he was content.

This alone had you a whimpering, panting mess; you hadn’t realized just how touch starved you had become over the years, sure you took care of yourself every once in a while when you were able, but it just wasn’t the same, Echo did things to you that you couldn’t even attempt to replicate, but this line of thought had you wondering if he was just as in need of that touch as you; he had to be. So, with this in mind, you acted, placing a gentle hand to his chest once he’d detached his mouth from you, and easing him back so he was laying down. You then leaned down and capturing his lips.

You kissed him slowly, almost lazily, as you let your hands do some exploring of their own, while every few seconds, you rolled your hips, creating a little bit of the friction you both so desperately needed, each time earning a low moan or soft whimper from your needy soldier. Soon, your hands found their way to the juncture where the hem of the top of his blacks met the waistband of his bottoms, and you worked your fingers in between them, moving them upward in a slow attempt to remove the top half, but before you could get very far you felt hands lightly grab at your wrists, stopping them in their tracks.

You pulled back and looked to Echo with confusion.

“What’s wrong, is this too much”, you asked.

“No, it’s not that, it’s just…”, he began, pausing to choose his words. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea, I want you to enjoy this, I don’t want you to be disappointed or… disgusted.”

His words hit you with a force akin to running face first into a durasteel wall. How could he ever think you’d see him that way, you couldn’t even fathom feeling anything but love and attraction to this man, and it seemed as though you would have to prove this to him, one way or the other.

You moved your hands to his face, his following as they still had a light, but firm hold on your wrists, and held it between them, your eyes unwavering as they looked deep into his.

“Don’t even think such things because they simply aren’t true. Echo, I love you with all I am, and I can honestly say that I’ve never been more attracted to a man than I am to you, and no amount of cybernetic enhancements or battle scars are going to change that”, you told him, moving your face closer as you spoke your next words, “I could never look at you and be disgusted, because you’re still the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.”

He regarded you for a moment before quirking the corners of his mouth up into a small smile and nodding.

“Okay”, he said, still sounding a bit hesitant, but his hands dropped, allowing you to move yours to do as they pleased, and you gave him a quick kiss before getting back to your previous task.

You ran your hands down along his sides until you once again found the juncture and slipped your fingers under the clothing, before then running your hands back up the same path, taking the fabric with you and slowly exposing more of your lover to you. You tossed his top in the same direction he’d discarded yours and sat up to take him in.

He was certainly leaner than you remembered, but you’d expected as much. What you hadn’t expected were the exquisitely defined muscles that seemed to decorate every exposed portion of skin, more defined than the ones from your memory. Sure, you knew he was muscular from what you could see and feel through his blacks, but somehow seeing it fully, with no pesky barrier in between flesh and eyes, was something entirely different, and the sight caused a stirring at your center.

You then noticed the circular scars scattered along his torso, of which you were sure there were more of, you just couldn’t see them from this position, and while it hurt your heart to know they were the scars left by a great deal of suffering, you couldn’t let that cloud your thoughts right now, you had a job to do, and that was to make your man feel desired. So, you stopped your gawking and set to it.

You gave him a sultry smile as you lifted his chin with your index finger, bringing your head down next to his so that your lips were at his ear. “Beautiful”, you whispered. You then brought your lips down to meet his delicate skin, leaving featherlight kisses as you moved your way down his neck to the expanse of his chest. On a whim, you stopped to run your tongue along one of his nipples. You hadn’t expected any real reaction, other than maybe mild surprise, so when the action earned you a low moan and a sudden cant of his hips, you were pleasantly surprised; this was certainly new. Deciding to take full advantage of this new discovery you repeated the action on the other, gaining a similar result. You did this a few more times, and it wasn’t until you started adding a few light nips to the mix that Echo spoke up, practically pleading with you to move on, as it was becoming a bit too much and he was worried you’d have him finishing right then and there, another nice surprise, and information you would keep stored in the back of your mind to use later as you decided to give in to his wishes and continue your journey down, applying a soft kiss to each scar you could see, making sure not to leave any one neglected.

You soon made it to where his waistband sat snug against his abdomen, pulling it down so it rested right above where you knew he needed you most. This also revealed the happy trail that you loved so much, and you ran the tip of our nose along it as you continued your descent. As you reached the waistband once again, you inserted your tongue between it and the skin beneath, and you could feel that he still had been keeping himself trimmed the way he knew you liked best. It was never something you had demanded, just something he’d tried once and noticed you liked; one of the many ways he showed just how attentive of a partner he was.

You withdrew your tongue and hooked your fingers into the band, about to move it the rest of the way down, before Echo stopped you again.

“Wait, cyare, please”, he said, his breathing now heavy, and you stopped to look up at him. “If you keep going, I’m not gonna last.”

You smiled a devilish grin. “And that’s a problem because…”, you asked, beginning to tug at the material again, but his hand caught one of your wrists as he sat up.

“Because I don’t just wanna get off, I want us to be together, and when I do reach my release, I want it to be after I’ve been inside you”, he explained, his words causing an involuntary shiver to run up your spine, but you tried to keep yourself as composed as you could.

“We will Love, don’t worry. I have every intention of making love to you tonight”, you assured him. “First I take you with my mouth, then you can take me however you like.”

You could tell the effect your words had on him by the way his cock twitched beneath his blacks.

“You… you think we’ll have time”, he asked, seemingly considering your idea.

You grinned again. “The way I see it”, you began to say, stopping mid-sentence to run your tongue along his strained length through the thin fabric, hearing him inhale sharply, “we have all night.”

He thought about this for a moment, never taking his eyes from your face, before finally nodding his agreement. You nodded back and placed a hand to his chest, pushing against it lightly.

“Now, just lay back, and let me take care of you.”

He smiled and let out a low hum.

“Yes Ma’am”, he said before doing just that.

He made sure to prop himself up with a few pillows so that he could still get a good view of you from his laying position without straining himself, and once he was comfortable you picked up where you left off, hooking your fingers around the band and pulling it down until you’d removed the article of clothing entirely.

With the final barrier gone, you could see that he hadn’t been exaggerating when he told you he had much taken from him, and while this saddened you, you couldn’t help but feel a bit grateful, because the reality of it was that it could’ve been worse, so much worse, he could be dead, but he wasn’t, he was here, with you, he was safe, and you wanted to show him that none of these physical changes mattered, that he was still just as wanted as he was before.

You placed your hands at his knees, easing them apart so you could kneel comfortably between them. You then ran them up along his legs until your fingers grazed a few inches above his knees where cybernetic limb turned to flesh, bending down to place soft kisses along the joint areas, as well as, to each circular scar you found on his thighs. The higher you went, the more he began to fidget, shifting ever so slightly as his anticipation rose, but right when you were about to reach your destination, you veered off, your lips trailing to his right hip. Once there, you bit down, not nearly hard enough to break skin, but not soft enough to be considered playful. You heard him hiss and looked to his tensed expression.

“Too much”, you asked, worried you might’ve overstepped an invisible boundary, but he quickly shook his head.

“No, just wasn’t expecting it, I actually kinda liked it”, he said, his confession prompting a wicked grin to take form over your lips.

“Well, in that case…”

You moved your head to his other hip and repeated the action, this time applying just a tad more pressure to it, smiling into the bite as you heard another hiss, this one turning into a delicious groan. You did this a couple more times until he couldn’t take the teasing any longer.

“Please cyare, I can’t take any more, please”, he begged. You decided to relent and give him what he’d been so patiently waiting for.

You moved so your head was back to where your mouth was desired, propping yourself up on your forearm and arching your back so that you were now chest down, ass up, in an attempt to put your posterior on as much display as this position would grant you, and when you looked back up, you noticed Echo shifting his eyes from your face to your ass and back again, trying to decide where he wanted to focus them. The decision became all too easy as you took his length in your other hand and proceeded to run your tongue along its entirety, starting from the base of his shaft all the way to the tip, circling it with your wet appendage before slowly taking him into your mouth, his eyes trailing your actions as more moans escaped his lips. You took as much of him as you could, using your hand to reach what your mouth couldn’t, and you began to move, bobbing your head as your hand followed, your eyes falling shut in the process. Your rhythm was slow at first, allowing both of you to relish in one of the many sensations you’d each been deprived of for far too long. However, you could sense your lover’s impending release from the way he twitched against your tongue, all your teasing had clearly spurred him further than you’d thought, so you sped up your pace, wanting to give him the relief his orgasm would surely bring. Soon after this change in rhythm you felt a hand on the back of your head, prompting you to open your eyes and return your gaze to his.

“I… I’m so close. (Y/N), Love, can I…”, he began to ask, breathing heavy and expression strained as he tried to hold back.

You didn’t let him finish the question, cutting him off by removing your hand and easing him further into your mouth, starting a low hum as he hit the back of your throat, using this as a way to stave off your gag reflex, while also providing pleasurable vibrations. His head flew back as a breathy, “Fuck”, fell from his lips. His fingers laced through your hair, soon taking hold, lightly pulling at the strands as he kept you in place, before slightly bucking his hips and letting go. You watched him throughout his release, seeing him visibly relax as his seed ran down your throat. Once he’d given you all he had to offer his grip on your hair loosened and you slowly pulled your mouth from him, swallowing the last remnants of his release, and licking your lips when his eyes once again rested on your face.

He grinned and moved his hand from your head, using it to take your chin in his fingers and gently pull you toward him, sitting up and leaning down to meet you halfway, bringing you into a deep, slow kiss, during which he lifted you and proceeded to switch your positions, carefully laying you on your back so he was now hovering over you. He then broke the kiss to bring his lips right next to your ear.

“My turn”, he said, his voice low, and now holding a slight rasp, the sound causing a spark of pure desire to run through you and rest at your core.

He then returned to your lips, giving you a kiss much like the one prior, but this time taking your bottom lip between his teeth and lightly dragging it between them as he pulled away. He then lifted your chin with his finger before dipping his head down to leave soft, yet eager, open-mouthed kisses to the exposed skin of your neck. After he’d covered practically the entire area, he began moving downward, worshiping every inch of you with his lips. As he passed your hips, he decided to give them the same treatment you’d given his, pulling your shorts down your legs and discarding them before doing so. You were left a mess of moans and whimpers as he teased you with his teeth. Once he felt he’d riled you up just enough, he continued trailing kisses downward, reaching your thighs and returning to his assault of nips and soft bites. You soon became impatient and whimpered his name out of frustration, this spurring a mischievous chuckle from the man.

“Turn around is fair play Cyar’ika”, he said before applying a rougher bite to your now sensitive flesh. You gasped as the action caused a new spark of arousal to shoot through you, and you began to beg, too heated to care how pathetic it sounded, not that Echo minded in the slightest. He let out another low chuckle before releasing you and placing a soft kiss to the freshly bitten skin. “But I can’t say no to you, especially when you beg me like that.”

He hooked his fingers around the band of your panties, removing them with little hesitation, grabbing the back of your calves and easing them up until your knees were at your chest, then sliding his hands under your knees to push them closer to your shoulders, holding them there, exposing you to him completely. He sat there a minute just taking you in.

“Damn, I missed this view”, he said, shifting his hold and throwing your legs over his shoulders, before diving in with a renewed eagerness.

He licked a long, languid strip from your entrance to your clitoris, stopping there to circle the bundle of nerves lazily, thoroughly enjoying the sounds the erupted from deep within you. That had always been something he looked forward to; your loud moans and incoherent whispers spurring him on and encouraging him to devour you further to see what other exquisite sounds he could pull from your lips. This time was no different, and when you began to softly mutter words he couldn’t quite make out, he moved back to your entrance, teasing the edges with the tip of his tongue before fully inserting it into your heat and moving it about freely, trying to reach as much as he could. He continued his exploration for a few more minutes before you began to beg again.

“Please, I need… ah… I need to…”, you tried to speak, your words getting lost and swallowed up by your continued moans and gasping breaths, but he knew what you were asking for, more than willing to give you what you needed.

He pulled away just enough for his tongue to leave you, but it wasn’t long before it was on you again, back to your clitoris, and he returned to his previous circular motions, quickly picking up the pace as he encased the bud with his lips, before adding a gentle suction.

A few seconds of this had you shaking uncontrollably and sent you hurtling over the edge. As your orgasm hit you, you had to cover your mouth with your hand to keep from being heard outside the confines of the ship, as an unexpected scream ripped itself from your throat. You continued to spasm and shudder as he worked you through your release, slowing his movements so as not to overstimulate you too much, pulling away only when he felt you beginning to relax.

Echo rose and sat back on his calves, looking down to admire his work, smiling as he took in your form; chest heaving, legs still slightly trembling, your flushed face looking utterly blissed out, your eyes closed as you tried to calm your senses. He wiped his mouth and chin with the back of his hand, cleaning the mess you’d made of him, before moving to lay beside you.

“Stars above, I forgot how good you were at that”, you said through a breathy chuckle, opening your eyes and turning your head to look Echo in the eye.

His smile widened, pride clear in his expression, as his hand came to rest on your warm cheek.

“Glad I could remind you”, he said, sliding himself closer until his body was right up against yours, his thumb beginning to rub the soft skin beneath it, “and now that we’re together again, I’m not going to let you forget.” His smile turned mischievous with that last statement, and it prompted you to offer one of your own.

“Is that a promise?”

You saw something flicker in his eyes at your question, and you were pulled into a searing kiss, his tongue intruding your mouth instantly, allowing you to taste yourself on him. You immediately melted into the kiss, letting a soft moan leave your throat and enter him through your connection, to which he responded in kind before pulling away slightly to speak.

“Damn right it is”, he answered, his lips brushing yours with every word.

You grinned and wrapped a leg around his hip, using it to pull him even closer, as your hand snaked around to the back of his neck.

“Well then, I look forward to your reminders”, you said, your hand moving up behind his head, nails lightly scraping the skin there. This caused him to let out a contented hum before he then pulled you into another kiss.

As your mouths continued to move in sync, your hands began to wander once again, both of you blindly mapping out the other’s body. This continued until Echo’s hand reached your rear, taking hold and squeezing at your flesh, before then using this hold to pull your hips closer, rutting them against his own, the action allowing you to take notice of his newly hardened length, and you decided it was time to make good on your word.

You shifted so that you could push yourself up with your free arm, as your opposite hand moved back to the nape of his neck to keep him connected throughout your position change, only easing your grip once you were above him, legs straddling his lower torso. You pulled away slowly, hovering over him as you spoke.

“That for me”, you asked playfully, slightly rolling your hips to indicate your meaning.

“Always is”, he replied in the same tone. “I take it you don’t need a break?”

In response you rolled your hips again, this time with more purpose, and effectively worked your womanhood along his length, earning you a low moan that only egged you on, but he wasn’t about to let you tease him into begging for a second time that night. He soon pushed himself into a sitting position and grabbed your hips, his grip firm as he took control and ceased your movements.

“No more of that, cyare. I want you”, he said, looking up and meeting your eyes.

“Then take me”, you said softly, as if it were a plea.

With that, he lifted you by the hips, aligned himself with your entrance, and slowly lowered you onto his length, only stopping once he was fully sheathed within you, both of you letting out a sound that was a mixture of a moan and a sigh.

The stretch was exquisite, much better than anything your mind had conjured up all those times you’d tried to remember the feeling. You closed your eyes and leaned your head down, resting your forehead against his, taking a moment to savor the feeling, sear it into your memory, so you’d never forget it again.

“Are you alright, Love”, Echo asked, prompting you to open your eyes, seeing the hint of concern in his gaze once you did.

You let out a soft breathy laugh and nodded. “I’m fine. It’s just… I missed this.”

This seemed to reassure him because his expression relaxed, and he smiled warmly.

“We could always stay like this, if that’s what you want, we don’t have to…”, he began, but you quickly cut him off with a vigorous head shake.

“No, I want more, I want you”, you told him.

He only paused a moment before tightening his grip on your hips, that spark of lust back in his eyes. “Then you can have me”, and with that, he was moving.

Echo lifted you to where he had almost completely left your heat, before then pulling you back down and filling you once again, the action taking the breath from your lungs for a moment. You quickly recovered and were soon filled with a familiar ecstasy as he repeated this action over and over again, eventually finding a rhythm that suited the both of you. The display of sheer strength in this action surprised you, but it also acted to further your arousal and you began attempting to move your hips to meet his on each descent. Noticing this, Echo decided that a shift in position was needed, and in one quick motion he had you laying beneath him. Your legs wrapping around his waist as he continued to work your body by his hold on your hips, thrusting into you on each pull-back.

Your hands attempted to find purchase on something, anything, to keep you grounded as his movements began to send you into a state of euphoria, this new position giving him the perfect angle to hit that sweet spot within you. He’d always been good, but it was as if he’d found something locked within himself that he finally set free, and you couldn’t be more thrilled.

Echo noticed your struggle as you continued to look for something to keep you tethered, desperately grabbing at the blankets beneath you to no avail. He removed his hands from your hips, running them up along your body, along your arms, until he reached your hands, taking them in his own, intertwining your fingers, and giving them a reassuring squeeze. He then lowered himself until his body was flush with yours, his trusts becoming slower, gentler, as he did so.

“It’s okay cyare, I’m here, I’ve got you”, he reassured you softly, placing a gentle kiss to your lips, and after a few seconds, you were coherent enough to speak.

“I… I’m okay, please”, you lightly begged, knowing your release would come soon if he resumed his previous pace.

He nodded before building up his speed again, and soon enough, you were back on the precipice of your pleasure once more, teetering just on the edge, you just needed that little extra push to fall. You let out a whine, one that conveyed your need to your partner, one he knew well, and he moved his head from the space between your shoulder and neck, where it had been resting, to meet your gaze.

“I know you’re close, Love. I can feel it. What do you need”, he asked between breaths.

“Just, ah, just a little more”, you responded, not coherent enough to form anything better, but he didn’t need anything more than that to know what you needed, in tune with what your body craved and knowing just how to satiate it.

He raised himself up to his knees, releasing your hands, but making sure to stay close enough that you could grab hold of him if need be. He then took one of your legs, gently moving it to lay over his shoulder and holding it in place, his attempt to get an even better angle, and he continued his pace, soon bringing his left hand to rest atop your lower abdomen, using his thumb to rub quick circles over your clitoris.

The added sensation sent sparks shooting throughout your entire body and you felt the knot in your belly tighten further, until it finally snapped. You grabbed onto his closest forearm, holding on as you toppled over the edge, and all that could be heard throughout the small space around you was your lover’s name, playing off your lips on repeat, the sound, music to his ears.

Seeing you reach your climax, feeling you flutter around him, and hearing his name said in such a blissful tone, were all more than enough to bring him to his own high.

“I… I’m close… where”, he asked, a faint look of urgency in his eyes.

You took his left hand in yours, intertwining your fingers and bringing your joined hands to rest beside your head, effectively pulling him a bit closer, the slight strain in your leg not bothering you in the slightest. Your other hand came to rest on his cheek, and he took that opportunity to place a soft kiss to your palm, still finding it in him to perform these little acts of sweetness, even in his current state.

“Inside”, you told him, eyes fixed on his.

“You sure”, he asked.

You nodded. “It’s okay, I’m protected, just let go, Love”, you reassured him, that being all he needed to continue, and after a few more deep thrusts he finally allowed himself the release he’d been chasing.

As soon as his orgasm hit, he let his head fall to the curve between your neck and shoulder once more, a groan leaving his lips, followed by a plethora of sweet nothings and words of praise, which were spoken breathily in your ear. You wrapped your arms around him when an involuntary shutter from an aftershock ran through him. You kissed his temple as your hand traveled to cradle the back of his head, all the while comfortingly shushing him and repeating his earlier words of assurance back to him in soft whispers.

“It’s okay, I’ve got you.”

You stayed like this for another few moments before he slowly rose, pulling out in the process. He placed a soft kiss to your lips, then one to your calf, which you only then realized he was still holding, before gently bringing it down to rest back on the blankets and moving to lay beside you.

***Ok, it’s safe now 😊***

He pulled you to him and you shifted, laying your head on his chest as your fingers began their featherlight touches, drawing shapes into the skin beside where your head rested, an action that earned you a contented hum from the man beneath you. You smiled, feeling that you had accomplished what you set out to do; he was content, you both were, but more than that, he felt wanted, loved.

You lay like that for a few minutes before Echo began absentmindedly playing with your hair, all the while trying to think of how to phrase the question now bouncing around in his head.

“So… protected, huh, when did that happen?”

You let out a quiet laugh and looked up to meet his gaze.

“About a month after you came back. I knew it would most likely take a while before we became physical again, but I figured it was better to play it safe, especially since our last form of contraceptive wasn’t as effective as we thought”, you explained, and when you saw his eyebrow raise questioningly, you continued, already knowing what he was thinking, “and while I love our daughter with every fiber of my being, I don’t think she needs a little brother or sister just yet.”

His face relaxed as he let out a light chuckle.

“Yeah, probably wouldn’t be wise to intentionally bring a child into the world right now, not with the galaxy changing like it is, wouldn’t be safe, hell, I worry every day that it isn’t safe for Lena…”, he said, looking away from you in thought before you moved your hand to the side of his face, pulling his eyes back to yours.

“We’ll make it safe, we’re her parents, it’s our job to protect her, and that’s what we’re going to do”, you told him, the confidence in your tone enough to make evident your conviction. He took your hand from his face, holding it firmly.

“Then that’s what we’ll do. Her safety will be why we push forward, that, and the promise of what’s to come once we’ve won this fight”, he said, bringing your hand to his lips and leaving a gentle kiss on your knuckles.

You couldn’t help but smile, images of this promised future flashing behind your eyes.

“Raising a family in a place of our own, somewhere quiet, peaceful, in a galaxy no longer under the thumb of the Empire. Now that sounds like a future worth fighting for”, you said.

“Yes, it does”, he said with a smile, kissing your forehead.

You laid your head back down and closed your eyes, envisioning all the things that could be, all the things that were possible again, as you continued to savor this private moment, staying like that for a long while before Echo broke the silence.

“(Y/N)”, he said in a tone that told you another question was coming.

You hummed in response, staying in the same comfortable position, not even opening your eyes.

“When this is over, and our family is safe, I want to be yours, and for you to be mine”, he said, tone low, but unwavering.

You turned your head to look up at him, confused.

“I thought we already were”, you replied with a soft chuckle.

He took his hand from yours, using it now to cup your cheek.

“We are, but I’d like to make it official, when we can”, he clarified.

You pondered his words a moment, it only taking you a few seconds to realize what he was saying.

“Echo, are you saying what I think your saying?”

He smiled, this one slightly bigger than the last, and slowly sat up, moving you along with him until he was sitting upright with you seated on his lap, facing him. He then took both your hands in his, meeting your eyes with a soft gaze.

“(Y/N) (L/N), will you marry me?”

Even though you’d been expecting them, the words sent the feeling of butterflies to your chest, and you couldn’t help giving in to the bright smile that pulled at your lips.

“Do you even have to ask”, you said playfully.

He shrugged. “It’s the rule, besides, I’ve always been one for tradition”, he said, smile widening. “So…?”

You laughed. “Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”

As soon as the sentence left your lips, he had you wrapped in his arms, kissing you deeply, and the thought crossed your mind that you could stay like this forever, that is, until you heard the pounding of a fist knocking on the ship’s hatch, which had you both turning to look in its direction.

“Don’t worry, it’s just me”, came Hunter’s voice from the other side. You both sighed and looked to one another.

“So much for having all night”, Echo said, his tone light, but still holding a hint of annoyance. You merely shrugged as you rose to your feet, quickly finding your clothes.

“Just a sec” you shouted.

Once you were dressed you made your way to the ship’s front, leaving Echo to clothe himself as well. You hit the button to open the hatch, putting on a smile as it hit the ground, revealing the sergeant, who’s face was already set with a knowing look.

“Sorry to interrupt, but your daughter is asking for you, I think she had a nightmare. I tried to help, but she insisted I get one of you”, he said, seeming a bit hurt by this admission. You noticed this and walked down the short ramp, stopping before him to lay a hand on his shoulder, your smile comforting.

“Don’t take it personally, while there are a lot of things Lena would allow her uncles to help her with, nightmares aren’t usually one of them, those tend to need a mommy/daddy fix”, you explained.

He let out a small huff of laughter. “Ah, I see, well then, I won’t take it too much to heart.”

“Hey, she loves you guys just as much as she did all her other uncles before, trust me”, you told him reassuringly.

He laughed again, this time a bit louder. “If you say so”, he said, his feigned disbelief making you punch his arm playfully.

“I’m serious.”

“I know”, he said, his laughter dying down, “and I hope you know that we feel the same.”

You nodded. “I do”, you said, both of you exchanging kind smiles.

“Hey, what’s going on, everything alright”, you heard Echo ask as he descended the ramp, coming to stand beside you, noticing he’d opted for a fresh set of blacks.

“Yeah, Lena just had a nightmare, I’m going to go check on her, I’ll be back in a bit”, you told him.

“No, it’s okay, I’ve got this one, you go back inside and rest”, he said.

“You sure?”

“I’m sure, you got the last one, and several others before that. It’s time I pull my weight in the parenting department, I’ve got a lot of catching up to do”, he explained.

“Alright, she’s all yours then”, you said, raising your hands in mock defeat.

He chuckled before giving you a quick peck on the cheek and walking to where the tents were pitched, nodding his thanks to Hunter as he passed.

“Thanks, for looking after her, it’s nice to know we’re not in this alone”, you said, looking gratefully to the long-haired man.

“Of course, what are good uncles for”, he said, his rhetorical question coaxing a wide smile from you before you turned to re-enter the ship. “Oh, and congratulations.” His words stopped you and you turned back; expression confused. “On your engagement, I mean”, he clarified.

Your eyes went wide for a moment. “You, you heard that?”

Hunter grinned. “I did, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but it’s a little difficult not to when you can hear as well as I can”, he said.

You chuckled and shook your head. “Yeah, I guess so… what, uh, what else did you hear”, you asked nervously.

His grin widened before he replied. “Only what you want me to have heard”, he said, only to continue once he saw the look of shock and embarrassment on your face. “Don’t worry, no one else heard a thing, they were all still out, I just happen to be a light sleeper.”

You sighed, inwardly chastising yourself for not being more careful.

“I’m sorry, we didn’t mean to…”, you began, but he raised a hand, stopping you.

“No worries, I’m just glad you two are happy, not everyone could make a relationship like this work, especially with all that’s happened, but you are. It’s a good thing, for all of you”, he said.

You nodded, considering his words. “Your right, and even though things will never be the way they were, that doesn’t mean they can’t be better.”

He smiled. “I like your optimism.”

You returned his smile. “Thanks.”

You stood in a comfortable silence for a few seconds before saying your goodnights, re-entering the ship, and making your way to the vessel’s small fresher to clean up a bit.

***

When Echo entered the girls’ tent, he found Omega comforting a teary-eyed Lena, who, upon seeing him, immediately left the girl’s embrace and hurried to her father, wrapping her short arms around his legs, as fresh tears began to flow. Echo quickly scooped her up before moving fully into the tent and taking a seat on the floor. He shifted his daughter until she was seated comfortably on his lap, holding her close and making light shushing sounds in an effort to calm her.

“Hey, what’s with all the tears”, he asked her softly.

“She had a bad dream, I tried to talk to her about it, but she doesn’t seem to want to”, Omega told him, coming to sit beside them.

Echo looked down at Lena’s crying face. “Bad dream, huh, what was the dream about Lena”, he asked, a teary gaze and little sniffles being the only response he received. “Come on, you can tell me, what is it?”

She continued to stare at him for a few more seconds before finally finding her voice.

“They… took… you… and… mommy”, she said through quick inhales.

“Who did”, he asked.

“The bad… people”, she replied.

“Oh, Sweetheart, no one is going to take us away. I won’t let them, your mom and I are going to stay right here with you, okay?” Echo tried to sound as confident in his assurance as possible; he knew he couldn’t promise everyone’s absolute safety in these uncertain times, but he also didn’t want his daughter to worry.

“But… they took… Uncle Cross… what if… they come back… and take you too”, she asked, new tears beginning to form and silently run down her cheeks.

Echo’s eyes went wide for a second at the mention of their wayward brother, clearly his absence had been weighing on Lena’s mind more than any of them had realized. Echo chose his next words carefully.

“Lena, your uncle wasn’t taken, he… he chose to stay”, he said, his eyes holding a hidden sadness, one that didn’t go unnoticed by the older of the two girls; Lena, however, was confused.

“Why”, she asked.

Before Echo could think of an explanation that would make sense to her, while also sparing her too many hurtful details, Omega cut in.

“Crosshair isn’t really feeling like himself right now”, she explained. “Do you remember those chips your Uncle Rex was talking about?”

Lena nodded. “The ones that make your brain sick”, she answered.

“Yes, those, well, Crosshair still has his, which means…”

“Which means he can’t be with us, not until we can help him, that is”, Echo interjected.

“We going to fix Uncle Cross sick brain, like Uncle Rex fix yours”, Lena asked, her small hand moving to lightly brush the thin scar on the side of her father’s head, her gentle touch making him smile.

“We’re certainly going to try”, he said. His response seemed to comfort her a bit; the possibility of her uncle being able to return to them giving her a sense of hope.

“Okay”, she replied simply, her breathing normalizing as her sobs were reduced to small sniffles.

Echo hated seeing his little girl so upset, especially when he felt there wasn’t much he could do to fix the cause of it, but as he sat there, looking at his daughter’s tear-stained cheeks and rubbing her back in comforting circles, he had an idea.

“Hey, I think I know something that might make you feel better”, he said. Lena looked up at him with a curious gaze. “What if I told you a daddy story to help you fall asleep?”

Lena perked up at this, hastily wiping the remaining tears from her face with her hands.

“Daddy story”, she asked.

Echo nodded. “But you have to be tucked in before I can tell it”, he told her, which had the child scrambling out of his lap and hurrying to get under the blanket. Echo chuckled at her enthusiasm. “Okay, which one would you like to hear?”

“Umm, a new one”, Lena said.

“A new one, huh? Alright, let’s see…” He thought for a moment, trying to think of a story neither you nor his brothers would have told her, not having much luck; there was no way he was going to tell her one of the war stories he and his brothers used to share with other battalions, those he’d save for when she was much older. His mind then strayed to what it so often did; you. “Lena, has Mommy ever told you the story of how her and I met?”

Lena shook her head. “No, Mommy doesn’t tell daddy stories”, she stated.

Echo’s face dropped a bit, then his expression turned to one of confusion.

“She doesn’t, why not?”

Lena shrugged. “Daddy stories make Mommy sad, Uncle Rex said mommy miss you too much”, she explained.

Omega saw the hurt and guilt that flashed behind Echo’s eyes and attempted to lighten the mood with the optimistic attitude that came so naturally to her.

“Well, I’m sure she’s not sad now that you all are together again, and I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if he told us the story”, she said, then directing her attention to Echo, who gave her a smile, grateful for her positivity. “Besides, I’ve never heard a real-life love story before.”

He chuckled at her statement. “Not sure if this constitutes as a love story per-say, I think I actually kind of annoyed (Y/N) at first, not that I blame her, I didn’t give the best first impression.”

“What happened”, Omega asked, more curious now.

“Well, I first met Lena’s mother when I came across her in her workstation; we’d just gotten back from a two week long mission and I was asked to drop off the new list of needed repairs to one of the 501st mechanics. I didn’t think any would still be around given it was at least half an hour after their workday ended, so I was surprised when I actually saw someone in one of the hangar workstations. I tried getting her attention as I walked up to her, but I don’t think she noticed, so I decided to tap her on the shoulder, but before I could she turned around and we ended up quite literally bumping into each other…”

***

You had finished tidying yourself up in the Marauder’s fresher and were about to go back to your makeshift bed of blankets, snuggle up, and wait for Echo to return. However, you changed your mind halfway through that plan, instead, changing into more appropriate attire and making your way to the girls’ shared tent.

As you approached, you heard Echo speaking to the girls, his voice so low you weren’t able to hear what he was saying until you were practically right outside the tent.

“… I was surprised when I actually saw someone in one of the hangar workstations. I tried getting her attention as I walked up to her, but I don’t think she noticed, so I decided to tap her on the shoulder, but before I could she turned around and…”

He was telling them how you two met, you realized, the memory of that day coming to the forefront of your mind as he continued on; the events playing out in your mind as if you were watching a holomovie.

You were exhausted after working all day, ready to go home, shower, and flop into bed. You had stayed past your hours in order to complete the last few repairs on the starfighter currently occupying your station, a project you’d been working on for over a week; you were glad to finally be finishing it.

You were so wrapped up in your own thoughts that you didn’t hear the footsteps approaching you from behind, grabbing the bucket half full of old oil and quickly turning to make your way to the waste station. A loud gasp exited you as you immediately came in contact with something solid, the collision causing a decent amount of the bucket’s contents to splash up and onto your front, effectively coating the portion of your jumpsuit covering your upper torso. It took you a second to collect your scattered thoughts, but when you did you noticed the mess all along your front, and that the solid obstacle in your path was a person.

“Oh, oh no, I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to… I shouldn’t have… I’m so sorry”, the man before you sputtered. Unfortunately for him, you had, had too long of a day for something like this.

“What… the hell. What were you doing sneaking up on me like that, what’s wrong with you”, you shouted, unloading your frustration on this complete stranger.

“I didn’t mean to sneak up on you, I tried calling out beforehand but you didn’t hear me and so I thought…”

“So, you thought you’d what, invade my personal space and scare the living shit out of me, well good job because that’s exactly what you did.” You were practically spitting your words now as you let your tiredness morph into anger, which you then directed toward him. You brushed past him and dumped the rest of what was in the bucket into the specified waste bin. You then turned back, about to lay into him one last time before storming off, but the words died in your throat as you took in his expression; he looked lost, like he wasn’t sure how he should proceed in this situation, but more than that, he looked incredibly remorseful. Your emotions did a full one eighty and what was once pure frustration fueled anger turned into sympathy and regret; you inwardly chastised yourself for causing such distress to someone who was only trying to apologize. You had to fix this.

“Hey, look, I’m sorry, it’s just been a really, really, long day, and I’m tired and agitated and, well, I shouldn’t be taking it out on you, sorry”, you said, your tone much softer than before.

He looked stunned at first, but his expression quickly shifted back to one of remorse.

“No, it was my fault, you were right, I snuck up on you, even if it was unintentional I still did it, and I’m sorry”, he countered.

“No, I’m the one who should be sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that, you must think I’m a complete bitch, I’m not usually like that, I swear… could, could we maybe start over”, you asked, still feeling like a total ass, but hoping you could still get off on the right foot.

He smiled, and it surprised you just how warm and inviting it was.

“Yeah, I’d like that”, he said.

You nodded before extending your hand. “I’m (Y/N)”, you said, introducing yourself, to which he followed suit.

“Echo”, he told you, taking the hand you offered and shaking it firmly.

“Nice to meet you, so, what can I do for you, Echo”, you asked, eyeing the datapad in his other hand. “I take it more repairs are in order?”

Echo’s eyes widened and he shook his head slightly, as if coming out of some sort of trance.

“Oh, uh, yes, the list is in here”, he said, handing you the device. You turned it on and scrolled through the rather long list of repairs for each damaged vessel. “There are, quite a few.”

“I’ll say, and they all need more than just a new paint job”, you said, already feeling the strain all this work was going to put on you, but that was the job, and you’d become used to the never-ending workload by now. “Guess that’s what I get for signing up to be the mechanic for one of the largest units in the GAR”, you grumbled, placing the datapad on your worktable, then grabbing your wrench and returning to the open panel where you’d been working, “especially with someone like Skywalker in charge.”

He chuckled at your last comment. “Yeah, the general can be a bit…”

“Reckless”, you offered.

“That’s one way to put it”, he said, smiling as he watched you work, not realizing he was staring.

You felt his eyes on you as you tightened the last bolt, but it didn’t feel intrusive or pervy like it did when guys would watch you while you were out for drinks with your friends; he wasn’t necessarily ‘checking you out’, but rather, admiring you. Why he would look at someone sweaty and covered in oil like that was beyond you, but you didn’t hate the attention like you thought you would.

After securing that last bolt, you closed the panel and tossed your wrench back in your toolbox, removing your gloves and turning back to face him.

“Well, thank you, for dropping off the list, I appreciate it”, you said.

“No problem, and next time I’ll make sure to keep a safe distance before getting your attention”, he said with a playful grin.

You laughed. “Probably a smart decision.”

Your shared laughter died down after a while, the silence that followed growing heavy as you tried to find an exit that wouldn’t come off as awkward, but before you could come up with something, you noticed the shift in his expression, he was smiling again.

“Oh, you uh, you’ve got something…”, he said, gesturing to the side of his face with his index finger, indicating you had something on your face. You quickly wiped the spot he’d pointed out with your fingers, only to smear the small oil spot, causing a slightly bigger mess, which made him chuckle.

“No, here, let me…”, he said before stepping closer and rubbing the smudge of oil from your cheek with his thumb, pausing for just a moment right before his gloved finger left your skin, then clearing his throat. “There, it’s gone now.”

“Thanks.” Your voice was a little weaker than before and you could feel heat rising to your face, which you hoped wasn’t noticeable.

“Hey, Echo, what’s taking so long, I’ve been waiting for you for over fifteen minutes”, came a voice from a few yards away, causing both of you to look in its direction. You saw another trooper approaching, this one slightly different from his brother before you; similar haircut, but this man sported some neatly trimmed facial hair and had a tattoo on his temple which you couldn’t quite make out from this distance. Once he noticed you standing there, he stopped in his tracks. “Oh, that’s what’s keeping you, look I get it, but flirt on your own time, we have places to be, the guys are already at 79’s and I want to get there before we’re dubbed the ones responsible for making sure their drunk asses get back to the barracks at the end of the night, you know I hate when they pull that crap”, he said.

Echo sighed. “Yeah, alright, I’ll be right there”, he told his impatient brother before turning his attention back to you.

“I think you’re needed elsewhere”, you said with a half grin.

He huffed a laugh. “It would appear so”, he agreed.

“So, I guess I’ll see you around”, you inquired after another short moment of silence.

He nodded shyly. “See you around”, he said, then turning to join his fellow trooper, but he stopped halfway and turned back to face your direction. “Oh, and by the way… I don’t think you’re a bitch, far from it actually.”

“Good to know”, you replied.

You both waved a final farewell, and he jogged the rest of the way, catching up with his brother and not so subtly chastising him for his interruption.

“What the hell Fives.”

“What”, came Fives’ befuddled reply.

You laughed to yourself as you made your way back to your work area, tidying it up a bit before heading to your apartment, a hot shower and your soft bed calling your name. You weren’t able to keep the small smile from your face as you readied yourself for bed that night. It really had been quite the day.

You smiled wide at the memory of your first encounter with the man you now called yours; never would you have thought that, that chance encounter could lead to something as wonderful as what you had sitting in that tent; a family that you loved more than life itself.

You listened to him tell the two, very invested, girls of your encounter. You loved hearing their shared laughter and quiet giggles as he got to certain points in the story.

“So, you asked her out soon after that right”, you heard Omega ask, and you took note of the awkward pause that followed.

“Well…”, Echo began.

“Not exactly”, you interjected as you opened the tent flap and made your way in, smiling at the two bright eyed children. They sat up as you sat by Lena’s feet.

“What do you mean”, Omega asked.

“Well, we did see each other soon after that, but we didn’t start dating until much later”, you explained.

“How much later?”

You hummed in thought. “I’d say, almost a year, ten months at the least”, you told her.

“What, why, obviously you two liked each other already, why did you wait”, Omega questioned, and you shrugged.

“He was shy, and I was stubborn.”

“I had convinced myself that you didn’t see me as anything more than a friend, it wasn’t until Fives convinced me to ask you out regardless that I realized I’d been wrong”, Echo said, looking to you.

“Uncle Fives”, Lena asked.

Echo turned his gaze to hers and nodded. “Yep, he said, ‘If you don’t snatch her up, someone else will, and then you’ll really be kicking yourself’. I wasn’t crazy about how he’d phrased it, but he did have a point, and so I decided to take his advice, and I asked her out later that day.”

“I didn’t know all that” you said, surprised that neither of them had told you of Fives’ intervention; you had more to thank that man for than you’d realized. This thought brought a small pang of sadness to your heart, but you pushed the feeling aside for the time being, not wanting to bring that emotion to what was, overall, a pleasant moment.

“Fives thought it better if I kept that to myself, he didn’t want you thinking he had to force me to do something that, in reality, I’d been wanting to do since the day I met you”, Echo said, gently taking your hand in his, your joined hands resting in the space between you, eyes not moving from one another’s for a long moment.

Lena and Omega watched you both with wide smiles before collectively letting out a long “Awwwwww”.

You rolled your eyes and turned to them.

“Okay, you two, bedtime, for real this time”, you said, putting on your best parent voice, not that it stopped the giggles that followed, but it did coax the girls to snuggle back under their blanket and rest their heads back on their pillows.

Echo leaned over, planting a kiss on Lena’s forehead.

“Goodnight, Sweetheart, no more bad dreams okay?”

Lena nodded. “Okay Daddy”, she responded.

He then placed his hand atop Omega’s head before gently moving her bangs away from her eyes and wishing her a goodnight as well, her responding in kind.

As Echo went to the tent’s entrance, you said your goodnights, giving Lena your own bedtime kiss.

“Goodnight, Baby.”

“Goodnight, Mommy.”

You turned to Omega, laying a hand on her cheek, wishing her a good sleep.

She smiled. “Goodnight, Mm… (Y/N)”, she said, catching herself and looking away from your gaze out of embarrassment. While the slip-up did take you by surprise, you didn’t let it hinder your actions and you bent down to kiss the girl’s forehead.

“Goodnight, Sweetie”, you whispered, filling the sentiment with all the love a mother could give. You then moved to join Echo, who had been waiting for you. You whispered a soft, “Sweet dreams girls”, leaving the two in good spirits as you exited the tent.

The walk back to the Marauder was slow, leisurely, as you enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere the nights on this planet brought.

“Why do I get the feeling we’ve acquired a second daughter”, Echo asked as you walked hand-in-hand.

“I mean, she’s a good kid, we could do worse”, you said playfully. “Besides, I think we’re getting the hang of this parenting thing.”

Echo chuckled. “Yeah, we’re doing alright.”

Your quiet laughter blended with the sounds of the night that sang around you, and you sighed as you took in the sky above, a canvas of shimmering stars that mapped out the galaxy beyond.

“It’s so beautiful here. You know, with everything going on and what feels like an endless war, it’s hard to stop and appreciate the beauty the galaxy has to offer”, you said, dreamily, still staring up at the sky. You then felt Echo move in front of you, which prompted you to stop walking and focus your gaze before you, finding him already looking at you, as if taking in every one of your features. “What are you doing”, you asked.

“Appreciating the beauty”, he responded.

You rolled your eyes. “You are so cheesy”, you said, playfully swatting his shoulder.

“What, is it my fault I have the most gorgeous fiancé in the galaxy?”

Your heart skipped a beat at the use of your new title.

“Fiancé, huh?”

He hummed in confirmation. “You didn’t forget we’re engaged, already, did you”, he asked.

“Of course not, but you know what this means…”, you said, wrapping your arms around his neck and moving your face inches from his own. “You’re going be stuck with me, for life.” Your tone mocking seriousness.

“You mean I’m going to be happy for the rest of my life, how will I cope”, he asked in the same tone.

You smiled and pulled him in for a long, slow kiss, one that had you lost in seconds, and in that moment, you swore you were the happiest you’d ever been. Empire be damned, you had everything you ever wanted right here, and you dared anyone to try and take them from you, because you weren’t letting go.

“I’m glad it was you who walked into my workstation that day”, you said, all joking leaving your voice as you looked into his eyes.

Echo took your face in his hands, rubbing your cheeks with his thumbs.

“Me too”, he said, resting his forehead against yours, both of you closing your eyes. “I love you”, he whispered.

You smiled and spoke the phrase that had become the mantra of your relationship.

“I will always love you.”

“Always”, he asked, not because he was unsure, but simply for the comfort your confirmation would bring.

You kissed him softly before pulling back just enough to meet his gaze. With a tone heavy of your conviction, and a look that held the promise of forever, you answered, “Always”.

Clone boys taglist: @clonewifey49 / @dreamingofclones / @justanothersadperson93

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