#Hunter fluff

[childlikegoblinqueen]

Commission by the amazing @astrolavas !!!!

Hunter and Gus taking Raine to a Weird Al show. Tickets? Check. Hawaiian Shirts? Check.

Raine has NO CLUE what they are in for.

One Shot Fan Fic below.

My MySpace Page is all totally pimped out! Got people begging for my top 8 spaces!

[cc--2224]

older hunter x reader pregnant in pabu

Next Steps

Pairing: Hunter x F! Reader

Summary: Following the events on Mount Tantiss, Hunter and the rest of the Bad Batch are finally able to relax and enjoy the time they have, you and Hunter decide that means planning next steps together.

Warnings: All fluff, slight anxiety mentions, obviously pregnancy mentions as that was the request, maybe slight S3 Finale spoilers?

Word Count: 1.3k

Notes: Thank you so much for sending a request, anon!! I really hope you enjoy it!! As a reminder, my requests are going to be open for a bit so send me some if you'd like! :)

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

Masterlist

Ever since they had landed on Pabu for the last time, they had all finally begun to relax, to plant roots, to get to know the villagers. Even Crosshair had seemed more open to socializing with the locals, to learning their trades.

Hunter had always had trepidations about getting too comfortable. 

Back when you had first met, a few years ago now, he expressed that he wanted to get adjusted, to finally sit down and relax but he always felt as if he was looking over his shoulder.

When the island had been attacked by the Empire, you understood what he meant. But everyone was still determined to keep each other, and their mercenary friends, safe.

Part of you feared that when they left to go get Omega back that it was the last time you would ever see them, whether that meant that they wouldn't put Pabu in danger and kept themselves away, or worse. You didn't want that, not only because you liked having them around, liked hearing their stories, sharing meals, but because you knew that you had developed feelings for Hunter in the short time you knew each other. 

You couldn't recall a time where you were more worried for someone's safety than you were after they had left Pabu to find Omega.

You wanted to protect him, to make him feel safe on the island, but you also knew that with everything they had experienced, that was easier said than done.

It only became more difficult once you began to fear you'd lose him for good.

So when they finally returned, you decided to throw caution to the wind. You didn't want anymore missed opportunities, he had to know how you felt about him.

You waited for them to leave the Imperial shuttle, and as soon as he emerged on the gangplank, you ran to him, wrapping your arms around him and crashing your lips into his.

He was rightfully surprised, but after the initial shock wore off, you felt his arms on your back, pulling you into him and feeling like they were going to crush you. He kissed back with desperation and relief washing over him.

When you finally broke apart, you held his face in your hands while his hands stayed firmly on your waist. You felt your eyes water, and you saw the same in him. 

"I'm home." He finally said. "And I'm never leaving you again."

It had been years since then, and true to his word, he never left you. He eventually moved his belongings into your house, and the two of you settled into the next stages of your domestic life together. You got to watch as your lives seemed to fall into place. The island changed around you, improvements, infrastructure, villagers’ families growing. Hunter began growing out his beard, no longer concerned about hating the feeling of facial hair against the helmet that he rarely ever put on. 

Things became simple, time slowed, your lives could finally begin.

You still remembered the conversation you had one afternoon, sitting on the front porch with him, watching Omega play with Lyana, Batcher, and the other three clone children. 

"Do you want one of our own?" He had asked, looking at you earnestly.

You raised an eyebrow, "Want one what?"

"A kid."

You smiled at him and glanced over to the kids playing.

"We have Omega," you reminded him and he chuckled.

"I know, and she'll always be our kid, but she's growing up. Won't be long until she starts living her own life." He looked down at his lap and you reached over to hold his hand, you knew how much the thought of Omega leaving upset him.

"I don't think she'd mind having a little brother or sister." He said when he looked back at you.

"No, I don't either." You drew him close and kissed him on his lips, showing him your agreement to his idea. 

— — —

"Hunter? Are you home?" You called out from the entryway to your house. You were met with silence and shrugged.

Must have gone out.

You had gone to the doctor that morning on Hunter's insistence. He had been hovering around you for a few weeks, as if he had been waiting for a shoe to drop. He didn't know what it was about you that was different, something in your scent, or a change in your pulse, something that he could sense but couldn't pinpoint the source.

You knew better than to argue with his keen senses, but you couldn't help but get a little annoyed with his overprotection.

The doctor had confirmed that you were pregnant, only a few weeks along, and you nearly cried at the news. You couldn't wait to tell Hunter, even if you knew he'd tell you he knew you should have gone to the doctor earlier. 

You decided to wait for him at home. You put on some tea and grabbed your datapad before sitting on the couch.

He finally walked through the door with some produce from the market, smiling at you when he saw you. He walked past you, but not before kissing the top of your head, and left the groceries in the kitchen.

"I went to the doctor's this morning." You did your best to keep your tone level, ambiguous.

It worked, seeing as how his cheerful demeanor had vanished completely when he poked his head out.

"...And?"

You stood up and looked at him. "Hunter, I–" your voice wavered, partially due to excitement, but partially due to nerves.

"I'm pregnant." 

His eyes widened as he looked into yours, then down to your stomach, then back up to your face. "You– What?"

Tears started forming in the corners of your eyes. "We're going to have a baby!"

He crossed the room before you could even register that he had moved. His arms circled your waist and you felt yourself being lifted off the ground and spun.

When he placed you back down, he pulled you to him and kissed you. Tears began rolling down your face as you laughed into the kiss. 

He looked at you and swept his thumbs across your cheeks, wiping away the tears even though his own nearly betrayed him.

You didn't hear the door open, but you heard Omega's voice ring out behind you.

"Is everything okay?"

You both looked at her, you smiled and nodded before opening your arm for her to join your hug. 

She did without hesitation.

"Omega," Hunter began. "Remember how I asked if you'd be alright if there was another kid running around?"

She looked at him and nodded, but then her eyes widened in realization and she looked at you, then Hunter, and then back to you.

"You're not–"

"I am." More tears fell as she wrapped her arms around you. 

"Congratulations!" Her smile widened as she looked at both of you. "I have to go tell Crosshair and Wrecker! They owe me ten credits each!"

She ran out the door before you could stop her and you looked at Hunter and shook your head.

"The whole island will know before long." You sighed.

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Are you ready?" You asked him cautiously.

He looked at you, thinking for a moment. "Honestly, I don't know. I mean, it's been a while since we've settled in here, but sometimes it still feels like the peace isn't going to last. I know that's just my own anxieties, but it's hard to shake the feeling, you know?"

You nodded and looked down. He put his arm around your shoulder and kissed your temple.

"But, we have each other through this. I won't let anything happen to you, or our kid. So I think I am. It helps knowing how much support they'll have when they get here. And how wonderful of a mother they're going to have." 

You leaned into his chest. "And father." 

You felt a laugh rumble from him. This was the next step for both of you, and it was a scary step to take, but despite Hunter's worries, you knew you were both ready to face this together. 

[replaytech]

bad batch hurt/comfort drabble cause i said so🤚🏻(pt 1)

hunter- probably the best at communication in the batch tbh. he may have not known what to do the first time you had gotten upset, but now he knows EXACTLY what to do. definitely the typa guy to hug you until you fall asleep(im sobbing)

he rubs your back gently and says into your ear, “tell me who did this, i’ll deal with the rest.” 😫

crosshair- he has a lot of trouble but you bet he tries his ABSOLUTE best. this man is HORRIFIED and internally panicking everytime you get upset bc he will ALWAYS think it was something he did.

is he a little awkward at first? yes. does he stand there with his arms at his sides when you hug him for the first 20 seconds? also yes. is he secretly trying to find out who had the audacity to hurt your feelings so he can deal with them immediately? absolutely.

you walk into the ship with puffy eyes and a tired look on your face, and the first person you’re met with is crosshair.

he looks at you for a few seconds before grabbing his favorite blaster, “tell me everything.”

[uriwoos2]

Boys with a crush! ·.✧₊˚ (xkrs) pt.2

xikers crush headcanons! ✿ maknae line edition. genre: fluff. warnings: none. word count: 3.3k requested: yes! hyung line ♡ note: so... I know I took quite a while to post the 2nd part but I hope it turned out well.. I had lots and lots of fun writing it!! >< ♡ I adore my 05 liner babies sm <3 hope u enjoy reading and lmk what u guys think! ^^ likes & reblogs are very appreciated! — with love, cream <3

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂☆

junghoon

��˚🍰 when it comes to junghoon, he's already the pretty reserved and quiet type, so I feel like when he has a crush, he'll become even calmer, and somewhat more cautious. now, the reason for this is, that he's afraid of confronting his feelings for u and being vulnerable in general.. he's scared he might be rejected, or that his feelings might not be taken the right way. :( he's just a very sensitive person. also super emotionally resilient ofc! but very very sensitive <3

⊹˚🍰 now, he might not be for grand gestures and confessions, because of his stable, calm demeanor, but he'll definitely make up for this by being your literal safe place. <3 because of his oversensitive nature, he'll be able to tell exactly what you want/need, and will pick up on any tiny change in you, be it your mood, personality, expressions or behavior. he'll get you like no one else does. be your secret keeper and someone you trust with your entire heart ! <3 this way he will establish a deep emotional connection with his crush, without making it all about his feelings for them, but actually getting to know this person with all their layers ૮ ◞ ﻌ ◟ ა ♡

⊹˚🍰 I don't think he's that much of a talker as he is a listener, when it comes to his crush. he will sit and quietly pay attention, nodding from time to time. but if he feels like you need to hear something, or if you specifically ask him for his opinion, he'll give you the wisest, most impactful advice of ur life <3 <3 he's the kind of person to speak when it is needed, and will say only the most necessary things. :'( <3 refraining from engaging in useless small talk. (but will most definitely listen to you blabber about everything and nothing >< ♡)

⊹˚🍰 you can be assured that you'll never feel uncomfortable when ur with him. he just creates this environment for you, where you can let yourself be, without thinking too hard on how you look in his eyes. you feel absolutely relaxed, and it's a guarantee that he'll never judge you for anything you do/say. he might just look at you in adoration with a hint of a smile on his face. he finds you adorable, and silly sometimes, but he likes you for it. <3

⊹˚🍰 another good thing about your bond, is that you will never have to worry about feeling awkward when there's a pause in the conversation. you're both completely content, there's no need for filling the silence with unnecessary words. you can just enjoy the serenity of these moments with each other. he appreciates that you also enjoy spending time like this, because it slows things down, makes everything feel much more intimate and stable. <3

⊹˚🍰 hoonie is the type to gaze at you with eyes full of longing from afar :( he'd be perfectly fine with keeping things between you as they are, just as long as he gets to be next to you. but still... his heart will ache and crave your presence. he needs you in his life, no matter what, even if it's impossibly painful for him to keep his emotions hidden :( it's not a frequent occurrence, but there are instances when his act slips a tiny bit to reveal his true feelings. like when you initiate the smallest amount of physical affection, even if it's a casual, playful slap on the arm, or if it's an accidental brush of your fingers as you pass him an object he asked for... his brain will be goo by the time he processed what happened. ⁄⁠(⁠⁄⁠ ⁠⁄⁠•⁠⁄⁠-⁠⁄⁠•⁠⁄⁠ ⁠⁄⁠)⁠⁄ stumbling over his words and unable to form a proper sentence because of the minute shock >< he's an absolute baby. <3

seeun

⊹˚🍰 so first things first, we know very well that seeun is the absolute king of confidence, and this urges me to think that this part of him would remain the same way even in front of someone he likes. I don't think he'd be shy, not in a blushy, giggly way, at least. he'd probably be the most composed one after junghoon. but when you do something that he finds cute/funny he'll be fighting off a grin secretly. putting all of his strength into not beaming at you. just a silly boy really.. ♡

⊹˚🍰 he will constantly be trying to look the best in your eyes, making sure you think he's cool! what a cutie. ^^ he'll be putting extra effort into his outfits, hair and will probably drown himself in perfume before meeting you. heart pounding loudly through his chest, trying to not let it show, hoping you won't notice it. so because of this he'll just stand in the corner, a little ways from where he sees you are, and just take a moment to calm his breathing. ૮ ˊ͈ . ˋ͈ ა

⊹˚🍰 okay so, this is very much real and true. seeun is the type to tease you like a schoolboy with with his first ever crush, u know.. when they pull their hair or make jokes abt their height.. that. but! worse. lol. he actually just loves to tease ppl in general, but if he has a crush on you be prepared to be teased to obliteration!! >_< if ur notably shorter than him, he'll definitely abuse that fact ^^ he'll be suuuuper annoying abt it too. but it's all lighthearted ofc! he'll never be mean to u on purpose. that's just his way of showing love. T_T ♡

⊹˚🍰 continuing off that thought, I'm sure he will literally bicker and maybe even play-fight with u. ૮Ꮚ ´͈ ⁄⁄`͈꒱ა and he doesn't even realize it, but it all stems from his undeniable adoration for you. oh, but there's more! will probably rile you up on purpose so he gets a reaction out of u, like he'll keep annoying and bothering you just so he can see u get worked up and all pouty. he finds ur reactions and expressions cute, that's why. (╥﹏╥)

⊹˚🍰 even tho he likes to tease, you'll notice that in certain moments he just sort of zones out staring at your face, chin resting on his palm. not smiling, not doing or thinking anything, but simply admiring. he's looking at u mesmerized, with a glint of affection in his eyes, like you're the most fascinating and precious thing he's ever seen. and when he realizes he's staring he'll just awkwardly shift his position, change the topic or maybe even apologize for staring, saying he just zoned out. :( <3

⊹˚🍰 if seeun has a crush on you, you will know that you're his favorite person. no don't get me wrong, it's not like he'll just straight up tell you he likes you, no! but he will make it obvious that he doesn't want anyone else besides you but him!! like if there's an instance where u need to pair up for a task/assignment, or split up to walk separately in small groups, or even when picking sides in an argument... he'll be inching toward u subconsciously, eager to stay with you and always ready to back u up!! he will make sure he is never separated from you, and always looks out for you! :( but also he just really really wants to spend as much time w you as possible. <3 <3

yujun

⊹˚🍰 I feel like yujun gives of such boy next door vibes.. like he's the nice neighbor that you never really talk to, or got the chance to get close with, but you two always greet each other and generally have good feelings for e/o! this baby would be super giddy with it tho!! will say hi to you as often as he sees you, doesn't matter if he's already done it on the same day already.. he'll take any chance he gets to exchange a couple of words w u :(( once you start getting more comfortable w each other, however, he'll be beaming at u from afar, waving excitedly before rushing over to you so he can say hi :( <3

⊹˚🍰 why do I feel like he won't really be the shy type once he gets closer to his crush?? hmm.. it's more like if you catch him off guard in a moment where he lets his guard down that he feels sheepish. to visualize, you'll be busy doing something, or speaking to another person and yujun is somewhere close by, observing you with twinkling eyes and the brightest grin you could imagine.. baby doesn't even realize he's that smitten w u :(( until you look toward him and he just turns his head, cheeks burning up <//3

⊹˚🍰 he'll be trying to stay as close to you as possible without it looking suspicious, weird or it making u uncomfortable. he most likely will want to sit next to you and might save u a seat if you aren't there yet.. like he will defend it with all his might too. when ppl walk by he'll be subtly glaring at them before they even have a chance to ask about if the seat next to him is taken or not, cuz that's your seat!! ><

⊹˚🍰 we know how clumsy he is when he's eating :'( baby gets food on his clothes every time he eats something.. it's okay when it's in front of others, but he wants to look cool in the eyes of the person he likes!! so he'll be trying extra hard to take careful, small bites and will take his time while eating. but once in a while he'll still accidentally spill sth on his shirt, which he'll be super embarrassed about, but you'll be chuckling at his clumsiness, swiftly wiping at the stain with a tissue. aand since he likes having you close to him, the embarrassment is forgotten effectively ^^

⊹˚🍰 he'll be wanting to share everything he has, including food, with u!! he'll give you the first bite, the bigger half and the best part of his food! :( he'll also give you tiny random gifts out of nowhere, catching you off guard.. and he'll usually have a matching one for himself. buying u couple items in secret... yujun is a sneaky little boy!! >< ♡ one day you'll realize the keychain he got for you had a matching pair that's hanging on his bag, but you wouldn't really mind cuz it's cute. however, if you ask yujun abt it he'll act all surprised, like "wdym they're similar??" saying he didn't even notice *wink* *wink* ૮₍ ´ ꒳ `₎ა lying so obviously, but then again, you wanna watch him do it, cuz he's so adorable trying to convince you he knows nothing about the keychains he bought for you.. so foolish :')) <3

⊹˚🍰 yujun is most definitely gonna believe your every word if he has a crush on you. like when you're telling a story and you overdramatize it, or if you're telling him a fun fact and it's completely untrue/blown out of proportion... best believe he'll be listening so very intently soaking up each detail of your speech. :( you're just trying to mess with him a bit as a joke, but it isn't really fun since he'll actually fully believe in every word you say with no question.. it's not because he's gullible (well, maybe just a tiny bit) but actually he just trusts you so much, he relies on you to know your facts, and will take your word for it if you tell him that yetis exist or that the moon is made out of cheese or sth >< ⊹₊˚

hunter

⊹˚🍰 okay, so, with hunter I feel very strongly about him not having any intention to hide his big fat crush from the person he likes!! he's not the one for shy glances and subtle gestures that relay his feelings in his stead. quite the opposite, actually!! if he has a crush on you, u will know abt it!!! >< I mean, he might not say it outright (although if you ask him if he likes u he might just say yes w/o any hesitation ⁄ ⁄>⁄ω⁄<⁄ ⁄ ) but he'll definitely say/do things that clearly show his feelings! his main reason for this is that he just wants to be honest and doesn't want any ambiguity attached to his feelings toward you.. he wants you to know he likes you !! bcuz he's completely sure about u <3 <3

⊹˚🍰 now because he's so smitten w everything to do with you, he'll be watching u closely, noticing every single minor change in your appearance and will immediately be rushing to compliment you on it!! such an observant boy <3 on a day when you decide to try out a new make up look or a new outfit style, hunter will gasp and ask how u managed to do your make up/style your clothes so well :( he's asking for advice right away, and is the type to actually listen to what u tell him!! such a sweet darling baby <3

⊹˚🍰 loves loves loves !!! compliments that come from you! makes him feel like the coolest person ever, to know that you find him attractive!! >< I don't think he'd be super flustered either, the subtle shyness is there, for sure! which will show on his cute cheeks in the form of a blush, but!! he's mostly just smug and feels really proud at your praise ! <3 like if you tell him he's handsome he'll just erupt in cute giggles and thank you politely, so nice and adorable :'(

⊹˚🍰 hunty will lend you his shoulder when you need it. if you have something on your mind, like if something's bothering u or you just need advice, he'll be there for you in an instant :( he'll hug you if you need comfort and rub soothing circles on your back if you start to cry. he might not be able to help with words every single time, but him being by your side is all the reassurance you need <3 plus! afterwards, he will try to cheer you up with food!! he definitely knows all your favorites by then so you'll either order in or go out to eat, depending on how you're feeling! watching a fun movie w ur fav food is your routine for after you cry or when ur stressed!! hehe >< hunter knows exactly how to cheer you up and doesn't ever!! get tired of taking care of u! x

⊹˚🍰 baby boy has such obvious heart eyes whenever he's looking at you T_T ♡.. to him everything you do is fascinating and he finds you pretty/cool doing absolutely anything!! so he'll be gazing at you with eyes oozing literal love any chance he gets !!! they only seem to focus on you, even when you're in a room full of people. like... he's looking at you ! and only u!! ♡ˎˊ˗ he won't feel too shy about it if you catch him in the act, but might tone it down a bit not to come off as creepy! ^^

⊹˚🍰 one cute thing that he does, is a very simple little act of affection of pulling his jacket off and putting it on you when he notices you're shivering. ( ´. .̫ .`) but it's still so heart fluttering because he does it so effortlessly!! you probably don't even realize you're cold, because of high levels of adrenaline, as a result of all the excitement and fun after a night out, but it's getting super chilly, super fast! and hunter knows your shivers can go unnoticed by you in the heat of the moment. so.. he takes the matter of taking care of you into his hands !! <3 telling you u might catch a cold if u don't cover up >< such a caring, considerate boy ♡♡

yechan

⊹˚🍰 I can imagine meeting yechan while he's busking! idk why but this idea just came to mind at the thought of him >< it's a warm june evening and ur on your way home after a day out w your friends, but some upbeat hip-hop music playing makes you stop in your tracks. and as you're admiring the performance, one person catches your eye, his energetic moves making him stand out among the group. he's almost shining in your eyes as he's dancing, every one of his steps carefully calculated and sharp, but carrying a certain carefree and fun vibe!! ✩ˎˊ˗

⊹˚🍰 as the day passes and you go about your life, you just can't help but be reminded of the boy who caught your eye. the impression he left so strong and unforgettable. you wonder what his name is, what he does in his free time, or how he learned to dance like that?.. all these questions fill your mind as you're going to your morning class one day, and the completely unexpected happens! the boy suddenly shows up to the same class, sitting down right next to u!! (´๑•_•๑) (ik ik bear w me ><)

⊹˚🍰 you're pleasantly surprised when u find that he's really friendly and quite easy to talk to! as he initiates the first word, asking something about the task you had to complete.. and after a bit of talking you two tell e/o your names and decide to become friends! so you exchange contacts and gradually u get to know the person you were so curious abt! it turns out that he's hyper and full of energy, not only when he's dancing, but on the daily basis!! this ensures that there's no awkward moment when you two spend time together, cuz he always has the right thing to say and keep the conversation going!! <3

⊹˚🍰 yechan would invite you to watch him practice sometimes! he'd just tell you that there's a new choreography him and the other dancers came up with that he wants to show u, really excitedly!! >< so of course you'll go! you want to support your friend, and you're also just really curious about the process of making and learning the choreos, so... in the end, it is a really really fun experience! you're cheering and complimenting ur friend every time he does something impressive. he would also ask for your opinions on certain parts, wondering how you'd like it. and even though you're not a dancer, he'll take all your simple suggestions into consideration, your ideas being so important and interesting to him!! ♡

⊹˚🍰 he gradually catches feelings for you, as you get to know each other on a more personal level, but he doesn't want to ruin the bond you have so he won't say anything abt it.. he'll probably realize that he likes you when you compliment his dancing skills for the first time and it makes his heartbeat racy, hands clammy and filling his stomach w butterflies!! <3 he'll try to be extra careful to avoid situations where the two of you would be close to e/o, bcuz he knows he won't be able to hide the effect you have on him.. (⸝⸝º ^ º⸝⸝ ) a blushy, flustered baby :'( ♡

⊹˚🍰 will treat you to a lot of drinks and snacks randomly after shared classes, or he might just text u spontaneously, asking if you wanna go get some food. ^v^ he wants to spend time w you as much as possible, so that's why!.. oh! and when he sees a cute animated character on a poster in the streets or an adorable little animal like a kitten or a puppy, he'll point it out to you and say that it resembles you :( it won't even matter if it doesn't look like you in the slightest, because his brain seems to automatically associate anything cute with you :(( what a silly lil cutie </3 (bonus: if you say u don't like the drink you got, he'll let you try his and if you like it, will switch w u no problem ><)

[crosshairlovebot]

i've got you / hunter x gn!reader

pairing: hunter x gn!reader (no y/n). reader has endearments.

description: hunter finds you unwell, so he tries his best to take care of you.

word count: 1,779

warnings: references to illness (fever, headache, coughing, sneezing, lethargy). but otherwise, it's soft hunter at his softest.

been writing much hunter lately! i'm not complaining! (but i will try and get some crosshair out next week) i wrote this super quick for a twitter mutual <3 but i hope this brings comfort to anyone who's reading and sick. you deserve an attentive hunter looking after you.

also posted this on ao3. feedback is welcomed, reblogs are appreciated.

Hunter knew something wasn’t right as soon as he walked into the Marauder. He’d come back after leaving the rest of the squad at 79’s, deciding he wasn’t in the mood to go out, especially when you’d decided to stay back on the ship, citing a headache. He’d initially offered to stay back with you, but you’d waved him off, insisting he go out with his brothers since they rarely got time off and you’d hate it if he used that time to sit around with you on the ship.

“I’m just going to lay in bed and maybe fall asleep early. I’m feeling a little tired anyway. Very boring stuff. Go have fun, Hunter. You need it,” you had told him as you came out of the fresher, face washed and in the comfiest clothes you had – baggy pants and short-sleeved shirt that you’d stolen from one of Wrecker’s old civvie disguises.

He’d been apprehensive but had left with his brothers anyway, telling you to comm him if you needed anything.

It had barely been an hour when he’d told Crosshair he was leaving, and to keep an eye on the others. Not only was the club loud and overcrowded, but he also just wanted to be with you.

But when he stepped onto the Marauder, something felt off. He could feel it in the air, and the sound of uneven breaths made the hair on his arms prickle under his blacks. He walked further into the ship, calling your name softly when he heard sniffles and a cough.

“Cyare? Hey,” he said when he saw you lying in his bunk, covered in a blanket and looking much worse than when he left you. You were unwell; the headache had been a precursor to something more serious. You squinted up at him as his shadow covered your eyes. He crouched down next to you immediately and ran a hand over your hair gently. “Why didn’t you call me?”

You groaned but leaned into his touch. “You’re supposed to be out.”

“I’m glad I came back.” Hunter pressed the back of his gloved hand to your forehead. Even through the skin-tight fabric, he could feel you burning up. “You should’ve called me,” he chided, a frown etched into his brow.

“Didn’t want to bother you,” you muttered, pulling the blanket tighter under your chin, and coughing lightly again. Hunter grazed the back of his fingers against your cheek.

“You’re never a bother. Why would you think that?” he asked, shaking his head.

You just shrugged, then sneezed under the blanket. When you re-emerged, moaning in discomfort, Hunter gave your cheek another caress before he put his hands on his knees and stood up. “I’m getting you a cold towel for your head.”

“No, don’t go,” you weakly protested as he walked off to the fresher.

“I’ll just be a minute, love,” he said and went to rifle under the fresher sink for a small clean towel, cursing that he and his brothers weren’t tidier. Once he found one, he quickly wet it in cold water and wrung out the excess before walking back to the bunk. You cracked open your eyes when you heard his footsteps and twisted on your back as he crouched down again.

“Here,” he said softly as he placed the cold towel on your forehead, smoothing it down. You hummed before a shiver went through your body.

“Have you taken anything?” Hunter asked.

“A couple of pills when you guys left,” you told him, eyes drifting shut again. Hunter frowned. He wasn’t used to treating sick people. Clones rarely ever got sick, their immune systems engineered to withstand any illnesses. Any time he was treated for anything, it was for injuries, and Tech usually handled it.

But Hunter was your partner, in every sense of the word. He wanted to be there for you in any way he could. Not just as the leader of the squad, but as someone who loved you more than he thought he could ever love anyone.

He always took care of the people he loved.

So, he tried to remember what they’d learnt from their training modules as cadets, the ones that detailed nat-born illnesses and how to treat them if they ever encountered sick civilians.

Fever, sneezing, coughing, headache. Sounded like a flu-type sickness. Maybe you had picked it up on Felucia during their mission there a few days ago.

You’d already taken some medication, so he knew you wouldn’t be able to for the next few hours. He just had to try and make you comfortable and ease the symptoms of the fever as much as he could while the medication worked.

Hunter gently flipped the cool towel to the other side as he looked down at the blanket. “You need to keep cool, cyare. We don’t want the fever to get too high,” he hooked his fingers over the edge of the blanket. You made a sound of protest but ultimately let him remove the blanket, pushing it down to the end of the bunk. You shivered, but you looked up at him, eyes blinking at him. He’d never seen you look so helpless before, and he hated it. He cupped your jaw, skin still hot, thumb moving over your cheekbone.

“Where’s your water canteen?” he asked.

You nodded to the cockpit, and he went to go get it, filling it up on the way. He crouched beside you. “Can you sit up?”

You nodded and tried to move. Hunter grabbed the towel from your forehead before he placed a hand under your shoulder blades and held your arm to support the change in position, fixing the pillow behind you. You groaned, complaining about the heaviness in your body as you sat there. He looked at you, shoulders slumped forward, peaky expression on your face as you rubbed your eyes. Being sick looked miserable, and he wished he could take it from you and suffer with it himself, just so you didn’t have to. He unscrewed the canteen.

“Small sips, okay?” He held the lip of the canteen to your lips and the back of your head as you tilted back and took three small sips before Hunter pulled the canteen away. Some water dribbled down your lip and chin and he gently wiped it away with the pad of his thumb. You looked over at him, brows slanted down. You looked upset, which surprised him a little.

“What is it?” He asked, screwing the canteen shut again.

You made a noncommittal noise and slowly moved to lie down again. Hunter cradled your head as you guided it down to the pillow, removing his hand once you were fully down. He ran his hand over your hair again. He watched your eyes close slowly at the movement. He repeated it a few times, soothing you the only way he really knew how. He tried not to worry too much, but it was hard when you barely had the energy to look at him. He knew nat-borns slowly got better from illnesses such as these in a matter of days, and he would have Tech check you over once they all got back, but he didn’t like seeing you like this; eyes dull, skin clammy, body curled up. He just wanted you to get better sooner rather than later.

After a few moments, he picked up the now half-dry towel and said, “Gonna wet this again.”

He stood up and walked to the fresher, and when he came back, he placed the damp towel back on your forehead. As he pulled away, you grabbed his hand and cradled it to your chest, interlocking your fingers together and sighing. He smiled softly.

“Oh, ner cyare,” he whispered gently.

“I’m sorry, Hunter,” you croaked.

Hunter shook his head. “It’s nothing to be sorry for. You’re sick. It happens.”

“Not to you,” you scowled at his hand like it was to blame for his immunity to illness.

“Well, I can’t help that.” His mouth tilted up at the corner.

You fiddled with his fingers and traced lines down to his palms. “I just feel so helpless like this.”

“Lucky for you, I’m here now. I’ve got you,” he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on your temple. He lingered there for a second before he pulled away, his other hand coming to your cheek.

You looked up at him, pout on your lips. “I didn’t want to ruin your night out.”

Hunter caressed your cheek. “There was nothing to ruin. You’re my priority.”

“Still. I’m sorry,” you said before kissing his fingers.

Hunter shook his head. “Don’t worry about it.” He adjusted the towel and then fixed the pillow underneath your head, so it was better supporting your neck. “Do you feel like some food?” he asked. He wanted to feel useful to you, but he didn’t know what else he could offer right now.

You shook your head. “Just wanna sleep.”

“Then sleep, love,” he said, pulling his hand from yours and sitting on the floor next to the bunk, his back against the wall opposite, legs stretched out and the soles of his feet resting against the bunk frame. “I’ll be here.”

You watched him, mouth pressing into a line before you reached out to him and your voice said quietly, “Closer?”

Hunter smiled. “Hang on.”

He stood up and began to remove his armour. Piece by piece, he placed it in a pile on one of the chairs in the centre of the ship. Now only in his blacks, he made his way back to you. You opened your eyes again and smiled when you saw him in his underarmour. He crouched down.

“Shuffle over,” he whispered, and you obliged, moving slowly so your back was almost up against the wall. Hunter climbed in next to you, sitting up in case he needed to move out if you got too hot. Once he was situated, you shuffled closer, head resting against his thigh, eyes closed. You’d curled yourself in a ball, and Hunter looked down as he repositioned the cool towel on your head, making sure it was in the right place.

“Rest, cyare. I’m right here.” He stroked your head, then moved his hand down to your shoulder, rubbing his thumb there. You snuggled into the side of his leg, letting out a sigh.

“Love you,” you mumbled as you began to drift off to sleep.

He smiled down at you, his hand stilling as he rested his palm, so it cupped the curve of your shoulder and kept you close to him. “Love you.”

banner art by @vimse thank you reading!

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TAGLIST FORM

[freesia-writes]

Ch 28: Party Hard and...

Master List ~~ Previous Chapter ~~ WC: 2.1k Author's Note: Time for it to hit the fan a bit. Hunter's just not having a great time. At least he's trying? Oh boy. Remember, kids, when you’re faced with a difficult situation, you can pause and respond intentionally or you can react without thinking. 😉

Couldn’t resist releasing this one early. Happy Saturday!

THIS SONG IS THE PERFECT VIBE; I'd suggest starting it halfway through (I'll mark it below): David Guetta & Bebe Rexha - I'm Good (Blue) [Official Music Video] (youtube.com)

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Luci’s gigantic floppy hat nearly hit Hunter in the face for a third time as they made their way into the transport station. It was perched on the side of the island, with equal access to a small landing pad as well as docks below, providing passage by air or by sea depending on the destination. After purchasing their tickets, they wandered down the stairs to the boats, scanning the numbers to find the right one. There were only a few routes available – one to each of the nearby islands – and Plata was by far the most popular destination. 

Wind ruffled his hair as the sound of engines grew louder, and Hunter looked up to see the shuttle coming in for landing. It was the same one he’d taken to Keytoll, and he squinted at it harshly as though the ship itself were to blame for all the strife he’d experienced. Something caught his eye, though, as it turned and settled onto the landing platform – a small tracking beacon stood out against the otherwise dull and dingy hull of the shuttle. The shiny little dome-shaped piece reflected the sunlight from its perch beneath one of the lateral wings, hidden to the casual onlooker. His brow furrowed, old habits kicking in as he wondered who put it there and for what reason. Hundreds of people had taken the shuttle to and from various places since he and Lyra had been on it; he was undoubtedly being paranoid to think it had something to do with them. But still…

“Time to go!” Luci’s bright voice called him back to the present as she took his arm and pulled him into motion. Her sundress fluttered in the breeze, and she entwined her fingers with his, coaxing him on with an affectionate gaze as they walked along the dock. They boarded the boat to Plata, tucked into some seats at the rear, and then they were off, skimming across the waves and leaving the weight of the world behind.

* * * 

“I am not wearing that!” Hunter laughed, giddy from a delicious dinner and the bottle of liquor they continued to share as they had returned to their hotel room. “You already got your way with the hair.”

“Come onnnn,” Luci insisted, waving at him like a flag. “You’ll fit right in.”

“I don’t want to fit in with that!” he protested, taking a swipe at it but missing as she jerked it out of his reach.

“Well then you can just go naked!”

“You would like that, wouldn’t you,” he said, slurring his words a tiny bit. 

“I mean, yeah!” she giggled, throwing her hands in the air in surrender. “Okay, we’ll compromise. Just wear the shirt. Keep your stupid jeans.”

“It’s not even a shirt!” he complained, shaking his head with a dumb grin on his inebriated face. 

“Just put it on so we can go,” she said, exasperated. She began to tug his shirt up and over his head, biting her lip at the way his hair scattered across his face once the shirt was free of his arms. A few fingers traced across his chest and stomach, and with just a look in those emerald eyes, he was drawn in for a kiss. When she released him, she pushed the “shirt” into his hands with a mischievous smile. “Go on.”

“This is beyond ridiculous,” He muttered, pulling it on and staring at her in disbelief. 

“You look sexy!” 

“I can’t…” 

“Ssshhhhh,” she pressed a finger to his lips, then stepped back and took another swig from the liquor bottle before handing it to him. He followed suit, set it on the counter with a loud clank, then turned to look at the tiny mirror on the back of the hotel room door. 

“Son of a Hutt…” 

His reflection stared back at him, almost unrecognizable. He was mercifully still wearing a plain pair of jeans, but that was where the common garb ended. Luci had pulled the top half of his hair into two slightly crooked little tufts atop his head and, once they were secured with rubber bands, had tied his bandana in its usual place below them. The “shirt” she’d insisted on looked like a fishing net. In fact, he was fairly certain it was made from a fishing net. There was a faint sense, somewhere deep inside, that he was embarrassed, or should be embarrassed… But it was quieted as Luci spun him around to face her. 

“Just relax and enjoy yourself.”

Fanart by @that-salmonberry-punk

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Music blared from each doorway they passed as they pushed through the crowds in downtown Plata. Much like Xylo, the island was small enough to have only one main town, but Plata was broad and flat, with tall buildings stacked neatly beside each other from end to end. It was tiny compared to Xylo, yet far more densely populated and full of art, culture, and nightlife. Luci’s outfit seemed as ridiculous as his own, and yet she strutted with full confidence. She’d opted for a pair of low-rise, baggy black pants with stripes down the sides and some kind of cropped moto jacket that hung open. Beneath that was just… underwear, as far as he could tell – a bright red bra and strappy thong that came up above the waistband of her pants that barely clung to her hips. But she’d insisted it was a proper outfit, and at that point he was a bit too tipsy to care.

She found an alleyway off the main street, pulling him into it and beaming at him from dewy, flushed cheeks. It was a warm and humid night, and the sheer number of people crammed into one area did nothing to help the claustrophobic vibe. But the temporary relief of quiet and darkness in the alley was a welcome reprieve, and Hunter exhaled, starting to run a hand through his hair before hitting the spiky little pigtails. Luci laughed, straightening them with playful little tugs, and she tickled his nipples where they poked out from his netted shirt. 

“What the kriff are we doing?” Hunter muttered, eyelids rather heavy as he regarded her with rummy fondness.

“Having fun. Plain and simple,” she answered with a shrug, tugging her red top down a bit to plump up her cleavage. Hunter was overwhelmed as it were, and when she gave them an extra little jiggle, laughing at the way his eyebrows shot up, he was about ready to call it a night. 

But Luci had other plans.

“I thought we might start the night off right…” she purred, biting her lip as her eyes roved from his recently-firmed abs to his broad, shapely chest. “If you’re interested…” He watched curiously as she produced a small capsule from her pocket, opening it to reveal some nondescript pills. “These are nifty little things… Basically, they bring you fully into the moment. It’s like you’re totally yourself, totally present… And you don’t remember any of it the next day.”

Hunter balked at that, jerking his chin down in scrutiny. “That sounds… scary.”

“Don’t you wish you could forget, sometimes?” she asked, somewhat profound all of a sudden. “To just press pause on all of life and enjoy each minute?”

“I mean, yeah, but not remembering…?”

“It doesn’t make you do anything crazy. I think it just releases who you are, at the core. Without inhibitions. Without all the pressures and expectations of everyone else. Just you… and me… and a night to be free.” She shrugged, taking a pill and showing him how it melted on her tongue. “You can try just one – it will just be mild… if you want.” 

He watched her put another one into her mouth, feeling equally apprehensive and enticed. Out of the blue, Lyra’s face flashed across his mind, causing an immediate revolt from all his senses at once. Something inside of him felt odd, as though it were slashing through thick vines and roots to try to free itself. But it felt foreign, too… distinctly “other”. It was a tumultuous sensation, almost beyond his control, and he found that he did not like it one bit. 

He took one of the pills, sniffing it out of habit before swallowing it without further question. 

Luci smiled.

SONG TIME: David Guetta & Bebe Rexha - I'm Good (Blue) [Official Music Video] (youtube.com)

She pushed him until his back was flush against the wall, head spinning and heart racing. Her hands were heavy on his chest, his neck, his cheeks... She cupped his face with fervent desire, gazing affectionately into his eyes before closing her own, tilting her head, and pressing her lips to his. 

Her hands began to roam again, stroking and caressing, pulling feelings and yearnings and urges from him that had been dormant for so long until she’d awakened them. An initial resistance welled up, adding to the constant confusion, but it was soon diminished beneath her passion as she kissed him again and again. 

Heat flushed Hunter's body from head to toe, and he opened up to her, his fingers gripping her waist as he leaned in. A feminine, breathy sigh escaped her as the intensity grew, their faces pressed together, lips caressing and tugging. She opened her mouth more, sliding her tongue against his, and tingles coursed through his veins as he met her fervor with his own, squeezing his eyes tightly shut and losing himself to the ardor growing in his core. He didn’t notice the already-melting pills she’d moved from her mouth to his as she continued to ravish him.

She ran a hand up the back of his neck, digging it into his hair and tightening her grip, pulling back for a moment to regard him with unbridled lust. "You are so kriffing hot, you know that? Damn, the things I want to do to you..." she murmured, heavy-lidded eyes following the contour of his face as he opened his eyes to meet hers, smoldering with intensity. 

A small smile curved her cheeks, and she bit her lip before leaning in again. He was reeling from the sheer overwhelm of it all -- her scent, her breath, her body, her sensuality, her uncomplicated want for him. This was what he'd wanted, wasn't it? Freedom from responsibility, freedom to pursue a future of his own, freedom to release the burden of every possible consequence and to simply enjoy life on life's terms...

Her hand slipped beneath his shirt, his muscles tensing against her touch and fanning the flame where her fingernails gently raked up toward his chest. Soft lips trailed to his jawbone, below his ear, down the side of his neck, setting him on fire inside and out. Hunter tilted his head away, feeling her consuming desire spreading through his own chest. He felt as though he were spinning in place; every taste, scent, touch, and sound was amplified and improved.

This was what he had wanted. This was the right choice. 

Wasn't it? 

* * * 

Fanart by @clownbloody

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Stairs, so many stairs. Luci’s voluptuous curves moving ahead of him in serpentine mystery. Loud music and flashing lights. The rhythm thumping inside his chest. Bodies jostling against one another, loose and free. Weaving through the crowd, laughter and liquor and sweat and salt all blending into the beat. 

Deep green eyes finding his. Gentle arms around his neck. Her hips in his hands. Her breath and pulse melding into his. The music was what moved him; he was just a willing participant. Everyone was together and yet separate. Blending in seamless surrender to hedonistic folly.

He chased Luci along a side street, stumbling as people leapt out of the way. The cold night air burned his lungs, a sharp contrast to the heat radiating from his body until he plunged into water beside her. They floated on their backs in a large fountain, surrounded by music and laughter. Lights flashed from a nearby rooftop party, and the next thing he knew, they found themselves there. 

A sparkling disco ball scattered beams of light across the area, refracting every color into splintered shards of rainbow on people’s faces, drinks, chests, and backs. A tall Twi’lek with a metallic gold dress slithered up behind Hunter as Luci was grinding against his front, his hands on her hips as his head tilted back, and the strong green body pressed against his back, swaying in perfect time. Luci glanced back, laughing in delirious joy, and reached her arms over her head, red curls scattering everywhere as she lost herself in the music.

He pressed her against the wall in the hallway, jostled by people making their way to and from the refreshers. Her lips were hot and heavy on his neck, hands pulling his waist ever closer, until she paused for a moment, pulling back to regard him with a suddenly serious expression. Tears in her eyes, a frown on her lips. He bent his head down, touching the side of his face to hers, and she whispered in his ear. 

“Sometimes it all just feels so empty.”

And then she was on him again, coaxing sensations that threatened to overtake him.

Small red lamps glowed on each table in the center of each booth in the dimly-lit room. It was a temporary reprieve from the jam-packed chaos of the streets and clubs, and the food tasted like nothing he’d ever had before. The textures of each bite came alive in his mouth, flavors combining effortlessly – sweet and spicy, savory and tart… Luci climbed into his lap, banging the table as she straddled him. She held up a piece of cheesy bread in her fingers, inviting him to eat it from her hand, which he immediately did. With a giggle, she buried her hands in his hair, tugging it free from the pigtails, and bent over him to bring her mouth to his. 

The rest of the night was a blur.

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I stole the inspo for his hair from this post by @raevulsix 😂

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[chiiyuuvv]

• PAIRING — hunter x gn reader

• GENRE — established relationship, fluff, VERY SUGGESTIVE (also guys im cool with writing suggestive just no smut)

• WORD COUNT — 505

• AUTHOR'S NOTE — so ummm orginally wrote for my friends.. @lil-elle if ppl die its your fault :)

• TAGLIST — @hyunukitty , @cake1box , @mars101

MASTERLIST! – JOIN THE TAGLIST!

The lights were dim when hunter wraps his arms around your waist, clinging onto you as he places sleepy kisses down your neck. You giggle at hunters tickly touch, feeling his arms spin your body around and sit you on his bed.

"Whatcha doing?" You send hunter a smile, running a finger through his hair as he sleepily smile back, leaning closer to peck your lips. "I want.." his voice was muffled with each kiss, bring himself even closer to continue pecking you.

"To go to bed." You finish his sentence, putting your finger over his lips and pushing him back. He pouts in response, "please??" His head tilts, his big doe eyes boring into yours as he grabs the finger that was hovering his lips, turning it around and kissing the back of your hand, never breaking the eye contact.

The action makes your heart skip a beat, scoothing back on the bed as hunter begins to hover you. With a slight nod, hunter lets go of your hand and cradles your face, placing a peck, and another, and another.

A soft grunt leaves his mouth as your hands run up and down your body, his hands sinking to your waist as his kisses get more and more passionate. Tilting his head for a better angle, his cool hands slide into your shirt, feeling his hands in contrast to your warm skin makes you gasp.

Backing his head from your lips, his looks you up and down with a slight smirk, wettening his lips as he regains focus on you. "Hunter, I thin-" another gasp leaves your mouth as he slips his tongue in, your hands bunching up his shirt to stop yourself from melting.

"Mm.." his shakes his head, breaking the kiss again with a sloppy pop! as he gathers your hands, sneaking them under your shirt. Your eyes widen as he lets you trace his toned abs, his eyes struggling to stay open from pleasure and his soft pink lips parted.

His head ducks down to your neck, biting the soft skin while his tongue laps the area, sending you into a daze. "So pretty.." he mumbles into your neck as you moan softly, your head thrown back on his pillow as he continues the process.

Eventually he stops, his lips swollen and his head spinning from your pretty sounds. He leans away from your neck and sighs at your pretty figure, lightly tracing it with his feathery touch, making you shiver. "Hunter.." your eyes half lidded as you whisper his name, finding his unoccupied hand and intertwining it, giving it a squeeze to turn his attention back to you.

"Ready for bed, pretty?" He smiles softly as you nod, twisting his body to turn off his lamp. The yellowish hue changes to a pitched black, hunters warm hands wrapping around your figure, his breath fanning your face before pressing a kiss to your forehead. You snuggle into hunters arms, resting your head on his chest. He sighs, he couldnt be happier.

[talkingsaxy]

PHOTOS YOU'VE TAKEN OF YOUR BOYFRIEND HUNTER

please don't repost, requests open!

[iamchaos1234]

When I saw this image I just- I don't know it- it just happened-

[originalcollectionartistry]

I always knew... SFW

Hey all!

I'm so sorry I haven't posted anything lately... things happened and I didn't have the energy to write.

Echo's sequel is coming, I just need to edit. I have a Tech fluff in the works and I promise I'll for Wrecker and Crosshair soon.

Anyway, here's a Hunter fic for you! I do have a smutty part 2 planned for this one, I just need the energy to write it.

CW: Angst, emotional torment, jealousy, idiots in love, protective Hunter, Hemlock trying to manipulate reader

Word count: 2673

___________________________________________________________

Once you had settled in Pabu, you thought the missions were over but no. You still went on missions for credits, or to help Phee retrieve some artifact. You didn’t mind, but it always felt like they were becoming more and more dangerous with less chance of all of you coming back alive. When you did all come back alive, it was a different opponent you silently fought on Pabu.

You didn’t know what it was about Shep’s sister-in-law that made your skin crawl. Only that she was a sweet talker and could manipulate very easily. Phee was always cordial with her, but Tech and Echo made their distrust very clear while being polite. What you didn’t like was how all over Hunter she was. Hunter never made it clear whether he was interested or not which made you on edge. The way she was flirting and touching him made you feel sick every time you saw it.

“You, okay?” Wrecker elbowed you, snapping you out of thought.

You looked around and saw everyone staring at you expectantly. Hunter’s face was set in an unreadable way, so you didn’t know if he was annoyed or concerned.

“Hm, yeah,” you smiled. “Just a bit tired. What did I miss?”

You were re-briefed on the newest mission and your role in it. You were to sneak with Tech and Echo to retrieve the information needed for Rex about Hemlock’s location on Tantiss while Hunter, Wrecker, Crosshair were to draw fire if it was needed, Phee was the getaway driver while Tech was occupied. While Echo plugged into the station, Tech would go on about decryption and you would scour for all relevant information as Echo transferred and moved files around, all while keeping the alarms off.

Hunter looked at you expectantly and you nodded. “Yes Hunter, I know what to do.”

“Alright. Let’s stock up and head out in 4 hours,” Hunter ordered.

You all dispersed to stock up on rations and equipment and as you left, you saw Meela saunter up to Hunter, practically laying herself on his chest. You heard her compliment his commandeering and how he was so strong for your team. You rolled your eyes as Hunter looked down at her and thanked her before taking her waist and moving her elsewhere. You gagged slightly before moving things onto the Marauder. Crosshair noticed and chuckled a little. Everyone knew of your crush on the sergeant but at your request (begging) the squad swore to not tell Hunter. Besides, it was best for him to figure it out on his own.

“You’re really not going to say anything?” the sniper snarked as he loaded his shooter above his bunk.

You glanced over from your spot, where you were loading rations into the compartments. You shook your head and kept quiet. You really didn’t want to have this conversation, especially with the chance Hunter might walk in at any time.

“Alright then. Keep your secrets sarad. He’ll find out eventually.”

Hunter joined you not long after. He made orders to move out earlier than expected. Wrecker shoved his equipment in the compartment before settling into his bunk, Echo and Tech finished upgrades on the ship and you closed your compartment to finish stocking once you were on the move.  

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Gods sarad! Can’t you go faster?” Echo asked desperately. “They’ll be on us any second!”

“Two more seconds! I’ll find it!” You were frantically sorting through files while Tech decrypted everything. You made a sound of success and told Echo which one to grab.

The mission went wrong from the get-go. You weren’t counting on motion sensors or silent alarms. The Empire typically used overwhelming numbers and force to counter an opponent but this time it was a shock to you all when Crosshair commed almost instantly once you were inside that you needed to move fast as there were troops converging on your location. Hunter and Wrecker distracted some troops and drew their fire but there were still troops coming.

Echo disengaged from the station and Tech unplugged his datapad. You all drew your blasters and set out to rendezvous at the ship. You all ran frantically, exchanging blaster fire behind you.

You didn’t look where your foot landed and tripped, falling flat on your face. Echo and Tech paused, and you screamed at them to keep going. You’d be fine! The mission was more important. They hesitated but saw you get up before they were rushing off to the rendezvous point.

You got yourself up and shot the four troopers surrounding you. You ran to catch up, but a trooper was able to stun you from a blind spot. The last thing you saw was troopers surrounding you and picking you up before you blacked out.

This was not good. I’m sorry guys… I’m sorry Hunter.

______________________________________________________________

You had assumed you’d be transferred and thrown into a cell but as you walked around the room you’d been given, you wondered what Hemlock’s game was. You sat on the bed, hoping this wasn’t some sort of seduction tactic. Hemlock wasn’t your type. Your type was back on the Marauder, being flown back to Pabu to see his ill-defined girlfriend. Whether or not Hunter knew, you saw Meela draped over him in a supply closet before heading out and he had made no move to remove her. So, with a broken heart, you walked on, pretending to not see them.

“Still wondering if your clones will find you?” a voice resonated behind you.

You turned and found Hemlock standing in your entryway. He placed something on a shelf near the entranceway before approaching you, a smirk on his face.

You shrugged. “That depends entirely on if they got away or not. I told them the mission comes first and to not risk their lives for me. So, Royce Hemlock, if they escaped then they’ll probably return to our base. It’ll be a while before they notice I’m gone.” You hated saying it, but you felt it a little bit true. The batch had their own lives blooming, and you didn’t know if you were part of it.

“Hmm,” Hemlock mused. “It must be hard not knowing if you have a place with them. Not knowing if they value you to come for you.”

You raised a brow. Your boys cared for you as their own. You were a family. What in the Force was he talking about? They had to come back for you… right?

___________________________________________________________

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE’S NOT HERE?” Hunter roared. “You three were supposed to be here before any of us!”

Phee looked concerned, she’d never seen the boys this angry or upset before. You were clearly more important to them than they led on. She knew you were their medic and an integral party of their little family but with the way Hunter was acting and the others reacting, it was clear they cared for you much more than she thought.

“We have to go back for her!” Omega begged. She nearly lost Crosshair to the Empire. She wasn’t about to lose you too.

Tech sighed, “She was right behind us. She told us to keep moving after she fell, and we heard her breathing heavily behind us. Besides, we have no idea where she is. For all we know she’s been moved and detained. It’ll be more prudent to regroup and plan. Maybe she’ll find a way to escape and alert us.”

Hunter stared into one of the monitors on the ship, staring at the picture you all took of each other after a successful mission. Your smiling face, adrenaline filled eyes, messy braids, and everything about you. Over his dead body he’d abandon you now.

“We’re going back for her.” He growled. “Now.”

Tech looked at the ships communication system and noticed it flashing. “That may not be necessary. It seems she’s found us,” he said, noticing the comm channel matched yours.

Accepting the comm, Hunter’s face set in a hard line, seeing Hemlock’s face.

______________________________________________________________

Smirking in the clone’s face, Hemlock set the communicator down in a position that showed you and him in the bedroom. He wanted to play a game and let these clones know just how disposable they were to you.

“So,” Hemlock started, muting Hunter’s end of the call. “You believe the clones don’t care for you? That’s not like them. Their sense of family and loyalty is remarkably well-known.”

You grimaced, wanting him to stop talking. You knew that about clones. Everyone knew that about clones. You fought alongside them for 2 years. You knew the loyalty clones felt to each other and their generals; before Order 66 of course. It was their genetic specimen, Jango Fett, that gave them their sense of loyalty. Mandalorians were notorious for their family strength. It was like they were genetically incapable of not taking children under their wing or forming a family. You’d heard stories of Jango only wanting an unaltered clone to raise as his son, and other Mandalorians taking foundlings and orphans and giving them a home.

“You don’t need to remind me. I know them well enough.”

Smirking, Hemlock swiped a lock of hair behind your ear. “Oh, but you said you didn’t know if they noticed you were gone. Do you not feel a part of their little family?”

Wrecker and Omega were such mischiefs that you rarely saw them unless they were hungry and eating. Echo was usually on his own or with Rex, Tech was with Phee and Hunter… gods knew if he was with Meela a lot of the time. You made a face and Hemlock noticed the flare of anger in your eyes.

Looking over, he saw Hunter and Omega screaming silently from the comm, begging you to see them. The game the doctor was playing was deliciously agonising for them and he was loving it.

“Perhaps it’s time you found a new family. I’m always looking for an assistant. Especially one familiar with medical practices.”

You side-eyed the doctor, sensing the flirtation and desire to have you change to his team. To join the Empire.

“No. I have no desire to leave them. I just… It’s hard being in love with someone who doesn’t love you back. Especially when they love someone else.”

Smiling wider, he set his trap. “Ah, unrequited love. I’m guessing a certain sergeant hasn’t noticed your affections. They’re clear as day to everyone around you, how has he not noticed?”

Hunter was hitting the durasteel beside him, screaming for you to look at him.

“NO! Of course, I noticed! I could always sense it!”

The batch watched helplessly as their medic was interrogated and teased and their sergeant cried helplessly that he cared. They never noticed how sad you were, loving the security they had on Pabu. Crosshair grimaced, looking silently to Wrecker and Echo, both of whom knew like he did of your affections towards Hunter. They just never guessed how torturous it was for you to keep it hidden. You wore your heart on your sleeve, hiding your feelings must've been draining.

“I always knew… I just didn’t want to risk losing you…” Hunter felt useless and powerless. He wanted to scoop you up and hold you tightly, promising that you’d never feel this way again. They failed you; Hunter failed you. They failed in making you know and assuring you of your place with them and their love for you.

You scowled. How dare this small man try and worm his way into your good graces through false sympathy. “I don’t know what your game is Hemlock. But regardless of my feelings, my sergeant is happy with his partner and the others are content. As long as he’s happy with Meela, I don’t care how I feel.”

Hunter’s head shot up. Meela? You thought he was with Meela? Meela was the one hitting on him! He never cared about Meela! He just didn’t want to hurt anyone so restrained himself from touching her, even if to remove her from his space. He couldn’t bear to even be near the woman with how thick she laid it on, regardless of his rejections. He had told Meela many times that he wasn’t interested and that his sights were set on someone else, but she wouldn’t let up. When she came onto him that day in the supply closet, he was sure if he pushed her away, he’d push her into the wall and cause injury.

“I mean, Meela is lithe and beautiful and smart and witty and quick.” You ran your hand through your hair, messing it and giving Hemlock a sense that you were losing control of yourself. “I mean, she’s the whole package! Who am I to that? Just some civilian that was assigned to them. They didn’t even need me!”

How could you say that? Of course, they needed you! You made the team better! They would probably be all dead if not for you! Hunter’s fists were tightening until he could feel himself leaving indents under his body glove.

“Tech is the smartest man alive! He was perfectly capable of acting medic without me!” Tears bloomed in your eyes, hating how easy this man was pulling these fears out of you… supposedly.

Hemlock smiled in Hunter’s direction, loving the look of helplessness in the clone’s eyes.

“Sounds like they took advantage of you and your talents.” He wiped a tear from your cheek. “A lovely young woman such as you? Anyone would be lucky to have the honor of your affections.”

Sighing, you allowed yourself to decompress. “No… they never did that. It was wartime. I was never a priority. Love was never a priority, not even for me.”

Hemlock was getting frustrated with you. Every time you would walk into his trap, you’d slide yourself out of it. Which was the game you were playing.

You clued into what his intentions were pretty quickly. The good doctor wanted to make you insecure and question your place with Clone Force 99 so you would join him and gain a sense of security. It was very amusing to you, to see him start to flounder. He kept trying to set you up to become sad and turn against your family and it was so funny to you. As insecure as you were about your place with the batch, they were loyal to you and you to them.

Eventually you saw the communicator by the door and saw Hunter near tears and you realized he heard everything you’d said. You smiled and subtly nodded to him, letting him know you were okay. Your family was coming for you, and you’d wait for them forever.

“Well,” Hemlock stood, smoothing his robes out. “I’ll leave you to your thoughts. We shall see if your clones come rescue their medic.” He “calmly” stormed out, gripping his gloved hand in anger. As much as he wanted to hurt you, you were more valuable alive and well and could bargin.

“Tech, you get those coordinates?” Hunter asked frantically. He wasn’t going to make you wait anymore then you had to.

Nodding, Tech quickly punched them into the navigation system and set off to your location.

Hunter had a new mission now. His mission was to bring you home, tell you his feelings and love you for the rest of his life. He had been yours for years now; since the Clone Wars started and since you were assigned as their medic. Your loving nature, wit, intelligence, charisma, and so much of you and who you were made Hunter weak in the knees. As your commanding officer, Hunter had to maintain a distance and so while he made it clear he cared for you as a part of the squad, he made sure to swallow his feelings, so he didn’t compromise you.

Settling in his seat, he swore that would change. He would ask to make you his and love you for as long as time allowed him.

I’m coming cyare. I’ll find you soon.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope you all like it! I took some inspiration from @arctrooper69 series "As iron sharpens iron" which is awesome and y'all should read it! (I hope thats okay!)

Anyway, like I said above, I do have a smutty part 2 planned but life has overwhelmed me so it might be a hot minute for that!

Enjoy!!

[gloomwitchwrites]

Congratulations on 1k!!!!

Hunter alphabet? 🤭

Anon, you did not say what kind of alphabet…you’re going to get what I give you and eat it. I hope you enjoy. (Also, thank you for submitting)

Written with gn!reader in mind.

Content & Warnings: mostly fluff

Word Count: 1.1k

SFW Alphabet Template

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has submitted requests for the 1k follower event. This event is currently closed and I am no longer taking requests. Thank you!

ao3 // taglist // main masterlist // 1k follower event masterlist

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Affection doesn’t come easy for Hunter. It took him a while to grow comfortable with it. Most of his affection is saved for private moments, and that is when he is more physical. In front of others, Hunter falls into quick touches and verbal forms of affection.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

A wonderful best friend. Loyal, dependable, and steadfast. Hunter takes friendship seriously. That had to have built up to a certain extent before the two of you became anything more.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Hunter doesn’t want to admit that he likes them but he does.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Does not have an urge to settle down. Omega changed this for him. He wants what’s best for her, and she deserves a childhood. That is his main focus and goal, to provide a place for her. Cooking and cleaning do not come naturally for him. These are skills he has to learn.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Nervous wreck about it. Hunter would try to walk around it at first, unsure of how to go about doing it. This would be new territory for him and he’d probably flop at getting his point across.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Does not have plans for commitment, but that can change depending on what happens in his life. This isn’t something Hunter has ever had to think about but someone—like you—could easily come along and change things.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

When required, Hunter can be gentle. He might slip up or not always know when he’s being insensitive, but he does try. This is also new for him. These things take practice and eventually Hunter will get the hang of it.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Didn’t like hugs at first, but loves them now. Especially when they’re from Omega—or you.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

Not quickly, but not slow either. Hunter will realize he loves you long before he actually says it. In his mind, he wants to make sure it’s real before he takes that leap.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Not jealous but is overly protective, and sometimes that might translate as jealousy.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Great kisser. Excellent. 10/10. He’s the kind of guy to go in soft at first—almost tentative. Like he’s trying to test out how you might feel about it. And once he receives that clear signal from you, he’s going in. Hunter can easily become passionate about it.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Very awkward around young children. Has no idea what to do at first. But he is very gentle and has patience for them.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Wrapped up in each other’s arms.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Watching the water on Pabu. Lazy dinners. A good snuggle.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Slow to reveal things about himself but with time, Hunter is more open about things. If he is revealing personal details about himself to you, it means he trusts you completely.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

His patience is learned. Hunter can grow easily annoyed or irritated, but he tries not to be. He’s shorter with his brothers than he is with you or Omega.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Would forget things. He doesn’t do it on purpose, or because he doesn’t care, it just happens. He is taking care of an entire team. They are his priority, and keeping Omega safe is also high on that list. Sometimes the little details slip, but after it’s all done? Hunter is more likely to remember.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

How the two of you met. It was either a meet cute situation on Pabu or a meet ugly where one of you had a knife pointed at each other’s throat. No in between.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Very protective. Would be looking out for your safety constantly. Hunter does his best to make sure you feel loved and safe, and you return that in equal measure. Sometimes he finds it amusing that you try as hard as him.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Depends. If this is happening on the canon timeline, he’s not likely to remember those things until after the events of season 3 (minus the time jump). There are bigger things on his mind. But afterward? He is more likely to remember these moments and take his time to try his best.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Cleanliness. Let’s not forget how abysmal their room was on Kamino. Hunter would absolutely have issues either cleaning up after himself or leaving chores for later. I can see this changing once he settles on Pabu permanently, but it’s an old habit. Doesn’t easily forgive, either.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Hardly. Hunter rarely thinks about that.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Not really. It’s a bit like grief. There is always a hole and it may or may not heal completely, but it doesn’t mean he feels incomplete as a person.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

Enjoys physical touch. With his heightened senses, touching you almost settles him in a way.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Hunter takes it personally when one of the team (Crosshair) turns their back on everyone. He isn’t one to forgive easily and loyalty is earned. He’d have a hard time with someone who doesn’t understand this.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

Can sleep anywhere and everywhere easily. Had to learn with being away all the time. This guy could kick his feet up and fall asleep in a chair.

taglist:

@glassgulls @childofyuggoth @foxxy-126 @km-ffluv @sweetbutpsychobutsweet

@singleteapot @tiredmetalenthusiast @coffeecaketornado @padawancat97 @garfunklevibes2012

@miaraei @cherryofdeath @tulipsun-flower @enfppuff @ninman82

@pigeonmama @beebeechaos @hantheconqueror

[childlikegoblinqueen]

Imagining Hunter and Steve making dad jokes together on their first Father’s Day.

[cc--2224]

The Singer

Pairing: Hunter x F!Reader

Summary: From the ask found here; You're a mechanic working with the Bad Batch. Cid decides to try out karaoke at her bar, but when she and the others hear your voice, she sees dollar signs while Hunter is completely awestruck.

Warnings: A ton of fluff and Hunter being a cutie, mentions of anxiety

Notes: Thank you for the ask, Anon!! As a reminder, requests are open if you'd like to make one!

Word Count: ~2.3k

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

Masterlist

"Goggles," Cid called from the other end of the bar. Tech automatically looked over his shoulder at his nickname, "Come help me a minute."

He sighed and slid off the bar stool, walking over toward Cid in no particular hurry.

You laughed quietly at his lack of enthusiasm, but your joy was quickly diminished. "You too, Screwdriver."

Your nickname that Cid oh-so-graciously bestowed upon you. You begrudgingly began to follow Tech, but you were stopped with a pull on your arm.

Hunter was holding your hand. He looked at you and smiled before you made another attempt to walk away.

He brought your hand up to his lips, kissing your knuckles gently, before wordlessly sending you on your way.

"Nice of you to finally show up." Cid chided. "Now, I need the two of you to set this up."

One of her clawed hands rested on what looked to be just a simple a large black box.

"What is it?" You finally asked.

"A client of mine delivered it to me from Coruscant. It's a karaoke machine." She looked back and forth between yours and Tech's incredulous stares, and she shook her head. "People sing into it, and they pay me to do so. I just need you two to install it and loop it through the house speakers."

Without much more of an explanation, Cid stepped off the raised platform she planned on using as a stage and walked back toward the counter.

You and Tech got to work.

From the other room, you could hear Cid start to order people around. It seemed like she was really trying to rebrand, maybe make her bar a bit more popular.

You could hear her yell at "Bandana", "Killjoy", and "Toothpick" to start cleaning while "Muscles" and "Tiny" go to the market for supplies.

Seemed you and Tech got the easy job.

"It should be patched through now," Tech said after a while. "Can you test the microphone?"

"Sure," you nodded and stood at the microphone. "Testing one, two, how's that?"

"Well, the microphone and speakers work. Now, we need to make sure this device itself works."

"Great!" You started to step off of the platform, and Tech stopped you.

"As I said, we need to make sure the device itself works."

"What, you mean sing into it?"

"That would be the most effective test, so yes."

You froze. You were more of a sing in the shower when no one else was around type, not a sing on stage into a microphone type, not anymore.

"Why don't you test it then?"

"Because I would prefer to fix it in real time should something break."

You groaned, then walked back up onto the platform, selecting a song that you knew from the list. At least it was only people you knew in the bar after all.

Before long, the holoprojector activated, showing the words to the song you had chosen, and you sang along.

Hunter raised an eyebrow when he had heard the music and walked over to stand in the doorway between the adjoining rooms, watching and listening in awe of you.

Despite all your time as a couple, he had never heard you sing before, and he was enthralled.

Normally, feedback from microphones and too-loud music had a tendency to hurt his oversensitive ears, but he could listen to you for hours.

You caught him staring at you before long, and you did your best not to get embarrassed. Your nerves steeled when he gave you an encouraging smile.

People from outside of the bar had heard the music and peeked in, wanting to see who the voice they had heard belonged to. You kept your eyes on Hunter, knowing if you acknowledged the strangers around you, you would have frozen.

When the song ended, he clapped for you but was soon pushed out of the way by Cid.

"Why didn't you tell me you had pipes like that, Screwdriver? Could have been charging people to come see you all this time."

The trandoshan watches as the new patrons make their way over to the bar, ultimately deciding to stay awhile.

"I–I'm not, I mean, I don't sing in front of–"

She interrupted you with a wave of her hand, "Tell ya what, you sing here one night a week, I charge customers to come see you, we split the profits. You can take... thirty percent of the cut, just like your missions."

You glanced over to Hunter, and he shrugged, "It's your choice, cyare."

You swallowed any nerves you may have still had. "I'll do it for fifty."

"Forty."

"Forty-five."

Cid shook her head, then looked at you. "You've been spending too much time with these lazerbrains. Forty-five. Deal."

You weren't exactly sure what you had gotten yourself into, with Cid it really could be anything, but if it meant that you could earn a little money for your squad, then you could handle it.

...Or at least, you thought you could, up until the first night.

You stared into the mirror in the refresher. Hands clutched onto the counter, letting the water run from the faucet. Your stomach was in knots, and you felt like you were moments away from vomiting all over the red satin evening gown Cid was making you wear to "entice the crowd."

There was a quiet knock on the door, and you heard Omega call your name from the other side. "Are you okay?"

"No, not really." You admitted.

You begrudgingly opened the door, hoping she was alone, and to your delight, she was.

She gasped when she saw you, her eyes lit up when she saw your dress, but then her expression dropped when she noticed the look on your face, she knew you were scared but she didn't understand why.

"You don't really seem like the type to get stage fright."

You let out a feeble laugh, "Well, I am."

"Do you want me to get Hunter?" She took a step back, preparing to run to him.

You shook your head, "No. I don't want him to see me like this. I just... I don't do well in front of people anymore."

"Anymore?" She repeated.

"I uh... There was a time where this was what I did; moonlighting as a bar singer to pay the bills."

"So what happened?"

"There were some... unfriendly people in the crowd. They didn't like what I was doing, kept heckling me, and I let it get to me. After that, I never wanted to sing in front of a crowd again."

Omega gently took your hand, "But this time will be different. We'll be there, and if anyone tries to say anything, we'll make sure it's the last thing they say."

You couldn't help but laugh at the sentiment. There was something highly amusing about Omega making threats, her brothers had definitely rubbed off on her.

With a final sigh, you turned off the faucet. "Fine, let's get this over with."

Omega walked with you toward the bar. You could hear the dull roar of the crowd that Cid was able to amass, and the knots returned to your stomach. It wasn't just ten or twenty people. No, the bar was full.

"Oh, kriff." You said silently, scanning the crowd.

As you scanned, your heart sounded against your chest, threatening to break through, but as your eyes wandered to the front near the platform, your stomach untied itself.

A pair of warm, brown eyes gazed back at you. Eyes you had looked into countless times, eyes that had seen you in some of your worst moments, and in some of your best. Hunter's eyes.

He looked you up and down when he saw you, admiring the dress you wore, though he would only admit to you that the visual of you in that dress had caused his mouth to go dry.

"Wow! Look at you!" Wrecker's voice boomed over the idle chatter of the patrons, drawing your attention away from Hunter. "You've never dressed up before!"

"I believe her attire was chosen in order to help Cid meet her target revenue. It does not seem like something she would have chosen herself."

"It wasn't my intention to dress up at all," you countered Wrecker, agreeing with Tech.

"Still! You look nice!"

You smiled at Wrecker's compliment before meeting Hunter's gaze once more. His mouth was slightly opened like he was going to say something, but nothing came out.

"She cleans up well, doesn't she?" Crosshair said quietly, smirking beside him. "Might want to pick your jaw up from the floor."

Hunter shot him a warning look at his brother, who responded by shaking his head, smirk still plastered on his lips, before disappearing into the crowd.

You swallowed before stepping onto the platform.

"H-Hello, everyone," you greeted into the mic. "Who's ready to hear some Sy Snootles?"

No reaction.

"Sorry, that was a joke..." You clarified. A few people then laughed, likely out of pity.

Nerves continued bubbling up in your stomach until you met eyes with Hunter again, and you could feel them fizzling away.

He gave you an encouraging nod and you inhaled deeply before the music began.

The next few minutes were a blur.

You were certain that your voice was shaking as you sang, that you were out of key, that you weren't breathing correctly, that something had gone wrong, but when the music ended, the audience had filled the bar with applause.

You had half a mind to pinch yourself to ensure you weren't dreaming. Instead, you looked around at everyone before you noticed the proud look on Hunter's face.

"Thank you," you said into the mic. "I'll do a couple more, if that's alright."

The next song was met with more of the same reaction, and when you took another look at the audience, you could see there were even more people.

Cid must be happy. You thought to yourself.

For the last song of your night, you had decided to choose a song that meant a lot to you. One that you had shown to Hunter on your first actual date.

You kept your eye on him as soon as the music started. You saw the realization in his eyes fade into adoration. A smile tugged at his lips as you began to sing.

Omega looked at you, then up at Hunter, smiling to herself while shaking her head.

When the song ended, Hunter was the first to applaud. He started walking toward the platform, followed by his brothers, as you had thanked the audience and stepped off.

Cid reminded everyone that they can still have a shot with the karaoke machine at a price of two credits per song. The majority of the patrons decided to stay and sing for themselves.

She walked toward you and the Batch, patting your shoulder. "Well, you did it, Screwdriver. You made me a ton of money. How would you feel about making this a weekly thing? Forty-five percent of the profits each time?"

"Maybe a monthly thing." You told her, still feeling a little nauseated from the whole event.

"Too bad, I think Bandana here would be our top paying customer to hear you sing every week." She laughed and walked back to pour some drinks.

"I–I" Hunter stammered.

"Aww, he's flustered!" Wrecker shouted, making Hunter feel even more embarrassed as he tried to shut his brother up.

"You are indicating high levels of dopamine and serotonin, and your face appears to be flushed. Wrecker's analysis is correct." Tech smirked to himself, adjusting his goggles.

"If I didn't already know, I'd say you've got a crush." Crosshair joined in the teasing.

"No, I–"

Your eyes widen slightly when Hunter denies it. You were a little past the "crushing" phase of your relationship, but it was still a strange outburst. He wasn't the best at expressing how he was feeling, and you could tell the teasing wasn't helping. Plus, him getting so flustered over you put a smile on your face.

"I think we should leave them alone," Omega suggested. "At least for now, we can tease them later."

Hunter looked sheepishly at you. "Let's go outside."

You nodded, and he took you by the hand, leading you into the alleyway.

You barely got two steps out before his lips crashed into yours.

He held onto your waist tightly, afraid that if he let go, you'd float away. Your hands found themselves tangles in his hair as you returned the kiss.

"I'm sorry," He said, after his lips left yours. "I didn't mean to say no to that, I just.."

He sighed and shook his head.

"Their teasing doesn't normally get to me, but when you're looking like that, and singing like that, I didn't know what to say."

"Hunter, it's okay, I'm not mad." You assured him. "I thought it was cute that you were blushing so much."

He looked at you with a warm smile, "You didn't really give me much of a choice. The way you sang, the song, the audience cheering for you. I was just... I'm so proud of you. And the dress, I know you didn't pick it for yourself, but red suits you."

"Does it? Maybe I'll keep it then."

He smiles at you then caresses your face with the soft touch of his hand. His eyes met yours, it looked like he was searching for something but you didn't know what.

"I love you." He said after a brief silence.

"You... what?" Neither of you had said that yet in your relationship. You felt it, but it never seemed like the right time.

"I love you." He repeated, his voice still as clear and sure as it was the first time.

"Hunter... I love you too." Your arms wrapped around him as you buried yourself in his chest.

He hugged you back, holding your head against him.

"Hey uh..." He began.

"Hmm?"

"Think you can sing for me sometime?" His voice was quiet. He was nervous to even ask.

"I just did." You smiled.

"No, I mean... just us, no Cid, no strangers. Just me and you."

You tilted your head back to look into his eyes. "Whenever you'd like."

[zoeykallus]

Hey there! I wasn’t sure if you were still taking requests, but if you are I couldn’t help but send one. How about Hunter when he’s having sensory overload and the reader is trying to comfort him. Bonus if Hunter ends up confessing his crush on the reader at the end! Thanks so much and I hope you are having a great day ❤️

Aloha! Yes, I still take requests, and I'm still behind with them 😅 Sorry for the wait! Hope I can make up for it!

Hunter x Reader One-Shot - You Ease My Pain

Fluff/Comfort/Soft Stuff/Sensory Overload For Hunter

____________________

The boys had been on the road for a few days. This time you couldn't go with them and stayed behind. When the boys come back, they all seem tired, but Hunter in particular worries you.

His brow is furrowed, his eyes narrowed, and he keeps grabbing his forehead. Without saying much, he immediately disappears into the bathroom for a long time.

The shower runs for what seems like an eternity, as if he's trying to wash away not only dirt but stress. His brothers already know this phenomenon and keep some distance. But you worry.

As Hunter emerges from the shower, clad in fresh garments, already dressed in his sleeping clothes he says, "I don't want to hear or see anything for at least the next eight hours"

An approving low murmur goes around and Hunter retreats to the room he currently occupies in Cid's establishment.

Questioningly, you look at his brothers, in particular Tech, who senses you looking at him and looks up from his datapad.

"Can I help you?" he asks matter-of-factly, politely, adjusting his goggles.

"Is Hunter okay?"

Tech makes my deliberative hand gesture and says, "Yes and no."

You raise your eyebrows questioningly and Tech continues, "In the last few days we've been on planets and in places that were either very busy or very run down, we've been in constant activity with little sleep and, for someone like Hunter, exposed to a considerable amount of sensory overload. He probably has migraine-like headaches and generally feels drained"

"Oh," you say quietly, "The poor guy."

Wrecker says smiling, "It's not easy for him, but he'll recover, he always does. He just needs some rest"

When you are in your own room in the evening, the thought of Hunter suffering just won't leave you alone. You walk up and down the room, think for a while, and finally decide to go and see him.

You gently knock on his room door.

Hunter sounds annoyed as he calls out, "Come in."

When you go in, Hunter is lying on his bed in the semi-darkness, one arm over his face, eyes special, one leg hanging out of the bed, he is only partially covered and he still seems tense.

He hasn't seen who comes in, only heard the door open and growls, "I hope for your sake it's important."

Then you see his head move a little and he takes a deep breath. Suddenly, he pulls his arm away from his face and pulls his leg up onto the bed and covers himself properly. You realize that he recognized you by your smell, somehow that was creepy and exciting at the same time.

His words are reprimanding, but his expression and voice are soft as he says, "I thought I said I didn't want to be disturbed for the next eight hours."

You smile apologetically and say, "I know, I'm not here to disturb you either. I brought you some tea and some fruit, you need vitamins".

Hunter blinks in surprise.

"Thank you," he says quietly as you place the items on the small nightstand for him.

"You're welcome."

You dim the light a little more.

"Actually, you should be in the dark all the way, because of your headache" you say thoughtfully.

Hunter sighs softly and explains, "I can't. When I'm overstimulated like I am now, my sense of smell and hearing overreacts when I close my eyes, or it's too dark. And the other way around. I hear people talking outside on the street, I smell the unwashed Weequay downstairs in the bar…. It's hard to fall asleep and get to rest."

You carefully sit down on the edge of the bed, reach your hands out to his head, and gently ask, "May I?"

Again Hunter blinks in surprise, not sure what you have in mind, but he seems to trust you because he nods and says, "Uh, okay, sure."

Your fingers gently move to his temples and begin to gently massage them. Blinking, he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

"That feels good. Can you do that for the next eight hours?"

You have to chuckle and say, "I'm happy to do this for as long as I can, I just don't know if I can last eight hours."

His eyes are still closed, but a smile spreads across his lips.

"I'm grateful for every minute," he finally says softly, "Besides, you're the only one I smell now, and that's by far my favorite scent"

You feel warmth creep up your face.

"I'm your favorite scent?"

Hunter's eyes open and widen, he looks a little startled, like he just realized what he said.

"Well, um, yeah, I guess you could say that."

He clears his throat, closes his eyes again and says softly, "Sorry, that probably comes across as creepy to you"

"No," you say softly, "I kind of like the idea. I've always wondered, since I've known how sharp your senses are, how you perceive me"

Hunter's eyes open again, and he looks directly at you, your fingers pause for a moment, you sense he is about to tell you something important.

"Your presence has always eased any suffering for me and attracted me magnetically".

You smile and lower your eyes shyly when you feel his hands on yours.

"Would you stay here for a while? I feel better when you are near me," he speaks softly.

You nod and reply just as quietly, "I'd love to."

Hunter slides to the side and makes a welcoming hand gesture. You kick off your shoes and lie down next to him. Almost automatically, your hands find each other and your fingers intertwine.

Hunter gently kisses your forehead.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

He asks with a smirk, "Shall we share the fruit?"

Returning the smirk, you say, "Sounds good to me."

Ko-Fi (If you feel like giving me some coffee)

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[crosshairlovebot]

woven comforts / hunter x gn!reader

pairing: hunter x gn!reader (no y/n). reader has a nickname.

description: hunter comes home after a long day, and you're there - as always.

word count: 1,309

warnings: none. it's soft hunter at his softest.

this is a request from a lovely twitter mutual who asked for some cozy post-work relaxation/stress relief! i got a little carried away and actually wrote two pieces for this. this is the second one because I didn't think the first was cozy enough! but I will definitely still post the other one because I love it too. soft hunter is so nice to write. i hope you enjoy it!

also posted this on ao3. feedback is welcomed, reblogs are appreciated.

The Pabu sun streamed in and warmed the side of your face as you scrolled through the datapad on your lap. You heard the front door open and close from your spot on the couch, and you smiled when you turned and saw Hunter stroll in, his body slightly hunched.

“Hey,” you stood up, placing the datapad on the caf table. “You’re back later than I thought.”

Hunter stretched his neck out, eyes drifting closed before he forced them open again. “A couple of the boats broke down before they left the dock, slowed us down.” He smiled tiredly at you after running a hand down his face.

“Sounds stressful,” you commented before meeting him in the open kitchen.

Hunter shook his head, downplaying and evading his troubles as he often did. “It was nothing.” He moved closer to hold your arms and gave a lingering kiss on your cheek. “How was your day?”

“Fine,” you smiled, leaning into his kiss. He kept holding you, like if he didn’t he wouldn’t be able to stand upright. You took his hands as you surveyed his appearance. The bandana that kept his hair in check was askew, and his hair was knotted from the sea breeze. His clothes lightly smelled like sweat and the brine of the ocean, and his strong hands were slightly red and his palms calloused. He needed to relax, but he would never ask for it. You tucked some tangled hair behind his ear. “Why don’t you go shower and change, and I’ll make you some food?”

“It’s my turn to cook tonight,” he protested weakly.

“Don’t worry about that,” you said, cupping his cheek with one hand and kissing the other. “Just go and clean up, cyare.”

Hunter smiled, evidently too tired to argue and softened by the endearment. He pulled you in for a gentle kiss that almost made you forget your name before pulling away from you and going to shower. You smiled as you heard the door close and the water turn on.

The water running quickly became a comforting kind of white noise as you made Hunter a sandwich with the Pabu’s famous seeded bread that he loved so much. You just finished cutting the sandwich diagonally when you heard the water shut off and the bathroom door open a few minutes later. Hunter emerged with loose pants hanging low on his hips and a sleeveless undershirt, wet hair stuck to the skin around his collarbones and neck. He looked a little more refreshed, his tattooed face a little brighter as he ran the towel over his wet hair.

“Better?”

“Much,” he draped the towel around his neck as you pushed the plate with the sandwich across the bench. He smiled at you with such gratitude you would’ve thought you had done more than just make him a snack. “Thank you,” he took the plate.

You returned the smile. “You’re welcome.”

You poured him a glass of cool water and then you both made your way over to the couch to sit down. You pulled your legs up under you to face him as he leaned forward to eat over the plate he’d placed on the caf table. You watched the tendons in his neck move as he took a bite, he hummed in enjoyment, making you smile. “Good?”

He nodded. “Thank you,” he repeated after swallowing. “Tell me about your day?” he asked eyes meeting yours in genuine curiosity as he took another bite.

You launched into a retelling of your day; a trip to the market and the bakery for the bread with Omega before dropping her off to help Tech and Phee with cataloguing the Archium, then helping an elderly neighbour with her pruning since her hands often locked up before coming home and tidying things up after Omega stayed with you both last night. She tended to hop around to each of her brothers’ bungalows, but this was her home base.

Hunter listened intently as he ate. You watched him as you spoke, almost getting distracted by the way his hair fell in his face as he leaned over the plate so it would catch any crumbs. You reached out and placed some damp hair behind his ear, curling it gently. These moments between you were so practised that you often didn’t notice them anymore. Both of you just moving with each other automatically. You didn’t notice touching Hunter’s hair, softly running your fingers through it. You didn’t notice when he offered you a bite of his sandwich wordlessly, and you took one mid-sentence, covering your mouth as you talked around it while he took a bite where you just did.

There was an ease with Hunter that meant these moments, however insignificant, made up the pattern of your intertwined lives. Both of you weaved together effortlessly as if you were always meant to.

After Hunter finished eating and his glass of water was empty, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and leaned back on the couch, closing his eyes. You shuffled closer and ran your fingernails over his scalp. “Today was pretty tiring, huh?”

Hunter peeked open an eye and nodded. “Since Shep opened up the surrounding islands for settlement, there’s always shipments coming and going, things to load and unload. Today felt longer than others.”

You smiled sympathetically. “You’re doing good, you’re a great help to everyone.”

Hunter smiled and reached to grab the hand resting in your lap, squeezing it as his thumb caressed the back of it. “Thanks, mesh’la.”

You smiled and gently tugged him closer and guided his head down, so his head could lay down in your lap. As soon as he realised what you were trying to do, he scooted down so he was comfortable and closed his eyes, sighing with content. You chuckled and looked down at him. “Comfortable?”

“Extremely.”

You laughed again and continued running your fingers through his damp locks, which were already starting to curl up as they dried in the setting sun’s heat that permeated the bungalow.

Instead of talking, you let him rest, watching his rest rise and fall. You adjusted yourself carefully under him, angling his head slightly so you had more access to his hair. You combed through it gently with your fingers before sectioning it in two, and then into three smaller sections on each side, braiding his hair. You softly tugged the hair as you weaved the strands together, watching his face and body slowly relax from the movement of your hands against his scalp. He loved it when you played with his hair. It soothed him in a way nothing else did.

You finished off one side before starting on the other, and by the time you were done with the braids, Hunter was asleep, his breathing deep and even. You smiled, gently brushing the bare side of his face with the back of your fingers, warmth filling your chest at the sleeping man of yours. You were glad he could finally rest.

Hunter stirred a little from the touch, reaching up to cradle your hand to his face.  He cracked one eye open. He was always a light sleeper.

“Sorry, go back to sleep,” you whispered, gently caressing his cheek with your thumb.

“Closer,” he mumbled still half asleep, tugged your hand, making you smile.

You both readjusted, him lifting his head so you could get out from under him before he pulled you down, so you lay with him, head resting on his chest. Hunter’s arms went around you, one of his hands running up and down your arm as if soothing himself back into a slumber. You relaxed too, his steady heartbeat under your ear. Soon, his touch stilled, turning limp as he fell asleep again. You smiled before closing your eyes too.

thank you for reading! i have a few requests to get through so keep a look out for more soft clone pieces!

banner art by @vimse

taglist: @starrylothcat @sinfulsalutations @moodymisty @nahoney22 @seriowan @thrawns-babygirl @bobaprint @nobody-expects-the-inquisitorius @crosshairsnose @wreckerswife @leavingkamino @jesseeka @thegalaxys-edge @snarky-mans-gf @mylifeisactuallyamess @cloned-eyes @chopper-base @wenalena @bluebird-dreams @pb-jellybeans @a-streakofblue @rexamongthestars @r2d2staser @theawkwardartist12 @freesia-writes

please let me know if you'd like to be removed/added

i'm gonna make a taglist form one of these days trust

[freesia-writes]

Ch 34: Attack

Master List ~~ Previous Chapter ~~ WC: 3.4k Fanart by @autistic-artistech!!

Hunter slipped silently through the door of Lyra’s cottage, knife in one hand to brace his blaster in the other as he scanned the hallway, sharp eyes moving constantly. He stepped slowly, avoiding the creaky spots of the wooden floor that he didn’t realize he’d memorized. As he peeked around the corner to the main room, he froze, dumbstruck.

Lyra was tied to a chair in the middle of her own living room, tears on her cheeks illuminated by the glow of her fireplace, and Luciana loomed above her with a menacing glare. 

“Where is it?” she hissed, fist clenched at her side. As she turned, a rush of adrenaline pumped through Hunter’s veins as he spotted a blaster in her other hand. 

“I told you I don’t have it,” Lyra whimpered.

“First you said the evidence was in the safe. Then there was no safe. Now you’re saying someone else has it. You think I don’t know who? You’re stalling, and I’m sick of it!”

Lyra remained silent, eyes tightly shut in hopeless despair.

“Hunter’s not coming to save you,” Luciana taunted with smug satisfaction. Her beautiful features were contorted into rage, her typically bright smile twisted in a sinister grin. “He’s going to be busy for quite a while. You’re going to talk one way or the other, so stop wasting time. If you don’t have the evidence, where is your daughter?”

Pain and fear emanated from Lyra’s helpless form.

“Where is your daughter?” Luciana demanded. “I know you went to find her on Keytoll. Then you two both ‘died’, or so you led them to believe, until you showed up here. So where is she?”

A minute shake of the head was the only response. 

Luciana slapped her across the face. 

“Where’s Breslin?!” she screamed, poking the blaster closer. Lyra slowly raised her head, finally meeting Luciana’s blazing eyes with her own, and took a shuddering breath. A sudden stillness settled over her, and her voice was low as she spoke with clarity and conviction.

“I’ll never tell you.”

“Agh!” Luciana yelled in frustration, lowering the blaster to her side and clawing at the ropes to free Lyra from the chair before yanking her to her feet with a sharp tug on her bicep. “Get up! You’re going to take me to her or I’m going to start shooting you to pieces little by little!” She pushed her forward sharply toward the hallway where Hunter was watching, tense and ready. As he leaned out slightly, hoping to de-escalate the situation, both women spotten him with a gasp. 

“Oh, babe, you’re supposed to be enjoying your massage,” Luciana taunted, her voice now sickly sweet. 

“Give me the blaster,” he said, his own fixed on her above his knife. 

“Afraid I can’t do that, sweetheart.” She let out a disconcertingly sinister giggle, then jerked Lyra back toward her, looping an arm around her shoulders to brace her against her chest. She lifted the blaster to Lyra’s temple, pressing it into the skin beside her tightly-clenched eyes. “Your pathetic girlfriend here has something for me.”

“We don’t need to do it this way,” Hunter said smoothly. He was the perfect voice of reason, completely unfazed with effortless stability, but his sharp eyes were on her like a hawk. “Let her go and we’ll sort it out.”

“You know I don’t like being told what to do,” Luciana taunted, squeezing Lyra more tightly and shoving her a step forward. “Now get out of the way or I’ll make you.”

“Hey,” Hunter said softly, not looking away from Luciana. The warmth in his tone coaxed Lyra to open her eyes, finding his stoic face immediately. “I know you can make me. You threw me over your shoulder at the farmer’s market,” he said quietly, eyes darting for a split second to Lyra before returning to the threat. “When we were promoting the self defense workshop where we taught how to get out of holds.”

He saw Lyra tense, and he could have staggered beneath the sheer wave of panic that radiated from her. He could feel it all – her hesitation, her terror, her disbelief, and the single flicker of hope that signaled her intent. Slowly nodding his head, he began calculating his shot. 

“Cute. Too bad this sorry bag of bones didn’t–”

Lyra released her knees and dropped her full weight without warning. Luciana’s arm smacked her chin as she fell, but she was on the floor in an instant. Hunter moved immediately.

A blue flash of light. 

Luciana dropped. 

Lyra gasped. 

A second passed.

Hunter emerged from the hallway, sheathing his knife and holstering the blaster. He took Luciana’s from where it had landed beside her motionless form and set it on the table behind him as he quickly kneeled in front of Lyra, whose body wracked with involuntary trembles. 

“You alright?” he asked. A ridiculous question.

“No.”

A flicker of a smile touched his face. “I mean, are you hurt anywhere? Did she do anything else to you?”

“No,” came the small reply. She rubbed her arms where they’d been tied, then clasped her hands together in front of her, pressing her lips to them as she tried and failed to regain her composure, unable to meet his eyes.

He waited for a moment, awkwardly hovering on his knees, and reached out a tentative hand to touch her arm. Lyra finally looked at him, innumerable emotions flying across her face, and her clumsy rush to collapse into his arms knocked him onto his butt, legs splayed to keep his balance. He shifted his back against the wall, slowly opening his arms around her as she tucked herself into a pathetic little ball and she dissolved into tears against him.

He rested his face against the top of her head and remained silent, mind racing and body buzzing. Her familiar floral scent slipped into his awareness, its subtle sweetness a stark contrast to the sorrow and fear and alarm radiating from her. He took a deep breath, silently inviting her to do the same as he emanated security and calm, and he felt the slightest bit of tension subside.

They sat that way for a while, Lyra doing her best to reign in the sobs that wracked her body, yet Hunter could sense the outpouring of grief that seemed not only about Luciana’s attack, but about everything. He acknowledged the ache in his own chest as he felt her cold body nestled against him, and tendrils of warmth and yearning drifting up from deep in his core. He hugged her closer, turning to rest his lips against her hair, and closed his eyes. 

He would be there as long as she needed. 

.

Artwork by @autistic-artistech -- go love on it HERE! And shout out to @noblelightfighter for mentioning the self-defense move of dropping to the ground coming in handy later (because I changed this scene and added it based on that genius comment, LOL).

.

Minutes ticked by, punctuated only by the occasional shudder or sniff from Lyra where she’d nestled into his front. Eventually, she settled enough to push away and sit up, wiping her eyes and refusing to meet his gaze.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, picking herself up and offering him a hand, which he took and nimbly climbed to his feet. She slowly returned the chair to its place at the dining table, then stood still, arms hanging at her sides as she stared blankly at the floor.

“You’re okay,” he said softly, approaching with hands slightly out to his sides. “Want to sit?“ He beckoned toward the couch. She nodded and set herself in the middle of it, still in a daze. He was inexplicably drawn to her, feelings of compassion and protectiveness swelling in his chest, and sat tentatively beside her as she leaned forward to bury her face in her hands.

“What a mess,” she lamented. “I am so sorry to have dragged you into all of it.“

“Yeah…” he said, anxious at how his own potentially ill-timed attempt at humor would be received. “You should have warned me.”

A laugh burst out of her at the ridiculousness of it all, forcing its way past the heavy layers of shock and surprising her as it came out. She looked up at him, the lines in her face seeming to deepen, and he stretched an arm across the back of the couch behind her as a gentle invitation. A moment of hesitation held her back, as though she were deciding if she were worthy of his sympathy or not, but eventually she nestled against his side with a visible release of tension.

“I’ve missed you so much,” she admitted, turning her face away in shame. “I wish I’d done things differently. I really screwed everything up.”

“We both did.”

The fact rested heavily between them, weaving together common threads of trust and preservation that they’d relied upon their entire lives. Hunter sighed. 

“There’s a bounty hunter on my floor,” Lyra noted, staring at Luciana’s unconscious form. Hunter followed her glance, shaking his head in disbelief. How had he been fooled so completely? The entire thing felt like an odd sort of nightmare, and in the vulnerability of the current moment, adrenaline having flooded both of them entirely, he was floored by the depth of his desire to “return to normal”. But what was normal? As he pulled Lyra a little closer, feeling her heart beating against his ribcage, a sense of longing steadily grew stronger as all the ill-fitted stresses of the last few months began to fade.

“She’s a bounty hunter?” he said, returning to the issue at hand.

“Apparently. She snuck into my house and wrestled me into the chair, demanding that damn evidence I had from so long ago. I panicked… I didn’t know what to do. I tried to stall her but she was getting crazy… Then I remembered that little button you gave me, for Omega originally… So I told her it was the release for a safe, and she pressed it, but when she started looking for the safe, she knew I had lied.”

“She was hired to get that old stuff from you?”

“Yeah. She tracked me here… years ago! It was terrifying that she was here all along, but apparently she was waiting for me to lead her to Breslin, because the bounty for both of us was much larger.”

“So she tracked you to Keytoll and tried to have you captured there…” he began to put the pieces together.

“Yes,” she sighed, reaching an arm around the front of his waist as though she needed all the comfort he was willing to offer. “Sorry, is this too much?” She suddenly realized her actions and sat up in a moment of alarm. 

“No,” said Hunter quietly, and grateful relief emanated from her as she resumed her position, prompting a wave of fondness within him as well. “That explains why she was so affected when she saw you here again, if she thought you two were dead…”

“Mmhmm,” she said sadly. “She reported it back to that nasty politician’s office to try to get her reward again, but apparently their patience was gone. She had to deliver or “she’d be next” or something. So the pressure was on, but she was desperate to get Breslin too.”

“She told you all this?”

“She was ranting like a crazy person when she first tied me up,” Lyra shuddered. “Angry at having to wait so long, scared of their threats, obsessed with getting what she  was ‘owed’… Ugh.” She trembled, still thoroughly shaken, and Hunter rubbed a soothing hand up and down her back.

“I suppose I was just a way to get information about you,” he muttered, but she picked herself up a bit and shook her head. 

“She could have done that easily, I would think. You were just a treat along the way.” A pathetic breathy chuckle was the best she could do, and he resisted the urge to groan aloud. 

“According to the ladies in your office, I’m more of a ‘snack’, whatever that means.”

“Food metaphors are usually positive.”

“As they should be.”

He was struck by the effortless way they settled into one another, although what would have been playful banter still felt hollow and fake, as though they were trying to recover some semblance of normalcy after a giant plot twist that definitely no one saw coming. At the same time, he didn’t want it to be fake. He found himself pining for the quiet connection, the leisurely enjoyment of the simple things in life. A ribbon of fear laced itself around his heart as he wondered if it was something they ever could have again, and the thought moved him to speak after a long silence.

“I’m a clone,” he blurted out, the fortifications around his own secrets beginning to crumble as he considered how she had truly bared her soul over and over now. Lyra opened her mouth to speak, then closed it, waiting patiently. “I was created in a lab during the war. Genetically modified and enhanced. Part of Clone Force 99. My brothers are clones too.”

“But you’re all so different,” she said.

“We were engineered with various specialties,” he explained, feeling an increasing lightness as he opened up. “We were sent on missions throughout the war, and after Order 66, we had to fend for ourselves… Find a new way to live in a changing galaxy.”

He continued on, pouring out his past as a peace offering between them. He shared about Omega. About Tech. About Crosshair. About Tantiss. All of it. By the time he finished, he was choking back his own tears at the sheer weight of all that they’d been through, and he clenched his jaw, swallowing hard.

Lyra rested against him in silence, having given him little squeezes of support at poignant moments in his story. When he stopped and remained quiet, she sat up slowly, observing his sharp features conflicted with a myriad of emotions. The depth of the concern and empathy on her face tugged at his heartstrings, and when she tentatively lifted a shaky hand to graze his cheek with the backs of her fingers, he let his eyes close for a second. She pulled away, sitting back to rub her face before dropping her hands with an exhausted stare at the flickering flames in the hearth.

“So what do we do now?” Her question hung heavily between them, as though they stood at an intersection of paths.

“Good question.”

She sighed. It was late, the glow from the planet’s moons barely penetrating the thick cloud cover, and Lyra glanced helplessly around the room as though it would give her the answer.

“What about her?” she finally asked, fear touching her face as she looked at Luciana. 

Hunter shifted slightly to free his blaster from its holster, flicking a switch on the side and raising it at the motionless pile on the ground. 

“Wait! Hunter! No!” Lyra yelled in utter panic. 

“It’s set to stun,” he reassured her, showing her the gun as though she were familiar with its components. “It’ll keep her out til morning at least.” 

With a cringe of trepidation from Lyra, he pointed it back at Luciana, flashing a few rays of the bright blue light over her body. 

“So now I’m supposed to sleep, after all that, with her in my house?” 

“She’s not waking up anytime soon,” he confirmed.

“Yeah… But still.” She twisted her hands anxiously. “I mean, I don’t think I can sleep anyway. But I also feel like I could collapse right here.”

“Mmm,” Hunter nodded. “Pretty normal response to shock.” 

Lyra stared at Luciana, gaze growing distant as she tried to have any coherent thought but just felt completely drained. She shifted in her seat, casting a sideways glance at Hunter’s knees, then slowly lifted her eyes to his face. 

“Will… Will you stay?” she asked, voice small and vulnerable. Again his chest filled with protectiveness. He hadn’t realized quite how emasculated he’d felt for the last few months, and it was deeply affirming to be reminded of his own strength and capability. “I’m sorry,” she continued. “I don’t want to be a burden. I could help you carry her to the local jail instead…” She was grasping for options, and he resisted the urge to chuckle at the mental image. 

“I could carry her myself,” he reminded her, the shadow of a smile on his lips. “But I’ll sleep here on the couch and keep an eye on her.”

“I feel bad asking anything of you,” Lyra admitted, shrinking beneath her own self-hate for all that had transpired. “I don’t deserve it, Hunter. You should be free to live your life without all this… chaos. You’ve had more than your share, and I only make it worse.”

He waited for a moment, tendrils of pity swirling around the deep affection he felt, and then responded as soothingly as he was able. His words carried more weight than he’d anticipated as he spoke them aloud.

“I’ll stay.”

She nodded, eyes glistening.

Lyra decided to try to sleep, murmuring her sheepish thanks again and bringing a little smirk to Hunter’s face as he heard the lock on her bedroom door click once she was inside. She came right back out though, moving quickly as though embarrassed at her own forgetfulness, and offered him the softest, fluffiest blanket she owned before retreating to her room again.

Hunter laid down on the couch, pulling the cover around himself until it felt as though he were wrapped in a warm hug. Everything about this place was cozy to him. But he furrowed his brow at Luciana, his mind gearing up to strategize about every possible way to deal with that whole situation. He was surprised at how little he actually felt as he reflected on their time together, especially in comparison to the profound sense of emptiness and hurt that had burdened him since Keytoll. Granted, he’d had a lot more time to put down roots with Lyra… 

None of it mattered now, though. Part of him felt insulted while other parts felt relieved, and beneath it all there was a chasm cracking open as he ruminated on the fact that he’d been so thoroughly fooled. The exhaustion was beginning to settle deep in his bones, and he tucked his head against the armrest, angling it toward Luciana’s motionless body. He forced his eyes closed, other senses working overtime in hypervigilant rebellion against the sleep he so desperately craved. It would likely be a long night.

* * * 

The first light of dawn was peeking through the windows when Hunter woke with a start, a wave of apprehension sending goosebumps across his skin. His eyes flew to where Luciana had been laying, relieved to see that nothing had changed. And yet something was different. Tuning in to everything he could sense, his pulse echoed in his ears as he waited. Something was about to happen. 

The beams of light through Lyra’s gauzy curtains were brightening at too fast a rate for a typical sunrise, and he noticed wispy tendrils dancing through them. An odd sensation gripped him, the same sort he’d experienced beneath the waterfall, and the light developed that same bluish-green hue as it streamed toward Luciana. He sat up, reaching for his weapons as he watched like a hawk. Her body was bathed in the blue light, the delicate curls fluttering across before reaching her head, where they came together and swirled around before disappearing into her body, and he saw her sides rise and fall in a deep breath. 

His hand tensed on the blaster hidden at his side.

Luciana stirred, rolling onto her stomach and pushing herself up to a seated position. Rubbing her eyes, she looked blearily around the room with a quiet groan as she stretched stiff muscles from being crumpled in the same position for so long. When her eyes landed on Hunter, a sheepish smile curved her rosy cheeks. 

“Well hi,” she said in the cutesy voice she used to endear herself to people. 

Hunter nodded, watching her every move. 

“I guess that was quite a night,” she giggled, running her fingers through her red curls to smooth them into place. “I probably should have led with this, or maybe I did, but I’m Luci.”

.

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