#Life day

[tcw-incorrect-quotes]

Cody: Uhh.. Obi-Wan just asked if I want to…  Cody: “Fell the mighty before their time and display their carcasses in our home?”  Anakin, not even looking up from his holopad: He’s asking if you wanna cut down Life Day Trees.  Cody: Oh, that makes more sense.

[stardads]

Credit: Spiky Tortoise Comics

[jedipoodoo]

So uh, not to brag or anything but I totally won Christmas

[ivystoryweaver]

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

This has been in my drafts for a year, enjoy that

Poe Dameron Masterlist | Main Masterlist

Summary: You expected your best friend to be as optimistic about Life Day as he is about everything else. But he's different this year. (This is set after the events of The Last Jedi if you're interested in the timeline)

Pairing: Poe Dameron x gn!reader

Word Count: 3.1k

Content: Poe is a sad/tipsy/handsy puppy, angst, inebriation, drinking, kissing, misunderstandings, discussions of death, probably inaccurate Life Day nonsense, friends to lovers, pining, this boy's trauma deserves some attention ok

Poe wasn't at breakfast.

He missed your morning run together.

Life Day spirit was in the air and General Organa had released as much personnel as could be managed, particularly those who celebrated.

Maybe Poe headed back to Yavin 4 without mentioning anything?

Your best friend usually told you everything, so if he left without saying goodbye...

"Have you seen Poe?" You asked a few dozen people throughout the day, even going so far as to find General Organa, pleading with her to tell you if he was off on a solo mission, or a secret one.

She assured you she had ordered no such mission.

So where was he?

Deciding to head back to your room to change for the festivities, you tried to shake off the anxiety prickling your skin. After a quick trip to the fresher, you put on your best outfit - which was basically the only thing you owned that wasn't Resistance-issued attire.

Upon checking Poe's room one final time, you reluctantly made your way to the mess hall, which, for the people remaining at the Resistance base, would serve as a dance floor.

Colorful strings of lights illuminated the dimly lit room, mismatchedbulbs from droids and ships and even various lanterns. Trinkets special to Resistance members were strung up here and there - good luck charms and souvenirs from missions - anything that would reflect and sparkle and shine.

As if holiday magic itself was guiding you, the sparkle of a familiar gold necklace glinted, catching your eye. All the sudden, there he was, sitting in a corner, surrounded by people, slurring his way through a story of battle glory.

Shit, he was already tipsy? Not good.

His dark brown eyes brightened as they landed on you.

"There you are," he laughed out, reaching out for you, suddenly ignoring the others vying for his attention. "I was just talking about you, come here."

Despite the fact that he was nestled in a corner booth, he insisted you shimmy your way to sit down beside him.

"Poe, it's okay, there's no room. I can just - "

"Nooo, 'sokay," he waved his hand dismissively before reaching up to pull on your sleeve. "Sit with me, right here. Been waiting for you."

Poe was so damn stubborn when he'd been drinking...which is how you ended up smooshed up against his side, halfway on his lap.

"You smell so good," he murmured, burying his nose behind your ear as his arm slid around your waist.

Nudging him with your shoulder, you couldn't help but smile. "How much have you had to drink? It's early."

The corner of his mouth curled knowingly as he touched his forehead to yours. "Started early. You weren't here to stop me."

Your face heated up at how flirty he seemed this evening. "What are you talking about? I've been looking for you everywhere."

"Not everywhere or you would have found me here," he shrugged, pushing his half empty drink toward you. "Gotta catch up."

"Uh, no thank you," you giggled, trying to find a comfortable sitting position that didn't land you all the way in Poe's lap. On second thought, maybe if you finished Poe's drink, you could keep an eye on what else he chose to imbibe for the rest of the evening.

"Actually, give me that." You downed it in a couple gulps, to Poe's great amusement and a whoop from your table mates.

"Okay, okay, you have to play the game too," a fellow pilot informed you, nodding to a cheap looking bottle of something or other in the middle of the table. "Truth or dare?"

You glared over at Poe. "Truth or dare? How old are we?"

"Four-hundred thirty-seven," an alien pilot opposite you teased. "Haven't played Truth or Dare since I was around two-hundred."

"Exactly," you decided to let a couple of centuries make your point.

"Come onnn, play with us," Poe breathed on your ear, goosing your ribs, which sent your backside jerking against his thigh as you shrieked in surprise. You nearly lost your balance, but Poe wrapped his arms around your torso to steady you.

"Truth or dare?" You were asked again.

With a groan, you decided on truth.

"You've hooked up with Commander Dameron," she declared. Everyone at the table leaned in, ready for your answer. You should have known.

"No, I haven't. That's the truth."

"Commander?" She challenged, fact-checking your statement with Poe.

"Don't ask me, it's not my turn," he mysteriously shrugged, which elicited some 'oooh's' and made you groan.

The game continued until it was Poe's turn. He choose truth and was posed the same question as you. His answer confirmed yours - no hookups between you. That fact didn’t stop his thumb from languidly tracing circles on your stomach as he held onto you.

On your next turn, you tried to avoid another probing question by choosing dare.

"Kiss Commander Dameron," the older alien pilot challenged. You felt a chuckle rumble in his chest.

"Fine," you shrugged, turning your head to peck him on the cheek. A chorus of 'boo's' went up, but you silenced them, letting them know they didn't specify where or how you had to kiss Poe.

So, naturally, when it was Poe's turn, he chose dare, and was dared to kiss you. On the mouth.

"Okay, time for bed," you decided, attempting to climb out of your crowded seat and off Poe's thigh, which you were certain had fallen asleep by now underneath your weight.

"Aw, don't go," Poe complained, keeping a loose hold on your wrist, but not holding you back, in case you really wanted to leave. "It won't be Life Day without you. Promise I won't kiss you."

Your eyes met his and you swore you saw a flicker of sadness dance across them. "Okay, I'll stay, but no more Truth or Dare." Hitching your thumb at your table mates you whispered, "They're ganging up on us."

"Then let's go dance," Poe proposed, releasing your wrist and clambering out of the booth and onto the dance floor. Just to make you laugh, he did a silly twirl and struck a pose before offering his hand. “Shall we?”

"Wow, you are so drunk," you cackled taking his hand and following him willingly.

You made it to the middle of the makeshift dance floor, and he pulled your hand to his chest, slipping his other arm around your waist as you began to sway to the music.

Smiling at him sweetly, you released his hand, pushing your fingers up over the exposed skin of his chest, revealed by one too many buttons unfastened. Not that you were complaining. Up your fingers traced, toying with the chain nestled there, over the smooth column of his neck. His throat bobbed under your touch.

Looping your arms around his neck, you tugged your bottom lip between your teeth, swaying back and forth with a silly, dramatic flare, which earned a chuckle from Poe. His hands found your hips and squeezed, dragging you closer until your chest pressed against his and his forehead dropped to yours.

"What is going on with you?" You murmured, heart fluttering in your chest as you attempted to keep your wits about you.

"Nothing, just...really glad you're here. Missed you today," he whispered, alcohol tinged breath ghosting your lips.

"Could've fooled me. I couldn't find you anywhere, Poe. I thought you went back home for Life Day without even telling me."

"Without you? No," he shook his head as if trying to clear the cobwebs. "Not without you. Without telling you, I mean."

“But I couldn’t find you,” you insisted, resisting the urge to toy with the curls at the base of his neck. It felt good to be close to him - to have his attention. But he wasn't in his right mind and you couldn't take advantage of your friendship. "I thought maybe you were avoiding me. I was worried."

His gaze dropped, jaw clenching as your swaying eased to a stop. "I'm sorry."

In a group, drinking and telling stories, he could keep up a festive facade but you saw right through him.

"Hey," you softly redirected his gaze back to yours. "It's Life Day. You love Life Day. Right? The tree and the lights?"

"Yeah," he whispered, eyes flickering down to your lips. "I just...I'm not feeling so festive this year."

Stepping back, you ran your palms down his arms and took his hands. "Wanna get out of here? Let's get some air. We can look at the tree."

He nodded, following your lead out into the night, gripping your hand as if you might evaporate right before his eyes if he let go.

You walked quietly for several moments, cheeks burning as a few passersby noticed you holding hands with the Commander, prompting you to finally release your hold. Without the tether, Poe’s walking slowed, turning into a listless stumble, which was how you realized he might not be in any shape to take a stroll through the woods.

Perhaps he was better off tucked into a booth, surrounded by people. The fact that you misread the situation and his needs brought a wave of trepidation and regret. You stopped walking and turned to him, pressing your palms against his chest.

It took his mind a second to catch up, so you guided him around the side of the closest building - closed for the holiday. Steadying him up against the wall, with hands on his chest once more, you apologized. “I should take you back to your room.”

Gripping your elbows, he stared at you so intently it made your knees go weak. As your body swayed into his, he wrapped his arms around you, gathering you close. Mistaking it for a hug, albeit an intimate one, you turned your head to lay it on his chest, but his mouth met yours, capturing your lips in a breathy kiss.

All the air rushed out of you as he tasted you, spreading his hand over the curve of your back and pressing and pulling you into him harder. The heat of his tongue and the solid warmth of his body consumed you utterly and you found yourself kissing him back with fervor.

The sound of voices and a clattering bottle nearby jolted you out of...whatever this was, sending you stumbling back, dazed. You felt as drunk as Poe apparently was, but from him alone rather than the half drink you’d downed.

Poe, mistaking your withdrawal as rejection, reached for your arms, murmuring, "No, no, I'm sorry, don't go."

Noticing his obvious distress, you allowed his touch, gripping his biceps through his leather jacket. "It's okay. I'm here," you breathlessly gasped, mind reeling and heart pounding. "Let me take you back."

"I don't want you to go," he whimpered, grip on your forearms tightening. "Don't be mad. I don't want...I can't - "

"Hey," you soothed, touching his cheek to direct his bleary gaze to yours. "I won't leave you. Not ever."

This seemed to appease him and he followed your lead back to his room. Your instincts seemed to somehow be way off with him tonight, and you regretted tearing him away from the fun he seemed to be enjoying before you interrupted.

Maybe it was you. Perhaps that's why he'd avoided you all day. Hot tears burned your eyes as you guided him to lie down on his bed. As he pleaded with you not to go, again, you hushed him, swearing you wouldn't.

You worked his boots off his feet before helping him sit up to remove his jacket. Climbing into bed, you wrapped your arms around him, guiding him to lie down on your lap. His distress calmed almost instantly as he murmured, "thank you" a few times, burying his nose in your tummy.

"Love you so much," he whispered so faintly, you convinced yourself he must have said something else.

Raking your fingers through his slightly damp curls, you shushed him a few times, realizing you'd never seen him like this. Tipsy? Yes. Drunk? Maybe once or twice. Handsy? Always. But broken? Not like this.

He fell asleep in minutes and only then, did you let tears escape your eyes. Before long, you felt your eyes grow heavy, so you worked your way down onto the bed, hoping not to wake Poe.

Somehow, exhaustion mingled with the pounding in your heart - from worry, from sharing Poe's bed, from the flavor of alcohol on your lips from his kiss. And from the words he uttered - things he probably wouldn't even remember.

Sleep finally came, granting you both reprieve.

The next morning, you awoke while there was barely light in the sky. Since Poe was still asleep, you decided to freshen up a bit and get him some toast and something hot to drink. You crept out of his room and back again as quietly as you could manage.

Upon your return, you were surprised to find him sitting on the edge of the bed, elbows digging into his knees and head in his hands. Dark curls tumbled over his fingers, obscuring his handsome face from you. His shoulders slumped defeatedly.

"Hey there," you softly greeted, presenting the tray of bland food and hot tea to him like an offering. "How are you feeling?"

"Like an asshole," he lamented, voice muffled by his hands.

"Well, I'm used to that," you attempted lightly. "But you had a lot to drink last night. What was that about?"

Raking his fingers down his face, he managed to face you then, eyes bloodshot and lips parched. It was kind of endearing to see him not looking completely perfect for once.

"First of all, tell me how pissed you are. I can take it." He visibly withdrew, waiting for your verdict on how he behaved last night.

"I'm not pissed," you assured him, "just really worried. Why don't you eat something and then we can talk?"

After Poe choked down some toast, you decided to swing by your room and change while he visited the fresher. You promised to return, and when you did, he was waiting for you with open arms.

Folding you close, he breathed on your ear how sorry he was, over and over, while you pressed your nose to the clean scent of his damp neck, exposed by the clean, thin shirt he wore.

Easing back, you reached to toy with the wet curls flipping out behind his ear. "What are you sorry for?"

"Where do I begin?" He scoffed, his gaze dropping. "I ruined your Life Day. I ignored you all day. Kissed you."

"So...you're sorry for kissing me," you clarified, your stomach dropping.

"Yes. No." He shook his head, confused. "I didn't want to be alone." He winced, regretting the words as they left his mouth.

Your jaw clenched as you struggled to maintain your composure. "So you're sorry for kissing me? Or you're sorry that you kissed me while you were drunk, just so you wouldn't be alone?"

Pacing away, one hand landed on his hip while the other tore through his hair. "That's not what I meant. I...I was trying to forget everything and just drink and have fun, but not with you."

Shit. Wrong wording. Again.

"So, that's why you avoided me all day." It wasn't a question. The realization of it stole your breath from your lungs and you sank down on the bed as tears burned your eyes.

"No, baby. No." Poe was quick to kneel down before you, reaching desperately for your hands. "This is...shit, this is coming out all wrong." Seeing tears pool in your beautiful, shining eyes seared his insides with guilt and shame - his companions ever since the events leading up to the Battle of Crait.

"Tell me what's going on," you whispered. "What did I do?"

"Nothing," he insisted, bringing your fingers to his lips and kissing them urgently.

"Too many people have died," he finally confessed, his head bowed and his voice a broken whisper. "It was supposed to be Life Day, but there's only death. We lost over half the fleet."

"I know."

"So many families couldn't celebrate Life Day. Too many." His eyes met yours, wet with fresh tears. "And how many of them are dead because of me?"

"Poe, we all know what we're signing up for when we join. We're all ready to give our lives, you know that. You can't possibly take the blame for what the First Order has done to us."

"There's blame enough for me to share, believe me," he insisted. "And I just couldn't hang anything on the tree yesterday and celebrate life. Not with over half of us gone."

Eyeing him sympathetically, you squeezed his hands. "Life Day isn't only about being alive. Death is a part of life. Life Day is also about remembering the dead. And part of living is grieving the dead, and sometimes feeling a little guilty that you're still here."

“But I don’t, though,” he admitted. “I’m glad I’m here, and more than that, I’m glad you’re here. You, most of all. You're the one person I don't wanna...that I can't..."

"Come here," you coaxed. Poe joined you on the bed but never let go of your hands. "You're my one person too, you know. The person I look for after every mission. The one person I need to be okay.

"It scared me so much yesterday when I couldn't find you," you went on.

"I'm so sorry," he repeated, rubbing his thumbs over your knuckles. "Please don't hate me for yesterday. It's been a long time since I had that much to drink. I know it's no excuse for what I did."

"So you don't remember, then...what you said?" You should have known Poe would only kiss you and utter heartfelt confessions when he was wasted.

Releasing your hand, he titled your chin up to meet his gaze. "I know what I said. I do love you. Always have." A nervous, breathless laugh escaped his perfect lips. "But I understand, you know, if you don't - "

You silenced him, pressing your mouth to his for a tender kiss. "Believe me. I do."

The sadness lingering behind his eyes started to seep away, replaced by a flicker of hope. "Is there any way we could re-do yesterday?" He proposed, tracing the shape of your jaw. "I only have one meeting today."

"That sounds perfect," you agreed, leaning into his touch.

Hand in hand, you visited the Life Day tree, said the prayers, remembered those lost. Then you had something to drink with friends - just one though, before dancing and laughing all evening.

When he kissed you this time, he meant to do it, and everyone saw it. And when you walked back to his room, he asked you to stay. And you did. Every night.

1000 Follower/Holiday Celebration Masterlist

Poe Dameron Masterlist | Main Masterlist

[lonewolflupe]

DAY 25 | Life Day with Torrent Company for everyone <3 Advent Calendar and some ramblings below the cut (:

MERRY LIFE DAY / CHRISTMAS!

Dear Tumblr clone community,

Wishing you all a very merry Life Day / Christmas; seasonal greetings from Torrent Company (and me!) to ALL of you! And if you don’t celebrate, I wish you’re just having some nice days to rest, be with whomever you’d like to be, and do whatever you want to do! <3

This one’s for all my mutuals, followers and interactors!

I appreciate all of you and I wish I could have made every single one of you a personal piece of art for my Advent Event! I can’t express how much your support has meant to me the past few months. I entered the Tumblr-stage when I wanted to see all the lovely TBB art and theories when the final season was being aired. It took me a while to find my courage to start interacting, but I got encouraged to start writing fanfiction and drawing clone art. I even got myself a drawing screen and I’ve been more excited about drawing than I’ve ever been before in my life!

So to all of you: thank you so much for all your support. Every reblog, comment, like, mention; it encourages me to keep drawing and writing, but it also makes me feel so welcome here! I can’t wait to see what 2025 will bring (creatively wise)!

Happy Holidays!

Love, Lupe

This is the last piece of my Advent Event; I’ll probably get the masterpost out tomorrow. Although this is the final piece of the event, I will probably do a few more pieces in this style/layout. That’s because there are a few people I wish I could have fit into the calendar, but 24 days were most definitely not enough to appreciate all of you! (Also I started interacting with some of you after I had already planned out the calendar..) So stay tuned for some bonus pieces! <3

day 24 | ↓ Advent Event info | Advent Event Masterlist

[faretheeoscar]

Happy Life Day 🎄

Buy me a coffee! • Linktree • Commisions Open!

This trend I kept seeing on Twitter and on IG pushed me to do it with my guy Poe 🙈

Hope y’all have a wonderful time in the holidays! I promise to get back soon to read all the wonderful things you’ve tagged me in and messaged me!

[tlmtwelve]

Banner by @lonewolflupe

@galactic-gift-gathering : Gift for @nerdyduckrants

Prompt: Life Day/Christmas

(Wrecker's just trying to help! 😁)

[dingoat]

Little Life Day gift for @storyknitter <3 thank you always for your support!

[thesassypadawan]

Home For Life Day (Knight Obi-Wan x WifeReader)

Summary: It’s the night before Life Day and all through the house.  Not a creature was stirring, except you…whose waiting on that hopeful arrival.  (Inspired by and pairs well with *NSYNC’s Home For Christmas)

Warnings: Contains fluff, fluff, and more fluff!

Notes: Happy Life Day, lovelies! ❤️💚

riduur = wife/husband/spouse; cyar’ika = darling, sweetheart; ba’vodu = uncle; kar’tayl gar darasuum = love you

- “You can light the fire for me, darling…  I’ll be home, promise…”

- Sighing softly to yourself, you turned off the comlink.  You’d received the message in the early hours of the morning, listening to it over and over.  Feeling yourself fill with hope and excitement…anticipation.  However, as the hours ever so slowly crept by and the sunny rays of day faded into the purple hues of twilight…quietly extinguishing into the dark blanket of night.  So too did your faith that he would make it in time.

- But perhaps…maybe so…

- Shedding the snug fitting dress, you shrug on the tunic left behind from his last extended stay.  Surrounding yourself with his familiar, comforting scent; inhaling and exhaling in delight.  A gentle smile forming at the corners of your mouth, noticing the way it settles and stretches over your ample bump.  Knowing that soon enough…

- “Come on, little one,” you whisper.  Running a hand over, chasing after the tiny flutters with your fingers.  “There’s still some baking to be done…you can be my taste tester.”

- Carefully you maneuvered down the few steps in your cozy house.  Smile growing while you pause in the doorway of the now silent, tranquil living room.  Watching for a moment or two at how snow falls outside the window…how the flakes catch and glimmer in the glow globes’ warm light, the orange cast from the blazing hearth.  Then finally waddling towards the small kitchen, where a pot of something sweet and cinnamony simmers.

- Buzzing, flittering all about.  Diligently gathering up the last remaining ingredients, you eventually come to hover over the rickety stove.  Swaying back and forth slightly, humming a tune your mother sung during this special time of year. 

- So swept, caught up in your own thoughts; blissfully stirring away.  You don't even hear the front door creak open, let alone the two (then one) set of footsteps thumping loudly down the cramped hallway.  Until…

- Strong arms wind around your waist; settling beneath, cradling the swell of your stomach.  Rich, silken voice fills the aromic air; muttering lovingly from above.  “Whatever you're making smells absolutely delicious.”

- A string of giggles bubbles up from your throat as he leans down to nuzzle the side of your neck.  The scruff of his not so neatly trimmed beard tickling, sending sparks through you.  That smile of yours widening even further still.  “You’re favorite…what else did you expect?”

- “How did I get so lucky?”  Chuckling against; lavishing your skin with tender kisses, nipping occasionally at that one spot.  His palm glides, follows the curve of your belly.  Rubs soothing circles along the way, series of weak kicks trailing behind in its’ wake.  “I truly don’t deserve such a wonderful riduur.”

- Abandoning the spoon, your hand reaches up and behind.  Fingers tangling and burying in his shaggy, auburn locks; nails scratching lightly.  “Hush, cyar’ika.  You do; everything good in this galaxy, the next.  Including me and-”

- “Master, help…I’m out numbered!”  A certain lanky teen comes abruptly stumbling in.  Expression of mischief and joy plastered on his face; despite a grinning child hanging from each of his limbs, a fifth riding on his back…and, lastly, a sixth speedily crawling after.  “I stopped to admire the glow orbs and…they ambushed me!”

- “Play with us, ba’vodu!”  They chorus and laugh, holding tightly to his baggy clothes.  “Yeah, play with us, Uncle Ani!”

- Tilting your head, you exchange a knowing look with one another.  The very same as always…as that faithful day you two first met, when you started this amazing journey together.  The one that speaks volumes, silently says…kar’tayl gar darasuum.

- Before turning both your attentions back to your beautiful, incredible family.  “Happy Life Day…  It’s good to have everyone home…”

Tag List: @cacti5539, @espinathena-17

[leenathegreengirl]

Day 3 - Hunter, Nez, Omega (ft. Gungi)

Life comes in many forms, and family holds its own unique meaning for each person. On the third day of this celebration, we dive into what family truly means and all the emotions and connections that come with it. Hunter and Omega make quite the pair—the ex-soldier often acting more like a father figure than a brother—so as Nez grows closer to the old Sarg, the dynamic with Omega is beginning to shift. This holiday season really brought that connection to life! I hope you enjoy their heartwarming festivities, along with the visit from a special friend who joined in on the celebration!

(Ao3 Link if you prefer that formatting!)

Event Masterlist

(Special thank you my very dear friend and creative partner @legacygirlingreen for making this event possible! She is the beautiful mind behind ALL the writing, design layout, post editing and song selections!)

💚Tag List💚

@legacygirlingreen @thora-sniper @thecoffeelorian @neyswxrld @somewhere-on-kamino @clonethirstingisreal @royallykt @morerandombullshit @burningfieldof-clover @tbnrpotato @keantha @returnofthepineapple @justanotherdikutsimp @antisocial-mariposa @techs-stitches @resistantecho @kimiheartblade @dezgate @sunshinesdaydream

[short-wooloo]

Disney needs to take advantage of the fact that they own Star Wars and Home Alone and make a disney+ SW short film that is basically "Home Alone set in SW" where a group of Jedi younglings are accidentally left alone in a temple during Life Day and must defend it from thieves using shenanigans, trickery, traps, and the Force

[writersnook11]

I'd Wait Forever

Life Day Exchange 2024

@lonewolflupe @cloneficgiftexchange

Word Count: 5.5k+

Warnings: 18+ but no smut, no use of Y/N, SFW, grief, mentions of death and lack of closure, denial, angst, mentions of corruption, mentions of Order 66, emotional reunion, fluff, kisses, holiday activities, mentions of a tiny square box with a very specific purpose

Summary: After Fives’ death, you’re not sure what to do with yourself. Your last conversation with Fives left you confused, scared, and reeling with its implications. You learn to live with your grief, and when the Republic is replaced by the Empire, you decide to leave Coruscant. You move to the place you and Fives had intended to live after the war, choosing to face head on what could have been. Months later, an unexpected visitor arrives.

Disclaimer: I should note I’m not 100% sure of the amount of time that passed between Fives’ death (canonically) and Order 66. In writing this I took a creative liberty in saying it was several months, please forgive me if that’s wrong. But also, this is fanfiction, so *shrug*, anything goes sometimes. I think a timeline issue in this case is a minor thing, but I at least wanted to be upfront about my doubt. I also don't know if the GAR troops were paid, but in this case they were, albeit extremely minimally.

Gift Note: Happy Holidays! Lupe, I hope you like it! I went a bit crazy with the angst but I hope the fluff makes it worth it. I read your About Me and stuck a nugget or two in there for you specifically. It's not perfect by any means, I'd edit this for months if I could. Also, I'm not sure if you use Spotify, but during the writing process I made a mood playlist/soundtrack and I'd be glad to share it with you if you're interested! Anyway happy reading, let me know what you think! <3

AI Notice: My consent to any and all use of my work in training AI is expressly withdrawn. Do not use my work in training artificial intelligence.

It had taken a matter of weeks for your world to turn upside down.

You longed for those hushed whispers of comfort, his rumbled assurance that he’d be back before you knew it. You desperately craved his arms around your waist again, holding you close and hanging on like you’d never let go, both of you warm and safe. 

Part of you didn’t believe it. How could you? He called you only hours beforehand, a rushed warning of something you couldn’t quite understand. 

Be ready to leave the second I get home, all those plans we made to move? We’re doing it now—

Fives wait—

Listen to me, okay? There’s something big happening, I can’t explain it all yet, I don’t have much time—

Fives you’re scaring me, what are you talking about? What’s happening?

Don’t be afraid, sweetheart, I’ll be home soon and we’ll get far away from here, just like we said we would.

Yeah, but that was after the war— is it over? Will it be over soon? Is that what you’re saying? 

No— I— I can’t tell you or I’d be putting you in danger.

What? You better tell me what the hell is going on, right now.

I can’t—

Fives!

A beat of silence. 

Dammit… Listen, you can’t repeat this to anyone, and I mean anyone, okay? Not Rex, not Fox, not Commander Tano, no one. Not until I give you the all clear. Got it? 

Okay, I hear you… 

The Kaminoans put something in every clone. Every clone. And it can control us. It’s an implant in our brains. Tup’s malfunctioned, that’s why—

Control you? What? Fives I’m confused—

This goes deeper than I ever thought possible. I don’t know what to— Kriff. I have to go—

Fives be safe! I can’t—

I love you baby, see you soon.

You were beyond confused and scared, but Fives was one of the best troopers in the GAR and you knew better than to doubt him. You trusted him more than anyone in the galaxy. You did as he told, if not to comfort yourself then him. 

You were waiting in the living room of your tiny Coruscant apartment, bags packed by the couch, when the Guard knocked on your door.

How could you believe them? 

This wasn’t in the plan. 

His funeral wasn’t like any you’d ever attended. It was lumped in with hundreds of his brothers fallen in combat, more like a memorial than anything. You went through the motions numbly, half-heartedly acting the part of a grief-stricken loved one because you still couldn’t bring yourself to believe it. Something in the way Fives had told you about behavioral implants, the war being fabricated; you didn’t trust many people anymore, even clones. It didn’t help that no one could meet your eye; not Rex, not Kix or any of the 501st. Maybe they felt responsible somehow. Survivor’s guilt, perhaps. You simply couldn’t believe Fives was dead. 

Weeks went by. Everyone looked at you with such sympathy. Rex even called to check in or visited when he was able, however rare that turned out to be. 

When months went by and there was still no word from Fives, you started to believe them. Maybe he was truly gone. He wouldn’t leave you this long without at least a word of comfort, even an acknowledgment or letter.

You returned to work, pouring yourself into it, saving money and filling your days as best you could while you hoped and waited to be wrong. Sometimes you’d pass by clones on shore leave, laughing and making merry. You’d see glimpses of him in his brothers, hear him in their voices. Those days you couldn’t help but wonder if any of them had known him, if they’d had a chance to hear him out. You often thought about his last days, especially the few hours after he comm’d you. Was he afraid? Angry? How deep did this go? You wanted to ask Rex, General Skywalker, anyone and everyone who was near him in his final days. Before you had the chance to speak to them again, everything Fives said to you in that call coalesced. 

The fall of the Jedi Temple, eliminated by Republic clones, and the emergence the Empire. Headlines that shook you to the core. 

You knew good and well the Jedi would never turn against the Republic, Fives had told you too much about them. You also knew just as well that the clones would never turn their backs on the Jedi without a second thought. No creature in the galaxy could meet a more loyal band of brothers. Behavioral implants suddenly made a frightening amount of sense. 

You didn’t like what this implied about the Republic, what it had been under the surface all along. When the Chancellor seemingly declared himself Emperor, you knew where the galaxy would head. You’d read too much about such governments. All too soon, free thoughts even as simple as questioning a new policy would be deemed threats to democracy, threats to the Empire. Any and all of which would be punished, if not eliminated entirely. 

You thought back to your final call with Fives, how he’d said telling you those things would put you in danger. If his last words to you ended up a warning without him ever knowing truly what would transpire, you wanted to make sure it wasn’t in vain. It had to be worth something, even if that only meant your escape from a corrupt regime. 

The night of Emperor Palpatine’s inaugural address would be your last spent on Coruscant. 

The instinct to run away was a powerful one, one you had never felt so tangibly. You spent the larger part of the night packing and repacking your bags, trying to dwindle your life down to the bare necessities for starting over. When you finally slept, you tossed and turned, waking in the morning feeling like you’d have been better off not sleeping at all. 

With one bag over your shoulders and one in hand, you turned to give that dingy, budget apartment a last once over. At first, you looked to make sure you didn’t miss anything you wanted to take. You’d never be coming back, after all. But then you were watching Fives sneak up on you while you were making dinner, food flinging to the ceiling as you shrieked. Then you were falling all over him, giggles and exclamations of surprise filling the room. You watched how his hands fit perfectly on your hips, sliding up your waist to your back to envelope you in a tight hug, your kisses peppering his face. Your lips fell on his, humming contentedly and standing there together in bliss. Then dinner started burning and you had to practically tear his arms off to get to the stove, a wide grin never leaving his face. 

A tear slid down your cheek, one you brushed away with the palm of your free hand. You couldn’t bear the thought of a whole life without him. 

You pushed that memory to the back of your mind, turning on your heel and locking the door behind you. At the front office you turned in your key, bidding farewell to the only office manager you actually didn’t mind. She asked if there was anything she could do, but you shook your head and assured her there were just too many memories in that apartment now. She gave you a knowing nod and you told her about the rest of your belongings, that she could sell or donate or throw away the rest. She asked if she should leave it as is for a while, in case you changed your mind. You shook your head again. 

You’d never be coming back, after all. 

Clouds of dust billowed as you dropped your bags in the doorway, making you cough. Carefully, you made your way through the foyer into the living room, then into the kitchen, stepping over rotted floorboards and soft spots. You assessed needed repairs as you went, cringing as the list grew. 

It was worse than when you and Fives bought it. Granted, there were already numerous issues when you put down an offer. That was the main reason you were able to get it so ridiculously cheap. It wasn’t like they paid clones well. Now you’d just spend an arm and a leg repairing everything, and hopefully get it finished before winter. 

You ran a hand across the window over the kitchen sink, barely brushing enough dirt away to see the barn clearly. You stepped back and made your way to the mudroom, walking out back to take a look at the yard. Fenced in (if you could call what remained a fence), the barn stood several hundred units behind the house. It was weathered and worn by time and lack of tending, standing nearly twice the size of the main house. Its hayloft was in desperate need of new supports and the whole thing in need of new siding. 

You sighed, turning on your heel to head back inside. Crossing through the mudroom again, you looked to the stairs leading to the second floor. Sheets of wallpaper, fallen from upstairs, laid across the steps. As you climbed the stairs, you leaned over and crumpled up what was in your way, having to tear some the rest of the way from the wall. 

The second level was not in much better shape than the first. Of the two small bedrooms and one large, only about ten units of wallspace still held wallpaper. The refresher needed serious TLC to the plumbing, the sink running brown for the first ten minutes of waterflow. When it finally ran clear, it only ran cold. 

You pinched your lips together and let out an exasperated sigh. After retrieving your bags from the front door, you marched upstairs and began getting settled as best you could. At least you brought one of Fives’ old bedrolls.

You spent your first few weeks getting the most pressing repairs in the house finished. Plumbing, replacement floorboards on the ground floor, and leaks in the roof patched up just in time for the rainy season. You got your hands on some budget furniture to fill the emptiness, met with neighbors though they were a mile away, and familiarized yourself with the village even further down the road. As much as you could, you kept your days busy. 

Nights, however, were always lonely. That’s when the longing settled back in. Missing him, his company and warmth, the life in his smile that filled your soul with purpose. Laying alone in the bed meant for you two was more draining than you expected. You thought getting away from Coruscant would be more of a fresh start than this. You’d hoped your grief wouldn’t follow you this closely. 

You often found yourself just… angry. 

Who was responsible for taking away millions of clones’ free will? Who was responsible for taking away the future you and Fives had dreamt up? What political scumbag took away your goodbye? 

You established a routine. Breakfast, wash up, chores. Stop into town if needed. Lunch. Work on the house and the land. Wash up again, start on dinner. Sit on the porch with your meal, watch the sun go down, and go to bed. 

It wasn’t elaborate or set in stone. You’d alter any of it when needed, but you knew you needed consistency. You wanted it, even. Anything to take your mind off Fives and the Empire. 

Month by month, your old house tucked in the woods became more of a home. It wasn’t so empty, dusty, or broken anymore. No more leaks, peeling walls, or rough spots in the floors. Good, kind neighbors pitched in to help where they could, mainly with the heaviest lifting. The Apande’s down the road helped put in—forget just supports—an entire new hayloft. With things shaping up, you were able to find peace in many things you hadn’t been able to living on Coruscant. 

Each morning you could listen to the world around you waking up. Birds would start singing just as sunlight struck the treetops. Light filtered in through thin, floating curtains, shadows of branches and leaves dancing across your wall. In the summer you’d sit on the porch steps, counting fireflies and listening to crickets. When autumn came you reaped your first harvest in the garden, albeit small, and felt immense pride in what your hard work produced. When the first snow of the season fell you couldn’t help but stare at it in awe. You must have sat on the porch for an hour, watching flakes twirl around each other, hot mug in hand. 

Each of those peaceful moments were supposed to be spent with Fives. You often imagined him sitting next to you, wondering what he’d say or do, if he’d try to catch fireflies and how many he’d beat you by. You wondered if he’d experienced snow before, if he’d have the same light in his eyes that you did when he first saw it fall. Over time it became less of a bitter ache for what could have been, and more of a sweet gratitude for his memory, for having the ability to imagine him there at all. In turning that broken down house into a home, you could grieve and start to come to terms with the future you’d never have. But as time approached your first Life Day without Fives, it was like the whole grieving process restarted. 

You never had the chance to celebrate together. He was always deployed. You never complained, he was where he was needed, but you were always a little downcast. You’d rather him be home with you than at risk of being shot by some Separatist droid.

You delayed decorating longer than you ever had. By the time you went to town to get a tree, nearly the entire lot had been sold. You thought about trekking into the woods surrounding your home to find one, but they were almost guaranteed to be too tall or wide to fit through either door. So, you brought home the best one you were able to scrounge up out of the last pickings. It was a bit scrawny, with thin spots here and there, but it was soft and sturdy and could—without a doubt—fit through your door. 

You cried when you finally got it settled in the living room. He would’ve loved the smell. He would’ve gotten sap all over himself, cursing how it stuck to everything and was so hard to wash off, but loved it all the same. He would’ve loved the crackling of wood in the fireplace, how different it was from the hustle and bustle of traffic on Coruscant or blaster-fire in the field. You could see him thundering into the mudroom, arms full of logs for the fire, stomping as much snow off his boots as he could. He’d look up at you, nose red from the cold, and smile that smile that made your face flush, heart flutter, and stomach do backflips. 

You’d gotten good at building fires. The house didn’t have an electric heating system. Pipes of water ran through the floors, warmed by the furnace in the kitchen. You’d often come back from trips to the village and find it completely cold. You considered yourself lucky; one of your neighbors taught you to split wood. Most of the time he provided it himself, on account of his darling wife (who swore up and down she’d teach you to bake the spiced apple pie her grandchildren loved). All you had to do was carry it to the house from the barn. Granted, it was a trek through almost knee-high snow to get it, but you’d rather that than freezing. 

You still hadn’t decorated your tree by Life Day’s Eve. You didn’t have the heart to, so the boxes sat in a corner. You avoided walking through the living room altogether. The very thought of the tree got shoved to the back of your mind, having almost intentionally forgotten the whole reason you bought it in the first place. You could heal your Life Day heart another year. 

Instead, you filled your time helping your sweetheart neighbors in preparing for their guests. She asked for your help the week before, assuring you it’d be then that she’d teach you to make that blessed pie. You stood in the kitchen with her from dawn to dusk, measuring and mixing and getting covered in flour. By sunset, a full day’s meals and feast awaited the next morning’s oven. 

She thanked you profusely for your time and help, insisting you join them for Life Day festivities. You assured her that you were grateful for the invitation, but didn’t want to intrude on her family gathering. She persisted again, citing her fear that you two made too much food, and you relented to join them for dinner. She smiled gleefully, ushering you out the door. 

The walk home wasn’t quite as lonely as you expected. Sure, your shoulders were weighed down a good bit that Fives wouldn’t be there, but you felt a little lighter. 

Snow crunched beneath your feet. You shivered in a particularly cold gust of wind, hugging your coat tighter on yourself to shield against it. The house is going to be freezing. 

As you made the turn onto your drive, you immediately headed for the barn to get more wood for the furnace. Approaching the pile, you huffed a few breaths on your hands to warm them and heaved several logs into your arms. You followed the path back to the house and into the mudroom, dropping your haul to the floor before shaking snow from your coat and boots. 

You leaned over to untie your boot laces when it struck you.

The house was warm. 

You wrinkled your brow in confusion. Had you put that much wood in the furnace before you left? Surely not, you were gone all day, it’d still be burnt out. It should’ve been cold. 

Footsteps sounded from the living room, shooting a cold lightning bolt of fear down your spine. You fought the urge to freeze, flattening yourself against the wall adjacent to the living room door. Heart pounding, you peeked around the frame. The light was on. When you saw no one, you darted into the kitchen, careful to keep your footfall light. 

You went straight for the furnace, grabbing the firewood poker from its rack. Your knuckles whitened, poker gripped tightly against you. 

You rounded the corner of the dining room, holding your makeshift weapon in front of you. Still you saw no one. You frowned, wondering if you’d been mistaken. 

You stepped through the foyer, hands shaking with adrenaline. No footsteps and no shadows. 

Cautiously, you peeked around the corner to the living room. Still you saw no source of the footsteps you could’ve sworn you heard. 

A floorboard creaked behind you, sending your heart into your throat as you gasped and whipped around. 

Fives, wrapped in grungy blacks and holey socks, raised his hands in defense. 

The room spun and you faltered backward, your grip on the fire poker loosening as it clattered to the floor. You raised both hands to your head, gripping your own hair and trying to make sense of what you were seeing. 

He took a step toward you. “Hey,” he rasped. 

You held a hand out in a gesture to stop, falling to your knees. 

He stopped and stood his ground, fighting an overwhelming instinct to run to you and swaddle you in his arms. 

Countless tears slid down your cheeks, hands shaking for an entirely different reason this time. You pressed your palms into your eyes and rubbed them. Blinking hard, you looked back to him. “How? How are you here? Alive?” 

Fives took a tentative half-step toward you, kneeling down closer to your level. “It’s a long story,” he said softly. “I had to protect you from—” 

You launched yourself at him, knocking him to the floor as your arms swung around his middle. His arms were quick to wrap around you, hugging you close like he would soon wake up and you’d be long gone. 

Your body shook with sobs, forehead pressed into his chest and fists balling up in the back of his shirt. He held you, rubbing your back and planting gentle kisses atop your head, until your shaking stilled and breathing grew more even. 

Even after you calmed down, you stayed where you were, both of you relishing the familiarity of each other after so long. You tilted your head to look at him, still trying to wrap your mind around the fact that he was even alive. 

“I’m so sorry I’ve been gone so long. There’s so much to tell you,” Fives broke the silence quietly, meeting your gaze. 

You sighed, reaching up to hold his cheek in the palm of your hand. He leaned into your touch, cupping your hand in his. “You can start with how you’re alive,” you spoke, voice trembling. “I mourned you, Fives. I– I really thought I’d never see you again.” 

Fives brought his hand to your face, wiping away a fresh tear with his thumb. “I know, Rex kept me updated as best he could.” He averted his gaze, shifting into a thousand yard stare. 

A thousand more questions ran through your mind, but you said nothing, letting him find the words. 

After several beats passed, he inhaled and exhaled deeply. “I was trying to find anyone who would listen and believe me, but… well, that’s an even longer story. I was sure the Chancellor would listen, but I was wrong. He was part of it.” Fives paused again, a pained look passing across his face. “I got shot. And I was dead, for a bit, but Kix got me back. Rex thought it was best to keep it quiet, after everything.” 

Your breath hitched, fresh tears welling up. “Even from me?” 

Fives turned his head back to you, hand returning to your cheek. “I hated to, but it was the best option to protect you from the same people who wanted me dead. Anyone who knew what I knew was in danger.” He pressed his lips to your forehead. “Once I healed, I spent every waking moment making sure they wouldn’t come after you.”

Your lips trembled and you pressed your face back into his chest, another embrace swallowing you both. You flattened both hands to his back, breathing in his memory-laden smell. 

“After the Empire took over and things started settling down, I went back to the apartment,” Fives mumbled. “Shira never rented it back out, everything was how you left it.” 

You pulled away and sniffled. “Really?”

He nodded. “I guess she hoped you’d come back.” He shifted and reached behind him, fishing a folded slip of paper from his back pocket. “I wish I could thank her, I was able to grab this.” 

Fives held the paper out to you. You took it between two fingers and unfolded it, revealing a real, printed photo of you and the entire Domino squad, back when you and Fives had first gotten together. You had the holo-copy, but left the printed one behind for the sake of space and anonymity in your travels. 

You were rendered speechless, absently thumbing the edge of the photo. “I can’t… I can’t believe it.” 

Fives grinned. “Of all the things that happened today, the picture is what you can’t believe?” 

You chuckled and smacked his arm, a smile breaking across your face. 

Fives’ grin broadened.  

“Why come here now?” You asked, looking back up at him from the photo. “You said you went back when things started settling down. It’s been over 6 months, has it really been that chaotic?” 

Fives shook his head. “Things settled in pretty quickly, at least on Coruscant. Rex survived. I was able to meet with him, and we started helping our brothers that didn’t want to serve the Empire.” 

You hummed in response, turning back to the photo in your hands. He watched your eyes go from each member of the squad to the next, remembering them solemnly.

He whispered your name, drawing your attention back to him. Tears shone in his eyes. “I thought you left, really left.” His voice cracked, a drop sliding down his cheek. “I thought maybe you’d gone off to start a new life.” 

Your jaw fell slightly agape as you sat rooted to the spot, a bit astonished. You set the photo to the side and sat up, shuffling yourself to look him in the eyes.  “Fives, you are my life. If I had to spend the rest of my days alone, hoping and waiting for you to come back to me, I would.” It was your turn to wipe the tears from his cheeks. Your heart ached at the longsuffering now evident in his eyes. “It was always in the plan to live in this house together. I came here to escape the Empire and to try to heal, not move on from you altogether. I don’t think I could ever manage that.” 

Fives’ breath quivered. He cupped the nape of your neck in both hands, pulling you closer to rest his forehead against yours. Your eyes fluttered shut as you rested a palm on one of his hands. He tilted his head almost imperceptibly, breath mingling with yours. Your noses brushed against each other, lips tingling at the closeness. Slowly, tenderly, as if he was afraid of hurting you, he inched his lips closer until they met with yours. 

You had kissed him hundreds of times, but none of them came close to the warmth and relief and comfort that settled in your bones with that kiss. You were quick to lose your breath, pulling away gasping for air yet longing for another. 

Fives hovered inches away, catching his breath as you did. His eyes drifted open, gaze soft and dazed. 

You brought a hand to his chin, running a finger over his lower lip. “I’ve missed kissing you,” you sighed. 

He chuckled and grasped your hand, massaging your palm with his thumb. “You have no idea.” 

You both froze as an unmistakable rumble erupted from Fives. You burst into a fit of laughter, a sheepish grin tugging at Fives’ mouth. 

“Hungry?” You laughed, standing to your feet and offering out your hands for him. 

“As a rancor,” He confirmed, taking your hands and standing without tugging them. 

You spent the following couple hours cooking a quick meal together, including the pie your neighbor taught you, which filled the house with the warm scent of cinnamon. You paused occasionally for a kiss or a brief cry. The amount of joy and relief surging through your mind, body, and soul sometimes became overwhelming. Fives was dead, yet, there he stood. In your house that could now truly become a home. Your bed would no longer be half empty. Your table would be one plate fuller. All this, and you could hardly believe it was true. 

“Why is it naked?” 

Fives’ question jarred you from your thoughts. You looked to him, standing in the living room staring at the Life Day Tree. 

“Oh.” You stood from the table and moved to stand next to him. “Well, it didn’t feel right decorating it without you here.” You answered plainly. 

He turned his gaze to meet yours. “But we’d never decorated one together before, why not this one?”

You looked at your feet, slightly embarrassed at the scrawny condition of the tree, though Fives didn't question that. “Because we were supposed to do everything here together. I fought through everything else, but this… I don’t know— it just didn’t feel right.”

Fives grabbed ahold of your hand, giving it a squeeze. “Well I’m here now.” 

You smiled softly, giving his hand a return squeeze. “Yeah, you’re here now.” 

Fives turned in place, looking around the room. “I like what you’ve done with the place.” He released your hand and took a few paces. “Did you do all of it by yourself?”

You shook your head. “No, some neighbors helped, and a couple things were too far out of my scope so I hired help from in town.” You shuffled to the door frame, leaning against it. “It was a lot, but it was all I could do to keep from losing my mind.” 

Fives stopped and stood in place, looking at you with eyes so full of regret you wondered if he held an entire galaxy’s worth of guilt. 

You pushed yourself off the frame and crossed the room in large strides, wrapping your arms around him. “Don’t think like that,” you whispered, “You’re here now.” 

He sighed and draped his arms around you, accepting your reassurance. “How do you always know,” he relented. 

Fives jolted suddenly, interrupting the embrace to point at a box in the corner, something shiny glimmering between the edges of cardboard. “What’s that?”

You turned to look at what he was referring to and opened your mouth to answer, but Fives beat you to it, crossing the room and opening the lid. He looked back to you, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “Can we?” 

You sighed and tried to bite back a smile, ultimately failing. “Fives, it’s late, can we do it in the morning?” 

“Come on,” he droned playfully, “What’s the use of having it dressed up for one day?” 

Crossing your arms in mock indecision, you brought a hand to tap a finger on your chin. “But if we leave it up for a month, it’s the same, isn’t it?” 

Fives picked up a bundle of lights, unspooling it. “No,” he deadpanned. 

You scoffed out a laugh, marching over to join him. 

The remainder of the evening was spent dolling up your dinky little Life Day tree. You taught Fives how to put lights on without leaving dark spots, how to attach hooks to ornaments and space them out, and how to top it. By the time it was finished, you were so exhausted from the day you were starting to see double. 

You and Fives plopped yourselves down on the sofa, cheap as it was, and leaned back to admire your handiwork. 

“Not bad, for a Life Day Tree shiny,” you smirked lazily. 

Fives gasped, looking at you as if offended. “You take that back!” 

You raised your hands weakly in defense. “I said not bad!” 

He grinned and threw an arm around the back of the sofa. You scooted over to lean against him, resting your head on his shoulder. 

You both sat in silence for a while, a delicate kind of reverence settling over you. You both knew the magnitude of this Life Day in particular. You had each given each other a new meaning for the day. You, giving him a reason to fight on and live. And him, giving you a reason to celebrate life; the fact that he was still alive and with you, namely. 

Eventually, Fives opened his mouth to break the silence with a question, but froze when he glanced at you. You were passed clean out, mouth slightly ajar. Fives chuckled softly, enamored by the way the light of the tree danced across your skin. 

Carefully, he slid his arm behind your shoulders and the other below your knees. As he stood and scooped you in his arms, you stirred, mumbling that you could walk before promptly falling back asleep. 

Fives carried you through the living room, the mudroom, and upstairs to the bedroom, leaning to gently settle you on the bed. One by one, he unlaced and tugged your boots off, followed by your socks, then tucked you under the blankets. After placing a featherlight kiss to your head, he turned and headed back downstairs. 

Fives made sure the doors and windows were closed and locked, refilled the furnace, and made his way back to the foyer. He reached into his coat pocket, retrieved what he needed, and stepped back into the living room. 

He approached the Life Day Tree, pausing to absorb the beauty you added to his life, the joy you brought him in a single evening. After every separation you both endured during the war, then the worst separation of all, and you still loved him more than he felt worthy of. You were steadfast, funny, generous and kind, the most enchanting and incredible woman he’d ever met. And you chose him to love. Of all people in the galaxy, a soldier back from the dead.

More confident in his decision than ever, he crouched down and placed a small, square box under the tree. He leaned over to unplug the lights for the night and stepped back. 

Once back upstairs, he removed his hole-infested socks and climbed in bed next to you. He turned on his side, a quiet yet overwhelming contentment filling him as he refreshed his memory of every detail in your face. He itched to kiss you, to hold you close every hour of the night, but he dared not disturb your peace. 

Minutes ticked by and his eyes grew increasingly heavy. Fives fought sleep, afraid he might wake up and find the whole evening with you was a dream. Eventually he could fight it no longer, his eyes fluttering shut, falling into a more restful sleep than he’d had all year.

End Notes: Phew! That was a bit longer than I meant it to be! To be completely honest there was still a bit more I wanted to add, namely a few tidbits of Life Day itself, but I kinda love this ending and don't want to push it. I also ran out of steam lol. Not too shabby for my first Star Wars fic, I think. First fic since I was in high school, actually.

I hope you enjoyed, and Happy Life Day!

Dividers by @enchanthings and @strangergraphics

[leapingbadger]

The Final Gift

Summary: The Batch celebrate their first Life Day since settling on Pabu. Omega is surprised by a gift from her brothers.

The common room was warm with the glow of Pabu’s nightly light display. It was their first Life Day Celebration since they had settled on Pabu and Hunter had insisted that Echo join them. It was rare for Omega and all her four brothers to be together for an extended period of time, these days. Echo’s mission took him to far flung planets and his visit had become brief over the last few months.

The tree in the corner of the room, brought by Echo from a distant, snow-covered mood, was strung with golden lights, offering a cozy warmth that was sometimes lacking in their sparsely decorated home. As it was their first Life Day tree, they hadn’t been sure how to decorate it. Omega had gathered blossoms from the weeping maya tree and tucked the pink flowers sporadically in between the green branches.

Wrecker had concocted a recipe similar to her favorite, Mantell Mix. They had sat on the floor at the base of the tree for hours, carefully stringing the purple and pink pieces to wrap around the branches. Of course, some of the mix found its way into their stomachs, but that was just payment for all the hard work, Omega thought with a smile.

She heard low murmurs outside as her brothers cleaned up from the feast Wrecker had cooked for them. Even Echo, who was the fussiest eater Omega had ever met, had devoured the fish, fruit, vegetables and desserts that had covered the table.

Omega sighed as she relaxed into the soft couch, scratching Batcher on the back of the head as she slept, her long pink tongue lolling out of the side of her mouth.

She smiled down at the soft ragdoll Hunter had awkwardly handed her that morning. She had wavy, yellow yarn hair, brown button eyes and a thread mouth turned up into a wide smile.

“I saw it at the market…thought you’d…made me think of… I hope you like it.” He said with a smile, handing the doll over.

“I love her! Thank you, Hunter.” she had said, throwing her arms around his shoulders, his long hair tickling the side of her face.

“You’re welcome, Kid.” He replied, his hands closing tightly around her back.

Hunter was more relaxed these days than she had ever seen him. The almost permanent crease at the bridge of his nose had all but disappeared since they had settled here. His days were restful, with early morning walks to lower Pabu, swims in the crystalline water and afternoon chats with Shep and Phee.

A painting from Crosshair sat on the table in front of her, a beautiful landscape of a cliff edge and gold and scarlet sunset. He had gotten so good over the last few months and Omega already knew exactly where she would hang it in her room.

He complained about it, stubbornly telling them that painting was a means to an end, a way to fully integrate his new hand into daily use, but as always, he couldn’t fool her. Crosshair thrived on art. He was the squad’s resident tattoo artist during the war and his talent hadn’t subsided since his retirement.

He had waited until the rest of the squad were out of the room before giving it to her, rolled up and tied with a red bow that looked suspiciously like one of Hunter’s bandanas.

“Here,” he said, “big sister,” he said a grin.

Omega had unfurled it reverently and gasped as she took in the beautiful swirls of color. She recognized the spot in the painting immediately. It was where she and Crosshair would meditate, overlooking Pabu’s beautiful ocean.

“I’ve never seen anything so beautiful,” she said in a soft voice.

Crosshair had chuckled, “I highly doubt that. But I’m glad you like it.”

“Thank you, Crosshair.” she said, hugging him around his chest. He gave her a quick squeeze, two quick taps on the back and smiled down at her.

“My pleasure.”

Omega yawned and rubbed her eyes. She would have gone to bed by now if it wouldn’t have disturbed Batcher. She yawned again and noticed her brother’s voices get louder and they came in from outside.

“We wondered where you were,” Hunter said, coming to sit next to her on her left side.

The rest of her brothers filtered in. Echo moved the new crossbow he’d given her off the chair in the corner and sat with a sigh. Crosshair stood in the corner, leaning on the wall and Wrecker sat at the foot of the Life Day Tree, surreptitiously picking Mantell Mix off the string.

“Figured I’d give you some time to catch up.” She said, fingers entwined in her doll’s wool hair.

“Or you didn’t want to listen to the debate of which blaster is better,” Wrecker said with a laugh.

Omega shrugged, “Maybe a little.”

Her brothers laughed. Omega was convinced it was perhaps the best sound in the whole galaxy.

“How was your first Life Day?” Hunter asked, bumping her shoulder playfully and adjusting the green, woven bandana she had given him earlier.

“It was amazing. I wish we didn’t have to wait another year for the next one.” She said.

“That’s what makes it special.” Wrecker said, his voice muffled with Mantell mix.

“Well, if it makes it better, we have one final gift for you.” Hunter said with a nod to Echo whose hand was tucked behind him.

Echo heaved himself out of the chair and leaned over to Omega, his hand outstretched with a strange, lumpy shaped present.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“Something from all of us,” Echo said with a quick look to Hunter, Crosshair and Wrecker.

Omega took it happily, ripping off the paper to reveal a small, grey datapad. There were nicks out of the side of it and a deep scratch on the screen. She turned it over, revealing a skull emblem with a lightning bolt behind it.

“It was Tech’s,” Hunter said unnecessarily. “One of the older ones from our early missions. He kept them all when he upgraded to a new one, but we needed Echo to help recover some of the content.”

Omega looked around the room. Each of her brothers was smiling at her, but the smiles had an underlying bittersweetness to them. Crosshair was avoiding eye contact and Wrecker swiftly wiped away a tear from his cheek.

“You’re giving this to me? Don’t you want it?” she rasped out, her throat feeling tight.

Hunter put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him. “We got a lot more time with Tech than you did. We wanted you to know him the way we did, and this is your chance. Echo managed to recover his old research, recordings, and voice notes.”

“You’ll probably hear all of us on those,” Crosshair interjected.

Tears swam in Omega’s eyes. She hurriedly wiped them away as her fingers turned on the datapad and the blue screen sprang to life. She scrolled through the files, selecting one at random.

“While not entirely surprising given the climate and seasons of the planet, this rodent-like creature seems to be able change its appearance depending on temperature and light. It is quite fascinating and does not appear in any current records. It is possible it is a new discovery entirely…”

“Maybe they’ll name it after you, Tech,” Crosshair’s distant, snide voice called. Laughter erupted in the background.

“With it’s tendency towards aggression, Brother, I think it more likely it will be named after you.”

The background roared with laughter again.

Omega shut off the recording and looked around the room. Hunter, Echo and Crosshair grinned while Crosshair looked a little sheepish.

Batcher woke with a bark as Omega sprang to her feet, throwing her arms around each of her brothers in turn. She clutched the datapad to her chest.

“This is….this is…” she looked down at the datapad, running her hand over the device her lost brother had treasured. “This is the best gift I could ever hope for.”

Raucous laughter filled the common room as Omega and her brothers listened to recording after recording. Tech’s distinct voice seemed to fill the space, making it feel like he was there with them.

One by one they fell asleep, Wrecker curled up with Batcher under the tree, Echo, limp in the reclining chair, the bolts in his head shining under the glow of the tree light. Crosshair’s head flopped on his chest as he snored lightly, leaning against the wall of the common room.

Omega woke with a start and found herself leaning against Hunter, his hands aimlessly tracing through her hair.

“Ready for bed?” he asked with a low chuckle.

She nodded, sitting up and letting him scoop her in his arms. He laid her gently in her bed, pulling the covers up to her chin.

“Night, Kid,” he said before slowly moving towards the door.

“Hunter?” she asked, pulling her new doll close to her chest.

“Hmm?”

“Do you think Tech would have liked living on Pabu?” she asked.

Hunter smiled and crossed back over to her, “I think he would have loved it.” he said, putting the datapad on the bedside table, next to Tech’s cracked goggles. “But he’s always with us, Kid. With you.”

Omega smiled sleepily.

Hunter hesitated before leaning over and kissing her gently on her hair. “Goodnight, Omega.”

“Goodnight.” She yawned before sleep took her away on an adventure, with all of her brothers.

[masterjedilenawrites]

Here's To Many More

Clone x Reader Life Day Exchange 2024

Echo x reader | 1.9k words

Content: themes of angst - such as having a difficult year and feeling alone, references to past anxiety attacks, hand scars and tremors, comments about life & death, an almost-kiss, themes of hope and joy at the end

Prompts Used: 

"Breathe. Hi, we found you, just breathe for me, okay?"

"Hey there, take it easy. Your body went through a lot."

generally healing after physical & emotional trauma

Note: Hiya @writersnook11, nice to meet you! Holiday angst - what a fun challenge. I ran with a vibe from a Christmas song that's been hitting me in the feels this season - sort of has a melancholy-turned-hopeful tone to it. I linked it at the end but it's not a requirement to listen, just thought I'd pay credit to my inspiration.

Leaves fluttered and rustled against the pavement as your speeder, contributing to the symphony with its own soft hum, drove over them. The suns setting earlier meant an otherwise bustling neighborhood now lay quiet and peaceful in the dark, adorned in their twinkling holiday lights and warmed by their fireplaces and gathered loved ones.

You drove through the rustling and the twinkling, noticing every detail with an odd, sort of detached calmness. You'd been down these lanes countless times in your life, but it was like it was the first time you were truly seeing everything. All the colors and textures and temperatures. So many homes, full of so many people, living so many lives. There was a whole world out here, outside of your head.

Eventually your own home came into sight. You pulled up next to the first bit of empty curb, just one house away, and killed the engine. The hum of the speeder died down, leaving you in still, quiet air. Cold air. You flexed your gloved fingers, grateful you'd been able to scrounge up a pair for the trip, though your poor, frozen nose hadn't been so lucky. You cupped your hands around your face and took a few open-mouthed breaths to generate some heat. It didn't quite do the trick, so you dropped your hands back down into your lap with a sigh. Of course, you could just run inside and get warmed up soon enough. But that would require energy, urgency, things you'd been in short supply of most of the year. So instead, you lingered. Took your time. Paid attention to the sensations of the world around you and not on exhausting thoughts like running.

Something was tickling your face. You ran a finger across your cheek and pulled it back to inspect the tiny flecks of snow now caught on your glove. You wanted to feel them fully so you gingerly took off both of your gloves, finger by finger, until the skin of your hands was exposed. Hands that looked nothing like your own. You knew they were yours, they moved like yours, they felt like yours, but they didn't look like yours. They were scarred and calloused, palms barely able to flatten out as you held them up in hopes of catching more snow. As predicted, your right one immediately started shaking, unable to hold the position without triggering its tremors. You quickly closed your fist and held it to your chest with your other hand. 

It's okay, it's okay. You squinted your eyes shut, trying to keep your breathing steady and not to let your mind wander in all the usual dark places. It's okay. Just breathe.

Just breathe...

Your own inner voice started to shift into the voice of another. A firm, steady voice you had been reaching out to in your memory more often these days.

Breathe. Hi, we found you, just breathe for me, okay?

You cracked your eyes open, half expecting to see his face just as you had in that closet. Panicking. Overwhelmed. Unable to catch your breath until he'd grasped your shoulders and coaxed you into calming down. When you'd opened your eyes and met his, so full of care and understanding, it hadn't mattered that half the party was crowded behind him, staring and whispering nervously. All you had been concerned with was following his gentle instructions, trusting that he'd lead you to safety.

Opening your eyes this time, you of course were met with the darkness of the night, broken up only by the tiny flakes of snow drifting in it. You were still clutching your hand to your chest, but that little well of anxiety that had threatened to rise up had been quelled. You were breathing just fine.

You were fine.

Alone, but fine.

A soft crunching of leaves grabbed your attention. You peered down the sidewalk and saw someone approaching. It could have been worrisome, a mysterious dark figure headed your way you at night. Except you could clearly see one of the limbs ended not in a hand, but a scomp link. There were very few people it could be, and only one given the context.

"Ah, I was hoping it was you! Saw some head-beams, thought I'd come out and see if anyone needed help."

"Hey, Echo." You hadn't known his name when he'd found you hiding in your friend's closet all those months ago, and now you knew him as a friend, too. Perhaps not as close as the ones you'd known since childhood, but he was a good one all the same.

You briefly considered jumping out of your seat and meeting him on the sidewalk, slipping an arm through his and guiding him back inside where it was likely so much warmer and merrier. That's what old you would have done. Before... well, before you became the present you. The one that struggled to think quickly enough to make decisions and just wanted to get through one day without feeling like dead weight.

Thankfully Echo didn't skip a beat. He walked right up to your speeder, opened the passenger door, and slid into the seat next to you.

"You alright?" he asked with a half-smile. But he didn't wait for an answer, knowing you hated the question. "It's been a while since I've seen you. You're looking a lot better."

You couldn't help but return a small smile of your own. You knew he wouldn't lie to you. It felt good to hear you didn't look like such a mess anymore.

"I'm feeling better," you responded.

"Oh?"

"Not great," you quickly caveated. "But better. Fine. I feel fine."

Echo nodded. "I'm really glad to hear that. And I'm really glad you're here. We weren't sure you'd make it."

You were pretty sure you knew what he meant but decided to take the opportunity to indulge in some dark humor.

"What? That I wouldn't come tonight? Or that I wouldn't be alive for another Life Day?"

Rather than smack you upside the head for such a comment, like all of your other friends surely would, Echo merely leveled a look back at you that made you smirk in amusement.

"You know very well I was referring to your annoying habit of canceling plans at the last minute. How many times now have you said you'd be home soon?"

You merely rolled your eyes, refraining from comment. You knew that he knew that you had your reasons for being away for so long. He was only teasing.

Echo reached over and set one of his hands on top of yours. "That said, you did worry me a few times. So yes, I'm really glad you're here. In both senses of the word."

His smile made you feel warm, and the way he was looking at you lit a small but happy fire within your chest. Perhaps that's why you didn't notice how cold your fingers had gotten in the night air without gloves. Though with his hand over your own, Echo could certainly tell.

"And on that note, let's get you inside. Everyone else will be excited to see you, too."

Echo scrambled out as you slowly got your own door open. You shoved your gloves into your coat before they could fall off of your lap as you stood.

"Here, let me," you could hear Echo calling as he hurried around to your side of the speeder. Ever the gentleman. Unfortunately, in his haste, his foot caught on something, maybe a branch or a crack in the pavement, and he went stumbling forward. You were already on both your feet and quickly reached out to help steady him, bracing your arms underneath his.

"Hey there, take it easy. Your body went through a lot this year, too," you smirked a bit as you both caught your breaths from the unexpected activity.

Echo chuckled. He was embarrassed, you could tell by the bright pink flush to his cheeks, but your comment seemed to lighten the mood. That, and the fact you were now standing very close together, still holding each other up. Echo blinked down at you, awkward and confused at first, and then relaxing as his gaze stayed in yours. That quiet stillness of the night you'd been thinking about earlier made its way back. Only now you weren't so alone in it.

Just when a sudden, pleasant thought entered your mind, that maybe he would kiss you, Echo cleared his throat and shifted back. He withdrew his scomp quickly while his good hand softly dragged along your arm as it fell away. A line of goosebumps surged in its wake, causing you to shiver, and unfortunately reminding Echo why he had rushed over here in the first place.

"Time to go inside," he nodded matter-of-factly. And you found you couldn't argue. It was getting pretty cold. So you fell into step beside him as you finally walked the final steps back home.

A wave of warmth and light and laughter hit you as the front door opened. Somewhere between the group hugs and the smell of baked goods, you'd forgotten why you'd been so anxious to come back here all those times. All of your loved ones were here, every single one. Seeing their faces, hearing their voices, was now filling a part of you you hadn't realized had been so empty for so long. The thought would have delighted you had you had the energy for such a strong emotion. So instead you settled for serenity. A calmer, quieter version of happiness. And though you weren't matching everyone else's liveliness, you still found yourself able to keep up with their conversations. You helped where you could, being mindful of your limits but never dwelling on them. And you even joined in on singing an impromptu carol.

Echo stayed close by you throughout the evening. You weren't sure what had happened, or almost happened, between you earlier, and you suspected he was still thinking about it too as you caught him gazing the same way at you several times. You'd be here for a few more nights, as would he, so you were sure there'd be other opportunities to figure things out. Tonight was for catching up and keeping warm and finally putting some of your deepest troubles to bed.

Oh it had been such a long, long year. You'd been tested in ways you never knew possible, each seemingly worse than the last. Your heart often sat heavy within you and several times you'd wondered if you could keep going.

And then... you did.

You pushed through one trial and into the next tribulation, again and again, and eventually you made your way here. To this very spot where you suddenly, finally, felt good. Your body had been through it, but you weren't broken beyond repair. You'd experienced far more than your fair share of grief, but you hadn't lost everything. You weren't thriving, but you also weren't hanging by a thread. You had hope. For the first time in a long time, you were allowing yourself to look ahead.

And toward the end of the night, when you'd all gathered around the fireplace and were holding mugs aloft in a toast to the season, you had your chance to declare your intentions for the future.

"Happy Life Day!" everyone cheered together.

"Happy Life Day," Echo whispered next to you.

You smiled up at him and clinked your mug against his.

"And here's to many more."

Song Inspo: Merry Christmas, Here's to Many More - Relient K

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[winniethewife]

Tech the halls! (Tech x F!Reader)

A/N: This is for the 2024 Clone xReader Life Day Exchange, I got : @apocalyp-tech-a! I hope you love this fluffy Life day fic and I hope you have an excellent holiday season!

Words: 1713

It was the day before life day, Omega had been curious about the holiday for most of the week, asking their new addition to the team anything and everything about it. She had been more than willing to tell the girl whatever she wanted to know, and promised that she would help her and her brothers get ‘into the spirit’, whatever that meant. They had spent the day making and hanging up decorations around the ship, with help from a very enthusiastic Wrecker. As the day had started to wind down and the team had settled into a state of relaxation, Wrecker dozing off in his bunk, Hunter futzing with his kit, Echo reading through some reports, Tech sitting in the cockpit tinkering with something or another.

“Please! I want to hear it!” Omega was pleading with her to tell the story she had mentioned before. She laughed and nodded.

“Alright! Alright. So it goes…Twas the night before life day and all through the ship not a creature was stirring not even a scrap rat.” She started to speak as she sat in one of the few seats in the Marauder. Tech glanced over at them from the cockpit with a look of mild concern.

“There better not be any scrap rats on the ship. I don’t want to deal with them.” Tech said with a distasteful tone in his voice. She laughed and shook her head at him.

“It’s a poem silly! Haven’t you heard of it?” She asked with a giggle and a bright smile. Tech looked thoughtful for a moment, his hand reaching for his chin as he contemplated.

“No, I don’t think I have, I have read all the data-files on Life day and I don’t remember mention of scrap rats.” Tech said with his typical matter of fact way of stating everything. She shook her head and laughed.

“The scrap-rats aren’t a part of life day they’re just a small creature that could be scuttling about.” She tried to explain, Tech had a habit of taking things rather literally, sometimes you just had to read between the lines for him. Tech tilted his head and looked at her contemplating her words.

“But why a scrap-rat? Why not a whomprat or a Scurrier or a-” Tech started to list off other rodents. She interrupted him.

“I don’t think the type of rodent matters is just about the-” She started but was also interrupted by a very enthusiastic Omega.

“We should throw a life day party!” She shouted jumping up enthusiastically distracting the both of them. She smiles and nods at the girl’s enthusiasm.

“I think we could manage to pull something small together for the holiday! This will be fun!” She laughed, Omega started talking a mile a minute with ideas jumping around with excitement. As Omega ran off to go tell Hunter and Echo and Anyone who would listen, Tech wandered over to stand next to her.

“So how do you plan to pull off a party on such short notice?” Tech asked with intrigue, she leans back in her chair and looked up at him with a smile.

“Maybe I’ll just use a little holiday magic.” She smirked up at Tech who shook his head.

“I don’t know what you have planned, but I wouldn’t put it past you. You seem to be able to make the impossible happen around here. Its…surprising” Tech spoke with a hint of admiration, it was hard to tell sometimes. After all this time she still had a hard time reading Tech, but that didn’t change how she felt, and that would be impossible to talk about.

“Thanks Tech… you willing to help me with some of the holiday magic?”

~

After Omega had gone to bed they got to work, Tech helped her set up the practically ancient light system that she had found at the market. It was practically non-functional and it only had half of the instructions, but they had convinced themselves that they could in fact fix it.

“So wait…what does this button do?” She asked as she held up the makeshift remote that Tech had fashioned from an old deactivated detonator and some wire he had laying around. Tech looked up to see which button she was talking about.

“It should turn on the lights...which should be possible…Now.” Tech said as he returns his focus to the contraption in front of him adjusting the settings one last time before gesturing for her to give it a try. She pressed the button and the device lit up, which in turn lit up all the strung lights that they had hung that were attached to the device. She smiles brightly and even Tech seemed pleased with the result, but before either of them could say anything about their accomplishment the device made an odd noise then suddenly all the lights glow brighter than before, then with a series of electric pops, snaps, and fizzes all the lights blew out, and shortly after the entire ships power went out.

“Dank Farrik.” She sighed in the darkness. There was a shuffling sound, then a clang and a muttered curse word as someone hit their head on something. Before anyone could do anything else Tech stood up and grabbed her by the shoulder.

“We should go look at the power core.” He practically pulled her out of the ship, she wasn’t sure whose wrath he was trying to avoid, Either Echo or Hunter for sure, but the sooner they could fix the situation the less likely they were to get in trouble with the team for it. As the two of them stumble down the ramp to go look at the ship Tech’s hand holds hers tightly for a moment, something she wouldn’t have thought twice about in most situations but, right then it felt warm and intentional. When they reaches the access panel, He hands her a flashlight to help him see what might be the issue. Tech quickly take it off and takes a look around the marauders internals with a curious look on his face.

“See anything?” She asked as she held the light aloft.

“It looks like we blew a fuse, that little contraption you found blew the circuit its on...it should be an easy fix, just needs a lighter load of power is all, and a new transistor.” He immediately got to work on fixing the issue.

“Oh…well that’s good.” She said, unable to hide an amount of disappointment from her voice. This surprised Tech, why would she be disappointed about the fact this was easily fixable? Wouldn’t that be a good thing? He tried to focus on the task at hand as he asked.

“Why do you sound upset by this?” He tried his best to sound interested in the answer but not too interested. She had to figure out an appropriate answer…and quickly.

“I um…I wanted to spend more time with you, alone?” she said this like a question, like she wasn’t sure if that was the right answer, was she asking him why she felt this way.

“You do? Why would you want to do that?” he asked his focus on the ship but his curious nature shown bright in the moment. She silently cursed herself, she just had to say something.

“Because…I like spending time with you.” She said like it was simple. It was not.

“We could just as easily spend time together when this is done.” He replied simply

“Yes…But…No you’re right.” She stumbled over her words, not really sure how to explain her meaning, to him or to herself. Just then he flipped the right switch and the ships lights came back on, illuminating the night. He turns to her.

“Hopefully they’ll stay on this time, I rerouted some of the power supply to the secondary power core so hopefully when you turn on the contraption for Omega in the morning it should stay on, assuming it works.” He explained, seeming awfully pleased with himself as she looked surprised at him.

“Wait, you…you really did that? Just for the surprise for Omega?” She asked her eyes glittering with unexpected appreciation.

“Well, I wouldn’t want to disappoint her…It is Life day after all.” Tech said with a shrug, but she could see the hint of a smile pulling at the corner of his lips.

“She’ll be so happy! Thank you Tech.” She smiles brightly at him, her excitement was so very…attractive. Tech wasn’t sure how to feel about this realization, but he wanted to see her smile like that more. He turned to close the access panel again.

“I’m sure Omega will be very surprised.” Tech said as he passed by her. “Oh and…By the way. I like spending time alone with you too.” She felt those words coursing through her, becoming most prevalent in the heat in her cheeks.

~

When the morning came Omega was very excited by the stringed lights and the contraption they were hooked up to. The batch gathered around as Tech hit the button on the repurposed detonator and the lights came to life, Omega began to bounce on the balls on her feet as she looked around the room in awe. The others congratulated her and Tech on a job well done. As the festivities started she pulled tech aside for a second.

“Thank you for helping me with this it really made the whole thing…special. y’know for Omega.” She spoke softly as to not draw attention to their conversation from the festivities.

“Of course, I…I wanted to make this life day special…for Omega.” He replied, with a hint of something left unsaid. They stood close together as they watched Omega and the others sat around the light display. Omega’s voice reaches her ears as she said.

“I wonder what this button does.” She turned about to stop Omega, but was stopped by Tech, his hand on her shoulder pulling her closer.

“Watch.” He whispered as he looked over her shoulder. When Omega pressed the button a soft mechanical noise filled the room, followed by the sound of a song playing from a music box. Everyone looked at the machine in wonder, Tech smiles and spoke softly in her ear.

“Happy Life day Mesh’la.”

~

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