#TCW fan fiction

[arcsimper5]

The Hunt

On my Halloween vampire kick still!

Vampire! Fives x Human F!Reader Reader F but not described. Rating: Explicit (R) Minors DNI Warnings: Mentions of abuse, vampirism, blood drinking, wall s3x, alleyway s3x, p in v, unprotected sex

Summary: There was an unspoken rule amongst the vampires of Coruscant; don’t kill unless provoked, leave no evidence, don’t feed more than once on the same person.

As his eyes focused on a familiar outline in the crowd, arousal shooting through his body, Fives knew he was going to break that last rule tonight. Again.

@amorfista I'm back on my vampire BS lol

79’s was heaving, as it ever was, though Fives couldn’t help but smirk at the array of fancy dress on the patrons. 

Hallows’eve had always been a spectacle he’d watched from the outside, but never participated in, until now. Being a vampire, it almost felt like a festival honouring him, many a skimpy clad dancer with fake, painted blood spots on their neck, mimicking them being a victim of a bite.

His stomach fluttered and cock twitched at the mere thought of making those marks real.

Letting out a soft growl, dark yellow eyes flicked across the crowd.

There were so many options tonight, it was on the verge of overwhelming. Usual nights were quiet when he would hunt, pickings often slim, especially since the end of the war.

Peace bred much fewer habit drinkers than wartime, he mused.

But he always got his fill, taking enough to satisfy but not to kill. There was no point in arousing suspicion, and if enough patrons of a certain venue were killed, it inevitably closed. There was an unspoken rule amongst the vampires of Coruscant; don’t kill unless provoked, leave no evidence, don’t feed more than once on the same person.

As his eyes focused on a familiar outline in the crowd, arousal shooting through his body, Fives knew he was going to break that last rule tonight. Again.

She looked ethereal under the strobing lights of the dancefloor, hair swaying with the movement of her hips, body gyrating to the music. Wearing only a thigh length, navy blue dress adorned with sequins on the hem, she literally sparkled, body shivering when she felt his gaze settle on her.

As soon as her attention turned to him, a bolt of arousal went straight to Five’s cock, his flesh hardening instantly. His tongue darted out to lick his lips automatically, her face flushing ever so slightly at the action as she reached out her hand and beckoned him over.

He couldn’t deny her. He never could.

Sauntering through the crowd, their eyes remained locked on each others, even as bodies swayed and rocked around them, sweat and alcohol tainting the scent of the air. It was a magnetic pull, as if he was drawn to her, the sweet, addictive memory of the taste of her already on his tongue.

By the time he reached her, he was rock hard and wanting, slipping into place behind her and joining in with her writhing dance, growling low in his throat at the way she pressed back against him.

“I thought I’d missed you tonight,” she called over the music, her backside grinding against his hips as his mouth found her shoulder. He inhaled deeply, relishing her scent. “You’ve not been around for a few days.”

It was true, Fives had been haunting some of his other hunting grounds and meeting with vode, but the allure of her, the memory of how sweet her essence was, had him coming back more often than he should.

The fact she’d noticed sent another thrill through his body, but this hit differently, warming his cold heart in a way he didn’t want to dwell on too much.

“You miss me, mesh’la?” he teased lightly, dragging his lips across the soft skin of her neck. He could feel her racing pulse, hear her ragged breathing, practically taste her arousal as she spun around in his arms, facing him.

“What if I did?” she challenged, gaze locked on Five’s, his smirk matching hers.

“You like playing dangerous games, sweet one,” he hummed, looking her over. She was utterly gorgeous, and he wasn’t ashamed to admit, it was one of the first things he’d noticed about her first.

That first night was still etched in his memory, how she’d lured him in with her siren song of a dance, grinding on him until it got too much and she dragged him towards the bathrooms. 

It was only as he fingered her from behind, his hand pushed into her underwear in front of the mirror, her face twisted in pleasure and his reflection phasing in and out of reality that she learned of his true nature, practically begging him to drink from her, her core clenching at the very thought of it.

He’d complied easily, lost to pleasure as he drank his fill and she sank to her knees, drinking everything he had to offer in her own way.

It had been a pleasurable night, one that he’d kept in his memory for a week after, sated enough that he didn’t have to hunt. And when he returned, she was there. Waiting. Wanting. Sidling up to him at the bar and pressing her wrist to his mouth, urging him to sink his teeth into her.

He hadn’t even had time to order a drink before he had her pressed up against the wall, feasting on her pussy before he drank from her again, fingering her to a sweet release as he lapped at the wound, closing it tenderly.

Oddly, they’d talked afterwards, not for long, but enough to exchange names and dates they intended to visit next. And it sparked something in Fives. This was dangerous, he knew. She could be anyone; a hunter, the bait of a hunter, or just a hot girl with a very specific kink.

Whatever the truth was, he was wary to begin with. But weeks turned into months, and now it had been almost a full year since their first encounter, his heart fluttering at the thought.

They’d still not had sex, his nature still bound by honour. He wouldn’t take advantage of her, everything had to be initiated in a way she was comfortable with. But tonight, it felt different. More primal.

His suspicions were confirmed when she leaned in closer, tongue darting over the shell of his ear, sending a shiver through his body.

“I was actually hoping to ask you for something, Fives. For our upcoming anniversary.”

Her words were teasing but her face was set a little too serious, Five’s stomach twisting as the music slowed a little, the rhythm more sensual, bodies pressed close together.

“And what would that be, mesh’la?” he asked against her skin, lips moving in to caress her neck once more. 

A beat of silence. Then…

“I… I want you to turn me. I want you to fuck me and let me turn, Fives. I want to… I want to be with you.”

Fives jerked back as if stung, eyes wide.

He had expected the request for sex, sure, it was something that had been on his mind as well, but the latter half of her request sent him reeling.

“I… I can’t!” he half choked, stumbling back a few steps. Her face was a picture of disappointment and hurt, uncertainty weaved through every movement it made. “You… you can’t just ask that of me.”

“Why not?” she snapped, suddenly angry, the rage rising up to replace the sharpness of her hurt. 

Fives looked around, aware other patrons had stopped dancing to look at them, listening in on their conversation. 

In a movement that brokered no arguments, he reached forward and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards one of the exits from 79’s, out onto the cold, busy streets of Corsucant. 

To her credit, she did not protest, allowing herself to be led, trusting Five’s actions.

The very thought of that trust made him dizzy. How could she, this delicate, beautiful, thoughtful woman want to be with him? He was a vampire, but all accounts, a monster.

“You don’t want it,” he breathed as they finally made it into a secluded alley, away from prying eyes. She faced him, eyes searching his face with a frown, as if trying to decipher something. “It’s… it’s not what you think it is.”

“Then tell me,” she urged him, leaning back against the wall behind her, earnesty in her voice. “Tell me what it’s really like, and I can decide.”

Fives considered her words for a moment, replying with a scowl of his own.

“I’ll tell you,” he murmured slowly, “if you tell me why you asked me to drink you the second you found out I was a vampire.”

That stopped her in her tracks, her jaw clenching as she glared at Fives, finally huffing and turning her head away, relenting.

“Because I thought you were going to kill me.”

The silence between them was broken only by the omnipresent buzz of the living city around them, Five’s eyes going wide at her admission.

Reaching a hand up to her face, he traced her jaw tenderly, pulling just enough to make her turn to face him. He wished nothing more than to kiss her tears away, his arms shaking with the effort of giving her space.

“I… I was in a bad relationship,” she continued after a moment, voice thick with emotion, “and I’d gone out to… to forget. I knew, as soon as I got back, he’d… well… He’d hurt me,” she laughed bitterly, Fives frown darkening.

If he’d known, had any idea, he would have gone back with her that night and kept her safe.

“I… I’m sorry,” he offered uselessly, chest constricting when she looked away again, shaking her head.

“I thought you would drink me dry and leave me there,” she swallowed, tears spilling down her cheeks as she met Five’s gaze again, “and it would all be over. No more pain, no more humiliation, no more suffering. Only… you didn’t. You were gentle, even when you fed. You treated me like… like a person. Like I was worth something. So… I came back.”

Her explanation left Fives reeling, his entire focus on her. Of all of the things he thought he might hear from her tonight, this was not even remotely close to his guesses.

“Cyare,” he breathed, his other hand now travelling to her face, both moving to bring her in for a tender kiss. She whimpered against his lips, her own hands grabbing at his waist, pulling him flush to her.

Their kiss was different this time, the tang of her tears mixing with saliva as their tongues danced in unison, Five’s hands pulling hers above her head, pinning her against the wall. One leg slipped between her thighs, pressing his knee against her.

The whimper she released into his mouth was divine, swallowed down by him as she rocked herself against his thigh, seeking friction.

Finally breaking the kiss, Fives pulled back with lust blown eyes, his fangs bared now as he panted for breath.

“There’s no going back from this,” he warned her, deathly serious as she gazed up at him, completely vulnerable. “True star sunlight will kill you, you’ll need to feed like I do, and you could live for centuries. You’ll watch everything you know and love crumble to dust around you, and there’ll be nothing you can do to stop it.”

“The only thing I’ve ever cared for is you,” she gasped out, arching her neck, giving Fives a perfect view of her pulse point. “I have no family, my job is dead-end. I’ve been working just to afford to come to meet you. There’s nothing left for me. Only you.”

Fives let out a guttural groan, fighting the urge to simply sink his teeth into her there and then.

“Mesh’la,” he chastised her gently, “I need to be sure. If I turn you, you’re bound to me. We’ll be bonded. I can only ever turn one person, you have to be sure. I couldn’t live with you hating me for eternity.”

Her eyes widened at his admission, fingers clenching against his hand where he still held them above her head, his palm dwarfing her slender wrists.

“I want you, Fives,” she managed, almost choking on his name as his other hand trailed down her breasts, teasing at her nipples, “I’ve wanted this since the moment we met. I need you, for as long as you’ll have me.”

That was all the encouragement Fives needed, a shiver of arousal pulsing through his body.

“Forever is a long time, cyare.”

She could only gasp as he shifted his leg away and unbuckled his belt with ease, black jeans pulled down just enough to expose his thick, leaking cock.

“Good,” she breathed, letting out a whimpering moan as his fingers slipped up her thigh, dragging one leg over his hip before moving to her core, gently tugging her panties to one side and lining the head of his cock up to her entrance.

“Last chance,” he offered, eyes locked on hers for what felt like an eternity. She looked utterly debauched already, pupils blown wide with lust, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

“Make me yours.”

They both moaned in unison as Fives slid inside her, the delicious friction of his cock against her insides bringing a new level of pleasure to her, one she’d never felt before. He was thicker than anyone she’d ever had before, her walls fluttering around him as he bottomed out, wrapping his free hand into her hair, tugging her head to the side.

The absolute euphoria that spread through every cell of her body when he sank his fangs into her, piercing the vein in her neck and letting her very life flow against his tongue was like nothing she could ever have described.

The intensity of a lightning strike, the pleasure of a well known lover, the force of a tsunami, it was overwhelming in the most primal way.

“F-Fives, oh, m-maker,” she managed, chest drawing in desperate, shuddering breaths. His lips sealed around the bite, sucking deeply as he fucked up into her, his other hand releasing hers above her head to grab at her waist, lifting her up against him.

She wrapped her legs around his waist without hesitation, her own hands raking down his back as he drank from her, desperate for every last drop.

Her head span, desire and pleasure mixing together to make everything hazy and unimportant. She could feel her heart slowing, the chill of the night seeping into her as Fives continued to fuck her deeply, moaning into her neck as he rolled his hips, relishing in the way she clenched around him.

Finally, as the world began to fade for her, Fives licked at her neck, lathing his tongue over the wound, and she found his wrist pressed against her mouth, the sweet, metallic tang of his blood filling her senses, his essence dribbling over her lips.

“Drink, my love,” he urged her as he bucked against her, drawing more moans from those beautiful lips, “have me. Become mine.”

He didn’t need to ask her again. Her mouth latched onto his wrist, sucking greedily at the wound on his wrist, laking all he had to offer her. Fresh pleasure rushed through Five’s body, his essence mixing with hers, the exchange of life, the awakening of a new part of her.

She felt it too, the absolute bliss, her body bucking and writhing against his, orgasm after orgasm coursing through her as she drank, her body changing, cooling, growing in strength.

Fives pulled his wrist away as he spilled inside her, caught off guard by the crest of his pleasure. Crashing their mouths together, they drank in the taste of each other, Five’s seed coating her insides, held in as he rocked them through the afterglow.

Caught once more by the intensity of it all, she let out a whimper against his lips, almost collapsing into his arms as exhaustion took over, a feeling he remembered all too well from his own turning.

“Easy, cyare,” he cooed, wincing in sympathy as he withdrew from her, hands steady on her waist, supporting her, “you’re going to feel weak for a while.”

“F-Fives, I, I l-love you,” she breathed, oblivious to the way his eyes flashed in delight, yellow orbs shining in the darkness.

“And I love you, mesh’la. I’m going to take you home, to our home, now. We will rest and wake together, and you can feed again. Then, I will show you the world through your new eyes.”

“P-Please, F-Fives. Thank, thank you. You’re all I, all I want.”

Fives couldn’t fight the soppy grin that lilted his lips as he quickly redressed himself and picked her up bridal style, his touch tender and comforting.

“You have me, cyare. Forever.”

[mae-lou-ron]

Keeping You Around

Summary: Commander Wolffe's assignment to embark on a reconnaissance mission takes an unexpected turn when he finds himself paired up with you—a development he was far from prepared to deal with.

Pairing: Commander Wolffe x GN!reader

Word Count: ~3,700 (it was supposed to be like 500 but again, brevity is not my strength, okay?)

CW: Fluff, hurt/comfort, mild injury mentioned, mando'a nickname, mutual pining, idiots in love arguing, stubborn Wolffe is stubborn. The reader wearing a flight suit and having hair are the only descriptors.

A/N: Real talk I wrote this in about 3 hours last night. Barely proofread bc I’m a dangerous woman trying to stop falling down editing rabbit holes at 3am. Lots of familiar tropes and scenarios ahead, but my goal was to practice writing conflict dialogue and thought Wolffe would be fun to try. Inspired to write this while watching Nick and Jess argue in New Girl S1E22 😜

Feedback is welcome, but please be constructive/kind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Cyar'ika!" Wolffe's voice boomed through the dilapidated hangar, the sudden sound of it nearly making you drop your spanner. "Cyar- Maker… there you are. What is wrong with you?!" Wolffe demanded as he strode over to you from a room off to the side, angrily trying to get his pauldron to snap back into place.

"Ah, Commander, I see you’ve regained consciousness," you said dryly, not looking up from the panel you were rewiring. Your hands were growing tired, just like the rest of you from your tedious task of fixing the power supply in hopes of getting a signal out to the 104th.

"Care to explain why I woke up in a strange room with half my kit off?" Wolffe demanded, his voice a dripping with irritation.

"Because you were much easier to drag without it… and I needed to make sure you weren't bleeding internally while you were unconscious," you said matter-of-factly. "I'm sorry—if I had time to wait for you to come around, I would have asked," you said, your voice losing its edge incrementally as you met his eyes for the first time. “Not like you would have admitted you were injured anyway,” you muttered under your breath.

He regarded you carefully, his expression severe. You could see his mind racing through a hundred scenarios while he’d been unconscious, though thankfully none had come to pass. His ARC trooper instincts kicked in as his eyes scanned the space for potential threats.

"Relax," you sighed. "I cleared the place, there's no one here. By the state of things I don’t think anyone has been here for a long time,” you gestured around to the various consoles and furniture covered in a thick layer of dust and debris. “Except for the scurriers, at least,”

"When… where's the shuttle?" he turned his head towards the closed hangar doors. No shuttle in sight.

"About 5 klicks east where we crashed it…" The panel before you flickered a few times, the power pulsing it to life before it cut out again. "Dank farrik!" you swore and kicked the side of it as the last of your patience with the blasted thing finally left your body. "It's no use, I can't keep the power on long enough to start anything up," you grumbled as you pulled yourself to your feet, wiping your hands on your flight suit in frustration.

When you looked up at Wolffe, he was staring at you with the same unreadable expression. His brow furrowed slightly as he took in your disheveled appearance and the scattered tools around you. His hands perched on his belt, mismatched eyes glittering.

"What?" you shrugged, slightly unnerved by his stern gaze.

"Where we crashed it, Lieutenant?" Wolffe's deep voice thick with implication. "The last thing I remember is you ignoring my direct order to put the ship down in that clearing."

"If I had, the clankers would have advanced on our position, cutting off what looked like the only civilian escape route,” you countered. "Landing further away drew them to us instead…it wasn’t part of the plan to get shot down…" you added as you remembered the chaos of the crash. The impact had been jarring, a barrage of tree branches cracking against the hull like breaking limbs. A second impact threw an already off balance Wolffe into one of the panels, knocking him out.

You managed to keep the shuttle in the air long enough to find a patch where the trees thinned out. In all honesty, it wasn't even your worst landing to date. As soon as it stopped moving, you immediately went to Wolffe. The shuttle was trashed, but you thanked the Maker one of the speeders stowed within it had survived. With great difficulty, you dragged Wolffe's unconscious form from the wreck, your muscles screaming in protest as you moved him to a safer distance away. There you were able to quickly assess his injuries, relief washing over you when you found a strong pulse and no signs of severe trauma. A few bruised or broken ribs, maybe, and thankfully he was wearing his helmet in the crash, but you still needed to check him for a concussion.

With Wolffe secured, you turned your attention to finding shelter, knowing that staying put wasn't an option. Your initial scans of the area indicated a hidden structure not too far from your position. So, with even greater difficulty, you heaved him onto the back of the speeder with whatever supplies you could quickly grab, and took off to higher ground.

“We’re both alive, relatively unscathed, gave the civilians a chance to escape, I handled it, Wolffe,” you reasoned, annoyed but not surprised at his reaction. Wolffe was a textbook control freak, but over the last year it had become almost endearing to you. Relishing in the way his eyes widened when he was flustered, or how his gravely tone would elevate ever so slightly when you pissed him off.

"Maybe if you listened to orders for once, you wouldn't have had to," Wolffe retorted, through gritted teeth.

You rolled your eyes. "Oh, because you're such a shining example of following protocol?" Referring to all the times Wolffe and General Plo bent protocol to keep their men alive, to secure the mission’s success.

"That's different and you know it," he growled, taking a step closer.

"How? How is it different, Wolffe?" you challenged.

He hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "Because I'm trying to keep you safe, dammit."

"And who's been keeping you safe?" you raised your voice slightly, your frustration bubbling. He bristled, but you could tell your words surprised him when he deflected back to you.

“You can’t just keep running into the fray like that, you’re going to get yourself killed!”

“Ok, that’s actually kinda hilarious coming from you,” you chuckled sardonically.

“You’re not a soldier!…and you seem set on going against everything I say trying to keep you alive…”

“Wow, Wolffe. Do you even hear yourself?!” the words came out of your mouth, stopping him in his tracks, grimacing at his puzzled expression.

“What?" he snapped in a deep voice. His eyes blazed with both anger and confusion, clearly caught off guard by your outburst. The tension in the air was palpable as you both stood there, locked in a silent standoff.

“I can take care of myself, and believe it or not, I always have, with or without you around,” you growled. “And I don’t appreciate you making me out to be this fragile little thing who needs to be taken care of…I volunteered for this mission, and I dragged your heavy ass here away from the droids while you were taking a nap,”

“I wasn’t aware I was responsible for what happened while I was unconscious, cyar’ika,” his tone filled with warning.

"And I certainly wasn't aware that saving your life would piss you off so badly," you spat, your chest heaving with exasperation.

The tension between you simmered, neither willing to yield. Wolffe had been acting strangely ever since he learned you volunteered for this mission. His behavior grew even more peculiar when you were paired to conduct recon scans for command. It made sense—you were a decorated pilot, and he was a decorated commander—yet his unease was palpable. While Wolffe is a lot of things, he is not someone who will willingly talk about his feelings. So you stood there, glaring at each other, both too stubborn to acquiesce. You were slowly moving towards one another, your determination coming off you in waves.

“When are you going to stop being so stubborn,” he said, chest puffing out slightly.

“Maybe I’m waiting for you to do the same,” you hissed.

“Don’t count on it, cyar’ika.” he took another step in your direction. The clones were already formidable in their presence, but Wollfe’s brightly painted armor made his presence even more powerful. It took you gritting your teeth and clenching your fists at your side to quell the impulses that were firing in your brain. You closed the distance, showing you weren’t going to back down. Not on this.

“Well, Commander, next time I’ll be sure to avoid any missions you’re assigned to, then you won’t have to carry my ‘dead weight’ around…” you half regretted the words as soon as they left your tongue, but you weren’t about to show him that. But you were going there anyway— the words you overheard him say the other night had been gnawing at you since. “Ironic, don’t you think?”

His eyes flashed with anger, but also a realization at your words. For a moment, you saw a flicker of vulnerability beneath his tough exterior. But as quickly as it appeared, it was gone, replaced by a sheepish anger that spoke volumes.

“Yeah Wolffe, I overheard you talking to Rex before we left,” you said as you bit back the fire in your lungs.

Wolffe's conversation with Rex had echoed in your mind, each word a dagger twisting deeper into your heart, fueling your pain. You couldn't shake the feeling, the knowledge that someone you cared for so deeply likely saw you as nothing more than a burden.

His face fell as your words deflated him. “You…” he sighed. “You weren’t supposed to hear that…”

“Clearly. But now that I know how you really feel about me we can stop pretending, so thanks for that I guess,” you looked at the floor, unable to keep the hurt from your voice now.

Wolffe's expression shifted, a sadness crossing his features. He reached out but stopped mid-air, unsure. "That's not... I didn't mean it like that," he said, his voice softer now, tinged with a hint of desperation. "You have to understand, cyar’ika, the situation is-"

“Will you stop calling me that!?” You nearly screamed, your voice echoing off the bare walls in the hangar. You could have sworn he winced, the only sound being the wind blowing through the cracks in the door. Wolffe opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, clearly struggling to find the right words.

"I would never speak about you like that, Wolffe, especially not to Rex," your voice was uncharacteristically small as you crossed your arms protectively.

You had considered dropping the mission, faking an injury—anything to avoid this. But Wolffe was still one of your closest friends in the GAR; he'd have seen right through you. So instead, it had lit a fire in you to prove him wrong. You knew it was childish to crave his approval, to want him to be proud of you. But what else could you do when you were desperately in love with the man?

Wolffe's eyes searched your face as he stepped closer, shoulders slumped incrementally, but his voice was low and earnest. "Those words were never meant to hurt you," he softly called you cyar'ika again. You ignored it, waiting for him to continue. "What you heard... it wasn't what you think." He reached out once more, but you stood firm against the pull of his warmth. "Please, let me explain?"

His tone was softer than you'd ever heard from him. A tingle ran down your spine as you glanced at his hand, then back into his tawny eye. Swallowing the lump in your throat, you raised your eyebrows, daring him to continue.

"I'm all ears, Commander."

Wolffe grabbed a nearby stool and pointed at it, which you took only after he took a seat on the stool opposite you. He suppressed another wince with a hand over his ribs, still clearly aching. You’d apply more bacta later, you thought to yourself as your knees nearly bumped his, but you ignored that too as he let out a ragged sigh. Running a hand through his cropped hair, he sent a few tendrils astray and you had to avert your gaze to avoid being distracted by the sight.

"You’re right, I didn't want you to come here with me," he said quietly. When he felt you bristle and open your mouth to protest, he touched his fingertips to your knee, seeking permission before he continued. “But then you volunteered- and what was I supposed to tell you- tell them?”

“You didn’t think I could handle it,” you said softly shaking your head and shifting in your seat with your eyes still on the floor.

"It's not that," Wolffe said, his voice low. He leaned forward, his knuckle gently nudging your chin. When you looked up he was gazing at you with an intensity that made your heart thrum. You could feel the weight of what he was trying to say in his long pause. “I didn’t think that I could handle it,” he confessed, eyes guarded as he gauged your response.

Wolffe's confession caught you off guard, revealing a rare vulnerability beneath his gruff exterior. The bands around your heart loosened as understanding dawned, pieces falling into place. His overprotective nature, steely demeanor, and reluctance to have you on this mission suddenly made sense. Gently, you placed your fingertips over his where they rest on your knee, a silent acknowledgment of this newfound insight. But still, what he said to Rex still had its bitter sting.

“Anything,” you murmured. “Anything would have been better than you letting Rex think I was a liability, Wolffe,”

“I know…I’m…sorry, I can’t even imagine how angry I’d have been if I were you." He paused, his eyes searching yours.

“I’m still angry,” you said quietly, but a glimmer of your softening resolve shine through, and he saw it, his posture relaxing incrementally.

“And I deserve it,” he turned his hand over beneath yours, wrapping his gloved fingers around your palm. The gesture surprising both of you. “I’ll talk to Rex as soon as we get out of here- but I don’t even think I’ll need to once he reads our mission report,” he mused.

You both sat in silence for a moment, the weight of your conversation hanging between you. The anger that had fueled your argument earlier had dissipated, replaced by a different kind of tension. Wolffe's thumb traced gentle circles on the back of your hand, wordlessly his apology.

“I won’t make this mistake again, I promise you,” he said before he brought your hand to his lips, gently pressing them to your knuckles. You felt his breath fan over your skin, making your breath stop in your throat at this unfamiliar, but not unwelcome side of Wolffe.

“Thank you,” you murmured as you moved your hand from his lips to his cheek. "We've always been quite the team," your eyes locked with his mismatched gaze. “We can protect one another. Together. I don’t need a savior, I just need to know you’ve got my back, as I have yours. I always will…”

Wolffe's eyes softened, a mix of gratitude and admiration shining through. He leaned in, pressing his forehead against yours in a gentle Keldabe kiss. "Always, cyar’ika," he murmured, his voice low and filled with promise. "Together.”

You chuckled softly at his pet name for you. "Wolffe, why do you keep calling me that?" The question had been on your mind for a while, but you'd never asked before. Truthfully, you were afraid to know the answer. You'd always assumed it was some kind of teasing nickname, especially given how his brothers snickered whenever it slipped from his lips around them.

Wolffe shifted uncomfortably under your gaze. A strange and unfamiliar site, but you couldn’t help but smile internally at your ability to unearth this side of him. After a moment, Wolffe seemed to find some resolve. His gloved hand reached up and brushed a stray hair from your eyes. When you looked at his face again you swore you saw pink in the man’s cheeks.

Wolffe can blush? You thought to yourself, eyes growing wide at this information. “It’s mando’a…there are words in basic that would cover it, but it’s…it’s more like a feeling. A sentiment…” he trailed off. His eyes softened as he looked at you, a hint of vulnerability in his expression. "The closest thing I can think of is…darling, beloved," Wolffe swallowed, his voice low and tender.

The realization dawned on you like a class two Venator crashing down, and between all the tension from the mission and trying to survive on this rock, you could help but burst into a fit of soft laughter.

“What?” Wolffe looked confused.

“So it doesn’t mean ‘idiot’?” You bit the inside of your cheek to stop your giggles.

Wolffe chuckled, a rare smile tugging at his lips. "No, cyar'ika. It definitely doesn't mean 'idiot'." He paused, his eyes crinkling as they met yours.

“I sure feel like one right now,” you murmured, your eyes distant thinking back to some of the times it slipped out in conversation.

“I’m the dik’ut in this case, cyar’ika,” he gazed at you softly, hand brushing another stray hair from your face.

“Well…” you said, leaning in closer. Your skin flushed with the renewed electricity between you. “I suppose it’s alright, now that I know why your brothers have been laughing when you say it…”

Wolffe slapped his forehead. "Kriff," he muttered, shaking his head. "I'll need to have a word with them when we get back." His eyes softened as they met yours again, a hint of amusement dancing in them. "But right now, I'd rather focus on you, cyar'ika." His hand cupped your cheek, thumb brushing gently across your skin as he leaned in closer. "Have you any idea how long I've wanted to kiss that scowl off your face?" he said softly, his nose brushing against yours. He paused there, giving you time to pull away.

You scowled at him for good measure, “So, what are you going to do about it, Commander?” You whispered, eyes locked on his.

Wolffe's eyes narrowed, something swirling in their depths. Without another word, he closed the distance between you, his lips capturing yours in a tentative kiss. His hand cupped the back of your neck, pulling you closer as he poured all his unspoken emotions into the gesture. When you finally parted, breathless and redfaced, he rested his forehead against yours, a soft smile playing on his lips.

“Believe me now, cyar’ika?”

"Yes..." you murmured dreamily, your eyes still closed. "But I think I could use a little more convincing," you added, savoring his taste as your tongue grazed your bottom lip. He grinned and leaned in again, this time with more fervor, eager to kiss you properly—to kiss you the way he'd always longed to but never thought he could.

“Thank you,” he murmured against your lips.

You swallowed thickly, your eyebrows knitting together slightly. “What for?”

He put both of his hands on your cheeks, thumbs caressing your skin lightly. You found your eyes fluttering closed at his touch.

“For saving my life,” he whispered.

Your eyes snapped open. The sincerity in his voice made your heart skip a beat. You couldn't help but smile, your hand coming up to cover his on your cheek.

“Don’t mention it,” you grinned. “I’m sure you’ll get your chance to repay the favor before we get out of here,” you chuckled.

“At least once, I reckon,” he huffed, the corner of his mouth twitching. “and about ‘cyar’ika’— I won’t call you that anymore, not if you don’t want me to. It just sort of…slips out…”

You interrupted him by ghosting your lips over his. “Don’t you ever stop calling me that…”

He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he leaned in to kiss you again. The warmth of his lips against yours sent a shiver down your spine, and you found yourself melting into his embrace. As you pulled apart, breathless and giddy, you couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, this insane mission had been worth all the trouble after all.

“Now,” he said, reluctantly pulling away. “As much as I’d like to see where this goes, cyar’ika, we should probably get back to finding a way to contact General Plo,” he said with the faintest edge of regret in his voice.

“I would have probably gotten it working if you hadn’t interrupted me,” you teased.

Wolffe chuckled, shaking his head. "Is that so? Well, I suppose we'll never know now." He stood up, offering you his hand. "Come on, let's see if I can get that comm working while you get some rest. I can tell you haven’t slept since the crash," His eyes sparkled with a new affection and familiar determination, reminding you why you'd fallen for this gruff commander in the first place.

“I still need to check you for a concussion…” you pointed your finger into his chest plate as he guided you towards the room he’d just left.

“Oh I think it’s safe to say I am— so you’re just going to have to figure out a way to keep me awake tonight I guess, Lieutenant,” he said dangerously, but his face gave nothing away.

You couldn't help but laugh. "Is that an order, Commander?" you teased, quirking an eyebrow at him. Wolffe's lips curled up in a rare, mischievous smirk as he pulled you closer, his voice low and husky as he murmured close to your ear. "Consider it a personal request, cyar'ika."

[ariadnes-red-thread]

Heartbeat

Summary: You wake up to find that you’re trapped in a cave with Fives. As oxygen dwindles and every breath you take is a countdown to death, you’re forced to confront your feelings for the ARC Trooper.

Pairing: Fives x AFAB!Reader

Warnings/Tags: 18+ *MINORS DNI*, Smut, PiV sex, Oral (female receiving), Brief descriptions of blood and wound care, Near Death Situation, Angst, Hurt/Comfort/Fluff, Porn with way too much Plot, Happy Ending

Word Count: 8.5k (don’t look at me)

A/N: NGL, this one got away from me. Also, maybe someday I’ll write something that isn’t “Idiots in Love” Trope. Today is not that day.

Ao3

It was the worst headache of your life. Everything throbbed. The pain radiated from your right temple and washed over your head, your neck, and then down your spine in sharp, ceaseless waves. The tension pulled your brow together, but any furrowing sent a new stabbing sensation straight to your forehead. The only comfort came from the surface below. Whatever you were lying on, the texture was worn, and the surface was stiff, but a damp coolness saturated the fabric, soothing your aching head. 

Where am I? You wondered, the thought forming in between the blooms of pain.

You blinked. The world was blurred as you tried to peek out from under heavy eyelids. The only light was faint, barely illuminating the shadows surrounding you. Awareness slowly returned to your limbs, and you realized you were lying on your side. You stretched out an arm and pushed yourself up. A groan left your lips at the effort.

“Oh, thank the little gods,” You heard a voice you couldn’t place. “You’re awake.”

You tried to turn to the person, but the movement and the change of position were too much. The world started to sway, and you began to plummet back downwards again.

“Whoa, whoa.” Large arms wrapped around you, halting your fall.

Whoever caught you pulled you into them, steadying you against their body, but any softness of their form was interrupted by a stiff, immovable chest. A puzzle piece to this mystery. Plastoid. You blinked. Armor. You blinked again. The haze started to leave your vision, but that didn’t make what you saw any clearer.

“Fives?”

The Arc Trooper grinned down at you, his trademark sideways smile still just as bright in the dim light.

“Hey, mesh’la.”

The clouds of your lightheadedness parted. Fives was kneeling next to you, supporting your weight against his chest plate as he held you up. You moved to right yourself again, crawling onto your knees and sitting back on your heels. He let you shift away from him, though his arms cautiously followed you as you straightened yourself, in case you swayed again.

Details slowly came into focus. Rock surrounded you on all sides. The edges and deep crevasses that ran up the jagged walls created long shadows that danced along the red stone in the soft glow. The light was thrown on them by a bright orb in the middle of this cavern. Through the shine, you recognized it as one of the ARC-standard lanterns. While the illumination didn’t offer much, it was enough to show that the open space you found yourself in wasn’t large, probably no bigger than an escape pod. The floor was dirt, and underneath you lay a blanket. It was one of the GAR-issued ones that the clones carried in their packs. My pack. Your instincts as a medic made your heart jump, and you instinctively patted the ground around you, looking for your gear before you spotted it. Leaning against the opposite corner of the cave was your medic pack and all of Fives’ kit. It had all been rifled through, with supplies out everywhere. You turned back to Fives, who was watching you carefully. He stayed on his knees next to you, still within arm’s reach.

“What’s…” Whatever question was on your lips was cut off and erased by another stabbing pain. 

You let out a small groan, and your hand shot to your forehead. You could feel a bacta patch on your temple. Underneath it, broken skin throbbed. You glanced down at your jumpsuit to find it covered in blood. 

“Look at me.” Fives quickly spoke, pulling your eyes back to his face. “You got hit in the head. You were a real mess. I’m not you or Kix, but I tried to clean you up as best I could.”

He made you track his fingers and asked you the questions you had asked him a million times before. For how talented a soldier he was, Fives had more head injuries than the rest of the GAR combined. You could always count on finding him in your medbay after every mission for one reason or another. He tried to assess your vision but flashed fingers before you faster than you could count them. 

“That’s not how you do that.” You giggled as you rolled your eyes. “Nice try, Doctor Fives.”

“Sarcasm intact, I see.” Fives chuckled, but the laugh didn’t meet his eyes.

He raised his hand to your chin and slowly tilted it so he could inspect your wound. He lifted his other hand to graze over your temple, pressing down on the bacta patch that he must have gotten from your pack and placed on your wound earlier.

“Wasn’t deep, luckily.” He said, his voice soft now. “Just bled a ton. You scared me, mesh’la.”

He was close. So close. And the look on his face made you wonder.

“A big ole ARC Trooper was scared for me?” You teased, desperate for anything to break the tension.

His eyes met yours before he flicked them back to the bandaged wound. Oh, you swallowed before you quickly reprimanded yourself. You had to do that often with Fives. You had been with the 501st since the beginning of the war, and you loved every one of the men you served with. They loved you too. When you weren’t chasing the brave -if slightly reckless - soldiers into battle, they were often pulling you into their own shenanigans, like nights out at 79’s or games of sabacc in the barracks or pranks that made Rex assign you all to fresher duty for a week. It was different with Fives, though. 

He had no idea, of course. He didn’t know how his banter, more playful and flirty than his brothers, or that little nickname, mesh’la, affected you. He didn’t know that, through no fault of his, you had been swept off your feet by the handsome man since the moment you met him. He’d never led you on or made you think your feelings were reciprocated. He’d been nothing but respectful and kind. Still, you couldn’t shake your feelings for the ARC Trooper. You loved the way he butted heads with you. You loved how he teased the people he cared about, including you. You loved the way he looked after his brothers. You loved his ingenuity on the battlefield. Despite your best efforts, you loved Fives. You pushed your feelings aside as best you could, trying to only let them creep up on you during dark moments alone. There was no point in dwelling on it. Fives would never feel that way about you. Still, this sudden doting made your stomach twist.

Don’t read into it. You scolded yourself. He’s just worried about you. With his gaze back on your forehead, you tried to turn your attention elsewhere. You searched for the last thing you remembered.

You were on Geonosis. That much you knew. Even in the dark, the sandstone of the walls around you was apparent. Geonosis. You strained and tugged on strings as you tried to remember why you were in Geonosis or, more importantly, where on Geonosis you were. 

“What’s going on, Fives?”

The ARC trooper sat back, finally confident you wouldn’t fall again, and leaned against the wall. He pulled one knee up, resting his arm on it. The other leg extended out next to you.

“What do you remember?”

He nodded as you pieced together details for him, filling in the blanks where he could. The more you tugged on those threads, the more you could weave together. Geonosis. You remembered trekking across the desert with a small squad. You remembered an ambush. A group of bugs had sprung out of the dunes. It had happened so suddenly. There had been a lot of blaster fire and explosions. As soon as the fighting started, Fives grabbed your arm, pulling you to shelter behind him. You remembered darkness engulfing the landscape and Fives cursing as his brothers disappeared from view. A sandstorm was sweeping in; brutal winds whipped up the desert as it approached. Fives took hold of your arm again, leading you to the foot of the nearby mesa. The last thing you could remember was pointing to a small cave, thinking it could offer shelter to wait out the deadly weather. Fives, barely visible even a foot in front of you as the storm finally descended, led the way. Then, nothing. There was no more thread to pull at. Trying to piece together the last of the story, you turned to look towards what you vaguely recalled to be the entrance. It was covered in broken, serrated rocks. You frowned. That couldn’t be good.

“Cave collapsed.” Fives finally admitted as you finished. “Must have been unstable, and the winds from the storm made it worse. I tried to dig out, but it just kept collapsing. Without tools, it’ll bring the whole thing down on us. And you’ve had enough head injuries for one day.”

“And you for one lifetime.” You reminded Fives. “So we’re stuck here, huh?”

He nodded, watching you as you moved to cross your legs and settle into a seated position. You noticed his careful look but kept your attention on the predicament.

“Any other exit?” You glanced around, the tall walls suddenly hugging you a little tighter.

If there were any, the cave held its secrets well. The only light came from the lamp, and the air felt heavy. Unmoving.

“No,” Fives’ face was grim when you turned back to him. “I looked after I got you cleaned up. My helmet was damaged during the cave-in, but the radar still works, and there’s nothing.”

He dropped his gaze to his boots. Fives was a lot of things, but a good liar wasn’t one of them. There was something he wasn’t telling you.

“What else?”

Fives let out a little huff. He knew lying wasn’t his strength either. After a moment, he spoke again.

“Indicators on my bucket show the oxygen supply of this little pocket isn’t… uh, well, it’s not gonna last forever.” He raised a hand, rubbing his gloved palm against the back of his neck, still not looking at you.

You frowned at Fives. You didn’t like how vague he was being. Many people mistook Fives’ carefree demeanor for carelessness, but you knew otherwise. Fives was nothing if not thorough in his recon, and that meant he was still hiding something.

“How long?” You asked, your tone still the same one you would use in the medbay. Scientific and determined.

“We have four more hours of oxygen.”

You nodded. That would explain the heaviness of the air.

“Is anyone coming?”

“Yes, Rex is on… on his way.” He coughed as he spoke.

You watched as his jaw twitched from the tension and his gaze shifted further from yours. You glanced at his helmet. It sat among the scattered gear, the antenna snapped off and lying beside it on the ground. You considered your own communicator for a moment but knew its range would never make it through these stone walls. You looked back at Fives.

“Don’t lie to me.” If you could have registered anything at that moment, you would have been surprised at how suddenly quiet your voice was.

Fives flicked his eyes back to finally meet yours. He stared, his honey-brown irises flickering gold in the dim light.

“No,” He finally answered, like a sentencing. “Comms are down. No one is coming.”

You nodded. Your gaze fell to your palms. This was it. Trapped with no way out. You had always known you could die during this war. You had assumed it would be on the battlefield. The thought that it wouldn’t be twisted in your gut. A rage began to boil. You didn’t want to die here, suffocating. You wanted to go down fighting. You looked back at Fives, ready to protest against your fate. Then you saw his face. He met you with a look of understanding that stopped any objection on your lips.

“It’s okay.” He shrugged. “I’m mad too. I’m a soldier. I’m supposed to die on my feet, not in some cave.”

With that, the rage disappeared.

“I’m sorry, Fives.”

“Me too.” He gave you a half-smile. “Honestly, part of me hoped you wouldn’t wake up. Then you wouldn’t have known. You wouldn’t have to wait.”

You tried to return his half-smile, but your heart panged at the thought of Fives having to wait for death alone. You crawled to sit against the wall next to him. Pressing your back against the stone wall, you rested your head on his pauldron.

“Well, I’m glad I’m awake.” You finally spoke. You were surprised to find that you meant it. “What now?”

“Just wait, I guess.” 

You didn’t have to look at Fives to see the defeat that had swept over him. It was clear in his voice, the emptiness of his tone ringing like a gong. You frowned. If you were going to be awake, you had to do something. Your eyes fell onto the gear scattered at the foot of the opposite wall.

“I have a sabacc deck.” You tilted your head up at the ARC trooper.

“You’re on.” Fives snorted as he grinned down at you, the smile finally meeting his eyes.

Time crept on at a cruel pace. Too fast and too slow at the same time. The two of you had an unspoken agreement not to look at the indicators on Fives’ helmet. The mood was heavy, but you were grateful to be with Fives. You moved to sit across from him, a perfect little space for sabacc forming between the two of you. Fives discarded his armor, and you had unzipped the top half of your jumpsuit, tying its arms around your waist. Even still, the white tank top clung to you in the stifling heat of the cavern. The temperature aside, it almost could have been another night in the barracks, just the two of you outlasting his brothers as you stayed up too late, laughing and sharing secrets.

“You think the others are okay?” Your thoughts wandered to your friends. 

“Echo, Kix, and Rex are too smart to die, Jesse’s too stubborn, and Hardcase is too lucky.” Fives chuckled as he looked over his hand. “Fate’s already given up on killing ‘Case. Despite his best efforts. It’ll be some stupid hero move if he ever goes out.”

You laughed. Thinking that the rest of the squad was safe brought a little comfort, at least. Then you thought of how Fives had protected you during the fight. A hero.

“Like protecting civilian medic during a firefight?” The cards in front of you began to swim, and your eyes quickly found the cave's dirt floor. “You shouldn’t have helped me.”

“Don’t say that.” Fives frowned and tilted his head down so he could meet your gaze. “I would have been looking for shelter during that storm, no matter what. I always would have ended up here.”

Fives looked away, his attention back on the game as he cast the die. You quickly blinked, trying to clear your burning eyes. He swore at the numbers that came up. 

“Your turn,” He smiled at you. “And for the record, protecting you… I don’t regret it. Not for a second.” 

You sighed. Regrets. You had plenty, and now, the thought that maybe you had led Fives here to this fate was quickly climbing the list. It was more suffocating than the dwindling oxygen. Fives must have been able to see the shadow lingering over you.

“Hey,” He placed his cards to the side and patted the ground between his legs. “Come here.”

You climbed over Fives’ shins and settled yourself against his chest. You stared out into the darkness as Fives wrapped an arm around you, pulling you back into him. It was a little too warm to be comfortable, but you lifted a hand to his forearm and clung to him all the same.

It wasn’t the first time you’d been this close to Fives. All the clones were comfortable with you, hugging you, picking you up, teasing you like a sister. Fives was no different; it always made your crush that much harder. Even now, as death waited around the corner, your heart raced a little faster. You frowned at yourself, willing it to slow. As you tried to focus, you realized that you could feel his heartbeat where his chest pressed to your back. That didn’t help your own heart rate or your focus.

Finally, Fives broke the silence you didn’t realize had settled between you two.

“I wish I could’ve seen the end of it, you know?” His voice was quieter than you’d ever heard it.

“The end of what?” You asked, still staring out into the dark.

“The war. I’d like to give peace a try.” It was his turn to sigh. “I know they wouldn’t just let us go. There’s always another war to fight, but maybe… maybe I could’ve had a life too. Settle down, raise a family. Deploy when they need me but get to come back to a place that was home instead of just a different set of barracks. Maybe I could’ve had a chance to be more than just a number.”

You thought of the heart beating behind you. How alive he was. Fives always had been, and that zeal permeated everything he did. When it came down to it, that was why you fell in love with him. A number’s heart never beat like that.

“You’ve never been just a number.” You whispered, more to the darkness than to Fives. “Not to me.”

You settled further into his chest and closed your eyes. You could still feel the gentle rhythm of his heart between your shoulder blades. The idea that it would come to a stop in a few short hours was too much to bear. You reached for the hand that wasn’t holding you. You needed to feel its warmth. You pulled it into your chest, clasping his hands.

Then you felt his fingers lace through yours. You opened your eyes and looked over your shoulder to find Fives watching you.

Your heart stopped. Time slowed. You knew the gleam in his eyes. You’d always wanted him to look at you like that, like you were the only thing in the world. Right now, you supposed you were.

“Even after everything, you know what my only regret will be?” His breath was hot against your neck.

“What?” Your heart was racing again.

“I never got to kiss you.”

Before you could stop yourself, you let go of his forearm and reached for the collar of his compression top. You pulled him into you. Fives met your lips solidly, stunned and in shock. In the next moment, you felt him begin to melt into the kiss. His hunger quickly matched yours, and he slid his tongue over your lip, begging entrance. You let him in, the shock of your actions finally sparking within you as you savored his taste. 

No more regrets, a voice in the back of your head boomed, and a boldness suddenly came over you.

Never leaving his lips, you spun your torso to him and brought yourself to your knees, straddling his legs. He pulled you to his chest, deepening the kiss now that you were at a better angle. His goatee brushed your chin, a comforting reminder that this was real. It was really Fives kissing you. Your hands found his the back of his neck where you clung to him as Fives sealed his lips on yours. He wrapped one arm around your waist while the other hand cupped the back of your head, tilting you so he could taste every inch of your mouth. You sucked on his tongue, and Fives let out a small rumble that went straight to your core. His scent, a heady warmth with a hint of plasma, overwhelmed your senses. He was all you could breathe now, but you needed more. You wanted to feel him. You let your hands fall to his chest and pushed back, breaking the kiss.  He stared up at you, this kneeling position giving you the height advantage. His jaw was slack, and his brown eyes were dazed as you met his gaze. You reached for the hem of your white tank top and pulled it over your head, stripping it from your body, and tossed it aside. Fives leaned back as he gapped at you, stunned by your movement. You turned your attention to his clothing, tugging at the edge of his compression shirt.

“Wait, wait!” Fives’ hands met yours. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Your voice was firm as you watched him, unblinking.

He swallowed, his grip a little tighter on your hands. He wanted this too.

“We’re going….” His look kept getting pulled back to your lips. “We’re going to use up oxygen.”

“I don’t care.” Your eyes roved over his face. You had waited so long for this. If you were going to die, you wanted to do it by his lips. “Do you?”

“Kriff, no.” He half-growled, any reservations disappearing with your consent.

Everything became rushed. Each movement was faster than the next as you both raced against the clock. Fives released your hands, letting you strip the top from his form. You ran your hands back down over his muscled, tan chest.  Fives groaned at your touch before he tugged at your waist, pulling you back into his lips. You gripped his powerful bicep in one hand while the other found its way to his curls, tugging gently at the short hair and earning a moan from Fives. His broad fingertips dug at your bare skin, needy and wanting. He ran his hands over your ribs and under your binder, grazing the sensitive skin underneath your breasts. Then, he traced his way downward. His hands snuck under the fabric of your jumpsuit and made their way over the curve of your legs and around to your backside, kneading at your flesh as he pulled you closer to him still. You felt him harden beneath you. He left your lips to kiss along your jaw before he found a spot on your neck. He sucked and nipped, sending a shiver that traveled from your pulse point down to the pooling heat in the pit of your stomach. You wished you had more time. 

You didn’t, though. Even now, the invisible timer ticked away in the back of your head. You moved to squat so you could strip your jumpsuit from your lower half. Fives held you up, his strong hands gripping under your arms as you struggled with the fabric. In sloppy movements, you finally pulled the jumpsuit and underwear from your legs. Fives quickly wrapped you back into him as soon as possible. Your kiss was frenzied now. His hands traveled up and down your body, caressing every inch of your skin he could reach as he swept his fingertips over you in a hurried march. They returned to your binder, where they lingered for a moment. Fives traced your pert nipples through the fabric, the friction teasing your sensitive skin, but after letting out a small huff in your mouth, he moved on. The timer was clearly ticking for him too. Fives found his true target as his hand trailed downward and made its way between you. He paused at your soaking opening only for a moment, tracing your tight ring of muscle just enough to tease you before he quickly slid a warm finger home.

His lips moved back to your neck as you snapped your hips against his hand. He added a second finger and sank deeper, meeting your movements. It wasn’t long before he found your sweet, spongy spot and pumped his hand against it, pulling moans and mews from your lips. His thumb came to your clit, teasing small circles around your sweet mound until you were putty in his hands.

“Just fuck me already.” You begged.

“Oh, mesh’la.” He nipped at your ear.

It was a promise. Fives pulled his fingers from you and reached for the hem of his body glove. He pulled it down, revealing his hardened length, veiny and thick with want. He took himself in his hand, smearing your slick over it as he stroked himself. You raised yourself up over him. He slotted himself against your entrance before he looked up at you. You met his eyes as you both paused for a beat. Fives looked like he still wanted to say something to you, but after a moment, he just surged forward and captured your mouth with his once more.

“Fives.”

You sunk down onto him as you gasped his name against his lips. He pushed against your walls as he entered you, reaching every corner, the pressure making your head swim. You clawed at his chest as you sank to the hilt, any pain turning quickly to pleasure. He gripped your waist, a sharp breath leaving him as he waited for you to adjust.

“Fuck,” He muttered. His hips twitched beneath you as he battled with his body to give you a moment to recover. “You feel incredible.”

“I need to move, please.” You pleaded with him as you reached for his shoulders.

You began to ride him, lifting yourself up and sinking down, letting his cock fill you up again and again. He raised up to meet you with every movement, turning you into a babbling mess as you came apart on his cock. His hand found your clit again.

His thumb refused to slow as it drew wave after wave of bliss from you. Fives’ eyes watched the place where you came together, staring as he stretched you out with every rolling movement. Soon, you felt yourself being pulled to the brink. You let your head fall into his neck.

“I’m so close.” You mumbled against his skin.

“Look at me.” His lips were pressed against your ear as he begged.

You opened your eyes and lifted your head to meet his eyes. I love you, you wanted to say, but you held back. Instead, you tried to tell him with your eyes and prayed he heard you. You wanted him to feel loved. His eyes burned back at you, meeting you with all the want and need you felt for him. 

White spots formed behind your vision, and you began to shake. Fives snapped his hips upward, pushing you over the edge and sending you plummeting into your orgasm. He followed quickly afterward, cumming with three final thrusts as he filled you up.

You collapsed into his chest, letting your head fall to his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around you as he softened within you. You were both slick with sweat, but neither of you moved as you tried to catch your breath. You wondered for a moment if you would, and as Fives’ grip dug a little deeper into your arms, you had a feeling that he was wondering the same thing. But eventually, your breathing slowed, and your eyes started to flutter close.

You felt Fives lift you up and slip out of you, tucking himself back into his blacks. Then, he came back to you,  helping you tug your jumpsuit back on. You frowned at the sudden space between you. Part of you wanted to protest, but even in your hazy bliss, you knew it made sense. If anyone ever did find your bodies, it would be better not to be naked. When you were both dressed, you laid down on the blanket again and pulled him down next to you. Fives let you tug him close as both of you fought sleep just a little longer. You knew you would wake up shortly, clutching your chest and struggling for air. You knew you would both die gasping in stunned breaths. But for now, you were almost happy. His arms wrapped around you, and Fives placed one last kiss on the top of your head. You pressed your ear to his chest and let yourself fall into a final sleep to the sound of his heartbeat.

Air came rushing back into your lungs. You choked and coughed on the sudden stream. Your eyes shot open at the sudden rush. A familiar, unmistakable face swam in front of you.

“Rex?” You croaked.

You didn’t recognize your own voice, hoarse and broken. Rex, leaning over you, frowned at your effort. 

“Shhh,” He quickly hushed you. “We’ve got you. Hang in there, ad’ika.”

He reached down, hoisting you up into his arms. The world behind him glowed, and somewhere, dimly in the back of your mind, you slowly formed one word, Sun. Sun, air, Rex. You were saved. Where was Fives, though?

You started to panic. Fives. You wriggled in Rex’s arms.

“Hey, hey!” He warned as he tried to hold on to you.

 “Fives.” You croaked again.

“He’s okay,” Rex assured you, pulling you tighter to him. “Echo’s got him.”

Fives was safe. You stopped wiggling. The darkness crept in again, and you let it take you.

You spent the trip back to Coruscant drifting in and out of consciousness as you floated in a hyperbaric chamber. Nothing was around you. Only a benevolent darkness and your soothed subconscious. Some part of you knew this was supposed to feel peaceful, but something in you was still restless. Even nirvana didn’t feel as peaceful as Fives’ arms had.

Consciousness finally crept up on you in the medbay. Unlike the cave, you knew where you were the moment you opened your eyes. You instantly recognized the sterile walls, the bright lights, and the stiff, scratchy fabric of the patient gowns. And if those weren’t enough clues, the face that soon bobbed over you would have been.

“What the fuck?” Kix prodded at you, poking your shoulder with an outstretched finger as he appeared next to your hospital bed.

“Is this always your bedside manner?” You groaned as you pushed yourself up on your arms, decidedly tired of waking up like this. “No wonder I’m the favorite medic.”

“Like hell you are.” Kix grinned as he waved his fingers in front of your face, starting your second neuro exam of the day. “Besides, this bedside manner is reserved for my civilian medic who tried real hard to die on me.”

“What a bitch.” You sighed as you leaned back into the thin mattress, closing your eyes.

“No kidding,” Kix huffed as he continued your assessment.

You let him feel your pulses and shine a light in your eyes as you drifted off with your thoughts. You were alive. That should be a good thing; underneath, you knew it was. But there was an empty feeling like you had left something in the cave, and it was gone forever. Like it had slipped through your hands. Despite your best efforts, you found your thoughts drifting toward Fives.

Fives. Even his name made your skin crawl now. You practically had thrown yourself at him. For years, you had been able to keep your feelings for him separate from your relationship with him. It was one thing to sleep with him if it was the last thing you ever did. But now you had lived, and you couldn’t take it back. Fives would know now, and when you saw him next, there would be nowhere to hide. 

Finally, Kix was satisfied you were well enough to leave the medbay. He pointed out a pile of clothes that Echo had collected for you and turned to go so you could have some privacy. Before he pulled the door shut across, Kix paused.

“Glad you’re here, ad’ika.” 

You smiled back at the medic, the empty feeling abating just a little. You were alone with your thoughts, but the familiar beeps and alarms of the medbay machinary brought you some comfort. You focused to the squeaky orchestra as you slowly dressed.  You had just pulled your shirt in when there was a knock on the door. 

“Come on in.” You called, trying to think what test Kix could possibly have forgotten.

Instead, Fives opened the door. Your jaw and your heart dropped as you met his brown eyes. 

“Hey, mesh’la.” 

His usual nickname made your stomach twist. Panic threatened to overwhelm you as your heart began to race. You felt your lungs begin to heave again, desperate for more oxygen as your body readied to run. He stayed in the doorway, the space between you both too much and not enough all at once. Your eyes traveled up and down him, clad once again in his armor. There was no softness. Nothing you could cling to anymore. Breathe, you reminded yourself. 

“Hey.” You tried to smile at him but your mouth refused.

“Just wanted to check on you.” He rubbed a hand along the back of his neck, eyes roving around the room.

“I’m good.” You watched him, trying to read his every move, but there was nothing. No hints of what he was feeling or, worse, what he was thinking. Breathe. “You?”

“Yeah.” That sideways smile flickered over his face for an instant and then it was gone. “Good as new.”

Silence settled between you, almost as suffocating as the cavern. Breathe. 

“So we made it.” Fives finally spoke, his look finally finding yours.

“Yeah,” you shifted under his stare. Breathe.

Fives opened his mouth, but a long beep cut him off. He looked down at the comm on his wrist and groaned.

“I gotta take this.” 

“Of course.” You nodded, flashing him a smile that you imagined probably looked more like a grimace.

He nodded before he vanished, ducking out of the door quicker than he had appeared. You dropped back into the cot with a groan. You suddenly wanted to crawl back into the hyperbaric chamber and slip back into the abyss.

Instead, the cruiser made it to Coruscant, and you were able to busy yourself with work. As soon as the landing ship let you out and onto the base, you threw yourself into the medical supplies. You sorted and restocked for hours, ignoring Rex and then Coric when they each tried to stop you in turn.

You were kneeling on the ground, restocking one of the med kits that the clones kept in their barracks, when the lid snapped shut, nearly catching your fingers as it came down.

You glared upwards to find Jesse grinning down at you. Kix stood beside him, arms crossed.

“You‘re coming out.” Kix’s tone was stern. It was the tone he usually reserved for delivering bad medical news. “Doctor’s orders.”

You opened your mouth to protest, but Jesse quickly cut you off.

“Come on,” Jesse nodded towards the door. “We’re all going to 79’s, and we’re not taking no for an answer.”

“Sorry, no is the only answer I’ve got.” You reached to flip the lid back open on the kit, but Kix’s boot beat you to the top, sealing it shut with his weight.

“Just come before we have to unleash more cruel tactics.” Jesse quipped.

“You mean the two of you get more annoying?” You glared at them, but there was no bite behind it.

They glanced at each other and grinned. They had won, and they knew it.

79’s was crowded. Your head throbbed with the bass, remnants of the concussion that you and Kix had a mutual, unspoken agreement to ignore tonight. But it was proving harder than you had hoped. Beyond the music and the flashing lights, the men you came with weren’t helping, despite your affection for their enthusiasm. They all crowded you and Fives into a back booth where they were whooping and hollering at a near-constant rate. Each soldier took turns slapping you on the back and offering to buy you a drink. You smiled at every one of them in turn and thanked them, but you stuck to sipping on water.

You had decided to be sober tonight for a few reasons. The concussion was one of them. The other was across the table, Echo’s arm slung over his shoulder. Echo, who had refused to let Fives stray more than arm’s reach away from him, told the story of how he had been able to triangulate your location based on the maps from the mission briefing and, when he saw the rock wall, knew what had happened. It had taken General Skywalker thirty minutes to get the equipment to the mountainside, and the hot-headed Jedi had apparently fumed the entire time. Then, when the droids moved the rocks from the cave entrance, they were able to pull you out and from the brink of death.

You tried your best to smile at Echo while he recounted. It was proving hard, though, because you still couldn’t bring yourself to look at Fives. To your left, Hardcase leaned across you to whisper to Jesse and Coric.

“We need to get him laid.” He giggled conspiratorially as he glanced at the ARC and then back to his brothers.

“We need to get them both laid.” Jesse elbowed you.

“Nothing like ‘I’m still alive’ sex.” Coric nodded firmly.

Jesse raised a glass. 

“I’ll toast to that!” He smirked, and Hardcase joined them.

The drink sloshed out of their glasses and down the front of your jumpsuit. As it darkened, you remembered the blood. Suddenly nauseous, you jumped from your seat. The clones stared up at you with wide apologetic eyes. Then they all spoke at once.

“Kriff,” Hardcase swore as he tried to signal a droid for a towel.

“Here,” Jesse grabbed for all the napkins he could reach on the table.

“Sorry, sorry!” Coric apologized.

“It’s fine.” You pushed Jesse’s hands away as he tried to dab up the liquid. You turned to Hardcase and nodded to him to let you out of the booth.

He quickly jumped up, still profusely swearing inbetween sincere apologies. You brushed him off as you made for the fresher.

Quickly, you found a hand dryer to dry off your clothes. You glanced in the mirror to inspect the outfit. It was an old jumpsuit you wouldn’t miss if whatever acrid liquor they were drinking wouldn’t come out of it. It wasn’t the stain that caught your eye, though. Instead, you were caught off guard by the sour look on your face. No wonder they were trying to cheer you up, you thought. You didn’t look like someone who had just survived a near-death experience. You looked like someone who had just been sentenced to death.

You sighed. Tonight was a lost cause. You should sneak out now, you decided, and comm Jesse and Kix with an apology later. Coric and Hardcase, too, probably. Tomorrow would be a better day. You just needed time. 

You left the fresher, a sense of hope creeping in for the first time in hours. It fled the moment you stepped back into the bar.

“Hey, I was coming to look for you.”

You stared slackjawed at Fives. He had somehow managed to escape Echo’s grip and was waiting outside the fresher. Clad only in armor from the waist down, and his compression top rolled up to reveal his forearms, he looked even more handsome than usual in the muted, neon light. A sheepish grin danced on his lips. Your heart skipped a beat, and you cursed yourself. Even after everything, you couldn’t shake how you felt.

He opened his mouth to speak again, but a different voice boomed over the music, calling out both of your names.

“What are you two doing back here?” Hardcase sprung on you and threw an arm over your shoulder.

“We were just saying we need to get you two laid!” Hardcase wrapped his other arm around Fives, pulling you both into him. “Nothing like ‘We’re still alive’ sex!”

“Not as good as ‘We’re going to die’ sex.” Fives let out a half-laugh as his eyes slid around Hardcase to meet yours.

You choked. 

You had to leave now. You would have to transfer. Quit. Go AWOL. You didn’t know what you were going to do, but right now, you needed to leave this bar.

“I’ll see you guys at the table.” You said as you slipped out from under Hardcase’s arm.

You scurried through the club, skirting the bar and dashing for the door, desperately avoiding the eyes of any well-meaning clones that stepped out of your way, afraid you might find a pair that would try to stop your flight. 

The cool, Coruscant night air filled your lungs as you gasped, your body still seeking more oxygen. You wondered if that feeling would ever go away. As you tried to catch your breath, you glanced around. The platform outside the club was empty, and there was no air taxi in sight. You sighed and dialed a comm. Then you heard your name. 

“Are you running away?”

The voice was unmistakable. It might haunt you for the rest of your life. You closed your eyes, trapping the tears that suddenly welled up behind your eyelids.

“Just leave me alone, Fives.”

He called your name again. His voice was closer this time. Then you felt a hand come to rest on your shoulder. You stepped away from his grasp before you spun to face him. 

In the wide open platform, Fives looked small for the first time you could remember. His chest was rising and falling quickly like he had run out to catch you. You would have to transfer, you decided at that moment. There was no other way out of this. For either of you. 

“Why did you run away?” 

“Because this isn’t a joke, Fives.” You snapped at him as you took another step backward. You turned your gaze towards the city skyline as the next words spilled out of you before you could stop them. “That wasn’t We’re-going-to-die sex for me. I have feelings for you. I spent a long time ignoring it, but now, I can’t anymore, and I… I don’t know what to do.”

“How long have you had feelings for me?”

“Since I joined the 501st.” You sighed, still not looking at him. “What does it matter?”

“You really have feelings for me?” He asked.

“Is that your only takeaway here?” You could have screamed in frustration, but instead, your tone was quiet and defeated. 

“It’s the only one I need.” 

You let yourself look back at Fives just as he broke into a wide grin. Before you could ask what he meant, Fives reached out and wrapped a hand around your wrist. He tugged you to him, pulling you back into your arms. You barely had a moment to be shocked before he kissed you.

There was nothing hurried about this kiss. When his full lips met yours, he moved against you slowly and sensually. His hand found the back of your head again, and he tilted you up to him as he parted your lips and met your tongue with slow, languid licks. He moved to you cheek and then your jawline where he trailed along with soft, sweet kisses until he found your ear. 

“I’m sorry I joked.” He whispered against your skin. “I’ve loved you for a long time, and I thought I’d messed it all up. I didn’t know what else to do.”

“I love you too, Fives.” You were breathless as you whispered back. 

You barely had time to notice that it was a different kind of breathless, one of excess rather than deficit. You threw your arms around his shoulders as you found his lips once more. Instead of death waiting at the end of the kiss, it was the rest of your life. 

By the time you got to your apartment, your jumpsuit was half unzipped, and lipstick was smeared across Fives’ face. Neither of you cared as you stumbled through the doorway and into the bedroom. 

You tugged at your zipper, desperate to strip the fabric from your body. When you finally freed yourself and let it pool on the ground around your ankles, you realized Fives wasn’t wrapped around you anymore. You spun, only to find him watching you from the doorway. A soft smile played on his lips. Peace settled across his brow. You couldn’t help but smile back.

“Hurry up, get your armor off and kriff me already.” You teased as you sat on the bed, patting the mattress next to you.

He chuckled as he stepped towards you. Then he paused, bending down to remove one of his shin plates and then the other. He moved slowly, like a man with all the time in the world. You felt excitement pulsing through you as you waited. Anticipation had every cell in your body vibrating as you waited for his touch.

Finally, stripped down to his body suit, he crossed the room in two strides until he towered over you. You felt your mouth fall open just a little as you looked up at him.

“No,” He brought a knuckle to your chin, winking as he closed your mouth. “This time, I’m going to take my time with you.” 

He dropped the knuckle to your chest and pushed you over with one gentle finger. You fell softly back into the bed, your legs hanging off the edge. Staring up at your ceiling, you didn’t have time to wonder at his plan before you felt two strong palms pushing your knees apart. You looked down to see Fives fall to his knees next to the bed. A hungry look danced in his eye. His fingers wrapped around the elastic of your underwear, and you lifted up your rear enough for him to strip your panties from you. Your head fell back as you exhaled.

Fives’ lips began to ghost over your legs. The breath that skated across your body seemed to steal the one on your lips. He nipped and licked at the sensitive skin as he moved up from your knees to your inner thighs. You shivered, and your hips started to wiggle as you ached for his touch where you needed it most.

“Patience, mesh’la.” Fives whispered, his words hovering above your throbbing core.

Finally, his tongue met your center as he licked one long stripe along your lower lips. You let out a desperate moan at the attention. Your eyes fell to meet his just as he chuckled at your reaction. He flashed a smile at you before he turned back to the sight before him. He began to trace long, slow circles around your entrance, making you clench around the emptiness. His nose grazed over your clit, sending a shudder through your body and pulling another moan from your lips. Satisfied with the withering mess you had become from his teasing, Fives sunk his tongue into you. He began to lick and suck in a frenzy, groaning as he tasted you. His attention worked you quickly to the brink. He sank two fingers into your slick entrance, curling them until you cried out and came, spasming around him. 

When the raptureous swell subsided, you lifted yourself up to your elbows to be greeted by Fives stripping his compression suit from his body. Finally naked, he grinned down at you with your arousal still shining in his facial hair. In an unspoken agreement, you both paused, taking the time to admire the other person. Time you didn’t get before. Muscled, broad, and covered in scattered scars and tattoos, you’d seen Fives without his shirt before. Even before your moment in the cave, you’d personally patched up more than a few of those wounds. But that didn’t stop him from taking your breath away now. Your eyes skated over his bronze form before falling to his erect, hardened length. He was weeping, having teased himself as much as he teased you. You looked back up to meet Fives’ eyes. His gaze met yours. They were shining.

“Now, will you kriff me already?” You smirked at him.

“I can’t wait another second.” He rasped.

You moved up to find the head of the bed as he clambered next to you. He moved over you in the next motion, caging you into the mattress. His honey eyes bored into yours for a moment before he leaned down and captured you in another kiss. You met his lips with a fury, tasting yourself on his tongue. You sighed into his mouth as you felt him slot against your entrance. Slowly, he sank into you, the stretch just as overwhelming as before. Your breath hitched in your throat, and Fives paused. He pulled away, watching your face as he slid back out from you before sinking in again. He continued in slow and measured movements, thrusting in and out until he was pulling moans from you with every roll of his hips. Your hand wrapped around his neck and found purchase in his curls as you looked for anything to hold on to. His breath became heavy and thick in your ear as he muttered praises.

“You feel so good.” He groaned. “My good girl. You- you have no idea... Wanted this so badly.”

His words made you clench around him, and he swore at the vice grip of your warmth. He began to move with a fury, and one hand fell to where your bodies met and found your sensitive nub. He began to draw slow circles around your swollen mound. Your arms fell to the sheets, digging into the fabric at the sensation, still overstimulated from his earlier attentions. You angled your hips up, meeting every thrust of his with one of your own. The new angle let him sink even further into you, bringing new depths of ecstasy. His circles around your clit quickened. 

You began to shake as Fives brought you to the edge. Then, with a cry of his name, you stiffened as another orgasm washed over you. He returned your cry with one of his own as he finished inside you. He collapsed into your neck as he buried himself to the hilt one last time.

Fives rolled over, pulling you with him. You curled up, laying your head on his chest. You felt the thudding pulse of his heart against your ear. Without thinking, you raised a hand to his chest and began to tap one finger along with the beat. Lub, dub. Lub, dub. A tiny snort met your ears. You raised your eyes up to meet Fives’ bright stare.

“What are you doing, mesh’la?” He smiled down at you, the old nickname ringing with a different meaning now. 

“It… I just needed to feel it. Hear it.” You breathed in rhythm with its gentle drumming. “I needed to know it was still beating.”

“It is.” Fives captured your hand in his and pressed to his chest. “For you. Always for you.”

You looked up at him with glassy eyes. He kissed your forehead before he leaned back into the pillow. As sleep took you, you listened to the cadence of his heartbeat with a smile on your lips.

[skellymom]

"Vagabonds" Chapter 9 "In The Beginning"

Ongoing fanfic Hunter x Reader/Fem Reader/OC

Hunter meets a smuggler Nomaadi Star Woman with a powerful force sensitive teen who changes the trajectory of CF-99's lives...as they ALL try to escape from The Empire together.

ᴛʜɪꜱ ꜰɪᴄ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀɪɴꜱ ɴꜱꜰᴡ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ 18+ ᴅɴɪ

To read "Vagabonds" Chapter 8:

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/735297232933453824/vagabonds-chapter-8?source=share

Word Count: 900

Background: Flashback sequence.

Warning: Star Wars swears, Earth swears, fear, physical pain, blood, canon-typical violence, mention of human experimentation, and nonbinary/trans clone identity.

(Credit: Cool moving star dividers by @4ngelic-wh1spers )

Recap:

Hunter, still holding his head, could only muster a groan.  Omega was holding him and trying to soothe the pain. 

“Omega?” 

“I’m ok, just worried about Hunter.” 

“On my way over.  Sil...I’m gonna need help getting up.” Mad unbuckled herself out and swung the pilot’s chair around.  She didn’t need to enquire about Love.  Mad could feel Love’s relief and numbness to their injuries.  After these Force outbursts, Love would be in a silent, glazed over state for an hour or two. 

Sil helped Mad stand.  Immediately her vision went starry white as she slipped from Sil’s grasp and fell face first onto the floor...

...where she kept falling... 

...a long way down...into the darkness... 

"In The Beginning"

The Republic Venator blotted out the sun on this distant planet caught in the aftermath of the Separatist skirmish. 

The Nomaadi convoy followed the Republic ships for several weeks, hiding just out of sight. One ship at a time would land on the planet's surface in case they were spotted. The rest of the convoy hiding separately. They picked through the rubble, claiming whatever goods they could later sell to make a living. Occasionally a survivor, or several would be found and taken in.  

"I’m afraid there isn’t much here my love” Paapi Daal turned to his partner. “No luck this time.” 

She, with heavily tattooed skin, stood firm upon the littered soil. Maami Daal inhaled deeply, listening intensely...then turned and scanned the landscape. 

“Maybe...maybe not...” She cocked an ear. Some of the rubble shifted...the tiniest bit. 

She hurried across the loamy soil, bending down, furiously pulling away droid parts and shrapnel. Her partner followed in kind. They cleared away a crude wooden door built into the soil. A cold cellar. 

Paapi dug his fingers under the lip and with a groan lifted the door, pulling it open. The lid fell away. 

He was immediately knocked off his feet and onto his back by a small child. She kneeled upon his chest like a dead weight, scratching at his face, growling like a wild beast. Another child, terrified, grabbed the smaller one. 

“We’re sorry, sir...we didn’t mean....” This one was HORRIFIED. "She is protective." The larger dark-haired child embraced the smaller silver haired one, managing to pull her free, hugging tightly, smoothing her hair, and whispering singsong as she struggled. 

Paapi and Maami Daal watched as the larger child soothed the smaller one. The silver-haired one still bared her teeth at them but settled. 

“Is that your sister? Where are your parents, child?” Maami enquired. 

The larger child kept a hold on the smaller one, pondering for a few minutes before answering. “Who wants to know?” 

The couple glanced at each other quizzically. “We, of the Star People...The Nomaadi.” 

No answer. Just a nod to the now disappearing Venator on the horizon. 

“You’re from THAT ship?”  

The children both nodded. The Daals glanced at each other again.  

“Can’t be...” Pappi mused. “Only clone soldiers and Jedi aboard.” 

“I AM a clone!” Their gaze snapped back to the larger child. “A DEFECTIVE clone.” Defiant expression. “They wanted me to be a battlefield soldier. They wanted me to ‘act’ like a proper man. I told the Long Necks that IS NOT WHO I AM!!!” Tears appearing. 

Maami Daal knelt down in front of the big and the little. “What is your name, child?” 

Terror surged back into the larger child's face. Maami could tell their long dark curly locks had been cut short. Crudely and unevenly done by something other than haircutting shears. A vibroknife? Was this done as punishment? 

Both children stared deep into Maami’s eyes. They saw pools of deep black accented by tiny flecks of silver. As if looking into the galaxy...no, the universe...seeing endless hope and possibilities. They had nothing to fear from these people. In fact, these people had been searching for them and others like them since the beginning of time. 

“Speak your truth, child.” 

They would have a new home; the pain and abuse would finally end. Thank The Force. 

“CT-...” 

Maami slowly shook her head No and whispered, “Your REAL name.” 

They see us. More than a number. Not just an experiment.  

“SHE. My name is She.” 

“And who is THIS clone?” Now peering at the smaller child...still staring into Maami's eyes.  

“NOT a clone. A prisoner.” 

“What crimes do small children commit that The Republic must take them prisoner???” 

“The Kaminoan’s don’t name their experimental subjects. Whether they came with one or not.” 

The Daal’s flinched at this answer. 

"Well...that is over and done." Maami Daal smiled to the children. She gently booped the little one's nose. "Gift of The Force you two are, our family you shall be."

The little smiled back, sticking out her tongue and cooed. 

Paapi Daal chuckled as he used his scarf to blot the blood from the scratch on his face. “You’re a feral little oddling, yes?"

She threw her head back and howled in reply. 

“This one shall be named ‘Mad’.”  

 The Venator ascended out of the planet’s atmosphere. It’s Jedi General meditated in deep concentration; eyes closed. His squad of clone troopers milled around expectantly. When he opened his eyes and all hands snapped at attention. 

“They have been found!” 

A collective whoop went up from the men on board. 

“Let me REMIND ALL OF YOU that WE should NEVER smuggle out ANY MORE children from the Kaminoan Facility! We will ALL be sacked and sorry!!!” With his best cheesy smile and a wink. “I’ll trust NONE OF YOU will share a shred of this to anyone outside of this transport???” He didn’t believe it for a minute. 

The Clone Commander facepalmed “We are SO fucked!” 

“Do you NOT trust your Jedi General? I may have many crockpot schemes, but it’s smoothed over with the influence of The Force.” Side-eyed the Commander and waved his hand. “I won’t worry about this mission. We were successful.” 

The Commander repeated “I won’t worry about this mission. We were successful.” 

A trooper nearby snickered “You know when that finally wears off, he’s gonna be PISSED you did it AGAIN?” 

“He’ll forgive me. He can’t help it!” The Jedi playfully elbowed his Commander. 

His Commander managed an expression of concern and confusion. 

As the jovial banter continued, a group of clones stood around the window, watching the planet recede from view. 

“You think She and Little One have a chance?” 

“Much better than staying on Kamino. The Nomaadi will take good care of ‘em.” 

“Wish I could’a stayed behind. Kriffin' tired of this rat race.” 

“Miss them already...” 

“Shhh...we can’t. At least not right NOW.”  

“Maybe sometime...in the future...” 

“Yeah, younger ones go first.” 

“Gotta be REAL careful if we smuggle any more out.” 

A hush fell among the group as the ship and planet was swallowed up by the cold darkness of space...

PLEASE like, comment, and/or REBLOG!

To read Chapter 10

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/743633412345282560/vagabonds-chapter-10?source=share

[clone-anon]

Hi everyone. It's been pretty quiet lately. I do still have requests open and am around. Since a lot of my readers are taking a tumblr break it seems, I haven't been dropping surprise drabbles in ask boxes as much as I was in the spring. If you want one or want to request one on behalf of someone else, please feel free to do so. My pinned post has information on requesting. My other blog, @clone-anon-after-dark , is also taking requests. (Minors DNI)

May your favorite clone hold you in their heart!

[clone-anon-after-dark]

Loose Curls (Tup x M!Reader)

Word count: 1104

Warnings: NSFW, minors DNI, oral sex (both receiving), PiA (Tup receiving), doggie style,  unprotected sex, praise, some sub!Tup vibes, consensual hair pulling/tugging (but nothing painful)

A/N: established relationship, Tup is not a virgin, two people in love fucking including aftercare, hopefully this is okay my brain wasn’t braining as well as I wanted it to but I so badly wanted to write some Tup

Note that there are two versions of this story.  The F!reader version can be found here.

Tup came through the door, walked directly toward you, and straddled your lap.  He cupped your face and kissed you deeply.  You smiled through the kiss, heart beating fast at both the feeling and the memory of the sexy comm messages he’d sent earlier.

He kissed your neck, just below your ear and whispered, “I want you to fuck me.”  He nipped your earlobe and told you he’d be ready and waiting. He got off your lap and headed toward the bedroom.  You smiled at him, fire in your eyes, as he walked away.  You quickly followed, finding him naked and facing the bed.  You wrapped your arms around him and kissed his shoulder.  Tup helped you out of your clothes and kneeled in front of you.

“You know how I like it,” he said, licking your cock from base to tip.  You inhaled sharply, feeling your heart pound.  You felt a familiar warmth radiate throughout your body.  Whenever he touched you, it sent sparks all over you.  He looked up to you, his dark brown eyes starting to beg.  “Please, my love,” he said softly.

He started lightly sucking the tip and you let your fingers tangle into his hair.  He took you further into his mouth and your body vibrated as he hummed.  His hair felt so soft, the mess of curls pulled into a bun wrapping around your fingers.  You started to tug lightly, loosening the bun enough for your hand to massage his scalp underneath.  Tup responded by taking one of your balls into his mouth while pumping your length.  He gave the other one the same treatment and grinned as he pulled away slightly, thrilled by the way your thighs trembled.  Holding on to your hips, he put his lips around your cock and started sucking on it gently before bobbing his head, responding when you gripped his hair a little tighter.  

The feeling was becoming too much. You didn’t want to finish this way, this early, and backed up to the bed.

“Your turn,” you said to him.  “Sit.”

He sat down, trying to calm himself for what he knew was coming.  You wasted no time, taking his length in your hand and swirling your tongue around the head in a way you knew would drive him wild. You left little kisses on his thighs and around his balls, the light touch causing him to moan your name and spread his legs a little further.  

“That’s right,” you said between kisses on his length, “You’re gonna be spread wide for me when I fuck you.”

Tup let out a whimper at the thought, smile across his face.  You started to suck his cock, hollowing your cheeks between light teases with your tongue.  He relaxed further, opening his heart and body to you.  You smiled to yourself at the thought of how shy he had been, how shy you both had been, when you first started having sex together.  Now you couldn’t keep your hands off each other.

You pulled away and looked up at him.  The sweet look in your eyes turned to a wickedly playful fire.

“On your knees,” you said, standing up and gently pushing him further on to the bed.  While he got into position, you slathered your cock in lube.

“Ready for me,” you asked.

Tup nodded and threw his head back a little and you knew he wanted you to grab his hair.

“Patience,” you encouraged.  He wiggled his butt a little and you slowly pressed your cock into his ass.  He let out a happy sigh as you sheathed yourself completely.  With your lubed hand, you reached around to start stroking him in rhythm to your thrusts.  Tup shivered at the sensation.  He let out a little moan when you reached for his hair with your other hand.  Many romps in the bedroom had made you an expert at letting his hair loose while you fucked him and it certainly paid off now.  Your thrusts never waned while you reached forward and undid his bun, hair falling down his shoulders.  You started running your fingers through his hair, pausing the handjob on his length, but still continuing to pound into his ass.

“Love it,” he gasped. “Feels so good.”

“You’re so good to me,” you said, “So gorgeous like this. I love when your ass cheeks jiggle against me.”  You ran your hand through his hair again before holding on and making him moan louder.  You closed your eyes, relishing the feeling of Tup.  Every part of you wanted every part of him.  Time didn’t matter, but you tried making yourself last as long as possible.  You didn’t want this feeling to end.  You kept going, smiling with each vocalization that accompanied you playing with his hair.  You reached around again to grab his cock and again started stroking him in time with your thrusts.  Tup let out a series of moans that told you he was close.  You slowed down and stroked his hair a little.

“I want to see you, Tup.”  

You left his body and kissed him between his shoulder blades and he whined at the loss of contact, but laid down and rolled over, leaving ample room for you to reenter him.  He reached down to touch himself and you leaned down on your elbows.  You kept the rhythm slow and a lazy smile spread across his face before moans overcame him again.  He threw his head back into the pillow and came all over your chest and stomach.  You took in the scene and whispered praises to him.  He reached up to grab your ass and encourage you to enter him more fully.  You leaned down and kissed him, gently reaching to touch his hair and face as you came inside him.  He brushed light kisses on your nose and looked up at you as if you hung the stars.

“I love you,” he said.

“I love you too.”  You stayed there as you started coming down from your high.  Your limbs felt floppy and you were both covered in a thin sheen of sweat.  You left his body, but he wrapped his arms around you, letting you lay on his chest and listen to his heart beat.  He kissed your forehead and let out a satisfied, deep breath.  

“Shower with me,” he said.  “Then let’s get dinner.”  He kissed your forehead again.  You looked up at him and warmly smiled.  You didn’t want to leave his embrace, despite the mess you’d made between you, but a shower with the love of your life sounded nice too.

[cacodaemonia]

source

[image id: The text "how it feels to write a serious fanfic when one of the characters has a stupid name" is above a photo of a man sitting in front of a laptop and cracking his knuckles. He's wearing a rainbow-colored clown wig and a red clown nose, both of which have been photoshopped into the image. end id]

[ariadnes-red-thread]

AHHH my mind is blown seeing my blog’s name next to these other great writers!! Thank you so so much for the mention 😭❤️

Hi! I love your blog and I was wondering if you have any Clone Wars writer recs? I feel like I've read all the fics from all the more popular writers but I'm sure there's other awesome writers I don't know about and I was hoping you or any of your followers could help me find some of them! Really jusy anyone who write XReader fanfic for any clones, and thank you so much in advance!

Thank you so much and I'm so glad you enjoyed my blog! Hmm....there are a lot of really good fic authors out here. I'll tag a bunch for you to go look at and if anyone else has any recommendations feel free to reblog! (I'm not sure of your age since you're anon but a few of these are 18+)

@zoeykallus

@nahoney22

@eyecandyeoz

@kaminocasey

@rainydaydream-gal18

@rain-on-kamino

@moonstrider9904

@wild-karrde

@ladykatakuri

@thebaddestofbatches

@lexixwan

@moodymisty

@wanderinginksplot

@the-silentium

@skyvaikers

@saberdeity

@echos-newlegs

@luxcuriousao3

@ariadnes-red-thread

@ghostofskywalker

@neon-junkie

@grievouus

@snippy-tano

@book-of-baba-fett

@clone-wars-imagine-2

I'm probably missing so many good ones but y'all feel free to reblog with any I missed!

[moomoog017]

headcannons ᯓᡣ𐭩 commander wolffe

commander wolffe x gn!reader

Guys this wasn't supposed to be so long... Enjoy!

One of his favorite things to do in private is for you to feel his muscles. Arms, chest, back, whatever it is he adores it. It boosts his ego and makes him feel special. He loves when you dote on how strong he is, it really gets him going. If you're muscular in places he will hype you up and tell you how strong you are. Feeling your muscles and pushing down on them he smirks. "Woah look atchu! So much muscle now (Y/n)!"

When he is in depth in a plan or thought, he comes to you for support and suggestions. When it's battle plans, he likes hearing your thoughts about it and will usually take your advice. He can't help but notice when you drop everything to help him. When it's NOT battle plans he likes to talk about life. He's not a big fan of the past but he will philosophize with you. He's quite the intellectual despite his exterior.

The man is a sucker for you when you take charge of literally anything. He likes it when you challenge his ideas or know something he doesn't. He would never admit it but he likes when you teach him something new. "Give it here, I'll show you." Wolffe rolls his eyes handing over the weapon. "There isn't a weapon I couldn't use." He states as a 'matter of fact. ' You chuckle. "Watch." A smirk crept on your face and you use the weapon with incredible accuracy. Wolffe's eyes widen. A blush is pushed onto his face, "yeah whatever, lucky shot."

Wolffe isn't exactly an empathetic person he's a tough love kinda guy. If you say anything bad about yourself he literally doesn't understand why because when he sees you, you're perfect. He genuinely gets confused and tries to tell you that your statements make no sense and are inaccurate. He will nag you until you think otherwise, if it's a real problem for you he's gonna catch on, he's smart.

If you are forcing yourself to stay awake especially for his sake he will put you to bed. Forcefully if he must. He cares so much and when you're healthy you're happy, that's all he wants for you. He sometimes neglects his health like sleeping for you, he will always provide for you first. He is selfless. "Wolffe! I'm fine." Wolffe sighs, you wanna play? Let's play." His gruff voice and dangerous eyes burning through you. He lunges and grabs you, hoisting you in his arms. Wolffe happily smirks at his victory.

OMFG STRUT YOUR STUFF. HE WILL EAT THAT SHIT UP. He loves when you're confident in yourself it makes him crazy, like bro is barking.

When you're stubborn he's all over you he can't stand it when you challenge him or don't do what you're told he kinda enjoys it but he won't tell you that.

You can't peck him on the lips without him pulling you back and embracing in a passionate kiss, living in war is always risky, one day it's possible he won't come back. He needs to make sure you know he loves you every time him or you leaves.

When you work up a sweat whether just existing or doing something physically he loses it. Just the smell of you makes him wanna grab and make out with you. ESPECIALLY if it's sparing with him.

Wolffe is always grateful when you give him stuff but no matter how expensive or cool it is nothing beats the experiences you guys have together. He will remember those forever and they mean so much to him.

He has developed this habit of grabbing your cheek and pinching it. He doesn't do it hard but it's a way for him to say 'I love you' without saying it in front of the other men. He gets a little embarrassed sometimes, he's got to maintain his tough guy image.

At first he was self conscious about his scar, it brings him bad memories but he always plays it off that he doesn't care but it still haunts him sometimes. When you two were close enough to feel comfortable with touching each other, the first place you felt was his scar. He knew he wasn't 'pretty' but you didn't care. He felt the softness of his scar and he felt something he hadn't in a very long time. Security. But when you kissed his scar all the way down his face, he just about lost it. He felt your care and compassion through your kisses and he never wanted it to stop.

Whenever you're passionate he's passionate. He might not show it very well but the way he looks at you says it all. The slight smirk in his face, like it's going to turn into a smile. The scrunch of his eyes shows you happiness. The same goes for when you're fired up because of something, he LOVES when you speak your mind, get a little cocky or sarcastic.

[mae-lou-ron]

🩵 Mae’s Master List 🩵

Ratings Legend

🌼 Fluff ❤️‍🩹 Hurt / Comfort 🔥 Suggestive / Smut / NSFW / MDNI 📚 Long Fics / Chaptered ⚡️ One Shots / Quick Reads

✨my rules of engagement here✨

👇Links below the cut👇

🚧 under construction 🚧

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Crosshair

A Friend Indeed 🌼❤️‍🩹⚡️ (feat. big bro Wrecker) Two years after settling on Pabu, Crosshair still grapples with recurring nightmares and sleep paralysis. Despite his reluctance to open up, Wrecker's efforts help Crosshair discover unexpected comfort in familiar places.

A Little Kindness, pt. 1 🌼❤️‍🩹 It’s been a few months since Crosshair and his family returned from Tantiss for the last time. Settling into civilian life hasn’t been easy, but one Pabu resident shows Crosshair some kindness that makes him want to try.

A Little Kindness, pt. 2 🌼❤️‍🩹 (coming soon!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tech

Back To Sleep 🌼❤️‍🩹⚡️(inspired by ghostymarni’s gorg Tech artwork here!) After some bad dreams interrupt your sleep, you find some unexpected comfort in your beloved partner, Tech.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wolffe

Keeping You Around 🌼❤️‍🩹⚡️ Commander Wolffe's assignment to embark on a reconnaissance mission takes an unexpected turn when he finds himself paired up with you—a development he was far from prepared to deal with.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Boba Fett

The Protectors of Tatooine 🌼❤️‍🩹🔥📚 (WIP)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cobb Vanth

Old Friends, New Friends 🌼❤️‍🩹🔥📚 (WIP)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Questions? My DMs are always open!

[ariadnes-red-thread]

HELLO!!!!

is me again hehe <3

lately, i've been thinking about how Jesse and how his strong devotion and loyalty translates into a relationship. so i was thinkingggggg, a scenario where Jesse needs to be walked of the edge of a heated situation and needs reassurance that he's it for reader. that he's the man reader wants to be with and will stand be his side.

can be either SFW or NSFW (with agender reader with female parts??? that would make me so happy) what ever is sparking your lovely imagination.

so appreciate and love and am grateful i found your beautiful writing and met such an amazing person <3

Mythos, my dear! Thank you so much for the ask!! I saw your second ask too and I hope I’ve done your beautiful request justice. Jesse is so passionate but that’s exactly what we love about him and the idea of being able to show him that when he was feeling insecure is exactly what he deserves! I completely got carried away with this and ended up writing over 2.5k words (although it’s never enough for Jesse!). I hope you like it! Thank you for celebrating with me, love!

Pairing: Jesse x GN!/Anatomically Female Reader

Warnings: General Creepiness, Threats of Violence, Canon-Typical content, Self-Doubt, Explicit Sexual Content *MINORS DNI*

You finally made it to the bar on a particularly busy night at 79’s. It was way more work than it should have been for a glass of water, but the dance floor that Jesse had kept you glued to all night was hot, and you were parched.

You could still see him through the crowd. His cog tattoo and shaved head helped him stand out among his identical brothers. That and you’d be able to spot his grin anywhere. He was in his civies tonight, a black t-shirt and his lone pair of jeans. Jesse always looked good, but you enjoyed your current vantage point and took a moment to check out the handsome man. You had only been on dating for a few months. Your friend had been hot and heavy with Fives since the moment she met the goateed clone. It had taken her a few tries to convince you to join them on a double date with one of his brothers who Fives insisted you’d like. You hadn’t been expecting much, not because you didn’t like Fives, but simply because you didn’t imagine someone like him could be your type. Jesse had swept you off your feet, though. You hadn’t admitted it to him yet, but you were falling fast. His endearing charm, constant sarcasm, lighthearted take on life, the passion that burned bright through him, and the kindness and understanding he always showed you made it easy to fall. You watched him move under the neon lights, and you felt a wide smile creep across your face. Jesse always seemed to put that smile there.

So it was Jesse and the lights and the music’s fault that you didn’t notice a crowd of people behind you until one of them stumbled into your back. You spun around, ready to apologize for taking up precious bar space before you realized it was a group of nat-borns. Instantly, your defense went up.

It wasn’t often that other civilians wandered into 79’s, and the ones that did were usually there to cause problems. So as you eyed up the stumbling rough and rowdy group, you didn’t have to go looking to know that they were likely trouble. Unfortunately, as Jesse often liked to remind you, with a deep laugh and elbow to your ribs, trouble usually came looking for you.

“Hey,“ The tallest one slurred as he looked you up and down. “Come here often?”

“Yup.” Your reply was curt, and you hoped they would take the hint when you turned back to face the bar.

Instead, a hand came to your shoulder.

“Hey, I was talking to you.” He was suddenly close, his breath rank and hot on your face as he yanked you towards. “You think you’re too good for us.”

“Don’t touch me.” You took a full step away as you warned him.

“Slummin’ it here with all these test tube freaks.” He closed in on you again. “Let me show you what a real man can do.”

You raised your hands, about to shove him backward, when a familiar arm slid over your shoulder. Despite your guard being up, you instantly knew who was next to you.

“Problem here?”

Your eyes didn’t move from the creep, but you could hear the eternal grin on Jesse’s face. You didn’t mistake the grin for carelessness. Instead, you knew it was just Jesse. He was always calm until he wasn’t.

“Ahh, I see. No problem.” The man stumbled back into his friends before muttering under his breath. “Freak fucker.”

“What did you call them?”

Your head snapped up at the sudden change in tone in Jesse’s voice. He wasn’t grinning anymore. His hand left your shoulder as he began to stiffen at your side. The man didn’t realize his mistake as he kept hurling insults your way.

“They’re just another slut for you meat droids. The Republic needs to end the war so they can take you all out with the trash.”

In split seconds, Jesse lept past you. He swung, his fist connecting with the creep’s jaw, sending him reeling backwards. He threw another jab, catching the man with a blow to the nose before he stumbled out of Jesse’s reach.

Your stomach dropped as one of the friends lunged for Jesse, whose gaze was still on the instigator. But never one to be caught off guard, Jesse side-stepped the second man in the same moment he spun, landing a uppercut into the man’s stomach.

You balled your fists, ready to follow Jesse when another hand came to your shoulder. You cocked a fist back but Kix’s voice found you before you could swing.

“You jump in, you just make it worse for him.”

You huffed in response. Kix wasn’t wrong. You knew Jesse could handle a few nat-borns by himself and he would only be distracted if you started to fight. Still, your fist stayed balled by your side.

In the next moment, a flash of red by the door caught your eye. The Courscant Guard was here. They were always close by on busy nights, keeping the peace however they had to. The three clones positioned themselves by the door. You recognized Thorn by his helmet. He posted himself in the corner, a shiny on either on side of him. You knew he wouldn’t intervene unless he had to, but if Jesse kept at it, Thorn wouldn’t have a choice.

Kix saw Thorn too. He set his jaw and dove into the fray. He emerged with an arm wrapped around Jesse’s waist, tugging the scowling man out of the scuffle. Kix turned, tossing his brother away from the seething nat-borns before he spun around to face them again.

“Get out.” Kix pointed to the door. “Or you’re going to have a lot more meat droids to deal with.”

The instigator snarled through a bloody nose and spit at Kix’s feet. Jesse yelled out and charged for the man again. You turned to face him, stepping into his path and putting your hands on his chest. Jesse looked down at you, his face instantly softening just a bit.

“Jesse - we’re leaving now.” The words were an order but your tone was gentle, hoping you could reach the part of him that had just relaxed under your palms.

He frowned, his eyes quickly back on his target. The men were rapidly retreating out the door, with side-glances thrown at the Guards in red. You felt Jesse twitch, like he wanted to chase after them.

“It’s okay, Jess.” Kix’s voice came from behind you now, calm and quiet. “Just let go it.”

“They’re not worth it.” You lifted one palm to Jesse’s face, laying it on his cheek with just enough pressure to coax him into looking at you. “Please, Jesse.”

His hand came up to your forearm, giving you a gentle squeeze.

“Okay,” The words were breathy as they left his mouth. “Okay, okay. You’re right.”

You lifted to meet his lips, capturing him in a quick, grateful kiss.

He exhaled as you pulled away, breaking the brief kiss. You ran your thumb along his cheekbone, tracing the lower rim of his tattoo. Then your hand fell to find his hand at his side.

“Let’s go home.”

You tugged him towards the exit. As you pulled Jesse out of the club, you threw on glance back to search over his shoulder, quickly finding the familiar eyes of Kix. He tilted his head in question, and you nodded in reassurance. He smiled back and raised his glass in a grateful salute before he turned back to the dancefloor. Jesse followed you to the door in a daze. The adrenaline of the fight had worn off, and he hung almost limp as he drifted behind you.

By the time you got back to your apartment, Jesse was almost catatonic. His lids hung heavy over his eyes as he sank onto the edge of your bed. He hadn’t said a word since you left 79’s. You were starting to get worried. Rather than press him to talk, you went to the kitchen and got a wet washcloth. Returning to find him unmoved in the bedroom, you knelt before him. Coaxing him to take off his shoes, you placed them next to yours at the end of the bed. Then you turned your attention to his bruised knuckles. Taking his calloused hand in yours, you started to dab at the scrapped skin.

“You… you don’t have to do that.” Jesse stuttered as he finally spoke.

“I’m happy to, Jesse.” You tried to smile up at him but his sleepy gaze had turned into a wide eyed stare and it caught you off guard.

“No, I mean you shouldn’t have to do that.” He yanked his hand out of yours.

You barely had time to wonder at his sudden movement before he was up on his feet, pacing across your small bedroom.

“Jesse, talk to me.” You kept your voice gentle, not out of fear but out of caring. You wanted him to know you were there for him.

“You deserve better, you know.”

You frowned but before you could protest, Jesse spoke again, never breaking his relentless stride.

“I’m sorry. I’m just a hothead. All I know is how to fight.” Jesse ran his fingers over his broken knuckles. “You deserve more than that.”

He finally stopped his pacing as he caught his form in the full length mirror that hung on your wall. His frown grew as he studied himself.

“Look at me.” His shoulders slumped and his eyes fell to the floor. “I was bred for this. Bred to be a soldier and that’s all I’ll ever be.”

You quickly clambered to your feet. He didn’t move from his position in front of the mirror. You stood behind him, savoring his closeness for a moment. You wrapped your arms around him at his waist and pulled him in tight to you.

“I love your fire, Jesse. I love that you’re a fighter.”

He let out a single dry laugh. It was so soulless, so unlike Jesse. You held him a little closer.

“Look at you, Jesse.” You settled your head on his shoulder, stretching to peer at your combined reflections. “You want to know what I see?”

He finally raised his head, hesitantly meeting your eyes.

“I see how passionately you care, how you love so strongly that you would go to war for those you care about. Your brothers know that. They love and respect you for that. But that fire isn’t all you are.”

“You can make me smile on the hardest of days. You keep calm in far more situations than you give yourself credit for. You like to pretend you don’t care but I can see how deeply you do.” You dug your fingers into his shirt, gripping his ribs, trying to convey how much you wanted him. “Don’t ever say you’re just a soldier. You’re so much more than that, Jesse.”

Jesse’s eyes were shining as his reflection stared back at you. He took your arm from his waist and tugged you in front of him, his eyes never leaving yours in the mirror. He wrapped his arms around your shoulders folding you into his warmth. You reached up and held onto his arms like he was the only liferaft in the sea. He started to grin again. You leaned your head back into him with a sigh and a smile.

“I’m so lucky to have met you.” Jesse murmured as he kissed the top of your head.

“We’re both lucky.”

You turned your head to lay a gentle kiss on his bicep. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see the smirk on his face widen just a little. He pressed a kiss to your neck. And then another. You tilted your head, giving him more access to your sensitive flesh. One of hands that laid across your chest searched out your pert nipple and began to tease it gently through the rough fabric of your shirt. You leaned back into him with a soft moan, grinding your hips against him, feeling him harden behind you. Jesse’s lips found your ear.

“Oh, cyare,” Jesse’s words were dark and husky. “You don’t know what you do to me.”

His other hand snaked its way down your front, finding the waistline of your pants. Jesse pushed the fabric aside, sinking one knuckle into your already wet center.

“See what you do to me.” You breathlessly muttered. “Jesse, I need you.”

His hands jumped to your waist to find the hem of your shirt. Gentle fingers traced a line up your side, gathering your shirt as he went. Jesse paused at your mid-waist and looked at you. You nodded, giving him permission to proceed. He whipped the top off of you in the next moment. You spun to face him, needy for the feeling of his skin on yours. You tugged at the ends of his shirt, and he quickly obliged. You ran your hands over his chest, savoring the warmth of his skin and the sturdy build of his muscles.

Jesse bent to meet you and quickly captured your lips in his, kissing you deeply. He still tasted like a hint of whiskey. His tongue swirled with yours in a bruising fury and you felt yourself craving more of him. You broke apart for a moment, both turning your attention to your pants. The last bits of clothing was quickly removed and kicked aside.

Jesse spun you around to face the mirror and then pressed his wide palm on the small of your back, coaxing you into bending over. You gave into his directions, bringing a hand to the wall on either side of the mirror. You felt him run his length along your aching slit. You let out a breathy moan as he brushed along your clitoris, your head falling and eyes closing at the glorious friction.

“Oh no, cyare,” Jesse’s back was suddenly pressed against you, and his hand was on your jaw. He guided your head back up so you were staring into his deep brown eyes.

“That’s it,” he nipped at your neck as he stood again, lining himself up. “Let me see those eyes.”

You stared up at him, meeting his dark look in the mirror. His pupils were blown. Jesse stood again, towering over you. You bit your lip as you studied the breathtaking man for the briefest moment.

Then he entered you. His member filled you, reaching your furthest depths at this angle. The ache of being so full was quickly replaced by a overwhelming pleasure as Jesse’s hand snaked its way around you, deftly finding your already sensitive nub again. He teased small circles as he slowly began to move, dragging his cock from you before swiftly entering you again. Soon, his hips pistoned into you and you pushed back off of the wall, meeting him with every stroke. His other hand held your hip on a strong grip. You cried out his name as a wave of orgasm overtook you. Jesse followed behind, filling you as he finished.

You stood up and swayed on weak legs. Jesse quickly gathered you into his chest, showering your shoulders with kisses.

“Thank you.” He whispered against your skin.

“Always.” You sighed, leaning back into him. The next words left your mouth before you even considered them. “I love you, Jesse.”

Your stomach dropped for a moment. You knew you meant it but maybe it was too soon, too early. Before you could take it back, you looked to him in the mirror. His dark brown eyes found your suddenly wide ones and they were bright, all lust replaced with a vast joy. He quickly spun you to face him. Cupping your face in his hands, he tilted you up towards him.

“I love you too.”

His lips captured yours and his hands fell to wrap around your waist. Your heart soared as he squeezed you tighter to him.

“Now come on,” Jesse smirked before he stepped backwards, tuggiing you towards the bed. “I’m not done with you yet.”

[techs-goggles9902]

Hi. I read that you're in your Captain Rex phase, so for a request, how about he x F! Kix's assistant doctor where is her birthday and Hardcase, Fives and Jesse convince her to celebrate on 79s. She doesn't drink, so when she does this for the first time she ends up confessing her feelings for Rex to his brothers and at that moment he listens. Rex takes her home and takes care of her. And maybe when she's sober they can talk about it, and she finds out that Rex feels the same way about her. ♥️

I Like You - Rex/f!medic reader

REQUESTS ARE OPEN! SEE MASTERLIST FOR DETAILS. I WRITE FOR ALL LISTED FANDOMS BTW

Warnings: alcohol, mentions of syringes (but not used, just thrown away)

Word count: 1544 (dialogue heavy)

A/N: sorry I took a few days! It took me a while to figure out how to write this since I’ve never drank or anything, so a lot of googling! I hope this is what you meant! I’d be happy to rewrite it if you’re not happy!!! ❤️

“Stitches!”

You turn at the call of your name. Well, nickname. Ever since the Republic needed more medics and you came into the 501st family, that’s been your name. The men gave each other names, and they saw fit to give you your own.

“Fives, hey. Did you need somethin’?” You ask as you pick up another discarded syringe from underneath a gurney. The last battle was brutal, with so many fatalities. So many men. Troopers. Friends. Brothers.

“What, I can’t just come and say hi to my favorite medic for no apparent reason?” He smirks. You give him a look.

He folds, “Fine. Well… ‘Case and Jesse told me it was your birthday. Why didn’t you tell us?”

“I didn’t want to make a fu-”

“Don’t lie. I know how you and the other nat-borns avoid birthdays around us. It’s not like we’ll get offended, Stitch. It’s your birthday!” Fives grins and shakes your shoulders enough to make you smile back.

You give him that little shy smile of yours and his gaze softens from excited to empathetic.

“Can we take you out tonight? Not as a date, of course. You have someone in mind for that, don’t you, Stitch?” He waggles his eyebrows at you.

“Shhh! Shut up, we don’t talk about that…”

“Okay, fine. But, please, Stitch? Hardcase and Jesse would be devastated. You don’t want to crush their hearts, do you? Do you?”

“Oh, Fives, you… Fine! I can’t take your begging and pleading. You’re buying,” you say with a grin, walking away to discard the syringe. Fives follows you.

“We have a couple hours until we get home, so… Uh… Do what girls do,” he says.

“Okay, okay! Get out of here already, Maker…” You laugh as Fives hugs you from behind and runs out of the medbay before you can throw anything at him.

Why did I even say yes? I’ve never even touched alcohol and now I’m surrounded by it. I swear, if I’m dragged back to the barracks, I’m killing all three of those idiots.

“Stitch! Over here!” You’re called from a small booth in the back of 79’s. You’ve been to this bar a multitude of times over your two year career in the 501st, but you’ve ever had a drink here. You were, as Hardcase calls it, the designated driver.

You approach the booth, weaving between drunk troopers, their civilian dance partners, and server droids. Fives, Hardcase, and Jesse already had drinks in their hands as you slid in the booth next to Jesse.

“Finally made it. Ordered you a drink,” Hardcase says with his little grin.

“Too kind, good sir,” you retort, shoving Jesse to give you more room in the booth. He shoves back with a smirk.

The server droid quickly delivers your drink, a colorful cocktail with various sugary fruits on skewers balancing on the rim of the glass.

“How can you guys even afford this?” Your jaw goes slack at the sight of the drink.

“Bill it to the Republic!” Fives yells, raising his own glass in the air. Hardcase and Jesse reciprocate, thrusting their glasses in the air, spilling a bit of its contents on the table top.

“Sure, sure, yeah,” you giggle, slightly raising your glass so you don’t knock off the fruits.

It started with the cocktail. Then a few shots of Spotchka. Then some Corellian ale you’ve seen in holo-commercials. The four of you couldn’t even walk straight, but did it matter? It was your birthday and your first time experiencing the feeling of alcohol flowing through your veins.

The buzz kept you upright, kept you awake, kept you partying.

What if he was here… heh, we’d have fun… A lot of fun.

“So, who’s this mystery man we’ve had to hear so much about, Stitch?” Hardcase slurs.

“Oh my Maker… He’s. So. Fine. No, seriously, you don’t understand, ‘Case. And, he’s so nice…” you sigh dreamily.

“Oh, it’s me?” Jesse laughs.

“No… c’mere,” you beckon, the three clones leaning in with wide eyes. “It’s Rex.”

“Ha! I knew it! Stitch likes Rex!” Fives cackles, raising his empty glass in the air. Hardcase’s eyes go wide and he nudges Fives’ ribs with his elbow and points to something, or someone, behind you, in front of them.

“Wha… Oh. Hey, Captain… Didn’t know you were gonna be here…” Fives says, quickly lowering his arm, his face turning a deep scarlet.

Your breath stops halfway to your lungs, your blood running cold. Did he just say captain-

“Different Rex, of course. You know, that one dude… He’s uh… Over there somewhere…” Hardcase quickly says, pointing somewhere across the dimly lit bar. Fives and Jesse turn their attention there as well, all murmuring under their breath about the nonexistent other Rex.

“Okay, I think Stitch has had a bit too much to drink tonight. You’re obviously not getting home by yourselves anytime soon,” Rex says, curling his fingers around your upper arm and easing you to your feet.

“Rex, I, uh…”

“Stitch, don’t worry about it. Let’s get you home, yeah? Let you sober up for the night,” Rex gently pulls you away from the booth, the drunk trio of clones still trying to point out the different Rex. None of them notice as Rex takes you out the backdoor.

“What’s your passcode?” Rex asks as he comes to a stop at the door of your apartment, ready to type in your code.

“7-5-6-7,” you recite, your cheeks burning a bright pink. Rex raises his brows with a little chuckle and pulls you inside, shutting the door behind you.

“Let’s get something non-alcohol related into your system. You have water in the conservator?” He asks, gently pushing you onto a kitchen chair.

“Mmhmm.”

He finds a bottle of water and a ration pack, opens both, and places them in front of you.

“I want them both gone,” he firmly says as he slides in the seat across from you. He watches, making sure you eat and drink everything. “Happy Birthday, by the way.”

He said Happy Birthday to me. He said Happy Birthday to me. He said Happy Birthday to me. He said-

“Thanks.”

Once the ration pack is eaten and the glass is empty, Rex cleans up, ordering you to the bedroom. You sit on the bed, not wanting to go and find your pajamas, not wanting to clean off your makeup.

“C’mere,” his soft voice coos. It’s music to your ears, the way his accent makes him pronounce the sounds just a tad differently.

He grabs a wipe from your adjacent bathroom and gently wipes away the cosmetic gunk you painted on your face. You just barely hear him whisper, “Don’t see why you need it. You’re beautiful without it.”

The words bring warmth to your chest, butterflies to your stomach, happy thoughts to the mushy thing between your ears. He called me beautiful…

He turns away as you change into just your undershirt, hiding the rest of your body beneath the covers of your bed.

“Ah ah! Not on the stomach or back. Your side, Stitch,” he says, turning around and pushing you onto your side, piling pillows to keep you in position.

“But what if I like sleeping on my tummy?” You ask, trying to roll over to face him. He sighs.

“And you think I’m a difficult patient?”

“But… What if I get uncomfy?”

“Hon, lie still, please.”

“Bu-”

“No.”

You pout, jutting out your bottom lip. Rex smiles. “You’re cute like this. Get some sleep, Stitch.”

He called me cute…

Waking up with a skull crushing headache made you rethink going out in the first place. The nausea hits you as you sit up, your head spinning. The Coruscant sun spills through your translucent curtains, illuminating your bedroom.

The sounds of passing speeders whirling past your windows are muted by the durasteel walls. Someone, a man, sits in the chair beside your window, his face is slowly revealed as the sun rises higher.

Rex… he stayed with me… Aw, he’s sleeping…

“Mmm… Finally ‘wake…” he says, his husky voice laced with sleep. His eyes crack open and his drowsy hazel irises look upon yours. “Feeling okay?”

“Did… Did you sleep there?”

“Mmhmm… I didn’t wanna intrude. It’s your bed,” he says, rubbing his eyes with his calloused hands. “But how do you feel?”

“Hungover, I guess.”

“First time?”

You nod. “About what I said last night…”

“Hey, no. Don’t apologize, okay? I… like you, as well, Stitch,” Rex says, coming over and sitting beside you on your bed, the mattress dipping beside you.

“I- What? You do?” Your eyes widen, everything that happened, every little thing he cooed in your ear the previous night, all of it comes back. He called you cute. Beautiful.

He nods, wringing his hands in his lap, a shy smile tugging at his lips. He turns slightly to face you, the two of you subconsciously leaning in. Your lips part as your eyes drift down to his own lips, his tongue quickly wetting them.

“I really like you, Stitch…” He murmurs as he leans in closer.

“I really like you, to-” You’re shut up by his lips pressing against yours.

Maybe I won’t kill the idiot trio, afterall…

Taglist: @will-is-silly @fionajames @sevdidntdie @hellhound5925 @dangraccoon @skellymom

Please lmk if you want to be added or taken off the taglist!

Dividers by @ saradika

[clone-anon]

Could you maybe do something like jedi Reader comforts Rex after Umbara?

You got it!

A/N: Can be read as a platonic relationship. Includes platonic bedsharing with multiple clones.

You wandered throughout the barracks after meeting with several jedi generals. You were headed back to the temple when you saw Rex. You tried greeting him with a smile, but he looked devastated and angry at the same time. He looked at you and tried softening his features.

"I heard," you said, referring to Umbara.

Rex shook his head and looked away. You sensed his devastation.

"So many good men are gone," he whispered.

You put a hand on his elbow and guided him to sit down in the nearby mess hall. You put a hand on his shoulder and waited for him to speak. His grief weighed so heavily, you weren't sure how he was still going. Rex leaned toward you and allowed you to wrap your arms around him. He started listing the names of all the men he knew were gone and then Dogma, whose future was unknown.

"None of this should have happened," he gritted through his teeth.

"I heard about Krell." You refused to call him a master any more. "Some of the other masters are concerned he may have influenced other jedi. I hope not."

"He had a reputation for not caring about the clones," said Rex, "and I shouldn't have pushed that fact aside as long as I did."

"You're loyal, Rex. You're an excellent leader and soldier. Don't blame yourself."

You wiped away an escaped tear. You sat there with him as time ticked on. You weren't leaving that night. You, Rex, Fives, Tup, and Jesse pushed some mattresses together on the floor of their barracks. You slept together, holding on to him. Everyone laid in a pile and fell asleep. They just wanted to stay connected and hope that they could keep going on.

[ariadnes-red-thread]

Erin I’m so mad at myself that it took me so long to read it but I wanted to have time to sit down and read it and BOY AM I GLAD I DID 😍

1) I WOULD DIE FOR JUNE. I love her. The way she would fight for Keeda but knows when and how to comfort her… she has my WHOLE heart.

2) The way Keeda and Fox both have the same reaction to each other 😭😭 They’re both so head over heels before they even saw hello and I’m OBSESSED with their love ❤️

3) THE ENDING KILLED ME. ABSOLUTELY SWOONING.

I MEAN….

I’m so in love with this story and I can’t wait to see where it goes! Especially with what you do with Wolffe, the 104th, and Keeda.

Sweet True Lies: Chapter 3

Two Truths and a Lie

Paring(s): Fox x OC: Keeda Ionza (FINALLY!)

Characters: F!Reader/OC: Keeda Ionza, OC: June Makano, Commander Fox, Commander Thorn

Summary: Gala time!

Rating: This chapter is G (series is rated E)

Warnings: Light Angst, Fluff, Romantic Fluff

Word Count: 7.2k

Ao3 link

A/N: Hello and welcome to chapter 3! Sorry it took so long to write, but hopefully, it will all be worth it!

There is another new OC I'm bringing into this fic. Her name is June Makano. Check her out here!

Reblogs are greatly appreciated. Enjoy!

Two Truths and a Lie

You gasped as you jerked yourself awake, looking around and briefly wondering where you were. You’re in your old room. Relax. You’re okay. you told yourself as you got your bearings.

An annoyed meow came from the black-striped lump of tan fur next to your feet as you reached over and grabbed the remote on your nightstand, reducing the dark opaque tint of your windows to let in the morning light. “Sorry, Chuffs,” you apologized to your mother’s lazy tooka cat.

You squeezed your eyes shut against the harsh light bouncing off Coruscant's surface, and nestled yourself back into your cloudy pillows, not quite ready to leave the warmth of your large bed. Chuffs stood up briefly and stretched languidly as the light reached her, giving you a curious look before settling back down in her warm spot with a purr.

Scrunching your fingers through your tangled hair as you took in the morning, your thoughts wandered back to the dream you had been having. It had not been unpleasant—quite the opposite: Someone’s strong arms had pulled you close with whispers of reassurance and safety, enveloping you with so much warmth you could have melted into them.

You mused over it for a moment, twisting a bit to look at your upper arm and wondering why you had such a comforting dream after such a tumultuous night. As you prodded the bruise-free skin to check for any residual soreness, you figured a nightmare would have been more fitting, but none had come.

“Good morning, Mistress Keeda,” N2’s soft, high-pitched, mechanical voice said as he entered your room. He was holding a breakfast tray laden with what looked like muffins, scrambled nuna eggs, sliced shuura fruit, and your favorite tea.

You stretched and yawned before sitting up, realizing absently that you had slept a lot further into the morning than you normally did. “Morning, N2. What’s all this?” you asked, untangling yourself from your blankets and trying not to disturb Chuffs a second time.

“Oh, Mistress Sareel was insistent that you have something to eat before you leave,” N2 replied.

You rubbed your eyes groggily as N2 set the meal down on the bed beside you. Your stomach rumbled loudly as you smelled the fresh, berry-laden muffins and fluffy eggs, remembering how little you had eaten the night before.

Sipping your steaming tea and nibbling a muffin, you pulled your datapad into your lap and skimmed the news as you did every morning. Articles of the army’s latest victories and defeats rerouting trade and travel hyperspace lanes littered your screen, but you found your mind wandering back to your dream. It was fading quickly as you fully woke, but the sense of security of those imaginary arms around you had greatly lessened your anxiety.

“Is there anything you require before I begin the household chores, Mistress Keeda?” N2 asked, carrying your hamper from your bathroom.

“No, thank you, N2. You have done plenty for me already,” you replied, giving the droid a smile. You knew N2 could not actually feel emotions—he was simply programmed to respond—but you had always been polite to him.

As you began eating your breakfast, you sent a quick text comm to June, telling her you would be stopping by to check on the flowers, and you also took the opportunity to recount the details of your previous evening to her. You knew she was working, and therefore could not call you, but you received several long replies full of enraged expletives and exclamations anyway. June had always been hotheaded, but she would have blown off a lot of that steam by the time you arrived if you did not rush.

You took your time in eating and dressing, savoring the morning for once, and sinking back into your thoughts. Nothing about the war had slowed down the charity foundation’s work, but it had physically condensed it to Core Worlds as new battle maps were drawn every day in the Mid and Outer Rims. The charity had also been forced to cut its ties with Separatist worlds, though you knew some of the outposts on those worlds had continued to function without proper funds, manned now only by the very people they had been constructed to help.

With the organization now officially partnering with the GAR, however, the work could continue on Loyalist worlds outside of the Core. You had already received the information about the battalion you would be attached to for the foreseeable future, and you sincerely hoped the clones would accept working with you. Deep down, you had been a little worried they would always see you as an outsider.

An hour later found you stepping out of a taxi and onto a wide, sunny pedestrian walkway. The air was still chilly, but the sun managed to take the bite of the wind away. A long, tall greenhouse stretched down the length of the block before you, made entirely of glass walls and windows—just one of ten identical buildings laid out parallel to each other. A much smaller, older structure sat at the end of the first building, with a glowing sign projected onto the ancient-looking brick that read ‘Makano Greenhouses,’ and you made your way to the door.

The air inside the main shop was warm and damp, and it was like stepping into an entirely different world. The fresh scents of thousands of varieties of flowers, vegetables, fruits, and shrubbery the Makano family had grown for nearly two centuries in their greenhouses all wafted to greet you, spiriting you away from the ecological barrenness of Coruscant. You suspected the shuura fruit you had eaten for breakfast had come from these greenhouses.

Inhaling the perfumy fragrances deeply, you pressed the service button on the front desk, taking the time to admire all the glittering vases, fruit baskets, and pre-arranged flower displays already up for sale.

“Be there in a second, Keeds,” a light feminine voice said, echoing through a speaker. True to her word, a few moments later, a curvy young woman with bright ginger hair and equally bright hazel eyes came jogging in through the shop’s back door. “Fucking hell, girl,” she greeted in typical June fashion, wiping her hands on a rag and pulling you into a tight hug. “You nearly gave me a heart attack this morning with your message. How’re you holding up?”

“Hi, June,” you replied. You hugged her back, glad to see her initial, explosive temper had cooled already. “I’m coping, could’ve been worse,” you added dismissively. The residual anxiety must have still been shining through your expression because June cocked a disbelieving, fiery eyebrow at you.

June Makano was the latest generational owner of her family’s greenhouses and your best friend from your time at university. Although the greenhouses were an incredibly lucrative business over the centuries—being one of the last few remaining places on-world providing food and décor to Coruscant’s upper classes—the Makano family had used them as a cover for less legitimate business for just as long.

Despite your knowledge of this, June had become like a sister to you over the years. It still baffled you to no end how she was always able to know exactly how you felt, reading you like an open book. The way she pursed her lips at you was another classic indicator that she knew you were still not all right, so you huffed out a tired breath and rested against the counter, ignoring it.

“I’m not gonna make you talk about it,” June said quietly, “but you know I’m here if you need to.” She rubbed your arm affectionately, and the gesture warmed you. “You know I can still get Naiyo to deal with him, too, right?”

You chuckled dryly and rolled your eyes. “No, thanks. I don’t want your rum-running twin brother and his gangsters getting themselves into any trouble on my account.”

“The offer stands,” June said in a singsong voice, effectively dropping the subject. “Now, come on, let me show you the flowers for tomorrow.”

June led you through the back door and past the greenhouses to an enormous workshop. It looked equally as ancient as the main shop with all its exposed brick and dark steel rafters. Specialized droids hovered about, arranging several varieties of colorful flowers into garlands, bouquets, and centerpieces for the gala. You recognized some of the larger flower varieties, but there were also tiny, shining white blossoms on wiry vines mixed into the bouquets that were unfamiliar.

“Let your mum know the arrangements will be delivered this afternoon, and I’ll be there personally tonight to make sure they’re set up properly,” June said, taking a bundle of the blossoms and handing them to you. “These would look really pretty in your hair tomorrow.”

The little flowers gave off a delicate, but musky sweet scent, unlike anything you had smelled before. “What are these?” you asked curiously. They were surprisingly resilient, despite being so small.

“They’re a variety of peace blossoms from Naboo,” June explained, lifting the end of a garland into a transport crate. “Your mum asked for those particularly, so I had to use the hydroponic systems and pure light to get them to grow faster. She said it was to represent a quick end to the war with the help of all the relief volunteers.”

“Trust my mum to weave poetic symbolism into everything,” you mumbled, tilting the little flowers in your palm. Their sheen reflected a faint bluish-green hue beneath the milky petals. You heard June pause her work, and from her tone, you could tell she was worried. “You still don’t think I should have volunteered?”

June sighed and shook her shoulder-length orange hair out of its clip to readjust it. “I just don’t want you to get hurt or anything. Just because you’re only going on relief missions doesn’t mean it’s safe, Keeds. You could be attacked at any time.”

“You sound like my mum,” you muttered sardonically. You knew June meant well, but even she knew you had been screaming internally for months from being cooped up on Coruscant. “I’ll be with the troops the whole time. They’ll keep any droids out of my way, and I’m a decent shot myself,” you smirked.

June gave you a reproachful look, but she clipped her hair back up and shrugged. “Just… be careful. You’re my best friend.”

“I know, but you know exactly how badly I need to get off this kriffing planet. I need some fresh air, quite literally a different atmosphere. It’s beautiful here, in its own way, and it’ll always be home, but I need some change.” You stepped a bit closer and lowered your voice a notch, shaking your head, “And you were right before, June. I’m not entirely fine, especially after last night. Getting away right now is the best thing I can do.”

You could tell June was holding back her tears from the way she looked around rapidly and started chewing on her plump, pink bottom lip, so you pulled her into a more solid hug this time, aware that this may be the last chance you got before you shipped out after the gala. “I promise, I’ll be fine. When I get back, I’ll tell you all about it over caf at that greasy little diner you like so much.”

June chuckled, letting a tear escape as she embraced you tightly. “Hey, don’t shit on Dex’s. He’s got the best nerfburgers ever, just admit it.”

You parted afterward with a smile and a quick goodbye, leaving the greenhouses with the peace blossoms in hand. As you glanced down at them, you realized your nails could do with a manicure. Begrudgingly, you knew you needed to polish yourself up. Time to turn into a lady.

***

Tucking his towel around his hips, Fox wiped the steam from his mirror and pulled his razor out from his refresher cabinet. Two of the few benefits of being a Marshal Commander permanently stationed on Triple Zero were private quarters and access to hot water showers. It hardly made up for the multitudes of other issues he dealt with on a daily basis, but it was far better than the communal sonic showers his millions of brothers were forced to use in the field and on starships.

He wished he did not have to shave so soon, rather liking the way his slightly greying stubble always set him apart from his brothers, but he had no choice. He had to be as presentable as possible for the gala in a few hours, and he mentally cursed whichever senator had taken Thire from his post.

Fox resented the way many senators seemed to think the Corries were their personal bodyguards instead of elite clone shock troopers. The boys were constantly called upon, day and night, to escort senators and other public officials to wherever they wanted to go, regardless of the security details they were already provided. Even their underpaid aides were not called upon as often as the Corries were for menial tasks—the moment a senator needed to travel off-world or needed a kriffing lightbulb changed, they rang a Guardsman.

Pushing his dripping curls away from his face, Fox slathered his cheeks and jaw in shaving cream and began methodically scraping away his stubble, careful not to nick himself. He had finally managed to get a few hours of solid sleep after a brutally exhausting workout, and he had taken Thorn’s advice about dabbing some bacta under his eyes. He somehow looked a bit younger as his skin became smooth, and it reminded him of how young he technically was. Physically, he was only about twenty-five now, even if he felt like he was nearly a hundred most days.

Fox carefully eased a clean undershirt over his head, careful not to muss his freshly faded curls that he had slicked back into smooth waves. The ever-present greys in his once jet-black hair had ceased to bother him, especially because they seemed to be a date magnet on the incredibly rare occasions he took to venture out to 79s with his brothers.

He smiled to himself as he pulled on his dress greys, fondly remembering the night Cody and Wolffe had dragged him to the bar with every intention of getting him laid. They had no idea their youngest brother had spent the past year carefully observing the very politicians he loathed, watching their formal, charming interactions and quietly putting them into practice. He had a date within twenty minutes that night, and Cody and Wolffe’s jaws had been on the deck.

Part of his charm, he had learned, came with his expression of intention. Fox had never once led anyone on, making sure an unattached night was all a lady was to expect from him. It was not that he wanted to sleep around or that he did not have feelings, but he knew he had no time for a committed relationship—even if it never stopped him from wondering how nice one would be.

Fox rolled his muscular shoulders in the stiff, heavy fabric of his dress uniform and checked his appearance over one last time. Just another big fancy dinner. he thought to himself, tucking his cover under his arm and echoing Thorn’s words from a few days prior.

***

“You’re fidgeting,” your mother whispered concernedly as you exited the speeder after her.

You gnawed at the inside of your cheek as you looked around. The poshly dressed guests were arriving in droves, greeting each other with both genuine and faux smiles, la bise kisses, and graceful bows. As the gala’s unofficial host, you started to feel the pressure as eyes were beginning to turn toward you. The sickening clench of your stomach was hard to ignore as you slapped a practiced smile on your face. Silently, you resigned yourself to participating in high-class society, and you were sure the gooseflesh breaking out over your skin had nothing to do with the chill in the air.

“Just nerves,” you muttered, shivering slightly, and smoothing out your flowing dark green dress. You were glad you had chosen something with a loose skirt that you could both walk and breathe in as the latter felt rather difficult. Beneath your long hair, you felt your mother’s silk-gloved hand subtly adjust one of the X-crossed straps on your backless gown for you before looping your arm in hers.

“You’ve nothing to worry about tonight, darling. Just try to relax and enjoy yourself,” she said soothingly, ushering you inside and out of the chilly air.

As you made your way closer to the grand doors of the hall, you spied a few clones in their distinct red and white armor cleverly stationed in the shadows, and your nerves calmed a bit. Whereas many of Coruscant’s citizens had come to loathe the ever-present shock troopers, you found their presence to be a comfort, more so now than ever before. You wondered if the commander was among them, but before you could dwell on the thought, your mother was pulling you into the venue.

Her hand soothed along your bare forearm as you made your way into the dazzling hall, and the sight took your breath away. The hall was massive, and the cavernous, arching glass ceiling reflected thousands of fairy lights woven into the garlands and wreaths June had no doubt spent hours setting up.

The air was fragrant from the same little peace blossoms that were nestled in your fashionably twisted hair, and as the only source of light apart from delicate flickering candles on the dining tables, the tiny, softly twinkling lights created a calm ambiance that seemed to warm even the darkest corners of the hall. While you looked around, you noticed a familiar, friendly face illuminated by the glow.

“Oh, my dear, Keeda,” Henya greeted compassionately, coming around a large, ornately set dining table, and taking you into her arms.

You grinned happily for the first time that evening as the tall Twi’lek woman embraced you, and the soft fur of her shawl tickled your nose. “Hello, Auntie,” you replied.

“You look divine tonight. That dress does wonders for your eyes,” she complimented, but Henya’s striking yellow eyes held a trace of guilt as she pulled away. “May I steal her for a moment, Sareel?” she asked, turning to your mother.

“Of course, of course. I will find you later, Keeda,” your mother replied, giving you a quick peck on the cheek.

As your mother began graciously receiving the other guests, Henya took your hands in both of hers, and you could practically feel the emotion rippling off her. Even her long violet lekku were twitching restlessly as she searched for her words.

“You don’t need to apologize for anything, Auntie,” you said before she could speak. “What happened the other night, that’s not your fault.”

Henya sighed heavily, “I am still terribly sorry, my dear. You shouldn’t have had to endure that.” She paused for a moment, looking around before her eyes settled on a rather severe-looking couple taking flutes of dark blue, bubbling wine from a passing server. “I’m even more sorry to say that they would like to speak with you before the evening’s festivities begin.”

The pit in your stomach immediately gave way to a dull numbness that flooded through your limbs. The governor and his wife had come after all, but you were thankful there seemed to be no sign of their son. You breathed deeply, unlocked your knees, and felt your head clear. Might as well get this unpleasantry out of the way.

Striding forward with purpose, your father’s voice whispered in the back of your mind; Opportunity lies in even the most unlikely places. When he had spoken those words to you so long ago, you had not fully understood their meaning. But now, as Henya led you across the room, your sharp mind understood that the governor was about to ask something of you.

“Governor and Missus Gargeli, may I present Miss Keeda Ionza,” Henya said diplomatically.

While Governor Gargeli might have looked unyielding on the outside, his blue eyes were benevolent. His son had clearly inherited his looks from his father, but you refused to let it unnerve you.

“Miss Ionza, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” he said authentically as he extended his hand to you.

“The pleasure is mine, Governor.” You shook his hand firmly, conveying your directness.

“It is an esteemed honor to be invited this evening,” he remarked, releasing you to allow you to shake hands with his wife. “Although, I do wish the circumstances of our meeting would have been less precarious,” Gargeli added softly and opened his arm to you. “May I?”

You fought the urge to roll your eyes as you were passed to yet another arm. Did people think you were unable to walk on your own? Despite being on his arm, you steered the governor to a quieter corner of the hall. You waited until you were sure the sharp click of your heels on the tiles was no longer audible to the other guests before pausing beside one of the massive bouquets that matched your hair.

The governor, for all his formal appearance, looked ashamed. “I want you to know that my wife and I do not condone our son’s actions,” Gargeli whispered gravely. “Pettri was brought up to be better than that, and I sincerely apologize for any harm that has befallen you.”

Pettri Gargeli. you finally remembered. That was that fucker’s name.

The governor’s Coruscanti accent was much thicker than your own, and you had to strain a bit to hear him over the growing hum of the other guests and the gentle classical music that was beginning to play. He had your full attention as he continued, “I also wanted to inform you personally that Pettri is no longer living on Coruscant, and he will not be returning. I’ve sent him back to my family’s homeworld, and he will be dealt with in a manner befitting his actions.”

You hid your relief well, only shifting your weight from one hip to the other as you took in the revelation, still surveying the incoming guests nonchalantly. You had been silently dreading seeing Pettri again, even in passing, and the weight of that fear dissipated from your shoulders. “I am grateful for the measures you have taken in resolving the situation, Governor.”

Gargeli tapped a finger on his glass rather anxiously as he scanned the room blankly. “I’m afraid I do have another motive for speaking to you privately this evening, Miss Ionza,” he confessed. He swiftly acquired another flute of bubbling blue wine from a passing attendant and handed it to you as a gesture.

Here we go. you thought, accepting the drink to let him know you were listening, and bracing yourself for his request. You already had an inkling of what it was.

“As you may know, the local elections in my district are not far off.” He paused to clear his throat to emphasize the point he was about to make. “If… rumor was to spread, a scandal such as this involving a member of my immediate family would potentially—”

“—Potentially negatively impact your reelection,” you interrupted gracefully, finally meeting the governor’s eyes again. Although the smile you wore was practiced and demure, your green eyes conveyed your perceptivity. “And if I were to guarantee my silence on the matter, perhaps our agreement could be mutually beneficial.”

An intrigued look crossed Gargeli’s aristocratic face, his thick mustache twitching up in interest. “Name your terms, Miss Ionza.”

Taking a long sip from your glass, you glanced back out across the room trying to look as casual as possible. “The Terreg Ionza Medical Foundation could do more work in your district if you would consider opening more public spaces to our volunteers and providing security,” you said lowly, your throat tightening a fraction as your father’s name passed your lips. “In the past, our volunteers have encountered significant resistance in underprivileged areas, largely due to threats of local gang violence. Not only would it guarantee my silence, but it would also benefit your constituents.”

The governor nodded pensively. “I assure you my campaign already supports the increased street surveillance in my district. I see the Coruscant Guard are here tonight,” he added as he skimmed over the room. “They have been immensely helpful in training new security forces, so any volunteers would be well protected. Perhaps my wife and I will become more regular contributors to the Foundation as well, to ensure their success.”

A wave of triumph surged through your heart as you raised your wine flute in a small toast. Despite how much you hated playing politics, you were rather reluctantly good at it. “To the mutually beneficial work of our organizations.”

“Hear, hear,” Gargeli replied, a formal smile full of admiration and respect for you working its way onto his face.

With a clink of your glasses, the deal was sealed. Gargeli would open his district more fully to the charity’s work, thousands of citizens would benefit from increased medical aid, and the charity would receive yet another new source of funds. All paid for with your silence.

“Please, Governor, enjoy the evening,” you said with a gentle, sweeping motion, effectively excusing yourself.

Gargeli gave you a refined bow before returning to his wife’s side, and you began mingling your way through the crowd. Several people whom you had worked with in the past stopped to chat with you, each offering their views on the latest cooperations with the GAR. Some approved, some did not, and some expressed their admiration for your willingness to volunteer, but each conversation seemed to draw on your energy reserves.

Even after dinner had been served—you were eternally grateful your mother had not chosen that awful seafood dish to be an option—and the dancing had begun, you were finding the evening to be rather tedious. You did your best to conceal it; however, there was only so much you could take.

Over the sounds of clinking glasses and light laughter filling the air, blending with the lilting music now echoing across the hall, you huffed out a weary sigh. You wished you had someone other than politicians and socialites to converse with—just someone who did not want anything from you. From the moment you stepped out of the speeder, tonight had felt more like work than the enjoyable evening you hoped for.

***

Fox froze and his heart stuttered against his ribs.

He knew from the moment he saw her; it was her. His eyes followed her every move as she wove between people, conversing briefly before moving on. They all parted for her, as though she were a goddess among mortals—even more beautiful than he remembered.

“The hell are you looking at, vod?” Thorn asked, noting Fox’s sudden change. His older brother’s heavy brows were nearly knit together, and his scarred lips were parted in an awestruck expression. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Blinking out of his stupor, Fox nodded in the young woman’s direction. “She’s here,” he whispered, almost disbelieving his own words.

Thorn studied the crowd from their secluded spot by the doorway to a large, covered veranda, trying to follow Fox’s eye line. “You’re gonna have to be more specific than that.”

“From th-the other night. She’s… uh… Long, dark hair, with little flowers. Green dress. It’s her,” Fox stammered.

His golden-haired brother looked back out to the crowd a second time, spotting her easily. “Oh, wow,” Thorn breathed. He knew Fox had not lied about her appearance a few days prior, but seeing her for himself, Thorn finally understood why Fox had been so taken with her. He snickered to himself because the Marshal Commander of the Coruscant Guard was currently staring like a love-struck shiny after their first night at 79s. “That’s really her?”

Fox just nodded. He could not look away. She wore a perfect, congenial smile like a mask and carried herself with the grace of a queen, but her closed-off, stiff body language made Fox want to throw himself between her and the rest of the room—if only to shield her again for a moment so she could breathe.

“Well, go talk to her, di’kut!” Thorn laughed, nudging his ori’vod with a sharp elbow. “She looks like she could use better company than these nat-borns.” Fox opened his mouth to protest, but Thorn stopped him. “Go. You’d be shocked to know the boys and I can actually survive without your constant vigilance for a while.”

Seeing her step out another door on the opposite side of the hall and onto the wrap-around veranda, Fox nearly sprinted out the door beside him—no thanks to a playful swat on the ass from Thorn. It felt like his heart was about to jump through his nose as he quickly strode to where she had withdrawn.

Okay… okay… What am I gonna say to her? he rambled internally. Just ask her how she is, yeah? Ask her if she’s all right. No, why would she be all right? It’s only been a few days since… No, no, just tell her… tell her she looks nice. She’d like to hear that. Right? Fuck. Fuck, I did not think this through! Nevertheless, his feet propelled him forward.

Fox had never had any issues talking to women before, so why was he so unexpectedly flustered now? He paused and pressed his back against the cool alabaster wall just before turning the final corner of the building. He straightened his spotless uniform and blew out a long sigh, puffing his cheeks. Pull yourself together, Fox. You’re a kriffing Marshal Commander. You can do this.

***

The muffled silence was a welcome relief as you stepped out of the hall and rested your hands against the sleek railing. The crowds had begun gathering around to watch those waltzing about on the dance floor, and the stronger liquor had begun flowing as a medley of desserts was served, but you had come outside to let Coruscant’s skyline dazzle you for the thousandth time instead.

Letting your eyes drift shut, you tried to savor the quiet moment, and soaked up the soft warmth radiating from the outdoor heater beside you. You could still see the twinkling fairy lights all around you from behind your eyelids, and you watched as they played across your blinded vision. If you had a chaise and a blanket, you would have been content to stay right there until the sun rose.

Tomorrow, there would be no skyline. There would only be the swirling blue and silver streaks of hyperspace, whisking you off to a war-torn world to deliver medical relief supplies, and you were eager for it. Like you had told June, Coruscant would always be home, but you needed to get away for a while.

Your moment was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps that ceased a few yards behind you and to your left. You half expected to find yet another aristocrat asking you to dance when you opened your eyes, but you were shocked to your very core when you looked over your shoulder.

Him. It was him. The clone commander that had come to your aid.

You felt your eyes widen in surprise as he looked at you. He was clean-shaven now, and his tussled, greying curls had been elegantly styled back, but his honey-gold eyes still glimmered in the lights with the same care and warmth he had shown you just a few nights ago.

“You,” you breathed without thinking. Immediately, you cursed your impropriety and stumbled over your words. “I’m s-sorry. I-I meant—”

The commander cracked a roguish, bright smile, and his mouth pulled a touch more to the right because of the scar on his bottom lip. “It’s you,” he echoed softly, stepping closer. His voice was low and gravelly, and his eyes never left yours. “You look lovely tonight.”

He was trying to put you at ease, and you could not help the little grin that broke over your painted lips. “Thank you,” you replied, and you were powerless to stop the blush creeping up your cheeks. “Truthfully, I’d rather be elsewhere, though.”

“Really?” he asked, tossing his gaze back into the hall for a moment. “Even with all these fine, upstanding people here?” There was the slightest hint of sarcasm in his voice, and you instantly relaxed despite the sudden draft blowing across the veranda.

The commander came to stand beside you, blocking the breeze and looking out over the planet-wide city. Even while leaning down on the railing and without his signature armor, he was still so very tall and broad. His hard muscles filled out his uniform, pulling at the fabric and defining him perfectly. It made you wonder just how strong he was…

“Are you cold?” he asked thoughtfully.

You shook your head faintly as you were pulled out of your thoughts. You felt wholly safe beside him, as though he were an immovable wall protecting you from the chill in the air and from the prying eyes of anyone who dared to look at you the wrong way—just as he did before.

That inkling of guilt suddenly came crawling back. The last time you had seen this man, you had spoken so harshly to him, and you had feared you would never get the chance to apologize. “Commander, I… I never thanked you properly… for the other night,” you said rather sheepishly.

He gave you a slightly puzzled look and shook his head almost imperceptibly, his eyes immediately coming to rest on your face again. “There’s no need to thank me.”

“Yes, there is,” you insisted, gripping the railing. “You and your men helped me. Something much worse might’ve happened if you hadn’t been there, and I shouldn’t have been so coarse.”

“You had every right to be,” he assured. “I’m glad I was there to help you.”

You toyed with a silver ring on your index finger as you carried on, “In any case, it’s no excuse for my behavior. I hope you’ll accept my apology, Commander.”

He turned to face you fully, leaning casually on one elbow and eyeing you charmingly. “I will, on one condition.”

How can he still look so powerful when he’s relaxed like that? you asked yourself, waiting for his request. He had somehow changed the very air around you so quickly that you found yourself letting go of the ache in your chest.

“Tell me your name?”

Whatever he was doing to make you feel so calm was mesmerizing, but you could also tell he was being playful, so you decided to entertain him. You pursed your lips and gave him a cheeky grin. “All right then. Let’s see if you can tell if I’m lying or telling the truth. Have you ever played two truths and a lie?”

“Two truths and a lie?” he asked inquisitively.

You nodded, fidgeting with your ring again. “I’ll tell you three things about myself. If you guess the lie, I have to tell you the truth about the lie. If you guess wrong, it’s your turn.”

The commander cocked a brow at you and smirked. “Very well, ladies first.”

You chewed your lip for a moment in thought, before settling on your lie. “My mother is the chairwoman of the foundation hosting this gala. I had a pet tooka when I was a child. My name… is Alana. Which is the lie?”

The weight of the commander’s gaze was encapsulating. You felt drawn into the depths of those stunning eyes as he analyzed you. He left no inch of your face untouched with his gaze. “Your name isn’t Alana,” he said finally.

“You’re right,” you conceded with a giggle. “My name is Keeda.”

The commander did not say anything for a moment, but his expression noticeably softened. You were not sure he was going to say anything until he muttered a single strange word, one you suspected was not Basic.

“Sorry?” you asked.

“Mesh’la,” he repeated, a little louder the second time. “It’s Mando’a. It means ‘beautiful’.”

You were certain you were bright red with how hard you were blushing. His lips barely moved whenever he spoke, unlike so many others tonight that had tried to woo your attention with overly enunciated accents and pretty words. The true sincerity in his tone rang clear. His voice was so rich, like a lovely bass-baritone note—deep and smooth, matching the darkened gold of his irises. You could practically feel the resonance of it in your ears despite how softly his words were uttered, and you suddenly craved to hear it again.

“Y-your turn, Commander.”

He must have had his answers ready because he spoke without hesitation. “My favorite color is red. My name is Fox. I’m a particularly good dancer.”

You mulled that over. Would he lie about his name, too? you wondered. It seemed logical, but he could also have been trying to throw you off. He had never looked you in the eye at all, though, choosing to focus on the little flowers woven through your hair—undoubtedly the better liar between you.

Laughing lightly as you gave up trying to guess, you settled on his name. “I don’t think your name is Fox.”

He flashed that brilliant white smile again. It contrasted so beautifully against his bronzed skin, and for the first time, you realized that you were more dazzled by the handsome commander in front of you than the skyline you had come out to observe. His smile and eyes were even brighter than any of the lights twinkling around you, and he exuded an affection that quieted any troubles in your mind.

“My name is Fox,” he said truthfully.

“Fox,” you repeated, bowing your head in mock defeat. “You’ve bested me. Where’d you learn to lie so well?”

“You pick up a thing or two when you’re around politicians all—”

As if on cue, he was interrupted as a group of guests came out onto the veranda, laughing boisterously and talking amongst themselves. They were clearly trying to ward off the buzz they had going with the cool night air. Luckily, they wandered away to the other side of the hall, but the door they had opened let a new melody waft outside.

It was a slower tune, but just as grand and orchestral as the others that had been playing all evening. You swayed your weight from one foot to the other, feeling the skirt of your dress flutter around your legs.

It had been so long since you danced. Your thoughts wandered back to the last time your father had helped you push all the furniture out of the way and taught you the steps of several common waltzes in the middle of your living room.

“Dance with me?” Fox asked suddenly, holding out his hand to you.

When did he take his gloves off? “Another truth?” you asked, resting your hand in his palm. His hand was calloused and strong, but his fingers were long and warm as they closed around yours ever so tenderly.

The crowd had thinned a bit for the evening, and you suspected this would be one of the last dances of the night, but you were glad to share it with Fox. You gasped a little when you felt his other hand settle around your lower back beneath your hair. His fingertips felt like fire brushing against your air-cooled bare skin, but you settled into his hold easily as he began guiding you down the length of the veranda. The steps he chose were uncomplicated, but you were impressed with the natural skill he seemed to possess as he swept you down the length of the open space.

“You were definitely telling the truth,” you laughed, enjoying how easily you moved together.

He arched his left arm and twirled you out beneath it before stepping in and sweeping you back into his hold. “I have my brother to thank for that,” Fox admitted, slowing a fraction with the timing of the music.

“Don’t you have a million brothers?” you asked lightheartedly. Fox looked so different from the stoic commander you had first met. A single stray curl had fallen loose on his forehead as he spun you around himself, and he practically beamed at you.

“This one is special. He inherited all the natural dancing talent somehow, so we just copied him. He’s the commander of the 104th battalion.”

You nearly stumbled in surprise, gripping Fox’s burly shoulder for support, but he was quicker and caught you. He gathered you into a spin to let you recover, bringing your body flush to his. The rush of adrenaline you felt as Fox effortlessly lifted you right off your feet made everything a little fuzzy, but he kept you securely in his strong arms. You felt like a star could have exploded between you with the heat of your bodies pressed together, and you would have happily melted into it.

After gently resting you back on your feet, Fox was the first to break the contact—although he seemed incredibly reluctant to do so. But the music still played in the background, so he continued to lead you through the dance.

“I’m assigned to the 104th as their official volunteer,” you said quickly, remembering why you had stumbled in the first place.

Fox chuckled. “You’ll like Wolffe. We grew up together as batchmates. He’s very stubborn and gruff, but he has a good heart.”

“I look forward to meeting him.”

As the music ended, the hall burst into applause. The other dancers and guests began to say their goodbyes, but you simply stood there under the twinkling lights. You panted together from the exertion of the dance as he continued to hold you, and you drank in the woodsy, slightly spicy scent of him mixed with the fragrance of the flowers in your hair.

He was gently brushing the back of your hand with his calloused thumb, and you were about to thank him for the dance, but the commlink on his wrist beeped. Still holding your hand, he released your waist and turned his right wrist over to silence the beeping.

“Ah, forgive me. Duty calls.”

As his fingers brushed over the device, you noticed the knuckles on his right hand were slightly blotched with old bruises, but you put it aside in your mind. “I… I hope I’ll see you again, Fox.”

He grinned down at you and gave your fingers a delicate squeeze. “Me too. Be safe, Keeda. Do whatever Wolffe tells you to do.”

You felt a pang of longing as he released you and turned to join the other Guardsmen waiting in the shadows at the other end of the veranda. How long have they been standing there?

Suddenly, you remembered and called out to him, “Wait, Fox!” He was immediately before you again with a questioning look on his face. “Please, before you go… what’s your favorite color?”

Although he virtually towered over you, Fox took your hand again and bowed slightly, capturing your gaze once more. His lips were warm as he pressed an impossibly soft kiss against the thin skin of your knuckles, and a mixture of shock and delight flooded through your body. Smiling brilliantly at you one last time, he replied, “Green.”

Taglist: @ariadnes-red-thread @twistedstitcher27 @rexxdjarin @wizardofrozz @moodymisty @ellichonkasaurusrex @ttzamara @nekotaetae @misogirl828 @wild-karrde @kaminocasey

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

[beskarthief]

Chapter 9 of the Star Wars fic "Order 65". The rest can be found here.

19 BBY, Coruscant, Coruscant Underworld

 Rex wished he had something more to offer the new recruits than a couple bunks and a few crates of supplies. Not that they seemed to mind. He wasn’t sure how long they’d spent in those cells, but based on the ravenous way they’d devoured the food Echo offered them it seemed like it had been a while. 

 They’d debriefed them as soon as they got back, of course. But each clone had a different idea of how long it had been. Trapped underground with no natural light and only Imps for company had a way of making the days drag into weeks. Nobody could give them a good idea of how long it had actually been, or where they’d been headed, or anything, really. Rex had tried not to let his frustration show, but he was pretty sure they’d all been able to tell.

 Some part of him had thought - foolishly, he had to admit - that finding one group would lead them to the others. But if it was that easy, then Drixx would have been able to trace this group to the main facility and they’d be headed there right now. Rex shook his head. He didn’t want to wait anymore. His brothers couldn’t afford them waiting anymore.

 A rattle outside made Rex’s gaze swing from the datapad before him to the door, and he was on his feet in a moment, hands already drifting to where he’d left his blasters; always within easy reach. Stalking forward on silent feet, he drew first one, then the other, before slipping out the side exit to loop around the front.

 He came out from around the corner with both blasters leveled at the door, gaze scanning the platform with trained precision. The beady eyes of some form of vermin met his for a split second. He saw the realization of danger flash through them before it scampered off and around a corner. Rex lowered his blasters with a sigh. He was jumping at rats now.

 But even as he was getting ready to go back inside the familiar hum of a ship sounded from above him, the first bits of disturbed air whipping across the platform and forcing him to plant his feet firmly on the ground to avoid being blown backwards. Glancing up, he watched as the stolen shuttle descended. He smiled even as his grip tightened on the blasters already in his hands. You couldn’t be too careful these days.

 The shuttle set down before him on the landing platform and he waited until the ramp had come down and Gregor had stepped off it, signaling that it was just him, before returning his blasters to their holsters.

 “You’re twitchy.” his brother said with a laugh.

 “Can’t be too careful.”

 “True, true.”

 Gregor followed him around the side after locking up the shuttle. You couldn’t be too careful with those, either. They’d already lost one. Perks of being banished to the underworld, Rex supposed.

 “Sooo.” Gregor began as soon as they were safely inside. “I checked out the location you gave me. Monastery is empty, looks like it has been for a while. No Imps, far as I could tell. And I really checked. A little dusty, but at least it’s got sunlight and enough space for anybody we pickup along the way.”

 Rex nodded. “Good. I’ll get a message to the Senator, let her know we’ll be relocating. We’ll need to stockpile supplies. It’ll be harder to get without her help.”

 “Don’t think you’re gonna have to get a message to her.” Gregor said, pointing ahead of them to where they could now both see the familiar cloaked form, currently chatting with Echo.

 She turned as they approached, her smile widening. But Rex could tell instantly that there was something on her mind.

 “We weren’t expecting you, Senator. Is everything alright?”

 “Yes.” Riyo said, but her tone was thoughtful; measured. “I went to 79’s today. Met with Drixx. He had an update for you, I’ve put all the potential locations on this chip.” 

 She offered it to him, gloved hand outstretched. Rex took it carefully. Something so small and fragile, yet holding so much vital information. 

 “This could save a lot of lives. Thank you, Senator.”

 “Don’t thank me, Captain. It’s the least I can do. The least any of us in the senate can do for you. We should have spoken up at the start of this war, now all we can do is triage.” She paused, concern flicking across her face before she continued. “But I must admit there is another reason I came here today. I was recently assigned a Coruscant Guard detail. I already had reason to believe they were not merely for my protection, but Drixx said something that confirmed my suspicions. Do you know of a Commander Fox, Captain?”

 A flash of light, the familiar smell of charred flesh. But familiar from battlefields, not here. Not here where they were supposed to be safe. The sound of a blaster clattering to the floor, delayed as his mind caught up with his senses. General Skywalker’s voice, echoing and yet barely audible. The red painted armor of the Coruscant Guard, blaster’s still raised. And him, standing there, smoke trailing from the end of his blaster- 

 “Captain?” Chuchi’s voice was concerned, and as the present swam back into focus he could see Gregor and Echo looking at him, worried. After a moment Echo looked away, paced off across the room. 

 “Yes, Senator. I know him.” 

[cacodaemonia]

I'm sure someone else has done this, but