#clone trooper Jesse x you

[starrylothcat]

Hey Starry! Wasn't sure if those prompts you shared were an invitation for requests, but I thought I'd shoot my shot.

❛ i love that no one else has seen you like this, that no one else has felt you before, been inside you. they don't get to have you, but i do. ❜

With either Fives, Jesse, or Kix? Or someone else if you're not feeling them. And a f!reader if that's okay. I'm a sucker for first-time sex.

Feel free to ignore!

First Time

Pairing: Jesse x Fem!Reader

Summary: You and Jesse having been dating for awhile and you decide to go all the way with him.

Warnings: Smut, NSFW. 18+. PiV sex, virgin reader’s first time, some cuteness and fluffy ending. A hint of possessive Jesse.

WC: ~2300

A/N: Sorry this took so long, anon! The holiday season has been a whirlwind for me and I’m finally at a place where I have time to write! I’m also a sucker for first-time sex, I hope this is what you had in mind. Enjoy some Juicy Jesse! This is also my first time writing him so I hope I did him some justice 😊

When Jesse escorted you back to your apartment after your dinner date, you knew you wouldn’t be watching a Holomovie like you suggested.

You and the ARC trooper have been dating for a bit now, taking it slow and getting to know one another.

You’ve had short-term relationships in the past, but they never seemed to work out. You were getting ready to give up and knew trying to find a partner during a war no less was a silly dream.

When Jesse waltzed into your life, though, his boyish charm and resolute dedication to his brothers won you over quickly. You never expected to date a soldier, but when Jesse asked you out for a caf, the rest was history.

Everything was so easy with Jesse, and you didn’t want to rush it or mess it up. And he didn’t either.

As your relationship progressed and became more serious and physical, you told him you were technically a virgin, not yet going all the way with a partner.

Jesse just smiled and kissed you, saying you could go as slow as you needed. He would never pressure you into something you weren’t ready for.

You had barely started the Holomovie when Jesse’s lips were on yours, fervent and passionate, taking the breath out of one another’s lungs with each pass of your lips and caress of one another’s bodies.

You were soon on your bed, stripped of both your clothes, kissing and exploring, mumbling praise and pleasured sighs, basking in one another’s arousal.

Jesse had just finished satisfying you with his mouth and fingers, something he took great pride in and would happily do all night if you let him.

Jesse smiled into your neck pressing his rigid length into your thigh, waiting for you to catch your breath after your orgasm.

This is when you’d return the favor, taking him in your mouth or hand, fulfilling him just as much as he pleasured you.

You had other plans, though. You wanted him inside you. You were ready for the next step.

“Jesse…I want you. I want all of you.” You whispered, lightly tracing his facial tattoo as he locked eyes with yours.

“Are you sure?” He asked, studying your face, making sure he was understanding what you were asking.

“I am sure, Jesse.” You smiled, still gently tracing his face. “We’ve been together for a while now and…I want my first time to be with you. I’m ready if you are.”

“Yes, Maker, yes I am.”

Jesse closed his eyes, kissing you deeply, his heart fluttering at the thought, both from his nerves and the trust you were bestowing upon him.

When he pulled away for a breath, he also pulled himself away from you.

“Let me know if you want to stop at any time.”

You nodded. “I will. Don’t worry Jesse.”

“I can sit against the headboard, so you can be in control.” Jesse nipped at your neck, the realization of him burying himself inside your soft, beautiful pussy exciting him beyond measure.

You agreed, adjusting yourself so you sat on his lap, his back against the headboard on your bed.

You slowly rubbed your slick pussy on his thick cock, still sensitive from your previous orgasm. You both moaned, and Jesse took hold of your plush hips.

You could feel how hot and ready Jesse’s cock was for you, precum dribbling from his swollen tip.

You needed him inside you.

You grasped his bulky shoulders as you lined yourself up, pressing his tip to your entrance.

You sunk on him, slowly. Your breath hitched as he entered you, immediately feeling the intrusion. Jesse let out a low moan as your velvety walls enveloped him.

“That’s right, baby. Take your time.” Jesse rubbed your back as you sank lower, adjusting to his size. You were used to his fingers, but they were still nowhere near the length or girth of his cock.

“Jesse,” you quietly gasped, stopping momentarily, almost bottoming out.

“If it’s too much, we can stop-“ Jesse looked worried, bringing his hands to cup your face.

“N-no.” You smiled, kissing him gently on the lips. “I want to keep going.”

He nodded, letting out a low moan as you fully took him, a sound that sent a jolt of desire straight to your core.

“Kriff, baby, you feel amazing.” His pupils were blown, his hands now tenderly cupping your breasts, squeezing and kneading as he let you take the lead.

You gripped his shoulders, moving your hips a little, still adjusting to him inside you. You weren’t entirely sure what to expect, but it was better than any fantasy. You felt so full, so close to him. Connected not just physically, but emotionally as well.

“You feel amazing, too.”

Pleasure was beginning to override the discomfort of his girth inside you, allowing your body to relax and focusing your mind on how amazing you felt.

You honed in on how good his fingers were as they played with your breasts and his shallow breathing through his nose as you tightened around him.

You gave him a coy smile, moving slightly.

“Ah, Jesse, you’re so good inside me.”

Jesse groaned in approval, latching his lips to your nipple, sucking and nibbling as you began to slowly ride him.

“So wet…so warm…” He moaned into the flesh of your breasts as he reveled in everything that were you. “Wanna stay like this forever…” Jesse locked eyes with you. “You feel incredible around me.

Every delicious sound that left your lips as you rolled your hips on him stoked the fire that was burning in his body. You felt like heaven.

“So perfect.” Jesse let out a ragged breath. “You're taking me so well, mesh’la.”

Jesse buried his face in your neck, wrapping his arms around you, inhaling your scent and gently bucking his hips up into you.

You moaned, riding him faster, focusing on how his thick cock felt sliding in and out of you.

Pleasure was now mounting, electric zaps of bliss up your spine every time you sunk on his cock, taking him deeper each time.

Jesse was now moving too, matching your pace and carefully thrusting up into you.

“Tell me if it becomes too much, okay?” Jesse increased his thrusts, sinful sounds leaving his lips as you involuntarily clenched around him.

“It’s good, you’re good, so good Jesse…” Your thighs were beginning to burn, his cock now nudging something deep inside you that made your eyelids flutter.

You knew you wouldn’t be able to keep up this position for long, though, the strain in your thighs from straddling his thick ones beginning to distract you from pleasure.

“Jesse…can we change positions?” You slowed down, easing the tension in your legs.

“Anything for you, mesh’la.” Jesse nodded as you climbed off him, laying on your back. “As long as I get to be back inside you.”

He hovered over you, resting his weight on his forearms around your head.

“Ready?” He kissed your jaw, waiting for your okay to enter you, sliding his cock through your folds.

You nodded, whispering a hoarse “Yes,” desire flooding your senses wholly.

Jesse carefully pressed back into you, both of you sighing at the sensation.

He didn’t move at first, still looking down at you.

“What?” You asked, bashful under his worshipful gaze.

“You’re so beautiful like this,” Jesse murmured, kissing your neck, sucking gently at the spot he knew drove you wild. “So, so beautiful. Your sounds, your body, your everything…”

You mewled at his praise, feeling him twitch inside you as you clenched around him, earning a deep rumble from him, as well as a breathless chuckle.

“Kriff, baby if you keep that up I’m not gonna last…barely holding on as it is.”

Jesse pressed hot kisses from your throat to your jawline, then finally to your lips which he captured in a heated kiss. Your tongues danced as his hips began to move, slowly and with purpose.

You arched yourself up into him, your soft whimpers becoming louder and more desperate moans of his name.

Jesse couldn’t get enough of how your body was reacting to him, how your nails were digging into his shoulder blades, your ankles locked around his waist as you both ascended higher in your shared ecstasy.

Your bodies were perfectly entwined, and Jesse felt something bubble inside him, a possessiveness he hadn’t felt before. As he witnessed your pleasured expressions, feeling the most intimate parts of you that no one had ever felt before, he could barely hold on to his control any longer.

Jesse gripped your hips, pressing his mouth to yours in a passionate, frenzied kiss.

He moaned your name, resting his muscular forearms around your head, his cock hitting deeper than his fingers and tongue have ever been able to go.

“I love that no one else has seen you like this…” Jesse panted against your lips, beginning to move faster, sliding almost out of you, before thrusting in until his hips met yours. “…that no one else has felt you before, been inside you.”

“Ah - Jesse, I’m yours, I’m all yours…!” Your mind was fuzzy with pleasure, his sexy words bringing you closer and closer to the edge.

His voice was deep, desperate, cut with moans as he quickened the snap of his hips into you.

“They don't get to have you, but I do.”

Jesse’s words shot white-hot liquid desire through your veins, his pelvis providing just enough friction to bring you close to your release, but you needed more.

“I need you, please, Jesse I want to come!”

Jesse knew what you were asking for, and didn’t hesitate to place a practiced finger on your swollen and sensitive clit. He rubbed tight circles just the way you liked it, stars appearing in your vision.

“Come for me, baby. Need you.” His voice was husky and deep, laced with desperation as he brought you mind-numbing pleasure.

Your body shuddered beneath him, the coil in your belly winding tighter and tighter, the lewd sounds of where you were connected filling the room pairing with the even more lewd sounds leaving your lips.

“Jesse, I’m gonna, I’m so close…I want to come for you…I…” You gasped out as Jesse laced his free hand with yours above your head. You couldn’t believe how good he felt, how good he made you feel.

You know he had a few short flings in the past like you did, but this was different. It was different for both of you. Jesse had never felt so close, so in tune with a partner before, and you hadn’t either. The realization was almost overwhelming for both of you.

“Come for me, baby, that’s it, just like that.” Jesse’s voice brought you back to reality for a short second, and with a final circle of his finger, your orgasm crashed over your body.

Waves of intense pleasure spread from your spine to the tips of your toes and fingers, accentuated by his cock driving into you again and again.

You weren’t sure how many times you cried out his name as you rode your high, never feeling so connected and cared for as Jesse pressed his lips to yours again, swallowing your broken cries.

“Wh-where?” Jesse could barely speak, his peak nearing dangerously close as your eyelids fluttered open to meet his, bringing his hand from your clit to entwine with your other.

You looked like an angel, flushed and blissed out, your eyes holding nothing but adoration for him.

“Inside, Jesse, please come inside me.”

With a final snap of his hips, he stilled and gave you everything he had, not able to hold back upon hearing those words breathlessly whispered from your swollen lips.

You felt Jesse pulse and fill you with his warm release, his muscles shaking against your body as he hoarsely moaned your name into the side of your neck.

You whispered his name, tracing his back as he relaxed on top of you, his hips slowing as his cock softened, but not quite yet ready to leave you.

You lay there, holding one another. Jesse lifted his head to look at you, smiling. He carefully pulled out, loving your quiet whimper at the loss of him.

Jesse flopped to your side, pulling you into his chest.

“Was that okay?” He sounded nervous, unsure. “I didn’t hurt you or anything?”

“Jesse, it was amazing.” You pecked his lips, nestling your head on his chest. He let out a breath, nuzzling closer to you.

“It really was.”

Jesse kissed the top of your head.

Jesse sat up, lifting himself off the bed. You watched as his tanned, thick body disappeared into your refresher. He emerged a few moments later with a warm, damp towel and you could hear the sound of your bath running.

Jesse carefully cleaned you up before cuddling back with you on the bed.

“You’re incredible, you know that?” He mumbled, absentmindedly drawing circles on your arm with his hand.

“I know.” You smiled, his laugh at your response reverberating in his chest.

“You mean the world to me, mesh’la. I’m glad we could share this together. Thank you for trusting me.”

“It’s more than trust, Jess. You mean the world to me, too, and that’s why I wanted to take the next step in our relationship with you. At least that’s how I see it.” You blushed, hoping you weren’t moving too quickly for him.

Jesse wrapped his arms around you, holding you close. “That’s how I see it, too.” His voice was quiet, but absolutely sincere. “I’ve never felt this way toward anyone before.”

You touched your lips to his in a gentle kiss.

“That makes two of us.”

Jesse grinned, his forehead touching yours.

You sat there for a moment as the bath warmed up, basking in new feelings that you knew would only grow from here.

The TL: @crosshairlovebot @sev-on-kamino @kimiheartblade @wizardofrozz @clonemedickix @sunshinesdaydream @kashasenpai @freesia-writes @multi-fan-dom-madness @aconstructofamind @dreamie411 @dystopicjumpsuit @wings-and-beskar @starqueensthings @idontgetanysleep @secretthegriffin @anxiouspineapple99 @sinfulsalutations @secondaryrealm @littlemissmanga @maybethatfanfictionwriter @pb-jellybeans @wanderer-six @king-chaos-world @wolffegirlsunite @dukeoftheblackstar @523rdrebel @lune-de-miel-au-paradis @sleepingsun501 @coraex @cw80831 @dangraccoon @mythical-illustrator @eternal-transcience @the-cantina @nahoney22 @moonlightwarriorqueen @skellymom @reader6898

Dividers by the ever amazing and lovely @dystopicjumpsuit

[clu-ven]

“Your lips, against mine. Boom. Kiss” Prompt with Jesse

word count: 3.1k

summary: At this point, Jesse is willing to try any cheesy pick up line in the hopes you’ll reciprocate his feelings.

tags: plenty of bad pick up lines, a make out session and discussions surrounding relationships/friends with benefits situations

! some small details might not be canon compliant (oops) !

“Ok, ok, ok, I got another one”.

At this point, you don’t even need to turn around, already well aware of who’s approaching you. After all, this is his fourth time coming over, wandering from his section of the Resolute’s training facility to yours. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be learning some disarming techniques?” you sigh, having overheard some of the other 501st troopers talking about it upon entering.

Jesse shrugs in response “Yeah, I think I know what I’m doing when it comes to disarming clankers”. Crossing his arms, he leans on the table you’re working at, watching you methodically clean the blaster you were just practising with.  

“So… you wanna hear it?” he asks, wiggling his eyebrows at you. 

You know he won’t leave until you say yes. It’s as if Jesse takes pleasure in pestering you with terrible pick up lines, something you’re sure is a joke among him and some of his brothers. 

There was a point in which you wondered if he was serious and genuinely trying to flirt with you but you were quick to brush off that idea, knowing Jesse is a man who prefers to simply have some fun when he can.

“Fine,” you huff in feigned annoyance, putting down the blaster and giving Jesse your full attention. He gulps, your bored expression making his hands clammy.

“Ok but this is one Fives told me,” he warns “so if it’s bad, you can’t blame me”.

You reply in the form of a raised eyebrow, waiting for him to just spit it out already. 

Kriff, do you even know how intimidating you look like this? Jesse is sure you do and that you’re doing it on purpose, a hard lump forming in his throat the longer you stare at him. A mixture of excitement and apprehension tugs at his gut, his adrenaline urging him to say his secondhand pick up line.

Clearing his throat, Jesse puts on his best smouldering look “Hey, I’m the Azure Angel but you might know me best as the General’s ship”.

Without thinking, you crease your brow, confusion clouding your train of thought. Azure Angel? As in Anakin’s starfighter, the one he somehow destroyed months ago? Though, knowing the General, it’s safe to presume he probably crashed it.

Keeping his expression as charming as he can, Jesse continues “And I was wondering, can I crash at your place tonight?”.

Oh.

Your expression doesn’t falter. “Right… well, that’s definitely a new one” you slowly nod your head, trying your best to digest his flirting skills. 

Honestly, you’ve seen better from Jesse. In fact right at the beginning of his escapade to sweep you off your feet, he actually made you blush with his provocative flirting style.

He started out hot and heavy, using his filthiest yet downright lustrous pick up lines back then but you never gave in… and now the poor trooper is scraping the bottom of the barrel, using any cheesy pick up line in the hopes of wooing you.

It’s not that you don’t want to be with Jesse. It’s the opposite actually. If you were sure that Jesse is into you then you’d reciprocate his feelings, but that’s the problem, you’re not sure. 

There’s still a piece of you that wonders if this is a game, some kind of bet he has with the others. Or what if Jesse only wants some kind of one night stand? Or a ‘friends with benefits’ kind of predicament, something with no strings attached? 

Being completely honest with yourself, you don’t think you could fall into a no strings attached arrangement, not when you already feel so connected to him. Yes, you’ve convinced yourself that having no romantic relationship with Jesse is better than one where you get too attached to him. It’s the most logical option… right?

Jesse sighs, bringing you out of your thoughts  “Yeah, it’s a bad one… but not mine! That one is all Fives”. You try not to smile at his urgency to deflect the terrible pick up line, knowing that Jesse would have taken full credit for it if you instead showed any sign of liking it.

“Oh so I should be continuing this conversation with Fives?” you tease, suddenly perking up “Since it’s his pick up line?”. Straightening your posture, you glance over at the other troopers. 

It’s not a surprise when you see a group of them staring back, the usual bunch, all suddenly looking at the floor or ceiling the second they see you peer over. 

“What?” Jesse’s eyes go wide, his gaze following yours “Why? I thought you didn’t like it?”.

You shrug, keeping your eyes on the others as you blatantly lie “It’s pretty witty… it makes sense that you got that one from Fives, he’s always been the funny one”.

“I can be funny,” Jesse instantly blurts out, not even registering the words himself as he continues “definitely more funny than Fives”.

At the mention of his name, Fives looks over. Although you know he’s trying his best to be subtle, he gives Jesse two thumbs up and a big grin. All Jesse gives him in return is a scowl, which leads to Fives quickly looking away again and whispering something to Echo as he shuffles to the back of the crowd and out of sight. 

“Yep, definitely the funny one,” you repeat, trying to contain your smile when you see Jesse clench his jaw “but I wouldn’t say he’s the charming one”. As much as you love to tease Jesse, you don’t want to overdo it. 

“Charming one?” at the sliver of hope you give him, Jesse’s face lights up, his attention solely focused on you as he continues “Who’s the charming one?”.

“Can’t say” you continue to tease him, not bothering to hide your smirk anymore.

“Why not?” he smiles, leaning closer to you “is it because you’re looking at him? Huh? You getting all shy now?”.

Damn this man. Shrugging again, you look away from him and back at the blaster in front of you. “You are!” He exclaims, moving his head down to get a better look at your face “Aw, are you getting flustered in front of the man of your dreams?”.

You involuntarily laugh at that, finding the amount of confidence this one man can have utterly shocking at times. Jesse chuckles too, revelling in the fact he can make you laugh. 

He opens his mouth to speak again but before he can get the words out, someone calls out his name. “Jesse!” you both look over, slightly grimacing when you see an annoyed Captain Rex has appeared “Over here, now”.

“Duty calls,” Jesse sighs, standing up straight at the order from his Captain “see you later?”.

You decide to stay vague “We’ll see”. 

Jesse smiles at your ambiguity, appreciating how you like to keep him on his toes. With one last nod, he turns and jogs back to the others. You glance over your shoulder as he does, a tight yet strangely pleasant feeling in your chest. Damn his charm… and his nice butt.

***

Later turns out to be two rotations, which feels too long for you. You hoped you’d run into Jesse a few hours after your previous interaction or perhaps in the mesh hall early the next morning. But unfortunately, since you both have busy schedules, it takes two very long rotations for your paths to cross again.

You’re not sure what time it is, too early for any trooper to be waking up but too late for you to get a proper night’s sleep. Despite feeling more at home practising your fighting skills or strategizing the Republic’s next battle plan, you spent the rotation filling out an array of paperwork which has kept you busy well into the night. 

Since a good night’s sleep is out of the question, you’ve found yourself in the mesh hall, devouring either last night’s dinner or an early serving of this morning’s breakfast. Your internal clock is haywire, unable to decipher which timely meal this is supposed to be.

“There is no way you’re eating that” just as you spoon another heap of food into your mouth, Jesse comes into view, watching in awe. With your mouth full, all you can give in response is a questioning look, your eyebrows coming together as you tilt your head up at him. 

“Mesh’la, you should be wined and dined in the snobbiest restaurants of Coruscant,” he flatters you, planting both of his hands on the table as he clambers into the seat across from you “not forced to live on rations bars and whatever gruel that is”. 

Once you swallow the so-called gruel, you reply “And do you have the credits to take me to some fancy, high and mighty Coruscant restaurant?”.

Despite it being (presumably) the middle of the night, Jesse’s smile radiates a burst of energy. “Oh so when you imagine yourself at some nice restaurant, you picture me there with you? …And me paying?!”. He scoffs after adding in that last question, pretending to be baffled. 

You roll your eyes, too busy taking another bite of the food to reply. 

Resting his head in his hands, Jesse watches you with content fascination. “Actually, do you know what’s always on the menu at those fancy restaurants?” he asks, his smile unwavering. 

For a moment, you think, unsure whether this is some ploy or if Jesse is being serious. Giving in, you walk right into his trap “What?”.

“Me ‘n you” he replies with a wink.

Dammit. Luckily for Jesse, you’re too tired to make a big deal out of it, the long rotation finally catching up with you. With your eyelids feeling heavy, your face says it all. 

Jesse chuckles at your reaction, deciding to push his luck as he asks “Was that a good one?”.

With the shake of your head, you reply “Just as cheesy as the rest”.

Surprisingly, this seems to be a revelation for Jesse. Running his hand along that pristine jawline of his, he questions “They’re… cheesy? All of them? Cause I’m pretty sure I used a few smooth ones at the start of all of this”.

Finishing the rest of your food, you stifle a laugh “What, do the ladies at 79’s not tell you how cheesy your flirting is?”.

He replies with an amused scoff “I don’t think they care to be honest”.

Taking in this new yet frustratingly vague intel, you involuntarily lean forward “And what’s that supposed to mean?”. 

Never one to miss an opportunity, Jesse leans forward too, not close enough to invade your personal space but enough for you to notice his 5 o’clock shadow and the way his eyes study you. “I’ll tell you…” he trails off for dramatic effect “if you leave me walk you back to your quarters”.

You roll your eyes at the request but accept it nonetheless “Fine but if you think you’re entering my quarters then you have another thing coming” . 

Practically jumping up from the table, Jesse offers you his hand. “That’s fine by me, just an escort back to your room and nothing more” he confirms. Grabbing the empty container you were eating out of with one hand, you use the other to accept Jesse’s act of chivalry. 

Jesse waits until you’ve binned the container and are walking down the quiet corridors of the ship before elaborating on what he said earlier. 

Noticing your expectant look, he begins “Alright, alright… I just meant that at 79’s, the ladies are usually there for a reason, y’know? I don’t think a lot of them would be spending their night at a clone bar if it wasn’t for the cheap drinks and some quick fun”. 

He keeps his eyes on the corridor, only sparing you a glance. While Jesse tends to act like topics such as this are his forte, he’s never had to discuss this with someone he’s attracted to. It makes his chest tighten, the same question whirling around his brain as he tries to decipher whether he’s explained it in a fair way or if he’s coming across like an arrogant jackass. 

Your lack of response doesn’t help, his worries only intensifying when you don’t quip back a teasing reply. The only noise is his footsteps in sync with yours, getting closer and closer to your quarters. Jesse opens his mouth, about to ramble on a bit more but thankfully, you speak. 

“I don’t get it,” you admit, the door to your quarters coming into view, just a few more paces away “why do you flirt with me when you can go have as much ‘quick fun’ as you want while on Coruscant?”.

Jesse immediately raises his hand to stop you from saying anymore, his feet coming to a halt as he clarifies “Hold on, I’ve never said I wanted to have some quick fun with you”. 

No way.

Oh kriff, this can’t be happening. Is he really denying it? At this point, you presumed that fact was a given, even if he never said those words exactly. Though you try to hide your expression, your face drops, his words hurting you in a way you didn’t realise was possible.

Your shift in mood makes Jesse’s heart almost lurch out of his chest. “No! No I didn’t mean it like that,” he hurriedly states, placing a hand on your shoulder so you turn to face him fully “Well, actually I did mean it but not in the way you think, just please, hear me out”.

You stay quiet, reluctantly meeting his gaze. “I don’t want quick fun with you… or well, that’s not how I imagined us,” he explains, his eyes never leaving yours as he continues “I thought we would have some long term, committed fun. Well, that’s if I can ever convince you with any of my cheesy pick up lines”.

Feeling too vulnerable with his confession, Jesse tries his best to lighten the mood with that last part, hoping to deflect some of the attention back onto his supposed cheesy flirting skills.

With the inklings of a smile gracing your lips, you quietly ask “You got anymore of those pick up lines?”. The look in your eyes tells Jesse all he needs to know, a subtle shyness gleaming in your pupils, sprinkled with hope and anticipation.

“I’m sure I can think up another one,” he says confidently while his brain scrambles for a pick up line. Not wanting to waste any time and potentially lose this moment, Jesse says the first thing he thinks of; “Your lips, against mine. Boom. Kiss”.

You smile in response, taking your time as you consider the suggestion his pick up line so blatantly alludes to. “Straight to the point,” you comment “I like it”. 

Certain this is too good to be true, Jesse’s eyebrows momentarily quirk upwards as he replies “You mean it?”.

Although there is little space between you and Jesse as it is, you take a half step forward, closing the gap between your two bodies. “I think it’s your best one yet” you confirm, a buzz of satisfaction emulating through you when Jesse’s eyes flick to your lips.

Looking for one last sense of approval, his gaze meets yours again, searching your eyes for the same lust that fills his own. Angling your head upwards, you bring your lips close enough for Jesse to understand your intentions but too far away to initiate the kiss. Though you’re positive Jesse wants the same thing, you want him to make the final move. 

You can feel his breath turn shallow, as though the anticipation is too much. With his eyes fluttering shut, Jesse closes the gap, tentatively pressing his lips to yours as he tests the waters.

Everything in Jesse's head is telling him not to do this, that doing such a vulnerable act in an open corridor where anyone could see is a bad idea. And yet it feels so right, a dam of emotion bursting within him as you gently bring your hand up to cup his face, his stubble coarse beneath your fingertips.

In one bold move, Jesse loops his arm around your waist and takes determined strides towards the door to your quarters. You move backwards, trying to match his pace while simultaneously keeping your lips locked on to his. You keep moving backwards, only stopping when the corridor wall presses against your back. Yet even at that, you both continue to move though it’s now in smaller, more shuffled paces as you reach your door.

Jesse hungrily captures your lips in long, hard kisses, urgency lacing each kiss. Slowly, his hands begin to move from your waist, trailing up and down your sides without touching any part of you that’s too intimate.

Keeping one hand by his cheek, you use your other to quickly punch in the security number for your quarters, not even looking down at the command panel as you do.

Waiting for the door to open, you eagerly deepen the kiss, tongue gliding against his lips. With the same amount of eagerness, Jesse opens his mouth to you, bringing his hand up to hold the back of your head as his tongue glides against yours.

When the door opens, you step backwards again and into your room. You expect Jesse to follow, to keep his tight grip on you and continue your fiery kiss… but instead he simply leans into the room, his feet never leaving the corridor as his hands slip away from your body.

As his lips leave yours, it takes you a second to realise he’s not following you, a surprised pout forming on your face. Jesse smiles instantly, a flame of passion burning brightly in his chest when he sees your cute expression.

“Just an escort back to your room and nothing more,” he repeats, echoing his promise from before “that was the deal”.

“Jesse” you groan, slipping your hand into his and playfully tugging. 

He chuckles, cherishing the action. “Next time, huh?” he says, pulling you in close to him one last time “cause I’m not in this for some quick fun, y’hear? You’re not getting in my pants that easily”.

You join in on his laughter, giving him a quick kiss on the jawline and making no attempt to unwrap yourself from his embrace. Lowering his head to your ear, he mumbles “Go on, get some sleep”.

Reluctantly, you break away from Jesse, knowing he’s right. “Fine,” you sigh, stepping deeper into your room “see you later?”.

His relaxed grin quickly turns into a smirk as he replies “We’ll see”. That earns another eye roll from you, though it doesn’t hide the smitten look on your face. And with that, your door slides shut.

Leaving out a satisfied sigh, you walk to your bunk and sit on the edge, adrenaline coursing through you. With a fond shake of your head, you damn Jesse once more, knowing full well he’s got you wrapped around his pinky.

[echoisbabe]

In between

Some love for Jesse! 🥰

She/Her pronouns

Despite the room being filled, his eyes landed on her. She stood next to General Skywalker. Her eyes lit with a smile as her hand rested on his shoulder.

He wonders what he could have said for her to react that way. He hears the static of his private channel he shares with his brothers sparking to life-

“Jesse, feeling jealous?” Hardcase snickers

“Shut up” Jesse grumbles out as he glares over to where his brother stands before turning back to see her, her eyes now on him

-

Your heart flutters at the sight of him. He is part of the reason you request missions with Skywalker. When you are sent off to work along side others, you always have Jesse lurking in the back of your mind.

A shy smile spreads on your lips as you raise your hand to give him a wave. He waves with his free hand and nods to the clone stood next to him before making his way over.

He is removing his helmet and you feel heat filling your cheeks. You avert your gaze to press your cool fingers against your cheeks. Get ahold of yourself, you think before glancing shyly up at him.

“Jesse!” Your excitement rings clear in your tone “How have you been?”

-

She’s happy to see me? His heart pounds harder at the thought. He’s never imagined for someone like her wanting to see him. After all his face is not exactly one in a million-literally.

“Good, I’ve been good” Jesse beams “and yourself? Commander?”

“Likewise” she cocks her head to the side, her brows knitting together as her hand reaches up and he flinches slightly away from her touch.

“I’m sorry, you had-“ she tires again and this time he lets her. A shiver runs up his spine, her touch is soft like a feather and her fingers cool compared to the heat in his cheeks “an eyelash”

-

You laugh a little as he pinches the small hair off the tip of your finger. You watch the way he looks at it, his lips turned down and brows knit together.

“Oh thank-“

“You make a wish on it”

Your hands had caught his wrist before he could discard the small hair. His confusion is clear on his face and you giggle before holding his finger in front of his lip.

“Make a wish, and then blow on it” you tell him and he glances around him as if to remind you of where you both stand “go on” you encourage him and he sighs but smiles before taking it seriously

“Well? What did you wish for?” You ask after and he laughs shaking his head “huh?! C’mon tell me”

-

She laughs, her eyes lighting up the way that makes his stomach flutter and his heart stop beating for only a moment. She’s so beautiful when she smiles, her laugh like music to his ears. He is sure, no one else can make him feel this way. He reaches for her hand, holding it in secret as best he could

“Okay, I wished-“

“Commander, General Skywalker is asking for you on the bridge”

His hand pulls from hers with the same speed as hers pulled from his. She had turned to the clone, thanking him before turning back. Her hand finding his once more, she gives it a squeeze.

“Another time, yeah?��� Her eyes searching his with a hope that made his heart squeeze in his chest

“I’m counting on it” he grins and she glances around, before leaning up to press a soft kiss to his cheek before leaving him to stand staring after her.

[arctrooper69]

Til the Last Shot's Fired

A letter from the front lines from a tired soldier.

Part of the "If I Don't Make it Back Alive" clone letter series.

Warnings: Sad/Angsty Jesse

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

Hey Sweetheart, I miss you so kriffing much. Don't worry about me. The boys and I are kicking ass and taking names - damn Seppies don't know what hit 'em. Same as we've been doing for months now, but as weird as it sounds, I think the war might actually be over soon. And as weird as it sounds again, I'm glad. The stakes are getting higher and it just feels like this storm is what everything has been leading up to.

I'm writing because I miss you obviously. I dream about you a lot, you know. But a lot has happened and I just wanted to make sure you were okay. A lotta shit went down recently and it got me thinking. You ever feel like you're not as in control of something as you thought you were? We went up against a Sith today. Think like Jedi, but unimaginably evil. He wanted information.....and I tried so kriffing hard....but I gave it up. He ripped the information right outta my kriffing head. My own thoughts....just ripped right out of my mind. I couldn't help it. I betrayed my brothers. My own mind betrayed me. You ever feel as if your own thoughts are against you? Rex says I'm not a traitor, but I feel like one. I thought I had more control than that. I thought I had more discipline. I'm so sorry, babe. I know I said I'd be home by now, but duty calls and like a good soldier does, I've got to answer.

I know you don't wanna hear this, babe, but after what happened I just need to say it. If I don't make it back to you, know that it's not because I didn't try like hell to see you again.

Gods I miss you.

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

I'm so kriffing tired, babe. When I close my eyes tonight, I'm gonna think about that night at your place when I last saw you. I wanna remember how your arms felt around me. I wish I could hold you. I wish I could kiss you because right now you are the only thing in the entire Galaxy that would make things seem anywhere close to normal again. I just feel so lost out here without you. I want nothing more than to be back at your place, holding you tight, but hey, you fell for a soldier. I won't fail you, babe. I'll come home soon, I promise. We're heading back to Coruscant soon. I can't wait to see you. I need to feel you in my arms. I need to hold you, touch you, smell that hot fruity perfume you like to wear when you know I'm coming over. I love you! I'll come home, babe. As soon as we've fired off the last shots of this war into the fried Separatist brain circuits, I'll come running. I promise. I love you. Your favorite man, Jesse

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Summary: Kinktober Day 8 — Creampie with Jesse Pairing: Jesse/Reader; fem!reader with no mentions of her appearance Rating: Explicit, 18+ (Younglings, foundlings, and cadets BEGONE!) Warnings: Explicit sexual content, smut; unprotected PIV sex (PRACTICE SAFE SEX), creampie, cumplay, mentions of marking, mild dirty talk, language, some frankly obscene and unneeded imagery but ya know lol Word Count: 1.0k

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Jesse was a vocal lover, always encouraging you with grunts and groans that told you exactly how much he enjoyed your trysts whenever he was planet-side. And Jesse was not shy about letting everyone know what the two of you had been up to. Not in terms of announcing his exploits to his brothers in all its explicit, sexy detail. But in terms of leaving hand-shaped bruises on your thighs from when you were riding him, just low enough to peek out of a pair of shorts or the skirt of a dress. He also loved to leave purple marks everywhere you would let him — your neck, your shoulders, your collar, the swell of your breasts, the inside of your thighs, your hip, the dip of your tummy down into your core, even your back. He was also prone to offering you his civvies — the few he had — though more often than not, the sight of you in his clothing riled him up enough to the point where they were torn off your body in seconds, your back pressed against the nearest surface for another round of fucking.

And Jesse fucked good.

And he made sure to leave his mark on you in every way you would let him.

Your bedroom was full of the sounds of your heavy breathing, the obscene, rapid slap of slick skin against skin, your blissed mewls, and Jesse’s dirty encouragement.

“Oh, fuck, babe, right there, right there! Yeah, that’s it.”

On and on Jesse went, his voice slipping into a deep, growling tone heavy with lust. It sent you wild, your hips grinding furiously as you impaled yourself on top of him over and over again.

“Jesse!” you gasped, your voice tipping up as he thrust his hips up into yours at a slightly different angle, one that punched right into a spot that made you see stars.

Jesse grinned, the Republic cog across his face wrinkling along with his eyes and the bridge of his nose. The same eyes that never failed to make you feel like you were the sexiest thing in the galaxy. The same nose that pressed so wonderfully to your clit as he ate you out like you were his last meal. Jesse’s grin was entirely dirty, the sight of it bordering on pornographic and making you gasp just as much as the angle of his cock in your pussy.

Maker, how could one man be so damn hot?

“Something feel good, babe?” Jesse teased.

“Fuck — you —”

“Mmm, and you’re doing such a good job of it, too.”

You couldn’t help the huff of laughter that escaped between gasps of breath. Jesse was the only partner you’d had who could make you laugh so easily and comfortably even with the biggest cock of your life balls-deep inside you.

Jesse laughed lightly too, before he leaned forward and deftly rolled you beneath him.

It was all you could do to not scream as Jesse practically punched into you, his hips angled just perfectly to hit that spot over and over again. As both of you climbed, beginning to reach your highs, Jesse’s hips thrusted faster. You felt your legs begin to tremble with the force of your coming orgasm, and when it hit, you clamped down hard around Jesse, your thighs and pussy a vice around his hips and cock.

“Fuck, babe! Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

“Jesse! Jesse!”

Jesse came hard. He always did, his hot seed literally spurting inside you, coating your walls in one of the most delicious, sensational feelings the galaxy could give you.

Jesse pumped into you almost lazily now in comparison, slowly pushing himself in your walls as deep as he could go as he came down from his high. Slowly, as his breathing began to calm, so did his thrusting. Finally, he pulled out, sitting back on his haunches. You winced slightly, just as you always did at the loss of his heat and thickness.

Your chest still heaved with the force of your orgasm, your muscles turning to jelly as you relaxed into the afterglow. You went to make a remark, likely something sarcastic or blithe, but saw that Jesse’s gaze was transfixed on something. On you.

And not just on you, but on your little pussy, glistening with your release.

You huffed a little laugh, amused. Jesse did love making a mess of you after all.

Jesse slowly dipped down, hands going to your thighs as he lowered his head towards your core. Those gorgeous brown eyes of his were fervent as he watched the most perfect, pearly glob of his seed bud from your pretty pussy and decorate your puffy lips.

His cock instantly began to harden again.

You grinned above him, gently clenched, and watched as Jesse’s gaze only continued to darken as more of his spend leaked and smeared onto every crevice of your lips and pussy.

Jesse couldn’t help it. He reached out and dipped two of his fingers into your walls to gather more cum, smearing it everywhere he could — swirling it around your clit, teasing his way up to your navel, dipping down again, spreading his two fingers so they framed your pussy lips, dragging them down the length of your sex, trailing his pearly mess behind, all the way down to touch just barely to the tight ring of muscle beneath your cunt. 

Just another way for Jesse to not only make a mess of you, but to leave his mark on you in the most hot, sexy, intimate way possible.

And he knew you loved being made a mess of, being marked, just as much as he did. 

“Something tells me you’re not done,” you quipped with a grin as Jesse suddenly yanked you down the bed, his hard cock slapping to the skin just below your navel.

Jesse returned your grin, a rakish, lustful, toe-curling, shiver-inducing, pussy-tingling thing.

“Not even close, babe.”

And if Jesse made a mess of you and your pussy no less than three more times that night, well, you most certainly were not complaining.

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[mori-does-sw]

CLONE CRUSHES: TORRENT COMPANY

PAIRING \ Torrent Company x GN!Reader (Rex, Fives, Echo, Kix, Hardcase, Jesse, Tup) SYNOPSIS \ How the troopers of Torrent Company act when they have a crush on you. WARNING(S) \ None AUTHOR'S NOTE \ This took me an insanely long time to finish, but here we are! Yes, the Mon Gala is a reference to the Met Gala. I am inordinately proud of it.

CAPTAIN REX

Rex is awkward—awkward around you when he realizes how strong his feelings are and awkward doing anything about it. He does more fumbling than flirting in the beginning, stuck in his head and panicking about it, but he gets more comfortable over time.

Give him a break, he’s doing his best.

Despite being standoffish in his affections, Rex is a gentleman and he’ll prove it to you in a million little actions. When you’re commuting through Coruscant, he’ll always walk on the side of you closest to traffic. If there aren’t enough seats of everyone at a group gathering, he would immediately get up and give you his. The second that you admit to being cold, he’s giving you some of his spare blacks.

Speaking of letting you borrow his clothes… seeing you wearing them for the first time almost breaks his brain. He just stands there and stares at you, eyes wide and head buzzing. All he can think about is how karking gorgeous you are, and how he can get you to replace your entire wardrobe with his stuff.

Later, he tells you that you can “just keep it”, and that he has plenty of replacements. He is not subtle at all, and thus deserves all the shit he’s going to get for it.

Rex doesn’t often show up to plans that aren’t mission-critical, not unless a few members of Torrent Company drag him along. Or, if he knows that you’re going to be there.

He could be at the Mon Gala, with all the most famous and wealthy beings on Coruscant, and he’ll literally just show up and talk to you the entire time. If he can’t, if he’s trapped in a conversation that’s actually important or you’re pulled away, he’ll watch from a distance until he can make his way back.

Rex knows his priorities. With a little luck, he might just become as important to you as you are to him.

ARC TROOPER ECHO

Echo’s feelings are pretty contained, much like the trooper himself, but the way he looks at you gives it all away.

You can be doing anything and he’ll be staring at you with literal heart eyes, but he can’t help it. You’re cute. He’ll watch you go about your life, perfectly intent until the warmth in his chest spills over and forces his gaze away to sort through his thoughts.

He’s on the other side of the damn room and you’ve somehow made him go all shy.

Echo’s observant—kind of has to be, as an ARC trooper—and he’ll catalog every habit of yours down to the littlest detail. A part of him craves the intimacy of knowing everything about you, something that fuels his quiet delight at being able to suss out what you’re thinking when others can’t. 

More often than not, his insight into you catches you off guard. Convincing others that you aren’t scared out of your mind is practically a job requirement, but somehow, you can never fool Echo. Not even your bravest face can convince him that you don’t need to lean on him, tell him your frustrations, or hold hands under the table.

Usually, Echo keeps to himself, a little closed off to anyone but his closest vode. But the minute you walk into the room, his mood immediately brightens. He’s quicker to smile and laugh; it’s like all his stress melts away, and that doesn’t go unnoticed by the rest of Torrent Company.

Hardcase has sneakily captured more than a few clips of you two, edited over with so many pink filters and glitter hearts that you’re barely recognizable, and circulated them among the vode.

It doesn’t matter if Echo tries to scour them from the holonet, they become so well-known that clones from entirely different battalions will ask him about his cyare.

He's eternally grateful for the Prime’s dark complexion—you don’t even have to lift a finger to get under his skin. You fluster him too easily. He’s helpless but to forgive you, though, when you smile at him the way you do.

ARC TROOPER FIVES

Fives could care less whether other people are laughing at him or with him—he knows he’s hilarious, and that’s enough to satisfy his ego. The only person who makes him uncharacteristically self-conscious is, well, you.

Yes, Echo has (and will) tease him endlessly for this.

Whenever he’s around you, he’d feel an undeniable urge to do one thing: make you laugh. He cracks a joke and immediately peeks over to gauge your reaction. If he succeeds in making you chuckle, snort, or even just breathe a little harder out of your nose, he lights up. You’re gorgeous when you laugh, even more so when it’s because of him. He can’t help but double down on the bit until you’re too weak to breathe.

Complaining about your sides hurting only prompts him to apologize for “being too funny for you to handle”.

Fives is an incorrigible flirt on a good day, but when he’s around you it becomes 1000% worse. He’s guilty of every cheesy move in the playbook—pretending to yawn and stretch so that he can put his arm around your shoulders, asking you to “hold something” and taking your offered hand in his, or even faux-demanding that you kiss his injuries better. 

He means everything he says, but he’s very careful to make his overtures playful. Fives doesn’t want to scare you away if you don’t feel the same.

Being near to you puts him at ease, soothes an itch he didn’t even realize he had before you both met. He unconsciously seeks out contact with you all the time, pressing his knee to your under the table, bumping shoulders, playing with the fabric of your sleeves. Small things.

So, he’s touchy, and about half of the time he doesn’t even realize it. Why should he, when he’s always shared contact freely with his vode? 

Maybe he makes just one too many comments, gets a little too comfortable in your personal space, gives in to his desire to see you flustered—but when you decide to give him a taste of his own medicine, he’s toast. Smile a bit, touch him, and Fives goes from a cocky, formidable ARC trooper to a stammering cadet.

He’s kind of okay with his brain melting, though, because you’re so pleased with yourself. And although he’s hot-faced and grinning like an idiot, he’s your idiot.

LIEUTENANT JESSE

Much like Fives, Jesse is a joker—one of his favorite activities is making fun of you, and in a way that implies you’re the one who’s crushing instead of him. It’s merciless, especially when the rest of Torrent company catch on to the bit. Getting flustered only makes it worse, easier for him to tease you about “getting nervous around him”.

Watch what you say when he’s around, because anything that could be construed as innuendo will be. Ask an innocent question about if clone armor is hot to wear, and watch Jesse’s smirk grow as he says: “I think I should be asking you that, sugar.”

It’s kind of a way for him to test you, figure out how the idea of liking him affects you.

His vode discover his true feelings when he actually shares his food with you, sometimes without you even having to ask. It’s kind of mindboggling to see the same guy who threatened Kix for stealing his rations readily let you eat from his plate.

He’d be so happy if you shared your food with him, too. Even more so if you bring him things that aren’t rations. The closest he’s ever come to straight-up confessing his love for you is when you got a box of Mandalorian uj cake for him because he’d never tried it.

However, playful, joking Jesse can become a no-nonsense bodyguard at the drop of a hat. He has a protective streak a mile long, something that drives him to shield his brothers from allies and enemies alike, and more recently, you. 

Jesse is intimidating as haran, built like a tank and covered with tattoos, and it’s made so much worse when someone’s targeting you. He’s not afraid to get in people’s faces about it, either, over two hundred pounds of ARC fueled by rage and spite. A little ��chat” is all they need to get them to apologize to you—though, in Jesse’s expert opinion, they don’t deserve your forgiveness.

All of his bravado melts when you quietly thank him for defending you. That’s his job, sugar, and don’t you forget it.

CLONE MEDIC KIX

Between carrying out his duty to the Republic and ensuring his idiot vode don’t keel over and die, Kix neither has the time nor the energy to be throwing himself at his crush. Even without his job running him ragged, he wouldn’t be the type—no matter how intense his feelings are.

Rather, Kix courts you. From a distance.

While Kix may not have much in terms of credits, he’ll do everything in his power to make your life a little easier; By virtue of his authority and near-legendary status amongst the troops, he has a lot of influence on his side. And if that doesn’t work, well… there’s many reasons why you don’t piss off a medic.

Little acts of service are it for him. Before you even get to the refractory, he’s set aside your favorite “flavor” of ration bar to ensure they don’t run out. If you complain about being tired, you’ll find an extra cup of caff—or a sedative—sitting innocently on your desk. 

Struggling with the mountain of stuff you’re carrying? Kix is hauling whatever items are in reach into his arms before you even ask for help. About to miss the turbolift? He’ll hold the door for you and glare at his vode if they complain too much.

Need a hand to hold during a procedure? Don’t worry honey, he’s got you.

Kix loves that you treat his time with respect, but sometimes getting you all to himself is a high-stakes negotiation. You’ll bicker back and forth, him insisting that no, you’re not intruding on him or his brothers, and you trying to reassure him that he isn’t obligated to hang out with you if he’s too tired or doesn’t want to be around natborns. He knows he isn’t, but you’re oblivious to how much he wants to.

Kix would get so slick about stealing you away. When he has the opportunity, he’ll casually strike up a conversation about field medicine and- oh, you don’t remember that training session? Well, he has a blank space on his schedule today and he’s more than happy to slot you in for a little extra help.

He’d be (quietly) over the moon if you decided to slip into his office and chat with him while he tears through paperwork or runs labs. While he fantasizes about hopes to take you out on a proper date someday, he’s content to bottle up your laughter as he complains about di’kute vode, hoarding the memory for the darkest moments of the war.

CLONE TROOPER HARDCASE

Congratulations! With Hardcase crushing on you, you’ve snagged a two-in-one deal: A personal hype man and an overexcited puppy.

In Hardcase’s eyes you’re superior at everything you do, period. He insists that you’re the best at your job any chance he gets, even going so far as to volunteer your name whenever some mission needs your kind of expertise—annoying, but it’s hard to stay mad at him for long.

Your competence is really attractive to him, and sometimes he forgets you’re not together and lets a few comments slip. Hardcase doesn’t even realize what he’s said after the fact, oblivious to the fact that your face feels like it’s been dipped in lava when he admires “how kriffing good you are at that” and how “hot” it is.

He praises you so much for doing the most mundane things, it’s like a compulsion for him. You could be helping tape him up after a battle and he’s making little observations about how perfect your wrapping is and how gentle you are with him.

Kix overhears this and tells him that he’d better go to you for wound dressing than the medbay, if you’re so much better at it. He just might, if that means he could get you to touch him again.

Hardcase loves your attention, and occasionally that translates into him being intentionally annoying. He’ll pop up all the time when he’s off duty, making himself at home in your office or at your side and bothering you to your wit’s end. He’ll hide your stylus and make you chase him around to get it, or he’ll call you acting as if he has something important to tell you and then manage to keep you on the line for an hour.

The second it seems like you’re getting upset at him, however, he cuts the crap immediately. If you’re not having fun, he’s not having fun, and he wants to make that abundantly clear to you in case… just in case it turns out you’re interested in him the same way he’s interested in you.

CLONE TROOPER TUP

Tup might not be as confident as Kix, or as widely renowned as Rex, or as charismatic as Fives and Echo… and that knowledge can weigh heavily on him. Thinking that, compared to his brothers, he doesn’t have much to offer you is part of why he hesitates to act on his feelings.

Take these thoughts with a mountain of salt—Tup excels at something else, and that’s being an absolute sweetheart. His patience is near-infinite when it comes to you. He’s always happy to explain something (however many times you need) and is the first to lend you a hand if you’re struggling.

Just don’t read too much into his full-body flinches whenever your fingers brush his, the way his words stumble when you get too close.

Being a standard, rank-and-file trooper makes it all the more difficult for him to even imagine catching your eye, but ironically, his status gives him unique opportunities. Doing grunt work around the ship means that you often cross paths, affording him the chance to say hello or strike up a passing conversation. If he’s lucky, he gets the chance to be beside you throughout his shift.

It’s useless to try and thank him for any of his help, he’ll just duck his head and insist that he’s more than happy to give you a hand. Your praise, however, has him sporting a smug little grin for the rest of the day,

The man melts under your hands like butter. You can convince him to do anything if you ask nicely enough, and on more than one occasion he’s left. He regrets it only when you’re half in his lap and doodling on his bare arm, too focused to notice his increasingly flustered demeanor even as you scold him for fidgeting. 

Privately, you worry that people are going to use Tup as a doormat—but if you mention it to the rest of Torrent, their hysterical laughter will shut you up fast. 

Don’t blame them too much, though. The last time Fives mimicked a whip cracking sound within Tup’s hearing range, he was applying bacta for weeks.

[zoeykallus]

Can you please please please do a

What made them fall in love with you- Wolffe , Rex, Jesse and fives? ✋🏻🙂‍↕️🤚🏻

Aloha! Oh sure, I love this topic 😊

Wolffe/Rex/Jesse x Reader HCs - How They Fall In Love With You

Warnings: None (Mostly Fluff)

Masterlist

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

Wolffe

How it starts:

It may sound strange, but the first thing he'll notice is that you're neither afraid of him nor condescending towards him. You'd be surprised how many people react negatively to him, partly because he's a clone, but also because his scars give him a slightly wilder appearance. Normal, decent behavior is already a ray of hope for the clone soldier.

You don't turn away, you treat him with respect and even if you find it a little difficult because the grumpy, handsome Wolffe makes you nervous, you maintain eye contact. This immediately makes you more likeable and arouses Wolffe's first cautious curiosity.

What happens next:

You think for yourself, you have your own opinion, even about the clones. You know what you want, and you have that smile that makes his knees go weak. Wolffe is anything but easily impressed, but you fascinate him. He may not be able to say exactly what it is from the start, it's lots of little things.

Wolffe never intended to fall in love, so he doesn't immediately understand the pull he feels when you're around, the pull you exert on him. He is always looking to be close to you, to make contact with you, and at first he doesn't really know why.

He likes your voice, he likes to listen to you, Wolffe admires the way you express your opinion, stubborn but not disrespectful. He's not normally a great talker, but he likes talking to you. Although you occasionally challenge him a little in your conversations, or perhaps precisely because of this, he enjoys your conversations to the full. You make him feel like he belongs, that his opinion is important, no matter what the topic, even if your opinions aren't always exactly the same. You take the time to discuss things with him that are close to his heart, really listen and try to understand. You probably have no idea how much he appreciates this.

In this context, it happens quite unexpectedly, a little smile from you, a look in your eyes, a tone in your voice and Wolffe is lost. He tries to spend every free minute with you. He already has your com number, so he calls you from time to time when he can, sometimes just to hear your voice and makes up some excuse to justify the call.

However, it will take him weeks, maybe even months, to admit to himself and to you that he has a crush. Be patient and try not to push him, sooner or later he will tell you of his own accord.

Rex

How it starts:

The rebellion has brought you together. You may not be a fighter, but you support the rebellion in whatever way you can. Maybe as a caterer, cargo pilot, cook, medic or administrator. No matter how you help, you do your best, and of course Rex notices. He notices the way you treat him and his brothers, you treat them like real heroes, soldiers, their welfare is close to your heart. You admire these men and their fight against the empire, and this is also visible to the outside world.

What happens next:

You keep coming into contact and your manner, your commitment, warms his heart. The fact that someone, who is not a clone, stands by their side in this way gives him hope again and again. After a while, it comes automatically when he sees you, he feels uplifted, hopeful, full of new energy.

It's actually pretty obvious, and yet you sneak into his heart rather than opening the door.

Rex seeks contact with you more and more often, discusses important things concerning the rebellion with you, even if you may not be able to contribute much, he wants to hear your opinion, feel the confidence in your smile, get the feeling that only you can give him, that everything will be all right.

He doesn't know what it is yet, why you have such an intense effect on him. Rex only knows that you are good for him, your smile, your words, your commitment, in whatever way. For him, in a way, it almost feels like you are the most important part of the whole rebellion. Which is nonsense from a rational point of view, of course, but he likes that feeling, he likes you.

The great leader, Rex, comes to rest with you, to find new hope and energy. When Rex returns from a mission, your face is the sign for him, the feeling that he is back home. He has been hopelessly in love for a long time without really knowing it.

Jesse

How it starts:

It's a coincidence that you happen to overhear the three clones talking about how poor the food they're getting is, how they're craving certain things. On impulse, you get some treats and bring them to the three clones (Jesse/Fives/Hardcase) who have been assigned to duty in one of the hangars for a while because of a “little stupidity”. In connection with their punishment, the food has also been restricted to protein bars.

The confused and, shortly afterwards, beaming, delighted faces of the clones make you grin.

Jesse looks up, with a critical eye, and asks, “What's the catch? Why is a Civi bringing us food?”

You laugh amusedly, assuring him that there isn't one, and you just wanted to do something good.

He looks at you indecisively for a moment, but finally goes for the roast chicken he had been craving.

What happens next:

You often pass the hangar on your way to or from work/university/etc., you pass it almost every day. The men greet you cheerfully every time. Again and again you bring food instead of just walking past, and soon you are invited to sit down and eat something too.

Out of curiosity, you ask, “How did the punishment actually come about?”

Jesse answers you, pointing at Fives and saying, “We helped tar and feather a Civi who was being a jerk to his girlfriend”

Fives chuckles, “It was worth it”

Jesse and Hardcase join in the giggles that elicit a grin from you.

“Sounds like you guys did the right thing”

Jesse smirks at you and says, “I agree”

You join the boys more and more regularly, sometimes even helping out a bit, joking and chatting. You like the clones, and they like you. Jesse in particular is very fond of you. The others are already starting to tease him about it, but they're decent enough not to do it in front of you.

He waits every day for you to come over again, he doesn't care about food anymore. He wants to see your face, hear your voice, make jokes with you. You're so nice, so different from other Civis. On the last day of his transfer, he asks for your com number to keep in touch with you.

You don't really expect him to call you, but he does, the very next weekend, and invites you to come to 79's.

You see a lot of clones here, a lot of the same or very similar faces. But apart from Jesse's tattoo, the grin he gives you is also unique. He is so incredibly happy that you actually came.

You sit together in a quieter corner and after a drink or two, Jesse says almost casually, with a wry smile.

“Hey you, I might have a crush on you”

@rintheemolion

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[awkward-tension-art]

Darkness on Umbara Chp.6 (Rex x Reader)

Chapter 5. Chapter 7.

The Gorge

cw: Rex x Reader, Reader is a medic, incorrect military procedure, graphic descriptions of injuries, blood, swearing, death and battle, Spoilers for the Umbara Arc, Pong Krell is an asshole, reader insert, names of non-canon dead clones, reader is gender neutral, no use of (Y/N), if i miss a tag LMK

Minors DN

Airbase. 

That’s the priority. That's why the 501st had retreated away from the capital. 

A fucking airbase.

You could see it in the distance from where you were. The tall tower was clearly marked by a bright pillar of light that reached towards the clouds.

As Fives, Krell and Rex inspected the area on a cliffside, you and Kix weaved around the men, treating any injuries you saw. Sadly, painkillers were getting to low levels, so you decided to use them for the truly brutal wounds. For those you had to deem were suffering beyond comprehension.

You regretted using them on yourself. 

But, everyone else…well, they were big boys. They just had to handle it. Judging by the uninterested look that Hardcase had while Kix stitched up his shoulder, you were confident that the men weren’t going to complain. 

Your gaze swept over the battalion. The dark, tentacle-like trees had fanned out from the jungle, allowing an easier view of the soldiers. You counted the silhouettes, their white and blue armor stark against the ash colored ground. 

By the end you were right. A majority of the battalion had been injured in some way. Wounds were expected. But this many…It was getting hard to keep up, and judging by the way Kix swayed slightly when he stood, he was feeling the same thing.

“Alright men, we’re splitting the battalion,” Rex called, getting everyone at attention, “Half of you will remain here. The other half, follow me down to the gorge.”

You sighed and watched them go. Your tired steps were about to go to your medical speeder, but Krell halted you, “Doctor, you will be going with them.” He stepped between you and your goal, which was to resupply.

“Respectfully, sir,” you looked up into his small yellow eyes, “I think it would be better if I remained here and-.”

“My orders are for you to go with the platoons down to the gorge.” the besalisk crossed two of his four arms, surprisingly, he wasn’t yelling at you. Instead, his tone was icy and yet uninterested, “I’ve seen how you are during battle, and your expertise is wasted as a backline medic. You will be with the men on the front.”

You blinked and nodded. Was that a compliment? 

“Understood, sir.” you saluted with your uninjured arm and followed the platoon. At this point, arguing with him about your training would only result in a bad outcome.

You found your position next to Kix, who looked very unhappy to see you, “please don’t tell me…” 

“He complimented me,” you gave a sarcastic smile, “Said my expertise was wasted by not being on the front.”

Before Kix could respond, Rex began to speak, getting all the attention onto him, “Alright listen up!” His voice held authority with every word, “We’ll assemble the squads into two divisions. We’ll move straight up this gorge to the airbase on the far side.”

The medic beside you snapped, “The casualties are going to be high!” 

Tup scoffed, “Is Krell trying to get us killed!?”

“You know, I wasn’t sure that Krell was crazy before.” Jesse snarled, helmet in his hand. He practically glared at Rex as he continued, “But now, I’m positive!”

“We had to retreat from the capital because the general pushed a flawed strategy!” It was Fives’ turn to argue, “Now this?”

Hardcase raised his heavy weapon, “I don’t know! Could be fun.”

“Well, I, for one, agree with the general's plan.” Dogma chimed in, seeming much more confident than anyone else. 

“What plan?” You turned to face him, “Blindly rushing into the unknown without a care for the costs isn’t a plan!” Your words might’ve struck Rex, truthfully, you couldn’t look at him to find out. 

You had all the faith in him. You just had no faith in Krell or his tactics. But arguing would seem like you were against your lover and not the temporary General.

“We are running out of time and this is the best option!”

Jesse spoke up again, royally pissed, “No recon? No air support? We don’t know what we’re up against!” He waved his helmet in the air in frustration, “They have weapons we’ve never seen before!” To punctuate his point, he tapped his helmet to his head a couple of times. 

The 501st captain stepped forward, attempting to reason with everyone, “A few of General Skywalker’s plans seemed reckless too, but they worked.”

His words did little to ease the rising tempers, “Yeah, but General Skywalker is usually leading his men up in the front not bringing up the rear like General Krell!” Fives stepped towards Rex, riling up everyone else, “A full frontal assault would leave us too exposed!”

The other men rose up in dissatisfied chatter. They were clearly unhappy with the plan.

“We have to look at other options!”

“It's going to be a meat grinder!”

Rex sighed, frustration clear, “Fives.” He commanded the ARC trooper to follow. The two stepped away, out of earshot. 

“What supplies do we have?” Kix turned to face you, “This…is going to be difficult.”

Wordlessly you took off your pack and knelt to go through the packs you carried. Luckily the both of you stocked up as well as you could from everything on the medical speeder. But it never hurts to check. 

Bandages and bacta were the most needed, and hopefully, you had enough to see this through.

You attempted to get your pack back on by lifting it with your bad arm, only to drop it and hiss in pain. 

“Damnit.” you swallowed, feeling the very bone pulse in agony. It’s only been a few hours since you were shot. Your arm was nowhere near healed. 

Kix put a hand on your uninjured shoulder to hold you steady, “Take it easy.”

“I’m fine,” You mumbled, adjusting your pack, “The men have survived worse than this. How would it look if I burst into tears every time I get hurt?” 

“Nearly getting your arm blasted off isn’t just ‘getting hurt’. If you need a break, the others will understand.” He argued softly.

You shook your head, “And what about you? You’ve been unsteady on your feet from exhaustion for hours and yet you still run around helping those who are wounded.”

“Only because you’ve been taking a majority of them.” Kix responded, though he didn’t argue with your point. 

“Are you two done?” Dogma snapped from his position, “We’re about to start moving.”

“Hey, Dogma, have you considered shutting the fuck up?” An ARF trooper, Jumper, leaned forward on his AT-RT to silence the ground soldier, “How about you don’t pick a fight with the two people keeping all of us alive.”

“Hey-!”

“Everyone, enough.” Jesse finally stepped in to get everyone quiet, “Now is not the time or the place.” A mere minute later instructions were given. 

You’d go with Rex and his half of the platoon. Kix would go with Fives and Hardcase and their half. 

Splitting up…wonderful idea. There’s no way that could ever go wrong. 

You hung back, keeping your position behind a majority of the men. Noct and Nax, however, were walking on either side of you. As if they were intending to guard you from threats. Your nod to them was in appreciation as both platoons marched forward slowly and carefully. 

Three of those flying beasts that attacked on the main road flew overhead. They didn’t make a dive or move towards anyone on the ground. Instead, you’d think they were fleeing something.

A rapidly approaching rumble cut off your thoughts. The ground was shaking, and it was only getting worse. Nax grabbed your wrist to keep you steady as the vibrations got stronger and louder. Even the AT-RT’s were unstable from the sheer power of the sway.

You raised your comm and began to speak, “Kix, what is going-.”

In the distance, you heard the commotion. Shouting. Booms. It sounded like something was…howling? 

Everything around you was shaking violently, and Kix finally responded, “We’re under attack!”

Without wait, Rex diverted off the original path to aid his brothers. You all ran as quickly as you could despite the dark, dense plant life that hindered your movements. Once you made it over the ridge, you paused, taking in the battle.

Chaos. Chaos and mayhem. At the center of it all, was a tank in the shape of a centipede, marked with blue lights. It roared before slamming down, killing all soldiers under its massive body. 

“Get those rocket launchers down there! Move it troopers!” Rex commanded, pistols in hand and immediately running to aid the soldiers.

The blaster guns that ran down the centipede tanks back were firing in all directions, making it difficult to maneuver or navigate. Still, you managed to get close enough while remaining behind the cover of a massive tree and its roots.

One of the green shots hit Jumper’s AT-RT, killing him in a burst of neon flames.

Another name to your list.

“Watch out!” The ARF trooper next to you called as another tank shot up from the ground. He was hit almost instantly, knocking down from his vehicle. immediately your hands were on him and dragging him behind cover. 

“I got you, Dia.” you reassured, pulling off his helmet.

Pupils uneven. Head injury. Concussion. Watch for seizures or signs of stroke. Traumatic brain injuries were difficult to deal with in such a chaotic environment, but you did what you could with the supplies you have. 

One of the tanks swung its massive head, slamming into one of the troopers that had a much needed rocket launcher. He hit the ground, but curled his body to protect the precious weapon. Once the Umbaran tank turned to continue its destruction, Kix leapt out from the black and red foliage. Thank whatever gods decided to keep him alive!

He grabbed the trooper just as Hardcase got the rocket launcher. You rushed out to join him, taking hold of one of the troopers shoulders, “Follow me!” You shouted, leading the medic to your position of cover hidden in the dense trees. When you returned, there were already several more injured that were taking refuge.

Behind you, there was another explosion. The now headless tank roared before it melted into a screech. Its massive silver and blue body twisted and spasmed as every section burst into flames and destruction. You spotted Fives and Hardcase sprinting to avoid getting hit by its thrashing legs.

Rex called out, tone commanding yet anxious, “Everyone regroup, now! Take cover!” 

The platoons scattered, fleeing into the dark and foggy forest. Luckily the thick trunks and roots of the red, glowing trees were condensed enough the tanks couldn’t push through. 

“Move it! Move it!”

“Let's go!”

“Go! Go! Go!”

You swallowed and looked up at Rex. He was breathing heavily, but still standing. However, you didn’t miss the blood on his wrist. 

You reached into a small pack on your thigh and took out clean bandages as you approached. He would always opt for bandages and not bacta. At every battle, if he got hurt, he’d reject the medicine, saying ‘save it for the next soldier you treat.’ So you’ve learned to just accept his selflessness and use standard first-aid supplies if the wounds weren’t so bad.

“We’re safe for the moment, but they’ll be coming around any second,” He continued to lead the men, not stopping even when you grabbed his wrist and began to bandage it up, “Bring up the launchers, spread detonators along that corridor. Trap them in the bottleneck.” The captain nodded in appreciation once you finished your work. He continued, “We’re going to blow those things sky high.”

Fives rushed past you to a soldier, Hana, who carried explosives in a large pack. He grabbed several of the bombs before running with the other to the narrow part of the gorge. Several others followed the ARC trooper. 

You remained with the injured, just like Kix. Your focus was on the trooper, Hek, in your arms working to stem the bleeding on his chest. However, no matter what you tried, he slipped away under your hands.

Hek. One more death to blame on Krell.

Your priority shifted to Silk, who had sat down and waited patiently with a bleeding, smoldering neck and shoulder wound. Either he was the most patient man in existence, or mentally gone. It didn’t matter though, because you began to patch him up, using whatever you could to save him.

After a few moments, the ground shook violently again, causing you to hold him close to your chest to protect. From the direction of where the men placed bombs, you heard the booms and crackles of their explosives detonating. The tanks they destroyed howled and wailed as it sounded like they crashed into one another, ripping each other apart.

Soldiers had run back to your position to take cover from the resulting explosions. Hardcase dove to your right, getting behind the massive root protecting everyone from the fire. Rex, who was thrown from the force of the bombs, landed on his front right next to you and Silk. Fives and Jesse stumbled, also hitting the dirt after getting shoved by the burst of heat and flames. 

It was a few seconds later when your ears were blessed with silence. Seemed everyone was waiting for…something. Another attack? Or just appreciating the brief moment of calm.

The captain got onto one knee, turned his head to you, and his shoulders slumped slightly with relief, “Good job.” he stood, addressing his men, “Be ready to move out in five.”

Five minutes to rest.

Hardly enough time for you and Kix to tend to all those that were sporting injuries, but you could at least handle the more serious cases. And in those five minutes, despite your best efforts….

Fyre. Vim. Oz. Ringo. North. Gabe. Tro. Tess. Zeb. Sante. Reign. Pheon. Dawn. Nim. Jamie. Jumper. Hek. Recon. Mav. Zeo.

You added a few more names to the list of the dead.

[sev-on-kamino]

You: Hey, Tup, how do you say ‘will you go out with me’ in Mando’a?

Tup: *says it in Mando’a*

You: Absolutely, I will. Thought you’d never ask.

Tup: 🤯…🥰

Fives: 🤯

Jesse: 🤯

Fives: Write that down! Write that down!

Jesse: *scribbling it down as fast as he can*

[the-bad-batch-baroness]

Fortunately Unfortunate

Jesse x GN!Reader

Summary: Jesse’s number is drawn in a lottery, forcing him to participate in a cross-training event with the 212th, and he’s not happy about it. However, his view of the training mission changes when he crashes into your life, literally.

Pairing: Jesse x GN!Reader

Characters: Jesse, Rex, Cody, Waxer, Boil, Sinker, Violet (OFC)

Tags & Warnings: 18+, grumpy Jesse, vehicular accident, no injuries, clone jokes, bad puns, shirtless clones, fluff, humor, angst with a happy ending, implied sexy time offscreen, suggestive themes

Word Count: 9.2k

Author's Note:  Apologizing now for the word count (my small ideas never stay small), and for the fact that this fic only went through two rounds of editing before posting... This fic was written for @snippy-tano as part of the @rare-clone-fic-exchange. I hope you like it sweetie, and I hope you don’t mind the additional side characters 😘 As always, please enjoy 💚

@clonexreaderbingo Square: Tradition

“You can’t be serious?” Jesse groans with an exaggerated eye roll.

“I am,” Rex answers. “Your number was drawn, so you’re going.”

Jesse grunts. “This program is stupid!”

“This program is tradition,” Rex retorts.

“Can’t you send Fives?” Jesse asks. “He loves this stuff.”

“Fives’ number wasn’t drawn, yours was,” Rex crosses his arms and scowls. “ You’ll just have to learn to love it too.”

“But–”

“That’s an order,” Rex interjects.

Jesse grits his teeth. “Yes, sir.”

“Good,” Rex hands Jesse a data-pad. “Your transport leaves in an hour. I suggest you take that time to adjust your attitude. Cody is a good friend of mine and I don’t need you giving him grief.”

Jesse takes the data-pad. “Yes, sir.”

Rex turns to leave and Jesse is left in the cargo bay alone. He sighs as he sits down on a crate to review his new orders. Every month, the battalions swap a few clones in the name of “cross-training”. The clones are picked at random via lottery, and unfortunately for Jesse, his number was drawn this month. Out of the millions of clones, why did it have to be him? It’s not that he’s opposed to cross-training, but he shouldn’t be forced to leave his own battalion to do it.

Jesse swipes through the data-pad and skims over the details. He’s been assigned cross-training with the 212th attack battalion, specifically their ARF unit. He scoffs. The 501st has an ARF unit, and a darn good one. There’s no reason for him to be shipped off-world to play ARF trooper with a different battalion. If the GAR wants to cross-train clones so badly, then he should be able to do it with his own brothers, not with a bunch of clones he doesn’t know.

Jesse sets the data-pad down next to him on the crate and shakes his head. He wants to make Rex proud, but his heart just isn’t in it. Even if meeting a marshal commander does sound interesting, he knows he won’t be working with him exclusively. He’s an ARC, and he wants to do ARC things, and go on ARC missions with Fives and Echo. It's a shame that he’s missing out on their newest assignment. It sounded like a wild ride, and he was looking forward to it.

The intercom speaker interrupts Jesse’s thoughts to notify him that his transport is boarding and will be departing soon. With a heavy sigh, he hops off the crate, grabs his data-pad, and makes his way to the transport. He straps in and closes his eyes, letting his mind go blank as the transport whirs to life and delivers him to his new temporary post. The time it takes to get there is just under one standard rotation, so he takes this time to try to prepare himself for anything.

The transport lands and as the ramp descends, Jesse raises an arm to shield his eyes from the bright sun and the dust swirling into the transport. He steps down the ramp and observes his new surroundings, which isn’t much to look at. It’s a desert planet with little to no vegetation, and the sun glares down hot onto his plastoid armor. He experimentally grinds his foot into the tan earth beneath him and it shifts like powder until he reaches a layer of rock underneath.

“You must be Jesse,” Cody says on approach.

Jesse looks up to see the commander and straightens himself to attention. “Yes, sir!”

“Welcome to the 212th,” Cody gestures for Jesse to follow him. “I’ve heard good things about you from Rex. He says you’re one of his best.”

Jesse follows next to Cody as they make their way to the command center. “Just doing my duty to the Republic, sir.”

“He also mentioned that you’re not particularly fond of this assignment,” Cody adds.

Jesse grimaces and tries to backpedal. “With all due respect, sir, I only meant that I’d rather not be away from my brothers at the 501st when they might need me.”

“Fair enough,” Cody says. “However, if the survival of the entire battalion rests on you being there at all times, then perhaps Rex should be demoted.”

Jesse scrunches his face with indignation and raises his voice. “Captain Rex is–”

Cody turns on his heels to face Jesse and crosses his arms in a silent word of caution.

Jesse takes a startled half-step back and holds his tongue. “Nevermind, sir,” he stammers with embarrassment.

The rest of the walk to the command center is silent. Jesse kicks himself as he realizes how far he stuck his own foot into his mouth. So far that he’s surprised he hasn’t choked on it yet. He doesn’t want to embarrass Rex, yet here he is picking a fight with a marshal commander. It’s definitely one of the dumber things he’s done in his life. But, when it comes to his captain, Jesse finds it difficult to control his emotions. Their history together is too deep not to defend him.

When they enter the command center, Jesse sees two ARF troopers in camouflage armor with colors matching the tan dust that’s been sticking to him since he arrived. He also sees another trooper in gray and white armor standing next to them. As he gets closer, he can hear them chatting away about something nonsensical. He eyes the three clones and mentally sizes them up; not entirely sure what to make of them yet, but he’ll reserve judgment for now.

“This is Lieutenant Waxer and Boil,” Cody gestures with his hands. “They’re part of our elite ARF unit, Ghost Company, and will be conducting your training for the next few rotations.”

The four clones trade head nods of acknowledgement.

Cody turns to Jesse and the clone with gray armor. “I expect you to address them as you would a commanding officer, with respect. Follow their orders and do what they ask of you.”

“Yes, sir!” Jesse and the other clone affirm.

Cody nods. “I’ll leave you to it.”

A moment of silence passes between the four clones as an awkward air blows in.

Waxer is the first to speak up. “Do you guys have names?”

“I’m Jesse,” Jesse answers and stretches out his hand to shake that of the two ARFs. “With the 501st.”

The clone in the gray armor follows suit. “I’m Sinker, with the 104th.”

“Nice to meet you both,” Boil adds.

Another awkward silence passes between the clones and Jesse starts to question the validity of his new assignment. Perhaps this whole thing is a big joke and he can board the next transport off this dust bowl. He absentmindedly grinds his foot into the dusty floor, a habit he picked up somewhere during the war to keep him from running his mouth when he’s bored. If someone doesn’t say something soon, he might, and they probably won’t like what it is.

“Alright, boys,” Waxer says with a gesture of his head towards the door. “We’re heading out to the corral.”

“Corral?” Jesse asks, raising an eyebrow. “Are we learning to ride animals?”

Boil chuckles. “Sort of.”

Jesse looks at Sinker, hoping that he’s on his side about how crazy this whole thing sounds.

Sinker shrugs. “Sounds fun.”

The three clones head out of the command center, leaving Jesse alone in his bewilderment. When his brain catches up to him, he jogs up to the rear and follows them out to the so-called corral. Although, Jesse wouldn’t call it a “corral”. It’s just a barricaded motor pool full of AT-RTs. A part of Jesse is relieved that he doesn’t actually have to ride any animals, but his intuition tells him that whatever they have planned isn’t going to be as easy as he thinks.

Waxer stops in front of the barricade and addresses the squad. “As part of your cross-training in the ARF unit, you’re each going to learn how to ride an AT-RT.”

“Don’t you mean drive?” Jesse interrupts.

“No,” Waxer answers. “An AT-RT isn’t just some machine you can climb on and control. It takes concentration, skill, dexterity, and a mutual understanding between you and the walker. You don’t drive an AT-RT, you ride it.”

Jesse rolls his eyes. There’s a reason he’s an ARC and not an ARF. He doesn’t have the patience for these pansies, talking about a machine as if it’s a living animal. What utter nonsense.

“Shinies don’t even look at an AT-RT until they can show competency riding a living breathing animal,” Boil continues the explanation. “Since both of you are well-established and accomplished soldiers, we figured we could skip the live animal part and see what you’re made of.”

A smirk flashes across Sinker’s face and Jesse realizes he’s alone in his feelings about the training. He grinds his foot against the dusty earth again, feeling way out of his element. ARCs don’t “ride” AT-RTs, they infiltrate enemy lines, perform sabotage, steal secrets, and tip the scales of an assault. His last hope that he might get some in depth reconnaissance training has officially been dashed as Waxer opens the corral and ushers them inside to show them the AT-RTs.

“Do you name them?” Sinker asks as he inspects one of the units.

“Of course!” Waxer exclaims with a proud smile. He pats the side of the unit Sinker is looking at. “This one’s name is Sella. She’s a little glitchy, but she’s seen a lot of combat.”

If Jesse rolled his eyes any harder, they would roll right out of his head.

“Can I ride her?” Sinker asks, his eyes bright.

“Eh, not for your first ride,” Waxer says. “Like I said, she’s a little glitchy.” Waxer moves across the motor pool to another unit and pats the side. “Vala here will be a good starter for you.”

Sinker punches Jesse’s shoulder in excitement and heads over to where Waxer is standing. Jesse rubs his shoulder in mock discomfort, then crosses his arms. He’s still not convinced this is proper ARF training. He wants to be looking at charts and battle strategies, not galivanting around in AT-RTs. There’s nothing useful about this exercise that he can take back to his unit, unless they let him take the AT-RT as a souvenir, which he highly doubts they would.

“How about this one for you?” Boil asks while leaning against another unit. “Her name is Mina and she’s pretty gentle on the new guys.”

Jesse huffs and approaches the AT-RT. “Sure.”

The AT-RT training goes just as well as Waxer and Boil expect. Both Jesse and Sinker fall off their AT-RTs multiple times just on start-up, when the machine initially jerks to life. The breath is knocked out of Jesse’s lungs more times than he can count and he wonders if Kix can order him a replacement set if he ever makes it back to the 501st alive. The only buffer he has is his ARC armor and it’s not enough to prevent the litany of bruises from growing on every part of his body.

By rotations end, Jesse and Sinker manage to stay on their AT-RTs and even take a few steps forward with them. It’s been hard work, but they’re finally seeing the fruits of their labor and Jesse’s ego is just as bruised as his thighs. He gets it now. He understands what they mean by riding an AT-RT instead of driving it. It’s not like a starfighter or an ATTE that he’s driven in simulations. No, these things are like living animals and they need to be respected as such.

At the end of the training session, Jesse doesn’t stop for food at the mess hall. Instead, he hobbles to the medbay for some bacta, then makes his way to the barracks. He gingerly pulls his armor off, each flex of muscle a new sensation of pain. He winces and grunts until it all comes off and he stacks it neatly beside his assigned bunk. He pulls out a ration bar from his pack and settles onto the cot, mindlessly munching away at the bland bar while trying not to move.

Tomorrow, they’re taking the AT-RTs out on a fake reconnaissance mission. He’s not sure who decided that he and Sinker are ready to take the AT-RTs into the field, but he definitely doesn’t feel ready. He doesn’t even know if he’ll be able to move when he wakes up in the morning, let alone climb onto the back of an AT-RT and ride it out into the middle of who-knows-where. Just the thought of his legs doing that climbing motion again makes his thighs twitch in protest.

The next morning, Jesse wakes when the sun rises and its rays shine into the barracks. He was right, his entire body objects to him moving even one inch off of his cot, but he doesn’t have a choice. He feels like a cadet all over again. Like he just went through a rigorous course of simulations and he needs to go again. Those are days he wishes he didn’t have to remember. He’s much stronger now, and more resilient, but his aching thighs force his recollections.

Jesse swings by the medbay before meeting up with the others at the corral. He begs the medic on duty for anything he can give him to help soothe the pain. He’ll even take a muscle relaxer at this point, even if it makes him drowsy. The medic takes pity on him, tosses him a small bottle of painkillers, and threatens him not to mention it to anybody or he’d be returning to his battalion in a bodybag. That’s a risk Jesse is willing to take. Besides, Kix has threatened him with much worse.

Jesse downs a few of the pills, stuffs the bottle out of sight in one of his belt pouches, and heads to the corral. Everyone else is already there, and he hopes that he isn't too late that they make an issue about it. Luckily, no one mentions his tardiness, but Waxer does have a small grin on his face that makes Jesse suspicious. He wonders how much enjoyment Waxer and Boil get out of torturing their shinies with this training, because clearly they know why he’s late.

Waxer gives the squad a short briefing on their fake mission. He pulls out the data-pad with the map coordinates on it, their rendezvous point, the intel they’re supposed to be acquiring, and any enemy obstacles in their way. This is what Jesse has been after ever since the beginning of the cross-training. He studies everything Waxer shows them, eagerly consuming all of the information and stuffing it away in his brain to use later when he’s back with his own battalion.

After the mission briefing is over, they mount their AT-RTs, Jesse on Mina and Sinker on Vala. Waxer and Boil mount their personal AT-RTs, the ones they’ve been using since they became ARF troopers, and the squad heads out into the desert. Unlike Waxer and Boil, Jesse and Sinker do not have ARF trooper armor. Since the mission is fake, there is no need to outfit them. The squad looks rather odd up close, but from a distance no one can tell they’re mismatched.

The squad spends hours in the desert. The constant back and forth motion on the AT-RT has Jesse convinced he’s also going to need a spine replacement. He wonders how hard it will be to requisition and if there’s a special form he needs to fill out. He tries to pop a few more painkillers but as the AT-RT continues to lunge forward like a jack-rabbit, it makes the task very difficult. In all honesty, he’d rather be dropped out of a LAAT without a jetpack than do this full time.

Around mid-day, Waxer calls over the comms to let the squad know that they’ll be stopping for a break soon. He gives them the coordinates for the only known piece of civilization within ten klicks of their location, and they all head in that direction. Jesse can’t wait. His back, thighs, and butt all thank the Maker that he’s going to be able to rest soon, even if he has to fall off the AT-RT instead of hopping off. At this point, he’s not even sure his arms are still attached to his body.

As they approach their rest-stop, Waxer gives the order for the squad to halt. Waxer, Boil, and Sinker all stop relatively close together, but Jesse keeps going.

“Jesse, halt,” Waxer calls through the comms.

“It won’t stop,” Jesse calls back while pressing every button he can think of to try and stop.

“What do you mean it won’t stop?” Waxer asks as he watches Jesse move further away.

“I mean, it won’t stop!” Jesse yells.

“Hit the emergency brake,” Boil orders into the comms.

“I did,” Jesse answers. He refuses to panic, but the building is getting closer and his AT-RT is not obeying his commands. “I think there’s an electrical malfunction.”

“Great,” Waxer sighs. “Just steer her out of harm's way and we can figure it out.”

“About that…” Jesse pauses. His heart rate increases as the building is looking a lot bigger than it did a few seconds ago. “The steering isn’t responding either.”

“Bail!” Waxer calls as he starts his unit up and rushes over. “Bail, Jesse, bail!”

It’s too late. Jesse braces as his AT-RT crashes into the side of the building.

“Order up for table twelve!” the cook calls from the kitchen as he rings the bell at the end of the order window.

“Coming!” you answer, then rush over to grab the order.

“What’s the hold up?” the cook asks. “Are you daydreaming again?”

“Only everyday I’m stuck working here,” you sing back with a sweet smile.

The cook huffs. “Just make sure the customers are fed. You don’t get paid to daydream.”

“Yes, sir!” you answer with a mock salute as you balance the tray of food on one hand.

You turn around and roll your eyes before walking the food over to table twelve. You’ve been stuck working at this diner for four cycles now with no end in sight. It’s not the worst job you could have, but with the small amount you’re being paid with no raises in the near future, you’ll never be able to afford to go find a new one. It’s an endless cycle of work, work, work, and never any time for yourself or what you want to do. It’s agonizing, but it’s all you have.

The only reason you even have this job is to pay off your parent’s debt. They left you on this barren rock to go on their “galactic tour” and never returned. From what you know, they made a deal with the owner of the diner to ensure you had a place to stay, and in return, when you were old enough, you would work for him to pay off the debt. It’s definitely not the life you would’ve chosen, but it’s the life you have been given, and you should be grateful for even that much.

Your only solace is your best friend Violet. She also works at the diner and hates it as much as you do. The two of you became fast friends when you first started working at the diner and now you spend all of your free time together. Violet also doesn’t have any parents planet-side, so there’s an even deeper connection between the two of you and an unspoken understanding about life. At least you have each other, is what you tell yourself when things get unbearable.

“Tooka got your tongue?” Violet asks as she peers over your shoulder.

“Ah!” you startle. “Where’d you come from?”

“Table eight,” Violet answers. “You had that look in your eye again.”

“What look?” you ask.

“The dreamy and distant one,” Violet answers with a flip of her hair.

You groan. “That obvious, huh?”

“If you were any more obvious, you’d have a neon sign stuck to your forehead,” Violet laughs.

You sigh. “Don’t you want more?”

“More what?” Violet asks.

“I don’t know,” you answer. “More anything.”

Violet thinks for a moment. “Yeah, more sleep and more credits.”

You pout. “Besides that.”

“What else is there?” Violet asks as she picks up another tray of food.

“Oh, you know…” you trail your voice quietly while bussing the table next to hers. “Like love and stuff.”

Violet snorts. “What? Love? Out here? In this dust bowl? You’re nuts.”

“I am not!” you retort. “It could happen.”

“Yeah, sure,” Violet rolls her eyes, “because gorgeous and attractive people just tumble into our diner like it’s a speed-dating site.”

“I–”

CRASH

The violent shockwave shakes the diner to its core and knocks both you and Violet off of your feet and flat onto the ground. You instinctively cover your head as pieces of debris and dust fall from the ceiling. The patrons in the diner start screaming and run past you to the diner exit as you lay on the floor, stunned by what just happened. You slowly open your eyes and look over at Violet, making sure she’s okay. She looks dazed, but nods and you both help each other up.

“Kriffing banthas!” you exclaim. “What was that?”

“I don’t know,” Violet says with a shaky voice, still in shock.

You turn around and see a gaping hole in the side of the diner and your eyes grow wide. A mess of twisted dura-steel, snapped electrical wires, and broken water pipes are poking out in every direction. You’re not sure what to make of it. You tilt your head from side to side trying to figure out what happened until you see a clone trooper’s body laying under some debris. You rush over, climbing through the rubble to get to the trapped man. He’s unconscious, but breathing.

“Violet, help me!” you call back. “He’s trapped!”

Violet climbs up alongside of you and you each grab an arm, tugging with all of your might, but it’s no use, he’s too heavy. You pant at the exertion and look around for anything that you could use for leverage. But before you can make your next move, three more clone troopers burst through the front door of the diner. They look around frantically before meeting your gaze as you wave your hands to try and get their attention. They must be with the clone that’s trapped.

“Over here!” you call out to them. “He’s over here!”

The three clones rush over and replace you and Violet. The two troopers in camouflage lift the debris and the third clone in gray armor pulls the trapped clone out from underneath it. They carry him away from the debris pile and lay him on top of one of the diner tables. The clone in gray armor pulls out a bag with a medic symbol on it and rummages through it. Finding what he’s looking for, he scans over the unconscious clone with the device, then sighs in relief.

“No internal injuries,” the gray clone says. “Looks like he just got knocked out. He’s lucky.”

One of the clones in camouflage shakes his head. “Of all the things to go wrong.”

“At least he’s not dead,” the other clone in camouflage says. “Try explaining that to Commander Cody and Captain Rex.”

The first clone in camouflage visually bristles.

“Um, excuse me,” you interrupt with a slight raise of your hand.

The first clone in camouflage takes his helmet off. “Apologies, I’m Waxer, with the 212th.” He points to the clone next to him. “This is Boil, also with the 212th, and that’s Sinker, with the 104th.” He looks down at the clone on the table. “And that one is Jesse, from the 501st.”

“Pleasure…” you say as you try to take it all in. There’s so many numbers and names, you’re not sure how you’ll keep them all straight.

“Wait, hold on,” Violet interjects, dumbfounded. “Y’all just crashed into our diner and you're exchanging pleasantries like you met at the local market?”

“Correction,” Boil says. “Jesse crashed into your diner.”

Violet’s jaw drops and she turns to you. “Are these guys for real?”

“I assure you ma’am,” Sinker says. “We are, in fact, real clones.”

You start to snicker and Violet throws her hands up in defeat. “You know what, I’ve had enough for one day.” She takes her dusty and torn apron off and tosses it on the ground with the rest of the debris. “I do not get paid enough to deal with clowns!”

“Don’t you mean, clones?” Boil asks.

“I meant what I said!” Violet yells back as she navigates around the debris to the exit.

You try to stifle a laugh, but fail. “Don’t worry about her. She’s just stressed. It’s not every day we get clones crashing into our diner.”

Waxer rubs the back of his neck. “Oh, yeah, sorry about that. One of the AT-RTs had a malfunction and Jesse couldn’t get it to stop.”

“I see,” you look down at the clone on the table and knit your brows with worry. You feel bad for him. It must have been scary, being stuck on an uncontrollable collision course and knowing you can’t do anything to stop it from happening. Well, at least for you it would have been scary. You’re not even sure if clones feel fear. It’s not something you’ve ever thought about, until now.

“We’ll fix the wall for you,” Waxer says. “Might take us a couple rotations, but we’ll get it done.”

“The owner will definitely appreciate it,” you smile. You’re not quite sure where the cook went off to, but he must have bailed when the wall was smashed. That coward. He talks a lot about your head being stuck in the clouds, but when things go wrong, you’re the only one keeping a level head.

“Can you stay with him?” Waxer asks. “We need to comm our superiors.”

“Yeah, sure,” you agree, then pull out one of the table chairs to take a seat. You didn’t realize how much your legs were shaking until you were sitting down and relieving them of their duty, but now that the adrenaline is wearing off, you’re starting to feel exhausted.

You watch Jesse like Waxer asked you too, but to be honest, you’re not sure what you’re supposed to be watching. You look him over from head to toe and take in all of his features. He’s wearing different armor than the other three clones, but it’s not the standard issue clone armor that you see in the news either. You’re not sure what it is. He’s got two thick leather skirt-looking things around his thighs, two holsters, and a big flappy thing across his shoulders.

You shrug and continue your examination. He also has some type of pouch on his chest that looks like it could either hold ammo or snacks. You figure both are important. There’s also an extra chest plate on top of the standard one. Must be for extra protection. You then look at the blue markings that adorn his arms and legs and wonder if they have any meaning. The last thing you look at is his face. There’s a huge GAR tattoo covering one side. Curious, but not bizarre.

You lean over his body to get a better view, when you hear him stir. You quickly remove yourself and wave your hand over his face to try and get him to wake up.

“Hey,” you call. “Wake up, Jesse.”

Jesse groans as he comes to. “Am I dead?”

You chuckle. “No, just got a little knocked around.”

Jesse hisses as he tries to sit up and raises a hand to hold the side of his head. “Ow, my head.”

“It’s gonna hurt a bit,” you say. “That was a nasty crash.”

Jesse closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. “What crash?”

“You don’t remember?” you ask in concern.

Jesse opens his eyes, and as they finally focus, he sees the mess of twisted dura-steel and a crushed AT-RT within it. His body jolts at the memory. “The building!”

“Whoa!” you put your hands on Jesse’s shoulders to try and get him to calm down. “Easy, Jesse, easy.”

Jesse breathes heavily at the new surge of adrenaline, but settles down. He shoots you a quizzical look. “Who are you and how do you know my name?”

“Oh, right,” you laugh nervously then introduce yourself. “I’m a waitress here and your friends are just outside. They pulled you out of the rubble and told me to watch you.”

Jesse leans his head back against the table and groans. “Rex is going to kill me.”

“Who’s Rex?” you ask to try to keep him talking. Concussions are very serious, and without knowing if he has one, you don’t want him falling unconscious again.

“My captain,” Jesse answers. He drapes an arm over his face. “He’s the one that sent me to this desolate dust bowl.”

You chuckle at his disdain for the planet.

“Oh, sorry,” Jesse apologizes. “I guess this is your home, huh? I didn’t mean to be rude.”

“No worries,” you wave off the remark and smile. “I think it’s a dust bowl, too.”

Jesse chuckles.

“I’m sorry about your AT… thing,” you offer, trying to remember the exact acronym.

Jesse laughs. “Don’t worry, it wasn’t mine.”

You snort and then laugh along with him. “You’re funny.”

“And you’re pretty,” Jesse blurts out.

You stop laughing as you process what he said. “You think I’m pretty?”

Jesse’s stomach flips when he realizes his thoughts didn’t stay in his head. “Kriff, did I say that out loud?”

“Uh, yeah,” you answer nervously, your face feeling warm.

“Maker, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that,” Jesse apologizes, the embarrassment written all over his face.

“So, you don’t think I’m pretty?” you ask.

“Uh, no, I mean yes, well, you see,” Jesse stammers, then gives up trying to explain himself. He sighs. “I think my brain got scrambled in the crash.”

You chuckle and pat his arm. “It’s okay. I forgive you.”

After your short but awkward conversation with Jesse, the three clones reassemble in the diner to debrief the now awake Jesse. Waxer commed Cody, Boil commed Rex, and Sinker commed Wolffe, although from the sweat on Sinker’s face, you can tell who has the most commanding officer of them all. The consensus is that the GAR will pay for the damages and the four clones will repair the diner wall. None of them seem too thrilled about it, and you don’t blame them.

By the time the excitement has calmed down, and the materials to fix the diner are located, it’s nightfall and you are exhausted. You’re practically dead on your feet, body swaying with your broom while trying to clean up some of the debris on the other end of the diner. You’re the only staff member left to help clean up, so you chose to stay. Of course won’t be paid for any of this, but the faster the diner is back in business, the faster you can start getting paid again.

You dump another dust pan of rubble into the trash receptacle, then plop down onto one of the stools lining the diner counter. You yawn wide and lean your elbow on the counter, propping your face up as you close your eyelids for just a moment to rest. The moment must have lasted longer than you expected, because when you open your eyes again, you wake up in one of the booths with a blanket on top of you and another one folded under your head for use as a pillow.

It’s still dark out, the moonlight beaming in through the large transparisteel panes that line the front of the diner, and you sit up to get your bearings. There’s three clones nestled on the floor, all tangled up together in a mess of armor and limbs. You’re not sure how sleeping like that is comfortable, but more power to them. You realize Jesse is missing, and you pop your head up over the booth to look for him, hoping that he hasn’t wandered off somewhere and gotten lost.

You tiptoe around the sleeping clones, blanket hung around your shoulders to keep the desert chill out, and walk around looking for Jesse. He’s not inside the diner, so you walk outside. You really hope he didn’t leave to relieve himself and you’re about to walk in on something you’re not prepared to see, and luckily you don’t. You circle the entire building and you still can’t find him. Finally, you hear your name being called and you look up to see two legs dangling from the roof.

You shake your head and climb up the side ladder to join Jesse on the roof.

“You should be asleep,” he says, not moving his gaze from the horizon.

“So, should you,” you retort back. “You’re injured.”

“I’m fine,” he dismisses. “Barely even a scratch on me.”

You sit next to him and let your feet hang off the edge. “I was talking about your brain.”

Jesse chuckles. “That’s fine, too.”

“No more accidentally calling me pretty?” you jest.

“Not making any promises on that one,” he smirks.

You smile and fidget with the edges of the blanket. “Did you move me to the booth?”

“Hope you don’t mind,” he answers. “That counter was doing nothing for your back. Probably should’ve asked first.”

“Oh, no,” you dismiss with a wave of your hand. “I just wanted to say thank you.”

Jesse smiles. “You’re welcome, mesh’la.”

You don’t remember falling asleep on the rooftop, but when you awaken feeling like a rolled up burrito with Jesse’s arm draped across your side, the memories start to come back. You must have talked for a while before dozing off, because you feel like you barely got any sleep at all. The blanket wrapped around you is tight and you wiggle to try to get yourself free from it, but as you do, you start to roll away. You panic slightly before feeling Jesse’s firm hand stopping you.

“Going somewhere?” he asks, his voice rough with sleep.

“Thought I’d roll myself to work today,” you answer.

Jesse raises an eyebrow. “How’s that working out for you?”

You wiggle against the restraining blanket. “Ten out of ten would not recommend.”

Jesse snorts and sits up. “I didn’t want you to get cold or fall off the roof.”

“Appreciate it,” you strain out as you wriggle some more. “Please help me.”

Jesse unravels your blanket cocoon and helps you to your feet. You straighten your dirty uniform out and climb down the ladder to get the day started with Jesse trailing behind you. Violet is already inside the diner, chatting with the other three clones. She gives you a knowing look when she sees you walk in with Jesse, but doesn’t say anything. You’re just happy she’s here to help. When she stormed off yesterday, you weren’t sure if she was going to come back.

As the clones start discussing their plan of attack, the two of you decide the best way to start the day is to eat a hearty breakfast. There’s a lot of work to be done and everyone is going to need as much energy as they can get. The cook never came back, but that’s of no matter, you know how to cook. In no time, a full breakfast and hot caf is served. You dust off some of the debris before placing the plates and mugs down on the table and everyone digs in.

Once breakfast is over, the four clones get to work hauling away the large debris pieces from the wall and the crushed AT-RT. You offer the use of the dumpster in the back of the building, but they insist that the GAR will come pick it up and you should use the dumpster for smaller debris. You don’t argue with them and set out with Violet to clean whatever you can of the mess inside the diner, making sure to wear gloves so you don’t cut your hands on any sharp pieces.

As the day continues, the desert heat begins to seep into the diner. The crash must have broken the refrigerant lines, but with the gaping hole in the side of the diner, the climate control wouldn’t be of much use anyway. You and Violet switch gears and make a refreshing batch of Tatooine Sunset to ensure everyone stays hydrated. You also put damp towels in the conservator to help cool everyone off during breaks. It’s barely midday and you know it’s only going to get hotter.

Soon enough, the clones start shedding their armor, at least the top halves of their armor. You’ve never seen a clone without their armor, but honestly, you haven’t seen that many clones to begin with. It’s when they start taking the top black portion of their bodysuits off that you really take notice. They’re jacked. You stand back in one of the corners, mindlessly moving your broom as you watch them work. Not a single piece of debris makes it into the dustpan.

Violet elbows you in the side.

“Ow!” you exclaim. “What was that for?”

“You’re staring,” Violet answers.

“Am not,” you argue.

Violet crosses her arms. “Four hot, shirtless men are flexing their muscles and sweating in our diner, and you’re not staring?”

You purse your lips trying not to give her any satisfaction.

“Well, I’m going to stare,” Violet says. “I mean, look at those abs. But the difference is that I can stare and sweep.”

You roll your eyes and push some garbage into the dustpan.

“You wanted more,” Violet says as she nonchalantly scoots away with her broom. “Well, more is standing over there with a giant tattoo on his head.”

You open your mouth to protest, but she’s too far away. You hate it when she does that. Violet always seems to know what you’re thinking before you’ve even thought it yourself. According to her it’s her gift to the world, but really, it’s just a nuisance. She is right, though, because Jesse does make your heart flutter. You’ve just met him, but it's like you’ve known him your entire life. Talking to him feels as natural as breathing, and for the first time, you truly feel fortunate for your job at the diner.

You lean on your broom and start staring again, watching Jesse walk over to the rubble, pick up a large piece, then carry it out of the diner and drop it onto the pile. Each movement he makes causes the muscles in his arms and torso to ripple with dramatic effect. The sweat that drips down his body only serves to accentuate how toned he is. Before you even realize it, Jesse’s looking at you and you nearly fall off your broom in embarrassment, but he smiles at you.

You continue cleaning up the diner while stealing glances at Jesse, but he also glances back. You want so badly just to sit down and talk with him more. Your conversation on the rooftop last night was a lot of fun and you both shared different things about your lives. You told him about your parents and how you got stuck working at the diner, and he told you about his battalion and how he got stuck going on this training mission. Both equally unfortunate, but now, it feels okay.

The late afternoon break comes around, so you and Violet make another batch of Tatooine Sunset, as well as some sandwiches. The clones inhale the sandwiches so fast that you’re embarrassed you didn’t make more. You offer to, but they turn you down, being grateful just for the opportunity to eat real food instead of rations. You smile and turn back towards the kitchen. Jesse follows you through the double-doors and leans his hot back against the cool conservator.

“Like what you see?” Jesse asks with a smirk.

You turn around to look at him. “The wall’s coming along nice.”

Jesse scrunches his nose. “You weren’t staring at the wall.”

“How do you know?” you jest. “Maybe I like walls.”

Jesse tilts his head to the side and folds his arms over his bare chest. “Are you sure you don’t like something else?”

You groan. “You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”

Jesse gives you a devilish grin.

“Fine,” you sigh. “I like what I see.”

“I knew it,” Jesse says, a little too excited.

“Maker above, would you two please get a room!” Violet exclaims from the order window. “I’m so sick of you staring at each other. The closet is empty if you’re looking for a place to smash.”

“Violet!” you yell as your face flushes with embarrassment.

Jesse snorts. “That closet can barely fit a broom.”

“Then kiss or something,” Violet says. “Anything to get you two back to work.”

Jesse pushes off the conservator and heads towards the double doors. “You heard the task-master.”

“Wait,” you call. “Aren't you going to kiss me?”

Jesse stops and turns his head. “Do you want me to kiss you?”

You fidget with your hem. “Kinda.”

“Kinda isn’t a yes or a no,” Jesse says.

“Yes,” you correct. “I want you to kiss me.”

Jesse takes his hand off the double doors and walks over to you. Your eyes dart around as your nerves start to get the better of you. You can’t believe you just asked him to kiss you. You’ve never kissed anyone before. What if you’re bad at it? What if he doesn’t like it? What if you accidentally bite him? Maker, your stomach is in knots. Your breathing becomes heavier as he gets closer, but your nervous energy comes to a halt when he cups the side of your face.

Jesse smooths his thumb over your cheek and gives you a reassuring smile. He dips his head and tilts it to the side before pressing his lips against yours. His lips are warm and their touch ever so gentle as they melt into yours. You place your hands on his chest and all of your worries and concerns slip away as all you can think about is Jesse. You don’t want this moment to end, but eventually he pulls back, breaking the kiss, leaving you breathless and wanting for more.

Without a single word, Jesse turns on his heels and leaves the kitchen to go back to work fixing the wall. You stand there, alone in the kitchen, completely dazed by what just happened. You’re not sure if you’re dreaming or not, but you’re too afraid to pinch yourself to find out. You press your fingers to your lips, thinking about the kiss, and your body warms. You’re not sure how you can work now, but you do know that you’ll be spending every spare moment you have with Jesse.

Finally the repairs are complete and tonight is your last night with Jesse. Your stomach aches at the thought of him leaving. Only a couple of rotations ago, he crashed into your life and stole your heart. You didn’t mean to fall for him, but his soulful brown eyes and bright smile captivated you. Besides, the feelings are mutual. You don’t want him to leave, but you know he can’t stay. He’s a soldier, with things to do and places to go, and you’re just a waitress at a diner in the middle of nowhere.

You’re spending your last night together sitting up on the rooftop of the diner, legs dangling over the edge, as you gaze up at the moon and soak in each other’s presence. It’s quiet, like it usually is in the desert, and not a soul would dare to disturb this moment, not even Violet. You want your last night with Jesse to be a memorable one, and what better way to end it then with the way you started it; on the roof. It may be silly to some, but it makes the pain a little easier.

“You’re leaving tomorrow,” you say sadly.

“Yeah,” Jesse answers, equally feeling sad about his departure.

“I don’t want you to go,” you admit as your voice quivers.

Jesse wraps an arm around you and pulls you against his side, leaning his head atop yours. “I don’t want to go either.”

“Stay?” you ask.

“You know I can’t,” Jesse sighs.

“Please,” you plead while nuzzling into his neck. “Don’t go.”

Jesse’s heart breaks. He picks his head up and cups the side of your face, leaning in and closing his eyes to capture your soft lips with his own. You press your body against his, deepening the kiss until Jesse is laying flat against the roof and you’re straddling over his stomach. Your lips are locked as Jesse glides his rough hands over your smooth back, pulling your shirt in different directions as he maps out the plains of your body.

Jesse breaks the kiss for a moment. “Come back to Coruscant with me,” he whispers while ghosting his lips over yours before nipping at your bottom lip and pulling them back against his.

Now it’s your turn to break the kiss. “Jesse–”

“We could get an apartment,” he cuts you off before you can protest, then plants a gentle kiss on the corner of your mouth. “I’ll take care of you.” Another kiss finds its mark. “My vode will adore you.” A gentle suck at your bottom lip. “We’ll make lots of babies.” He smirks and you can’t stop the giggle from forming.

You sit up and release a soft sigh. “Sounds nice.”

Jesse reaches up and cups your chin. “But?”

You melt into his caress for a moment before removing his hand from your face. “But I can’t.”

Jesse bends his knees so you can lean back against them, then laces his fingers under his head. “Why not?”

You absently draw small circles around his chest with your fingers, the longing evident in your actions but missing from your words. “My home is here.”

“I could be your home,” Jesse reassures with a small smile.

You briefly smile back and tap at his chest. “What if something happens to you? I’ll be alone.”

Jesse knits his brows and frowns, fully understanding your hesitation. He’s a soldier, created to be expendable. His brothers die every day and no one bats an eyelash. There’s no guarantees that he’ll come back from his next campaign alive, but still, he wants this. He wants you.

Jesse untangles his fingers from behind his head and takes both of your hands in his own, kissing them tenderly. “I can’t promise tomorrow,” he admits. “I can only promise now.”

A single tear rolls down your cheek. “Then can I have you, at least right now?”

Jesse wipes your tear with his thumb, then flips you onto your back so he’s hovering over you. He leans down and presses his lips to yours once again, yearning to taste as much of you as possible. If this is his only moment with you, then he wants to remember everything. Every sweet taste, every curve, every bump, and every heavenly sound you’ll make for him as he ravages your body with only the moon above as a witness.

“Jesse,” you say his name breathlessly as your desire builds. “I want–”

Jesse places a finger against your lips to hush you. “I know, mesh’la,” he soothes while rubbing his finger across your plush lips before gently pushing it into your mouth, causing you to gasp. “We’ve got all night.”

The light of the rising sun pierces through your eyelids, rousing you from your slumber. The morning comes quicker than you expect and you groan as you sit yourself up on the hard dura-steel roof. You rub the sleep from your eyes and look over to your right, expecting Jesse to still be sleeping, but he’s gone. Your heart sinks and you whip your head around to make sure he didn’t get up and stretch his legs, but you don’t see him. He must have left before you awoke.

Holding tears back, you stand up and pat down your wrinkled and disheveled clothes, trying to regain some semblance of normalcy. But who are you kidding? How could you ever be normal again after a night like that? A night of romance, passion, and longing that made you feel everything and nothing all at the same time. You know this is for the best. He’ll go back to Coruscant, back to the war, and you’ll be here, working your minimum wage job.

You break at the thought. Dropping to your knees you begin to sob, grieving over what you let go of. You don’t want Jesse to leave. You don’t want him to be a one night stand. You want a life with him. Even if it means him being away for weeks at a time or that he may leave and never come back. That slim chance is lightyears better than never seeing him again, than never feeling his burning touch on your skin or hearing his deep voice whisper sweetly in your ear.

You have to go after him. You can’t let him leave, not without you. Maybe it’s selfish, but you don’t care. Burdened with the thought of never seeing him again, you wipe your face, pick yourself up, and head to the ledge. You grab the ladder and stare off into the distance, wondering if you’ll catch a glimpse of him, but you don’t. You may be too late. Regardless, you slip down the ladder, ignoring the rungs and land with a thud onto the dusty ground.

You’re breathing heavily, your hair is a mess, and your clothes are horribly wrinkled, but you don’t care. You push open the front door violently. “I quit!”

Violet looks up at you from where she’s mopping the floor and pauses to lean on her mop with a knowing smile. Love wins, she guesses, and she’s right.

You walk over to Violet and throw your arms around her. “I’m sorry, but I have to go.”

“I know,” Violet says as she hugs you tightly.

“I’ll miss you,” you whisper, the tears barely held back.

“I’ll miss you too,” Violet answers with a tremble in her voice. She breaks your embrace and composes herself. “Now go, or you won’t catch him.”

You reluctantly let go of your best friend, and with tears in your eyes, you back away and leave.

“You got everything?” Waxer asks as he carries another crate into the transport that’s taking Jesse back to Coruscant.

“Hm?” Jesse snaps out of his daze. “Oh, yeah,” Jesse answers, and then pauses. “I… I left something in the desert.”

“I hope it wasn’t valuable,” Waxer laughs.

Jesse stares out towards the dusty horizon and sighs. “Priceless, actually.”

Waxer claps a comforting hand on Jesse’s shoulder. “Sorry to hear that.”

Jesse gives Waxer a half smile, but it quickly fades back into a frown. His transport leaves within the hour and he wonders if he made a mistake by not saying goodbye. He thought if he left without a word, it would be easier for both of you, but he was wrong. His chest feels tight and his heart aches. What he wouldn’t give to hear your voice one more time. He didn’t think it was possible to leave this dusty planet more upset than when he first landed, and yet here he is.

Jesse takes one last look at the place he initially despised, then turns to board the transport. It’s not just you that he left in the desert. He left his heart there too, on the rooftop of that old diner. He sits on one of the crates in the back of the transport and leans his head against the cold frame. He didn’t want this assignment. He didn’t want to come here. It could have been any other clone, but no, his number was drawn. The universe has a cruel sense of humor.

Before the ramp closes, Jesse hears someone calling for the transport to halt. Leaving his bucket on the crate, he makes his way back down the ramp to ask what’s delaying the departure, thinking it might be something mechanical. However, as he barely steps off the ramp and onto the dusty earth, he sees a speeder in the distance. He grabs a pair of scopes from a nearby clone trooper and dials in on the speeder. His breath catches in his throat. It’s you.

Jesse gives the scopes back to the clone trooper he took them from and starts walking away from the transport, his heart beating rapidly out of his chest, wondering if it’s really true or if the desert heat is playing tricks on him. Did you just want to say goodbye or do you want to go with him? He doesn’t dare let himself think the latter. You made it clear to him last night that you won’t go with him, but he wants to hope so badly. He wants to believe that it’s the only reason.

The speeder comes to a screeching halt a couple yards away from Jesse and he watches with bated breath as you jump out of it and sprint towards him.

“Jesse!” you yell as tears fall from your face.

Jesse smiles and opens his arms. You jump into them without a second thought and bury your face into his neck. He wraps his arms around you and lifts you off of the ground and onto his hips, one arm cradling your butt and the other securing around your back.

“I didn’t think I was going to make it in time,” you cry.

“You made it, mesh’la,” Jesse soothes as he kisses your cheek. “I’m sorry I didn’t say goodbye.”

You pick your head up and look at him through blurry vision, a small smile growing on your lips. “Not goodbye. I’m going with you.”

Jesse’s eyes dart around your face, looking for any semblance that you’re joking or maybe this is a dream, but he can’t find anything. “You’re coming with me? To Coruscant?”

You nod your head, afraid that your voice will crack if you try to use it again.

Jesse squeezes you tighter, terrified that at any moment you’ll be ripped away from him. He can’t believe that you changed your mind, that you’re going back with him. His thoughts race a mile a minute as he thinks about your future together. He has a stake in this war now, something worth fighting for that wasn’t thrust upon him by someone else or programmed into him as duty and loyalty. No, now he has you, and he will fight this war to make sure you stay safe in his arms.

“Let’s go home,” Jesse says as he carries you into the transport.

You smile and rest your head on his shoulder. “I’d like that.”

Masterlist

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[ladyanidala]

Jesse Snippet to validate my hard work

So, after rereading the latest scene I wrote, I came to the (fortunate for you, unfortunate for me) conclusion that this WIP is quickly going from a 10k to a 15k fic.

Send help, I done screwed myself with this one XD

ANYWAYS, snippet bc DANG IT I WORKED HARD ON THIS

You sighed silently, choosing instead to finish tending to his wound. Knot the last stitch. Cut the string. Place the needle and thread on a sterile tray. Wipe the wound with an antiseptic wipe. Grab a bacta patch- “Doc.” You jumped, startled out of the instructions you’d known since the beginning of your medical training. “Yeah?” Jesse turned to face you fully, head moving away from the bacta patch you held. “Why did you push me away?” You glanced down at the floor, afraid that if you met his eyes, you’d find anger and condemnation.

I'M LITERALLY GOING TO DIE, THIS FIC IS GOING TO BE THE DEATH OF ME

(tagging: @aknightreaderr @kometqh @sleepingbeauty21 @littlemissmanga @freesia-writes - if you want to be added to the taglist, feel free to ask! <3)

[isaidonyourknees]

Lucky Number Five

Fives x f!reader

Word count: 2.9k

Summary: the number five has always seemed to follow you around. One day, it all makes sense why

Warnings: none! If you think I missed something, let me know!

A/N: hi! My favourite number is actually five! It always has been and when Fives was introduced I knew he would become one of my favourite characters. And he very much is. Also fun fact: the opening is based off the conversation I had with my older sister when I was little and really is why five is my favourite number. Hope you enjoy 💕

“What’s your favourite number?”

You look up from your toys to see your older sister standing over you. You drop your toys, turning all your focus towards the question.

“Five! ‘Cause I’m five!” You announce proudly. Your sister sits down next to you.

“Mine’s five too” she says. Your eyes widen.

“Really! Why?”

“When I was three my favourite number was three. And when I was four my favourite number was four. And when I was five my favourite number was five. But I think six looks funny so my favourite number is five” she explains. Wanting to impress your older sister you nod along.

“Six does look funny,” you agree with her. You really didn’t think six looked funny, yet five stuck with you anyway.

•~•~•

You’re tired by the time your ship lands on Coruscant. Leaving your home world was a tough decision but you knew you wouldn’t be able to make much of yourself if you stayed there. You didn’t know what you wanted to do with your life, but you did know that you wouldn’t figure it out on your small fishing world. Coruscant had a little bit of everything and you figured it was a good place to start. You had managed to get a small apartment in a somewhat decent area and you had secured yourself a job at a diner nearby. You had shipped your belongings to your new apartment over the past few weeks and now it was your turn to finally arrive at your new home.

Lugging your last few bags with you over the several blocks between the spaceport and your apartment was even more tiring and by the time you finally arrive you’re ready to collapse from the exhaustion.

“Almost there” you remind yourself as you muster up the last ounces of energy you have. You knock on a plain door with ‘office’ written on it. A few moments pass and you’re starting to think that maybe no one’s there and you may be stranded for the night when the door finally opens. A Togrutan man gives you a questioning look.

“Can I help you with something?”

“Yeah I’m here to pick up my key” you say, giving him your name. He closes the door on you without saying anything.

“Prick” you grumble under your breath. The door reopens and he carelessly tosses you the keys.

“Level 8. Room 5. Elevators broken” he says, closing the door on you again before you could even suck in a breath to respond. You huff, slumping a little before you grab your bags again and begin the climb.

When you finally reach the eighth level you breathe a sigh of relief. Walking down the hallway you glance at each door, checking each number until you find number five. You drop your bags and slowly reach up to trace the number on the door. Five. 5. This number always seems to find its way to you. You were the fifth name on the school register. You graduated fifth highest in your class. Your first car was a fifth generation. Now that you think of it, it took you five tries before you found this apartment. None of it was planned. The number five was just always around. You shake your head. You’re tired and are probably reading too much into it.

Unlocking the door, you’re glad to see that all of your boxes have made it here safely. You’ll worry about them later. For now you dig your bedding out of one of your bags and make your bed, ready to pass out in it. You’ll have to start unpacking your things tomorrow and then you officially start at your new job the day after. You fall face first onto your bed, looking forward to your much needed rest.

•~•~•

“Here’s your shirt and apron. You’ll need to get your own black pants. And we’re a no droid establishment so don’t try to smuggle one in,” your new manager - Nara - explains.

“Why would I smuggle a droid in?” You question. Nara rolls her eyes.

“Our last dishwasher decided that he could get a droid to do the job for him so he could slack off. He didn’t last long. Thing is, a lot of people have issues with droids for whatever reason” Nara explains with a shrug. “Because we’re droid free, you’ll see a few of clones in here. They’re usually hungover and will keep to themselves, but a few will try to cause some trouble every now and then. Just grab me or Bill and we’ll deal with them.”

“Clones?” You ask. Nara frowns.

“Yeah. They’re the ones currently fighting against the separatists. Alongside the Jedi. You do know about the war right?”

“Well yeah, but I didn’t know that the republic had clones created.”

Isn’t that a bit unethical you thought to yourself.

“It’s why it’s called the clone wars” Nara laughs.

“I guess my world is so removed from it all. We just called it the war” you shrug.

“Well next time some come in, I’ll make sure to point them out to you. Now here’s your order pad,” she hands you a small device. “It’ll take a little time getting used to, the layout isn’t the best, but you’ll be fine. To log on just press this user button and enter your login number. Yours is five I believe.” Nara clicks the user button and types in the number. Your name appears at the top of the screen.

“Remember that number. You’ll also be using it to clock in and out each day. Now for today you can just shadow me and learn the layout and order pad.”

You followed Nara around, mainly focusing on taking orders and pouring cafs. You were quick to pick things up and by the end of your third shift you were running food and cleaning tables. It wasn’t exactly fulfilling work but it kept you busy and you appreciated that.

A week after you had started, you were wiping down a table when Nara sidled up next to you.

“Here come your first lot of clones.”

You look up and watch five armoured men seat themselves in one of the booths. They were all the same height and they had the same handsome face. It was a little weird to look at five seperate men when they all looked the same. But with a closer look you saw the little ways they differed from each other - two were completely bald, while another had an intricate buzz cut. The two bald men had face tattoos. Another one had a goatee. All of their armour had different patterns all painted the same dark blue colour.

“The boys of the 501st,” Nara continues. “They’re usually a lot of fun, if you catch my drift.” She winks.

“Nara!” You exclaim, not expecting her to say something like that. 501st. There’s that number again. She just smirks and shrugs, unapologetic.

“They can be a bit flirty and mischievous, but overall they’re kind and friendly. They’re perfect for your first taste of clones. Here I’ll finish this.” Nara takes the spray bottle and cloth from you and nudges you towards the newly occupied booth.

“Good morning!” You chirp. One of them groans, causing you to falter.

“Don’t mind him,” the man with the intricate buzz cut says. “He had too much to drink last night.”

“Oh. So one caf for him,” you note.

“Make that one for each of us sweet cheeks!” The clone with a tattoo that wrapped around his head and ended under his eye said. You eye him wearily as you enter the order.

“You’re new here.” This comes from the clone with no physical changes to him. He has a hand print stamped onto the chest of his armour to identify him though.

“Uhh yes. Started last week actually” you respond. He gives you a kind smile, easing you a bit.

“It’s nice to see a new face,” he says. You look at each of them in turn, taking in their features. Their strong cheekbones and their chocolate brown eyes. Their tattoos and haircuts. It must be so weird seeing your own face over and over again.

“I can imagine” you reply with a small smile. It earns you a chuckle and your smile widens a little more.

“I like you. The name’s Echo” he introduces himself.

“Nice to meet you Echo. I like you too.”

“Echo if you’re done flirting, I’d like to get something to eat,” the clone with the republic cog tattooed on his face says, slurring slightly. Clearly he still had some alcohol left in him. Echo flushes slightly.

“I’m not flirting Jesse. I’m being nice!” Echo fires back.

“Hey I don’t blame you, she’s pretty. But can we get food first?” Jesse says. You feel your cheeks warm up slightly.

“Do you all know what you want or do you need some time to look at the menu?” You ask, trying to ignore the slight warmth in your cheeks.

“We’re ready” Jesse claims but the other clone with the face tattoo is quick to speak up.

“Wait I’m not! I don’t know what I want yet!”

“Hardcase!” Jesse groans in annoyance. You chuckle a little to yourself at their antics. They are certainly endearing.

“Well how about I go get you fellas some caf and that’ll give you some time to think about what you want to eat,” you give them the compromise with a smile.

“Thank you,” the man with the buzz cut says. “Could you make his a double. He needs it.” He gestures to the man next to him, the only one yet to say anything. He’s got his head pressed to the table, his eyes closed and his face screwed up.

“Sure thing.”

You move over to the counter, grabbing five cups and setting them down on a tray. Nara is quick to approach you.

“Sooooo, what do you think?” She whispers. You roll your eyes but can’t help smiling along with her.

“They’re definitely endearing. You didn’t tell me that they’re so attractive!” You say, voice low. She laughs.

“Well I had to leave something for you to discover!” She giggles. You pour out the drinks, making sure to make one a little stronger for the man who is still hungover.

“Do you know this group?” You ask as you organise the drinks.

“I mean each time they come in it varies a little. Their captain is sometimes with them, as well as a few others. They usually spend the night at 79s - a club popular amongst the clones - which is only a few blocks away before coming here to sober up a little before they head back to their base for their training. I’ve had a some flings with a few of them, but you have to be careful with clones. They don’t always come back.”

This dampens the mood between the two of you. These poor men are born to die. You vow to yourself then and there that whenever you interact with a clone, you’ll make it a good experience.

“Don’t let this stop you if one catches your eye,” Nara rushes to say when she senses the shift in the mood. “Just be careful. Don’t get too attached.”

You return the caf pot and give her a shaky smile, not really sure what to say. She returns with her own shaky smile before you grab the tray of drinks.

“Alright boys here are your cafs” you announce, placing the tray in their table and placing a cup in front of each man, making sure to give the stronger one to the man who still had his eyes closed.

“Not so loud please” he groans.

“Oh so you can speak?” You say to him. He slowly opens his eyes and when he finally takes a look at you, he bolts upright.

“Whoa” is all he says. You blink, not sure what’s happening. Shaking it off you nudge his caf closer to him with a smile.

“This should make you feel at least a little better.” He accepts the cup, taking a drink from it, however he doesn’t take his eyes off you. Unsure what’s happening, you glance at the man next to him - the one with the buzz cut - who nudges the staring one in the ribs.

“Ow Kix!” He grunts.

“Shush I know that didn’t hurt,” Kix scolds.

Clearing your throat, you pull out your order pad.

“Alright have you got your order figured out now Hardcase?” You ask.

“Sure have! I’ll have the pancakes” he announces proudly.

“Good choice” you say as you note it down.

“Make that two pancakes please,” Jesse interjects and you nod your confirmation.

“May I please get the fruit toast” Echo requests when you’re ready.

“Sure can.”

“And I’ll get the scrambled eggs” Kix says. You look at the last clone to order. He no longer looks hungover. It seems he pulled himself together rather quickly. He flashes you a charming grin and Kix groans.

“Here we go” he mutters. The clone with the goatee ignores his brother as he leans forward.

“What would you recommend?” He questions.

“I’m not too sure. I haven’t worked here long enough to be able to give a good recommendation. The breakfast burger looks good,” You suggest.

“Perfect. I’ll get you one of those.” You add the dish to the order before sending it through to the kitchen.

“Food shouldn’t be too long. Let me know if you need anymore caf” you add, not really sure what to do while the clone with the goatee continued to stare at you. You hurried off, returning behind the counter to do some tidying up.

“Good job di’kut, you scared her off” you hear one of them chide.

You busy yourself with other customers and cleaning tables, your eyes constantly flicking over to watch the group of clones. They were chatting amongst themselves, clearly having fun and enjoying the company of their brothers. After the first few glances at their table, the still unnamed clone started to catch your eye. At first you were embarrassed at having been caught, until you realised that the reason you kept catching his gaze was because he kept glancing at you. Something about you had clearly intrigued him and you were starting to feel the same way about him.

When you were called to grab their food, you were quick to drop what you were doing, looking forward to your interaction with them. It takes you a few trips to get all their food out.

“Could we get some more caf sweet cheeks?” Hardcase asks as you place Kix’s scrambled eggs down in front of him.

“Please” Echo throws in. You smile sweetly at him in appreciation and nod.

“Of course!” You return with the caf pot, pouring some in Hardcase’s cup.

“Anyone else?”

You get a chorus of yes pleases and you go around filling up each cup.

“Careful. This is a new pot so it’s extra hot,” you warn as you top up the last cup.

“Not as hot as you” the clone with the goatee says with a wink, catching you off guard. Your eyes widen in surprise.

“Uh - I -“ you don’t get much time to think of a response before Jesse is groaning.

“Come on, surely you have something better than that Fives.”

His name is Fives. That damn number.

You drop the pot of caf.

“Kriff!” You swear. Nara hurries over at the commotion.

“I’m so sorry! I was just- I just-“ you stutter out, completely frazzled.

“Hey, don’t stress. It’s fine! I’ll go get a mop. Don’t move so you don’t hurt yourself,” she reassures you before she heads out the back.

“Hey, you alright?” Echo asks, a concerned look on his face. You look at him so you don’t have to look at Fives. Because something about encountering the number this time seems different. It’s as if all the other fives have been leading to this one. To Fives. The handsome clone right in front of you.

You do glance over at him then. He looks surprised and a little concerned like the rest of his brothers. Now it’s your turn to stare at him for a little bit before you answer Echo’s question while your eyes remain fixated on Fives.

“Yeah. I am now.”

•~•~•

“Come on, if we stay here any longer we’ll get a scolding from Rex” Kix says.

“Ugh no thanks” Hardcase groans.

“Aw come on. Echo wants to flirt with the cute waitress a little more, don’t you?” Jesse teases, throwing his arm around Echo.

“Kix is right. Besides, I think I’ll leave her for Fives. He seems pretty enamoured by her” Echo responds.

“Yeah, well did you see her?” Fives comments back. Kix stands up from the table.

“Well you can daydream about her all you want on the walk back to base” he says. Fives rolls his eyes, but stands up with the rest of his brothers as they file out of the booth.

He’s following them to the door when he feels a hand grasp his wrist. He turns to find you standing nervously behind him. He gives you his most charming smile and you smile back at him. He can’t help but think that you have such a sweet smile. You press a piece of paper into his hand.

“If-if you’re interested” you stutter. Then you’re turning away and returning to your job. His smile widens as he tucks the piece paper with your comm number on it carefully into his pocket.

You’d be hearing from him very soon.

[ghostofskywalker]

On A Good Note

Jesse/Fem!Reader

Fictober Day 25 of 31

Words: 1,293

Summary: Jesse's crush on one of the singers at 79's isn't hard to miss, and it just so happens that she likes him too.

Clone Troopers Masterlist

A chorus of groans echoed through the room moments after Jesse suggested that they go to 79’s that night. They all knew why he wanted to go, and it had nothing to do with the drinks. 

“You do know your girlfriend won’t be there, right?” Fives asked, laying back on his bunk. “It’s karaoke night, she’s probably off.”

Jesse already did a terrible job at hiding the wicked crush he had on one of the bar’s rotating musical acts, but this time he didn’t even catch himself before speaking. “What? No, she’ll be there, it’s Zhellday.” 

Kix smiled at his brother’s pining. They had been introduced to you on multiple occasions and you always made a point to say hello whenever you saw them, so it made sense why his batchmate was so smitten. Jesse was definitely not the only clone in the GAR with a case of lovesickness though, but Kix never elected to point that fact out when the opportunity presented itself (and it had, on multiple occasions). 

Echo looked up from the datapad he had previously been working on. “Why would they pay her to be there when the entertainment of the evening is going to be made up of whatever di’kuts are drunk enough to take the stage?” 

“It won’t be the whole night though,” Jesse pointed out. “They usually turn off the karaoke machine a couple hours in.” 

“Yeah, once the staff can’t handle any more,” Hardcase said. “We all have the same voice, how is it possible that some of us can be so bad at singing, while others sound perfect?” 

A collective shudder went through the group as they remembered the last time they went to karaoke night at 79’s, where a group of shinies failed so spectacularly at carrying a tune that people were actually getting up and leaving. And since all this had come after an angel voiced medic belted out a catchy song with his name in the title, it was a little more embarrassing for those troopers than it might have been if they followed another act.

Jesse stood there as he stared at his brothers. In his heart he knew that he was right, and that you would indeed be there this evening, whether you were performing or not. “Want to make a bet of it?” he asked. “Ten credits says she’s there.” 

Fives shrugged. “I’ll take that bet,” he said. “It’s not like we had any other ideas of where to go tonight.” 

***

Much to Jesse’s dismay, it seemed like his brothers were right. By the time they had arrived at 79’s the karaoke machine was already out, and some members of the Wolfpack were currently on the stage, showing off their (surprisingly good) rendition of the galaxy’s current top hit. Jesse scanned the crowd of people, and though not everyone here was a clone, he didn’t find what he was looking for. He would never admit it, but not seeing you put a damper on the night he wasn’t sure he could remove, and it wasn’t even about the fact that he was now ten credits poorer. 

Sitting in the 501st’s empty booth and nursing a drink that had surely been watered down, Jesse was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn’t really notice anyone sit down next to him, not until you said his name. 

What happened next was not his finest moment, as he almost dropped his drink and then forgot how to talk. “You’re here,” he finally managed to stutter out, a look of surprise surely on his face. In the face of danger he was able to make quick decisions and react accordingly in record time, but apparently all that went out the window when it came to you.

You smiled, and Jesse immediately tried to commit that image to memory. “I am,” you said. “You sound shocked.” 

“We had guessed you wouldn’t be here,” was his quick response. “You know, because it’s karaoke night.” If he was trying in any way to sound cool, this was not helping. 

“You were kind of right,” you said. “I’m not here in an official sense, but I happen to like it here, so I stopped by to see some karaoke in action.” 

“Really?” Jesse gesturing up to the stage, where a 327th trooper’s voice was cracking with every other lyric. “Do you regret it yet?” 

The laugh that came from you was heavenly, Jesse decided in that moment. And it would have been the best thing he’d ever experienced, had he not seen your smile grow at the same time. “I think my ears will sooner or later,” you said. “But you’ve been pretty good company so far.” 

“You’re welcome to stay here as long as you want,” he said. “Most of my brothers won’t come back or sit down until they want to leave.” 

Much to his surprise (and delight), you stayed. Past conversations with you had always been easy, despite how the butterflies he felt every time you looked his way. But this time it was only him you were speaking to, rather than sharing some pleasantries with the entire company as you passed by their table between your sets. Now, he had you all to himself, even if it would be for the briefest of moments. 

Jesse could see fatigue on your face as your head began to droop, and when the first yawn exited your mouth, he was already moving to get out of the booth. “Let me walk you home.” 

You shook your head, stifling another yawn at the same time. “No, you don’t have to.” 

“Please,” he said. “I want to make sure you get there safe.” 

You didn’t argue any more, and Jesse sent a quick communication to his brothers that he was leaving early and would see them the next day. He didn’t mention the reason that he had left, but he figured that the whole battalion already knew who he had spent most of his time tonight with, so it didn’t really matter. They would tease him tomorrow about it anyway, no matter what happened.

Your apartment was close by, and the two of you walked side by side through the chilly night air. Jesse was growing tired too, and by the time you were pulling a key from your pocket and unlocking your door, he certainly was feeling the urge to yawn. 

“Thank you,” you said sincerely, turning around as the door creaked open. “Seriously.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. Maker, he was so close to you right now, it was more intoxicating than the liquor he had already consumed. He really wanted to kiss you, and the weirdly awkward moment where the two of you stared at each other was doing nothing to counteract that desire. 

As you leaned in, he mirrored your movements, and when your lips grazed his cheek, it felt like he was dreaming. “Wait,” he breathed, right as you were about to pull away. “May I?” 

He would have elaborated, but it was clear you were thinking the same thing. He didn’t even move to close the gap between you before your lips were on his, and Jesse’s brain stopped working at that moment. His hands instinctively moved to your hips as he poured every bit of emotion into the kiss. 

He was just glad that this hadn’t happened in the bar, because the teasing from his brothers would have been absolutely relentless. At least now, he could try to keep this new development to himself (even though the dopey smile he couldn’t wipe off his face would most definitely give him away). 

Whatever his brothers would say was absolutely worth the embarrassment though, that he knew for sure. 

- the end -

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[arctrooper69]

Eyes Like Champagne

"I got a Girl in the War, Paul. Her eyes are like champagne. They sparkle, bubble over and in the morning all you got is rain."

~ "Girl in the War" - Josh Ritter

Warnings: Reader death. Mentions of blood and violence.

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

"I can't wait to see you!" You spoke softly into the flickering hologram. The blue light illuminated your smile. Jesse loved that smile.

"I know, me neither. Just a few more days though. I'll be back on base soon."

You shifted, settling into a more comfortable position. Jesse could see the shelves stocked full of medical supplies behind you.

"Are you hiding in the supply tent again?" He asked, unable to keep from cracking a grin.

The guilty smile on your face was all the answer he needed. He sighed and shook his head, still trying but failing to look stern. "You really shouldn't be in there, you know. Someone could see you."

It was your turn to roll your eyes. "Well, no one's here right now. And besides," You winked at him. "If anyone asks, I'm just taking inventory."

Jesse pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"Yeah, but you love me anyway." Your breath hitched as you realized what you just said.

Jesse looked down. The dirt beneath his feet had suddenly become very interesting.

"Jesse?" You questioned, eyebrows pulled together in concern. "What's wrong?"

He looked back up at you, "It's nothing...it..." He paused and opened then closed his mouth as if he was going to say something but changed his mind. "It's been a long day for both of us. You should get some sleep."

You were quiet for a moment. Jesse mentally kicked himself. Say something! Tell her!

"Yeah." You replied softly and smiled at him. "See you when we get back? Drinks are on me."

"Same booth at 79s?"

"Of course." You nodded with a smile. "Stay safe till then."

"Yeah," Jesse replied. "You too."

The call ended and Jesse groaned. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! Jesse cursed to himself quietly. Why hadn't he said anything? Maybe it was just playful banter between friends, but, maybe it was more. Maybe you actually meant it. Maybe you were actually in love with him. What if you felt the same way about him as he did about you?

"Next time." Jesse resolved quietly to himself. On Coruscant in the corner booth of 79s where he first met you. That's where he'd tell you.

***

Jesse sat beside you on the rooftop under the nighttime glow of the city planet. You were wearing the dress he liked - the red one that hugged you in all the right places. Jesse reached into his pack, procuring a small bottle of champagne. You laughed as he regaled to you what Kix had gone through to find it. That was the moment when he realized that he loved you. The bottle refracted the glow of the street lights, sending crystals of light that danced across your face, sparkling like the golden bubbles spilling from the glass.

Suddenly you sat up, lifting your head from his shoulder as if you'd heard something. Jesse's hair stood on edge. You turned to him slowly, face drawn in a sad smile as you placed a hand on his face.

The smooth fabric of the gloves felt cold on his skin. The drab grey of your surgeon's uniform replaced the crimson fabric you'd been wearing just moments ago. Had the dress just been a figment of his imagination?

He stared into your eyes - they still held that champagne sparkle that warmed his heart, but sorrow clouded the other features of your face.

"Jesse." You whispered, lips barely moving. He shivered as a breeze fluttered through the air and you laid you head on his chest.

"I'm scared Jesse, will you hold me?"

He held you tightly, feeling your body shiver against his own.

"Tell me it'll be okay." He looked down at you and nearly screamed. You lay there in his arms with a smouldering hole in the center of your chest. Blood trickled from so many different cuts and scrapes across your body, staining the grey uniform as red as the dress he'd imagined you wearing before. Terror rose in his chest as you grasped his fingers, but somehow you didn't seem to be afraid anymore. You didn't seem to notice how your blood spread across the floor, turning everything it touched into a heady crimson. You were wearing the dress again, but this time the fabric flowed around you, pooling like blood on the ground, dripping through his fingers.

"Tell me I'll be okay, Jesse."

***

Jesse woke with a start, heart thudding against his ribcage.

"Jesse get up! We're gonna be late!" Kix was suddenly beside him, shaking his shoulder. He looked around, the barracks were nearly empty. His best friend and brother frowned down at him, hand still resting on his shoulder as he slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"You okay?"

Jesse blinked and took a deep breath, trying to shrug off the cold, heavy feeling of terror that still gripped his waking body.

"Yeah. I - I think so." He stood up, rubbing a hand over his head.

"You sure?" Kix cocked his head at his brother's odd behavior.

"I'm sure, Kix. I just had a really weird dream."

Kix nodded in understanding. They all had odd dreams or even nightmares from time to time. "Well, we're still going to be late for roll call if you don't hurry up."

Jesse shoved a bite of a ration bar in his mouth as he hurriedly threw his armor on. "I'm coming, I'm coming."

***

It had been almost a full rotation since Jesse had woken up from the nightmare, yet he still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that something wasn't right.

He entered the small medbay looking around for his friend. "Kix?" Jesse called. "You wanted to see me?"

Kix sat silently on a stool in the corner taking stock of the medical supplies in front of him. Jesse frowned, "You ok, vod?"

Kix turned to face him, pulling his lips into a tight line across his face. He stood up, "Jesse, which Rimsoo is your girl stationed at?"

Jesse rolled his eyes. "She's not my girl, Kix. At least not yet." He paused, taking in Kix's serious demeanor. "Why?" He asked hesitantly, thinking of the dream he'd had the night before. "What's wrong?"

Kix shook his head. "Just answer the question."

"RMSU 14 on Scipio. Sector 1. Why?"

"Our troopers on Anaxes were overrun." Jesse jumped to attention as Captain Rex entered the room.

"At ease, soldier."

Jesse's posture relaxed but his mind still whirred about. Why had he been called here? Had he done something wrong? Both Kix and the Captain knew about the close relationship between the two of you, but had someone else seen something and assumed the worst?

"Captain," Jesse started, then paused when he saw the defeated frown on his face. "Rex, what's wrong? What happened?"

Rex shook his head. "The 401st Battalion was losing Anaxes so their general decided to cut their losses and retreat to Scipio. They took on reinforcements to cut off the supply lines running to Anaxes. In retaliation, the seppies bombed them. Specifically the rimsoo where they knew most of our wounded were being treated."

Jesse felt cold.

"I'm sorry, vod." Kix stepped up to him, "There were no survivors."

Jesse's heart dropped. He could almost hear it shatter. He'd lost brothers before. Hell, it was programmed into them to accept loss and move on. So why did this feel so different? Why did it feel like he'd been kicked in the chest? He stood stiffly, jaw clenched, desperately trying to channel whatever foreign emotion it was that he felt, into rage. Jesse could handle rage. Jesse knew anger. It was familiar. This pain - this kind of heavy grief wasn't something he could suppress and lock away, so he willed it to become something else.

Rex held out a datapad. "I received the message this morning. I assume she rigged it to send once the signal could reach. She recorded this for you, Jesse." Rex's voice sounded far away.

Kix put a hand on Jesse's shoulder. "It may be hard to watch, vod. These are probably her final moments."

Jesse held the datapad with shaking hands.

"Do you want me to stay?" Kix asked gently. Jesse shook his head. "No that's ok. I...I need to do this alone."

Kix nodded. "We'll be right outside."

Rex placed a heavy hand on his shoulder. "I can cover your absence for a few hours," he spoke hesitantly, "But then I need you back in the field."

Jesse could only nod his head as Rex left the room, numb to everything around him save for the datapad in his hands.

Jesse gripped the datapad until his fingers were white. What was so important that you'd send him a message with your last efforts? And why him? He stared at the screen for what seemed like hours until he finally drew up the strength to hit play.

"Hey Jesse." Your voice was weak as you took a shaky breath. "I hope you get this." The light from your headlamp dimly illuminated your face and Jesse could see the blood caked with dust smeared across your face. A tear escaped your eyes and you wiped it away quickly, leaving more blood smeared across your cheekbone. You sniffed, "S-sorry."

Jesse wanted to reach through the screen and tell you that there was no reason to be sorry, and that even the best soldiers cried sometimes.

The image shifted slightly as you gasped, letting out a barely audible whimper. Jesse felt his heart crack.

The screen centered back onto your face. You looked around you and then back at the screen.

"Everyone else is dead, I think." You paused and took a breath, wincing in pain from a wound that Jesse couldn't see. "I'm buried under two tons of rock. I'm not gonna make it outta here, Jess. I'm so sorry." You choked. Despite your attempts to remain strong, more tears flowed down your face carving paths through the bloodied grime.

"I...I dunno how long the charge'll last on this thing but I hope that if someone finds my body, they'll give this to you."

You paused to catch your breath, leaning back against a rock. "I guess you'll have to find someone else to share that drink with at 79s." You chuckled weakly, eyes fluttering closed for a moment. Jesse wanted to jump up and shake you. Yell at you. No, no no! Eyes open, Mesh'la. Stay with me. He begged silently.

You seemed to respond to his demands as you groaned and took a shuddering breath. Your eyes were glassy.

"Do you remember that night on the roof? When we got stupid drunk off that champagne that Kix smuggled out of Felucia for you?"

You smiled, closing your eyes again.

"I meant what I said by the way." You slurred drowsily. "I love you Jesse. I think....I think I was just too scared to say it before."

Your eyes screwed shut in pain as the screen shifted again. Jesse's heart thudded against his ribcage. He felt so helpless, watching the pain drain the life from your skin.

"I...I was gonna kiss you in 79s," you said with a quiet chuckle. Jesse almost couldn't make out your words. You raised your head, looking through the screen, and smiled. There it was - that bubbly sparkle in your eyes that Jesse knew so well. For one timeless moment, he could forget the current circumstances and lose himself in them just as he had so many times before. This time he knew you loved him. But this time he couldn't say it in return.

"You would've been my first kiss." The words came as a mournful whisper.

"I don't wanna die, Jesse." Your voice cracked. "But maybe it won't be so bad. It won't hurt anymore." You let out a shaky breath, fingertips brushing the screen. "I'll see you around, yeah?"

The holovid cut off and Jesse was left sitting alone in the dimly lit barracks, staring at the blank screen. He felt numb, watching as his own fingertips took on a life of their own, brushing the screen of the datapad where yours had been only a few seconds ago.

The door opened and Kix silently entered the room. Upon entering, he scanned his brothers face and knew that his worst fears had come to fruition. Sitting on the bunk beside Jesse, Kix could only muster a heartfelt apology. Not even the best medic could fix a shattered heart.

"I'm so sorry, Jesse."

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

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[ariadnes-red-thread]

The Last Word: Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE: LOOKING TOO CLOSELY

Previous Chapter || Next Chapter [coming soon]

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Fives/OFC

Chapter Summary: Mal settles into the 501st, but running into a familiar face in a clone army is the last thing she expects

Chapter Warnings: Some swearing (mostly in mand'o), Mentions of Umbara/past trauma and past sexual situations

Chapter Word Count: 3.9k

Recommended Listening: Looking Too Closely by Fink

A/N: Whoops, so maybe by "Coming Soon", I meant 14 months later. Sorry, I was crippled by self-hatred, perfection paralysis, and fears of my own incompetence. I'll try to be more cool writer girl next time. Thanks to everyone who connected with Mal and with my writing, and reached out to remind me that this might be a story worth telling. I love and adore you forever.

Ao3

Taglist

“Welcome to the 501st.”

Rex extended his hand out to Mal. For the briefest moment, she stared at his gauntlet, decorated in blue and white. The gap between them felt lightyears apart, and she was almost surprised at how quickly her hand closed the space. Taking his hand, she turned her eyes up to meet his and smiled, trying to reflect the Captain’s own warmth back at him. Mal gripped his hand firmly as she tried to shut out the hundreds of soldiers marching around the 501st’s hangar. The last thing she wanted was for him to see her discomfort. This was an opportunity, and she was grateful for it. It just felt odd, like putting on someone else’s clothes. The size was right, but the fit was all wrong.

Calling it the 501st’s hangar wasn’t entirely true. In a day or so, this battalion - her battalion, Mal quickly reminded herself - would ship out, off to a different star system, and another troop would take over this space for their leave. But for now, it swarmed with blue and white troopers. This system was designed for convenience and space-saving, but it gave Mal, and all transfers, an advantage. She already knew where everything was, from the medical supplies to the fresher. Still, after a briefing on protocols (all of which she learned a long time ago), Rex insisted on giving her a tour.

As he led her through the stacks and pointed out where the medical supplies were being kept, Mal had a feeling he was trying to distract her and that her feeble efforts to mask her unease hadn’t gone far with the blonde clone. She wasn't surprised.

Mal spent most of her life taking care of other people. It had taken a long time for her to get used to the way the Wolfpack watched over her. But she smiled, realizing that all the ways they had helped her made her softer now, more ready to let someone else in. So she tried to relax as she followed Rex, letting him point out where the extra gauze was stored, which fresher to use, and where to find the ration bars if she needed a meal.

Despite herself, Mal soon found herself feeling almost at home. Wolffe was right. Rex was the best. She watched as he would stop occasionally to check in with a passing soldier.  He would slide an arm over their shoulder or rest a hand on the pauldron. Sometimes the check-in would be wordless, just a nod between the two men. Sometimes, Rex would mumble a bit of mando’a, and his brother would smile. Just as quickly, his attention would be back on her. There were a couple of moments when she thought she might have seen a shadow pass over his face as his eyes lingered on a soldier for a moment longer or as he scanned the crowd, looking for someone he couldn’t find. She might have imagined them, though, because, in the next breath, he would turn back to her with a charming grin and point out where someone named Jesse had hidden more snacks.

As Mal peered over his shoulder while he rifled through a med-pack and showed her the simple, familiar contents, the tension started to leave her shoulders, and a wave of ease settled onto her brow. There was comfort in the sameness. And comfort made Mal curious.

“So, who am I working with?” She turned her attention from the med-packs back to the throngs of troopers scattered across the platform.

Rex followed her gaze. With battlefield precision, he scanned the crowd, searching out his medic. The Captain spied his target in split seconds.

“Oi, Kix!” Rex’s voice boomed over the thunder of boots on durasteel.

At least two dozen men jumped to attention as their commanding officer’s call echoed off the soaring walls of the vast space. There was a clattering of dedlanite as a trooper dropped a container of DC15Ss. Across the bay, a clone with a medical sigil on his shoulder peeled off from a group of soldiers. A collective sigh went up through the troopers as they each realized it wasn’t them who was being summoned by their CO.

The medic, Kix, jogged across the hangar to where Mal and Rex were standing with only the lightest sense of urgency. Mal eyed the medic as he got closer. Crux was clinical and quiet, a man of science born from science. Their only heated battles (recently anyways) came when he felt like she was acting on her gut rather than evidence. Kix didn’t appear to be cut from the same cloth. His helmet was tucked under his arm, and she could see how brightly he smiled as he threw greetings and quips over his shoulder at brothers who whistled and cat-called as he ran by. His appearance was as bold as his crossing, with hair closely shaved into intricate lighting bolt patterns and an Aurebeseh tattoo on the left side of his scalp. When he got close enough, Mal could finally make out the writing, ‘The only good droid is a dead droid’. Mal couldn’t help the smile on her face. It was a sentiment she could get behind. The 501st medic came to a halt next to Rex.

“This is Kix.” Rex clapped the medic on the shoulder. “You’ll report to him. There’s the CMO Coric somewhere too but you’ll meet him later. Kix here is the head medic for Torrent Company and the most dedicated medic I’ve ever met. We’re lucky to have him.”

“Aw shucks, Captain.” Kix laughed at Rex. He shifted slightly under Rex’s grasp, just a little further from the Captain. “Nice to meet you…”

He held out a gauntleted hand as he waited for a name.

“Mal.”

“Nice to meet you, Mal.”

Rex watched for a moment before he began to shift from foot to foot. He wasn’t a man who sat still for long, Mal noticed. She wondered if he’d always been like that or if this came from being burdened with so many responsibilities. Wolffe was the same way, his attention jumping from task to task, somehow always simultaneously present and attentive, but still somewhere else.

“I’ve got a meeting with the generals.” Rex finally said as he clapped his gloved palms together. “Kix, you mind helpin’ her get settled?”

“On it, sir.” The medic replied, brightly.

“Thank you, Captain.” Mal turned to Rex. "I feel very settled in."

"Wolffe wouldn't have let me live it down otherwise." He said, waving away her gratitude.

“Come on, I’m starving. Let’s go to the mess.” Kix motioned for Mal to follow him, already spinning on his heel. “You can meet some of the men.”

“Good luck.” Rex cheekily yelled after them.

“I can handle the 501st,” Mal called back over her shoulder, “I put up with the 104th for years.”

Rex laughed and nodded as though she won a hand of sabacc. With a small salute, he turned in the opposite direction and disappeared into the gears of the GAR.

“He’s just being dramatic.” Kix rolled his eyes as Mal caught up to him. “The boys are all good fun.”

She fell into step beside the clone as Kix started to make his way down the long durasteel hallway to the mess. Mal lost track of time while Rex was showing her around, but it must have been getting close to dinner because most of the other clones were starting to head in the same direction.

“You get the full tour?” Kix raised an eyebrow as he flashed a knowing eyebrow.

“Captain Rex was very thorough,” Mal smiled back, instantly at ease with the small gift of an inside joke.

Mal watched the medic out of the corner of her eye as they walked. He nodded to every soldier that passed, but the ones with decorated armor got a verbal greeting or a pat on the shoulder.

“How long have you been with the 501st?” Mal asked, curious about her new CO. 

It had taken a long time for her and Crux to warm up to each other. They started at the same time, joining the decimated 104th as it was rebuilding. Crux wasn’t thrilled to be serving with a civilian, and Mal had her own grudge, which was no fault of Crux’s. She knew it was irrational to dislike him for not being Tye, but she couldn’t help it. Still, once they stopped yelling at each other, they found that they worked well together. Crux’s strength was in his analysis and his textbook memory. Mal’s came from her quick thinking, calm under pressure, and her well-trained gut instincts. They came at problems from different routes, but almost always ended up at the same answer. Another ache passed through her as she realized their last mission working together would be just that. For now anyways, she tried to reassure herself.

“Just after Teth. Got assigned to Rex after that disaster, and he’s been grumpy about it ever since.” Kix flashed a cheeky smile at Captain Rex’s expense. “I’ll be honest, this is the first time we’ve had a civilian medic.”

Mal shrugged. It wasn’t surprising. There weren’t many civilians in the GAR, and even fewer were medics. The government official that helped her at the recruitment office had tried to talk her out of signing up in at least fifteen different ways as she was filling out the dataforms. 

“How about you?” Kix asked, “How long have you been with the 104th?”

“I joined after Abregato,” Mal answered. It wasn’t a lie.

“Hmm, I remember that one.” Kix frowned as he rubbed the back of his neck with a gloved palm. “I helped take care of Wolffe and the other two when they got back. Commander Tano still talks about it sometimes. Rough stuff. Glad that was before your time.”

Mal had heard a lot about Commander Tano, and even seen her from a distance on the Venator a few times. The Togruta Jedi padawan was hard to miss and liked to visit General Plo when she could. Boost, Sinker, and Wolffe spoke about her in hushed, grateful tones. Mal supposed that she did too. It wasn’t surprising, given that the whole of the 104th would have been wiped out if not for Commander Tano. Mal knew exactly to whom she owed her friends’ lives.

“You must have started with Crux, then.”

Mal looked back at the clone to find him watching her with a glance that was trying to appear more casual than it was. He must have seen something in her face change at the mention of Abregado. The clones in the 501st were good at distraction, Mal was starting to notice, but she was grateful for the change in subject.

“You know Crux?” Mal tried to match the Kix’s bright tone.

“Yeah, we went through medic training together,” Kix said. “Crux and I shipped out after Geonosis. Both the 501st and the 104th had hard times of it. Trained with Tye, the first CMO for the 104th, too, but he would have been before your time.”

Mal’s spine stiffened at his name.

A flash of a smile.

“You deserve to be happy.”

“Yeah,” Mal agreed, even as her heart clenched. “Before my time.”

“Heya, Kix.”

A clone with a large Republic cog in the middle of his helmet fell into step beside Kix. He elbowed his friend as his helmet tilted towards Mal. She could feel his eyes as they looked her up and down before he spied the medical sigil on the shoulder of her jumpsuit.

“Rex finally get someone to replace you?” The clone elbowed Kix again.

“You’d be dead without me,” Kix replied without missing a beat. “Mal, meet Jesse.”

“Hi!” Even through the modulator, the man’s greeting was warm.

The clone named Jesse stripped his helmet from his head. He tucked it under his arm as he flashed Mal a sideways smile. The cog that had decorated his helmet matched a tattoo that covered most of the upper half of his face, spanning from just under his left eye to the top of his clean-shaven head. His smile stretched across his face, bringing a glint to his eyes and wrinkling the edge of the cog.

“Nice to meet you.” Mal couldn’t help but smile back. “Nice tattoo.”

“You like it? I lost a game of sabacc to Hardcase, but I’ve grown attached.” Jesse ran a hand over his clean scalp as he grinned a little wider. “Spotchka may have been involved.”

“It suits you.”

It did. The clone had an animated face, his expression written all over it, and the tattoo emphasized every look. Mal imagined he wasn’t very good at sabacc.

“I like her.” Jesse turned to Kix with an air of grievance. “You never compliment me.”

“She doesn’t know you yet.” Kix chuckled.

“You’re just mad you’re not the prettiest medic in the 501st anymore.” Jesse snapped back.

Mal winced at the comment. She had a feeling Jesse was just kidding and that the joke was more at Kix’s expense than hers, but it was irritating all the same. Mal had never met a clone who thought less of her expertise because she was a woman. Still, there were plenty of civilian mechanics and medics who did. Any other day, the comment would probably have rolled off her. Instead, Mal thought of the clone from the night before. Would he think less of her if she ever had to treat him? Would he trust her? She quickly pushed that thought aside. No point in considering it. In an army of a billion clones, that wasn’t something she would ever have to worry about.

“Hard to compete with Kix.” Mal quickly spoke.

Just like that, the worry was gone, and Jesse was reaching around Kix to slap her on the back.

“I like you,” He let out a belly laugh as he repeated his approval.

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t make me regret introducing you two already.” Kix rolled his eyes before they suddenly flashed.

Mal followed his look down the hallway. Just ahead, two troopers walked with their helmets pressed close together like they were strategizing. One was dressed in clone trooper armor, and the other wore the unmistakable kit of an ARC trooper. His kama swayed around his hips as he walked, arm over the shoulder of the other trooper. They seemed to catch Kix’s attention.

“Now, these two, you definitely need to know. Gotta watch them closely.” Kix spoke, his voice raised and playful. “They spend more time in the medbay than the rest of the battalion combined.”

They stopped and turned at Kix’s words, the sound of mocking modulated laughter coming from their helmets. Kix and Jesse paused with them, forming a small crowd in the busy hallway, like rocks in a river.

“This is Mal, our new medic from the 104th.” Kix gestured.

The clone troopers pulled their buckets from their heads. The first man smiled sweetly, a contrast to the single teardrop that decorated the lower lid of his left eye. Mal barely registered him, though. She was too busy gaping at his friend. The second man flashed a knowing, familiar grin. Even without the temple tattoo, Mal would have recognized him anywhere.

Fives.

The first thing Fives saw as he rounded the corner into the mess hall was Jesse’s face. His vod immediately looked annoyed and that put an extra spring in Fives’ step. Nothing like the sheer pleasure of irritating Jesse without even having to put in the effort.

“Ah osik, I bet Tup 5 credits you’d miss roll call.”  The lieutenant frowned at Fives over two steaming paper cups of caf.  

“Come on, Jess.” Fives grinned at his older brother. “You know me better than that.” 

Fives picked up the two cups before he turned, seamlessly slipping the drinks out from under his vod's nose. Jesse leapt up and yelped but, short of leaping over the table, there was no stopping Fives.

He kept moving down the hall, practically gliding, as Jesse’s swears faded behind him. He hummed, sipping on the black caf that Jesse had poured for himself, and savoring each jolt to his taste buds. Fives meandered his way through the maze of the base, nodding to brothers that greeted him. Faces, armor, and haircuts were all distinct. He recognized them all but most of the names escaped him. It was becoming harder and harder to keep track. There were so many, and they came and went all too quickly. It made him feel old in a way that an eleven year old probably shouldn’t. Was it eleven? Or was it twelve now?, he wondered. Who could keep track of decanting days anymore? That was Echo’s job and, without his twin, he wasn’t ever in the celebrating mood. Finally, Fives slipped into one of the main supply rooms, where he paused before a large supply shelf. It was pressed up against the durasteel and tucked in the back of the dark storage space. 

“Hey, Tup. You there?” Fives called.

“Roger, roger.” Tup called back.

The long-haired clone popped his head over the edge of the fourth shelf, about eight feet off of the floor. He perched there for a moment, chin resting on his hand as he smiled down at Fives. Fives grinned back up at his vod. Tup found the empty shelf the first day after the Umbara deployment, and he dragged a mattress up there to turn it into a getaway. Fives didn’t ask why he wanted one and Tup didn’t volunteer the information. Instead, Fives just helped him redirect several blankets and a mattress from shipping to an “ARC training mission” and, in a comical heist that involved General Skywalker nearly catching them, assisted Tup in smuggling the large bedding into the supply room.

“So, how was the night, vod?” Tup winked.

“A gentleman never tells,” Fives smirked up at his brother.

“Well, luckily, you’ve never been a gentleman.” Tup laughed as he swung down from the shelf, landing gracefully beside Fives.

“Hey! I brought you caf and everything.” Fives held out the second cup to Tup, who took it without hesitation.

“Ah yes, three creams. Just how Kix takes it.” Tup chortled as he sipped on the warm liquid.

Fives smiled back at the younger clone. Losing Echo left a hole in his heart that he knew would never be filled, and it had been a long time since he had felt a connection with one of his brothers like that. Tup was different though. He reminded him of Echo in some ways. He was quietly smart. A little nerdy. But he could still merk a Seppie in seconds and without hesitation. He was clever, more clever than most people realized. Fives was still impressed with the plan Tup came up with to capture General Krell. While he knew he could never replace his twin and he wasn’t looking to try, he felt a little more whole lately when Tup was around.

“Now, come on vod.” Tup threw his other arm around Fives, “Tell me about the night.”

He filled Tup in on a few of the details while they made the walk to roll-call. He skipped the feeling that she had given him when he made her laugh or the way he wished someone would bottle up her scent. Instead, he talked about the other stuff, like how great her tits were and how hot the sex had been. Tup dutifully listened to all of it with a small smile on his face. 

They made it to roll-call right on time. Jesse glared at Fives over a fresh cup of caf. Fives gave his fuming vod a wave just as Rex called them to attention. The Captain marched down the line, inspecting his soldiers. He paused in front of Fives.

“Nice to see you made it back,” Rex muttered, cocking an eyebrow at the ARC.

“No idea what you’re talkin’ about, Sir,” Fives smirked at his old friend.

Rex let out a familiar sigh of exasperation as he shook his head and continued back down the line.

It was Fives' least favorite kind of day. Drills, strategy meetings, and more drills. The drills drove him crazy. It was all pretend. There was no room to be creative or stakes to make the shineys take it seriously. It seemed like they were getting sloppier and sloppier, and nothing he said would get through to them until the blaster fire was real. The strategy meetings weren’t bad, but it was all a lot of talk and pretend. He knew it was important. Fives got that. But there was never a day that he didn’t want to be out there, in the fight, instead of planetside doing drills.

“We’re gonna have to reconsider how we’re using our resources holding Felucia,” Tup was still thinking about their last meeting as the day wound down and they made their way to the mess. Fives was only half-listening, having had his fill of strategy talk for the day, but Tup kept going, his enthusiasm obvious though his modulator. “Focusing on hyperspace lanes instead of the planet itself could help us protect the whole system. We keep fighting these high-cost, low reward battles on the planet’s surface.”

“S’not a bad idea.” Fives heard enough that he looked his vod up and down.

“It’s a great idea.” Tup looked back at him and Fives knew, even through the helmet, exactly the teasing look his vod was giving him. “Don’t you run to Rex and steal it.”

Fives snorted and wrapped an arm around Tup’s shoulders.

“I would never dream-” Fives started to protest before a voice rose up behind them.

“… these two, you definitely need to know. They spend more time in the med bay than the rest of the battalion combined.”

Fives barked out a laugh. Tup joined him as he tilted his helmet at Fives. He rolled his eyes at Tup and knew, in the same way that Tup knew what expression he was making; Tup was rolling his eyes too. They paused their walk and turned towards Kix's voice.

He was glad he had his helmet on. Standing there, walking with his vode, was the woman from this morning. Her form was now hidden behind a civilian medic jumpsuit, and her long red curls were pulled back away from her face, tied back into a low bun, but he knew her in moments. 

He knew the light in her eyes as she laughed at Kix’s words. He recognized the smile that danced on those soft lips. He knew the smattering of freckles he could map out on her nose and her cheeks. He knew the way her skin would feel if he were to dig his fingers into those hips, barely hidden by the bulky jumpsuit. Maker, he knew the way she smelled still and could taste it in the air. Or maybe that was just him and the way she lingered on his skin.

Pull it together, Fives. He warned himself. His heart wouldn’t slow, though. He couldn’t believe his luck as he took in the blue markings on her jumpsuit. She was here, and she was theirs. 

“This is Mal, our new civilian medic transfer from the 104th.” 

Fives barely heard Kix as he stripped the bucket from his head. He waited for Mal to squeal, to laugh, for the joy to spark in her eyes like it had last night.

“This is Tup.” His heart threatened to beat out of his chest as Kix droned on, “And this is Fives, our resident ARC.”

“And resident pain in the ass,” Jesse added loudly.

Fives ignored Jesse as he pressed his lips together in a knowing smile. She knows, you di’kut, he wanted to shout, but Mal spoke first. 

“Nice to meet you.”

[ladyzirkonia]

Heavy Rain - Part 1

Summary: Long-standing tensions with Commander Fox reach a breaking point, when some regretful decisions lead to a chase through the rainy nights of Coruscant.

Pairing: Commander Fox x Doc!Fem!Reader, feat. juicy Jesse 😎

Tags & Warnings: violence (police violence?), strong language, discrimination

Word Count: around 1.000

author's note: I know I really wanted to write smut (I'm fucking trying) but I got carried away and because this got a little bit to long there will be a two parter. Building up the tension for the release. 😏 I listened to this while writing.

@clonexreaderbingo Square: Coruscant

It was a rainy night on Coruscant, and you cursed inwardly as you almost slipped, sharply turning a corner and running into a dark alley. The rain had completely soaked your clothes, it's not like you had much on today anyway. You had been looking forward to a relaxing evening at 79's after a long, hard day of work. Jesse hadn't given up easily, and even though you were tired, that handsome son of a mudscuffer had managed to lure you out. Damn that stupid face, it was almost embarrassing how quickly you ran when he called. But could anyone blame you? You couldn't think straight when he looked at you with that certain gaze, confident and teasing. In that moment, you knew if you wanted to punch or kiss that stupidly handsome face. But instead, you pulled out your only going-out outfit from the closet and used the little makeup you owned. Hair? Oh, completely overrated, that had to do. After all, you had a Doctorate, he should admire you for your brilliant mind, and if not? Then he could go kriff himself.

But it hadn't come to any of that. You hadn't even gotten a kriffing drink, instead, you ran like crazy through the rain, a damn bad idea because you weren't the fastest, and certainly not the most athletic. And all of this because of that idiot in front of 79's who insulted you and Jesse. Being called a "slut who spreads her legs for clones" was one thing, something you could still ignore, but when he didn't stop ranting about the clones, claiming they weren't worth living, an insult to all real beings, and had no right to be treated like humans, that was all it took to make you snap completely.

You had to hear phrases like these far too often, and you had been working in the GAR and with the clones long enough that they made you furious instantly. These men were so loyal, each one you had met so far was unique and endearing in their own way - well, almost everyone - that the unfair treatment they repeatedly endured embittered and angered you. And that one idiot had to pay the price - just like his nose - when you brought him down with a well-aimed punch. Your medical training had helped, as you knew exactly how to break a nose precisely. Your bad luck was that the act didn't go unnoticed.

Of course, Commander Fox was patrolling EXACTLY tonight. Not just any of the Corrie Shinies or at least Commander Thorn, with whom you got along well. No, it had to be precisely the stern and often ill-tempered Fox, and you knew that you were in serious trouble. There had been tensions between you from the beginning. He liked to stick to the rules, and you... well, you were good at bending the rules of GAR protocol to suit your needs. The few encounters you had with the man usually ended in heated arguments. You were the little teasing shit who could annoy the hell out of him within five minutes, and he hadn't had anything in his hands against you - until today. And that's why you ran for your dear life now. You knew it was foolish, if he really had it out for you, you didn't stand a chance of escaping. But your instinct still said, "Run, just kriffing run." The last thing you saw was Jesse's amused and impressed face - well, maybe this would take your relationship to the next level - before you ran like crazy.

You ran for your life, hoping luck was on your side and that Fox hadn't bothered to follow you. Perhaps you had managed to escape. As you turned into the next dark alley, your relief turned into a loud curse. You had ended up in a dead-end, the street blocked by a high chain-link fence, and you had no chance of overcoming this obstacle. You weren't a Jedi or a trained soldier, so you could only frustratedly pound against the fence.

In the next moment, you heard a deep and all-too-familiar voice behind you, causing you to flinch. "Turn around slowly and put your hands up where I can see them," barked Fox, and you knew he had you right where he wanted you. "Seriously, Fox?! Kriff, you know damn well I don't have any weapons. What's the meaning of this?" you retorted angrily as you turned slowly and raised your hands, staring into his dark visor. You couldn't see his face, but damn, you could imagine his smug expression all too well, which only fueled your anger.

"Watch your filthy mouth, Doc. You're not in a position to make demands," he said in a far too calm tone, sending a shiver down your spine. "And now be a good girl and turn around, hands on your back," he continued, and for a moment, you considered going for him again, but kriff, it wasn't worth it. You loved your job despite everything, and you didn't want to lose it because of this mudscuffer. So you gritted your teeth in frustration and turned around slowly, crossing your hands behind your back. You felt Fox approach you, and you sharply inhaled as that sack of a bantha fodder got too close for your liking. His hard armor pressed into your back as he pinned you against the chain-link fence to put handcuffs on you.

"Kriff Fox, are you serious?! What the hell is this?" you exclaimed, your face pressed against the cold and wet chain-link fence. Your body trembled with anger - yes, it was definitely just anger, and maybe the cold - it had absolutely nothing to do with Fox invading your personal space.

"Language, Doc. And it's still Commander Fox for you. Your sens of respect has always been lacking," he said coldly, and you could only respond with a sarcastic laugh.

"Respect is something that has to be earned," you shot back.

"We will work on that," was all he replied - and you didn't know if it was a promise or a threat - before leading you away.