#kix needs a hug

[blaze-echo]

*Kix teaching Jesse to drive and taking Fives along for the ride*Kix: That's a pothole. To the left!

Jesse: Take it back now y'all *Drives into pothole*

Fives, sticking their face into the front over the center console: Cha Cha real smooth.

Jesse: I don't think that's how the song goes.

Kix, crying and gripping the handle: Please just take me home.

Jesse: Country Roads.

Fives: To the place.

Jesse and Fives in unison: I Belong!

Kix, crying harder: What the f---?

[artist-kreating-stuff]

I was experimenting with a simpler anime-style and a different background brush.

Guess where Team Death Wish is now.

(Just realized I forgot Eli’s sticks… oops.)

[fanfictasia]

@badthingshappenbingo

Here's our fill for the square "I Just Want to Have Friends". :')

Kix wakes up in a different world. He wakes to a world where the Clone Wars are a distant memory, and all his brothers are dead. He wakes to a world where his General is hardly even remembered as the good man he once was. But he's not alone in this new world. When he wakes, it's also to a familiar ghost at his side.

[disastertriowriting]

@clonefandomevents

Here's our fill for the square "Mutual Pining"! ^-^

Kix wakes up in a different world. He wakes to a world where the Clone Wars are a distant memory, and all his brothers are dead. He wakes to a world where his General is hardly even remembered as the good man he once was. But he's not alone in this new world. When he wakes, it's also to a familiar ghost at his side.

[cas-echo]

I was thinking about Kix and sleep.

Heavy headcanon inspired by a song incoming:

This man probably had the worst relationship with sleep. He loses sleep constantly from being on the field, from seeing his brothers die horrifically, and from the guilt of not doing enough to save them.

He holds a dying brother in his arms, looks into his eyes, knowing he can't save him, and says, "It's going to be ok. Just sleep for now, " and helps them pass on. It's the easiest way to get them to stop struggling, "the medic is here, and he said it's gonna be fine. I can go to sleep, " they think as they calmly slip away into their last slumber.

Kix repeats this countless times, granting each brother one sliver of peace.

It haunts him. Every night, he sits awake afraid of closing his eyes and re-watching their faces, a mirror really. Their dying breath with a whispered 'thank you' trapped by his mind as they finally closed their eyes.

He gives his sleep away to each brother, not keeping any for himself, he doesn't want it.

Until he gets captured and forced into that artificial cryogenic sleep. He is forced to watch everything he has been avoiding, all those sleepless nights catching up and consuming him. Going from an endless horror into an endless nightmare. And there's no chance of waking up, not until so, so much later.

And when he does wake, he rises angry into a galaxy where he can't save any more of them. Their voices echoing in his mind, etched into the inside of his skull, yet scrambling like they are trying to break free.

[fanfictasia]

Why did I have to see this the day after I wrote a one-shot with Kix and Force ghost Anakin??? 😭😭😭

we’re still here

[stills under the cut] 

Keep reading

[trylynarie]

Ahsoka headcannon

Tw blood related.

When Ahsoka started her period who tf could she turn to surrounded by dudes. Like anakin would be no help.

Fives: KIX

Kix: *sighs* if hardcase microwaved himself again-

Hardcase: NOPE OUR SISTER IS DYING THERES BLOOD EVERYWHERE-

Kix: YOU IDIOTS *drags ahsoka away* ignore them you’re fine.

- several hours later -

The worried clones: ooohhhhh

Now everyone in the 501st carries an extra sanitary product on them just in case their little sister needs them.

[lifeofclonewars]

I will always stand by this

[youngcheesecaketale]

Books (My Clonetober Story Day 4) Since there isn't a Clonetober Writing/Drawing this year, I thought of doing one everyday this month. Shoot me some ideas please! Also, Anyone can write WHATEVER they want for Clonetober.

Books (made up ones) that fit that Clone/Other Character.

Cody: "Guide on How to NOT Kill Your Jedi Who is Also Your Husband"

Rex: "How to Deal with ANNOYING Siblings"

Fox: "How to get away of Murdering The Chancellor"

Kix: "Weird things Happen in the ER"

Hardcase & Wrecker: "Things You Can Explode"

Obi Wan: Can't read ANYTHING when Anakin is up to NO GOOD.

[saltyladynightmare]

Jiliu AU 9.1

Beginning, Previous, Next, Masterlist

A/N:

Ori'Ana : mando'a/basic, a mix of Ori'vod, and Anakin, basically naming him Older Brother Anakin, just as the suffix -'ika makes 'younger Brother' from Vod'ika

/italics/ : thoughts, emphasis

bold : talking though the Force, because why not

Chapter 9 is not completely finished, but chapter 10 is an idea. If anyone has any ideas for scenes in which the Vod'e are learning how to use the Force, please feel free to contact me or leave a comment. So far, all of my ideas involve various troopers launching themselves into walls when they jump/run/do something too fast. It gets monotonous after a while.

Warnings:

Anakin is a lonely string bean. He also has no trust in the Jedi, because I was salty when i started writing this, and must stick to my guns

~~~~~~

A little under an hour after his Command Staff had left when visiting hours ended, Anakin had dry eyes, a crick in his upper back, and three different To Do lists.

One, he would be sharing with Rex and his—their?—lieutenants. It mostly consisted of a few lists of the things they should focus on getting, what they hoped to get, and what would be nice to get.

Anakin had asked them to leave the datapads behind when they left so he could add more details as he thought of them. They had covered a lot, but he knew he would think of more.

The second was for himself, preferably before their next mission. This one mostly had notes on what datawork he'd need to go over for Torrent. Tying any loose ends that might reach out and strangle them down the line because they dared to look for resources outside of official channels. It also had reminders to finish finding the answers to the questions the men wanted, and maybe answer some of his own. He also wanted to arrange a supplies drop for the Guard, because while Anakin had taught them some tricks on how to get food on their own—which is why he thought to teach Torrent—and he'd given them something of a stockpile, it had been three weeks. Better to be on the safe side.

If every single Vod in Torrent chose to bond with him—and they might not, he reminds himself firmly—it would take about eleven days to get through all of the men. Eleven days to do all of that wasn't a whole lot of time, but Anakin had dealt with worse, and would do so again.

The last list was also for Anakin, but for more long term. So far, it only had a few things on it, making it the shortest list, by far. Primarily, to see if his hypothesis on whether or not he could use his own over abundance of Force Juice to boost his men's own connection with the Force was possible. Secondly, armor. There must be a way to improve that blasted armor across the whole of the GAR.

He added things to the appropriate list, or the near manuals the men had been typing before they'd had to leave, as he thought of them. He has never typed so fast in his life, he was sure.

It was going to be very satisfying to check things off as they were completed.

Which was why he decided to send a message to Fox, asking if he would be available for a comm the moment Anakin remembered he'd wanted to do so. It didn't need to be official, and since Fox didn't mind text comms, Anakin could probably even ensure there would be less of a chance any of the Jedi would discover Fox had anything to do with their plans. The Guard had enough going on, they did not need the extra scrutiny.

Fox, the overachiever, texted back within thirty seconds.

CC-1010: I'll be in my office at 0000

K-AS-6367: Excellent.

K-AS-6367: We can continue this conversation when you aren't likely to get shot.

CC-1010: Affirmative

Anakin's mouth ticked up in one corner, and he absently tapped the side of his scrap-comm fondly.

Anakin had missed him. No nonsense, and mostly no fun as he was, Fox was a good man; steady in a way that Anakin didn't remember having ever felt in a sentient before, and flexible as only a thinking, breathing person could be. It had been a little under a month since Anakin had been shipped off to Torrent, but they hadn't had more than a few short conversations over text in that time.

He'd wait until Fox commed him. This wasn't the sort of thing he wanted Fox to talk about in the open, even if it was over heavily encrypted easily corruptible text.

As soon as Anakin set the comm down, metal chunking lightly against the wood of the table top, the lights flicked off, all at once.

Ak!

His heart just about reared up to strangle him, and the resulting flinch sent claws of pain carving up and down his arm from the yanked IV, but also lacing through his entire body in protest of his aching muscles and ligaments. Razor edged readiness sliced through his mind, cutting and almost gentle in its icy sharpness.

It took a few seconds once his usual flare of surprise and pain died down for him to reassert his reasoning abilities.

He forced himself to breathe at the speed Obi-Wan had taught him to use for meditation so long ago. If it was too fast, and shaky, he forgave himself. He wasn't safe here, and he had a bad habit of forgetting he was not, even when he was alone.

Especially when at the mercy of Masters.

Once the white noise buzzing in his ears died down, as it had every evening since he woke up in this room, Anakin became aware of his comm flashing on the table top where he'd left it.

He blinked at it, fuzzily wondering who had his scrap comm code.

Wait. He'd programmed in his Jedi number and his personal when the healers hadn't given him his comm when he'd proven himself coherent, hadn't he.

Well, at least he knew it wasn't Obi-Wan. They would have told him he didn't have a comm, so far as they knew.

Reassured, Anakin picked up the hunk of junk, more with the force then his half numb fingers, and woke the thing up.

Immediately, it pulled up his new message.

Kix! Anakin perked up a bit.

CT-6116 : Status, General

He wilted again. Medical stuff. Of course.

Wait.

K-AS-6367 : You felt that?

Just as he hits the send button, Anakin became aware of his bonds, all at once.

Anakin had dropped the majority of the shielding on his new bonds the instant the door had closed behind his men. Partly because all six of them had proven to be sensitive to the shielding, but it was mostly for selfish reasons, Anakin can admit to himself with some reluctance. He had soothed over the sting of giving in to his own selfish wants with platitudes; there were two shields between them, it would be fine. He'll put them back up before he went to sleep. If he went to sleep.

It'd be fine.

Except it wasn't, because Anakin had forgotten his curfew.

Of course, they had felt his response to lights off.

Yes, the men were seventeen point four klicks and two heavy duty shields away, but that would have only mattered a little a week ago. Some concentration and he would have been able to send anything he wanted down any of his bonds, but it would have had to be deliberate.

Now? He had four times his previous Sensitivity. Those same shields were like particularly dense flimsy to him now. Force knew he'd had no choice but to layer his own shields to wring even an ounce of functionality from his brain even behind these once impressive artificial shields.

Anakin was typing almost before he finished the thought.

K-AS-6367 : Nevermind.

K-AS-6367 : Clear. Just surprised.

It wasn't long before the reply came, accompanied by a near buzzing displeasure over the bond. The promise behind the text was hardly shocking.

CT-6116 : I'll see you in the morning, sir.

Satisfied Kix wouldn't message again, Anakin put the comm to sleep, slumping.

He breathed in deep, held it for a count of three, then slowly released it. He let the guilt of his negligence stream out between his teeth too. He inhaled again, held for three beats, grabbed the shields he'd so selfishly dropped, then exhaled, pulling them up.

Anakin was fully capable of learning from his mistakes. It was quite possibly the only reason he was still alive, between that and his sheer jaw dropping luck.

Anakin liked to think it had more to do with the former, if only because he had a lot more control of that, but he had long since decided it was a waste of energy to think about what might be, instead of simply accepting what was.

He made a mistake. He would learn from it, and move forward.

Putting his comm to the side, Anakin gathered the holocrons with the Force, and settled on the floor with a sigh. He ignored the creaking aches through out his body with the ease of long practice, instead deliberately arranging the holocrons to hover in the most geometrically sound pattern around himself.

Best get back to it.

[fanfictasia]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Tales from a Galaxy Far Far Away: Aliens - Various Authors Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: CT-6116 | Kix & Anakin Skywalker Characters: Anakin Skywalker, CT-6116 | Kix Additional Tags: Force Ghost Anakin Skywalker, CT-6116 | Kix Needs A Hug, CT-6116 | Kix Deserves Better, POV CT-6116 | Kix, Grief/Mourning, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Anakin Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker is a Sibling to the Clones, Bittersweet Ending, when you're the last survivor of your entire family of millions of brothers, is there really such a thing as comfort anymore, Tragedy

Summary:

Kix wakes up in a different world. He wakes to a world where the Clone Wars are a distant memory, and all his brothers are dead. He wakes to a world where his General is hardly even remembered as the good man he once was. But he's not alone in this new world. When he wakes, it's also to a familiar ghost at his side.

Read on:

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14272267/1/No-Reason-Yet-To-Die

https://www.wattpad.com/1377552750-star-wars-one-shots-no-reason-yet-to-die

[disastertriowriting]

@clonefandomevents

This is for the square "Imperial AU". :D

No bonds are stronger than those forged on the battlefield, through blood and war. Anakin Skywalker is gone, but that doesn't mean Darth Vader has forgotten. And he will not let the Empire harm those who were once his vode.

[131-vr]

Kix needs a day off

Someone help Obi Wan, He is dying.

I was practicing expressions and colors, what better way than to practice with these, I have another 3 wips, two from tbb and one from the Domino twins, the last one is long.

[queenariesofnarnia]

physical touch

the bad batch x f! reader

wc: 942

warnings: some fun teasing and that should be it. a light suggestive ending

You’re a physical touch person with a bright personality, you have been like that since you were young. Your friends enjoyed your hugs, or whenever you linked arms with them while walking. They also enjoyed how you always brightened their days. However, once you became a medic for the war, you dialed back on being physical touch. The clones did enjoy your soft hands helping them versus a droid, and your smile always put them in a better mood. You often helped the 212th or 104th, there were some rare occasions that Kix from the 501st requested you. That was until you were assigned to Clone Force 99 as their permanent medic. It took some time, but you ended up getting along with the squad great. Crosshair took longer to warm up to you, but it was expected after you first met them.

They weren’t aware of how much you liked physical touch until on a mission where you called to assist the 501st. The way many of the troopers greeted you with hugs, even Commander Tano and General Skywalker did. You walked next to the commander with your arms linked giggling. Your squad looked slightly confused, sure you were bubbly around them but never touchy.

“Is she acting different?” Wrecker asks, as they watch you laugh with your arm around the jedi commander.

“I believe she is behaving like herself” Tech says glancing at you before going back to his datapad.

“She’s different from when she is around us” Hunter answers observing you. The way your eyes lit up when you received any hug or form of physical affection.

“Looks like our little tooka doesn’t get enough attention from us. Look at how she’s eating up the regs attention.” Crosshair says taking off his helmet, putting a toothpick in his mouth. They sit away from everyone on their own, they keep an eye on you. They watch you as you lay your head in Ahsoka’s lap as she tells you a story of a mission she was just on. Then once her story is done you switch places animatedly telling her a story. Anakin calls a meeting to go over the plan for tomorrow. You stand next to Ahsoka arms still linked together. Once the meeting is over, Anakin makes his way over to you ruffling your hair.

“Missed having you around sunshine” he say before wrapping an arm around you pulling you in for a side hug.

“Missed you too trouble” you hip bump him. “How’s Pads doing?” you ask him quietly.

“She’s good, she says hi” he shoots you a wink before walking off with Rex. Leaving you and Ahsoka by the fire together.

“So, tell me, have you even tried hugging your own squad yet? They keep staring holes into the boys’ heads when they hug you or pay you any attention.” She says laughing.

“No way. I’m too scared to ask. This bunch was already affectionate when I got here” you say gesturing to the 501st. She nods in agreement, laying her head on your shoulder.

“I don’t think it’ll hurt to ask” she tells you looking up at your squad. You look over at them too and give a small smile. Wrecker happily waves at you. “Go over there and spend some time with them. You know where to find me if they say no” she removes her head and pushes you up. As you walk across camp saying hi to the troopers that spoke to you, Fives stops you.

“You need a cuddle buddy tonight sunshine?” He asks flirtatiously. You laugh at his antics.

“Not tonight hon. I’ll find you if I change my mind” you continue towards your squad. Sitting next to Wrecker when you make it to them. “Hi boys” you greet them with your signature smile.

“ You finally had enough of the regs?” Crosshair hissed. You were a bit confused. You knew they didn’t like regular clones, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t.

“Is there a problem?” You ask looking at each of them.

“Yes” Crosshair quickly answered. “All this affection you’re suddenly giving to regs.” he points his toothpick at you.

“All you had to do is ask for a hug mesh’la” Wrecker says wrapping his arm around you, the Mando’a term of endearment rolling off his tongue sweetly.

“Are we not sufficient enough to provide you physical affection?” Tech asked, as he finally tucks his datapad away.

“Do we not give you the attention you need?” Hunter’s husky voice sent a shiver down your spine. You were getting flustered.

“What do you mean? I am getting enough attention” you say trying not to stumble over your words.

“Is our little tooka shy all of a sudden?” Crosshair mockingly asks.

“You were just blossoming from the attention you were receiving” Hunter says scooting closer to you.

“The way her pupils are dilated now, she is enjoying our attention more than what she was previously receiving” Tech points out. You stand up quickly not wanted to keep facing the teasing.

“I’m going to sleep on the Marauder” you announce walking away. They each get up as well.

“Not without us” Wrecker says laughing. You hide your face in your hands heading in the direction of the ship. A hand was placed on your back guiding you.

“Maybe you won’t get sleep little tooka” Crosshair whispered in your ear. You groan due to embarrassment.

“Save your noises for later mesh’la” Hunter said from the other side of Crosshair.

“I’ll have to record the noises she’ll make later” Tech says excitedly from your left side. The others chuckle at you, agreeing with him.

[kyasarinkishinuma]

Hugging the clones for comfort headcanons: The 501st

(With a hint of gray and orange ;) )

Captain Rex

The first time you hug him, he doesn't know what's happening, so it's like hugging a plank 💀

However once you explain to him what you're doing he relaxes into it and starts hugging you back, albeitly hesitantly.

It'll take a couple tries for him to get comfortable with it, but he's holding     you gently and providing you with the comfort you need before you know it!

Once he's used to it, whenever you come and hug him without a word he'll stop everything he's doing to hold you until you feel better.

He's a big fan of forehead kisses, it makes him feel tall :')

Fives

This man is a cuddle bug, once you're hugged him you're done for.

Fives is down for hugs anytime, anywhere. He's not really afraid of PDA, whether it's romantic or platonic. He wants to be able to help in whichever way he can, so bad jokes usually come with the hug.

He's so touch-deprived please hold him it makes him so happy

Once he's comfortable enough he'll start initiating the hugs, he likes to sneak up on you from behind and surprise you with a sneak hug >:D

He's quite a cuddle bug during movies on a couch beneath a blanket with a bowl of popcorn, movie nights are definitely the best with this guy!

Echo

Echo can be a bit shy, so the first time you hug him his face is definitely     lighting up like fireworks!

After you pull back he'll just stare in disbelief and ask you, what was that? Once you explain it to him however he calms down and understands a lot better.

Echo is the kind of guy who will guide you through things if you're in need of comfort. He'll pat your back and talk to you gently, asking you if you're    all right. He's the best person to go to if you need to calm down.

Even if he gets used to it Echo blushes a bit everytime you hug him, not being used to this kind of touch. It's actually pretty cute :')

With time he'll relax into the hug and hold you gently in his arms, against his chest so you can feel safe and comforted. He'll lean his chin on top of  your head sometimes, wrapping you in his body.

Jesse

Jesse is one of the guys who's coolest with the whole 'hug out of nowhere' thing, freezing at first before he just quirks a brow and chuckles at you.

He'll joke at first to wave off his surprise, but then get more serious and hold you gently as he asks you if you're all right.

Jesse is a pretty good listener, so he can offer an ear for you or just stand  there and hug in silence if that's what you need. He's also always got a     joke up his sleeve should you need it.

You can honestly walk up to Jesse anytime for a hug, he'll always be happy to hug it out, even in front of his brothers. Although he may brag about it to them

He's a big fan of holding you in his lap as he hugs you against his chest.

Hardcase

We all know Hardcase can never sit still, but when you hug him? Not one movement from him. It's like a puppy standing at attention after seeing a squirrel.

He'll fumble with his words a bit as he tries to comprehend what's happening, but if you're able to soothe him or ask him to just hold you for a minute he'll go quiet and hug you as long as he needs.

If you hug him too long he'll start fidgetting because of his hyperactivity,     which is always a good way to get a laugh out of you. If you call him out     about it he'll become flustered and frustrated that he can't keep still.

Hardcase's hugs are warm and tight. He's surprisingly okay with touch, and his hugs are some of the most satisfying you can get.

The best way to get him to stop fidgetting around is to surprise him with a  kiss on the cheek ;)

Kix

As a medic, Kix has the care and well-being of others at heart. So if you come to him for a hug seeking comfort, even if he's not familiar with these... methods, he'll be happy to oblige.

Kix is someone you can come back to for hugs whenever you need them. He'll hold you silently as you calm down before asking you what happened.

His patience shows in his hug, as he'll hold you gently and won't pull you  back until you do or ask him to. There's no rush in his movements, and he commits his full attention to you as long as you need.

At the end of the hug, Kix will give you things like meds or sweets, whatever you need to be feel better.

After some time your hugs grow off him and he starts asking you for them as well! It helps with the stress from his job as a medic. He loves it when    you hide your face in his shoulder and he can tuck a hand behind your head and stroke your hair.

Tup

Along with Rex, Tup is definitely one of the more awkward clones from the 501st with hugs. He'll just freeze and stand there as you hug him, heart     pounding in his chest.

He'll definitely need explanations to understand what happened, but once he does he's surprisingly kind and understanding about it. Although he's a bit awkward with the gesture, he'll never deny you and will pat your back    until you calm down.

Tup is the kind of guy who'll stick around with you after the hug to make sure you're all right. He's quite caring in that quiet way of his, his eyes     holding worry even when you reassure him you're fine.

Tup is more than happy to go to a coffee shop or park with you afterwards! Although he may not say it out loud he enjoys spending time with you outside a military context and in these moments he'll open up to you a bit more.

He secretly loves it when you lean his head on his shoulder :')

Commander Cody

Being a commander, Cody has experience with people dealing with stress and even breakdowns, so he's not exactly a stranger to comforting people.

Even if he is initially taken off-guard by your hug, he'll ease into it a lot     faster than you might expect and return the hug. "All right, all right. Easy there..."

He's calm and patient the entire time, easing you with soft words of     encouragement and holding you gently. He won't rush you, pulling back only once you've calmed down.

He'll sit down with you and talk once you're feeling better if you'd like. He's one of the most sympathetic and understanding clones in the lot when it     comes to this things, and there's no truly no shame to be felt about your     moment of vulnerability around Cody.

If hugging becomes a regular thing, you'll quickly notice he has a knack for securing his arms around your waists and hips ;)

Commander Wolffe

Wolffe may seem difficult to approach and like the last person who would return a hug, but... Well. You're in for one hell of a surprise.

He'll grumble about it at first, but it doesn't take long before he wraps an     arms around you and holds you against his side, glaring at your     surroundings protectively (which effectively scares most living beings in     the proximity away).

Although he may come off as grumpy about it, Wolffe does ask if you're doing okay and will demand you come back to him if something ever happens. He's pretty protective like that!

It doesn't take you long to realize that the grumbling is actually all a     cover-up to hide the fact that Wolffe is a huge cuddle bug.

When it's just the two of you off-duty he can't keep his hands off you and wraps around you like a cocoon. If you poke at him too much about it he'll just grumble and hide his face in your hair :')

Hope you guys enjoyed! Let me know which headcanon was your favourite 💖

[justaparsec94]

Revelations

Summary: Needing a little help Rex tracks down his favourite civilian mechanic from the war.

Pairing: Rex x fem!reader

Word Count: 4,129

*********************

Rex had once believed that the end of the war would mean an end to the fighting, an end to losing his brothers, and an end to the never-ending number of problems he had to deal with on a daily basis. How wrong he had been. Sometimes, when he lay awake at night, staring up at the ceiling he couldn’t quite believe how things had ended. His heart ached when he thought about it too much, the faces of all of his brothers flashing across his mind. Visions of the smoke from the Venator as it lay crumbled against the earth haunted him in his dreams. Jesse, Kix, Cody, General's Skywalker and Kenobi, all gone. Lost to the Empire. But worst of all were the thoughts of how meaningless his life had actually been. He hadn’t been a soldier, he'd simply been a pawn in someone else's game. That was what kept him up most at night. And it was that thought that continued to drive him to help his brothers, to fight back against The Empire in any way that he could. 

It was what currently had him stalking through one of the mid-levels of Coruscant as the sun began to dip into the evening. It wasn’t as risky as being up on one of the upper levels where the Coruscant Guard routinely patrolled but still close enough to the surface to put him on edge. But desperate times called for desperate measures. 

He kept his head down as he went, he had left his armour back at base so he knew most people wouldn’t give him a second look but months of hiding had made him extra cautious. He slowed as his destination came into view, his head swivelled a few times, checking to make sure he wasn’t being tailed before he headed over to the garage across the street. It was a small garage but well kept, the lights inside still shone brightly out into the street as he neared the door. He knew it would likely be closing shortly so he would have to make this quick. 

A bell chimed as he stepped through the door, a quick scan of the shop revealed the front was empty at first but he heard movement in the back almost instantly. 

Rex released a breath he didn’t even realize he had been holding as your figure stepped out of the back and behind the counter. His heart was suddenly beating in his chest wildly at the sight of you. There had been very few days since the end of the war where he hadn’t thought about you, hadn’t worried about what might have happened to you. He had thought he would never see you again but now that he was every confusing feeling he had harboured for you for years was slamming back into him. 

“Hey there, how can I…” You started before you slammed to a halt, your entire body freezing and your eyes widening as you took in the sight of him. 

“Hi,” He greeted sheepishly, waving at you when the feeling of needing to do something with his hands overwhelmed him. 

“Rex…” Your voice was barely above a whisper as you stared at him. 

Before he could even think of what to say next you had launched yourself over the counter in a blur of movement, throwing yourself into him and crushing him a hug. 

He chuckled nervously as his hands wrapped around you instinctively. He tried his best to ignore the heat that was suddenly pooling in him at the feeling of your body being so tightly pressed up against him. He’d always had armour on to protect him in the past anytime this had happened.

You pulled away from him after a moment but your hands stayed gripping his biceps, as though you were worried he was about to slip away again. Your face was paler than normal as you looked up at him with wide eyes, “I heard that you went down with the ship, they said you were dead. I-I thought you were dead, Rex.” 

He chuckled darkly as he reached up to rub at the back of his neck nervously, “Well, only one of those things is true, clearly.” 

His words seemed to break the tension in the room and you chuckled softly, a grin finally splitting your face as you let your hands fall away from him. He found himself mourning the loss of your touch but he tried his best to push that thought aside. He was here on a mission after all, and not one of a personal nature. 

“Gosh, I can’t believe you’re really here,” You said with a breathy laugh, “I missed you.” 

Your admission did something funny to his insides but again he tried his best to ignore the feeling, “It’s harder to get rid of me than one might expect.”

You laughed, “Clearly, but I’m��glad for it.” 

The two of you simply stared at one another for a long moment. Rex could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears as he looked at you. You didn't look any different than the last time he had seen you, you were still so kriffing beautiful. He watched as your brow furrowed slightly as your own eyes finished their appraisal of him.

“What are you doing here Rex?” You asked, “You - you don’t look like you’re with The Empire,” You said the second part hesitantly, as though you were afraid to hear his answer. 

“I’m not, I’ve uh - defected,” He answered, for lack of a better term. The fact that he was listed as KIA sort of negates the term but it’s close enough to the truth, “Are you still…” he started though he was somewhat unsure of how to ask the question. 

You had once been, in his opinion, the finest civilian mechanic the GAR had under contract. Rex had met you only days after the first battle of Geonosis, back when you had both still been shiny. He had taken an instant liking to your quick wit and easygoing nature, plus no one could fix a ship as efficiently as you could. The two of you had remained friends throughout the war. You had often been stationed on Coruscant at the main base but there had been many occasions when you had accompanied the 501st on their missions. Those times had been his favourite and if he had made extra trips to the flight deck during those missions it had been completely coincidental, or so he told himself.  

You shook your head, “No, after everything that happened, the Jedi, the clones, being told that you had been killed…” You trailed off momentarily, biting your lip before you looked back up at him, “I saw what was happening and it became pretty clear pretty quickly that it was not something I wanted to be a part of any longer. My dad was ecstatic to have me back in the garage though.” 

The two of you were silent for another long moment, simply looking at one another. Rex hadn’t thought it would be possible but his respect for you only grew at the knowledge that you had left The Empire, seeing it for what it truly was.

“Do you know what happened to the others?” You asked hesitantly after a moment, “Jesse? Kix? Echo? Cody?” The list could have gone on and on, you had been friends with many of the boys. 

His heart wrenched at the thought of his brothers, he didn’t know if he had it in him to tell you the truth. Jesse who had died trying to kill him and Ahsoka, his actions not his own. Kix, who had vanished only weeks before the end of the war never to be seen again. Cody, who was still with The Empire or worse. He settled on simply shaking his head instead, the answer was too complex and he knew you would get his meaning. 

Overwhelming sadness flashed in your eyes and he instantly hated the fact that he had been the one to put it there. He tracked your movements as you reached out to rest a hand on his arm comfortingly, “I’m so sorry, Rex.” 

Rex simply shook his head, he had quickly learned that there really were no words to convey his feelings about all that he had lost. 

Sensing his discomfort you quickly changed course, which he was very appreciative of, “So, what are you up to now then?” 

“Uh…” He faltered. He trusted you, he did, he always had. But it wasn’t just his life that would be in danger if word were to get out what he was up to. Not only that, but he couldn’t bear the thought of putting you in danger by roping you into things more than his being here already had. He cursed himself internally for having not come up with a better answer to this inevitable question. 

Your eyebrow raised but instead of suspicion there was only amusement dancing in your eyes, “Let me guess, it’s classified?” 

He felt his face flush slightly but he was relieved by your response, “Sorry, it’s not just me who would be at risk if something were to happen.”

“Say less, Captain,” You replied with a laugh, patting his arm reassuringly, “But what brings you to me?”

“I’m looking for a specific part for a ship. I was hoping you might be able to help me out,” Rex replied. The Remora had taken a direct hit on their last mission. Echo had done his best to try and repair it but a part of the stabilization system had been beyond his ability to fix and without it they were effectively grounded. The Martez sisters had done their best to find the part but hadn’t yet had any luck and Rex was beginning to grow desperate. The longer they were grounded the fewer brothers they were likely to save. Echo had suggested simply stealing a new ship but Rex hadn’t wanted to draw that much attention to them. At least not until they had no other option.  

“Sure thing,” You replied happily before you turned and headed back towards the counter, “What are you looking for?” 

He followed after you as you slipped behind the counter. You disappeared momentarily as you bent down behind the counter before you re-emerged with your data pad in hand. He gave you the specifics of the part, his fingers drumming anxiously against the countertop as he watched you scroll on your data pad. 

“I don’t have anything in stock right now,” You replied with a soft frown, “But I should be able to get it with no problem. It might just take a few days to have it shipped from a warehouse.”

This was exactly why you were his favourite, “Really? That’s great. What will I owe you?” Thanks to Senator Chuchi's support paying for the part wasn’t an issue. 

You shook your head before giving him a cheeky grin, “Don’t worry about it Rex, you get the friends and family discount.”

“I can’t…” He protested but was cut short. 

“Ah ah,” You said, waving your hand at him dismissively, “None of that. Besides, a dead man’s credits won’t really do me any good,” You teased as you set your data pad aside and leaned your elbows on the counter, propping your chin up on your hands as you looked up at him. 

He wanted to protest further but he had learned years ago that arguing with you once your mind was set got him absolutely nowhere, “Thank you,” He said sincerely. You really were his favourite. 

You smiled brightly at him, “No problem Rex. How should I get ahold of you once the part comes in?” 

He reached out to grab a stylus and piece of flimsy from off the counter, “Here’s my private comm channel, just give me a call and I’ll come and grab it,” He paused momentarily, considering, “This is Echo’s. If you can’t get ahold of me, try him,” With his line of work he never really knew which day could end up being his last. He knew that if something were to happen to him his brother would continue on with their mission without a doubt. 

“Echo’s with you?” You asked, perking up as you took the flimsy from him. The last time you had seen Echo he had still been with The Bad Batch. 

He nodded, “It’s a long story.”

You laughed, “Classified?”

Rex chuckled softly, “No, just long.”

“Well, maybe you can tell it to me when I get that part in,” You replied with another soft smile that made his face flush. 

He simply nodded, trying his best to ignore the heat that was once again pooling in his stomach at the mere sight of you, “I think I can manage that.”

“Good, I’ll see you later then Captain,” And before he even fully knew what was happening you had leaned over the counter, stretching up onto the tips of your toes to plant a swift kiss on his cheek. 

“I’ll uh, yah, later. I’ll be seeing you, then. Later.” He stammered as absolute fire burned in his face. He could still feel the weight of our lips against his cheek as he stepped away from the counter. Your eyes were sparkling with amusement as you watched him make his hasty retreat which only made the feelings churning inside him even worse. He spun around and marched towards the door, determined to get out before he did something else embarrassing. 

“Rex,” You called after him just as he reached the threshold, causing him to pause and spin back in your direction, “I’m really glad to see you. I’m very happy you’re not dead.” 

He couldn’t manage more than a nod, his brain apparently having left him completely. With a final wave, he stepped out into the cool night air of Coruscant, breath filling his lungs once more as he made his way back towards base. You might be his favourite, but he wasn’t entirely convinced that you weren’t going to be the death of him. 

*******

Just as they had during the war, the days blurred together for Rex. There was always something that needed doing, intel to collect, supply runs, people to meet. His to-do list was endless. He let out a deep sigh, his attention still focused on his data pad as he walked back into the Martez sister's garage, their temporary base. He had just finished meeting with Senator Chuchi and while their meetings always went well, the woman was unwaveringly kind and supportive, he was tired. He wanted nothing more than to collapse on his makeshift bunk in the back and stay there for the rest of the day. But as always, duty called, and he would answer. 

He lifted a hand in greeting as he strode past Howzer and Nemec, the motion almost automatic as his eyes remained glued to the data that he was currently scrolling through on his datapad. 

He stopped short suddenly though as the sound of familiar laughter reached his ears. His head snapped up and his gaze instantly zeroed in on the source. For a moment he thought he was dreaming because you couldn’t possibly be standing in his base, laughing with his brother as the two of you were huddled under the hull of The Remora.

As if sensing his presence your head turned towards him and you gave him a cheerful wave, “Hiya Rex!”

He frowned, so much for keeping you safe and out of the loop. He turned his narrowed gaze towards Echo who was looking suddenly sheepish from where he was kneeling by your side. They would be having words later. 

With a sigh, Rex walked over towards you, his data pad long forgotten as he focused on where you were clearly working on the ship. The answer was obvious but he asked the question anyway, “What are you doing here?”

“The part came,” You chirped, still smiling brightly up at him, “I tried to call you but couldn’t reach you so I comm’d Echo. He told me to bring the part down and then I figured I might as well give him some help with the repairs.” 

Rex cursed softly as he looked at his comm, sure enough, he had a missed call. Likely from when he had been in his meeting with the Senator and had silenced the device. 

“She is the expert after all,” Echo said, his pale eyes brimming with amusement as he looked between you and Rex. It only made Rex frown more. 

Rex steadily ignored his brother, turning his attention back to you instead, “How are the repairs coming?”

“All done actually,” You replied, “Just closing her up, and then she’ll be good to go!”

“I’ll uh, let you two discuss logistics while I go start her up,” Echo said as he stood. You gave Echo a nod and a brief smile before you turned your attention back to tightening the last of the bolts. He patted Rex on the shoulder as he passed him, a grin on his face that Rex did not like the look of. Sometimes, with everything Echo had been through and all of the changes he had undergone, Rex forgot that Echo still had the ability to be a little shit when he wanted to be. The relationship between the two of you, even though Rex had insisted it was completely professional, had not been a secret to the boys in the 501st. 

Rex stood silently as you finished up the repairs, unable to pull his eyes away from you as you went about putting your tools away. A sharp intake of breath escaped him as you paused to pull your hair back from your face, piling it onto your head and pining it quickly in place. His eyes traced the curve of your neck as heat pooled his stomach. 

Likely sensing his gaze you looked towards him as you stood up, your eyebrows raised questioningly as amusement swum in your eyes. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” You asked with a soft chuckle, a wide grin on your face as you clipped a wrench back onto your tool belt. 

Rex felt like his brain was malfunctioning, his face flushed as you smiled brightly at him. There was a gleam in your eyes that set his heart pounding against his rib cage. He hadn’t meant to stare, he just couldn’t stop himself it seemed. Whenever you were around it was as if nothing else existed for him. It had always been like that, but apparently, he had used to be better at hiding it. 

Because you’re beautiful was the first coherent thought that came to mind. It was only after he noticed your eyes widen and your grin become absolutely beaming that he realized he had actually said that out loud. 

“Well, thank you, Captain, that’s very kind of you to say,” your cheeks flushed just ever so slightly while he stood there like an absolute di’kut hoping a pit would open beneath him and swallow him whole. It was too late to take it back now though. Not that he ever would take it back. He truly meant it so he couldn’t reverse course now without coming across as intentionally cruel. 

“I-“ he started then stopped, completely at a loss for words as his face burned with embarrassment. This was all Echo’s fault, somehow. 

“Is that a conclusion that you’ve just recently come to? Because you sound somewhat surprised,” You teased which only made him flush further. 

If he had been floundering before it was nothing compared to what he was doing now, “No...no...I...what?”

You let out a bright laugh, stepping closer to him and resting a gentle hand on his arm. He was once again glad to be back in his armour because even through it he could feel the heat of your touch. 

“I’m just teasing you Rex,” You replied with another laugh, smiling up at him.

He still didn’t know what to say so instead he simply nodded. His attention was still focused entirely on you as you suddenly stood on your tip toes, the whisper of your voice against his ear sent a shiver down his spine, “I'll let you in on a little secret though. I’ve always thought you were beautiful too.”

With another gentle laugh, you pulled away from him, patting him on the arm once more before you move away. Leaving him standing there, completely dumbfounded as you waved up at Echo in the cockpit, giving him the all-clear to start up the ship. 

The Remora rumbled to life, engines running smoothly once more. He continued to watch, clearly incapable of focusing on anything else, as you gave Echo a thumbs up before returning to his side once more. You looked up at him, a warm and somewhat expecting look on your face. After years of knowing you and being on the receiving end of that look many times before he knew exactly what was coming next. 

“So,” You started, “Echo gave me the run down of what you’ve got going on here. I want to help you, in any way possible.”  

Rex felt himself tense up, “It’s dangerous. I can’t ask you to put yourself in harm's way for us. If The Empire…”

You cut him off, “The Empire can stuff it for all I care, Rex. I want to help you. What you’re doing here is important. I might not be a soldier but I know I can still help you.” 

“If something happened to you…” He started, his insides freezing at just the thought alone. If anything ever happened to you on his watch he didn’t know how he would live with himself. He had already lost so much. But he knew from the determined look in your eyes that he was fighting a losing battle. 

You stopped him again, this time with your hand as you reached out to grab his own. It had the intended effect, shutting him up completely as his gaze flicked between your face and your joint hands.

“It’s worth the risk, Rex,” you said as you gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, “Please, let me help.” 

He let out a weary sigh, “Alright," He might be clueless about a lot of things when it came to you but he knew when to admit defeat. 

You smiled up at him brightly, fingers still interlaced with his own, “Thank you. It looks like you're stuck with me after all Captain,” Rex couldn’t help but smile at the comment. It was a throwback to better days when you used to gripe about always being assigned to the 501st for missions. You still weren't aware that he had been the one specifically requesting for your assignments.  

"There are far worse problems to have,” he teased softly, “and just Rex is fine. I’m really not a Captain anymore.”

“Old habits die hard, Rex,” you replied with a shrug, “I should head back to the garage though. I’ll swing back around later though and we can discuss logistics.”

Rex nodded, though he was suddenly very aware that you were still holding his hand. Noticing his gaze you smiled up at him and for the second time that week you were moving before he could make sense of it. Your lips were soft against his cheek, the feeling of them once again setting his insides on fire and making his pulse race beneath your skin. Too soon in his opinion, you pulled away from him. He watched you walk away, his eyes never leaving you as you left the garage. You gave him one final wave that he returned before you disappeared from sight. He could still feel the ghost of your lips against his skin as he stood there, completely lost in thought. 

“So…” Rex didn’t even need to turn to know that Echo was suddenly standing beside him. 

“Don’t even start,” Rex grumbled, turning towards him and levelling a glare at him, “You and I are going to have to have a talk about maintaining secrecy.” 

“Sir yessir,” Echo chuckled, knowing Rex’s words were all bluster. He gave him a mock salute with his scomp before he wandered off, leaving Rex alone with his thoughts. He really should move, he had a lot of work to do but he had the feeling he wasn't going to be very effective for the rest of the day. Not unless he could convince himself that he wasn’t actively counting down the hours until he would see you again.