#tcw fives x you | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

ariadnes-red-thread · 2 years ago

Note

Aria!! For your follower celebration…

11. “Louder. Let me hear you.”

And/or

21. “Don’t hold back.”

for Fives 😏

Congratulations babes!! You deserve it!! 🥳🥳

ERIN, MY LOVE!! This ask has CONSUMED me for the last three weeks. Life has been so busy, and I'm sorry it took so long (and I'm sorry to everyone who is still waiting on their asks. THEY WILL HAPPEN, I SWEAR). But I've been working on it, slowly, in every free moment because Fives + those words are EVERYTHING to me. Thank you so much for always being such a lovely friend and supporter. I'm so lucky to have met you here. Hope you enjoy this smutty mess 😏

Pairing: Fives x F!Reader

Word Count: 3.2k

Warning: NSFT *MINORS DNI*, Explicit sexual content, established relationship, Fingering, Oral Sex (female receiving), PiV sex, Soft Dom!Fives if you squint

The hotel room was… luxurious. There was no other word for it. To start, a floor to ceiling window looked out over the rooftops of Coruscant. The moons dazzling in the windows, lit the rest of the bedchamber in a silvery glow and splashed like glittered paint against the dark oak of the other three walls. All other light came from a single, moody chandelier that hung low enough from the vaulted ceiling that it seemed to be dangling from the darkness itself. Pushed up against the wall opposite the window, and occupying most of the room, was a large, round bed, easily bigger than anything you’d ever slept on and likely bigger than your tiny closet of a room on the Venator. It was covered with a plush dark gray duvet and several light gray satin pillows. A full bar was tucked into the dark wood beside the bed, stocked with fine bottles of Corwellian whiskey and Naboo wine, which the kind twi’lek working the front desk of the hotel had informed you were complimentary.

You couldn’t imagine how much Padme had paid for this room and it turned your stomach a little just to consider as you took in all of the fine details. The stay was a gift, she had whispered to you as she pressed the key into your hand during a tight hug after you and her husband had debriefed the Senate on your latest battle. It was a thank you, she quickly and quietly explained, for looking out for Anakin once again. There was also the unspoken connection of shared secrets. You knew she felt for you and Fives. Unlike her and Anakin, with her senatorial suite, you had no refuge, no where for you to relax. It was always stolen moments in dark corners. Still, the cost of it all twisted at you and you frowned, wishing she hadn’t gone through the trouble until your eyes landed on Fives’ face. Then, you realized you would have paid the price yourself, however many credits it was, without even thinking.

The clone stood at the window, his dark eyes glittering in the moonbeam that fell across his face. A soft smile lay on his lips and he stared out over the skyline of the city in silence. From here, the penthouse of one of the tallest buildings on the planet, the neon of the city below twinkled like colorful stars in a far-away galaxy.

You quickly crossed the room to him, wrapping your arms around his core and hugging him from behind as you stood on your toes to peer over his shoulder and share the striking view.

“I’ve never seen it like this.” Fives finally spoke. “Always lookin’ through my HUD or hanging out the side of a gunship or too busy to even look. It’s… almost peaceful.”

You dropped your gaze and pressed a kiss against the warm skin of his neck. The smell of blaster plasma struck you. It wasn’t overpowering but it was a sharp contrast to the woody perfumed scent of the room. It shouldn’t have been surprising. You came here straight from the briefing, throwing on civilian clothes and stuffing your Jedi robes into your satchel in a remote bathroom far away from the more busy halls of the Senate before you rushed to meet Fives in one of your designated, rotating meeting spots. He appeared as you did, out of breath and in wrinkled civilian clothes. While the change of clothes may have helped hide your identities, it did little to free either of you from the grime of the battlefield that still clung to your skin.

You squeezed your boyfriend tightly around the waist before you let go. Turning back towards the room, you spotted an unexplored door near the bed that whispered promises of a bathroom and perhaps even a shower.

Before you could move, Fives’ form spun and out of the corner of your eye, you watched as he dove from his spot by the window into the bed. He let out a revenant groan at the lux mattress as he sunk into its forgiving embrace.

“We’re never leaving here.” He declared. “Tell Padme we’re moving in.”

“I’ll let her know.” You chuckled at the ARC trooper.

Fives rolled onto his side, found your eyes, and patted the duvet next to him. It’s soft surface invitingly gave way under his hand.

“Now come here, mesh’la.” His words were playful, but you could hear promises in the low timbre of his voice.

You wanted nothing more than to have him make good on those unspoken pledges, but the smell of blaster plasma still haunted you.

“I’m going to shower.” You sighed, flashing a sad smile at your boyfriend.

Fives groaned, his head flopping back onto one of the pillows as his face scrunched into a pout.

“You could always join me.”

You smirked at Fives just long enough to watch him lift himself up, and his jaw drop open. Then, with a teasing saunter towards the bathroom, you turned your back to him as you pulled your shirt over your head and cast it aside You waited until you opened the door before you paused for just a moment. Reaching up to the clasp of your bra, you glanced over your shoulder. Fives was sitting up in bed, his spine straight, jaw still hanging, and a dark hunger in his eye. With a wink and a flick of your wrist, you let you bra fall to the floor and pulled the door shut b behind you.

The bathroom was as stunning as the bedroom. White tile and marble covered almost every surface. Two panes of glass - true glass, not transparisteel - encased a corner of the room for the shower. The other two walls and the floor of the shower were dark, semi-polished stone. It was a real water shower, with one head that hung off the wall and another that came down in the middle of the shower. When you swung open the glass door and turned the water on, it cascaded from the ceiling like rain.

You heard the door open. Fives was already behind you and, from the sound of rustle of fabric, quickly shedding his clothing.

His chest pressed against your back, bringing a heat that sent a warmth pooling through your body. His hands gilded around your waist and down the soft skin of your stomach. As his lips found your neck, he unbuttoned the clasp of your pants and let them drop to your ankles, pushing your panties down along with pants.

Fives carefully spun you towards him and you stepped out of the last fabric, kicking them aside. You grinned up at him, expecting your playful boyfriend to be grinning back. Instead, Fives stared down at you with an uncharacteristically faraway look.

“You okay?” You reached up, a palm coming to his cheek.

Fives leaned into your touch as he gave a small nod.

“Just…” His eyes quickly snapped to focus on you. “...feeling lucky.”

You gently tilted his face to you and pressed a soft kiss on his brow

“Me too.” You murmured against his skin before you tugged him, stepping backwards over the lip of the shower. “Now, come on.”

You pulled Fives under the rain of the center head, letting the warm liquid run down your bodies. His lips found yours in a bruising kiss. His tongue entered your mouth, intertwining and dancing with yours. The water fell over your skin like a chant, reinvigorating your battle-tired body. You both began to awaken, your hands moving slowly over each other’s bodies, exploring the lines you know so well.

Breaking the kiss, you reached for the one of the crystal bottles that sat on the small recessed shelf. Glancing at the labels, you found the hotel’s body wash and emptied a third of the bottle into your hands. You brought your hands to Fives’ wide chest while you created a small lather. You let your palms dance across his body, tracing old scars, trailing along taut muscles, rubbing away the remnants of battle, and, as you trailed your way behind him, massaging the stress from his hard-working limbs. He let out a soft moan at your touch.

“Feels so good, cyare.” Fives muttered, his back to you as you worked a knot in his shoulder. “You’re spoiling me.”

“Not yet,” you promised.

Your hands wrapped around his waist, ghosted down over the ribbed muscles of his stomach and finally found his half-hard member. Fives shuddered as you took him in hand, bucking at your touch. You ran your thumb in slow circles around his tip as you slid your other hand down towards his base.

He leaned back into you with a sigh as his head fell towards his chest, not enough to where you were supporting him but enough to where you knew the havoc that you were wreaking on him. You squeezed gently as you worked him, feeling him throb and pulse under your hand as his cock hardened and leaked.

“That’s enough,” Fives finally hissed through gritted teeth as he firmly wrapped his hands around your wrists and tugged you away from his cock. “My turn.”

Not letting go of your wrists, he spun towards you, crossing your arms over and leaving you at his mercy. He passed your left wrist into his left hand, holding both your arms in his grip. You looked up at the wrecked look on his face and knew he was holding you for his own protection. He wanted this to last and you had brought him to the brink. Fives reach for the soap on its tiny polished perch. Unscrewing the top off with his teeth, he drizzled another third off the bottle over your shoulders and down your chest. Then he pulled you towards him before he released your hands.

His wide, usually rough palms were soft from the water. He pressed them into you, using the soap and the warm liquid to pull the tiredness from your muscles, releasing the stress and ache from your body. His hands reached over you to run down your spine, and then back up and over your shoulders, where he traced his way down your chest. With his long and wide pointer finger, he began to draw small circles along your breast, stopping on to tease your nipple with his knuckle. After the flesh raised underneath his touch, he caught it between his knuckle and his thumb, tugging at your nipple just enough so that it pinched in the sweetest way. Fives chewed on his lip as he watched you sigh and gasp under his ministrations, never breaking eye contact, holding your dark pupils with his blown ones.

His hand finally foraged on, tracing its way through the droplets that ran down your skin. After drawing a line down the etching of your hip, Fives spread his first two fingers and ran them gently along the outside of your lower lips. A small squeak escaped you at his teasing.

“Easy, mesh’la.” Fives flashed a wicked smile. “You’ll get what you need.”

His hands found your hips and he pressed you into the back wall before he fell to his knees. Emerging from the stream of the shower and the touch of the cool stone was a sharp contrast to the warm water and the heat of Fives. Goosebumps spread over your skin at the change and in anticipation. Fives grinned up at you from his knees one more time before he pressed his swollen lips to your hip. He laid one delicate kiss after another along your inner thigh as he moved closer and closer to your aching core. Finally, his tongue found its way between your lips and he circled around your delicate bundle of nerves. You canted your hips at the feeling. He replied with a strong palm to your belly, holding you in place while he dove into your center. Fives lapped wave after wave, his tongue dancing along your lips, delving into your depths, and drawing rapturous designs into your most sensitive skin.

“Fives,” you mumbled his name in between punched-out words of praise. “Feels so-so good.”

Your hand found purchase in his thick curls and he let out a small moan against you as you tugged, reverberating your core. Fives was never shy about his love of praise or how he liked it when you pulled his hair. Two thick fingers ran through your folds, collecting slick. He paused his ministrations for a moment as he sat back on his heel. Fives brought the finger ups to his mouth and gilded them between his lips. Slack-jawed at the gorgeous sight, you still found yourself lightly thrusting into the air, searching for friction as the sudden lack of attention drove you a little mad.

Fives looked up, catching your eye with his wide grin as he pulled the glistening thick fingers form his mouth. The water rained down on him but he still held your stare.

“So sweet,” Fives huffed. “I could drown in your pussy.”

Before you could say anything, his two fingers slid home. You let out a groan at the sudden but needed intrusion. He slowly teased you open, hooking his fingers to find your sweet spongy spot, and then spreading them to prepare you with a promise of more. Each movement brought heat and electricity to your most sensitive spots and you felt a warmth began to collect in the pit of your stomach.

Fives hooked his fingers again as his mouth found your bud, sucking it between his teeth and teasing it with his tongue. You let out a cry as white began to cloud your vision. You trembled at the edge when, suddenly, Fives pulled his fingers from you.

You wobbled as you let out a wordless cry of protest.

“Please,” You pleaded as you found his eyes again, grinning up at you once more. “Please, Fives.”

He climbed to his feet, chuckling to himself. He pressed a kiss to your nose, an annoying gesture considering how close you had been. When your face twisted into a pout, Fives let out a deep laugh.

“I only want you cumming around my cock tonight, cyare.”

With that, Fives caged you into the stone. He lifted up your leg, hooking it around his hip. Taking himself in his hand, Fives slotted against your entrance. You bit your lip, your frustration forgotten, and you raised your hand to your mouth in anticipation of muffling the pleasure to come.

At the movement, Fives looked up from where your bodies were about to join to your face. He gently pulled the hand you had clasped over your lips from your mouth.

“Don’t hold back.” He gave you a sideways smile before he kissed your palm.

“Fives-” You started to protest.

“No one else is here, mesh’la,” Fives’ voice slipped into the low cantor he got whenever he gave an order. “No vod, no crew, no Jedi, and I want to hear every sound you make.”

Fives reached for your other hand, lifting both arms above your head and pressing them into the stone. The slick, smooth surface on your spine made you shiver again but the warmth of your body quickly won out. The electric feeling stayed though as you felt Fives’ thick head enter you. He let out a long breath as he slowly slid home, opening you up. A hooked, pitched moan left you at the beautiful stretch. Fives’ face fell as he brought his hips flush to yours. He stilled his lower half to let you adjust to his size. For all of his preparations, it was always still a stretch. Foreheads pressed together, you both let out shaky exhales. Fives’ chest heaved as he held himself back. He dropped his head further to pepper kisses along your neck, nipping and licking at the sensitive flesh. His hands flexed against the stone, still holding your wrists in place, every bit of him moving except his hips as he waited for you to be ready.

“Okay, okay.” You finally began to rock your own hips against him. “More, please.”

“Anything for you, cyare.”��

His reply was low and stilted control, seeing through every syllable. He began to rock into you, slow and steady, pulling moan after moan out of you with every movement of his hips.

“That’s right, mesh’la. Louder, let me hear you.” The words were jutted and breathy against your neck. “Don’t you dare hold back.”

You didn’t. You let him hear everything he never got to hear. You babbled in throaty wanton tones while his length reached into you and pulled out notes that you didn’t know you could sing. You’d never been able to be with him like this, carefree and all ot yourself. It was always hushed and hurried. It was only ever quiet kisses and gasps smothered into palms and shoulders as you both tried not to get caught. Now, you could let him hear every ounce of pleasure he pulled from you, every new centimeter he discovered as you opened up to him. He let go of your wrists, wrapping around your back. Your hands fell to his neck, scrambling both for steadiness and to pull him closer as you melted into his arms.

Then, Fives stilled. Before you could wonder, he pulled himself out, lowered your leg, and spun you to face the wall. You threw your hands out to brace yourself on the stone’s surface, moving in tandem with him like you were still on the battlefield. He entered you again, deeper even than before. One hand came to your chest, holding you against him, while the other snaked its way down your center, finding your swollen mound. Every thrust keened you further up into his chest until the line where you ended and Fives began started to blur. Water flowed over him down onto you in a perfect river, winding but endless. His lips found your neck again where he pressed hard, sloppy kisses and murmured words that you could barely hear over your own sinful moans and sobs. Fives took your earlobe into his teeth, biting down as he let out a warm breath. Your whole body began to shake as he pressed rhythmic circles into your center while he fucked you furiously. With a final cry of his name, you came.

Fives’ hips staccatoed as he chased his own high. A warmth flooded you as he finished, collapsing into your back while still holding you up on weak legs. Quickly he straightened, pulling you up with him, and gathering you into his chest. Soft kisses were bestrewn over your skin. You dazed in his arms as he washed you another time, cleaning your lower half.

You let Fives turn off the shower and wrap you in a lush, white towel before he guided you to bed. Climbing in behind you, he pulled you into his broad chest and wrapped you up in his arms. Your eyes began to flutter as weariness overtook you. You could feel Fives’ breath become rhythmic against your shoulder as you drifted into your own dreams. There, under the loving gaze of the moons, you both found peace.

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echos-girlfriend · 2 years ago

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Fives and Blue

Howdy!

Awwwe more fives!! I love him so much🥰

Blue

Fives x reader

Master list

~_~_~_~

Warnings: very slight angst.. reader is feeling blue (lol).. trope: do you really love me. (If that even is a trope) fluffy ending.

also I noticed I didn’t use the word blue often.. I hope this is good.. lots of odd things went on while I was writing this..

~_~_~_~

“Cyare? Why are you so sad?”

“I dunno.. I’m just feeling blue..”

Fives frowned, thinking about what he could do about your situation. A giant grin appeared on his face and he grabbed your hand.

“Well I’m gonna fix it! You’re not going to feel blue anymore!”

“You are?”

Following him, you were a little apprehensive. Sometimes Fives get rambunctious or maybe even a little crazy.. But right now you didn’t care. You just wanted to stop feeling blue.

“Fives where are we going?”

“To play a prank on Tup!”

‘Oh boy’ you thought.. what could possibly go wrong with this idea. As you rounded the corner, fives stopped you. Keeping you from getting into Tup’s line of sight.

“Now.. watch this.”

Fives walked up behind Tup slowly.. not making a sound. Holding his arms, he jumped on top of him! Making his crash to the ground.

“FIVES! WHAT THE KARK!? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!”

It wasn’t what you would really consider a prank but Tup’s reaction was enough to make you laugh.

As soon as Fives hears it from behind the corner he jumped up with excitement and ran over to you.

“Haha! How’s my girl now! Eh? Feeling less blue right!”

You nodded and giggled. He took your hands and held them tightly against his white and blue armored chest.

“Cyare. I love you”

“I love you too fives. Maybe you should apologize to Tup?”

“Ehh he’s fine.. come on! I wanna make sure I get all those blue feelings out of you!”

He took your hand and ran down to corridor towards your office, where you could have privacy.

“I know what you really need!”

He stooped down and gave your forehead and big big. Your lips immediately turned up into a smile.

“Fives.. do you really love me?”

“Of course cyare! With all my heart!”

“Then you wouldn’t mind taking the rest day off? Cuddling with me?”

“Of course I will.. Tup will cover for me! That means I get you all to myself”

He wrapped his arms around you and gave you silly big kisses all over your head and lips. You had forgotten about all the things that had made you blue..

Fives was always there to make you happy. You knew that when he was around you would never feel blue.. you would always be happy and feel loved..

~_~_~_~

Later down the road I may revise this but.. I feel like I couldn’t keep them waiting especially after hoe long they’ve waited.. and I have so many requests to catch up on lol 😂

~_~_~_~

Tag list : if it disappears.. Tumblr doesn’t like me to tag ppl 😑

@padawancat97 @umbramoons @starqueensthings

~_~_~_~

#the clones wars x reader #clone x reader #tcw fives #tcw fives x reader #tcw fives x you #fives #fives x reader #fives x you #writing challenge #‘do you really love me? trope’..is it trope Idk..

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nahoney22 · 4 months ago

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Congrats on the 4500 followers, Honey 🥳

Can I request a Fives x Fem!Reader fic with fluff prompts #7 and #22? With a, they're in an established relationship, but they're not living together yet, kind of vibe?

Please and thank you 💚💚💚

@the-bad-batch-baroness

Just for Tonight 🌊

🫧 Pairings: Fives X Female!Reader

word count: 827 words

prompts:

• “You don't have to leave just yet ... you could stay the night if you wanted to?”

• “You’re comfy.”

When Fives comes to visit, the two of you imagine what life after the war would be like together.

warnings: Safe for Work, Fluff, Established Relationship, Cuddling, Kisses, Female Reader, Discussions about life after the war, talks of the future. Very light angst if you squint.

Authors note: sorry for the wait @the-bad-batch-baroness, enjoy 🩵

Tonight, the usual quiet of your apartment was interrupted by the sizzling sounds and savory smells wafting from your tiny kitchen.

You leaned against the doorway, watching in quiet amusement as Fives, your better half of the last year, moved about with surprising ease in the unfamiliar space of your kitchen. He glanced over his shoulder with a playful smirk. “Stop staring, you’re making me nervous.”

You giggle, crossing your arms. “You know, I didn’t expect you to surprise me by cooking?”

“I figured I’d show off my skills. You deserve a break from takeout.” He teased, flipping something in the pan with a bit more flair than necessary.

The meal was simple, nothing too fancy which was just how you liked it. But the effort he put into it, the way he made himself at home in your space, made your heart swell. As he finishes up, you set the table and pretend not to notice how he stole glances at you every now and then.

Once the food was ready, he set down two plates and pulled out a chair for you with an exaggerated bow. “Dinner is served, milady,” he said with a wink, his charm in full force.

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t hide your smile as you sat down. “You really didn’t have to do all this, Fives.”

“I wanted to,” he replied, sitting across from you. “I don’t get to see you nearly as much as I’d like. Figured I’d make tonight special.”

The meal was delicious. You never realised he had the skill for it and you wouldn’t mind him coming over and cooking for you again. Conversation flowed easily as always, from light banter to deeper musings about what life might look like after the war. And as the evening stretched on, the familiar ache of knowing he’d have to leave soon crept into your thoughts.

When the plates were cleared and the kitchen tidied, the two of you found yourselves on the couch, with Fives stretched out beside you, his head resting lazily in your lap. You absentmindedly ran your fingers through his hair, savouring the rare moment of peace. He sighed contentedly, eyes half-lidded with the kind of serenity that seemed so rare in his life these days. “You look like you’re going to fall to sleep any second,” you hum.

“You’re comfy,” he mumbled with a sleepy grin, his voice rough from fatigue but tinged with a warmth.

You couldn’t help but smile. Moments like these were often stolen from the chaos of the Clone war. And so, they were more precious to you than anything. You glance at the clock on your wall, seeing the minutes that follow into hours tick by. Your chest tightened knowing he will soon have to leave and it seemed he knew it too as he gave your hand a reassuring squeeze.

“You don’t have to leave just yet,” you offer softly, “You could stay the night if you wanted to.”

Fives’ eyes search yours as if weighing the suggestion carefully. The war had taught him to stay alert, to be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice, but in your apartment, he could let his guard down—if only for a little while. “You sure?” he asked, though there was a hint of something playful in his tone, like he was testing how much you really wanted him there.

“Of course I’m sure,” you replied, brushing a strand of hair away from his forehead. “Besides, it’s nice having you here.”

He shifted slightly, moving so that he was propped up on one elbow, his free hand tracing small circles on your knee. “You know, when all this is over,” he said, his voice dropping to something more serious, more vulnerable, “we won’t have to sneak around like this anymore. We’ll get our own place—somewhere quiet. Just us.”

The promise hung in the air between you, a fragile hope for a future that was anything but certain. But the way he said it, with so much conviction, made you want to believe in it, too. You could picture it: a small home, somewhere far from here, where you wouldn’t have to keep your time together a secret, where he wouldn’t have to leave before dawn broke.

“I’d like that.”

Fives’ gaze softened as he leaned in closer, pressing a tender kiss to your forehead and then to your lips. “It’s a promise,” he murmured, sealing it.

You lay down, Fives coming to spoon behind you, both of you too stuffed and tired to move to the bed. After all, you just wanted to savour the warmth and comfort he brought with him. “Stay,” you said again, this time with more confidence as you locked your hands over his that rested on your stomach. “Just for tonight.”

“Alright,” he agreed, pulling you closer, the tension melting from his body. “For tonight.”

Hopefully, this ‘just for tonight’ will turn into an everyday reality. One day.

🌊 Masterlist is Pinned 🌊

Tags: @the-bad-batch-baroness @lulalovez @whore4rex @imperialclaw801 1 @temple-elder r @mysticalgalaxysalad @yunggoblin @tech-aficionado @grizabellasolo @therealnekomari @tech-depression-inventory @brynhildrmimi @greaser-wolf @kaminocasey @marvel-starwars-nerd @ladytano420 @ladyzirkonia @thesith @raevulsix @cw80831 @knightprincess @crosshairlovebot @littlefeatherr @kaitou2417 @eyecandyeoz @jesseeka @theroguesully @ladykatakuri @arctrooper69 @padawancat97 7 @staycalmandhugaclone @ko-neko-san @echos-girlfriend @fiveshelmet @dangraccoon @plushymiku-blog @pb-jellybeans @nunanuggets @sleepycreativewriter @erellenora @zippingstars87 @ezras-left-thumb @the-rain-on-kamino @lamiliani

#fives x reader #arc trooper fives #arc trooper fives x reader #tcw #star wars #clone wars #the clone wars #clone trooper x reader #fives x you #nahoney22 writes

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vizslasaber · 8 months ago

Text

FRIENDLY FIRE ──── i.

summary: after landing on the umbaran surface, you butt heads with your fellow general—but get along swimmingly with your temporary clone captain.

pairing: captain rex x female jedi!reader

word count: 3.9k

warnings: combat/action, mentions of injury + death, krell being a bitch, reader with a name instead of y/n because i hate it

a/n: it’s back!!! previously i posted this series on my main, @brrmian, but i changed that blog’s username and have mostly shifted over to fanart and general SW content. i’ve decided to dedicate this new side blog’s content entirely to fic writing under my old username, posting reader insert on here and everything else on ao3! this fic will be updated sparsely but definitely more often than it was on my main. i’ve changed a few things regarding the plot of this series specifically, and i like it a lot more now!!

series masterlist | click here to add or remove yourself from the taglist!

You hadn’t wanted to leave the Temple behind—you still don’t, even lightyears away from the Core.

When the Jedi Council had first made you aware of the plan to have you and a Master you’d never met capture an Umbaran airbase with troops that were not your own, you had put up something of a fight. What right, you demanded, did the Chancellor have the right to simply pull a Jedi from their sacred duty for a trivial air-to-ground assault?

The Council had either not wanted to answer this question or had not known how to, so now you stand on a transport gunship with two clone troopers and an intimidatingly tall Besalisk Jedi Master by the name of Pong Krell. Both of you are holding onto the grab handles hanging from the ceiling; you’re gripping the handle so tightly your knuckles are slightly pale, but Krell looks perfectly steady.

Of course he is, you think bitterly. He has four arms.

The atmosphere of Umbara is breathable but strangely thick—fog seeps through the blast door openings, and the lights inside the gunship’s passenger bay seem to have dimmed. Your lightsabers bump against your hips and you wince slightly as sounds of frantic gunfire reach your ears.

This will be your first campaign.

You have seen death before, on missions as a Padawan before the war—but never on this scale, if the reports of your already-knighted friends from the Temple are anything to go by. You only hope that you will be assigned your own battalion soon, so you don’t have to go running around replacing wayward Generals.

It’s hard, standing at the side of an imposing Master, not to feel like a Padawan. The skin behind your right ear burns with the memory of the braid that had been there just last week, waiting to be sheared off as you prepared for your ascension to Knighthood.

While your battalion assignment is pending, Master Windu told you as you stood in the center of the Council Chamber, the Senate has requested that we send two Jedi Knights to replace Skywalker on Umbara.

Master Krell is already on-world, assisting Master Kenobi, but he will need another Jedi’s help if he and the 501st are to take the capital in Skywalker’s stead, Master Plo explained, his hologram flickering as he called in from some faraway world.

All due respect, Masters, you remember asking as you willed yourself not to tremble, but why me? I’ve never been anywhere near the front. I wouldn’t be much help.

Believe in your potential, we do, Master Yoda said. An opportunity for you to do good, the Force has given you.

And that, it was decided, was that.

Even now, after meditating on your anxiety for practically the entire journey through hyperspace, your nerves feel impossibly frayed. The transport jostles, but you only sway slightly, arm already holding onto an overhead handle for balance. There’s a shiny new military-issue commlink attached to your right vambrace. A morbid thought, of calling in a medevac for injured soldiers with this very communicator, crosses your mind—but you let it dissipate.

The gunship suddenly makes a sharp dive, and your stomach swoops—you must be about to land. You spare a glance at General Krell, who has now let go of the grab handles and has crossed all four of his arms over his chest. For a moment, you’re almost tempted to ask how he manages to stay so balanced while the ship is moving, but then the blast doors slide open and the gunship lands in shadowy darkness.

The first person you see is Anakin Skywalker. He’s around your age, maybe a bit younger—despite having been knighted several years earlier, as one of the first Padawan victims of the Jedi Military Integration Act. Your Master, ever traditional even when the Order began to stray from its centuries-old teachings, did her best to keep you apprenticed for as long as possible, but even that eventually proved futile.

In the end, you and Anakin are practically of the same age, and yet he has infinite more experience than you. Uncertainty wheedles its way into your chest and slips a pin into your lungs; you’re holding your breath as you follow Krell off the gunship.

Being far shorter than the Besalisk, you have to jump down. When you hit the ground, you shiver at the misty atmosphere, watching as bioluminescent specks of dust fly up underneath your boots.

As the two of you approach, you hear the troopers of the 501st legion mutter amongst themselves, but you push it aside and focus on the pleasantries.

“General Krell. General Neridian,” Anakin says, smiling graciously. “My thanks for the air support.”

“Indeed, General Skywalker,” Krell replies, bowing politely. “The locals have proven to be more resourceful than we anticipated.”

“We managed to get here in one piece, though,” you add jokingly, and Anakin smirks, his eyes twinkling. You gesture to the troopers unloading the gunship behind you. “And we brought ration resupplies.”

Anakin nods appreciatively, then raises one eyebrow after a moment, looking slightly confused. “But—that’s not the reason for your visit.”

“No,” Krell admits. “The Council has ordered you back to Coruscant, effective immediately.”

“What?” Skywalker demands. “Wh-why?”

“The Chancellor...” you pause, searching for a word, before you settle on, “insisted that you return. The Council had no say on the matter.”

“That is all they would tell us,” Krell adds, though he doesn’t sound displeased.

“Well, I—I can’t just leave my men!” Anakin protests, and for the first time you notice the trooper standing at attention beside him.

He’s identical to all the clones you’ve met, of course, except for one detail—his hair is blond. You wonder vaguely if it would be polite to ask him whether or not it’s natural as you survey his armor. The pauldron on his left shoulder indicates a position of command, but he carries a sense of individuality in the Force that, despite your inexperience with working with them, you’ve come to realize every clone has. His helmet is painted with a distinctly Mandalorian sigil, but it’s not one you recognize.

His gaze is pointed directly ahead; he makes no eye contact with you. Probably just as annoyed at the change of plans as Anakin is, you realize.

Krell moves to speak, jolting you from your thoughts. You recognize Anakin’s agitation, however, so you calmly move to intercept.

“The Council would not just leave your troopers to fend for themselves—not that they aren’t perfectly capable of doing so, of course,” you add, which merits the barest hint of a smile from the trooper standing beside Anakin. “It’s just… well, the Senate needs a Jedi to be at the head of every campaign, and I guess they figured subtracting one of you would mean—”

“—adding two other Jedi,” Anakin says with a snort of derision. “Yeah… sounds like the Senate. But you guys’ll probably get it done faster anyway.”

“Don’t worry about a thing, sir,” interjects the trooper, and Anakin looks to him. “We’ll have this city under control by the time you’re back.”

“Generals, this is Captain Rex, my first in command,” Anakin says fondly, and you see something like pride show itself in Rex’s eyes. “You won’t find a finer or more loyal trooper anywhere.”

“I don’t doubt it,” you affirm earnestly.

“Yes, that is good to hear,” Krell agrees, then places a large hand on Anakin’s shoulder. “I wish you well, Skywalker.”

Anakin simply nods at him, then stops beside you and says, “I hear you passed the Trials.”

You gesture to your hair, now void of a Padawan braid. “Apparently so,” you reply. “Funny, I didn’t think you were one to get swept into the rumour mill.”

A grin, boyish and bright, springs to Anakin’s face. “Nah, I’m always one for good gossip.” His expression turns softer, then, and he puts a hand on your shoulder. “Seriously, though… congratulations.”

“Thank you,” you say, but he’s already approaching the gunship and taking hold of one of the grab handles. The ship is off within seconds, and you can’t help but feel apprehensive as it flies away, up into the fog.

Taking a moment to gather yourself, you turn to Rex and offer a polite nod. He returns it, then says, “It is an honour to be serving with you, Generals.”

“The honour is all mine,” you return graciously, and Rex looks like he’s about to say something else, but stops when Krell begins to speak.

“I find it very interesting, Captain, that you are able to recognize the value of honour,” he begins, then—almost as an afterthought—adds, “for a clone.”

Silence.

Your eyebrows shoot up, and as Rex stares at Krell in shock, you feel your armored chest tighten—with frustration or shock, you don’t yet know.

“Stand at attention when I address you,” Krell snaps, turning to face the other troopers, and as Rex obliges, you narrow your eyes and step forward.

“Master Krell,” you start, your jaw tightening, “I do believe it would be far more... prudent to show respect to the soldiers who have so graciously agreed to undertake this mission with us.” You tilt your head questioningly, sending your ponytail swaying. “After all—we are the ones who just arrived.”

A ripple of white-hot anger moves through the Force with lightning speed, but it’s gone before you can take time to process it. Now, all you can feel is something akin to gratitude, trickling like a cool waterfall from where Rex stands, back straight and eyes ahead.

“They agreed to nothing,” Krell counters, and you blink as his wide upper lip curls back to reveal a row of dangerously sharp teeth. “Do not forget, young one, that we are the Generals they serve under at present.”

“I...” you pause, momentarily at a loss for words, then clasp your hands behind your back and force your jaw to unclench. “I haven’t forgotten that. But I also haven’t forgotten that the only way to succeed in this endeavour is to work together.”

“And with what experience do you so kindly bestow this advice upon us, Knight Neridian?” Krell asks, and the question is like a bucket of ice water down the back of your robes.

You swallow, and search for the words to say, but none come. Cheeks burning with shame, you stare determinedly at the ground.

The tension in Krell’s Force signature disappears, as sudden as the crack of a whip, and he draws in a deep breath. You look up as the pouch-like piece of flesh under Krell’s chin grows in size and he begins to pace.

“Nevertheless,” Krell brushes off, acting as though none of your words register with him, “there’s a reason my command is so effective, and it’s because I do things by the book.” He walks past a soldier in an ARC Trooper uniform who has the number five tattooed on his right temple. The trooper doesn’t move as Krell passes him, but you can see a vein on his forehead bulge.

“And that includes protocol,” Krell puts in. He turns to you. “Have all platoons ready to move out immediately.”

You bristle. “I—I thought we were to make decisions together,” you protest, raising your chin defiantly.

Technically, there’s nothing to defy, seeing as you hold equal rank with Krell—but the Council specified in their briefing that this was supposed to be a learning experience, an introduction to combat before receiving your own battalion. And something about Master Krell demands respect, or at the very least obedience, despite the fact that you’re starting to want to do everything you can not to give it to him.

Krell simply huffs and turns around, his yellow eyes flashing, and walks away, leaving you surrounded by a platoon troopers.

You frown after him. “Well, now I know why Master Venn wished me good luck,” you mutter, mostly to yourself. Some of the troopers snicker, but you hardly notice.

Your former master, Esya Venn, had pulled you aside just before leaving. The look on her face had been nothing short of concerned, but you’d shrugged it off in the moment, even when she’d told you to be careful, Padawan. She never told anyone to be careful—it was simply a reflex to think twice about your actions around Esya.

But now you understand.

Scrubbing a hand over your tired face, you take a deep breath and turn to Captain Rex. “Shall we set off?” you ask, and he nods, promptly putting on his helmet.

“Move out, soldiers!” he shouts, starting down the path after Krell. “Come on, let’s go!”

You give Rex a grateful smile, and though you can’t see his face, you know he’s returning it. With one last glance at the battalion, you hurry to the front and fall into step next to General Krell.

It’s silent for some time. Krell doesn’t deter, no matter how dark it gets, and after a while you begin to grow uncomfortable next to him. The anger you’d felt in the Force earlier is dormant, but certainly there, and it makes chills erupt down your spine.

"I’m going to check on the Captain,” you say, and Krell only nods when you turn around and quickly find Rex, who’s walking about two meters behind where you previously were.

The Captain salutes briefly. “General.”

“Captain,” you reply politely, before glancing back at Krell. “I can’t help but notice that there’s—” you pause for a moment. Do these troopers know enough about the Force to have conversations with you about it?

Knowing Anakin, you realize, they probably do, so you clear your throat and continue. “I get a strange feeling from Master Krell,” you say quietly.

Rex’s shoulders relax just slightly. “How so, sir?”

You bite your lip and shake your head. “I don’t know, exactly,” you reply, then gesture vaguely in front of you, where Krell is half-visible in the murky fog. “The Force around him is unclear. It’s... hard to explain.”

“Hard to explain, as in it’s a Jedi thing?” Rex guesses, and you grin widely.

“Yes,” you say. “It’s a Jedi thing.” Reaching up, you curl a loose strand of hair behind your ear.

“I may not be a Jedi, sir,” Rex says after a moment, “but I think I know what you mean by strange feeling.”

“Quicken that pace, battalion!” Krell suddenly shouts over his shoulder, and you jump. “This isn’t some training course on Kamino.”

You sigh and raise your voice, turning to the troopers. “What General Krell means,” you call, pointedly shooting a glare at the Besalik’s back, “is that we must continue to make good time. Keep up the good work.”

Krell gives no answer, but you feel a ripple of frustration coming from his direction. There’s another thread in the Force, one of gratitude, but you can’t tell where exactly it’s coming from. You latch onto it nonetheless and file the feeling away for later, letting yourself make an easy pace just ahead of Rex.

“He certainly has a way with words,” you hear one of the clones say, and when you glance behind you out of the corner of your eye, you can see that the source is someone with similar armor to Rex’s. Another ARC, or someone of similar rank.

There’s a sigh. You think it’s from Rex. The troopers obviously don’t know you’re listening, so you direct your gaze ahead, keeping your pace steady.

“He’s just trying to keep us on schedule,” Rex explains, voice hushed and sounding a bit sheepish.

"By raising everyone’s ire?” the other trooper grumbles.

“Either way, he’s in charge,” Rex protests. “And we’ve got a job to do.”

“She’s in charge, too,” hisses the trooper, and you purse your lips, knowing he’s pointing to you.

Another sigh, again from Rex. “Just—treat them both with respect, and we’ll all get along fine.”

You’re about to turn around when your neck stiffens. It’s an instinctual reaction, like the Force tapping you on the shoulder—one that you’ve learned to interpret as a warning. Less than a second later, a loud screech echoes above your head.

“Ready your weapons!” Rex shouts, at the same moment you draw one lightsaber.

Faster than your eyes can process, a winged creature swoops down and grabs a trooper—but you don’t need your eyes. The cyan beam of your lightsaber casts a glow on the shadowy ground, and you jump upwards, landing on a large plant that allows you to swing from a vine and graze the blade across the wing of one of the creatures. It falls to the ground with another screech before flying away, relatively unharmed.

One to go.

You’re about to grab hold of a second vine and swing towards the other creature, but a flash of blurred blue and green makes you pull back—Krell beats you to it, landing on top of the creature and wrestling it to the ground.

“Wait—stop!” you shout as he draws his lightsabers, but it’s too late. He’s already skewered the creature mercilessly, and it lies dead on the ground, life blinking out of the Force in an instant.

You jump off of the large plant, landing on both feet, and hook your now deactivated lightsaber onto your belt. “Why did you kill it?” you demand, pushing past several onlooking clones.

“It is nothing more than a violent inhabitant of this area,” Krell dismisses, and you feel your jaw drop.

“But…” you start, at a loss for words. “The Code decrees—”

“The Code,” Krell says coldly as he turns to stare at you, “allows for self defense.”

You draw yourself up to your full height, switching off your lightsaber with a snap-hiss before hooking it back onto your belt. “That’s not what—”

Krell’s lightsabers deactivate loudly, cutting you off, and he returns them to either side of his belt before turning away and continuing on the path. “Anyone else want to stop and play with the animals?”

No one answers, but you feel your fists clench as if of their own accord.

This is going to be a long night.

Umbara’s plant life is fascinating. Observing the bioluminescent life forms is the only thing that serves a proper distraction from both the grumbling clone troopers and the pit of apprehension in your stomach. You’d been walking for twelve hours, give or take, and every time you’d tried to suggest a break to Krell, he’d snapped at you.

This can’t be allowed, you think bitterly, skipping over a glowing pink tree root, boots skidding on the dark purple ground.

You chew on your bottom lip and glance at the clones behind you. They are understandably worn out, and even with the extensive survival training Master Esya drilled into you as a Padawan, you were starting to get tired, too.

“Sir,” says a voice from behind you, and you jump, expecting in your exhaustion to see Krell—but it’s just Rex.

“We’ve been keeping this pace for almost half a rotation,” Rex points out, sounding vaguely nervous. “The men are... starting to tire. General Krell is...” he tilts his head, expressionless visor unreadable. “You know.”

You muster a smile, hoping you look at least a little like Master Enya, and nod.

“I know, Captain,” you say, and he shifts slightly, as though his blue-painted pauldron is uncomfortable. You can’t blame him. Running a hand over your ponytail, you blow out a breath and frown at the puff of air that appears in front of you. “Let me talk to him. Tell the men to start searching for a good spot to camp for a few hours.”

Out of the corner of your eye, you catch Rex giving an affirmative thumbs up to the troopers behind him, but by then you’re already approaching Krell, clasping your hands tightly behind your back.

“Master Krell,” you start, and Krell turns his head just a bit. “I’ve told the men to scout for a place to rest. I reviewed the mission plan on the way here, and we can spare three hours without being delayed, possibly more—”

“The men don’t need rest,” Krell interrupts, and you feel your cheeks flush with anger. “They need resolve to complete the task at hand.”

“Apologies, Master,” you say, squaring your shoulders as frustration heats your neck and face. You breathe deeply. There is no emotion, only peace. “But I don’t think the men will be on their best game when we reach the capital if they don’t take some time to gather themselves.”

“That they need to ‘gather themselves’ is a sign of weakness,” Krell cuts in, stopping and turning to face you with a sneer. “That is not what these clones were bred for.”

Not far away, many of the soldiers bristle at Krell’s choice of words, but you keep your focus on the yellow eyes staring you down for the second time that night.

“They weren’t bred to be mindless droids, either,” you argue, crossing your arms over your chest and making sure to keep your voice even. “And in case you’ve forgotten, even battle droids need to recharge. If we march on the Capital without any sort of break first, I promise you, this mission will not go as planned. Exhausted and underfed soldiers are a guaranteed disadvantage.”

Krell studies you, a sneer forming on his lips. “I see you take after your Master’s incessant need to get the last word on anyone she disagrees with.”

You scowl. “I beg your pardon, but Master Venn is—”

He ignores you, cutting past where you stand and walking away. “Do what you wish, Neridian,” he dismisses, then walks away to stand by a glowing tree.

A sigh escapes your lips, and you close your eyes. It’s becoming harder and harder not to snap at him—but you know what the Order’s teachings require of you. Emotion, yet peace.

You grimace as Krell retreats to the back of the line, then turn back to the troopers nearby and give Rex a nod. The captain returns it in what you hope is a grateful manner, then calls for the men to make camp at the top of the ridge your group has been climbing.

By the time you gather all the troopers together, the battalion has put together a hasty campsite, with half the troopers having fallen into a fitful sleep and the other half keeping watch while eating as many rations as the limit allows. You frown and approach the trooper you heard Rex talking to earlier, his Force signature familiar from when you were eavesdropping. His helmet is now sitting in his lap, being meticulously cleaned with what little supplies the battalion has on hand.

You study the soldier. He has a tattoo on his right temple, and upon studying it, you realize it’s the same ARC trooper who’d been glaring at Krell when you stepped off the gunship. You wonder what significance the number five has to him.

Taking another step forward, you clear your throat. “Trooper,” you begin, and the soldier looks up curiously before abruptly shooting to his feet and snapping off a salute. You wave a nonchalant hand. “No need for that. I only wanted to ask a favor—can you gather troopers to stand watch? Six at a time, tops, and make sure they take turns so everyone can rest. That includes you.”

“You got it, sir,” says the trooper, and you smile.

“Sorry, I don’t believe I caught your name...” you say, then, and the trooper blinks.

“Oh, uh—it’s Fives, sir.”

“I see,” you reply, gaze flickering to his tattoo and back again. “Thank you, Fives.”

You retreat to your own tent soon after, shrugging off your vambraces and arranging them neatly next to your bedroll. This wouldn’t be the shortest sleep cycle you’d had, what with the nature of your apprenticeship at the temple—but not the longest, either.

From what you can hear inside your tent, the camp is silent. Slowly, you poke your head through the canvas flaps to find exactly six men—as you’d requested—sitting in the center of camp. Farther away, at the outskirts of the circle of tents, sits Master Krell’s hulking form. In spite of yourself, you frown.

“General?” asks a sudden voice above you; letting out an involuntary yelp, you scramble backwards before stopping at the sight of Rex standing near the entrance to your tent.

Embarrassed, you stand up, brushing off your cream-coloured robes. “Sorry,” you say sheepishly. “I could swear I’m not usually so jumpy, I don’t know what—” you look up and stop short.

Rex has removed his helmet.

His blond hair isn’t a surprise this time around, but close up, you’re struck by how tired he looks. There are smile lines at the corners of his eyes, but his face is cast in exhausted shadows.

You wonder if a full night’s sleep is something he’s ever had, or if the training regiments on Kamino prepared him and his brothers for this kind of halfhearted sleep cycle. Curiously, you study him.

Rex’s eyes are golden-brown in the dying light of this shadowy planet. They’re the same shade as all the troopers in the immediate vicinity. And yet, as you stare into them, something in you stirs as your Force signature brushes against his—something you know you’re not supposed to feel.

“Er, General,” Rex repeats, jolting you from your faraway thoughts. “I just wanted to let you know—the scouts are detecting a clear journey from here on out. We have approximately four hours to kick back, as predicted.”

Hurriedly, you turn away and clear your throat awkwardly. “Very good, Captain,” you mumble. “Thank you. You’re—erm, free to go and rest.”

For a moment, Rex looks surprised, but he composes himself seconds later. “Thank you, General,” he says. “But I—”

“Not up for debate,” you interrupt, holding your hand up. Bemused, Rex blinks, so you shoot him a reassuring smile. “You said it yourself: the soldiers need rest. You’re a soldier, yes?”

Rex opens his mouth, probably to say something about him being a Captain, but you lower your hand to rest it on his shoulder. The kind gesture seems to quell him, so you continue. “Don’t exclude yourself in that. Rest well, Captain.”

When you turn and reenter your tent, you don’t catch the way Rex’s eyes linger on the closed flap for far longer than they should, heat prickling up his neck as the remnant of your touch burns itself through his pauldron.

“You too… General.”

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awkward-tension-art · 6 months ago

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Clones and Your Grief HC's

I’m coping with the fact that a family member died by writing headcanons for copy-paste-men. Yes, this is entirely self indulgent. Yes, I am writing based on what I had felt/gone through in the last 24 hours.

CW: Death of family member, reader is gender neutral, This isn’t proofread at all, grief, mourning, If i miss a tag lmk

Clones: Rex, Fives, Wolffe, Hunter, Echo, Wrecker, Tech, Crosshair

Minors DNI

You got the call this morning. Right before you got ready for work, you got the call of your family member passing away in the night. no warning. all so sudden.

It felt like you were struck with a speeder. Then, you felt nothing.

Logically, you knew it was shock. Your brain was overloaded, and you were unable to process. You weren't incapacitated yet, so you got up.

You have work to do.

So you went to work, shutting down and doing what you needed to do in order to make it through the day. You were in a daze the entire time.

Time went by too fast but also too slow.

You don’t even know when you got home. You just know that you clocked out and walked into your apartment. Unsurprisingly, your clone lover, who had a key, wanted to see you that night.

He took one look at you and knew something was seriously wrong.

When you told him, the grief finally hit you.

Rex

Will hold you, remaining silent.

He's lost brothers on the field and was forced to continue as if nothing happened. He knows why you shut down due to shock that morning.

So he understands.

He's just going to hold you tightly, and not let go until you do.

Rex is well aware that sometimes talking about it isn't going to help. So he keeps quiet and lets you speak when your ready.

He's a silent comfort. Let's you come to him if you need him to hug you, listen to you or cuddle you.

Fives

Immediately his arms are around you and he's whispering comfort

He might get teary-eyed too out of pure empathy.

He knows grief. he knows pain. and he knows what your feeling. So he wants to help you through it.

He had shut down too before, and only truly felt the emotion afterward. He gets how numbness might hit you in waves.

He'll go with you to the funeral if you want. he just wants to be by your side to help you.

Expect a lot of cuddling, honestly. He just wants to hold you and not let go until he's certain your alright.

Wolffe

He was one of 4 survivors of his entire legion getting killed. Trust me, he knows the feeling of grief.

His brothers and him all leaned on each other through their grief, and he's going to do the same for you.

He'll ask what you need, and act accordingly.

He's a steadfast shoulder to cry on. Like Rex, he doesn't talk much.

You'll have to go to him, he isn't going to push or pry. He knows if he tries to force you to feel what your not ready to feel, it'll do more harm than good.

He'll hold you, keep you close and try to give you everything you need.

Hunter

He knows something is wrong even before you walk through your door.

He's the type to try and comfort with the usual words of 'It'll be ok' or 'they're in a better place.'

If this doesn't help you much, he's flexible and patient. He'll adapt to what you need from him. Space? you got it. Closeness? he's there.

He's going to catch on very quickly if you don't eat or drink properly, so he's going to be pushy in that regard.

Hunter isn't going to let you abandon yourself because of your grief.

Like I said, he's patient and flexible, he'll do whatever he needs to help you through your grief.

Echo

He's the softest out of all of them. He's going to hold you, kiss your face and just be there for you.

Like Fives, he's extremely empathetic. He'll shed a tear just because your crying.

He'll take care of you, honestly. bring you meals, brush your hair (if you want), help you to bed, everything.

Your his heart, and he's in actual pain that your grieving.

Though, if you shut down the same way you did that morning, he's going to worry

He understands how quickly someone can spiral in grief, and he's going to move the entire galaxy to help you.

Wrecker

Like Rex, he's holding you and never letting go.

He's going to try and distract you, make jokes, get you outside into the sun, or get you moving at the very least

He won't allow you to close yourself off. He'll give you space, but he won't let you shut him down completely.

Also wants to attend the funeral with you, if you allow him. He'd be holding your hand the entire time. Though, if it's a family-only event, he understands.

He's pretty quick to pick up on what you need. You need someone to hold you? he's there. You need to get your grief-driven anger out? He's got a pipe ready and some scrap piles that need beating up.

He's going to be by your side through it all.

Tech

First thing he asks is 'What happened?'

Admittedly, he gives some standard responses, such as 'I'm sorry for your loss' and other things like that.

If it doesn't help much, he stumbles slightly. He knows your going through mourning. He knows whats happening logically. but he can't logic his way through this.

So, Tech is going to act with his gut feeling, and try his best to help and comfort you.

He does some researching and looks more into how best to help you through your grief. He's fully prepared depending on the stage of grief you've hit.

He'll talk you through the bargaining phase. Help you get your anger out. Make sure your eating and taking care of yourself through the depression phase.

He's with you, to the best of his ability.

Crosshair

He's not going to say a lot. his words are minimal at best, instead opting to physically comfort you.

He becomes...protective. more so than usual.

It's because your at an extremely vulnerable position emotionally and mentally. He'll be damned if he lets something or someone cause you any more pain and grief.

He's going to attend the funeral with you. if its family-only he's going to go anyway and remain at a distance. Practically shadow you.

Crosshair is going to be extremely sweet and soft holding you. He doesn't want you to bottle up your emotions, so he's going to just wrap his arms around you and let you cry.

Again, his comfort is more physical rather than verbal.

#reader insert #tcw x reader #captain rex x reader #fives x reader #hunter x reader #echo x reader #tech x reader #wrecker x reader #crosshair x reader #commander wolffe x reader #tbb x reader #tcw x you #star wars tcw #star wars the bad batch #star wars the clone wars #star wars x reader #star wars headcanons

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captn-trex · 2 months ago

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my kingdom for a kiss

Fives x F!Reader / Jedi!Reader

word count: 8.7k

description: yours and fives' friendship has never been easy for you to navigate, but after a particularly painful mission throws your faith into question, you need comforting more than ever

content warnings: NSFW 18+ angst, emotional hurt/comfort sorta, unestablished relationship, forbidden relationship, oral (f!recieving), pinv sex, talk of the jedi order, mutual pining, kinda dramatic admitting feelings, basically fives and reader being atrociously down bad for each other. the smut is kinda vague tbh

a/n: fives is a pathetic male yearner. that's my headcanon. hence why the title is a jeff buckley lyric lol. also i'm still not super confident writing smut so just don't perceive me okay? cool, thanks. this might be my favourite thing I've written???

masterlist | join my taglist | read on ao3

You had never been one to enjoy a battle as it was, but this one was really testing you.

A significant amount of your men had already been lost, and it was getting harder to push it from your mind. You stood your ground nonetheless, your lightsaber whirring in front of you, a blue shield that redirected the blaster bolts gunning for the men that still remained.

Your breath was heavy, ripping from you at a pace you could only beg the maker to allow you to keep. Your body was tired, but you kept your mind focused, tuned into your surroundings. You could only call on the force to aid you so much as you stayed resistant to you body’s pleas for rest, and so you pushed on, pursuing the enemy's left flank. A familiar shiver ran up your spine, and you whirled around, your eyes laying upon the unfolding scene that the force was warning you of.

“Captain, watch out!” you called, sprinting in his direction, praying that you could get to him before the incoming commando droid made its attack.

Right before you reached his position, another commando leapt at you, drawing your focus. You made short work of it, slicing the arm that reached towards you before cutting a clean line through their middle. However, when you turned around, the other commando had clearly marked you as the more immediate threat, and you received a strong blow to your nose.

You stumbled backwards from the impact, and though the pain wasn’t unbearable, tears filled your vision by way of simple biological response. The droid landed a forceful hit to your side before you realised that relying on your eyes was a hopeless pursuit. You instead placed your trust in the force, squeezing your eyes shut. You rolled forwards, the rough terrain biting into your robes, and turned back to face the droid, bringing the blade of your lightsaber up through the centre of it.

“Thank you General!” Rex shouted over the soundscape of the battle, “Are you alright?”

“I will be once—” you interrupted yourself with a sharp cough, “once we push these kriffing clankers—”

“General! Are you okay?”

Your vision was only just becoming clear again, but you didn’t need to see to recognise who was speaking to you.

“Yes Fives, I’m fine” you huffed as you blinked away your tears. Your eyes found the clone in question who looked visibly worried about you, his helmet clutched in his hand.

“Are you injured?” he asked hurriedly, ushering you behind some cover as a blaster bolt whizzed past, dangerously close to your cheek.

“No” you replied, the lie slipping from your tongue easily, “but this isn’t working. I think it might be time to start getting creative”

The corners of his lips lifted at that.

“Got it General” he gave you a small salute, slipping his helmet back over his head, “See you on the other side”

You watched him rush back into the battle, unable to contain the fond smile that broke out on your face. When you tried to re-join the battle yourself, the left side of your abdomen cried out, stopping you in your tracks. It didn’t feel like anything was broken, but the commando droid had dealt you a nasty blow, and it was certain to be a painful bruise at the very least.

You quieted your mind, bringing your focus back to what was important as you stepped out from the cover. The war, the battle, victory.

When did you begin to care about such things?

Stepping off the gunship and aboard the Resolute, you fought to keep a heaving sigh from escaping your lips. Your face was the picture of stoicism, your mouth set in a hard line for fear that your emotions could bubble up and pour out of you at any second. This mission had well and truly pushed you to the limit.

You were ushered into a mission debrief immediately, though you were far from engaged. Your frown was evident to everyone around you, a deep crease set in your brow that anyone else would have thought was a scowl. The clones of the 501st knew better. You lost a lot of good men today. It was hard not to see it as a personal failure when they were placed under your command, but either way, the loss weighed heavily on your mind.

You started making your way back to your quarters after the debrief, though quickly found yourself just ambling about the ship, little care for where you were going.

Your mind was a mess.

You couldn't help but feel disillusioned by the whole ordeal. Talking with the other generals about the battle you had just been in, about the clones you lost, as if it were a necessary price to pay. You believed the teachings of the jedi, you believed they meant to do good, but for too long you had been nothing more than a soldier, a pawn in a game with no end in sight, and a meaning which still eluded you.

You couldn't begin to imagine how the clones felt about it all. They were made for this purpose, unlike you, but that was certainly more horrifying to think about. You were closer with your men than some of the other generals, and it sometimes felt like they were the only people you could truly trust. They were loyal, almost to a fault, and you made sure they knew how you felt about their place in everything. It had been hard going trying to convince some of them that they were worth the risk of protecting on the battlefield.

Though you tried to instil in all of them a sense of self worth, there were still those you were closer to than others. You were most familiar with Rex, given that he was your Captain, and you had spent a lot of downtime with Tup and Dogma as well.

And then there was Fives.

Something about your relationship with Fives had always felt different. From the first meeting, it had felt like there was something pulling you towards him, something you didn't want to acknowledge. You were eternally fascinated by his mind, his benevolence, and he had an irresistible charm to him that manifested in everything he did. Internally, you fought tooth and nail to let your mind be still around him, tune out the feelings he gave you, but it never seemed to quite work.

You knew you shouldn't be harbouring such feelings as a jedi, but you figured that maybe it wouldn't be a problem at all if you just ignored them. Safe to say, it didn't work.

It was a fool's errand really, there was no point in indulging in how you felt about him, but you did anyway. He made it difficult not to. The way he looked at you set your insides alive in a way that just hadn't happened with anyone else before. You couldn't help but dwell on what it would be like to forget all about your vows to the jedi order, and satiate your apparent need for him.

Though, you could at least have him to thank for keeping you in check at the very least. He refused to call you by your name, your rank being the more preferable nickname, and he was courteous to an almost ridiculous level. He walked the line between dutiful trooper and good friend masterfully, and you had to applaud his professionalism.

You didn't fully realise where your feet had taken you until you were standing in the doorway of the barracks, the clones inside turning to look at you.

“General” Jesse grinned up at you, “Come and join the game!”

You smiled weakly at him as you stepped into the room, “not really in the mood Jesse”

“Come on” he dragged out the syllables in a mockingly whiny tone, “we all know you're the best at Sabacc”

You huffed a short laugh, “I still maintain that you're all just really bad”

“Well then feast your eyes” he spread his arms, knocking Hardcase from his seat in the process.

You shook your head with a chuckle as the pair began playfully arguing, casting a glance around the room. You realised even before you'd taken a proper look that the one you really wanted to talk to wasn't there, the usual pull not drawing your attention.

“Dogma” you placed your hand on his shoulder, the only clone that wasn't partaking in the game of Sabacc in some manner, “where are Tup and Fives?”

Dogma looked up at you, brows drawn together slightly as if in confusion. “Fives was injured, Tup took him to the medbay when we got back” he informed you, noting your growing stress immediately, “I'm sorry General, I thought you knew”

“Don't be sorry Dogma, thank you for letting me know”

You sped out of the barracks before you could even hear the clone's reply, walking with haste in the direction of the injured trooper.

You tried to keep your worries at bay, but the growing sense of dread was gnawing at you. From the back of your mind, a guilt started to creep in. It was hard enough losing the amount of men that you had today, but losing Fives too would be a pain you couldn't return from. You couldn't let that happen, not on your watch.

The door to the medbay swung open as you barged your way in, heads turning in your direction at the intrusion. Your eyes quickly found Fives’, sat on a cot at the back of the room and talking to Tup. You made a beeline for him instantly.

“What happened? Where are you hurt?” you asked, eyes scanning over his form as you drew your brows into a deep frown. His armour was still intact, only his helmet taken off and resting beside him.

“General…?” Fives addressed you with a worried look, and it was then that you realised how heavily you were breathing. You had clearly been walking faster than you realised.

“I'm sorry” you took a moment to catch your breath, a light blush dusting your cheeks, “Dogma said you were hurt, I—”

You then noticed the graze on his cheekbone. From the looks of it, it seemed that a blaster bolt had narrowly missed its mark, instead only scorching across the skin of his cheek.

“Is this it?” you asked, stepping forwards and gently tracing your fingers across the underside of the burn.

Fives didn't respond right away, and you felt his body go rigid under your touch.

“Um, it—” he cleared his throat, and you noticed his cheeks flush red, “yeah, Tup made me come in, it's just a scratch, nothing major”

“Good” you said softly, almost a whisper.

You gaze lingered on him as you took your hand away, noting the way his brows scrunched upwards, his eyes seemingly searching yours for some kind of explanation as to your suddenly affectionate actions.

Tup cleared his throat, snapping you both from your trance, and Fives shifted in his seat. It was only by his leg grazing yours that you realised that you'd wound up standing between his legs, and you stepped backwards quickly, trying to act unphased despite the blush you could feel creeping up the back of your neck.

“Did you need me for anything, General?” Fives spoke awkwardly, using his hands all too much for how much he was saying.

“No, yeah, just wanted to— I mean, yea— No” you stuttered out, and heard Tup fail to suppress a laugh.

You scolded yourself internally for being so affected by him, to the point where you were acting completely strange in front of your men. You really shouldn't give in so easily. You had done so much training in keeping your mind from seeking selfish desires, but those parts of your mind seemed to shut down around Fives.

It occurred to you then that you'd never so much as touched him before, and his alarmed reaction suddenly made a whole lot of sense. It also made you realise that he'd never touched you either, and you felt your face heat even more at your foolishness.

“I’ll just see you later” you mumbled out, realising you had just been staring at him for a moment too long.

Fives watched you leave the medical bay with a furrowed brow, though Tup, on the other hand, was smirking broadly.

In the dead of night, when everyone else was most likely in the deepest part of their sleep, your mind was still active, working overtime, and keeping you as awake as you had been during the battle. Everything you believed in was being thrown into question, it was hard not to. Then, at the centre of it all, was Fives. Fives, who was always on your mind. Fives, who always reminded you why you felt like this, just when you thought you'd gotten over it. Fives, who was respectful and affable and professional in a way that made you crazy.

You became distracted from your thoughts when you heard something outside your room. A shadow appeared beneath the door to the corridor, waited for a moment, and then disappeared again. It happened a few times before your curiosity overwhelmed you, and you quietly lifted yourself from your cot to walk over.

You let the person walk away once more, waiting to see what they would do, and this time it seemed like they wouldn't come back. Though, after a short while, the shadow returned, and you opened up your door.

Much to your surprise, your eyes met those of the man that plagued your thoughts, and he was clearly just as surprised that you had opened the door.

“General! I'm so sorry, I’ll jus—”

“Fives, relax”

You put your hand on his shoulder, and as he was not adorned by his usual armour, he looked as if your touch had burnt into him, wincing.

“What brings you here? Is everything alright?” you asked, noting his somewhat distressed visage.

“Everything is fine General, I'm sorry for disturbing your sleep” he spoke quickly, starting to walk away.

“Fives” you grabbed his arm to stop him leaving, “I wasn't asleep. Tell me what's troubling you”

There were more emotions than you could name flitting through his eyes, and it worried you. You had never seen him like this. His eyes flicked down your figure, no doubt noticing how you hadn't yet changed from your robes and armour, and you realised that your face was most likely still smeared with dirt.

“Would you like to come in?” you asked softly when he didn’t reply.

Fives looked startled, “I— I shouldn't”

You sighed, frowning a little, “I'm not really concerned with what you should or shouldn't do. If it would ease your mind, I'd like you to come in”

His distressed expression relented enough to see that your words had hit home for him. You stepped to the side, inviting him inside and he waited for another second before entering. You closed the door behind you and went back over to your cot, though Fives was still standing awkwardly by the door.

“Would you like to sit down?” you asked, patting your hand on the cot next to you.

Fives did as you said, as if it were a command, and you wished for just one moment that he would stop seeing you as nothing more than his commanding officer. He was wringing his hands as he took his seat, and you only became more worried.

“Now, tell me what's on your mind”

He looked up to you and paused, before looking away again, “I couldn't sleep”

You nodded, encouraging him to go on, “why not?”

“I—” his eyes found yours again, a vulnerability shining in them that you had only seen a few times, “I was worried about you General”

“About me?” your brow furrowed on instinct, “why?”

“I don't mean this rudely, but… you were acting kind of weird earlier, I only wanted to make sure you were alright”

Your frown softened at his words, a small smile appearing, and you placed a hand on his arm, “thank you Fives, that's very considerate, but you don't have to worry about me”

Fives gave you a funny sort of look, as if you'd just said something preposterous, “I'll always worry about you General, It's our job— my job to look after you”

You couldn't help but smile at how sweet he was, but it was tinged with a sadness of remembering the power imbalance between you. You had always tried to minimise it — you saw your life as the same value as the clones — but you knew that they didn't see it that way, and neither did anyone else.

You sighed, moving your gaze to the floor in front of you as you pulled your knees to your chest, “today was just… difficult”

Fives nodded in understanding, watching as your carefully constructed noble exterior began to crumble away.

“It's hard not to feel like everything is pointless, for nought. We lost so many men today, men that I—” you paused before you could get too choked up, “it's hard to tell people that their life has value when it's not treated as such”

Fives breathed out a long breath, “myself and my brothers are prepared to die for you, General, as much as you—”

“Well I don't want that” you almost snapped at him, your frown showing how you disapproved of the comment, “I didn't ask for this, for—”

You knew you shouldn't go on. Fives didn't need to know that you were questioning the order and your place in the war. It wasn't for him to bear the burden of.

“Today was tough” he agreed in a soft voice, and your eyes flicked to the now almost healed burn across his cheek, “it didn't feel like a win, at the end of the day”

You hummed in agreement. No victory could make up for the loss you felt.

“It makes me…angry, and I shouldn't be” you admitted quietly, and you could feel the weight of his gaze as you forced your eyes away from him.

You wanted to confide in Fives. He made it so easy, made you feel so safe. Safe enough to tell him your darkest secrets and deepest desires, but you knew no good could come of it. What point was there in telling a soldier under your command that you didn't believe in what he was specifically created to do?

“General” Fives called gently, if a little insistently, and you realised that you had completely zoned out.

“Sorry, what?” you looked up at him, blinking a few times and lifting your chin from where it rested on your knees.

“I asked why you were still wearing your armour… and your robes”

“Oh” you looked down at yourself, “I… I don't know. I was distracted, I suppose”

Fives sighed a little, giving you a somewhat unimpressed look.

“What?” you asked, almost a chuckle.

“I think I was right to be worried about you, General” his unimpressed expression invaded his words, and you let out a breathy laugh.

“I'm fine, Fives — really. I just need to… wash the day off, probably”

“Yeah, you certainly do” he mumbled out, a small smirk lifting his lips.

You scoffed at him as you stood from your cot, “you're lucky I like you Fives. Any other commanding officer would send you to the brig for telling them they stink”

He chuckled and ducked his head slightly, “I didn't just mean it like that. You've got…” he gestured to his cheek, and you caught your reflection as you turned on the refresher light, taking his meaning.

“Maker, I can't believe I looked this awful the whole time and you didn't say anything” you laughed quietly, taking in your certainly battle-worn appearance.

There was dirt crusted onto your face and into your hair, and the eyebags that weighed down the skin under your eyes were more prominent than you'd seen in a long time. The war was clearly stretching you thin, and you sighed at how dull and lifeless you looked overall.

“I'll have a shower” you gave Fives a weak smile as you crossed the room to your chest of drawers, pulling out a fresh set of sleep clothes.

Fives shifted uncomfortably on the bed, “uh— do you want me to leave?”

“Oh” you spoke a little disappointedly, “if you would like to. It is late after all, and I don’t wish it keep you from your sleep”

“No, I—” he cleared his throat, “I just— I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable, General”

You smiled at him warmly, your hand coming to rest on your hip, “you're not making me uncomfortable. In fact, it's nice to have you here”

His throat constricted as he swallowed, “thank you, General”

You rolled you eyes at the formality as you stepped back into the refresher once more.

“One of these days I'll get you to stop calling me that” you grumbled, and heard a huffed laugh coming from your room.

“Probably not”

You rested against the doorframe for a moment to look at the ARC trooper who was sat on your cot with a playful squint of your eyes, “that's not very dutiful of you, trooper”

“I didn't hear any orders” he shrugged, failing to suppress a smirk.

“Mm” you hummed thoughtfully, pushing off the doorframe, “don't tempt me”

You closed the door to the refresher and let out a long breath.

It felt oddly domestic, Fives sat on your cot as you threw teases his way before you went in the shower. Something inside you ached at the realisation that it would be something you'd never get to do under any normal circumstances. You longed to see a day when it would be acceptable in the eyes of those around you, but you knew you'd never see it. You felt hollow as you stepped into the shower.

You let the water wash over you, clearing dirt and grime with every droplet. Before long, you found yourself curled up and sat under stream of water, letting the weight of it hit your back as you cradled your head. Everything felt so crushing in that moment. The war, the day's losses, your duty as a jedi, a duty that you weren't sure you even understood anymore.

You didn’t realise how long you'd been sat there until you heard a gentle rapping against the door.

“General, are you okay?”

You sniffled, and only realised then that you had been crying. Perhaps Fives had heard you.

“I'm fine” you called weakly, “I'll be out soon”

You finished cleaning yourself mindlessly, fingers tangling in your hair as you worked the dirt out of it and letting the heat of the steam envelop you, almost making you feel feint. You welcomed it, a strange state of delirium that pushed your mind to a stillness. You slid on your clean clothes, a soft vest and shorts, beginning to dry your hair as you reopened the door to your room.

Fives still sat on the cot, and you gave him a gentle smile as you switched off the light. His eyes trailed the length of your body quickly before settling on your face, giving you a soft smile in return.

“Feel better?” he asked.

You nodded, reaching up to continue drying your hair with your towel, “yeah, I—”

“General!” Fives’ eyes went wide and he jumped up from his seat, rushing over to you.

You stepped back as he approached, confused by his sudden outburst. His hand retracted from where it reached out towards you and his eyes found yours once more, a look of something desperate in his eyes.

“I didn't know you were injured. Why didn't you get Kix to look at it?”

“What?” you frowned, looking down at your body.

You top had obviously rode up a little as you had stretched, and the bottom of a very dark, and very large, bruise poked out the bottom. You peeled up the top gently, conscious not to show too much, but equally revelling in how it just seemed to grow ever larger the more you revealed. Your hip and the left side of your ribcage were a mix of unpleasant purples, blues, and yellows.

“I— I forgot” you breathed out, remembering exactly when you would have sustained the injury. As expected, the commando droid had left a mark.

“You forgot?” Fives asked, incredulous.

You pulled your vest down, covering the offending mark.

“You need to get it checked out” Fives insisted.

“I'm fine, it doesn't even hurt” you replied, waving him off as you took your seat on your cot once more, against the headboard so that you faced the clone who stood across the room.

“General, please”

He retook his spot on the cot, giving his best pleading look. You didn't reply, and couldn't, for fear of the undignified squeak that would come out if you did. His eyes flicked between yours, searching for whatever it was that was going on behind them. You couldn't help the way your eyes began to water, and the distress on Fives’ face was clear as day.

“General” he spoke softly as he shifted closer to you, as if the rank was an affectionate nickname more than anything, “what's the matter?”

You fiddled with your fingers as you brought your knees to your chest once more, a comforting gesture as you showed far more vulnerability than you were usually comfortable with.

“Things aren't how they should be, Fives” you muttered, almost a whisper.

“What things?” he asked, innocently enough, though the way his body tensed told you how the words worried him.

“I— I'm really beginning to question some of the decisions of the council”

Fives looked alarmed, his voice betraying him further, “you're not going to leave, are you?”

You chuckled a little at his reaction, “probably not, no”

“Then…” he paused, not wishing to overstep any boundaries, “what decisions are you questioning?”

You sighed deeply, looking away in search of answers. What were you really questioning? Was it just the way that they conducted themselves in the war? Or did your suspicion run deeper? Was it the members of the council themselves? Was it what they believed? Or was it how the jedi were perceived by the galaxy?

“I don't know” you answered truthfully, “there are things I’ve always had qualms with — I’ve never understood some things such as… I feel that attachment is a natural part of the human condition, so I’ve always struggled with letting go, but… with the war, I worry that the purpose of the jedi is changing”

“Changing how?” Fives asked.

“The war means we have different priorities” you replied simply, turning you gaze back to him, “we’re no longer keepers of the peace. We can’t be, not while we’re leading a war”

Fives nodded and kept quiet for a moment. It was clear that his mind was working overtime, his eyes flitting across your face and around the room as his brows drew together and he subtly chewed on the inside of his cheek.

“You struggle with letting go?” he questioned in a quiet voice, his eyes locking with yours. There was something in his gaze, like he was searching for a specific answer.

You tried to quell your sudden nerves with a gulp, “yes”

“In what way?”

“Um, well I—” you spoke ever so eloquently, “I suppose I haven’t always succeeded in remaining… disconnected, from other people”

Fives couldn’t help but raise a questioning brow, and you almost scoffed.

“I— you— it’s hard” you grumbled, a frustrated huff escaping you, “you and the other clones are all under my command, how am I supposed to just not care about you?”

Fives shrugged, a small smile spreading across his lips, “some of the other Generals seem to manage”

“Whatever” you rolled your eyes a little, “I don’t want to be indifferent. You’re important to me, and I don’t care what the council would have to say about that”

Fives’ smile tightened almost imperceptibly at your words, but you still caught the way it became false as he turned to look at the ground.

“Is there… something else troubling you?” you asked, tilting your head so that you entered his field of view.

“It’s nothing, General” he flashed the hollow smile your way as he stood from the cot, “I should really be going—”

“Fives” you grabbed his wrist gently, stopping him from going any further, “what’s the matter?”

The way he looked down at you was almost pained, like he’d been wounded and was trying his best to hide the discomfort. Your stomach lurched at the sight, and a worried crease formed in your brow.

“There are some things I can’t say to you General” he spoke sadly, and the combination of his words with that tone made your heart ache.

“You can tell me anything, you know that” you replied, your voice more desperate than you had intended.

Fives just shook his head slowly, continuing to look at you with some form of anguish swimming in his amber eyes.

“Fives, talk to me. What is it?” you urged, standing up so that you were almost chest to chest with him.

“I want to tell you… everything” he paused, stepping away from you so your hand fell from his wrist, “but I can’t”

You shifted closer to him again, “why not?”

“It’s… inappropriate, frowned upon”

You dropped your head to the side, looking at him with a little suspicion, “are you in some kind of trouble?”

“In a way” he chuckled, though it was strained.

“Fives” you said his voice in a serious tone, akin to one you might use when commanding your men, “what is this about?”

He blew out a long breath, his eyes focused on anything but yours, “it’s… you”

“Me?” your eyebrows raised, “what about me?”

“Everything about you” he said softly in a wistful sigh.

“I don’t understand. Have I upset you?” you asked, trying to catch his gaze.

“No, no. You couldn’t”

You hesitated for a moment, then gently took his hands in yours, earning a sharp intake of breath, “please help me to understand”

“I—” his breath stuttered as he tried to find the right words to use, “you make me feel things that I’m not supposed to, General”

Your eyes widened slightly, your own breath quickening as his words sunk in.

“It’s hard not to. You…” he continued, tightening his grip on your hands and bringing them to his chest, “You're the epitome of grace, but also strength. You're… soft, gentle, and caring beyond measure, but also tough, fierce and ruthless to a degree I've never seen. You're level-headed, but foolish when it comes to that which you care about, and it's that display of humanity that—” he gulped, his gaze softening at just the idea of it, “it makes my heart ache for you. I know that I’m just a soldier to you but I— I'd give myself to you, over and over, even if every time it ended in tragedy, because there is no life I could live where you’re not a part of it, even if that’s just as my General. I'd do anything you asked, I'd die by your hand if you willed it, but I know that you'd never ask anything like that of me, and that's why I'm… in pain. Because I'd give everything to you, and you'd never take it”

It was hard to believe what you were hearing. You couldn't help the way tears gathered in your waterline at the affectionate words he was saying, observations about you that you had no idea he had been making. You had never realised that he cared so much, so deeply, in the same way that you cared for him. But the one thing that truly stumped you, was that Fives was genuinely convinced that you held no affections for him, that you just saw him in the same way you saw the rest of your men.

“Oh Fives” you spoke no louder than a whisper, releasing your hand from his to trail your fingers along his jaw and gently hold his face. His eyes fluttered shut, and an uneasy breath escaped him as he leaned into your palm with a pained expression. “You're right, I wouldn't ask anything of you”

The hurt was so clear in the depths of his eyes when they opened again. He tried to pull away but your other hand found his face, keeping his gaze locked on you.

“But… that doesn't mean that I don't want to”

His eyes widened at your words, but he stayed silent, as if waiting for you to continue. His gaze flicked to your lips momentarily, but it was clear that he wouldn't let himself indulge in his thoughts, that it had to be on your terms. You didn't know whether you agreed.

You took the lead nonetheless, guiding his head down to touch your forehead to his. Closing your eyes and focusing your energy on where your bodies connected, you reached out through the force. You tried to communicate to Fives all of the feelings that swirled within you, a cacophony of everything good and pure, manifested in a blending of colours and sensations, with a palette only holding the most pleasant colours. Deep blues waged war with vivid reds, a careful dance of remorse and desire, but atop all of it, a sense of calm.

You opened your eyes and met Fives’ gaze, a tenderness woven into the amber hues. That same calm feeling washed over you. You had always felt safe with him, and it went far beyond him being a more than capable soldier.

His mouth hung open fractionally, and you couldn't help but let your eyes wander across his face, taking in every freckle and scar en route to his lips. You tilted your face upwards tentatively, and Fives let out a shuddering breath. You could feel it on your lips, and it took everything within you not to shiver.

“Wait” his voice was quiet, but you heard the word clearly.

You pulled backwards, looking up at him expectantly, and watched his throat bob as he swallowed.

“If you start this, I don’t know that I’ll be able to stop”

You let a small smile lift the corners of your mouth, dropping your head to the side a little, “isn't that kind of the point?”

Fives let out a short exasperated laugh, “I mean it, General. Please… don't give me something without giving me everything, because I can't—”

“Fives” you called firmly, rubbing your thumb across his cheek to gain his full attention, “I need you to hear me, loud and clear”

His expression was still hesitant, but he nodded for you to continue.

“I do not say this lightly. You have made it very hard for me to follow the very ideals I am supposed to uphold from the moment you walked into my life. Though, it is not your fault, it’s mine. I could have made myself scarce, I could have tried to stay away, to let my feelings die out, but instead, I chose to nurture them. It would be easy to say that I don’t know why I did, to pretend it’s all some plot against me, but I do. It’s because…” you took a deep breath, “even though it will undoubtedly end in tragedy, I too cannot see my life without you in it, and I would give myself to you, I will give myself to you, because I am finally being honest with myself. I can finally admit that I care for you more than ideals that I would not chose for myself if my life was any different”

Fives’ eyes widened with each word you spoke, though ended up with a look of guilt plastered on his face.

“General, I can’t allow you abandon your beliefs, not for me. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“No Fives, it’s me that should apologise” you sighed, “I didn’t want to put you in this position, but I will not choose this for you. You have been afforded so little choice in your life, and I will not take away this one when it would have far more severe repercussions for you than for me”

Fives just stared at you with a plain expression, “you would have me? If I wanted that?”

“I want whatever you want”

“I want you” he replied breathlessly, bringing his forehead down to yours once more.

You smiled, “then you have me”

Fives immediately brought his lips to yours, all the hurriedness of the action melting away as he got his first taste of you. His mouth was heavy against yours, reaching inside you and stealing all of the breath from your lungs in a slow rhythm.

The way his lips tangled with yours was sending your mind into overdrive, though his hands remained firmly planted at his sides. Your own hands were on him; on his chest, in his hair, pulling him closer, and it was as if his brain was short circuiting. As if he'd spent so long trying not to touch you that he didn't even know what to do with himself.

“Fives” you mumbled against his lips, “you can touch me”

He breathed out heavily as he pulled away momentarily, “are you sure? I-”

“Please” you said desperately

Without need to be told again, he was groaning into your mouth, pulling you closer by your waist, fingers gripping onto your hips tightly and bringing you into his lap as he fell back on the cot. His hands began to map your body, covering every inch of skin he could find. For all that it felt like he had been restraining himself from touching you before, it seemed that now that he had got his hands on you, he wasn’t going to let go.

“I can’t believe this is happening” He breathed out as your lips travelled along his jaw.

You smirked at his aporetic tone, “And why's that?”

“I just didn't think—” his breath hitched as you found a sensitive spot behind his ear, “didn’t think you saw me this way”

“Hope you're not still thinking that” you mumbled against his skin.

“It's a little hard when you're—” you rolled your hips forwards, earning an uneasy groan from the man whose lap you were on, “—doing that”

“A little hard, huh?” you teased.

“General…” he growled in your ear and your lips curled into a satisfied smirk.

“What?” you spoke into his ear, in a voice as sweet and innocent as you could muster.

“You're playing a dangerous game”

“Am I?” You tangled your fingers in his hair, lightly pulling down as you found that spot behind his ear once more.

He let out a breathy groan, “fuck. General, you can’t—”

“Can’t what?” you interrupted, repeating the action.

“Alright, that’s it”

His hands gripped your hips tightly as he flipped the two of you over. He pressed his body into yours, taking your hands in his and intertwining your fingers as he pinned them to the cot. His kisses became even more heated, lips devouring yours and resting his weight into you. The intensity drew a small moan from the back of your throat, and Fives seized the opportunity to slip his tongue into your mouth. Your legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, drawing him even closer.

“Fuck” he hissed, “have you done this before?”

”Kind of”

He laughed, a breath huffed onto your lips, “kind of?”

“I might have—” your breath stuttered, his lips on your neck stopping your words, “—fooled around with someone a bit, before I took my vows”

Fives tutted, and you could feel him smirking against your skin as he dragged his lips across your pulse point, “and I thought you were a good jedi”

“Looks like any hopes of that have been lost now” you replied breathlessly, your head dropping against the mattress to allow him better access.

Fives chuckled, his thumbs rubbing circles against your palms, “looks that way”

His voice rumbled through your body, the reverberations sending waves of heat through your limbs. Your hand broke free from his hold as he danced his fingers across your thigh, and you took the opportunity to slide it underneath his blacks, feeling the warmth of his skin.

As if your actions were a command, Fives pulled away from you, just long enough to reach for his neck and slip off his top, never once taking his eyes from you. You ran your hands along his bare abdomen as he sat back, and he watched you take in his exposed form.

You were met by tanned skin, marked by the horrors of war; scars that wouldn't heal and surely cut deeper than the flesh. You outlined the more prominent marks with your first finger, before resting your hand against his chest, your gaze lifting to his face once more.

“Stars, Fives. You’re gorgeous”

He smirked a little, tracing his fingers over your waist, “nothing compared to you”

“I mean it, I— Maker, I’ve wanted you for so long”

You could see the way his eyes lit up at the comment, and he gripped onto your hip once more, “That’s high praise indeed, coming from you”

You rolled your eyes playfully, “Just let me compliment you”

His smirk dissolved into a beaming grin as he trapped your head between his forearms. “No” he said simply, and any protests died on your lips as he captured them between his own.

Kissing Fives, being intimate with him in this way, just felt right. It felt as if it had always been this way, as if it wasn't something new. The way he touched you like he knew your body like the back of his hand, the way his force signature melded with yours as if they were one, it all felt so familiar.

When he slid his hands under your vest, and you peeled it from your body, somewhere in your mind you thought you should be nervous. No one else had ever seen you so exposed, but Fives’ adoring gaze, the way he was drinking in your body, his featherlight touches as he ran his fingers up your sides, you couldn't help but feel safe.

“You’re so beautiful”

He said it like it was a sinful confession, his words dripping with such devotional adoration that you couldn't help the blush that arose across your cheeks. He kissed down the valley of your breasts, mumbling fragments of acclamatory phrases as if he didn't have the breath to finish them. Your blood heated at his words. It sounded as if he were drunk, whispering secrets he wouldn't otherwise confess to.

“So pretty for me” you heard him say against your skin, and it drew a forceful shudder from you.

His hands were all over you as he continued to kiss down your body. Kneading your hips, caressing your breasts, stroking along your thighs. Every touch sent desire coursing through your veins. He knelt at your feet as he met the edge of the bed, pulling you towards him.

“General, can I—”

“Are you seriously calling me that right now?” you looked down at him in disbelief. He was in between your legs, asking to take down your nightwear and still calling you by your rank.

He let out a short self deprecating laugh.

“What would you like me to call you?” he asked, playing with the hem of your sleep shorts.

“I do have a name, you know” you informed him.

“I do know that” he chuckled with a fond smile, hooking his fingers into the waistband of your shorts, “is that what you’d prefer?”

You raised an eyebrow at him, coming to rest on your elbows, “you have another idea?”

“I have a few” he smirked, beginning to slowly pull down your shorts. “Beautiful, gorgeous, pretty…” he trailed off as he helped you detangle your legs from the nightwear.

You were now laid out completely bare to him and he had to take a deep breath, letting out a low whistle before he could start talking again.

“Then there’s always darling” he continued, pressing a kiss to your knee, his eyes finding yours again. “Sweetheart” he trailed kisses up your inner thigh and your breath became increasingly short, “or even… mesh'la, cyar'ika”

He placed his final kiss at the very top of your thighs, right beside where you ached for him the most, and the feeling of his hot breath against your core made your head drop back and your eyes flutter shut.

“Kriff, I don’t care. Call me whatever you want” you heard yourself say.

Fives’ eyes darkened as he softly chuckled, “Alright jetii'ika, be a good girl and lay back for me”

You obliged with a heavied sigh, and Fives’ grin only widened. Without much warning, his tongue found its place at the apex of your thighs, and all processing in your brain cut out.

The sound, let alone the sensation of him lapping at you was enough to twist your stomach with pleasure. His tongue worked with expert precision, the same precision you saw from his work on the battlefield, and suddenly you no longer scolded yourself for getting turned on by how good of a soldier he was.

He gripped your thighs as he brought you closer to him, his mouth consuming you and taking every ounce of pleasure with it. It was as if pulling this pleasure from you was second nature, as if it were his true duty to you. He was no longer a soldier of the GAR, he was the lone trooper in the invasion of your psyche, and he knew every trick to wind his way in.

You couldn't help the lewd sounds you were making. You had envisioned this situation far too often, but anything that Fives did was far exceeding your expectations. With every stroke of his tongue, every light graze of his teeth against your sensitive bundle of nerves, you drew closer to the edge, your insides constricting in pleasure and red hot desire.

Between swift motions of his tongue and lips, Fives let out his own pleasured noises, deep groans that reverberated against you and only sent you tumbling further towards release. He spoke honeyed words of praise against you, telling you how much he'd wanted this, how long he'd waited to taste you.

White hot bliss ran through your veins as Fives worked you through your high, taking every last drop of what you gave him. His large hands gripped your thighs and forced them open, not relenting until you had come down from the intensity of your release.

Your chest heaved as he pulled away, coming to rest his weight against your side. Your mouth hung open to collect your breath as he took your face in his hand, running his thumb along your cheekbone with the most adoring look plastered on his face.

“You okay?” he asked softly.

“Yeah” you breathed out, a little chuckle following, “great”

He grinned, obviously proud of his handiwork, “you reckon you can give me another?”

Your eyes widened a little as your mouth curled into its own grin, and he pressed his body into yours, making you have to bite down on your bottom lip to supress a moan quite unsuccessfully.

“Can I take that as a yes?” he smirked at your reaction.

A laugh escaped you, “you can”

He was then kissing you again, this time more unhurried, and you could taste yourself on his tongue. The intimacy of it made your head spin, which was only intensified when he lifted himself from you and removed his remaining pieces of clothing.

Watching him kneel between your legs in all his glory, even before he entered you, you thought that you could probably die happy now. There was no better feeling than that which you felt around Fives, and now, with his bare skin on yours, limbs slotting and tangling together, you felt complete.

Your bodies melded together, becoming one, and all you could see and feel was him, as if he was all that existed in the cruel galaxy you both inhabited. His eyes pierced yours as his face hovered above you, watching how he affected you. You placed your hand on his face, drawing his forehead to yours once more, and he turned his head to place a sweet kiss against your palm, even in the intense passion of the moment.

There was something so deeply arousing about how you were usually the one in control of everything, a legion of troopers at your command, but here, right now, Fives was the one in control of you. It was a welcome reprieve, but you wouldn't take it from anyone else. That much was obvious to Fives, the way you were writhing beneath him told him so.

With every action he took, he made time to worship every inch of your body, kissing your skin with a such a reverence that you had never received from anyone else in such a way. By the time your second release was washing over you, you were begging for him to follow you over the edge, and him being a obedient trooper, doing anything for his General, he accommodated your unholy pleas.

You remained joined as you both caught your breath once more, basking in the sweet ecstasy of your mutual fulfilment. You had never felt such euphoria.

Fives gulped at he looked into your eyes, a reservation about him.

“What is it?” you prompted, taking his face if your hands.

He sighed, a delighted sound that made your heart sing, “what happens now?”

You didn't necessarily want to think about it. All of the problems that you had described to Fives would still stand when your left the comfort of his embrace, but equally, something felt as if it had shifted. Fives was yours, and you were his. That was significant to you, and something about it made you feel invincible in that moment.

“I don't know” you admitted, wishing you could give a better answer, “but I'm not letting you out of my sights now, that’s for sure”

He grinned down at you as he tightened his hold, “You stole my line”

You laughed blithely, your head thrown back on the mattress as you revelled in the feeling of him against you for a long as you could.

“Well, I'm glad you feel the same” you conceded, your voice portraying a teasing edge, though your amiable smile gave away the sincerity of the comment.

“Oh jetii'ika, I don't even have the words to describe how I truly feel” he spoke earnestly, an affectionate smile lifting his lips as he brushed some hair away from your forehead and planted a kiss on the unveiled skin.

taglist: @darthnihila @cdblake1565

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justaparsec94 · 7 months ago

Text

Surprise

Summary: Fives returns home after weeks in the outer rim and he has a couple of surprises for you.

Pairing: Fives x reader

Word Count:

Author's Note: This is just pure fluff which is exactly what my forever love Fives deserves.

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

The sun shone brightly as you made your way back to your apartment, a bag of groceries tucked under your arm. You hummed softly to yourself as you walked, spirits high as you bobbed and weaved through the busy streets. Coruscant was well and truly into summer and it was hard to feel down on such a warm and sunny day. The only thing that could have made the day better would be if a certain handsome ARC Trooper was planet-side. But he had been off-world for nearly 3 standard weeks with no timeline for return. You were doing your best to ignore the Fives-shaped hole in your heart in his absence.

Sometimes you found it hard to believe how lucky you had been that a chance encounter at 79s had turned into the most significant relationship in your life. Fives was unlike anyone you had ever met before, charming and hilarious while also incredibly loyal and caring. The speed at which you had fallen for him had been somewhat shocking to you. He’d become such an integral part of your life that you now couldn’t picture it without him and each time he left it was harder and harder to let him go.

You did your best to shake the brewing melancholy thoughts from your mind and focused instead on enjoying the sunshine on your final approach to your apartment. You continued to hum softly as you fished out your key fob and entered the building. You smiled brightly to the few neighbours you passed in the hall and in the lift, determined to not let the absence of Fives bring you down too much.

You shifted your groceries under your other arm as your front door swooshed open. You kicked off your shoes haphazardly as the door slid closed behind you. You would move them later but for now, you didn’t really care about the slight chaos at your front door.

You suddenly paused in the entranceway of your apartment as the soft sound of music met your ears. You frowned and your brow furrowed in confusion, you hadn’t remembered turning the music on before you had left earlier that day. Frown still in place you slowly made your way out into the living room, bag of groceries still tucked under your arm.

The sight that greeted you made your heart warm exponentially. Fives was fast asleep on your couch, sitting completely upright with his head tilted back against the cushions at a somewhat uncomfortable angle. He was still in his full kit, minus his helmet which sat on your coffee table. Your face warmed and you smiled softly at the small, hand-picked-looking bouquet of flowers that was precariously still in his grasp as he slept. He looked incredibly peaceful but the slight shadowing you could see under his eyes even from a distance made you quietly sneak off toward the kitchen to put your groceries away. It was obvious that he had come straight here to see you but you couldn’t bring yourself to wake him up just yet when he was clearly so exhausted.

You put your groceries away quietly and then went about doing some of the other chores you had planned on tackling before Fives made an unexpected appearance. You poked your head into the living room every so often to check on him but he was fast asleep each time. You had always been rather impressed with his ability to fall asleep anywhere and nearly instantly, though you did worry slightly about the angle his neck was at.

Once you had finished your chores you quietly made your way back out into the living space and curled up onto the couch beside him. Even the shifting of the cushions was not enough to wake him this time around, he wasn’t a heavy sleeper normally, so he truly must have been exhausted.

You took a moment to look at him, the handsome lines on his face, the way he looked younger when he slept. You committed everything to memory as your eyes traced his form. Somedays you still couldn’t quite believe that you were lucky enough to have him, that someone like him loved you.

Your eyes drifted down to the flowers in his hand, a soft smile growing on your face as you looked at them. His grip had gone slack in his sleep and they were precariously close to falling onto the floor. You knew he would be distraught if they did so you very slowly reached out to take them. Your hand had only just begun to move when he took in a gasp of air, his eyes popped open as he jerked awake.

You had to smother the laugh in your throat as you watched him blink a few times, his head swivelling slightly as he surveyed his surroundings before his gaze turned to you. You watched as his face morphed from excitement to one of disappointment.

“I fell asleep…” He stated, his voice sounded much sadder than you expected for some reason.

You smiled softly but were unable to stop yourself from chuckling at the kicked-puppy look on his face, “You sure did.”

He groaned, his head tipping back against the cushions as he ran a hand over his face, “I wanted to surprise you,” He sounded so disappointed that your heart ached. Fives, forever the romantic was always trying to find new ways to surprise you, and likely this had been one of those occasions. You weren’t sure if you would ever get used to how sweet he was.

“You did!” You said as you slid closer to his side, one hand wrapping around the hard armour covering his bicep, trying to reassure him, “Walking in to find someone sleeping on your couch is very surprising!”

Fives laughed softly but he shook his head, “You know that’s not what I meant. I had a whole thing planned…”

You felt your face flush at his sweetness, “We can start over if you want… I could go stand out in the hall for a few minutes. I’m pretty good at pretending.”

He chuckled again and shook his head once more as he sat up straighter and turned his body slightly so he was facing you, “Here,” he said softly, holding up the flowers in his hand, “These are for you.”

You smiled brightly at him as you gently took them, “Thank you Fives, they’re beautiful,” You took a deep breath, your eyes closing briefly at the sweet scent of the blooms, “Where did you get them?”

The tips of his ears reddened slightly and he looked somewhat sheepish, a cheeky grin spread across his face, “They might have been obtained illegally so don’t ask any more questions unless you want to be complicit in my crimes.”

You laughed loudly at that, “Alright, no more questions.”

You leaned over quickly to press a kiss to his flushing cheek, the image of him sneaking around plucking flowers from unsuspecting people’s gardens had you still chuckling softly as you pulled away from him, “Thank you, I love them even if they are stolen.”

“Repurposed,” He countered which only made you laugh more.

“Sure thing, Fives.”

Fives laughed then gently plucked the flowers from your hand and set them aside on the coffee table. You smiled as he moved, his hand reaching out to your waist to pull you closer to him.

“I should really go put those in water,” You said as his nose brushed against your own. Your skin felt as if it was on fire as he touched you gently. You had missed him so much.

“Later,” He whispered before he was pressing his lips against your own.

You sighed into the kiss, your hands reaching up to tangle in the hair at the back of his neck as he pressed closer to you. His hair was longer than you had ever seen it, the ends were just beginning to curl and you couldn’t resist running your fingers through it. You smiled against his lips at the light shudder that coursed through him at your touch.

“I missed you,” He whispered against your lips as his nose bumped against your own once more.

“I might have missed you too,” You teased as you pulled back just slightly so you could meet his golden gaze. His eyes were positively burning, a grin growing on his face at your teasing.

You giggled as he swooped in and planted another quick cheek before he was moving, his hands grabbing your own and pulling you up off the couch as though you were weightless.

“What’re you doing?” You asked with a raised eyebrow as he pulled you into the middle of the room, away from the furniture. There was a mischievous grin on his face, one that was very familiar to you and one that you knew from experience usually meant trouble was soon to follow.

“I told you I had a thing planned,” He replied simply, flashing you a sharp grin full of bright white teeth.

Your brow furrowed as he pulled you closer against him, one hand still holding your own while the other slid around and down to rest on the small of your back. His touch left a trail of fire in its wake and you did your best to hide the shiver that ran through you as you continued to look at him in confusion.

He only smirked at you in response before he moved again, falling into step with the soft music that was still playing in your apartment. Your confusion changed to shock as your free hand lifted on instinct to rest against his pauldron as he slowly spun the two of you around your living room.

“Is this what you had planned?” You asked, your face warm and heart thrumming against your chest as he pulled you close. Even with his armour on you could feel the heat of him seeping into you. Just when you thought you had figured him out he still managed to surprise you.

“Well,” He started with a grin, “the plan was to greet you with flowers in hand and sweep you into my arms but you took too long.”

You laughed, “You’re blaming me?”

“Of course,” Fives replied seriously but his eyes were sparkling with amusement, “This is clearly all your fault.”

You scoffed, shaking your head playfully at him. Really, it was unbelievable how much you loved this man.

Before you could even think of a response back he surprised you even further by spinning you out and away from him. You giggled as you spun back towards him, it had been a long time since you had last danced like this but you found the motions coming back to you easily.

You let out a small squeak of surprise as he dipped you low in his arms, the smouldering look on his face as he held you in his strong arms had your pulse racing beneath your skin. He gave you a beaming grin before he closed the gap, dipping down to kiss you as you melted in his arms.

The kiss was slow, reverent, the kind of kiss you dreamed about at night when he was off saving the galaxy. It set your entire body on fire as you pressed back up into him as much as you could given he still had you dipped over in his arm. He moaned softly as your kiss became hungrier, nibbling against his lower lip as flames licked low in your belly.

Much too soon for your liking he was pulling away, bringing you both back upright. Fives chuckled as he looked at you, clearly aware of and revelling in the effect he had on you. You felt your face flush at the desire you could see brewing in the depths of his warm eyes as he continued to sway with you around your living room, your bodies now much closer than they had been before.

“Where did you learn to dance like this?” You asked, somewhat breathlessly as he pulled you flush against his body. You had danced before but this was very different from grinding up against each other at 79s.

“I might have looked up some videos on the holonet,” His grin became downright wicked then, “And then I made Echo practice with me.”

You laughed loudly, the mental imagery of poor Echo being pulled into Fives’ schemes, as usual, was truly amusing. You shook your head, looking up at him fondly as he simply grinned back at you.

“Well, this has been a wonderful surprise. Thieving, breaking and entering, dancing, you’ve really outdone yourself Fives,” You couldn’t help but tease him, especially at the look of playful indignation that crossed his face.

“Anything for you, love,” He said with a wink before he dipped you down once more. You laughed as he peppered your face and neck with quick and soft kisses.

“You’re a menace,” You chuckled as he pulled you back upright.

“But a loveable menace,” He replied with a cheeky grin as his hand slid back down to the small of your back, pulling you flush up against him with a gentle tug. The plastoid of his armour bit into your skin somewhat but you found it comforting. It was a reminder that he was here, that he was real, that he was yours.

“True,” You teased before sobering, “I love you so much,” You continued softly, your hand sliding down off of his pauldron to rest on the armour plate right over his heart.

“Hmm,” He hummed consideringly, his head tipping down towards your own so that you were cheek to cheek, “Not nearly as much as I love you. I did learn to dance for you after all.”

You pulled away slightly so your eyes could meet, you were unable to keep the grin off your face, “You’re right, I guess I’ve got to step up my game,” You said as the two of you swayed together. You weren’t really dancing anymore, simply moving to the music gently as you melted into one another. You wished desperately that you could stay in that moment with him forever.

You pressed a quick kiss to his jaw before you pulled back from him slightly, just enough so that you could slide your hands up to his chest, your fingers drumming against his plate of armour.

“Can you please take this off,” You asked, her voice growing husky with need, “I think it’s about time that I actually got to touch you,”

“Yes, ma’am,” He said with a nod and a grin before stepping away from you. You chuckled softly, impressed with the speed at which he managed to get out of his armour. You were back in his arms in moments, wrapped up tightly as he purred in your ear, “Now, where were we?”

You looked up at him with a smile, as your hands made their way up to his chest, your fingers fisting in the black fabric covering it, “I think I was just about to show you just how much I love you.”

Fives' smile was so warm that it made your heart thrum once more, heat returning to your body as he spoke in a low rumble, “I’m all yours, cyar’ika.”

Your smile widened before you pressed up onto the tips of your toes. Your hands wrapped around behind Fives’ head, sinking into the hair at the nape of his neck as you pulled him into a kiss. You couldn’t help but think, as he deepened the kiss, stealing the very breath from your lungs, that this day really was the best. And it only got better as you spent the rest of the afternoon getting completely lost in one another.

#arc trooper fives #fives #fives x reader #the clone wars fanfic #the clone wars x reader #tcw x reader #fives x you #tcw x you #arc trooper fives x reader #star wars fanfiction

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arctrooper69 · 2 years ago

Text

My Cinderella

A series of shorts and ficlets following Fives and his family in an AU in which clones are allowed to have relationships and actual lives outside of the GAR.

Series Masterlist

Beta read by @agenteliix (You da best!)

***

All Through the Night

Fives' daughter Chloe bonds with her dad over nightmares.

Warnings: Nightmares

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"Fives we need to go!"

The command sounded muffled, far away. His mind was a void save for one word. Echo. A brief hesitation - the only outward acknowledgement of the strangling pain in his chest.

Then they were moving on. Moving forward as if nothing had happened, as if their only inconvenience was the destruction of the shuttle.

"You left me." Echo stood before him as a spectre - a shadow of his living self.

"I didn't want to... I thought you were dead!"

An overwhelming guilt flooded Fives' veins with ice and settled in his chest making it impossible to breathe.

The bright flash of the exploding shuttle replayed again and again.

"Echo, no! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"You left me to die!"

***

Fives woke with a start. Sweat soaked his shirt and he shivered. Your side of the bed was empty. You were working late tonight. His chest felt tight, like he couldn't ever get enough air - like the weight of everything he'd seen and all the brothers he'd lost was pushing him deep beneath the angry waves of the merciless Kaminoan ocean. He was drowning.

Fives wanted to be angry. He wanted to grieve, but there was no time for that. No time for anything but combat these days and it had even the most seasoned men on edge.

He got up, knowing that he'd never be able to get back to sleep tonight. At least not until you came home.

He couldn't explain how you made him feel safe. You made him feel strong. You were sweet and gentle, everything the war was not. It was your soothing voice that dulled the ache in his chest. He stripped his soaked T-shirt and replaced it with a clean one before slumping down on the couch in the living room. He turned on a holofilm.

A wailing shriek came suddenly from upstairs. Chloe. Fives bolted up the stairs to his daughter's bedroom.

"Daddy!" She sobbed, tossing and turning. He sat on the edge of her bed and shook her gently.

"Shhh... baby. It's okay! It was just a dream. You're okay."

Chloe's large honey brown eyes shot open with terror as tears rolled down her cheeks. Her dark hair stuck out at all angles which would've pulled a chuckle from Fives if she weren't currently terrified.

His heart melted but the feeling of drowning had not abated. If anything, her screams had made it worse. She didn't deserve this

"Daddy!" Fives picked her up, holding her shaking form in his arms and sat down in the rocking chair.

"Hey, shhh... hey I'm here. Daddy's here." He rocker her back and forth.

She sniffled, wiping her eyes on Fives' shirt. He rubbed her back as her sobs quieted down.

"Dada?" She asked in a small voice, looking up at him.

Fives rested his chin on the top of her head. "I'm right here, baby. Daddy's right here. You're okay."

"I..." she sniffled violently. "I had a bad dream." She shifted so that she sat in his lap, leaning back into the crook of his elbow so that she could see his face.

"Yeah?"

She nodded solemnly. "I... it was..." She began to get worked up again as her lip quivered.

"Hey, shh... You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

She shook her head, burying her face into his chest.

"There was a monster and it tried to eat you, Dada!"

Fives wiped her face, kissing her forehead.

"Daddy's not going anywhere, sweetheart. No monsters can hurt Daddy or Chloe. Besides..." he cracked a smile at her, "I don't think we'd taste too good."

She giggled a little at that. "And you fight them away?"

Fives nodded seriously. "That's right. We'll scare em away, won't we."

Chloe nodded, sitting up in his lap. "Yeah."

The soothing chirping of crickets sounded lightly through the window as they sat in silence.

"Daddy?" Chloe asked.

"Hmm?"

"Do you get bad dreams too? About monsters?"

"How could you leave me Fives!" Echo's ghostly voice rang through his ears. "You left me to die!" It seemed to press on his chest. It was a heavy weight that always seemed to be crushing his insides. He closed his eyes.

"Yeah, sweetie. Daddy has bad dreams too."

He sighed and leaned back into the chair, on the verge of falling asleep once again.

Two small, slender arms wrapped themselves around his neck and a little pair of lips gently kissed his forehead.

"Don't worry, Daddy. I'll protect you."

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

@zoeykallus @ttzamara @nahoney22 @merkitty49 @viva-la-whump @agenteliix @dumpsters-little-matchbook @nekotaetae @ladykatakuri @loverofclones @heyitsaloy @padawancat97 @jambolska-grozdova @flyingkangaroo @melymigo @rain-on-kamino @jiabeewrites @my-own-oracle @dragonrider9905 @queenofspades6 @ordinarylokix @jupitersaturnapollo @queencousland101 @vampire-rouge

If you want to be on my taglist, feel free to send me a message! Also, asks are open! Reblogging is very much encouraged and it makes me do a happy dance every time any of my writing gets reblogged 😂❤️

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ariadnes-red-thread · 2 years ago

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bestie…currently having thoughts…about how Fives pushes his needs out of the way for others to make sure they’re taken care of

and how after years of battle and loss and pain, fives just crumples in your arms and doesn’t know what’s happening to him

he was made for this

war and death are old friends who keep him walking on a path of no return, and there’s nothing he can do

and only in your arms does fives completely shatter and understand what it means to be vulnerable because you hold him with such tender care like he’s the most delicate treasure in the galaxy

MYTHOS!!! I’m kicking my feet up and sighing with heart eyes at this 😍🥰😭 You’re so so right and this is SO PERFECT. It would be so hard to watch Fives shatter but then also understanding what that meant to be his safe space…. Excuse me while I throw in a break because I have THOUGHTS about this.

It would take so much for Fives to feel safe. He’s so used to looking out for people, used to being the problem solver, and used to making light of things. Truthfully, he likes that. Fives likes the responsibility and he likes a good laugh. Those qualities are his gifts and he wouldn’t trade them for anything

Then he meets you and he gets to feel something he hasn’t felt since he lost Echo. You understand. You don’t sympathize like Echo could (how could you ever?) but you listen. You empathize. And little by little, he opens up.

Honestly, at first Fives is shocked. Every time he tells you something - every time you take it in stride and show him that you’re a safe space - it stuns him. He can’t believe he’s saying some of these things out loud and he can’t believe you’re hearing him - really hearing him. Not that he’s never opened up to his brothers. Jesse’s heard some of this stuff and Rex is probably the closest to him. Still, it’s different with you. There’s distance from his vode, space to process what he’s feeling and going through - what he’s lived through.

And that’s when Fives breaks. And why he breaks. Because he knows he can. He knows you’ll hold him while he falls apart. He knows you won’t try to pick up the pieces. Instead, you’ll keep the pieces safe until he’s ready to put them back together.

Because Fives is the most precious thing in the universe to you. How could he not be? It’s Fives.

#answered asks #toomanybandstocare #fives my beloved #fives headcanon #fives x reader #I’m so in love with this man it’s stupid #arc trooper fives #the clone wars #tcw #star wars #fives #tcw fives x you #fives/reader #arc trooper fives/you #aria answers #aria’s headcanons

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echos-girlfriend · 2 years ago

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Fives angst please!

Howdy!

Of course lovely!!

Who’s Krell?

Fives x reader

Master list

~_~_~_~

Warnings: angst, fives talks about Umbara.. has mild panic attack/PTSD attack.. has a good/fluffy ending

~_~_~_~

The ships landed on the docking bay and you county contain yourself. You ran to five’s ship with your arms open.

But you stopped when you saw him. His face hung low.. so did his brothers.

“F-fives? What’s wrong?”

You opened your arms again and he practically fell into them. You offered to take him back to your room and he accepted..

“Fives? Please tell what’s wrong”

“I-I can’t”

“Why-“

“Because it’s classified! If I tell you.. y-you could get in trouble! You can’t know about krell!”

He immediately covered his mouth. You were taken aback by his sudden change in mood. He was now an anxiety ridden man. Shaking and sweating.

”who’s Krell?”

“..he was my general.. d-during the Umbara mission.”

You sat down and urged Fives to sit with you. He sat down slowly.

“He was… he made us attack other clones. A-and tried to kill us and he-“

“Fives.. calm down my love. Look at me. He’s not here right now.”

“N-no.. and he never will be.. he’s dead”

You pulled him into your chest and held him tightly. You knew that asking him for more information would only make him worse.

“You’re here now. You’re safe.. I’ve got you and I wont let anything happen to you. I promise my love.”

“You p-promise?”

“Of course I do”

You hugged you tightly and silently sobbed onto your shoulder.

“Don’t you ever leave me cyar’ika.. I don’t know what I’d do!”

“You better not leave me either Fives.. I love you too much”

“I love you too Mesh’la”

~_~_~_~

(It is short but I can do more Fives fives whenever you want my lovely!)

Taglist

@padawancat97

@starqueensthings

@umbramoons

#fives x reader #fives x you #the clone wars x reader #tcw fives x reader #tcw fives x you #tcw fives #the clone wars fanfiction #angst #fluffy ending

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skyguytoast · 7 months ago

Text

18+ (suggestive accts)

You and Anakin have been together for a few months, since you confessed your feelings to each other it seems like you have been living in a honeymoon state. As much as the fact that you are both Jedi makes the logistics difficult, you alwats find a way to make it work. Whether it's sneaking behind the Temple's large columns for a quick kiss, late-night visits, usually in your room, because Ahsoka and Obi Wan have a bad habit of entering Anakin's without knocking.

When Anakin said he wanted to try something different, to spice up the relationship, you imagined several things, like increasing your escapades to be together, visiting the underworld of Coruscant in those rentable speeders, thousands of things crossed your mind, but nothing prepared you for the situation you were in now.

Anakin's lips pressed over yours, devouring your mouth like a starving man, his tongue exploring yours, your backs pressed to the wall in the 79s bathroom. His hand cupping your cheek, while his metal hand threaded through your curls, pulling you closer. Fives was kneeling in front of you, one of your legs over his shoulder as he lifted the hem of your dress, the fabric pooled around your waist.

#anakin skywalker #anakin skywalker x reader #anakin smut #anakin x you #star wars #fives tcw #arc trooper fives #fives x reader

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kometqh · 11 days ago

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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐝

Viscount!Captain Rex x Maid!F!Reader Pt.1, Pt.2, Pt.3, Pt4 tbc.

Under the Viscounts' impatience, the two of you retreat to the village to solve important business matters. Throughout your journey, the Viscount reveals a side of him that no one but his brothers have had the fortune to know, and you're left stunned and wondering as a surprise guest makes an appearance upon your return. Word Count: 8,181 Warnings: Minor depictions of sexual activity, jealous, confusing Rex. A/N: This took forever to write but I wanted to focus on placing a lot of effort into this chapter, hopefully it's up to par with expectations hehe.

The greenery was a welcome distraction. Luscious, tall trees swayed in the breeze, shielding the carriage from direct sunlight and clear blue skies, lingering branches extended out, pointing the way towards the exit of the manor’s extensive stretches of land. The iron gates were tall, and as you peered out to see the tip of the spikes, you felt watched. The complete stillness and lack of life against the green forestry was like black paint on white. You’d only seen them once, a few weeks back when you had arrived for the job. They were as domineering now as they were on your first day. They were watchful, peering over and their gaze tailing you until the carriage disappeared far into the distance, hidden away beneath the greenery of the forest.

The sky was a contrastingly brilliant blue against golden wheat. Even the most skilled painter couldn’t replicate the vibrant scenery on their best canvas, or so you thought as you peered out through the carriages’ window.

Warm air clung to your skin, trailing it with thin streaks of sweat, disappearing between numerous layers of your uniform. The smell of humid country air filled the carriage, seemingly cramping the small space up more so than it already was; from the corner of your eye, you caught a glimpse of the Viscount tugging at his collar. He breathed out a heavy puff of air, frustration evident in the crease between his eyebrows and the downcast of his lips.

The ride was otherwise silent, but the constant songs of birds and the vibrating hum of the carriage aided in keeping it from being unbearable. You busied yourself with observing the scenery, noting a distant taste of smoke on the tip of your tongue.

The Viscount could surely make anyone replicate this view on a canvas at the mere snap of his fingers and a handsome payment. You were curious as to just how much it would cost one to do so.

Your eyes reflected the wondrous scenery like a mirror, which Rex found himself drawn in to, enjoying quietly observing your childlike wonder.

When he had noticed your sneaky glances, he had pretended to be annoyed, exasperated even. The carriage was stifling, and he was quick to regret his impatience to leave the manor - Mrs Opal would’ve definitely known how to keep the heat at bay, though he wasn’t regretting the chance to watch your mannerisms, as miniscule as they were around him.

He also knew Mrs Opal would not be impressed with him. She loved to make her thoughts known even when unprompted, and so Rex knew she’d make you sit quietly with your head down.

Though you did manage to hide all your thoughts behind a pretty curtain of long lashes and quick escapes from his sights. It was difficult for Rex to tell what you were thinking. You were terrified, that he knew. Yet you were also curious, attentive and careful, like an animal of prey scoping and mapping out its’ territory.

Slowly, your head turned, and your eyes met his.

The slight widening of your eyes snapped him out, and Rex threw his nose into an awfully boring article once more. His heart was racing like a galloping horse, thrilled and yet terrified. You’d just caught him staring. The Viscount. What was he doing?

The air in the carriage stilled, the silence overwhelming as you tried to make sense of the situation. Why was he staring? Did you do something you weren’t supposed to? A shiver ran down your spine.

You were so glad Mr Owens wasn’t here.

You remembered the way his watchful gaze never left your figure this morning, eyes squinted until they were but tiny slits, judging and scorching and awaiting, as if he was sure you would mess up. You knew what happened if a servant was insubordinate. Or simply made a silly mistake.

You visibly swallowed, turning your attention back to the fields. You wouldn’t slip up. You couldn’t. You weren’t even sure if punishments differed depending on the servants’ role and status, but you weren’t about to go trying to find out. Maybe they became less severe, or maybe they were completely different.

Mr Owens was nothing if not a lion waiting for you to wander into his den when it came to slipping up.

For the entire journey, the Viscount did not speak a word, and neither did you. You really had to ask Mrs Opal about the rules on interaction. Maybe this entire situation would be less awkward if the Viscount was a Viscountess.

Eventually small, spiky rooftops and chimneys began popping up in the distance like a trail of mushrooms in a fairytale. Grey smoke oozed out from a few like a steady stream, soaring into the vast sea of summery blues.

The distant rumble of village life began increasing in volume and energy, and you found yourself gaping at the people. Small children pranced around, enjoying the coolness of water from a nearby stream. Women and men were scattered around, amid various tasks, dust and grime decorating their figures. You inwardly recoiled into yourself at the thought of how difficult it would be to wash all this dirt off. Maker, were you glad you were no longer in charge of washing duty.

As you became lost in observing the village life, the carriage had come to a slow stop, and you looked around confusedly.

“We’ll carry on by foot.” The Viscount’s voice was much closer now, startling you.

He was leaning over, reaching for the door handle. His breath fanned over the tip of your nose, and his entire stature was impossibly close. Too close for comfort, you could say. Or professionalism.

“Let me open the door for you, my Lord!” Squeaking, you too reached for the handle. Your fingers slipped beneath his, taking a firm hold of it. His hand landed on yours, his warmth seeping into your skin. Your breath hitched as you slowly looked up, eyes widening as his presence was now much closer, much warmer. Close enough to-

Your eyes widened as the handle clicked and all forms of support vanished beneath you, your figure plummeting to the ground.

A burning sensation flamed all over your skin, beginning in the legs and travelling all the way to your arms. Gravel pieces dropped from your palms as you rubbed them over your skirt, wincing at the increasing pain. Shaking your head, you were about to get up, but your breath was caught in your throat.

Injuring yourself seemed to quickly become the least of your worries as your sight landed on your skirts - they were tattered and dirtied with soil and dust and whatever else littered the earth.

You’d have to wait until wash day to be able to clean them and you only had one other uniform and that hadn’t even been issued by your current employer.

Either you’d continue working in these skirts until wash day or you’d have to explain to Mrs Opal why you weren’t wearing the correct garments.

“Kriff… This is bad-” You muttered, wincing and scowling simultaneously. A series of ‘no’s’ escaped your lips, as you spotted more and more dirt and mud. What should you do? The Viscount certainly wouldn’t be pleased, walking around with a dirtied maiden in tow. Perfect. Things were going terribly wrong terribly fast.

“My apologies, my Lord, I didn’t mean to-”

“Were you hurt?” Interrupting, the Viscount reached for your hand, taking it between his own gloved ones. He turned it over, inspecting the scratched, bleeding skin. “Here, take this,” He muttered, wrapping his handkerchief around your palm. “We’ll treat it as soon as we’re back at the manor.” His brows were furrowed as he quickly looked you over. Ignoring your stupor, he moved away once he was satisfied.

“M- My Lord? I cannot accept this, I-”

“I insist.” With a firm voice and a warning look, he’d managed to silence your protests.

Your heart was slamming against your chest, like a bird trapped in a cage as you nodded, “Thank you,” you muttered, looking away as you felt your face heating up.

The Viscount gave you a small nod, releasing your hands.

“We should get going, if we do not wish to be late.”

You found yourself cemented to your spot. Confusion was painted across your features, the Viscount’s contrasting behaviour muddling over your thoughts.

Why was he so… Kind? At the manor he made sure you felt like nothing but a small speck of dust, floating just outside his vision so as not to rouse his ire. Yet now? It was as if you were watching an entirely different person.

The Viscount was already a few steps ahead of you when he looked back expectantly.

“Are you coming or not?” He questioned. Your legs moved on their own accord.

“Y- Yes, my Lord.”

-----

Getting to the boutique was straight forward. The Viscount clearly knew where he was headed to and was unwavering under curious overt looks. Your skirts felt awfully heavy under the afternoon sun, and to be honest, you felt like a sweaty dog.

Glancing over to the Viscount, a tinge of jealousy prickled your heart as he was seemingly unfazed by the heat.

The silence felt almost worse than the heat, and you found yourself tugging at the collar of your shirt for some comfort. You weren’t sure how formal you had to be when interacting with the Viscount, but his change in demeanour towards you inspired a little confidence.

“Are you not feeling warm, my Lord?” Unsurely, you glanced towards him. His cardigan was a navy blue colour, absorbing majority of the light that hit it.

“A little.”

Not talkative. Maybe he’s shy.

With a sigh, you looked back to him, “Would you like to take your cardigan off? I can carry it for you, my Lord.”

“That is not necessary.” He muttered, his throat growing dry. Rex wasn’t good at small talk. The Viscount did not engage in small talk.

You didn’t say anything else, instead opting to give a small nod. The path you took seemed to be a silent one, and the village felt more like a ghost town. Everyone was busy. Everyone was out and about in the fields and the farms and the barns, doing their fair share.

The boutique was situated in the town centre, alongside all the other shops. A market was also set up in the town square, but that wasn’t very busy on a mid-week afternoon.

A few lonesome figures were scattered here and there, but the silence was palpable. Your pace slowed as uncertainty clouded your thoughts - you weren’t sure which shop exactly was the boutique.

The manor life was too busy for a maid like you to be going out every now and then, and even in the few spare moments you had, you’d been too exhausted to go sight-seeing.

Luckily, you had the Viscount with you and you trailed after him like a timid pet dog.

Different shops and huts adorned the place, ranging from tall to small, providing different services. A butcher shop here, a tailor shop there. You’d assumed that’s where Mrs Opal went to have the Viscount’s suits fixed.

A quaint flower shop rested in between the bustle of the food market and the many homes scattered around, and you found yourself drawn in. Ruby roses and honey-coloured tulips were neatly decorating the outside of the shop, a chalkboard sign sitting outside, naming all sorts of flowers and their prices. A beautiful arch adorned the door, silky white gypsophila’s and other sorts of carnations growing around it, soaking in the hot sunlight.

A young woman could be seen trimming stems from the cover of an arched window, a faint smile situated on her lips. Two braids rested on her shoulders, and freckles painted the apples of her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. She looked lovingly at her flowers, faintly feeling the petals of a sunflower against the pads of her fingers.

The sight brought up a smile of your own and her gaze suddenly caught yours. Your breath hitched, cheeks tinting red as she waved at you.

Embarrassed, you turned away to hide the fact you’d been caught staring, but your face was met with a brick wall. Your nose quashed itself into the Viscount’s shoulder blades, your fingers scraping the material of his white button-up shirt. When had his cardigan come off?

“Everything okay?” The Viscount asked, surprised at the sudden impact.

“Y- Yes, my Lord! My apologies.” You quickly stuttered out, looking up with bright red cheeks.

Maybe it was the glaze of embarrassment or the heat exhaustion, but you swore you noticed the corner of the Viscount’s lips turning up. Was he smiling? Did he find it funny? You shook your head as you made your way beside him, holding your arms out for his cardigan, only to be promptly ignored.

You took one last look at the flower shop, noticing that the girl had disappeared from view, her sunflowers laying limply on the cash counter.

The front of the boutique seemed to be nothing if not simple. A foamy green door, a wide window showing off two floral dresses and a suit. A bell chimed as the Viscount pried the door open, his arm extending and body flattening to the side as he uttered an, ‘After you’.

With a soft thank you, you took a step into the small shop.

The inside was much more colourful compared to the outside. Colourful fabrics ranging from the deepest of violets to the faintest of yellows decorated the walls. Silks and frills and bows hung from the ceiling and carefully crafted pieces and glinting jewellery littered every corner of the room. Off to the side was a curtain and a space where a door should be but wasn’t. A fitting room, perhaps.

As you looked away from the onslaught of colour and sparkle, you noticed a woman, possibly in her mid-forties. Her frilly hair was pinned in place atop her head and her eyes looked bored and disinterested in the arrival of new customers. She had a cigar clasped between two fingers, a newspaper in the other, thin-rimmed glasses atop her pointed nose and a dress that resembled nightwear. She’d barely even glanced up.

The Viscount cleared his throat.

With a loud sigh, the lady made her mood crystal clear; completely and utterly disinterested.

“What services may I offer you today, my Lord?” Her voice was nasally, her words sharp and concise with every syllable that left her lips. It clawed at your back in shivers like a cat’s talons on a curtain.

The Viscount was indifferent to her tone, a small smile present on his lips. “I’d like to order four new dresses for this young lady.” He motioned to you.

“Four?”

“Yes, four.”

“Anything else?”

With a hum, he paced around the shop, observing the sea of colour, a gloved hand reaching out for something. A navy-blue, silky fabric. “Yes… The colour. I’d like for it to be blue and white.”

The lady lowered her glasses, thin eyebrows raised as she eyed the fabric. Her interested had been piqued.

“Silk? I hope you’re aware the price for is quite… Hefty.” She set down her pamphlet, rubbing a thumb and forefinger together.

Panic was evident in your eyes as you looked between the two, protests lingered on the tip of your tongue, and you turned to the Viscount, “My Lord, are you sure? That is much too expensive for a dress designated to a lowly servant like me-”

“I’ve come prepared today.” The Viscount didn’t spare you a glance as he answered the seamstress, a confident smile on his face.

With a curt nod, she made her way over, pulling the roll of fabric from its spot on the shelf, before sauntering away towards a pearly white one. She returned to her desk, fishing out some measuring tape and safety pins.

With a flick of her hand, she had the two of you following her into the back room and with a push on your shoulders, she had you discarding your skirts and cardigan, but not before pushing the Viscount out. The curtains were drawn with a soft whack, allowing you some privacy.

She took different measurements, manoeuvring you like a rag doll, matching different shades of blue and white to your body in differing patterns and shapes.

“He wants these done within a week… Absolute lunatic!” She muttered to herself, dismayed at the Viscount’s request, before shoving the fabric into your chest. “Hold this, I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

She opened the curtains with a flap, her figure disappearing behind.

You looked into the mirror, holding the silk up, admiring the smoothness of it beneath your fingers. You’d only seen such beauty from afar, worn by all kinds of men and women of status. You never imagined that one day you would be the one to hold it.

The sound of your name being called snapped you out. The Viscount.

A hand gripped the curtain. Your heart dropped as the Viscount was about to open it. Your hands flew to keep it closed; a breath caught in your throat as you held it with a death grip. Just because you were a servant it did not mean you wanted to show yourself off to everyone within your vicinity.

“Yes my Lord?” Squeaking out, you peered your head out, covering the rest of your body below the neckline.

The Viscount looked you up and down, a confused quirk in his brow.

He didn’t know what he was thinking. Rex was used to being around the ladies from the inn, having grown comfortable with their ease in their nudity around him. A faint blush dusted his cheeks as he was met with your panicked, bewildered eyes. The shop wasn’t well lit, only a weak ray of light illuminating the changing room. Rex hoped you didn’t pick up on his own reddening face.

Clearing his throat, he tried to scramble up a response.

“Are the fabrics to your liking?”

Perfect. You’re a Viscount for a reason, Rex.

Throwing a glance at the fabrics pooled around your feet, you gave the Viscount a small nod. “Y- Yes, I’m waiting for Ms Isabel to return. She took my measurements and took off.” You breathed out, giving a tight-lipped smile.

He returned a small nod, praying to the gods for you not to realise the state he was in.

“I’ll be just around the corner then, shout if you need saving.” Promptly, he turned around, rubbing his face exasperatedly once he was out of your sight.

What was he doing? You weren’t some woman he’d be spending the night with. You were one of his maids. He was here to buy you some dresses to have you looking presentable at balls, to ensure his status as a Viscount wouldn’t be questioned.

At least he’d managed to keep his composure, to cover up for his lack of consideration. He had only wanted to see you, as he found himself growing comfortable in your presence at an alarming rate.

That would need to be sorted out later.

Taking a seat in the front of the shop, he watched as Ms Isabel hurriedly returned, the sounds of curtains being pried open and a squeak tumbling out from the back, followed by her gruff voice.

“Give me that fabric, girl.”

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

“Why are we walking, my Lord? Don’t you have urgent business to attend to?”

The Viscount was a few steps ahead of you, as you both had silently agreed on it being inappropriate for you to walk beside him. Maybe if you were Mr Owens, his personal butler, then it’d be deemed appropriate.

“Ms Isabel was done earlier than I expected, so I wished to walk instead.”

With furrowed eyebrows and your focus centred on not tripping in the tall grass, you failed to notice the small glance he’d thrown at you.

“I’m sure you can promenade in the gardens, my Lord. I do not wish to be rude or imposing, but this is much too difficult for a maid like me, my skirts are too heavy and too long.” You pointed out, nodding at the different branches and tangles that threatened to trip you up.

The Viscount paused in his steps, turning abruptly to face you.

“Would you like some help with that?” He pointed to your fists that were clenched tightly around your skirt.

“May I ask how exactly do you plan on helping me, my Lord?”

“Well, if it isn’t obvious, I can hold one side whilst you hold the other.” With a shrug of his shoulders, he extended a hand out. You looked to him as though he was the silliest looking animal on the whole of Naboo.

You blinked a few times, attempting to come up with some sort of response or even acknowledgement of his words.

“You cannot possibly be serious, my Lord. I apologise, I did not mean to sound so… Whiny.” You quickly backed away a step, anxious at the thought of how the Viscount had interpreted your words. Sure, you’d love to accept his help, but you didn’t think a noble should be aiding you in keeping your skirts above ground. You didn’t think you were allowed to even request this kind of aid.

The Viscount sighed heavily as he took another step forward, his face expressionless as he lifted one side of your dress.

“M- My Lord! I do not require your assistance, I insist!”

“The more you protest the longer it’ll take us to return to the manor.” Was all he said as he motioned towards the seemingly small building in the distance. “Now let’s go, if we want to get back in time for tea.”

Plush green trees fenced the wheat fields from the village to the hill on which the road to the manor began, they swayed in the wind and occasionally parted to provide a small derailing trail deeper into the forest. You noticed that this wasn’t the road you’d taken in the carriage, but you recognised this view whenever you’d seen it whilst cleaning the windows facing the south, or when you’d found yourself doing chores in the gardens. The trees and brush came to a round stop as you eventually neared one end of the field, and the Viscount had to urge you forwards as you came to a slow stop, wondering whether the two of you were really heading in the right direction.

The two of you headed straight on through a semi-thick wall of trees, your eyes watchful for any outstanding roots and fallen branches that could be seen as hazardous. If your skirts caught on any of it, you were sure they would rip.

The Viscount had carried onwards, ahead of you at your request, once you were clear of vision-blocking wheat plants. This had left you to fall behind, as you had struggled more to climb over brush and twigs. You called out to him, concerned when the trees didn’t clear up fast enough, but the Viscount only called back, “Follow me, we’re almost there,” and took on a quicker pace through the forestry.

Your heart pumped blood at a more anxious pace as the Viscounts’ figure started to slowly slip from your vision, yet your worries were eased as you caught up to him, raising a questioning brow at why he had come to a stop.

“My Lord?” You asked, stepping over a particularly large branch before looking up.

You came to a sudden stop as the Viscount gripped your arm, pulling your body back. “Careful there,” he said, pointing at the sudden dip in the path.

Breathless and confused, you look towards the meadow ahead, stunned and speechless. The trees had cleared up, a meadow lay ahead of you with countless flowers spread far and wide, glinting in the sunlight with hues of deep purples and ruby reds, creating a trail that led a clear path towards the gardens of the manor.

“What the…?” You glanced to the Viscount, mouth gaping wide open, heart fluttering at the softness of his smile and the mellowness in his eyes. Slowly, he turned to face you, that smile still ever so present, “Pretty, isn’t it?” he asked, nodding towards the meadow.

With a small nod, you could see that it only led upwards from there on, and exhaustion suddenly seemed to tug at your limbs more prominently now.

“Indeed, though I’ve never been here before,” You said, observing how a brook flowed downwards somewhere to the far right, away from the fields you’d just emerged from. Yellow buttercups and bluebells lined the edges of the water, taking sips and twinkling under the setting afternoon sun. “It’s certainly pretty enough of a place for a picnic, my Lord.” You suggested, beginning to step down the gradual slope below you. A few tree roots stuck out from the earth, acting as nature’s steps. The Viscount was quick to follow, reaching equal ground sooner than you before he reached out, offering for you to take his hand.

Quietly you thanked him and sauntered towards the brook, grasping your skirts and leaning over the edge to see what could be hiding within the water, a smile blooming on your face as you noticed tadpoles swimming close to the earth.

“Tadpoles?” The Viscount questioned beside you, crouching down to poke at the water.

“I believe so, it’s about time for them to hatch,” You replied, watching as the little creatures swam in flurries away from the Viscounts’ hand. “You’re scaring them, my Lord.” You pointed out, observing the side of his face.

“I don’t believe I’m causing them any harm.”

“For all we know, they might think you’re a stork. Heart attacks in tadpoles are a matter not to be laughed at, my Lord.”

The Viscount laughed anyway. “I’m not sure I resemble a stork all that much, cyar’ika,” The nickname slipped out, Rex felt panic curse through him but quickly realised you didn’t hear it, or understand it.

“To them you might,” You mused, having crouched down as well before you dipped your own hand in the water, “If I was a creature that tiny, anything would resemble harm and danger to me.”

The Viscount said nothing as he turned to you, watching the peaceful expression on your face. He’d never imagined that the two of you would be spending your time together like this; as if you were a pair of close friends. The two of you should’ve resumed your journey long ago, but he was content to just sit there with you, enjoying the peaceful beauty of mother nature. Majority of the women in his life were either mother figures to him or single ladies looking to marry, or desiring intimacy, but you were neither. You were a maid who had the misfortunate of catching him red-handed with a woman he wasn’t married to, so really he was only making sure you kept your lips sealed.

You behaved differently to every other maid he met. You were hesitant and clumsy. You preferred to stay further away from unfamiliar things, people, yet you were insistent on interacting with him.

He watched as you dropped a pebble into the brook, silently observing as it drowned to the bottom, settling amongst other stones. “Shall we continue?”

“Continue? Continue what?”

You smiled, glancing at the Viscount, “Continue walking, my Lord. The sun is setting,” you pointed out, motioning to the sky.

The Viscount followed your train of thought, realising just how low the sun had set, barely peaking over the treetops and brush.

“Let’s continue.” He rose from his crouched position, offering you a helpful hand.

“Will your skirts be okay?”

“Sorry?”

“Your skirts. There’s some dust and mud on them. I’m asking whether you’re fine with that.” He explained, noticing that mud from the brook had overlapped with the dirt you had fallen into earlier that day.

“I’ll have to wait until wash day.”

“Wash day?”

“Yes, my Lord. That’s when we wash all the garments of all the personnel and nobles in the mansion.”

“And when is that?”

You pursed your lips, looking over the filth your dress has become. “End of next week, my Lord.”

“You can’t possibly wait that long.” He said, concern painted across his features.

“I have no spare uniform, my Lord. This’ll have to do.” You shrugged, beckoning him to start heading towards the mansion once again. Taking a few steps forward, you didn’t get far as the Viscount took a gentle hold of your bicep. Frozen, the two of you stared at one another, your gut twisting with a strange, foreign feeling. You didn’t like the look he was giving you. Was it pity? Was it guilt? You felt naked under his gaze, squirming as he studied your reactions. The corners of his eyes seemed to be downcast, reflecting the faint frown on his lips. He was making you uneasy under the weight of his stare, “What is it, my Lord?” you breathed out, unable to take the silence or the staring any longer.

“I’m sorry,” He said, before clearing his throat, turning away to look at the manor, “I’ll have a uniform issued to your quarters by tomorrow morning.” He added, before following an invisible path leading further up the meadow.

Following in tow, the Viscount left no room for discussion, and left you to bubble in your confusion in silence.

The path up to the manor stretched out for what felt like hours as the Viscount did not utter another word to you for the rest of your walk, his mood having plummeted for a reason unknown to you.

There were long shadows casted on the face of the manor as you and the Viscount walked along the gardens, watching as one by one, the windows lit up under some candlelight.

He had remained silent for majority of the walk back, only gracing you with one word responses and grunts to every conversation starter you threw his way. Eventually you gave up, settling on walking in silence and admiring the beautiful evening.

You could see a figure waiting in the distance, arms on their hips and a foot aggressively tapping the stone steps below them. “Where have you been?” Mrs Opals’ voice rung out across the stretch of grass as she quickly made her way towards the two of you, an unpleasant scowl growing on her face.

She had stopped just a few metres away, waiting for you. You glanced towards the Viscount, who was unfazed by Mrs Opal’s clear display of displeasure.

“We went to the village, had the girl fitted and made our way back,” he said, “Why do you ask?”

“You were gone for hours, I was starting to worry that you got lost, perhaps,” Mrs Opal said sternly, leading the way into the manor, “Nevermind the fact that you left me without saying a word!” She exclaimed, shaking her head in disbelief. The three of you rounded the building to avoid walking through the kitchens, and were now entering the lit up entrance hall of the manor. Around you, the candlelight flickered and burned and kept the hallways bright, creating a warm orange glow and mixing with the royal red carpets that lined the grand staircase and disappeared into the shadows of the lower grounds of the manor.

“You have an unexpected guest, my Lord,” Mrs Opal paused as she led the two of you to the lounge, where presumably the guest was residing. The Viscount took a sharp breath, as if to cut her off but she beat him to it, “I know, you said no visitors, however this is someone whom I couldn’t deny entry. He’s had a long journey and insisted on waiting for your return, sir.”

“Who is it?” The Viscount inquired curiously, his eyes thinning into slits as he stared the older woman down.

Mrs Opal cleared her throat, adjusting the collar of her dress nervously, “You’ll be happy to know that it’s someone familiar,” she said, glancing back, “It’s your brother, Lord Fives.”

You observed the Viscount’s behaviour, noticing how his shoulders instantly relaxed at the mention of the name. You guessed the Viscount preferred this brother over Lord Wolffe, who made it his mission to intimidate every servant in the manor. Maybe this brother would be kinder, more welcoming than the two Lords who inhabit this place.

“Fives?” The Viscount asked, his voice a gruff whisper, “He’s arrived early.”

“Maybe he was excited to see you, my Lord.” You mused, glancing over at him as you reached the lounge room. The dark brown doors were closed, and you had to help Mrs Opal open them as they were too heavy.

As the doors opened, you were greeted with a comfortable silence. The room was rather small, resembling a private study more so than a lounge. It was cozy room, decorated with deep red carpets and curtains, it had a high ceiling and a large fireplace that emanated heat and sparks and comfort the closer you moved to it.

Candles littered the room all around, however none were lit up, you assumed that the fireplace provided enough light to the room. As you looked around the room, you noticed a bar cart in a far away corner, with a few glass bottles and glasses lining it in a neat row. Whiskey. A bookshelf lined the opposite wall, filled to the brim though you spotted an empty slot. Returning to the middle room, you counted a few armchairs, which sat around the fireplace in a half-circle, and as your sights finally landed on the rooms’ only occupant, you paused, realising the missing book was in his hand.

The book had a red cover, with neat golden letters decorating it. The beholder was wearing a white button-up shirt, with high-waisted trousers, and a cardigan lay to the side of him. His hair was an ebony black, cut precisely to tame his curls and goatee. His entire build was large, but what piqued your interest were his shoulders; they were broad and heavy-looking, and you caught yourself wondering what they’d be like to touch. Not only that, but his side profile was certainly a welcome sight-

“Brother! What a pleasure to finally see you!” Rex exclaimed as he walked towards Fives, his arms outstretched to welcome the latter in a hug. His sudden outburst startled you, ripping your focus away from admiring all things about the Lord. They tightly embraced one another, wide smiles adorning their faces as they laughed, and once again, you found yourself inwardly swooning.

“I’ll admit it’s been a while, Rex. It’s good to be back,” Fives said as the two parted. “I thought I’d stop by, afterall we are going to the same ball.”

“Well I’m glad you’re here, if I had known we would’ve come back earlier,” The Viscount said, walking over to the bar cart, “Have you spoken to Wolffe already, then?” Pouring himself a glass, the Viscount tipped the glass in the Lords’ direction, to which the latter proceeded to nod.

“There was no need for you to hurry, brother, I believe I’ll be staying a while,” Lord Fives watched as the Viscount poured a second glass, murmuring a small ‘thank you’ as the two sat down together, “Echo will be joining us at the ball as he had some business to take care of back in the Capital,” He paused, taking a sip of his drink. Waiting for a moment, the Lord hummed in approval as the alcohol left a burning trail down his throat, “I haven’t seen Wolffe yet, no, Mrs Opal said he was out.”

With that, he motioned to the older woman, a toothy smile on his face.

His sights landed on you and he quirked a brow at the Viscount.

“And who’s the other lady?”

The Viscount’s gaze was intimidating as he savoured his drink, “That’s my new maid,” He gestured towards you, looking between you and Lord Fives with a glint of confusion in his eyes, “She’ll be accompanying me to the ball.”

“To the ball?” Fives raised a brow at that.

“Indeed. It isn’t good for Mrs Opal to stand around for too long, ever since her knees worsened, and, to be frank, my new maid is a capable one.” For a second, you felt your heart leap into your throat as the Viscount’s compliment registered.

Lord Fives looked back at you, his eyes roaming over your figure, studying you. You felt timid under his gaze, fighting the urge to shrink into a corner of the room.

“Ladies, would you care to join us?” He asked suddenly, and you heard the Viscount choke on his drink at the suggestion. Looking nervously to Mrs Opal, you tried your best to remain looking relaxed.

If you were to be honest, the new Lord seemed to have a certain effect on you, but what that effect was you weren’t quite so sure yet.

“That’s kind of you, my Lord,” Mrs Opal answered, a small smile dancing across her lips as she motioned for you to follow her. The two of you took a seat on the sofa, your figure remaining close to hers. You felt watched as you fixed your skirt, ensuring that none of the mud would be touching the material beneath you.

“So, how new are you then, cyar’ika?” Lord Fives asked, tilting his head slightly. He rested his elbows on his knees, swirling the whiskey absentmindedly.

You glanced at the Viscount and Mrs Opal, unsure whether you were permitted to reveal all the details.

The Viscount gave you a small nod, and your heart thrummed under his intense stare.

“It’s been a couple of weeks now, my Lord. My duty isn’t as important as Mrs Opals’, however I do feel grateful for the opportunity to work closely with the Viscount.” You muttered out, looking up at him. His his eyes widened the tiniest bit upon hearing you.

Humming in response, he took a long second to study you. His gaze trailed from the top of your head, down to the dark blush which settled on your cheeks, to your dirtied dress. Though he didn’t question it, you still felt slight embarrassment over not having the time to put on something different – oh well, it couldn’t be helped now.

“How come the Viscount chose you?”

Blinking in surprise, you tried to scour your brain for explanations. The true reason was something the Viscount wished to keep a secret, you were too fearful of what would happen if you were to reveal it.

You opened your mouth, ready to reply with some lame excuse, but the velvety thrum that was the Viscount’s voice interrupted you.

“I’ve noticed her a while ago, working in the gardens on a hot day. She was dusting the carpets and took a break and picked up a fallen rose from the ground, I watched her walk around with it in her hair the entire day,” The Viscount hummed, staring down at the almost empty glass in his hand, “I guess something about her intrigued me.”

To say that you were speechless was an understatement. You remembered that day as clear as words on a page, but you never realised that the Viscount had ever noticed you up until recently. How many times had he caught you acting like a fool? Prancing around with flowers in your head and snacks in your hands at odd hours of the night?

You couldn’t control the wildfire that spread across your face, nor the fastening of your heartbeat, nor the way your mouth was left agape as you focused on the Viscount.

Lord Fives looked between the two of you. He was analysing the stunned expression on your face, his brows lightly furrowed as he compared it to the Viscount’s. Something didn’t feel right, but Fives knew when not to push a certain topic. He wouldn’t, at least not yet. Something in his gut told him Mrs Opal hadn’t been involved in the recruitment process.

“Actually, my apologies, could I be excused please? I’d like to wash up before bed, and I believe it’ll be better for the three of you to catch up without my intrusion, my Lord.” You spoke, aware that your request might’ve been made at an inappropriate time.

Fives quirked a brow at you before turning to the Viscount, who only gave a small nod in response.

Fives turned back to you, a soft smile on his face, “I see no issue with that,” He paused, finding the look on your face sweet, “However you owe me a promenade tomorrow. Deal?”

You blinked up at him, mouth slightly agape as his question took you by surprise.

“I- I’m not sure… I’ll be with the Viscount and-”

“That’s okay, I have a meeting to attend in the afternoon and you won’t need to accompany me, so you may consider it a day off,” Rex spoke up, eager to end the interaction between you and Fives. He could already tell his brother fancied you, and smelled out the partial bullshit in your recruitment story, but Rex could tell you were feeling lost and uncomfortable. Fives could have you all to himself tomorrow, even if that didn’t sit right with Rex.

“I see. Well, thank you for your time, I will see you tomorrow, my Lord,” You looked to Lord Fives, throwing on a tight-lipped smile, “Have a good night, sir.” You bid your goodbyes quickly, bowing slightly towards the two Lords, murmuring a quick goodbye to Mrs Opal as you left.

Rex watched the entire interaction, his stomach churning at the faint blush present on your face. He couldn’t understand what had you blushing and stuttering when it came to his brother, but Rex slowly began regretting his decision as he watched you quietly slip away under Fives’ watchful gaze.

Rex swallowed thickly as his brother turned to face them, and the small smirk on his face did not go unnoticed.

“So, where were we?”

----------

The sun had disappeared behind the horizon, leaving behind traces of a warm breeze and running thoughts. You sat by your open window, observing the way the stars were dotted all over a canvas of dark purples and blues and black shadows. The moon had disappeared off to somewhere, stranding the manor in a gloomy darkness. Orange lamps decorated the exterior gates, which stretched far and wide around the manor, but the light didn’t dare to enter the gardens. You leaned your arms against the windowsill, sighing heavily. It had been a tiring day, and every so often you felt your body being lulled into sleep under the beauty of the night.

Your sleepy eyes trailed from left to right, admiring the beautiful rows of hedges of baby pink roses, which stood out against the pitch black like a reflection of the stars in a lake. A reoccurring blush settled on your face each time you thought back on the Viscount’s words.

A gardener would come every morning to tend to the flowers, ensuring they were kept at their best, cutting away pieces that had died. It was a pity, but at the end of the day, you always found yourself picking up the leftover flowers he had forgotten to throw away, hiding them away in your quarters to admire later on. That’s how the Viscount caught you playing around like a little girl.

Further on in the distance, across fields of pitch black nothingness, you could faintly spot the flickering, diminishing lights of the village. You assumed not many people stayed up for long after nightfall, as only a few scattered glimpses of light illuminated the night. From the comfort of your bedroom, the village resembled something out of a fairy tale. If you squinted hard enough, you could imagine a trail of fairy lights dancing around the borders of the village, keeping it safe and protected, with the darkness keeping it hidden away from dangerous creatures and visitors, allowing the magical fairies to live happily in their mushroom huts and treehouses, to continue their peaceful existence amongst the darkness of the forestry. You’d always imagined such a world, wishing that one day you’d walk through a tall wall of rose orchards, expecting to see nothing out of the ordinary, but instead being taken to a land of fairytales and love stories.

You sighed out again, hiding your face away in your arms, as the warm embrace of sleep lulled you further into an unconscious state. You intended to get some shut eye but only for a moment, just long enough to gather some semblance of strength to drag yourself into bed.

However, the moment turned into a few, within which you drifted in and out of sleep, floating in a deep sea of darkness, like a small boat drifting somewhere far away, somewhere far in the middle of the ocean.

When you opened your eyes again, it was completely dark. Only the moonlight illuminated the landscape. A strong gust of wind blew past you, eliciting goosebumps all over your skin. You felt confused, woozy. Still sleep-drunk as you looked at your surroundings. How long ago had you fallen asleep?

Something was different. Off.

Shakily, you gripped the windowsill and stood up. You waited for a long moment, head hanging low as you waited for the room to stop spinning. There was a dull ache in your shoulders, and you cursed yourself for falling asleep anywhere but in your bed.

Finally you moved, looking out at the gardens once again. Your body felt stiff and tense, your blood pumping in your ears a tad too hard, a tad too loud. Your eyes scanned the rose hedges, looking for something within the darkness. Something that would validate your gut feeling. But there was nothing.

And with a sigh, you climbed on the windowsill, reaching for the handle. The breeze was too cold for you to leave the window open overnight.

Just as your hand gripped the handle, you heard it. A noise.

For a single moment, you were paralysed with utter, blood-chilling fear, convinced there was a beast hidden within the shadows.

You whipped your head back and forth, eyes wide open, body on full alert. Could it be a coyote? An escaped bull? No. Not around these parts of the countryside. The village was too far, the farms even further.

You shook your head, inhaling a deep breath of fresh air before sliding the window slightly shut, leaving a few inches open. It was about to be summer, and the nights were getting warmer, so your room would be steaming in the morning. You moved away as you didn’t wish to stay up any longer, especially since you had to be up bright and early. Your back would be awfully sore in the morning, and you were already dreading it.

It was just before your body touched the mattress when you heard another noise. It was much closer this time, though, and much louder.

Ripping your body away from the bed, you moved immediately towards the window.

If there was a coyote, the guards needed to be made aware-

Something was moving. Something in your reflection moved, yet you didn’t. It was strange, an instant sense of fear so powerful it froze your body to where you stood. You could only move your eyes, the rest of you solid like a statue. You watched, waiting for something. Some kind of movement, or yet another wail.

That’s when you saw it.

Two figures, pressed against the gates of the back gardens. Moving animatedly, hidden away by the confines of darkness. They were dressed simply, as simply as possible to be able to do what they were doing-

The noises had now become clearer, and you were able to discern them as moans and whines, and you realised that they did indeed sound like a wild beast. Maker how fast were they going at it?

You opened your window quietly, leaning over the windowsill again. You squinted your eyes as hard as you could, trying to discern the faces of the people. They weren’t exactly the best at being discreet, and they did rise your ire.

A faint blush dusted over your cheeks as you realised you were essentially being a peeping Tom. But you weren’t doing anything weird. They weren’t being discreet, and you just wanted to tell them to knock it off. To have a little bit of shame.

Realisation struck your sleep-hazed mind like a chord.

It wasn’t just a pair of random servants going at it like banshees in the cover of the dark. No.

Something prickly, something ugly twisted at your gut as the realisation dawned in on you, cruelly sobering you up.

It was the Viscount.

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vizslasaber · 7 months ago

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UNDERSTANDING ──── echo.

summary: in the middle of the night, echo finds you, hurt and exhausted and in need of an apology.

pairing: arc trooper echo x reader

word count: 1.6k

warnings: none! just a sprinkling of angst and grief.

a/n: i love echo so much & im so glad he’s okay as of the finale!! this takes place sometime around the early seasons, but after the season 1 episode “cornered.” also, i listened to waves by chloe moriondo while writing this!

You’re not sure what to think of Echo.

Most of the time, he’s quiet. When he does speak, it’s usually to enforce a rule, remind the group of their current plan, or to keep Wrecker in check. You’ve seen his softer side, with Omega and occasionally his brothers, and it’s rare but honestly endearing.

The thing about him that most irks you, however, is that he never wants to seem to interact with you.

Officially, Hunter is the group leader; ever since Clone Force 99 accepted you into their squad, that much has been clear. You’re the only non-clone—or “natborn” as the others refer to you—living on the Marauder. It’s been several months since you saved Omega from bounty hunters on your home planet of Pantora, and now, you’re as much a part of the Bad Batch as anyone else.

Except, you’re not a batcher. Not really.

Despite how much you care for your squadmates, it’s easy to feel separated from them at times. Easy to feel different. Most of the others have picked up on this by now, and often go to great lengths to make you feel like one of them.

Not Echo, though. He seems—wary of you, almost, and you’re not sure why. Once, you brought it up to Tech, who simply waved you off with one of his shrewd, knowledge-filled comments. “You are new here, you know. Some people are simply slower to open up than others.”

You, however, know that’s not the case. You’ve seen Echo with his brothers, and with Omega. He can be kind, and funny, and even angry. But to you… to you, he’s nothing but quiet.

For some time, you tried your hardest to be yourself around him—to crack your usual sarcastic jokes at his expense, to be friendly, like you are with the others. But the constant avoidance and clipped answers leave you increasingly confused and hurt.

So you withdrew from him, too.

It still bothers you, sometimes. But you’ve learned to brush it off.

Now, you sit in the cockpit, feet resting against the control panel. A ration bar—one of the good ones—rests in your hand. Every so often, as you watch the blue glow of hyperspace streak past the viewport, you take a bite of the ration bar.

You’re on first watch. Someone has to stay in the cockpit to oversee the ship’s journey back to Ord Mantell—and, since you still can’t fall asleep in hyperspace, you keep volunteering for the job. The cockpit is mostly dark. All the lights are off, and the viewport is dimmed. Anything brighter reminds you of how sleep-deprived you are, and so you’re content to sit in the blue gloom.

Leaning your head against the headrest of the pilot’s chair, you close your eyes. Your entire body feels heavy with exhaustion, but every time you try to drift off, the rumbling of the ship’s hyperdrive jerks you awake.

The sound of footsteps startles you. You open your eyes, leaning around the back of the chair to inspect what little part of the ship’s corridor you can see. You can hear the sounds of someone moving around by the small common area, but you can’t tell who it is.

Tech’s probably experimenting again, you think wryly, and settle back into your comfortable position.

Soon, though, the footsteps grow closer. Someone enters the cockpit with a tired sigh, placing something on one of the chairs nearer to the door. It sort of sounds like Hunter, but with the similarity between everyone’s voices, you can’t be sure.

The footsteps halt suddenly. You look up to find honey-coloured eyes surveying you with apprehension. In the dim light, awash with blue, you register the glint of a cybernetic headpiece.

“Oh,” you say, blinking up at Echo, “hi.”

Echo only grunts.

You frown, looking down at your hands, at your half-eaten ration bar. “It’s late,” you say quietly. “You, um—you should get some rest.”

When Echo answers, you don’t look up. He says, voice low and gravelly with sleep, “I slept for a couple hours.”

Slowly, you nod, fiddling with the foil wrapper of the ration bar. The cockpit falls silent; you wait for Echo to leave, but he stays still, his shadow falling over your tired frame.

You want to ask why he’s still here. You want to be rude, to ask him to leave so you can have some peace and quiet. But truthfully, he isn’t saying anything, or causing any disturbances, so instead you hold up your unfinished ration bar. “You want a bite?”

Echo blinks. It seems to take him a moment to process your question. Then, to your faint surprise, he nods. “Thank you,” he says as you hand him the ration bar wordlessly.

It’s a peace offering, of sorts.

He sits in the co-pilot’s chair and takes a hesitant bite, chewing slowly. You see his expression brighten—probably at the realization that this is one of the good ration bars, the kind that Hunter always says not to hog—then return to his usual neutral one.

You watch as he swallows. He hands you back the bar, holding out his hand, but you don’t take it.

“Why… why are you here?” you ask quietly.

As soon as the words leave your mouth, Echo drops his arm and breaks eye contact, looking almost embarrassed. Or maybe even ashamed.

Still, you wait for his answer. Several long, painful seconds pass before he says anything. When he speaks, it’s like he’s forcing out the words.

“I wanted to—” he pauses. His flesh hand fiddles with his metal one. “I wanted to apologize.”

You feel your breath hitch. Staring, you try not to gape. “What?” you say, whispering without meaning to. “I don’t—”

“I’ve been horrible to you,” Echo continues, voice steadier. “I didn’t mean to be so… withdrawn. I didn’t realize I was doing it. I… I hope you can forgive me.”

Instead of acknowledging his apology, you bite the inside of your cheek with uncertainty, then cross your arms over your chest. One of the others must have put him up to this. Probably Omega, or perhaps Hunter. Raising an eyebrow, you ask, “Who sent you?”

“No one!” Echo replies hurriedly, then presses his lips into a thin line. “I mean, Hunter told me that you—he said that—” He sighs. “I didn’t realize it on my own. But I came because I wanted to.”

You blink, cursing yourself when you feel your eyes sting. With a start, you realize that this is the most Echo has said to you since you joined the squad.

Taking in a breath, you wring your hands anxiously. “I just… I just don’t understand why.” You shrug. “You’re not the same with me. Not like how you are with the others.”

Echo swallows. “It’s not—”

“I just want to know what I did wrong.”

At that, Echo falls silent. Guilt permeates the air, enough that you can feel it.

“Hey,” Echo says, kinder than you’ve ever heard him. “Look at me.”

You do. His eyes, like lava, or maybe liquid gold, bore into you. It almost hurts to look.

“This,” he continues, gesturing to the space between you, “is not your fault.”

Against your will, a lone tear slips down your cheek. “So whose fault is it?” you whisper, barely loud enough to be heard over the ship’s engine

It’s obvious from the look on Echo’s face that he’s thinking of something—or someone—specific. Despite how much you want to, you don’t push.

You just wait.

“It’s my brother,” Echo finally murmurs, and you raise your eyebrows, quickly cycling through the rest of your squad. Hunter, Wrecker, Tech… maybe Crosshair? You can’t think what any of them, even the one who’s no longer a member of your group, have to do with you.

“Your... brother,” you repeat dumbly.

“Yes.” Echo nods. “Fives.”

Oh. A fellow soldier, then. Probably from before the war ended… and probably long dead.

Drawing in a shaky breath, you hastily wipe your cheek with your sleeve. “What—what about him?”

“You…” Echo shakes his head, then lets out a humourless chuckle as he turns to look at the viewport, at the swirling blues and whites and greys of hyperspace. When he speaks again, his voice is barely above a whisper. “You remind me of him.”

You blink.

Truthfully, you have no idea what to say to that. Luckily, Echo continues, saving you from having to come up with an answer.

“Your sense of humour, I mean. The sarcasm, the jokes.” He shrugs, and the light from the viewport catches on his cybernetic headpiece, glinting in the otherwise dim cockpit. “And… and the way you know people.”

“‘Know people’?” you echo, confused. “I’m not following.”

“You understand people,” Echo says, and finally looks at you again, eyes impossibly sad. “Somehow, without ever having experienced what others have gone through, you understand their pain—and you feel it with them.” He closes his eyes for a brief moment, then opens them again. “Fives used to do that too.”

And suddenly, as though a switch inside you has been flipped, it all makes sense. “And that’s why you’ve been avoiding me,” you realize, and Echo winces. “Because I remind you of him.”

“See?” The barest hint of a smile graces his lips. “You’re doing it now. And you’re not even trying.”

“I guess I never thought about it like that.”

“I’m sorry for everything,” Echo says. “I am. It just…”

“Hurts,” you finish, and Echo blinks, surprised. You smile softly. “I know you too, you know.” Reaching out, you take his flesh hand, gently prying it open and taking the ration bar. As Echo watches, you split the remaining piece in half and hand one to him. “And for what it’s worth—I forgive you.”

The shadows colouring Echo’s face suddenly seem lighter. He smiles, then—really smiles.

You take a bite of the ration bar and smile back.

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TAGS | @sweetsunflowerkisses @sarasxe @buckethead-over-heels @frietiemeloen @leotatombs @revengeisaconfesionofpain @hoeneyhoeney @idoubleswearimawriter @burningfieldof-clover @captain-rexs-babygirl @living-that-best-life @readeity @itspauvr @my-own-oracle @xlovingheartsx @seriowan @leotatombs @blueberry-9-pancakes @lucyysthings @idoubleswearimawriter @burningfieldof-clover @captain-rexs-babygirl

#star wars #tbb echo #tbb echo x reader #tbb echo x you #arc trooper echo #bad batch echo #the bad batch #the bad batch x reader #star wars the clone wars #arc trooper echo x reader #arc trooper fives #sw tcw #sw tbb

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awkward-tension-art · 7 months ago

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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.

#reader insert #captain rex x you #captain rex x reader #star wars x reader #the clone wars x reader #the clone wars #star wars tcw #umbara arc #pong krell #arc trooper fives #clone trooper kix #clone trooper jesse #tcw x reader #tcw x you #sw tcw

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