“it must be serious; he’s picking flowers for her,” Jesse comments, standing with his other vode as they wait for their lovesick vod to pick a sufficient amount of blooms.

Fives almost feels silly, the ARC trooper wishing he had the credits to buy you the unreasonably huge bouquets that he so often sees pop up on the holonet. despite the lingering doubts and criticisms, he proudly picks bunches of littering flora and fauna sprinkled around the surface of the planet they were currently deployed on.

“i think these… no, these ones; but what about these ones? eh, maybe all three then,” Fives murmurs to himself, his mind wandering over to you with every bright bloom he lays eyes on.

“y’okay there, vod?” asks Echo, amusement pulling at his lips as he watches his batch mate and best friend tug up a particularly pink flower.

“hm, just wanted to bring home a present for my girl,”

“well, she sure is lucky to have you, huh?”

Fives shakes his head at his brother’s remark. “if anything, i’m the lucky one,” he states before popping the plucked stem into his flask of water, ensuring that he cares for the growing bunch to last long enough to see you.

it isn’t until the next rotation that Fives turns up at your door, bucket under one arm and a bouquet of flowers thrown together in his standard issue GAR flask. he knows for a fact that you’re home, having commed you earlier wishing that he ‘could be there and show you just how much i’ve missed my pretty girl on valentine’s day.’

“flowers? check. gift? check,” he lists before lifting his arm slightly to sniff himself and confirming, “showered and fresh? check.” upon hearing the lock jangle from inside your apartment, he braces himself to see your familiar face again.

you know it wasn’t the smartest move, opening the door before looking through the peephole, but with the slight frustration at whoever was at the other side making you get up out of your cocoon on the couch, you couldn’t care less.

“listen, i know you just wanna sell something, but i’m not inter—”

“huh, someone else tryna find their way into your heart, mesh’la?” jokes Fives, watching as your face snaps up and glows, surprise and something that he can only describe as love spreading across your features.

“Fives?! wha—oh my goodness!” you feel ready to burst with the elation that buzzes within you, your heart ready to bust out of the confines of your ribs at the sight of the man you’re so incredibly in love with.

“i have a valentine’s delivery for a ‘pretty butterfly’?” Fives holds out the flask containing his collection of flowers, and you’re pretty sure that the rate of your heartbeat could be mistaken for a heart attack.

“are you serious?! come here now!” you almost wanna push the bashful trooper for his unbelievably sweet gesture, instead choosing to crush yourself against him in a bone-crushing hug, arms intertwining around his neck as you plant a kiss against his lips. “happy valentine’s day, my perfect, handsome man; come on, let’s talk more inside,”

“but what if i want everyone to see that you’re my girl?”

scoffing, you take his bucket off him and pull him inside, “i think our poor neighbours know more than enough already,” you mutter, flashbacks of your screams and Fives’ groans clouding you head as you quickly shoo them away.

placing the blue and white helmet on the counter, you finally have a chance to take all of him in.

he looks tired, even more so than usual as he steps towards you. his armour has a few more scratches in different places, some more prominent than others especially when against the navy blue signifying his place in the 501st.

but more than anything, he still has that smile that makes your tummy twist and causes butterflies to erupt out of their cocoons. part of you wants to weep, overwhelmed by his loving aura along with the hand-picked flowers; if there was one thing about your Fives, it was that he was the most considerate and affectionate dork out there.

“did you pick these yourself?” you ask despite already knowing the answer, his nod sheepish and almost embarrassed. “i love them, and you know what? i think these are even better than if you just did what everyone else does and bought them at a store.”

Fives’ shoulders visibly relax at your reassurance, relief flooding his veins. “y’really think so?” he still asks regardless.

“i know so; how easy is it to pick a random, pre-made bunch up and then pay for them? really easy, but to pick them all individually and keep them alive? that says so much more than just buying them.”

carefully, you take the flask from him and they find their place in the middle of your coffee table, brightening the place as they make their home in the living room. with an outstretched hand, you invite Fives to sit with you to which he accepts without hesitation, groaning as he melts into the soft seat.

“i missed you, pretty butterfly. m’sorry for not telling you i’d be back, but it’d kinda ruin the surprise if i did, and i’m no party pooper.”

your giggle echos throughout the room and you realise you missed him just as much, if not more. your fingers find his face, tracing the little tattoo at his temple before easing out the deepened lines engraved onto his forehead.

“if only you knew how much i missed you. i wish you’d had told me that you were coming home today, i would’ve cooked up something nice.”

humming, Fives takes your hand in his own before bringing it to his lips. he presses a kiss to your palm, his days old stubble prickling against the soft skin.

“before i forget, i have one more surprise for you…”

with a raised eyebrow, you ask, “is this the part where you get your dick out?”

Fives hold his hand to his chest with exaggerated shock at your suggestion. “my, how little regard you have for me! that’s actually my third surprise, thank you very much,”

retrieving a round item wrapped in grey cloth, he hands you the gift. it’s heftier in your hand than it looked in Fives’, and you smile at the little bow he attempted while wrapping the object.

“go on, open it,” he encourages, leaning against the back of the couch as you lean into his side.

unwrapping the cloth reveals a large stone, smooth and rounded — but that’s not all. adorning the smooth surface is paint in the shade of 501st blue and a shape of a butterfly, wings spread wide. you notice a the same number five tattoo that had grown synonymous with the love of your life on the top of the left wing along with words written in a language you had never seen before; probably mando’a.

“Fives…” you whisper, unspent tears fogging your vision as the love and adoration you feel for the man comes crashing down on you.

“i know it’s not a lot or-or the best gift—” stumbles Fives as worry gnaws at his insides at your quietness.

“don’t. please, don’t say things like that. Fives, i- no one has ever cared about me like this—no one has ever loved me enough to do anything as beautiful as what you’ve done for me today.”

stillness bleeds into the air as unconditional love mingles with it, creating a comforting atmosphere where Fives can finally hold you in his arms after countless rotations away.

the feeling, to be held by the one you love, could anything in the universe compare to such a feeling? he’s warm, just like you remembered in all those lingering thoughts you’d had about him, wondering when he’d make his way back to you again.

with one hand encompassing the unique gift to your chest, the other finds itself cupping the prickly cheek of your lover.

“i love you, more than anything in this universe. beautiful soul, full of sunshine and compassion, how much joy you bring me and the universe.”

Fives’ own hand dwarfs your one at his cheek, his eyes conveying a portal to a heaven that only he holds; it’s enough to provoke your stubborn tears, free falling down the curves of your own cheeks.

“my precious, little butterfly, you have no idea how much i love you. i-i know i joke around a lot, but kriff, i mean it when i say you’re the best thing in my life.”

bringing his forehead down to meet your own in a familiar act of affection, each of you gaze into one another’s lovesick eyes. it’s funny, how the both of you gag and jeer at such actions in the silly holofilms, yet, here you are.

“this remind you of that corny film as well?”

“ugh, you know me so well!” you laugh, scrunching your nose up in humour as Fives grabs the opportunity to place a kiss against it before pulling you onto his lap, making you screech.

“silly girl—my silly girl,” he pulls you down against him and your head instinctively finds its place against the junction between his neck and shoulder. the plastoid armour digs into your flesh yet you can’t complain about it, not when you had yearned for it for so many nights.

“oh, wait!” sitting up slightly, you present the painted rock towards him with a hand pointing at the unfamiliar language. “what does this say?”

Fives hums in acknowledgment, a lazy smile plastered across his face while he runs a thumb across the white letters. “y’really wanna know?” he asks, smile widening at your enthusiastic nod.

- imagine the first first pregnancy you have TWINS!! she definitely has the onesies custom made to fit the babies perfectly; not too big or too small, they fit them just right every time <3

- also, anakin commissions them to make onesies in the style of rex’s armour 🥺 the same shade of blue of the 501st, even has little jaig eyes embroidered into the left side of the chest!!

- so before rex comes back from a particularly long day of work, you dress the babies in the rex onesies; when rex bu sees them?? he sheds tears, he just loves his family so much and the sentiment means more than anyone knows.

- and the blankets? the softest material is only used like jakobeast fur, and she makes sure that all materials are hypoallergenic and gentle to the babies’ skin.

- but do you remember when i did those knitting drabbles with grogu and mando? (1) (2) well, you know i have to apply it here as well!!

- you pick up knitting/crocheting as a hobby once the babes are born, needing something to preoccupy you when they’re asleep and when rex isn’t home to keep you company.

- creating everything you can from matching mittens and hats for when the weather gets chillier, to blankets and your own onesies!! you even knit blankets that has patches with all the recognisable trademarks of their uncles from the 501st 🥺 (i.e. fives’ has a number five on his patch area, tup’s has a tear drop, kix’ has lightning bolts etc)

- when the boys see it they instantly ask for one of their own!! they love the way each of them has a square dedicated to them and again, tear up when you say “now they’ll always have their ba’vode protecting them”

- but then the boys start getting interested in how you manage to knit like that, especially when they watch you clickity clacking and hooking away. you make it look easy and they can do just about anything, what could go wrong?

- they suck. they can’t wrap their heads around it and it’s like teaching your toddler how to do things with these boys; some of them pick up on it, others don’t. you’re more than willing to teach them, patiently helping them when they get stuck or need someone to start it for them.

- kix picks it up easily (obvs), so does echo and dogma, and surprisingly, fives!!! they love it and soon enough are also creating little things for the babies like crocheted animals and people (aka own versions of themselves for the babies to play with) <3

- rex struggles to pick up on it, easily annoying at the tediousness of it all and often ends up huffing and in a rut. eventually tries again and picks it up!!

- but when the boys all band together to make a massive blanket for you? combined with all the hormones and emotions while on your second pregnancy, the boys frown at how you burst into tears, afraid that they’d upset you :((

- “y-you didn’t have t-to do such a n-nice thing! why—why would you do that?!” oh boy, let rex take this one.

- rex is a pro at helping you with these little tearful moments now; the first pregnancy? that was just practise, but now? he’s got everything on hand from his singing to his cooking skills—the man can whip up a mean dessert just for you <3

- loves to do the typical dad thing if carrying a baby on his shoulders so they can see the world from his point of view. sometimes have to remind him to watch the doorframe so your baby doesn’t get hurt, but soon enough he’s naturally stooping low to stop that from ever happening.

- “now, doesn’t life look so much better from up here? you wouldn’t have this view if you were on your mama’s shoulders; she’s a little shorty—but don’t tell her i said that!” (if rex had a short wifey hehe)

- when they start to crawl? AHH he’s on the ground with them crawling on his belly as well!! reminds him of the training drills at kamino and pretends he’s the instructor now 🥺 (but not intensely—just as fun and games!!)

- “c’mon little one, let me see you use them forearms! where’s the core strength? i’m your bu, i know you can try better than that!” hehe silly bu

- but if his other daughter struggles a bit and is still not able to crawl or crawl as well as her counterpart, rex lifts her onto his back and with one hand secured around her small back, he crawls!! it’s the sweetest thing to watch and to see her squeal and babble as he does so make you SOFT

- “don’t worry, babybug, you can hitch a ride on bu’s back for now; we’ll catch up soon enough, won’t we, strong girl?”