Rex wakes up before you almost every single morning. He simply doesn't really have an ability to sleep in and his body naturally wakes him up at the exact same time every morning. He'll lie there for a while just watching you sleep, one arm draped over your waist, enjoying the peace and quiet. Will eventually carefully slip out of bed and make caf/tea so it's ready and waiting for you by the time you wake up

Likes having you sit with him while he's working on armor/weapon maintenance. Doesn't even necessarily need you to help, he just likes your company and wants to listen to you talk and this always feels like a good opportunity

Not great in the kitchen, like he's decent but not particularly good, but he likes helping you if it's something you like doing. Mostly just likes feeling useful and wants to spend time with you. Will do dishes or something while you cook and just talk and steal kisses

Has a tendency to stand rather than sit. He's usually leaning against walls or hovering near furniture instead of actually using it. Doesn't realize he does this and gets awkward when you tease him about it cause like. he doesn't know why he does this either it's just a habit lol

Sharing a bed takes some adjustment for him and honestly for a bit at first he doesn't sleep very well. He wants to be cuddling you but at the same time he's not super used to it yet and so it prevents him from sleeping much. Also every time you move it wakes him. This improves with some time though

The concept of having personal belongings feels strange to him sometimes and he'll hold onto trivial things you give him for a really long time. Like if you ever leave him a lil handwritten note or something sweet like that he keeps it forever. But also more casual things like if you ask him to hold a hair tie for you and then forget about it he will just. keep it for you for weeks until you realize one day he still has it around his wrist and are like ??????

Very accustomed to schedules and routines so days with absolutely no plans really throw him off. He'll be mildly restless and trying to create a structure for the nothing. By the end of the day he's usually relaxed and happy but getting him there's a process

Mildly bossy sometimes especially when it comes to chores or errands and stuff. Assigns tasks between the two of you and sometimes phrases requests more like orders without meaning to. Doesn't really realize how authoritative he sounds and so he'll tell you to do something in kinda a commanding way, you'll raise an eyebrow at him, and then he realizes and clears his throat as he awkwardly adds "…Please."

Frequent physical affection takes some adjustment because it doesn't occur to him often at first that he really can just ask for it whenever he wants it. He'll be having a rough day and just kinda hover near you mostly unintentionally until you realize the man needs a hug lmao

But when he realizes he can kiss you pretty much whenever he wants it blow his mind a little. The two of you will be in the middle of a conversation and he'll keep getting distracted by your lips before remembering like oh wait. that's my partner. I can just-- and then kiss you and completely lose any other train of thought. It takes months for the novelty to wear off (and even then it kinda doesn't?)

When he's really stressed or drained after campaigns he doesn't typically really like talking about it much, especially right after, but it is when he generally gets the most needy and affectionate. Where he usually prefers holding you and giving you comfort, this is when he needs to be held and soothed

The Marauder was quiet, but not the comfortable kind. Not the kind that settles when everyone is asleep and safe and together. The silence felt hollow, and Echo sat alone.

He'd been telling himself it was a good thing he couldn't sleep much anymore. Meant there was always someone to watch the cockpit while everyone else slept, not that anybody had asked him for that. Maybe that's why the excuse had felt so thin lately. Nobody had asked him to sit in the dark for hours staring through the viewport at streaked light that he wasn't really seeing. But he did it anyway. It was better than the alternative. The alternative was lying awake in a bunk without the cockpit panels and view of hyperspace to distract him.

The alternative was feeling the emptiness left behind by people who should've still been there.

The alternative was remembering that he'd once belonged somewhere so completely that he'd never needed to think about loneliness at all, only to be jolted into consciousness one day with the discovery that belonging could be taken from someone piece by piece until all that remained was the ache of it.

Echo shifted in his seat in an attempt to rouse himself from his thoughts but regretted it when a familiar discomfort shot up his spine. It wasn't even pain anymore, that implied something temporary. This was just part of him now, another thing he carried around because he didn't have a choice.

He sighed quietly, glancing around to try to shake himself into the present a little more. The cockpit felt bigger these days. Which was stupid, Echo thought. It was the same cockpit it had always been; but every time his gaze drifted towards the pilot's seat, his mind supplied what should have been there, and the absence still hit him like a slap in the face. He hated that it still did that. He'd spent his entire life losing brothers. Clones died, they always had, they'd been created with that understanding written into their bones. You mourned, and then you moved on and tried to keep who remained alive. That was how it worked, or at least, how it was supposed to work.

So why the kriff wasn't it working? It wasn't even just Tech. That would've been easier to understand, maybe, but no. Tech's death had cracked something open inside him, and now every other loss had come spilling back into his memory. It had sometimes felt before like every brother he'd ever lost was standing just out of sight waiting for him to remember them. Now that he had, he couldn't decide if it was even a good thing, and the conflict left him feeling frustratingly angry. At himself, at the galaxy, at the way grief apparently refused to stay buried no matter how much effort he put into shoving it back down.

A tremble in his shoulders had started, just barely, but it was enough to make Echo set his jaw and press the heel of his palm against his thigh as he stared harder at the viewport. Nothing. Just stars. Just hyperspace. Just another sleepless night.

Then, suddenly, he heard the sound of soft footsteps stepping into the cockpit, and relief hit him so quickly that it almost made him feel sick. He hated that part too. Hated the way some desperate part of him immediately relaxed in the presence of…anyone.

"Echo?" Your quiet, sleep-rough voice broke the silence of the cockpit, and his shoulders stopped trembling. He was grateful for that, at least. It was easier to pretend he was fine when there wasn't physical evidence to the contrary.

"You should be asleep," he rasped, turning his head to glance at you. "Something wrong?"

You hesitated for a moment, and Echo found himself irrationally annoyed by it, because he knew that look you were giving him. That soft, cautious, evaluating look, like you were trying to decide whether giving him sympathy would be helpful or not. He was a soldier, for kriff's sake. You weren't supposed to look at him like that.

"Woke up and couldn't fall asleep again," you explained eventually, finally stepping closer and glancing at the pilot's seat. "You mind if I sit?"

Echo glanced away and forced a shrug. "Go ahead."

You settled into the seat beside beside him quietly, and for a long moment, the two of you sat in silence. Echo kept his eyes fixed on the viewport, his mind significantly quieter with your presence near. Still, though, he felt…bad. "You don't have to stay up with me, you know," he said finally, glancing at you sidelong. "If you're tired--"

"I know," you interrupted quietly but firmly. The simplicity of the statement kind of calmed him a little bit. He'd half expected some kind of reassurance or an insistence that you wanted to help. He was glad that the fact you wanted to be here seemed to require no explanation at all.

He glanced away again. Despite how grateful he was for your company, he was in no mood to chat, and that frustrated him. He should appreciate the opportunity to distract himself with talk about…anything, other than the thoughts that had been swirling around his head for the past several hours. But his throat felt dry, his mind felt fuzzy, and your quiet presence was reassuring enough that he didn't want to ruin it with what was in his head.

"…You okay?" you asked after a long moment, leaning back in the pilot's seat and tilting your head towards him. Echo stared out at hyperspace.

How the kriff was he supposed to answer that? His first instinct was to say yes, which was the answer everyone usually expected from him. His second, more honest instinct was to say no, but htat answer felt impossible for several reasons.

He exhaled through his nose. "I don't know," he admitted gruffly, not looking at you. He regretted it almost immediately, and he shifted slightly in his seat. "I'm fine," he corrected. "Just…tired."

You hummed quietly, studying him for a moment before tilting your head away again. "You don't have to talk about it," you muttered. "I just…I just don't want you to think you always have to sit here in silence by yourself."

Echo huffed, just a little bitterly. "Getting used to it." He wasn't trying to snap at you but it kind of sounded like he was. The problem was that every attempt at vulnerability seemed to scrape against something raw inside him, and he found himself pulling back before he could say too much.

"Doesn't mean you have to," you reaffirmed after a moment. "I'm here. And I like being here. With you."

Echo's throat tightened, and he found himself glancing over at you for a second before snapping his gaze away again, like he realized at the last moment that looking you in the eye might reveal a little too much. He cleared his throat. "You should raise your standards," he quipped roughly instead.

You chuckled softly, the sound soothing something in Echo. "I think my standards are fine."

Echo rolled his eyes, though the corner of his mouth did curl up just the tiniest bit. He stared down at the console in front of him for a moment as if the blinking controls suddenly required very intense concentration. He should probably say something quippy again. Laugh things off and finally redirect to something easy. But he stayed quiet, and you settled more comfortably into the pilot's seat as though sitting quietly with him was exactly what you'd intended to do all along.

The realization made his throat tighten a little all over again. He knew the Batch cared about him, but there were moments when he looked at them and felt the distance anyway. They could move forward in ways he couldn't. They could set things down when he still felt crushed beneath the weight of them. He knew they weren't trying to leave him behind, but sometimes it felt like everyone else had found exactly where they fit and he was doomed to just…hope they made room for him. But you never seemed to expect him to be anything other than what he was. Maybe that shouldn't have mattered as much as it did.

He finally sighed faintly, glancing at you sidelong again. "Sorry," he muttered, breaking the quiet. "I'm, ah. Not great company tonight."

You shifted slightly in your seat. "Well, I didn't come for good company," you said, almost too casually, like you were mildly embarrassed by your own words. "I came because it's you."

Echo blinked and got a very tight, twisting feeling in his chest. For a second he just stared at you, and then his brain caught up and he snapped his gaze away. Once again, he couldn't seem to find words, and it frustrated him.

"That's…" He cleared his throat again. "That seems like a pretty terrible reason to lose sleep."

You shrugged, your gaze still on him. "I disagree."

Echo took a quiet breath. The thing was, he understood being reliable or useful. He understood duty. But being wanted was different, and being wanted when he had nothing useful to offer made him feel somewhere between inadequate and grateful. Because the gratitude was very much still there, possibly more prominent than any other of the thick, stifled emotions he'd pushed down into his chest. He momentarily had the irrational hope that you'd continue staying, not just tonight, but…

He inhaled abruptly. "Kriff," he mumbled under his breath, scrubbing his hand down his face again.

You glanced over. "What?"

"Nothing."

You looked unconvinced, but let it go. Echo leaned back in his seat with a sigh and shut his eyes for a second.

"…Thanks," he said quietly when his eyes opened again, his gaze drifting back to you. Not just for not pushing, not even for just being there, but for just getting it in a way that others didn’t.

You smiled faintly. "You don't have to thank me. I'm here cause I wanna be. Always will be.”

He looked away before the sudden sting behind his eyes could become obvious, and for the first time that night, the following silence no longer felt hollow. With you sitting beside him and no expectation hanging over his head except your quiet willingness to stay, the loneliness seemed a little less suffocating, and Echo found himself wondering when exactly your presence had started feeling so much like home.

You sat on the edge of your bed with your shoulders curled inward, staring down at the floor in a baggy t-shirt while frustration ate away at you, a roll of trans tape sitting abandoned on the nightstand.

You'd been so hopeful. You'd watched tutorials and read advice, and mentally told yourself not to set your expectations too high, but even so, when you looked in the mirror afterwards, disappointment had still hit you like a stun blast. You were so disappointed that the sound of the front door sliding open barely registered to you.

"Sweetheart?" Fives called.

You quickly wiped your eyes, clearing your throat quietly to try to pull yourself together as much as you could. As soon as Fives stepped into the bedroom, though, his eyes caught on your expression and he frowned faintly.

"Hey." His voice dropped as he crossed the room, dropping to one knee in front of where you were sitting, his hands coming up to rest on your thighs. "What's wrong?"

You hesitated before gesturing vagely towards the tape. You didn't really trust your voice yet. Fives followed the motion of your hand and immediately understood, his gaze flicking back to your face as it softened with sympathy. "Oh, baby." He shifted closer, resting his forehead briefly against your knee. "I'm sorry."

You let out a faint huff that was still a little weak. "It didn't help," you muttered. "I knew it wouldn't be perfect, but I thought it'd at least do something. I just…" Your voice cracked. "I looked in the mirror and I still looked exactly the same."

Fives exhaled and stood up so he could settle beside you on the bed instead. "C'mere," he murmured, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and gently tugging you against his side. You leaned into him with a sigh.

"I hate it," you admitted quietly, pressing your face into his shoulder. "I hate looking in the mirror and seeing no difference. I hate getting my hopes up. I feel so stupid."

Fives brought his hand up to cradle the back of your head, holding you a little tighter. He held himself back from the protest that instantly came to the tip of his tongue, the knee-jerk instinct to contradict your self-deprecation, and took a slow breath. "I know," he said instead, softly. "I know, baby. But can I tell you something?"

You shrugged weakly.

"I think you're being a lot harder on yourself than you deserve," he admitted. "You got your hopes up because…because feeling like your own body belongs to you matters to you, yeah? And you found something that could've possibly helped. I don't think that's stupid."

You swallowed hard, pressing your face against his shoulder a little more firmly.

He took a breath, choosing his words carefully. "I know it hurts," he continued soothingly. "It must feel awful. One bad day doesn't mean you're gonna feel like this forever, though."

Your eyes burned again. "It feels like I am."

Fives was quiet for a moment. His thumb stroked along your shoulder as he pressed a kiss to the side of your forehead. "…Your brain's such a damn liar sometimes, huh."

That got a tiny, watery laugh from you. "Too often."

Fives smiled when he heard the tiny laugh. "Mm." He kissed your forehead again. "Mine tells me all kinds of nonsense."

You snorted quietly, snuggling into him a little more. "I've noticed."

"Mhm." Fives chuckled. "Absolute garbage. No quality control whatsoever."

You laughed faintly again, a little less watery this time, and Fives brightened. "There we go," he said, giving you a squeeze. "There's my favorite sound."

Heat crept up into your face and you groaned in protest, but Fives slid his hand up to tilt your face towards his and pressed a little kiss to the tip of your nose. "You know," he murmured, ducking his head to then kiss away a stray tear on your cheek, "I know I can't kiss the feeling away."

You huffed weakly. "Unfortunately."

"Mm. But I could damn well try." Before you could answer, he kissed your other cheek. Then went back up to your forehead. Then to the still damp corner of your eye, which made you scrunch your face up in protest again.

"Fives."

"Shush, I'm busy."

You rolled your eyes, but the corner of your mouth twitched upward. Fives, annoyingly pleased, stole another kiss, this one landing softly against your lips. You let yourself lean into him completely, feeling his arms tighten around you.

"You don't have to win against every bad thought today," he murmured quietly, lips brushing your temple as he kissed you yet again. "Just let me take care of you for a while, alright?"

Your disappointment from earlier was still there, a dull aching still lying deep in your chest, but it did feel a little smaller with him holding you. "Okay," you mumbled.

Fives smiled and kissed you once more. "Good. Then we're ordering food, finding the dumbest holofilm we can, and you're staying close enough that I can keep kissing that look away whenever it comes back."

"Deal," you said, your smile coming a little easier. Then you leaned in to kiss him this time, slow and sweet. You couldn't quite bring yourself to believe that everything would be okay yet, but for a brief moment it finally felt like you didn't need to. For now, it was enough that he believed it for the both of you.

One of the Mandalorians had been getting far too close to you lately, especially today. Leaning in, a heavy hand resting just a little too close to your hip on the console, tossing out some quip that had you laughing without thinking twice.

Maul had been standing at the far end of the room, arms crossed, just…watching. He hadn't interrupted. He just observed the way you smiled, the way you didn't pull away, dissecting the interaction with an unnerving coldness.

Now, the heavy doors had sealed shut and left the two of you alone, sealing out any other noise. The silence that followed was immediate and a little too heavy to be anything but tense. You glanced at Maul, suddenly realizing that something was wrong, but he didn't look at you. He turned away, clasping his hands behind his back.

"You lack discipline," he said, voice low, devoid of anything but a sort of heavy, grating friction.

You blinked, caught off guard. "What? I--what did I do?"

"That…Mandalorian." He turned to look at you, his eyes a little narrowed, but his tone was disconcertingly calm. "You allow him a familiarity that borders on subordination. You laugh at his trivialities. You permit his proximity."

Your breath caught a little as realization spread through you. "He…it wasn't like that, Maul. It was just…friendly," you said, defensive but careful. "It was harmless."

Maul took a step forward. He didn't look threatened, or even really angry; more annoyed, like this was an inconvenience he was frustrated he had to address. "Harmless," he repeated, the word sour on his tongue. "And do you enjoy that kind of attention? Do you find satisfaction in being looked at like a prize? In being touched, entertained, sought after by others?"

"No," you muttered, your throat dry. "It wasn't like that."

"Then do not invite it," he snapped irritably. "It is an unnecessary distraction."

You frowned a little, defensiveness flaring again. "For me, or for you?"

Silence settled for a second as Maul went very still, a muscle in his jaw jumping at the directness of the question. "…Do not flatter yourself," he said after a moment, his tone an odd mix of forced calmness and disdain. "Any distraction in my ranks is a flaw. I will not tolerate…frivolity, and I certainly will not tolerate my subordinates mistaking your indulgence for permission."

He stepped closer, closing the remaining distance between you. His hand rose to cup the side of your jaw, thumb pressing firmly into your cheek as he tilted your head to look at him directly. For all the command in the touch, though, it wasn't rough; it was almost unnervingly gentle.

"You think this is a game of sentiments," Maul murmured, his eyes flicking over your face. "It is not. If you require entertainment, if you require stimulation, you will seek it here. Where it serves a purpose."

You exhaled shakily, torn between the desire to lean into the gentle touch, and to pull away just to escape the tension. "…Purpose?" you asked, voice thick.

He didn't answer. His gaze dropped to your mouth, his thumb shifting slightly to tilt your chin higher. For a moment, you actually thought that there was a possibility that he might kiss you; instead, he just backed you up against the edge of the console. He leaned into your space, his other hand sliding down to grip your hip, his breath hot against your lips as he exhaled.

"Stay quiet now," he muttered against your mouth. And then he sank down to one knee between your thighs, pushing you more securely onto the console as he parted your legs. You barely had time to process before he was pulling your clothes out of the way. The fabric of your underwear was yanked aside with an impatient tug, and before you could shiver from the cool air, the heat of his face was right there.

Maul didn't ease into it. The first stroke of his tongue was broad and wet, dragging from the very bottom of your opening all the way up to your clit in a heavy swipe. You gasped, gripping the edge of the console for balance as you spread your thighs wide to avoid his horns. He gave you no time to adjust to the sensation; he shamelessly buried his face in your crotch, sucking your clit into his mouth and swirling his tongue around it until you were whimpering, your hips twitching against the metal of the console.

For all his insistence, though, he wasn't rushing. He used his tongue to completely consume your focus, and maybe to drown out the noise in his own head. He drank in the sounds you were making, his breathing deep and harsh against your skin. He lapped up your slick as it started to flow, his tongue flicking inside you to drag your moisture back up over your clit.

Overwhelmed, one of your hands came down to his head, sliding along the bases of his horns. Maul let out an involuntary groan, his breathing coming in even harsher against you. You kept your hand there, rubbing along the sensitive bases. Maul's body went rigid for a moment before he renewed his efforts almost aggressively, his tongue flicking relentlessly against your clit as he nipped at the soft folds surrounding it, sucking you so hard you thought you might faint.

"Maul--please," you cried out, thighs shaking against the console. He groaned again, his face pushing against you so hard that your slick smeared across his cheeks and jaw. He sucked your clit hard and licked upwards roughly, and your release hit. Your back arched, your hand gripping one of his horns tight as you sobbed his name.

Maul kept his mouth on you, his tongue pressing hard against your pulsing clit to absorb every last tremor until you didn't even have the strength to hold your legs apart for him anymore. As your breathing finally began to slow, he eased back, resting his forehead against your thigh for a long, quiet moment. His shoulders rose and fell with a deep, heavy breath, the restless edge to him from earlier completely gone and replaced by an almost sullen, exhausted quiet.

He stood up, wiping his mouth with his hand as his gaze roamed over your shaking, tired body. "There," he said quietly, he voice softer and raspier than you usually heard it. "Remember who deserves your attention."

And then, without another word, he turned and walked out of the room, doors sliding shut behind him, leaving you alone in the quiet.

Tag List:

So when he decides he's interested in you, he goes for it. Doesn't see a reason not to. He's pretty confident about pursuing you…but he's NOT smooth. His attempts at flirting tend to be really earnest rather than like charming and he'll sometimes come off a little stiff. The type to plan out exactly what he's going to say beforehand, get the recitation down perfectly, but then definitely sound like he's reciting something when he's talking to you

Tbh he's just not interested in playing games. He'd rather risk rejection than spend months wondering. He just overthinks it a lil regardless and wants to make sure he's not misreading things. The others def know he's into you and give him a lot of joking advice which he pretends to scoff at and brush off but he's actually thinking about it for ages after like hmmm maybe that is a good idea…

Likes impressing you with stories about previous assignments/battles and stuff and is very pleased whenever you call him brave or things like that. Honestly his favorite kinds of compliments are about like his capabilities and strength

Has a strong sense of responsibility and this carries into his relationships as in like he takes a very consciously active part in maintaining your relationship. Like if a rough week means he hasn't seen you much, he'll literally schedule time with you into his calendar so that he remembers not to let anything else get in the way

Really supportive in a very practical way. If you have a bad day, problem at work, family drama, he immediately slips into planning mode and starts helping you build a solution. Strategy brain takes over for him lol

Dates with him are on the simpler side but very intentional, he likes more casual dates that help him to just chill out and unwind for a bit since his day to day is usually so stressful. Doesn't go for spontaneous dates much, he prefers planning things ahead of time

He had to kinda get used to frequent/casual physical affection but once he did he settled into it really well and really likes frequent casual affection. Not big on PDA but little things are fine and he'll like hold your hand in public a lot

His favorite kisses are the quick, everyday ones. A kiss before leaving for duty or a little peck while passing each other. Those little moments matter more to him than like big romantic gestures would. Always kisses you like he's making a promise though, no matter how quick it is; especially after his last stand, his kisses linger for just for an extra second

A lot changed after Scipio, but they were largely subtle things you wouldn't really notice unless you were specifically look for them. He kinda…slowed down a little. Focused on the moments with you a little more. Maybe he needed your help a lot while recovering from his injuries and at first, he kinda struggles with needing so much help. Later, he kinda looks back on that period with a little bit of tenderness because even at his weakest, you were there

Before Scipio, he expressed love mostly through reliability. He always showed up, kept promises, solved problems, etc. Afterwards, he makes a point of saying it much more often. It kinda stripped away a lot of the hesitation he may have used to have about verbal affection

There also aren't any more quick goodbyes before leaving on assignments and things; instead, he's always coming back for one more kiss, mumbling an I love you against your lips no matter what. Every single time. In case anything ever happens again, he refuses to let your last memory of each other be an absent-minded wave from across the room

He's also a lot more protective of time that you've set aside together. Previously if time with you got interrupted for some reason he'd promise to make it up to you later and think nothing of it, but now he's learnt that "later" isn't guaranteed. His duties are still a priority but if he gets moments he can steal away with you? He'll take em

Rex's recent campaign had been a grueling nightmare that had stretched for weeks, leaving Rex physically intact but hollowed emotionally. He'd gotten back only hours ago, wrapping up debrief and then heading straight to you. Now he was sitting on the edge of your bed, already stripped out of his armor, leaving him only in his blacks. He was sitting with his elbows on his knees, broad shoulders hunched forward, the back of his neck a rigid line of knotted tension.

You knelt on the bed behind him, placing your hands flat against the top of his shoulders. Rex flinched at the first contact, the sudden shock of your soft, warm palms making him stiffen even further for a moment.

"Just breathe, Rex," you murmured, voice gentle. "I've got you. Let me."

Your thumbs began to work into the stiff muscles at the base of his neck, pressing firmly into the coils of stress. He didn't move at first, like he wasn't quite sure how to relax into it. He kept his jaw clenched, his body locked tight.

"I, ah--you don't, you don't have to--" he started, rolling his shoulders a little uncomfortably. But your thumbs rubbing a particularly firm circle into his tense muscles cut him off, and he grunted faintly, tilting his head forward.

You smiled to yourself, leaning your weight into the motion, your fingers sliding over the fabric of his blacks to soothe the ache underneath. Rex let out a slightly ragged exhale, and let himself melt a little. His shoulders dropped and a groan rumbled in his chest.

"Kriff," he rasped, voice rough with weariness. "That--hah, you're good at that."

You huffed faintly, sliding your hands down and then winding your arms around him from behind, pressing your front against his back. "You could've found that out sooner if you let me take care of you more often."

Rex scoffed lightly, his hands coming up to trap yours against his ribs, squeezing lightly. "Always have too much to do," he muttered wryly, voice laced with a familiar pragmatism. "Not enough time to just…sit."

"You have time right now," you pointed out, whispering against the warm skin of his neck. You pressed a soft kiss just below his ear. "Time for other things, too."

Rex groaned quietly, tilting his head back against your shoulder and tilting it slightly to look at you. "You shouldn't say things like that to me right now." He paused to swallow, his eyes flicking over your face. "I'm…I'm too tired to be very controlled right now."

"Good," you whispered against his jaw, your lips brushing the rough stubble there. "You don't need to be controlled. I don't want the captain right now, Rex, I want you."

Rex's throat bobbed as he swallowed hard again, his gript tightening on your hands. "…Lie down," he rasped, his voice dropping.

You smiled softly and shifted, lying down on the mattress and guiding him with you. He settled between your thighs, but even now, with the invitation out in the open, he hesitated a little. He held his weight up on his forearms, his chest hovering above yours, his jaw clenched so tight the muscle ticked.

"Rex," you breathed, reaching up to cup the back of his neck, your fingertips running through the short, bristly blond hair. "Don't hold back from me. Come here."

You pulled his head down, and the moment his lips met yours, he melted. He let out a slow, rough sigh into your mouth, kissing you back deeply. He moved his mouth against yours tenderly, tasting you deeply like he was trying to memorize the taste and feel of your mouth after weeks without it. As you pulled him closer, though, tugging him down flush against you, desperation started to bleed into the tenderness. A needy sound caught in the back of Rex's throat and he kissed you more insistently, parting your lips with his tongue. The weeks of starvation were showing now, his breathing ragged against your mouth, his body pressing down into the cradle of your hips.

You tilted your hips up to meet his, grinding up against him as you kissed him back hungrily. He was already trembling a little, his blacks noticeably tented, and he grunted against your mouth at the pressure, grinding back down against you eagerly.

He finally pulled back with a faint gasp, just long enough to strip the clothing from your body and then rid himself of his blacks. He pressed himself back down against you, the skin-on-skin pulling a choked sound from him. He buried his face in the crook of your nick, his hands mapping out the curves of your hips and thighs almost a little frantically.

"Rex," you whimper-gasped, your hands gripping at the bunched muscles of his back. "Rex, I--you don't have to wait. Please, I need you inside me."

Any restraint that Rex had been clinging onto promptly vanished. He let out a choked groan against your throat, his large hands sliding under your hips to tilt your pelvis up to meet him. He guided himself to your entrance, and with one heavy, deliberate push, he buried his thick, aching cock completely inside of you.

You gasped, your eyes rolling back as the fullness of him stretched you open. Rex froze for a second, his entire body trembling from the overwhelming heat and tightness clamping around him. He squeeed his eyes shut, his forehead dropping onto your shoulder.

"K-kriff," he whimpered. "You're so warm. It's been so long…oh, kriff, don't squeeze like that, I'll--" He cut himself off with a sharp inhale as you wrapped your legs around his waist.

"It's okay," you gasped, your legs locking him close. "Move for me, Rex."

He started slowly, drawing nearly all the way out before driving back in with a deep, rolling motion. The slow pace was a sweet, pure torture, every long, sliding thrust making you writhe beneath him. His hands planted down onto the mattress on either side of your head, his arms corded with tension as he began to pick up the rhythm. His chest heaved as he started hammering a hard, desperate pace into your hips.

You let out a breathless moan that was cut off as Rex's mouth crashed against yours again, your nails digging into the muscles of his back as he fucked into you relentlessly. "Rex, Rex, please--" you sobbed out against his lips, your nails digging deep scratches into his back as you felt yourself getting closer.

He didn't slow down. He drove into you harder, his heavy pants hot against your lips as he chased the edge right along with you. Your orgasm built slow, a thick warmth that flooded your whole body. You bucked up against him, vision blurring as your muscles clamped around his length in tight spasms.

Rex gasped, his muscles locking tight as he managed three more devastatingly deep, full thrusts. He buried himself as deep as physically possible, groaning your name is his own release hit him and he spilled hotly inside you.

He collapsed completely against you as it ended, his heavy frame crushing you into the mattress, but you didn't mind the weight for a second. He was suddenly too weak to move, his head buried in your neck, his skin slick with sweat. His arms slid under you, pulling you sideways so you were rolled together, totally tangled in the sheets and each other. He didn't pull out, preferring to stay as close as possible, wanting you totally wrapped around him for as long as possible.

"…Needed that," he grunted, muffled against your neck. "Needed you."

You smiled tiredly into the crook of his shoulder, tightening your arms around him. "I know, " you whispered softly, still breathless. "…Again in the morning?"

Rex managed a low, raspy chuckle against your skin, his chest vibrating pleasantly against yours. "If we start again in the morning," he murmured, his voice thick with exhaustion, "the General's gonna have to find himself a new captain. Because I'm not leaving this bed."

Tag List:

Hunter is gay to me. Idk if this is just my brain wanting to subvert how often I see him turned into like very kinda bland cis straight woman bait but when I think about him all I can see him as is gay tbh. I also don’t think he’s that experienced honestly. Has done it a few times but the man’s busy and stressed and just ain’t got the damn time

Tech is pan I think, though I also could see him being ace. I personally lean towards him being pan. But I also don’t think he’s a very sex-driven person if that makes sense. I disagree with the frequent opinion I see that he’s completely inexperienced, though. I think he’s probably experimented a little, though not a lot, and it was mostly out of curiosity. Just doesn’t prioritize it

Wrecker’s bi. This is one of the most bi men to ever exist to me. Might have a slight feminine preference? But it’d be very slight. I also think he’s the most experienced (besides Echo). Just likes to have a good time what can I say. I generally picture him being pretty good at flirting in casual contexts and then getting awkward and clamming up a lil when stronger feelings get involved so. I figure he’d be pretty good at picking people up (pun not intended but it fits lol)

Crosshair is gay aroace to me. I could also see him as bi aroace but regardless, the ace in particular is strong with this one. Bear in mind I don’t think he has a fucking clue about any of this. Just isn’t super interested in traditional romance or sex and leaves it at that. Craves understanding and trust and loyalty tho so that could translate to a (tentative) willingness for relationships. I also think he’s the least experienced. Prob a virgin. It’s a combination of him not being bothered to go to the effort and him not wanting to risk being vulnerable around anyone he’s not really close to/comfortable with

Hunter:

Hunter kinda suspected something was wrong before you told him. Maybe inconsistencies in your routine, shifts in your mood in specific contexts, stress responses around meals, just little things connected to whatever symptoms you have. He didn't really know what specifically was wrong, but he had a suspicion that you were struggling with something and he might've even been the one to bring it up to you

His first reaction on learning is guilt, just because he wishes he could've been trying to help you sooner or maybe he thinks he should've figured it out. He views protecting people he loves as his responsibility and learning you've been struggling without him realizing the extent hits him a little hard. Really tries not to make it about him though and just focuses on talking to you and finding out what you really need from him and what would help

Very protective and when he notices you struggling he tries to step in before you even ask for help, which like. is sometimes considerate and sometimes a little overbearing. He checks in on you constantly, asking how you're doing, making sure you're rested, making sure you're eating at least semi consistently, and it's all very nice that he's worried and wants to help and everything but if you need space you're gonna have to have a discussion

Does learn to ask instead of assuming. Initially he tries to overcompensate a little for not noticing how much you were struggling but he does quickly realize that monitoring you isn't the same thing as supporting you and starts learning to ask what would help instead of just immediately taking charge

He's really good at being like, steady and grounding and creating kind of a safe place for you though. There's no frustration or disappointment on his part whenever you struggle or relapse or anything and absolutely no making you feel guilty for needing help. He wants to be there for you, he wants you to feel like you can tell him anything, he wants you to be able to rely on him, and he would never do anything to compromise that

Tech:

As soon as you tell Tech, he's mentally compiling every piece of information he has about eating disorders and identifying gaps in his knowledge. He refuses to rely on assumptions because he wants to understand what you're actually experiencing. Does a lot of research

His first instinct is to problem-solve. He wants to suggest plans, systems, schedules, and evidence-based interventions but he has to realize that having information doesn't automatically make things easier for you and understanding your emotions around it is just as important as understanding the actual disorder

He's your biggest advocate and super protective of you especially when it comes to misinformation, if anyone's ever rude/insensitive to you he's jumping in to very ruthlessly pick apart whatever comment they might've made

Helps you identify patterns, is very good at noticing trends and connections and if you want his help he'll work with you to like identify triggers, stressors, habits, anything that makes things harder. He wants to understand what's happening he wants you to know how much he really wants to work with you on this

His love for you really shows through his consistency and actions. He's not always that emotionally expressive through like words or anything but all the research he does, the reminders he sets, the resources he gathers, the time he spends learning to support you are all expressions of love. He's constantly trying to help make your life easier/more comfortable

Wrecker:

Wrecker's heartbroken when you tell him, his immediate reaction being like mild confusion and then just sadness that you've been dealing with this. He's hugging you TIGHT before you're even finished explaining

Feels completely out of his depth at first, and this frustrates him because he desperately wants to help. He knows that this is a complicated situation and he just really doesn't know where to start at first, doesn't want to accidentally do/say anything that makes things worse, so he's a little awkward and quieter than normal when you two are talking through it but still very affectionate

Focuses on making food feel less stressful. Tries to make meals enjoyable, comfortable experiences that are more like opportunities for connection rather than just eating. Really proud of you whenever you make any kind of breakthrough with eating like finding a safe food or finding a meal routine that works a little better

Speaking of which, he's super attentive to your comfort foods and safe foods. If there's a particular food that you're usually okay with, he makes sure it's available whenever possible. Pays a LOT of attention to stressors/triggers too

His support is tbh like wonderfully uncomplicated lol. He doesn't overanalyze. If you're having a bad day, he's there. If you're overwhelmed, he's there. If you need encouragement, he's already giving it. He doesn't always know the perfect thing to do/say, but he never makes you feel like a burden and he celebrates small victories like they're huge accomplishments (because they are!). He knows how hard you're working and all progress is exciting to him

Crosshair:

Crosshair is kinda lost when you first tell him. He knows how serious this is of course and is so worried about you, but all his usual coping mechanisms (sarcasm, deflection, blunt honesty) seem VERY dangerous because the last thing he wants to do is say something that hurts you or makes things worse. So he's mostly really quiet when you tell him and like a little bit fidgety

He makes a conscious effort to be more careful about the ways he teases you and any comments about food, eating habits, or self control disappear overnight. You trusting him to tell him about your struggles means a lot to him and jeopardizing that trust is like one of his worst nightmares

His support is subtle but very deliberate, just like staying with you on difficult days, figuring out something that you'd be okay with eating without making a big deal of it, making sure he's around when you're struggling. His help is often kinda disguised as casual behavior both to avoid drawing attention to it and to help make sure it's more comforting rather than overwhelming for you

Always super attentive anyway but he becomes even more attentive to your moods. Knows when you're having a rough day before you say anything. Doesn't always comment on it, but he's aware, and adjusts accordingly. Good at identifying patterns too and picks up on your stressors/triggers really fast

Honestly the closest thing he has to a recovery strategy is just being there. He knows he can't fix your disorder for you and he knows he probably doesn't have the right words to always make you feel better, but he isn't gonna let you face it alone. His version of love is often just presence, and whenever you're not doing well, he's making sure he is THERE and even if he stays mostly quiet he'll hold you and comfort him in the ways he can

Echo:

Echo goes very stiff and quiet when you tell him, but it's because he's just forcing himself to stay calm. He's not upset at you or anything obviously, he's just surprised and concerned but knows reacting emotionally won't help. Tries to focus on making sure you feel secure enough to keep talking about it and is understanding about how hard it might be to discuss it

Pretty good at balancing emotional and practical support, and understands that recovery requires both. He'll listen when you need to talk, validate your feelings when you're struggling, and also help you figure out tangible steps forward when you're ready for them

One thing he's really good at is recognizing shame. He understands what it's like to feel trapped inside your own mind/body and being afraid of people seeing you differently. He never treats your disorder as something you should apologize for and doesn't pressure you to explain symptoms or coping mechanisms or anything like that

Also good with helping you build support systems. He knows that recovery works better when multiple people are involved. Doesn't pressure you to tell people anything you wouldn't be comfortable with but does encourage you to find ways that people you can trust can help you/support you. He's there for you of course, but he wants you to know that there are others that care too

Reminds you a lot that recovery is worth the effort. He's survived things that would've broken other people. He knows perseverance. When you're discouraged, Echo is the one reminding you that painfully slow progress is still real progress. His faith in you and your ability to move forward always stays steady even if yours doesn't

Rex:

Rex's first reaction is pure concern, followed by a little bit of guilt that he didn't notice sooner, but he doesn't dwell on that. Pulls you into a hug because his first instinct is to make sure you know you're safe. Later he spends a lot of time wondering if there were signs he missed and whether he could have helped sooner, but in the moment, he stays super focused on you and ways to start helping you

Also feels very out of his depth and he does kinda awkwardly admit that he doesn't know what he's doing here, but that of course never stops him from trying. He'd much rather help imperfectly than leave you to deal with it alone.

Very firm about supporting your recovery in that he's very conscious of helping you stick to any coping strategies, routines, support systems, or anything else that you agreed on trying. He doesn't order you around or anything but he also isn't going to let you give up on yourself during difficult moments. His attitude is very much I know this is hard but we're doing it anyway

Checks in on you a lot but tries to be kinda casual about it to avoid hovering. He knows it's unpleasant when concern starts to feel like surveillance so he tries hard to make sure communication stays open without being overbearing, though sometimes he's so careful he starts coming across as like awkwardly indirect

More than anything, he makes it very clear that this doesn't change how he sees you and that's pretty much the very first thing he'd want you to understand. You're carrying something difficult and now he gets to help carry it with you.

Tag List:

Fox doesn't suddenly become submissive just because he's bottoming. He's trying to order you around even while you're inside him lol. If you're pacing yourself, he'll hiss at you to go faster, his hands locking onto your hips and his fingers digging in hard enough to leave bruises as he tugs your pelvis down against his to get the depth he wants

Doesn't really like being taken from behind. He wants to see your face, wants to be able to tell you what to do, wants to be able to see how good he's making you feel. On the rare occasion he does let you take him from behind, it's only after a grueling, exhausting shift where he just wants to lie down and take it. You might be able to talk him into letting you do it more if it's in front of a mirror, though.

Speaking of which, a lot of nights when he's especially tired, he'll come home, strip off his armor, and just lie back on the bed, fully expecting you to get to work. He doesn't want to have to do anything. Just spreads his legs and looks up at you with heavy, exhausted eyes and tells you to take care of him. Wants you to crawl over him, kiss him thoroughly, and fuck into him at a nice steady pace that lets him shut his brain off completely

When he lets himself let go he gets really needy and vocal, and tbh, he's most likely to let himself go when you're topping him. If you're stretching him out properly and hitting his sweet spot with a hard, steady rhythm, he can go from demanding to straight up begging, whining your name into your neck, just totally falling apart

He doesn’t bottom super often but when he does it turns him on A LOT, to the point where his precum production is more than usual. As you start fucking into him he'll be leaking a thick, sticky mess all over his own abs. Doesn't care to clean it; he'll grab your hand, make you coat your palm in it, and have you smear it over his nipples or use it as extra lube to cram your cock even deeper inside him

Enjoys riding you and is good at it. Holds your wrists down, grinding down on you slowly, tilting his pelvis to squeeze your dick even tighter. He sometimes tries to tease a little bit by maintaining this slow pace but he gets too impatient too fast lol and suddenly he's bouncing on you almost frantically, pumping his cock in his fist, panting and breathless

Wants you to rough him up a little. Intentionally pulls your hips down hard against his thighs hoping you'll leave bruises. Constantly telling you to fuck him harder or guiding your hands to his hips and trying to make you squeeze them tighter. He wants to be walking around sore the next day

He can go longer when he's bottoming and he gets annoyed if you try to pull away too soon/cum too fast. Even if his legs are shaking and he’s overwhelmed from all the stimulation, if you try to pull out to clean up, he'll clamp around you and glare up you, muttering that he didn't tell you that you could stop yet. If you're too tired he will happily ride you until he literally cannot move his legs anymore

The second he blows his load though, he's done. So exhausted even if he was lying there letting you do all the work, it just somehow gets him SO tired. He'll literally pass out within two minutes of your cock slipping out of him. You're gonna be stuck with cleanup every time I'm so sorry

If he wakes up with your cock already hard against his ass, it gets him in the mood to bottom and he gets so turned on so fast. Spits on his hand and reaches back to slick up your cock and guide it into him, still kinda half-asleep but all soft and needy. He'll just lie there, face buried in the pillow, taking your slow, sleepy thrusts while letting out raspy moans

Tag List:

Clone Wars:

There's a recklessness to him that makes dating him during this period so frustrating. He trusts his own abilities completely and genuinely believes he'll always be fine. You'd spend a lot of time worrying about him, and he'd spend a lot of time rolling his eyes at that worry. He's a soldier, this is what he was made for, he's survived every battle, he's fine. Doesn't really occur to him that watching him be thrown into danger over and over is, you know, stressful/painful

Kind of even more of a menace? He's confident and comfortable in his place within the squad and still operating under the assumption that he knows eactly who he is. Half the time he's picking fights because he's bored and wants your attention. The other half he's testing boundaries and trying to figure out how much you'll tolerate before you walk away. Truly so annoying and antagonistic in a very youngest sibling sort of way

He wants to be needed. He'd rather die than admit it, but he absolutely wants it. He bases a lot of his worth off of how capable/useful he is, and he wants to be useful to you. Likes being the person you ask for help. Likes when you seek him out first. If someone else solves your problem before he gets the chance, he'll pretend he doesn't care while being really secretly annoyed about it

Vulnerability from him is…extremely rare. If he's struggling with something, you're probably not finding out. He'll just be even snarkier/meaner than usual and won't tell you why. He doesn't know how to let people help him/take care of him. If he's injured, he's brushing you off (you hear "I get shot all the time" with an eye roll WAY too often). If he's upset, he's turning it into sarcasm. You spend a lot of time learning how to read into the things he isn't saying

Kinda competitive with you. If you share any skills he's turning them into contests and then being really frustratingly smug whenever he wins. If you beat him, he'll spend hours pretending to be unbothered while also obsessing over it

Really good listener though and really does care about you/getting to know you and remembers everything you say to him/tell him about yourself. Prefers listening to you talk than actually talking himself. He really does care about you but is still figuring out how he's comfortable expressing that

Initiates physical affection fairly often, but it's usually disguised as something else. Very awkward and dismissive of outright tenderness so he hides inside confidence and teasing. There's essentially this weird mix of confidence and insecurity that he refuses to acknowledge and it often makes his affection come off as overly casual or a little demanding

He's very controlled about affection and kissing. Likes making you wait for it. Rarely lets himself really get lost in a kiss, prefers to be very deliberate and deep to make sure you're the one left breathless first. He does have a little bit of an obsession with your mouth and neck and likes to use his teeth too, little nips to your bottom lip or your jaw because he likes the way you gasp

Leans more dominant here because he's pretty averse to/awkward with vulnerability and sex is easier for him if he's the one in control. Pretty inexperienced and doesn't EVER want you to catch on to that and honestly he kinda overcompensates for it a little bit. Prefers positions where you're underneath him

One of the primary ways he exercises control over you sexually is through teasing/edging/denial. Really loves bringing you right up to the edge and then stopping and making you beg. Makes him really smug

The softest you'll see him is right after sex tho when he's tired and still catching his breath. Will reach out and grip your hand and just kinda wanna lie there with you for a minute. You MIGHT even get him to mumble that he loves you if you're lucky. Then probably just like sits up and starts smoking or some shit

Pabu:

Falls in love a lot more slowly and a lot more deeply. Has more things that he really looks for/cares about. Trust and loyalty have always been huge for him, but ESPECIALLY so now.

Obviously, it's difficult/taxing for Crosshair to try to actually process the years of grief, guilt, trauma, and uncertainty. Is kinda hyperalert often despite not needing to be anymore. He gets lost in thought a lot more. Sometimes you'll ask what he's thinking about and he'll struggle to answer because half the time he barely knows himself, there's just a lot

He still struggles with letting himself be taken care of, but he lets you do it anyway now. He grumbles when you fuss over him, complains that you're being ridiculous and insists that he's fine, but he lets himself take comfort in it, which he didn't really let himself do before

He really craves understanding and a safe place to be vulnerable, even if he's still often very guarded about it. He's carrying enough now that the relationship would be complicated in a lot of ways it wasn't before since certain topics might shut him down, certain memories leave him quieter than usual, maybe he has bad nights where he's kept up by nightmares, and things that never used to bother him suddenly do. Like there are little triggers scattered throughout daily life that you just have to learn to be aware of. If you're able to be a source of stability and understanding and comfort without him needing to ask, it helps him SO MUCH

Becomes very attached to routines with you. Morning caf, evening walks, kinda mundane stuff that just gives him some stability. If the usual routine gets interrupted he's very irritable lol

Still makes fun of you constantly and bickering is pretty much his love language. There's always an underlying warmth to it though. He just likes seeing your reactions tbh

Despite everything he's kind of a better partner now than he was before because he's figuring out that he doesn't have to earn your love through usefulness or strength. He's more ready to let you see parts of him that he would've previously done everything in his power to hide.

Physical affection is more about trust and understanding now and he uses it to communicate with you a lot. It's often more subtle than before and usually a little softer than he would've let himself be before too. There's not as much insecurity there anymore and he doesn't feel the need to overcompensate by being demanding or overly controlled about it

Kisses are still very deliberate but there are now times when he'll let himself kinda melt into them. Might lean his forehead against yours first, just breathing you in before kissing you with a deep, quiet hunger

Letting go of the burden of control becomes a relief for him and he finds he really likes if you're in control during sex sometimes. It's a way for him to express how much he trusts you. Sometimes really just wants to be helpless beneath you while you pleasure him :)

Still a MASSIVE tease, just really likes getting you all worked up and desperate, but he also just really likes drawing things out for as long as possible

Lets himself get more vulnerable during sex now and honestly sometimes gets really emotional and even a lil pathetic. Lots of desperation, chases the pleasure a lot, but there's a lot of intimacy and trust there too which means a lot to him

Tag List:

"The final sequencing reports need to be logged before the next cycle starts," Emerie was saying, her voice just a little too tight. She didn't look at you. She never looked directly at you when tension got like this.

You hummed faintly, glancing around the lab. It's quiet. Nobody's around, and nobody's going to be around. Now would be a good time for a...talk. "Emerie, can the logs wait for a few minutes?" you asked, standing up from your desk. "I want--"

"They can't, actually," she interrupted, her attention remaining fixed on the datapad. "If they're not filed before—"

"Emerie."

The tone of your voice seemed to make her pause, and she finally glanced up at you. She faltered a little when her eyes met yours, like the professionalism she'd been trying hard to maintain was suddenly even harder to keep up. You crossed over to her before you could talk yourself out of it.

"You're doing it again," you said quietly.

A faint crease appeared between her brows. "Doing what?"

"Avoiding me. This."

"I'm not avoiding you." The denial came a little too quickly.

You stopped in front of her, close enough to notice the way her grip tightened around the datapad.

"Really?" you asked softly. "Because every time this starts happening, every time we're alone together and it feels like there's actually something between us, you suddenly find another report to read. And I mean, that's fine, but I'd sort of like to…like to know what this is."

Emerie stared at you for a moment, her throat working as she swallowed. "You know what this is," she said quietly after a moment.

You exhaled. "Then tell me."

A small, frustrated sigh escaped her. "I can't."

"Because of work?" you asked.

"Because of...a lot of things."

You stayed quiet for a moment, studying her and the way she was clutching that datapad. All you could really think about right now were the months of finding excuses to work the same shifts and months of watching her linger in doorways as though she wanted to say something before ultimately turning away. You didn't want to keep waiting.

"Emerie," you murmured, stepping even closer. "Burying yourself in reports won't make it disappear."

"I know that," she said quickly. "But it--it makes it easier to manage." Her voice was just barely steady, and you could definitely see the way she was internally questioning her own explanation even as she gave it.

You shook your head. "I'm pretty sure it's making it harder."

Emerie's lips parted slightly, as though she wanted to argue, but nothing came out, and the silence stretched for a moment. You could see a faint flush beginning to creep across her cheeks. Her gaze dropped briefly to your mouth before snapping back to your eyes.

You spoke again before she could. "…Maybe the problem is that neither of us wants to manage it anymore."

Emerie bit her lip, considering this, as she finally set her datapad down on the edge of your desk. She hesitated again, looking torn between stepping back and leaning closer, caught between responsibility and want. So, you made the choice for both of you. You stepped close, reaching up and gently brushing your hand against her jaw.

"…Can I kiss you?"

Emerie let out a shaky breath and leaned into your palm, eyes fluttering shut for a moment as she nodded. You closed the distance, pressing your lips to hers.

The kiss started hesitant, just soft and testing, but after a moment, Emerie sighed against your mouth and her hands came up to grip the fabric of your uniform and pulled you flush against her. The kiss deepened quickly, turning breathless. Your hand slid from her jaw to the nape of her neck, angling her head to press closer. She was responding a little more confidently now.

"I--I've wanted to do this for a…for a long time," she managed to admit, murmuring against your mouth, the words broken and breathless. She dragged her mouth away to press a line of kisses along your jaw. Your free hand gripped her waist, a shiver going down your spine as her teeth lightly grazed your skin.

You backed up a step, guiding her with you until the small of her back pressed against the edge of your desk. She pressed into you, her hands sliding up to cup your face as she brought her mouth back to yours in another deep kiss. You reached backward, your hand sweeping across the surface of your desk to clear it. Before the last datapad had even finished clattering to the floor, you were gripping her thighs to adjust her to sit on the desk. She gasped against your mouth, her fingers tangling in your hair.

"Ah--wait," Emerie panted, breaking the kiss to glance at the door as her chest heaved. "Someone might…"

"They won't," you breathed, kissing your way down her jawline, making her arch her neck with a soft whimper. "It's late. No one's around." You gripped her hips, pulling her closer to the edge of the desk as her thighs parted for you. Emerie's hands fell to grip the edge of the desk.

"Please," she whispered, the last of her composure gone. "I--we can--I want--"

You didn't have the patience to make her wait. You sunk to your knees between her legs, looking up at her. Her glasses were askew, her breathing ragged, her usually neat hair a little disheveled. Slowly, you reached to unfasten her trousers, sliding them down her hips along her with panties. She let out a sharp breath as you slid your hands along her bare thighs up to her hips. You finally pressed a kiss to her inner thigh, and she let out a choked gasp, her fingers digging into the edge of the desk.

"Look at me," you murmured.

She forced her eyelids open, nearly trembling with anticipation as your mouth moved higher. Slowly, you parted her folds with your fingers and then leaned forward and pressed your tongue against her center in one long, upward stroke.

Emerie choked on another gasp, her head falling back as a shudder ran through her. "Oh--oh, maker…"

You didn't give her time to recover. You swirled your tongue over her clit, gripping her thighs to keep her from squirming too much. You pressed your tongue deeper into her wet slit, drinking her in. She let out a loud moan, all of her usual caution and restraint completely forgotten.

"More--ah, please," she whimpered, her hips twitching upward, begging for more pressure.

You gave her what she wanted, picking up the pace. You sucked her clit into your mouth, lapping at it with hungry strokes while sliding two fingers deep inside her. Emerie cried out in pleasure into the empty lab, her back arching. You pumped your fingers in and out steadily in tandem with the strokes of your tongue against her clit. She was soaked, her hips twitching against your face like she couldn't help it, slicking your chin and lips with her wetness as she neared the edge.

"I'm gonna--I'm close, oh, I'm close--" she cried out, her thighs shaking against your shoulders.

You didn't slow down, driving your fingers in harder while you swirled your tongue around her swollen clit. Emerie finally came, clamping down around your fingers as her climax drenched your hand and mouth. She sobbed out your name, body shaking as she rode out the intense orgasm. You stayed still for a moment, keeping your fingers buried deep inside her and gently laving your tongue over her as her breathing gradually slowed. You finally pulled your fingers out and stood up.

Emerie looked totally unraveled, her head tilted back, cheeks flushed dark. She reached out as you stepped closer, her arms wrapping around your neck to pull you into a shaky, gentle kiss.

"I think…" Emerie started, whispering against your mouth. "I think you were right. Trying to…"manage" this was making it much harder."

You laughed softly, leaning in to press another soft kiss to her lips. "Mm. No more avoiding it, then."

Tag List:

Hunter:

He's mildly skeptical at first like "people do this for fun????" and it takes a little bit of convincing for him to give in and do it with you

Complains about the skates a lot, just kinda sits there for a long time flexing his ankles and trying to get used to the way they feel, and absolutely hates the sound of skates against ice so he's wincing a lot at first just from the sound

Other than that though he's ANNOYINGLY good right off the bat. Perfect balance. Smooth turns. Strong posture. Barely wobbles. Doesn't realize that he's really good either and just thinks it's this easy for everyone

Still stays next to you and holds your hand the whole time and if you wobble at all he's shooting his arms out to steady you. You'll never fall cause he's already halfway to catching you lol

Which kinda becomes a problem (not really) because eventually he's holding you by the waist every five minutes and now neither of you are concentrating :)

Drifts into some protectiveness if the rink is crowded and if anybody skates too close to you he's subtly steering you to where there's more space with a hand on your back

Ends up actually having a lot of fun, is amused if you're baffled at how quick he picked it up, liked spending time with you, liked having lots of excuses to touch you/hold hands. By the time it's time to leave he's kinda like "…already?" but plays it off

Tech:

Goes into it with the confidence of someone who has watched exactly one instructional holovid and is pretty certain he'll get the fundamentals down within a minute or two. "Based on my observations, this should be relatively straightforward". Five minutes later he's clinging to the rink wall

He really does get the basics down very fast though. And then he starts experimenting. Different stride lengths, turning methods, etc. Reports his findings to you very seriously and every time he figures out a new maneuver he wants to demonstrate it for you

Talks constantly, you're just trying to skate and meanwhile he's explaining blade geometry, friction coefficients, momentum transfer, and why ice skating is actually a fascinating demonstration of several physics principles

Figured out how to skate backwards way earlier than he should, just decided he wanted to and then spent forever deliberately practicing it while muttering observations to himself

Honestly he's kinda doing his own thing a lot of the time but if you grab his hand to get his attention back to you he'll grip your hand pretty tight and skate with you. Claims it's for stability but his grip tightens every time you smile at him

If you ever fall, he's beside you immediately to check if you're hurt, but the second you confirm you're okay he's telling you exactly what went wrong like "You shifted your weight too early during the turn." "Tech, I just ate ice." "Yes, and now you can avoid repetition."

Notices you're cold afterwards and ends up cuddling you to warm you up but honestly he just had a great time and doesn't want this lil date to end yet

Wrecker:

Doesn't think skating could possibly be that difficult but absolutely eats it the SECOND he steps onto the ice. Thinks it's kinda funny though and just lies there laughing for a minute

Falls constantly at first but it doesn't really discourage him. Kinda thinks the wipeouts are fun. Somehow. Accidentally turns skating into a contact sport because he is almost colliding with you FREQUENTLY. Mostly figures it out eventually though. When he's moving he's not bad, stopping's a whole other issue

Takes every possible opportunity to hold onto you. Hand-holding, arm around your waist, hand on your back, pulling you against his side. He'll insist it's for safety reasons despite being the one causing most of the safety concerns

After the first particularly dramatic fall, he stretches his arms towards you and gets you to kiss him like "c'mon sweetheart it's serioussss :(" but after you oblige, every time he falls he exaggerates it to get you to kiss him better again

If you fall though he's instantly serious and has you back on your feet before you've even processed. Spends the next few minutes hovering to make sure you're really okay

Likes having little competitions with you and stuff even though he loses most of them because his enthusiasm is frankly destructive

By the end of it, he's bruised, sore, but tired and happy. Had a blast. Brags about how good he was when he very much was not. Mostly just very pleased to have found an activity where he has a good excuse to hang onto you for ages

Crosshair:

Absolutely fucking hates the cold and his immediate reaction to this idea is FUCK no. You manage to get him to come along by saying you're going whether he's coming or not. So he comes along, but insists he's just gonna watch

Fully intends to just sit there on a bench with his arms crossed, watching you skate with a scowl on his face. But if you beg him enough…he'll eventually give in. Complains about EVERYTHING the entire time, is more snappish than usual, hates the cold, hates the skates, is secretly super worried about embarrassing himself

Actually has pretty good balance once he's actually up and moving. Not exactly as naturally gifted as Hunter, but he's coordinated enough to pick it up quickly. The first fall is even more catastrophic to his mood though. If you say a WORD about it he'll sulk (while pretending not to). You ask if he's okay and all he does is shoot you a withering look

Refuses every offer of help…but keeps hold of your hand almost the entire time. If you point it out, he'll claim it's because his hand is cold, or say it's because someone almost bumped into you, or something like that. But his grip gets noticeably tighter whenever he comes close to losing his balance. Huh. Interesting.

Is secretly sort of pleased for all the excuses to be so close to you. Why's he so close? Cold. Why's his arm around your waist? Cold. Why hasn't he let go of your hand for a full hour? Cold.

Scoffs and rolls his eyes whenever you show off. Snickers and says something snarky whenever you fall. Still, though, you can literally feel his mood getting a little lighter as things go on and he gets a little more comfortable. He's not exactly relaxed, but he's not complaining much anymore, he's enjoying having time with you, and he's a little smug that he's decent at skating

By the time it's over he's exhausted but mostly just from maintaining the illusion that he's miserable. Still, though, the second you're done he's OUT of there, pulling you along with him. Months later he'll still insist he hated ice skating. Still remembers every single detail of that day though.

Echo:

Goes into it practically, spending a couple minutes getting a feel for the ice, testing his balance and such. He's not scared of wiping out though so he kinda dives right in and everything kinda clicks into place really fast. Is pleased with himself

When he DOES wipe out a couple times he gets mildly annoyed but cracks jokes about it. You'll skate over to check on him and he'll say it's the ice's fault or that he's got good news, he now knows what NOT to do. If you laugh at him falling he acts offended right up until he starts laughing too

Probably manages to to pull you down with him at one point, completely accidentally. Makes sure you're okay and apologizes but quickly takes the opportunity to kiss you better

Very encouraging if you're new to it or not as confident at it. Holds your hand to steady you, gives you lots of encouragement, knows when to let go and let you figure it out vs when to hold on to you to keep you steady. Catches you whenever you stumble

Kinda gets competitive with himself? Just trying to skate a little smoother, turn a little sharper, stop a little cleaner

The second you're cold he's holding his arms out and tugging you against him, rubbing his hand along your arm to help warm you up. Starts finding excuses to stop near the edge of the rink because he knows every break means you'll immediately drift back into your arms

Overall very much enjoys the experience and was very pleased to just do something lighthearted and fun with you. He's flushed from the cold, a little sore from all the falling, and genuinely had a great time. Would love to do it again

Hunter:

Introverted: Hunter is great if you're introverted because he's able to become attuned to your limits before you even verbalize them. He's very aware of tension, exhaustion, overstimulation, so he's good at pulling you out of situations that are getting to be too much for you or just being there to support you. He also never tries to "fix" your introversion or quietness or anything like that and honestly really enjoys quieter companionship a lot. Your presence becomes really soothing for him. With intimacy, he's very patient. He sort of treats trust itself as intimate, if that makes sense, and he never wants to do anything that could threaten the trust that you've built with each other. He doesn't push for physical affection if you're withdrawn or overwhelmed, but is also good with little grounding touches like brief, affectionate forehead presses. He also can get overwhelmed from a sensory standpoint with sex sometimes and doesn't mind if it's not too frequent. He's kinda glad initially that you two can just ease into intimacy a little slower and learn to navigate it comfortably together.

Extroverted: An extroverted partner would kinda drag Hunter out of his comfort zone a little bit. He's used to dealing with his squad's specific brand of chaos all the time and is very glad you mesh well with them even if it does exhaust him sometimes. Often lets you do most of the talking in conversations while he just listens with that tired but fond look, and he'll occasionally mutter dry comments or maybe even tease you a little about how much you talk but he doesn't mind. It's good for him in some ways because listening to you helps him get out of his own head and helps keep him from withdrawing too much. He can also be very paranoid and you dragging him to new places or into new experiences is both SUPER nerve-wracking for him just from a protectiveness standpoint but also good for him. Intimacy is a little more frequent, with like spontaneous kisses to playfully shut you up or wrapping his arms around your waist and leaning against you as you talk. Sex can be a little bit of an ordeal for him and if you're particularly communicative during or really confident he kinda feels a little awkward but it ultimately does help him lol. At the end of the day though he will still crave quieter moments with you because that's when he feels most able to fully let his guard down.

Tech:

Introverted: Tech could ramble forever to you about anything and everything. Realizing that you're genuinely attentive and love listening to him talk both makes him melt and makes him preen a little, like it kinda feeds his ego that you like to listen to him talk. You'd have to work on communication a little though because he's not great at just reading cues and sometimes needs things to be directly explained to him. But he'd figure it out. lol. He also cares about you so much that like one of his absolute top priorities is learning you, your boundaries, your preferences, your likes, dislikes, everything, as thoroughly as he can. He's really very attentive and would also become very sort of protective of your quiet space, very good at redirecting conversations if others are overwhelming you and kinda offering you an escape route without making a scene about it. Intimacy with him is very gentle and methodical; he wants explicit reassurance that you're comfortable and would never assume anything. But honestly he shows affection a lot more through quality time and acts of service anyway so if you're not in the mood for anything physical he just shifts into some different form of comfort instead, finding other ways to be close and spend time together without putting any pressure on you.

Extroverted: Tech with an extroverted partner is chaotic in the best way because neither of you can every fully let the other have the last word. There'd be a lot of bickering. Tech impulsively corrects even minor inaccuracies in every damn thing you say and also isn't good at just letting things go. So he'd be interrupting you a lot. At the same time, there is very obvious affection underneath it. He does genuinely love listening to you talk about things that you're passionate about and also loves that you can keep up with him verbally instead of just like staring blankly at him while he infodumps like a lot of other people do. You could tease him relentlessly for going into lecture mode and he'd counter by correcting your exaggerations with complete seriousness. If you're super social he'd be okay with it and like still go out and do whatever you wanted but will sometimes kinda withdraw and just do shit on his datapad instead of engaging. He just needs a break sometimes. Intimacy would be pretty sweet cause even softer moments would still have a little energy to them. Like grinning into kisses because you're still debating something, tangled-up conversations at 2 am that drift from teasing to serious to borderline nonsensical to vulnerable.

Wrecker:

Introverted: Honestly Wrecker's kind of endeared by your shyness, really loves little smiles and soft laughs and the way you might light up when comfortable around him specifically. He kinda tries to draw you out by engaging with you, asking you questions, excitedly telling you stories, or showing off things he thinks will impress you. His energy might honestly overwhelm you at times but the second he realizes it he'd feel bad and dial himself back. Would need a little bit of reassurance just cause he sometimes feels like he's too much. Physical affection might be the hardest adjustment for him because it's such a huge part of how he expresses love. But if you get overstimulated or can't handle constant physical affection and frequent intimacy, he'd learn other ways to show affection, like saving you food you like, making you laugh when you're withdrawn, sitting as close as you're comfortable with, offering his hand to you to hold. He'd be super careful during sex anyway just because he's very aware of his own strength and energy but would be especially careful if you're anxious/nervous going into it, is very affectionate and checks for reassurance a lot.

Extroverted: If you're extroverted enough to match Wrecker's energy he'd LOVE it. Loves having someone to try new things with, to joke around with, who would never make him feel like he's too much. Would hype you up constantly and loves when you do the same. Lots of competitive games and silly conversations/arguments that just turn affectionate. He'd also be so physically affectionate esp if you can actively give that energy back to him and it would honestly make him feel so loved if you're able to match him in that way. Would constantly be touching you in some way just because he can. I feel like this relationship would feel very bright and alive, full of laughter and chaos, but there'd still be softer moments where Wrecker gets unexpectedly clingy like maybe after tougher missions, burying his face against you and soaking up affection like he needs it to breathe.

Crosshair:

Introverted: Crosshair meshes with you pretty well if you're introverted since he likes if neither of you feel the need to fill silence constantly. A lot of your relationship would happen nonverablly. Small glances, sitting together quietly, subtle touches, just existing in the same space without constant pressure to entertain each other. The downside though is that the two of you could go like...months without properly discussing feelings or personal things because you're both so reserved. Still teases you a lot for being quiet anyway, like dryly asking if you're planning on speaking today or telling you to relax, he doesn't bite (except he prob does tbqh). Secretly though he really appreciates having someone who doesn't force conversation out of him or drag him into social interaction when he's kinda done with people. Intimacy might be a little awkward at first. He's not exactly naturally emotionally open but once trust is there intimacy would become quieter and more meaningful than overtly passionate. But honestly he isn't into sex a lot just from an emotional standpoint because it can make him feel vulnerable so if you're not always up for it he's kinda relieved lol. Likes showing affection through smaller touches anyway, just reaching out and squeezing your hand briefly, or quick forehead kisses, stuff like that.

Extroverted: An extroverted partner would both exhaust and entertain Crosshair. He'd make fun of how much you talk ALL THE TIME, just very frequent deadpan comments like "Do you ever shut up?" or "You've talked enough for the both of us", though there is fondness beneath it. Weirdly, though, he'd kinda feel like the pressure's off him socially because you naturally carry conversations without expecting him to do much. If you drag him into social situations he mostly just kinda stands there quietly lmao. Might occasionally drop a sarcastic comment but otherwise doesn't engage much. The biggest issue is social energy and sometimes you trying to talk a lot when he's not in the mood for it or dragging him into crowded situations will get him really, really irritable. But as long as you understand that his silence and sarcasm isn't rejection and make it clear you're listening when he does talk, he'd settle into the relationship well. Intimacy here would feel more teasing and reactive. Lots of smirking against kisses and muttered sarcastic remarks, pretending to be annoyed by affection while very obviously leaning into it anyway. Also I feel like his bratty side would come out more with an extroverted partner. So. Do with that what you will.

Echo:

Introverted: Honestly would find an introverted partner really calming to be around. He hates feeling isolated and your quiet presence, just having you nearby, means a lot to him. Loves just like having you read beside him or sit with him while he works on things. Wouldn't pressure you into lots of coversation but he would slowly and patiently get to know you better, asking little questions here and there that encourage you to open up a little. Ends up talking a lot himself, telling stories and recounting memories because you make him feel heard in a way most other people don't. Intimacy takes time for Echo too because touch still feels kinda unfamiliar or complicated after Skako. He eases into affection carefully for both your benefit and his, learning what kinds of touches feel reassuring rather than overwhelming. Intimacy would just feel pretty soft and patient, building trust together instead of rushing anything.

Extroverted: An extroverted partner kinda brings out his chaotic side a little. He can match humor, sarcasm, and energy better than some people expect and would frequently just let himself be pulled into spontaneous plans or bend rules he'd normally complain about. Would engage with any rambling by throwing comments back, teasing you, rolling his eyes while secretly enjoying the liveliness you bring into his life. Stern, grumpy Echo still comes out, especially if he's tired or you're being like especially much, and he does still enjoy quieter moments with you. But he does enjoy having someone that really makes him feel less alone and kinda helps him let loose a little. Intimacy would be pretty playful and affectionate. He'd still need some time to get comfortable with touch and kinda reconnect with physical closeness, but you definitely help, all lingering hugs and joking kisses until he finally starts catching himself seeking out affection and intimacy from you without even thinking about it anymore.