#echo fanfic

 "Fives..." You groaned. "I don't want to be introduced to anyone." 

"Isn't it time for you to get back out there? I mean, Echo is way better than that other guy, I know you'll love him. He's just like me, but not as handsome or funny." 

"He's like you? So I won't like him at all then," you deadpanned.

"You wound me." He said dramatically before miraculously changing his tone. "Now let's go."

"You aren't taking no for an answer, are you?"

"Nope." He grinned. "Tell you what, just come with me to 79's, if you don't like him, or if you're not having fun, I'll pay for your cab home."

"How generous." You rolled your eyes. "Fine. Only to shut you up, I will go with you. Just let me get changed."

"Wear something hot!" He yelled as you walked toward your room, a grin plastered on his face knowing that he won.

"Kriff off." You answered, slamming your door behind you.

You barely had the energy to go out, you definitely didn't feel like wearing something hot. But you also knew Fives was relentless and if you walked out wearing jeans and a simple shirt, he'd march you back into your room and pick something out for you.

But maybe it wasn't a bad idea to go all out. After all, you were certain your ex had immediately gotten back out there after your breakup, in fact you were certain he'd gotten back out there before your breakup.

You shook your head in anger, then rifled through your closet, trying to find something that remotely resembled a club outfit, before you stopped at a dress Fives had gotten you as a joke. It was a cocktail dress, a bit short for your tastes with a deep v-shaped neckline, and of course in "501st Blue" as he put it.

You held it up to yourself, looking at it in the mirror, debating if it was a good choice or not.

"Hey you still have it!" Fives said, standing in the doorway.

You startled at the sudden intrusion. "Privacy?"

"You're taking too long. That's perfect, now put it on and let's go!"

Before you could complain, he closed the door behind him as he went back to the front room to wait for you.

You sighed and quickly changed into the dress before brushing out your hair and wiping away any remnants of yesterday's eyeliner, foregoing a new layer of makeup.

As you walked out of your room, you tugged on the hem of the dress, definitely too short for you, but before you had a chance to regret your choice, you felt Fives' hand on your arm, dragging you to the door.

"Can I at least put shoes on?"

He rolled his eyes, "I guess."

After you had thrown on a pair of black strappy heels, he was once again dragging you by the arm. You didn't even have a chance to fasten the straps, but you resigned yourself to having to figure it out in the cab.

"What's the hurry anyway? It's not like you have to leave tonight."

"I know, but it's never a bad thing to give ourselves more time."

"It's barely even dark yet," You pointed out as you exited your apartment building.

"Well maybe I told Echo we'd get something to eat first."

"Fives!"

"What? We're still going to 79s, just before it gets crowded and too loud for you guys to speak."

"How do you even know Echo will like me?"

"I just know." He flashed you a grin before hailing a cab over to you.

Once inside, you got to work on buckling up your shoes.

"Look," Fives said, his tone more serious than before. "Echo's a good guy, I obviously would never force you to meet him if I thought he wasn't going to like you, or if I thought you wouldn't like him."

"I know that," You told him, looking down at your lap, "I just... With the breakup and everything–"

"It's hard to put yourself out there again. I get it, but just... humor me, okay? And I swear, the second you tell me you want to leave, I'll get you out of there."

When you didn't answer immediately, Fives turned to you. His eyes met yours, seeing your hesitation immediately.

"We can turn around, it's not too late." He offered, his voice gave away that it wasn't really what he wanted, but you knew he'd hold to his word if you asked.

"I'm already dressed." You said, rolling your eyes slightly.

He leaned over and wrapped his arms around you. "I love you, thank you!"

"I know, now get off me." You joked, despite sinking into the hug.

The taxi stopped at the landing pad in front of 79's. You had barely had enough time to scan the area before you heard someone calling Fives' name.

You looked in the direction the voice came from and you saw him bounding over to you. As expected, he looked exactly like Fives, aside from his clean-shaven, tattooless face, and the prominent blue handprint painted on his chest plate.

He stopped in front of you, greeting Fives with a firm hug before looking to you.

You had caught him subtly looking you over, and for a moment you began feeling self-conscious about your outfit choice once again, but that melted when he extended his hand to shake yours.

"You must be Fives' friend, I'm Echo."

You gave him your name with a polite smile, taking his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise, Fives has told me a lot about you."

You turned to your friend as if to ask what exactly he had been saying about you, but he changed the subject.

"Let's go inside, I'm starving!" He announced as he began walking toward the bar, leaving you and Echo to follow him.

Fives led the two of you to a booth, and once he had slid in, he stretched obnoxiously, forcing you to slide in next to Echo.

You ensured to keep your distance, trying to avoid getting too close to him, but you also made sure to give Fives a quick glare. He shrugged and grinned in response.

Once your orders were placed, Echo glanced to you.

"Fives tells me that you're a writer?"

"Well, trying to be." You admit. "I'm a journalist, but I want to write more creatively."

"What would you write about?" His curiosity is genuine, he didn't think he had ever met someone who wanted to write books before.

"Me, obviously." Fives chimed in from across the table. "I'd make an excellent hero."

You rolled your eyes, it isn't the first time he has indicated being the protagonist in a story you wrote.

You looked back to Echo and shrugged slightly, "I haven't really decided yet."

"Well, I can't wait to read it, whatever it ends up being." His voice was soft, he seemed excited about the idea, which is more than you could say for others.

Feeling warmth spread across your face, you looked back to the table quickly, just in time for your food to arrive.

The conversations were on and off as the three of you ate. They were mostly between Echo and Fives and you observed the two of them together, but occasionally you joined in as well.

Before long, your meals were done, and drinks had begun to be delivered to your table.

After one or two, Echo looked back and forth between you and Fives, before his gaze rested on you.

"Fives always talks about how good of friends you two are, but I'm curious, you've never... gone beyond that?"

You coughed into your cup before your laughter mingled with your coughing from the drink you inhaled.

"No," Was all you could say, and even that was strained.

You looked to Fives, who was laughing too. "I mean, I can't lie, look at her; she's beautiful. But, not my type."

Shaking your head at his compliment, you had finally cleared the liquid from your windpipe.

You looked to Echo and clarified. "Fives and I have been friends since he came to Coruscant, he asked me out, yeah, but we learned very early on that we were compatible only as friends."

Fives took another swig of his drink before giving you a knowing look. You raised an eyebrow as his focus turned to Echo.

"She's a bit too serious for me, y'know? Like she's smart, maybe a bit of a bookworm, would rather stay in and watch a holofilm, maybe that's why we work as friends. But honestly, she's more the kind of girl you like, Echo."

And there it was.

Your eyes widen slightly at his comment, before you attempt to drown your embarrassment with the remainder of your drink.

You can feel Echo shift slightly in his seat, and you decide it's a great time to go track down refills for the three of you.

Quickly getting up from your seat, you made a bee-line for the bar counter. Pushing through the group of clones that had begun to amass there.

You could feel their gazes upon you but you ignored them as you ordered drinks for your table and waited patiently.

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see the same blue handprint you had noticed earlier, and you turned to face Echo. He looked just as embarrassed as you, but he gave you an apologetic smile.

"I'm... That was uncalled for. Sorry that Fives embarrassed you like that."

You shook your head, "No, it's okay. Truthfully I saw it coming. I'm sorry that he put you on the spot."

"Don't worry about it. I mean, if anything, he's right."

His words took a moment to sink in, and the realization became present on your face as soon as they had.

"What do you mean?" You asked, trying not to jump to conclusions.

"I mean that, if how he described you is accurate, which I suspect it is, I'm the same way. This kind of place, it's fun, and I like coming here with the boys after a mission, but I prefer relaxing in my barracks, catching up on some reading, that kind of thing."

Before you could respond, another clone sitting at the bar turned to the two of you.

"Get a load of this guy, spends his time reading!" He slurred. "What a loser, you could do way better, doll."

He wasn't subtle about the way his eyes trailed up your body. He paused, looking at the hem of your dress, then his eyes continued upward, stopping at the deep-v neckline as he stared pointedly at your breasts.

You immediately felt yourself shrink away from his gaze as you could see him ogling you, but before you could say anything, you felt yourself being pulled backwards.

Echo had grabbed your arm and pulled you into him, shielding you from view while stepping between you and the other clone. He gave him a glare, but said nothing.

"You can't be serious, all that eyecandy for you?" The clone complained loudly. "Whatever, take the dumb chaakar back to your bunk and read to her. I bet that's why she wore that outfit." His tone was laced with sarcasm, and it wasn't lost on you.

Before either of you could react, the bartender arrived with your drinks. Both of you visibly relaxed and brought them back to the table.

Fives could tell something was up when he saw you approach, but Echo just shook his head, knowing that if he knew, his brother would cause something he'd have to clean up.

Echo slid into the booth first, and you followed. Once you were seated, still maintaining some distance from him, he inched slightly closer to you, resting his thigh against yours as a way to comfort you.

You took a sip of your drink and looked away from the table, not sure what to say.

Fives looked between you and Echo before you felt him nudge your foot from under the table. When you met his eye, he subtly nudged his head toward the door, silently asking if you wanted to leave.

You shook your head with a genuine smile and he relaxed.

"So what'd you guys talk about?" Fives finally asked.

"Insulting you, mostly." You answered, not skipping a beat.

"Only mostly? I'm offended."

"Not everything is about you, believe it or not." You smirked.

Echo took another swig of his drink. "I keep telling him that."

"If I had known this night would end up with you two teaming up against me, I'd have never brought you." Fives says with fake indignance, crossing his arms.

"You couldn't have expected anything different," you pointed out. "The two people who know you best, I'd say we make a pretty good team, wouldn't you agree, Echo?"

You smiled at him and he shifted in his seat a bit. "Y-Yeah, we do!"

With the drinks flowing, the three of you were able to continue your conversation, opening up more and more as the night went on.

You learned more about Fives that you probably could have gone your whole life without learning, but you also slowly started to get to know Echo.

It was almost as if you were both working on chipping away each others' quiet, introverted demeanors, until eventually, Echo chipped a bit too much.

"Fives had mentioned you weren't seeing anyone, it's not really my business but is there a reason for that?"

Your stunned reaction made him start to regret his question and he quickly back-pedaled. "That was a dumb question, you don't have to answer that."

"No, no it's fine I just..." You looked at Fives for support then back at your drink, before looking to Echo again. "I guess to make a long story short, my last partner cheated on me."

"A lot." Fives added in, earning a glare from you.

"I caught him with someone else, he tried to tell me it was nothing, that I was crazy for being upset, that I should have seen it coming, and every excuse in the book. Even accused me of cheating with Fives. But then the truth came out about everyone else he had been with." Your finger circled idly around your glass as you stared at the remaining liquid.

Echo was silent. It took a minute of silence before you finally looked over at him. His expression was something between confusion and anger as he processed what you told him.

"I..." He looked at Fives, "Is this guy still living?"

"Unfortunately yes." Fives answered, "Though I did ask if I could do the honours and kill him myself, but she said no."

"He wasn't worth the jail time you would have gotten." You said, your tone indicating that this wasn't the first time you had said it.

"I'm sorry." Echo looked back at you. His hand reaching out, then hesitating, then finally resting it on your shoulder. "I may not know you well, but from what I've learned and seen, it truly is his loss. I couldn't even imagine anyone throwing away a relationship with you."

You could feel yourself blush at his words, his voice was so genuine, he meant what he was saying. The way he looked into your eyes; maybe Fives was right and you would end up with a crush.

Fives looked back and forth between the two of you before smirking to himself and drinking the last sip of his beverage.

"I'm gonna go get us some refills. Be back in a minute."

After a moment, Echo removed his hand from your shoulder, but you were very aware of how his fingertips brushed your arm when doing so.

"So, what about you?" You asked after a beat.

"What do you mean?"

"Why aren't you seeing anyone?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, well... it's kind of against regulation."

"So I've heard, but most of the people I've talked to seem to ignore that rule."

"Yeah, I guess I've just always been a stickler for the rules. And, I mean," a faint blush crept across his cheeks, "That clone at the bar wasn't wrong. Women aren't exactly lining up to spend time with me when there are more fun people out there."

"I'm here, aren't I?" You blurted out.

Once you realized what you said, your eyes widened and your gaze quickly turned back to your empty glass.

Echo chuckled quietly beside you. "Yeah, I guess you are."

You looked around nervously, not knowing what to say. You glanced toward the bar before looking back at Echo. "Fives has been gone a while, I think I'll go check that he can handle the drinks."

"You sure? I could go if you want, I don't want anyone to bother you again."

You smiled, appreciative of his concern.  "I'll be alright."

"If you say so," He shrugged, "I'll be here."

You gently rested your hand on his before you got up from the bench. As soon as he couldn't see your face, your eyes widened in panic wondering why you did that. Echo only stared after you, smiling.

When you approached the bar, you found Fives right away, leaning against the counter and talking to another clone as he waited on your drinks.

The other clone turned to you as soon as he noticed you approach.

Of course he was the same one as earlier.

"Back already?" He asked, "What, did he finally bore you?"

You rolled your eyes, and without looking at him, you replied flatly. "Quite the opposite."

Fives raised an eyebrow at your exhange, "Did I miss something?"

"Just glad I get to admire the scenery again."

You visibly cringed, but you did your best to ignore him as you focused on Fives. "I just came up to see if you needed help with the drinks."

Fives, still confused, nodded. "Yeah, sure. You gonna tell me what's going on?"

"Just some jagyc thinking he can take me home." You explained as if he wasn't right beside you. Your Mando'a wasn't great, but you'd heard quite a few insults in the time you've spent with Fives.

"What, you already get bored of Booksmart? Moved onto someone else? Or are you just some barrack bunny trying to get as many clones as possible?"

"Ease up, maybe you've had a bit too much to drink." Fives said with an uncharacteristically serious voice. "She's not interested, and the next time you insult her, you'll be doing so without teeth."

Before he could say anything else, the bartender arrived with your drinks. You took yours while Fives grabbed the other two, but you hesitated as you were walking away.

"Everything okay?" Fives was concerned when you suddenly stopped.

"Actually I–" You stared down at your feet.

"You want to go home? I'd understand, that clone was out of line."

"No it's not that... I just, need to talk to you."

He raised an eyebrow, "What's up?"

"There's not really an ideal time to say this, and as much as it pains me to admit... You were right. While you were up here, Echo and I started talking and... I don't know, he's sweet."

Fives' confused face turned into a grin as soon as you said he was right. "So what are you saying? You like him?"

"I don't know..." You could feel heat flooding your cheeks. "I won't make any guarantees, but I want to get to know him better."

"That could be arranged, leave it to me!"

Before you could say anything, Fives turned around and started walking back to your table.

"Wait, Fives, no!" You trailed behind him, terrified of what he meant. What was he going to do?

When you got back to the table and slid into the booth, you eyed Fives cautiously.

"So, Echo," Fives started and you felt a pit grow in your stomach. "Got any plans for after the mission?"

He shrugged, "Nothing out of the ordinary."

"I think you should change up your routine. Why don't you two go on a date?" Fives said, gesturing to both of you.

Your eyes widened and your knew your face had to be beet red by now. You couldn't even turn your head to look at Echo.

"Oh, really? Why us?" He asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.

"Well I mean, you seem to get along pretty well, you have stuff in common, I think you'd really hit it off without me sitting across from you."

Echo paused before answering again. He looked over at you and noticed you wouldn't meet his gaze. "What do you think?"

Slowly, you turned your head to face him. "I mean... if you want to, I wouldn't mind." Your voice was quiet as you desperately tried to hide your nerves.

He gave you a sweet smile, "Then I guess it's a date, as soon as we're back."

Fives smiled between the two of you then gave you a wink when you finally looked back at him.

"Where are you guys shipping off to, anyway?"

Fives shrugged, "Lola Sayu, some kind of fortress or something. Shouldn't be too long, it's just a retrieval mission."

"Do you want me to head to the landing dock tomorrow morning as usual?"

"Usual?" Echo repeated.

"Yeah she normally sends us off, maybe you've never noticed." He turned back to you, "I don't think you'll be able to this time, the general said we have to take an alternate means of transport."

Your shoulders sank slightly, "Oh, I see. That sounds interesting though. I'll just have to send you luck when we're done here."

Fives smiled, downing the last of his drink. "We should probably get going soon, early start and all."

You and Echo finished your respective drinks after him and nodded, slowly shuffling out of the booth, heading toward the exit.

There were more clones gathered outside now, and the cool nighttime air on your skin made you shiver.

Fives hailed a taxi as you and Echo hung back, not really sure what to say to each other now.

Once the cab arrived, Fives let you go in first, followed by Echo and then himself.

"Two stops," you told the droid before giving it your address, but you were cut off by Fives before you could tell it the second stop.

"Just the one stop."

You looked at him with an eyebrow raised in confusion.

"We won't see you tomorrow, I'm not accepting a half-assed goodbye from the cab."

You rolled your eyes, "Fine."

Once the taxi arrived at the landing dock outside of your apartment, the three of you left the vehicle, one after the other.

Fives scooped you up into a big hug as soon as you exited the cab, holding you tight against his chest. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders.

"Try not to miss us too much, got it?" He said into your shoulder. You smiled and tightened your side of the hug.

"Try not to get blown up." You joked.

You could feel him smile before he broke the hug, looking into your eyes. You rested a hand against his cheek gently.

"Comm me as soon as you can. And stay safe." You looked at Echo then back to Fives. "Keep each other safe."

"Of course," Fives replied before giving you a soft kiss on your forehead then stepping away so you could talk to Echo.

The two of you exchanged a slightly more awkward albeit friendly hug.

"You don't get blown up either." You told him with a half-smile.

"I'll try not to. We've got a date when I get back." He reminded you.

"It was nice meeting you. I'm looking forward to getting to know you better."

He smiled as his cheeks and ears flushed slightly pink. "Likewise."

You took a step toward him before kissing his cheek. "Stay safe."

"Of-of course." His hand rested against his cheek where you kissed him. "I'll let you know when I get back."

You smiled at him. Fives approached the two of you again.

"We should get back to the barracks, Rex won't be happy if we're too late."

"I don't want to keep you. Just, be careful. I'll see you both when you get back!"

You watched as they hailed another taxi and boarded. Once the transport was out of sight, you walked into your apartment building, already looking forward to the day they returned.

– – –

One night, a couple of weeks following your night at 79s, you were woken up to the sound of a fist slamming on your door. You jolted upright, hesitating if you should answer it or not.

You sat in your bed, trying to stop yourself from trembling as you waited with bated breath if whoever was at your door would knock again.

They did, only softer this time.

Slowly, you crept out of your bedroom, trying to make as little sound as possible before you finally made it to the front door. You pressed your ear against it, hoping to hear who was on the other side, but they didn't make a sound between knocks.

"Wh-who's there?" You asked, shakily.

"Please open the door, it's Fives." You visibly relaxed before unlocking and opening the door for your friend.

Before you could say anything, he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into his chest, just as he did the night before he left.

"I'm sorry." He said, barely a whisper.

You backed away from his embrace and you moved to close and lock your front door, turning the hall light on once it was closed.

"I didn't know you were back, you should have commed me!" You told him, assuming his apology was for his extended time away.

"We just got back, I sent you a message but I guess you were asleep. I..." He looked down and you could see his jaw clench as he balled his hands into fists. "I couldn't..."

He trailed off and your smile fell. "Is everything okay?"

He looked away, not meeting your gaze, until you placed your hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at you.

"Fives, what's wrong?"

"It's... it's Echo." His voice broke slightly and you could feel the pain in your chest caused by his sadness. "I tried to stop him but he–"

You could see his eyes start to water before he could get the words out, and he melted into your palm. You pulled him into another embrace, gently stroking his hair.

"Why don't you sit down and tell me what happened?" You suggested. It was strange to see Fives so upset, in all the time you've been friends, you couldn't think of a time where he's been angry in front of you, let alone crying. You took his hand and led him to the couch.

Once he was seated, he brought his hand to his face, trying to sneakily wipe away tears as if he didn't want you to see them.

"Echo's dead." He said after a long pause. "Droids blew up our ship, Echo tried to defend it."

"I see." You couldn't think of what to say.

Words of comfort usually came so naturally to you, but you were speechless. It's true you didn't know Echo very well, even after your night out, but the news made your heart ache. You had been looking forward to seeing him again, to going on your date, and all of that had been taken away, but more importantly, Fives just lost one of his brothers.

You looked over at Fives who was already looking at you. He didn't know how you'd take the news and he was worried.

"I'm sorry, Fives. I didn't know him well, but he didn't deserve that."

"Him and I were the last of our original squad and now I'm alone, I couldnt even retrieve his helmet." He sighed, "And you were supposed to go out with him after, I told you I'd keep him safe."

"Hey, don't worry about me. I'm sad that he's gone, believe me, but I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I've lost brothers before, it's what we were created for, but... It's not right. Echo deserved to live."

"You all do. Just because you were created for war doesn't mean you have to just accept your fate or anyone else's." You shook your head. "It's late, and I don't want you to be alone right now. Do you want to stay over?"

"Yeah, that would be nice. Thank you."

"Of course." You leaned over on the sofa, kissing his temple before wrapping your arms around him. "We can talk more about it in the morning, okay?"

"Sorry for waking you up."

"I'm glad you did."

You stood up from the couch to grabs Fives a pillow and some blankets you had stored nearby for this exact reason. 

"If you need anything, help yourself. Get some sleep, okay?"

"I'll do my best."

You walked back to your room and laid back down in your bed. Suddenly the full wave of everything he told you hit you and you could feel your eyes water.

You didn't feel it was right for you to cry over someone you barely knew, it felt selfish to mourn someone you wanted to get to know better. You couldn't shake the thought of what could have been.

Your chest ached with sadness and longing, wishing he could have made it through. Fives was right, Echo deserved to live.

While you were alone you allowed yourself to cry for him, but you knew you had to be strong for Fives. He wouldn't forgive himself if he saw you cry, and he didn't need that guilt. You could get through this. You just wished you could see him again.

As you lay, staring at the ceiling, you heard a gentle knock on your bedroom door. You hastily wiped any tears from your face and turned on the lamp beside your bed.

"Come in." You called out, before the door opened.

Fives looked as though he wanted to say something, but couldn't voice it. He shied away in embarrassment before you offered him a gentle smile.

"If you want to stay in here, that's okay."

"Thanks..." he muttered before walking around to the other side of your bed. "I'm sorry I just.."

"You don't want to be alone, I understand. Come here." You invited him toward you with open arms, and he moved closer to you, laying his head on your chest. You gently stroked his hair.

"I'm sorry."

"There's nothing you need to apologize for."

"I shouldn't have asked you to come out with us that night."

"I'm glad I did. It's true that I didn't get to know him well, but I'm glad that I met him. And I feel more equipped to help you now because I did."

"You're allowed to be upset too, you know. You don't have to comfort me. Echo wouldn't shut up about your date, it was actually getting pretty annoying, I'm just sorry he couldn't be here for it."

"Thank you for telling me that." In a weird way it did make you feel better, and it helped that Fives could still make fun of his brother despite the circumstances. "I'll be okay, though. And I'll be here for you whenever you need me."

He's actually relaxed, but he keeps tightening up depending on where your eyes are wandering. Of course, you notice this. His hand is on your cheek, yours over his, and you look into his eyes with a gentle smile.

Echo smiles back. He loves it when you look at him with that look, like he's the center of your world. You bring his hand to your mouth, kissing his palm before your fingers gently trail down his arm to his shoulder, slowly, gently, adoringly.

"My beautiful man," you say dreamily.

He looks at you with a shy look and rolls his eyes, more or less seriously. Echo is very fond of being admired by you, but part of him still thinks that this admiration can't be entirely genuine. This is not because of you, however, but because of his self-perception since the Citadel.

You playfully flick a finger against his prominent chin and gently admonish him, "Stop that echo, that eye roll."

He takes a deep breath and laughs softly.

"Sometimes I still can't believe I actually get to enjoy your affection"

You kiss his palm again, your fingers stroking along his chin.

"You better believe it, because it's more than real. You're the one I love"

Echo lets out a shaky breath before saying, "You can't love me as much as I love you"

You chuckle, and your hand rests on his chest where his heart excitedly beats a wild rhythm.

"Why is that?"

Echo replies as a matter of course, "Because there is no increase from that, my beloved".

He blinks and tenses again as your eyes travel down his naked body. Noticing, you look back up into his face.

"What's wrong?"

He clears his throat and says evasively, "Nothing, I don't know what's wrong."

"Whenever I look at your body, you tense up".

Echo sighs softly and finally says, "Well, it's not an ideal body"

You place his hand on your chest, where he can feel your heartbeat. His gaze follows the movement, and for a moment it wanders along your unclothed shape. He swallows, moving a little restlessly.

"It is a ravishing body, the one I love and desire", you say seriously, "The one for which my heart beats faster when I see it, when it touches me".

Echo looks at you, a smile creeps back into his features.

"You really do love me" he says softly, and the happy glint in his eyes is to die for.

With a gentle nod, you lean over him, your lips moving over his face, to his chin and neck.

"Every inch of you"

Another shaky breath comes over his lips as yours begin to travel over his shoulder and chest, as your hands slide along his sides, and you move lower and lower.

Sitting between his legs, leaning forward, you feel his swelling length touch your belly and finally your breasts as you move further down. With a cheeky little smirk, you squeeze his now hard cock between your breasts and watch with satisfaction as he looks down at you leaning on his forearms with a low moan.

"You're too good to me," he says a little breathlessly.

"That's not even possible," you say with a wide smile, "I love the look on your face when you're horny and clearly want me"

Blush creeps into his cheeks, but he returns your smile in a suggestive way.

"I always want you, my love"

With fingers and lips, you explore his abs while his length is still pressed between your boobs.

"How could you not love this body," you say dreamily and finally wander even further down, releasing his cock from the erotic clasp of your breasts again. Finally, your kisses wander insinuating close around his shaft, making him gently jerk up and moan softly again and again.

"Look at that, so beautiful, the perfect complement to the rest of your body, a glorious cock. Long, thick, gently curved," you kiss its tip teasingly and watch it twitch, "And so wonderfully sensitive."

He laughs softly, then moans again as your tongue slides along his length from root to velvety, slightly reddened tip. His thighs automatically open a little wider, making room for you, and you lie down between his legs, your upper body propped up on your elbows, your breasts touching his testicles as you do so, your stiff nipples tickling against them.

Echo bites his lower lip. He knows what's coming, he's in for a real treat. You feel his whole abdomen tense in aroused anticipation, including his thighs, as your lips open and very slowly slide over the tip of his cock further and further down.

A soft, "Fuuuuck," comes over his lips.

Echo feels the wet heat of your mouth close around his cock and drops back into the sheets.

Pressing your tongue to the underside of his veiny length, you bob your head up and down, sucking passionately on his cock.

You enjoy every sound you elicit from him this way, and as you put your hands on his thighs, you feel them tense, his muscles stone hard. It's been a long time since the last time, Echo is getting close.

You can't wait to hear, see and feel him cum. You like that you can push him so far that he seems to dissolve completely in arousal. Echo should enjoy it, you want him to let himself fall, he has more than earned it.

You take his cock as deep as you can into your mouth, your gag reflex overcoming. Saliva drips down his length as you give it your all to suck him into release.

A particularly loud moan comes from his lips, then he says in surprise, "Woah, that's more intense than last time."

You let him penetrate deep, with each bob down of your head. Echo gasps in rapid succession, his thighs trembling. Your hand carefully moves to his firm testicles and gently grips them. They contract and the next moment, with an almost startled loud moan, you feel Echo squirt his cum down your throat.

You quickly relax your throat and carefully swallow around his length as he drifts twitching, quivering and surrendering through the aftershock of his climax.

"Oh, my love, that was… wow"

You gently release his slowly softening length from your mouth, wiping your lips with the back of your hand and grinning at him as he straightens back up onto his forearms. Echo grins back, his cheeks slightly flushed. His hand grabs your wrist and pulls you up to his height.

He wraps his arms around you and pulls you close, kissing your neck, your face, your forehead, your lips. Your legs carefully intertwined, his tense thigh presses close to your heated center, and you automatically press closer to him.

Echo can feel how wet you are and grins suggestively. He flexes his muscles and gently rubs his thigh between your legs. The friction sparks a pulse in your center and makes your heart flutter.

"Give me a few minutes, my beautiful, and I'll show you my love," he says suggestively, whispering close to your ear.

You smile, you feel aroused, loved and completely relaxed at the same time. Being loved by Echo is like a constant flow of gentleness, security, familiarity and eroticism, something in which you can be completely absorbed and let yourself go.

"Everything you do, every day, makes me feel your love," you say honestly.

He blinks, pauses for a second, then says softly, surprised, "I didn't think you'd really notice."

You laugh softly.

"Why?"

Echo looks at you shyly, shrugs gently, and says, "I'll do anything for you out of love, always have"

You lean your forehead against his and say softly, "I'm the luckiest woman in this Galaxy"

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

@rintheemolion

@andyoufollowyourheart @clone-whore-99

@brynhildrmimi @kaliel2310

@misogirl828 @tech-deck

@meshla-madalene

@chxpsi

@thebahdbitch

@nahoney22 @ladykatakuri

@darkangel4121

@ttzamara

@arctrooper69

@padawancat97

@agenteliix

@allsystemsblue

@palliateclaw

@either-madness-or-brilliance

@ortizshinkaroff

@andy-solo1

@hunterssecretrecipe

@heyitsaloy

@greaser-wolf

@extrahotpixels

@hated-by-me

@hunterxcrosshair

@malicemercy

@bebopsworld

@echos-girlfriend

@cpnt616

"Are you ready?" Echo asked and smiled at me from the side.

"I... I don't know," I admitted, and started to chew on my lip until I felt a sweet pain and recognized the taste of blood. Disgusted, I crinkled my nose.

We were standing in front of 79s. After about half a year, I finally got to meet Echo's family: his brothers. And which establishment could have been better than the place where we met, with the small extra that it was Halloween and we were wearing costumes.

And that's how we were standing here, fulfilling a cliché with being devil and angel. Echo was wearing a white rope, a self-made Halo and small wings with feathers - and he looked gorgeous!

I was dressed in sweet, red robes, had little devil's horns on my head and leathery wings on my back.

Even though Echo wasn't that confident in his clothes at first, he had to admit that we were looking kriffing good together today.

But still - it changed nothing about the fact that I was nervous. More than nervous. My hands were warm and sweaty. I was almost embarrassed that Echo held one of them in his own hand and had to feel that. My heart was beating unpleasantly fast, and my fingertips and my chest were tingly.

I was afraid they wouldn't like me or judge me at first sight.

Were my robes too short? Would they think I'm cheap? Did I appear respectable and serious, or would they think I'm just for short-term? What if they thought I wasn't good enough for Echo? What if they really wouldn't like me? What if I wouldn't like them? Both options would be absolutely devastating. They were the most important people in Echo's life. Of course I wanted to like them!

My boyfriend seemed to notice my insecurity.

"You will do great. They're excited to finally meet you," he assured me and squeezed my hand a little bit. In contrast to mine, his hand was cool and dry. He was able to ground me a little bit again. As long as I wouldn't come across like a spoiled brat, everything would be fine. They wouldn't have a reason to not like me.

I took a deep breath, nodded and breathed a small "Okay."

With determined steps, we walked through the entrance of the famous clone bar and headed for a booth in the back of the bar.

Even from far away, I recognized the boys Echo already showed me on pictures. Of course they were wearing costumes at the moment, too.

Hunter's shaggy hair was standing out among the other clones. In addition to that, he wore wolf ears with fake fur, a red and blue checked shirt that was ripped on a few spots and a black leather jacket that looked really good on him. His black painted nails looked like claws.

Next to him sat Crosshair. He wore an elegant, black cape with red accents and a high collar. On his chest was a silver brooch that looked perfectly old-fashioned. While he was talking with Hunter, every now and then small, sharp fangs were poking out of his mouth.

I also recognized Tech relatively fast due to his goggles. He was wearing a big, pointed hat that almost swallowed his head and dark robes with silver embellishments. In front of him was a thick book, and while he was talking with Wrecker, he lively gestured with a small magic wand to defend his point: "Wrecker, I am not a witch. I am a wizard!" I vaguely heard him say, and a small smile appeared on my lips when Wrecker started to laugh out loud. "Ahw, that's the same!"

Wrecker himself was wearing a purple and yellow Onesie without a hood. It was purple on the most part of it. His tummy was a light yellow, and I could see a short tail that had some stripes in the same shade of yellow as his tummy. On his head, he was wearing a purple beanie with cute, little tooka ears attached to it that had the same pattern as his tail. It looked handmade and was absolutely adorable. Suddenly, I remembered Echo telling me about Crosshair and Tech staying up all night to craft this thing for Wrecker.

"No, there is a fundamental difference between a witch and a wizard!" Tech kept going. While Echo and I moved closer to the table, his words got clearer for my ears.

"Stop bickering, you two. Wrecker, Tech is a wizard. Tech, stop gesticulating with your stick, I'd rather keep Wrecker's other eye," Hunter intervened. Both were quiet for a few seconds until Tech started talking again.

"Hunter, this isn't just a stick-" he started, but this time, he was interrupted by Echo and me.

By now, we had reached the group, and my boyfriend cleared his throat to get their attention.

Immediately, all of them stopped talking and turned their heads towards us expectantly. I felt four pairs of eyes landing on me, scrutinizing me curiously. This time, I squeezed Echo's hand a bit tighter. He answered me with squeezing back.

"Boys, this is my partner," Echo started and introduced us to each other. I smiled and nodded at them as a greeting.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you," I said shyly and was glad that Echo pulled me down with him into the cozy locking booth.

I sat down next to Wrecker and Echo slid in close to me. There were a few moments in which nobody said anything. If it hadn't been for the loud music or the chatter of other clones and their dates, we probably would've been able to hear a pin drop. Luckily, Wrecker broke the silence and saved the whole situation.

"Woah, you're as pretty as the pictures!" he observed, and I felt heat rise in my cheeks.

"You showed them pictures?" I asked Echo, a little bit embarrassed. "Of course, I also showed you pictures of them," he nodded smiling. That made the whole thing a little bit better.

"Yeah, that's right... Thanks, Wrecker. You're much bigger than what you look like in the photos," I answered grinning, and Wrecker proudly puffed out his chest. "All muscles," he told me. Echo and Hunter sighed in a short manner.

"Wrecker, stop flirting with Echo's girlfriend," Hunter ordered and pulled a quiet chuckle out of me with that.

With this small exchange, the ice was broken, and all of us started one interesting and exciting conversation after the next. Crosshair took the part of the observer more often than really talk, but this was okay. Due to Echos stories, I already knew that he wasn't a big talker, especially with new people around.

While the evening went on, we drank some drinks here and there, Echo and I shared a small portion of fritzle fries and after that I still was a bit hungry, so I bought a bowl of snacks for the whole table. Especially Wrecker was happy about that and ate most of it.

To this point, the evening was a whole success. I liked Echo's brothers, and I felt like they at least thought that I was okay. We talked about this and that with so much ease, like we knew each other for many years.

Tech told me about the special wood his magic wand was made of and where to find it, and in addition to that he started to tell me everything he knew about that planet, which I found very interesting.

When a good song came on, Echo and I went to the dance floor to awkwardly shake our bodies and have fun. I was so happy that he didn't mind others looking at us or thinking about what they might think. Since a long time, he was able to let loose again. I was very sure it was his excitement about our small meeting with his brothers going that well.

After some time Wrecker joined us, a little bit shy at first, because he was scared of third wheeling, but found dancing looked too nice to not try it, and like that we enjoyed the music as a group of three.

After a few songs, we went back to the others and picked up our conversations again. Even Crosshair started to talk a little bit more after some time.

Only Hunter was a little bit distant. Although he talked and joked with us, he still was a little bit reluctant and observed me warily.

With the drinking came the urge to visit a bathroom, and I excused myself from the table.

Then it happened.

I was in one of the cubicles and straightened my clothes sluggishly, as I heard the voices of two other people.

"Did you see that table full of Freaks? The goggled one was just a smartass about shit no one wants to know about. What a waste of breath. And what he's talking too much, the other is talking too less. I thought he's mute at first, but I've seen him talking sometimes." - "Don't forget about that giant baby. How can he be so well-built but so stupid? He wouldn't be good for anything if he wasn't a clone." - "And that little, filthy devil. How could someone eat that much in one evening? A little less wouldn't do any bad." - "Yeah. I bet that little devil fucks with all of them. Have you seen that costume? It's literally calling 'take me'." This was accompanied by spiteful laughter.

Confused, I shook my head - they could only be talking about us.

Just as I wanted to step out of the cubicle and ask them what the kriff they were talking about, they started making derisive remarks again.

"Did you see that wannabe angel?" - "You mean the cyborg? Yes. He should've come as a droid." - "Droid? Would that even be a costume, then?" - "Disgusting. I've never seen something that ugly. Just the idea to come here as an angel... I thought clones like that are getting decommissioned." They were laughing again.

This time, it was too much. They went too far. It wasn't okay to talk about anyone like that. None of the boys deserved that, but when it came to Echo, I saw red.

I took an angry breath through my nose and shoved the cubicle's door open. It hit the wall forcefully.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked outraged, while the two of them let out a short yelp. They were costumed as nurse and loth-cat. Both of them looked at me confused at first, but then their glance changed to something bitchy.

"Oh, the little devil is here to save the little angel," the nurse giggled, put her finger in her mouth and acted like she would gag on it.

"Oh, and how I am here to protect him. The boys and especially Echo are the most lovable people I've ever met. He's sincere and honest and admirable and so much better than you. What the hell are you thinking to talk about people like that?" I breathed angrily and started to wash my hands aggressively while I stared at them through the mirror.

"What? We just talked about preferences. Droid just isn't on our list. Unlike yours, hm? Does he give you a good time with his scomp?" Again, this annoying, arrogant voice.

"No, this has to do nothing with preferences. Otherwise, you could just say he's unattractive. What you are doing is not okay. You're mean because of what he looks like and you dehumanize him. But Echo feels just as much as every other human. If you ask me, you're the ones who are cold, heartless droids. And if you're complaining so much about Tech's stories, then I'm asking myself how you can listen to each other. All I hear from you is 'mimimi'. I'm interested in what he says. And Wrecker? He would achieve more in his life than you ever will. Maybe you should take advice from Crosshair and just shut up," I scowled and threw my paper towels in the trash bin next to them with the last few words.

While the nurse still had an arrogant expression in her face, the cat looked a bit guilty at least. I wasn’t sure how long he would feel like that before they were harassing others again.

"Oh, and Echo gives me the best times. Better than any of your flings ever could," I growled a last time, shutting the door behind me. Stupid people.

While I stomped back over to the boy's table again, I tried to calm down my breathing, blinking some tears away that started to water my eyes, but it didn't work that well.

Echo immediately noticed and glanced at me, worried. "You okay? What took you so long?" He asked quietly.

Droid. Don't make me laugh - a droid never could be as sensitive and kind as Echo.

"Yes. Sorry, there was a long line," I murmured and sat close to him. Our knees and sides were touching. He put his scomp arm around me carefully, letting me melt in his side comfortably.

"Okay," he breathed, even though he wasn't that convinced. He knew I would talk to him when it was something important or something that was worrying me. But I didn't want his mood to be dampened. So I didn't say anything.

We looked in each other's eyes for some time, and while I was observing him, I noticed how beautiful he was again.

"You're so pretty," I mumbled, and Echo's smile grew a little bit wider while his cheeks turned pink. "Thank you. You're very pretty, too," he returned the compliment. Now, I was the one with the heated face. We captured each other's eyes again. Suddenly, there was a tension between us.

With a small, fast motion, I moved forward and gave him a small peck on the lips. Echo returned the quick kiss, smiling as we departed from each other again.

Shortly after, we took part in the heated conversation of the others again. Echo's arm was still around me, and I enjoyed the comforting warmth that grew between us.

Just before I really could dive into the conversation again, I felt something carefully poking my shin.

Curiously, I looked up and met Hunter's gaze, which held warmth and thankfulness. He nodded at me with acknowledge.

He moved his mouth, and even though I couldn't hear what he was saying, I was able to read his lips: "Thank you."

At first, I was a bit confused, but then I remembered Hunter's advanced senses. He had to have heard us talking in the bathroom.

The corner of my mouth twitched upwards. I nodded back at him.

Even though I met Echo's brothers just now, I already had a soft spot for them - and that was okay.

At that moment, I promised myself to defend them and especially Echo from everything I could.

one day you were sitting at the bar, having a drink by yourself, when you sensed someone looking at you. your old instincts kicked in, and you slowly reached for one of your blasters. but then you spotted the figure coming out of hiding. it was a kid.

she introduced herself as omega, and started a conversation. she was happy and excited to talk to you. it was refreshing to sit and talk with her. you gathered she didn't know a lot about the galaxy, so she loved your stories.

over time, you saw omega more often at cid's. most of the times she was accompanied by a few men who she seemed to be traveling with. you had only seen them from afar a couple of times, before omega introduced them to you as her brothers.

you could tell they were clones. though they didn't look like the men you served with, you knew they were clones anyway. you never asked them about it, you never commented on it. they'd talk to you if they wanted to.

as you started to spend more time with omega and with her brothers, cid started sending you on missions with them. you got to know them better every time cid sent you somewhere.

after a while, you decided to do all of your missions together. you worked well alongside each other, and you liked the company.

it had been a few months since you started working with them, when one of cid's missions took you to a planet you were familiar with. you were silent most of the journey.

the others could tell something was troubling you, but they didn't want to push you. they knew little of your past, as you rarely talked about it. you weren't ready to share that story yet.

it was echo who was especially worried about you. you were never this quiet. he figured he'd wait til you opened up on your own accord, pushing his own worries away.

cid's mission hadn't been hard. you ran into little trouble as there was almost no one living on the desert planet. she had sent you there to retrieve some of the plants that still grew there. most of the plants were gone, but some still existed. they were worth some money on the black market.

of course, no one had told omega that was the real reason you were here. she was just happy to get the flowers and to see another new planet.

you're standing a bit away from the ship, looking out over the sea of sand in front of you. behind you, the others are loading up the harvested flowers.

you don't hear much of omega's talking, too busy drowning in your thoughts.

after a while, you feel someone's presence right behind you.

'you okay?'

it's echo.

of course it's echo. there was something unspoken between the two of you. you could understand each other with little to no words. it was just so comfortable to be around him. you often sought him out, even if you didn't have a reason to do so.

'I'll be fine.' you say.

echo is silent as he moves to stand beside you. he looks out over the desert in front of you. there's little left of the villages, a few ruins scattered among the sand dunes and memories in the heads of people that left long ago.

'you know this planet, don't you?' asks echo.

you turn to him. 'how did you know?'

echo smiles softly. 'I know we know very little of you past. but I can tell you've lived through a war. I know that look on your face. I've seen it everywhere, in everyone I served with.' he says.

over time, you had learned more about the bad batch and their stories. you know they served int eh army as well, yet you couldn't recall if you had ever crossed paths with them.

while most of them had been a part of clone force 99 along with their brother crosshair, echo hadn't always been a part of the bad batch. he had been part of the 501st, anakin and ahsoka's men.

looking at the horizon, you get the sudden urge to tell echo. all of it.

he's been in the war as well. he knows what it was like. he would understand. but it's all too painful to talk about.

the bad batch didn't even know you were a general. they figured out you were a jedi, but you told them you left the order before the end of the war. it wan't true. the truth was just too painful to talk about.

'I do know this planet.' you say softly. 'I haven't been here in years. I had heard stories of what happened here, what the empire had done. I just wasn't ready to see it with my own eyes. guess sometimes you end up at the very place you try to avoid at all costs.'

'was this your home planet?'

you swallow the lump in your throat. 'yes.'

'I'm sorry.'

'I thought I had already moved past it. but to see it with my own eyes. it's different. it used to be beautiful. this whole places was covered in the most gorgeous plants. now all that's left is a few dying flowers people sell on the black market.'

'it was weird for me to go back to kamino as well. it was still there of course, but the last time I was there, I was with my brother.'

'which one?'

you turn to look at echo. when he looks at you, you can tell the look in his eyes mirrors you own.

'fives. he didn't survive the war.'

'was he in the 501st as well?'

'he was. he was an excellent soldier. but an even better brother. I still miss him every day.'

'losing someone is never easy. especially during a war.'

'what was your rank?'

you're silent, fidgeting with your hands. you don't talk about the war.

'I'm guessing commander or general.' says echo.

'how do you know I served in the war?'

'you don't talk about it much, but when you do, it's like you were there. I don't think you left the jedi order. I think you're one of the few survivors. but don't worry. I haven't told anyone else. you can tell them yourself whenever you're ready. I know it's hard.'

'thank you.'

echo smiles at you and nods, then turns his gaze back to the horizon. you stand next to each other in silence for a while. you're thinking back to the war, all the friends you lost and mourned. what you had to do to survive after the republic fell.

'you know, I may be a jedi, but in the end I wasn't a good person.' you say softly.

'what makes you say that?' says echo.

'I... hurt some of my men.' you confess. 'I didn't mean to. they suddenly turned on me. all of them. it wasn't until later that I figured out it was order 66. but... I did hurt them. I did what I had to do to survive. at least, that's what I tell myself. but I hate myself for it. every night before I fall asleep I think of them. they're in all my nightmares.'

'I had no idea. when you're with us, you're often the most optimistic one. save maybe for omega.'

you shrug. 'it's easy to forget that violence is mostly kept inside.'

'is that why you're sometimes so exhausted? nightmares keeping you awake?'

'mostly, yes. sometimes I'm afraid to go to sleep. I don't know what's worse, surviving the war or being killed by someone you trusted. those men did everything I asked them to. they were my brothers as much as they were each others. and in the end, I wasn't there for them. I failed them.'

echo turns to you so he can fully face you. 'y/n, it's not your fault. you know of those chips now. they had no choice, and you were defending yourself. if you hadn't, you'd be dead now.

you don't meet his eyes. 'maybe. it doesn't matter now anyway. I have no idea how many of them survived. and if they did, they're most likely serving the empire now. doing stuff like this.' you gesture to the desert planet you're on.

'for what it's worth, I think we can still fight. I think deep down, you haven't fully given up. otherwise you wouldn't have been a high ranking officer in the army leading men into battle.' says echo.'

a whistle interrupts your conversation with echo. you look back at the marauder to see hunter waving at you.

'you two ready to go?' he says.

'be right there!' says echo.

'I don't want to come back here.' you say softly. 'it's too painful, brings back too many memories.'

'we don't have to come back here. I appreciate you for opening up to me.'

you feel tears welling up in the corners of your eyes. 'I don't really talk about it. there's a lot more. but I haven't told anyone that.'

'listen, I know your struggle. having so many painful memories that are too fresh to talk about. and I hope you win this war you tell no one about.' says echo.

you look up at him and manage a smile. 'thanks, echo.'

'let's head back to the ship, yeah?'

'yeah, let's get out of here.'

echo starts to walk back to the marauder as you take one last look at the planet that was once your home.

'echo?' you say, walking up to him.

he turns around, expecting you to say something. instead, you walk closer to him and wrap your arms around his chest.

at first, echo freezes up, unsure of what to do. everyone knows there's something going on between you two, though you've never talked about it.

but then he slowly wraps his arms around you. he knows he's done the right thing when he feels you shuffle closer and press your face in his chest.

the two of you stand there like that for a while. you close your eyes and allow yourself to soak up the feeling of safety and comfort.

when you finally pull away, you look up at echo and smile.

'now at least I have one good memory of this place.' you say. 'thank you again for listening, echo.'

echo smiles at you as well. 'of course. if you ever need me, you know where to find me.'

'thanks. now let's get out of here.'

echo motions to the marauder. 'after you.'

while you still didn't feel like talking about all of it yet, you know echo will be there whenever you do feel like opening up. it was nice to have someone listen, especially someone who understands right away.

you just know you'd be seeking out echo a lot more after this.