#hunter bb

"I understand you, Tech. Your mind is on the task at hand." You reached up and tapped at the side of his forehead. "Which is exactly where it should be," you reached up and gave him a gentle hug and you felt the sharp edge of his data PADD dig into your back. He hugged you back at least. "Just... stay safe out there, okay. I have a bad feeling about this."

"What...feeling?" He queried.

"Just a feeling. Call it instinct, if that suits you better." It didn't. Tech didn't really hold much stock in either where they weren't warranted.

"I'll be back," was all he could muster when you pulled away from him. With that, he turned and disappeared onto the Marauder. It took off, sweeping and sneaking away in the dead of night. Leaving you stood there watching.

As Phee walked back towards you, she placed a hand on your shoulder, "well, I'm glad someone can make him look up from all that data. Listen kid, those boys have survived death defying odds over and over. They'll be find and they'll be back." She patted your shoulder twice over before simply walking away again. You simply stared up at the sky, though there was nothing to see. Just the stars lighting a sparse, vast sky. A perfectly cloudless night.

Somehow, deep within you, you weren't certain they'd be coming back this time.

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That very next night, you awoke with a start. Your heart was hammering in your chest, and you were drenched in sweat. You had seen Tech falling; falling into a clouded area. A clouded area with no end in sight. His eyes both resolute and afraid. No one could survive that fall. You simply watched as he dumbly fell and once, he had disappeared into the clouds, you'd awoken. Terrified and alone, in the middle of the night.

You tried to convince yourself it was all just a dream. But just like your feeling, you were certain it was not. Your time with the Jedi reminded you that not all dreams were fiction and not all nightmares were fears alone. So, you tried to reason with yourself that you were no Jedi. Yes, you believed in the Force but could the Force make you see things that had come to pass? No. It shouldn't be able to. And yet, you could not shake the feeling that Tech was gone as you tried to resettle your head on your pillow. Tossing from side to side. Landing on your back with a heavy sigh.

You knew it had come to pass. Tech had sacrificed himself for his brothers, for his sister. Something you had no doubt he would do, if it were the only logical thing he could do. You lay there with your heart hammering in your chest, legs numb, knowing you would not sleep again that night.

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You hadn't slept in days. You had sat up at night sketching the vision, as you had come to decide it was. You feared sleep. You feared dreaming of Tech falling or something worse this time. You knew the Force was telling you something and you shared your fears with Shep. He could only frown and try to tell you it was only a dream. You had sighed and walked away without another word being spoken. You knew the Force was telling you he was gone, even if the others did not believe it; but you could feel it.

In the days that followed, Shep had attempted to bring you meals and you would not take it. It remained outside your door. You couldn't eat for fear of simply bringing it back up with nerves.

You were waiting and you did not know how long you would be waiting for the familiar sound of the Marauder returning. You couldn't do anything, you feared, until they returned. Until you knew one way or another. The pain was just too great.

And so, you began to meditate. Like Master Plo Koon had taught you. Had been kind enough to teach you, though you were no Jedi. You meditated as the sun rose and fell around you. You did not know truly how long you had been meditating. But you focused on the beating of your own heart. Your own heart beat is the only way to the truth, Plo had always told you. So, you focused on the familiar beat of your own heart until some unexpected happened. The beating of your own heart was met with the beating of another. Another heart. Another soul. It was his. You knew it. He was alive, you realised. As you smiled at the beat of his heart coursing through your body. You felt the warmth of joy spread through you, as if he was spreading throughout you.

He had survived. Or perhaps what you had seen had never come to pass. Perhaps they were all safe after all.

And yet, they still had not returned. Perhaps things were not as simple as you thought they would be. One rotation turned into ten. Ten turned into twenty. When you reached thirty rotations, you were convinced they were safe but you felt they would never return to Pabu. Realising you couldn't spend the rest of your life hiding away, you began to continue on your long neglected works. Your heart was heavy but hopeful.

He was alive but he would not return to Pabu. A promise unfulfilled. In your meditation, you had felt a darkness around the galaxy, holding the brothers captive. But as darkness does, it shrouded the truth. So, you entered a routine of waking up and meditating, feeling for his heartbeat. Thrilled when it was there. You'd go out and work without the support of the ever efficient Tech. You would eat alone, drink alone and end your day with meditation, so you could feel his heartbeat before you slept. You thanked the Force for the kindness of Plo. Without him, you feared you'd be lost. A soul frozen in time. You slept soundly now and with no further dreams of consequence. It was as if things had finally reached a new form of normal.

A normal which included your broken heart.

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Then, the fateful and joyous finally came. You had been sat in the blistering sun with Corusca. She had broken her data bank again. Her bank of memories, kindly retrieved by Phee. Corusca was well into her seventieth year and had no idea how this technology really worked and she had a bit of a temper. A smack here and a whack with a rolling pin there, meant it had broken. Again. You sat with her as you fixed it, appreciating the company and her gratuitous chatter of her life and culture before Pabu. It kept your mind quiet somehow.

That's when you heard it. That familiar sound. The most out of place sound on such a peaceful isle. The Marauder. You almost dropped the tool in your hand as the sound filled your ears. Immediately, you head whipped up to the sky to confirm what you'd heard. There she was. The most beautiful ship in all the galaxy. The Marauder swooped into view, heading for the courtyard. You stood immediately and shouted, "I'm sorry, I promise I'll come and get this fixed later," over you shoulder as you ran up the stairs towards their designated landing zone. Coursca simply smiled as she knew what you were chasing after. Love.

Please be alive. Please be alive. Please be alive. You repeated in a mantra to yourself. You hoped that you had been feeling was, in fact, his heartbeat, his safety.

The gangplank swept down, and Omega came stumbling off and saw you. You lowered to your knees and swept her up in her arms, spinning her around wildly. Whilst you had worried for Tech, you had also thought of Omega often. How devastated you would be if she had been lost.

As you placed her down, you finally spoke, "hey kid, long time no see," but her infamous and infectious giggle didn't follow. She seemed wearied, aged and troubled; your heart dropped and shattered. You pulled back further to get a good look at her. "Where's Tech?" She had tears in her eyes. "Omega, where is Tech?" You found yourself pleading.

“He-he’s okay. I mean he - he wasn’t. We thought he’d died when he fell,” she explained.

“I saw the fall,” you explained, placing your hands on her shoulders, “please tell me he survived, Omega. Just tell me that."

“He’s o-okay,” she mumbled, looking back towards the Marauder, “he’s just a little banged up and weary.” Your eyes drifted towards the ship and you watched as Hunter aided Tech down the gangplank. He limped and appeared heavily bruised. Bruising you didn’t think came from the fall. She nodded that it was okay for you to go to him. She knew that’s what you wanted.

“TECH,” you voice bellowed through the air, and he looked up from his feet towards you, “Tech, you’re okay.” You reached immediately for him, arms thrown around his neck immediately and you collided with a thud. When he groaned slightly, you lurched away from him, face riddled with concern.

“Three broken ribs, a fracture to my shin which did not heal correctly, and I took a bit of a beating on our escape but yes,” he adjusted his spare goggles, “yes I’m alive.” You wrapped your arms more carefully around his neck this time, as you had done countless times before he left. He groaned with the pain but couldn’t help but bury his head in your neck and place his arms around the small of your back. Despite the pain, he was truly grateful to see your face again.

Realising you were crushing his ribs, you pulled back and mumbled out a sorry. Hunter returned to prop up his brother. “He just needs to rest,” Hunter told you, “he’ll be okay.” You let them walk past and you hugged Wrecker, who lifted and span you as soon as he grabbed hold of you. Just as you had done with Omega. When he placed you down and you were giggling, when you noticed a new figure. A figure with a crosshair symbol over his eye and then it clicked into place. The missing brother.

“Wrecker,” you said cautiously, “care to introduce me to your brother?” Wrecker whipped around and grinned, grabbing Crosshair in a brotherly embrace around the shoulder. Crosshair winced slightly at the contact or perhaps out of irritation. Maybe both; it was difficult to tell.

“This is Crosshair.” Wrecker said with pride, “former Empire drone. Now, our brother in exile.” Wrecker’s laughter boomed out around you, and you giggled along with him. Crosshair looked at you tiredly and you reached out your hand for him to shake. He took it in silence and simply nodded his head at you. He then swept past you to catch up with Hunter and Tech. “He’ll warm up to you eventually. He always was the quiet one.”

“Compared to you, Wrecker,” you gestured conspiratorially with your finger for him to reach down to your level, he complied, “they’re all the quiet one, my darling.” His thunderous laughter only proved your point.

“You got me there, love.” He pulled you up to hug you tightly again. Then, he threw an arm around you and you followed the others towards Shep’s home.

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That evening you all ate together to commemorate the glorious reunion. You sat beside Tech and could barely lift your eyes from his face. He noticed your stare but tried to avoid staring at you for fear of remembering and reacting to the kiss you had shared the night before he left.

The dinner was unusually quiet that night. Wrecker was the closest to his usual self. But he had his brothers and Omega, and a full meal so had the most to be thankful for. Hunter sat worried about Omega. Omega sat worried about Tech, remembering watching him fall. Tech was split focused between you and Crosshair. He had experienced only a fraction of what he had at the hands of Dr. Hemlock and that sufficient enough to know that the man was accomplishing nothing pleasant. Crosshair was simply trying hard to feel like he belonged, to forget the things he had done, the things he’d seen and experienced. Echo had already returned to Rex.

Shep spoke quietly with you about your drawing, of which you had done precious little. Though you had drawn that dream, that vision over and over again. Hoping that it being on paper would resolve the trauma unravelling in your mind. It never did. Only now had your mind truly quieted.

Dinner after dinner, day after day, things began to return to a form of normality.

But you knew that they would have to leave eventually. That the fight was theirs. That the war was theirs. You knew you could not stop them from returning. The Empire had made the fight personal. First with Tech's fall and then with Omega. With Crosshair. With all of it.

One morning, about three rotations into their return, you'd awoken content and enjoyed the rays as they hit your groggy face. You had dressed in haste, already late to start works. When you headed down to the Docks to help repair a vessel, you came across a familiar sight. Tech had already begun the works on the ship. When he spotted you, he simply smiled and said, “I thought I may be of some assistance.”

“Tech, you should be resting,” you admonished. He hopped off the ship, using one hand to propel forward, so that he could approach you cautiously on the dock. The fact he was able to do that alone showed that maybe he didn't need quite as much rest as you thought.

“I have healed to a more than sufficient standard.”

“You were going stir crazy lazing around huh?” You retorted with a graceless snort.

“Yes, you could say that.” He adjusted his goggles and offered you a small smile, “I have almost finished the repair.” Once again, as he had done before, he looked at you expectantly. You tilted your head at him before shaking your giggly head. He smiled as he recreated his previous actions. So, you did what you always do, you reached up and hugged him. Yet this hug was filled with an intensity the previous ones had not. You were almost buried inside of one another, and the hug lasted longer than any previous ones. You felt the heartbeat that you head been feeling for so long by yourself. The heartbeat that belonged to Tech.

When you lifted your head from his shoulder, you whispered, “I am truly so glad you’re safe and well.”

“As am I,” he joked. A silly little Tech joke. Your favourite kind of joke. As you pulled away from each other, he held your gaze by your chin in his fingers as he studied your eyes. “I missed those eyes.” Well, that was new. Unexpected? Certainly. Unwanted? Definitely not.

“As I have missed yours,” you retorted, “brown eyes.” You did your best to mimic Phee’s accent as you said it and you both simply just smiled. After a beat of silence, you tried to start things anew, “I believe I owe you a dinner.” You tried not to sound too hopeful, to give him the chance to refuse.

“I have a distinct memory of that promise.” You placed a hand to his cheek for a fleeting moment. “Would this evening suit you? I do not feel that we need another group dinner.”

“This evening suits me fine,” you said with a grin. You took the tool from his hand and hopped aboard the boat, “but I’m going to finish this, and you are going to go and rest up. You’ll need your energy for dinner later,” you said with a flirtatious wink.  His eyebrows shot up at your boldness and it did not take him long to gather your meaning. He seemed frozen in place for a moment, before he turned on his heel and heading back up the steps and away from the dock. You had no doubt he was going to do some form of work on the Marauder. He'd be out of sight so you couldn't admonish him further.

With a smile, you set to work on the motor.

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You’d fussed and fought over what to wear, what to serve, what to do before Tech arrived. You’d cleaned and showered. Settling on the black dress he’d complimented so long ago; you fixed your hair as best you could. In reality, it was no better than a messy bun. You sighed at your inability to even vaguely imitate a girly girl.

You heard a faint knocking sound as he arrived precisely on time. You jumped at the sound and moved to let him in. The door creaked as you opened it and with a shy smiled, you stepped to one side. Suddenly feeling the vulnerability of inviting another into your home.

“I…” you started as Tech entered your home, you suddenly felt vulnerable, “I hope this is okay. I notice you don’t eat excessively and I’m the same in that regard. I figured food we could just pick at with some wine would be okay?” You hadn’t intended that last bit to be a question. You knew he would be okay with whatever you offered.

“This is more than sufficient,” he seemed as nervous as you, “thank you. It was kind of you to invite me to your home. Again.” Had he truly thought you wouldn't?

“Well you’re quite special in that regard,” you responded as you began placing the food on the small table in your hut. The sun was setting over the harbour and it shone through the open window, lighting the table in a soft crimson glow.

“How so?” He queried.

“Well, I have never had anyone in my hut for dinner before.” Your response seemed to fall so easily from your lips that it startled Tech somewhat. He couldn’t understand what would make him so special. “I dine out, a lot.” You huffed a laugh at the stupidity of your own comment.

“Well, I am grateful to be considered special by someone such as yourself.” He didn’t realise he’d backed himself into a corner there.

“Such as myself,” you couldn’t help but ask.

“It is not often I find someone I consider to be intelligent,” he started, “not on a standard similar to myself. Of course, I have a slight genetic advantage, so I ultimately am always more intelligent. But you… you are quite something.”

Quite something, you thought to yourself, the heat rising to your cheeks. You’d both seated yourselves beside one another at your table as you’d spoken. You noticed how upright he was. It was clearly not that easy for him to relax. You then realised how much you were slouching, and you jolted to correct yourself.

A movement he did not miss. “Please do not adjust yourself on my account. This is your home.” You smiled at his gentle platitude. Your shoulders relaxed somewhat at that.

After a spell of silence, he questioned, “have you continued your sketching since I have been away?” He cleared his throat at the awkwardness of his question. You were panicking. Could you show him what you’d drawn? Would it trigger something inside him? Would it ruin this evening?

“Sort of,” you offered up vaguely. Deciding it would be best not to show him. “Nothing particularly special.” “Well, I could be the objective eye on that,” he retorted, knowing he was always objective to the point of brutal honesty. You reached behind him and handed him the notebook with a sigh. He flipped through it eagerly until his hands stilled. He’d found the latest drawing. A very clear image of the wreckage of that second car of his face as he fell into the clouds. It was all too accurate, and Tech was shocked. “How did you know this –“

“I saw it.” You sounded crazy. You sounded far too crazy. “It was a nightmare. A nightmare that plagued my mind and my heart was so sure it was real.” He simply stared at the drawing with a shaky hand. He’d never been more scared than he was in the moment he fell and here it was, from the other perspective.

“You did not think I was coming back.” It was a fact, he believed. You thought he had died in that fall. His heart lurched at the idea that this would affect you so. He knew that you would not have found peace in this drawing. Drawn so many times over, at different points in the fall. Until the drawing was almost entirely cloud. He did his best to push the memory back down. He did not wish to think of that now he was here with you.

“For fear of sounding crazy, I’m not going to say anything else.” He turned the page to face you, with an eyebrow raised.

“Based on this,” he pushed it closer just a tad to emphasise the madness of what he was seeing, “anything you could say, I would not find crazy.”

“I began meditating after I saw it. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t eat. So, I meditated and as I began to focus on my own heartbeat, I eventually found another was beating with it. Something inside of me… told me it was you.” You looked away, through the open window. You found so impossible to meet his gaze. “I thought about you every day. I listened for that heartbeat every day.” Tech remained still and silent. He had thought of you every moment he had been conscious and he had drifted in and out of that frequently. He’d thought of your dresses, your tool belt and the feeling of your lips on his. But to feel his heartbeat? He didn't know such a thing was possible for those who were not Jedi. He knew you worked in the Temple but did that give you an understanding of the Force that he could not understand.

There was suddenly an odd atmosphere amongst you, as if there was some unspoken mystery between you and you could guess what it was. It was partly the intensity of the feelings you'd covertly just confessed which led to the other part of the awkwardness. The kiss you’d shared before he'd left. You had no idea how to broach the subject, nor did he. He had lay in his bunk imagining it over and over again to the point of extreme and painful arousal. The sort of arousal only a cold shower could alleviate. He’d even imagine it whilst they had been away on mission, which was new experience for Tech. To be so…distracted by another.

Instead of discussing it, you both simply began to enjoy the meal on the table. Picking gently at the different assortment of fruits and vegetables, as you'd expected. You poured him some wine and refilled your own cup. He reached out his cup to yours, “to good friends.” You repeated his words and the cups met with a gentle thud. You both took a sip. You couldn’t think of a single thing to say and Tech was being uncharacteristically quiet and you feared it was because of what you'd said. A long silence fell over both of you and eventually, all you could do was sigh.

“This is ridiculous,” you finally said and Tech looked at you, confusion etched on his features. “We have worked together for days in the past and there was barely a moment of silence. I felt your heartbeat, as if it were my own. I saw you fall and the Force guided me to know you were okay and now I struggle to find the words for normal conversation with you. I made the mistake of kissing you and telling you all that happened when you were gone and now it’s all messed up anyway.” You sighed, placing your cup down. You'd been nervously fidgeting with it in your hands for some time. Scraping your nail against the coarse cup.

“I am sorry if that kiss was not sufficient,” he adjusted his goggles nervously, “I confess I do not have much experience in these matters. Nor do I fully understand how you felt my heartbeat. It is all quite new to me.”

“Not sufficient?” You had to bite back your laughter. You had barely slept that night for memories of that kiss. “Tech, that kiss was extraordinary. I do not understand how I felt what I felt either." You were somehow having a conversation within another conversation. One about the physical and one about the mystical.

“Then I do not know what it is that I have done to make this awkward.” He tried replaying each moment in his head, trying to block out his bodily reactions to the memory.

“It’s not something you did,” you replied softly, grasping his hand in yours, “I simply worry that I ruined a friendship over a kiss you did not want, for feelings that you do not share.”

“That kiss was extraordinary for me too,” he squeezed your hand gently, “I apologise. I did not know how to respond to your previous statement. I do not know how to act. My brothers also informed me that this was definitely a date. They made some remarks on how I should act but I cannot seem to bring myself to say or do anything they suggested.”

“You do not need to say or do anything that isn’t what you want, Tech,” you reached up to brush your hand against his cheek. “I just want you to be Tech.”

“I am sorry that I left so suddenly,” he said quickly, averting his eyes to the floor, “I did not think it would affect me so nor did I think we would be gone so long. Then everything went a bit... awry.” You’d heard the tales of his fall, his time captured by Dr Hemlock, the whole shuddering tale had been retold to you by Omega once they’d landed.

“What I want is to kiss you again,” he murmured softly as he relished in your gentle touch, “though I do not know how to instigate such matters.” You noticed his eyes drop to your lips and he reached up to mimic your action. Brushing his bare fingers across your cheek. Then you realised he wasn’t wearing his gloves. That was new, you thought. His fingers reached the hair covering your ear and he gently brushed it behind your ear with a soft smile.

“I’d say you’re doing a good job of instigating it,” you replied before leaning in and placing a short, gentle kiss to his lips. As you pulled back, his eyes were filled with mirth as he looked at you. He leaned in and mimicked your action. Another fleeting kiss, so soft you could barely feel it. “Yes, you’re doing a very good job of starting things.” You huffed out the breath you’d be holding as your faces remained close to one another.

“The movement of your hair was Hunter’s idea,” he admitted sheepishly, and you giggled at that, pulling away from him. You reached for your glass and said, “to Hunter’s excellent advice.” He smiled and your cups met in the middle once more. You both took an urgent sip. Both thinking of the kiss. Both completely unaware that you shared the same thought.

After he placed his cup down, he whispered your name softly to get your attention; he’d noticed you lost in your thoughts. “What if I wanted to instigate something more intense.”

You tapped your chin comically, mimicking a thought that you’d had in your mind since you’d kissed him. Since you’d seen him last, walking up the gangplank of the Marauder. “Are you okay with me getting a little bit closer, a little more personal?” You’d rather ask; you wanted to afford him the opportunity to back off.

“I would say that I'd prefer it if you did.” For Tech, that was pretty damn smooth.

And so, you stood up. Lifting the hem of your dress slightly with your fingers, you positioned yourself to straddle his lap. He leaned back into the chair but not from discontent. Purely so he could watch every movement you made. So that he could watch this again later. With your permission of course.

You noticed his hands gripping the edges of the chair with such force that his knuckles were whitening under the strain. You knew what his hands naturally wanted to do but perhaps he feared overstepping too. With a soft smile blooming on your lips, you grasped his hands gently, and raised them to your exposed thighs. His eyes were watching the movement so intently and his lips parted as he felt the softness of your flesh in his bare hand. It wasn’t a sensation he had experience before.

You’d placed his hands in an innocent enough spot. You hoped that with the right amount of encouragement, biology may encourage him to do as he pleased with you. And he did. His brain seemed to be processing things a little slower and he decided to simply listen to what his body was telling him. His hands were at the edge of your dress, and he knew that if he grazed his hands further, more and more of your delectable body would be exposed to him.

And so he did. It was a feather light touch and it tickled; you couldn’t help but audibly gasp at the contact. He had only moved your dress mere millimetres further, but he found the sensation to cause his whole body to stir. He knew you’d let him raise this dress until you were fully exposed to him.

He suddenly looked up at you, with an innocent smile on his face but his eyes had glazed over with lust. Yes! You’d caused him to lose some semblance of his usual control. You moved your hands from his shoulders to his neck and pulled him into a deep and sensuous kiss. It didn’t take long for your tongue to glide over his lips and into his mouth. A deep growl escaped his throat as he did so.

His hands had pushed your dress up to your waist, simply so his hands could settle at your waist which he was now pawing at frantically. You pulled him as close as you could, feeling his chest heaving against your own heavy breathing. Your tongues danced around one another. Occasionally, you’d pull away just enough to tease his lips into chasing yours. Which they did.

What happened next was something you could not control. With his heavy grip on your waist, you rocked your hips against him and his heard lurched back with a heavy groan at the friction. Your lust filled eyes tried to feign innocence as he stared at you slack jawed.

“Was that the intense contact you had anticipated?” You asked him, sweetness dripping across the words like honey. When he nodded frantically, you rocked your hips once more. But just one more time. You wanted him to be sure of his need. To want it so intensely that he couldn’t help himself. Part of you knew that you’d be holding the reigns in this experience, but you cared enough for this sweet man enough to give him the chance to explore what he wanted.

“Please keep doing that,” his voice barely above a whisper. You complied immediately and his head swung further back in ecstasy with the first few rutting movements. After he adjusted to the pleasure, his head lolled down towards the movement. His hands began to help guide the movement so that the friction reached a heightened intensity for you both. You whimpered as you felt his now solid member rub directly against your clit.

Tech noticed.

Now his guiding movement ensured that he hit that point again. Every. Single. Time. You felt your body tingling and tensing, and you knew that your orgasm was close. “Tech, if you keep doing that, I’m going to cum all over your trousers.”

With a wolfish smile you’d never seen before, he simply continued the movement and said, “that was rather the intent, darling.” The pet name dripped from his mouth in his pleasure and you loved it. When he replayed it in his mind briefly, he realised he rather liked it too. He was grunting into the movement now, his pleasure pulsating through him. You were almost screaming by the time you came undone on his lap.

But Tech couldn’t stop himself, couldn’t give you a minute to recover. Not in the situation he was in. He was so caught up in his own lust, his own desire to finish that he continued rubbing you against his clothed member until he let out a strangled groan and came. Once he was done, you dropped your head to his shoulder, breathing heavily. You both simply sat there for a moment; his arms wrapped around you, holding you flush against him.

“I…” you heard him begin, “I find myself not knowing what to say. Again.” You giggled and lifted your heard.

“Leaving the infamous Tech speechless?” You placed a hand to his cheek, “well it must’ve been good.” He simply looked content in that moment. A slight smile, a starry gaze and all of his features relaxed. It was a good look in him. “Well, the first thing we should worry about is cleaning your clothes. They’ve been soaked from inside and out.” As he looked down between you, he realised how right you were.

You peeled yourself slowly from his lap, allowing him time to remove his bottom layers and as he stood before you partially naked, you couldn’t help but stare. But your staring made him blush profusely and so, he cleared his throat. Your eyes snapped up to his and you grinned sheepishly. You grabbed a towel from the stand next to you and threw it over to him.

With an accurate grasp, he whipped the towel down and around his waist, covering himself for modesty’s sake. Though modesty had long been abandoned when you’d rutted against one another. You took his clothes from his grasp and put them in the washer. Not knowing what to do next, you chuckled slightly. “I still don’t know what to say to you.” Thank you for rutting against me? Thank you for coming back alive? Thank you for saving your brothers? No thank you seemed to work as a next step.

“Let me say this, then,” he said, stepping towards you, “even though I will most likely have to leave again and soon. I will always come back to you. Or take you with us, if you would prefer. I do not wish to be parted from you in times as trying as these. If I ever feared for you the way you did over me, I do not think I could bear it. We become less like soldiers and more like people with every passing rotation.”

“I don’t want that either,” you affirmed, stepping towards him and taking both of his hands in yours. You raised them to your chest, “I realised something when you left. You’d taken a piece of my heart with you.” “I do not believe a person can live without a piece of their heart,” he replied, not knowing what you meant, “I also believe I would have noticed pieces of internal organs with me.” You giggled at that, though he had not meant it as a joke.

“It was a metaphor of sorts, Tech. Not a very good one I grant you,” you sighed and smiled all in one beat, “I simply meant that I realised I truly care for you. In a way I don’t think I’ve ever cared for someone.”

“In that case, the feeling is mutual. I care a great deal for you too.” Noticing you’d kept his hands against your heavily beating test, you pulled him towards your bed with a sultry smile.

“I don’t suppose you have anywhere else to be this evening?” He smiled and shook his head.

“No and I do not imagine I would get far in a towel regardless.” You both chuckled at that, you’d never heard him laugh before. It was a sweet and gentle sound. Barely louder than a whisper. You pulled him onto your bed, and he lay flat, almost beckoning you to him. You lay your head on his chest and listened to steady beat of his heart, with a soft and sleepy smile on your lips.

He clutched you close and decided on one final comment, "besides, I have only just begun to experience the amorous intentions I have had for you, for some time. I do not think I could give that up so easily now." You squeezed him tight, trying not to drift off to sleep too easily. But you couldn't help it because now you knew it for certain. The sound of his heartbeat was beneath your ear. He was safe… for now, at least.

---------------------------- FIN ------------------------------

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After their first successful mission as a group, reunited, they were celebrating together in Cid's. Crosshair still hadn't fully readjusted to Wrecker's emphatic, brotherly hugs nor Hunter's questions about how he was feeling.

And so, he simply sat, quiet and unmoving, in the corner seat of the parlour. He simply observed the scenario unfolding around him. He didn't feel he had much to say.

He wasn't even sure that he would ever be the same with his brothers. He wasn't sure if he could ever truly trust them to have his back again.

They all heard the footsteps, as they clobbered their way down the steps towards Cid's.

The heavy clunk of boots hitting their ears, one by one. Closer and closer until a figure appeared in the doorway of the parlour. Hunter had been waiting to hear those footsteps for days - he was worried that you wouldn't come.

There, at the door, was the one person Crosshair truly believed to be dead. That is what the Empire had declared in their reports, at least. As you appeared in the doorway, Crosshair was stunned. You were here, in Ord Mantell, with your hands on your hips, staring into the room. Looking at each of your brothers with a gentle smile, remembering the first time you had met them. It all looked very much the same. When your eyes settled on Crosshair, he stood slowly, sliding out of the chair, and walked towards you cautiously.

He was convinced you were a dream, a dream from a simpler time. He was worried if he moved too fast, you would be gone.

"You really are here," you finally said, breaking the iced atmosphere in the room. "You really did come back." You pulled at the fingers of your right glove, one by one, until it slipped away from your hand delicately.

He had always liked your delicate and dainty hands.

Just like Crosshair, you were terrified of moving too fast. In fear that this whole thing was a dream. You were afraid of moving too fast, of pushing too hard. But you couldn't believe he was really here. Once the glove was held in your other hand, you tentatively lifted your hand towards his cheek.

He leant into your fingers, which were softly closed, and closed his eyes. Your skin was so warm on his cold skin.

He looked so frail, so skinny. A shadow of the real Crosshair.

But to him, you looked perfect. You were here, his general. You had never kissed him, never slept with him and hardly even been around him except for on those rare missions. But he was yours, truly, and you were his, fully. You were his Jedi general. His commander. He would go anywhere with you. Anywhere for you.

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

There had been one touch earlier, years earlier, which had almost been as the one before you now. His position had been hit by the bombardment of a Separatist tank and your heart had plummeted in your chest. You instantly began to retreat towards his position, ordering the others of 99 to continue pushing forward, to not give up your position. You had said you would save their brother and they knew that you would. They believed in you and they had always known of your special bond with Crosshair.

When you reached his position, he was lying on his back and was groaning. As you rushed to help him, you breathed out his name and his head snapped towards you. You reached for his helmet and slowly began to remove it. When his brown eyes finally pierced yours, you slowly reached out and touched his cheek.

Feeling him through the force, to ensure he is okay, you reminded yourself in that moment. That was all it could ever be. You were a Jedi and a General. He was clone troopers and your favourite deviant defect.

As you touched his cheek for the first time, the whole world stopped for Crosshair. Despite the screams of clones in the background, as Wrecker bulldozed them off of the bridge.

Your eyes bore into his momentarily, before you asked if he was okay.

He nodded once, a very curt nod. He breathed in and swallowed. "Tell me what you need, my general," he responded and with a smile, you told him to find cover over the second bridge. "Sir, yes sir," he affirmed flippantly.

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

He couldn't believe you were here, touching his cheek so gently. After what he had done.

After what he had done, he remembered. In that moment, he remembered every bad thing he had done, every bad decision he had made. He had hunted her kind; he had tried to kill the young padawan. If Hunter hadn't have helped him...

He tried to shake the thoughts, but he couldn't. They were seared into his mind, along with the residuals of the enhancements of his inhibitor chip. He knew you could feel his pain in this moment and that was the last thing he wanted. You frowned as you asked, "what did they do to you?"

"Good soldiers follow orders," he mumbled. In that moment, it was as if lightning struck your hand and you pulled it back from his face so quickly. It had been a while since you had heard those words so truly. But they were words you'd never forget. His eyes snapped open as your hand retreated.

He knew you would have heard those words by now. Perhaps you'd even heard them at the time. Perhaps you had fought for your life as the Republic crumbled around you. He looked at you with a frown on his lips, "I'm sorry."

"I..." you trailed off and looked to the others for solace. But you found none. The room was silent, and every face bore a frown. You felt a surge of so many emotions as you looked at Clone Force 99. You felt elated by the sight of your old friends. You felt angered by the sight of a broken Crosshair. A good soldier following orders. You felt pity and pain and the pointlessness of everything the Jedi had stood for. Everything you had stood for. "I have to go. I - I can't do this. I'm sorry."

And with that, you left. You left as quickly and gracefully as you had arrived.

Hunter rushed to his brothers side, placing a hand on his shoulder before heading out of the door and into the evening heat of Ord Mantell. It didn't take him long to track you.

You had left a messy trail of shoe prints, fingerprints and tears. You also had not gotten very far away from the parlour before collapsing into your tears. So consumed by it all.

"It shouldn't be this hard." You said as he approached. He had tried to come towards you quietly but, well, the force is the force. You had always had a strong connection with it. "He looks so...broken."

"They," Hunter cleared his throat, "ran experiments. Left him alone without food or water for 32 rotations. Pushed him through command posts, hunting us. He barely ate or slept, even when he could. He is broken." His hand came to your shoulder, but you couldn't bring yourself to face your old friend.

You wiped the tears from your eyes. "He cares for you though, still," Hunter confirms, "as he always did. He may not even understand it. But following you, was never just a command as a clone. It was his will as a man. He would've gladly followed you anywhere."

As you turned to face him, he looked at you with a deep brotherly concern. The pain of it all was almost too much for you to bear and it was plastered across your face. "I can't help him, Hunter. I can't even help myself."

"Just don't leave, yet." Hunter asked this favour of you, of an old friend. "Please."

"Alright, Hunter. I won't go, not yet."

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

But you didn't return to Cid's. Not that night or any of the other three nights you were there.

Instead, you had headed to the Old Ord Mantell City ruins. You had camped out there for three days, trying to clear your mind. To commune with your Master. You'd had no luck with that since Order 66.

The sun was beginning to set on the old city; the ruins of an old civilisation from an era now forgotten. You kicked at the dirt, watching as it unsettled and floated just above the ground before landing soundless once again.

You honestly didn't know why you were still here. It is not as if the city had a pleasant history. Just like this ruined city, your relationship with the Bad Batch, with Crosshair, was long forgotten.

"Hunter said you had headed out this way," the sultry sound of Crosshair's voice made you jump. You had been so lost in your thoughts that you hadn't even felt his approach. He wasn't in his armour anymore. He wore a simple and light black cloth across his chest and legs. Light enough that he could feel the breeze across his skin. He truly looked so fragile as a civilian, "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"All of it." As you tried to stare him down, you realised how angry you truly were. At him. At the Empire. You scoffed and repeated his words, 'all of it'.

"Yes, all of it," you kicked at the dirt again as you spoke, "the Empire," you flipped your hand one way, "the Jedi," your hand flipped the other way, "the Sith." You stilled your hand this time, feeling the force about your fingers. "The failures of my people to do the one thing that was so fundamental to their core. Protect the people. Protect the fucking peace. We were nothing more than pawns in a game of war." You squinted as the sun reappeared from behind the ruin, behind Crosshair's head. His silhouetted form was frozen in space. "All of that is your fault, is it?" You didn't even know why you were arguing all of this.

"They were your friends, and they were killed. They were systematically killed by the people I put my faith in." Crosshair held up his hands slightly and moved towards you. "I should have kept my faith in my brothers. In you."

"You think I'm angry because you, what -" You yelled, turning away from him, "because you left me and fought for them? No, Crosshair," you sighed, "that wasn't your choice." You scoffed, "I am angry that my people failed you. They failed everyone. I have lost everything and everyone I held dear." You were yelling at the top of your lungs now, but not at Crosshair. You were just yelling into the wind. Your voice carried throughout the ruins. You felt the pain coursing throughout your system, and you were tired. You were so very, very tired.

"You didn't lose me."

"Good solider's follow orders, isn't that right?" You regretted it instantly.

He recoiled away from you the second you said it. He had managed to creep towards you; he was almost close enough to reach out and touch you but now? How could he? How could he touch you after this?

You regretted those words more than any you had ever spoken. He'd had no control and you knew it. He'd been conditioned and controlled. None of this was his fault. You had failed him, not the other way around. You opened your mouth to speak but no sound came out. You simply sank to your knees in front of him and cried out a simple, "I'm sorry that I failed you, Crosshair."

He realised, in that moment, that you were as broken as he was. Perhaps there was enough left unbroken for the two of you to patch each other up. He realised he at least wanted to try and find out. He wanted to try because you were on your knees before him, crying. You were in pieces before him.

So, he sank to his knees in front of you and reached his un-gloved hand to your cheek. You felt him graze his knuckles across your cheekbone.

"My general," he whispers, as you continue to sob, "are you okay?" He repeated the words you had uttered to each other in secret all those years ago. You looked up at him, feeling the water still brimming under your eyes. As you shook your head in defeat, he said, "tell me what you need."

His hands found the points where your shoulders met your neck and he pushed your hair away. He rested his hands around the crook of your neck as he watched you try and centre yourself.

You eyes finally snapped up to his, red from the tears and the pain.

"I came here for you, Cross." You stated it so matter-of-factly to him that he was a left a little startled. "Hunter, he reached out more than once when you were working with the Empire. He begged me to help and I couldn't give it. I was weak. But then I hear from him, one final time, after months of silence and he said you were back and so, here I am." You sighed as you grasped at his hands at the base of his neck. Sighing at the sensation of your soft skin on his rough hands. You leant your head into one of his hands and closed your eyes. "I am sorry that I failed you Crosshair. But I promise... I will always come back for you. You are not my solider, and I am not your general. Yooba solus ner aliit."

You were his family. That is what you had told him. His love, he thought. Your affirmation made him smile, the first real smile he had felt on his lips in months.

Suddenly, there was a new sound to focus on. Clones. At least, you thought it was clones. They certainly didn’t sound like the regular clones. The accents were varied and unique which was unanticipated for a clone. There was a gruffness to the voice of the one you assumed was their commander.

“Wrecker, Tech,” he called out, “find any remaining survivors and get them away from here. Get them to safety.”

“There’s a woman under that table.” It was Jido’s voice, he was panting as he spoke to them. The smoke clearly affecting him more than he would admit. God bless that man, you thought. “Please,” he begged, “help her.”

Within seconds, an incredibly large and incredibly muscular man was down on his knee in front of you. A startling softness was in his good eye as he looked at your terrified form. You wondered what had happened to that right eye. You realised that you must have looked to be an utter mess in that moment. Your knees were clutched to your chest as you trembled in fear. You hadn’t even realised you were trembling. As you looked at him, you recognised similarities to the clones you had encountered but he was certainly unique.

You had some many questions.

“It’s okay,” he spoke with a strange sort of soft, comforting loudness, “you’ll be okay. Just take my hand.” He reached his large hand under the table and without a second thought, you placed your small delicate hand in his. As he closed his fingers around your hand, you realised your hand was entirely engulfed by his. He pulled you out of your hiding spot quickly.

He pulled you out from under the table and immediately lifted you, so you were over his shoulder; it happened in one smooth movement, and he had lifted you as if you were lighter than air. If you weren’t so scared, you probably would have found the action incredibly arousing.

He was whispering soft, comforting things to you as he rushed you away from the incident. He sped past people, dodging clumsily as you remained limp over his shoulder. His armour was digging into his side.

As you turned down an alley towards the edges of the safe zone, he gently placed you one the ground. He placed his hands on your shoulders and asked if you were okay. You gave him a soft nod, wiping the left-over tears from your eyes.

"Thanks for the lift," you joked lightly as you continued wiping at your eyes. His responsive laughter echoed through the alley. "Anytime," he retorted. His gaze drifted over your form and you panicked that you must look like a mess.

"I normally don't look quite so dishevelled," you mumbled, pulling your top down. His eyes snapped up.

"You look -" A third explosion went off as he began to speak. He loudly groaned and complained, "awww, I'm missing all the action." You took one of his hands in yours and you couldn't help but giggle. . His head, which had looked towards the explosion, suddenly whipped around to look at your hand on his. You softly whispered, “go, I’ll be okay.”

"You sure?"

"Yes, you should go. Save the city. I like a good hero." He smiled and blushed. After giving your hand a gentle squeeze and made his way out of the alley. You watched him, with a flutter in your stomach, until he was no longer visible.

Suddenly, you realised you didn’t even know his name. Know which squadron he belonged to. You knew nothing of this gentle giant that had helped you. When the fourth explosion happened, you realised you were still far too close to the carnage and dashed off towards the safety of your home.

I hope the big guy is okay, you thought as you unlocked your door with a trembling hand.

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

Jido came to check on you a couple of hours after the commotion. He had stayed behind to help find people and assist with the triage. He also filled you in on the exploits of Clone Force 99.

Well, you thought, at least I know which squad he belongs to now.

"The big guy Wrecker, smashed the heads of two drones together. It was pretty funny." You giggled at the mental image of Wrecker doing that. You imagined the force he used would hHe looked at your face with a frown, "that bruise looks pretty nasty."

And now we know his name, you thought, Jido's extroverted nature has its uses.

"It's fine," you assured, wanting the topic of your injuries to be dropped. As Jido went to respond, you were saved by the sound of the door chime.

You looked back at Jido with a confused frown crossing over your features. He was the only one who ever called by your home and well, he was already here. Then you noticed it, the guilty, sheepish grin on Jido's face.

"Okay so Wrecker may have asked about you," he raised both his hands in defense, palms flat towards you, "and it may have ended in me giving him your address. He said he had something to give you and well," he stood, slinking behind the sofa as you threw a pillow at him, "you know I love to help love blossom."

The door chimed for a second time. You have Jido a look of don't you bloody dare.

But he did dare. He quickly flounced across your apartment and opened the door. "Hello again," he announced as he opened the door.

You noticed Wrecker stood high, taller than the door frame. He bent slightly and looked in to see you sat on the sofa. He offered a toothy smile when you gave him a gentle wave.

You were definitely going to either murder or marry Jido.

Jido's head was flickering between the toothy grin on Wrecker's face and the sweet smile and rosey cheeks you were portraying. When nobody said anything for several moments, Jido clasped his hands together with a slap, and announced he'd better be going.

"In you come, Wrecker." Jido held up his hand toward the apartment and Wrecker sheepishly did as he was told. When he stood tall in your hallway, you felt your face heat and you were sure you were as crimson as the dress you wore. He looked incredibly hot in his armour. "Well, I'm going to go do something... that's not here, have a good night you two."

And with that, he left.

"Uh, hi." Wrecker scratched at the back of his neck as he spoke.

"Hello again." You offered with a welcoming smile. You stood and looked him over properly. He was still covered in his armour but his helmet was absent. He looked incredibly handsome in his armour. Then you noticed something dangling from his hand. It looked familiar but you weren't close enough to him to know for certain what it was. So, as you walked around the sofa, you asked, "what's that in your hand."

He stuttered a bit as your approached but he held out his hand and opened it for you to see, "I, uh, I found this by your stall. I thought it might be yours. You looked at the beskar necklace with a ruby bail. It was the one you'd be fiddling with when the explosion happened.

"Oh my god," you blurted as you gently pulled the necklace from his hand. He watched you as you examined the necklace for damage, yet it was in perfect condition. You felt a tear slip down your cheek as you looked up at him with a toothy grin. "I can't believe it. It's perfect. How did you -"

"It was lying on the floor when some droids were over there. I, uh, thought you'd want it." You couldn't help the next thing you did. You reached up on your tip of your toes and threw your arms around his neck. His armour was solid against you and you realised you wished you could feel the warmth of his body against yours. You also realised he wasn't hugging you back.

Wrecker was surprised, shocked and thrilled all at once. He hadn't expected this kind of response. Then he realised, he wasn't hugging you back. He quickly threw his arms around you and gave your body a gentle squeeze.

You mumbled a gentle thank you into his neck as you nestled your face into his exposed neck.

As you released him from your embrace, you noticed the pink twinge to his face. "It's nothing," his voice rumbled and you could tell he was nervous. As you bounced on your heels slightly, you thought of a solution to your problem.

"Do you want a drink?" You asked as you drifted towards your kitchen. He remained stationary at the door, simply watching you move. As he watched you flow around, in your long crimson dress, he realised you were the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. He couldn't believe you'd hugged him. You had hugged him. As you stood at the counter looking at him, watching him stare at you with a gentle smile on his face.

"Oh," he mumbled, "I - uh - yes, please."

And so, you set to work, grabbing glasses from the cabinet.

"The options are rather limited, I'm afraid," you said, "I have some pretty strong Mudhorn eggnog left over from a party Jido threw. Would that be okay?" He simply nodded but remained completely stationary near the doorway. "You can come in you know," you laughed mirthly, "please, take off your armour, make yourself comfortable. That sofa is pretty cosy." His cheeks became redder but he complied with your suggestion.

He moved over to the sofa cautiously and began removing his armour piece by piece. When he was dressed down into his back, he sat on your sofa and leaned back into it with a content sigh. You had been right. This sofa was very cosy.

You approached him with the drink and as you handed him the drink and sat with your legs crossed on the sofa facing him with a soft smile. You took a sip of your drink. "You were a hero today."

"It was nothing, we do it all the time."

"Even so, you saved my life. You saved my work," you looked at the necklace which was still in your hand.

"Well, I thought it was pretty. I didn't want to leave it there." He looked into your eyes and you felt the dusting of pink hitting your cheeks.

God, he is so handsome, you thought.

"Besides," he said, "I love to blow things up." He threw out a booming laugh that filled the entire room and you simply giggled along with him.

"Well," you replied, "that's an interesting hobby, at least. Much more interesting than my jewellery." You took another long sip of your drink.

"Are ya kidding?" His voice was louder now, the drink giving him the confidence he'd been missing. "I could never do what you do. It's amazing." You blushed deeper at his words. Your cheeks were so hot that you were convinced they were matching the colour of your dress. As he finished off his drink, he threw his arm along the back of the sofa so that it was close to you.

Suddenly, but softly, his index finger brushed against the bare skin of your arm. It tickled. It gave you goosebumps. It was wonderful and your jaw slacked as a result. "Yer so pretty."

"I'm a mess," you blurted out and he frowned. You fumbled over the fabric of your dress as you spoke. Concerned about how awful you must have looked.

"No," he retorted, voice soft, "yer perfect. Yer so pretty that when I saw you in this dress, the air left my lungs. I couldn't breathe because you were so pretty."

Pretty, pretty, pretty. That was the only word floating around his mind.

"Thank you," you whispered tenderly. Feeling confident, you looked into his brown eye and his damaged eye and said, "you're pretty handsome too." He grinned at that.

His hand reached up and brushed over the growing bruise on your cheek. He frowned as he realised how terrified you must have been. How hurt you had been by the blasts.

"Like I said," you said as you leant into touch, "I'm a mess."

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

After several more drinks, you found yourself sitting extremely close to him and his arm was around you, still gently playing with the skin on your arm. There was a comfortable silence in the room.

You took a chance and rested your head on his shoulder and you were surprised when he rested his head on top of yours. "Tell me a story," you whispered. He began telling you about the time they rested Echo from Skako. He was worried that this wasn't the kind of story you wanted to hear but when you didn't stop him, he simply continued on with the narrative.

Your eyes fluttered close as a result of the soft rumbling of his chest against your side and the deep baritone of his voice.

You eventually fell asleep as you remained snuggled into him.

When he realised you were fully asleep, he stopped with the story and smiled. He placed a gentle kiss to your scalp and began to slowly untangle himself from you.

He lifted you up.

But not like the last time he had carelessly slung you over your shoulder. This time, he slid his hand under your knees and around your back and lifted you carefully. You woke just enough to place your hands around your neck as he carried you to the bedroom. He had spotted the bed earlier and his cheeks had blushed at the thoughts that entered his mind.

He hadn't anticipated that he would be carrying your sleeping form to the bed. His thoughts certainly hadn't been of that but he was still happy to do it.

When he placed you down, he smiled down at you as your head snuggled into the pillow. It was time to leave.

But you grabbed his hand as he turned to go and you whispered a soft, "stay."

He couldn't resist. So he made his way around your bed and sat down. The bed groaned from the sheer weight of this magnificent man. His hand rubbed over his face and he turned to look at you, concerned you wouldn't remember asking him to stay.

He made his way, as quietly as he could, across the bed and lay on his back next to you, close enough that his side could feel the warmth of your body.

You instantaneously turned to cuddle into him. Your hand slid slowly across his stomach and he lifted his to hold onto yours with a content smile. Your head was rested on your shoulder and you sighed gently.

Whilst he thought you were still asleep, he whispered, "thank you for asking me to stay."

"You are too sweet," you mumbled back, "I couldn't just let you walk away."

And with that, he simply sighed happily and closed his eyes, drifting off slowly.

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

You were sitting there, fiddling with the clasp of your necklace. The beskar chain with the ruby bail. The sun was high in the sky, speckled light fell over the market. Jido was chatting with Aristac at her stall. You smiled. And then it happened, the explosion. You fell to the floor, your head was pounding and your body was in an agonising pain.

When your mind finally drifted to the second explosion, you woke with a loud yell. Your body was drenched in sweat, your breathing was erratic, your chest was heaving.

Wrecker was already awake, sat upright and was staring at you with deep concern. You felt a squeeze on your hands and you looked down to see his large hands covering yours.

"Are you okay?" He asked gently and you shook your head.

"I was there again," you mumbled, chest still heaving, "I - I can't breathe." As you slung your legs over the bed so you could sit and place your head close to your knees, you tried your best to slow your breathing.

Wrecker was in front of you in an instant. He placed his hands on your knees.

"Yer okay." He whispered as he rubbed your thigh gently, the fabric of your dress had been pushed up so his hands were heating your warm thighs. "It's okay, I wouldn't let anything happen to you. Just breathe."

You couldn't control it. You couldn't control your breath. You couldn't stop the tears. You were lost in the sounds of explosions.

"Hey," he said calmly, "look at me." You raised your eyes and focused on the deep brown hue of his good eye. "It's over now. Yer okay. Yer wonderful, sweet and kind." He rubbed softly at your legs again.

As you focused on the features of his face, you found yourself calming slowly. He continued whispering sweet words of comfort to you and you tried your to calm your breath. Your saviour from the explosion was right here in front of you. You were okay.

You were okay.

Eventually, you lay yourself back down and stared at the ceiling. You felt the bed beside you dip down and then an arm was wrapped around your waist. When you noticed his staring, you asked him what he was staring at.

"When I look at you, I see a bigger and brighter world." He whispered gently. When you giggled, you simply looked at you confused.

"That was so cliché." You giggled again and his laughter echoed around your bedroom.

"Yeah," he groaned, "it really was." You couldn't help yourself in that moment. You leaned up and kissed the frown that had formed on his lips. He jolted from his thoughts and simply pressed his lips back on yours. The feeling of contentment fell over you both. His hand reached into your hair and his fingers gently slid through it as he pressed his lips to yours with a bit more pressure. He thought about the things he wanted to do with you, for you.

You’d given Tech the co-ordinates and headed off to your favourite resting spot. Together with blankets and food and wine, you all sat together drinking and laughing. Talking about their missions and your life as a senator. Of times before the Empire. Wrecker chased Omega across the sand with no intention of catching up to her raucous little giggles.

As the sun began to fall int the sky, you sat yourself in the sand, allowing your feet to sink into the sand beneath your feet. Allowing them to be covered in the warmth the sun had provided.

“We’ll do it all, everything, on our own” you began to sing softly, placing your head softly against the rock you found yourself resting against, “we don’t need, anything or anyone.” The faint chatter around you began to slowly fade away as you sang. Omega and Wrecker stopped playing and simply watched you for a moment.

“If I lay here, if I just lay here, would you lie with me and just forget the world,” you sighed as you finished that line. A soft smile gracing your lips as the others simply stared at you. In that moment, the song felt very poignant to the people around you. You all had needed this day and it had truly been beautiful, relaxing and friendly to the point of perfection. As your voice faded off, and the silence around you, save for the gentle whisp of the water next to you all, Omega came to sit beside you.

“Don’t stop singing,” she said, taking your hand in her little one. You smiled and noticed the others paying attention to it too.

“I don’t quite know, how to say, how I feel, those three words,” you looked at them as you said it, “are said too much, they’re not enough.” You smiled again at the tranquillity of it all. Internally laughing at the surprise your friends now had upon their faces.

You continued on, through as much as you could remember, singing softly. Softly but with a hidden passion in each word. On and on you sang through the words you remember. “All that I am, all that I ever was, is here in your perfect eyes, they’re all I can see.” You turned to Omega, giving her hand a gentle squeeze, as you continued to sing, “if I lay here, if I just lay here, would you lie with me and just forget the world?”

As your voice drifted off finally, you all sat together in silence as you noticed the sun beginning to set over your perfect day. You sighed contentedly, resting your head against the rock behind you. Feeling the last of the suns rays on your skin. Cooler and gentler than they had been in recent hours. The sun's smooth edge of its gaze on, supporting your head and thoughts in that moment.

Suddenly overcome by the emotion of it all, you released Omega’s hand and sighed. “I’m gonna go for a walk,” you suddenly said, standing and walking off into the distance as they all simply watched you go.

Crosshair

He had listened to you sing in raptured silence. Trying to act cool and calm as he usually was. You had a habit of unravelling him, this was one of those moments. His mouth hung ajar for a brief as you sang the song gently. In peace. Eventually, after you paused, he smirked slightly, removing the toothpick from his mouth.

You had noticed his stare before you had moved off further down the lakeside. He couldn’t seem to stop himself from following after you. It was almost instinctual. To remain as close to you as he could in that moment.

“I didn’t know you could sing,” he said, softer than he had hoped, “it was beautiful.” He came up behind you, resting his forehead into your shoulder as he wrapped his arms around your waist. You were flush against him and as he leaned into you, you pushed yourself into him. Completely enveloped in one another.

“No critique for me tonight then, Crosshair?” You joked as you both simply enjoyed the contact.

“How could I critique that? It’s not like I am an expert in singing.” You giggled as he pulled you both from side to side slightly. Suddenly, his head reached up slightly to kiss gently at your next. This level of softness was unexpected but certainly not unwelcome. You enjoyed your usual banter but today? Well, today had been different. For everyone. A slice of peace in an otherwise chaotic galaxy.

“Three little words,” he said against your neck. He hadn’t said them to you ever. You’d mumbled them to him once, when you thought he was long asleep. He wasn’t, he had been enjoying the moment, eyes hooded in comfort. You mistook it for sleep, and he let you. “Three little words that I should’ve said to you, when you said them to me.”

You froze at that. Turning so very suddenly in his arms. Your body almost shook at the fear of being caught. Your mind racing. He hadn’t said it back and he knew you’d said it to him. When he noticed the fear in your eyes, he caught you retreating chin between his fingers. Willing your eyes to meet his. After a moment, you relented and tried to give him your hardest stare. But when all you could see was an unfamiliar softness with his usual smirk, he brushed his cheek to yours, his lips dangerously close to your ear.

“I love you.” It was so quiet, so gentle that you convinced yourself it had all been in your head. Until he kissed you. He kissed you so passionately that your daze became a frenzied meeting of lip and tongue as you stood a fair distance from his brothers. Though you were sure they could see it. Your arms coiled around his neck pulling him even closer to you.

It took all the restraint he had to pull away from you in that moment. He wanted you to know that the softness was real. The affection was real. Not all of it was pure passion and lust. So, he simply looked into your eyes as neutrally as he could muster in that moment.

“Who knew the fearsome Crosshair could be so soft?” You teased with a delighted giggle. You held his hand as you stepped away from him slowly, never turning away. He simply relented allowing you to pull his hand upwards and out as you moved away.

“Tell anyone and I’ll deny it.” He warned as he watched you walk away back towards his brothers. He shook his head softly, trying to hide the blush that coated his cheeks.

 Tech

Tech had listened intently to you sing. He had never heard such a soft melody fall from your lips before and he could not explain the warm feeling that seemed to be spreading through him as you sang. As you walked away, he simply watched you go with a small frown on his lips.

He could not tell if he should follow or leave you be. When he noticed none of his brothers went to move, he decided he would take his chance. Softly padding his way across the sand after you, he approached you carefully.

“May I join you,” he asked on his cautious approach. You’d propped yourself up on a rock further down the beach. He saw you simply leaning contemplatively, staring out into the sunset. When you nodded, he placed himself beside you. Your hand was placed flat on the rock, holding you in place. The tips of his fingers grazed softly over the top of yours. “I was unaware that you could sing.”

“In all fairness, Tech,” you said with a small laugh, “when would I have had time to sing? I think you’d call me delusional if I started to sing in the middle of a blaster fight.” He considered your words for a moment, realising that you were, in fact, correct.

“That is correct,” Tech said, a small frown forming on his lips, “I would suppose there has been very little opportunity before now.” For a moment, with his fingers still touching gently at the tips of yours, you sat together in a pensive silence. He had a question he wished to ask, but he could not seem to find the right words. “I would assume that you did not write the song?”

With a mirthful laugh, you replied, “no. But it was oftentimes sung on my home world. It felt appropriate somehow.” He nodded at your response, adjusting his goggles nervously.

“Am I correct to say that it is a love song?” He asked, cautiously turning his head towards you and though you felt his gaze on you, you continued to look out into the sunset.

“Yes, it is.”

“Does it make you think of somebody special?” He asked, feeling his stomach drop slightly. That you might admit that it was for one of his brothers or for someone back home. But when you looked at him, that fear quickly dissipated. He had been correct that it was not about them.

“It was for you, Tech.” You admitted, a soft blush forming on your cheeks. “I know that I am nothing special. That I am a nobody ex-senator who tends to get in the way but –“ He had to stop you there.

“You have never been in the way. You are essential to our operations. You are essential to the repairs and have been incredibly important to all of us. To me.” He admitted carefully and although, this was not perhaps the most romantic sentiment, it still made you smile. It was Tech romantic. You rather liked it. “I do not know what would happen if we… if I lost you.” He added after a moment of silence.

“You would go on as you always do, I am sure.” He knew you were wrong. He just didn’t know how to say it. Instead, he simply reached his gloved hand to brush against your crimson cheek.

“I do not think that I could.” Tech implored and the contact of his hand on your cheek made you finally turn to look at him with soft eyes, “I do not know what would happen. I am sure I could go on, but I do know that I would not want to.”

You couldn’t help but reach up and kiss his cheek softly. His lips parted the moment your soft lips touched his skin. His whole body felt alive in a way he had never felt before. Pushing yourself off the rock, you held out hand to him. He realised you were silently asking him to take it.

And he did. With one hand in his and the other now wrapped around his arm, you silently made your way back to the others.

Hunter

Hunter watched as you walked down the beach with an intent gaze, until he noticed you suddenly veer off into the wooded area. At deep frown suddenly matched his scorched stare. He couldn’t help but follow. As he approached the wooded area, he bent down to focus on your tracks. You scent. Your footsteps. Your direction. He began to follow you through the woods, touching the same trees you had. You were taunting him to follow you and he knew it.

“Are you going to make me track you through the whole forest?” He called out, knowing he was close to you. You’d hidden yourself behind one of the trees deeper in the forest. Truthfully, you were perhaps a little embarrassed and simply wanted the two of you to be further away from the others.

“And how far would you track me, Hunter?” You called out mockingly. He felt his footsteps approach you. Louder and louder as he neared you. A twig beside you snapped and you jumped slightly. You could feel his presence beside you.

“I would track you the length of the galaxy if that is what it took to keep you close.” He whispered from the mirrored side of the narrow tree. His sultry voice was deliberate and slow.

“The galaxy is a big place.” You reminded him as he rounded the tree, placing his hands at either side of your head. The familiar smirk graced his lips as he looked into your mockingly guiltless eyes.

“I’d find you,” he reminded you, the soft sound was part warning, part promise. He reached down and nipped softly at your neck. “I’d find you anywhere you went,” he affirmed. When you offered no reply, he looked intently into your eyes. “You sang beautifully,” he began again in earnest, “though I could feel how nervous you were.” “I was nervous of your gaze. Your opinion,” you admitted quietly looking down. His hand reached for your hair in that moment, gently moving it out your face.

“You have no need to fear my gaze, sweet one.” He chided, resting his hand on your cheek. “I would happily listen to you sing anytime.” Your eyes snapped back up to his in shock and he smirked slightly, knowing he had you trapped in his intimacy. He reached in and pressed his lips to yours lightly, testing the waters. When he felt your lips react, he pushed his body forward into yours. You groaned softly against his lips, almost begging him to deepen the kiss.

When he suddenly pulled away, leaving you panting and needy, he whispered, “I gaze at you, as you put it, because I cannot help myself.” A soft admission of the feelings he had for you. He couldn’t quite say he loved you, though he did. But he couldn’t bring his guard down that far, so fast. He wanted to wait. To say it when you didn’t expect it.

For a moment, you simply remained in each other’s presence, enjoying the moment of secluded peace. Then he took your hand and said, “come on. We shouldn’t miss the sunset.” He pulled you quietly and calmly through the woods and back to the beach. You expected him to drop your hand as your neared his brothers, but he simply held your hand tighter, keeping you close as you sat to watch the sunset.

Echo

Echo had admired your calmness and happiness as you sang. You somehow always made him less grumpy, less concerned with the impending doom that surrounded them.  Some days when he was with you, he forgot things altogether and that scared him greatly. He had followed you almost immediately as you walked down the beach, away from everybody.

You knew he was directly behind you, and you knew you couldn’t see the small smile on your lips. When you suddenly stopped, so did he. He looked at you, shocked by the sudden change in your movement. He realised you were waiting for him to speak but he couldn’t seem to find any words that would work.

“I…uh…ah, I liked the song.” That was about all he could muster, and you smiled at that, thanking him sweetly. He loved the sweetness that always lace your voice. He took a step towards and offered, “if there is someone you have lost, somewhere in this galaxy, someone you want or miss, then please tell me. We will find them.”

Always with the sense of duty, you thought. You mimicked his action and stepped towards him. He resisted stepping back. Secretly, he wanted you closer to him. “There is someone,” you began, eyes drifting towards the water sheepishly. He felt his heart shatter but when you raised your eyes, feigning confidence, he hoped that he had been too quick in letting it break. “But they don’t need to be found, Echo. The only person I want in this whole galaxy is you.” You placed a hand cautiously on his chest, over his now racing heart. Your fingers played at the fabric that covered his chest and you simply watched your own movements, and he watched you intently.

“Me?” He repeated, a panicked gruffness in his tone. “Why would you waste your chance of love on me?” Your eyes suddenly tore up to his, almost in anger.

“It’s not a waste, Echo.” You moved your ever roaming hand to his cheek, “I think loving you is the perfect use of my love. I think it is the place it is most deserved.” He looked shocked, even whiter than usual.

“Then I will try to be worthy of it,” he affirmed, grasping the hand on your cheek in his own. He raised the palm of your hand to his lips and kissed softly at the tender point. Your lips parted as he grazed his lips onto your palm.

His eyes had not left your face and he took pride in himself as you became slightly undone at his touch. You stayed together for a while, gently familiarising yourselves with each other’s bodies. Innocent and soft. Nothing being pushed too far. Then, as the moon lay high in the sky, you agreed it was time to return to the others.

Wrecker

Wrecker had been in awe of your singing. His mouth agape as he watched you. He didn’t know you could sing at all. Let alone like that. For a while, he simply watched you from a distance, letting it all sink in. When he looked at Omega, dumbstruck, she tapped her head in your direction, instruction clear in her eyes. Wrecker coughed slightly but nodded and stood up to join you.

“How come you didn’t tell us ya could sing like tha’?” Wrecker asked as he walked towards you. He towered over you, but you never feared him. He was a teddy bear, and you knew it. With a small smile, you reminded him what you do for a living, “not a lot of time for singing between the running and shooting and the, you know, boom.” You mimicked and explosion with your hands and his raucous laughter resonated in your chest, making you giggle.

He lifted you up into a bear hug, spinning you around suddenly, only making you giggle further. When he put you down, his hands settled on your hips, “whatever guy you pick isn’t gonna be good enough for you.” It was a very sudden and very unexpected and his fingers were desperately clinging to you.

“Well, that’s a very unkind thing to say about yourself.” You chided gently, placing your hand on his large bicep. He blinked a couple of times, mouth agape. Processing. Making sure he’d understood you correctly.

“Wait,” he said, dragging the word out, giving him a few extra seconds to think, “you’re interested in me?” With a giggle, you simply said of course. He couldn’t help but lift you in the air spinning you around again. Around and around you went, safely in his arms.

As he set you down, you took your chance and reached up on your toes, pressing your lips firmly to his. He was ecstatic in that moment and reacted immediately. With a gentle sort of force that you could only expect from a man like Wrecker. He groaned delectably into your mouth as you deepened the kiss.

When you pulled away, he stared at you with a dazed smile. “Will ya sing somethin’ else for me later?” He asked gently, brushing his large knuckles across your cheek carefully. You took his large hand in both of yours and promised, “I’ll sing whatever you want, Wrecker.”

Bonus: Omega (Platonic - Obviously)

Omega had promptly followed behind you as you’d left the others. She watched from a distance for a moment as you skimmed a stone across the calm water. One. Two. Three. Four skims before it sunk into the water. You sighed, searching for a new a stone as you saw her. You gave her a warm smile as you noticed her. “Hi,” she said, giving you a little wave. You skimmed the next stone in your grasp, and she couldn’t help but murmur a, “woah, how’d you do that?” You smiled and beckoned her closer. Handing her a smooth stone, you demonstrated the flick of your wrist towards the water. Standing behind her, you watched as she tried the first stone. Once, twice and under it went.

“Not bad,” you praised gently, still lost in your own thoughts. You had noticed how quiet she was being. She was waiting for you to come to her with information. Realising you needed to air it, you looked over at her searching for stones.

“Do you know much about the Jedi, Omega,” you asked, furling around the smooth stone in your hand, grazing your fingers over it aimlessly before pressing its weight into your palm. She looked at you with a curious gaze, “only what Master Shaak Ti told me, which wasn’t much. Nala Se never really let us near each other.” You offered a gentle scoff at the idea, of being hidden from the Jedi Master, particularly when you considered how things turned out. You mumbled ‘figures’ under your breath.

“They were once incredibly loyal and patient peacekeepers turned soldiers in the spite of the Sith.” You told her, before skimming the rock across the still water. Once. Twice. Three times before it sunk. Not your best effort. “I was only young, naïve Senator when I first met a Jedi. A Jedi Master by the name of Plo Koon.” Omega mimicked your previous action, skimming the stone successfully across the water as you spoke. “Well,” you continued, resting your weight against the boulder near you, digging it into your side, looking out over the water, “the first day we met, he saved my life. I was plummeting to a very early grave when bravely dove to save me. Literally swept me off my feet.” You chuckled at the memory.

How swept off your feet you truly had been. You owed him your life instantly. The way he held you so soundly, whispering that you would be okay as you shook in his arms. He had placed you down with great care, checking to make sure you were okay. You’d been truly graceless in that moment and his patience and kindness had centred you instantly.

“We only every shared one dance. Nothing more came of it. Unlike some of the other Jedi who succumbed to their feelings, thinking we didn’t know, he was excellent with patience and restraint.” You chuckled once more. “It was maddening. I often wish he had less restraint when we were alone. But he never broke that old fashioned oath. Knowing he couldn’t truly give me what I deserved.” Omega was looking at you with a feverishly happy smile as you told her your romantic tale. You couldn’t help but smile along with her. “One dance and my soul became connected to his and his alone. I fear it will only ever be his.”

With a sigh, you told her what she had already guessed, “that song was the song we danced to. It was a strange choice for the formal gathering we were at. Very slow and very sombre. But it suited us quite well. It’s never truly left my mind. Whenever there is quiet, I can hear it. Whenever I am happy, I can hear it. It’s almost as if he is somehow reminding me that we cared deeply for one another, though we could never truly show it. In that moment, when he held me in his arms, we knew we deeply cared for one another. In that moment, I was truly his and he knew it.”

“So, it’s a happy memory?” She queried, as she simply looked at you confused. There were tears in your eyes as you nodded at her, so she continued on, “but it also makes you feel sad?” And you simply nod again, allowing a tear or two to fall. “Love seems…” she pauses, searching for the right word, “confusing,” she finished with emphasis and all you could do is giggle with mirth.

“Perhaps.” You offered up cryptically, a small smirk on your lips. You walked over to her and placed your hands on her shoulders, “perhaps one day you will know what it is to love another like that. Not like you love your brothers. But a different and special kind of romantic bond. It only ever makes sense once you have felt it.” A poignant silence fell between the two of you.

After a moment, you whipped one of your arms around her shoulders and began to lead her back towards the others, who had begun raucous conversation once more.