Crosshair ran a hand over his face. The mission had gone on way longer than anticipated and he was tired.

If anyone would utter even one more word around him before he got a drink in, he might just shoot someone.

And to think that all of it was your fault when you kept distracting him whenever he caught sight of you through his rifle.

The worst part? You weren't even doing it on purpose. It was your mere existence that kept distracting him. The determination in your eyes when you moved through a battlefield, your grace and the way your hips swayed—

He shook his head. This was not helping his headache. He needed a drink. Now. But it was a tradition between the two of you to go to a bar together whenever you were close enough to one after a mission, so he had to wait until you were done talking to Hunter.

"Ready?" He asked, impatiently tapping his fingers against his arms as he eyed you.

"Yes, let's get some drinks!" You exclaimed, a smile of your face that made you shine like the sun and Crosshair scowled, only so he could hide the smile tugging at his own lips.

—————————

Once you were sitting at the bar and have been served some alcohol, the tension finally fell from Crosshair's shoulders. The pressure behind his eyes began loosening and his thoughts became a bit clearer again.

That was until he felt your leg hook around his under the bar. It seemed you weren't done distracting him yet.

"Why so tense, Cross?" You smirked up at him and he wished he could wipe that stupid expression of your face.

"You're giving me a headache," he replied, nudging your leg away and turning to take another sip of his drink.

"Sure I am," you continued teasing, "Is that why you're blushing?"

"I'm not."

"Oh you definitely are." Winking, you leaned against him, apparently entirely undeterred by his unimpressed face. "Am I too much to handle for the cold sniper?"

You pouted slightly and Crosshair couldn't help his gaze dropping to your full lips and— No. He was not going there.

"Come on, just admit you like me," your voice dropped to a sultry whisper as you let your head rest on his shoulder. "Everyone can see it."

"Only in your dreams," Crosshair hissed but did not pull back as your hand came to trace the outline of his chest. The alcohol seemed to have made you much bolder than usual.

"Maybe we could make those dreams a reality tonight? You, me, and—" A yelp escaped you before you could finish that sentence when Crosshair grabbed your wrist.

Throwing some credits on the bar, he pulled you towards an empty hallway he had spotted before.

Suddenly, he turned back to face you. "You want this?" He asked, voice rough.

"Yes," you breathed, and wasting no time, he pushed you up against the wall, pressing his body against yours as he leaned down and finally kissed you.

It was messy, hot and desperate. Crosshair tasted the alcohol on your lips and it made him feel even more intoxicated. His teeth biting down on your lower lips drew a groan from you and he swallowed the sound greedily, already yearning for more.

His hands ran over your body until they settled on your ass, squeezing the soft flesh slightly. Another sweet sound escaped you — music to his ears — and he used the opportunity to explore your mouth with his tongue.

You tilted your head further in reply, hands pulling at his hair, wanting to elicit the same sounds from him. No luck so far as Crosshair continued pressing you against the wall and you could feel the hard plastoid of his armour grinding against your middle.

Then Crosshair moved from your mouth down to your jaw, then your neck. His teeth scraping against the skin there, sucking marks into your skin that he will dare you to hide from the rest of the team later.

Your hands left his hair and he could barely suppress a whine before they were back on his body, this time moving lower. When you grasped to unbuckle his codpiece, Crosshair finally pulled back, his chest heaving and eyes dark.

He stopped you with a hand on your wrist and quickly looked around. His head felt fuzzy and he blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision. Whether it was the alcohol or the taste of you — he couldn't tell.

Finding what he was looking for, he pulled you along and into a storage room. It was tiny, the two of you pressed against each other even as both of you felt the wall against your backs; but you didn't need much space for what you were about to do.

Before Crosshair could pull you into another kiss, you dropped to your knees before him and you could see a self-satisfied smirk spread across his face.

"Go on then," he drawled in a low, husky tone that made the space between your legs feel damp.

Your hands trembled slightly as you reached up to unclasp his codpiece. The clatter when it fell to the floor echoed in the small room. You could already see the outline of him straining against his blacks.

Crosshair — the epitome of impatience once he was off the battlefield — unbuttoned them quickly and you wasted no time getting a feel for his size, wrapping your hand around his length.

Biting his lip, he watched your face as you opened your mouth and he disappeared inside it. It was a sight he would remember for the rest of his life; so sinfully gorgeous as you knelt there and worked him inside.

His hands found your hair, guiding and helping you find a rhythm to start. When he hit the back of your throat, you moaned around him and Crosshair gasped when your throat opened up around him and took him even deeper.

One hand placed on his thigh, the other worked the rest of him that didn't fit inside. Your tongue ran over every ridge and vein, using your teeth to tease him slightly and you felt his grip in your hair tighten in response.

Crosshair banged his head back against the metal as you hollowed your cheeks and drew him in even further into your mouth. A deep groan escaped him from somewhere deep inside his chest and you smiled as you finally achieved your goal.

"I— I'm gonna— ah~" That was all the warning you got before he came down your throat. You swallowed dutifully, milking him until he was soft inside your mouth.

Pulling back, you breathed heavily. Crosshair's grip in your hair loosened and he gently tipped your head up.

"Beautiful," he murmured as his thumb traced your cheek and you felt heat rise to your cheeks.

Tucking himself in quickly, Crosshair crouched down to be face-to-face with you, only to pull you into one final kiss for the night. This time, it was missing all the heat. Instead, his lips were soft as he tasted himself on your lips.

"Fuck, you're amazing," he mumbled against your mouth as his hand found the damp place between your legs and he began to rub little circles there.

You moaned, leaning your head against his chest as your hips desperately chased the friction. It wasn't long until you too reached your peak and collapsed against him entirely.

Loves loves LOVES pleasuring you and takes immense pride in his ability to do so, fucking into you with hard, controlled thrusts, smugly pointing out how deep he's hitting you, only to entirely fall apart the second you praise him or take control

Goes bright red and has to awkwardly adjust himself whenever you casually mention you're going to take a shower or change

Will get on his knees for you whenever you want, giving you oral even while breathlessly complaining about how you interrupted his work for this, berating you for your "highly inconvenient" timing in between sucks and licks

Secretly loves it sooo much when you're bossy and you tell him what to do really assertively. Also loves when you grab his hands and guide them where you want them

Has a MAJOR thing for your voice and can get hard just from you taking a certain tone with him

Records almost every time he fucks you, using the videos to jerk off whenever you're apart and he's feeling too pent up. Also records himself jerking off to those videos and then sends it to you, hoping to get you even a fraction as worked up as he is

Tries so incredibly hard to hold off on begging because of his pride, but when he's overstimulated, desperate whines and pleases just start slipping out of him. He can't help it. He tends to kinda narrate sex as it happens, babbling about how you feel, and as his desperation overtakes him all he can think to say is how much he needs more. Will also moan that he loves you over and over

Cries when you edge him, his face flushed and wet as he accuses you of enjoying torturing him…only to try to edge himself to the recording later and get frustrated when it doesn't feel the same

When he's needy he'll come up with excuses, like tells you he's been working on his stamina (even though it was already good) and begs to fuck you so he can prove it

His neck and chest are so extremely sensitive that you can sometimes make him cum without even properly touching his cock, just by grinding against him and sucking on his nipples

Mixing praise with just the right amount of condescension hits him particularly hard. Like praising him for begging by telling him he's such a good boy when he stops thinking so hard. His breath hitches hard and he's suddenly holding himself back from cumming then and there

Loves when you tell him when to cum, making him work for it, making him beg until he's barely holding on, then finally giving him permission. He immediately jolts and gasps, squeezing his eyes shut and gasping "thank you" over and over as his cock pumps hot spurts of cum into you

A little bit clingy after sex, wants to clean you up for you and gets annoyed if you try to pull away before he's finished cuddling you

Tag List:

Echo knew of your struggles with your body image. You had told him before on a quiet night, your face pressed against his chest and sniffling slightly. And even though he did not understand how you could not love your body, he intimately understood not liking what you see in the mirror.

And for a while it appeared to be fine enough. You didn't bring it up again for some time and went about as normal. That is until he noticed you glaring at the mirror as if it had personally offended you every time you got ready, and then it escalated into avoiding it entirely.

It wasn't the only thing he noticed too. He noticed how you adjusted slightly when his hand landed on a part of your body that you particularly disliked so that he wasn't touching it anymore.

Of course it filled him with concern but at first he didn't bring it up out of respect. He didn't want to pry into your problems or assume anything that wasn't true but it only seemed to get worse — especially your mood.

You were a lot more quiet now and always on the edge when his hand brushed your body, like a skittish animal, and it broke Echo's heart because… you deserved to be happy and live your life without worrying about a part of you he still could not find any faults in.

One day, he had enough. "Hey, cyare, tell me what's wrong." It was phrased like a demand and yet there was a warmth to his tone.

"I don't know what you're talking about," you muttered, trying to look anywhere but at him as he had crouched down in front of you while you were sitting on the couch.

"Come on, love, you know what this is about," Echo encouraged, placing a hand on your knee and gently rubbing up and down your thigh. You tensed slightly at the touch before relaxing into it. "You know I love all of you and I would never judge anything going on in that pretty mind of yours, even if it's false."

Finally, you met his eyes and the way he looked like a sad puppy made something in your chest tighten. Still, as you opened your mouth, no words came out. The shame was too big, coiled in your stomach and unable to escape as it had lodged itself in there.

"Okay," he looked down for a moment, reconsidering his strategy, "Can you just tell me what it is that you don't like? Because I see the most perfect person in front of me but I want to understand what you see."

A small smile tugged at your lips at his words. Echo had always been good at this — at lifting your spirits and making you see other perspectives.

This, however, was not a conversation you were looking forwards to having. "I… I don't like the shape," you mumbled, hands coming up to fiddle with the hem of your sweater.

Echo's brows furrowed slightly as he looked you up and down. "Shape as in…you want to lose weight? Or gain it? Or is it a general proportions thing?" He paused. "I— I just want to understand, cyare."

"I—" you stopped, your voice getting stuck in your throat. Why was it so hard to find the words and explain? "It's… proportions? Everything? I— there's a certain way I want to look but nothing ever fits the way it should."

Your eyebrows were drawn together as you tried your best not to let the tears fall but then Echo stood and placed a hand on the back of your head, drawing you close. Once your face was buried against his stomach, the gates broke and your tears began staining his clothes as silent sobs shook through your body.

"It's okay, it's okay. Let it out," Echo murmured as he ran a hand over your back. You didn't know how long the two of you stood like that but at some point the energy had been drained out of you and your tears ceased to fall.

Reluctantly, you pulled back, wiping at your eyes with the back of your hand while a scowl graced your features. "This is stupid," you mumbled under your breath.

"No, it really isn't," Echo replied, sitting down next to you and continuing to run a hand over your back. Then, he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to your temple and you leaned into his touch on instinct.

"But it is!" You retorted, burying your face in your hands.

"Okay, then explain to me why it is." Echo's grew even softer around the edges, realising that he wasn't going to get much further by pushing you into a different mindset.

"W—Well i just," you sniffled, "There is this specific style of clothes that I just absolutely adore but every time I try them on, they never sit right on me. And it's just— I mean, I obviously could just wear something else that I know looks good for me but like— I really like that style and—"

"Breathe, cyare," Echo cut in, turning your face towards him and you blinked a few times — almost owlish — as you caught your breath. After a few seconds, Echo continued, "I think I understand a little. I mean not fully yet but— but I think I'm starting too. Thank you for explaining."

You hummed, your gaze dropping to your lap, blinking away new tears.

"You know, I might have a few ideas that could help." Echo's hands dropped from your face and he pulled you into his lap, though now he was the one to avoid your gaze, unsure of how to help you properly.

"Go ahead," you replied, not overly confident that he would have an actual good suggestion.

"I mean, I know this planet is quite small. There aren't that many opportunities to find diversity in clothes but I've walked by so many shops on other planets that look much bigger. Maybe I could take you there?" Echo offered.

"Mh… maybe?" You muttered, very obviously not convinced and Echo furrowed his eyebrows as he ran a hand over your back. Was there something else?

"I… also could try to sew you some clothes? I'm not any good at it but I've picked some things up with the rebellion and I could learn. For you." He started picking at the hem of your shirt, voice turning smaller.

Then he felt you shake against him and for a second he thought you were crying again when he heard the sweetest sound you knew; your laugh.

You were laughing at him.

And Echo couldn't help but laugh with you.

"You're the best." the words were muffled by your face being pressed into his chest but from Echo's chuckle, he definitely heard them.

All of Tech's spaces are super cluttered. Like to anyone else it looks like a disaster, but it makes sense to him. HE knows exactly where everything is. If you ever offer to help him organize things he looks at you all wide-eyed and mildly offended like ???? why, this is perfectly efficient

Has very little regard for his own sleep schedule but is SUPER observant when it comes to yours (hypocrite). Always reminding you of when you're supposed to be up in the morning and when you should go to sleep in order to get sufficient rest. Also lectures you about sleep hygiene even though he always stares at his datapad for like two hours before sleeping

Sends you good morning texts every single morning even if you live together. He's usually up before you and isn't good at just like lying there waiting for you to wake up so he at least makes sure you wake up to a text lol

Does make you your preferred drink every single morning without fail though

Very absent-minded about eating and will forget meals sometimes if he's super engrossed in something. Once again, though, he's a hypocrite here lmao and will always notice if YOU skip any meals

If you have work or whatever he always packs your lunch for you

Not great at cooking though he likely would be if he cared to put any effort in, but he just eats like the same three things on rotation (he's just like me fr)

Whenever he gets bored he likes going through your living space and just fixing whatever random things might need it

Conversations with him often continue from wherever he last left them regardless of how much time has passed, like you'll wake up in the morning and before you've even fully woken up he's bringing up something you two were talking about sometime yesterday and just starts talking because during the night he thought of like six related things he wants to tell you about

Doesn't feel the need to mask so much when it's just the two of you and he fidgets a lot, like bounces his leg when he's thinking or taps patterns with his fingertips against whatever. Paces around sometimes. Also talks to himself under his breath a lot

Not much of a cuddler when he's awake because he gets restless quickly but in his sleep he's a little clingy. Rarely falls asleep touching you in any significant way but he always ends up curling up against you in his sleep. Initially was always surprised when he woke up totally tangled with you but now he's more surprised if he doesn't

Does all the budgeting and is very meticulous about it

Not great at staying on top of chores generally but every once in while he'll get a burst of energy and just suddenly deep clean your entire place from top to bottom

Loves introducing you to new things, literally anything, books, movies, shows, places, experiences, whatever. Whenever he mentions something that you haven't done/heard of he perks up and gets excited to show you. It's the same vice versa as well, he loves hearing about things you like/care about/enjoy and is always happy for you to introduce him to things. Likes making dates out of it

Sometimes kinda zones out watching you, you’ll be doing something totally mundane and he’ll just suddenly fixate and get lost in thought about you and how much he loves being with you and what he wants his future with you to be like. You catch him looking at you with that soft expression and ask what he’s thinking about and he just says he thinks you’re remarkable

Main term of endearment he uses for you is darling, also uses love/my love a lot

Physical affection doesn't come super naturally to him and it almost always catches him off guard when you randomly kiss him no matter how long you've been together, but one thing he makes an active effort to do is kiss you every single time either of you leave anywhere and also before you go to sleep

The first thing you did when you woke up, was groan. Everything hurt, your back was sore and you barely got any sleep — again. You turned onto your other side with all your sleep-deprived power which took a good minute but it did alleviate the pressure from one side of your body.

Only to place it all on the other.

You were so tired from being pregnant, asking yourself why you had agreed to it in the first place.

A warm hand on your stomach made you look up and you were met with the concerned face of your partner — Crosshair — who had developed a crease of worry between his eyebrows ever since you started showing.

Ah. There was the reason you had agreed.

"Did our little one keep you up again, love?" He muttered, leaning in to place a soft kiss on your forehead.

You groaned in reply when it kicked you again and you saw Cross fighting the smile forcing itself onto his face.

"They're getting quite active," he commented.

"A little fighter," you sighed, placing a hand on top of his. "Just like someone else I know."

"You smitten me, cyare." Crosshair captured your lips in a kiss, his other hand moving to the back of your neck to deepen it.

As you traded soft kisses, the sun continued to rise outside and at some point your kid unfortunately started to press on your bladder. With another unimpressed sound, you pulled back and got up.

Crosshair looked at you with knowing eyes, he had learned to read your little sounds a long time ago, before he too got up. "I'll be in the kitchen."

You nodded and went to relive yourself. After washing your hands, a sweet smell started drifting through the cracks of the door and you followed it right to the kitchen.

Crosshair was setting the table with freshly-made pancakes as you went over and unceremoniously plopped down in the chair.

Somehow, on the short walk from the bathroom to the kitchen, the smell had turned from pleasantly sweet to unbearable and nausea-inducing.

"Everything okay?" Crosshair eyed you as he sat down across from you. You were listlessly stabbing your fork into the pancakes, trying to keep the feeling of sickness at bay before it got too bad.

"I don't— I… I can't eat again," you hugged, your fork clinking against your plate as you let it drop onto the table.

"Hey. Hey, it's okay." Crosshair was by your side in a second, pressing your head against his side. You turned slightly to bury your face in the soft fabric of his shirt. "You need energy." He ran his hand through your hair. "Just eat a little bit, okay? I'll get you something better later."

Logically, you knew that was the smart thing to do but it did nothing to change the way your stomach churned with nausea as you stabbed a piece of the pancakes with your fork.

"This is so annoying," you mumbled after finishing almost one. "Why is pregnancy like this?"

"Want to ask Tech?" Crosshair teased. His brother had been more than helpful throughout your pregnancy, reassuring the both of you at every step that all was going well.

However, this was also Tech. And sometimes, he could not stop talking — especially since this was just as exciting and new for him as it was for the both of you.

—————————

The rest of the morning passed in relative quiet as you finished what you could of the pancakes and Crosshair got ready to go out for some business he had to attend.

Once he was dressed in an outfit that made you blush with how attractive he looked, you followed him to the door to say goodbye.

Crosshair crouched down in front of your belly and kissed it softly too. "Keep her safe, fighter, okay?" Your kid kicked in reply and he chuckled, straightening. "I'll be back soon, okay?" Crosshair leaned down to kiss your forehead too before finally leaving you alone in your home.

For a second you looked at it, fighting the stupid tears that seemed to come more often now — something between happiness and sadness, and then turned to go to your little space for your crafts.

You pulled your half-finished blanket with the yarn towards the couch and settled there to work on the blanket you were planning to make for your kid. Thankfully, it wasn't going to be that big but the feel of the yarn made it very tempting to make another adult-sized one.

—————————

Time passed as you worked in silence with the occasional kick from your stomach making you pause and take a deep breath. Meanwhile, the sun rose to its peak and was already setting by the time Crosshair came back.

"I'm home!" He called from the door as you heard the familiar rustling.

"I'm in the living room," you replied, not making any effort to get up as you were in the middle of counting your stitches. Moments later, hands snaked around your hips and under your stomach, lifting it slightly.

A sound that was something between a groan and a whimper escaped your lips as the heaviness lifted off of your tired bones. "Can you do that all day?"

"Mh, I could, but I do have something for you." He kissed your cheek and pulled back.

Turning around with big eyes, you tried to find whatever he had.

Crosshair chuckled. "Make some space for me?"

You scooted over and he sat next to you, pulling out a bag you hadn't seen before. Inside, there were pickles and a jar of melted chocolate. A gasp escaped you as you desperately tried to reach for it.

The combination sounded utterly disgusting in your head but for whatever reason, it was one of the things you had been craving since your pregnancy started and it was also one of the few things you could reliably keep down.

The former sniper laughed again and placed the foods on the coffee table, letting you dip the pickle in the chocolate before doing the same himself.

"Cheers." You knocked it against his and a splatter of chocolate landed on your face. Crosshair quickly leaned forwards and kissed it off before you could finally indulge in some good food together.

Hunter:

Hunter actually kinda fusses over you a little while you're sick, though he'd probably deny it if you phrased it like that. He checks on you constantly, quietly straightening your blankets or pillow every single time even if it doesn't need it. Every time he leaves, he still stays close to your room/bunk so that he'll be able to hear if your breathing changes or if you're tossing and turning more than you should be. He's completely unconcerned about catching whatever you have, brushing off your worries every time you apologize and telling you he'll be fine. Every time he checks on you it ends with him softly kissing your forehead before he slips away, only to come back again twenty minutes later

If Hunter's the one who's sick, he tries to power through it for as long as physically possible. He insists he's fine even when he looks absolutely exhausted, refusing to rest until it feels like a "reasonable" time to call it a day. Even then, he only begrudgingly lets you take care of him, quietly protesting every glass of water, blanket adjustment, or forehead check with a tired, "You don't have to worry about me." He also keeps half-waking every time he hears someone moving around or anything happening, almost getting up to check everyone is alright before remembering he's supposed to be resting

Tech:

Tech is very practical when you're sick. He keeps a file on his datapad full of your symptoms, temperature, and medication schedule, updating it every few hours. Somehow he always appears a few minutes before you realize you need something, already holding it out to you because he noticed the pattern. He's careful enough to avoid getting sick if he can, but never enough to leave you alone because caring for you outweighs the potential inconvenience of getting sick. He doesn't exactly fuss over you, but he takes really good care of you and is very reassuring in like a practical way

When Tech is sick, he'll rest when he can, but insists he's perfectly capable of taking care of himself. He thanks you sincerely every single time you bring him something while also immediately explaining why it isn't necessary for you to be concerned. He absentmindedly narrates his symptoms out loud only realizing when you point out that he's just been complaining for ten straight minutes. He reminds you not to get yourself sick every time you touch him, but leans into every hand on his cheek or kiss to his forehead anyway because tbh he's MISERABLE when he's sick

Wrecker:

Wrecker babies you when you're sick. If he's able to, he spends the entire day curled up beside you, cuddling you close while promising he's gonna make you better. He couldn't care less about catching whatever you've got, taking care of you is far more important to him. Gathers an assortment of bland snacks that he hopes won't upset your stomach, wraps you up in a blanket, and spends the day watching holofilms with you until you drift off to sleep in his arms

When Wrecker's sick, the idea of resting barely occurs to him until you practically march him to bed. He insists it's "just a cold" even if it’s clearly not. He doesn’t want you to worry about him and he hates feeling like he can’t do anything/is confined to bed so when he’s not sleeping he’s kinda restless. He's also terrified of getting you sick, constantly reminding you to keep your distance even while he's clearly itching to pull you into his arms and thank you properly for taking care of him

Crosshair:

Crosshair is dramatic from the second you first sniffle, immediately telling you that you'd better not get him sick. Despite all his complaining, though, he's hovering. He leaves things for you beside your bed without announcing himself, pretending like he was just there getting something or passing by anyway. Every time he checks on you, he finds some reason to linger for a little longer until eventually he's sitting on the edge of the bed, gently stroking your hair while still trying to pretend he's there for purely practical reasons and definitely not because he's worried about you/wants to make you feel better

When Crosshair's sick, his first response is denial. He's fine. It's just a headache. Just tired. STOP hovering. The more obvious his symptoms are, the more stubborn he gets, brushing off every concerned question or attempt to help and he gets even snappier than usual. Once he's too exhausted to keep pretending, though, he quietly starts letting you help. He refuses to ask for anything but he stops pulling away when you try to check his temperature or hand him medicine. Is secretly really grateful that you care and he eventually just gives in and lets you fuss over him, grumbling that you're ridiculous even as he leans into every little touch gratefully

Echo:

Echo takes a very practical, no-nonsense approach to caring for you when you're sick. He settles into a routine easily, checking on you often and making sure you have everything you need. Every time he checks your temperature, his hand lingers for just a second longer than necessary, his thumb brushing gently over your forehead before he pulls away. If you try getting out of bed before you're ready, he doesn't even argue, he just folds his arms, waits for you to wobble exactly once, and points back toward your bunk with that look that says the discussion is already over

When Echo's the one who's sick he handles it like a champ. Even if he feels horrendous he barely lets it show beyond being a little quieter or grumpier than usual, stubbornly trying to carry on through the day like nothing's wrong. Deep down, though, he's kinda relieved when you step in and tell him to rest, like he needed someone to give him permission to stop pushing himself for a little while

By the time you found Echo in the cockpit that evening, you knew before he even looked up that something had changed. Weeks of quiet nights spent together had taught you more about him than either of you probably realized. Somewhere between shared cups of caf and sleepy conversations that drifted from casual small talk to old memories, you'd learnt to recognize things about him. And tonight, there was some just barely noticeable tension in his posture.

You leaned against the doorway and studied him for a second before sighing quietly. "…Rex contacted you?"

Echo looked up, surprise flickering across his face for just a brief moment before he let out a quiet breath. "I'm getting predictable, eh?"

You shrugged one shoulder, smiling faintly. "Only to me."

"Hm." The corner of his mouth twitched up, and he glanced back through the viewport. After a pause, he added, "…I'm leaving in the morning."

You pushed off the doorway and walked over to the seat next to him, sitting down with a soft sigh. "I figured," you murmured quietly. "You were probably saying yes before he even finished asking."

Echo huffed quietly. "…Pretty much."

Silence settled for a moment, though it seemed much less empty than it used to feel to Echo. It had become familiar over the last few weeks, as Echo stopped viewing your late-night visits solely as kindness and starting accepting that they were something he depended on. You'd become a part of his routine without him deciding it should happen, and the realization that he wasn't going to see you again for…a while, left an uncomfortable ache in his chest.

It was a little ridiculous, he thought. He'd known this was coming, and had looked forward to it. To doing something. Besides, he'd never been afforded the luxury of lingering wherever he wanted, and he wasn't about to start now. Rex needed him. Other clones needed him. That settled the matter as far as Echo was concerned. So why did it feel so difficult this time?

"I'll be coming back," he said suddenly, as if to reassure you even though you hadn't asked for it. You glanced over at him, your brow furrowing a little.

"…I know," you said, studying his profile. "You always do."

Echo nodded, swallowing hard. "Yeah."

Another brief silence fell before you smiled a little wistfully and admitted quietly, "I'll still miss you, though."

Echo's jaw tightened a little. He kept staring out the viewport. "…Yeah," he muttered after a moment. "I'll…" He cleared his throat. "I'll miss our talks."

It was as close as he could seem to get, but you understood anyway. "Mm. Me too."

That ache in Echo's chest worsened a little bit. He frowned at the console in front of him like the blinking indicators were suddenly very important. It didn't really make any sense. He wanted to leave. It was the right thing to do, and that wasn't going to change. His priorities hadn't changed. He'd left the Batch behind before for the sake of doing what's right, and that's the same as what was happening now. Right?

"Kriff," he mumbled under his breath, suddenly feeling oddly overwhelmed. He pushed himself to his feet. "I should…go check the, ah, navicomputer. Yeah, I'll just--" He moved to step past you, needing a moment to gather his thoughts and this being the only excuse he could come up with. But you stood up before he could leave.

"Echo, wait a sec." Your fingers closed gently around his wrist, not enough to actually stop him if he really wanted to leave for a minute, but enough to convey that you wanted him to stay. Echo looked down at your hand for a long moment before lifting his eyes to yours.

"…Don't really know what's gotten into me," he admitted gruffly. "Sorry."

You thumb brushed lightly across his wrist. "I think you do."

Echo searched your face for a moment, trying to keep his expression unreadable though he suspected it wasn't. You had a habit of being able to see right through him, and sometime over the last few weeks he'd started to find it almost comforting. He liked that he didn't always have to explain himself around you.

He let out a quiet breath. "…Guess I do," he admitted, almost to himself.

He pulled his wrist from your hand but instead of leaving, he instead brought his hand up slowly and settled it lightly against your cheek. You leaned into the touch immediately, your eyes never leaving his, and his breath hitched quietly.

"You're gonna be here when I get back," he said quietly but almost sternly, his thumb brushing over your cheekbone. "Yeah? Cause when I get back you're gonna sit right here with me and you're gonna tell me about everything I missed."

You laughed quietly, leaning into his hand a little more. "That an order?"

"Mhm." The corner of his mouth quirked up. "It is."

You smiled, glad that some of the tension that had been lingering was easing a little. "Good. Was planning on doing that anyway."

Echo's gaze flicked over you, his hand still gently cupping your jaw. He swallowed hard, steeling himself before muttering, "Dunno when I started needing you so much."

Your expression softened even more, your heart aching a little. "Echo…"

He shook his head before you could say anything else. "Just be here when I get back," he said again quietly.

You nodded, finally getting the courage to lightly wind your arms around his waist. "I will," you whispered. "I'll be here. Waiting."

Echo took a slow, slightly shuddering breath as you wrapped your arms around him, his eyes fluttering shut for a second before he forced them back open. His gaze flicked over you again, and then he leaned closer. He let his forehead rest gently against yours for a moment before finally closing the distance between you, pressing his lips to yours in a slow, soft kiss. Force, it soothed something in him. The warmth of your arms around him, the gentle way you leaned into him. It was what he needed.

It took effort for him to pull back, his cheeks a little pink. "…Wouldn't have felt right to leave without doing that," he admitted softly, like he was only just realizing it.

You nodded faintly, your eyes half-lidded. It took a moment for you to really pull yourself back into the present. "...Just make sure you come back in one piece so you can do it again."

He chuckled softly and he leaned forward to rest his forehead against yours one more time. "Count on it," he murmured.

And for once, he wasn't only looking toward what was waiting for him out there. He was already looking forward to coming home.