TakeFive

Adding this to my writing routine as a chance to write all the fanfic that gives me brainrot. This either means that I will be posting all the time or barely at all. <3

[43110there]

What’s good holmes

Hullo there!

[astaerion]

star wars week 2023: may 21 • underrated character » wrecker aka the sweetest man ever

[blackseafoam]

“Got a bad feeling.”

[43110there]

oh shit oh fuck

It's over, I'm done for

[43110there]

"Don't look now..."

Summary: You join the guys for a run at 79's, and you notice people taking interest in them. Just some drabbles of their various reactions and the conversations that follow.

Warnings: nah, it's fluff. Some are a lil romantic.

A/N: Right now it's just Rex, Fives, and Echo. Might make another post to include more. But for now it's just a smol post with luv <3

The bar is crowded. It's a sea of bodies mingling, drinking, and respecting not an ounce of personal space. To anyone who's gone off-world on crazy missions for the Republic, it’s kriffing delightful. What else could you expect from 79’s? You sit beside one of the troopers and glance around at the scene, from booth to booth, until someone catches your eye. A devious grin appears behind the rim of your glass as you take a sip, licking your lips and leaning forward so that your companion hears you. 

“Don’t look just yet, but I think there’s someone checking you out across the bar…”

Rex

He stiffens. He doesn’t break eye contact with you, and for a second you’re worried that he’s planning his next movements like some kind of battle strategy. 

“Well? Are they still looking?”

Oh. There is no plan.

It takes a few minutes to explain to Rex that there’s nothing to worry about. He’s an attractive man, so you’re surprised he’s less prepared to deal with this kind of attention.

“You should go talk to them!” You insist, almost making a big gesture at the people in question and tossing discretion to the wind. But Rex catches your hand before you do.

“Y/N!” He’s got a hint of a smile on his face amid the seriousness. “I’m not looking for that kind of attention tonight.”

“Well, you’ve certainly got it.” You wiggle your eyebrows at him with a smirk. “Didn’t realize I was walking in with the man of the hour.”

He gives you an exasperated huff and takes a sip of his drink. You can tell he’s still hiding that smile, though.

Fives

He wouldn’t even turn in the direction you gave. He’d rest his elbows on the counter and lean in closer to you.

“Well I hate to disappoint them, but the only one I want looking at me is you.”

Someone would smack him across the back of his head. Might be Jesse or Echo. 

But nonetheless, he wouldn’t miss that bashful smirk on your face, the roll of your eyes as you take another sip of your drink to distract yourself. 

No matter how hard his brothers tease him for his flirtatious ways, that reaction out of you is totally worth it.

Every time.

Echo (After Skako Minor. This would be at Cid’s cantina rather than 79’s)

He wilts a little. You’ve been friends for a while now, so he should know better than to think you’re poking fun at him. But still, his self-esteem and general confidence seems to run at a natural low nowadays. 

However, when he realizes you’re not kidding around, his eyes go wide.

“Really? Huh… That’s a little… odd.”

He’s not used to the attention. At all. Even though he understands the situation better, he doesn’t seem to reserve any confidence from it. You squint your eyes at him. He deserves to think highly of himself, in the same light you see him.

You give an exaggerated huff. “Guess I’ll have to work harder for your attention now.”

He gives a start. “What? You’re don’t—” 

“You just have soooo many girls lined up for you.”

“Y/N!” Now he can’t hide the grin from his face. 

“It’s ok! I’ll just get in line. You’ll probably get to me by tomorrow morning.” You make as if to slide off of your stool to go wait in the line you described, only stopping when Echo gives your arm a little jab with his scomp link. You burst into a fit of giggles as you get back on the stool. He tries to contain that big smile of his while he watches you.

“Thanks, Y/N.”

<3

[aldrawss]

Omega: *sneaking back onto the Marauder late at night*

Hunter: *From the pilots seat* Where have you been?

Omega: *Freezes*

Omega: Erm…with Crosshair?

Crosshair: *Spins round in the Co-pilot seat*

Crosshair: Try Again.

[juliberrylive]

is is wednesday yet?

[chillpotato]

Sylvia Plath

[spivity]

what day in march sylvia,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sylvia please,,,,,,,,,,,what day in march

[niobiumao3]

[ride-ai]

Every time I get frustrated with a tool or appliance I think about the bit in 17776 about how people crave a little bit of inefficiency, how if everything always worked perfectly and instantly we would lose a lot of the joys of being human, how deeply humans want to want, and I try to find the joy and humanity in what's frustrating me and enjoy that it's not perfect

but this does not apply to printers. absolute bastard machines

[the-bakeneko]

Printer whisperer

[43110there]

I've decided that I'm allowed to post progress. Maybe, in the meantime, I'll get better at taking pictures of future updates!!

That would be rad.

Anywho, this was inspired by a typo I made during a conversation with a friend. We got on the topic of Star Wars and I accidentally typed Cad Babe instead of Cad Bane. And I wondered what Cad Babe would look like.

Also, the moment I get better at coloring, this dress is going to be a FINE SHADE OF RED.

<3

[43110there]

Headcanons: Taking Care of Them When They're Sick/Injured <3

Pairing: We’ve got Hunter, Rex, and Echo. 

Summary: Your soldier is sick! Some of the boys are better at accepting help than others. Just some fluffy drabbles with the lads <3

Warnings: nah

A/N: These read more like stories with headcanons sprinkled in them, so bear with me. Actually, these are hardly headcanons at all. Maybe I’ll get better at them in the future. Also you cannot tell me that Hunter wouldn’t have allergies. 

Next one will have Fives, Tech, Wrecker, and Crosshair.

Hunter

You could tell the moment the ramp opened up on the new planet that Hunter was in for it.

No one else picked up on it, but it was the way he took a deep inhale and suddenly held it. Like his whole body detected something in the air that it didn’t like. 

You did your best to hide a smile, which didn’t go unnoticed by Hunter, when he scrunched his nose and tried to mask his discomfort. 

Your “dark and broody” soldier was more than a little grumpy, whereas the rest of the batch walked down the ramp, happy for the clear skies and open fields that covered the planet’s surface. 

Hunter tried to keep his senses under control while Omega took to the field running. 

“Hunter, look!” Omega grinned, poking her head out of a particularly tall patch of flowers. You almost couldn’t keep a straight face as you watched the pained expression on Hunter’s face, trying to pass for a weak smile.

It was all over when he opened his mouth to respond and instead replied with a fit of sneezes.

From there on out, Hunter stayed inside the Marauder. He tried to protest, but you both knew that Hunter’s allergies tended to be pretty severe. You both agreed that he should at least get some meds first before seeing if the surrounding area was manageable for his enhanced senses.

You went with Tech and Wrecker to find supplies in the nearby villages while Echo watched over Omega outside. By the time you got back, you saw that Echo was teaching his sister how to make a flower crown. Wrecker ran ahead to join Omega, and they both started working on a new one immediately.

You left the batchers outside while you went in to check on Hunter. Your soldier was slumped in the pilot’s chair, his feet propped up on the control board. He was lucky Tech was outside correcting Omega’s flower-crown-making technique or else he would have gotten an earful. 

Hunter sat pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand, eyes scrunched shut. You gently removed his hand and placed a quick kiss between his eyebrows, kneeling beside the pilot’s chair so that you could gently rub the bridge of his nose. 

He let out a sigh the moment you touched him and eventually opened his eyes. 

“Find everything ok?”

“Mhm.” You assured him, handing him a small bottle of local medicine. “You better take some of these. I’m pretty sure Omega is making you a flower crown out there.”

You both shared a laugh, during which Hunter pressed a kiss to your forehead.

“Lucky me.”

Rex

“Lots and lots… of rest.” You read the report out loud, glancing up at your captain. You leaned against the wall while Rex sat on the couch in your apartment on Coruscant. At a glance, Rex didn’t look too bad. But anyone who knew him could recognize the brave face he was putting on. You walked up to him and placed a hand on his forehead, frowning at the skin that burned under your touch. You kept reading.

“Won’t sit still and keeps reopening the wound. Kiss it better, Y/N. That’s an order.” You chuckled to yourself. “Not all of this sounds like Kix. Did Fives get his hands on this?”

You tilted your head to look down at Rex, who was lost in thought.

“I don’t understand why they needed to send me home,” he muttered. 

“Maybe they needed someone who could actually give you orders,” you mused, and gave him a kiss where your hand had been. “Let’s get you in bed.”

Rex was definitely more cooperative than some other clones when it came to physical injuries. He could try to put up a fight with you, but you both know that he’s never won. Not once.

“Mesh’la, really, I’m fine,” he told you while you got things ready by his bedside. He stood in the doorway, watching you fluff up some extra pillows and arrange the right combination of meds on his nightstand. 

When you didn’t respond at first, too focused on making these arrangements, he slowly shuffled his way to your side. He held his side where the wound was, trying to be more careful about it with your presence weighing on his conscience. 

“Oh, perfect timing!” You said when he joined you, and you gently pushed him into bed. 

“Wait wait wait— Mesh’la, that’s not—” But it was too late. He grumbled to himself while you kissed him on the forehead and left to fetch a glass of water. When you got back, your captain looked more drowsy than ever. You closed the curtains and turned off the lights, instead leaving a dimmer light on in the corner. 

BONUS:

When you eventually joined Rex in bed, he was already asleep. But you decided to stay awake a little longer. You rested your back against the headboard and read on your datapad for a little bit. 

When Rex felt your presence in bed, he turned over on his side towards you and nestled his head in your lap. He basically cuddled your leg until you decided to go to sleep, sinking down to his level and molding yourself against his sleeping form. 

Echo

It just wasn’t his week. You got a call from Hunter that they had just gotten back from a mission. It was only supposed to take a few rotations, but it ended up lasting an entire week. And Echo came back more beat up than the rest of them. 

You were at work when you received the call, but you told them to meet at your place and to get him settled there. You would take care of the rest.

You got off work as quickly as you could and found his brothers and sister trying to navigate your apartment for supplies. Echo was snug in bed, Wrecker gently dabbing a wet washcloth on his forehead. Hunter and Tech were debating on what food he could eat that he could keep down. Omega watched Echo from the doorway of your room, scared for her brother and unsure of what to do.

As soon as you arrived, everyone eased up a bit. You smiled weakly at Hunter and Tech and approached Omega, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

Hunter followed you into the room, pulling you aside to fill you in while Wrecker walked out with Omega.

Echo and Wrecker were separated from the group and got into a scuffle that caught them both by surprise. Only Wrecker had the physical endurance to take the damage that he did and still walk out of there. Echo, on the other hand, didn’t fare so well. 

Both of his prosthetic legs had been damaged. Not only did they have to remove the prosthetics, but the skin and muscle that remained was severely injured as well. He had had a feverish temperature ever since they removed the prosthetics, and the medicine they had on hand on their way back from the mission was only doing so much. 

Your experience as a medic kicked in, and soon you got to work on patching up your beloved soldier.

The process took weeks. Echo was bed-ridden for most of it, but you eventually got him a supplemental pair of prosthetics while new ones were made to replace the original pair. You loved being able to see him for such a long period of time, but your heart ached at the circumstances. Echo seemed to feel the same, taking your wrist whenever you were close to keep you from rushing off to grab more supplies, or something you thought he might need. A lot of your time together was spent in thoughtful silence, just basking in each other’s presence.

One night, you stayed up watching a holofilm in the living room to give Echo some privacy and much needed rest. You assumed he had fallen asleep, and were on the brink of sleep yourself, when you heard a faint shuffle from down the hall. 

You noticed Echo shuffling into the living room long before he spoke. He emerged with a blanket wrapped around his head, which only covered half of his body. His sleepwear hung loose from his body as he leaned on the wall for support. The sight would have been funny if he didn’t look so much paler than normal. 

“Love,” he muttered. His voice was so strained that you leapt to your feet immediately. “Could you help…? My legs… I can’t.” 

You rushed to his side and let him hold onto you however he needed to. He eventually held onto your arm for support, and you both slowly made your way to your couch.

You sat him down and got him settled. He immediately tried to take off his current prosthetics, but you eased him to rest against the couch cushions and got to work on it yourself instead. His limbs healed nicely over the past few weeks, but he still got phantom limb pain every so often. His current state didn’t help whatsoever, and you immediately began massaging the skin where his prosthetics usually began.

Doing these massages was starting to become a normal routine, one that he didn’t ask his brothers to partake in. Echo often confessed that he felt most comfortable doing it with you.

Echo looked up at you while you worked, completely miserable, but happy in your presence. After a while, he slowly grabbed your wrists and stopped you from continuing.

“Thank you, love,” he sighed. “That’s a lot better.”

You eased up beside him, making sure that he was comfortable before snuggling against him. You swore you could feel the tension leave his body with you there. 

“You’re doing great, letting yourself get the rest you need,” you mumbled into his neck as you closed your eyes. “It’s not an easy thing to do.”

You felt him shrug. “It’s a lot easier with you here.”

You both dozed off, tangled in each other, soon after.

<3

[43110there]

Number One Pilot

Pairing: Tech/Reader

(can be read as platonic or romantic, but prob mostly platonic)

Summary: You come back from a mission, more than a little frustrated with Tech. Y'all take the time to sort things out afterwards. Tech is Tech, you are you. We love <3

Warnings: Slight angst??? But we love healthy communication

A/N: This is fiiinneee this is fiinneeee... *internally hugging my knees and sobbing with my demon of overthinking perched on my shoulder.*

Tech seemed to be the only one who couldn't sense the tension. Anyone who entered the cockpit was quick to realize that they came at a bad time, watching you and Tech operate the Marauder without a word. Or, more accurately, watching you silently fume from your place in the co-pilot's chair while Tech steered the ship with relative ease. You were trying to find a safe place to land to conduct some much-needed repairs. It wasn't long before you felt the stares of the crew on the back of your neck, watching from a careful distance.

“What’s up with them?” Echo asked, nodding towards Hunter while keeping his eyes trained on you and Tech.

“There was an incident during the mission yesterday.”

“I thought you said it went well?”

“Technically, yes.” Hunter shook his head. “But for those two…”

Your ears burned hot. You wished that you could swallow the lump that built up in your throat, but it wouldn’t go down. There wasn’t much they could do to remedy what happened that morning.

~

“We need to get in the air. Now!” Hunter called, shooting further into the canyon from the Marauder. Tech ran inside the ship with the package, setting it down and joining you at the front in the co-pilot’s chair. You often took the role of pilot off of Tech’s shoulders when the situation called for it, and this mission demanded someone with expertise. You were eager to prove yourself. As soon as they were both inside, you steered the ship off the ground. Hunter continued to fire through the closing gap of the ramp. Once you heard it latch and seal shut, you focused on gaining altitude. 

You maneuvered the ship with as much ease as you could allow, knowing you wouldn’t be alone up there for long. Soon enough, enemy shots collided with the ship’s exterior. You flew through the narrow valley, rocky walls rising up on either side, narrowly avoiding scraping the sides of the ship against the terrain.

“How long until we’re out of the canyon?” Hunter said, making his way to the cockpit and holding onto the back of your seat to steady himself. 

“Not long. But we could use some cover fire,” you replied. He nodded and left to man the guns in the back.

The chase continued, and you hoped you could avoid the blasts long enough to fly out of the tight spaces in Durrakin Pass. The package Cid asked you to “acquire” was in the process of being exchanged between two separate parties. You, Hunter and Tech managed to intercept it during the last window of opportunity. What you hadn’t counted on was the change in location. The Durrakin Pass was a system of cavernous divots and passageways, opening up into a broad canyon where the Marauder was stationed. Flying in was easy. You could take your time navigating which routes were too narrow to pass through. Since retrieving the package, your exit had not been as thorough. You had to completely abandon your meticulous planning when you missed the first turn to avoid an incoming blast. Before the anxiety of it set in, you heard your fellow pilot speak up. 

“There’s an exit if we follow this path. Let’s take it,” Tech said, eyes glued to the navigation screen in front of him. You followed his lead without a word and made the turn from one pass onto another, holding a pinch of hope that the enemy would lose you. Another blast shook you out of your wishful thinking, but your expression remained neutral and focused. You could do this. You would be getting these two out of here in one piece. Suddenly an opening in the canyon came into view. You could hear Hunter firing on the walls around you, and you realized he was trying to crush your pursuers to keep them from following you past the atmosphere.

“Fly down!” Hunter roared from the back. “And pull up at the last second!”

“On it!” 

You followed Hunter’s instructions and realized his angle: your pursuers would be in the direct line of falling debris during your descent. So would you, but you took a deep breath and tried to match Hunter’s trust in your piloting capabilities. You had to know what you were doing to get them out now; there was no room for error.

The Marauder plummeted. You were glad Wrecker was on another mission with Echo, because the ship rushed towards the ground and truly exposed the canyon’s height. Booms echoed around you as Hunter fired at the walls, breaking apart the canyon to crush your foes. You were quickly coming upon the only window to steer the ship up. You waited, hunched forward with focus.

When suddenly the controls stopped responding to your input. You frantically tried to steer the Marauder, going side to side to test its sensitivity, but the ship might as well have been landed. Your breath caught, and you truly thought you were going to hyperventilate right then and there. You could see Tech rapidly manning the ship on his end, and somehow you put two and two together: He overrode your controls from the co-pilot’s seat.

You had no idea what his angle was. You pulled back on the controls, as if you could still steer the ship. The ground zoomed in and you hoped that, whatever Tech was doing, it would get you out of this.

Something clicked back, and the Marauder immediately responded to your steering. The ship flew up from the ground at an aggressive speed, which steered you up and far out of harm's way in the span of a few seconds. You swore that another second at that angle would have driven you straight into the ground. You heard crashing behind you, a good sign for you and a bad sign for your pursuers. But you could hardly bring yourself to care. You flew out of the Durrakin Pass and over the neighboring desert. You could hear Tech discussing the manner of going off-world with Hunter, who rejoined you both as soon as the threat was dealt with.

In a daze, you set the Marauder to autopilot. You got up from your seat and walked away from the controls, sitting down on a supply crate to take a breather. You’d been fuming ever since.

~

“Are you upset with me?”

You stopped reminiscing and glanced at Tech. His goggles gleamed from the light that shone from the windows as he watched you. Before you could respond, he added:

“Based on what they’re saying back there, we have something to clear up.” Tech adjusted something on the control panel, keeping his hands busy. “Am I correct?”

You sighed, stopping what you were doing. Your side of the Marauder’s dashboard blinked with different-colored check lights and maintenance notices. You forced myself to confront the situation, even if you would have rather tended to the board than this emotionally vulnerable position you were in.

“Did you really think I was going to crash?”

He turned and stared. Then blinked. 

“Come again?”

You leaned back in your seat, staring at the ceiling. “During yesterday’s mission, when we flew into the Durrakin Pass. Did you think I was going to crash?”

“No, of course not.”

Suddenly you swiveled the chair to face him. Anger pooled from your throat, but you held it back from your words. He didn’t always understand you on an emotional level, so you tried to make yourself as clear as you could before your emotions overwhelmed you.

“When we were nearly out on the other side, in the last stretch of the hazardous flying zone, you overrode my controls. Why would you have done that if you didn’t trust me to fly the Marauder?” 

Tech turned to face the dashboard. You could practically see the thoughts loading in his mind in his still expression. 

“So you perceived my actions as a sign of distrust, particularly in your flying capabilities.”

“Yes, Tech.” You took a deep, almost impatient breath. “If you have a problem with my piloting skills, I need to hear it from you before the mission. Not during an escape.”

Silence filled the space between you. Truth be told, you weren’t sure how this conversation was going to end. But you didn’t think you could stand another minute of silence from him after having the courage to explain your feelings. When Tech spoke, you let out a sigh of relief, despite your nerves.

“Taking over the controls was not an attempt to keep you from flying, but to engage the boosters from my end in a way that would override the difficulties we’ve been having with them from the main pilot’s controls.”

He hit you with the steady explanation and you couldn’t help making a face. “But the boosters have been offline for weeks now. Isn’t it one of the reasons we’re going off-world now?”

“Yes. It was a gamble, on my end. It’s supposed to work in theory, but my goal was to provide you with the means to accelerate upright with ease. Since we’ve been operating with less-than sufficient booster capacity for a while, I thought you knew about it.”

He may as well have stunned you with his blaster. You weren’t sure what surprised you more, the fact that there was an actual reason for what happened or that he thought you knew what was happening the whole time. This was going to be another this-isn’t-common-knowledge moment and you braced yourself to explain it to him. But he spoke up again before you could.

“You’re one of the best pilots I’ve ever flown with. I didn’t mean to undermine your ability to fly the Marauder.” Tech didn’t seem to know how to go on, so he turned back to the control panel. There was a long pause before he realized that you were at a loss for words. 

“I thought you already knew that,” he continued. “Based on your flying background and demonstration of skill, you have just as much experience as my brothers. If not more. I trust you with the Marauder—”

He gave a start when he glanced back and saw your eyes filled with tears. 

“Oh— I’m sorry,” he said. The word sounded strange in his voice, but he always used it more with you. Always when he tried to be more sensitive to how his words came across. “I didn’t—” He reached out, unsure of how to make this better. He got up out of his seat to move closer, kneeling beside your chair. His hand settled on the armrest of your seat. 

“I didn’t mean to upset you.”

You were just as surprised by the tears as he was. His words uprooted a deep, deep insecurity within you. These soldiers were your family at this point, even if no one mentioned it aloud. All you wanted was to do your part in this hardworking group. Sometimes it felt like good wasn’t good enough, and you had no idea of how to improve. But Tech, kneeling beside you, was telling you otherwise.

“No, it’s not– you didn’t…” you started. You huffed and started wiping the tears, a new kind of relief washing over you as you gently cried it out. “I’m ok.”

Tech had no idea how to process what you were saying. He knew what was wrong, but he wasn’t sure if he was making it better or not. So he wracked his brain for a response. He took your hand and spoke slowly.

“What do you need right now?”

You gave his hand a squeeze.

“A hug?”

Tech nodded, stood, and slowly pulled you to your feet. He made sure his datapad was set down and out of the way as you embraced him. You wrapped your arms around him with ease, despite his clunky armor. He was stiff, but he held onto you with a tenderness that he was getting better at expressing around you. 

“I can see that… the stress of the day has taken a toll on you. I’m sorry I contributed to that. Perhaps it would be best if you got some rest while I get us into hyperspace.”

You gave him a tight squeeze, not wanting to be done with the hug just yet. “I think I’ll be ok, Tech. You were only trying to help. Just… run things by me before you try them out, ok?”

Something about the way Tech relaxed put you further at ease. It struck you that he may have been worried about your mood earlier and wasn’t sure how to approach the situation. So you smile when he tucks your head into your shoulder and mumbles:

“Deal.”

[43110there]

The Tournament

Pairing: None...??? Rex/Reader if you squint. Not that hard, really. oops

Summary: You train with some of the best in the 501st legion in a tournament they came up with.

Warnings: light sparring violence, dats it

A/N: I almost made this character a natborn medic, but I decided against it. It just felt off, so I'm choosing to be vague about Y/N's professional relationship to the clones. A better explanation will appear in another fic, I'm sure (OC time???)

Hope it's not too dry. Just luv da boys. Enjoy! <3

~

"Three, two," the countdown began.

Your eyes gleamed behind two, wrapped knuckles raised in a fighting position. The sparring mat gently sunk beneath your weight with tears and years of use. You kept your stance wide and your breathing steady. Fives shot you a grin and winked, forming his own stance across from you.

"Good luck, soldier," he teased.

"One,"

You narrowed your eyes at him.

"Go!"

This training exercise was quickly growing popular among the clones, specifically in the 501st legion. It started off as a one-on-one with Captain Rex, who practiced with his brothers in hand-to-hand combat whenever it was appropriate. As time went on, the troopers wanted to further test their abilities against each other. Fives started keeping track of the wins and losses, boasting about his scores with the rest of the legion. Jesse and Echo were having none of it, which soon led to tournament days. After training with these troopers for so long, it was no surprise that you were invited to participate. Instead of wearing full sets of armor, competitors opted to wear their blacks along with some light sparring armor.

You learned in previous training sessions that Fives was not the most thoughtful fighter. He fought with a great deal of passion, a feature that greatly outweighed his patience. But Echo wasn't sitting on the sidelines for nothing, massaging tender limbs. You were up in the following round, and you had to take Fives down. For everyone's sake, if not the danger of Fives' obnoxious ego.

He began taking swings at you the moment the match started. You blocked as many as you could with your forearms, covering your face from the back to back blows. Your body was going to regret it later for sure, so you cherished the concentrated look on Fives' face as he watched you endure the hits. But you both knew you could only take so much. With one quick shove he sent you stumbling back. Before you could recover, he caught your jaw in a nasty left hook. Your face hit the floor with a loud smack, and you struggled to push yourself to your feet.

"Don't take it too hard," Fives smirked, "if I win this one. There's always next time."

He eased his posture while he spoke, waiting for you to get up. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Rex mark the small score board in his hands.

"Come on, Y/N!" Jesse shouted. He sat next to Echo, who looked like he'd rather be in another room sleeping. Kix stood off to the side with a few other spectators, arms crossed.

"Remember, any remarkable injury counts as a penalty," Kix warned. "I don't want to send anyone to–"

"GO Y/N!" Jesse roared, followed by the cheers of the small crowd that had gathered, when you kicked Fives square in the chest. Your force caught him off guard, causing him to stumble back a few feet. Any remanence of Kix's words died out as your movement increased, pushing the match to the edges of the mat. The medic grumbled to himself while Rex suppressed a smile, marking up points for your comeback.

The banter from Fives ceased as he put all of his concentration into countering your advances. You swung and ducked, not letting him get another hit on you. He blocked your swings and stepped back towards the center of the mat, but his footing became unsteady. Without thinking, you sidestepped Fives next swing, his right hand whizzing past you. You kicked your leg out beneath him and felt his full weight catch on it. In the span of a few seconds, Fives was sprawled out on the floor. The training room was buzzing as you knelt down beside him and tapped his head, racking up more points to your score.

"And that's time!" Kix announced. Rex showed him the points on the score board before he added: "Looks like Y/N wins this round!"

Jesse grinned and held out a palm to Dogma, who passed him a few credits. Echo just smiled from ear to ear at you as you rose to your feet.

"That might count as a penalty, Y/N," he chuckled. His laugh infected his next few words. "I don't know if Fives' pride will recover."

"Alright, alright!" Fives grumbled. His tone sent you into your own fit of laughter. You received a few pats on the back from the other clones, distracting you from the progression of the tournament.

"Guess that means I'm next."

The chatter died down as Rex stepped forward. The laughter faded on your lips as Rex handed Kix the score board and joined you on the training mat. You swore Fives almost looked relieved that he had lost. He plopped himself between Jesse and Echo.

"Oh Kriff this is gonna be good–" Fives began, before receiving a smack to the head from Jesse and Echo simultaneously.

"Cut it out and watch!"

While the banter ensued, Rex began wrapping his own knuckles to match yours. You didn't bother checking your own. Instead, you stared at Rex like he was a newly discovered species.

"Nervous?" he asked, tying off the wraps on his right hand. His voice was quiet enough to keep it between the two of you. Normally, the calm rumble of his voice was soothing. But it hardly reached your ears. You couldn't decide which was worse, the fact that Rex was going to experience your technique (or lack thereof) firsthand, or that you might not even last another whole match.

You scoffed, trying to play it cool. Rex cocked an eyebrow at that. You cleared your throat and nodded.

"Yes. Very."

He chuckled. His finished wrapping his left hand and flexed it.

"You'll do fine." His eyes flickered up to yours. "You fight pretty well."

Any other day and your spirits would have soared. Instead you gave him a tight smile. "Thanks, Rex."

"Ready?" Kix asked. It seemed to be more of an announcement than a question. You and Rex nodded. You hardly registered the countdown while you met the captain's gaze. You hoped you didn't look as nervous as you felt.

"Go!"

You're not sure why you expected Rex to be slower to initiate the fight than Fives. As Rex started landing blows, you realized that he wasn't impatient like your former opponent was. Each movement was deliberate. You quickly realized you would need to put more effort in completely dodging his attacks if you were going to last. You sidestepped, landed a quick hit to his shoulder, and put some space between you. Rex watched your movements and smirked.

"Going somewhere?" he muttered.

"Just taking my time." You breathed. "No need to rush."

The rest of the clones watched in silence. Not even Fives made any comments as Rex quickly closed the distance between you.

He swung, you ducked. You sprung back up, your fist colliding with his cheek. The quick blow raised your spirits, but he made quick work of your advances. In a matter of seconds he sent you flying to the mat. It was a rough fall, one that had your head throbbing. Once you sat up and gathered your bearings again, you saw that Rex had frozen up.

Is he worried? You thought. His physique and stance didn't match the soft, scared look he was giving you. He turned to Kix, and your gut told you he was going to cut the round short. You scrambled to your feet.

"Don't you dare!" Rex's head snapped back to you, and you grinned. "Round's not done."

Rex's eyes gleamed, still with a concerned glint to them. He really looked like a puppy, you thought, when he wasn't pummeling his opponents into the ground. He slowly resumed a fighting stance.

"Ok," he said.

And so the fight dragged on and on. One second you were on your feet, and the next the room blurred around you. For the third time, you were thrown flat on your back. You wheezed, watching Rex panting above you. When you stayed put, he turned again to Kix. The clone medic was checking the clock, and you realized you were close to time.

You knew that score board was not marked in your favor, but the adrenaline coursing through your body pushed the thought aside. Your limbs burned as you managed to lock your legs behind Rex's feet. Before he could react, you kicked his feet out from under him. Rex landed on his back with a loud thud. The whole room sucked in a breath.

"Time!"

You lay there on the mat for a little while. You heard a bit of shuffling from Rex's side. Eventually you propped yourself on your elbows to find him staring at you. He looked completely flustered. You realized that, regardless of how the points added up, you had managed to surprise him.

"The winner for the final round in the tournament is Rex!" Kix announced, but the audience was already cheering. Your eyes never left Rex as he stood up and offered you a hand.

"Y/N, you did well," he said. He pulled you up and seemed to freeze again, at a loss for words. Before either of you could say anything, Jesse clapped you on the back, making you wince.

"Y/N, that was incredible!"

"We knew you couldn't beat our captain," Fives shrugged. "But it was a good effort."

"We can get Kix to do a checkup on you," Echo offered. You almost laughed when Rex's expression immediately contorted with concern.

"I think I'm fine, nothing a good night's sleep can't fix," you waved them off.

"Make that a couple of nights." Echo agreed, rolling his shoulder with a groan.

"You're a bunch of shinies if you're spent after a good ol' tournament day!" Fives laughed, straightening his posture. "I could go for another round or two."

The comment came with a price. Jesse cashed it in by giving him another smack on the back of his head. "Oh give us a break. You'll feel it tomorrow."

They made their way out of the training room with the others. You made to join them, when your wrist was tugged back. You swiveled to see Rex looking at you, then down at the mat. Then back at you.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He pressed. "I didn't mean to be too rough, but if I was I need you to let me know–"

"Rex." You stopped him. His eyes stayed on yours this time. "I'm ok, I promise. I wouldn't have wanted you to go easy on me, anyway."

Eventually he nodded and let go of your wrist.

"Besides, you'll have to get used to not holding back. I don't know when the next tournament day is, but I'll be ready for it," you smirked. You pat him on the shoulder and began following the others. He quickly joined you. He looked thoughtful while he walked beside you, and you were prompted to ask him what was on his mind when he spoke first.

"Right," he said. "As if I'd let you reach the top on your second tournament day."

And from there on out, you couldn't wait for the next one.

[43110there]

Midnight Doodle of Cad Bane! Very rough sketch, but I want to learn how to draw him better

[43110there]

I got you <3

Pairing: Hunter/Reader

Summary: You've been with tbb for a while now. As a former jedi, you have applied yourself and your abilities as best as you could for the sake of your new family. When stress builds up, Hunter's got your back.

Warnings: None. Just fluff (yes, it's a little romantic).

A/N: First post to this account! So excited to get started. Just had to write some Hunter fluff. Could probably be fluffier, but more will come. Enjoy! <3

Even behind the comfort of closed eyelids, your eyes stung. It didn't surprise you at this point; after the endless briefings and holocom diagrams from wandering between planets and systems in the galaxy, you felt the toll on both your mind and body. You knew going in that enhanced clones were made to endure more than the average soldier. As a jedi, you were hoping that you could match their strenuous lifestyle on the run. But when Hunter brought up another plan that the batch needed to go over, you spent the whole morning dreading the thought of staring at the blue glow of maps and potential agendas. You didn't realize that you were doing a poor job of hiding it until you began filing out of the Marauder for a quick supply run with the rest of the batch.

"You ok, Y/N?" Wrecker said, giving you a clap on the back. You knew he meant for it to be gentle, but it still managed to rattle you up as you stumbled off the ramp the rest of the way.

"Yeah, I'm doing alright," you managed. The question took you off guard. Wrecker was more perceptive than the rest of the batch gave him credit for. In an attempt to hide your fatigue, you heaved an exaggerated sigh and nudged him with your elbow. "Alright enough to get this supply run over with."

You and Wrecker shared a grin as the rest of the group made their way outside. Omega ran ahead, excited for the experiences that would come with a planet she had never been on before. Echo and Hunter filed out individually, the latter moving a little further from the group to scan the perimeter. The site they picked was plain and simple: a small clearing less than a klick away from the nearest town. Perfect for their errand. As you admired the towering trees around you, Tech walked down the ramp with ease despite being hunched over his datapad.

"We ran a risk going this long without resupplying," Tech stated. "We require more food and equipment than usual, so I suggest we split up. It would be more efficient that way."

"What's the rush? Can't we stay put for a little while?" Wrecker groaned. Omega shared her brother's sentiment, looking between Hunter and Tech with a frown.

Hunter sighed when he saw Omega's face. "Sorry, kid. Not today. We have to get an early start on the job Cid gave us." Just the thought of taking on another side quest for Cid caused a pain in the base of your skull, spreading to your forehead and brow.

"Don't worry, you'll be able to see most of the town while we're out. It's... not much to look at." Echo insisted. Regardless, Omega beamed up at him as if he had promised to take her sightseeing. You smiled at her display of eagerness, wishing you could match her energy. You resisted the urge to push your fingers against your temple in an attempt to dull the pain.

Hunter put a hand on Wrecker's shoulder, glancing at Omega and Echo. "We'll head into town. Y/N and Tech, try to scratch as many things off our list of repairs as you can. Get whatever you need from the venues in town to do it. Just be discrete."

You blinked. You weren't going with?

"You're taking Wrecker with you, so I'm sure we'll be fine." Tech reassured him. It was a quip that would've normally made you laugh, but you were distracted by Hunter's gaze. He looked at you with a brow creased in worry, something barely discernible to anyone else in the squad but you. You forced a smile, hoping it could alleviate his troubled mind. His expression didn't change much.

"Right." Hunter didn't miss a beat. "Meet back here at 1700."

~

You and Tech returned at 1500. After the initial relief of returning to an undisturbed Marauder set in, you and Tech got to work. It was a dynamic you had come to truly appreciate throughout your time with the batch. After the first few rotations of repairing the ship with him, you picked up on the routine and found that you could assist in ways that he didn't need to verbalize. He was appreciative of your help, and you were equally appreciative of his efficiency. But even on most days, he found some way to make conversation while he worked. Today he kept to himself, besides making the occasional comment on a certain part he required for the ship. Regardless, you were grateful for the silence. You spent the next hour handing him things whenever he needed it. After a while, you found yourself holding an unfamiliar gadget that remained in your hands longer than you anticipated. Rather than take it from you, Tech stood up and brushed himself off.

"Y/N, would you mind bringing the rest of the equipment inside? We finished all of the major repairs on the ship's exterior. All that's needed now are a few touch-ups, which I can handle on my own."

You gave a quick nod before you could think of anything to say. Without a word, you hauled the remaining goods up the ramp and into the ship. When the shade from within the Marauder hit your back, you felt your skin prickle with goosebumps. You tried to be gentle with the pack in your hand, but you could barely keep it from slipping through your fingers and hitting the floor. The pilot's chair called to you, and, before you could think any better of it, you sank in. These chairs weren't made for comfort, but at that moment it was the most luxurious spot on the ship. It didn't take long for your mind to drift off, sleep coming with it soon after.

The memories that normally fueled your dreams were quiet this time around. With no plotline to follow, your dreams were practically nonexistent, if not vague and hazy. Unlike most nights, you were hardly roused by anything around you. This time, it took a while for something to wake you.

A gentle nudge on your shoulder tugged you out of the dark void your mind was nestled in. The millisecond that you realized you had been asleep, you jolted awake and gasped at your slip up. You sat up from your seat and tried to gather your bearings faster than your body wanted you to. A firm grasp on your shoulders steadied you.

"Woah, easy there!" Hunter tugged you so that you were facing him, rendering you fully aware of your own consciousness. The way that he stared at you was grounding, even if your mind was frantic.

"Nono, I didn't mean to! The briefing, it..." you trailed off as you looked at the view outside from the pilot's chair. The sky had darkened into a glittery night sky. Your stomach dropped. "I missed it, didn't I?"

Hunter watched your face fall. "Hey, there's nothing to worry about. We had the briefing outside. Tech made some footnotes for you to read up on."

You avoided Hunter's gaze and pressed a hand to your temple. It took you a moment to register that the pain you felt before was now a dull ache. Before you could turn away out of embarrassment, Hunter took your hand into his own and squeezed.

"Cyar'ika," Hunter began. It was almost off putting, the way he could calm you with the tone of his voice alone. "We didn't want to wake you. Everyone could tell that you were feeling off today. Not just Wrecker."

A weary smile tugged at your lips. "Was I really that obvious?" The smile faded faster than you would've liked, but you were tired of putting on a show. Especially in front of Hunter.

Your sergeant leaned forward to kiss your forehead before he replied. "Not sure when the others noticed, but I saw it the moment you got up this morning."

Your eyes fell to the floor. You really didn't deserve all this kindness. You couldn't afford to slack off when you were all on the run, picking up jobs because your livelihood depended on it. But the softness in Hunter's expression insisted otherwise. As if to combat your thoughts, he gently pulled you up and out of your chair. Following his motions, you let him pull you into his lap so that you were snug in his arms. You molded yourself against his body, letting your hand fall against his broad chest. His heartbeat thudded rhythmically beneath it, grounding you even further in his presence.

"You don't have to beat yourself up about it. If you ever need a break... all you have to do is ask. Your health is important to us." Hunter said, running a hand through your hair. The next words were barely above a whisper. "To me."

The hint of sadness in his voice made your heart ache. It must be strange, you thought, having to balance the responsibilities of being a leader while being your lover. It made you hold onto him a little tighter. You wondered if he thought Tech really needed help repairing the ship. Or if he knew you needed a minute to recuperate.

"Thank you, Hunter," you muttered.

He hummed in response, pulling you even closer to him than before. Between murmuring sweet nothings into your ear and running his hand through your hair again and again, it didn't take long for Hunter to lull you to sleep again.

~

Echo was the first one up that morning, much to his surprise. Even more surprising was the fact that Hunter didn't beat him to the first cup of caf. What took the cake, however, was seeing you and the Sergeant passed out in the co-pilot's chair. He made sure to alert the others as they rose for the day, one by one, to let you both sleep in.

<3