This was @the-bi-space-ace's idea to let your imagination run wild by putting Echo in a situation (finding something (or someone) unexpected in the ship)
My mind is full of stories, I adore Echo, and I've dared to give shape to one with words.
This is the first time I've shared anything longer than a paragraph; I hope you like it, and please forgive me if there's anything strange I didn't notice, English isn't my native language.
No warnings, suitable for all ages, tenderness and a spark of anguish.
The ship was silent, save for the sounds of basic maintenance, a faint hum that reached him through his feet like a gentle vibration. It was a feeling that made him a little nervous; he associated it with the peace before a battle, the men reviewing lists and supply crates, no one in the mood to talk, the countdown had begun, and when it reached zero, no one knew if they would ever return.
Years had passed, the objective had changed, but the nerves, the unease, and the memories remained. He didn't know if thinking about everything that had happened still hurt the same or if he had simply grown accustomed to it. He took a deep breath; he would do better to concentrate on what he still had to do. He started by checking the medical resources and noting what was missing so he could ask Lena for it.
Opening the cupboard, everything seemed in order: bandages, bacta, injections… the boxes for the folding stretchers were at the bottom, although instead of the fifth box, there was a tangle of blankets. Someone hadn't returned the last one used. Echo sighed deeply and made a note of it; it wasn't that hard to put things back where you found them… He bent down to remove the blankets when noticed the lump move slightly. It was also emitting a soft murmur, like Batcher when she was sound asleep and snored in his sleep. He didn't quite understand the animal; it was a bit wild and overly affectionate. He removed the blanket, wondering what strange reason had led it to get in there to sleep.
Where the animal's toothy grin should have been, there appeared a small head of dark curls and big eyes, its face rosy and a little embarrassed at having been caught.
"What are you doing here, little one?" Echo wanted to scold him, but he couldn't look into those eyes without smiling.
"I'm coming with you," he replied, trying to sound confident. He was really trying, even though he couldn't pronounce all the letters properly yet.
"And where do you think we're going?"
"Out there, in the universe, to free soldiers."
"Are you sure you know how to free the soldiers?"
"Yes, you look them up on uncle Rex's tablet, go to the planet, open the doors of their traps, and bring them back here." Echo tried not to laugh. The little boy was already out of the closet, standing upright with his backpack, exuding all the confidence of his five years.
"Well, yes, that's what we do, but I think you're still small, and the trap locks are high. You won't be able to open them." The little boy stared at Echo for a few moments, processing the idea of large traps and high locks. “I’ll ask Gregor to lift me up!” he said resolutely, head held high and his little hands clasped tightly.
“It’s dark here too,” Echo replied.
“Really dark?”
“Really. You’ve seen how my helmet works. I’ll be able to see, but you’ll need a flashlight.” The boy became very serious. Echo knew this was his weakness; he was afraid of the dark. He said monsters would sneak up behind you and breathe in your ear to scare you, making you drop your flashlight so they could steal the batteries.
“Well… then… maybe mom’s right and I need to grow a little more to go with you to save soldiers…”
“Yes, sweetheart, I think that’s for the best,” Echo replied, unable to stop smiling.
At that moment, they heard hurried footsteps on the ship’s ramp. A voice from outside called out nervously, shouting the boy’s name.
“Ian! Ian! Where have you gone?” "If you dared hide here, dad was going to be furious!"
The little boy took off running towards his mother and passed right by her without stopping.
"Where are you going?!" She tried to catch him, but he was quick and slippery.
"I'm going to have a snack, see you later!" He turned for a moment, made a shooting gesture with his hand while was smiling slightly and kept running.
The woman sighed deeply, one hand on her chest; the relief of having found him was obvious. Echo approached her and put his arm around her waist as they watched Ian run across the square.
"I'm not going to be angry because he hides here, you know that, love."
"Yes, I know, Echo, but I have to threaten him with something or he'll never listen to me."
He chuckled softly; his son reminded him more and more of Fives every day. It didn't make any sense, but they shared that cheekiness, that smirk, and that sparkle in their eyes.
He looked at Lena, his wife, his life partner, and thought about how life turns out. She was smiling, and he felt that same dizzying rush he'd felt the first time she looked into his eyes and smiled at him.
"Shall we have some snaks too?" Lena asked.
Echo nodded; he couldn't speak, still amazed by all the good things in his life.
Author’s Note: Hi all 🤗 Hope you’re ready for the next chapter for Echo and Mina! I wanted to get this out before the end of June, and I just couldn’t- I kept stalling, so I hope it’s worth the wait😝
“Cabur” is Mando’a for protector. This will have a sequel, but it’s gonna take a minute to get there.
NOTE: this chapter contains topics adjacent to body dysmorphia and fat-shaming. Please read with caution, and know that you are worthy of love and respect no matter your size or shape.
Summary: Mina has a rough night at work. Echo has a confession.
Dividers by @ech0e
Echo strutted through the door to 79’s. He had just landed early from another Maker-forsaken, battle-ridden planet and wanted nothing more than to see his girl. But as he scanned the employees behind the bar, Mina was nowhere to be seen.
It’s Taungsday, he thought to himself. She always works Taungsdays.
“Hey, what’s up, Echo?” A lilting voice called to him. It was Cerria, a Twi’lek woman who Mina loved working with.
“Hi, good to see you again, Cerr! Where’s Mina? I was hoping to surprise her,” he asked with a smile.
“Oh…we sent her home. Couple’a shinies were in here giving her bantha shit and we told her to just head home and relax. Got her pretty hard.” Cerria’s tone was concerning and sympathetic. She practically frowned at retelling the story.
“What?” Echo could feel his pulse quickening. Hearing about Mina being hurt by one of his brothers was not something he could tolerate. His smile quickly fell from his face.
“Yeah, she was real upset. Poor girl. Let her know I was thinking about her when you see her, yeah?” Cerria began walking backwards to customers at the other end of the bar as she waved goodbye.
“Yeah…yeah, I’ll let her know.” Echo replied.
Echo took a look around the bar. It was mostly empty, and none of the current customers looked fresh enough to be shinies. He told himself he would come back tomorrow to look again.
After waving his goodbye to Cerria, Echo turned back to the door and headed outside with a new destination in mind.
Mina was nestled into her couch, feeling pitiful for herself. She should have known better than to just wallow. But the comments from those two asshole clones wouldn’t stop rattling around in her head.
“Where’d they find this one? Jabba’s last family reunion?”
“Hahaha, good one! Sweetheart, you speak Basic? My Huttese is still a little rusty!”
“Maybe she can teach you some of her native language!”
Fighting off another round of tears, Mina pulled the blanket tighter around herself. She wasn’t quite sure why two stranger’s comments were hitting her so hard. It wasn’t like it was the first time someone had made some ignorant comment about her body.
Standing up from her cocoon, Mina dragged herself to the fresher. She knew not to do what she was about to do. She was going to do it anyway.
She raised her eyes to the mirror.
A tear-stained, heart-shaped face stared back at her. Full cheeks like a little creature from a planet filled with forests and plenty of food. A spare chin. At least in this lighting. Arms that, to Mina, looked like overinflated balloons that ended in chubby fingers. A round stomach and wide hips her mother always chastised her for. Jiggling thighs tinged with stretch marks. Sloping fold lines on her back that she couldn’t hide for anything.
Maybe they were right... They certainly seemed confident enough to say it out loud, she thought.
Mina’s thoughts were interrupted by knocking at her door. She wasn’t expecting anyone, who could it be?
She plodded to the door, ready to tell whoever was on the other side of it to kriff off. She was in no mood. But to her surprise, it was the last person in the galaxy she would tell.
”Echo!” She shouted and threw her arms around his neck. He slid his hands around her back. Mina fought a shudder at his hands at such an awful area.
”My girl, what are you doing here?”
”What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t due back for another few days!”
”I wanted to surprise you. I went by 79’s and they told me they sent you home?”
Mina steeled a bit. If Cerria had told him she was sent home, she would have also told Echo why. She pulled back a bit and kept her hands on his shoulders.
“Yeah, I just…wasn’t feeling too good, I didn’t sleep well last night,” she lied quickly.
He didn’t buy it.
”Uh-huh…I’m sure it had nothing to do with two Shinies who couldn’t respect their server, like Cerria told me?” Echo raised an eyebrow at Mina’s reddening expression.
”Oh…um, I mean, I just didn’t, uh-“ Mina stuttered out. She couldn’t think of another lie fast enough. Her cover was blown.
”And I’m sure it has nothing to do with why your eyes are so red and your nose is running,” Echo furthered.
She admitted defeat, nodding.
“Mina. You’re really letting a couple of di’kuts get to you like this? They’re morons!”
“You didn’t hear them, they were so awful! It just…caught me at a weak moment, I guess.”
Mina couldn’t meet his eyes. Echo lowered his head and get her to look at him, but it was no use. He decided to take matters into his own hands.
Echo took her by the hand. “Come on, let me show you something,” he murmured as he pulled her to the fresher. She followed him silently but kept her eyes cast down to the floor.
Positioning her so she could look in the mirror with him behind her, Echo started pointing out all the spots he knew Mina was hiding, and all the spots he loved.
“Echo, please don’t, I don’t want-“ Mina protested. He ignored her. He reached to cup her chin and gently raised it up to watch him.
“Look at this beautiful face. I love to see this face when I come back from some backwater planet. Those bright eyes and full cheeks. I think about them every night,” he started.
“My favorite place to give you kisses is right here,” he said, dragging his fingers along her collarbone. “It always smells like you and I wish I could carry it with me when I leave.”
Mina began to look a little sheepish at his confessions. She should have known Echo would react this way.
“You know as well as I do how much I love to rest my head on this chest. Best pillows in the galaxy, I must say,” Echo drawled in her ear as he stood behind Mina and cupped her breasts. She tried to shy away, ducking her head and turning pink.
She tried to chide him. “Echo…”
But he wasn’t done yet.
“And this round stomach. You think it’s soft. Like it should look like something else. But I love its softness. Everything about my life is hard. I want a soft place to rest. This is where I dream about doing it.”
His words were full of emotion and honesty.
“These hips, maker, they’re perfect to hold you with. And how could I forget these arms? These soft arms are home. Forget Kamino, forget the barracks here on Coruscant, forget everything. These arms are my home anywhere they are.”
Mina’s eyes burned with unshed tears. A sob stuck in her throat. No one had ever said anything like that about her before. Never. But if Echo, her Echo who had never lied to her before, said them, they must be true. She tried to swallow and shake her head. Echo turned her around to face him and cupped her face before she could.
“I wish you could see yourself like I do. You’re perfect just the way you are right now.”
And suddenly it hit him. This was the moment to tell her.
“And…I love you.”
The words fell out of his mouth before he could think any more about it. And he meant them, so what difference did it make?
Mina went still. A gasp escaped her lips. She blinked the tears away as best she could and turned to face him fully.
“Say that again,” she whispered.
“I love you.”
A sniffle from Mina. Now Echo’s eyes burned.
“Tell me again?” Her voice was small.
“I love you.”
He closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to hers. Echo broke the kiss only to tell her again.
“I love you.”
Mina slotted her mouth against his and reached to cup the back of his head. Her nails gently scraped through his short-cropped hair.
“I love you,” Echo repeated again. “I’ll tell you a thousand times if I have to.”
Their foreheads pressed together in the small space.
“I…I love you too,” Mina whispered.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah…I do.”
The pair smiled at each other. Their mouths met each other once more. It was a tender, sweet kiss- calming, reassuring. One that signified the safe place they had in each other. Echo’s hands traced up and down her back. Mina’s fingers dragged over his armor and through the gaps in the plates.
He really meant it, she thought as she slid her tongue across the seam of his full lips.
When they came up for air, Echo couldn’t help but breathe a laugh.
“I don’t want to ruin the moment but…I’m starving. And if I eat one more ration bar, I might have a kriffing fit,” he said.
Mina laughed, too. “Okay, let’s go eat. We can’t have you melting down, can we?”
She took his hands and led him from the fresher out to the living room, slipped on her shoes, and grabbed her bag. Echo watched her fluid movements like it was a show.
Mina paused. “You really mean what you said?”
“Every word. Trust me, I'm a terrible liar.”
“Hmm…that’s true.” She smiled. He reached his gloved hand out to her and she took it. And she felt safe again. Mina prayed she would always feel that way with him around.
She started for the door, but Echo pulled her back to his planted feet.
“Next time those two show up, you comm me, yeah? I’ll handle it.” His tone was firm. It didn’t sound like a request as much as a soft demand. Mina nodded her reply.
“Dex’s?” She offered Echo’s seeming favorite.
“Lead the way, my love.”
My love, she thought. She liked the sound of that.
A few days later, with Echo on the last night of his leave, he decided to follow Mina into work for the night.
“Are you sure you want to spend your last night here at my job? Won’t you be bored?”
“Bored? Watching you? Never. Reminds me of when I met you,” Echo said sweetly. “Besides, maybe the crew will show up, make things interesting!”
Mina smiled and took his hand for the short walk to 79’s.
As they entered the club, Echo set up camp at Mina’s side of the bar, and ordered something to sip as she set up her station. He waved to Cerria, who was working the booths that night.
Right on cue it seemed, the rest of his squad nearly burst down the door. Jesse and Fives laughing and smacking each other on the back as they shared a joke, Dogma surveying the scene with a slight scowl, Kix passing out hydration packs to preemptively ward off any hangovers. The brothers waved at each other.
And behind them, two familiar shinies.
Mina watched with a fading smile as she recognized the two, who were not part of Echo’s squad. He noticed her face falling immediately and turned to find the source.
One of the men recognized her immediately. He nudged the other as a mean grin took over their faces. They sidled up to the bar to claim two the empty stools next to Echo.
“Heyyy, there’s our little friend again! Where have you been?” One of them started.
“Yeah, we’ve been looking for you! We’ve been practicing our Huttese this week!”
Echo leveled his eyes at the two.
“What can I get you gentlemen?” Mina asked flatly. She was thankful Echo was watching her. She was doing her best to stay as disengaged as she could.
“I’ll take an order of Rhodian Rations, if you haven’t eaten them all!”
The two clones shared a laugh over the cruel joke. Mina swallowed back the tears pricking her eyes. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction this time.
She stepped to the datapad to put their order in and saw Echo staring the two men down. His eyes were filled with rage. His face was dark.
Then Mina watched as Echo hit a small button on his vambrace. It triggered a light and small beep on Fives’ brace first. Then Kix, Tup, and Hardcase all had the same light. Mina froze. What were they doing?
The boys in blue gathered slowly behind Echo. Mina was frozen to her spot. Her fingers hovered over the screen, trembling.
Looking to their left, the two Shinies noticed the crowd forming. One of them decided to strike up a conversation.
“Hey guys, how’s it going? Oh, you’re the 501st, with General Skywalker! Kriff, imagine our luck! We’ve been trying to transfer to your unit for weeks now! My name is Squeeze, this is Dozer, we’d make a perfect addition to your crew! Where’s your captain?” The man rambled with a smile. His eyes searched the faces of the 501st.
With a scowl, Echo told him, “I’m afraid you’re not 501st material.”
The two men shot back an equally disgusted face. “Not good enough, eh? Who do you think you are?” Dozer exclaimed. He slammed his hand on the shiny surface of the bar. Mina jumped.
Without warning, Echo turned and kicked his leg out as hard as he could. It hit Squeeze’s stool at just the right angle to knock it out from underneath him. He hit his chin on the edge of the bar, and it drew a yelp from him.
Dozer was shocked, then angry- he jumped up from his own stool and gritted his teeth at Echo, who now had his full squad behind him.
Mina’s eyes flicked between Echo and his squad, and Dozer. They were each furious.
Bared teeth.
Hands curled into fists.
Veins bulging from temples.
Mina took a shaky, quiet breath.
“Like he said, boys,” Fives started, “you’re just not 501st material. See, we don’t talk kark about one of our own. And Mina? Well, she’s one of ours.” His confidence was unshakable as he gestured to her. Like this was any other night at 79’s.
Squeeze laid on the ground moaning in pain and holding his jaw.
“Some kriffing chubby bartender is one of yours?” Dozer shot back incredulously. “She couldn’t win a battle against a bowl of ice cream!”
Mina flinched.
“She is. And I’d just like to see you make one more joke at her expense,” Echo growled. His eyes practically glowed red. His teeth gritted against themselves.
Hardcase leaned over Echo’s shoulder. “You might want to check on your friend down there, he looks like he could use a trip to a medbay.”
Dozer glanced down at his partner. Squeeze had managed to push himself up to his hands and knees. The swelling was already pronounced and it was clear he was hurt badly.
His moaning and groaning had only grown louder as Squeeze grabbed the edge of the bar to pull himself up to standing. His free hand covered his mouth. A trickle of blood snuck out from his fingers.
Squeeze finally made it to his feet and grabbed onto Dozer’s shoulder. The latter spared a glance at him, then his eyes took in the eight other men before him.
Dozer decided he didn’t like his odds.
He braced his arm around Squeeze, who still held his jaw. The pair started for the door before Dozer said menacingly, “This isn’t over.”
Through the swelling and pain, Squeeze managed to turn and tell him, “‘Hut-up, ‘Ozer! Muh kri’ing jaw ih ‘oken!”
As they finally got to the other side of the door, the boys of the 501st began to high-five each other. Echo got up from his stool and cut a quick path through his brothers to Mina.
“Echo, why would you do that? You’re gonna be in so much trouble!” She chastised him as he swept her into his arms. He brushed the hair behind her ear.
“You’re worth every bit of trouble, mesh’la. It’s all right.”
“Besides, we all saw that guy just fall on his own!” Hardcase defended.
Mina sighed. There was no arguing with Echo AND his squad. Even Dogma might be convinced it was an accident.
“I’ll always protect you. Especially from di’kuts like that.” He pulled her close, brushing his lips against hers.
“Because I love you.”
Mina looked deep into Echo’s eyes. It was easy to get lost in those pools of deep amber. She smiled as she replied, “I love you, too.”
Fives clapped his hand on Echo's shoulder. “Well done, brother. I don’t think they’ll be back anytime soon!”
“No, I don’t think so,” Echo said. “And they certainly won’t be bothering you anymore.”
“Maybe, but I still have a whole shift to work, my love,” Mina reminded him. She nodded her head towards Echo’s squad. “Go, sit with your brothers. I’ll be fine.”
Echo gave her one last quick kiss before letting her go. He joined his brothers at their booth and watched Mina at her station for the rest of the night. In his mind, it was the best way to finish his leave before another risky mission.
i think it’s really cool that wrecker is like. hunter’s ride or die for most of the show. even in clone wars, bro just listens to him and respects him at all times. “wrecker DROP HIM” and he does. season one episode one, when hunter goes after caleb and the other troopers show up saying they have orders from the supreme chancellor, but wrecker blocks them and goes “hunter’s HANDLING IT”
lots of other examples throughout season 1 and 2, and even in the sanctuary book apparently (i haven’t read it yet but i’ve seen bits and snippets), where wrecker listens to hunter pretty much no matter what. sure he’ll do a little bro complaint or something, but he trusts and respects hunter completely. if he tells him to do something, he’s going to do it.
then season 2 finale happens. and in season 3, we see that actually change.
he’s questioning hunter. telling him to stop and think. yea, he still trusts him and follows orders, but there’s doubt now. and not because he thinks hunter is at fault for what happened to tech and omega, but because that event probably brought so much doubt and anxiousness where before he had only had very little. he was always a very confident person, and so much of that is shattered after they lose tech.
Summary: Fives has to live in the aftermath of his mistake.
Word Count: 5.8k
Warnings: cursing, alcohol consumption, drunk clones, angst, smut is back! (18+ please)
A/N: We're so back! (I do fear I'm on the verge of a mental breakdown so uh yikes hopefully writing helps that)
join my taglist / masterlist
Of all the kriffing luck in the galaxy, General Aayla Secura was currently deploying to 79’s because she thought one of her men was in danger.
Fives didn’t even feel the persistent ache in his bad leg as he bolted out of the refresher and towards Rex. Tracker was still sitting there, completely consumed in a sabacc game with Rex and entirely oblivious to the fact that his personal frequency had just mobilized one of his Jedi Generals.
Fives slowed his pace as he entered the light of the holotable, desperately forcing his breathing to level out. He couldn't let Tracker see the panic. He couldn't let anyone besides Rex see it.
Fives stepped directly between the two men. "Alright, boys, what did I miss?" Fives chimed calmly, despite the fact that his heart was hammering against his chest.
Before Rex could offer a snarky retort, Fives executed his next move perfectly. Under the guise of a drunken stumble Fives threw his weight forward, strategically planting his hand firmly onto the exact spot on Tracker’s forearm where he swiped his commlink earlier, placing it perfectly into place.
"You really are a hell of a player, Tracker!" Fives cheered, his voice cutting through the nearby chatter.
Unlike Tracker, Rex wasn't oblivious to Fives’ antics. Rex’s brow furrowed, with a suspicious look washing over his face as he realized the stolen commlink was just aggressively returned to its rightful owner.
"You took care of that logistics issue incredibly fast, Fives," Rex observed, his voice laced with sarcasm. "I didn't think anyone would respond this late."
Fives let out a loud, fake laugh, throwing his head back just enough to play the part of a trooper who had one too many. "Oh, you know me! Fast is my middle name."
He grabbed Rex by the shoulder, attempting to physically steer Rex away from the table. "Tracker, buddy, it was an absolute honor. Seriously. But unfortunately, Rex and I have a high priority issue we need to head out for. Right now. Good luck with the hand!"
Tracker blinked up through his glass, "Oh. Okay, Fives. Good luck with whatever that is! Make sure you-”
Fives didn't wait for Tracker to finish his sentence. He threw his weight into Rex, trying to push him off the chair.
But Rex didn't budge.
Rex sat firmly in his seat calmly raising an eyebrow, a deeply amused and incredibly smug smirk beginning to form.
"Hold on a minute, Fives," Rex held his hand up in a pause, "What's the rush? I'm actually having a great chat with Tracker here. I'd personally like to stay a while. Sit down with us, have another drink."
Fives looked at Rex, seeing the satisfaction in his eyes. Rex thought this was a joke. Rex was so beyond assumed that Fives realized his romantic grand plan was a total bust, and was now trying to flee to escape the consequences of his actions.
Fives dropped the playful drunk act instantly. "Rex," Fives muttered, dropping his face closer to Rex’s ear. "We need to go. Right now."
Rex let out a mocking chuckle, entirely unfazed by Fives’ shift in attitude. "Fives, whatever mess you just made, you can handle it yourself," Rex whispered back, "I told you it was a horrible idea."
A cold sweat broke out along the back of Fives’ neck. "Excuse us, Tracker. Save Rex’s seat for him?”
“Sounds good. No worries!” Tracker nodded before looking back at his cards.
But before Rex could piece anything together, Fives reached out, grabbed Rex by the fabric of his blacks, and dragged him away from the table.
"Whoa! Fives, what the hell?" Rex grunted, stumbling slightly as Fives hauled him behind a pillar.
"Shut up and listen to me," Fives pleaded. His eyes darted frantically over Rex’s shoulder, scanning the crowd as if expecting a squad to drop through the ceiling of 79’s. "Rex, I fucked up. I fucked up bad."
Rex crossed his arms, leaning back against the durasteel pillar and before Fives could even open his mouth to explain, Rex cut him off.
"Let me guess," Rex rolled his eyes, "General Secura answered."
Fives went entirely rigid. "How do you know?"
"Because I told you it would." Rex half laughed, shaking his head in amusement. “Risk analysis. Did you sleep during that part of ARC training?”
“I-”
“Fives,” Rex cut him off, “Love has blinded you."
Fives didn't even try to defend himself. He just glanced back toward the sabacc table. Tracker was trying to play his cards, but his movements were clumsy from the alcohol.
"Rex, forget about me," Fives shook his head, gesturing at the table, "Look at the kid. If General Secura shows up down here and finds out a shiny's beacon was used to falsify an emergency, what will happen to him? I can't let the kid take the fall for this."
The sincerity from Fives' broke through Rex's amusement. Rex let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of his neck as he glanced between Fives and Tracker.
"Kriffing hell, Fives," Rex muttered, trying to concoct a plan, "Alright. When General Secura shows up, Tracker is going to be confused. He’s going to swear up and down he didn't touch his comm."
"Which makes him look guilty or crazy," Fives pressed, "What do we do?"
"We give her a mechanical explanation," Rex suggested as the terrible cover story began forming, "When she demands to know why the beacon was triggered, we play it off as a physical accident. You tell her Tracker got a little too excited during a high stakes hand. You say you were teaching him how to bluff, things got a little out of control, and you slammed Tracker's wrist down on the sabacc table a few times to celebrate a win. The impact must have tripped the emergency sensor bracket."
Fives blinked, processing the cover. It was exactly the kind of dumb clone behavior a Jedi would sigh at and accept as a standard 79’s incident.
"Rex," Fives smiled, his eyes gleaming. "You’re a genius. Now we just wait for General Secur-"
He never finished his sentence.
His voice died instantly in his throat. Fives’ eyes snapped open wide, locking onto Tracker. The ambient noise of 79’s seemed to violently drop away into absolute silence.
"Fives?" Rex called out, noticing the sudden shock, "What is it? Is she here?"
Fives’ hands darted forward, grabbing Rex squarely by the shoulders and a forceful pull, he spun Rex in a full one eighty, forcing Rex to face Tracker.
General Secura wasn’t at his side.
You were.
You were leaning over the table, gently holding Tracker’s wrist, analyzing his commlink.
“Fives, I thought you said General Secura answered?” Rex asked, peering back at him
Behind him, Fives let out a laugh of relief, “She did.”
The panic that was suffocating vanished into thin air, replaced by radiant joy that lit up his entire face. He stared at you, completely captivated by the sight of you.
"Those 327th boys are so lucky," Fives whispered, his voice love struck with warmth as he watched you talk to a terrified Tracker. He didn't take his eyes off you as he leaned closer to Rex. "Who else can summon an actual angel with a few taps of a button?"
Rex slowly turned his head to look at Fives, completely speechless. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out.
"Well," Fives beamed, straightening his back and rolling his shoulders back, "I guess I won't be needing that cover story after all. Thanks, Rex."
With a confident, heavy pat on Rex’s shoulder, Fives stepped out of the shadows of the pillar and headed directly toward the sabacc table.
"General, I swear I didn't touch it!" Tracker frantically begged, his voice cracking as he held his wrist out like a piece of faulty machinery. "I was just sitting here playing sabacc. I didn't even have my hand near the housing! I wouldn't dream of falsifying a priority ping, Sir. You have to believe me!"
You kept your touch gentle as you held his arm. Your eyes scanned the small unit, tracing the seams of the standard issue gauntlet. Through the Force, the kid's panic was entirely genuine.
"Calm down, Tracker" you attempted to relax him, "I hear you. But there are strict hardware safeguards built into this casing to prevent accidental transmissions. It takes a deliberate sequence to make this thing go off. It doesn't just go off because you bumped a table a few times too hard."
“I know, General. I know,” Tracker stuttered as he looked up at FIves approaching, “I- I-.”
"Sorry for leaving you Tracker. Rex just needed to quickly check in with-"
Fives’ voice cut smoothly through the panic. He cut himself off with his jaw dropping slightly and his gaze snapping from Tracker's face right to yours.
"General?" Fives gasped in a perfect blend of surprise and calm, "What are you doing here? I didn’t think the Jedi ever made their way to this joint."
You didn't break your hold on Tracker’s wrist, but you did raise your eyes to meet Fives’. You had to force yourself to remain completely detached, treating him with the exact same professional distance you would give any other clone.
"An automated emergency beacon was broadcast from Tracker’s commlink," you explained, your voice missing the warmth it held on the transport platform earlier that afternoon. "Technically, Tracker’s alerts funnel into General Secura’s line. However, she was tied up with something and since I was already in the general area with the Guard, I told her I would take care of it."
You turned your attention back to the commlink, intentionally fidgeting with the small, reset toggle on the side. The small red light continued to flash.
You let out a heavy sigh, the exhaustion from lack of proper sleep after the campaign suddenly weighing you down. You looked back up to Tracker's petrified face.
"Tracker," you calmly address him, "Look at me. I need the absolute truth. If you were playing around with it and accidentally set something off, please just tell me."
Tracker looked like he was about to burst into tears. "I swear, General. I didn't do it. I promise you. I was just talking to Fives about 99. I wouldn't lie to you, Sir. Please."
The raw honesty in his voice was undeniable. Besides, you also felt his terror through the Force. He certainly did not trigger the ping. He was new enough that he probably didn’t even know how the ping function worked.
Your gaze flicked up, landing squarely on Fives. He was standing perfectly still with his hands tucked casually into his belt, his expression one of innocent concern. But beneath his exterior, you knew him well enough. You knew the absolute madness he was capable of when he decided something was worth the risk. It was no coincidence that he was with Tracker.
You let go of Tracker’s wrist, stepping back from the table with a defeated exhale.
"Alright," you patted Tracker’s shoulder, "I believe you. It must have been a hardware glitch."
Tracker let out a breath so loud it was nearly a gasp, "Thank you, Sir. Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet," you corrected, pointing a finger at him. "I want you to stick close to your squadmates for the rest of the night. No more heavy drinking, and no wandering off into the lower corridors alone until we can make sure your comm is alright. Bring it to the armory at 1000 tomorrow, and we'll have the tech team run a full diagnostic. Clear?"
"Yes, General," Tracker stammered, pushing himself out of his seat, "1000. I'll be there."
"Good. Enjoy the rest of your leave, trooper," you hummed, offering him a reassuring smile.
Then, without a single word, without a single glance, and without acknowledging his existence you turned sharply on your heel. You completely ignored Fives, treating him as if he were nothing more than the pillar he was hiding behind moments ago.
Tracker took a shaky breath, raising a hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. He turned to face Fives, "Man, Fives, that was the scariest thing I’ve ever-"
Tracker stopped. He blinked, looking around the empty space beside his chair.
Fives was already gone.
He didn’t even stay to provide comforting support to the young clone. The moment your back turned, Fives abandoned Tracker, Rex and his drink, his captain. He was already moving through the crowd, trailing behind you as you made your way to the exit.
Every step you took was fueled by pure exasperation. You didn't look back. You didn't need to. You knew trailing right behind you. He was like a shadow, entirely unbothered by your rapid pace, his slightly uneven stride catching up to yours despite the lingering ache in his leg.
You veered sharply off the main walkway, ducking beneath a rusted pipe and stepping straight into a secluded, dead end alleyway. Finally, you stopped midstep.
Before he could even register the halt, you spun around. Fives caught himself just a step away, skidding slightly on the damp permacrete. A wildly confident smile was pulled wide across his face, but the very second he met the absolute, blinding heat of your glare, the smile instantly flattened.
Fives cleared his throat as he tried to lean against the damp alley wall with a casual shrug. "What?" he asked, a little too innocently.
You closed your eyes for a moment, inhaling a deep breath through your nose to keep your temper breaking.
"You should be grateful that I’m not that smile right off your face," you snarled, crossing your arms over your chest
Fives' hands instantly flew up in mock surrender as he took a half step back, "Whoa. I was just coming to say hi."
"Don't play dumb with me, Fives," you snapped, stepping directly into his space, forcing him back against the wall. "Let’s lay this out, shall we? Because I know you ARC Troopers pride yourselves on your handy work. An emergency distress beacon suddenly triggers from a 327th soldier’s commlink at the clone bar. And when I deploy to investigate a potential kidnapping or assassination, who do I find sitting at the table, looking like the absolute poster child of innocence?"
Fives kept his hands raised, his eyes tracking the movement of your hands as you explained your thoughts. He let out a dramatic gasp as he clutched his hand over his heart, shaking his head.
"Are you accusing me of triggering his emergency ping?" Fives asked with heartbroken disbelief. "I am appalled that you would think so poorly of my character."
You rolled your eyes so hard it physically pained you, "I’m not accusing you of anything, Fives. I am telling you that I know you did it. I’ve been through enough with you to know how your brain works. You’re terrifyingly reckless."
Fives stared at you, realizing his defense was completely useless against you. Slowly, he let his hands fall back to his sides, a sheepish wince forming on his as he rubbed the back of his neck,.
"Okay, fine." Fives grumbled, as he took a small step forward, closing the gap between your bodies until you could feel the heat radiating off him. He leaned down slightly, his voice dropping into a cute, teasing deflection "Can you really blame a man for being resourceful? Consider it a testament to exactly how far I am willing to go just to get a few minutes alone with you."
You let out a sigh, the anger in your chest suddenly deflating. You let your arms drop to your sides, your shoulders sinking as you looked up at him.
"Fives, in any other life, under any other circumstances, I would be incredibly flattered," you admitted, your voice cracking with sudden vulnerability. "I would think it was the most romantic thing ever. But I don’t think you don't understand the reality of what you just did."
Fives' brow furrowed, his playful demeanor completely vanishing as he saw the genuine stress radiating off of you.
"Do you have any idea how much bureaucratic work it took to get that emergency ping system implemented?" you began, trying to help him fully understand your frustration. "The Senate fought for nearly a year over those commlinks. The politicians argued that clones didn't need a localized distress network on civilian worlds. They said it was a waste of Republic credits. Myself, General Secura, and a handful of other Jedi spent months writing speeches, tracking data, and begging the Senate to approve it so our men wouldn't disappear into the lower levels without a trace."
You shook your head, desperately needing him to see the stakes. "If the politicians hear word of false reports, the Senate will strip the funding. The safeguards will be removed and the next time one of you guys actually gets ambushed alone in a dark alley down here, no one will come running.."
Fives stood perfectly still, his eyes locked onto yours, listening to every single word with a profound intensity.
"It wasn't a false report," Fives corrected you.
You tried to pull your professional mask back over your face, looking at him with a defensive frown. "Fives, Tracker was perfectly fine. He was sitting at a table drinking. There was no crisis."
Fives looked at you with a sincerity that made your knees go weak. He reached out, resting his hands on your shoulders. "I was having an 'I miss you' emergency," Fives confessed.
"Fives," you sighed, your lip curling at the heartbreaking truth of his emergency.
Seeing your defense vanish, Fives closed this distance between you, his hands sliding off your shoulders to wrap securely around your waist. Gently, he pulled you tightly against his chest. Your forehead drifted forward, resting naturally just under his collarbone. The comforting sensation absolutely wrecked you.
"I'm sorry," Fives apologized against the side of your head. He buried his face into your hair as his grip around you tightened. "I'm sorry. I know it was a horrible idea. But I couldn't help myself. Watching you walk away on that transport platform, knowing we were on the same planet and not knowing when I was going to see you next was driving me completely insane."
"I was afraid this exact thing would happen," you admitted, the confession slipping out before you could stop it.
The words had barely left your lips before Fives went completely still. He quickly pulled back a few inches, his hands sliding up to grip your upper arms as he forced you to look up at him. His eyes were suddenly wide and full with panic.
"What do you mean?" Fives asked, shaking his head ever so slightly, "You regret this?"
You reached up, placing a reassuring hand on his cheek, your thumb rubbing over his stubble, "No. No, Fives, never. I don't regret a single second of it."
Fives melted into your palm with a sigh of relief.
"But I would rather not have this conversation here," you winced, finally noticing how filthy the alley actually was. "Come on. Let's go somewhere a little cleaner."
"Do you actually have a spot in mind, or are we just going to wander the sector?"
You answered him with a faint nod and a wink. Reaching into an interior pocket of your robe, you pulled out your small personal commlink. You tapped the display, bringing up an old message chain you had with your co-general when you first joined the 327th.
"Between you and me, I happen to know that General Secura keeps a private apartment just a few blocks from here."
Fives stared at you, his head tilting slightly as his brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait. General Secura?Keeps an apartment? Down here? I thought you Jedi had a whole thing about-,” he gestured around vaguely, “I don’t know everything. I thought everything you owned belonged to the Jedi or the Republic."
"We do. You're entirely right," you admitted, your thumb scrolling through the messages. "If you take apart the Jedi Code word for word she shouldn't have it. I have no idea how she pulls it off without the Council tracking the credit transfers or questioning her off duty whereabouts. But honestly? Good for her. With the weight of this entire war resting on our shoulders, it must be incredibly nice to just have a quiet place to escape to."
The moment the words left your mouth, a mischievous smile beamed across Fives' face. He leaned forward, coming back into your personal space.
"Think about it. A secret apartment around 79’s? It's obvious." He nudged his shoulder against yours, his grin widening, "She's sneaking around with one of my brothers."
You snapped your head up from the commlink, "Absolutely not. Do not start absurd rumors about a Member of the Council."
"What? It makes perfect sense!" Fives argued, unbothered by your protest against it. He leaned down even closer, his face just inches from yours, "The guys in the 501st have a betting pool going about how many extra reports he files weekly just to get a briefing with her. But now that I’m with you, I need to know the gossip. Is it Bly? It’s Bly, isn’t it?"
You let out a helpless laugh, shaking your head as you looked up from your commlink to catch a glimpse of him. An affectionate smile completely took over your face.
"What?" Fives asked, crinkling his nose, "You're giving me that look again."
"What look?"
"I don't know the look," Fives failed to explain, “The one that makes me feel like there’s not a bar full of men right over there that look just like me. I don’t know. Whatever it is, I love it."
"Well," you hummed, beginning to step out of the alley, "If you love that look, you're probably going to love where we're going a whole lot more."
Fives quickly fell into step beside you, "And where exactly are we going? You still haven't given me a location, General."
"I told you," you smiled, looking straight ahead as you navigated the crowd. "We're going to Aayla's place."
Fives blinked, a sudden look of impressed disbelief crossing his face. "Wait. You actually have the entry code? How?”
"I told her I needed a moment alone for my own sanity, so sent them to me without question," you replied bluntly, "She is my friend you know. But she asked me to 'walk slow' on my way there."
Fives stopped dead in his tracks on the walkway. "No way," Fives said dramatically, quickly jogging a step to catch up to you, his eyes wide with absolute glee. "Walk slow?" He shook his head, pointing a finger at you. "I told you! I bet she’s got Bly there right now and she doesn't want you walking in on something unJedi-like!"
You burst out laughing, "Who knows, Fives. What's her business is entirely hers. It’s not like I’m on my way there to be Jedi-like."
"Fair enough," Fives conceded, shrugging his shoulders, "I’d still consider myself the luckiest clone in the whole galaxy right now."
Aayla’s apartment was incredibly modest. It was small, but cozy. The only real furniture in the studio was a wide, deep cushioned couch that was large enough it could easily serve as a bed. There were no decorations or many personal belongings. It was just a clean, quiet box hidden away from the Jedi.
"Damn," Fives muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. He closed his eyes for a second, just soaking in the privacy of it all. "I don’t know what I was expecting, but I like this."
"I told you I knew a good spot.”
You turned back to face him. Reaching out, you gently took Fives’ hand in yours. His fingers curled around yours as you led him across the room and toward the couch.
The moment you both hit the couch, Fives didn’t waste a single second. Immediately, he leaned in closer to you, reaching out to pull you down against him for a proper cuddle session. He wanted to bury his face in your neck and forget about the rest of the galaxy.
But as much as every single fiber of your being at you to let him, you couldn't. Not yet.
With a soft press of your hand against his chest, you gently stopped his momentum. You pulled your other hand from his grip, and folded your legs up into your lap, twisting your body so you were sitting cross legged and facing him completely. Your expression fell into a serious demeanor.
Fives blinked in confusion, his hands hovering in the space between you. "What's wrong?"
"We need to talk, Fives," you gulped. You looked at him, letting the gravity of your tone sink into him. "I need to reprimand you. Properly."
Fives let out a defeated sigh, his shoulders dropping slightly as he leaned his back against the armrest of the couch. "I thought we settled that in the alley."
"We settled the moment, yes. But we didn’t settle what’s next," you corrected. "Fives, what you did tonight was incredibly dangerous. Not just for Tracker, but for you. You hijacked an emergency frequency because you were frustrated. It was brilliant, sure, but it was completely out of touch. What happens next time? When the next deployment goes on for months and we’re sectors apart and the desperation sets in? What is your next reckless plan going to be?”
Fives opened his mouth to offer a quick, defensive retort, but the words died in his throat when he saw the genuine worry in your eyes.
"I need you to understand the reality of what we are facing," you continued, your voice dropping as you prepared to drop the brutal truth. "The 327th received our deployment. We’re being shipped out to a new campaign tomorrow morning."
Fives’ reaction was instantaneous. "Tomorrow?" he rasped, his voice cracking slightly. "Tomorrow morning? We just left Ryloth."
"I know," you nodded, reaching to grab one of his hands. "And we both know the Republic doesn't care about that. I don't know when I will be back, Fives. It could be weeks. It could be months. And yes, I will know where the 501st is deployed but I don't want you worrying about my whereabouts when I'm away."
Fives looked up at the ceiling. He knew he should be looking at you, memorizing every last detail of you until you were engraved in his head. But you already were, and he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
"I promise you," you whispered, putting your hand on his cheek, forcing him to make eye contact with you, "I will make every single effort to see you whenever our paths collide. I will pull every string I have. But it might not be often, Fives. I can't promise you anything normal. But I promise that I will find you."
Fives stayed still for a few seconds, internalizing the reality you just laid out to him.
"Would it be incredibly bad," Fives started, trying to get his next words out without losing his composure, "if I admitted that right now I wish we were trapped back in that cave on Ryloth?"
"Yes, Fives,” you squeezed his hand, “It would be bad. It was disgustingly hot in that cave and we were covered in blood and sand, all without enough water."
"I didn't mind the heat," Fives reassured you, his eyes softening in a way that made everything else melt away.
"I know," you whispered, your chest physically aching from his sincerity.
Fives leaned his face into your palm, closing his eyes as he absorbed your touch. When he opened his eyes again, the grief of the deployment was still there, but a new determination began to ignite in him. He turned his head slightly, pressing a soft kiss into the center of your palm.
"You're shipping out tomorrow morning," he confirmed, his hand wrapping around your wrist and gently pulling it down from his cheek.
"Yes.”
Fives smiled, just a little. "Well, we still have tonight."
Fives’ hand slid from your wrist, his fingers tracing a path up your arm and over your shoulder, until his palm rested against the side of your neck.
“Tonight,” he repeated, “No more talking about what we don’t know.” His other hand came up, cradling your face. “Just you and me.”
He didn’t ask for permission. He didn’t need to. The air between you filled with a need that was far more than simple physical want. He leaned in, closing the final inches with a slowness that made your breath catch. His lips gently met yours. It was a soft press that felt like the kiss from the cave, but without desperation. You responded by melting into him, one hand coming up to tangle in the hair at the back of his neck. A small, helpless sound escaped you, muffled against his mouth. It was all the encouragement he needed.
The careful control snapped.
Fives’ arms wrapped around you, one hand splaying across your back to haul you flush against him, the other cupping the back of your head as he deepened the kiss. His tongue swept along the seam of your lips, and you opened for him with a sigh. The taste of him flooded your senses. His teeth grazed your lower lip with a sharp nip that made you gasp.
He broke away only to trail his mouth along your jaw and down your throat. His breath was hot against your skin. He nipped at the tender spot where your neck met your shoulder, forcing you to arch against him.
“Fives-” you gasped, but his name dissolved into a sharp inhale as his hands found the hem of your shirt. He moved with ease, pulling your shirt over your head in one motion. This was a man who knew what he wanted, and he saw you, all of you, as his.
He leaned back for a moment, just looking. “Kriff,” he swore softly and full of awe. His hands came up to cradle your breasts, his thumbs brushing over your nipples, making you jerk. “I missed this. I missed you. Every damn night in the barracks, I was thinking about this.”
You reached for him, pulling at the clasps of his armor. “Off,” you demanded. “I need to feel you.”
He helped you, shrugging out of his armor until it was all on the floor. The sight of his bare chest made your mouth go dry. You ran your hands over his chest, feeling the rapid, strong beat of his heart beneath your palm. Leaning forward, you pressed a kiss to the center of his chest, tasting his skin.
A low groan rumbled through him. His hands slid down your sides, and over your hips, where he gripped you firmly. In one smooth motion, he lifted you and pivoted, laying you back into the cushions of the couch. He followed you down, his body covering yours with an urgent pressure. The hard line of his erection pressed against your thigh. You rocked against it, earning another shattered groan from his throat.
“You’re gonna be the death of me,” he panted against your lips, kissing you again before pushing himself off you to better position himself.
For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of your ragged breathing. He settled between your thighs, the head of his cock nudging against your entrance, already slick and ready for him. He fell back down onto you, bracing himself on his forearms and caging you in, his face hovering inches above yours.
“Look at me,” he commanded, “I want you to see me. I want to see you.”
You opened your eyes, locking your gaze with his. In his eyes, you saw a love so fierce it burned away everything else.
He finally pushed himself inside you. It was a slow motion, stretching you and filling you completely. A choked cry tore from your throat, part pleasure, part pain, and part relief.
“Fuck,” he gasped, his forehead dropping to yours. “You feel like home.”
Then, he began to move. It wasn’t a gentle rhythm. It was a deep, driving, purposeful rhythm that stole the air from your lungs. Each thrust was a promise, a memory forged against the coming emptiness. His hips snapped against yours with a wet slap that echoed in the quiet room. You wrapped your legs around his waist, heels digging into his back, urging him go go deeper and harder.
“Yes. Fives. Right there,” you moaned, your head thrashing back against the cushions. The coil of pleasure tightened in your stomach.
He shifted, reangled his hips, and hit you with a thrust that made you see stars. A sharp, broken scream of his name escaped you. He swallowed the sound with a kiss, his tongue tangling with yours.
“That’s it,” he growled against your mouth, his pace becoming more frantic and less controlled. “Let me hear you. Let the whole damn building hear who you belong to.
You were beyond words, reduced to a series of gasps, moans, and sobbing pleas. Your nails raked down his back, leaving faint red trails over his scars as his thrusts grew more erratic.
His sounds were now guttural. Grunts and low curses spilled from his lips. “Kriff, you’re so tight. You’re so perfect. I’m gonna come-”
Everything snapped. Your orgasm crashed over you with a wrenching intensity. Your back arched off the couch, a silent scream locked in your throat as waves of pure pleasure convulsed through you and clenched around him.
It dragged him over the edge with you. With a final, deep thrust, he buried himself as far as he could go. A ragged shout tore from his chest as he pulsed inside you. He collapsed atop you, burying his face in the crook of your neck. His breath came out as hot gusts against your damp skin.
For a moment, there was only the sound of your breathing. Slowly, he softened and slipped from you. He pulled you tightly against him, rolling onto his side and taking you with him so you were sprawled across his chest. His hand came up, stroking your hair. His touch was gentle now, just where they had been demanding moments before. He pressed a kiss to the top of your head.
“We still have tonight,” he whispered into your hair, the word coming out like a vow. “And the night is still young.”
Echo has recovered from Skako Minor a bit by the time Order 66 happens. it's kind of subtle since he remains thinner than the regs, but there absolutely is a difference if you put it side by side like this
I do wish they didn't forget about him having leg prosthetics though >.>
I wish we saw Echo gradually recover over the seasons. I wanted Echo to gain weight and melanin. I wanted to see Tech work on his prosthetics, improving them. I wanted Wrecker to encourage him to eat and work out with him. I wanted his PTSD to improve, and his fear of solitude subside; I wanted to watch him do the work physically and mentally and show that his recovery MATTERED.
no one is entitled to the sacred art, tools, or costumes of another culture (save members of the culture itself) and nonsacred reproductions will serve just as well for the purposes of education and appreciation
having museums full of reproductions would be even cooler than having museums full of sacred artifacts because when modern craftspeople are able to replicate those artifacts, it’s usually because they still make the same items the same way today
this means that you could have description tags emphasizing that such-and-such item has been made by these people in almost the same way for hundreds of years
having museums full of beautiful reproductions takes the emphasis off of Things and places it on the People who make them, which is really as it should be
This is a very idealistic and romantic notion, but there comes a point when you're confronted with reality: if these objects were returned to their place of origin or hadn't been stolen, they would have disappeared or wouldn't be cared for.
There are many reasons: disinterest, lack of culture, insufficient funding...
In an ideal world, the artwork or object shouldn't be separated from its context, but this is a very imperfect world (and the British can't seem to keep their hands to themselves).
Behind this seemingly random account is an art restorer who lives and breathes the museum world.
Echo gives me the vibe that he’d eat ass and coochie with absolutely NO problem, but would refuse to eat something if it had tomatoes on it or a tomato touched it.
fuck it, i'm curious. reblog and tag with the first fictional death to ever rewrite your brain chemistry and/or make you cry like a baby. mine was ares from the underland chronicles (who, for context, was a giant bat.) to this day i will weep if i think too hard about it. okay, go.
Author Notes: Thank you so much to everyone who specifically let me know you didn't find my last chapter cringey. I really do appreciate that so much. There will be more smuttiness in this chapter, see warnings for specifics if you're trying to avoid certain things. There really aren't any major plot points or occurrences in this chapter, so you can skip it if you don't want to read about more physical stuff. I promise the story will progress some next chapter. It won't just be more smut. :) But we are close to the end.
Pairing: Hunter x Female OC
Word Count: 4375
Warnings: Swearing. Hunter and Wren get more physical. There is some nudity, heavy kissing, petting, breast play, male and female masturbation, mention of sex toys.
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Patience & Trust Masterlist (the sequel)
Hunter and the Librarian Masterlist (the original)
Dividers by animatedglittergraphics-n-more
When Wren woke up the next morning, it took her a few moments to remember what was going on. But when she felt, then saw, Hunter's arm still draped over her, and heard him breathing behind her, it all came back to her. They hadn't moved much since falling asleep, and her stiff muscles were yelling at her. As was her bladder.
She slowly extricated herself from his arm, rising off the mattress without jostling him. She went to the bathroom, and while there she brushed her teeth. Just because I'm right here, she told herself. Not because I want my breath to be fresh in case he kisses me, or anything like that.
She saw it was 7:30 am, and she realized she didn't know what time he wanted to leave. She assumed he wanted to be home before Omega, maybe he even needed to be the one to pick her up. She'd check with him as soon as possible.
When she returned, she noticed he hadn't moved at all. Is he really still sleeping? He must sleep soundly. She slowly crawled into bed, lying on her side facing him. She watched him for a minute, until she heard, "Are you staring at me?" in a very rough and gravelly voice.
She smiled and said, "No! Why would you think that!"
He opened his eyes, looking into hers. He whispered, "Liar."
She gave him a mock shocked face. "Moi?!" They both laughed quietly. "You can't blame me. I'm not used to waking up with someone so handsome in my bed." She was embarrassed, so looked away.
He chuckled. "Oh, flattery will get you everywhere." He reached up, caressing her cheek, moving some hair behind her ear. "Can I kiss you? Even though I probably have morning breath."
She looked into his eyes again. "I suppose I'll allow it." She tried to be serious but couldn't keep her smile hidden.
He softly kissed her. As he pulled back, he said, "Hey...have you already brushed your teeth?"
She laughed quietly, "What makes you say that?"
He smiled, "Because that's the most minty morning breath I've ever met." He kissed her again, and when she very quietly whimpered, he moaned.
As he pulled back, she said, "Well, I needed to go to the bathroom anyway. And since I was already in there, I thought I'd go ahead and brush my teeth."
"That's cheating! But I'm sorry for not brushing mine before I kissed you."
"No apologies needed. I can't even tell that you have morning breath."
"If you keep saying such nice things about me, I'm going to get a huge ego." He smiled at her, taking her hand in his and entwining their fingers.
"Hunter, if you don't have an ego by now, I don't think anything I say will give you one. You've been like this for a long time, and I'm sure other women have told you how beautiful you are-"
"Beautiful!"
Her eyes got big as her head jerked up to look at him. She was appalled that she used that word to describe him...to his face! She always thought it, but she didn't mean to say it. It made her sound silly.
"Well, yeah. I guess I should have stuck with handsome. Is that better? But it's so much more than that. You're just...so...good." Then her voice dropped to a whisper, "You are a beautiful person." She felt her face get hot and turned partly into her pillow.
"Takes one to know one, I reckon." She could hear the smile in his voice. Then she felt him caress her cheek and take her chin in his hand, gently moving her face out of the pillow so she was looking at him. "You're beautiful too, ya know."
She scoffed and shook her head. It was such a faint movement, he felt it more than he saw it.
"Hey, now, you are. You're going to have to get used to me saying stuff like that, because I'm not going to stop." He kissed her forehead. Then her temple, her cheek, and her jaw. He ended up at the corner of her mouth. He was caught off guard when she suddenly moved so she was kissing him with force. He made a startled sound, and she smiled into his lips.
They continued kissing and petting for what felt like a really long time, but was probably only five minutes. Then she remembered what she wanted to ask him. She pulled back and chuckled when he subtly chased her mouth, giving her one more kiss.
"Hey, what time did you need to be home? Did you need to be there before Omega, or pick her up or anything? I don't want you to be late because of me."
"I wouldn't be late because of you. If anything, I'd be late because I couldn't keep my hands and mouth off of you." At that he moved to her neck and began placing soft kisses along the curve of her neck up to her ear. He smiled against her skin when he felt her shiver as he kissed the extra sensitive spot behind her ear.
She giggled quietly as his hair tickled her neck. Without his bandana, it was wilder than normal, falling into his eyes, and she didn't think she'd ever seen him look more boyish and adorable. And he was frisky. That's the only word she could think of to describe him.
"Okay, but hey...what time?" She gently pushed on his shoulders so his lips were no longer connected to her skin. She couldn't think clearly when he was kissing behind her ear. And she really didn't want him to be late.
He looked into her eyes, pushing her hair back. It's as if he couldn't stop touching her, even for a little bit. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to get rid of me. If you'd like me to leave, you can just tell me, Wren. I don't want to overstay my welcome." But there was a touch of a smirk.
"Are you crazy? If I could have my way, I wouldn't let you out of this bed all day. We'd eat breakfast, lunch, and supper here." She lightly ran her hand down his chest and stomach. When she got to the waistband of his underwear, she took hold and snapped it against his waist. Then her hand went around his waist and to his back, lightly running her fingers up and down his muscles, feeling them jump at her touch.
"Mmmm, that sounds amazing. I wish I could do that." He gave her another soft kiss.
"I know you can't. Just wishful thinking."
"I should probably leave at 8:00. Omega said she'd be leaving Hera's house around 9:00. I'm not sure yet if I'm picking her up, or if the Syndullas are bringing her home. So, I'll want to be there in plenty of time either way."
"Okay, I understand. We'll have other days when we can hang out. In bed." She gave him a shy smile, placing her forehead softly against the spot where his chest and shoulder meet. His hand went to the back of her head, gently holding her.
"Thanks again for...last night." He seemed almost shy as he said that, and Wren's heart felt light and happy.
"Of course," she replied. "Anytime. Really." She pulled back from him, not wanting to keep him from getting up if he was ready.
"God, I want to stay so bad." And then he growled, moving forward and kissing her again, pushing her gently until she was lying on her back. He ran his hand up and down her body, then slipped it under her shirt, trailing upwards to her breast. "Is this okay?"
She nodded quickly saying, "Yes, please."
He touched the underside of her breast, cupping it in his hand. She felt his rough calluses against her soft skin, and she shivered again. And when his thumb found her nipple, she couldn't keep a quiet moan from escaping. She arched up towards his hand, letting him know she was absolutely willing, whatever he had in mind.
"Wren..." he continued caressing her under her shirt, rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger.
"Yeah," she whispered.
"Can I take your shirt off?" He looked at her and she saw desire in his eyes, his breath was coming quicker.
"I...Hunter..." She opened her mouth again but couldn't think what to say.
He stopped moving his hand and fingers and pulled it out from under her shirt. "I'm sorry, I can't believe I asked that. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to pressure you."
"No, you didn't!" She grabbed his wrist before he could get too far away. "You just caught me off guard, that's all. I thought you were getting up to go home, and then..."
"I know." He dropped his head, his nose finding her neck. "I should." He lifted his head enough to look at the clock on her bedside table, and saw it was 20 minutes before he had to leave. "I still have a little time. But that's still no excuse for pushing you."
"Hey, you didn't push me." She ran her hand along his cheek and jaw. "I was enjoying what you were doing. Couldn't you tell?"
"Well, I thought you were, but then I fucked it up by pushing."
"No, you didn't. I just needed a minute to think, that's all. This is all so new to me, I can't think quickly. My brain feels very foggy when you're touching me...and kissing me."
His eyes got as big as saucers when she reached for the hem of her shirt, quickly pulling it over her head and tossing it aside. She had to fight her brain to not cover herself with her arms or the sheet. She couldn't look him in the eyes, but she knew he was staring at her face, not her chest.
"Are you sure?"
"Very sure. I want to feel your bare chest against mine." She reached out, lightly running her fingers down his chest. "I want to feel your lips on...me," she said as she brought her hand back to her own chest. She felt like she couldn't breathe
Hunter quietly growled. And then he allowed his eyes to drop down to her bare breasts. "Fuck, Wren! You are stunning," he whispered. He lifted both of his hands, slowly reaching for her, but his eyes went to hers, questioning.
She understood what he was asking, and she nodded. "Please."
"Fuuuck, thank you, sweetheart."
Then she felt both of his hands on her, each cupping a breast. Both thumbs rubbing her nipples softly. She bit her bottom lip hard enough she thought she might draw blood. "Fuck," she hissed. She leaned forward, kissing him, her tongue gently pushing at his lips. He quickly opened to her and their tongues met. She really felt like she couldn't breathe as he massaged her breasts gently.
He carefully pushed her until she was on her back again. He removed one hand from a breast, slowly moving it down her body, resting it on her hip. Then he began kissing down her neck again. Except this time, he didn't stop. This time he kept going, kissing her shoulder and collar bone. Then he placed the softest of kisses at the top of one of her breasts.
He looked up at her with his lips still connected to her soft skin. "Is this okay? Pleases be honest. I'll stop right now if you're uncomfortable."
"No, I'm not uncomfortable. Although, I'm still not ready to have sex..."
He shook his head slightly and said, "I know. And that's fine. This is just...I really want to kiss you...here," he said as his eyes dropped to her breast. "Can I?"
She nodded so quickly she was afraid she'd give herself whiplash.
"Okay, good." Then he leaned back down to her chest, and as his mouth made contact with her breast again, he moved a little lower. His lips found her nipple, his tongue quickly following. He sucked so gently, it was more of a tickle, and she felt like she might levitate right up off the bed.
Her hand flew to the back of his head, her fingers threading through his hair. "Fuuuuck, Hunter!" she whispered. "Fuck, fuck, fuck. That feels amazing."
He detached his mouth to look up at her and said, "Really? Good!" His other hand was still playing with her other nipple.
He lowered his head again. As he placed the flat part of his tongue on her nipple, he kept his eyes on her face, trying to gauge her reaction. Just in case she started looking scared or apprehensive but wouldn't tell him.
"Oh god. Oh fuck." Her fingers were still laced through his soft hair. She tried really hard not to push down on his head.
After lavishing attention on one nipple for what felt like an eternity, he moved to the other. Wren thought for sure she was going to come without any other touching whatsoever. But she tried to hold off. She would be embarrassed to come that quickly, just from his mouth on her breasts, but damn...he was really, really good at that.
While his mouth and one hand were busy, his other hand wandered over her body. He ran it lightly up and down her side, so light it was almost a tickle, and she got goosebumps. Then she felt his fingers pause and take hold of the waistband of her shorts. She inhaled sharply, but quietly. But not quietly enough that he didn't hear. His hand stopped, his mouth stopped, and he looked at her.
"Would you like me to stop?" His voice was gruff but not angry, not upset. Just rough.
"What were you thinking about doing?" She sounded breathless.
"I was thinking, maybe I could use my hand to make you come. But if that's too much, that's cool. I'll stop right here."
She bit her bottom lip, heat rushing over her whole body, her face flaming hot. After some hesitation, she said, "I can't guarantee it will work. Sometimes I do, but sometimes I don't." She looked embarrassed.
"That's okay. No pressure at all. I just wanted to try to give you...pleasure." He paused longer, looking closely at her face, trying to tell what she was thinking and feeling.
Then he pulled his hand away from her waist and moved it back up. "I think it's probably best to wait on that."
"Why?" She was surprised, but she couldn't say she was upset. She really wasn't sure if she was ready for that. She didn't know why it would be different than what they'd already done, but somehow it was. Somehow it seemed more intimate, and she was nervous.
"It's the look in your eyes. I just think it's best to wait. You can think about it for a little while, and we'll revisit. Okay?" He didn't sound angry or upset, just matter of fact.
"I'm sorry, Hunter." She could feel her eyes starting to burn, but she fought the tears.
"Hey, hey, it's more than fine, sweetheart. I just got caught up in the moment, but after I thought about it a little more, I decided it would be best to hold off. As long as you're okay with that."
She nodded, afraid to speak. "Thank you," she whispered. "I'll be ready soon, I'm sure of it. And thank you for offering." At that she tugged on his arm, so he knew she wanted him closer. He moved to where she pulled, and she kissed him, very sweetly and gently. "You're amazing. And so patient. Thank you, thank you, thank you." She punctuated each thank you with a kiss.
He chuckled. "Always a pleasure." And he kissed her once more before getting out of bed.
She couldn't stop her eyes from traveling down his body. Clothed only in his tight boxer briefs, she felt her mouth go dry. Fuck, he looks so good. Why did I stop him again?
He began pulling on his jeans, and there's not much sexier to her than a man in jeans but no shirt or socks. She's always thought it looked so cool and casual. And he could easily pull off the look. She felt her face getting hot, so she knew she needed to stop looking.
She crawled off the bed, walking towards him. "Can I have one more hug?"
"You can have one hundred more hugs, if you want." He reached out for her, his shirt still in his hand. She walked into his arms, laying her head on his bare chest. She inhaled his scent.
"You might not want to sniff too hard, I haven't taken a shower yet today."
She shook her head, "No, you smell wonderful." Then she turned so her face was directly pressed into his chest, breathing again.
He gently rubbed circles on her back. "Okay, I guess I should be going, let you get on with your day." But then he felt her holding him in place.
"Mm-mm," she made a noise, as if she didn't want him to go. "I guess it's too late for me to reconsider your offer, isn't it?" She turned her head to look at the clock, and by that time he only had ten minutes left.
"Well, I don't have a lot of time, but-"
"No, that's okay. I'm sorry. I'm so wishy-washy. I need to stick to my decision and stop jerking you around. I'm sorry. It's time for you to go. We'll see each other again. Soon?"
He said, "Sure, do you want to get together this weekend? Tonight, maybe? You want to come over and hang out with the family?"
"Yeah, that would be nice. You don't think they're tired of me yet?"
"Never." He kissed her again. After separating, he pulled his shirt over his head.
She started walking into the hall and felt him lightly smack her ass. She startled and looked back at him with big eyes.
"Sorry, it was too tempting." Then he came up behind her and put his arms around her waist, his face dropping to her neck. He gave her soft kisses before letting her go again. "Okay, I really need to go now." He walked down the hall, finding his shoes, then sitting to put them on.
He finally got out the door after a little more kissing and hugging. After getting in his truck, he looked towards her door, and when he saw her waving at him, he waved back. As he drove away, he let out a big breath. He reached down and rearranged himself in his pants. He thought to himself how a shower was definitely in order when he got home. He needed a little alone time after getting so worked up with her.
He first grabbed a quick breakfast of cereal when he arrived. As he ate, he got a text from Omega.
O: Hunter, is it ok if I stay a little longer at Hera's? There's a movie coming on that we want to watch.
H: Yeah, kid, that's fine. Just give me a buzz when you're ready to come home, and I'll come get you.
O: Hera's parents said they'd take me home, because they have to be in our part of town for an errand anyway. So if it's ok, they'll just bring me by when we're done?
H: Sounds good. See you then.
O: Thanks Hunter! <3
H: 👍
She always made fun of him when he gave her a thumbs-up emoji...said it was such an old person/dad thing. So, he would do it just to make her roll her eyes. In fact, he was sure she was rolling her eyes at that moment, he just couldn't see it, and it made him smile.
He thanked his lucky stars every day that she came into their lives, changing them all for the better.
And now that he didn't need to go get her, it was shower time. He felt his cock jump just thinking about it.
He didn't make it a habit of jerking it in the shower, or anywhere for that matter. But he did need a release now and then. Especially since he'd been seeing Wren. He really was absolutely okay with the pace they were moving at, but it did leave him...pent up...now and then.
His brothers were all busy. Tech and Wrecker had gone shopping already. Echo was in his room. Crosshair was sleeping. Hunter was alone downstairs.
As he undressed in the bathroom, he already had a semi-erection. He'd been in that state since leaving Wren's. He brushed his hand over his half-hard cock, and his breath hitched as it jumped. Okay, I just need to get in the shower and take care of this.
As he turned on the water, he grabbed the soap, lathered his hands up, and then immediately moved his left hand to his penis. It took no more than two or three strokes to be completely hard.
He was breathing harder, and he closed his eyes, so he could picture Wren. He felt a little guilty about that. He's not sure how she'd feel if she knew he was thinking of her while he was jerking off, but he couldn't help it. She's who got him to this point, and she's who he wanted. And after spending another night in the same bed, holding her, feeling her soft squishy ass against his cock...he needed this.
Plus, his mind went back to the first night at 99's, when they were talking in bed. He'd gotten confirmation that she masturbates. And he asked:
"Did you think about me?"
"Hunter!"
"I'm sorry, that was rude. Disregard."
It was quiet for almost a minute as he slowly ran his hand up and down her back.
"Yes." And that's all she said.
He chuckled and said, "Yeah, me too."
So, he'd admitted to her that he'd thought about her while masturbating. And even though she was embarrassed, she admitted she'd thought about him...at least once. So, he figured he shouldn't feel bad about this now.
At that thought, he let himself remember the way she looked without her shirt, with her breasts bare for him to see. And touch. And... yeah... that too. His mouth watered at the memory and his tongue darted out to wet his lips.
He still had the feeling of her breasts on his lips and on his tongue. He could still feel how they filled his hands perfectly. How soft they were when he squeezed. He could tell it was going to be a while before he could be alone with her and not want to (gently) rip her shirt off so he could see...feel...taste them every time. Like a hormone-crazed teenager!
He bit his bottom lip as he felt himself hurrying towards release. This wasn't going to take long. "Fuck, Wren," he whispered.
He grabbed the soap, lathering his hands again, and this time he used his right hand to cup his balls, gently massaging as he sped up his strokes.
Then his mind wandered to how his hand had moved down to her waist, how close he'd been to feeling every part of her. His balls were getting tighter, and he knew he was close.
As soon as he let himself imagine taking her shorts off and plunging himself deep inside her, imagining how warm and wet she would be, he came. Hard. His eyes were shut tightly, and he rhythmically squeezed his cock, as if she was squeezing around him after she came. A strangled moan was wrenched from his throat, although he kept it as quiet as possible. Hot ropes of cum shot onto the side of the shower, over his hand, onto his stomach, running down his thighs as it mixed with the water.
He wanted to keep going, imagining her face below his, lips parted, eyes closed, as she whimpered his name over and over. But he was so sensitive, he had to stop.
He tried to catch his breath. "Fuck", he whispered. He didn't expect that level of pent-up desire to come out. His throat was raw from the heavy breathing, so he drank some of the shower water. Then he picked up the soap again. He washed away the last remnants of his release from his body, and the shower wall, and got down to actually showering. He was done five minutes later.
Little did he know, across town, Wren was doing the same thing, except in bed, not the shower. He would have been shocked, but in a good way, if he knew what was in the stand by her bed.
She waited long enough that she knew he would not suddenly come back to get something he forgot before she went back to the bedroom, getting into the drawer of her nightstand, pulling out her favorite toy, and lying down.
She'd had an ache between her legs since Hunter first touched her breasts. His lips and tongue were amazing. She wasn't surprised at how much she enjoyed that. She knew she was going to be very sensitive to his touch, because she'd always been sensitive to her own touch. Of course, she'd had no way of knowing how a mouth would feel. But now she did, and it was one of her favorite things in the whole world.
She felt she should pinch herself, because she still couldn't believe this was her life. It took so long to get to this point. So many years of fear and anxiety, convinced this would never be her reality. But she just hadn't met the right guy yet...the one who could be as patient as she needed. The one she could trust completely.
She thought of him as she flipped the switch and heard the low hum of her only previous bed companion. She was so excited, knowing she could think about how his hands and mouth felt on her body as she brought herself the pleasure he had wanted to give her. Soon, Hunter, I promise.
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