Requests Are Open

18+, LGBTQ+, clones x reader blog. NO minors, and all the rest of the important stuff is in my pinned post 💕

[another-xreader-blog]

Bit of background: I made a fic blog. Deleted it. Now I’m remaking it. So if you see any fics and think hey this has been posted before, that was me LOL I’m just being faffy 😭 anyway, now that’s out of the way:

Hello there, as Obi Wan would say. This is, as in the name, a x reader fics account. I’m focusing primarily on Star Wars clones (particularly The Bad Batch) right now. Requests are open! So feel free to send them in, either through message or my inbox. If I’m uncomfortable with anyone’s request, I have all my rights to decline it. Anyways. Happy reading 💕 as I post, I'll add to my Masterlist so be sure to check it out! I’m aiming to post weekly, or fortnightly, to keep my posting schedule steady. Though, you’ll probably see me post more regularly than that simply because I’m a nerd, lol.

Hard limits (what I won’t write):

Clonescest (though platonic clones are fine)

Certain kinks- violent, dangerous or potentially harmful ones.

Nothing NSFW with underage characters

Honestly, I’m pretty open to what I write. If anything’s a potentially triggering topic, there will ALWAYS be a warning for it at the top of the post!

Additional: this an anti-AI blog. Everything I post is entirely my own writing, and if I’m inspired by something (such as a writing challenge), I will share/tag that something. I’m also 18+ so my writings may include adult themes sometimes. Absolutely no minors on my page, thank you 💕 I tolerate NO hate speech or disrespect and if anyone shows any attitude like that, they WILL be blocked.

Masterlist

[russianblush]

no ai usage over here. you’re gonna get my shitty authentic writing whether you like it or not

[another-xreader-blog]

Coming out pt.2: Crosshair x reader

Request: Please there has to be a part two at some point with him telling his feelings and explaining that WE are why he realized he was bisexual PLEASE for: @bloodmoon-bites

Synopsis: crosshair’s been into you for a while, and he’s finally deciding to tell you. You’ve gotta read the first part to understand this one! Which is right here if you’re not up to date.

I was actually planning to write this and then it was requested so I was thrilled that we were on the same page, LMAO. This is a bit shorter than the first fic as it’s got more dialogue in it. 💕 No use of Y/N, and the reader's gender is non-specific, though the first fic is a male reader.

Warnings: spoilers for the end of s3, but that’s it. Other than that, it’s pretty fluffy! A little bit of sexual flirting but it’s Crosshair, what do you expect 😭

Your kitchen felt peaceful. The room was quiet, the clinking of dishes and sloshing of water the only sounds as you and Crosshair cleaned up after lunch. Somewhere outside, birds were singing and other islanders chatter drifted in through the open window, which you’d not yet shut after your attempt to cook ended with it being slightly charred. Crosshair was on drying duty. He was slowly getting the hang of doing things with one hand, and he held the dish with his remaining hand, the towel flung over his stub of his arm. It worked surprisingly well, though he was taking his time to not drop any of your china plates. You didn’t mind. If he needed to go slow, that’s what you’d do.

When the last dish was dried and put away, you stood at the sink and poured the water out. As you did, you felt two arms wrap around your waist, and crosshair’s chin come to rest on your shoulder. You smiled to yourself.

“It’s all your fault, you know?” He murmured against your neck, pressing a small kiss there.

Ah. This was it. You’d been anticipating the day he’d tell you how he felt. Since he came out, you’d noticed the little things he did more often- though you’d been noticing them for months prior anyway. Of course, you’d waited. You always would for him.

You smiled wider. “Yeah? What is?”

“Me… being like this.”

Turning to face him, you dried your hands and wrapped your arms around Crosshair. He buried his face in your neck.

“Cross, that’s pretty vague.”

He huffed. “You know what I mean.”

“No. Come on, tell me.”

“Fine. You’re… how I realised ‘m bisexual.” He murmured almost hesitantly.

Your hand came up to stroke the back of his neck. “Yeah? I’m honoured.” You murmured, matching his quiet tone, and kissing his forehead.

“Really?”

“Mhmm. Tell me about it. Was it my sparkling eyes, my charming personality?” You teased, hoping to lighten his anxiety a little. He chuckled, melting against you.

“Somethin’ like that. You’re just so…” he pulled back, looking down at you. Crosshair was slightly taller, and if he wanted to he could rest his chin on your head.

“So what?”

“…you. It’s infuriating.”

“Was that a compliment?”

“Oh shut up.” He murmured, crashing his lips to yours.

His hand slid up to cup your face, almost adoringly. You’d imagined kissing him hundreds of times. Though, in your wildest dreams, he never kissed you so tenderly. There was an aching need in his actions, as if he couldn’t get close enough to you, and yet his hand trembled. He was nervous. You didn’t deepen the kiss, didn’t rush to make it passionate. You simply followed his lips with yours, your hands at his waist.

When you both pulled away, he leant his lips to your forehead. Your eyes fluttered shut. “Cross, that was…”

“Good, I hope.”

“Kriff, yeah. It was. I knew you’d kiss me someday.”

“What?” He glanced down at you, eyebrows raised. “How?”

You grinned cheekily and gently poked his side. “You’re not subtle, you know?”

Crosshair’s cheeks turned a faint pink, and he buried his face in your neck again. “‘M not that bad.”

“Cross, baby, you’re always staring at my lips.”

“You do it too.” He huffed.

You had to laugh at that. “Yeah, well, can you blame me? They’re nice to stare at.”

A gasp escaped you as he kissed your neck, up to your ear. “They’re pretty good to feel too. Wanna find out?” He murmured against the shell of your ear.

Words escaped you. The pair of you spent the afternoon making out in various places in your house. Crosshair’s comfort grew and grew, and by evening, you found yourself half dressed and purple-necked on your bed, Crosshair above you, his lips on your chest again.

Your hand moved to his head. “Baby, maybe we should slow down a bit? I don’t wanna rush too fast.”

“Maybe you’re right…” he kisses your rib and looked up at you, his chin on your chest. “Someday ‘m gonna fuck the light’s out of you though.”

“Is that a promise?”

“Oh yeah. Promise.”

[another-xreader-blog]

I only see you in my dreams: Echo x reader

Synopsis: in this Soulmate AU, everyone has a soulmate whom they can see in their dreams. When their soulmate dies, that connection is shattered, leaving their dreams empty. The incident at the Citadel didn’t just break Echo apart, it took him from his dreams with you. He could see you, but you could no longer see him. He runs, from the guilt, from the dreams of you crying. This fic is him finally facing it all.

Warnings: oops, this one’s a little long! I also wrote this as a x male reader, because… well there just aren’t enough male reader fics. There is use of Y/N, and a slight bit of angst. It’s mostly implied though- I mean come on, we all know what happened at the citadel. There’s bound to be some angst. It’s mostly hurt/comfort though. There’s also a mention of smoking but it’s brief.

Echo’s hand trembled on the wooden gate. He only had to take a few more steps. The last handful of years had wracked him with guilt, and it was washing over him in tides in this moment. Almost a reminder of the distance he’d put between them, the gate creaked slightly under the weight of his palm as he tentatively pushed it open. Just a few more steps…

Four weeks ago:

Smoke curled around Rex’ lips as he exhaled. He didn’t often smoke, but sometimes the odd cigarette came in as a clutch when he was on downtime. His back was to Echo, overlooking the ocean which the Batch’s house sat atop.

“Well, it’s better than Kamino.”

Echo huffed a laugh and leant on the brick wall next to Rex. “Yeah, it’s certainly something.”

“It’s a good place to settle down.”

The truth in Rex’ words struck a chord in Echo’s chest. Pabu was a good place to settle. Calm, private, and it was where his brothers had already found a home for themselves. Omega had already found a place for herself in her classes; Wrecker worked down at the docks; Crosshair, though brooding, would oftentimes stay home to meditate; Tech had found a life with his soulmate, Phee; and Hunter was finally able to breathe. Surely there was a place for Echo too? He knew where it was, but thinking of it felt so terrifying.

“Echo,” Rex’ voice came out softly, breaking Echo’s train of thoughts. He stubbed his cigarette out. “You should stay.”

Echo blinked. “What?”

“He’s waiting for you.“

“But you need me.”

Rex smiled at that. “Not as much as he does. Besides, I think you need him too, vod.” He smirked at that, gently elbowing Echo’s ribs, who blushed in response.

“Shut it… he doesn’t- I- Rex!”

Rex laughed, a rare sound of joy from the Commander that made Echo’s lips twitch up. “Sure… but you should stay anyway. You need the sun.”

The unsaid words were plain between them. Pabu would give Echo a space to heal, to find himself again. He wasn’t quite sure who he was anymore, not outside of the gun turrets and earthshaking explosions that war brought. And then there was Y/N, his sweet soulmate who believed he was dead. The memories of his cries rung out in his ears every time he laid down to sleep at night, a constant reminder of what he owed him.

They hadn’t met yet. Echo had never been too sure where Y/N was. The surroundings in his dreams were always too warm for Coruscant, or even Naboo. It certainly wasn’t a large city, though the surroundings itself seemed endlessly peaceful. When his dreams began, Echo would look for the familiar face of his soulmate at every beach he visited during his missions, but as the months passed and he became scrap metal, he stopped looking. Y/N deserved better. Echo wasn’t a full man anymore, how could he give him what he deserved? Yet, the human heart still beating in chest ached to find his soulmate. He knew now the surroundings in his dreams were that of Pabu. Y/N was here. Echo just had to find him.

He did as Rex suggested, settling down on Pabu with his family. Echo told himself he hadn’t been bullied into it, but the Batch had been seconds away from locking him in the house while Rex flew off. Omega in particular had guilt tripped him a bit, though she was grinning as she dragged him to his new bedroom and forced him to sit on the bed. It was softer than any bed he’d had before. That would take some getting used to, he’d refrained from grumbling as he took in the room. It was small, but that didn’t detract from it’s value. A window overlooked the garden- where Crosshair often worked- and he had a beautiful wooden wardrobe and desk. The walls were a faded blue, and he almost felt at one with the world for once. But Echo didn’t like being alone, so Wrecker had scooped together the credits to get Echo his own Lula. The former ARC trooper chuckled as he saw it on the bed, propped against the cushions.

“Cosy.” He’d said, to which Omega had squealed in delight and wrapped her arms around his waist.

From then on, he’d had to navigate living on land, with a house that had it’s own front door, a garden, and most of all, quiet. He didn’t enjoy quiet. All he heard in it were the cries of Y/N and himself, though his own felt distant and away from him now. So he’d taken to working with Tech through the days. They’d go along the beaches of Pabu and analyse the components in the landscape, Echo holding a data pad and logging the information Tech told him, and Tech on his knees, scooping sand into vials to take home and study. Even in the dark of the night, Echo would be awake at the kitchen table, rereading the notes he’d written and rifling through them for any mistakes. Anything was better than his nightmares.

Though this, of course, meant he wasn’t seeing Y/N as much anymore. With their soulmate bond being through dreams, it was the only way he could see him. Familiar guilt pawed at his spine again. Y/N couldn’t see him, not since the Citadel, and if Echo wasn’t sleeping anymore, the memory of their bond would become nothing more than a wisp. A distant echo. To counteract this, Echo finally hauled his ass into bed and shut his eyes to sleep. It didn’t come easy, even with the plushie in his arms. Eventually though, sleep came, and he saw your face again.

It was when morning came that he decided to take himself to you. The dream had revealed where your cottage was on the island, as if his own soul was nudging him to you. He supposed it was, in a way. Your cottage was on the other side of the island, which explained why neither of you had met each other yet. Pabu was a very big place, after all. Borrowing Wrecker’s speeder, Echo set off. By now, he had two hands and could hold the handles of the bike safely. Tech had made him the cybernetic one; an attachment for his scomp link, which Echo felt rather reluctant to part with.

Arriving at your cottage, Echo saw you through the kitchen window. It was midday by now, and he could see you preparing lunch. It was surreal, seeing you in person after seeing you in only his dreams for so many years. His hand felt the gate, hesitant to push it open, to show himself to you. Would you recognise him? He’d changed so much, and you thought he was dead. Would you be angry, scared, or worse? Would you be disappointed? He steeled himself and tentatively pushed the gate open, his feet following the stone path to your front door.

The doorbell sang a little tune. You’d clearly installed a fun mechanism to give the door a bit of whimsy. Echo smiled slightly at that, his nerves betraying him from smiling as widely as he wanted to. Before he could think about it anymore, the door swung open.

You were so beautiful.

“Um… hello? May I help you?” Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and his heart dropped. You didn’t recognise him.

Echo cleared his throat. “Y/N…” he stuttered slightly.

He could almost see the pin drop. Your eyes widened and instantly looked all over him. It was like you couldn’t decide what part to focus on first, the shock that he was alive, on your doorstep, overtaking you. Eventually you murmured his name, more a question than an invitation.

“Yeah, I uh… I’m here. I’m alive.”

Tears filled your eyes as you faced your soulmate, the one you’d mourned and missed for so many years. You stepped forward wordlessly, your arms wrapping around him. There would be many questions later, and certainly many more tears, but for now, you were simply thrilled to hold him. Echo felt the same, and his human fingers splayed out against your shoulder as he held you too. The questions could wait, you couldn’t. You’d done too much waiting. He pressed his face into your hair, inhaling your shampoo and silently promising never to leave you wondering where he’d gone again. He couldn’t do it to you, nor to himself.

[another-xreader-blog]

begging for echo comfort crumbs… i saw a sad tiktok about him and he’s just so fucking baby i wanna hold himmmmm

Maybe he had a nightmare or is just up in the pilot’s chair because he doesn’t want to sleep? i just wanna hold him and tell him everything is gonna be okay

😭😭😭

Ough yes. I love echo so much, he deserves all the bestest cuddles in the world 💕

[another-xreader-blog]

hello!!! may i request some echo with a gn!reader.. but the thought of echo being stern to the reader when they’re all up on his space and he’s scared of being caught by the rest of the batch is stirring in my head.. nsfw or not anything is cool!!!!!

I love this so much you wouldn’t believe. I will absolutely write this up for you, anon, and believe me, it will be nsfw 😭

[another-xreader-blog]

HI AGAIN OMG IM SO SORRY TO REQUEST AGAIN (FEEL FREE TO IGNORE) BUT I HAD A GREAT IDEA 😭

Crosshair x male cowboy reader..?

PLEASE you can ask as many requests as you want!!! What kind of vibe are we thinking for cowboy? Like, are they rivals? Space cowboys? Idk too much about cowboys so I need a bit more to go on 😭

[another-xreader-blog]

I just reached 250 total likes!!! Which feels insane because this blog is still so new. Thank you to everyone who’s enjoyed my writing and those who have sent in requests so far, and thank you to everyone who’s interacted with me in reblogs and comment threads 💕

Reminder: requests are open. This is a clones x reader blog so ya’ll can do any clones, though I’m mostly familiar with The Bad Batch!

[another-xreader-blog]

Soft Crosshair: request

Request: I’m on my hands and knees begging for some soft crosshair!!! can be a fic or headcannons i love my nsfw stuff for him but UGHHH soft crosshair just hits my heart something different’ tags: @bloodmoon-bites @ladyazura19 @twistysboutique

Oh my god YES I love soft Crosshair!! I also love nsfw stuff (which I’m happy to write, if anyone wants a cheeky fic 😉). Thank you for the request 💕 I hope you enjoy reading it!

Warnings: none! Just fluff. Reader is gender neutral, no use of Y/N.

Crosshair who only lets you see him at his most vulnerable. You hold him through his nightmares, apply bacta patches when he’s injured- those tremors are bound to get him an accidental wound or two in the kitchen.

Sometimes, when he’s really upset, you help him through panic attacks. He cries, which he hates, but he likes that you don’t make a big fuss about his tears.

The two of you do breathing exercises together and eventually he holds your hand. It’s very grounding to him.

Crosshair who learns to laugh again because your jokes are just too funny. Even when no one else thinks they are, he thinks you’re hilarious simply because it’s you.

Yeah, he might be a bit stupidly in love. If anyone says that, they may be threatened. Be it on their heads.

Crosshair who’s never had a very safe childhood, and when you find out, you’re devastated. Wanting to make it up for him, you buy him a DS.

I think he’d be into racing games (much like how Tech would be. It’s a twin thing), shooting games- obviously, and puzzle games.

Crosshair is nothing short of a genius when it comes to maths, what with him calculating distances and angles for his shots within seconds.

So of course you’d buy him Brain Age, Tetris, and Professor Layton’s Curious Village. As well as Mario kart and Tomb Raider.

Crosshair who’s never dated before you, he’s never had the time. It’s always been one night stands.

He isn’t sure how to be a boyfriend at first, and eventually you realise he’s a bit nervous about the whole concept. So you decide to scrap labels until he’s ready.

Until then, you’re just the two of you, completely each others but label free. Crosshair will decide when he’s ready for that.

Bonus: aha! You thought I was just doing headcanons, huh? Well looksie here, I did both of your requests. Have a little drabble fic. 💕

The two of you were curled up in your garden swing. Moonlight shone overhead and you’d been sharing your knowledge of the stars with Crosshair. He had one leg perched over the swing, resting on the grass and rocking the bench rhythmically back and forth, whilst you laid between his legs. His other was wrapped around your thigh, and your hand had been resting on his knee for the past hour while the pair of you cuddled.

Crosshair broke your stream of rambling to murmur your name, pressing a kiss to the top of your head beneath his chin.

“Yeah baby?”

“I’m ready.”

“For what?”

He nuzzled his face into your head, as if seeking courage for what he was about to say. “‘M ready to be… us. Properly.”

Beaming, you looked up at him. “Really?”

“Mhm. Really.”

“So… my boyfriend now, huh?”

“Oh stop.” He murmured, smiling and tugging you back into his arms, trying to hide how pink his cheeks had become. Not that you could really see in the low night light anyway.

“You know, you being my boyfriend sounds pretty good.”

“Yeah,” he stroked his fingers over your shoulder, “it does.”

[another-xreader-blog]

Coming out: Crosshair x reader request

Request: Could I perhaps request some Crosshair x reader where the reader is one of those people who can find the good in anyone and is very sweet? Perhaps reader is one of the only people crosshair will let in besides omega, since they’re honest and willing to go crosshair’s speed whenever he needs it. It would also be super cool if it was x male reader but Gen is okay too! For @rosin-flux

As a trans man myself, I love x male reader fics, and I wanna take this opportunity to let any of my followers and readers know that I’m happy to write any gendered (or non gendered) reader. I hope you enjoy this one. 💕

Male reader, Y/N is used. Not established relationship but hints at feelings!! Synopsis: Crosshair’s coming out.

Warnings: This is set AFTER the end of s3, so beware spoilers. It’s also my own headcanon for crosshair’s sexuality, so ofc dont take this too strongly if you don’t interpret him the same way.

Crosshair paced back and forth, his feet stepping in and out of the sunlight which strewn patches of light along his bedroom carpet. He’d comm’ed you to come over ten minutes ago, you said you’d be there in fifteen. That left five minutes. Five agonising minutes of waiting. His heart pound in his chest as he paced, the toothpick in his mouth hastily being chewed up. He spat it in the bin and got a new one out.

“Crosshair, you’re being ridiculous.” Omega’s voice spoke up from the doorway.

He startled slightly and turned around. “Excuse you?”

“[Y/N] isn’t gonna mind, you know? He’s not like that. It’s gonna be fine.”

He huffed and resumed pacing, needing to have something to do with himself. Omega smiled reassuringly and left him to it, shutting the door so could stew in his anxiety in private. Of course, she knew. She was the first and only person he’d told. He’d been a quiet, anxious mess and the script he’d formed into his head had faded as he blurted his secret out to her. They’d been meditating on the beach at the time, and Omega’s eyes had snapped open in shock. When she’d seen how vulnerable her older (little) brother seemed, she’d immediately hid her shock and gone into protective sister mode, comforting words spilling from her and her hand holding his remaining one.

He only hoped you’d be as kind.

Of course, you would be. Kindness oozed from you, as did patience and respect. Crosshair never understood how you did it, but you somehow saw the good in everyone. When he’d returned to the batch, you’d been the first person outside of Omega who truly understood how hard he was trying to become himself again. The two of you became closer in that time, close enough for him to feel his heart run loops in his chest every time he saw you. He hadn’t meant for it to happen, but somewhere along the way your magnetising personality drew him in.

Downstairs, the doorbell rang. Crosshair heard Omega let you in, the two of you chat for a minute before she left you to it. You’d been to the batch’s villa enough times to navigate yourself to Crosshair’s room. A moment later, you knocked on his door.

“Cross? You wanted to talk?” Your deep but soothing voice asked from behind the door.

Steeling himself, Crosshair took a deep breath and threw his second toothpick in the bin under his desk. He opened the door, not making eye contact. You already seemed to understand how uncomfortable he was, given that you wordlessly entered his room and sat on the edge of his bed, not speaking until he was ready.

He remained standing, his arms crossed. “I… I had something I needed to tell you.”

“Okay. I’m listening.” You smiled politely, giving him your full attention.

He struggled with his words for a moment. “I’m bisexual.” Crosshair said hesitantly.

A beat of silence passed. His eyes flickered over your lips and he quickly looked away.

“Cross, that’s amazing.”

“What?” He frowned.

“What?”

“Why are you being so okay with this?”

You merely smiled. “Why wouldn’t I be? This is just another part of you.”

He had to look away again. You waited patiently as he resumed pacing, seemingly unable to find his words. Eventually he sat next to you, leaving a small gap between the two of you. His eyes met your lips again, only to fall back to the stub of his arm.

“I guess I shouldn’t be too shocked that you’re so… accepting.”

You couldn’t help but chuckle. “What did you think you was gonna do?”

“Honestly? I’m not sure.”

He had to smile at himself too, relief pouring from his shoulders as his tension eased. The room itself seemed to ease too, light a darkness had lifted from it. This had clearly been weighing on him for a while.

“Cross… you know this won’t change anything? You’re still you… I’m still me. You can still bug me everyday and I’ll still be there to tell you when you’re being a rude prick.” Your shoulder bumps his as you speak, in an action you hope is reassuring.

Crosshair chuckles at that. “Thank the maker, where would I be without you all but rehabilitating my behaviour?”

His sarcasm feels warm, a welcome familiarity compared to his anxiety he was in moments ago.

“Exactly.”

The room fell silent again, the two of you at ease. You laid on your back, staring at his ceiling. “Cross?”

He laid next to you, humming as if to ask what you wanted.

“Was there something else you wanted to tell me?”

He watched as you turned your head, your eyes meeting his. To his surprise, your eyes trailed to his lips, mirroring how he’d gazed at you earlier. They then ran over his face, stopping over his cheekbones and eventually met his gaze again.

Crosshair subconsciously ran his tongue over his lip. “Well, um… no.”

“No?”

“Mhm-mhm.” He looked back to the ceiling.

You dropped the subject, knowing now wasn’t the time. One day, perhaps, you’d have the conversation that burnt within you, but for now, it was enough to share the silence with him. You trusted he’d ask you out when he was ready. Either that, or one day he’d just snog the life out of you. Crosshair could be a bit unpredictable sometimes with his hasty decisions, usually when his emotions drove him. Your thoughts continued to flow, wondering how he’d tell you. Eventually the fuzz in your head was interrupted by his fingers nudging against yours. You didn’t look down, your fingers parting to join his.

If only you’d looked anywhere but the ceiling. Crosshair was trying so hard not to break into a smile, but his will was fading. He couldn’t help it, your acceptance, your hand in his, your patience. Biting his lip, he failed to suppress it any longer and broke out into a grin.

[another-xreader-blog]

I’m on my hands and knees begging for some soft crosshair!!! can be a fic or headcannons i love my nsfw stuff for him but UGHHH soft crosshair just hits my heart something different

YES YOU TOTALLY CAN!!! I suppose you’d like me to tag you once I post it? It’ll be up in the upcoming days. I absolutely love Crosshair, and soft Crosshair? Ough. He deserves it. He deserves some gentle kind of love.

Edit: it’s posted! 💕

[another-xreader-blog]

Could I perhaps request some Crosshair x reader where the reader is one of those people who can find the good in anyone and is very sweet? Perhaps reader is one of the only people crosshair will let in besides omega, since they’re honest and willing to go crosshair’s speed whenever he needs it. It would also be super cool if it was x male reader but Gen is okay too!

Thank you so much if you do my request!!!

Absolutely! I’m writing it up now. Your request is a bit vague for a plot so I’ve created a little story that ties all the elements of your request into it. I’m really enjoying writing it and I hope you’ll enjoy reading it. Would you like me to tag you when I post it? Should be within the following week!

Edit: it’s been posted 💕

[another-xreader-blog]

Green fireworks: Crosshair x reader

So this was a request from @bloodmoon-bites as a follow up to my spending new years with tbb post! Which you can read this as a stand-alone, or a second part of Crosshair’s fic in that post. My requests are open, so if anyone has any please feel free to send them in. Thank you so much for the request, I hope I did your vision justice :))

Synopsis: Crosshair’s healing on Pabu, and you’re the path he needs to heal fully. Having been apart while he was under the ruling of the Empire, you'd written a box of letters for him. Now he's back where he belongs next to you, it's time to give them to him. The reader is gender non-specific, no mention of Y/N.

Warnings: bittersweet but mostly just comfort. Tears are involved. Spoilers for the end of S3 if you haven't seen it! A small mention of sex, drinking and smoking but that's in the letter at the end (which is an optional read.)

He had changed. That much was clear. His hand perpetually shook, and what was left of his other was a stub at his forearm. He had new scars, ones you could see and ones he so desperately tried to hide. It was like his identity had fractured. Yet, he was slowly putting himself back together with the help of you and the batch. Omega had created a routine meditation practice for the two of them, a habit they did weekly. Wrecker would chat and chat whenever he was stuck in his thoughts. Hunter would sit quietly with him, as someone to listen if Crosshair needed to talk, or as a safe silence for if even the words were too loud. Whenever Echo visited, he’d always subtly position himself near Crosshair, a barrier against any potential threats. And then there was you.

You’d been dating prior to Order 66. It was a long distance relationship, what with Crosshair being a soldier and you being a civilian, but you made it work. You were emotionally stable, something he’d never truly felt even before his inhibitor chip activated and he brought a wave of colour into your otherwise dull life. After he was changed, a soldier of the Empire, you had fled to Pabu in search of safety from all the war, death and debris the Empire dragged around with it. You hadn’t ever expected to see Crosshair again, and then suddenly there he was, on the island you’d grown to call home. Statuesque in the sun, you’d found him one afternoon in the marketplace and your heart had stopped. He truly was different.

From there on out, you’d been joined at the hips as much as possible. Not that he’d admit it, but he missed you. Whilst in his cell on Tantiss, Crosshair dreamed of you. He never dared speak these memories aloud, not to the batch and not to you, but they never strayed from his thoughts. In his cell, the memories he had of you were a small, private comfort- one not even Hemlock could take from him. As the months flew by, his hair began to grow back in silver stubs, his smiles grew bigger and his sleep came easier, less interrupted by nightmares of needles and headaches he couldn’t run from.

One day, the two of you were in your cottage. It was one of the ones on the lower levels of Pabu, near the ocean. The structure of the house was a bit water damaged, but the batch had graciously offered to help repair it. For today though, it was just you and Crosshair in your home. You both had tea, something he’d taken to drinking as caf only made his tremors worse, and you were holding a large box. It had a few stickers on it and the corners were soft with how much you’d lifted the lid off.

“You gonna tell me what’s in the box, sugar, or do I have to guess?”

You smiled. “While you were… away… I sort of had a little routine.”

“Yeah?”

“Mhm. I used to write you letters. It, well, I guess it made me feel a bit less lonely… I used to write them when I missed you. I dunno, I think it sort of became a bit of a journalling habit of sorts. Anyway, um… I kept them all.”

As you spoke, you ran your fingers over the edge of the lid, an anxious habit. Crosshair had never been particularly open about his feelings, but he is loyal, and you already knew he’d huff this off as a sentimental piece of crap only to memorise all of your words you wrote, as if they alone could heal him.

His eyes grew a fraction wider, and he put his tea down. “You wrote me letters?”

“Yeah… is that weird?”

He was silent for a moment. “May I read them?”

“Yeah. Why do you think I kept them?” You asked, putting the box on the floor between you and opening it.

“But you didn’t think I’d come back.”

“No… but I hoped.”

Crosshair peered into the box. Letters upon letters were piled up inside it, all of them addressed to him in your sleek curved handwriting. Crosshair’s handwriting was like chicken scratch, and he’d always appreciated how you wrote his name like something beautiful instead of a weapon. He reached into it and picked up the first one he reached.

Noticing his hesitation, you spoke quietly. “You don’t have to read them now. And frankly, they’ve all been shuffled around so much, none of them are in the right order anymore. I just… I liked having a routine where I told you my thoughts.”

You watched him put the letter down, rifling through the box. He was counting them, given by how his eyes darted over them. His eyes weren’t what they once were, having lost their steadiness that made him such a skilled sharpshooter. He was still brilliant though, and his eyes were far stronger and healthier than the average clones (or persons). Each time Crosshair complained about not being able to see something, you’d have to squint and wonder what the kriff he was trying to see anyway, and he’d do his chuckle that you’d grown quite fond of.

Crosshair’s finger’s stopped, pulling out a letter with a faint kiss stain on the corner. The wine on your lips that night had left a mark you hadnt intended. Truthfully, you’d been a bit too drunk to even remember kissing the envelope.

“May I read this one?” He asked quietly.

“Cross, you can read all of them… I’ll give you a minute.”

You stood, gently squeezing his shoulder, and went through to the kitchen. Silence filled the kitchen as you sat at the table. You’d taken your tea with you, and the warmth of the mug seeped into your hands as you stared out the window. Hopefully giving Crosshair some privacy for this moment would help ease him.

The clock ticked by rhythmically until Crosshair appeared in the doorway. He had the letter in his shaking hand. You couldn’t remember what you’d written anymore, and Crosshair’s face wasn’t giving anything away. Neither of you spoke until he crossed the room, put the letter on the table and hugged you tightly. You stood to meet his level, and wrapped your arms around him. He made a small sound, not unlike a whimper, and your hand settled on his head to stroke the new strands of hair that were growing. When he began crying, you didn’t say a word, you simply held him.

Crosshair wasn’t okay. He’d changed tremendously in the time you’d been apart. The man you once knew never cried, and now it felt like he always was. You were the only person that saw it, the only one he truly trusted to see him like this. Maybe he wasn’t okay, but his tears today felt somehow different. You could almost feel the relief he exuded.

You didn’t ask what you’d written. As you held him, you made a silent vow never to ask. If he wanted you to know, he’d tell you. Until then, you’d be there to love him just as he is.

Bonus: the letter (for you nosy peeps)

‘Crosshair,

It’s the first new years I’m spending without you. Usually we’d have a beer and a ciggie, and then probably sex, only to sleep through the fireworks. We never meant to, and I always said I’d show you them one year. Now you’re not here and I’m gonna watch them by myself. I’ve got wine (perhaps too much) and cake. It’s gonna be a quiet evening in, I think. I don’t really feel like seeing anyone, and my apartment has a good view of the fireworks.

They haven’t started going off yet anyway.

I can’t stop thinking of what you said. “Good soldiers follow orders”. It’s such a final, definite phrase. You’ve always said it though. Was that you, or the conditioning? Was any of you ever you? It’s been weighing on me, and I wish you were here for us to argue about it. I think you were you, though, because you are good. Better than this. Whatever they’re doing to you, whatever they’ve done to you…

You’ve been good to me. I hope you stay good, the best kind of good, even through it all. Inside your heart. I wish I could tell you how strong you are compared to them, how passionate and loyal and loving you are.

I think you’d like the green fireworks.’

[another-xreader-blog]

First kisses with the batch

Fair warning: these are maybe slightly long? Idk but I had a lot of fun writing them. Warnings for: hurt/comfort, mention of foreplay (no sex). Anyway, enjoy my pookies 💕. Y/N is used but it’s as gender neutral as possible with the exception of Crosshair calling the reader ‘doll’.

You and Echo had been together a handful of months now. With him working away from Pabu, off with Rex, it made your relationship a little (a lot) long distance, but you both made it work. Echo always said it was down to you both being stubborn bantha’s. Whenever he visited Pabu, he’d stay at your cottage for a few weeks before going off with Rex and the Rebellion again. It was good for the both of you. Echo enjoyed having something to come home to, and you always felt immensely proud watching him fight for his brothers. Besides, you trusted him to return home.

It didn’t mean it didn’t suck whenever he left though.

He’d been gone for a month. It wasn’t the longest time he’d been away, but Rex had contacted you a couple days ago that Echo had been injured and was returning home early to rest. Captain’s orders, Rex had stated firmly. When the ship flew in, you stood a nervous bundle at the landing site, anxious to find what state Echo would be in. He’d always been resilient, but you knew he was also reckless. Having seen him jump and roll off a rooftop once, you knew the man had absolutely no sense of self preservation. When the ship doors opened, Rex walked out with Echo leaning on his side. He had a bandage around his shoulder, and his scomp arm was missing.

“Echo! What the hell-“ you began, running to him and wrapping your arms around his middle.

Rex shifted Echo’s weight onto you, the latter smiling cheekily. “It was just a little gunshot”

“Just a little- you got shot?”

“Nothin’ I can’t handle, mesh’la”

Rex interjected. “Actually it damaged his port behind his shoulder blade. He was unconscious for two days. Make sure he rests, [Y/N].”

You nodded. Satisfied Echo was being taken care of, Rex returned to his ship. You didn’t take it personally, you knew Rex was giving you and Echo time alone. The pair of you watched the ship fly off.

Echo tilted his head to you. “I’m fine. Really. Howzer carried me back to base, the guys all made sure I was alright.”

“But you’re not alright now. Come on, let’s get you home to rest. Where’s your scomp arm?” You asked, beginning the trek down to your cottage.

“In my bag. Got damaged, I need Tech to fix it up.”

You hummed, knowing Echo must’ve really damaged it if he was turning to Tech. It wasn’t that he didn’t love or trust his little brother, but Tech often got overexcited and would insist on adding all sorts of fancy gadgets that Echo didn’t understand nor want.

Echo stopped you both by the stair railing. “Wait.”

“Yeah?”

“I, uh…” he scratched the back of his head, suddenly looking a bit vulnerable. “I… I missed you.”

Your eyes softened. “Echo… I-“

Your sentence broke off with his lips landing on yours. It wasn’t the most gentle kiss; Echo’s lips were chapped and he had pressed himself to you so hastily that your noses bumped together, but you’d never kissed him before so really, it felt perfect. Your hand smoothed down his shoulder, tugging him closer as you both slowed the kiss down, transforming it into something much more tender. Parting for a moment to breathe, you pressed your forehead to Echo’s. Sharing another quick kiss, this time, he placed his hand on your hip. His thumb smoothed over your hip bone.

“Mhm… I missed you too.” You whispered against his lips.

Echo smiled sheepishly, as if he was realising he’d just kissed you for the first time. He hadn’t been intimate- kisses included- since before his incident at The Citadel. Noticing his rare embarrassment, you smiled and resumed walking him back home. Hopefully, you thought, it would be the first kiss of many.

Tech had been researching various variables and studies regarding relationships. He’d never been in one before, his interests always having laid elsewhere. Then you had come along and with you, you’d brought a shift into his life. He’d begun seeking you out, constantly analysing his own emotional responses to your presence. When you’d started dating, his ears had turned pink when he’d accepted your hand in his. It was all frightfully new but oh so wonderful.

His datapad was the only light in the room. The sun had long since set outside, and Tech was still curled up on the living room sofa, wide awake. His mind whirred with thoughts of you. The two of you hadn’t kissed yet. You’d told Tech that you’d leave it up to him to initiate it so he could set the pace, which he was incredibly grateful for but he couldn’t deny, it made him slightly anxious. He’d never kissed anyone before. What was the optimal angle to approach? Did he need to tell you he was going for it? What if you both had bad breath?

Tech sighed, turning his datapad off and burying his face in the couch cushions to muffle his groan of frustration. He didn’t like not understanding things. Logically, he knew his understanding would grow with time and experience, but how was that supposed to help him now, he huffed. It didn’t help that he was aware you had experience. You’d told him as much, laying your metaphorical cards out on the table so he knew your comfort levels. What if you thought he was bad, or worse, what if you never wanted to kiss him again? He rolled onto his back on the couch, staring at the ceiling in the dark. Somewhere upstairs, Wrecker snored. A beat of silence passed, Tech’s finger’s tapping on his abdomen repetitively.

It suddenly occurred to him, he could just ask you. Satisfied he had a semblance of a plan, Tech drifted off to sleep on the couch, dreaming of you in his arms.

The next day, at your cottage, Tech had sat you down in the kitchen. He’d told you of his concerns and you’d smiled, gently cupping his cheek.

“Tech, it’s not that big of a deal.”

He’d frowned. “It is to me.”

“I know, mesh’la… want to try now?”

“Now?” His ears turned pink, his eyes widening behind his goggles.

You chuckled, not unkindly, though slightly amused. “Yeah, now. Why not?”

“Well, I- um- okay. How should I… my hands?”

Tech wasnt rarely speechless, nor did he struggle with his words. His stuttering made your heart melt slightly. You guided his hands to your hips, watching with a smile as he settled them there.

“The next step of this process is?” Tech murmured, realising you were both instinctively leaning towards one another.

You lifted his giggles off, placing them on the table. “It’s easier to kiss without them.”

“I assume they’d create nothing short of a barrier between us, lowering both of our comfort levels.”

“Precisely. Now just lean closer and close your eyes.”

Tech did ask you asked. To his shock, he found your face easily, even with his eyes shut. Your lips were pleasant against his, soft and warm. He made a small sound at the back of his throat, pushing himself closer to you as he realised how much he was enjoying this. Tech quickly found his footing. His hands slid up to your back, pulling you even closer. A startled squeak escaped you as he bit your lip playfully, your lips parting. He pushed his tongue in, mirroring what he’d studied in his research.

When you whined quietly and pulled away, he smiled against your lips. “I believe that was satisfactory.”

“Indeed. But maybe we should try again? Just to make sure.”

His smile growing, Tech pulled you closer again. He wasn’t sure what he’d been so worried about. Kissing you was easy.

Your heart was hammering in your chest. You knew Hunter could hear it, but thankfully he wasn’t commenting on it. He also hadn’t said a word about the way he could see your hands trembling in your lap either, though his eyes drew to them with worry. He wasn’t sure what you were so nervous about.

Hunter eventually cleared his throat, his concern biting at him. “[Y/N], what is it?”

“What?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” You smiled, hoping it was enough to convince him to drop the subject.

Hunter frowned slightly, not believing you at all, but he let it slide nonetheless. His attention drew back to the sunset you were both watching, hoping that you’d open up soon. The pair of you had been at the beach all day, Omega having dragged you both down for a ‘family day’. Truthfully, it had felt more like a family day than you’d anticipated. She’d roped you into making sandcastles with her, and you’d both played tricks on Hunter in the ocean water, playfully tripping him up. He’d run after you both, scooping you into his arms. Omega was back home now, seeing as the hour was late and she needed to go to bed, leaving you and Hunter sitting on the pier of the docks together.

Birds were quietly squawking, somewhere off in the distance, and the ships of Pabu’s docks had all been moored into their places. Not many folk were still at the beach. It was peaceful, and your feet rhythmically moved through the water where your legs dangled off the pier, creating a small sloshing sound. Hunter had wrapped his jacket around you a while ago, and the scent of him enveloped you like a warm hug.

You glanced to him again, opening your mouth to speak. Feeling a bit like an idiot, you shut your mouth again and looked away. Damn your words failing you. For the moment, you wished for nothing more than for Hunter to just take the initiative and kiss you. You were too nervous to do it yourself.

The both of you began talking simultaneously.

“Hunter, I-“

“[Y/N]-“

You chuckled sheepishly. “You first.”

“Right…” he scratched the back of his neck, turning to face you. “I’m not an idiot. I can see something’s on your mind, and I thought we didn’t keep secrets from each other in this relationship.”

“…yeah I know. I just… truthfully, I wanna um, kiss you, but I’m just feeling a bit shy about it.”

You’d spoken with your gaze at the ocean instead of your boyfriend, and so you missed his reaction to your words. Hunter’s eyebrows twitched upwards, his lips beginning to curl into a smile.

“Why didn’t you just say so?”

“I wasn’t sure if you were ‘there’ yet. I mean, we’ve been dating for a few weeks, and I dunno if there’s a difference between clone and human dating. I don’t often rush into stuff but I dunno what it’s like for you, and I didn’t-“

Hunter interrupted your rambling, his hands cupping your face and kissing you. His fingers threaded your hair back from around your eyes where it had fallen. It was tender, more so than you’d even dreamed, and you found yourself eagerly kissing him in return. Your hand went to his elbow to simply feel him, to pull him closer. When you parted, his forehead rested against yours.

“Better?”

“Yeah.”

Crosshair was driving you crazy. It was as if he was doing it on purpose, and you were beginning to suspect he was. Since the pair of you had begun dating, you’d had a playful little cat and mouse vibe between you, always teasing who would ‘win’ your little competitions. It was usually games such as who would get to the fresher first after missions, making the first pot of caf in the mornings, and one time you even made a little game of who could steal Hunter’s bandana and not get caught. Crosshair had won that one. Today, his tongue had been moving his toothpick between his lips agonisingly slow.

He’d seen you staring at his lips before. His eyes caught everything, especially the way your pupils would expand in interest and arousal whenever he did something particularly pleasing. He was sitting in the cockpit of The Marauder, staring intently at you as he twirled the little wooden stick.

“I know what you’re doing. It won’t work.” You mumbled, trying not to look up from where you were polishing your armour. Again. You’d lost track of how many times your head had shot up to look at him in the last hour alone.

“Are you sure, doll?”

“Incredibly.”

“Perhaps we need to get your head checked then. Have you hit it lately?”

“Ha. Ha. I’m perfectly sound of mind, you know.”

Crosshair hummed and you heard him stand. His shoes appeared in his view, and you couldn’t help but look up at him. Your eyes trailed sinfully up his legs to his torso, where his arms were crossed. He had an eyebrow raised and wore a smirk, that damn toothpick still between his lips. Oh, how you yearned to tear it away from him and replace it with your lips, to kiss him and taste him and feel him. As if he could read your thoughts, he leaned down to your face.

“Hey.” He mumbled, sounding much too cocky for his own good.

You huffed. “Cross, I’m busy.”

“Very busy staring at me, apparently.”

You blushed and turned your attention back to your armour in your lap. You began polishing it again. This was your move for this game of cat and mouse. You knew Crosshair had a bit of a thing for watching you polish your armour. You supposed it was something to do with being independent, but it was likely more to do with the polish grease you always somehow smeared on your arms or chest. Never intentionally, mind you, but never unwelcome.

He hummed, sitting in front of you. “You’ve been polishing that spot for the last half hour. Must be done by now.”

You blinked. Had it really been half an hour?

“You seem pretty… what’s the word?” He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “Distracted.”

“Well if you didn’t keep interrupting me, maybe I’d be done by now.” You looked up at him, finally putting your armour and polish aside. Mirroring his stance, you leant forward and smiled. “Did you want something, Cross, or are you just bothering me for the hell of it?”

“Just for the hell of it.”

At his drawling mumble, you decided to turn the tables and pull your last card to win this little game you were playing. Swiftly, you plucked the toothpick from between his lips and tucked it into your own mouth. You kept your eyes on his as you dragged your tongue over where his had been on the wooden stick. Crosshair’s heart flipped at the action, his eyes catching every slight movement your tongue made.

Mumbling a mando’an swear word you didnt understand, Crosshair suddenly pulled the toothpick from your mouth and smashed his lips to yours. The force of it sent you onto your back, onto the crate you were sitting on, which was thankfully quite large. Crosshair straddled above you, kissing you with a passion of a thousand suns. He pinned your wrists above your head and pushed his tongue between your lips, tasting your own with his. You both groaned simultaneously.

“Fuck… Cross… what was that?” You mumbled when you parted, a string of saliva connecting you both. He leant forward and caught the combined saliva on his tongue.

“A kiss, stupid.”

You breathlessly laughed. “Felt more like foreplay.”

He chuckled, moving his lips to your neck. “Doll, we haven’t even started.”

He’d been looking forward to this all week. After a long arduous week of working daily at the docks- which Wrecker didnt mind, but he much preferred being with you- the weekend was finally here! Your plans together were to not waste a single second. For the moment, Wrecker was hastily making his way across the island to your cottage. He’d been hauling crates all day, and all he yearned was to hold you in his arms. He hadnt even gone home to change clothes, he was so excited. When you opened the front door, he scooped you into a big hug, lifting you off the ground.

“Wreck!” You giggled. “Put me down!”

“Sorry mesh’la, ‘m just so excited. It’s finally the weekend. Uhh, sorta.”

You beamed, “I’m excited too. Dinner’s in the oven, and I was thinking we could watch a movie tonight?”

“That sounds perfect.”

Your afternoon from there was set. By the time of the evening, the pair of you had gotten cozy on the sofa with full bellies and your pyjamas on. Night was beginning to fall, so you began your bedtime routine, locking the doors and turning the lights off. Wrecker playfully chased you upstairs and lifted you up at the top of them, carrying you to your room.

Your great, hunkering boyfriend sat on your bed and watched you with nothing short of love in his eyes as you went around your room, doing your last minute tasks.

“What?”

“Nothin’.”

You smiled, turning the light off so the only light in the room was the bedside lamp. It was a warm lowlight, and with it, a sudden comfortable intimacy broke out. Wrecker hadn’t ever spent the night at yours before. You’d slept at his place once, when you’d been too hungover to go home, and collapsed on the sofa snoring. Wrecker smiled and gestured for you to come closer.

The low lamplight illuminated his face in just the right way, making all his curves and lines appear softer. Sharing his smile, you wrapped your arms around him.

“What is it, baby?”

Wordlessly, he tilted your chin down to his and kissed you. At first you were startled, but that quickly faded into affection. Wrecker’s lips were soft. Cupping the back of his neck, you followed his lead and parted your lips with him. The two of you paused for a brief moment to catch your breaths, only to kiss again, the lure of each other too sweet to resist.

“Mhm… we’ve never done that before.” You mumbled under your breath against his lips.

Wrecker froze.

“Wreck? You good baby?”

“We’ve never done that before.”

“Uh… yeah. What’s the matter?”

He started spiralling, rambling to you with wide eyes. “Did I rush you? Was that too much too soon? I’m sorry sugar, I wanted to do it for so long and you looked so sweet and ‘appy and I thought it would be alright, I probably should’ve asked-“

“Wreck! Hey.” You gently put your finger on his lips, effectively shushing him. Pressing a kiss between his eyebrows, you felt him relax marginally beneath you. “It was okay. It was more than okay. In fact, we can do it again if you want?”

Wrecker’s eyes lit up. “We can? Really?”

“Yeah. You can kiss me whenever you want, alright?”

He beamed and kissed you again. And again, and again, and again.

[another-xreader-blog]

Masterlist

(To be updated as I post. Requests are open, and if you send one in please include if you want the reader gn, male or female. I’m happy to write for all.)

Unless tagged with symbols below, the fic is written with a gender neutral reader:

🌿 Male reader

🌸 Female reader

The Bad Batch- short drabbles:

Spending new years with the bad batch

First kisses with the batch

Wrecker:

Wrecker having a crush on you (more of a ramble than an actual fic)

Crosshair:

Green fireworks: request

Coming Out: request 🌿

Coming Out pt.2: request 🌿

Soft Crosshair: request

Echo:

I only see you in my dreams (soulmate AU) 🌿

[another-xreader-blog]

Whatever you do, do not think about Wrecker having a big, overwhelming crush on you. He’s usually so loud and excitable, and yet behind all that he struggles so clearly with anxiety and it battles harder with him around you cause what if he says the wrong thing? What if you walk away and you don’t like him? What if he accidentally hurts you- he’s a big, clumsy giant, he knows he sometimes knocks people over, and you’re so tiny compared to him. Absolutely do not think about him getting all shy and bashful when you talk to him. God forbid you compliment him or smile at him, his ears would go all red and he’d stutter and start tripping over his words. And if you happened to understand his anxiety? He’d melt on the spot. Touch his hand? It’s over, he’s thinking of that forever. You kiss his cheek? He’s never cleaning that cheek until Hunter, Tech, Echo and Crosshair pin him down and Omega scrubs it clean. He’s such a big, gentle giant, I can’t help but melt about him, and I know he’d be all melty too 😭

[another-xreader-blog]

Spending new years with TBB

Including little drabbles for Echo, Tech, Hunter, Crosshair and Wrecker, all with an established relationship with reader. Tech is obviously alive, my guy. These are all alluded to be set on Pabu, with the exception of Crosshair’s which is vague on purpose (chose your location lmao). Use of Y/N, gender neutral.

Warnings: drug usage, sensory overload, angst. The angst is ONLY in crosshair’s. There’s hurt/comfort in Hunter’s.

“This is nice,” Echo breathed out, relaxing back against the blanket and cushions you’d arranged. The holo-movie played out in the background, a documentary you’d picked that you knew Echo was a fan of, and the two of you were snuggled up in bed with a bowl of mantell mix between you, as well as a bottle of bubbly that you’d nicked from a mission once. That was yours- Echo’s choice of poison was a joint, which he lazily smoked. It’s smoke drifted about the room, catching the neon lights of the street through the window. Whenever you looked at Echo, the smoke cast dusty pinks, purples and yellows over him.

It wasn’t that you knew Echo didn’t like fireworks. In all honesty, he didn’t mind them- being around Wrecker had him more than familiar with loud explosions. Rather, you were certain he’d start his new year in a relaxed state. You couldn’t recall seeing Echo relaxed enough times, if ever. It was time to set that straight.

“This is nice.” He repeated.

“Yeah. Are you feeling that yet?”

“What do you think, mesh’la?”

You laugh, the effects of the champagne you’d stolen weaving through you.

Echo laughs too. “You’re drunk.”

“No. I’m cheery.”

“You’re drunk and I’m high.”

“Astound observation, my dear.” You snigger to yourself, thinking you’re rather witty, and take another swig of your glass.

The room falls quiet, the only sounds being the movie that plays and the muffled pops of fireworks outside. Multiple moments pass.

“Hey,” Echo murmurs lazily. “It’s new year.”

“Hmm… people kiss at new years.”

“I guess we have to then.”

In the lowlight of the room, his lips somehow find yours. You graze your thumb over his cheekbone as you kiss him, something you’ve always done. He smiles into your lips and pulls away, resting his forehead against yours.

“This year will be good. I know it.” You whisper, determined to make the year a good one for him.

“With you next to me, it’s bound to be.”

It was growing increasingly difficult to ignore him. Tech was flitting about the roof, rather haphazardly you thought considering it was a rooftop. You weren’t sure what he was doing, but whatever it was it involved lots of wires, tubes, and he often muttered under his breath as he sat there and twiddled with the machinery. You approached and placed a hand on his shoulder, wakening him from his stupor.

“Tech, love, what are you doing?”

“I believe this is what they call a surprise. So respectfully, go away.”

“Gee thanks. Is this safe?” You asked, used to his blunt responses.

“You and I both know nothing is ever safe. I could be carried away by some manner of creature any moment now, or a meteor could come crashing down. Although, that’s unlikely since this planet has not had a meteor shower since-“

“Tech.”

“Right. To answer your question, I am making this safe, hm? Go inside, entertain Omega.”

“But-“

“Go.” He shooed you back to the door of the roof, and promptly shut it behind him. You knew better than to argue with him when he was focused, and so you followed the stairs down the building to the ground floor.

It was late evening when Tech dragged you back to the rooftop. His gloved hand was warm in yours as he led you to the setup he’d been working on all day. You weren’t sure what you were supposed to be looking at. The first reason being, it was too dark to really see anything other than vague outlines and shapes. The second being, the outlines you did see looked exactly like the wires you’d seen that morning, which in your eyes, looked… cluttered.

Tech activated a button on his keypad, and the rooftop awoke in colour. Neon lights lined the edges of the building, and they also patterned the floor too, in places. You saw a shooting line to your left. When your eyes followed it, you noticed Tech had put up an archway around the door of the roof. It shone like the stars themselves,

“…this is beautiful. You’ve been working on this all day?”

“Yes, the wires weren’t calibrated well enough which resulted in the lights sporadically turning themselves off, and so I had to-“

Your lips met his, crashing against him as your arms wrapped around his waist. You felt him sigh against your mouth as he relaxed against you. When you pulled away you gently kissed the tip of his nose, and watched as his ears grew red.

“This is wonderful. Thank you.”

“Happy new year, cyare.”

“Happy new year, Tech.”

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“Positive. Civvies celebrate new years, and you’re one of them now, so take a glass and have fun.”

Hunter grumbled under his breath, taking the glass of non-alcoholic fizz that you’d handed him. He was still growing used to life on Pabu, and it seemed one of your roles in your relationship was showing him the life outside of being a soldier. He held his glass in his hand and leaned back in his seat, trying to relax. A thrum was already growing in his head. Unfortunately, you looked so happy as you organised the celebrations for the night that he couldn’t bear to tell you he needed a break.

A few hours later your house was full of friends, the batch amongst them, and you naturally drifted about the room and made conversation with everyone who had come. Too preoccupied with entertaining your guests, you didn’t notice Hunter slip away into your shared bedroom. He shut the door behind him and rested his forehead against it, the cool wooden pane soothing his headache for a moment. Why was new years such a big deal anyway? He’d never understood it, after all, every year was exactly the same. It was always training and sparring, and fighting and patching yourself and your vod up, before doing that all over again. Granted, things had changed once Omega came into their lives, but Hunter still felt… stagnant. Being on Pabu made it worse. Not that he didn’t love living there with you and his brothers, but his fingers were itching to pick up his knife again.

He silently crossed the room and folded himself on the plush carpet beside your bed. The growing ache in his skull seemed to return as soon as he left the door, and he had to push his head into his hands to attempt to soothe it. In his discomfort, he didn’t see the light fall into the dark room before it slithered away again. He heard your footsteps though, and you crouched down next to him. Your hand ran through his hair gently.

“It’s too much, isn’t it?”

You watched as your partner stayed silent, nodding almost imperceptibly. Biting the inside of your cheek, you hastily got up and find the sensory friendly headphones you’d gotten for Hunter months ago, after his first set had broken. Silently you prised his hands from his head and placed the headphones over his ears. Then you crouched and dug his knife out from under the bed, and folded his palm around the handle. All you could offer was a smile and a kiss on the cheek as you left the room. Later, when the fireworks had ended and the guests had returned to their own homes, you found yourself sitting next to Hunter once more. He had not moved.

You tap the side of your cheekbone, indicating if he’s ready to take the headphones off or not. Hunter complies and averts his eyes, ashamed that you had to take care of him.

“I ruined your night, mesh’la.”

“No. Next year, it’ll just be the two of us.”

“…I couldn’t-“

“It’ll just be the two of us. Besides, I’d prefer having you all to myself rather than knowing you’re cooped up in here, uncomfortable.”

Hunter sighed, grateful that you weren’t angry at him for not enjoying the night you’d so excitedly planned for everyone. “What would I do without you?”

“I dunno but I’m glad you don’t have to be without me,” you smile. “Happy new year baby.”

“Happy new year, love.” He kissed your cheek and pulled you close.

Your fingers smoothed over the paper a final time. This would be the… well, you’d lost count. You tucked the letter into its envelope and pressed a kiss to where the corner of the envelope was glued down on its outside. Then you flipped it over and wrote Crosshair’s name on the back. Another letter to pop into your box of them. Another letter unsent. Finally, you swigged the last of your wine and sat back in your seat, a little dazed from the amount of alcohol you’d consumed.

Outside fireworks went off and you thought of him, of the last time you saw him as explosions sent the ground shaking. You thought of the look in his eyes, those gorgeous eyes you’d always loved so that now looked through you like a ghost. The glass in your hand was quickly refilled. Your holo-pad lit up next to you, messages from friends and family coming through. Creaking, your rickety floorboards groaned under your steps and you took place next to the window, leaning your forehead against the panelling besides it.

Eyes following the lines of colour in the sky, you murmured to yourself. “Happy new year, Cross.”

The crate plopped down on the sand with a thunk. Wrecker though, hadn’t even broken a sweat.

“That’s the last of em!” He grinned.

“The show tonight is going to be great,” you stepped over the rocks to join him, and did a mental tally of the supplies.

“I can’t wait. It’ll be nice to just relax for a bit. Can I light one though? I’ll be able to right?”

“I have no doubt everyone will expect you to anyway.”

He laughs, watching your eyes twinkle as you tease him.

Later when the island was cast in moonlight and the beach was full of party-goers, Wrecker was a ball of energy. He usually was, but you’d never seen him so excited before. You guessed had you been a soldier, you probably would’ve done. He dragged you around the place, making conversation with everyone on Pabu, and proudly showed you off on his arm. Multiple times you had to do a little twirl as he held your hand above your head, to show your outfit off. He’d tried to match with the colours, and he dazzled. You weren’t sure you’d ever seen him dressed so colourful before. Eventually the time came for the fireworks show, and he ensured you’d have the best seat.

Not that you were going to argue seeing him in- well, action.

The islanders counted down, 3, 2, 1, and the sky lit up. Great shots of colour shone and burst before you. It was beautiful, but you’d grown used to it. Living on the island all your life, it had become a stunning little norm you took part in every year. This time though, your gaze was set on the man before you. With each firework he lit, Wrecker’s smile grew larger, his face lit up in the bright lights. He turned back to you, grinning. Across the crowd you smiled back, and held your thumbs up. If it were possible, you could’ve sworn his smile grew bigger.

Once the last one was lit, Wrecker ran back to you and picked you up, spinning with you in his arms.

“You really do this every year?”

“Yeah!”

His laugh boomed. “You’re lucky. Happy new year, cyare.”

“Happy new year, Wreck.”

After a brief kiss, he quickly dragged you off to get sparklers. The rest of the evening was spent in a continuous stream of joy. If you were a poet, you’d put it down to the fireworks, but really it was for the man next to you.