You and Gregor have a much-needed discussion about proper pleasure.
Characters: Captain Gregor, GN!Reader
Warnings: 18+ EXPLICIT. MINORS, STAY AWAY. Smut all the way down. TW for miscommunication and people-pleasing on Reader's end. Usage of the "stoplight" safeword system (green for good, yellow for slow down, red for stop).
Word count: 830
Each of his thrusts was met with a whimper ripped from your throat, each tug and yank of your hair pulled tears from your eyes. Muscles pushed just past what was comfortable trying to lean back or hold your leg up or do this-that-or-the-other, each whimpering gasp catching in your throat as you struggled to keep pace. It was only when his fingers just started to close around your neck that your eyes shot open and your hand snatched his wrist, gripping tight to hold him back and wordlessly shaking your head.
You were bruised, exhausted, sore and whimpering. Thin trails of tears streamed down the sides of your face as you laid beneath him, chest heaving as you tried to catch your breath. Your gaze met Gregor's, and he had stilled in the shock of your sudden denial of his touch. He took in the scene before him, of you, beneath him and trembling like that, the panic in your gaze that was slowly ebbing away as he drew his hand away from your neck…
"...color?" Gregor asked between panting breaths, and at first, you didn't answer. Worse, actually, was the fact that your expression had shifted into something nearly indiscernible, far from the pleasure he had been hoping to bring you. When he was met with silence, his hand met your cheek, cupping your face with a delicate reverence one would never have expected in conjunction with the roughness those same hands were exhibiting mere moments ago. His thumb brushed your cheek, swiping away tears, and his brows knit into something far more concerned. "...cyare, what color are you at…?"
The look on your face became clear, and it made his heart plummet.
Guilt. You looked guilty.
"...r… r-red…" you mumbled almost imperceptibly, unable to meet his gaze. The instant that tiny word met his ears, he was out of you. He was sitting you up now, arms careful around you, hands smoothing over fingerprint bruises; he drew you in close to his chest and let you rest your head there, fingers stroking your hair in an obviously apologetic gesture for how hard he had been yanking those silken strands. Your breath hitched as he held you, your body trembling - and you clung to him like a lifeline as you tucked your face against his neck.
"Oh, cyar'ika… why didn't you tell me it was too much…?" Gregor mumbled, his voice breaking in the quiet as he held you. You hadn't called it, so all those signs of pain, he had mistaken as pleasure… and the thought that he had been hurting you all this time broke his heart.
"...y-you were… you were enjoying yourself…" you muttered, curling up further in his arms. "I-I didn't wanna stop you… n-not just on my account…"
"...cyar'ika, it isn't fun anymore if we aren't both enjoying ourselves…" he whispered in response, his arms encircling you protectively. "I'm flattered that you wanted to keep it up for my sake… but… I want you to feel good, too. If all I do is use you like a toy, and that isn't what you want, well… that doesn't make me much of a lover, does it…?"
Gregor gently cupped your cheek so you could look up at him, see the small, sad smile on his face. "You don't have to feel guilty over needing to stop, okay…? We have the color system for a reason. I know I can be… intense," he said with a grimace, "but if what you need is gentle? Then I'll be as gentle as any man could possibly be. Okay…?"
"...o-okay…" you muttered in response, reaching up to wipe away your stray tears - but he beat you to it, kissing them away as he peppered your cheeks with kisses, not stopping until he had you laughing in his grasp. His own involuntary giggles mingled with yours, and he held you close as you both laid back in bed.
"Do you want to keep going, cyar'ika?" he asked, stroking your back - and his expression shifted as he watched that look of guilt steal over you yet again. That look said all he needed to know, but he wanted to hear you say it. You needed to vocalize what you wanted from him, he decided. "...use your words, love. Come on…"
"...c-can we, um… stop, for- for now…?" you eventually mumbled out, to which Gregor immediately nodded. In that moment, he had pulled you close and further down into bed with him. He cradled your body close to his own, and his hands smoothed over every bruise, every aching muscle he had left behind. He wanted to make it up to you somehow. But for now, he would do his best to comfort and soothe, holding his darling close.
"...we'll stop for as long as you want, ner cyare," Gregor whispered into your hair, never once letting you go as you both settled into the warm, velvet confines of your bed.
Ship: None – interactions btwn Aurelia (s/i) and V/ox M/achina
Warnings: none
Uhhhhh lil minific below the cut... tiny bit of backstory for one of Aurelia's character quirks + the party's response 👉👈
"...and... there you have it. That's why I'm so obsessed with my jewelry."
Aurelia's voice was quieter than usual as she spoke to the party. An offhand comment from a stranger was all it took – something about how typical it was for a dragon to hoard trinkets and baubles it didn't need. That was all it took for the usually reserved and polite dragonborn to utterly burst into tears in the middle of the quiet street.
She'd told them everything, once they'd gotten somewhere they could all rest – how she, a dragonborn child growing up among human peers, not once ever seeing another like her, always the subject of their hatred. Always told to keep herself small and quiet, to never once make herself stand out lest she become even more of an outcast. To just behave.
"I wear all this jewelry..." Aurelia sighed, tipping her head down, leading the various earrings and cuffs on her crest to jingle slightly, as she idly toyed with a pair of bangles on her wrist, "because it's the best thing I can do to really be me. It... it lets me be myself, when nothing else will let me."
That was last week. Since then, Aurelia had noticed a strange abundance of jewelry in her travel box that she didn't ever recall owning before. A big, thick brass armband that... appeared to have been made from a barrel band, was the first one that appeared. Next was a simple gold ring, inlaid with a small red gem; a plain but beautiful thing, for certain. A few days later, a very obviously stolen bejeweled anklet had found its way into her belongings – and a day after that, a gorgeous dragon-designed lapel pin that seemed to glitter and spark as if touched by magic.
But what stood out the most, however, came much later. It was so plain that it nearly went unnoticed amongst her various affectations in her travel box, but Aurelia found it late one evening as she was removing her earrings and pendants for the night to bed.
She plucked the trinket up with a single clawed finger, and examined it carefully. It was a simple, thin cord, clearly sturdy but rather plain, with a small metal clasp. What truly made her take pause, however, was the charm affixed to it – a single, empty metal casing, hardly the width of her thumbnail, had been knotted to hang from the cord as a small pendant.
Aurelia could feel warmth pooling beneath her scales as she held the bullet pendant as carefully as possible in her hands, and as she removed the rest of her jewelry for the night, that pendant remained on – she even fell asleep wearing it.
Aurelia knew right then and there, without a shadow of a doubt, that this was by far her most beloved piece in her jewelry collection.
"The Courier knew of Ulysses' history, he'd made sure of that. But now, after all this time, he could finally learn hers."
Eventually, one needs to learn when to let go of their losses. The Mojave. The Divide. Pieces of the past that shaped people into who they are today, places that beat and battered them and put them through the trials that forced them to grow, to change. Letting go of something so vital to one’s growth was difficult. But it could be done, in time.
Her soft singing could be heard outside, a static-riddled radio playing the gentle melody of the Mojave Music Radio that she had, in her arsenal of technological know-how, managed to pick up the signal to. Their farmhouse – a rickety old thing, one they’d found together and restored back to a decent living condition – was tinted orange in the setting desert sun. Her latest project sat partially dismantled on the workbench she’d set up against the eastern wall as she worked away at it: an old engine, salvaged from some Old World vehicle. We can rig it to generate electricity, she’d said to him. Get a little bit closer into making this place a home for us.
Home. The word still held such significance to him, even after he and the Courier had finally made amends, after they let go of the Divide, fled the Mojave, looked forward towards the future and the wide, open road laid out before them. The feeling was still foreign to him, a feeling of belonging. But she made him feel like he was home.
He could hear her voice through the thin wall, singing along, the tune of the Lone Star cheerful and lilting, and he couldn’t help but wonder what prompted her to mess around with all of this metal and oil so much. He set his book on the old table he sat beside and stood, making his way outside into the twilight sun, his heavy footsteps announcing his presence long before he was even in sight of her. A smile quirked on her lips as she looked up, her hands and face smudged with oil, strands of hair red as blood sticking wildly from their haphazard tie-back on her head.
“Messy work. Know what you’re doing, though. You’ve worked like this long?” he asked her, genuinely curious of her tinkering. She sat back, wiped her hands on her pants, and reached over to turn the radio down a bit.
“Yeah, my daddy taught me everything I know – well, most of it. The basework. Lots of the more intricate stuff came outta trial an’ error. He’d take me out scavenging with him sometimes when I was small, we found all sorts of junk out in the wastes,” she spoke fondly as she recounted. Though...her eyes became sad. A frown creased his face as he took note.
“Miss your father?”
“...yeah. It’s been...close to six years now, since he and momma passed. We had a farmstead, kinda like what this ol’ place used to be...it’s long gone now, though. No use in dwellin’ on it,” she rushed through her explanation, as she turned her attention back to the engine.
“Your home...you want to come back to your roots. Make a home here, like your home with your parents. Nothing wrong with that,” he responded, crossing his arms across his chest as he leaned against the wooden wall.
“It’s not that there’s nothin’ wrong with it, it’s–” She stopped, swallowed, started again. “–I left because there was no home left for me. Both my parents were gone. My brother, gone. My own home, taken over by damn cazadors.” A brief, momentary scowl came over her face at the mention of those creatures. She’d met their creator, she knew where they came from, she knew that the wasteland hadn’t cursed her with their presence; a crazed scientist did. His frown deepened as she spoke. No home, no family.
“Brother? Never mentioned a brother,” he noted, his curiosity for her history deepening further. It helped him, just a little bit, as morbid as it was; she had no home, she hadn’t for a long time.
“...my older brother, Thomas. I lost him when I was just a little kid. The Legion took him away.” She paused a beat, her voice catching. “...I ‘unno where he is now. If he’s alive. If they didn’t just kill him as soon as they got far enough away.” A melancholy tune lulled on the radio as she spoke, her voice cracked as she pressed her hands flat against her workbench. “You...you were Legion too, right? Did you ever…”
“...not that I recall,” he responded, pushing away from the wall and stepping closer. She had a history he’d never known, one that told many things. Why she despised the Legion. Why she froze up whenever cazadors were near. Why she wandered. Why she was a Courier. But the way her shoulders shook when she spoke of her losses, how she remembered her family and the home she was forced to leave behind, drew him nearer. A hand came to rest on her shoulder, his touch gentle, firm, solid. I am here.
“...but you survived, Keegan,” his voice was low, as his arm slid over her shoulders, drew her closer, let her rest against his chest. Her calloused hand rested upon his own, his head ducked down to press his nose to her hair, brushing his lips atop her head, a sign of comfort. “You survived it all. Made it through the Mojave. The Sierra Madre. The Big Empty. The Divide. Pushed through it all, and now you’re here.”
She stayed silent, and together they just rested, standing in the fading light of the desert sun for little while. As the last beams of light dwindled in the sky, he stepped back, walked around her, shut her radio off. Though unspoken, they both figured it was time to head inside for the night. She went to pull a tattered cloth over her project as flimsy protection, then silently, with her hand sliding into his palm, they retired inside of their rickety old house.
So, you wanna kiss the 398th – here's what you should prepare for...
Captain Helix is fiery, intense - an absolute inferno of a man just barely restrained by the armor he wears. All-consuming and so, so warm.
Bomber is loud, bombastic, passionate - he's the one who laughs against your lips, hoists you against the wall, has fun with it.
Birch... a quiet, sensitive man that hides an intense, powerful inner core that leaves you breathless when it comes out in his most vulnerable moments...
Daub is more reserved. By-the-book, never the rule-breaker, but needs that gentle push to really let himself go a little bit.
Axel is similar to Daub, but only because he's a man who hides in an armored shell, rarely venturing out. They're the ones you'll have to gently coax closer...
And Drake... violent, bitter, intense Drake. He bites. He grabs. He claims.
And then, there's Rook... sweet, patient, gentle Rook. The man's a medic, he knows exactly how the body works, what makes it tic... his hands won't wander, not in public. But he'll hold you with such reverence that you'll be wishing he'd just give in already.
Not everyone is in high spirits when the Batch makes it to Pabu.
A noncanon installment of Asha's storyline with Clone Force 99, mainly written as a vent piece to get out my own emotions, that turned into an entire fic – read for your own enjoyment but keep in mind that it may or may not end up being canon-compliant with the rest of Asha's story.
Characters: Tech, OC (Asha Kurr)
Warnings: Heavy on the jealousy, self-depreciation, just a ton of emotional nastiness overall. Hurt/comfort, happy ending
Word count: 3,700
-----------------------------------------------
"Looks like you've got competition!"
Those words nearly knocked the wind out of her. Sunset eyes darted between several figures - between Phee hugging her friend (hoping that he wasn't just a friend, why was she hoping that?), between Wrecker playfully nudging Tech, and… at Tech, watching him. Bespectacled eyes wide in indignation and something close to embarrassment, he looked… stars, he actually looked flustered. She had always wanted to see him flustered.
So why did seeing it now make her heart ache?
Hunter noticed something was off the moment they all began to make their way down the mountain. He heard the way her heart picked up, the grinding of her jaw, the upset huff of breath that she tried to calm herself with. He could tell right away that she was upset by something. By what, though, he could only marginally guess.
The evening was nothing short of perfect. She had never seen the Batch this happy, not in a long, long time - Hunter got to actually stop and take a breath. Wrecker got to actually have his fill. Omega got to actually be a kid. And Tech…
She watched from the end of the table how Tech and Phee sat close, how she was all over him. She watched him smile, watched how they brushed shoulders, watched how well they got along… they had hardly known Phee for long at all. There was no way they were this close already… not when she had been with them even before they were fugitives. Not when she had been Tech's right-hand girl, not when her new priority ever since Echo left was helping him maintain the ship and technology throughout…
…but she knew she could never compare. Not to her. Not to the way she was capable, and confident, and gorgeous to boot. Not when she was everything a man could ever want. She was righteous, and beautiful, and talented…
…she was everything Asha, in her mind's eye, was not. And he deserved everything that she couldn't give.
The togruta didn't even realize her lip was wobbling until a murmuring hush ghosted over the table. She looked up, blinking back tears, meeting four pairs of identical eyes and several new sets as well. Asha's face warmed, crimson cheeks flushing darker, and it was with dawning horror she realized that tears had already begun to flow down her face, that her breaths were just short of sobs. Think. Think of an excuse. Now.
"...I…" she began, her voice cracking so harshly it made her wince. "I'm sorry, I'm just… r-really happy we can finally rest, you know…? Just- I-I just need a minute, sorry…" It was a feeble excuse, but hopefully it was a believable one. It seemed to work at least a little bit - the others certainly seemed to buy it. Chatter began again, and soon, the girls had gone off to go have fun while the adults helped clear the table and settle in. Asha elected to stay outside - to watch the sunset and try and will herself into something less… pathetic.
She really was pathetic, wasn't she? Did she really just do that? Burst into tears in front of everyone because she was…
"Asha…?" A shockingly soft voice yanked Asha out of her self-depreciative daze, and she looked up only to see none other than Wrecker approach, a somber look on his face as he joined her on the balcony. "You, uh. You okay…?"
"Yeah-!" she quickly affirmed, pulling up a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm sorry about earlier, I just… I got overwhelmed, and-"
"And you lied. Why…?"
Asha blinked, utterly taken aback by his forward accusation. She sputtered feebly, trying to refute it - but no words came.
"...I've seen ya when you're so happy you can barely keep it in," Wrecker continued, looking down at the bannister. "And I've seen ya when you're so sad that… you look like one poke will make ya just… fall apart. That wasn't happy cryin' back there, that was… the saddest cryin' I've ever seen ya do."
The wind was knocked from Asha's chest for the second time that day, by the same man. She couldn't meet his gaze, not like this - she looked back out towards the sea, and tried to keep her composure for just a little longer.
"I-I'm fine, Wrecker," Asha mumbled, her voice breaking as tears threatened to spill once again. A large, warm hand settled on her shoulder, and she couldn't make herself look up at him. Not as he leaned closer, like he was shielding her. Not when she felt so small.
"...no one's listenin', Ash," Wrecker spoke low, his voice carrying a reassuring tone that she knew was meant as a promise, and a hint for anyone that was listening to tune out. "It's okay. You can talk."
Asha said nothing for about a minute. Wrecker didn't budge. The two of them simply stood there in the evening sun, the sea breeze warming them both, before Asha finally broke the silence.
"...i-it's Tech, okay…?" she murmured, earning a surprised glance from Wrecker. "Ever… ever since we got here, it's been… he's been…"
Her voice broke a bit, but slowly, she continued.
"He's been so- so happy. The way Phee m-makes him smile, I've- I've never been able to make him smile like that, Wrecker-! And she- she's amazing, she's confident and capable, she's gorgeous in every way, sh-she's righteous and she's strong and- a-and I-"
Asha couldn't stop the tears that spilled down her cheeks, a choked sob ripping from her throat as her words tapered off and died. She brought a hand up to cover her mouth, shoulders hunching as she desperately tried to hide away within herself. Why was she so upset? She should be happy for him. For all of them. They finally had a chance at a normal life here, and here she was, ruining their happiness by something as absolutely pitiful as-
"...you're jealous…?" Wrecker asked tentatively. Asha hated the word. It made her feel bitter, selfish. When he said it, she ducked her head down, hiding her face away from him. She couldn't bear to look at him, not like this.
"Yes," she whispered. "I-I'm jealous, okay? I… I-I want him to smile at me like that, I want to be the one that makes him feel happy, but I- I can't, and I don't deserve to be, either-!"
"Who told you that-?!" Wrecker exclaimed, a look of anger crossing his face at the very idea that somebody had insulted his friend. Asha was quick to shake her head, though.
"No one- no one but myself, Wreck…" she mumbled, her shoulders shaking as she stifled another sob. "Look at her… sh-she's everything I'm not. Tech, he… he deserves everything good the galaxy can possibly give him… a-and… and I'm not it."
When Wrecker didn't respond, Asha could only assume the worst, and it took all of her strength to force herself to look up at him. She was expecting confusion, disdain, maybe even anger - and it hurt her heart that she would ever think of such things about the gentlest man she's ever known - but when she finally looked up at Wrecker, he wasn't even looking at her. He had turned, and was looking towards the stairway leading up to the house's balcony. The stairway that Tech stood at the landing of, eyes widened behind his goggles, staring at the two of them in utter disbelief. For the first time since she had known him, he looked struck speechless.
None of them spoke for several agonizingly long moments, but Asha eventually broke the silence. Her voice broke, barely sounding out as she tried to speak, staring dumbly and gaping like a fish.
“...T-Tech, I–”
“Is that the truth?” Tech suddenly cut in, steadfast as ever despite his clear surprise. Wrecker was glancing frantically back and forth between the two of them, entirely unsure what to do. What could he possibly do? Asha looked ready to shatter like glass, but stopping this confrontation would be disastrous. He was at a loss, and apparently, so was Tech. “That you… have such an opinion of me? Asha–”
Tech barely had a chance to finish his sentence. Asha had breezed past the both of them, tears streaming down her face once again as she quickly made her way down the stairs off the balcony, and disappearing down the path out of town. Tech and Wrecker both stood there, utterly bewildered, before Wrecker approached Tech and gave him a nudge, nearly making the smaller topple down the stairs had he not braced himself on the bannister.
“Well? What’re ya waiting for?!” Wrecker said with a gesture of the hand down the stairway. “Go talk to her! Ya heard all that, right? If anything, she… she’s gotta hear whatever comes next from you.”
“...quite right…” Tech mumbled, sounding uncharacteristically unsure of himself. In a nervous tic he found himself adjusting and re-adjusting his goggles, before he went down the stairway and along the path, following where Asha had gone.
With all the winding paths Pabu was comprised of, it took far longer than he had hoped to find her. It was the tips of her montrals that gave her away, little golden points that stuck up above the small wall she had been seated against, watching the ocean. As Tech approached, he slowed his steps as he heard her muttering to herself, her voice thick and laden with tears.
“…stupid…” she mumbled, drawing her knees closer to her chest as she rested her chin atop her arms. “Look what you did… you think he would ever feel the same way about you now…? You… you pathetic, worthless… what’s even the point…? There’s no way you could ever shine a light up to her, and… a-and now he’ll see it for sure. So… s-so damn selfish… what right do you have t-to be jealous of… of her…? You should be happy, y-you inconsiderate, selfish, idiotic–”
“Asha, enough.”
Tech couldn’t bear to listen to her rant any longer. Fists balled at his sides, he approached briskly, and looked down at Asha as she stared up at him with wide, startled eyes. She hadn’t heard him approach, and hearing his terse interjection sent a shock of panic through her. She was already scrambling to her feet, looking primed to bolt again. Her face was streaked with tears, and she could hardly find it in her to speak.
“T-Tech– I’m– I’m sorry, I-I shouldn’t– I gotta–”
“Asha, please. Stop. I want you to stop and listen to me very carefully.” Tech’s voice was always so level and matter-of-fact – to hear him sound like this… Asha couldn’t pinpoint it. Her mind fled directly to the worst-case scenario, and it was taking all of her self-control to stop herself from just bursting into tears right there under his gaze. Tech could see it, and he had to ponder his words carefully. Any wrong thing could send her spiraling again. “I am… I am quite adept at many things. Expressing emotions is… not one of them. But you must understand that I don’t… hate you. Far from it, in fact.”
Asha sniffled, and she could only make a small, inquisitive whimper before she could find her voice again. And that sound, the very sight of her, was just about the most heartbreaking thing Tech had ever seen.
“...b-but what about Phee…?” she whispered, trying to compose herself. Just saying her name sent a shock of pain through her heart that made her lip wobble, nearly crumbling again. Tech sighed softly, hoping that words wouldn’t fail him now.
“...Phee is a fine individual. She is courageous, and stalwart. She is… admirable,” Tech admitted, but a quick glance at Asha told him everything he needed to know in order to continue. He could see it on her face, the way her brows knit, the way more tears began to slip down her cheeks, reflecting the late evening sun. “But… she is not… I– what I mean to say, is… ah…”
Tech was struggling, and Asha could see it – but she still couldn’t quite grasp what he was fully getting at. Did he… not think of Phee in that sort of light? Surely not – he had been smiling at her all afternoon, they had been practically inseparable ever since they had taken off…
“Tech, it’s– it’s okay, I…” Asha began, feebly trying to regain at least a little bit of her composure, her hand coming up to trail down her lekku in a nervous tic.
“It’s not okay, Asha, not when the very thought of my rejection reduces you to this!” Tech quickly retorted, earning a small gasp from the distressed woman in front of him. The silence between them hung heavy, and Tech let out a groan, adjusting his goggles yet again. “That’s not… that’s not what I mean. I’m sorry. What I mean to say is that… Asha, you could not be any more incorrect about yourself. You are… you are intelligent. Passionate, devoted. You are a valued member of this team, and we… I… would be lost without your presence.”
When Asha didn’t respond, too dumbfounded to make herself say anything, Tech took that as an invitation to continue – as he often did. “You are skilled beyond all doubt, and you may not fully realize how much I appreciate your help. Though it is not often I require assistance in a mechanical capacity, I have grown used to your presence, and… and I value your companionship. You… listen to me. Actively. That is a courtesy others seldom give. You are… you are kind. You are caring. I may not be able to express my thoughts and feelings in a way that others can understand, but… it distresses me to hear you say such… awful things about yourself…”
He reached out then, much to Asha’s shock, and took her hand within both of his. She looked up at him in surprise, and in that moment as they locked eyes, she had never seen him look so completely serious.
“...because of me.”
“...Tech, I-I… it’s not because of you, not at all–” Asha quickly refuted, her hand still clasped in his and never once making a move to remove it. “It’s… it’s because of me. I– I appreciate what you said, I really do, but there’s still no way I could ever compare to Phee, not with how happy she makes you, and I–”
“You make me happy.”
That made her stop. The silence hung in the air as Asha just… stared at him, eyes wide, trying to parse what it was that he just said.
“...w-what?”
“I said that you make me happy, Asha. It’s clear now that I do not express it as often as I should have. And for that, you have my sincerest apologies. You are correct in that Phee is an incredible woman.”
His hands squeezed hers, and he took a minute step forward, drawing her hand up to hold against his chest, almost reverently.
“But so are you. And it is not fair to either of you to be compared.”
There was a beat before the dam finally broke. Asha took a breath, Tech’s words still ringing in her ears, and everything just… crumbled. She could hardly remain composed as tears overflowed, spilling down her cheeks in torrents, expression twisted in a feeble attempt to restrain her sobs. Her free hand came up to try and cover her face, but her attempts to hide away were quickly snuffed out as Tech stepped ever closer, arms around her, drawing her in for an embrace so that she could fully, truly, and – most importantly – safely fall apart. His voice was hushed, whispered assurances peppered throughout as he drew her close, allowing her to press her face to his shoulder as she whimpered and wept. Clearly, she had been in deep emotional turmoil for some time now, and in allowing it all to come out all at once… it was as if that strong resolve he had come to admire had all but shattered.
“...I’m right here, Asha,” Tech muttered, his hand stroking her back and rearmost lekku as he held her close. “It’s alright. I’m here…”
By now, the sun was inching its way fully below the horizon, and an idea sprung into Tech’s head. With one finger, he tapped the back of Asha’s head so she would look up at him, and he nodded out towards the line where the sun met the sea. “Watch. This is a rare opportunity that I want you to see. In the right conditions, just as the sun passes below the horizon… if you watch closely, at just the right moment…”
They stood there, locked in an embrace, as the sun sank lower and lower, becoming a semicircle against the orange-painted sea. Smaller and smaller still that brightness sank, the definition of its curve becoming more visible as less light was present to blind them. Tech thought for a moment, and made a mental note… Asha’s eyes were an almost exact match of this very sight.
“Watch…” he whispered, a hand cradled against the back of her head. Just as the sun’s edge vanished below the oceanic horizon, there was a sudden, brilliant flash of emerald green light, lasting precious few seconds before all was still once again. Asha’s eyes widened at the sight, tears lingering on her cheeks, her arms locked loosely around Tech’s torso as she stared out at the water, and then back up to him in fascination and wonder.
“You see, when the sun’s light is angled as such by the cutoff from the horizon, the refraction separates the lightwaves into different colors–” Tech began to explain, but for once… Asha wasn’t listening. She was too busy staring at him in complete awe, looking up at him with such a stunned expression that he found himself actually shutting up. He couldn’t fathom why she was staring at him like that, not when they had both just witnessed such a rare meteorological phenomenon, not when there were things to be taught and learned! But her mind was nowhere near that – well, not entirely. The fact that he wanted to show her this, to share in that experience, to make her feel better after such heavy emotional turmoil…
She didn’t even realize that she had leaned in closer. What she did realize, though, was that Tech had leaned in as well. Their noses brushed together, their eyes met – they were barely a breath apart, and Asha couldn’t help it as she moved to lean in the rest of the way…
…and she met resistance, as the bridge of her nose knocked against his goggles, making her flinch. She leaned back a bit, eyes widened, lips parted, and for the first time in what was probably days… she laughed. It was a soft, startled giggle, both at the collision, and at Tech’s stunned, owlish expression, blinking in surprise at her reaction and their impulsive attempt. Asha looked up at him again, a small smile on her lips, as she reached up and with the most tender touch imaginable, pulled his goggles forward to slip down, and let them hang around his neck. Tech offered little resistance. In the dwindling evening light, she could see the rims of red around his eyes from where they had been constantly pressing, and she reached a hand up to gently cup his gaunt cheek, tracing a thumb across the indent.
“...wanna try that again…?” she whispered, her question coming out with a tone that suggested humor, but was in truth quite genuine. After the briefest of moments, Tech nodded his head – though his sight was hampered by the removal of such an obstruction, he realized after a moment that perhaps he didn’t need to see her after all. Leaning in, their eyes slipped closed – and when their lips met, Asha felt him all but sag into her hold, a low sigh escaping him as he rested his forehead against hers.
Moments later, they parted – and Asha couldn’t help the smile that drew up on her lips. Tears still lingered in half-dried trails down her cheeks, and after a few moments, she glanced upwards towards the rows of houses, a small, huffed laugh letting loose. “...we should probably… b-be getting back soon. The others might worry…”
“Yes, ah… q-quite right,” Tech quickly agreed, moving to affix his goggles around his head once again. Now that he could see clearly again, he could look Asha in the eye once more, and as if on instinct, his hand came up to cup her cheek and thumb against the tear stains on her face. “...but Asha… I never want to hear you saying such things about yourself, ever again. Is that understood? Not for your sake, and especially not for mine.”
“...right,” Asha murmured, as that cheerful demeanor seemed to ever so slightly dampen. Clearly, there was a lot on her mind at that suggestion. But when she started to get lost within her own thoughts, she was quickly startled out of it when Tech’s hand slipped into her own, holding it firmly.
“...you cannot be compared to anyone else, Asha. I care for you because of who you are, not for what you are in conjunction with other people. Everybody has their merits – and… I happen to think that yours are… quite admirable.” Asha couldn’t help but laugh at Tech’s verboseness – he really had to talk circles around absolutely everything, hm? Why say one word when you can say a dozen? He gave her a rather confused look at her small huff of laughter, tilting his head slightly – and she only shook her head, and gave his hand a small squeeze.
“...well I think yours are admirable, too. Come on, before Wrecker decides to throw together a search party, hm?” Asha joked, and at that moment, she saw what was probably the most beautiful sight she had ever seen on Pabu, ranking even above the green flash at sunset.
The Batch has been assigned a new teammate, much to their reluctance. It seems like the reason behind the deployment has left a sour taste in their mouths.
Read Part 1
Once again, credit to @staycalmandhugaclone for one of the main ideas behind this interaction – you've got THE most deliciously painful plans in your lil head and I'm forever grateful~
Characters: TBB, OC (Asha Kurr)
Warnings: References to character death, mild anxiety attack
Word count: 1,239
-----------------------------------------------
If Asha didn’t know any better, she would say that Echo may have just outright left the facility. Luckily, she did know better – and it was a high chance that he was evading her. She had been making the rounds around the facility – even swallowing her pride and asking around for anyone who may have seen him – and eventually, she had found her way towards the training rooms. If what she knew about Echo was correct, then he was a man of conviction and… mild perfection. Liked to keep himself in top form. She had a feeling she would find him there, if nothing else.
When Asha entered the locker room, there was only one other occupant – her suspicions were correct, it seemed. Here she stood, face-to-face with a very wide-eyed, almost panicked looking Echo. As the door slid closed, neither of them moved. It felt almost like a standoff. Eventually, Asha stepped forward – and her heart sank when she saw just the slightest flinch from the man across from her.
“...hey,” she began quietly, with a small wave of the hand, “I’ve been looking for you. My name’s Asha… the rest of the squad suggested I come find you. I’m… I’m your new mechanic.”
Echo swallowed dryly, composing himself best he could. He stood fully upright, and gave a cordial nod – but it was clear that his mind was elsewhere. “Asha– it- mh. It’s… good to meet you. But I’m afraid that your deployment with us isn’t- isn’t necessary.”
“Echo-” Asha began, struggling to find the words she could use to defend herself. She knew she would meet pushback. Hell, Rex warned her that she would meet pushback. She just… had to figure out how to convey that she was here to help. “I’m not just here for no reason. I’m under recommendation from Captain Rex, and–”
“And I recommend that you seek a different assignment,” Echo quickly snapped back, clearly tense, and it showed in his face that he regretted his words the instant they passed his lips. Asha pressed her lips to a thin line – this was going to be a tough one. She had to think…
“...Echo, I just–”
“Asha. You seem… you seem nice. And I appreciate it. But I really,” Echo held up his hand, palm out, like he was asking her to stop, “don’t need a mechanic.”
"And I don't doubt that. I don't doubt you.”
Asha’s words made him blink, giving him pause. When he didn’t retort, she took that as permission to continue. “I'm here on orders, though, and I'd like to make good on them. So let's at least... see how things go, alright...?"
“Look, no offense or anything, but– but I don’t need any help. I–”
“You know,” Asha suddenly cut in, much to his surprise. She had this… look in her eye. For the briefest of moments, one might even think that it looked remorseful. “I had… I had an old friend, back in one of my other deployments, that told me that very same thing. The moment I showed up to help his unit with their maintenance needs– Maker, I was the butt of every joke. This one trooper… he was relentless. Cocky. So full of himself. Told me time and again, we don’t need your help.”
Asha smiled softly, shifting from foot to foot before she moved to sit down on the locker room bench. Echo made no move to join her. He kept his distance, staring at her, watching her like he wasn’t sure what she’d do next. When he made no comment, she continued.
“...he ended up being one of my best friends, during that deployment with his unit. And… I think… I think he talked about you a lot. Unless there’s some other trooper named Echo that I don’t know about?”
That gave Echo pause. He leaned forward just slightly, inquisitively, with a small tilt of his head. Asha smiled softly… smiled sadly. Echo picked up on that undertone too little, too late, as her lips parted and spoke her next statement.
“Did you know someone named Fives?”
All the air left Echo’s chest as those words rang in his ears. His chest felt tight. Aching. Within that half a second, it felt like a lifetime of weight had crushed down right against his ribs, constricting him, unable to move, unable to think, unable to breathe. Asha could see it – she saw his pallid face somehow go just a touch paler, saw the way his shoulders squared and his whole body tensed. Worry crossed her face, and she sat up, taking a quick breath.
“I’m– I’m sorry, I…”
“...yes.”
Echo’s voice was barely audible, but Asha heard him loud and clear. She quickly shut herself up, looking up at the shaken trooper with an expression asking him to continue.
“...I-I knew… Fives. He was… well, they were all my brothers. But he… he was my brother. He… told you about me, then…?”
The way his voice shook betrayed whatever calm demeanor he was attempting to uphold. But Asha smiled gently, and she nodded.
“He did. Quite a lot, actually. He… he missed you terribly. I had wished time and again that I could’ve met you. I’m… I’m glad that I did. Did get to meet you.”
A beat.
“...both of you.”
That was enough to cause Echo’s breath to hitch, and Asha fell silent. Neither of them made a move – Asha simply sat, almost afraid to breathe for fear of breaking the stillness, and Echo merely stood, not even trembling despite how his breaths sounded ever so slightly haggard. Eventually, after what felt like ages but was likely only about a minute… he sat beside her. Kept distance on the other end of the bench, yes, but he sat with her.
“...you worked with Rex, then?” he asked quietly. “Guess that’s why he recommended you. He… was always a good judge of character.”
“Echo, listen to me. I don’t expect you to trust me. Far from it, actually. What I do ask is that you trust him. Trust his order. Trust that… he sent me for a reason. You don’t have to trust me. You just… have to believe me.”
Echo said nothing. But when he looked up at Asha again from where he had been staring intently at the floor, he gave the slightest of nods, and that made Asha’s heart soar. With a small smile she stood, and Echo followed suit – she nodded her head towards the door when he did.
“Come on, let’s get back to the barracks. I’d like to take a look at you after I get settled in and see what it is we’re working with here. I promise, no invasive procedures, no poking and prodding… just looking. Just so I know how to fix up whatever may get messed up out there.”
Echo didn’t respond, and Asha didn’t blame him. She didn’t blame him when he was silent the entire walk back to the barracks. She didn’t blame him when he didn’t say a word when they returned, nor when they both split off to go do their own thing – Asha setting up a space for herself, and Echo returning to his own bunk. She didn’t mind one bit. But she was sure about one thing, though.
Fives was right about him. And she was so, so glad she finally got to meet him.
The Batch has been assigned a new teammate, much to their reluctance. It seems like the reason behind the deployment has left a sour taste in their mouths.
Read Part 2
Credit absolutely goes to @staycalmandhugaclone for this beautiful idea for Asha's proper introduction to our beloved Unit 99! This thing is absolutely gonna be a multi-parter.
Characters: TBB, OC (Asha Kurr)
Warnings: Not many – vague feelings of distrust and anxiety
Word count: 1,278
-----------------------------------------------
“...you can’t be serious,” Crosshair hissed.
“It says so right here: hand-picked by Rex himself,” Tech began, peering at his datapad, “for her exemplary service alongside various battalions both on and off the battlefield. Her credentials are sound. She’s shown skill.”
A pause, as he fixed his goggles.
“I at least see why she was chosen.”
“Why’s Echo even need a mechanic?” Wrecker piped up, with a curious tilt of his head. “We’ve been doin’ fine on our own, haven’t we? You fix ‘im up just fine, Tech!”
“While this is true, there are complexities about Echo’s condition that are perhaps befitting of a more specialized expert that–”
“Sh.”
Hunter’s quick hush made everyone stop, as the door to the barracks slid open and they all sat up. Just merely an hour ago, the unit had received an order that they were to be accommodating a new teammate – a mechanic, specifically a droid maintenance specialist. Even more specifically, somebody to help, for lack of a better term, take care of Echo. The uniqueness of his augments, the complexities they posed, had finally called for someone to be on-hand to help take care of any problems that may arise for his own quality of life.
Suffice to say, they were all quite reluctant at the idea.
The mechanic’s credentials had been forwarded to them, of course. She had everything you could possibly think of: military service, years of experience in droid repair and upkeep, with no small amount of work done in vehicles, computers, and weapons mechanics as well. She seemed to be a jack-of-all-trades in that regard. Apparently this one had been freelancing with the GAR for some years now, and had built a bit of a rapport with various battalions she had helped out in that time. Now, though, she was to take on a more long-standing assignment with Unit 99, to maintain and keep an eye on their resident cyborg and his mechanical augments.
None of them had seen Echo since they received the order.
Now, though, standing in the doorway was someone none of them inspected. She stood rather dumbfounded as she looked around at the four faces – four different faces – all boring holes straight through her. A togruta woman stood there, laden with tools and necessities, crimson skin a bit flushed in both exertion and embarrassment at the sudden, rapt attention she was getting. Gold stripes circled up her montrals and down her lekku, and judging by their size, she couldn’t have been anywhere beyond her mid-20s. She was just about as young as the rest of them. No one said a word for a few long, awkward moments – they just stared.
“...h-hello,” she finally spoke up, with a small wave of the hand. “My name is Asha. A-Asha Kurr. I’m… going to be working with you all from now on.”
As the door slid shut behind her, the first person to make any move was Crosshair. It was not a friendly move. The sharpshooter narrowed his gaze at Asha, stepping forward, and absolutely towered over her as he stared her down. Though lithe, he offered an imposing atmosphere that made Asha shrink back, sunset eyes meeting the tawny brown of his scrutinizing glare, and that flinch of hers made him scoff as he flicked his toothpick out and to her feet.
“Three rotations,” was all he said as he gave her what could only be a sneer, before brushing past her to head to his bunk and plunk himself down, occupying himself with cleaning his rifle. Asha blinked at the blunt words, and looked over to the others with a look that could only be asking for clarity.
“I, um–” she cleared her throat, “I’m here on orders, is all… I’m only here for one person, but- but I look forward to getting to know you all…!”
Hunter and Tech exchanged glances. He could hear the way her heart raced, and it betrayed her chipper demeanor. Anxiety spiked in her chest, made her tremble just barely. Hunter sighed, and shook his head.
“Good luck finding him,” he muttered. “Look, Ms. Kurr. You seem like a kind woman. So I’ll tell you this only once.”
Hunter stood and approached her – his stature no less intimidating than Crosshair’s had been. Asha tried not to shrink under his gaze. Keyword, tried.
“All of us – we all rely on each other. We look after our own. We’ve only got each other, understand?” He spoke softly, but his words carried a particular weight that made Asha nod. “Trust is going to have to be earned. I won’t argue your assignment… but I hope you understand that we’ll be keeping an eye on you.”
“Y– yes, of course, sergeant,” Asha replied quickly, nodding her head. “I wouldn’t expect anything less, honestly. I’d honestly be more concerned if you guys trusted me right away… I-I promise, though, I’m just here to help! That’s what I’ve always done, yeah?” she chirped, and jostled her toolkit for emphasis with a small smile, hoping to alleviate the tension. She watched as Wrecker stood, the largest and most intimidating of them all, and approached her… and she nearly toppled to the floor when he clapped a massive hand around her back and against her shoulder, much to her surprise.
“Well, I like her!” he boomed with a hearty laugh, earning what was probably the deepest sigh of relief Asha had ever given. Finally, someone who wasn’t painfully tense or utterly vitriolic about her presence… that much, she could handle. She could handle the loudness and the forcefulness if it meant someone was actually friendly to her.
“Your enjoyment of her presence means very little if we do not know how effective she will be at her assigned job,” Tech spoke up from his workstation, staring pointedly at Wrecker and Asha. “And in order to do that, she will have to locate Echo.”
“...wait, he’s not here?” Asha asked, and the moment she did, what little tension that had been relieved returned twofold. “Well, where is he? If I’m going to be the one… tending to him, I’d like to meet him.”
“Of that, I am uncertain,” Tech continued. “When we received the order that you had been assigned to our squad as his personal mechanic, he departed rather quickly. That was about an hour ago. Best of luck in locating him.”
Tech seemed almost painfully indifferent. Asha looked at the four of them, hoping for some semblance of help – something that would actually indicate that she could rely on them to back her up – but she found nothing. Just reluctance. With a heavy sigh, Asha stepped to the side and dropped down her heavy load of tools and other necessities, and stood fully upright – the tips of her montrals just barely reached Wrecker’s shoulders.
“Well, I’ll go look for him, then,” she said with a renewed sense of purpose. If she was going to earn the trust of these men, then… first step would be finding their missing brother. But he didn’t seem so much missing as he was most definitely hiding from her. “I’ll see you guys again after I find him.”
With that, and a quick turn on her heel, Asha turned back to the door and stepped out, determined to find the man she had been charged with upkeep for. He could try and evade her all he liked… but she wasn’t about to let this anxiety on both of their ends keep her from doing her job, and keep him from working at his best.
Asha re-entered the stark white halls of the Kamino facility, picked a direction, and marched off.
A/N: New here? Start at First Impressions, part 1!
Lucky Number
Five dates already under their belt – and five words to change their entire relationship.
Characters: ARC Trooper Fives, OC (Asha Kurr)
Warnings: 18+ EXPLICIT. MINORS, STAY AWAY. Smut, some fingering, cunnilingus, dry humping, local man prioritizes his girl over All Else
Word count: 4,104
-----------------------------------------------
“So how many does this make?” Asha asked, an amused lilt in her voice as she strode along the walkway to her humble apartment. It was just a rental, really – a temporary living space on Coruscant for when the battalion wasn’t being deployed to stars-know-where. Besides, it’s not like she was able to stay in the barracks with the rest of them. But to her, at least for now, it was home. And it was where Fives insisted on walking her to after each and every one of their little outings, which was precisely what he was doing now. The ARC trooper was striding confidently by her side, and he let out a small chuckle at her inquiry.
“By my count, five. Fancy that~” he mused, one arm resting around Asha’s shoulders while they walked. Asha let out a chuckle as she tipped her head to the side, nudging his shoulder with her montrals.
“It’s my lucky number, by this point,” she hummed. Fives glanced down at her, arching a brow.
“Are you just saying that?” he asked. “Or are you finally coming around to me?”
At that, Asha gave him a somewhat incredulous look, almost smirking. “Fives, we’ve been on five dates by now. You’ve walked me home after each and every one. I think ‘coming around to you’ is kind of behind us by now, isn’t it?”
At that, he stopped walking. Asha nearly stumbled, blinking owlishly – they were right in front of the apartment complex by now, but Fives usually went so far as to walk her right to her door. What was going on?
“...Fives?” she asked, stepping in front of him now. “Why’d you stop?”
“...dates?” he echoed, like he hadn’t heard her correctly. He honestly could hardly believe it – his heart was starting to race, and all that confidence he so often exuded was starting to fail him, now of all times, in the face of this stubborn young woman he’d become so enamored with. “This– these are dates to you?”
“...should they… not be-?” Asha tilted her head as she inquired, a pang of guilt striking her chest. “I thought– I just thought that that first time you asked me out, in the hangar– that maybe you– you were interested, and that we… well, I… if these are– if this is just a friendly thing to you, I–”
“No-!!” Fives’ exclamation actually made Asha’s eyes widen. “No, Asha, it– I want them to be dates! I thought… Maker, I thought you thought they were just friendly things, I didn’t know that you–”
“...wait, so we both-?”
“We both thought-!”
“And we…!”
The two of them stumbled over their words in tandem until silence blanketed the walkway, muffling the sounds of the endless city surrounding them. They stared each other in the face for a long moment; it was Fives who cracked first. A snort, a crack in the dam that burst free into peals of laughter that Asha was quick to follow suit in, giggles tumbling freely from her as she nearly doubled over in her own amusement. The two of them laughed, loud and carefree – and as it slowly tapered off, a small hush fell over them both as they stopped to look at each other. Really look at each other.
“...you… always wear this headdress on our dates,” Fives stated plainly, a hand coming up to toy at the silver bangles and soft cloth encompassing her montrals. A small smile drew up on Asha’s lips, the whites of her facial markings flushing a bit pink. “It’s… really pretty. Have I ever told you that-?”
“No, you- you haven’t. I save it for special occasions, really… n-not like I can just wear my work goggles out on a date!” she chirped. A feeling of pure elation bubbled in her chest at saying that out loud – date. Going out on a date. They were on a date! “Fives, I… I-I really like these dates- going out with you and all… it’s… it’s nice. T-To get away from the action, and… just… just be together. I-I…”
Silence fell once again for a few moments, as Asha struggled to find the right words. And Fives waited for her – he always did.
“...I… really like you, Fives.”
Fives was an ARC trooper – elite, powerful, prepared for any situation, adaptable to any possible scenario. And yet those five words seemed to knock every single thought right out of his head, leaving him absolutely dumbstruck. It took him a moment to recover, a dark blush warming his face all the way to the tips of his ears, and he couldn’t help the soft smile that graced his features as he looked down into Asha’s eyes.
“...well, just so happens that I really like you too, Asha. I… I have for a while now.”
“Even when you first employed those emergency tactics on me, trooper?”
“Even before that.”
Asha blinked, and now it was her turn to blush. The two of them were standing quite close by this point – and Asha slowly snaked her hand into his, squeezing gently. “...walk me inside?”
“You know I always will,” Fives said in what was barely a whisper as he squeezed her hand back. Her hands, small and gentle, yet calloused with years of work and experience. His own hands, larger and rougher, scarred from battle. And yet, right at this moment as they walked inside her building, hand in hand, he had never held a hand so reverently in all his short life.
Up the lift, and to her door, they held hands all the while. It wasn’t until Fives started to draw his hand away that Asha gripped it tight, keeping him in place – well, partly. He could pull away whenever he wanted. He simply didn’t want to, not really.
“Fives, wait–” she spoke quickly, impulsively. Before she could think much further about what she was doing, she had to say something. Anything. “Stay, just a bit longer-?”
Fives made no move to pull away. In fact, quite the opposite – he stepped closer, just so, just so that she didn’t have to reach to keep his hand held in her own. He watched her closely, with those intense brown eyes of his, always scanning, always staring her down, unable to look away…
“...I-I don’t want to say good night yet,” Asha continued, unable to help but ramble. “Can’t you find some reason to stay-? Just a little longer? I-I don’t… I don’t want this one to end just yet. It doesn’t feel right to just let things just… finish for the night, and then go back to normal in the morning, and I– I don’t want you to go– mm.”
Her words died in her throat. She had barely noticed the movement – one moment, Fives was in front of her, tall and powerful, her hand gently clasped in his own as she babbled in a desperate attempt to keep him at her door. In the next moment, his hands had settled on her waist – respectful, warm, never venturing further – and he had dipped his head down, catching her rambling lips in a warm, soothing kiss. Asha’s eyes widened at the contact for the shortest of moments – but that moment was short indeed, as those sunset eyes quickly fluttered closed and she leaned up against him, her hands coming up to settle along his neck and his jaw. His kiss was experienced, confident… just like him.
Breaking apart was difficult for the both of them. When they finally pulled away from each other, Asha barely wanted to open her eyes – but when she did, she didn’t regret it for a moment. Seeing Fives there in front of her, illuminated by the strip of light peering in from the cityscape outside, was enough to send her heart racing.
“...there. There’s my reason to stay,” he murmured, eyes never once leaving her face but continuously flitting down towards her lips. Asha’s hands slid downwards, trailing down his arms and settling in both of his own hands, and she barely had to think before her next words were already slipping out.
“Come inside-?” she asked quietly, almost whispering. What if someone heard? What if someone saw? Those panicked thoughts were quickly forced out of her mind as the two of them stumbled back through her front door, and the moment Asha had closed and locked it behind her, she could only gasp out a soft, desperate plea, already whirling around to face Fives once again.
“Kiss me again. Please.”
He was on her in an instant. His lips, his hands, yanking her close as the two of them melded together in perfect tandem. Asha let out a groan of utter want against his lips and swiped her tongue across his lip, a plea for entry, which he readily welcomed. They were backing further into the apartment now, until Asha’s legs hit the couch and they both stumbled back, landing solidly on the sub-par furniture and never once breaking apart. Her hands slid upwards, fingers combing through short-cropped hair that drew a groan from his throat, and his hands couldn’t find a place to rest. Her waist, her back, the supple flesh of her lekku – all of it mapped out by deft fingertips as he hovered over her on the couch. She moaned into his mouth and it was met with a chuckle from him, low and wanting, as he caged her against the couch with his entire body, looming over her but never imposing. No, this was not an overbearing figure of intimidation, Asha thought as she broke away from him once again, gasping for breath and gazing up at him longingly.
This wasn’t intimidation. This was safety. Being underneath him like this… she had never felt so safe.
They continued like this until they had well and truly lost track of time. Asha had all but memorized the feelings of his lips against hers – the slip of his tongue within her mouth, the sensation of his hands grasping every part of her body he could reach. It wasn’t long at all until his ministrations moved away from her lips, instead trailing downwards along her jaw, butterfly kisses planted along her jawline and her neck and the inner side of her lekku, which he deftly and carefully nudged aside. With this access granted, Fives set to work on sucking gently, earning a pitched moan from the woman beneath him as he gifted her that darkened bruise upon her neck.
“You like that…?” he murmured against her neck, watching that darkened mark bloom against crimson skin. He chuckled at her frantic nod, her hands fumbling for purchase and fingertips gliding over the smooth fabric of his blacks. “Good… you just sit back, pretty girl…”
Another hickey nibbled into her skin, another keening whine as he continued to ravish her. Gasping softly, Asha leaned her head back – a silent sign for Fives to ease up – and he leaned back to look at her. The boys in the battalion always teased Asha for being an easy blusher – the way the simplest tease would send her red face even redder, making even the white markings upon her cheeks flush into an adorable pink tint. Those teases usually end up with someone getting a wrench thrown right at their head, often making a resounding clatter when it collided with their bucket with terrifying accuracy. But this, right now? This was a kind of flustered Fives had never seen her like before. This was genuine. This was longing. This was…
“...b-bedroom– bedroom’s better…” Asha mumbled, and Fives sucked in a breath at her suggestion. His hand delicately traced her lekku before settling against her face, cupping her jaw and thumbing across her cheekbone.
“Are you sure…?” he asked softly, voice barely above a whisper as he held her. Asha’s response was a more physical one – to press herself against him, give a roll of her hips against the increasingly obvious bulge that was making itself known within the nethers of his blacks. This ripped a deep groan from the soldier atop her, and Asha gave a small, huffed laugh, and nodded her head.
“I-I’m sure, Fives…” she whispered, drawing him in for yet another kiss before her hands finally left his body, slipping into his own hands and bringing them both to stand. It dawned on Fives as she led him forward that he had no idea what her bedroom looked like – and honestly, he was pleasantly surprised by the realization that he would’ve loved it no matter what it looked like.
Settling down on her bed – blankets a soft midnight blue – Asha was quick to pull Fives back in for a heated, desperate kiss. But there was something more behind it, something needy. Longing. Carnal. It was Fives who slid his hands underneath her top, but it was Asha who made the move to shuck it off, tossing the delicate garment off and somewhere forgotten on the floor. Her chestwrap was a pale blue, and he couldn’t help but note just how damn good she looked in blue. Asha’s hands were quick to slide underneath the hem of his blacks, and he was quick to follow suit. Kisses interspersed between the frantic removal of clothing, they had finally ended up locked in an embrace on Asha’s bed, Fives hovering over her, chest pressed to hers, his hands gliding down her curves and digging into the soft plush of her hips. A smile drew up on his lips as his kisses trailed from her lips once again, earning a displeased whine from her – but he merely tutted and gave her hips a comforting squeeze before he reached up to pull her chestwrap off of her, her breasts bouncing free and settling along the soft expanse of her chest. To say she was endowed would be an understatement – it was clear just by looking at them that Asha wasn’t able to fit even one of her hands around one breast. That didn’t matter – in fact, all the better for him. A woman of soft curves and plush skin just meant he had all the more to hold onto.
Fives dipped his head to her chest and began to trail his lips down the curve of her breast, the skin soft as silk under his reverent ministrations. Delicate butterfly kisses tickled her skin and made her gasp and sigh, and Fives cupped one large breast in his hand and squished it upwards, admiring the way the alluring crimson mound molded to his grasp. A small test of her resolve involved sucking yet another hickey onto her breast, and he smiled at the gasping moan that escaped her at the lovebite he left behind.
“Gorgeous…” he murmured against her skin, a veritable starmap of hickeys decorating her neck, shoulders, and chest as he continued along her breasts, hands kneading and lips worshiping, his tongue occasionally swiping salacious stripes of warmth across her sensitive skin. As his lips trailed further downwards, down the valley of her chest between her breasts and down the soft dome of her belly, his hands slid downwards to settle upon her hips once again. “Easy now, pretty girl… I’ve got you…”
“Mm… F-Fives…” Asha gasped, her eyes blown with lust and pure adoration as her half-lidded gaze drifted down to where he was now positioned above her heated core. His fingertips dipped beneath the hem of her underwear, and he glanced up at her with hesitation in his touch.
He was asking.
Asha nodded quickly, the bangles of her headdress chiming against her montrals – in a quick moment of lucidity, she reached up to slip off the decorative garment. But Fives was faster, his hand darting up to grip her arm and stop her.
“Keep it on,” he spoke quickly, his voice husky with want. “The way they… they catch the light. Makes you look like a damn princess… my princess…”
Asha could’ve sobbed, as Fives made quick work of tugging her underwear down and slipping them off from her ankles, tossing them to the bedroom floor along with the rest of their clothes. She now lay almost entirely bare before him, save only for those silver bangles – and Fives had to pause for a moment, just to take in the sight.
“I’ve dreamed of this…” he murmured as he cradled one arm around her leg, pressing a delicate kiss to her lower thigh, just above her knee.
“...for months…” he continued, a couple more kisses placed further up her thigh, dipping inwards.
“...just to see you like this… hoping that… you’d want the same…” Each piece of his statement was punctuated with another kiss, further within the crevice of her thighs and towards their apex. Asha gasped and shivered with each one, delicate little whines escaping as her hand made its way to her mouth, trying to muffle herself. Fives looked up at her, the scruff on his chin tickling her inner thigh, and he tutted softly as he shook his head.
“No no, don’t– don’t hide it, Ash…” Fives muttered, his affectionate nickname for her falling from his lips as easily as breathing. “Lemme hear you… I’ll take care of you, pretty girl. Let it out…”
Bared before him, Asha couldn’t hide anything. Nor did she want to, as his fingers gently brushed closer to the apex of her thighs and trailed along her sensitive folds. The moment they slid within, gathering that succulent wetness on his fingertips, Asha jolted. Her hips bucked, and she whined desperately at his touch; all this served to do was pull a chuckle from him.
“Wow, okay… how long’s it been since someone’s touched you, Ash…?” Fives asked, his fingers working slowly and delicately to sufficiently lubricate her. Asha’s response was nearly lost amidst her panting moans, but she finally gasped out an answer that made Fives physically still himself.
“T-Two– two cycles–”
“...cycles?” Fives echoed, earning a small, shy nod from the woman before him. Something awakened in him then. Something longing. Something hungry. “...well then, pretty girl… lemme help you make up for lost time.”
He dove, the flat of his tongue gliding up her slit so fervently that Asha yelped. Her eyes snapped shut as she bucked her hips, fumbling for purchase to grab anything within her grasp to steady herself. Fives’ tongue was plunging within her so readily, so needily, that he was eating her out like a man starved. Low groans of satisfaction vibrated against her core and she cried out in ecstasy, writhing desperately as she finally reached down and gripped one of his hands that was fully locked against her hip. Fives didn’t even hesitate – his grip on her hip released immediately and he instead replaced it with her hand, lacing their fingers together and letting her hang onto him as tight as she possibly could. His other hand, though, was still solidly holding onto her plush hip, no doubt leaving a beautiful imprint of his fingertips that she would cherish for days to come.
“F– Faahh– Fi~ives!!” Asha cried out, in a voice that had already readily burned itself into Fives’ memory. The tremor of her voice, the thrash of her legs, the way her hips jolted against his face – he chuckled against her core and dove in with an even deeper ferocity, the tang of her coating his tongue in a taste that he never, ever wanted to forget. He couldn’t help himself as he bucked his hips into nothing – he still had his briefs on, and he was straining against them as he rutted against the bed. He could wait, though – he could always wait. He could take care of himself later if he had to. He had one priority right now, and that was making sure Asha knew exactly how much she meant to him.
“That’s it, cyar’ika…” he all but growled into her core, his grip on her hand and on her hips tightening just slightly as he rolled his hips more fervently against the mattress, those velvety blankets. “Just… just ride it out… hff… c-come on, pretty girl, come for me…”
He latched onto her clit then, giving the neglected bundle of nerves some much-needed attention, and that twist of heat in Asha’s belly snapped. Her mouth hung open in a desperate, gasping cry as she rode out her climax, back arching, thrusting herself against his face until she could practically feel the joints in her fingers locking – and in tandem, Fives’ own friction against the bed, his own desperation, all combined with the utter radiance that was the woman in front of him hitting that peak, was enough to make him let out a deep, longing groan against her core as he felt himself reach his own release. Her own pleasure was enough to bring him to the tipping point, and his body was wracked with harsh tremors as he rode out his own climax, pressing his hips flush against the bed.
When he finally detached himself from her, his mouth was slick with her release. As he sat up, he swiped a thumb across his lips and dipped it into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the digit just to take in that taste of her again. Stars, he could get used to that taste…
Tawny eyes flitted down to the woman before him, as he slowly moved up to lay by her side. She was panting and warm, getting her bearings again after such an explosive climax, and when she finally managed to turn her head to look at him, he was greeted with the most blissful smile he’d ever seen from her in recent memory. With sluggish movements, she reached down to the hem of his briefs to help him shuck them off – softened, yes, but not really willing to wear what he just came in for any prolonged time.
“...stay…?” The single word slipped past Asha’s lips, and Fives couldn’t find it in himself to refuse. Not like he even wanted to. He nodded quietly, and gingerly he moved to stand up, slipping his arms underneath the spent togruta and hoisting her up against his chest.
“C’mon… quick shower, get us cleaned up… then we’ll sleep, m’kay…?” he murmured as he pressed a kiss to her forehead, nuzzling his head against her montrals. “You did so good, cyar’ika… prettiest damn thing I’ve ever seen…”
“...takes one to know one…” Asha replied softly, earning a huffed laugh from the man cradling her as he nudged the door to the refresher open with his hip. “Prettiest man I’ve ever known…”
“I know, right?” Fives mused, settling Asha down to sit on the edge of the tub as he set the hot water flowing. She moved to remove her headdress, setting the bangled piece down on sink counter. “Sure, I gotta share this face, but I obviously wear it best~”
“Mm… yeah, I’m inclined to agree,” Asha giggled in response, reaching up to cup his face and draw him in for a soft, tender kiss. “I’m glad you stayed, Fives… looks like you really are my lucky number.”
Fives could only chuckle at that, before he moved to help her step under the stream of water. The two of them showered together – sensual, yes, but he knew she was exhausted after just that one round. That was something she would have to build up to, if they were to continue this.
…to continue seeing each other like this. More dates to come, more nights together. It was something most clones could only fantasize about, but right here, right now, in the arms of this beautiful, stubborn, star-spun girl… it was something he could actually grasp.
When they were both clean and dry, warm and refreshed, sleep was ready to claim them both. Clothes could be washed in the morning – for now, bed was calling them, and they readily heeded it. Asha was curled against his chest, their arms looped tight around each other in an embrace neither wanted to leave. They both knew that this could never be public – that passing each other in the hangar would have to remain nothing more than simple passes. That date nights out with other clones would have to remain inconspicuous. That future deployments would have to be accounted for, that risks would have to be kept in mind.
For now, though, none of that mattered. All that mattered was the fact that they had the chance to sleep in each other’s arms, and forget about the rest of the galaxy for one quiet night.
