I've Got A Couple Of Predictions...

Meeting the family

Summary: Echo gets some shore leave and turns his comm off

Word count: 2,3 k

Warnings: Just kissing, this is completely sfw

A/N: Had a ton on fun writing this, I hope it's good enough for your expectations. The sentence prompt is in there

Tags: @cloneficgiftexchange @wizardmando

As a general rule (gently suggested by Captain Rex to the 501st), Echo is not to be disturbed when calling with his girlfriend. Not only because of possible less-than-innocent activities on the call, but also because of how damn happy Echo was when he ends the call himself undisturbed.

When he got together with Y/N, his optimism skyrocketed. Every mission, assignment and battle was done quickly but thoroughly, so he could come back to her. He made the other troopers work faster to be done with the paperwork (much to the displeasure of Fives), cleaned up when others didn’t want to, anything to get rewarded more time off.

Even general Skywalker noticed a difference. Echo no longer went with any crazy plan Fives threw on the table. He’s stubborn enough to convince them of a safer route, or staying behind on base for the craziest assignments. 

“I want to come back home,” he answered every time. Nobody asked him what “home” was. It was against regulations, but everyone turned a blind eye.

Rex has never actually met her, but he was sure he like will like her when he does.

—---

“Well, call him again! What if it’s an emergency and we need to leave for an impromptu mission?” 

Despite Rex loving his men with all his heart like brothers, sometimes, he gets quite frustrated with their headstrong attitude. Especially if he does a headcount at breakfast and finds some of them missing.

“Maybe he went to a bar and slept over?” Jesse suggests and shovels a spoonful of military rations into his mouth.

“Impossible. It’s been more than a day. Echo is not that kind of person,” Kix counters, “I would expect that more from Fives.” He points at the trooper with his clean spoon, his face sporting a half-smirk.

From the other end of the table, he hears an offended “OI!”.

“Don’t pretend to be offended, Fives, your tab at 79’s is still open. Besides, Echo has someone waiting for him home, he wouldn’t do that.”

As if a lightbulb went off in his head, Kix turns to Rex.

“Have we checked if he isn’t with them?”

Rex shrugs. “We don’t even know if the person lives on Coruscant, much less know their location.”

Fives froze for a second in realisation. He starts hitting Jesse next to him, as if possessed.

“She is on Coruscant! I have her address in case of an emergency!”

The entire table groans.

“Then kriffin lead with that!” “Fives!” “And you didn’t tell us this sooner?!”

—

"Hear me out: Melted cheese with carrots."

"You know what, that actually might be good."

Since your leftovers ran out for lunch, Echo and you were brainstorming cooking ideas. 

Well, it is more of "Echo says a food combination and you shoot it down". It sometimes feels like he has no sense of taste, his tongue fried from eating republic rations all the time.

The holomovie has become white noise at some point, background in your conversation while you cuddle on the couch.

"The carrots have to be boiled so they don't crunch, we could maybe even use blue cheese," you list off ingredients, in thought.

"I'm sorry, WHAT cheese?!" Echo is half horrified and half curious at your statement. 

"Oh, you know, a cheese that has a bit of grown mold on it. It adds flavour and it's not bad for the body at all," you explain, watching his expression go from 100 to 200.

"How could mold on cheese be anything other than bad?"

"Actually, I have no idea. It just is," you shrug and pull out a datapad, putting in a shopping list.

Echo peers over your shoulder. 

"Does it really need that many ingredients?"

"Yeah. You need the pasta, salt - which we already have - and the sauce needs some cream, garlic, cheese and carrots. If you want to spice it up we can add some ham," you say, counting the ingredients on your fingers. You're by no means a master in the kitchen, but you want to feed your boyfriend food with ACTUAL flavour.

Echo lays his head on top of yours, pressing a kiss to the crown of your head.

"Can you teach me how to do it? I want to cook you something someday," he mumbles into your scalp, pressing another peck after he finishes the sentence.

"I will if you want to, but you don't need to cook me anything! I can always look up recipes or we can order takeout."

"But I want to."

It makes the corners of your mouth rise and warmth spread to your chest. What the republic thinks is a hardened soldier is also a softie who wants to learn how to cook for someone he loves.

"Thank you, love."

Echo doesn't need to move his head to see your smile, he just knows. The tone is obvious to him.

"Cooking is really complicated," he puffs out.

"Oh you have no idea. Pasta is mostly simple to do, one of the easiest dishes in fact," you point out. After sending the shopping list into the app, you toss the datapad to the side.

Now just to wait half an hour for the groceries to arrive, carried by a simple task droid.

You don't want to point your attention towards the TV or go out shopping. It feels like you're wasting precious time you have while Echo is on shore leave. You want to be wrapped up in him for the entire remainder of his vacation.

Curled in his side, you can feel every single muscle of his athletic body through the thin shirt of his blacks. He knows you don't mean anything by it when you snake a hand under his shirt and start drawing shapes into his skin. 

As always, his skin is warm to the touch, bringing you instant comfort.

By the time the movie ends, the hypnotic nature of drawing circles into Echo’s skin puts you in the sweet zone between awake and asleep. His chest rises and falls as he watches the credits (something only he ever does), syncing your breathing with his.

Warmth blooms in his heart at your sleepy form, like small fireworks in his veins. He feels as if body will burst.

“I cannot stop smiling when I look at you,” he whispers to you, making you smile in return. He isn’t even sure if your brain registered it or turned it into a pleasant dream. 

He slowly moves by centimetres on the couch into a more comfortable position to take a nap and let you snooze.

However, before Echo could even begin falling asleep with you, a sharp ring makes him flinch out of his own head.

An adorable whine leaves your throat.

“Is the food here?” Echo asks and gently takes your arm off him, getting up to get whatever is at the door.

“Hopefully,” you grumble out and lay down flat on the couch, covering where Echo was sitting.

“Can you put everything but the bread in the fridge? I’ll cook in an hour,” you speak up, louder than usual so Echo hears you through the apartment.

You hear the door open and then-

“What the kriff are you doing here?!”

You shoot up from the couch so fast your head nearly spins. Echo rarely swears so to you, this would be a jedi-level threat.

“Well you didn’t answer your comm so Fives told me where your partner lives-” “That information is for emergencies!” an identical voice replies to your boyfriend before getting shot down by (what you assume is) your Echo.

When you get into the line of sight of the door, you realise why.

There, right outside the threshold of your door, stand at least six clones, all wearing the same armour Echo has left neatly in a pile by your shoes. All of them have lines, triangles and patterns painted on their helmets in blue, black or red.

Echo’s legion.

“Well you weren’t answering your comm and… oh…” a blonde trooper in the front with his helmet under his arm speaks out and trails off when his eyes land on you.

“Yeah, I have told you I am away.” You’d think his annoyed voice is hot if you weren’t in a situation that could put him at such risk.

Right behind the blonde clone (who you assume is his caprain Rex from what he Echo told you) is a clone with a standard haircut and a number five tattooed on his temple in galactic basic.

His twin, Fives. You remember his tattoo from a conversation you’ve had with Echo. You wanted to meet him some day as he means so much to your boyfriend, but you have hoped that the meeting would be in better circumstances.

Before anything else can happen, you want to diffuse the situation. You don’t know if a clone trooper legally be in a relationship, as the war made the Senate refuse to look at anything else (certainly not look at the rights of the soldiers fighting said war). You might be in deep waters.

“Good afternoon sir. Is Echo in trouble?” You inwardly grimace. That was such a stupid question to ask, acting guilty in the court before even getting called to the stand.

A small smile gets to the captain’s lips.

“No, he isn’t. We’re just here to check on him because he wasn’t answering his comm.”

Some of the weight leaves your shoulders. You really didn’t want the first meeting with his brothers to be about disciplinary actions.

Echo’s entire face goes red, caught in the act. “I thought I put it on emergency only,” he tries justifying.

“Next time, double check. I sent you a message an hour ago. We wanted to know where you are,” another clone, one with a republic tattoo across his face, suggests.

“I told commander Cody that I am taking a day of shore leave. Did he not tell you guys?” Something shifts in Echo, like a knot coming loose. His stance shifts to be more relaxed and a single hand reaches out for your own.

His captain takes out a datapad and reads through messages while you two watch, previous anxiety dissipating just a smidge  .

“Ah, Cody got called away yesterday for a diplomatic mission.” The captain puts away his device and turns back to Echo.

“I- didn’t know that. Sorry Rex” utters your boyfriend and squeezes your hand. You squeeze back, seeing the guilty look on his face.

“It’s alright, you couldn’t have known, General Kenobi got the call and needed to leave immediately,” the blonde, Rex, reaches out a hand and pats his shoulder. 

Then, his head turns to you and he nods respectfully. “Nice to meet you ma’am. We’ll be going, sorry to bother you.”

“No problem at all,” you reply and watch the troopers utter variations of hellos and goodbyes, with his twin being the last to leave your porch.

He sends you a mischievous smile and reaches out a hand to shake yours. “I’ll stop by some time.”

He sends him a glare as he pulls away. Fives pats his shoulder and turns around, jogging to catch up with the rest of his brothers.

You lead Echo back inside your apartment and shut the door behind. His hand leaves yours and he kneels next to his armour to take out the commlink from his pack. He pushes a button, switching it on.

A bit sheepish, he puts it back and stands up. “Sorry you had to meet my captain and brothers for the first time like this,” he looks down.

You reach out a hand to cup his cheek and lift up his head to make him look at you.

“It’s fine, I’m just glad you’re not in trouble,” you say softly and curl your free arm against his waist. His hands instinctively reach out to rest at your hips and bring you closer.

“I really wanted my comm to be off for the day, to spend the time with you. I’m sorry mesh’la.”

“Stop saying sorry for things out of your control. Your captain is sweet for wanting to check on you.”

He brings your foreheads together, something you have learnt is a kiss in his culture.

“Still, we could have gone through our day without this. I want to be here with you. For you. I don’t want you to feel like we are one message away from never seeing eachother again,” he murmurs.

You sigh with a sad look on your face.

“But we are, Echo. And that’s the reality. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t here for me,” you reply and pull away just enough so you can kiss his cheek and then bury your face in his neck. 

His hands go from your hips to hugging you. It’s the kind of bear hug that makes it impossible to breathe deeply, but you’re okay with that.

“I’m here for you too,” you whisper into his skin and land a peck on the junction of his neck and shoulder.

His arms falter and he pulls away, only to kiss you like his life depends on it.

He has no qualms pushing his tongue past your lips, multitasking while gently walking the two of you over to your couch.

“Kriff!” you squeak out as you stumble a bit, unaware of your surroundings from the haze of kissing. You stabilise yourself against Echo’s muscular chest and plant your feet firmly, making your boyfriend almost lose balance in return.

As you both regain your footing, your eyes meet again and you both snicker at the clumsy attempt at romance.

You want to lead Echo towards your couch to continue the session, but the bell rings again.

“So help me force Fives, if it’s you, I am going to put sand in your bed!”

“I think that’s just the delivery droid. It’s been an hour.”

“Oh, cool. Can you show me the recipe?”

I love how we all just accepted the fact that Echo is the mom of the group and probably the only one out of the squad that can cook a decent meal without burning the kitchen down

Inspiration

A/N: Alright, so I got a little inspired/horny for Echo, and then this got a little meta, but you know what, I stand by it. Have some Echo smut. As always, thank you to the outstanding @teletraan-meets-jarvis for beta-reading this (and assuring me that this is not, in fact, too corny). SO HERE WE GO.

Pairing: ARC Trooper Echo x F!Reader

Rating: E (18+ ONLY, MINORS SKEEDADDLE) - blow job, cum eating, rough oral sex (consensual), cockwarming, PiV sex, Echo gets to be a bit demanding (it's what he deserves)

You sigh, scrubbing your hands over your face. 

Why won’t the words come? You know how to do this. 

Your fingers hover over the keyboard again before gently drifting to the keys, starting to punch out a sentence you hope will finally lead you in some direction. 

She sighed seductively, gently tossing her long hair over her shoulder as she seductively (CHANGE THIS WORD!) sank to her knees and sighed… seductively.

Fuck. This is it. The long-awaited encounter between the main characters. And all I can think of is… garbage.

You switch to another paragraph, hoping to find your stride and circle back. 

His cock sat on her tongue, a familiar weight pulsing against the muscle in her mouth. 

You wrinkle your nose at that sentence before moving on. 

He tasted of…

You pause. 

You know what it tastes like. You’ve given a blow job before. Maker, you’re an idiot tonight.

No matter how much you wrack your brains, you are unable to describe anything in the scene to your satisfaction. Not the scenery. Not the emotions. Certainly not the sex. You gently tap your forehead against your desk, swearing under your breath. 

You know how to do this. You know how to write. You know words other than ‘seductively.’ You do this for a living, for Maker’s sake.

Your fingers impatiently drum against the wood as you rest your chin on the meat of your palm, staring at the holo computer’s screen. 

Come on. You know how to write this stuff. 

A quiet sigh comes from your living room, and you hear your couch creak as weight shifts on its worn cushions and frame. Your head turns towards the door, straining to hear anymore from the man on the other side of it.

I’d rather be out there with him. 

You glare at the chrono as it slowly counts down towards your self-imposed deadline.

But I have to complete this chapter draft by tomorrow morning so they can review it. 

Your editor has been on your ass for awhile, and you’d sworn up and down that you’d have a draft of this chapter completed by the end of this week. And now here you were, about to default on a promise, but somehow feeling more guilty about the neglected guest in your living room. 

He leaves tomorrow morning, and I’m in here instead of being out there with him.

The plight of dating an ARC trooper. You take what moments you can, understanding that he may have to run off to the next fight with only a rotation’s notice. Even if you had a deadline and couldn’t spare a night. 

He’ll never say anything about it. But I hate it.

You tap your forehead against the desk one more time for good measure, to really hammer home the guilt in your mind before you lift your head again to stare at the screen. Your repetitive, ineffective sentences stare back, mocking you. You huff a frustrated sigh.

Fuck this.

Making a decision to allow yourself some time with him, even if it means you will get no sleep, you push back from your desk, your chair rolling away from the back of your legs as you stand. And then the idea comes to you.

For inspiration. Research purposes, really. Completely justifiable.

A sly grin slips across your face as you slink to your door, pushing it open quietly. You can’t help but erupt into an all-encompassing smile as you take in the sight before you. 

Echo is stretched out on your couch in only the bottom half of his undersuit. His armor is stacked neatly by the door, his folded shirt, gloves, and socks piled neatly on top. His feet are bare, and his toes wriggle reflexively as he rolls one ankle, flexing his foot. He has one arm tucked behind his head, his other hand holding the datapad he’s reading from. His eyes trace lines of text, and you wonder what he’s reading this time.  

You’d been very upfront with Echo about what your career was, and while you had been fairly certain he was going to be fine with it given his nature, you could never have anticipated the enthusiasm he’d shown when you told him. When he’d discovered you were a romance author, he’d immediately scraped enough credits together to purchase your other novels. It had taken him less than a week to finish everything you’d written, and he couldn’t stop gushing over how talented you were and how much he enjoyed the stories. He’d been a bookworm as long as you’d known him. In fact, a good amount of your first dates had featured just the two of you on the couch together, a pot of tea or a bottle of wine resting on the low table in front of you while the two of you read your individual novels, slowly drifting closer together until you were snuggled into his side. 

He finally notices you standing in the doorway watching him as you reminisce, and he shifts, meeting your gaze and returning your smile. Your insides melt, and you stifle a giggle that threatens to erupt as your face grows warm. 

“Hey, you,” he says softly. “Taking a break?” 

“Something like that,” you reply teasingly, striding over to the couch. He sits up to make room, but you bend, holding his knees in place. His eyebrow skyrockets upwards as he gives you a questioning look. 

“What’s going on?” he asks slowly, the corner of his mouth upturning as he watches your fingers begin to work at the buttons on your blouse. 

You shrug coyly, letting your shirt slip from your shoulders to the floor as you slowly kneel between his spread legs. “Oh, you know. Needed some inspiration. Figured I’d come out here and do some research.”

His pupils blow wide as his eyes trail across your lace-covered breasts before the sensation of your fingernails grazing his thighs through the black fabric of his pants pulls his attention back to your eyes. You can tell he’s caught onto your game. The muscles in his legs jump underneath your fingertips, and you spot the telltale bulge beginning to become more pronounced between his legs. You smile wickedly, leaning forward to trail kisses across his bare collarbone, gently tracing your tongue along the dip near his shoulder. 

Echo gasps quietly, and you grin against his skin, nipping gently at his throat before you begin working your way downwards, peppering his scarred chest with kisses. Your lips meet his abdomen, which flexes in reaction to your breath grazing him. Your tongue slips past your lips, moistening his skin as you finally make your way to his navel, nuzzling against the light dusting of hair that traces from his belly button to below his pants. 

You can feel his cock pressing against your stomach now, rock hard and throbbing, and your mouth instinctively waters. You rock your body against it slightly, and even just that mere amount of friction pulls a groan from Echo. You glance upward to find him watching you with an intensity he saves for only you, and you smile, maintaining eye contact as you press your tongue to his stomach, trailing it down until it reaches the waistband of his black compression pants. 

His teeth graze his lower lip as you hook your fingers under the band, and his hips shoot off the couch to allow you to remove his pants, tossing them somewhere to be dealt with later. His freed cock bounces against his stomach, and you note the droplet of precum that’s already formed at its head.

Patience. Not yet. Work up to it. Work him up. 

You press more kisses to his bare hip, working your way down his leg until you playfully nip at his inner thigh, and he jumps. 

“Tease,” he groans. You poke your tongue out between your teeth. 

“I think you like it,” you reply. 

“Not tonight,” he rasps. 

“Impatient,” you counter. 

“For you? Always.” One of his hands slips under your chin, cupping your jaw as his thumb traces your lower lip. You part your lips to allow him to slip his thumb into your mouth, suckling lightly. His other hand grips his cock, beginning to pump slowly. You lean forward, pushing his thumb deeper into your mouth, and he presses down on your tongue. You push back, swirling around the digit, and Echo curses softly. 

“That what you’re going to do to me, love?” 

You nod, letting him pull his thumb away. Leaning forward, you open your mouth, staring up at him with wide, innocent eyes. Your tongue darts out to wet your lips, and you leave it out, inviting him. His eyes follow the movement, and he cups your cheek again. 

“Yeah, you want this?” 

You nod again. “Please.” 

He presses the tip of his cock to your lips, and you kiss it teasingly, the warmth familiar against your lips. You lick at it playfully, keeping your eyes locked on his. His mouth hangs slightly open, his brows furrowed as he focuses on you, holding his cock firmly to your tongue as your licks grow more languid and long until you finally run your tongue from his base to the tip, at last taking the head into your warm mouth. You both groan, his head tipping back as you refamiliarize yourself with the taste of him, suckling gently at the head of his cock before allowing it to sink deeper into your mouth, running the length of him along your tongue, tracing the vein that runs along the bottom. 

Warm. Thick. Heavy. 

You take him deeper, relaxing your throat until you finally manage to take him almost entirely, your nose brushing the dark curls at the base of his cock. You inhale his scent deeply before swallowing, and Echo moans loudly. Your eyes are watering, but you don’t care as you watch his head tip backwards, his Adam’s apple bobbing as the muscles in his neck become more pronounced. His pectorals tighten, and his hands ball into fists. You reach forward, taking one of his hands and embedding it in your hair. 

You know he’ll be gentle, or at least gentle enough. 

Echo’s head snaps back forward, and he finds your eyes again. His lips part as he pants, his eyebrows knitting together. He cradles the back of your head, not pushing but gently guiding your head as you begin to bob up and down on his cock. You watch as the control begins to slip, and you urge him on by taking him to the back of your throat, pushing against your body’s limits. You gag, and his hand flies away from your head in alarm, and his hips jerk, pulling himself out of your mouth. A string of spit trails from your lips to the glistening tip of his cock, and before he can get out the first syllables of an apology, you chase him, forcing him to the back of your throat again. You grab his hand forcefully, pressing it to the back of your head as you watch him. 

You swallow and you gag again, but you hold yourself in place this time as tears fill the corners of your eyes. Echo’s entire body seems tensed, trying to maintain control as he watches you practically choke yourself on his cock. 

“I-is that what you want?” he stutters out finally. “For me to ruin you?” The second sentence comes out quieter, darker, and you can see he’s hopeful the answer will be ‘yes.’

You swallow again in affirmation, and he swears louder. 

“Then I’ll give you what you want,” he grits out. “Tap three times on my leg if it’s too much.” You tap three times to demonstrate, and he nods. “Good. That’s good.” With that, his other hand fists in your hair, and he begins rocking his hips into you, dragging your head all the way up and down his length forcefully, slowly accelerating as he finds his rhythm and your limits. You completely surrender to him. 

Echo chases his pleasure, muttering praise under his breath as he thrusts into your mouth. 

“So good for me. Taking everything I give. So eager. Willing to choke yourself on my cock. F-fuck.” 

He grunts, holding you with his cock in the back of your throat. Your lips stretch around his girth, and your jaw aches deliciously.

“Swallow for me love. Y-yeah. That’s it. Good girl.” 

You preen at the praise, even as you fight your gag reflex. 

“There you go. Relax your throat. Again. Swallow. S-so good for me. Maker.” 

The sweet ARC trooper that you’ve fallen in love with has completely been eclipsed, replaced with someone unafraid to ask for what he wants, someone who prioritizes his pleasure for once. 

And you love it. 

You know you’ll get yours in the end. 

“So f-fuckin’ pretty. Y-your eyes. So good. F-fucking tits that I think about all the time. And that mouth... Fuck.”

His cock is twitching against your tongue as he continues to mumble filth, sweat trickling from his brow. You feel some of the roots of your hair ache in protest under his grip, but the slight pain only sends electricity shooting through your veins. You’ve got both hands pressed against his thighs for balance, and you fight the urge to slip a hand in your pants to pleasure yourself. 

Focus on him. Focus on the feeling.

Give him everything he wants.

“‘M close,” he rasps. “W-where?”

He lifts you off his cock long enough for you to answer, stroking it inches from your face, his fingers growing wet with your saliva. 

“Wherever… you want,” you gasp in reply. 

His eyes glint for a moment, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Well, if this is for research, best to be thorough.” Heat shoots between your legs. Your panties are soaked, you’re certain. He taps his cock against your swollen lips, and you open again, welcoming him back inside your mouth. “Want you to taste me. Can you do that, love? Be a good girl and swallow every last drop?” 

You hum eagerly, and he grunts, his hips leaping off your couch. “D-do that again,” he pleads, and you oblige. He presses your head down, working you along the entirety of his length as you frantically swirl your tongue against all of the places you know he loves. His thrusts grow shorter, and you feel his thighs tense beneath your palms. 

“Look at me,” he rasps. 

You oblige, meeting his gaze, and he presses himself to the back of your throat.

“I-I-I’m…” he never finishes his sentence, instead unleashing a loud moan as he empties himself into your throat. You savor the taste as he groans with every spurt of his release.

Salty. Tangy. Warm. Him. 

You swallow everything before running your tongue over his softening cock one last time for good measure, ensuring you’ve cleaned every last drop from him. Echo’s head is tipped over the back of the couch again, his chest heaving as his hand absently strokes your hair. Your knees creak in protest and your legs quiver as you carefully climb into his lap, peppering his jawline with kisses as he fights to get his breathing under control. His hands come to rest on your hips before slipping up your spine, pulling you close to him. He cups your cheek before kissing you deeply, inhaling through his nose and drinking you in. You feel him quiver, as he rests his forehead against yours. 

“That… was something else,” he whispers. “All that for some inspiration, huh? Is that what we’re calling him these days?” He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, and you giggle. 

“Absolutely not.”

He shrugs. “Worth a shot.” 

“You’ve been spending too much time with Fives,” you tease. You pause as you see something hovering in his gaze. It’s apparent it’s weighing him down slightly. “What is it?” you ask.

He pauses. “It’s silly.”

“Echo.”

“Alright. Fine.” He sighs, giving you a sheepish grin. “I was… I guess I was just worried that I wasn’t living up to those stories you’ve written.”

You giggle softly, pressing another kiss to his lips. “At the risk of sounding cheesy, I found the guy that I was writing into those stories, Echo. It was you, even if I didn’t know it yet.”

“But… but we don’t do all of those things.”

You shrug. “We could. But it’s not about all of the different sex positions and kinks I write about. It’s the fact that I found a partner that I feel safe with, one that I trust. One that prioritizes me more than himself, even though I’d be satisfied with an even trade. One that wants to learn with me about how we work best together, in all aspects of the relationship.” You kiss his forehead. “But, if you ever want to experiment with some of the other stuff I write about, I’m more than willing to give it a try.” 

He grins. “Well, now that you mention it…”

—

He locked his mouth around her nipple, lavishing the sensitive bud as she arched into his touch, chasing her pleasure with renewed fervor as she neared the precipice, her moans crescendoing with her approaching climax. 

Echo’s breath is warm against your ear as he whispers to you. “I really like that. Beautifully written.” His cock pulses inside of you, and you squirm, groaning in frustration despite the compliment to your writing. His fingers dig into your hips as he tuts scoldingly in your ear. 

“Now, now. None of that. Not until you’ve finished your draft.” 

When he’d immediately expressed interest in cockwarming, you didn’t think he’d have the patience for it, but half an hour and a few thousand words in, he’d surprised you. Even more shocking, you were a few paragraphs from being satisfied with your draft. However, concentrating was becoming progressively more difficult. 

“Echo,” you whine. “Please. Just a little bit.” 

He lets his chin rest on your shoulder, nibbling at your earlobe playfully. “Not. Until. You’re. Done.” 

You groan, slumping back against his shoulder, but even with this slight feint, he won’t allow you to rock your hips more than a centimeter. You’re completely laid bare, your legs hanging uselessly outside of his, impaled on his cock. You’re certain there has to be a puddle under your chair. He chuckles, gently playing with one of your nipples. You fight the urge to pout. 

“Come on love. You’re so close to being done. And then I’ll give you everything you want.” 

You lean forward again, resting your elbows on the desktop. Your fingers find the keyboard just as his drift between your legs, gently rubbing at your clit with just the perfect amount of pressure. You gasp. 

“Oh, come on. That’s not fair.”

He chuckles against the skin of your neck. “What? I thought it would inspire you to go faster.” 

Tag List: @seriowan @partoftheeternalsoul @rosmariner @misogirl828 @ellichonkasaurusrex @zoeykallus @the-sith-in-the-sky-with-diamond @staycalmandhugaclone @redheadgirl @fordo-kixed-rex @wizardofrozz @ariadnes-red-thread @extrahotpixels @justanothersadperson93 @moonstrider9904 @rain-on-kamino @ladykatakuri @sleepingsun501

As you should.

I have decided that 1. Plan 99 sucks and 2. this episode is not canon.

Everyone lives happily ever after on Pabu.

Echo has some pent up tension that needs to be released 😅

Echo with Omega vs. with the rest of the Bad Batch

I love men who moan, men who whimper unashamedly in your ear. Men who sob, men who cry, men who bite your neck, your shoulder because you feel so good they can't help but drool a little, men who beg "Please baby, you feel so good", their pretty eyes crystallize, men who like to overstimulate themselves by continuing to come in and out of you, with broken grunts and a scratchy throat.

BROWN EYES * TBB S2SPOILER

I’m on my phone and I don’t know how to put the line 😭 so that way y’all don’t have to see the spoiler

Regarding Techs goggles, I think that Hunter will give them to Phee. I think that them being on the run is too dangerous for them to get blown. Hopefully the marauder isn’t destroyed in the future.

She will put them away safely with the other treasures she’s saved. If Tech is truly dead, then it shows that at the end - Tech and Phee would have been together.

I miss my boy :(

Hello Zoey! Hope all is well with you. I was just wondering if maybe you could write some Bad Batch + Rex, Fives headcannons about how they would react to having a Cyare who is headstrong, bold, and outspoken to injustice. No pressure if you can't, I still love your work!🥰

Aloha!

Nothing is well, but I'm still breathing 😋 Out of spite. Thanks for asking though.

I really like the idea! I think this could be interesting with most of them. Let me see...

The Bad Batch/Rex x Reader HCs - And Justice For All

Yes, I listened to Metallica

Hunter

He shares your quest for justice, however Hunter is more the calmer, more composed part of your team. Where you might sometimes be a bit headstrong and want to get to the righteous goal at any cost, he reminds you to stay grounded.

Hunter makes sure you don't put yourself in danger, no matter how honorable your goal.

"You have to know your limits and stay within them. You do want to achieve more than just this one goal, so you should keep your head and be strategic, it sometimes takes longer or is more difficult, but more effective in the end."

He's on your side, but doesn't always agree with you about your approach. But Hunter is good at helping you direct your energies in the right direction and keep your feet on the ground.

Echo

He has a strong sense of justice and even if he is a rather quiet guy, you both have the stubbornness in common. As a soldier, Echo has also learned that there are limits, even if he is quite willing to get his hands dirty, weighing risks and benefits, especially if you are in the game, are also part of it for him.

He is always ready to fight with you for the good cause, he also takes risks, but only conditionally. Echo is not ready to sacrifice you, no matter how good the cause you are fighting for is. He knows how stubborn and risky you are, actually he is too, but when your life might be in danger, he resists.

The two of you can talk fierily about topics that matter to you, and hours can go by. You two will never get bored.

Wrecker

Oh dear. Chaos is inevitable here. Wrecker is an energetic person who likes to be carried away by people with your qualities. He always covers your back, he is extremely willing to take risks, which can be dangerous for both of you. Because your stubbornness and willingness to take risks, meet with his and as a concentrated charge tempts you not infrequently to dangerous maneuvers on the way to the just goal.

It is quite possible that close friends from the outside will try to influence you, especially people like Hunter or Echo.

"You're going to get yourselves killed if you keep this up," Hunter says sternly, and Echo agrees, "No matter how righteous your goal, no one benefits if you get killed on the way there."

Tech

He is brave, but also very clever and logical. If you want to rush head over heels into a fight for justice, you can count on him slowing you down first, reminding you that there are other ways. Tech does not do this to stop you, but to give you at least three alternative, less dangerous but at least twice as effective suggestions.

Of course, he tries to talk you out of your stubborn, dangerous ideas, as your partner he is worried about you and wants you to be safe. But he also knows that he can't change your quest for justice, he doesn't want to, he just wishes your approach would be more thoughtful.

No matter what you decide, he will not abandon you, even if you continue your stubborn plan, he will cover your back, even if he knows that he and you are in danger. Before he lets you go alone, he will always be by your side and bear the risk with you.

Crosshair

Of course, he also has a certain sense of justice, but Crosshair does not like to interfere in the affairs of others. If it were up to him, he would stay out of everything, but now you are at his side, and you can't stand any injustices you see, even if they don't affect you personally.

On top of that, you're stubborn and willing to take risks. You regularly see his eye roll, Crosshair is often annoyed by how stubborn, fiery and hard-headed you are about getting your way and helping everyone you meet.

"We can't take responsibility for every living thing in this damn galaxy".

Of course, he still helps you out, though you have to listen to a grumble or two. Actually, Crosshair only interferes in other matters when he inevitably gets involved in them, he wouldn't do that on his own. Through you, though, he doesn't have much choice, he won't let you go off on your own and risk your head.

"Found another new quest to throw yourself into? Can't leave you alone for five minutes, kitten."

Rex

Dutiful, full of sense of honor, brave and clever. You could hardly have a better partner. Rex is always ready to fight for a just cause and with his experience as a soldier he is the perfect back up.

He's not above getting his hands dirty, but he's also smart and a good strategist. Rex won't let you go headlong into danger and no matter how stubborn you are, Rex is more stubborn. He will always help you achieve the right goal, but never at the expense of your well-being or even your life.

He does the right thing because it is just that, the right thing. However, Rex does not like to be the center of attention, after work is done he retreats quickly if possible, and if possible together with you.

In Rex, you have not only a sacrificial, loving partner, but also an absolutely reliable, loyal comrade-in-arms who shares your desire for justice.

Ko-Fi (If you feel like giving me some coffee)

@rintheemolion

@andyoufollowyourheart @clone-whore-99

@brynhildrmimi @kaliel2310

@misogirl828 @tech-deck

@meshla-madalene

@chxpsi

@thebahdbitch

@nahoney22 @ladykatakuri

@darkangel4121

@ttzamara

@arctrooper69

@padawancat97

@agenteliix

@allsystemsblue

@palliateclaw

@either-madness-or-brilliance

@ortizshinkaroff

@andy-solo1

@hunterssecretrecipe

@heyitsaloy

@greaser-wolf

@extrahotpixels

@hated-by-me

@hunterxcrosshair

@malicemercy

@bebopsworld

@echos-girlfriend

@cpnt616

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@starwarsnerd111

Transparency

A Bad Batch one shot

Pairing: Tech x GN!Reader

Warnings: SFW, mildly-descriptive injury, jealous reader, “I thought it was obvious” Tech, ex-Jedi reader, mutual pining

Summary: Y/n has had feelings for Tech for a long time, but they refuse to tell him. One day, the Bad Batch enlists the help of a bounty hunter for a mission for Cid. This bounty hunter is quite the flirt with Tech, and that really messes with y/n. Eventually y/n confides in Echo, who convinces them to speak with Tech.

Word count: 7.2k

Disclaimer: this was originally posted on my other blog @thereforepizza

"For as sketchy as this planet is, these fries are phenomenal."

Wrecker hums in agreement, his mouth full of them. Omega giggles and eats another fry. A gesture for silence from you causes Omega to focus as you grin devilishly. You wait until Wrecker shoves more of the food into his face hole. In a blink, you send a tickle attack at his side. He spits out the fries and falls out of his chair. The crash, heard by everyone, turns all eyes to your group of three. Omega roars with laughter, breaking the tense silence.

"Ha ha, very funny.” The gentle giant rolls his eyes. "I'll getcha back,"

“You declaring war, big man?"

Wrecker stands his chair up slowly and takes a long sip from his drink. You nearly miss the twinkle in his eye before he shoots out an ice cube that hits you square in the face. Gawking, you stand straight up.

“Oh, it's on—"

Not long later, the three of you stand in front of Hunter. Though he isn't technically the sergeant anymore, no one dares disappoint him. That's why none of you can look him in the eye, food and drink staining your civvie clothes.

"Someone wanna explain this to me?"

"Hunta, I gotta tell ya.” Wrecker puts both hands on his hips and puffs his chest out. "The owner was wayyyy too sensitive."

"We didn't break anything." You add this while picking a fry off of Omega's shirt and tossing it aside.

The kid laughs. "You shoulda seen Wricka's face when y/n threw a whole dish 'a ice cream on him!"

You and Wrecker simultaneously shush her. She smiles sheepishly. Hunter's look of disappointed hits harder than a well-planned punishment could, but behind him stands Echo, whose tight lips and glistening eyes fail to hide his amusement.

Hunter sighs. "You got kicked out of the diner, we'll have to pay for any damages caused," He hushes you with a look before you can argue, "and you're going to delay the briefing. Echo," He calls without looking back, "How dirty is the cargo bay?"

"Filthy,"

Wrecker and Omega groan, but you hold your composure, having learned a lesson long ago about complaining to a senior officer.

“I think Wrecker has some free time this weekend for that after this mission is finished.” He turns to Omega. "Tech has more to teach you about the ship's schematics. And y/n.” He raises his brow at you. “Cid has a few too many chores around here that might need attended to this weekend."

That's enough to make you show disgust on your face. It's not that you don't like to be around Cid... but you really hate being around her. Her force signature is laced with dodgy energy. Not to mention her gripey attitude about every little thing. Hunter seems satisfied with this and relaxes his stern expression.

"After all of this.” Hunter finally lets his shoulders slouch a bit. "Who won?" You smirk.

"Oh, it was definitely me, Sarge,"

Wrecker tuffed. “Nuh-uh! I got the last hit in!"

"But who ended up with more food on them? Not me,"

"Alright, you three. That's enough. Get cleaned up so Cid can brief us on the next mission, and make it quick."

On your way out, you shove Wrecker and dodge his rejoiner to irritate him. It works, and he chases you to the door before Hunter calls both of your names and tells you to straighten up. Like little kids, you saunter outside and return to the banter once out of sight.

"Another food fight?" Tech says as you approach the shuttle. It looks like he is completing the pre-mission systems check.

"Y/n started it!” Wrecker points at you, quickly followed by Omega's agreement.

Tech nods. “I assume you finished it then, Wrecker?"

You chortle, climbing up the steps of the Marauder. "The owner of the restaurant finished it."

After cleaning up, you wait in Cid's parlor for the final arrival to show face before the briefing can begin. It turns out, Hunter's prediction is wrong. The one holding up the briefing isn't a part of your main crew. You seat yourself next to Tech at the bar and ask him about the ship's status. Simple small talk, which neither of you are phenomenal at, but you had made an agreement a while back to practice on each other to improve the skill. Today's subject is simple, so it doesn't take long to cover.

He turns to you after the previous topic is exhausted. "Y/n, I've had the intention of speaking with you about something rather serious,"

"Oh, no--did I break something?"

He smiles at the attempted humor, then opens his mouth to reply just as a tall figure enters the room. You both turn to watch the rugged woman stride to Hunter and offer her hand in greeting. The corners of Tech's lips turn down just a little bit, but you notice the wheels turning behind his eyes.

"What were you gonna say? You probably have time before the briefing..."

"No—it can wait," He says, getting up. "We do need to begin the meeting. This is a time sensitive operation." You stand and follow him to the rest of the group.

"This is Hunter, your team leader," Offers Cid. "I'm sure you know everything about everyone here, but you might wanna act like you don't so ya don't scare 'em away. They're like scared little bugs when someone knows a little more than they want them to. Trust me."

The newcomer chuckles and scans everyone. Her eyes linger on Tech as she smirks. "How's the weather up there, brown eyes?"

He tilts his head at her. "Seeing as I am only a few centimeters taller than the average height in the room, I would presume it is the same as at your level. On a different note, my mutations objectively are aimed at my brain. Iris pigmentation was not affected in any way when I was..."

"Explain it later, Goggles. We've got a briefing to get through. Go ahead and explain your brilliant plan." Tech eyes Cid for her accentuation of the word, but gives no further attention to her.

It's a standard product retrieval aside from the bounty hunter, whom you come to learn is named Portia, that is paid to help out for her experience dealing with this sect of pirates. She is impressive to look at, even making you feel meager, though you yourself are relatively tall. Her eyes are piercing and her lips thin. You notice her insanely intensive expressions as Tech speaks about the details of the mission and that her eyes rarely leave him. She doesn't take the time to observe the others—only Tech. For some reason that you don't understand, she strikes some kind of nerve in you.

"A recap," Tech says, looking up from the hologram blueprints of the ship. "Wrecker and y/n will quietly go to the bridge so that they can make a distraction and set the charges. From there while Echo and I disable the alarm systems. Once we are finished, Hunter and Portia will retrieve the item. We will all meet back at the Marauder in the hangar afterwards. It should take only an hour at most, and we'll be off their ship before the pirates have realized what happened.

"Unfortunately for you, Omega," Tech continues. "this mission is too high risk, and your bounty too high. You will stay on the shuttle for the entirety of the time and keep it ready for a quick takeoff."

Omega's disappointed is evident, but she keeps quiet and stoic, mimicking Hunter's stance per usual. After the briefing, you follow Tech to leave, feeling the cold look from Portia as you do, but something in you needs to guard him from her prying eyes. Is it the way she looks at him? Is the Force trying to warn you of something? Regardless, you don't waver, and instead, strike up a conversation with Tech. It appears that Tech missed the movement, but Hunter didn't. He meets your eyes with a frown but you don't respond.

The ride out to open space is awkward. No one knows what to say with the tension between the crew and Portia, who is oblivious to the dynamic change. Eventually, everyone but the pilot heads out of the cockpit to make an attempt at striking conversation over the blueprints of the ship. When Tech enters the room after the jump to hyperspace, you eye Portia, who greets the genius with a nod. He pauses and returns a similar gesture before turning his attention to his datapad.

"Well," says Portia. Her silky voice makes you tense. "Seeing that we have so much time to spend, why don't we use it to get to know each other? After all, you wouldn't be able to have a workable team if you didn't trust everyone, right? You'd fear betrayal."

The air goes cold. Each Batcher's eyes tell the same story: Crosshair. You recall the hatred in his heart even as you parted on the platform on Kamino. Before this, you might have considered it, but now you have no desire in getting to know Portia, nor do you want her to know you. But a part of you is curious about how she ticks. You want to understand where her interest in Tech comes from, and you want to know if it's her personality that dissuades you or something unseen. Your chest grows heavy at the thought of betrayal, so you shake your head and look her in the eye.

"Didn't work very well last time I tried to understand a shady individual, so I'm not interested. I'm sure the boys would love to get to know you though."

Portia's eyes widen, suddenly aware that she has struck the wrong chord. "Oh, I worded that horribly. I uh... read about him when learning about your team. I'm so very sorry that that happened. The horrors of war..."

You nod, jaw clenched. You can still sense Crosshair's pain from somewhere in the galaxy if you focus enough. The one whom you all called brother. You look at Wrecker, whose eyes are downcast. Out of everyone, Crosshair's demise hurt him the most. His sadness cries out for reconciliation in the force.

Hunter clears his throat. "We would appreciate it if you didn't mention him again."

"Not a problem. I'm sorry it went there,"

Everyone sits in silence, Portia now fidgeting awkwardly. After what seemed a lifetime, Hunter speaks up again. "Tech, why don't you teach Portia the mods you've made to the shuttle in case things go south? Omega, go listen in. You might get something out of it."

The genius nods and leaves with the bounty hunter and child in tow. Once the door hisses closed, Hunter straightens and looks directly at you. It doesn't take special senses to know he is confused. Echo and Wrecker exchange a glance behind him, Wrecker shrugging.

"What's with you today, y/n? You were fine till she showed up." He comes closer, talking quietly. "You sensing something we need to be worried about?"

You hum, shaking your head. Then with pause, you say, "It's something about her... I dunno. It probably isn't a threat." You gaze briefly shifts to Echo, whose eyes seem to be looking through your skull and directly into your brain. An involuntary nose-scrunch registers on your face before you can stop it.

"If anything, and I mean anything makes you think we need to abort the mission, I expect you to tell me. Until then, you'd better put what ever this is," He gestures to all of you, "away so your attitude doesn't affect this op."

"Yes, sir," you say. Hunter sighs and returns to his brothers.

To pass the time, and hopefully to sway your mood, you decide to to to the cockpit and join the three. Omega is listening intently as Tech explains certain controls to Portia, who stands by, making an occasional reply to prove she is paying attention. She acknowledges your presence and Tech turns, doing the same.

All of what the nerd is telling Portia is complete nonsense to you. You fly through experience and hours of training. Not once have you wished you knew the name of every instrument and toggle. Tech, of course, hates this, and takes every opportunity he can to get you to learn alongside Omega, but you have one advantage that the kid doesn't: you know how to distract the man.

Smiling, you sit in one of the chairs, spinning it back and forth a little as you recall one of the many instances you've gotten out of a specs lesson. This one happened by your asking Tech to tell you about the most prominent worldview of the planet you were fixing to visit. It took him a full hour to realize that you were no longer discussing the Havoc Marauder, but by then it was far too late to circle back.

You tune back into reality as Portia leans against Tech to adjust one of the controls, and your brows furrow. Was that necessary? No, you realize as she takes a little too long to leave his space, making eye contact with him the whole time. Definitely not necessary. She smiles. His cheeks flush as he mutters an apology. Your stomach turns.

Frustrated, you turn to a datapad to read up on the news, watching for certain names or anything that might be of interest. Your eyes are glued to the screen but you take in none of the information. After a few minutes, you glance back up at the two. It seems like they've finished talking about the shuttle.

They're speaking casually now about some of the planets they've both visited. Small talk. You taught him that. You tear your eyes from the sight and back to the datapad, replaying Hunter's instruction in your mind. The longer you sit there hearing them talk so freely, the hotter your temper becomes. You have to do a check of yourself, wondering where the sudden mood has come from. Crosshair doesn't hold a light to the way you're brooding.

The best course of action, you realize, is to leave. They don't need this negativity before a mission. You bid them farewell and leave. As you're passing through the main compartment of the shuttle, Hunter gives you a questioning look, but you shake your head as if to say, "Not now," and go to the back of the ship.

As you lie in your bunk, staring at the wall, one thing keeps drifting to your mind: the way Tech was looking at Portia. His eyes followed her, studying her. Like she is a masterpiece. You force your mind back to the plan. Back to the mission. The one that might earn your team enough credits to repay the debt to Cid. It is imperative that you don't let your focus wane even for a moment, but a strange fear keeps you on edge. One that says that you might lose your place on the team. One that says you might lose Tech. It doesn't make sense. One can't lose someone that they don't have, and one can't have someone that they don't first take a risk to become vulnerable with. You have never done such a thing, so you don't deserve to be jealous. That doesn’t change the fact that you are.

You get up an hour later, having somehow fallen asleep. As you mosey to the cockpit you pass by a napping Wrecker and Portia, who has her nose buried in a datapad. She smiles as you walk past, but you give no rejoin. You sit in the cockpit with Hunter, Omega, and Tech, listening to the hum of the shuttle. Every once and a while one of them will talk, but it's pretty rare. You keep your eyes on the stars until the object of the op comes into view.

With everyone suited up, Tech stealthily lands the shuttle in the hangar of the pirate ship. You split up into your groups and Tech gives one final rundown of the plan. You and Wrecker are the first to head out, and you do so with caution, bidding the rest good luck.

You and Wrecker make your way to the bridge swiftly, dodging bad guys. You lead the way because Wrecker mysteriously forgot to memorize the path on the schematics you were given days ago. Distractions come easy to the big guy, but your job is to get him to his soap box with utmost discretion. There are a few times you bump into a straggler and have to silence him with a wave of your hand, but by some miracle, you and Wrecker remain unnoticed. Once at the bridge, you pause on either side of the door, recomposing yourselves. You count down from three with one hand and hold your blaster at the ready in the other.

At zero, you cover Wrecker as he blasts through the door with an excited shout. In an instant, the ship is ablaze with fire and lights. Once Wrecker brings his part of the plan to full fruition, Echo announces his move on the comms.

You take out a few more pirates before ushering Wrecker to take over so you can set the charges. "Watch my back,"

"Don't have ta ask me twice!"

You rush into the bridge and unshoulder your pack which is stock full of charges, placing them on the panels. At this point in the plan, Hunter and Portia will have already arrived at the package's location, and Echo and Tech should be close to reaching the bridge.

You and Wrecker hold the bridge, which takes a lot of firepower and banter. The rank for who gets the most impressive kills is constantly wavering and the both of you stay tied for the majority of the time. You know you would win if Wrecker and you hadn't agreed that you couldn't use the force to throw people around in circles anymore. Soon Tech and Echo arrive, and the former sends Echo to work at the control panel to steal information to sell to Cid.

Tech turns to you in a moment of relative silence. "Has everything gone according to plan?"

"Y/n keeps cheating.” Wrecker grumbles.

"I do not!" You call to the big man whose back is to you now. "Anyway... yes. Everything's gone suspiciously well. Your preparation has paid off."

"As I expected," Tech nods, looking down at his datapad. "We should return soon. Hunter and Portia will be needing our help to reach the Marauder."

Echo jogs over to your group with a nod. "Alright, Tech. That's everything,"

"Good!" Wrecker comments. "I was gettin' bored. These pirates aren't as fun as the seppies,"

"You're always bored unless you have something to blow up," you nudge the big guy on your way out the door.

"Hahaha, I knew you understood me!"

"Let's return to the Marauder," Tech orders, cutting short your conversation. "Echo, take the lead. I'll cover the rear,"

Your group heads out far less discretely than you'd arrived. Tech informs everyone that a few of the doors are rigged by the pirates to close and lock up after sensing someone pass through. That feature is an unexpected consequence of the intruder alert sounding before Tech could disable it. This could either split the group or take out a couple of you. You follow Wrecker closely, ready for anything, feeling for any of these contraptions on the doors you pass through.

Having met minimal conflict and none of these traps by the time you reach the hangar doors, Echo turns to Tech and says, "I guess we've been pretty lucky, huh?"

“Please don't jinx us, Echo.” You pout. "We're so close."

"Jinx us? That would require luck—which doesn't exist, according to the likes of you." Though you can't see him, you know that he's winking at you. You stick out your tongue, knowing, of course, that he won't see it, but the intention is the important part.

A crash sounds from just ahead followed by a loud curse and the boys freeze but you instinctively move to action. The door ahead is slammed closed on Wrecker. He groans beneath the weight. With an outstretched arm, you usher the force to wedge the doors open and Wrecker lurches free on the other side. Your mind isn't as strong as it once was—with having little opportunity to practice these skills. You shout at the other two to get through as you hold the huge doors ajar, and Echo rushes through. Tech is shooting at more pirates.

Portia's forceful voice calls from the hangar, "You two need to get in here!" You huff and shoot her a glare. Your arms begin to shake from exertion, the doors weighing more heavily on you each second.

"We cannot leave anyone alive who has seen y/n's abilities, Portia. This wave is almost complete," Tech says, firing several more rounds.

"Use the force against them, then!"

"That would seem--rather difficult at the moment.” You strain, keeping every last bit of mindfulness on those blasted doors.

"Tech, fall back so y/n can shut the door. We'll cover you--" From nowhere, Portia rushes forward, cutting Echo off, to grab the backs of both Tech's and your armor. You try to hold your ground but lose your footing and exhaustion hits you in a wave.

"Portia, don't break her..." In a burst of weariness, you fall to your knees, giant doors slamming shut. "Concentration," Tech finishes, voice low. The annoyance in his eyes flashes before he refocuses and continues firing on the opposition. "We need to regroup three corridors to the left, where another entrance to the hangar is, but that seems to be where most of the pirates are coming from. Follow me--this way."

Tech takes off, informing the others of his plan over the comms. You gather your strength as quickly as possible, head beginning a torrent of pain. As you reflect while jogging directly behind Tech, you make a mental note to quit ignoring opportunities to meditate. Your group meets few pirates along the route Tech is taking you, but the issue is that his directions are leading you in the exact opposite way you need to be going. Years of experience in the Bad Batch gives you trust in the genius clone, but you worry Portia will be feeling uneasy with this path. Predictably, she speaks up.

“Sweet Techie, what the kriff are we doing? Do you know where you’re taking us?”

"I have studied this ship's schematics rigorously. If I am wrong, this path will lead us directly to the cargo bay which might easily be opened to jettison us into the vacuum of space, should the pirates locate us." Tech pauses to spare a glance at the bounty hunter and concludes. "But I'm rarely wrong."

After a few turns and a lot of stray pirates, your group reaches an empty hallway. Tech stops and turns to you, saying, "Now that your secret is out, would you please remove the cover for the air intake?"

"As you wish." You nod, grimacing at the exhaustion in your own voice. You gently set the vent cover against the wall and then launch those two up and into the ceiling, following them shortly after.

The maze of air ducts is large enough for you all to crawl through, but as evidenced by her hesitation, it takes a special kind of faith for Portia to follow Tech through the confines. "Hey Tech, I realize that this is a sound plan and all, but how much of this are we going to have to go through?"

“About the same distance as the halls we just traversed,"

"I suppose it's alright, Techie," says Portia. "The more time spent with you, the better."

He takes a moment to respond with a simple "thank you."

After an eternity, you arrive at the hangar. The heavy sounds of blaster fire lights up the ducts and you quickly open the air vent to allow Tech to go through it. Before he does, he refers to you. "There's no possible outcome that will offer a safe retreat if they discover who you are, y/n. You know what will happen,"

"I know.” You watch as Tech leaps out of the air duct.

Portia's voice fills in the silence. "So you are a Jedi, huh?"

"A common misconception," You counter. "No, Portia. I'm no Jedi. This is not a time for the Jedi, nor will there likely be again."

“No need to get all philosophical on me there, space wizard. 'No' would've worked just as well."

You squint at her as she descends from the vent but decide to soften her fall, following after. As it happens, Tech had led you to the other side of the hangar away from the firefight. He waits behind a few crates so that you and Portia can catch up. Blaster at the ready, you interpret his hand signals telling you to watch his back as he makes his way to the ship. You tell Portia to go with him and he agrees, though it takes a moment for the bounty hunter to catch on.

Once ready, they take off and you stay behind to cover them with blaster fire. Hunter comms, "Nice of you all to finally join the party."

"Thanks for having us," you reply, taking out a couple of stray pirates.

All is well until you feel a presence creep up behind you. You turn just as a very ugly pirate slams something blunt across your helmet. World spinning, you struggle to get to your feet, wondering where time went. He steps on you and kicks your blaster away, then he kneels and removes your helmet, saying, "What do we 'ave here? A nice little pet got seperated from the pack, 'ey?"

You laugh, spitting a bit of blood on his face, "You chose the wrong description there, buddy."

His nose breaks easily under your fist and you throw him to the ground. Without a second thought, you shoot him in the head and move on. The world is still a little hazy as you run to the shuttle so you take a second to focus and locate the rest of the boys. Tech says the shuttle is ready for dispatch, so those two have made it. Hunter is at the front of the line against the pirates and Echo and Wrecker are flanking him. Easy.

The boys begin to retreat and you stand near the Marauder to cover them as they arrive. Echo and Hunter make it aboard and are waiting on a trigger happy Wrecker to follow. You turn to the big man just as someone shouts.

"Detonator!"

Instantly you turn and catch the explosive as it flies at you. To your horror, it beeps its last. With all the strength you can muster, you hold it up with the force and contain the explosion. The energy from the blast is immaculate. What feels like years follow as you try to move the bomb away from the ship while still holding in the ball of fire. The pressure like a dying star threatens to break you as you strain.

"Throw it! Throw it, y/n, I'll cover you!"

Your resolve snaps and you throw the growing flame just as Wrecker tackles you.

. . .

Tech's distinct, comforting voice echoes through the room, waking you from darkness. Immediately you feel the throbbing pain of life return to you and you reject it. Blood rushes from your head as you sit up and reach for your blaster, the need to protect your team your first priority. Your vision is spotted but you can see a stranger hovering over you, trying to still you. You leap at them but something strong forces you back down. You don't have the energy to fight it.

"Y/n! Y/n, it's us. It's Echo, Portia, and Tech--relax. Fighting us will only waste your energy!"

Desperation overtakes you and you look around in a panic, "Where's... Where's Wreck..? There 's an explosion.” Your voice slurs as you grasp onto one of the arms that holds you down. "Where was an explosion! He ok? Where--'s he?"

"He is okay," says Tech, getting in your face. Your vision begins to clear and you trace his goggles with your eyes, finally focusing on his worried ones. "You need to breathe for me. Slowly. Big breaths... yes. Just like that."

"Where is he?"

"He's with Hunter getting a burn treated. By the looks of it, it is only second degree and over a very small area on his shoulder. He will be fine."

"Got lucky," Says Portia who stands nearby. "That was one hell of a blast."

"Alright, y/n," Tech says, a hand on your shoulder. The look he gives you is soft, but his voice is firm. "You've sustained injuries. You need to rest now,"

You huff with a little smile, trying not to seem too eager as you flop back down on the bunk. "Don't 'ave to tell me twice."

. . .

"How you doing, n/n?"

You sigh, setting your helmet on the bar. "As well as I probably should be. Took one hell of a nap on the way back here."

Echo chuckles. “You probably needed it."

You arrived back on Ord Mantell only an hour ago and everyone is off doing their own thing. Omega and Wrecker are getting their traditional after-mission treat of Mantell mix, Tech is working on the Marauder, and Portia and Hunter are talking payment for the mission. That leaves you, Echo, and Cid at the bar.

"Cid," you call. "Can I have that one drink you made me the other night? It was the one that wasn't super strong but was kinda fruity,"

She raises a brow at you from across the bar. "Alright kid, I know what you're askin' me for, but it seems like you need a lot more kick than that."

You shake your head. "No, ma'am. My body needs a break from my shenanigans."

"You could say that again. I heard your recklessness nearly cost me more credits than you're worth,"

"One," You counter, giving her a tired look, "I had nothing to do with rigging the doors. Actually, if the intel you gave Tech was complete, we could have avoided the situation entirely." You search for a sign that your words are affecting her, but there is none. She carries on fixing up your order. "And two: there's no way that little box was worth that much."

She squints at you. "D'you not get the briefing through your thick skull? That 'little box' is called a holocron. When I say it's worth more than you, I mean it's worth five--bounty included."

"A holocron?"

"It's what the Jedi used for--"

"Yeah, I know what it is,” you mutter, dumbfounded as Cid sets your drink in front of you. "I just... I'm surprised. I should've known."

"Well," Echo smirks. "You were pretty distracted the whole time."

"Googly eyes for Mr. Goggles again?" Says Cid.

"Yep," he takes a sip of his own drink. "And a bit jealous of a certain bounty hunter."

The lady looks at him with a little grin. "Is that right?"

You stare at them both in turn. Once they finally turn their eyes to you, you voice your confusion. "What?"

"Oh, so you think we're blind now too."

Echo laughs and sets a hand on your shoulder. "You've got as bad a poker face as my old Captain."

"Rex?"

"Mm. Man can't tell a lie to save his life," He smiles, then looks closely at you. For a moment you wonder if he's about to make a funny jab at your bruised face, but then he says, "When you're done with that drink, you wanna walk with me?"

"You askin' her out, Cyborg?"

He shakes his head. "No, Cid. I'm not that brave."

You chuckle and lean with your elbows on the countertop. "I'm not quite your speed, bud."

Soon you set the empty glass within reaching distance of Cid and get up, moseying along with Echo quietly until you have left the parlor. In the street, you stroll for a while before either of you speak. It is getting dark out, but lights illuminate the area. Echo glances over his shoulder before finally addressing you.

"Y/n, I have to know something," He pauses and rests his hand on his hip. "Please don't let me be wrong because if I am, things might get really awkward."

You stare openly at him, praying in your mind, Please don't confess feelings for me, please don't confess feelings for me... All the while wondering where this might have come from. In your time of fighting alongside Echo, your chemistry has been strictly friendly. There is no romance. No, all of those cursed emotions have been directed at--

“Tech,"

"What?"

"You have the hots for him, right?"

"Thank the Force!" You breathe, bending over dramatically with hands on your knees. "I thought you were going to confess some deeply intimate feelings you've been harboring or some shit."

"Maker, no! Ew--well, not ew. You're not gross. I don't--" Echo stumbles. "No, y/n. I don't have secret feelings for you."

"Whew--" you huff and straighten to look him in the eye. "No, yeah. Tech. He's uh... yeah. I do like him."

Echo nods with a grin on his face.

"But he's definitely pining for Portia,"

His face turns sour and he squints at you. “You're not serious,"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

He steps closer and looks you up and down. "Damn, that blast really did get to you, huh?”

"Echo, what the kriff are you on about?"

"Tech is in love with you--and even if he didn't tell me every day, I'd still know. Have you seen him?"

Your eyes are wide as you search Echo's for any sign of a prank. No, Echo wouldn't make light of this. Breathless, face burning, you reply, "What?"

"Always looking at you. Every time you leave the room, he has something to say about you. He's constantly working on things to make your life easier." Echo shrugs. "He's liked you for a long time, but he's convinced you'd never date a clone. Thinks you're not willing to break that Jedi code that's been hounded into you. Obviously he was wrong."

"Obviously,"

"You gonna tell him?"

You glance at him, then down the street where you know Tech is repairing the shuttle. In a moment of fear, your head shakes. Then hope passes through and you think, Why not? Truly, what would the harm be?

Distraction, you realize, would be the deciding flaw. His focus will be taken away from important duties which could result someone getting hurt or killed. Your attachment will strip you of self control and you could become susceptible to the Dark Side's wily temptations. That is why you refuse to take action. In the end, with the lifestyle you live, romance could prove fatal.

A ping of pain hits your chest as you see just how close you are to that temporary happiness. Something in you has known all along that it is possible, but with reality... could you ever fully love him? What about his rapid aging? And if you ever want to start a family--that would be absolutely reckless. Omega is barely an exception to your morals. Children will never belong in this way of life.

"You know," Echo says, drawing your attention. "I'm sure Tech has thought about everything you're thinking about. Unless you're devising a plan to secure more Mantell mix. Go talk to him instead of moping around."

You let out a shaky breath. “Be my wing man?"

He gives you a smile. "I thought you'd never ask."

"Your hands are shaking,"

"Thanks, Echo. Real comforting," You glare at him as he enters the code to the bay door. You hear him chuckle before the door hisses open and you are blinded by the lights illuminating the Marauder. The person of interest looks up, light reflecting off his goggles just wrong. You squint, hardly able to see his small wave.

"Go," Echo whispers impatiently. You shoot him a look.

"You should be resting, y/n," Tech says, wiping his hands on a rag. "After your recent injuries, your body needs apt time to recover."

Clearing your throat, you reply, "I'll be fine. Had worse," You cover the distance to the shuttle with Echo close by. "How is she?"

"The Marauder did not receive much damage beyond cosmetics. I did, however, discover a hydrolic leak in this left compartment that has been seriously depleting her potential for a more efficient..." He goes on with terms that make your head spin. As much as you want to listen, all you can think about is your reason for meeting him. Your eyes drift to his lips far too many times, flitting to the grime on the forearms of his sleeves where he'd changed into something more disposable for the dirty job. You've never seen that shirt before and wonder how long he'd had it. Surely he didn't just purchase it for today. It hugs him very nicely though--that you don't miss.

"Tech, y/n," Echo begins. You snap your eyes back up. "It's been nice, but I'm gonna head back to Cid's and let you two talk about... important things." He emphasizes the last two words with a look aimed at you, which makes Tech pause. In an instant, and before you can find the voice to protest, he's gone.

"I suspect he is implying that--right. Small talk," He frowns after noticing a tired look from you. "I struggle remembering to use common 'lingo,' for conversational purposes."

"It's a learned skill," you offer, suddenly nervous. He nods.

"What did Echo mean by 'important things?'"

The gravity of the situation hits you and you hum, "It's uh... something about--" You regain yourself and stare at the ground a moment before warning, "I need you to realize that I might cry. Don't freak out."

His eyes shoot wide and he reaches for you, "What do you mean? Is everything okay?" You let him take your shoulders in his strong hands. What if Echo is wrong and Tech only sees you as a good friend? Worse yet--what if he is right? Your confession can mean you have to walk away from them forever.

"Yes and no?" Your breaths are shaky and throat tight as you whisper. "How do I say it? Kriff, Tech. I don't think I can."

"Did someone hurt you? Come here," He takes your hand and leads you to a few crates and you sit. He kneels before you.

"No," you finally answer. "I'm not hurt."

"If you cannot tell me, simply your assurance that I am not the cause of any of this pain will suffice... And if I am, I hope there is some way I can mend it." He hums, gently rubbing your knuckles with his thumb. You catch a glimpse of his concern just before your vision becomes completely clouded.

And in this moment, there isn't a single doubt in your mind as to why you feel what you do. His heart aches--you can sense it through the force.

With the last ounce of bravery in your chest, you say, "You are--but that's okay." Your head drops, tears rolling down your face. Finally, you mutter, "I love you, Tech."

His hand stills.

"I'm so sorry if you don't feel the same," You sputter, not daring to look at him. "And I'm sorry if you're interested in someone else--"

"Oh, y/n," he breathes. "That couldn't be further from the truth,"

Large arms wrap around your trembling form and you lean into him, feeling his warmth envelope you. Face buried in his shoulder, you breathe him in. He smells of dirt and a mechanic's shop tainted with a hint of new clothing. The weight from your shoulders falls to your chest but you ignore it for the time being. For now, you can be happy, finally in his arms, even if it's the last time. It takes a moment, but eventually, Tech speaks up, voice rumbling through his chest.

"I love you, y/n," He whispers as if speaking too loudly might scare you away. "And it's all I can do every day to not say something--about how your hair frames your face just right, or... or the way your voice can sooth even my most troubling thoughts. It grounds me some days. You are my everything. My stars, my happiness... my pain. I often wonder what life would be like if I were transparent, but I fear that we wouldn't be happy. Your spirit was meant to be free, but would it be if we are always in hiding? Always running?"

"I don't care," you say, pulling away to look him in the eye. The defiance is evident in your mind now. "I don't care about any of that. I've thought about the reality, but kriff it. We make our own destiny." You stand, and he follows.

His brows furrow for a moment of thought as his hand comes up to wipe the tears from your cheeks. Then his eyes light up, quickly followed by the corners of his mouth. His smile is contagious even if you didn't understand its origin. You look at him quizzically and open your mouth to talk just as he draws you into a tight embrace. You chuckle at his forwardness, returning the motion.

"You know what this means?" He asks breathlessly.

"What's that?"

He lets go just enough that you can see the soft smile on his face. "We've leveled up from friends to best friends."

"Best friends, huh?" You scrunch your face up and study his. "Do best friends kiss each other?"

He pauses, face turning a shade darker as he hums, "I don't know." He leans in close, breath fanning your face. "Shall we find out?"

With that, he kisses you with such a tender passion that you wonder if you’re dreaming. All your years avoiding love... it was worth it for this moment. You melt into the kiss, arms finding their way to drape around his neck. None of the stars can shine as bright as you feel.

“Yeah," you mutter catching your breath, lips brushing his. "I think they must."

You capture his lips again, and there you both stand, worries forgotten. It takes a while before you return to life again. When Tech reaches a decent stopping point on the shuttle's repairs, he cleans up a little bit and you stroll back to the parlor hand-in-hand. Hunter notices your approach from his place at the front door and a small, rare smile lights up his face.

"Finally spill your guts, Tech?"

The genius flushes and replies. “You knew?"

"I thought it was obvious," the man smirks. Then he claps his shoulder and says. "You'd better get some dinner before Wrecker eats it all."

So you join them inside and conclude the evening eating with everyone. Before long, you and Omega are stuffing food down Wrecker's chestplate when he isn't looking. You feel light as you laugh. Afterwards, the whole group sits in the parlor, talking about life. Portia finally gets to know everyone, just as she'd tried to on the shuttle earlier. As you veg, Cid strolls in and takes a seat nearby. She eyes you suspiciously, then mutters something to Echo who chuckles and nods. You don't need to hear them to know what they're talking about.

By now you can tell that even Wrecker has caught on, but it's probably better that way. As the evening grows later and the voices softer, you find yourself leaning against Tech, hardly fighting off the sleep. He finally convinces you to go to bed, and walks you to your room, stopping at the door. Just before you go in, he kisses your forehead and bids you goodnight.

// ~ // ~ //

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Have a lovely day ☺️

25 Days of Life Day: Day 13 - Decorating the Palace with Boba

a/n: I wasn't too confident with this one so don't feel bad if you dislike it lol.

warnings: pregnancy, a teensy lil bit of angst if you really look? idk.

25 Days of Life Day Masterlist

“You know we have people to do that, right?” Fennec chuckles, leaning against the wall while you finish putting tinsel around one of four trees. 

“Mmhm, but I’d rather do it how I want.” You smile. 

“I’m gonna go grab the-” Fennec starts.

You and Boba have been married for two years now and Fennec still doesn’t like you doing your own stuff around the palace. Granted, you’re seven months pregnant and maybe a tad bit more fragile than you were last Life Day but this is where you find peace in your life. Decorating the place, yourself.

“No, don’t. I’m content doing it.” You assure her. “I promise.” 

“And what do you think Boba is going to say when he gets back and sees his very pregnant wife doing all this extra work?” She quirks an eyebrow.

“He’d be proud to see me take initiative?” You chuckle.

“Would I?” You both hear Boba’s voice in the hall. 

You turn around, smiling at your husband. You’d missed him so much since he’d been away on business with whatever it was he was up to these days. Gathering allies, or visiting old friends. You can’t keep up. 

“Hello, my love.” You grin.

“Don’t ‘Hello, my love’ me.” He looks firmly at you. “Please, get down.” “Fine.” You huff and start to step down off the ladder with Fennec giving you a hand. 

“We’ll talk later.” Boba nods to you before walking away. 

Fennec gives you an “I told you so” look and you roll your eyes, walking away. It wasn’t like you were that high up off of the ground. But Boba is Boba and he’s always been overprotective of you. You used to find it endearing and sexy. But with being pregnant and all these hormones pumping through your body, it’s starting to be a bit much. Life Day has always been your favorite holiday and Boba knows it. 

“Boba.” You call out to him. 

He stops and turns toward you, his expression softening. You can tell whatever it was that was keeping him away didn’t go well. 

“I missed you.” You reach up and cup his face, kissing him.

He pulls you against him, as much as he can with your belly in the way, wrapping his arms around you.

“I missed you too, princess.” He murmurs against your lips. “I’m sorry about-” You wave your hand, dismissing it. “Already forgotten.” “I’ll never understand how I got so lucky.” He smiles down at you, kissing your forehead. 

“Stop thinking about business for a bit… decorate with me.” You look up at him with begging eyes. “Please?”

He sighs, softly, pulling his hands back around to rest on your stomach. “You know I can never say no to that face.” 

“And just think you’ll have a daughter with a face like it in a few months. You’ll never stand a chance against two of these faces.” You laugh, leading him back to the tree. 

“I’m doomed.” He chuckles as he stands up on the stool so that he can hang the ornaments for you.

“Yes, but you’ll be happy about it.” You shrug, handing him the ornaments.

He grins down at you, obviously forgetting about whatever it was that put him in a bad mood earlier. “With you as my wife and our perfect child, how could I not be?”

He continues to help you decorate the palace until you retire to bed so he can properly apologize for earlier, which you gladly and eagerly accept.

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