@zoeykallus Never Fails To Make The Best Of My Requests

Took Him Long Enough

Tech x reader

Tech is alone for the evening so he decides to run out and explore the underground marketplace on Ord Mantel. Due to an unfortunate accident, he’s been exposed to some ~mood altering substances~ and finds himself getting a little too hot under his armor. He’ll be fine if he can just make it home, where he’ll be alone, right? Yes, this is just another shameless flavor of sex pollen fic for the sluts. (It’s me, I’m the sluts)

NSFW, 18+ only

Warnings: rough sex, face fucking, dubcon if you’re REALLLLY squinting

Notes: ok so this is my first attempt at writing this kinda thing. My first fanfic actually so I’m super happy to receive any constructive criticism or notes on what you liked/disliked as far as style goes. A little bit of background- I always thought it seemed kinda uncomfortable for them to live on the marauder so I imagine that there’s an apartment above Cid’s that she rents out to them.

—————-

He actually made it back- his condition is worsening with each passing second. His goggles begin to fog up as he stumbles into the stairwell at Cid’s, giving her an awkward wave and a strained smile, trying not to look suspicious. The most he gets is an eye roll, a promising sign.

He all but trips over himself as he finally passes the threshold into their apartment. He was grateful the rest of you had left to run some errands for Cid- allowing him some privacy.

If only he had gone with you, he would be in a lot better shape than he is currently.

Truthfully he was working on a project before this. He had ventured out into the marketplace hopeful to find an essential part to repair Omega’s holopad. He had excitedly given it to her as a gift once he had saved up enough. Inevitably the thing met its doom at the hands of Wrecker. He hoped to surprise her when everyone got back.

It was a simple fix, but he couldn’t help himself from wandering into adjacent shops when something uncommon piqued his interest. He actually can’t quite remember what he was doing when he was exposed, all he had were blurred memories of broken glass jars and panicked apologies. His head was already spinning as the shop owner urged him to leave and seek medical attention for the overdose, clearly not wanting authorities catching wind of his side business.

Tech didn’t need a doctor, he needed to get home.

He briskly weaves through the crowded streets. He does his best to appear unbothered even as he was painfully aware of the growing discomfort behind his codpiece.He brings his fist up to his teeth to stifle any whines threatening to escape, the other still clinging tightly to that damned part for the holopad.

He feels a small pang of shame as he finds his thoughts drifting to you: your soft lips, the curve of your hips and the warmth between your thighs.

He fantasized about how the evening would have gone had you stayed behind. All the lonely nights he spent pining for you in his bunk or from his seat in the cockpit could not match the searing desire for you he felt now.

A crushing feeling of shame shook him out of his fantasy. You were his friend, it was indecent for him to think of you this way. Not only that, he felt it was embarrassingly hopeful. Despite the many less-than-subtle attempts by his brothers to get you two alone, he simply could not find the nerve to make a move.

Just the thought made him choke as he ducks into the next alleyway, shaking his head. He has enough to worry about right now, you were out and he could easily take care of himself. He just has to make it home…

He drops to his knees in the entryway. His limbs tremble beneath him as he struggles to catch his breath. He groans through his teeth as he notices just how hot the skin beneath his armor was. Wasting no time, he begins to strip off his clothes, pulling his right glove off with his teeth as his left hand fumbles to remove his belt. He utters a groan of relief once he is down to nothing but his pants and his boots. Finally alone.

Until he hears someone calling him from across the apartment. He freezes with hand at his waistband when he hears your voice.

He is mortified, sure you had left with the others. It was simply impossible to face you like this. What would you think if you wandered out into the hall to discover him on the ground, half-naked and…excited. What could he possibly say to explain himself?

“Tech, you better say something if it’s you or i'm coming out here swinging!”

He clasps his hand over his mouth to stifle a groan. Your footsteps grow louder as he frantically weighs the pros and cons of making a quick escape, only to find the decision has been taken out of his hands.

You’re standing over him and he hesitantly glances up at you. His eyes rake hungrily over your body. The exposed skin of your thighs, the way your shorts hug your hips, your arms folded beneath your breasts and your sweet smile. You looked so happy to see him.

“Fuck”

It’s all he can manage when he finally meets your gaze. Your face softens with concern. Something was definitely off.

“A little less eloquent than usual, Tech” You teased, crouching in front of him. “What happened to your clothes?”

It was so hard to keep his composure. He really liked the way his name sounded when you said it. “I thought you would be out with the others…why are you here?

You cock an eyebrow as you look him over

“Because I live here; and I was waiting for you.”

You gesture vaguely to the living space behind you a considerable amount of tools and equipment were beginning to pile up.

“We have a lot of unfinished projects just waiting for me to trip over.”

Truthfully you stayed behind to get some time alone with Tech. You often suggested improvements to equipment or to the marauder so you could get him to yourself. You’re pretty sure he likes having you around but you’re not quite sure how much deeper that goes. Even if he wasn’t interested in you romantically it was still nice spending time as a friend.

He sits back on his heels to adjust his goggles and catch his breath.

“This is humiliating to admit but- from my understanding I’ve been inadvertently exposed to some kind of illegal substance.” shuts his eyes tightly in concentration before continuing. “I believe it’s commonly used as a party drug…in much smaller doses.”

He manages to choke out enough details for you to piece together what might have happened, blushing once you get a thorough visual of the side effects.

He assumed you would be disgusted. He could see no other outcome than this forever damaging your relationship after seeing him this way. He fully expected you to walk out the door, disgusted, as he internally mourned the future he had pictured with you.

Instead you’re just concerned. You move closer to him, pushing aside any awkwardness to check his vitals.You need to make sure he’s safe. You gently place the back of your hand against his glistening forehead, doing your best to ignore the obvious bulge in his pants.

“Tech, I’m so sorry. ”

His breath catches in his throat as you set your fingertips against his pulse. You could feel the muscles in his neck tensing up at your touch.

“Physically you’re going to be fine”

You offer a lighthearted smile, hoping to alleviate some of the embarrassment. You didn’t quite feel bold enough to offer him ‘help’, but you had to admit that the way he was looking at you was more than enough to tempt you.

“If it makes you feel better, you aren’t the first person I’ve seen like this. It’s actually pretty easy to overdo it with this stuff- not that you really had a choice”

Tech was speechless for the first time that he can remember. What could he possibly say to you in this moment? He absolutely could not share with you any of the thoughts running through his mind.

He wills himself to move, to speak, to do anything but sit there helplessly. He finds himself raising his left hand to meet yours, still pressed against his neck. The other finds its place below your chin, his thumb tracing the outline of your lips.

Your eyes widen in surprise at the bold gesture. His thumb stills and the hazy smile leaves his eyes when he realizes what he’s doing.

“Sorry” He flashes an apologetic look but makes no attempt to separate from you.

“This is not like me, I promise I’m not some kind of deviant-”

“I know you aren’t” You cut him off as you move to take his hands in your own. “Here, get up. Maybe we should get you into your bed…you could sleep it off?” You stand and pull him to his feet, hoping to restore some dignity to the sweaty, shirtless, mess of a man before you.

You give him a moment to steady himself; his muscles faintly soften as you absentmindedly stroke his palm. Maybe this was what he needed? Any physical touch seemed to be providing a degree of relief.

“Does this help?” your voice is gentle as you try to ignore the fluttery feeling in your stomach. You took note of how much bigger his hands were compared to yours. They were calloused and scarred from his work yet still had a gentleness to them as he held onto you.

“In a way” he answered thoughtfully.

“Though if I can be candid with you it only seems to fan the flames, so to speak.”

Did he mean just the physical touch? Or does he mean you? It’s possible that he's desperately seeking relief and you are the first warm body he’s run into. You push those thoughts aside, re-centering your focus on Tech.

“I could get you a glass of water? Maybe a shower would help”

He paused a moment. His brows knit together as he considered his options.

“Perhaps a shower would help, If you joined me?”

You expect him to laugh, to assure you he was joking, but he does not rescind the offer. His previous hang ups about pursuing you are silenced as his desire reaches a breaking point.

He steps in closer to you and you tilt your head back to look up at him. Has he always been this tall?

His amber gaze scans your features from behind his lenses.

“Unless that’s not your preference?”

He raises his eyebrows, anxiously awaiting your response. He knew it was a longshot but in this moment he felt that there is no other woman he would rather be with.

“Me? Tech, are you sure you know what you’re asking? Maybe I’m misunderstanding-”

“Are the others wrong in their assumptions that you have-” he was sifting through his thoughts for the appropriate words “-romantic feelings for me?”

He tentatively squeezed your hands, hoping he hasn’t crossed a line.

“If so, I'll ask you to forgive me. After my exposure you have completely consumed my thoughts. Although truthfully, this is not much different from any other moment since we’ve met”

Excitement buzzed through your body at his admission. It was all you could do not to pull him close to you and kiss him all over.

“No. They aren't wrong” you admitted, shoulders tensed as you anticipated his next move.

Tech gently lifts your chin to meet his gaze.

“I can ensure the experience to be mutually pleasurable”

His voice is low and sweet as he cups your face.

You’re suddenly aware that he has been slowly walking you toward the lounge area behind you. Matching every step you take until you find yourself stumbling into the couch.

“I apologize for being so direct but I would love nothing more than to have you right here in this moment. If you’ll indulge me?”

He kneels in front of you, slowly sliding his hands up your thighs. His touch is excruciatingly soft. “I’ll do anything, Love. I would do anything you ask”

“I’m begging you, mesh’la” he lays his head in your lap, letting out a contented sigh.

“I need you”

He trails soft kisses from your knee to the hem of your shorts. His fingertips trace the soft skin of your inner thighs.

“You’re absolutely sure? This is what you want?” You confirmed one final time before giving in to your own desires.

“Yes” He breathes “This is what I want. Every single day this is what I want.”

You can’t help but take amusement in his melodramatic performance. It’s certainly over the top, and completely unnecessary as he’s already won you over long before this.

You bend forward, brushing your fingers into his hair as you invite him into a gentle kiss. He eagerly accepts, He brushes his tongue softly across your lips before gently moving past them.

You took a moment to breathe him in. An earthy musk mingles with his feverish sweat. Clearly he had been up early today working on the ship. He moans softly into your mouth, kisses becoming more fervent. His tender touch sends tingles through your body as he explores the bare skin beneath your shirt.

His attention drops to his hands as he hooks his fingers into your waistband. He retreats to look at you for final confirmation before quickly sliding your shorts down your legs.

He watches you squirm as he teases his fingers over your underwear. He slips his fingers beneath the lacy fabric, stamping light kisses on your inner thighs.

“Does that feel good?” He coos, having already found a comfortable rhythm between your lips.

You nod your head in response, digging your fingers into the grainy fabric of the couch.

Satisfied with your answer, he gently slides his hand down to your entrance.

“You are remarkably wet already” He pants, a cheeky smile flashed briefly across his lips.

Tentatively, he slides his middle and ring fingers inside of you, cursing as you clench around his digits. His thumb resumes his pace between your folds as his fingers slide in and out of your core. His cock strains against his pants at the obscene sounds of his fingers between your thighs.

Having collected a considerable amount of your juices on his hand, he reaches into his pants, in desperate need of his own stimulation. He groans as he begins brazenly thrusting into his slick palm.

Even as his need for release rings louder in his ears he holds out long enough to be sure you’re ready for him. He hooks his arm around your thigh and drags you to him, bringing your clothed heat to his mouth. Impatiently he pulls your panties to the side and leans in to taste you.

Under ordinary circumstances he would have gladly spent hours between your thighs, in fact he frequently caught himself daydreaming of just that. His mind would wander to you during any lengthy repairs to the marauder, usually becoming enough of a distraction to warrant a quick break to clear his head.

Tech finally pulls back from you with a groan as the pain from his erection becomes unbearable. He stands and plants his boot next to you on the couch. He extends his arm to steady himself against the wall behind you- still desperately pumping his length.

“Please” He mouths, only to guide your hand toward his discomfort.

“Of course, Tech.” Your mouth waters as you take him into your hands. You begin to slowly work his shaft. A twinge of satisfaction pools in your center as you listen to the string of obscenities drawn out by your touch.

You lean in to slowly lick the length of his shaft before taking him into your mouth. He bucks his hips in response, no longer making an effort to conceal his cries.

“Yes, just like that” his pupils are blown wide as he watches you bob your head up and down, whispering unintelligible praises between breaths. He presses his hips forward, urging you to take him deeper into your throat.

“Fuck, please y/n, I need to feel you”

He begs as he gently slips his hand behind your head to grab a fistful of hair. He holds your head in place as he rhythmically thrusts into the back of your throat. You gag as he quickens his pace, desperately seeking relief by pushing deeper into your throat.

You gasp when he pulls himself out of you, taking a moment to catch your breath.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry- I wasn’t thinking! I just-” He panicks. This is what he was afraid of, he had hurt you. He was sure he would never forgive himself as he watched you wipe at your smeared mascara.

“No, no. I’m fine.” you reassure him as you softly slide your hands up his thighs, resting them at his hips. You looked up at him meekly as you made your request

“I want you to use my mouth, Tech”

Your words elicited a visible shudder from the man, who only hesitated a few moments before repositioning himself at your open mouth. “anything you want, darling”

With your permission, he resumed his roughened pace, being mindful to allow you occasional breaks to catch your breath.

“You look…so...pretty…with my cock in your mouth” he groans between thrusts, his hand planted firmly behind your head as he vehemently chases his release. After a final few, deep thrusts he slowly pulls himself out of your mouth and kneels in front of you.

He searches your features as he brushes your hair out of your face, lightly cradling your head in his hands.

“Still doing alright?” his voice is heavy and his breaths are unsteady, all of his focus is now on you.

Before you answer, you raise your hands to his face, repositioning his goggles that had slid down the bridge of his nose.

“Yes” you begin pleading “Please, Tech. I need you to fuck me”

More than happy to fulfill your request, Tech lowers himself between your thighs and goes to remove your underwear.

“Your shirt” He mutters, fully focused on sliding your panties off to reveal your bottom half. You comply, swiftly removing your top and tossing it behind you.

With your heat sufficiently exposed, he draws his eyes to your chest. You feel the warmth of his breath against your lips as he leans in to meet them. A calloused hand greedily cups your breast as he sighs softly into your mouth. He lightly brushes his fingertips over your nipples, making you shiver.

He eases you onto his length, scrutinizing your features as you stretch to accommodate his girth. The scorching heat of your core sends a tremor through his body.

He allows his head to fall back, a hiss escapes through gritted teeth as he slowly bottoms out. You barely have a moment to adjust to him before he really begins rutting into you. Tension visibly dissolves from his body as he finally finds the friction he was aching for.

His pace is relentless, spurred on by your lecherous cries. He holds you firmly in place by your hips, fingers sinking deep into your soft flesh. It’s not long before a fervid sensation creeps behind your skull, causing your walls to clench around him.

Picking up on your body’s signals, he bends forward and cages your head between his arms, purring softly into your ear.

“Go ahead, pretty thing. Cum for me”

His words send shockwaves through your body as you reach the peak of your orgasm. He stays close, holding your shaking thighs and riding out the aftershock with you.

Satisfied with his work, Tech carefully repositions you. He pulls your back to his chest, supporting you in his arms. Carefully he lowers you down onto his pulsing length. His hand moves to lightly grip your throat, steadying you as he bounces you in his lap. His eyes close as he falls into a feverish pace, gasping and whimpering into your hair.

“I’m so close, love. Where can I…”

“Inside.” you gasp as you steady yourself on his forearm. “You can cum inside me”

His grip tightens around you, growing more flustered as he approaches his climax.

He plants an unexpected kiss on your temple as his thighs begin to tremble. You feel him pulsing inside you, on the brink of his long anticipated release.

A guttural moan escapes his lips as he paints your insides, embedding himself into the warmth between your thighs. The muscles in his arms twitch around you as his pleasure overtakes him. You listen to his labored breathing as he nestles his face into your neck.

He keeps you close as he comes down from his high, finally finding reprieve from his condition. Neither of you spoke as you listened to the sounds of each other's breath, slowly drifting back to reality.

His fingertips glide over the vulnerable flesh of your neck before he dips down to plant soft kisses below your jawline.

“Thank you” he hums, gently tracing shapes along the length of your arms. You stay like this for a while, finding comfort in each other's closeness.

He sits back into the seat and adjusts your position in his lap. Reaching beside him, he grabs one of the throw blankets and wraps you both in its warmth.

“Are you comfortable?” He asks, checking to be sure you’re fully covered.

“Very”

You lay your head against his chest and hear his heartbeat steady.You feel yourself drifting off, only awoken when he finally speaks again.

“I hope you don’t think less of me after this”

His voice is unsteady as he pulls you closer to him.

“I don’t regret our encounter but I am deeply ashamed of my behavior”

Embarrassment bubbles inside you at his words. You had let yourself believe this was more than a quick resolution to his discomfort. You felt foolish for believing it all, of course it’s not his fault but you should have known he would have said anything to get relief.

The lump forming in your throat stopped you from answering, the silence only broken by the steady pounding in his chest.

“I had hoped our first time might have been much more intimate.” He continues, oblivious to your inner narrative.

“I was planning the perfect evening for us- granted that I ever gained the courage to ask you”

You leaned to the side so you could look up at him. He was already looking down at you through half lidded eyes.

“Although, I think we might have just circumvented that milestone” he adjusts his goggles and offers a bashful smile.

“I think it was long overdue” You give a quick squeeze to his hand. “It was nice, and I was happy to help”

He nodded then set his chin on the top of your head, squeezing you just a bit tighter

“Agreed.”

————————————————

When the others got back you all gathered at the bar to get caught up on their usual shenanigans, Cid never sent them on a mission that would go smoothly. Tech immediately presented Omega with her newly fixed holopad. After a quick talk about the importance of keeping her things out of Wreckers destructive reach, Omega quickly ran up to her room stating she had a lot of reading to catch up on.

You returned to the bar to find that Tech had already gotten you a drink, a subtle gesture that did not go unnoticed. You thanked him and reached your hand out to give his a soft squeeze.

“Oh my god, I knew it!” You are all startled by Cid’s sudden outburst.

“Knew what?” Hunter questioned, clearly already annoyed with her after the unexpected terrors he faced on the last mission.

She nodded in your direction, a smug grin creeping across her face.

“They finally did it- Look at ‘em! Pay up, Killjoy” she turns to Echo with an outstretched hand

He looks between you and Tech, then rolls his eyes as he digs through his pockets for any loose credits. “You two couldn’t have waited another 14 rotations?” he grumbles as he places the contents of his pocket on the bar in front of him.

“I’m not sure what you’re referring to” Tech tries to play coy but he is thwarted by the flush on both of your faces.

“He’s talking about you two finally hooking up. Took ya long enough!” He laughs as he chugs the rest of his drink. “HA! I didn’t think you had it in ya Tech!”

He gives Tech a rough shove on the shoulder as you bury your face in your hands.

“You are as subtle and eloquent as ever, Wrecker” He says through gritted teeth.

Hunter brings his hands up to rub his temples, finally putting a stop to the nonsense “Okay, enough, all of you! You’re giving me a migraine”

I miss him sm like I can’t wait for January. I don’t know how I feel about like using my tumblr tbh

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.

// ~ // ~ //

Thank you sm for reading! Please comment and reblog to show your support!

Have a lovely day ☺️

I've got a couple of predictions...

One: Omega's kaleidoscope will show up in the hands of one of the other Batchers at some point, looking through the eyepiece with the childlike wonder they didn't get to experience growing up.

Two: Ronar's nickname for Tech means that he will show up later on in the series. He will call out "Ace" when he sees Tech, and Tech will turn around and be very pleased to see him.

Yes, you did well 😌

I think Echo would be really good at teaching even though it didn't really look like it in the show :/

I think I've worked out (part of the reason) why there's been such a huge uptick in folks who don't reblog things on here.

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On My Radar

Summary: You and Tech stay up late working on the pod.

A/N: SEASON TWO SPOILER WARNING!! Heard "The Color Violet" by Tory Lanez and listened to it while writing 💗 I also really love Tech this season, he’s been keeping me inspired like the first time he did when I watched tbb for the first time! 💗

Pairing: Tech x Reader

Warnings: 18+ MINORS DNI; SMUT!! P in V unprotected (wrap it up my guys), angst?, Established Relationship

WC: 2.1K

Gif credit: @starqueensthings

Tay-0 lost the race and now you and the batch are left picking up pieces of him. You look over and notice Millegi and his stupid goons are walking toward you guys, ready to take Cid and do Maker knows what with her. 

“I’m here to collect, Cid.” Millegi’s deep menacing voice rumbles in all of your chests. 

The man was taller than Wrecker and that in itself scares you a bit.

“You’ll get your credits. Just give me some time. I’m good for it.” Cid talks to him like he’s not six feet taller than her. 

“That’s not how this works.” Millegi looks at all of you and starts walking toward your group. “You are out of time.”

You step closer to Omega, pulling her behind you, and Tech steps closer to you. You don’t get to see Tech’s overprotective side often, since he knows you’re able to take care of yourself. But since Hunter and Echo aren’t here, it would make sense for him to feel like he has to fill in for both of them. 

“Wanna step in here? I didn’t bring you guys for the company.” Cid looks back at Tech and Wrecker.

Wrecker drops Tay-0, or what he found of him, and readies his hand on his blaster. Tech steps in front of you and does the same. Millegi’s men point their blasters at you and you glare at Cid. What did she get you into? Again…

Millegi starts to walk toward you and Omega steps in front of you, a little too bravely. 

“Wait. How much does she owe?” Omega sticks her hand up as if to stop the man that looks like he ate the bogeyman for breakfast.

“More than you got, kid.” Millegi stops and looks down at her. 

You ready your hand on your blaster, ready to take it out if he takes another step toward Omega. 

“Well, we’re not done yet.” Omega looks back at the pretty much destroyed pod.

Millegi steps back and chuckles. “Looks like you’re done to me.”

“One last race. If you win, we pay you double.” Omega holds up one finger.

You, Tech, and Wrecker all look at each other and then back at Omega. 

“If we win, we get Cid.” Omega tells Millegi, standing up straighter, not afraid of him.

Cid looks down at Omega with a new expression you’ve never seen before. Perhaps respect? Cid may not ever admit it, but she’s got a tiny soft spot for the kid.

“You don’t know what you’re getting into, kid.” Millegi himself even looks impressed.

“I’m inclined to agree with him, Omega.” Tech turns toward Omega and Wrecker steps closer to join the group huddle. 

“Yeah, I’m inclined too.” Wrecker nods. “We don’t know anything about racing.”

“They’re gonna hurt Cid if we do nothing.” Omega seems genuinely worried.

You, Tech, and Wrecker look at each other again and then back at Millegi. 

“Do we have a deal?” Omega puts on her stone face.

If Hunter and Echo were here… oh man. You’d be in deep shit. 

“We race tomorrow.” Millegi nods. “I keep Cid, the woman, and the kid as collateral.” 

“That is not going to happen.” Tech steps in front of you and Omega again and you can’t help but look at him with a certain arousal. 

You’ve never seen this side of him. Confident. Sure of himself. Protective. 

“Yeah, think again.” Wrecker joins him.

“I wasn’t asking.” Millegi stares at the goggled clone.

“Actually, the kid and I are mechanics.” You sort of lie. “They’re gonna need us.”

With a sigh, he stares at Cid. “Just Cid then.” 

His goons come over and start to lead Cid away. 

“For your sakes, you better be able to pay up.” Millegi warns you before walking away. 

You spend the rest of the day, and well into the night, fixing up the pod. Tay-0 ended up getting run over by another pod so Tech volunteered to race in his place, which you definitely didn’t approve of. 

Omega ends up falling asleep so Wrecker carries her back to the ship so she can get some rest before tomorrow. You and Tech continue to finish up the pod together, nearly done. 

You take your sweatshirt off, toss it onto the workbench, revealing your tank top, and when you turn around, you notice Tech’s eyes on you. When he sees you looking at him, the tension melts from his shoulders and you join him again. 

“You okay?” You ask, softly.

“I will be alright. Thank you.” He goes back to wiring whatever piece he’s working on.

“Can I tell you something?” You ask him.

He nods, putting down his tools and taking off his helmet to look at you. 

“I don’t appreciate how you just volunteered to race like that without talking to me about it.” You murmur. 

He gets up and walks over to the workbench by the wall so you follow him.

“I am doing what needs to be done. Tay-0 is in no condition to race again and we have to get Cid back.” He tells you, looking through the tools. 

You stop him. “Tech, we’re partners… we’re supposed to talk things over before we make big decisions. You didn’t stop to think about how it might make me feel and…” 

He sighs and then looks at you. “You are right. You’ve spoken about this to me before and I disregarded your feelings. I am sorry.”

You let out a breath and smile softly at your partner. “Thank you.”

He puts his goggles up on his head and pulls you to him, pushing you up against the workbench so that he can kiss you softly. You melt against him just as you always do. It wasn’t a secret that the two of you were together, but you don’t always show it in front of the others, preferring to keep it to yourselves in your room above Cid’s. 

Tech slides his hand up your chest, to your throat, moving up to cup your face so he can hold you there. You feel safe again for the first time all day. Right here against him, in his arms.

“Want you…” You whisper against his lips. “Need you…”

“I’ve got you, darling.” He promises, lifting you up so that you can sit on the workstation. 

You start to help him unclick his armor, dropping it to the floor around you, until he’s in just his pants and vest. You quickly undo his vest, sending it to the floor as well. He takes his long sleeve white shirt off until he’s just in his pants, looking down at you with a smirk.

“You’re so pretty.” You grin up at him.

He rolls his eyes, trying to hide his fluster. It’s just as endearing now as it was back when you first met him.

“I believe that you are the ‘pretty’ one in this relationship.” He murmurs as he slides his hands down to the edge of your pants, tugging them off of you and dropping them with his armor. 

It’s dark in this area of the garage, only being lit by the work light that’s shining on the pod, so if anyone were to walk by the open garage door, they wouldn’t see you about to be completely ruined by Tech.

“Seeing you so protective today, really turned me on.” You chuckle as he pulls your underwear down before undoing his belt expertly, with one hand, which just turns you on more. 

Anything this man does with his hands is enough to spur you on, no matter what.

“I know it did.” He releases his length from his pants and moves your bottom down, closer to him.

“You do?” You gasp as he trails his hand up toward your clit when you wrap your legs around him.

“Of course I do.” He pulls away from your neck to look over at you. “I may not be Hunter with the expert senses but I noticed your blown pupils and the way you leaned toward me. I know you.” 

He does know you. He knows you more than any other person has ever known you. Tech taps your lip for you to open your mouth and then slides his finger in, swiping it across your tongue. Instinctively, you close your lips around it and he smiles down at you, staring into your eyes. 

“Does that turn you on, darling? How well I know you?” He asks you, softly, his free hand trailing down to your thigh and squeezing roughly. “How I know exactly what you need?” 

He takes his wet fingers from your mouth and moves them down to your clit, starting to rub you gently, working you up slowly. All you can do is nod with a soft gasp.

“Did you forget how to use your words, cyar’ika?” He teases you.

With you only being able to manage a whimper, he chuckles and starts to line his hardened length up with you. All you can do is watch it slide in, gasping from the sweet pain of how large he is. 

“Kriff…” He groans, squeezing your thighs so that your legs have no choice but to stay spread for him. 

“Tech-” You whimper as he bottoms out.

It’s been a few days since the two of you have managed to get any sort of alone time together, so you know that both of you are pretty pent up. And with the threat of tomorrow… who knows if you’ll get any more time together. 

“So wet for me already.” He praises you. “All for me, hm?”

“Tech…” You groan, pushing up toward him so that you can kiss him again, which accidentally forces him even deeper into you, making you both gasp, breathlessly against each other. “Feels… so good.” 

“It does.” He agrees. “You always do.” 

Tech starts thrusting into you, still rubbing firm circles over your clit, forcing you to bury your face into his neck so that you can bury the sounds, biting ever so slightly, causing him to groan. You’ll never get tired of hearing how he comes undone just for you. 

“H-harder…” You beg. 

Tech begins slamming into you, keeping his speed consistent, and you know he can feel you clenching around him. He grips your thigh around his waist, holding it there so you don’t slide away on the workbench. You hold onto his shoulder with one hand and the shelf behind you with the other, trying to keep yourself firmly in place as he ruts into you.

He pulls his face away so he can practically swallow the sounds you're making, kissing you breathless.

“I need you to cum for me, darling… I need to feel it.” He whispers, his voice low and needy.

“My clit… more…” You gasp, barely able to get coherent words out.

Tech understands, though. Of course he does. He starts to rub a bit faster, applying more pressure, but pushes you back so that he can reach deeper inside of you with his cock. That’s exactly what does it. You feel the warm familiar fuzzy feeling pooling inside of you, threatening to send you flying over your edge.

“That’s it, love… I can feel you so close.” He smirks, slamming his cock in and out of you so perfectly, it echoes off the walls of the garage. 

You start to cum around Tech’s cock, thrown immediately over your edge for him. He loves watching you cum around him, loving the way your walls choke his cock. His hips stutter slightly as he’s thrown from his own edge, painting your walls with himself, filling you as full as he possibly can, leaving both of you gasping and panting.

“I really… am sorry.” He whispers, helping you sit up before pulling out of you.

You rest your forehead against his, nodding, cupping his cheek. “It’s okay. I’m sure everything will be alright. I trust you.”

You know that he knows that you’re thinking of last month when you tried to get that war chest for Cid, who’s just seemingly getting you into all sorts of shit lately, and how he broke his femur… 

“Thank you for trusting me.” He leans in and kisses you.

You both clean up in the fresher before finishing up the pod and going to get a few hours of sleep before you have to be up. You curl up next to each other in the bunk on Cid’s ship, holding each other as tight as you possibly can, since you don’t know what could happen with the race. As long as he comes back to you in one piece, you think everything will be alright.

TAGS: @twistedstitcher27 @rebel-finn @grievouus @madameminor @dumfanting @rain-on-kamino @corona-one @tecker @ladykatakuri @brynhildrmimi @the-sith-in-the-sky-with-diamond @zoeykallus @maulslittlemeowmeow @littlemousedroid @arctrooper69 @rexxdjarin @agenteliix @padawancat97 @hated-by-me @sleepingsun501 @crosshairmylove587 @idlenesses @redheadgirl @dnxgma @themcuwriter @ashotofspotchka @sunshinesdaydream @crosshairsimp73 @ariadnes-red-thread @rosmariner @heyitsaloy @starstofillmydream @high-ct5555 @echos-girlfriend @sleepywych @nekotaetae @justanothersadperson93 @brownstalebread @aconstructofamind @book-of-baba-fett @chopper-base @palliateclaws @501st-rexster @dead-poolz @nahoney22 @where-is-my-mind-tho @inparanormal @greaser-wolf @moonstrider9904

Leave With Me

Cody x Reader

-TBB S2 EP3 fic-

Master list

~_~_~_~

You’re an imperial officer who works with clones. Cody tells you he’s going AWOL and wants you to come with him.

(This took me a while to write because I wanted to make sure it was good enough..)

~_~_~_~

You were once an officer for the Republic with a nice office and the sun shone through the windows.. not your office had no windows. It was drab and bland.

The one joy you got was when Commander Cody brought you mission reports every day. He always brought a smile to your face.

However today he hadn’t come to see you. You were just thinking that perhaps he was too busy or out on a mission.

It was close to the night when you heard a knock at your door. Cody walked into your office and made sure no one was following him before he closed the door. Which caused you feel a little alarmed.

“Do you not have a mission report commander?”

“No. I.. I came to ask you something”

“Of course Commander”

He sighed deeply and looked into your eyes

“You used to call me Cody.. when we were in the Republic.”

“Well.. once the empire took over you changed.. We were asked to cal you by rank. I just didn’t want to make you angry”

His face fell at your reaction. Why would he be angry at you? Perhaps he did things he couldn’t remember..

“For anything that happened.. that I did to you I’m so very sorry”

He walked over to your seat behind your desk. He crouched in front of you and put his hands around yours.

“I never stopped loving you Mesh’la. I couldn’t help the things I did.. but In the back of my head the two things I remember.. what I did to General Kenobi and my love for you.”

“Oh Cody.. please don’t cry”

His eyes were about to burst. Too many memories flooded back.

“Cyare I’m leaving. I’m getting away from the empire..”

You looked at him in shock. How would he be able to do that?

“Please.. please come with me..”

His hands cupped your faces. How could you say no.. you would go anywhere with him.

“I will. I will Cody but what will we do”

“We will find help.. Gregor escaped mine we could find him?”

“Your too optimistic for your own good”

You both share a small chuckle.

“Well. Let’s do it. I’m with you Cody”

He nodded and pulled you out of your chair and out of your office. There was already a small shuttle on one of the docking bays.

“You had this planned for a while”

“I have.. if I left without you I oeuvre come back to find you later.. but I can’t stay here anymore cyare”

“I’ll always go with you cody”

You take his hand and you walk onto the shuttle and leave the planet to find a safe space to lay low for a while.

~_~_~_~

You had both finally found Gregor.. and some other old friends.

“Rex?”

“It’s been a long time Cody. You too”

Rex looked at you and smiled

“Now. How about we get this chip removed. I’ll call the Bad Batch”

“They survived?”

“Yes. Come on we will talk more on the way”

Rex urged your both onto the ship. Cody took your hand in his and smiled down at you. This was a new beginning.. and you couldn’t wait for this new life with Cody.

Aaahhh! So happy we were able to virtually meet :)

Excited to get to know you more and have fun with the fandom 💕💕

Thank you guys for 100 followers!!!!

Not my usual Echo content but 🫣🥴🤒

*blushes profusely* I will rewatch the whole Twilight Saga just for you, sir