Archive of Our Own

Fives isn’t going to lie. He’s anxious for Rex and Jesse to get back with the Bad Batch. After Kix and Cody had returned, the latter wounded and in desperate need of medical attention, he found himself unable to be of much help anywhere. Keeping his mind off of his vode was proving to be incredibly difficult.

Eventually, Fives just starts pacing. He paces the length of the landing strip, avoiding the ships that take off and land periodically.

And honestly, this is just ridiculous. He’s an ARC, same as Jesse and Rex! He shouldn’t be so worried about a mission. Just because Cody got hurt-

Cody is ARC, too, Fives can’t help but remind himself. Cody is just as tough and well-trained as the rest of them. Anything can happen.

ARCs are not immune to things going wrong.

Fives shakes that thought out of his head before it can go any further.

“Fives,” a voice says behind him.

To most civilians, their voices don’t sound any different between them all. But not to Fives. Not to any of the vode. The differences aren’t major, but they are there.

Something loosens in his chest.

When he turns, Tup is standing there. He’s in his armor minus his helmet, clearly having just come off the front lines. He’s in need of a shower, and his hair is falling out of its bun, but he’s beautiful. The way his eyes shine tells him they were lucky last night. They didn’t lose many men, and at this stage of the war, that’s a miracle all its own.

Fives smiles, relief flooding him just to see his boyfriend standing there and looking completely unhurt.

“Hey, cyare,” he greets him, and moves forward to embrace Tup. Tup lets out a content sigh and clings to Fives for a couple seconds.

Then he pulls back again and finds Fives’ eyes.

“Cody sent me out to find you,” he says. “Rex called in not long ago. They’re on their way back.”

Fives nods and presses a quick, chaste kiss to Tup’s lips.

“Thank you, love. Am I needed somewhere?”

Tup shakes his head.

“Only in bed with me so we can both take a nap.”

That draws a surprised little laugh from Fives. It lights up Tup’s expression, and Fives thinks he wouldn’t give that up for the world.

“Yeah?” he teases. “Is that medic’s orders?”

Tup grins that teasing little smile he’s grown into since joining the 501st.

“Boyfriend’s orders.”

“Oh, well, if that’s the case, I have no choice but to comply.”

Tup kisses him again, then extracts himself from Fives’ hold. He takes his boyfriend’s hand, linking their fingers together and gently pulling him along at his side toward the barracks they share with the majority of Torrent Company.

“No,” Tup agrees. “You don’t.”

*

It’s easier to rest when he knows the others are safe. It’s so much easier to curl up with Tup in their shared bunk, Dogma breathing softly in his bed above them, when Fives knows Rex and Jesse are coming back to them safely. When he knows that the weird, off-color brothers who call themselves the Bad Batch haven’t gotten them injured or worse.

Fives doesn’t have anything against the Bad Batch. But he also knows nothing about them, except for the fact that they’re different. They’re different and strange and allowed to be. To most brothers, different meant decommissioning. Not fitting the norm meant the end, if the Kaminoans heard about it.

Fives resents the little bit of bitterness that lives somewhere deep in his heart, but it’s there nonetheless.

Instead of dwelling on it, he pulls Tup closer and closes his eyes. It should be a little bit before Rex gets back with Jesse and the others. There should be plenty of time for a nap between now and then.

It’s easier to sleep when he knows his brothers are coming home.

*

Chirp chirp.

Chirp chirp.

Fives jerks easily from sleep. It’s an ingrained response for most troopers, waking at the slightest provocation. Unless, of course, you were Jesse. Even after ARC training (especially after ARC training), he sleeps like the dead and somehow only Kix is able to wake him up with just a touch and a single word. It’s a good thing he also operates on a very set, rigid internal clock. Otherwise, he’d never be awake on time for his shifts.

Fives sits up, leaving the warm cocoon that is his bed, full of blankets and Tup.

His comlink chirps insistently at him from his gauntlet, left on the floor next to the bed.

He picks it up, and accepts the call.

“This is Fives,” he says into it, trying hard not to sound too groggy.

It’s Rex’s voice that answers.

“Hey, where are you right now?”

Fives rubs at one eye, casting his gaze around the dark barracks. There aren’t many brothers around, but those who are are sleeping.

“The barracks,” he answers. “Do you need me somewhere?”

”I’ll meet you there,” Rex tells him, sounding slightly out of breath. ”I need to talk to you. Alone.”

Fives’ eyes are drawn down to Tup. He wishes he was surprised to find him awake and staring up at him. His eyes are wide and nearly black in the dark of the barracks, his expression totally innocent and neutral.

Fives gives him an apologetic look.

“Of course,” he responds. He pushes himself from the bed and ignores the pang of loss in his chest when the blanket falls away. Tup’s hand reaches out and squeezes Fives’ fingers for just a second before he lets go.

”I’ll be there in two,” Rex says. ”Over and out.”

Fives dresses quickly, fixing his white and blue armor in place. As fast as he can be, born of need and endless repetition, Rex still appears in the barracks just before Fives can finish. The brief shock of outside light has several brothers groaning and turning over, but otherwise, the room stays still.

Rex looks a bit of a mess, if Fives is completely honest.

“Captain,” Fives greets, going for formality when they’re well past the need for it now. Rex doesn’t even acknowledge the greeting as he approaches.

“I need you on a mission,” he says without preamble.

Fives frowns.

It wasn’t odd for him to be sent on missions on short notice. It was part of being ARC. They were connected to certain contingents, be it a battalion, regiment, legion or otherwise, but they tended to work independently from them. Fives has had plenty of solo and partner missions in his time as an ARC trooper.

So this isn’t out of the ordinary.

What is out of the ordinary is the freaked-out look in Rex’s eyes. Even in the dark, Fives can see it plain as day.

They may have come back safely, but that doesn’t mean something didn’t happen. And clearly, something happened.

“What’s the mission?” Fives asks, in lieu of everything else buzzing around in his head.

“I’ll tell you on the way to the briefing, but I need you to agree first. You’re the only person I trust to bring with us on this one, Fives. I need you.”

Fives resists the urge to look at Tup again. He’s not asking for permission, but he knows almost better than anyone that if he doesn’t look now, he might not see him again once he leaves.

He doesn’t; just keeps his eyes on Rex.

As if there was any way he’d say no.

“I’m with you, Rex,” he assures. “No matter what.”

Rex nods once, then turns to lead them both out of the barracks.

Fives spares a last look down at his boyfriend. Tup looks back. Fives is glad for the darkness that obscures whatever expression lies in those galaxy-wide eyes.

He sends a prayer to the Force that he comes back.

*

Fives isn’t quite sure how he feels about the Bad Batch. As a group, they’re batshit insane. Individually… well, they’re somehow worse.

They’re all a bit much. Nearly polar opposites of each other. It almost reminds him of Tup and Dogma, but even they’re more similar than any one of this squad’s members are.

What’s truly strange is being surrounded by vaguely unfamiliar faces. Hunter would be the most familiar if not for his tattoo, and after him is Wrecker. Half his face is marred by a blast scar and one of his eyes must be a prosthesis because the iris and pupil are white like Commander Wolffe’s.

Tech and Crosshair look nothing like clones, though, and Fives isn’t sure what to do with that. He’s so used to brothers sharing the same basic face structure, that they look odd to Fives’ eyes; much the way that the human Jedi look odd. It’s not weird, just different, and it’s off-putting sometimes.

But all of that falls away in the face of what’s staring Fives’ down on the other side of the room.

It seems to be some form of a cryostasis pod, several feet in the air above a complex looking console. It doesn’t matter though, because that’s where the signal is coming from. Tech rushes forward and gets to work, doing what he clearly does best. And in less than a few minutes, the pod opens.

Freezing, fogged air bursts out, and a body falls forward. It hangs there a moment, kept up by wires connected to ports stuck into pale, ashy skin. Ice crystals cover the person from head to toe - not that they have toes anymore. Their legs stop just above the knee and have been replaced by mechanical prostheses.

Fives is irrationally terrified to look at the person’s face, so he fixates briefly on the fact that their right arm is missing, too. From shoulder to just below their elbow, it’s a normal, flesh and bone arm. The skin is thin and pulled taught across nonexistent muscle. They have no hand. The attachment that finishes off the stump is a metal probe, similar to one of the attachments on an R2 unit.

Rex had moved past Fives without him noticing, and was there to catch the person in his arms when Tech got him disconnected from the wires. Or, most of the wires. He’s working on the ones still connected to the ports in the man’s head - Ka’ra, his head.

“Fives,” Rex calls him.

Fives swallows. He stumbles forward and falls to his knees hard at his captain’s side. For two very long seconds, he can’t look at the man’s face.

Then he looks, sucking in a deep breath as he does so, and-

He chokes. Every ounce of air in his lungs squeezes out of him as if Wrecker had just punched him across a planet.

Fives would recognize a brother’s face anywhere, probably no matter what might have been done to them. He grew up seeing his own face mirrored on almost everyone around him. They all looked identical until they didn’t. Making different facial expressions, finding their own personalities, figuring out their likes and dislikes. Growing their hair out or cutting it shorter, growing facial hair or staying clean shaven. Getting tattoos. But beneath all of that, they had the same face, even if they looked different.

And this isn’t just any brother.

This is Echo, and Fives knows it. He knows it in his head, and in his gut. He can feel it in his heart, his very soul. His ka’rta.

He’s not sure what sound exactly comes out of him, but it’s sharp and relieved and grief-filled all at once.

“Echo,” he sobs. Rex lets him pull his riduur into his arms, holding him. He’s careful of the metal- thing that’s attached all the way down Echo’s spine, and he’s painfully aware of how thin Echo is, but he holds him as tightly as he dares.

Echo mumbles things, his eyes only partially open and rolled into the back of his head. They flicker this way and that as whatever he’s plugged into keeps him captive until Tech finally tells them it’s safe to remove the last wires.

Fives works with Rex to pull them out, having to use more force than was probably recommended.

“Echo?” Rex says, placing a single, calming hand on the man’s thin bicep.

There’s a groan, stronger and more present than the mumbling had been.

Then-

“Rex?” Echo tries to shift, but isn’t able to get far or move much. (That’s partially Fives’ fault.)

A relieved smile brightens Rex’s face.

“Fives?”

The world blurs. Fives feels himself begin to tremble. He tightens his hold on Echo as gently as he can. Tears slip down his cheeks, and once the first falls, it’s like they just won’t stop coming.

He can’t speak. He just holds Echo and cries until there’s no more time to do so.

They have to move.

Echo’s trying to push himself more than he should, and it kills Fives inside to watch him try and walk when his ribs are so very prominent under his skin. His stomach caves in, and the sight of it makes Fives sick with the need to rip Wat Tambor to shreds.

But Echo’s the one who knows how to get out of this place. He has to direct them.

Fives will be damned if he allows Echo to walk, though. So he carries his riduur like a too-light, living backpack, and follows Echo’s soft but sure directions as they’re spoken near his ear.

Fives would say he’s surprised by Echo’s lack of… complaining. He wishes he was surprised by it. He would almost prefer for Echo to be on the verge of collapse or passing out or breaking down, but he’s not. He’s pumped full of adrenaline, and so are the rest of them, so they keep going and Fives bites down on the instinct to baby Echo.

Echo’s an ARC, after all. They trained to and and past their limits, sometimes for situations almost like this.

Fives ignores the way his chest aches, and the looks Rex shoots him from the corner of his eye. He pushes forward anyway. It’s what ARCs do.

*

Kix takes Echo from Fives the minute after they land. The medical team (called in ahead of time to be ready for their arrival) hardly even waited for Fives to get down the ship’s stairs before he found himself without his husband.

His husband.

Force, his husband’s alive and he- He’s been alone and helpless and hurt.

Fives hadn’t ever even considered the idea that Echo had made it. Not really. The idea lived as one of his deepest wishes, one of his wildest dreams. Logically, though, it was impossible. Echo shouldn’t be alive. He shouldn’t have survived, and the fact that he did is horrifying. Fives can’t imagine the pain his husband has lived with since then. He can’t imagine the torture and punishment that’s been thrown at him.

Fives watches Kix and his team take Echo away, quick and efficient as they always are.

They left him to that fate. Their brother - his husband - was left to suffer at the hands of the Separatists and the Techno Union. Echo was caught in an explosion and there’s no telling how long he spent in the burning wreckage of that ship, alive and gravely injured, before anyone found him.

Suddenly his view of Echo is blocked, and he can’t figure out why for a couple long seconds. Then he realizes Rex is kneeling in front of him, and Fives is on his knees on the ground. When had he fallen? There are tears on his face, making his vision swim.

“-ives, Fives,” Rex says to him, and Fives can only kind of hear him. “You’ve got to breathe, vod, come on.”

And- oh. Fives’ chest is aching, burning. His lungs are screaming.

The realization shocks him out of the stupor that seemed to have overtaken him. He stutters in a breath and sobs it back out. The air is a relief, but he’s still thinking of Echo, breathing in smoke and ash and flame and-

“Breathe with me, Fives,” Rex commands him. Fives knows better than to disobey an order when Rex talks like that. “I’ll count. In, two, three, four-”

Fives breathes in.

“Hold, two, three, four, five, six, seven-”

Fives holds the breath.

“Out, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.”

Fives breathes out.

“Again. Two, three, four-”

Breathe in.

“Hold, two, three, four, five, six, seven-”

Hold it.

“Out, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.”

Breathe out.

In.

Hold.

Out.

It’s simultaneously the easiest and hardest thing he’s ever done.

Rex sits with him and counts until Fives is breathing fine on his own; until he doesn’t need to be told when to take in breath and when to let it out. Fives doesn’t know how long it takes, or how long they sit there. But it’s familiar. They’ve both done this before - for each other and for their brothers.

Some days Tup just can’t catch his breath, and some nights Dogma forgets how to breathe at all after a nightmare. After Kadavo, Rex had been different, and Fives sat with him to count just like this.

Rex counted for him after the Citadel.

When the tears have stopped, and Fives can breathe all on his own, he’s guided from the landing strip. They all need a shower and a nap before going to debrief with the generals. Rex stays with him, even though his bunk isn’t in the same barracks as Fives’. They shower, grab a couple ration bars and eat them, then Rex drops Fives at his bunk.

There’s no one else in the barracks right now, so it’s just Fives, and he can see how that registers in his captain’s eyes, too.

“I’m fine, Rex,” he assures and places a hand on the blond’s arm.

Rex doesn’t question him outright, but Fives can see the hesitation in his face. Fives appreciates the care, but he’s honestly exhausted. He just wants to fall into bed and sleep for a bit while they can, and Rex should do the same.

“I swear,” Fives promises. “Go rest. I’ll see you at the debrief later.”

Rex nods silently, and claps Fives on the shoulder.

“Get some rest, Fives.”

Then he’s gone and it’s just Fives, alone in the barracks.

He lays down and despite all the thoughts racing through his brain, he’s asleep hardly before his head hits the pillow.

*

Tup hears about Fives’ return from Dogma, who heard it from Jesse, who’d been with Kix when they got the call that they’d need a med team when they finally returned. There’s an ARC in the medical center, taking up the attention of every spare medic they have.

Tup’s heart is beating nearly out of his chest.

No, he begs whoever will listen. Please, please don’t let it be Fives.

He’s technically on duty, working a shift with his squad, but no one questions when he drops everything to run after Dogma. Dogma’s leading him to Rex, or possibly medical where he can maybe get some answers. He’s not sure. All he knows is that he needs to know Fives is okay.

They come up to the officers’ barracks. Tup hesitates less than a second, then knocks and waits hopefully for their captain to appear. Dogma stands dutifully just behind him.

Tup can’t stand still. Jitters work their way through his body until he’s nearly bouncing in place, shifting from foot to foot.

Then, finally, the door opens.

Rex stands there, looking awake but as if he’s been pulled from bed. The guilt that he feels for disturbing their ori’vod’s sleep is nothing in comparison to the worry over his boyfriend’s fate.

“Fives?” Tup asks without greeting. “Is he okay? We heard that an ARC-”

Rex sighs.

“Hush,” he says. His voice is gentle and calming in a way no one would likely ever expect from the man. “Fives is fine. But we haven’t even debriefed with the generals yet, so we can’t talk about it. That’s all I can tell you.”

Tup swallows his anxiety. That’s not much to work off of, but at least he knows Rex would never lie to him.

“Where is he?” he asks.

“In your barracks, sleeping.”

“Thank you!” Tup calls, turning on a dime and sprinting away. He leaves Dogma in his wake, who likely now has to answer to their captain, but he doesn’t care much. He’ll make it up to his brother later.

Their own barracks aren’t far, since they also house the 501st’s ARCs. COs and ARCs stayed near each other as often as possible for obvious command-related reasons.

There’s only one person in the barracks, and he’s in the bed Tup shares with Fives. He nearly cries in relief.

The sound of the door stirs Fives from his sleep, which Tup is sorry about. But at least their bunk is far enough back that the light doesn’t reach him much, so it doesn’t add to the issue. Tup creeps forward, quick but quiet, hoping his boyfriend will fall back asleep.

He doesn’t.

“Tup?” Fives asks, rolled partially on his back to face the room.

Tup smiles past the sudden tightness in his throat and crouches beside their bunk.

“Hi,” he says.

He can’t see his boyfriend’s face well in the dark, but something about him seems off. His expression pinches in a way it shouldn’t and hasn’t in a long time. Fives tries to smile at him and it looks sad and forced.

Something went wrong.

And of course, Tup can’t ask.

He sucks in a breath just to let it out, and act as calm as he can.

“I just wanted to see you,” he whispers. “Heard a rumor you’d been taken to medical, and that it was bad…”

Fives shakes his head.

“No, not me,” he tells him.

Tup wonders what the real story is. The comm was real, but what ARC had supposedly been taken to medical? None of the Bad Batch were ARC as far as Tup had heard, and it wasn’t Rex. He wonders if it was a detail that got fabricated along the way, though it would have had to originate with Jesse or Dogma, and they were pretty reliable sources of information.

He nods.

“Good,” Tup tells him. “Just needed to make sure you’re alright.”

Fives’ smile wobbles, and it’s visible even in the dark.

It’s a little scary.

“Are you busy?” Fives asks.

Tup nods again. “Yeah, I have my shift to finish.”

“Okay. I need to talk to you after dinner,” his boyfriend says. His voice is serious and almost firm. Resolute in a way his expression is not.

Tup agrees and presses a kiss to Fives’ forehead.

“I’ll see you then,” he says. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Tup wonders, as he walks away, if he actually heard the catch in Fives’ voice as he spoke, or if he was just imagining it.

*

Fives doesn’t go back to sleep. He can’t.

He lays there in the dark, staring up at Dogma’s bunk, and warring with himself.

Echo’s not dead. He’s alive, and Fives had never thought that would be possible. It’s a dream come true, even if he is incredibly weak and injured. Fives loves him and he can’t believe he has this chance.

But…

He loves Tup.

Tup is sweet and kind. He’s funny and so capable. He’s grown into his own confidence from the jumpy shiny he had been, and kriff, if that’s not attractive. Not to mention that he’s adorable. He’s cute with the way he has a dimple in one cheek that their brothers don’t. He’s lovely with his hair that he’s grown out and keeps long just because he likes it that way. His eyes do this thing and it makes Fives melt.

Fives loves Tup.

And he loves Echo.

Hell, he married Echo, all those years ago.

Now he was dating Tup, and Echo wasn’t dead, and Fives had no idea what he was going to do.

He couldn’t choose between them, because that’s just not fair. They’re not objects, they’re people, and they deserve that respect from Fives. He wouldn’t just pick and choose between them like a youngling would toys.

But-

A decision had to be made. Leaving the three of them in limbo would just be cruel.

He loved them both, and his love for either one wasn’t lesser or greater than it was for the other. It might be different, the love he felt for each, but that’s because they’re different people. Echo isn’t Tup and Tup isn’t Echo. Fives can’t love them the same way.

He doesn’t know what he’s going to do.

But he does know he at least has to tell them both.

*

Tup eats dinner at Fives’ side, trying his best to act as casual as they always were. Fives is tense, and Tup thinks that if he was Force sensitive, he’d be able to feel his boyfriend’s anxiety rolling off him in waves. But he’s not, and for that, he’s grateful.

So he eats dinner, chats with Dogma and Jesse, and bumps his shoulder with Fives’ ever so often - if only to remind him that he’s not alone.

Tup’s schedule is clear after they’ve cleaned up from dinner, and Fives isn’t expected anywhere. They go off on their own, sitting in the waning light of Anaxes’ sunset. They’ve picked a spot on the landing strip where no one else is; at least for now. They’re out of the way and not causing any of the pilots or mechanics issues as they go about their work.

Tup sits at Fives’ side, swinging his legs as they dangle over the edge of the duracrete. He keeps his hands clasped loosely in his lap and stares out across the world.

It’s pretty, and he thinks it would be nice in any other circumstance. If it wasn’t for the Separatists trying and succeeding to kill them.

Tup carefully maneuvers away from that thought.

Fives doesn’t say anything for a while. Tup’s not sure what to say either, so he waits.

It’s quiet, and could be peaceful. Tup wonders what real peace is like. He wonders sometimes if he’d be able to live in peace. He’s not sure he would know what to do with himself if he had every day to fill with just whatever he wanted.

“Tup,” Fives finally starts.

Tup looks at him. Fives is handsome in the sunlight. It washes him in golden light that makes his skin seem even darker and richer than it usually is. Tup figures he looks the same right about then, but that doesn’t matter much. Not when it’s Fives’ eyes that have caught Tup’s attention. They shine with a reddish, amber hue when the sun hits them like this. Tup finds he loves that color. It’s warm and comforting, and makes Tup think Fives could have anyone in the galaxy if he wanted.

Tup’s glad he wants him.

But there’s something else there in those sunlit eyes. Something apprehensive and scared. A look that betrays some kind of hurt and uncertainty that Tup doesn’t think he’s ever seen before.

His stomach clenches. He doesn’t know what could make a person feel like that, but he’s positive he doesn’t ever want to experience it.

“Fives?” Tup prompts when the older man doesn’t continue.

Fives swallows and fidgets, not quite meeting Tup’s eyes yet.

“I wanted to tell you before you heard it from anyone else. We’re keeping it under wraps for right now so that people don’t freak out- I mean, well, it’s for a lot of reasons, not just that. It’s also to make sure not to overwhelm him, and-”

Tup’s eyebrows furrow as he frowns in confusion.

“Who?” he asks.

Fives bites his lip hard. Tears appear in his eyes.

Tup is getting very scared.

When Fives speaks again, his voice is quiet and wobbly. His breath is just this side of unsteady, and he looks down to his right forearm, where he smooths his thumb over the familiar, dinged up plastoid-alloy vambrace.

“Echo’s alive,” he says.

Tup’s heart stops.

Echo? As in, the Echo? Fives’ dead husband, Echo?

“How?” he asks, dumbfounded and shocked and several other things Tup can’t even name.

Fives is already shaking his head.

“I don’t know,” he admits. He reaches up and scrubs a hand across his face, scratching at his goatee for something to do. “The Techno Union had him. That’s how they’ve been able to outsmart all of Rex’s tactics. Because they’re strategies that he and Echo came up with together. They were using him, and-”

Fives chokes. He covers the sob that escapes him with a hand over his mouth. It breaks Tup’s heart.

He starts to reach for Fives’ hand, then hesitates and averts his eyes. It’s the first time in so long that he’s been unsure within their relationship. Tup has no idea if Fives wants his comfort right now. He doesn’t know what his boyfriend needs-

His boyfriend.

Ka’ra, his boyfriend is married, and his dead partner isn’t dead. He’s alive and they have him back.

Tup’s suddenly very aware of where this conversation must be leading.

His entire being seems to shift and crack right down the middle without warning.

He breathes through it though, and pretends nothing is wrong. He’s not the one who should be hurting. Fives is the one Tup has to focus on, and Echo has it worse than either of them. Tup is fine. He would be fine.

“He’s gonna be alright, Fives,” Tup assures quietly. He tries for a gentle smile, and hopes it doesn’t come off too sad. This isn’t about him right now. “You’ve told me before how strong he is. He’ll be okay.”

Fives nods, the motion jerky.

“I know,” he says. “It’s just- we left him, Tup. He was hurt and we left him there…”

Tears slip down Fives’ cheeks.

Screw it, Tup thinks to himself. He fits himself into Fives’ side and hugs him fiercely. Doesn’t matter if we’re only friends after this. He’s still my friend and I still love him.

Tup would not let his friend sit there and cry without getting some comfort.

Even if it felt like tearing out his own heart.

“He’ll be okay…”

*

Kix nearly squawks when Echo asks when he can leave the medical center.

“You can hardly stand under your own power, Echo!” Kix eclaims. “Aside from the physical therapy you’re going to sorely need, you’re not leaving that bed except to shower.”

Echo stares at Kix, deadpan.

“Do I get to use the ‘fresher at least?” he asks. “Because a bed pan seems a little undignified, thanks.”

Kix glares at him.

“Yes, you can use the kriffing ‘fresher,” he concedes, clearly irritated.

Echo smiles cheekily at him.

“Thanks.”

Kix rolls his eyes and grumbles.

“Were you always like this? Because if so, I don’t know how your medic put up with you…”

Rex chooses that moment to walk into the room, looking better for having gotten some rest and food. Echo envies him that.

“No, actually,” Rex answers. “He wasn’t. This seems to be new.”

Echo scrunches his nose at his friend teasingly.

“Forgive me if I’m not thrilled to be confined to a small space at the moment.”

The joke does not have the intended effect. Kix frowns down at his datapad. Rex’s expression closes off, his eyes going dark. Frown lines appear around his mouth, and Echo doesn’t like that one bit.

He clears his throat, wincing at the sharp pain that brings. He needs water. There’s a pouch of it on the table next to him, and he reaches for it before realizing his mistake.

Oh… That’s right. He doesn’t have a right hand anymore.

He brings his arm and the- the probe back to his lap and keeps them there, steadfastly determined to ignore the missing limb. He’ll get the water in a minute when Rex and Kix’s attention has been turned elsewhere.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen.

Rex comes closer, and grabs the pouch from the table. He hands it to Echo easily, but that same closed off look still lives in his eyes.

“Thank you,” Echo mumbles, and sips at the water.

It’s the best thing he’s tasted in a long time.

He sits there, propped up by pillows and the slightly inclined medical bed, and waits for something to happen. He’s not sure what to do now, or what to say. Time has passed, but he’s not sure how long it’s been since the citadel. A lot has happened, that at least he knows for sure.

Echo watches from the corner of his eye the way Rex draws himself up straighter and turns to Kix.

“Okay, so?” he prompts the medic. “What now?”

Kix sighs, scrolling through screens Echo can’t see on his datapad.

“Uh… Well, first things first-” He makes eye contact with Echo. “We need to get you up to a decent weight.”

Echo nods and tries not to shift uncomfortably. He’s thankful for the shirt that hangs loosely on his frame, obscuring the way his stomach caves inwards painfully. The thin blanket is also helpful.

“Weight gain, a proper diet, and physical therapy are first on the list. Of course, PT can only go so far, though,” Kix admits.

Rex frowns. “How come?”

Kix makes a face, thinking.

“Well, we’ve taken a look at the prostheses, and they’re functioning, but they’re heavy. And according to General Skywalker, not well designed.”

“So, they’ll need to be replaced.”

Kix nods. “For sure. Not to mention all the other things we need to remove. They’ll hinder your progress, and might even kill you in the long run.”

Echo nods along. Honestly, he’s fine with that. His legs are heavy. Maybe a bit too heavy to walk comfortably. And if he’s getting replacements, he can have a right hand, and uh… That would be nice. He’s right handed, after all. And getting the wires and ports and everything else out of his skin would be great. His chest itches and he can’t reach it for all the metal in the way.

“But,” Kix continues, “we have some time before that can happen. You need to be in better physical shape before we can consider surgery. It’s all in the baby steps.”

Baby steps right now meant getting him to eat. He was allowed to have the simplest, blandest thing they had. Ration bars didn’t count, apparently. Strangely enough, they’re too calorie rich for his stomach to tolerate, so at least he doesn’t have to eat those. Except he thinks the taste of cardboard would be better than the nearly liquid diet he gets put on.

Eventually, it occurs to him that no one had ever mentioned the idea of sending him away. As far as Echo’s heard, there are no plans to send him to Kamino for recovery or otherwise.

Not that he would want to go. With the shape he’s in, he’s more likely to be decommissioned than helped.

Voicing these thoughts to Rex was how he found out about the chips.

Fives, with the help of a younger trooper named Tup, found out about a conspiracy run by the Kaminoans and the Chancellor of the Republic himself. The clones were supposedly bred to be more obedient and less volatile than Jango was, and one of the ways they did this was with an inhibitor chip. Except that was a cover-up for what the chips actually did.

Fives took what he knew to Generals Kenobi and Skywalker, and with their help, the majority of the army has since been de-chipped without Kamino’s knowledge. The Chancellor also doesn’t know about it as far as they can tell, and the Jedi seem to be keeping a closer eye on him.

So apparently most of the well-known battalions and legions went out of their way to not send anyone back to Kamino if they could help it.

Echo was almost horrified.

“We actually ran a scan on your brain when you came in, looking for your chip. Nothing came up, so we think the Techno Union must have removed it or destroyed it in the process of… everything else,” Kix told him.

Well, at least the Techno Union did something helpful, Echo thinks to himself.

Echo quickly finds out that recovery is boring.

He’s not allowed to do much at all, and more often than not, he’s not alone either. It’s not that he wants to be, exactly, but having time without other people there is nice. He especially doesn’t like the looks his brothers send him as they sit and talk or just exist together in the same room. Sometimes, Kix and the other medics let him spend time out in the main area of the med center, but he realizes soon afterwards that that is also just another way to keep an eye on him.

He’s only been on Anaxes a day, and he loves his brothers a lot, but he wants some time away from them.

Except…

There is one person he would like to see.

Fives hasn’t been around yet. Rex says he’s busy with shifts, Kix tells him he’s been sent to the front lines for now. Another vod he meets, Jesse, just tells him he’s running around doing whatever’s needed, the way the ARCs have been for days now.

The stories aren’t contradictory, but aren’t they though? Just a little bit?

He’s not sure who he believes or what’s going on. But he’s starting to come to a conclusion that makes his stomach flip uncomfortably.

Echo tries to push that idea away. No, no. He knows how life can be, especially when on an active warzone planet. Fives has a lot of responsibilities. Brothers to look out for, maybe a squad or two to lead. ARC-specific roles he has to play. There could be any number of things keeping him away, really. It doesn’t have anything to do with Echo-

But that would make sense, too. He’s- well… He’s gross. Painful to look at. Kix has a good sabacc face when he examines Echo or helps him change or walk around, but that comes with being a medic. Kix has probably seen a million things as bad or worse than Echo.

Fives, though. Fives has a picture in his head of what Echo looks like, of what he should be. That picture and the reality don’t add up. Echo’s skin, while already regaining some of the naturally tanned color most brothers shared, is sickly and ashen - almost pale. He’s dangerously underweight and weak enough he can hardly move his own legs. (Admittedly, those legs are heavy and don’t respond as well as they should, which adds to the problem.)

His hair is missing and his eyes are dull. He has a probe for a hand for kriff’s sake.

Echo wouldn’t want to see himself either.

But he would like to see his husband…

*

Fives isn’t avoiding the medical center. Actually, he’s hardly even had time to think about the medical center all day. First, he got scheduled for an early shift, and truly, he would like to have a conversation with whoever decided that. Then he was pulled from his shift to lead a group of not-quite-shinies out on the front lines. The company’s captain had died, and there hadn’t been anyone to take his place. Fives was the most qualified and mostly available, so he was chosen for the job.

Every second he spent out there with the men, his vod’ike who weren’t quite old enough to be out there yet, Echo was in his head. He had to get as many brothers back safely, but he also had to make sure he got himself back, at least mostly unharmed. Or, not dying, anyway. He hadn’t seen Echo since he’d come out of his long, stress-induced sleep.

A quick update from Rex earlier that morning told him that Echo wasn’t on full lockdown, but Kix was closely monitoring his situation.

That had been a relief.

Rex said that as soon as he was free, he could be there to see him.

Fives is looking forward to it. And dreading it.

Or, he was looking forward to it. Until, that is, the day just kept dragging on and he kept getting different assignments.

When his company was pulled off the frontlines, he should have been clear to return to his shift. The shift was nearly over and then he would be off and could head over to the medical center.

That didn’t happen. He got back, and was immediately pulled aside by the generals, who were working with Rex to figure out new strategies that the Separatists didn’t know. After that, Skywalker wanted to talk to him about the potential for new prostheses for Echo, once he’s strong enough to undergo a surgery for that.

At first, he’d been surprised. He didn’t think Echo was anywhere near strong enough to go through any surgeries, even minor ones, but the general assured him it was just to get a headstart on the issue. So Fives helped with that, trying to remember where exactly it was on Echo’s arm and legs where the replacement limbs started. Skywalker took some preliminary measurements of Fives, given that clones were all generally the same size, so that he could start working on basic designs.

Apparently, the Jedi had decided to take it upon himself to create these new limbs for Echo.

It warmed something in Fives’ chest.

By the time they finished, Fives was late to dinner. He ate, sitting dutifully by Tup’s side. No one spoke much. Kix wasn’t around and Jesse was oddly quiet. Tup kept his eyes down and his head bowed slightly.

Fives grabbed his hand briefly, and gave his boyfriend a reassuring squeeze to his fingers. He didn’t know what was up, but he was there for Tup if he wanted to talk about it.

Once they finished, he pecked Tup on the cheek, promised he’d see him later before lights out, then went off towards the medical center.

Where he is intercepted by Hunter.

After their trip to Skako Minor, and getting to work with the Bad Batch, Fives has a newfound respect for the small group of off-color brothers. They work well together, and once Fives got used to how different they were on a fundamental level, he found he actually kinda likes them. That petty bitterness still lives somewhere tucked away in his chest, but it’s not as pronounced. And he’s learning that they didn’t have it as easy as some would think they did.

The Bad Batch had gone through their own share of troubles, same as the rest of the vode.

“Fives,” Hunter greets him.

Fives swallows down his impatience, wanting to just go see Echo and see how he’s doing, and smiles at the sergeant.

“Hunter,” he replies. “Something I can do for you?”

Why, oh why would he ask that???

Hunter shakes his head.

“Well, I’m not sure yet. But as one of the best ARCs I’ve ever seen, you’re right up there with Cody and Rex.”

Fives’ eyebrows furrow. He can’t quite tell where this is going.

“We can’t really discuss it here, and we need the commander and the captain, too-”

“Hunter,” he says, cutting the man off. He doesn’t mean to interrupt, really. But he has someone he needs to see, and he’s not really sure it can wait any longer.

The sergeant’s mouth closes and he looks at Fives, waiting.

“Listen, I’d love to help with whatever this is, and I’m grateful for the vote of confidence. But I haven’t seen Echo since we got here, and-”

A look of understanding overtakes Hunter’s face.

“Go,” he tells him. “I think he needs you more than I do right now.”

Fives nods, thankful, and hurries off. He has somewhere to be.

By the time he gets there, he thinks it’s a good thing he didn’t promise Echo a specific time to see him, because if he had, he’d have been so late. As it is, he should have been there earlier.

But he’s here now, and he hurries into the medical center. It’s strangely calm in here for once, which Fives thinks must surely be a blessing. He hopes.

Kix’s eyes zero in on him quickly.

“Are you hurt?” he asks. “Or are you here for Echo.”

Fives grins at his friend, mischievous.

“Do I look hurt?” he asks.

Kix makes a contemplative face. “I don’t know… You’ve hidden injuries from me before.”

Fives holds his arms out and does a three sixty, coming to a stop to stare Kix down with an expectant look.

“Well? Do I pass? Can I see my husband now?”

Kix grins, amused.

“Yeah,” he concedes, then jerks his head at one of the doors to the individual rooms. “He’s in room three.”

Fives nods and thanks him. He pauses just before he can touch the door panel.

“Anything I should know?” he asks.

Kix shrugs.

“Eh, not much to tell. We have him on a liquid diet for now. He needs to gain weight, obviously, then at some point he’ll need to start physical therapy. That will include getting his mech limbs replaced, and the additional apparatuses removed if possible. But for all that it’ll take a while, I’m optimistic. He should be mostly fine. Physically, at least.”

That helps Fives breathe a little easier. Echo should be fine. The key word is “should”, but Fives doesn’t want to focus on that right now.

He nods.

“Thanks, Kix.”

“Just get in there, di’kut,” the medic teases. “He’s been waiting for you all day.”

Fives takes a deep breath and taps at the control panel. The door swishes open smoothly, and the sight that greets him takes his breath away again.

*

Echo stares at the ceiling, his head tilted back as far as the metal brace on his spine would allow. Kix had left him in here alone just after the standard dinner time had ended when he’d claimed he was tired. The medic had probably seen straight through him, but Echo couldn’t find it in him to care.

So he sits there, and contemplates the durasteel, wishing-

The door opens.

Echo’s head whips to the door, and it only hurts a little. He prays the flash of pain didn’t show on his face.

Fives stands in the doorway. He’s dressed in his full kit, except for his bucket that’s tucked beneath one arm. His hair is longer than Echo remembers it being, but not by much. His goatee is the same, and his tattoo is unmarred on his temple right where it should be.

Echo’s memories from two days ago (was it two days ago?) are fuzzy and weird. He knows he directed them out of the Techno Union’s base and there was a fight that he may or may not have been a part of, but there’s not much to go on. Fives held him most of the time, but Echo didn’t have a good view of his face. He spent most of his time slumped on his husband’s back, despite the discomfort it caused with the metal thing on his chest and the shape of Fives’ armor.

He’d been nearly unconscious when they arrived on Anaxes, and when he’d woken, he was alone in the medical center.

But now, finally, Fives is here. He’s less than five feet away, looking beautiful and healthy and alive-

Stars, his husband is alive.

That’s almost more than Echo could have ever dreamed of, his own situation be damned.

“Fives,” he says, both in greeting and just for the almost-novelty of saying his husband’s name.

Tears pool and fall from Fives’ eyes with no warning. Fives strides across the room to his bedside, and then Echo’s wrapped up in strong, armored arms. Tears spring to his own eyes as he clutches Fives with his left hand. He leaves his right where it is out of the way by his side.

“Echo,” Fives whispers. A dam seems to break and suddenly his name is falling from Fives’ lips like a prayer. As if it’s the only word he knows.

“Echo, Echo, Echo…”

Echo can’t quite breathe right. It’s not Fives’ fault.

“Fives,” he croaks out, clinging even tighter, if that’s possible.

There are wet tears on the skin of his neck, which is weird because there’s metal there, too. But Fives buries his face there anyway, and pulls back just far enough to nuzzle his nose along Echo’s neck and up to his ear. The movement sends a shiver through Echo’s body, and it hurts, but he wouldn’t tell Fives to stop. The feeling is good, the reaction isn’t.

He ignores it.

The sound of a couple people rushing in startles them out of their embrace.

“What’s wrong?” Kix demands. “Your heart rate is spiking, and pain receptors-”

He cuts himself off, taking in the scene.

Echo wonders if Kix knows they’re married.

“Okay,” the medics sighs. He waves the other medic at his side away, and the man leaves the room. “Forget what I said. I thought it would have gone without saying that you don’t upset my patients while they’re in here.”

Fives splutters for words for a moment before Kix continues, ignoring him.

“You both have to stay calm. Huge spikes in your heart rate aren’t good for you, and I’m not going to have you having a heart attack because of something completely avoidable. Got it?”

Echo nods obediently as Fives does the same.

Kix regards them seriously, then gives a final definitive nod and leaves the room. The door shuts swiftly behind him.

They catch their breath quietly. Fives sits on the edge of Echo’s bed, breathing, then looks to him calmly. There are still tears in his eyes and on his face.

“Hi there,” Echo says with a grin.

Fives huffs a wet laugh that might be a sob.

“Hi,” he returns.

Echo’s not sure what to say next. He goes with the first thing that comes to mind.

“You look good,” he tells Fives. His husband smiles at him.

“Seeing you again is a miracle I’d only hardly ever dreamed of, babydoll.”

Echo’s heart beats hard in his chest.

Oh, that- That’s-

Wow.

Echo knows he’s nothing to look at right now. He knows he looks sickly and gross and terrible. At least the majority of the metal attached to his skin is hidden by the shirt he’s damn near swimming in. The thing on his chest, his replacement arm, most of the structure that might be keeping his spine aligned - all obscured by thick, black fabric.

But Fives looks at him with shining eyes that hold so much joy and relief and love, and Echo can’t help but believe him. At least for now. Even if Fives is exaggerating, Echo will believe him.

Fives reaches up and places a gentle, still-gloved hand on Echo’s cheek. His fingers are gentle as they smooth across his ashen-skin. He leans into the touch that makes his heart stutter a little bit. Fives’ other hand comes up, and he cups both of Echo’s cheeks.

Echo leans forward and meets Fives in the middle, resting their foreheads together in a kov’nyn. They rest there like that, just breathing together, their eyes closed. Echo doesn’t mean to start crying again, but he does, and Fives is right there to wipe away his tears.

Eventually, Fives moves and takes a seat on the medic’s stool by the bed. He puts himself on Echo’s left, so he can hold his hand better, even if it also gives him a better view of his apparatus-covered ear. Echo tries not to be self-conscious about it.

They talk, though Fives does most of it. More has happened with the 501st and everything, even if Echo’s experiences were likely more traumatic.

He learns enough about Kix and Jesse and Dogma and several others, to the point he feels like he knows them well already. He’s only met Kix and Jesse so far, but Fives assures him he’ll get to meet the others, too. There are a few guys left from before the Citadel that they were both close with who are looking forward to seeing Echo, and that’s a comfort, too. He also finds out Commander Tano, and the ordeal that led to her leaving the Jedi and the GAR. Echo’s chest pangs with loss at the knowledge.

Echo tells him more about what Kix has said in terms of his recovery. What will have to happen, when things might be happening. They’ve decided that he may have to undergo some minor surgeries sooner than planned because removing some of the wires and such might be more beneficial to his healing process than it would be to leave them for later.

To his credit, Fives takes all of it in stride.

But once they’ve run out of things to talk about (and Echo’s not sure how they even did that), Fives gets really quiet. He turns his eyes away and stares at the wall as he strokes his thumb absently across Echo’s knuckles. Echo can tell there’s something important he’s thinking of. Something important that he feels he needs to tell Echo, but he’s not sure how to say it. Or if he can.

So Echo squeezes Fives’ hand reassuringly, and tries to catch his eyes.

“Fives?” he prompts. Sometimes it was better to let the man find his words on his own, no matter how long it took. Other times, he could use a gentle nudge or two, and the words would come spilling out.

This time is… different.

Fives takes a breath and looks at Echo. He looks so… torn. Worried. Scared.

Something happened. It sets a nervous energy bubbling in Echo’s gut, like he needs to get up and move.

“What is it?” he asks.

“We, uh… We never…” Fives cuts himself off and swallows. “We never talked about what we would do, if… you know- If one of us died.”

Echo frowns.

“Like…?”

Fives glances away for only a second, then brings his gaze down to his and Echo’s clasped hands.

“Like… if we met someone, and…”

He stares. An invisible hand reaches straight into Echo’s chest and squeezes his heart. He can’t say he hasn’t thought about Fives being with other people, but then, Echo’s not done much thinking in the past year and a half or so.

He wants to be okay with it. He wants to be okay with the knowledge that Fives might have moved on. And truthfully, Echo would prefer for Fives to have moved on. For all intents and purposes, Echo had been dead. His friends and brothers and fellow soldiers had mourned him. Logically, he shouldn’t have come back or been saved. Echo would rather Fives be happy than miserable for the rest of his life.

Though, that didn’t mean the thought didn’t hurt like a bitch.

And Fives wouldn’t have brought it up if he hadn’t found someone.

Echo smiles, trying to play off his hurt and act like nothing’s wrong.

“Who is he?” he asks, gentle and quiet.

Fives looks at him with tears in his eyes.

“His name is Tup,” Fives says, as if he’s still worried about Echo’s reaction.

Echo nods. It’s a cute name. He wonders how he came to have it.

“Do you love him?”

“Yes.”

Echo waits, collecting himself. Fives once promised Echo he’d never love anyone but him. Echo doesn’t bedruge him the broken promise. It was one of those things said in the heat of the moment anyway. A person doesn’t typically choose who they catch feelings for. Hell, he and Fives know that perfectly well. Their last year as cadets on Kamino was full of pining and terrified moments where they could have been caught.

Even so, it still hurts.

He nods to himself, acknowledging what his husband said and giving himself time to think.

“Tell me about him?” he asks, making a decision.

Even if Fives decides he doesn’t want Echo back in that way, or that perhaps his love for him has changed, he’s still going to be there for him. Echo still loves him, and he wants to know who it is that has captured Fives’ heart.

Fives startles and stares at him silently for several long seconds.

“Echo…”

“No, really,” Echo insists. “I’m curious. It’s not just anyone who can catch your attention. So?”

He goes for teasing; a gentle smirk pulling his lips into a grin. Maybe it’s more fond than he intends it to be, and maybe he feels like crying a little bit.

But that’s okay.

He wants to hear about Tup.

And he does. It’s slow going at first, getting Fives to talk about this guy who’s caught his attention. Echo prompts him and asks questions. A small spike of jealousy sticks him in the gut for less than a minute, because the look on Fives’ face is familiar. He used to talk about Echo that way. He would stare at Echo with that expression.

He’s all starry-eyed and helpless at the thought of this man that he adores. It’s cute. Echo can and will admit that he loves to see that look on his husband’s face.

Echo listens to every story Fives has to tell, and takes in every detail he can. He finds out that Tup is a year younger than them, and was sent into the field earlier than they were. He keeps his hair long, and refuses to cut it. He got a tattoo with his batchmate Dogma because Dogma wanted one but didn’t want to be alone when he got it. Tup went through Umbara, which Fives also tells Echo about.

His armor doesn’t have a whole lot of customization, but Tup likes it that way.

He once wore makeup for a whole day, and Fives blushes when he shares that little tidbit.

Fives talks and Echo listens. It’s fascinating, in a way, even if some small part of him hurts. He wouldn’t trade this for the world though, because Fives looks happy.

And once or twice, he catches Fives with that same, starry-eyed look on his face, staring at Echo. Looking at him and seeing him, and Echo’s not sure it’s from talking about Tup.

Surely, Fives isn’t still looking at him like that… Right?

It makes his stomach flutter though, so he’s happy just to see Fives looking like that.

They talk and talk and talk until Echo has to lay himself down in his bed, falling asleep. He wishes Fives could lay with him, and hold him the way that he used to. But the medical cot’s not big enough, and Echo’s acutely aware of all the additions he has now. It makes him ache with want, not being able to hold his husband close.

So he stares up at Fives, happy he’s happy. He may have to give him up, maybe sooner rather than later, but Tup sounds like a sweet person.

“I’d like to meet him,” Echo mumbles. His eyes are heavy and he’s yawning. He blinks hard to stay awake, but it’s hard to open his eyes again.

Echo can hear the smile in Fives’ voice when he responds.

“I’d like you to meet him, too,” Fives whispers.

He feels Fives lean over him and press a soft kiss to his forehead.

“Sweet dreams, babydoll. I’ll visit you tomorrow.”

Echo falls asleep, thinking of long, curly hair and star-filled brown eyes.

*

Anaxes gets very busy very quickly. Rex’s new strategies, with the help of Fives and the generals, work remarkably well, and the droid army finds themselves mostly unable to counter the Republic’s advances. A strike team is assembled, including the Bad Batch, Rex, Fives, Jesse, and the Jedi. They get to Admiral Trench, and finally take him down. Fives is not at all upset about the six blaster bolts he and his brothers put in the Harch.

Their victory is quickly assured, and it leaves the three contingents excited and relieved. They spend two more days on Anaxes, doing clean-up and tending their wounded. It’s easier than it would have been had they not found Echo and wreaked some havoc for the Separatists.

They’re set to move out in the morning, and Fives strangely has nothing to do for an hour before dinner.

A lot of his free time in the past days had been spent with Echo, doing what he can to keep his husband company and listening to the frustrations of recovery. It’s new and slow-going, meaning nothing has happened by now, except that Echo’s already tired of his mostly not-solid diet.

Fives is still sure to spend time with Tup, though. His boyfriend, while not acting differently outright, is different. He’s quieter, meets Fives’ eyes less. At first, Fives had worried something happened on the battlefield. He’d worried Tup was hurt and wasn’t seeing the medics about it. But he wasn’t. Nothing had gone wrong. He was just quiet. A little more reserved than normal.

He’s almost positive that it has something to do with Echo.

They haven’t talked about it. Fives hasn’t figured out what he’s going to do. He doesn’t know what to say.

The biggest thing is that he knows it’s not just his decision. It’s what Echo and Tup want, too. And he hasn’t asked him. It hasn’t come up. They’ve danced around it for days, and Fives is no closer to finding a solution or a decision or knowing what his partners want, either.

Dinner starts in forty minutes, and Fives lays in his bed with Tup tucked up into his side. He plays with his boyfriend’s hair idly, since he’d taken it down the very moment that he could. It’s loose and tangled, needs to be brushed, but Tup’s not worried about that right now, and Fives is happy to get to comb his fingers through it. They snag every so often on a tangle, but it’s easy to pull them out gently and keep going.

They’re not talking. They lay there in the not quite harsh light of the barracks and breath.

“Jesse says Kix is thinking Echo will be allowed to be outside the medbay, soon,” Tup says, quiet as anything. Like he doesn’t want to disturb the almost tentative peace they’re existing in.

And yes, Fives had heard that. Echo would still be staying in the medical bay once they moved back onto the cruiser, but he would be allowed to move around during the day. Not alone, of course, and Echo was unhappy with the suggestion of a hover-chair, but he could get some variety.

“Yeah,” he agrees.

“That’ll be nice,” Tup whispers. His voice is tight.

Fives frowns down at the top of his boyfriend’s head.

“Yes,” he says slowly. “It will be.”

Tup moves slightly, nodding. He repositions his head on Fives’ shoulder, so his face presses into Fives’ neck. Something on Tup’s face is wet.

“I’m happy.” His voice wobbles dangerously. “You’ll be happy with him again.”

Wait.

Kriff-

What?!

“Hang on, Tup-” He sits them up slightly, pushes Tup so he can see his boyfriend’s face. “What are you talking about? What’s going on?”

Tup doesn’ meet his gaze for a second, but when he does, Fives’ stomach sinks straight through the floor. Tup’s eyes are red-rimmed and shiny, there are tears on his cheeks. He plasters on a smile that only barely holds together. Fives can see through the cracks in Tup’s facade as easily as a window.

Tup’s heart is breaking.

He begins speaking before Fives gets a chance.

“I-it’s okay,” he stutters out. “You love him. You said the riduurok together. I-I- I don’t want to be the one to- to keep you f-from-”

The words grind to a halt without Tup’s permission. His mouth moves, but nothing else will come out. So he forces a brighter smile despite the tears streaming and dripping off his chin, and nods.

Oh...

Fives still doesn’t know what they’re going to do, but his heart aches. Aches like it did when he nearly lost Echo on Rishi. Felucia. The Citadel. Aches the way it did when Tup stared him down, crying, just before Rex stopped the execution.

No, he can’t give this man up. He won’t.

“Oh, Tup,” he sighs and pulls the younger man into a tight hug. Tears sting his eyes and wet his own cheeks. Tup quivers and trembles in Fives’ hold, sobbing silently.

“You are not the problem,” Fives says. “You will never be a problem to me.”

“But-”

Fives shifts them and holds Tup’s face in his hands. He catches his boyfriend’s gaze and holds it.

“Of course I love him. But I wouldn’t be happy with him if I left you, because I love you, too. And that would break my heart.”

Tup cries harder, and clings to Fives like he might disappear. They hold one another. Fives shushes him, gentling his fingers through Tup’s hair.

“If you don’t want me, that’s one thing,” Fives admits on a whisper into Tup’s skin. “I’ll understand if you don’t want- this.” He wipes the tears from Tup’s flushed cheek, but all it does is smear the wetness. “But don’t you dare try to break up with me for my sake.”

That startles a wet laugh out of Tup, which Fives considers a small victory. He nods.

“Got it?”

“Understood.”

Fives smiles through his tears and kisses Tup’s forehead.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he admits. “I don’t know yet what Echo wants. But we’ll figure it out, I promise you, cyar’ika.”

Tup nods and presses himself into Fives. They settle in against one another again, wrapped up tighter than before. Tup’s fingers clench in Fives’ blacks while Fives draws his fingertips in swirling patterns along Tup’s spine. Slowly, Tup’s fingers relax, resting simply curled again Fives’ chest. He thinks he’s fallen asleep until Tup speaks again.

“Do you think… If he still wants- well, I mean…” Tup sighs, finding his words. “Do you think Echo would be willing to share?”

Fives’ whole brain short-circuits.

It takes several long seconds to do the whole thought process thing again, and when he can, he’s dumbfounded. Blindsided. That hadn’t even occurred to him as something his partners would want or agree to. Sharing cups or food in the mess was one thing. Sharing relationships? It’s not unheard of, or even uncommon. But Fives hadn’t thought that could be a solution to their problem.

“Would you really be okay with that?” Fives eventually asks, once his mouth catches up with the program.

Tup shrugs a little with his limited range of motion in Fives’ embrace.

“I mean, I’m not thrilled about it right now, but he’s your husband, Fives. You might not want to leave me, but if I kept you from him, we’d all wind up getting our hearts broken eventually.”

Fives considers that. He has a point.

“Besides,” Tup huffs. “I’ve always wished I had the chance to know him.”

Fives smiles, feeling more tears sting the backs of his eyes.

“If you’re sure,” he says, “I will ask him.”

Tup nods. He tucks his face into Fives’ neck.

“I’m sure.”

They have to get up to go to dinner not long afterwards. Fives promised to visit Echo afterwards, and now he’s both more excited and nervous than he had been before. Tup’s provided a solution that may actually work.

But it requires Echo to be okay with that. And if he’s not…

Fives doesn’t think about it.

*

Echo stares, eyes wide and horrified.

“No.”

Fives flinches.

“Echo-”

He shakes his head quickly. The motion hurts, but he doesn’t care. It gets his point across. This is a terrible idea. An awful idea. Truth be told, Echo would be fine with this compromise, because it’s the only idea they have. And he doesn’t want to take away this person who makes Fives look like that when he talks.

It would be better for Echo to just let go, and let Fives move on. Echo would still be there for him, would still love him. They would still be friends. It would hurt, but it wouldn’t hurt as much as watching his husband’s heart break slowly from being forced away from his boyfriend. Fives loves with his whole heart. He always has. Echo wouldn’t ruin a good thing for him.

“No, absolutely not. What- I mean, Fives-”

“Hear me out,” his husband begs.

“Fives,” Echo says firmly. “You can’t ask him to-”

“It was his idea.”

Echo pauses.

Tup’s idea?

“What?”

Fives nods. “I hadn’t expected it either. But, I mean… it’s not a bad idea. He wants to know if you’d be okay with it.”

Echo appraises Fives, only a little skeptical.

“What did he say?” he asks instead of answering.

“Well, he’s not excited about the idea. But I love you. Both of you. I don’t know what I would do if-” Fives shakes his head. “He wanted to be the one to step aside and let us be together-”

Echo cuts him off, shaking his head.

“What?”

“I was going to do that…”

Fives throws his hands in the air, falling to lean all his weight into his chair.

“Force, I wish you two would be a little bit selfish every once in a while!” he exclaims.

It makes Echo chuckle.

Fives smiles at him, his expression soft and bursting with love as he watches for a few quiet seconds. Echo flushes and turns his eyes away, self-conscious and oddly giddy.

Fives still loves him. He wonders how he could have ever doubted that.

“Tup said that he wouldn’t ask me to leave you, because it would wind up getting all our hearts broken. And if I leave him…”

Echo nods in understanding. The outcome would be the same.

“He also said that he wants to meet you.”

Echo would be lying if he said he doesn’t also want to meet Tup.

“So?” Fives prompts. “What do you think?”

Echo waits, thinking. He knows what he wants to say. He wants to agree. He wants to try this. It’s the best idea they have, and probably the only one if they want a happy ending for any of them.

He grins slowly, looking back to his husband. Fives is waiting nearly on the edge of his seat. He looks hopeful and expectant. And even if Echo wasn’t going to agree, he wouldn’t have wanted to kill his boy’s dreams.

“When do I get to meet him?”

*

Tup’s day had been hectic. There had been a lot of packing up and loading transports and keeping careful headcounts of everyone they had. They didn’t want to leave anyone behind, after all. Then once all the supplies were back on the cruiser, it was shuttling the troops back up. As a part of Torrent Company, and one part of Skywalker’s personal battalion, they went back up almost last.

Most everything had been put away by the time they got on the ship, so Tup’s duties there included a lot of staying out of the way as the technicians prepared their jump to hyperspace.

Which is how Tup found himself hovering outside the med bay.

He has nowhere else to be. Rex dismissed him until his kitchen crew shift after dinner. Fives is busy, Dogma’s on a patrol shift. Jesse’s probably doing ARC things with Fives.

It’s not that Tup’s here as a last resort. He’s not here because he has absolutely nothing else to do.

He wants this.

He’s just… scared.

As he stands there and debates with himself, the door opens and Kix nearly bowls Tup over.

“Kark!” Kix exclaims. He rights himself quickly and reaches out a hand to steady Tup, too. “Sorry, Tup. Didn’t know you were there.”

Tup feels himself flush in embarrassment.

“It’s alright,” he mumbles.

Kix looks like he’s in a hurry. There’s a datapad turned on in his hand and the brief glance Tup can see indicates it’s something important. Not that he knows what it is, of course. But far be it from him to be the one to keep a medic from their job.

Kix hesitates anyway, looking Tup up and down.

“What’re you doing?” the medic asks, not unkindly.

Tup fidgets. He doesn’t mean to.

“Oh, uh, I was just- um…”

“You’re here to see Echo.”

It’s not a question, or even an accusation. Just an observation. A realization. There’s no suspicion or hesitation. No calculating looks.

Kix jerks his head with a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Come on,” he prompts.

Tup follows without question.

“Don’t you have somewhere to be, though?” he asks.

“Not anywhere that can’t wait a few seconds for me to take you to Echo. Besides, this thing is about him anyway. He could probably use the company.”

That makes Tup’s fidgeting still just a bit.

Kix stops them in front of one of the private exam room doors.

“Alright, I’m gonna give you the same spiel everyone gets,” Kix says, looking at Tup with a less than firm expression. “He gets tired easily and needs to rest, so try not to keep him awake for too long if you can help it. If you sneak him food that’s not on his approved diet, you and I will have issues. Refrain from touching any of his prostheses if you can help it, he doesn’t like it much. Please don’t get him riled up. If you do, his heart monitor will alert us and someone will likely come in to assess the situation which will likely lead to your removal. Got it? Good.”

Then he tapped the door controls to open it and strode into the room, Tup in tow.

“Echo,” Kix says with a smile. “Someone’s here to see you.”

Echo isn’t alone in his room. Fives is by the bed, a smile on his face.

“Oh, hey, Tup!” his boyfriend greets with a little wave.

Tup finds he is suddenly very shy.

He’s not sure what, exactly, he expected Echo to look like, other than the same as everyone else, but this definitely wasn’t what he had seen coming. Logically, he knows Echo has gone through a lot. He’s heard about the mechanical legs, his missing right arm. Fives mentioned the ports across his head and the… whatever it is that’s covering Echo’s left ear.

Even still, the pale, ashen skin wasn’t expected. He’s absolutely swimming in the black long-sleeve shirt he’s wearing. His face is thin and his cheeks hollow. He’s clearly healing from some minor form of frostbite.

The sight of him makes Tup’s heart hurt. In the stories he hears, Echo is strong and smart and sassy. He’s talented and bright, competent. He’s pretty much everything Tup’s ever wanted and aspired to be.

Tup hasn’t even officially met Echo yet, but what the ARC’s been reduced to makes him want to tear the Techno Union to shreds himself.

Tup’s always been passionate, at least.

“I’ll leave you three to it,” Kix says, excusing himself. Then he’s gone and it’s just Tup, Fives, and Echo.

Echo looks on curiously. Passive.

Fives waves Tup closer.

“Come here,” he says gently.

Tup approaches the bed and stops at Fives’ side, sure to keep a respectable several inches between them. Fives may be his boyfriend, but he was Echo’s husband first. And even if Echo agreed, he and Tup haven’t talked about this whole arrangement yet.

“Tup, I’d like you to meet Echo. Echo, this is Tup.”

Tup glances at Fives, uncertain, then back to Echo. The other ARC watches him, then smiles. The expression is small and sweet. He holds out his left hand for Tup to shake. The motion is foreign and weird - to take Echo’s hand with his left and shake it. But Echo’s eyes are all the brighter for it, so he smiles back; still shy and unsure.

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Tup offers quietly.

“You too,” Echo returns.

Then neither of them say anything and Fives doesn’t help them along. There’s silence. Tup’s never truly been uncomfortable in silence before. He thrives in the quiet. But this is unsettling. He shifts his weight, trying to be subtle about the nervous energy settling into his limbs.

Fives puts a hand on his back, and even through Tup’s armor, it sets all his nerve endings alight.

Tup looks over to him. He’s smiling sweetly, though there’s apprehension in his eyes. His expression speaks volumes, though.

You’ll be okay.

It’s comforting.

“Alright, I have to go,” Fives says then.

“But-” Tup tries to protest.

“Nah, I was on my way out anyway. I have some shinies to watch over. They’re a little jumpy after everything.” He knocks pauldrons with Tup lightly, then reaches out to squeeze Echo’s shoulder in a familiar gesture. “I’ll see you both later. Don’t burn down the med bay without me.”

Echo rolls his eyes while Tup smothers his aborted snort into his hand.

Tup watches Fives leave the room. The ARC gives them both one last little wave before the door shuts. Then it’s just the two of them.

Tup and Echo.

Echo and Tup.

Fives’ partners.

He’d wanted to meet Echo so often when Fives and Rex talked about it. Now that he’s actually faced with that reality, though…

He feels stuck.

Tup turns back to Echo and looks at him, more than a little sheepish. Echo’s looking at him already. His eyes are just a hair scrutinizing, but the rest of his face is soft with understanding.

“You love him, too,” he says suddenly. “I’d know that starstruck look anywhere.”

Then he smiles, and it lights up his whole face.

It makes something in Tup’s stomach melt. His knees feel slightly weak.

Echo’s very calm about it - exceedingly so, even. It hadn’t been expected. From the stories Tup’s heard, Echo was never a jealous or territorial person, but he and Fives had been together forever. They’re one of the oldest couples in the 501st. Sure, people got crushes on one or both, but everyone knew who they belonged to. Fives was Echo’s and Echo was Fives’. It’s just how it was.

But even still, Tup expected something.

He’s not sure how to respond.

“Would you like to sit?” Echo asks. He gestures to the wheeled stool by the bed. Tup nods silently and takes a seat. He settles in a little uncomfortably, gripping the edge of the stool between his thighs as he hunches in on himself slightly. Bad posture. Something he’d never quite broken himself of outside of formation.

He wishes he knew what to say.

Finally, Echo huffs a little chuckle.

“I’m not going to bite,” he says. “Promise.”

It startles a chuckle out of Tup.

“Sorry,” he says, quieter than he means to. “I might be a little nervous.”

“Yeah,” Echo agrees easily. “Me too.”

Tup straightens as his eyebrows furrow.

“You are?”

Echo nods. “You know, the second you stepped in the room, I knew it was you.”

“How?”

“Because Fives talks about you like you’ve lit up his whole life. Like you’re his sun that he would die without if something ever happened.”

Tup can’t help his blush. He fights the urge to duck his head and hide a little bit. He doesn’t have to be shy around Echo. He shouldn’t be. This will all be easier in the long run the more comfortable they are.

“Are you kidding?” he counters. “Fives talks about you like you hung all the stars in the sky. You’re everything to him!”

He snaps his mouth closed and does duck his head this time. Echo stares at him, his mouth hanging slightly open and his expression almost disbelieving.

“Surely you knew that?” Tup asks, quiet and shy. “I wasn’t around after you… Well, I came later. But he still wasn’t the same. He’s better now. And you should have seen him after he got to talk to you that first time last week. He came back to the barracks late with that goofy smile on his face.”

A fond look takes over Echo’s face. “Yeah, I know the one.”

Tup nods, unsure what else to do.

Luckily, Echo seems to know when to find a new topic.

“So… we’re doing this?” he asks. “We’re sharing?”

Tup nods again. “Seems so.”

“And you’re sure you’re okay with that?”

“Are you?”

They lock eyes, and Tup knows they’ve hit a stalemate. He sighs.

“Listen, if you’re not okay with this, that’s fine. I get that completely, trust me.” Tup glances away. “I don’t want to cause any problems between you two. He loves you. He always will, and I won’t keep him from that.”

Tup counts seconds in his head as he waits for Echo to respond. He only gets to three.

“Pretty speech,” Echo says in a teasing tone. “And one I think I could give you, as well. Tup, look at me, please?”

Tup turns his eyes back on Echo. The older man’s eyes are lighter than he would have expected them to be. They have a chestnut sort of tone to them.

“Without thinking about my feelings, or even Fives’, tell me. Are you okay with this?”

Tup thinks, even though he knows the answer. He swallows and takes a deep, steadying breath.

“Yes,” he answers, looking Echo directly in the eyes.

Echo nods. “Good. I’m okay with it, too.”

Then he shifts slightly, makes a face in discomfort, and settles back into the pillows cushioning him against the wall.

“Are you okay?” Tup asks, genuinely a little worried. He knows how bad off Echo is right now.

“Yeah,” Echo grunts. “I’m fine. It’s just my legs and back. They get sore when I can’t move around for a while.”

Tup understands that. He hasn’t experienced the same sort of trauma Echo went through, nor has he lost any limbs, but when he was recovering after the osik with the chips, he wasn’t allowed much movement either. His legs got very angry with him, too.

“Want me to distract you?” he asks.

“Please.”

It’s stilted and slow-going at first, but not for too long. Tup’s found he’s actually pretty good at talking to people, and getting them to open up. Especially if he’s distracting them from something. He tends to spend plenty of time in the med bay due to that, talking to brothers and helping the medics any way he can.

So they talk. They talk for hours, finding new topics and going off on tangents until they can’t remember how they got to their current discussion. Tup finds himself teasing and giggling and full on laughing with Echo, who laughs and teases and jokes right back. Tup also finds they have a lot in common. It wasn’t something he hadn’t expected, though he also never thought much about it to begin with.

Tup feels good. Talking to Echo is the best he’s felt in days, even weeks. It’s only comparable to time spent with Fives. And though that feels just as good, this is different. Echo is different. He and Fives are similar, but not, and time spent with them feels different. He loves every second of it, once the hesitance has faded and a comfortable, easy-going atmosphere settles around them.

It’s late when Tup finally realizes how long they’ve been talking. He even missed dinner and his kitchen crew shift. He’ll be hearing about that from his sergeant later, but when he looks back at Echo from his chrono, he can’t find it in himself to be too terribly upset about it.

Echo yawns, again. Tup’s lost track of the amount of times they’ve both yawned in the past thirty minutes alone.

“I’m glad we got to talk,” Echo mumbles. Tup nods. The ARC shifts in his bed, trying to move and lay himself down with one hand.

Tup half stands, then pauses.

“Can I help?” he asks, offering gently without pressure.

Echo hesitates less than two seconds before he nods.

“Yes, please.”

Tup helps Echo scootch himself into a horizontal position, lying on his back. He’s careful to keep his hands away from the metal bits that make odd shapes against his shirt, and the prosthetic legs. Echo doesn’t even flinch with Tup’s hands on him.

The door opens behind him.

“Tup?” Kix says. “You’re still here?”

Tup looks to the senior medic sheepishly.

“Yeah, sorry,” he says, rubbing carefully at the back of his head. “We didn’t realize how late it is. I’m heading out now.”

Kix nods. “Good, my patient needs to sleep.”

“Hey, I’m-”

“Falling asleep as you argue with me,” Kix finishes for him. “Shut up, and say goodbye to your- your friend.”

Kix turns and leaves. The door stays open.

Tup looks back at Echo.

“Need anything before I go?”

Echo shakes his head, a neutral look on his face. Like he’s thinking about something. Debating with himself.

“Okay. Well, goodnight,” Tup says. He turns.

A hand shoots out and grabs his, stopping him.

“Tup-”

When he turns, Echo tugs him down. Tup leans with the momentum, and suddenly Echo’s lips are on his. They’re soft, gentle. Echo doesn’t deepen the kiss or move at all. It’s just a simple press of lips.

Then Echo breaks the kiss and falls back into his pillows.

Tup stares with wide eyes. His heart races in his chest.

“Thank you,” Echo whispers.

Tup nods, not sure what else to do.

When he leaves, Kix eyes him curiously. Tup’s not sure if he saw what just happened. He’s also not sure if he wants him to have seen it or not. He wants to check and make sure that actually just happened, and if Kix has seen…

In the hallway, he reaches up and touches his fingertips to his lips. They don’t feel any different, but he imagines that they’re warmer. Or maybe that’s just his blush.

His heart is still racing and he feels like he wants to run and jump and scream and shout to the corners of the flagship.

Tup finds himself smiling as he speed walks his way back to the barracks.

He did the same thing the first time Fives had kissed him.

It’s unexpected, but then, Tup’s beginning to realize that everything about Echo is unexpected. He thinks he might just like it that way.

*

Tup doesn’t tell Fives about the kiss. He’s not entirely sure why… Echo is Fives’ husband and Fives is Tup’s boyfriend. So if his husband and boyfriend kissed, it shouldn’t have to be something that’s kept from him.

But… Tup wants to. Tup wants to keep that memory for himself for now.

It’s not keeping a secret, there’s no malicious intent. He just wants it to be his.

Besides, Tup can be selfish sometimes.

So they move forward. Tup visits Echo in the med bay when he’s all alone. He has alone time with Fives. Fives has alone time with Echo. It’s good. They make it work.

Within the week, several things happen very quickly. Torrent Company accompanies Ahsoka with the rest of their battalion to Mandalore where they apprehend Maul. They lose some brothers, but it’s not too bad.

Jesse goes missing for a day, courtesy of the former Sith, and when he’s returned, Kix can’t keep himself from fretting over him. Echo sits with Jesse in the med bay and holds him while everyone else is busy fighting.

Thankfully, it doesn’t take long for the situation to be handled. Bo Katan promises the vode that they’ll have a place on Mandalore when the war is over if they want it. They get back on the ship with Maul locked up tight, and they leave for Coruscant.

They’re in hyperspace when they get the call.

“Captain Rex,” General Skywalker’s hologram says, “the situation here has gotten a bit sticky.”

Tup clings to Fives’ hand as he watches Rex frown at their general.

“Sticky how, sir?”

“The chancellor is dead.”

Shock ripples through the communication center. Ahsoka stares on with wide blue eyes.

“We knew he was in on the control chip conspiracy with the Kaminoans, but he revealed himself to me as a Sith Lord. The Sith Lord we’ve been looking for.”

Fives tenses under Tup’s hand. When he glances at his boyfriend, he’s glowering, his eyes dark. Tup doesn’t like to think about the time the Chancellor nearly killed Fives. Commander Fox almost shot him! Clearly, Fives doesn’t like to think about it, either.

“Are you boys okay?” Skywalker asks.

Rex nods.

“Yes, General. We’re okay.”

The Jedi nods. “Good. It’ll be a little crazy when you get here, but…”

“We’re used to crazy, sir,” Rex finishes for him with a confident smirk.

Skywalker returns the look.

“You are. Okay, stay safe. We’ll see you when you get here.”

The holocom shuts off, leaving just the clones and Ahsoka.

“So,” Tup starts slowly, “with the Chancellor dead, does that mean the war’s going to end?”

Fives slides his hand from Tup’s just to pull him into a one-armed hug.

“Maybe, Tup. Maybe.”

*

The general had been right. Coruscant was going nuts in the wake of Palpatine’s death. The citizens were questioning everything they’d ever known, what with their former Chancellor being a Sith and all. They were calling for massive change in the Senate, unhappy with their day-to-day living conditions as well as the mass corruption of their senators.

Fives would laugh if he even had half a second to do so. He, along with Rex, Jesse, and every other ARC currently on Coruscant, were being kept busy. He has shifts in the Senate Building and helping out the Guard. Skywalker also promoted him to lieutenant, which is great and a nightmare. He has his own platoon to worry about now, instead of just himself and whoever he was shoved with at the time. It’s a change, to be sure.

And every second he doesn’t spend as Lieutenant Fives or ARC Leader, he spends with his partners.

Tup, despite not being in a command position, is about as busy as Fives is, but they at least get to sleep at the same times.

Echo, on the other hand, isn’t as busy, but he has his own things to worry about in a day. In the past few weeks, he’s put on a good amount of weight. He’s still too skinny, and likely will be for a long time, but he’s not in danger of starving to death. His body won’t just shut down at a moment’s notice, which is good progress any way you slice it.

With that, and the time he now gets to spend in the sun, his skin tone begins to return to normal. He gains color, gets darker again. He looks healthier all around.

Best of all, he was approved for surgery to have his prostheses replaced. Skywalker made time anywhere he could to work on the new arm and legs for him, and by the time he was done, Echo was strong enough. These new models would be significantly lighter and easier on his body; they would be comfortable and shouldn’t cause him any unnecessary pain.

When Echo told Fives about the surgery, he was nearly vibrating out of his skin.

And of course, because they had some of the best medics of the GAR and healers of the Jedi Order working on him, the surgery was a huge success. They even got the majority of the ports and metal bits off of him, too. Some remained, because they were helping damaged organs that would need replaced, but Echo admitted he could live with that for a while.

Fives accompanies Echo to physical therapy any chance he gets. Echo smiles brighter and brighter by the day, learning to walk with his new legs. They don’t feel quite the same as real legs, but their weight is similar. Artificial nerve endings allow him to even have feeling in his replacement limbs, though he still isn’t a fan of people touching them. It’s still weird. He lets Fives touch him sometimes, as long as he’s gentle and stops when Echo needs him too. Echo never has to ask.

Between two partners and his job duties, Fives is busy.

He wouldn’t give it up for the world, though. They’re his and he’s theirs. They have their struggles and responsibilities, but they make it work.

They spend time as the three of them, too. Some nights, Echo begs Kix to let him sleep in the barracks. The normalcy of it helps with his nightmares. Not to mention, Fives is close by. So he spends time in the barracks that evening and sleeps in bed with Fives. That puts them in Fives’ bed, which hardly gets used anymore given that Fives slips in with Tup more often than not.

Tup sleeps in his own bed those nights, watching his boyfriend from across the way. He’s not jealous. Oddly enough, he likes to watch Fives and Echo together. It’s interesting and heartwarming. Fives isn’t different with Echo, but he’s not the same as when he’s with Tup. Echo is snarky with Fives, but comfortable too. Usually, Echo sleeps on Fives’ chest, who holds his husband close with one arm thrown over his back.

Dogma pokes his head over the side of his bunk one night after the ARCs had fallen asleep.

“Does that bother you?” he asks with a gesture at the two.

Tup shakes his head silently.

“No,” he admits. “I know he loves me. His love for Echo doesn’t diminish that.”

Dogma makes some sort of sound that Tup doesn’t bother to interpret, and settles down in his bunk to sleep.

Tup falls asleep watching Fives and Echo breath softly.

Before long, the 501st ships out again. Peace negotiations take place elsewhere, and while that happens, the GAR gets a head start on relief aid and clean-up. The 501st is split up, its regiments getting different assignments.

Torrent Company in part of the contingent appointed to civilian relief.

They take food and necessities to some of the hardest hit planets. They work with the Jedi Service Corp to provide clothes and blankets as needed. They help rebuild houses and shops whenever asked, even though there are groups of soldiers who have been assigned solely to that. But they help anyway, because it’s the right thing to do and because what else are they going to do? Say no?

Echo isn’t approved for any heavy lifting, but he does get to leave the ship with them. He sits with groups of kids and younglings, talking to them and playing with them while the adults figure things out. He helps provide them a sense of stability when everything feels out of control.

Or, at least that’s what he says when Fives and Tup pick him up to head back one evening, and he’s covered in paint.

“We’re calling this ‘controlling what you can when things feel out of control’,” he says as a child smears bright pink paint across his cheek. “Oh, thank you, kiddo. I’m sure that looks lovely.”

Tup howls in laughter with Fives. They cling to one another, trying to stay upright. Echo just grins and watches them, then tells a little girl that the sun she just drew on his knee is beautiful.

Tup surprises himself when he realizes he’s never wanted to kiss Echo more than in that moment, pink paint be damned.

They lock eyes, Tup and Echo, and it takes his breath away. Butterflies flitter around in his stomach.

They get back to the cruiser, and Fives helps Echo wash while Tup falls into his bunk.

“You should have seen him, Dogma!” he rants. He reaches up to put the tie out of his hair and lets it fall. “He was covered in a damn rainbow, and I don’t think he’s ever looked better-”

Dogma frowns at him from his bunk.

“You do realize you’re talking about your boyfriend’s husband, right?” he asks.

Tup rolls his eyes, ignoring the blush that heats up his face.

“Yeah, I know…”

Dogma sighs and swings himself from the bed. He plops nearly on top of Tup without ceremony.

“Okay, so you think he’s cute,” his brother prompts.

Tup gestures with his hands. “It’s more than that, though. He’s also really sweet and kind. He makes me laugh and feel important. He looks at me, and I feel like he really sees me… And I know that sounds dumb, because it’s not like that doesn’t happen. But…”

“But?”

“I think I like him.” He says it on a whisper, just in case anyone else is listening. No one’s around, but someone could come in any second.

Dogma just nods in understanding.

“What are you going to do?”

Tup’s heart sinks a little.

“I don’t know…”

*

It’s a rare afternoon where Fives has a couple hours free. Rex ordered him to take some downtime. He’s been running around like a chicken with his head cut off, and even Rex takes time off sometimes. So Fives took the opportunity to just lay in his bunk with Echo tucked into his side.

All things considered, Echo’s easier to cuddle now that the regulators have come off his chest and stomach. Now he’s just all Echo. His replacement limbs have become a part of him, and he’s warmed up to them well. The ports in his head can’t be removed without fucking too much with his brain, but they’ve been sealed up and a Temple healer assured them that they’re safe. He’ll have scars permanently pinker and paler than the rest of him, but Echo told him that he’s actually okay with that.

The vode collectively have never been shy about scars. Everyone has their preferences, of course, but altogether, scars carry a sense of pride. A past that shows where they’ve been and how far they’ve come. Echo may still be jumpy about having his legs and arm touched, especially since he’s still getting used to the artificial nerve endings, but he’s okay with his scars. He survived the Techno Union, and he would be better than anyone had ever bargained for.

Echo said that with pride and a smile on his face. It made Fives warm all over.

They aren’t talking about anything. They aren’t even talking. Fives feels like he might fall asleep any moment. He keeps on hand on the back of Echo’s head, playing with the hair that started growing several weeks back. It’s soft and short, and a pretty silver-ish color. It had been unexpected, to be sure, but somehow, it looks really good on Echo.

Echo lays silently, fingertips smoothing idly across Fives’ chest.

Fives closes his eyes almost by accident, the quiet of the barracks and Echo’s warmth lulling him to sleep.

Echo stares at the wall, thinking. If he’s honest with himself, he’s mulling over a single thought. It’s been slowly growing in his mind for weeks, getting stronger nearly every day. He’s wanted to bring it up before, but stopped himself every time. Or, more likely, someone else interrupted and took the opportunity. Now, there’s nothing to stop him.

Before he can talk himself out of it, he speaks up.

“Hey, Fives?” he says, breaking the silence. Fives’ breath changes as he startles slightly, fully awake again.

“Yeah?”

Echo bites his lip and works it between his teeth.

“What would you say if I wanted to take Tup on a date? Just the two of us?”

He can feel Fives’ surprise in the way he tenses slightly and shifts them to have a better view of Echo. There’s not a chance to be nervous though, because Fives is grinning at him teasingly.

“What? You don’t want me there?”

It settles the anxiety in Echo’s chest just a little bit. He grins and presses a quick, chaste kiss to his husband’s mouth.

“I’d love to have you there,” he says. “But… I want to try and make this a relationship between all of us. And that means I need some time with Tup when we aren’t focussed on sharing you.”

Fives puts on a face of mock offense that makes Echo snort.

“I see nothing wrong with making it all about me.”

“I see a million things wrong with that,” Echo teases right back.

Fives squawks. Echo laughs.

Fives digs his fingers into Echo’s sides suddenly, tickling him. Echo’s amusement turns into shrieks of laughter as he tries to wriggle away.

“Fives!”

“Not good enough now, huh? Gotta take my boyfriend, too?” Fives teases.

Echo giggles and tries to capture his husband’s hands.

“Fi-ives!” He laughs. “Sto-op!”

Fives takes pity on him, letting up on his tickling to just presse kisses all over Echo’s face. Echo catches his lips in a hard kiss, pressing in close and trying to regain his breathing. They pull back and rest their foreheads together, grinning and panting as they calm down. Technically, Kix still says Echo shouldn’t get himself too worked up yet, just in case it strains his body too much. But he’s also tired of taking it easy.

“So?” Echo asks. “What do you think?”

Fives smiles wider and kisses Echo again.

“I think it’s a good idea.”

“Great!” Echo surges upwards to his knees. He smiles, excited energy bubbling in his stomach. “So where should I take him? What does he like?” Maybe Echo’s a little nervous. He wants to get this right, after all. “You wooed him already, how do I do this?”

Fives joins him and sits up.

“Well, first, Tup can be shy. He’s not going to like being around a whole lot of people - especially if they’re nat borns.” Echo nods along. “He likes ice cream and chips and salsa, but in regards to ‘actual’ food, he’s not picky. He’s not a fan of clubs or bars, though some fun times were had after 79’s-” Fives wiggles his eyebrows.

Echo shoves Fives’ shoulder.

“Fives,” he scolds. “I’m trying to date him, not fuck him.”

Echo’s only just starting to get, uh… interested again, anyway.

Fives snickers at him.

“I know, I know,” he says. Then he sobers and smiles at him, serious and honest. “But he doesn’t want to date me twice. Just be yourself. Take him somewhere you’d like to share with him.”

Echo fixes him with a skeptical look.

“Like where? We’ve only ever gone places where we had to fight in a battle or something similarly unpleasant.”

Fives shrugs, completely unhelpful.

“The war’s ending, Ey’ika,” he says. “Take him anywhere.”

Echo sits back and leans into the wall at the side of the bunk. He supposes Fives is right. Soon enough, there won’t be a war to fight. General Skywalker says he’s working with the Jedi and some senators to get the clones citizenship within the Republic, too, so in theory, they really will be able to go just about anywhere they could want.

Well, there is one thing he’s always kinda wanted to do. And it might be right up Tup’s alley.

*

Tup’s laying almost on top of Dogma, watching as he plays a game on a little handheld device. He’s never seen this one before, so it’s kind of really awesome. And Dogma’s pretty good at it. There’s lots of colors, and flowers, and stuff. Dogma has to match three or more of the same item to turn it into another item and so on and so forth.

It looks fun, if sort of mindless.

“You’ve got three of these already,” he points out, eyeing the blue crystals on the screen.

“I want five,” Dogma says, doing something else. “It’ll give me two instead of one.”

“Oh.”

“Tup?”

Tup lifts his head from where he’d hooked his chin over Dogma’s shoulder. Below them, Echo stands by the bed. His heart skips a beat. He can tell Dogma felt it because he snorts without looking up. Tup elbows him.

“Yeah?” he says, sitting all the way up. He swings his legs over the edge of the bunk to dangle in the air.

“Can we talk?”

Tup nods and hops from the bed.

“My bunk?” he offers, gesturing to the bed beneath Dogma’s.

“Sure.”

They sit together. Tup puts a respectful distance between them. He settles at the head with his pillow, Echo on his right.

“What’s up?” he asks.

Fives is on the other side of the room and catches his eye. He’s sitting on Jesse’s bed, clearly having his own conversation. But he has his eyes on Tup and Echo. There’s no concern in his expression - no hurt or upset or exclusion. Just curious - watching.

“I want to ask you a question,” Echo says. “You can say no, obviously. There’s no pressure.”

Tup nods, listening.

Echo takes a deep breath. What he says makes Tup question his hearing. There must be some disconnect between his ears and his brain. He did not hear what he thought he just heard.

“What?” he squeaks.

Echo’s expression is warring between amused and nervous.

“Would you like to go on a date with me?”

Apparently he doesn’t need his ears checked.

His eyes find Fives again from across the room. He’s not sure his boyfriend can hear them, but he’s smiling now. He lifts his eyebrows and gives Tup a “go on” gesture with a little nod.

Echo looks sincere and hopeful, if a little apprehensive. Tup’s heart is beating out of his chest, and he’s almost surprised by how much he wants to agree. He likes Echo. A lot. Like, really, really likes him. It sounds so childish, but he doesn’t know what else to call it. He thinks he could love Echo, if given the time and opportunity to get to know him.

He wants to see if that’s true.

“What about Fives?”

Echo bites his lip. “I was hoping it could just be you and me.”

Tup nods.

“Yes,” he says, half under his breath. “Yes, I would love to go on a date with you.”

They both smile, bright like the twin suns of Tatooine.

Echo leans and presses a soft kiss to Tup’s forehead.

Tup laughs at the little woop that sounds from the vicinity of Jesse’s bunk.

*

It’s a week later. They’re planet-side on Naboo to help with something or other. The war didn’t reach Naboo very much, but it had still taken its toll. They were mostly helping clean up a few former battlefields so the indigenous plants and animals could live there again without any potentially harmful debris or substances.

Fives sits on his bed, pretending to read through something on his datapad. He feels nervous for some ungodly reason. He’s not the one going on a date tonight…

“How do I look?”

Fives looks up and his heart nearly stops.

Tup stands before him, not wearing his armor or his blacks. Fives had hardly seen him in civvies before, and it had never occurred to him just how good his boyfriend would look. Tup stands in the space between the rows of bunks looking gorgeous and stunning.

He’s wearing a button up shirt in a soft gray-blue color. The sleeves have been rolled up just below his elbow and he’s buttoned the shirt all the way up to his throat. It’s not a look Fives would wear, but it looks great on Tup. His pants are black denim that accentuate how slim and tall he is. Truly, beneath his armor, Tup is a twig. His shoes are simple black and white lace-up sneakers.

What truly gets Fives is Tup’s hair. It’s down and on full display. Sometimes Fives forgets how long it is. It reaches past his shoulders, and lays there in soft, slightly styled waves. It’s curly, of course, but in a way that makes it almost floofy. He’s parted it to the side so it falls slightly in his face.

Force, Fives wishes he was going on a date with Tup tonight!

“So?” Tup prompts when Fives has been staring silently for too long.

Fives shakes himself.

“You look great, sugar,” he responds. “Echo’s gonna eat you right up.”

Tup blushes, and it makes Fives’ smile widen. It’s almost predatory. Hell, he wants to get a piece of Tup.

He stands and fusses with Tup’s hair and shirt a little bit.

“So,” he starts casually, “you ready?”

“Yeah. As ready as I’m gonna be.”

Fives nods.

“Good.” He glances over Tup’s shoulder and feels his own knees turn to jelly. “Because it looks like it’s your time to shine, love.”

Tup turns to see Echo.

He looks great. He’s put on weight and muscle, helping him fill out his clothes again. His skin is still a bit pale, but he’s getting that healthy tone back to him. Echo’s picked out a heather gray sweater that lays open across his middle and shows off a plain white shirt beneath it. He wears a pair of dark-wash denim pants and white sneakers.

His silver hair, freshly trimmed into an undercut, is slicked back away from his face.

Ka’ra, Fives’ boys are going to kill him.

Echo approaches and stops in front of Tup.

“Hello,” he says, greeting the younger trooper with a soft smile.

“Hi,” Tup breathes.

Fives whistles.

“Wow, you two look good.” They’re definitely getting some looks from around the barracks. “Better get going before someone comes and snatches you up.”

Echo smiles at him, offering his left arm for Tup to take.

“We’re going,” he assures.

“Have fun,” Fives says. “I’ll just be here. All alone. With nothing to do. Missing you.”

He gets two near-identical eye rolls in response which just makes him laugh.

“I think Kix is working tonight,” he continues. “I’ll go bully Jesse into hanging out with me.”

Echo shakes his head while Tup tells him to just enjoy the quiet. Then they’re leaving, arm-in-arm. They both smile, all soft and blushing fiercely.

Fives is happy.

Even if he is distracted all karking night.

Jesse agrees to hang out easily. They get a couple bottles of the homemade moonshine the older troopers make and sit together in the common room to drink and talk. Fives isn’t the best company, seeing as he’s constantly wondering how his partners’ date is going. He does a lot of babbling about it. For his part, Jesse never does tell him to shut up.

“They’re fine, Fives,” Jesse finally says. “Drink and be glad this worked out in your favor.”

He supposes that’s true. He couldn’t have asked for this to turn out better than it did. His husband and his boyfriend like each other, at least enough to go on a date. They’ll see where it goes from here, but this is a good step.

He takes a swig of the alcohol. A thought occurs to him.

“What if they come back and don’t love me anymore?” he whines loudly at Jesse.

Jesse kriffing snorts, which Fives doesn’t really appreciate.

“They’ve both put up with you for this long,” he points out. “I think you’re safe.”

Fives groans and hits him, which just sets the younger ARC off laughing even harder.

*

Tup stares up at the stars above them. Echo points out constellations that he knows while tup describes the ones he’s making up off the top of his head. They come with stories, both Echo’s and Tup’s.

They sit on a soft blanket, laid out on the grass on a hill. The field around them is large and void of trees, leaving the sky wide open. The light pollution is almost zero out this far, too, so the stars are shining in all their glory.

There’s no one else around, which leaves them to their own devices without pressure from anyone else.

Tup leans into Echo’s left side, and keeps his arm around the ARC’s waist. Echo’s arm is thrown over Tup’s shoulders.

It’s chilly out, but Tup isn’t cold. Oddly enough, Echo runs hot like a furnace, and it wasn’t something Tup ever would have expected. But he’s thankful for it, and is perfectly happy to tuck himself into Echo’s side and leech off his warmth.

Echo doesn’t seem to mind, either.

They ate dinner together out here, watching the sunset. The world went pink-ish, a little fire-touched. The sky turned gorgeous colors, mixing and flowing together. Wispy clouds were highlighted pink and orange and yellow in the waning light of evening.

Tup’s mouth still feels hot from the salsa that had accompanied dinner. He loves it.

They talk and watch the stars for hours. Once the sun is gone, it’s hard to judge the passage of time, but Tup couldn’t care less. They lay down together at some point. Tup pillows his head on Echo’s shoulder and feels his partner nuzzle into his loose hair. It makes Tup smile.

He shivers when a breeze flutters past them.

“I should have brought a second blanket, huh?” Echo asks.

Tup huffles a little chuckle and turns so he can look at Echo’s face.

“Maybe. But you’re plenty warm for the both of us.”

Echo’s smile is soft and fond.

“Good.”

Then he yawns and Tup giggles.

“Tired?”

“Maybe a little,” Echo admits.

“Does Kix know you’re out here?”

Echo pointedly does not meet Tup’s eyes.

“What Kix doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”

Tup laughs. His own yawn cuts him off out of nowhere.

“Now you’re tired,” the ARC accuses teasingly.

“Maybe a little.”

Echo breathes in a deep intake of air, then lets it in a content sigh.

“Maybe it’s time to head back,” he says.

Tup nods in agreement. They sit up slowly and pack away their belongings in the bag Echo had brought them in. They walk back in the direction of the temp barracks, hand in hand. Tup dares to thread his fingers with Echo’s and squeezes his hand. Echo squeezes right back.

They stop outside the barracks, several feet from the door. They’re hidden in the dark, so anyone passing wouldn’t see much of them.

Echo pulls Tup closer. He’s smiling. Tup thinks he’s stalling a little bit, but he’s not going to call him on it. He doesn’t want this to end.

Echo leans in a little bit, slowly, his eyes fixed on Tup’s. Tup closes the distance between them and presses their lips together. He brings his hands up to hold Echo’s face. Echo’s hands find Tup’s waist and hold him there.

The kiss starts off simple, almost like their first all those weeks ago now. It doesn’t stay that way. This one is hard, and has Tup pressing closer to Echo so their bodies touch. Echo tilts to the side for a better angle, and opens his mouth just a little. There’s a wet touch to Tup’s lip. It’s sudden, but not unwelcome, and makes Tup gasp into Echo’s mouth. Echo’s tongue slips past Tup’s lips, slow and careful.

Tup feels his breath get taken away. Echo is gentle with him, but so much, too. It’s a little overwhelming. Echo kisses him and Tup kisses back. He has experience with Fives, but they haven’t done much past making out and some darkness-concealed touches. Fives’ kisses are different from Echo’s. Tup’s brain is damn near melting out his ears, so he can’t quite remember the difference right this moment, but it’s different.

Echo breaks the kiss and all Tup can do is pant. Their foreheads rest together as they catch their breath.

“Sorry,” Echo apologizes, a little out of breath himself. “I should have asked first.”

Tup shakes his head slowly, his eyes closed.

“It’s fine,” he says. “That was good.”

He can feel Echo’s smile without seeing it.

“Good.” He presses another quick kiss to Tup’s lips, then shifts away slightly. “I think it’s time to get back inside.”

Tup’s eyes open and he smiles at Echo. “Yeah, I think so.”

They go inside, and Fives is waiting on Tup’s bed. He smiles when he sees them.

“So… how’d it go?” he asks them.

Tup blushes and sits down on the edge of his mattress to kick off his shoes.

“It was really nice,” he answers.

“Yes, it was,” Echo agrees. He leans down to steal a kiss from Fives’ lips. He tastes like moonshine.

“You two go to bed. I need to check in with Kix and see if the general’s still up so I can talk to him about one of my joints acting up. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Okay,” Fives says. “‘Night.”

Tup reaches and catches Echo’s hand. Echo smiles at him.

“Goodnight,” Tup says quietly.

“Goodnight,” Echo replies and lets their hands slip apart as he leaves.

When the door closes behind him, Fives pulls Tup closer until they’re wrapped up in each other on the bed.

“So?” he all but demands. There’s a hopeful look on his face.

Tup blushes. He wraps his arms around Fives and hides his face in his boyfriend’s shoulder.

“We kissed,” he says into Fives’ shirt. It’s almost a whisper and he’s not even sure that Fives heard him.

“Really?” Fives asks.

Tup nods, squeezing him.

“He’s really good at it. He wraps you up and holds you close and it feels so good-”

Tup’s not even sure what he’s saying, but it all comes out in a rush. He gushes about the date and their star gazing. He tells him about the food and then the cuddling. Their walk back. The kiss. He may be a little excited, but if Fives notices, he doesn’t tease him for it.

And Fives must know all this. Maybe Echo planned it with him. And even if he did, he’s kissed Echo before. He’s well aware of just how good a kisser Echo is. But he lies there and listens, holding Tup and smoothing a hand up and down his back. Which isn’t helping.

But Fives got to learn how to kiss with Echo. They grew into this together. Tup got it all at once.

Tup finally stops talking and cuts himself off with a dreamy sigh.

“Fives… he’s amazing,” he says.

Fives melts against him and tightens his hold on Tup.

“Yeah, I know,” he agrees.

Tup burrows closer, smiling so wide it hurts.

*

Echo walks away from the barracks in the direction of the medical center. He doesn’t really have to check in with Kix, and his joints aren’t acting up. He feels a little guilty for lying, but he needs to cool off a bit. Kix actually is still very strict about his recovery process and one of those rules includes not getting too worked up. In all senses. So as much as he didn’t really want to leave, he thinks it’s in their best interest that he take a few moments.

And of course, he runs into Kix.

He looks like he just got off a long shift. Thankfully, though, there’s not a whole lot for the medics to do here on Naboo, so their shifts are pretty quiet.

“You’re blushing,” he says bluntly. “What did you do?”

Echo would try to deny it, but really, what’s the point?

“I took Tup on a date tonight,” he says.

Kix smirks at him.

“I know,” he states. “How’d it go?”

Echo nods, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. “It was… really nice.”

Kix, the chakaar, doesn’t stop smirking at him. It makes Echo blush more. He fidgets slightly.

“I might have kissed him… I might have really kissed him.”

“Oh,” Kix says, his eyes going wide. He recovers quickly. “And? Was it good?”

Echo can’t help the flush that colors his cheeks. He’s thankful for the darkness they’re still standing in.

He can’t help himself. He gushes about his date with Tup, telling him everything. Tup was lovely with his hair down and wearing civvies. He’s the same height as Echo, but he’s the perfect size to fit into his side to cuddle with. He tells Kix about the Tooka constellation Tup made up just to get Echo to laugh.

“Uhg,” Echo groans, “it was amazing, Kix. He’s amazing,” he finishes, almost to himself.

Kix smiles and walks him back to the barracks. He doesn’t have to sleep in the medical center tonight.

*

Echo falls asleep in his own bed that night. It’s technically Fives’ bed, but Fives is curled up with Tup under their covers, so Echo has the bunk to himself. The sight of his husband and… well, and Tup sleeping peacefully sends him to sleep quickly.

He wakes up in the morning in a significantly more crowded bunk. Tup is tucked into his side, and Fives lays nearly on top of them both. The bunk isn’t even remotely large enough for the three of them, and Echo thinks Kix would have a conniption if he could see Fives putting his weight on Echo’s chest like this. But he’s not complaining.

Though, he does think they’ll have to figure out a better solution if they plan to continue sleeping like this more often.

He won’t complain about that, either.