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Next time Tech claimed that they were fine as long as the damages the Marauder sustained doesn’t affect the life support, Echo will scream. Because they might not be dying but the cold in the ship was driving him crazy.
Echo didn’t do cold well. Not since his rescue from Skako Minor.
He was always in a state of chill. Tech had theorized that his prosthetics and the numerous cybernetics had affected his body thermoregulation. On a good day, he would only have a few shivers but his black and armor were enough to keep him from being uncomfortable. On a bad one, he could be on Tatooine and still feel like he was back in the cryopod.
For one they managed to have Tech sleep in his bunk instead of a random chair or over a project. The genius had done all he could to make everything work, with Echo’s help, and Hunter has forced him to lie down since he has been up for more than two rotations.
Echo was on hyperspace watch duties while the rest of the squad were resting. He normally didn’t mind taking that shift. As much as he is glad the Bad Batch had welcomed him in their rank, Echo is still getting used to them and likes to have a few quiet hours away from their chaos.
He used that time to complete the mission report or read some of their old ones. The ARC trooper tried to familiarize himself with his new squad’s unorthodox methods.
But tonight, he couldn’t concentrate on either as he was shivering too much. The ship felt like a freezer.
Echo was sitting in the co-pilot chair, feet resting on the pilot one in full armor without his helmet and his blanket around the shoulder. His hand is wrapped in the fabric to warm it as he struggles to stop him from trembling. He has long abandoned the idea of reading his datapad to distract himself, he was shaking too much.
He wished to find something to occupy his mind away from the cold that seemed to have been heard. There were sounds coming from the bunk room. Echo looked toward the back of the ship expecting to see Hunter or Tech coming his way. He was surprised to recognize the characteristic heavy step of Wrecker. Normally the giant clone would sleep all the cycle until they wake him, and it wasn’t an easy task when Wrecker felt safe.
The cyborg listened, guessing he was going to the fresher or the rations storage, but he seems to be digging in the gear supplies. What was he looking for? What was he planning?
The ARC trooper waited a few minutes and began to get up to check on him. Wrecker walked into the cabin at this moment with a package that looked like a thermal plastifoil survival blanket that he dropped on Echo’s lap.
“It’s always colder in the cockpit when the ship heater fails. I remember you mentioned you hate the cold. That would be better than the basic bedsheet.” Wrecker explained in a whisper.
Or at least try to, nothing Wrecker does seem to be quiet.
“Thank…” Echo said through his chattering teeth.
He began to unfold the blanket but with only one cramping hand it wasn’t easy. Echo winced at all the noises it made. At this point Echo was really surprised Hunter had not been awakened. Or the rest of the squad for that matter.
“Here, let me help.” Wrecker offered and took the package and shook it vigorously making Echo flinch.
When the blanket was finally unfolded, Wrecker looked around the cockpit trying to know what to do with it. He spread it on the pilot chair. Before Echo couldn’t ask what he was doing, Wrecker picked him up like he weighs nothing and sat him on the plastifoil fabric. He wraps it around Echo’s boys like he is a mygeeto burrito.
“There. Better?” Wrecker with a big smile.
Echo tried to move but couldn’t do much. It’s been a good thing he has no blood circulation in his legs or it would have been cut. Yet he did feel more isolated from the cold.
“It’s better… Thanks.” The cyborg finally conceded. “But can you help me get my arms out? I am a bit trapped.”
“Oh yeah. Kinda forget you need those. “Wrecker commented as he got the scomp out first and then Echo’s arm.
Echo couldn’t stop a shiver traveling down his spine when Wrecker’s warm hand engulfed his cold one. The temperature changed so suddenly that it was borderline painful.
“You are freezing.” Wrecker said as he brought his other hand and wrapped it around Echo’s wrist.
“It is not that bad.” Echo mumbled as a soft whimper escaped his throat, “Just awful blood flow.”
The heat was nearly too much at this point.
Wrecker sat on the edge of the co-pilot chair, looking more serious than Echo ever saw him out of a mission. He let go of the cyborg’s hand and worked on taking the vambrace off his forearm.
“Wrecker…” Echo begins but he is soon cut by the giant clone.
“Just trust me, okay?” Wrecker says simply.
He softly extended Echo’s arm out, holding his hand in his, as he rubbed the other one up and down the forearm. The older clone could feel his body relax as the warm infiltrate his stiff muscle. After a moment Wrecker’s fingers started to gently dig into his flesh reaching knots hiding deeper in his frame.
A little moan escaped his lips when Wrecker got through one painful one sending a wave of relief through his whole body.
“That feels good right,” Wrecker chuckles, his two colour eyes focused on his work.
“More than good, I’m sure I have that tension there since I was a cadet.” Echo muttered and let out a pleased sigh. “Where do you learn to do this?”
“Tech introduced me to it. He is the one that has studied some massage techniques to aid me. I had really bad growing pains when I was a kid and he helps me.” Wrecker explained while using both his hand to knead the palm and fingers. “With time he teaches me the basic moves so I can massage my leg and arm myself. And I look at the holonet for other techniques.”
Echos couldn’t hide his surprise at the idea of Wrecker learning something like this. He didn’t really show any patience to sit still and study. At least when it is not combat related.
“I was the first one surprised.” The large clone laughed at Echo’s expression. “It’s been a thing I could do with my hands and help my brother. Don’t get me wrong, Tech is good but I’m better. My hands are always warm and can go with a feeling. Tech is too brainy about it. Not my words, Crosshair said it.”
“You massage Crosshair?” Echo blurted a little in disbelief. “He doesn’t seem to be a fan of being touched.”
None of them really was except for Wrecker that never shy away for a hug and other physical contacts.
“He is not difficult to convince when he spends a full day cramped in a sniper’s nest.” Wrecker snorted. “I had the habit of doing this for all of them, either for Hunter’s headache or Tech’s terrible working posture.”
Echo chuckles at the last part as he leans more in the chair. His body seems to warm up from those simple touches. Still hard to wrap his mind around the fact those hands were the same that Echo has seen tear apart clankers or push tanks off cliffs.
He didn’t realize his eyes were becoming heavy before Wrecker squeezed his hand.
“I can cover for the rest of your shift. The bunk room is warmer anyway.” He offered.
Echo wanted to reduce, feeling it would be unfair for the demolitions expert but only could yawn.
“That answers enough.” Wrecker laughed and picked Echo and his blanket up.
He gets to the bunk room and lays the cyborgs on his own bunk. Hunter mumbled in his sleep at the noise of the thermal blanket but didn’t wake up. The giant clone put Lula against Echo’s chest. The tooka doll weight was kinda nice.
“Rest.” Wrecker squeezed his shoulder and added a bit more shy. “Hey… When the heat comes back to normal. Maybe I could give you a full massage. I read it could help with phantom pain.”
“Sounds great.” Echo whispers and leans against his warm hand.
The bright smile on Wrecker is the last thing Echo saw before sleep claimed him.