Work Text:
Rex POV
“Wolffey you promised!” Gregor’s voice sounded truly hurt.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes you did! You said when Rex got back we could go.”
“In all fairness, I didn’t think he was coming back.”
Ouch… that one hurt. Rex winces into his cup of caf. He had gone with that group Ahsoka sent… the grumpy Jedi, the furry one, the mandalorian girl and the youngling. It had been great to see Ahsoka and he felt he owed it to their friendship to help them. But after a few missions he had to tell her that he was going back to Seelos to try and convince Wolffe and Gregor to join the Rebels.
It had been a little uncomfortable when he explained to her why he couldn’t just leave them behind. He wasn’t sure if Ahsoka had been aware that some of the clones were closer than others and he was sure she didn’t know that his relationship with Wolffe and Gregor didn’t just happen after the Republic fell. In reality, they had been together since being on Kamino..
“Rex!” Gregor’s voice sought his help.
“Wolffe, you did say we could go.” Honestly he wants them both happy when he brings up a topic he knows they won’t want to hear and as much as he’s resisting going, Rex knows Wolffe loves that place just as much as Gregor… he just likes to be difficult.
Wolffe’s head pops out from around a corner, one white eyebrow raised and a scowl in place.
“Riding on the speeder hurts my back.”
“It’s not that far. If you want we can just walk the AT-TE there.”
Wolffe’s scowl gets impressively larger. “That will take forever. Fine.” He disappears back around the corner and returns as he’s tugging his shirt over his head.
Rex gives an appreciative glance at the former Commander’s strong chest and stomach. Time may have taken away his chiseled physique but his strength is obviously still there and in Rex’s opinion, this suits him.
“You know, we could stay here and do other fun things.” Wolffe wiggles his eyebrows, having noticed the look being cast his way.
“You know you can’t change plans on him like that.” Rex scolds and Wolffe huffs and sits at the table.
“Yeah I know.”
Rex reaches out and lays his hand over Wolffe’s, giving it a squeeze. After a moment Gregor comes bounding into the room with an excessively large hat sitting on his head.
“What is that ?” Wolffe growls.
“It’s to protect my shiny noggin from the sun. I got one for Rex too.” He plops said hat on Rex’s head and Wolffe nearly falls out of his chair from laughing too hard.
Rex feels his face heat but he adjusts the hat and gives Gregor a grin. “Thanks Gregs.” The responding beam of pride is definitely worth the price of looking a little silly.
Wolffe rolls his eyes at both of them and heads for the doorway. “Let’s go already before I change my mind.”
“Rexy, why do we love him again?”
“I dunno, why do we?”
“Because I’m a ray of karking sunshine, now let’s go!”
Rex laughs and stands, moving towards the doorway first. They all have their idiosyncrasies leftover from the war. Gregor doesn’t like anyone behind him and he needs to know the plan of action beforehand. Rex figures it’s the Commando in him that’s just too ingrained to fade.
Wolffe doesn’t want anyone standing on his right side. Over the years his eye has lost some functionality and it’s not like the Empire is going to help him get a new one.
As for Rex, well… he has guilt and lots of it. Everyone he’s lost plays a starring role in his dreams every night. Most times he wakes himself and slips out of bed without Wolffe or Gregor noticing and spends the rest of the night staring at the stars and talking to the ghosts that haunt his memories.
If it’s a particularly bad dream and he wakes up the others either by screaming or thrashing, they’ll join him outside and let him go on and on reliving the memories of his men and every chaotic thing they did. Eventually he falls asleep sitting out on the deck and they’ll carry him back to bed.
He doesn’t know what he would do without them, and he doesn’t intend to find out. Which is why he needs to talk them into joining the Rebellion. Or, he might have to let his Commander down one more time and remain here.
Within no time they’re racing their three speeders across the desert, a howl from the leader sounding every so often, followed by a cheer from behind him. He feels… free. Every time they do this, the overwhelming reality that they’re free men overcomes them. It’s a feeling that he knows they share and one of the reasons why he knows they might just join him… to give others the same freedom they now enjoy.
Wolffe pulls between the two large stone cliffs, slowing down as the ground beneath them changes from sand to dirt. Gregor found this place by accident and it quickly became their favorite place to go. Not too far in, where desert and sand turn into dirt and plant life - a genuine oasis on a desert planet, they pull over the speeders. The rest of the way needs to be taken on foot.
“I hope you at least brought lunch.” Wolffe grumbles as he climbs off his speeder and stretches his back.
“Of course!” Gregor practically hops off his speeder and slings a pack over his shoulder. “Joopa sandwiches.
Rex grins and shakes his head, leading the way down the path. It always amazes him how different the air is here where the tall narrow cliffs protect this area from the blinding sun. He can feel a breeze ruffling his hat and brushing across his face, tickling his beard. He lifts his hand and scratches at it as he walks. Ahsoka had seemed surprised that he’d had one after keeping clean shaven all throughout the war. It had been an unspoken rule for commanding officers to remain clean shaven, though he can’t remember why. Maybe it was something the Kaminoans had ingrained in them.
He turns to look over his shoulder at his companions and grins when he sees Wolffe and Gregor walking together, Wolffe now holding the pack of food. Wolffe also decided to grow in his facial hair but Rex still wasn’t sure he liked it. Gregor, however, loved both of their decisions but liked his smooth… so he could enjoy theirs more when they kiss. Rex turns to face forward again with a blush staining his cheeks.
“Rexy’s having naughty thoughts again.” Gregor sings.
Wolffe snorts but doesn’t disagree. They know him too well. Even though they’ve been together for so long, he still is the one who gets shy and bashful.
After only about a dozen more steps, Gregor rushes past him with a laugh, wrestling with his shirt. Wolffe closes the distance and wraps an arm around Rex’s shoulder.
“He does this every time we come here… acts like it’s the first time.” The words hold a grumble but Rex can hear the fondness.
That period of time where they thought Gregor was lost to them was one of the hardest for Rex and Wolffe alike. When he returned, somehow having survived two explosions, he was different but in many ways the same. He’d always been jovial and affectionate, but smart and a great Commando… surviving what he did just brought out more of his personality.
They watch as Gregor finally reaches the edge of the water, the pool at the edges calmer than where the waterfall crashes down. It’s not a big waterfall, but enough to throw a beautiful mist into the air.
Rex takes a deep breath… he doesn’t want to leave this. The idea of fighting again and giving this up is a hard choice to make. The idea that he might end up losing Wolffe or Gregor is unthinkable.
“We’ll go with you, you know.” Wolffe’s voice startles him out of his worried thoughts.
“What?” He turns to look at the man, but Wolffe’s eyes remain watching Gregor wading through the water.
“We’ll go with you. To fight. When you left, things were… not great. For both of us.” Eventually, he turns his gaze to Rex. “If you ask, we’ll go.”
Rex nods and looks back to see Gregor emerge from behind where the water is cascading down. He would ask… but not yet. They deserve to have this day together, to keep with them no matter what may come.