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You let out a deep sigh and tossed your datapad down on the commissary table. It skittered to the edge, where it teetered for a second, before falling to the floor.
You swore in Huttese, then dropped your face into your hands.
Great. Just great.
Your family was having their every-five-years summer reunion in a week. Right when the Resolute was to return to Coruscant for the 501st’s scheduled leave. The reunion was always a big shindig by the lake where your family had some property. People you hadn’t seen since the last reunion came together for five days and at least three of your aunts tried to set you up with “this person they knew” who was “just perfect for you”. You had tried to bow out, saying that you had work and couldn’t get it off. But then your mother had called you in tears, saying how much she’d been looking forward to seeing you.
So now you were guilted into going. If the reunion had been with your immediate family only, you’d have gone, no question. But your extended family could get quite invasive when it came to your life.
“Are things really that bad?” a voice asked.
You looked to see Jesse retrieving your datapad from the floor. He smiled as he placed it next to the remains of your lunch.
Jesse had been one of the first clone troopers to really befriend you. The others were respectful, but Jesse had invited you to sit with him and his brothers during meals, and saved a seat for you at briefings. He’d stayed up late with you a few times when you had intelligence reports due, and you’d comforted him when he came back from battles that his brothers would never return from.
When he’d left for ARC training, you’d missed him terribly, and finally admitted to yourself exactly how much you liked him.
“Just family drama,” you said.
A shout from across the room drew your attention to where Hardcase and Fives were playing keep-away-from-Dogma. Echo and Tup were somehow involved, probably as peace keepers, and the rest of Torrent were egging their brothers on.
“I know a bit about family drama,” Jesse said, seating himself next to you. “Wanna talk about it?”
You blew out another breath. “Have your brothers ever tried to set you up with someone they thought was “perfect for you”?” You made little air quotes with your fingers.
Jesse chuckled. “Yeah. Hardcase is known for that. He means well, but he keeps trying to set me up with people who are more his type.”
You nod. “I have several relatives who do the same to me, and they’re all getting together next week.”
“So don’t go,” Jesse said.
You shot him a wry look. “I wasn’t going to. Then my mom called, crying.”
“That’s . . . bad, right?” Jesse said.
“Moms crying is usually never a good thing,” you said, nodding. “I wish this were a holomovie. Then I could just ask my best friend to come along and pretend to be my date, and my family would leave me alone.”
Jesse was quiet and when you looked over, he had a thoughtful look on his face.
“Why don’t you ask one of us to go with you?” he said.
You felt a sudden spark of hope. Maybe Jesse had noticed the hints you’d been dropping.
“I’m sure any of the guys would love to go with you.”
The spark died. You didn’t want just any trooper to go with you as your fake boyfriend. You wanted Jesse.
“Your mother was a B2,” someone shouted.
“Yeah, well, your mother was Count Dooku!” someone yelled back.
Jesse rolled his eyes. “Maybe don’t ask those guys.”
You chuckled weakly. “Yeah.” You picked up your ‘pad and food tray. “Well, I’d better be off. All those reports won’t write themselves.”
You walked out of the commissary feeling a little sick to your stomach and a whole lot disappointed.
Between thinking about Jesse and stressing over your aunts, you didn’t get much work done over the next few hours. When your shift was over you headed toward the commissary automatically, but halfway there, you decided you didn’t want to eat anything. You turned around and started for your room.
You were walking toward a group of troopers when you noticed Jesse’s distinctive ARC armor. Panicking—because you didn’t think you could face him and not either throw up or start crying—you looked around and darted down a nearby maintenance hallway.
You heard Jesse call your name.
Kark.
“What are you doing?” you muttered to yourself, even as you speed-walked down the hallway. “He probably would have just nodded and walked on by, if you hadn’t run away like a spooked cloud-deer.”
“Come on. Wait,” Jesse pled, his footsteps picking up behind you.
Irrationally, you began to move faster.
“Why are you running?”
I don’t know, you wanted to say. Because I feel humiliated. Because I like you and you don’t like me back.
You rounded a corner and tried one of the droid access hatches, hoping to duck inside. But the hatch wouldn’t open, so you ran again.
“Hey, come on,” Jesse called. “You’re gonna get lost back here.”
“So are you,” you shot back.
You were starting to calm down a bit, the desire to run ebbing out of your limbs, and you slowed your pace. But your face felt hot and you didn’t want to have to explain to Jesse why you’d run.
A firm grip on your wrist pulled you up short and you gasped. You turned to face Jesse, trying to tug your arm from his hand.
“Let me go,” you said.
He immediately complied, but reached out again when you took a couple of steps away from him.
“Don’t,” you snapped. “Just . . . leave me alone.”
Jesse’s hand hovered in the air between the two of you. When you didn’t immediately run again, he lowered it.
“At least tell me what’s going on,” he said. “You’ve been acting weird since lunch.”
“Oh, you noticed that, huh?”
Jesse folded his arm across his chest and frowned. “I’m not a complete laserbrain.”
Closing your eyes, you drew in a deep breath and let it out. You wanted to point out the fact that he’d completely missed your feelings for him, but decided to just extricate yourself from the situation as quickly as you could.
“I know you’re not a laserbrain. I’m sorry if you felt like I treated you that way, Jesse. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
You tried to move past him, but the ARC trooper just stood there. Between the helmet clipped to his belt and his pauldrons—which practically touched the walls in the narrow corridor—there was no way you could slip past him gracefully.
“Nuh uh,” he said. “You gotta tell me what’s bothering you. If it’s your family, the least I could do is listen.”
You rolled your eyes and sighed. “Yes, it’s my family. I love them, but . . . You already listened to me talk about them, so, thank you.”
Jesse stared at you and you could practically see the wheels turning in his head.
“Whaaaaaaat . . .” you asked suspiciously.
Jesse leaned close. So close his nose was just inches from yours.
“You’re crushing on Fives, aren’t you?”
You just stared at him in shock.
“Hardcase, then,” Jesse said.
“W-what??!” you spluttered. “No!”
“Echo?”
“I like you, you big, dumb, idiot!” you shouted.
Jesse stared at you with wide eyes. “Me?”
You felt your face flush again, and tears welled up in your eyes. “Yes, you, laserbrain. Now get out of my way.”
Jesse didn’t move. He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “Kix is going to be insufferable.”
“What does Kix have to do with this?” you muttered, wiping at your eyes. You would not cry over this stupid situation.
“He told me you liked me—”
“He what?!” you snapped, your voice rising in pitch and volume.
“Kix told me you like me—”
“And you, what? Didn’t believe him?”
“Well . . . I mean, look at you,” Jesse said, gesturing to you. “You’re amazing! And I’m just—”
“If you say ‘just a clone’,” you interrupted, “I will kick you some place your armor doesn’t cover.”
Jesse managed to look both amused and slightly afraid. His expression smoothed out and he sighed. “I’m sorry.”
You slumped in on yourself and wrapped your arms around your chest. “You don’t have to be sorry. I’m the one who should apologize for running away.”
Jesse reached out and took your wrist. You didn’t resist as he pulled you into his chest and wrapped his arms around you. Even though your cheek rested against cool plastoid, you were more comfortable than you’d been in a long time.
“So,” Jesse murmured. “Now that we’ve got this part sort of figured out, can I come with you to visit your family as your fake boyfriend.”
You huffed a laugh and smacked his chest lightly. “If you’re coming with me to visit my family, you’d better be my actual boyfriend.”
Jesse hugged you tighter and rested his cheek on your head. “I think I can do that.”