#captain rex fanfic
Nurse of the 501st — “Orphanage”
Pairing: Captain Rex x FemaleNurse!Reader (ft. the 501st)
Word Count: 6.4k
T/W: fluffy ☁️
A/N: I was so happy with this one tbh, so I hope you enjoy it too!
- On a mercy mission with Rex, you find a crumbling orphanage and wind up stuck with the children underground while attempting to find a way back to the surface.
Preface/Injured/79’s/Orphanage
Rex offered his hand to you as you stepped off the supplies ship, it had a bit more of a drop compared to the usual assault transports. Shifting your medic bag to your hip, you placed your hand in Rex’s and took the big step, which was more like a jump for you; Rex stabilised you as your feet met the planet’s surface.
“Thanks,” you smile, Rex meeting you with a smirk and a nod, before heading to unload the cargo.
You and Rex had been assigned to deliver supplies cargo to an orphanage on a planet the Republic was occupying for ease of passage through the system. General Skywalker opted to send just the two of you in order to avoid appearing as if the Republic was establishing forces on the planet. Rex only agreed since there was no sign of Separatists in the system and it was a mercy mission. You on the other hand were excited that you and Rex would get a mission alone and that the General trusted you.
When you landed, you had set down away from the orphanage, as to not stir up attention around the area, but there was quickly a plethora of children swarming towards your ship, predominantly interested in the fancy transport as well as Rex in his shiny armour and signature clone helmet. They gathered around him and stared.
“Are you a clone?” A bright-eyed child craned their neck to look up at Rex’s helmet.
“Do you have a face? Or are you all actually droids?” Another questions him, crossing their little arms over their chest.
“I wanna be a soldier,” a little Ithorian said, his translator humming as he spoke.
“You can’t be one, stupid, they’re manufactured,” a Weequay nudged his friend.
“Alright, settle down now, younglings,” Rex began, “yes, I’m a clone, yes I have a face, no I’m not a droid,” Rex methodically took off his helmet and held it at his side, between his forearm and his torso, “see? And it’s not being a clone that makes a good soldier, it’s the spirit. Now, where’s the orphanage supervisor?”
The children were stunned and star-struck with Rex, you weren’t certain any of them were going to move, but soon after he asked a question, they all rushed to be the first one to answer, bouncing up and down, some waving their arms for him to follow them, one Duro girl even tugging at his uniform.
“He left before you got here when he- when he,” The Duro girl bounced, tugging at Rex to make sure she had his attention, “when he saw your ship enter the atmosphere he left but said he’d be back soon!!”
“Alright, alright,” Rex spread his hands out, “Angel?” He looked back to find you simply waiting, enjoying just observing him interact with the kids. For once he was the one feeling out of his league and you were feeling a bit more at home; a lot of kids came through the hospital wing and you were nurturing by nature, so they didn’t scare you; as for Rex his tone was practically a plea for you not to leave him alone with the knee-highs.
“Right behind you, Captain,” you lifted the hand you’d been using to cover your growing smile, signalling where you were for him.
All the kids instantly stopped, turning back to stare at you for the first time, until one finally asked, “wait- you’re a clone too?”
“Oh, no, I’m just the medic,” you admit with a kind smile, “but I am a part of the 501st Legion,” you said proudly, glancing over to Rex who was absolutely beaming with pride as you spoke those words. Once again, the children stared up in silence, glancing between you and Rex, back and forth, no doubt formulating their own ideas.
“Can I carry your helmet?” A young Torgruta asked breaking the silence, pointing with her whole arm extended towards where it rested in Rex’s possession.
“Ah…,” Rex hesitated, but at least he’d had some experience with her species, so he felt a little more at ease, “sure.”
Handing over the helmet the kids all ran towards the orphanage, some trying to take it from the Togruta, but when she hissed and showed her teeth, still some missing, they backed off. Rex shook his head with a furrowed brow, placed his hands on his hips and let out a deep exhale as if he’d just made it out of a near-death experience. Turning his head when he heard you giggle, he dropped his hands, before crossing them over his chest.
“Did I miss something?” He asks, knowing fully well you’re most likely laughing at him.
“No,” you press your lips together, looking over at him, disposition shifting from amused to a subtlety longing, “it’s nothing…, it’s just nice to see you get a taste of normalcy amidst the war. I’ve never seen you with kids before, and I think it’s sweet.”
Your gaze lingers on each other, but soon you’re drawn to a child waving you both down under the archway of the orphanage. Flashing Rex a genuine smile, eyes soft, you squeeze your shoulder up and tilt your head, “you think you’ll survive this one, Captain?”
Rex hesitates to answer, still caught in your previous comment, but he soon returns to his normal self, “not without you, and I still have a feeling this might be the hardest mercy mission yet.”
You laugh at his sarcasm, before taking steps in stride with Rex towards the orphanage. When you arrive, Rex has to duck to enter the small archway. It’s surprisingly small for a whole orphanage, but the children seem to be perfectly comfortable, each having their own part of the open room to themselves. There are drawings taped to the wall, each from a torn piece of paper that the kids had to share. All the toys looked generations older than them, and their stuffed animals had multiple patches. Glancing at Rex, you knit your eyebrows together; they needed this more than either of you imagined. Their spirits were so joyful, you would have never guessed.
“My-my name’s Luka,” a small Tholothian boy tugs at your uniform sleeve.
“Why hello, Luka,” you kneel down.
“You’re- you’re very pretty,” he stutters and you hear Rex chuckle behind you, “would you like to see my drawings?”
“Of course I would,” you answer with a smile, standing and letting him take your hand, pulling you towards his makeshift room, which is really a bed against a wall between two others just like it, but his space is filled with drawings, chalk, and crayons.
Rex makes himself busy with stacking the supply boxes from the ship to the centre of the orphanage. Every time he leaves the orphanage there’s a trail of little ones right on his heel, the Togruta with his helmet never far behind in the crowd of children asking him questions.
“Have you fought in lots of battles?” a child asks, skipping to keep up with Rex’s stride.
“Um, yes, I’ve fought in a good amount,” Rex admits, not wanting to get into too much detail of what he’s seen in them.
“Did you even kill somebody?” the Duro girl questions.
“Of course he has!” the Weequay answers for Rex, who’s busy shaking his head and picking up another box, carefully turning around, watching his step to avoid stepping on any toes with how close the kids were to him.
“Well, how would you know?” The Duro raised her voice.
“Because-” the Weequay began, raising his tone to match hers.
Although Rex could hear them, his attention was immediately drawn elsewhere; he set the cargo back on the transport.
“Wait, wait,” Rex bent down, placing his arms in front of the children; he paused, glancing around like a Nexu hunting, “let me see that, lil’ one.”
Rex carefully reached out for his helmet, staying hunkered down as he flipped his scope down with two fingers, surveying the horizon. It was too quiet, except for a very distinct distant buzzing; it sounded like a pack of hornets. Immediately, Rex collected the little ones behind him and started telling them to head back towards the orphanage, luckily they all obeyed and managed to keep a pretty good pace. Rex could have easily passed them when he turned to run himself, but he kept his pace slower in order to cover their six from the oncoming danger.
Meanwhile, you and Luka were busy admiring his artworks; Luka proudly set them all in your lap as he stood on his bed and unpinned them from the wall. Soon all you could hear was Rex in the distance yelling something inaudible from so far away. Luka perked up at the sound, causing you to speak a response, in order to put him at ease.
“Now what do you imagine Captain Rex has gotten himself into this-“
Your gentle tone was paused when you saw the look of terrified children running your way, followed by Rex with one blaster in hand, coming towards the orphanage at full speed. You furrowed your brows and tried to listen harder for the order coming from your captain.
“Cover- take cover- bombs!” Rex yelled and you managed to hear from across the large room. Turning to Luka, you shielded him, grabbing him as gently as you could in such as rush. taking him completely in your arms and hunkering down.
You looked up to see where the rest of the children were, but they hadn’t even made it into the orphanage yet. Rex was yelling out your location into his comlink. Your heart raced so fast, you were certain Luka could feel it with how tightly you were holding him. A near panic came over you when you felt the first bomb hit, thankfully a miss. But no matter, it was enough force to shake the planet’s surface and start to disrupt the stability.
Staring to where Rex was, he was now headed into the orphanage, children gathered in one place, and he was on his way to you, arm extended to the full length, Rex spread his fingers, reaching for your extended arm, but you had to pull it back to shield Luka as you felt the ground beneath you give way, the planet had split right between the two of you, and the last things you heard was Rex calling your name as you closed your eyes, cradled Luka, and then— it all went black–
Opening your eyes in quick blinks, there was complete darkness surrounding you. Your lungs stung and your whole body ached, but instinctively you were feeling what was last in your arms. Exhaling no matter how much it hurt, you were beyond thankful Luka was still near you. You felt his hands curled into fists at the collar of your uniform, he had clung to you for dear life. Hearing his little cough was one of the best sounds at the moment, and you rested your head back down on the rock underneath you. The planet’s surface broke and you assumed you were underneath the orphanage, but your mind wondered what happened to the other kids, to Rex.
“Angel!” Rex’s voice called, it sounded muffled and distant.
“Rex?” You groaned, not wanting to move, but knowing you needed to. It wasn’t as easy as you thought it was going to be. There were rocks toppled onto you. Once you shovelled enough off of you to stand hunched over, then you gently pulled Luka out of the rubble. Reaching into your medic bag still strapped to your side, you clicked on a flashlight. Surveying your surroundings you weren’t met with much diversity. Just rock, rock, and a little more rock.
“Rex?” You yelled tapping again on a random rock that seemed to be acting as a barrier. A few moments passed, and doubt crept into your mind, before hearing his voice call your name again, “yeah,” you sighed, before swallowing, trying to remain calm, “I’m okay- I’m with Luka.”
“My arm really hurts,” you heard Luka begin to sniffle behind you.
Directing your attention to him, you knelt to get down on his level, examining the injury, “we’ve got a broken arm, definitely broken,” you admitted, “so I’ll need you to stay very still while I place it and give you something for the pain, Luka, can you do that?”
Your voice was gentle and encouraging, never doubting. Luka nods bravely, despite his scared eyes telling you a whole different story, “this is really scary,” he suddenly speaks, eyes brimming with tears.
“I know, but we’re gonna be okay, I promise” you place a soft hand on his shoulder, “c’mon, we’re going to find Captain Rex.”
Luka nods, wiping away his few tears with the back of his curled up hands as you pick him up, carrying him on your hip. You look around with the flashlight guiding and notice there’s a distinct path parallelling the wall that Rex was calling at you from behind. You announced that you were following the path, and waited to see if Rex would respond, but you didn’t want to linger too long.
Thankfully he answered, “Okay, I’ll find you,” he responded, “stay safe.”
Relaxing from his proximity to the wall, he closed his eyes, sending a prayer up to the stars that you’d be okay after all.
“Mr. Rex?” A small voice called out, “what should we do now?”
Turning around, he surveyed the rest of the kids, they were terrified. They didn’t deserve this.
“Okay…well, if we stay in one place, we might…,” Rex looked down at all the little faces staring back up at him, and opted to choose his words more carefully, “we might find the air getting a little more stuffy.”
“They’re stealing our air?” one little girl gasped, horrified, “why would they steal our air?”
“Stop taking so much of it then,” the Weequay corrected, genuinely upset.
Rex held out his hands to ward off any infighting, but as he stepped between the two, the little Duro, with bright ruby eyes met him. For a moment Rex just stared down, luckily the child could only see the helmet, not the eye roll Rex gave behind it as he anticipated more talking and less silence, despite his oxygen comment.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Rex, sir,” the little one chimed in cheerfully, “I can hold my breath for three whole minutes.”
Sighing, Rex watched the Duro take a deep breath and close their eyes tightly as if somehow that would help their lungs; they lasted all of about thirty seconds, at best. But when they glanced up, Rex couldn’t help but feel he should be encouraging, especially in a time like this. These kids had no idea what their futures would be, half of them didn’t even know where they came from, and now it was up to him to make sure they had a future, no matter what.
“That’s…great, kid, really great,” Rex’s tone was almost believable, but there was mild sarcasm, “keep it up.”
The Duro smiled and kept repeatedly holding her breath for a few seconds and letting it go, taking a deep breath, and repeating the process.
“Alright, cadets,” Rex said by a habit, “I need everyone to follow me, single file and no fighting; we’re going to reconnect with Luka and Agnel and-”
“Do you love her?” the Togruta blinked widely.
“Yeah, do you?” the Ithorian boy seconded excitedly.
Rex tensed, there was a light feeling in his stomach, as if someone had turned off the gravity inside.
“Ah, well, she’s-” Rex started, squeezing his gloved hand closed while he tried to think of an answer quick, he didn’t trust kids, he knew that they repeated everything no matter who it was in front of, so he gave the truth in a different way, “I love that she’s my medic.” He even winced under his helmet at the pathetic attempt, when the kids all stared at him, not entirely satisfied with his answer, Rex just cleared his throat and changed the topic, “now let’s move out.”
Luckily there was a path on their side as well and it seemed to parallel yours. It wasn’t terribly long, but to Rex, it felt like forever, between his worry over you and the children’s constant chatter and voice fluctuations. As for you and Luka, the pain had subsided after the medicine you gave him and it was relatively quiet. Until the kid’s voices became clearer and clearer.
“Aura?” Luka spoke quietly, a smile growing on his face, “that’s Aura, she’s my best friend!” He bounced in your arms, pointing toward the wall.
You smiled back and went up to the wall, “Rex?” You tapped hard, “Rex? Can you hear us?”
“We hear you!” A choir of little voices chimed.
“I think the rubble is thinner here,” you called out, but were met with silence.
“Stand back, at least a few feet,” Rex instructed.
You did as he said, taking extra pacing just in case. You set Luka down and covered him; your back facing towards the sudden, but small blast that caused the wall to scatter into smaller rubble. Looking over your shoulder, you blinked rapidly at the smoke and Luka coughed. Standing, you went towards the explosion cautiously, trying to see if it had worked.
A familiar figure stepped through the division.
“Rex,” you exhaled his name, the relief of actually seeing him alive and okay washed over you; closing your eyes as he brought you into the tightest hug he’d given you yet. You reached your arms around his neck, slipping your hand just high enough to actually touch his skin where the helmet made a gap as he dipped down.
“We’re all okay,” Rex answered your silent question.
“Okay, good, okay,” you stayed in his arms, all the worry hitting you at once, what if you’d lost him, what if Luka hadn’t made it, what if you never found him?
“How’s the lil’ one?” Rex asked quietly, hoping to keep it between you and him.
“He’s doing good, but I can’t heal it completely down here,” you admit, pulling away from him, keeping your hands against his biceps, “who could have done this?”
“I have my ideas,” Rex says confidently, “but I think we should probably hold off that conversation.”
“Do you love Mr. Rex?” a familiar voice piped up, making Rex sigh; you looked around him to see inquiring eyes.
You met Rex’s eyes, or at least you looked to the slit in his helmet, before getting distracted, “wait-what is she doing?”
“She’s holding her breath, I told her to keep it up,” Rex shrugged, not entirely sure why he’d kept encouraging it other than to get some silence from one of them.
“You keep encouraging that, and I think we might see a Duro turn a whole new shade of blue,” you perked an eyebrow, silently commenting on his encouragement tactics, before turning serious, “do you think the tunnels go somewhere safe? Is it worth the risk?”
“I can’t be certain of anything right now, I tried to get our location back up to the General, but I think it’s worth a shot to try and get out on our own,” Rex said, “I’ve still got blasters and you’ve got the first aid kit, I think it’s our best chance…with cooperation,” Rex groaned, hearing another match startup behind him.
Shaking your head, it amazed you how Rex could command legions amidst battle, but a handful of kids completely took him down. You agreed and picked Luka back up, carrying him as the medicine made him feel weak. Rex lead the group and you brought up the back, making sure everyone was accounted for at each turn and tunnel change. You weren’t sure how long you walked, but you tried to keep everyone’s spirits up when they questioned anything. The last thing you wanted was for the kids to begin worrying.
“Mr. Rex, sir,” the little Rodian girl, named Aura, called out, waiting until Rex turned to face her to continue, “sir, I’m so tired, sir.”
Rex sighed, shoulders falling, but quickly reminded himself they were not troopers, they were children. He looked around as if to find any sign of the time, but it was pitch black save the handheld flashlight you had and his helmet’s light. You, in the meantime, made your way to the front, Luka still settled on your hip. Rex automatically raised a hand, offering it to you, and leaving it as something to hold onto just in case the ground was rocky or the planet had another aftershock wave.
“Sleeping on the job,” Rex commented in a soft tone, clicking off his helmet light, seeing the child you were holding fast asleep, his little head resting on your shoulder, and arms clasped, now more loosely than before, around your neck, “and I’m not even sure if we should be sleeping.”
“I know it’s hard to tell what time it is,” you agreed, “but I’d guess it’s night, or about to be,” Rex gave a familiar head tilt that told you to go on, “well, these kids have been raised here, which means their internal clocks are probably our best sign of the time at the moment. When they’re tired, hungry, everything.”
Looking back to the group, Rex saw a few rubbing their eyes, while others gave yawns, some even leaning against the walls.
“You’re right,” Rex nodded, “I’ll scout a little further, you head back to the cove we passed, it’s probably the safest bet; start finding places soft enough to sleep, with what we’ve got that is.”
Rex’s tone sank into a pessimistic tone at the end of his sentence as he looked around once more; you placed your free hand on his chest plate, bringing his attention back to you “we’ve got each other, that’ll be enough.”
You smiled your best, and Rex nodded again, before gently tapping the small of your back and clicking his helmet light back on while he scouted.
“Okay everybody,” you announced, “we’re headed back to the cove to get some sleep!”
A very tired “yay” could be heard by Rex as he made his way further ahead. When he came back to the cove himself, he found all the kids asleep, sprawled out on the ground. Rex looked over to your body, which you had taken to making as small as you could in a corner. He knew you were trying to put the kids first, giving them as much comfortable space as possible in the close quarters, but this was different. After all the kids had fallen asleep you had gone silent, near radio silent. Rex practically tiptoed around the sleeping little ones, which wasn’t an easy task since he could hardly stand upright in the small space. Meanwhile, huddled into a little ball your knees were tucked into your chest, arms wrapped around them, chin resting against your forearm.
Rex turned his blaster to stun before holstering it and joining you on the floor, “how you holding up?”
You took a deep breath, shakily; you wanted to answer, but no words came. A little disappointed in yourself, you turned to Rex with tear lined eyes, hoping he’d understand simply by that.
“I know,” Rex’s tone immediately shifted from a commander asking his soldier how they were to someone who cared deeply.
He scootched a little closer, and naturally, you leaned into him, letting go of your knees you brought your hands up to hug yourself, resting your head against his shoulder. It was a comfort having Rex so close, you finally felt safe. It was hard to keep a front up, given that this was your first experience like this since leaving Coruscant and if you were honest you were pretty scared. But at the same time, you didn’t want to scare the kids— the emotions were pulling you two ways, and being near Rex seemed to calm the mental tug-of-war for now. It no longer made you nervous or timid to be close to Rex, after your long night at 79’s talking through your emotions a bit more, you felt at home when you were with him.
Taking a deep breath in, you spoke in a low voice just in case the kids could hear despite being asleep, “we’re gonna be okay,” you tilted your head back to look up at Rex, eyebrows knit together, “right?”
Seeing two stray tears chase each other down your cheek simultaneously, Rex met your eyes. He didn’t want to lie to you, but he wasn’t entirely certain of anything either.
Using the back of his hand to wipe away your tears, he began, “we’ll get through this together; I promise..”
You nod slowly, taking a deep breath and exhaling again, in an attempt to calm yourself, “who do you think did this?”
Rex took a deep inhale, thinking over his hypothesis, “well, I wouldn’t put it past Dooku to bomb an orphanage.”
“But why?” you asked absolutely appalled and filled with emotion, another tear running down your skin, “they’re just kids.”
“My best guess is the Separatists heard that the 501st was coming, Dooku assumed General Skywalker would be on the grounds along with three battalions at least, so he paid off the orphanage director to give up the location and time of our arrival, that’s why he left the orphanage when he was our ships enter the atmosphere,” Rex concluded, looking over to you, who hadn’t stopped staring while listening, Rex managed a smirk, “unfortunately for him, he only got us, and he missed at that.”
You shook your head, “they’ve been through so much,” you look to the kids, “they lost a place they thought could be home, they were betrayed by someone they looked up to, it’s just not fair.”
“No,” Rex began, not looking to the kids, but still at you, “it’s not fair. But it’s my job to make sure every single person gets out, and that’s exactly what I plan on doing.”
“Let me help, just tell me how- tell me what to do,” you glance back to your Captain.
“For now, I want you to rest, as much as you can,” he tells you in a soft tone, “I need you sharp and healthy, more than you know, Ang’.” Rex runs a finger along your jawline, before pressing his forehead to yours.
“Sir, yes, sir,” you close your eyes, exhaling.
That was the last thing you remember, before turning onto your side and falling asleep. You woke up to the gentle shoving of Aura at your shoulder. Waking up swiftly, slightly startled, thinking the worst had happened, you looked over your shoulder to find Rex at your back and the rest of the kids all starting to stir. It must be morning, you thought to yourself going off their clocks.
“Aura,” you took her hand in yours, “what is it?”
“Luka’s not feeling well,” she sounded in a near panic.
“Okay,” you nodded picking up your medic bag and following her to where you had settled Luka the night before. She was right, he looked much worse. He had a running fever and was still tired, his arm turning to terrible bruising. You began digging for more medicine when Rex appeared at your side.
“We’re not looking too good, we really need to get to the surface,” you spoke without looking up from Luka, “he needs higher doses; doses that I don’t have on me.”
“Alright, everybody up?” Rex turned and called; for the most part, he was met with enthusiastic spirits again, except for Luka and Aura, and a few who didn’t want to keep walking. Their little feet were tired and the constant darkness of being underground scared them, but they tried their best.
It didn’t take long for everyone to get on their feet and moving again. Once more you held the back of the line, now with Aura holding tightly onto your medic bag that rested at your hip while you carried Luka carefully. Rex led the group.
“Are you married?” the Togruta asked him cheerfully.
“No,” Rex responded shortly, looking right and left at a split in the tunnels, deciding which path looked safer.
“Do you want to be?” she pushed innocently.
“Maybe, someday,” Rex took the middle ground again.
“Would you marry Angel?” she continued.
Rex sighed deeply, hating how blunt children could be.
“I’d marry her, she’s nice,” the Ithorian twiddled his fingers.
“I’d marry you,” the Togruta said to Rex a little louder than expected, causing it to echo through the tunnel.
“Thanks,” Rex shook his head, not sure what to say to that information, “any other questions?” He asked more sarcastically and rhetorically.
“I have a question,” the Weequay raised his hand, “are we actually going somewhere? I think we’re lost.”
You instantly felt sad, knowing that Rex was doing everything he could, you also knew that neither of you really knew where to go; you’d never been to the planet before and you didn’t exactly plan on getting stuck under the surface of it. Otherwise, you absolutely would have asked Echo for all the maps he could find for research.
“I don’t think we’ll ever see sunlight again,” the Duro girl panicked.
“Can’t we just force our way out?” the Weequay punched the air repeatedly with a determined look.
“That’d cave us in, dummy,” the Duro corrected, putting her little hands on her hip.
“Force- wait…wait,” Rex pauses, halting all the kids, and you follow suit, looking to the front of the line. Rex makes his way back to you, “I need to talk to you, I have an idea.”
“Okay?” you furrow your eyebrows, wondering what kind of plan he had in mind since it was obvious he wanted to talk to you alone.
Setting Luka onto the floor gently, Aura right by his side, Rex instructed them to stay put as he took your hand suddenly, leading you only a few paces away. He removed his helmet, letting you know it was serious.
“I have a plan, but it all depends on you,” he started and you grew wary, but you let him continue, “you are- you’re force sensitive-”
“Rex-” you dropped your arms, looking away.
“Hear me out, hear me out,” he gently placed his hand on your side, keeping you in front of him; taking a deep breath you looked back to him, “I think that you could use the force to get us out of here.”
“Rex…that was a long time ago,” you hugged yourself, looking to the ground away from him for a moment, before continuing, new anxiety to your tone, “and I failed. I failed those kinds of tests that require moving things. I couldn’t do it for the council-”
“I know, I know,” Rex says softly, sliding his hands down your arms, comfortingly, seeing that you were beginning to feel the past pressing down on you, “but…that was for the Jedi council, doesn’t the force thrive in all things?” he gives you a look of encouragement, like a captain assuring his soldier that they can make it, but so much more intimate, “your force didn’t intend you to be a general, or a Jedi, your force is for healing, helping, and saving lives, this is your calling, if this works it could save all their lives. And I know you can do this.”
You opened your mouth to protest but closed your lips.
“There is…one thing I remember,” you meet his eyes, “ I’m not familiar with his force, but maybe, maybe, I could reach the General.”
“A maybe from you is more than enough for me,” Rex said, nodding until you joined him and gave a soft ‘okay.’
You returned to the children, checking on Luka first; you felt his pain heightening through the force. Stroking his forehead, you took a deep breath and moved to the front of the line, Rex right behind you.
“What do you need me to do?” Rex asked.
“Just…,” you rubbed your arms as you hugged yourself again, feeling just as nervous as you had been before the Jedi Council, “keep the kids back, I don’t know if this will work or what will happen so…”
“I’m right behind you in you need me,” Rex assured you, taking steps back, “kids, gather up behind me.”
Looking around you found a wall of rock straight ahead, placing a hand on it you closed your eyes and began what you remembered.
“I am one with the force,…and the force is with me,” you whispered, softly repeating the phrase, until your voice faded and you were only mouthing the words, speaking them through your thoughts–
“You’re certain this was the final location Rex gave you, General?” Admiral Yularen questioned through the comlink.
“I’m positive,” Anakin knelt down to touch the surface of the ruined orphanage.
“How did this happen?” Fives exclaimed.
“Separatists,” Anakin answered.
“There’s little chance anyone could have survived this,” Kix admitted, voice sounding broken; he believed he’d lost his captain and his best friend in the same day, “I suggest…we start looking through the rubble since they’re probably–.”
Anakin stood to his full height, waving a handout, indicating a request for silence, “Fives, Kix, Echo, follow me,” he suddenly spoke, taking off into a sprint.
The troops gave a confused look to each other as they were sprinting away from the orphanage site and into the bleak dusty desert. Still, they trusted their General and followed. Finally, Anakin stopped.
“I don’t- this, it’s-,” he stuttered, looking around, lightsaber still swinging at his side, he looked just as confused as his men.
“Sir?” Echo questioned.
“It’s- I can’t explain it, but stand back, all of you,” he then spoke to himself, “here’s hoping this works…”
“What is she doing?” Aura asked Rex, “is she okay?”
“Shh, we must be very quiet,” Rex gently whispered, noticing how hard you were concentrating. It almost appeared painful, your hand began shaking, and so did the pebbles around you; taking a few steps forward, he called your name questioningly, but there was no reply. When he tried again it seemed to jolt you out of a trance.
“I am one with the….with me,” you whispered, eyes rolling backwards, as you stumbled back from the wall, “force with me.”
Rex rushed forward by instinct, catching you as you fell back into his arms. A collective cry from the children came about, but Rex most distinctly heard Luka call your name through his tears. The kids gathered around Rex, who held you across his arms. Looking to the ceiling, Rex spotted a cave in.
“Back- back-” was all he could manage, moving back to where he had previously been waiting while you tried to centre yourself with the force. His body covered yours for protection and the kids were ducked down into little curled figures while the roof came down. When Rex opened his eyes all he could see was dust.
“Captain!” Anakin Skywalker’s voice finally broke through, before he turned to a member of the 501st, “Kix, get my Captain out of there!”
Kix dropped and propelled line down and immediately made his way down with an even bigger medic bag in hand. Taking strides to get to Rex as quickly as he could, Kix brought out a harness clip, indicating that he was going to take Rex up with him.
“No, no,” Rex groaned, still holding you in his arms, “her first, that’s an order, Kix.”
“Yes, sir,” Kix didn’t hesitate to listen, happy to see you even though you weren’t looking your best.
Rex gently supports your head as you’re exchanged into Kix’s arms. Rex’s touch lingers as Kix begins to attach the harness for support. Despite being unconscious, Rex swore he saw your fingers pry apart in an attempt to reach out for him.
—
“The kids!” You jolt awake, heart racing. Your wide eyes quickly closing at the bright light of the room you found yourself in. Two days underground really did a number on your eye adjustment. Putting your hands over your eyes, you breathe heavily, a little startled at the sensation, you wondered if there was something wrong with you.
“Easy, you can rest now,” General Skywalker placed a hand compassionately on your shoulder as he comes into focus, your eyes adjust to the bright light.
Swallowing, you glance down at your hands, before snapping back to attention, “Rex- the kids-”
Anakin smiles to himself, “they’re all safe; the kids are at a temporary orphanage right here on Coruscant, in fact Luka can’t wait for you to visit; as for Rex…” Anakin’s gaze went beyond you and you followed, turning to find Rex standing at attention beside your bed, still in armour and all, “he hasn’t left your side.”
A quiet pause falls across the room, before Anakin cleared his throat, “Rex, I’ll see you as soon as you feel fit again,” Anakin nodded, turning to you again, “good work soldier.”
“Thank you,” you smile widely, having never heard those words before now.
Watching Anakin leave, you bit your bottom lip, slowly turning your head to look up at Rex.
“Well, you were right, we made it,” you tried to laugh a little, as he sat at the edge of the hospital bed.
“No,you were right,” Rex sets his helmet aside, before facing you completely. You tilt your head with a questioning look, it was his idea for you to use the force to connect with Anakin. Rex looks down at your slightly bruised hands, taking them both in his gently, “we had each other, and that was enough.”
You feel a familiar blush creep up your neck, turns out you werent’ totally past getting flustered around him, “yeah, but you’re the one who hasn’t left my side.”
Rex chuckled, seeing your smile and eye brighten a little, but made sure you knew he was heartfeltly serious when he said, “and I don’t plan to.”
Nurse of the 501st— 79’s
Pairing: Captain Rex x FemaleNurse!Reader (ft. the 501st)
Word Count: 4.8k
T/W: fluffffyyyy ☁️
A/N: Yikes, I didn’t mean to disappear for so long, sorry this round of finals really wore me out. Anyway, I am so excited about the next part! (and other upcoming fics!!)
**this one’s kind of a filler not going to lie but I couldn’t get it out of my head.
- Returning to Coruscant, some of the 501st boys offer to take you to a clone bar for the first time. Padmé helps you get the perfect outfit for the occasion and when Rex finds out he gets a little jealous + worried with how many other clones you’ll meet, he finds himself somewhere he didn’t expect to be again.
Preface/Injured/79’s/Orphanage
↳m a i n m a s t e r l i s t
As the shuttle landed, you gripped your fingers a little tighter through the hooks hanging from the ceiling of the transport. Still surrounded by the 501st, General Skywalker standing directly in front of you with his ever-loyal padawan at his side, you were just beginning to feel a part of the squad, but now you doubted that. The transport was taking you from the command ship’s bay to a more central landing platform on Coruscant; the general and Rex were meeting with the Senators for a brief report, and the rest of you were given a free day, no orders. That was the exact reason you were busy lost in thought as to what do to with your time off. You figured the rest of the squad would already have plans, knowing each other so well, meanwhile, you hardly knew what to do except maybe visit the Jedi temple to try and get a meeting with Master Rig Nema, but then again a meeting would be harder to come by now that you weren’t on staff, you were a part of the army.
Biting at the inside of your lip, your brows furrowed, all alone on Coruscant didn’t sound like too much fun, you’d always kept close to Master Nema and the Temple, and you were hoping to stay close to your team, but a day off scared you more than your first mission did, so many memories could be made and you had no one to share them with. While lost in your thoughts, you hardly realised that you had slowly begun to lean gently against the clone next to you for support, free hand at your side casually and comfortably grazing against theirs every so often with the movement of the transport; it was methodic and soothing.
“You alright?” Rex suddenly asked in a soft voice, not wanting to draw attention, but still enough to snap you out of your daze.
“Hmm? Wh-” you looked to your shoulder, which was pressed against his arm; like a shock wave you realised your hand had been touching his and straightened yourself up, “oh- um, yeah, I’m fine, just fine. Sorry…”
“S’alright,” you swore you almost heard him give a chuckle underneath his helmet, but you didn’t dare look to meet his gaze, it would turn you redder than a Reek with a sunburn. Instead, you kept your head low and stared at the back of the General.
Luckily, the transport was soon to land, and you managed to avoid any further dazing. In fact, now your attention was sharper than ever, you held your breath every time Rex budged, wondering if you’d upset him by getting a little too close on accident. Maybe he was just trying to be nice, maybe he was giving you a warning, so many maybes ran through your head. But in the end, you told yourself not to project your feelings on it, he probably didn’t even care, it probably meant nothing, but your moment alone in the medical bay still played at the back of your mind… ‘no, you’re just reading into it’ you thought to yourself, physically shaking yourself out of your thoughts.
As the transport landed and the doors opened, you waited for the General and his Padawan to exit first, as they were the ones expected. When Rex began to take a step forward, you felt the back of his hand brush against yours; Rex was forced to linger a little while he waited for the General to take a few more steps forward and in the meantime, Rex’s fingertips twitched to touch yours. Before you had the chance to respond he was already walking off the transport alongside Skywalker towards the Senators.
Observing everyone else around you starting to depart, you joined in, tugging your bag a little tighter over your shoulder. Stepping off the transport, you took in a deep breath, gazing at the skyline of Coruscant, of course, there was one in every direction, but you found the one you liked most and took it in. Over your shoulder, you hear Senator Amidala greet your leaders. She was so graceful, her dress elegant, and her hair tied beautifully up in a way you were certain you could never learn. Ahsoka looked a little bored while her Master did most of the talking, one hand was crossed behind her back to hold her opposite elbow; when she looked to you she managed a subtle wave, well she thought it was subtle, but you had to laugh at the big gesture. Waving back with a smile, your attention was suddenly turned in a different direction by another familiar voice.
“Sooo, got any plans for your first big night off?” Fives asked, hoisting his satchel bag over his head, settling it across his body while making his way over to you, Echo, as ever, at his side.
“Me? Oh, probably not,” you shrugged looking between them, “I don’t know many people really, I’ve never really explored Courescant, and the Jedi temple isn’t open to just anyone so…,” you tapped your fingers along your satchel, feeling a little pathetic, “maybe I’ll visit the library before heading back to the barracks.”
“That actually sounds like a-” Echo began with an encouraging smile, but was cut off.
“Boring night, for a lady such as yourself,” Fives interjected, receiving an eye roll from Echo, “why don’t you come with us? We’d love to have another.”
“Oh, um, where are you guys going?” you asked shyly, glancing to Echo and then Fives.
“Yes,Fives, where exactly are we going?” Echo subtly positioned himself alongside you, crossing his arms over his chest, as if he was in the same boat of curiosity because he was.
“Where else?” Fives raised an eyebrow, spreading his arms.
“79’s? Of course,” Kix joined the conversation, standing next to you and Fives.
“What- what’s 79’s?” you asked, beginning to get a little more interested.
“It’s a Clone Bar,” Fives began with enthusiasm.
As Fives explained where and what 79’s was, Rex couldn’t help but draw his attention over to the crowd of clones beginning to form around you. He heard “79’s” and tried not to get too distracted with the thought of you there with every single one of his troops fawning over you, not to mention getting to see you a little less professionally. And where would he be? Probably-
“Captain?” Anakin’s voice broke into Rex’s thoughts.
Snapping to attention, Rex returned to the conversation, “Y-yes, sir?”
Padmé exchanged a look over at you, she’d noticed how Rex’s gaze often lingered in your direction. She was pretty good at picking up hints, she wondered if either of you had noticed the other’s attempts at intimacy.
“I was just telling Senator Amidala here about your injury,” Anakin gestured toward Rex’s side.
“Oh, ah, yes, nothing too serious ma’am, all in a day’s work,” Rex nodded, voice strong and confident once again.
“I’m so very glad to hear that Captain,” Padmé smiled, but opted to divert the conversation another way, “I hear you’ve acquired a new nurse in the 501st, does she meet your expectations, Captain?”
Anakin perked an eyebrow out of confusion at her, but with her eyes, Padmé gave a ‘just go with it’glare.
“Ah…,” Rex paused, uncertain of the working, “yes, she is one of the most talented individuals I’ve had the pleasure- privilege to work with, ma’am.”
“Hmm, I’d like to meet her, if you don’t mind,” Padmé smiled, clasping her hands in front of her, which was a signature sign that the request wasn’t up for debate, “after all, I feel so bad knowing all of you and excluding her, would you mind bringing her over, Captain?”
“Of course, ma’am,” Rex complied, swallowing harshly as he started in your direction.
You were engrossed with stories from the 501st and their experiences at this clone bar. Some were so animated about it, that you had to lift your hand to cover your mouth, covering up the smile accompanying your laugh. When Rex gently approached you, he leaned down to your height to explain how Senator Amidala wanted to speak with you. You looked over your shoulder, suddenly Senator Amidala was intimidating. You leaned in closer to ask Rex some questions first, frantically adjusting your uniform.
“They make an awfully cute couple,” Padmé leaned over to Anakin, speaking in a whisper.
“You read my mind,” Anakin smirked, crossing his arms, “I wonder-”
“If they know it yet?” Padmé finished his sentence, looking at him with a smile, “me too.”
Approaching the General and the Senator, you felt your stomach tighten, the only thing that put you at relative ease was Rex standing beside you, hands clasped behind his back, shoulders tall and gaze forward, as far as you could tell with the helmet on at least. When Rex stopped, you accidentally took another step forward and had to quickly step back to match where he was. Rex held back a chuckle, it was endearing to see you still learning the structure of a well-knit team, even in the simple things, you had such individuality, something he very much admired.
“Hello, I’m Padmè Amidala,” Padmè started the conversation, sensing how nervous you were. Still, after a few formality questions and introductions, she wanted to put you at ease, and let you know that she was an ally in more than just politics, “so, I’m told you trained at the Jedi Temple, you must be very familiar with Coruscant then.”
“I did, but for medical training only,” you admitted, never wanting to give the impression that you were on par with a Jedi, it stung, but you knew it was the right thing to do, Rex’s helmet barely tilted your direction when you paused as if to check on you, “but- but I don’t actually know Coruscant very well, ma’am,” you continued, “although I believe I’m about to be introduced to a clone bar.”
Rex sighed, slowly shaking his head, Anakin chuckled, putting a hand subtly to his mouth, and Padmé smiled brightly, beyond happy that you were getting some attention.
“How wonderful, I’m sure it’ll be a good chance to bond with your squad,” Padmé kept her tone professional, and avoided the urge to elbow Anakin, she found it precious that the clones were taking a liking to you, and she didn’t mind playing as Rex’s wing woman, “and what will you be wearing?”
Padmé’s question brought a sudden heat to your face, you felt it sizzling up your neck, “ah, um, my- my uniform?” Your answer came out more as a question than a confident answer.
“Oh no, no, surely we can find you something a little less professional for a night out,” Padmé’s expression became a glowing smile, “you should come with me, I’m sure I have something more evening appropriate we can tailor to you.”
“Oh- I don’t know, I’m sure this is-” You tried to make an excuse, wondering what Rex was thinking of all this; Anakin was happy that Padmé was getting along with you and it showed by the half-smile across his face when Padmé spoke, then again he was always happy when he was around Padmé. As for Rex, however, the helmet hid everything; you were pretty good at reading his body language, but he was staying still, giving you nothing to go off of.
“You should see her closet,” Ahsoka joined in, gesturing, “it’s huge, and she has so many beautiful garments. I’m sure you’d look lovely in any of them, besides it’ll be more fun to dress up.”
“Well, I’m not-”
“Ahsoka’s right,” Anakin finally commented, “you should go with Padmé, find something nice, as your General I insist; I’ll talk to Fives, have him pick you up at Senator Amidala’s building platform.”
Without getting another word in, Ahsoka and Padmé came to either side of you, Padmé linking her arm through yours as she ushered you towards her personal transport. Anakin made a B-line for where Fives and Echo were still standing, preparing the arrangements exactly as he said he would. Rex was left in the middle of the landing platform, but instead of following his General, he just watched you, shoulders dropping a little. Until you looked over your shoulder, with something of a pleading and apologetic look, then Rex straightened up and simply nodded as if he approved, but you could tell it was for show. You sighed deeply and returned to the conversation Padmé had you in.
The entire afternoon flew by, and you had to admit, there was something kind of fun about being Padmé’s dress-up doll; most of your life you’d only known your hospital uniform and now your 501st medic uniform. Because of that, Padmé wanted to find the perfect match for you to feel confident and beautiful in. Which colours matched your eyes, your hair, your skin tone, oh and then the shoes. Ahsoka stuck around and was nothing but your number one hype woman, claiming that everything looked amazing. You were shy about the situation, and the thought of the clones seeing you in some of her outfits made you light headed. But in the end, Padmé and you settled on a silky grey outfit, it was simple but elegant, yet casual enough for a night out. The sleeves were long, with an off the shoulder neckline. A wrapped fabric sash hugged your waist, something you were very used to, and the pants flared into a lovely bell shape past your knees. The slightest sliver of your torso exposed, nothing too showy, but just enough to make it a little less uniform looking. Padmé finished the look off with a pair of her favourite sandals.
“Perfect,” she clasped her hands in front of herself once again, looking at you in her mirror, “in fact I believe the colour is a near match to the clones’ official uniforms, but don’t worry this is much more fashionable.”
“Now you’ll really look like a member of the army, Angel,” Ahsoka confidently set her hands on her hips.
“Angel?” Padmé questioned, having only heard you go by your real name.
“Oh, it’s her code name, nickname, y’know like all the clones have?” Ahsoka explained, leaning closer to whisper, “rumour from Fives is that Rex gave it to her.”
With a wink from Ahsoka, Padmé’s smile grew and you turned around to face them both, wondering what the cause of their inside amusement was, but when you gave a softly questioning look, they cleared their throats and moved on.
“So, Fives will be here any minute, how are you feeling? I heard this is your first time out and about on Coruscant,” Padmè inquired.
“Oh, um, yeah, it is,” you wrung your hands, “I’m a little nervous, to be honest,” the two exchanged a glance again, making you panic, “don’t get me wrong, I love Kix and Fives and Echo and my whole squad, I just- I’m not used to it all yet, especially this part.”
“The casual, personal part?” Padmé perked an eyebrow, but you missed her meaning.
“Yeah, that,” your tone was longing as you stared out her window at the busy Coruscant sky, “sometimes I think I’m going about it all wrong, or it’s all in my head or he-”
You paused yourself, realising that you were about to expose a deep-rooted feeling to someone on your squad, Ahsoka, and a Senator you hardly knew. Closing your mouth you tried to think of something else to talk about, but thank the stars General Skywalker walked into the room.
“Fives is here,” he announced, gesturing with a thumb over his shoulder towards the door.
“Oh boy,” you said, taking a deep breath nervously.
“Have fun,” Padmé put a hand on your shoulder, it felt motherly, in fact, it reminded you of Master Nema’s words, ‘they are your team, your family, and your friends.’
“I’m sure they just want to get to know you out of uniform,” Ahsoka smiled hoping to give you confidence, Anakin had to give an eye roll to her wording, which went completely over her own head, but the adults heard it.
“Don’t be nervous, they’re pretty tame compared to some groups, but they’re still fun, unlike some,” Anakin tilted his head back and forth, a few other clone platoons coming to mind for each extreme.
Anakin walked you down to the building’s platform, where you found your three friends, Fives, Echo, and Kix waiting for you, in proper uniforms, not their armour, which did happen to match your outfit nearly perfectly. It made you smile to see them; Anakin wished you all a good night and headed back up to the Senator’s flat. The walk wasn’t terrible and the three shared more fun stories from the bar as you headed there.
Walking in you were already wide-eyed at the colours of the neon signs, the upbeat music, and all the other clones. Echo gave you a soft nudge to your hand with his, as if encouraging you not to be nervous. Fives found a table for all of you to stand around with relative ease.
“Alright, who’s having what?” Fives pointed around the table.
“That depends…who’s paying?” Echo responded.
“Well, that’s neither here nor there,” Fives shrugged.
“I think- I might be able to get them,” you began, looking through the handbag Padmé had loaned you, for the credits you’d brought with you.
“No, no, no,” they all chimed in, waving their hands as a signal to match their objection.
“The only kind of drink you should be getting is a free one,” Kix stated.
“Exactly,” Echo nodded, setting his hand on the table as if that finalized the conversation.
You dropped your shoulders and took a long glance around the table, shocked they were all so opposed to the idea. When looking at Fives you saw him staring off in the distance towards the bar; you’d figured he’d seen a pretty girl and was distracted, but when you took a look in the same direction there wasn’t a girl in sight, just a clone in red and white armour, helmet still on, glaring back.
“Fives? You won’t let me pay either?”
“I don’t think you’ll have to,” Fives chuckled, turning back to the table, “Hound’s been staring at you since we came in.”
“You are not serious-” Echo crossed his arms, knowing all too well where Fives was going with the idea.
You laughed a little, shaking your head, catching on, “Fives, that only works in the movies, plus you’d need someone beautiful.”
“Now, wait a minute,” Kix places a hand on your shoulder.
“You underestimate yourself,” Echo finishes the sentence.
“Big time,” Fives adds, “besides I wasn’t going say anything,” Fives spreads his arms to gesture he had nothing in mind, “I would never- Echo, I can’t believe you thought I’d-”
“Guys, guys,” Kix says in a whisper, tilting his head toward the bar. Casually you look to find Hound headed towards you.
“Hey, you- you’re new here?” Hound asks, speaking to you as if the other three members of the 501st didn’t even exist.
“Oh, I don’t work here,” you smile, a little nervously, “I’m part of the clone army, I’m a nurse.”
“A nurse? Wow,” Hound leans down to get a little more on your level, “well, I’ve got a few wounds I know you could heal; whatdya say to checking them out, I’ve already checked you out.”
Pressing your lips together you restrain a laugh, squeezing your hands together. You felt a little sorry, knowing he was tipsy, but also at the fact that you weren’t interested in a stranger to you. The others kept a steady gaze on you, careful to watch for any signs of requesting help because at one hint they’d jump in, no hesitation.
“You could at least buy me a drink first, officer, or is it, commander?” You played along.
“Sergent, but I like where you’re head’s at,” Hound winked when a waiter droid passed,
“Why don’t you get three more,” you interjected and then had to think of a good cover, for a moment you reverted back to your normal self, but then found a good excuse and put on the flirty facade, “we can each have two and,” you placed a hand on his arm, “if we know each other well enough by then we’ll split the third.”
Hound had to pause, absolutely heart-eyed for your idea, “alright,” he proceeded to order three of what you had overheard the boys saying they liked and suggested. It was only after he’d exchanged the credits with the droid that you actually turned back to the table completely, looking around with a smile at the other three of the 501st.
“Now, Hound,” Fives suddenly jumps back in, “what would Fox say? Aren’t you supposed to be looking for the culprit who stole the Chancellor’s slippers?”
“It was his personal speeder, Fives,” Hound retorts, slightly agitated, “and you wouldn’t dare.”
Your stomach gets a little queasy, you didn’t want to see them get in a fight, but as you were opening your mouth, Fives raised his hand and began calling “Fox! We found your missing man!”
When you spun to see who he was talking to, you saw Fox, the Coruscant Guard’s Commander in the doorway; he was actually doing his job of investigating individuals outside the bar, whereas his subordinate had clearly failed the mission of avoiding actually entering the bar. Fox was clearly unhappy, going over to the bar to retrieve his soldier’s helmet before coming to collect Hound himself. Grabbing him by the arm and pulling him back out of the bar, Hound softly protests the whole way.
“I can’t believe I just did that,” you cover your face with your hands, blushing wildly and smiling, it was a little exciting you had to admit, “poor guy,” you lower your hands, “I hope he didn’t actually need those credits.”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure the Chancellor pays him handsomely,” Echo rolled his eyes.
When the droid returned, they carefully placed all the glasses around the table, including the fifth; you stared at the extra glass, imagining that it was for someone else.
“So, uh…,” you danced your fingers around the rim of your drink, fingertips barely touching the cool glass, “does…Rex,” lowering your head to avoid the inevitable blush being visible, “come with you guys here?”
After a pause, you looked up just to make sure they had heard you. What you found were Fives and Echo exchanging their signature glances, Kix hid his smile by taking a swig of his drink and looking elsewhere.
“Not usually, no,” Echo finally had the heart to tell you, his tone sounding like he knew it was going to be a letdown for you, so he wanted to deliver it gently, “he doesn’t get a whole lot of free time, being Captain.”
“Oh okay, right,” you nodded, partially understanding, partially let down; you were released he wasn’t here tonight, feeling so unlike yourself in your attire, but all the hopes of eventually coming back with him were dashed.
“We got him here once,” Fives adds, drawing your eyes back up from your not-so-interesting-anymore drink, “yeah, when was it Echo?”
“We still had to be rookies,” Echo laughed through a smile at the memory.
“Yeah,” Fives nodded in agreement, “you should have seen him,” he paused to take a drink himself, before leaning in towards you, you did the same, understanding that it was clearly a story to be kept under lock and key, “he actually asked a Twi’lek to dance, she turned him down flat though.”
Your smile faded, you were expecting a funny story where maybe Rex got tipsy or got in a fight, “oh,” you said under your breath.
“He never came back after that,” Fives shook his head, “she was pretty brutal, pretty sure he said it’d take a miracle to get him back here.”
“Turned out she just worked here, but not into clones, ironic eh?” Kix rolled his eyes with a shrug.
“Who is, really?” Echo added looking pretty dejected himself as he swirled the liquid in his glass, “we all look the same.”
“Blame Jango,” Fives almost laughed taking another drink.
“Well, I think you’re all very handsome,” you chime in, straightening yourself up a little as if ready to make a speech when all their attention came to you, “any individual would be lucky to call any one of you their partner; you’re handsome and brave, and sweet.”
They exchanged heartfelt smiles, “thanks, Angel,” Fives reached an arm around your shoulders bringing you close enough for him to place a kiss to your temple, “whoever gets you is going to be even luckier.”
You shake your head, smiling as you looked down.
“I don’t think there’s anyone worthy of her,” Kix said in all seriousness.
“It’s true, whoever gets you had better be a king,” Echo pointed in your direction nodding, trying to convince you that they were right.
“No,” you said softly, looking up, “I don’t think that’ll ever-”
“Troops,” a strong, familiar voice called gently, but firmly enough to grab your attention, from behind.
“Captain!” Fives, Echo, and Kix all came to casual attention, straightening themselves up.
You were still a bit behind with the routine and attention, only a few seconds behind them, you spun on your heel. Finding yourself in front of Rex, who for once was out of armour and in uniform just like the rest of them. Eyes wide and jaw nearly dropping you brought a hand up to salute him, even though the other hadn’t. Fives concealed a snicker behind your back and Echo elbowed him, pressing his lips together to hide his own laugh at how close to the books you were trying to be in conduct.
“Cap- captain,” you stuttered out of shock and surprise, back pressing into the edge of the standing table as you leaned back to give a little more space between the two of you.
Smiling, Rex looked beyond you to the others and then deliberately down at you when he said, “at ease.”
You did as he said, and clasped your hands in front of you, something you were certain you’d already picked up from Padmé, just with a little less confidence. When Rex joined the table, standing beside you, you too turned back to face everyone else.
“I thought you said you’d never- after-”
“It was time for some wounds to be healed,” Rex interrupted shooting a glance to Fives, who prompts remained quiet.
“It’s nice to have you here, Rex,” Echo raised his glass, “good thing we got an extra after all.”
“Yes, I hope I’m not stealing someone else’s,” Rex turned to you, figuring you might’ve met another clone and taken a fancy under the circumstance.
“N-no, no, it’s just- an extra,” you explained, blinking rapidly, almost as rapidly as your heart was beating.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Rex answered, wrapping his fingers around the glass, not breaking eye contact with you until he took a sip.
Dipping your head, you bit your bottom lip to avoid a smile spreading too obviously. Rex made casual conversation with his fellow clones, even a few who recognized him coming over for a quick catch up, some leaning just past him to try and get a glimpse of you. You weren’t certain if it was intentional or not, but you noticed Rex lean a little further onto his elbow, blocking you from the other clone’s view if they started to stare too long. After a while, Kix stated that he was going to turn in for the night, needing to report to the medical bay tomorrow. You gave him a quick hug and told him you’d see him there as well. Echo promptly ushered Fives to the bar, intentionally leaving you and Rex alone.
“You look nice, out of uniform,” you looked up at him, before realising your wording, stuttering, you tried to recover, “or no, is this in uniform? I mean out of armour, but in- so-”
“In uniform,” Rex nodded speaking through a chuckle at how desperately you were trying to make sure you didn’t misspeak; he wasn’t sure if he still intimidated you or if you were just intimidated by the fact that you were the only one who didn’t have proper soldier training. Rex never wanted you to feel out of place, in an attempt to put you at ease he continued, “besides I was advised to stay out of armour from a very reliable source, so here I am.”
You felt the back of his hand press against yours subtly, this time you got the chance to respond, pressing softly back against his, stretching your fingers out to touch his. Neither of you looked down but instead kept eye contact while your fingers teased at interlocking.
“Here you are,” you smiled, knowing the exact moment he was referring to.
“Right where I want to be,” Rex smiled back, closing his hand in yours.
