ᴄʟᴏɴᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ꜱʜᴏᴛꜱ

Cascade (Rex x Reader)

TW: alcohol, drunk people (no one is creepy or violent though)

A classic romance origin story.

//~//~//

I gaze at him every time he floats into my vision yet he simply looks back. He's taken—not by love or by duty, but by war. He has no time to see me. Not like that. Still I see him. Oh, I see him.

The hefty tone he uses for a commander, the smirking one for a friend, and still yet the softest tone he uses for me. Is it intentional? Does he realize how hard my heart beats when he does that? Or at the slightest brush of my shoulder? Or at his enrapturing eyes that steal my mind every time they fall on me...

No, I'm not in love with Rex, I like to tell myself. I could never fall in love with my leader. He has other priorities. He's taken by war. I could never distract the man from such a world-shattering responsibility. Yet when he says my name in that soft, soft voice, my head finds its way spiraling into oblivion. I hardly hear his command some times—gosh, he must think I'm deaf. But every word of his is stored somewhere in my memory. It's strange how difficult it is for me to recall my day-to-day, yet I always remember him.

I remember a time that he once called to me right after a mission. I hadn't been selected for it—it was top secret, a Jedi's mission. He noticed me in the hall. I nearly stumbled over myself when he did, not because of his presence, but because his eyes had gone dim. Someone didn't make it home. A piece of Rex stayed on that mission.

"You okay?"

He hesitated. Normally he'd give a little smile. Normally he'd say "Can't complain," but this wasn't normally. He said, "It hasn't quite hit me yet."

I stood in front of him. I don't know if I should have said something, but maybe it's better that he did.

"Echo's gone."

I cursed. His face had dark shadows that I wanted to wash away. I opened my arms for him and he accepted it rather quickly—like he'd been desperate for consolation. He didn't cry then. He simply sighed a long, heavy sigh. He was so tired...

We have never spoken of that moment since then, nor have we embraced quite the same, but I see it in his expression from time to time. It's like he lets down his guard for me now. And I will always remember those two words: Echo's gone.

I also remember how he looks at me sometimes, whether on purpose or not. Those images are burned in my mind.

It was a drunken night at 79's with some of torrent company. I hadn't had much because it was my turn to babysit. Rex, on the other hand, felt much more comfortable in this smaller group, so he had... let's say he had more than enough alcohol. He was fairly quiet, listening to Fives and Jesse tear down the walls with their horrendous stories. I eyed the boys, counting down the minutes until they needed to call it quits. It would take a little extra oomph to get them home that night.

Fives started to suggest another round for the table but I interjected. It was time to go home. I pressed them to go but immediately my voice was drowned out by Fives collecting drink orders. I looked to Rex for help but he was zoned out. I cleared my throat and slammed a hand on the table and stood.

"If you boys don't get your asses in gear I will shove a gear in them so hard you won't know your scalp from your sorry feet. Is that clear?"

Everyone froze, magically sober. They began to hurriedly collect their things—all but one. I pitched a glare at the still form until I was met with the widest grin. Rex's expression was almost warmer than my face. He nodded at me, grabbed his cap, and stood. On the way out, as we herded the drunk clones, Rex walked beside me.