Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

After many failed attempts to convince Evangeline Sterling of a night out, success finally came. The Coruscant Guard troopers who regularly patrolled the medical facility she worked at from dawn till dusk found themselves in a lucky spot when she said, “Oh, alright, but I’ll have to leave after a couple of hours.” They knew better than to ask for more time than that, as this was a moment in history. Evangeline never went out. It was a miracle she was agreeing to this in the first place. What they didn’t know, though, was the true reason she was joining them tonight.

Her attention drifted in and out of the conversation she was having with her company of troopers as she looked around, seemingly waiting for someone. Nobody noticed this, too drunk and out of their minds to care. She already knew that the Coruscant Guard bore the most alcohol consumption out of all the different units and corps in the GAR. After all, this city was stressful. The Senate was stressful. The Chancellor was stressful. Everything was just stressful.

On the other hand, she hadn’t tasted so much as a drop of alcohol yet, and she didn’t plan on starting any time soon. “It’s okay, I don’t really drink,” she reminded her friends when they kept passing her rounds of shots they seemed to expect her to down without the blink of an eye. No, she wasn’t capable of that. And, even if she was, she didn’t want to find out. Excusing herself for a moment, she headed toward the ladies' room where some pretty Twi’leks had gathered to fix their makeup and outfits. She smiled at them, and they returned this gesture with bashful warmth.

It was hard to ignore the pit of disappointment in her stomach as she exited the bathroom after relieving her business, still not seeing who she was waiting for. She knew it was highly unlikely he would be here, especially because he was extremely busy with the war. It was stupid to think they would run into each other like fate or whatever. Life wasn’t like the movies, no matter how much she fantasized and imagined it like so.

Or, maybe, it was. Her entire body perked up when she saw a familiar group exit the men’s room across the corridor, sort of slung over each other in a drunken mess. The only person who was perfectly normal and calm was the one she had been looking for. Wolffe. A warm blush spread across her pale face as these troopers drew closer, undoubtedly recognizing her once they stepped into the light.

“Sterling,” Sinker said first, “Didn’t think we’d ever see you outside the hospital.”

Tearing her eyes away from Wolffe, still not believing he was really here, she cleared her throat to reply somewhat normally. Except, not really.

“I, uh…” she began, her heart rattling in her chest with a dizzying intensity, “I was just invited here on a whim. Felt rude to decline…not that I wanted to! I just have a lot to get done, you know. So, I’m probably going to leave soon, but—“

She paused when Boost, the most distorted and slumped over out of all of them, surged forward before doubling back into the bathroom. Cursing under his breath, Sinker followed behind in an attempt to help his brother release his state of drunken nausea. This left Evangeline and Wolffe in the corridor alone, but the former was already thinking of helping the situation out of instinct rather than actual necessity.

“Don’t worry about him,” Wolffe said gruffly, “You’re not on the clock.”

She straightened her posture and refocused her gaze on him, just processing his presence for a moment. It had been a few weeks since they last saw each other, reminding her of the injury she treated during this short reunion.

“I’m always on the clock, actually,” she smiled before asking, “How’s your shoulder?”

“It’s fine. Thanks to you.”

The butterflies in her stomach intensified at this subtle string of praise that meant everything to her even though it sounded like nothing to him. Unsure what to do with her hands, now hyper-aware they were just dangling around, she shoved them into her jacket pockets in an effort to appear casual. He kept his intense stare on her face, barely stirring like the rock wall he was.

“I’m glad to hear that. How long are you on Coruscant?” She replied, internally debating whether or not to step closer.

“We’re getting sent back out tomorrow morning,” he answered before gesturing his head toward the bathroom and adding, “I told them not to drink tonight, but they never listen.”

“Oh.” She wracked her brain for a good response to this and decided on, “So…you’re not a big drinker, huh?”

“No. It’s unhealthy,” he told her like it was obvious.

“Right, yeah. I don’t really drink either, actually,” she paused and then added, “I guess we have that in common!”

Ugh, why did I say that? she thought to herself, slightly panicking that this conversation would derail. Not that it was going anywhere anyway. She imagined that their reunion tonight would be more mysterious and out of the blue. Maybe she would have been sitting inside her booth, surrounded by the Coruscant Guard. And then, they would make eye contact from across the dance floor—

“Hm,” was all he responded while arching his eyebrows in clear judgment.

Her face burned in embarrassment as she confirmed her suspicions that she shouldn’t have added that last part. Squeezing her hands into fists inside her pockets, she smiled again to ease the awkward nerves weighing her down.

“It was nice running into you here,” she told him honestly, “With my line of work, I always feel a bit better if I see my patients less. If that makes sense.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

His tone was suddenly a lot less pronounced than before, causing her to wonder if he was bored. Because he harbored the same, consistent expression throughout their conversation, there was really no telling whether or not he was truly interested in speaking with her. Evangeline liked his steady stoicism, but this quality also made him quite unreadable. Nothing was ever perfect.

She heard Boost and Sinker emerge from the bathroom again, cutting her reply off with their conversation that was growing louder in volume. With a quick exhale she told Wolffe, “Have a nice night, then. And, uh, good luck tomorrow. Or should I say break a leg? Actually, no…”

Trailing off as he continued to stare at her, she shook her head and breathed out a soft laugh. “Sorry. Definitely don’t break a leg. Good night.”

She waved them goodbye, smiling when she saw Boost and Sinker wave back. Wolffe’s hands remained planted at his sides as if he was constantly standing at attention like the good soldier he was. She admired him for that.

Leaving the cantina at its height of customers after bidding the Coruscant Guard good night as well, Evangeline took a public airspeeder back to her apartment. She lived in a humble area among the upper levels, not the highest point of the city but close enough. Her place was cozy and quaint, a nice studio she recently bought after saving up some money over the years. Balancing her studies at the Coruscant Medical Academy with all sorts of jobs like waitressing and then bartending throughout her teen years wasn’t easy. But, two years ago when the war started, she earned a position as a student assistant at the Grand Republic Medical Facility. Now that she was reaching the end of her studies, she was confident she had secured the career of a lifetime. She didn’t have to worry about money for much longer.

Fingers crossed, at least. It wasn’t just her she had to take care of, after all. Once she was done showering and getting ready for the night, she remembered to call her younger sister back home on Corellia. Starting up this hologram, Evangeline waited a few beats for the transmission to connect before she was startled by a familiarly loud voice.

“Oh, now she decides to call. A bit late, don’t you think?” Her sister huffed, coming into the frame to show her face. She looked just like Evangeline with the exception of her blonde dyed hair that juxtaposed the black color they were both born with.

“Hey, June,” Evangeline sighed, “I’m sorry, I just got busy this week.”

“Whatever. I saw your message. Did you see him tonight?”

“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” Evangeline dismissed to change the subject, “How’s school going? Are the boys behaving?”

“They’re going through puberty.”

“What about your classes? You’re not skipping anymore, are you?”

Her sister rolled her eyes and said, “Just stick to sending us those paychecks. No need to ask questions.”

“Ouch. Is that all I am to you now?” Evangeline half-joked, her heart slightly stinging from the more invisible effects of their distance.

“Yeah.” The teenager spun around in a circle with her chair before adding, “So…you see that commander at the bar? It’s a clone bar, right? He had to have been there.”

“What commander?”

“Cut the shit. You know who I’m talking about.”

“June, I really would rather not talk about—“ Evangeline began, rubbing her eyes with fatigue.

“Come onnn…You promised you’d update me from the last time you saw him.”

“I don’t remember doing that,” Evangeline insisted.

“Well, I do. Now get talking.”

Evangeline sighed and sat back in her chair, thinking back to earlier when she saw Wolffe near the bathrooms. Just picturing his face in that dimly lit corridor made her feel all warm and snuggly again, unintentionally provoking a subtle smile on her lips. Her sister gagged in disgust and said, “Jeez, you’re obsessed with this guy. Aren’t he and his brothers identical? Just find the closest lookalike and bang the fuck—“

“Juniper! Watch your language—that is so disgusting—”

“Don’t call me that. Only Mom calls me that. You’re not Mom.”

“I might as well be,” Evangeline muttered under her breath before telling her sister, “Yes, I saw him. Happy?”

“You definitely are,” Juniper snickered under her breath, “So? Did you talk to him?”

“A little,” Evangeline cringed at the recollection of their conversation, which was only painful to think about because of how terrible she was at interacting with him.

Her sister opened her mouth to reply, flinching slightly at the sound of a loud thump in the background. Evangeline heard it, too, instinctively stiffening her shoulders as she froze in place. Only, she was safe here in Coruscant while the rest of her siblings were still in that wretched house. The fact that she was able to escape under her scholarship to the med academy often haunted her more than it should. There was something terrible about leaving a place like her home knowing she couldn’t protect her siblings any longer.

“Shit. I think I have to go,” Juniper murmured before confirming, “We’ll talk later.”

“Wait—“ Evangeline said, grabbing her sister’s attention, “Is everything okay? With Mom and Dad? Are they—“

“We’re fine,” Juniper reassured her, smiling with nonchalant indifference, “Don’t worry.”

Evangeline faltered slightly, deflating in her seat as guilt gnawed at her heart. Juniper noticed this, shaking her head before telling her, “We’re fine, Ev. Just focus on things over there, okay? I got it.”

“You’re a child, June. You don’t need to ‘get it,’” Evangeline snapped, more aggressively than she intended.

“Well, you were too. Not our fault we have deadbeat parents.”

Evangeline frowned and asked, “Can you at least tell me how Mom’s doing?”

“Still high out of her mind,” Juniper answered before whipping her head around, “I have to go. I’ll tell Theo and Thomas you said hi.”

“Okay,” Evangeline said weakly, “Love you.”

Juniper grinned and saluted her sister with two fingers before shutting off the transmission. Evangeline watched the hologram dissipate in a slight wave before disappearing completely, leaving her apartment dark once again. She rubbed her entire face with both hands and sighed into her palms, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. The more she thought about the abrupt end to her conversation with her sister, though, the more anxious she felt. Even though she had been living on Coruscant, far away from home on Corellia for eight years now, the worries never faded. They only increased with time. She was twelve when she left home and twenty now, but there were moments when she felt like she was still that little girl running away from her nightmares. When she slept, though, she couldn’t escape them.

You can run, Evangeline Sterling. But you can’t hide.

While Evangeline had slipped into a slumber that would end in a few hours for her next shift at the hospital, Wolffe and his brothers were living it up at 79’s. Well, Wolffe wasn’t really doing anything. He was just sitting at the bar top, silent as a statue while everyone around him drank their hearts away through loud conversations. This was truly the only time they could let loose and laugh a bit, getting away from the war in this corner of the city.

Despite his lack of engagement, Wolffe liked being there with them. Hearing them curse and tease each other was so much better than listening to their screams and cries. Anything was better than that, to be honest. He didn’t realize he was deep in thought (as usual) until Boost began snapping his fingers in front of his face.

“Hey,” he said, “What’s that doctor’s name again? The one we ran into before by the bathrooms.”

Wolffe rolled his eyes and didn’t answer, prompting Sinker to ask, “You talking about Sterling?”

“Yeah, her,” Boost nodded, “It really was on the tip of my tongue, I swear.”

“She’s not a doctor yet,” Wolffe suddenly said, “She’s still in school.”

“You keeping tabs on her or what?” Boost snickered before explaining, “I was just wondering because Fox over here thinks she’s cute.”

Wolffe briefly glanced at the Coruscant Guard commander, who was shrugging and taking a swig of his beer.

“I see her around a lot at work,” he said in his defense, “And yeah, she’s cute. We’re always trying to get her to come out with us, and she finally agreed tonight. Shame she went home early.”

“Were you hoping for…” Boost insinuated, raising his eyebrows as his question trailed off.

When Fox didn’t say anything, Boost turned to Wolffe and asked, “What about you? Wasn’t she the one who replaced your eye?”

“Yeah. Your point?” Wolffe replied, a little irritated at this conversation.

“You and Fox have always been into the same girls since we were cadets. Unlike you, though, he actually does something about it.”

Wolffe stiffened his posture, growing more annoyed by the second. “He really doesn’t. He only says he does—“

“Not true,” Fox interjected, “I’m a busy man, but I have my moments.”

“Just moments,” Wolffe rolled his eyes, groaning in disbelief when Boost asked, “Do you think she’s cute or not? It’s a simple question.”

“I don’t know. Do you think of anything other than women?”

“Do you think of women at all? Sometimes I get the feeling you swing the other way…Not that it matters.”

Wolffe scowled at his brother before emphasizing, “I just don’t waste my time chasing pussy when there are more important things to be focusing on.”

Fox murmured something in agreement, his voice muffling when Boost said, “So you’re a virgin. I fucking knew it. You waited all this time to tell me? I thought we were brothers, man.”

Before Wolffe could respond, Sinker replied, “He’s actually not. Shocking, isn’t it?”

“Fuck you. Stay out of this,” Wolffe retorted before establishing, “I have my priorities now, you have yours. Obviously.”

“Hey, you’re not the only one who cares about important shit. We all do,” Boost clarified while gesturing around the table with his glass.

Wolffe was suddenly brought back to the beginning of the war, which was just two years ago. It felt like a lifetime away with how much had happened between now and then, but he remembered everything all the same. His mind often drowned in flashbacks like these, this event the most common and haunting of them all. The turning point for not only him but also Boost and Sinker. The three of them, alongside their Jedi General, had survived their entire fleet being destroyed and torn apart in the Abregado system in front of their own eyes. From that day forward, they carried a new sense of honor in remembrance of all they lost. All that had died just so they could live.

How could Wolffe think about anything else when this was his life? He understood that most of his brothers used night outs as an outlet for all this stress. Some relied on alcohol. Others liked gambling and tossing credits. Most enjoyed sex, just instant gratification rather than a true relationship. There was some dabbling in smoking, too, when conversations became deep. Wolffe didn’t entertain any of that. Not just because these activities were unhealthy, even though they were, but because they were addicting. That was so much worse than the destruction of one’s physical health. Addiction was a disease that plagued the mind before anything else.

He had fallen silent while the rest of the conversation carried on, as his brothers were used to his constant thinking. It wasn’t until he heard his name that he refocused his attention, glaring at whoever was speaking about him.

“What?” He snapped, his eyes zeroing in on Boost even though he wasn’t sure who had brought him up.

“Nothing. Sinker was just telling us what a fucking stud you were back in the day. How did I not know any of this?”

Wolffe scowled at Sinker who raised his hands in surrender and said, “I didn’t say it like that. Besides, ‘stud’ is pushing it. Like…a lot.”

“Enough,” Wolffe bit out, “I would appreciate it if you didn’t talk about my sex life. Talk about yours, if anything. Just leave me alone.”

Boost wasn’t satisfied, though, dismissing this request. “You can have fun from time to time, you know. It doesn’t take away from your—“

“I have fun.” Wolffe’s face was void of any emotion as he said this, causing the entire table to exchange glances and chuckle under their breaths.

“You know what I mean,” Boost said before murmuring, “Look, Abregado was a while ago—“

“Yeah, and you still have that ugly ass haircut,” Sinker interrupted, smirking when his brothers started laughing harder and affirming this joke with statements like “Good one, brother.”

“You think you’re funny,” Boost scowled, “Whatever. Forget I said anything.”

As the entire group continued their fits of laughter, Wolffe and Boost exchanged a knowing glance that was so brief nobody else would have caught it even if they were paying attention. Later that night, the three brothers were exiting the cantina and letting the cool breeze sober them up for a bit. Wolffe fanned the air around his face when Boost and Sinker began splitting a pack of cigarettes under a competition of who could smoke the most in the least amount of time. There was a flick of a lighter and a few exhales before Wolffe heard Boost say, “Now that it’s just the three of us, you can say if you think she’s cute or not.”

“You’re still on that?”

“Come on. She’s always staring at you like crazy whenever we see her.”

Wolffe grimaced, having noticed this as well since he met her last year. Not to mention the way she always tripped over her words with him. Bad, bad territory, sweetheart.

“She’s nice. That’s about it,” Wolffe decided before asking, “Happy?”

“Nice,” Boost snorted before thinking about it. “Actually, nice is hard to come by these days. Be grateful.”

“He’s speaking from experience,” Sinker said over his shoulder, already well into winning the competition from Boost’s momentary distraction of this conversation.

Wolffe rolled his eyes and stretched out his neck, in need of something that would help loosen his tight muscles for once. His low grunt was hardly audible, just barely escaping his lips alongside his fluid movements.

“I’m just saying,” Boost shrugged, “She’s an adult. You’re an adult. She’s into you. You’re…in need of a lay. Desperately, might I add. At least acknowledge that.”

“I acknowledge it.”

“I’m serious, Wolffe—“

“You think I’m not?” Wolffe interrupted, folding his arms over his chest in a defiant end to the conversation, “I’m seriously not interested. Go after her yourself if you care so much. Like I said, I have other priorities.”

Boost smirked, causing his cigarette to tip lazily out of his lips. It didn’t fall to the ground, though, still in his mouth as he warned Wolffe, “You’re gonna regret that.”

Clenching his jaw, Wolffe declared, “I won’t.”

He ignored his brothers’ exchanged glance of smug triumph, knowing they had riled him up to a satisfying point of irritation tonight. Instead of humoring them further, Wolffe looked up at the Coruscant sky and inhaled a breath that didn’t taste or smell like smoke. There was something fresher and sweeter about the air that seeped into his lungs, spreading out like a warm cloud that settled his insides. None of them would be thinking about Evangeline Sterling tomorrow morning when they were sent out to battle again. But, perhaps another time, one of them would. Just in the back of his mind, like a curious question more than anything. The spark of a temptation he didn’t yet have. That was fine, though. Everyone started somewhere. Maybe Wolffe just needed to start from scratch.

Chapter Text

Before Evangeline wanted to be a doctor, she dreamed of becoming an actress. Just down the street from her childhood home stood an abandoned theater she often explored after her days at primary school. Lugging around her heavy backpack filled with books didn’t feel so difficult when she stepped foot inside those rusty doors and ran toward the dusty stage. For one hour each late afternoon, she acted her heart out before it was time to return to her siblings. Maybe start up dinner and clean all the dirty spaces left behind by her parents. She liked singing, dancing, and reciting random lines from the space operas she watched at school. But, once she passed the barrier between the outside world and the Sterling household, she had to play a different character. The more she thought about it as she grew up, the more she realized her dreams really did come true. Just not in the way she expected.

Because of her acting aspirations, she learned terms like “run of show” and “callbacks.” Her favorite was always “break a leg,” a sort of superstitious way of saying “good luck.” Everybody knew that this phrase didn’t actually wish for someone to snap their bones on stage. It wasn’t meant to be literal. Hence why she was so horrified when she saw Wolffe a few weeks after that night at the cantina with…a broken leg. Halting upon running into the Wolfpack outside one of the many private rooms that spanned this facility, her eyes widened as she stared at the squad’s commander. He was sitting in a wheelchair with his head leaned back in exhausted exasperation. It was obvious he didn’t like being tied down to this restrictive vehicle of movement. Or maybe that was just the permanent scowl imprinted on his face.

“Sterling,” her boss peeked his head outside the room, “Would you like to observe this session? It might make a nice report to your professors, as I believe this is a perfect opportunity to test our new speed-healing chamber.”

A split second of silence passed until Evangeline realized she was still looking at Wolffe, who hadn’t stirred upon hearing her name. Tearing her eyes away from him to look at Dr. Bell, the head of military operations in this facility, she smiled and nodded.

“Of course,” she told him while fumbling with her datapad, “I’ll be right there—I just need to use the restroom really quickly—Don’t wait on me!”

Before anyone could respond, she was rushing past the Wolfpack toward one of the employee bathrooms. Setting her datapad down on the sink, she stared at herself in the mirror to confirm how she looked. As silly as she felt for doing this, she couldn’t help but brush her thin fingers through her pin-straight hair. She had been keeping the length short to skate over her collarbones and frame her oval face, as long hair usually got in the way while working here. It was better to remove all of the unnecessary variables that interfered with her focus. Ha, ironic, because she was about to observe Wolffe’s treatment. This wasn’t a new situation for her, but she never got used to the nervous dance in her stomach whenever she saw him. It was even more pathetic because of how he didn’t care to spare a glance at her. He wasn’t just a little bit curious?

Taking a deep breath, she patted her cheeks with her hands and mentally recited a reassuring prayer to herself. It’ll be fine. Just play it cool, Ev. Don’t do anything weird or stupid. Despite wanting to fix the light makeup she applied this morning, she didn’t have access to her locker where she kept most of her personal belongings that weren’t needed throughout the day. Knowing this was as satisfactory as her appearance could be at this moment, she washed her hands and left the bathroom with a fluttery feeling in her chest. Boost and Sinker were talking to each other outside the room when she approached, pausing their conversation to look at her.

“Hey,” Boost said, catching her off guard, “Did you tell the commander to break his leg or something?”

“No, I didn’t mean it like that,” Evangeline clarified nervously, “It’s a term for good luck in performing arts—“

“Sterling. Inside,” Dr. Bell interrupted as he opened the door and glared at the troopers for distracting her.

Goosebumps erupted across her skin as she followed her boss into the room, sending an apologetic smile toward Wolffe’s brothers before facing forward. The air was cold and the lighting was dim, but she didn’t feel the slightest bit bothered by it. It was one thing that Wolffe was here, but it was another that she was in the vicinity of the Republic’s most recent iteration of its speed-healing chamber. She quickly set up her note-taking software on her datapad while imagining her professors’ impressed expressions once she presented this report to them. But, that meant she needed to write it up during her free time. There wasn’t a lot of that between her shifts and night classes, but she could handle it. If she wasn’t able to, then why was she even here?

As she sat quietly and observed this session just as Dr. Bell offered, she shifted her gaze between her datapad and the chamber Wolffe was lying inside. She didn’t realize she had been humming a distantly familiar melody she couldn’t quite put her finger on until Dr. Bell reminded her, “Sterling, you know how I feel about distractions.”

“Right, sorry, Doctor.” She stopped immediately, even pausing the slight swing of her feet.

“It’s alright. Monitor this for a minute, will you? I need to ask the technician why the screen keeps glitching…What was her name again?” Dr. Bell replied as he stalked toward the door with impatience.

“Sandy,” Evangeline told him while standing up to comply with his request, “She likes being called Ms. Sandy, though.”

“Ms. Sandy. All right.” With that, he was leaving Evangeline alone with Wolffe.

Once again, the two of them were confined in a small space thick with silence until Evangeline blurted aloud, “I’m sorry about your leg. I didn’t actually mean—“

“I didn’t break it because you told me to,” he interrupted, his tone indicating annoyance

She nodded even though he couldn’t see her, replying, “Right, of course. I just feel a little guilty because…well…maybe I jinxed it for you, but in my experience, saying ‘good luck’ is also kind of—“

“It didn’t have anything to do with luck or jinxing. It just happened.”

The finality in his tone caused her mouth to snap shut as she reddened, busying herself with the monitor. Dr. Bell had mentioned the screen kept glitching, which she noticed as she peered closer. A few minutes of silence went by before she crouched down and opened the panel that kept all the wires inside. Some sparks were bursting like tiny fireworks, but that wasn’t the problem. She laughed, the sound so bubbly and airy that Wolffe thought he was imagining it.

“Can you believe it?” She giggled while reaching between the wires to fix the cause of the glitching screen, “He forgot to plug in the cable.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I’m looking at it, silly.”

Wolffe furrowed his eyebrows and told her, “So plug it back in.”

“Yep, all done. I figured you might want to know.” She stood up and checked the screen before confirming, “It’s not glitching anymore.”

“Nice work.” He sounded a little sarcastic, causing her to picture that signature eye roll he always had no matter the context.

“Thank you,” she said happily, “It’s always nice to feel useful around here. I’m still a student, by the way, so it’s mainly me not knowing what I’m doing. Not that Dr. Bell doesn’t know what he’s doing—this was probably just a forgetful mistake. He’s under a lot of stress right now. Our clients are giving him a hard time—“

“No offense,” Wolffe said, “But I don’t need to know.”

Evangeline cringed in embarrassment while thinking to herself, Yeah, I blew it. But…maybe he’s talking about Dr. Bell. He didn’t interrupt me when I was talking about myself. Yeah…

Her delusions were short-lived when Wolffe asked, “Can you just finish this yourself? I think your boss ran off and forgot to come back.”

“Uh…” She trailed off, trying to think of the best possible explanation for the fact that she didn’t have the jurisdiction to operate this machine alone without sounding completely useless. When she opened her mouth to reply, though, he added, “Do you not know how to use this thing?”

Setting her mouth in a determined line, she pushed down the guilt she was going to feel for disobeying her rules as a student assistant. Contrary to Wolffe’s sudden doubts, she knew this machine like the back of her hand. Well, she never actually used one before, but she read a shit ton about these new prototypes. She was always up to speed with the fresh technologies spewed out of the Republic’s funds allocated toward maximizing efficiency among the military. The medical facility was part of that effort. Of course, she knew how to use it. Besides, she didn’t want Wolffe to think of her as incompetent or anything. That was the complete opposite of how she hoped he would perceive her.

“No, I can do it,” she said confidently, “Just hang tight, okay? I need some gloves…and goggles…Yeah, one second.”

He didn’t say anything as she rummaged through the cabinets and found all the materials she needed to fill in Dr. Bell’s role at this moment. In no time, she was recalibrating the chamber and finishing the session just as Wolffe requested. It wasn’t that difficult, only requiring the knowledge of what each button did, but there were formalities that went into facilitating such a treatment. Because, if anything went wrong, the doctor responsible would bear much of the liability. Luckily for her, Wolffe was out of that chamber in one piece with his leg nearly healed to completion.

A hot blush crawled up her spine and warmed her entire body as he stood up, only wearing the tight black jumpsuit that troopers wore under their armor. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen this before, especially not just with him. She worked with so many troopers across the two years she had been at this facility. They came in relatively the same shapes and sizes, but there were some anomalies. Those who committed themselves to full discipline without any margin of error or exception reaped the physical benefits…and the appearance. Wolffe was one of those troopers, for sure. He was distinctly more massive and sculpted compared to everyone else, and she was sure this wasn’t just her bias toward him. After all, he told her that he didn’t drink. She suspected he didn’t do a lot of things that would harm his body. It was like he strived for perfection…which he was. Perfect, perfect, perfect.

“I asked you a question,” his grumbling voice emerged from her daydreams.

She blinked and centered her vision, realizing she was staring at his abdomen. Looking up at him, her face only reaching his shoulder in their height difference, she apologized and asked him to repeat what he said.

Sighing with impatience, he folded his arms over his chest and asked, “How many more of these sessions do I need?”

“Let me check,” she replied, urging herself not to lower her gaze to his biceps.

He watched her hurry toward the monitor where a report of his scans showed up. She read through the summarized descriptions before swiping a finger across the X-rays, using her free hand to wave him closer. Approaching her with wary caution, he looked over her shoulder at whatever she was so focused on.

“Look. Before…” she said while swiping a finger, “…After.”

She kept swiping back and forth to show the difference, jolting when he grabbed her wrist to stop her. His gloved fingers pressed into her skin with a light squeeze that didn’t hurt but felt intense enough to pause her movements. Her heart started racing as her stomach dipped in exhilaration, locking her body into a state of shock that he was touching her.

“Move over,” he grunted in a low voice while releasing his hold on her.

Their proximity caused him to speak right into her ear, sending shivers across her arms and legs. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she obliged, stepping to the side so he could observe this report on his own accord. How was it that her body seemed to follow his commands without the blink of an eye? The urge to correct him and say, “Move over, please,” was on the tip of her tongue, but nothing came. She watched him from the side, noticing how his cybernetic eye (that she replaced for him) moved back and forth as he skimmed the report. A tense muscle was clenching in his jaw, but not necessarily from the contents of what he was reading. When he turned his head to meet her stare in apprehension, wondering why she was looking at him, she immediately busied herself with disposing of her goggles and gloves in the nearby trash chute. Busted.

“You’re standing and moving pretty well on your own, so I’d say you might only need one or two more of these sessions,” she told him as he stepped back to put his armor back on, “Any more might put too much pressure on the bone and cause more harm than good."

“Alright.” He put on his helmet before telling her, “Thanks.”

“Wait, I don’t think you should leave yet,” she said quickly, sliding in front of him with a frantic expression, “Dr. Bell will want to speak to you about this.”

“But you just did everything for him.”

He stared down at her through the visor of his helmet, watching her face grow pink with a gnawing irritation scratching at his insides. Why was she so easily flustered? A part of him wanted to scream at her for being like this, especially toward him. He wasn’t worth wasting time and energy on—not to mention that his life’s focus was elsewhere. She might as well find someone interested—someone actually willing to give her what she wanted. A flowery, soft type of love that girls like her craved even though they were confident they could handle something more rough and real.

“Yeah, but,” she swallowed, “Technically, I wasn’t supposed to finish your session without supervision.“

“Excuse me?” He demanded loudly, “Why didn’t you just say that? What if something went wrong?”

“I—“ She began, her eyes widening when he continued reprimanding her like this kind of conversation came naturally to him.

“If I had known it was against protocol, I wouldn’t have asked you to do it,” he snapped, “You should’ve said something instead of just pressing random buttons and hoping it would work. Were you even thinking?”

His words stung but she tried to maintain a level expression. She already had her fair share of difficult patients over the course of her time here.

“I know how this chamber works, actually. I’ve studied it myself,” she retorted, “Some of my professors were part of the team that designed it, too, so I wasn’t randomly pressing buttons.”

He pointed an accusatory finger at her and said, “How do I know you’re not lying?”

“I’m not,” she frowned, suddenly feeling small in this frigid room, “Look, if I get in trouble for this, I’ll tell Dr. Bell it was my idea. You don’t have to worry.”

“Besides…” she added when he didn’t say anything, just plain silent under that helmet, “It worked out fine, so…don’t be so mad.”

“I’m not mad,” he bit out, clearly mad.

The irony in this sentence, from the weight of his words to the truth in his tone, provoked a laugh that surprised both of them. Her shoulders bunched up for a moment as she smiled with soft sounds of amusement escaping her lips beyond either of their control. He stiffened, growing more annoyed under the assumption that she was laughing at him. Like he was some kind of joke. He wasn’t.

“What’s so funny?” He demanded, “Stop laughing.”

“You’re funny,” she said, pointing at him with a single finger like he had done just before.

What a fucking weirdo, Wolffe thought to himself as he scowled under his helmet and folded his arms over his chest. He was waiting for her to wipe that grin off her face, but his obvious state of indignation only increased her glee.

“Just because you say something doesn’t mean it’s true,” she told him, “It’s all about the tone.”

“What’s wrong with my tone?”

His voice was now louder and more defensive. Her heart raced abruptly for a split second as her instincts sent her back to her childhood home where shouting and violence were the norm. She swallowed that fear away and focused on Wolffe, knowing he couldn’t hurt her in here even if he wanted to. Well, she hoped he didn’t want to, but…there was always a need for precaution. Even though she trusted him like she trusted all of the Republic’s troopers, the flight or fight inside of her remained.

Waving her hands and shaking her head, she said, “No, nothing’s wrong with it. You just sound mad, even when you’re saying that you’re not. It’s easy to come across a certain way without meaning to, you know?”

Wolffe sighed in exasperation and walked past her, not wanting to continue this conversation. Despite this clear action of dismissal, though, he softened his voice just an octave when he glanced over his shoulder for the last word.

“Don’t break protocol next time.”

Before he could push open the door, she saluted him and said, “You got it, Commander. Take care of that leg.”

His hand paused on the doorknob as he stared at her, unsure how to react to this. She smiled at him and turned around to shut off the chamber, thinking that was a good way to leave this conversation. Shaking his head, Wolffe exited the room and saw his brothers standing at the end of the corridor. They were casually conversing with some Coruscant Guard troopers until Dr. Bell turned the corner and barreled toward Wolffe with a surprised expression.

“Who finished your session?” The doctor demanded, approaching the room with a sheen of sweat across his forehead, “Was it Sterling?”

Wolffe opened his mouth to reply, cutting off when Evangeline emerged from behind him and stepped between them.

“I finished his session,” she admitted a little shakily, “I hope you don’t mind, Doctor.”

Dr. Bell’s eyes flicked between both of them before requesting, “Show me the report.”

She handed him her datapad and began twiddling her thumbs, hoping everything was all clear like she had discerned. With a curt nod, Dr. Bell told Evangeline, “This looks fine. Thank you for taking matters into your own hands. I got caught up with another patient in the citizen’s care section. The daughter of one of our clients is pregnant, and…in need of constant attention, it seems.”

Evangeline glanced up at Wolffe with surprise in her expression before refocusing on Dr. Bell.

“Of course, I’m sorry about that. It won’t happen again, I just—“

“That’s alright. I don’t care much for these formalities as long as we get our job done,” Dr. Bell shrugged before turning to Wolffe, “You’ll be cleared for duty after a week. Come back in three days for your last session. I doubt you’ll need any more than that with the progress we’ve already made.”

Wolffe nodded and thanked the doctor before departing from the group, joining his brothers at the end of the hallway. The three troopers exchanged a few words before glancing at Evangeline, all three of their faces covered by their helmets. Maybe they weren’t even looking at her—perhaps they were staring at the doctor. Either way, she felt their eyes in her general direction and didn’t know how to feel about it. She saw them off with a casual wave, hoping they could catch her smile despite the distance between them. One of them—maybe Boost? She could only recognize Wolffe’s armor without seeing his face—waved back before leading the group away.

Wolffe was the last one to leave, turning his head away from her in a slow motion that felt deliberate but also not. She couldn’t tell. As usual, he was a closed book that wore his emotions on the inside. This should deter her and make her realize that some people just aren’t worth pursuing, but it only heightened her curiosity. Her medical studies had been teaching her how to open people up with sharp, precise incisions for nearly a decade. Even though she knew she couldn’t take a blade to his skin and discover the answers to all her burning questions, she hoped there was another way. One that involved more coincidental reunions and simple conversations.

“Sterling,” Dr. Bell said sharply, “You know better than to break protocol like that.”

She exhaled softly, having anticipated this discussion once they were alone.

“I know, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make things difficult for you,” she explained, “I wanted to do the opposite, but I know my clearance level. Sorry.”

“Like I said, it’s alright. I’m putting you in charge of CC-3636’s next session,” Dr. Bell dismissed, “Next time, just ask me if you’re curious about these kinds of treatments. I would be happy to have you practice on them.”

A warm, giddy feeling consumed her thoughts as she perked up and beamed at her boss, catching his wrinkles crease in a direction that subtly expressed a smile of his own. He was an old, frail thing, but there was a youthful spark in his hazel eyes that provided Evangeline some comfort in this difficult line of work. The conversation quickly shifted when Dr. Bell was called to another patient’s room, prompting Evangeline to follow him throughout the day as the assistant she was. There was a mix of meeting regular Coruscant citizens and other troopers like always, as this facility often treated the high-end of the city and the Republic’s military.

Evangeline preferred the troopers much more than her other patients, and she suspected Dr. Bell did, too. There was just something more friendly about all of them. Something understanding and kind. These men might have been bred to kill, but they were good to Evangeline—all but the one she truly wanted.

Chapter Text

The couple of days after Evangeline helped mend Wolffe’s broken leg passed with grueling labor. She found herself forgetting all about their reunion throughout the many patients she met, the report she wrote up for her professors, and the classes she had to keep up with at the end of the day. She was leaving the academy in the middle of the night just a few hours before her next appointment with Wolffe to finish up his leg’s healing process. Her steps were slow and sluggish as she exited the glass doors and swept her eyes across the ongoing traffic, wondering how quickly she could hail a public airspeeder to return home.

She barely registered getting into the backseat of a small cab and telling the driver her address. Her mind was still dull and quiet until she showered in cold water, freezing her skin but also waking her right up the way she hoped. This was a temporary solution to her larger problem, but it gave her the energy she needed to wash up and make some caf. It tasted bitter but stimulated her mind so perfectly that she forgot all about her lack of sleep. Instead of getting into bed like she wanted, she remained at her desk for the rest of the night while drafting her most recent assignment for the professor she hoped to score a high mark from.

Dawn arrived when she was just reaching a low in her caffeinated vigor, prompting her to make another cup of caf before getting ready for the day. She washed and dressed herself like usual, but she forgot to apply her usual routine of makeup that just touched up any blemishes or red spots across her skin and shined her lips. Leaving the apartment bare-faced and yawning, she arrived at work a few minutes later than expected. Bad traffic, she supposed.

“Good morning,” she said to the two Coruscant Guard troopers outside the facility’s entrance.

“Morning,” they replied in unison, remaining stiff and firm as she pushed through the doors and trudged to the locker room where she would begin the day.

Dr. Bell intercepted her as she unloaded her belongings, telling her which room she was expected to facilitate Wolffe’s session today. She nodded and walked over there slowly, prompting the doctor to ask, “Late night?”

“Yeah,” she admitted, rubbing her eyes, “I haven’t had one like that in a while.”

“You’ll get used to it,” He patted her shoulder while passing by, “Feel free to make some caf in my office.”

“Thank you.”

Getting to the room felt like a blur, indicating to Evangeline that she was really getting tired. Too tired, especially if she was only just starting the day. But, to her dismay, she fell asleep as soon as she sat down in the chair by the speed-healing chamber. Her face dropped down to the table directly in front of her seat, lulling her into an immediate period of slumber that was more frightening than restful. A restless dream overtook her mind like a plague. No matter how hard she tried to wake up, she couldn’t. She just remained silent while the version of her in her head began screaming.

“Evangeline, baby,” Her father slurred from his bedroom, “Where’s your mother?”

Evangeline paused outside the door, wondering how he knew her footsteps even while drunk to the point of near death.

“I don’t know. She went out.”

Suddenly, the door was bursting open and her father was stepping into the hallway. His eyes were manic and dilated as he trudged past her, looking for another beer in the kitchen. Panic seized her as he opened the fridge, muttering something to himself under the clatter of more bottles. Without thinking, young Evangeline was grabbing her father’s wrist. Her small hands were nothing compared to his burly arms, doing little to prevent him from drinking any more today. Still, she tried.

“Please, no more,” she begged, “You’ll get sick.”

“Evangeline, baby,” he murmured, “Just one more.”

“No, I don’t think—“

She flinched when he raised his hand, causing him to lose his grip on the bottles he was holding. They collided into the floor and shattered all over the place, cutting into her bare feet with abrupt stabs that brought tears to her eyes. Her father was barely hurt, as he never took off the thick work boots. Even though he was unemployed.

“Fuck! Look what you did!” He snarled, slapping her across the face, “Clean this shit up.”

Evangeline willed herself to lift her head and look up, knowing her siblings were watching from a distance that wasn’t far enough to save them from a similar fate. She saw them peering at the scene through the crack of their bedroom door with wild fear in their young eyes. Evangeline was young, but they were even younger.

“Okay. Sorry,” she whispered, wincing as the glass crunched against her feet, “I’m sorry.”

She cried out in pain when her father fisted her hair and forced her to her knees, causing more glass to dig into her delicate skin. Suddenly, the dream became more distorted and fantastical. She wasn’t inside her house anymore. No, she was running through a cloudy void where she couldn’t see a thing beyond her line of vision. Couldn’t hear. Could only feel the crunch of glass below her feet as she ran. For some reason, she couldn’t stop. Her body was moving on its own accord while her head often whipped behind to see if anyone was following her.

In the distance, she could see her father stalking toward her. No matter how fast she tried to run, blinking away tears from the pain of her feet slipping and sliding across the glass, he seemed to grow closer and closer. She focused her gaze up ahead and saw her mother, who was well ahead of both of them. Trying to cry out and ask her to wait didn’t work, for Evangeline’s voice was gone.

“You can run, but you can’t hide.”

Evangeline opened her eyes with a gasp, blinking as her vision adjusted to the bright lights of the room. She felt some tears roll down her cheeks as she regained her composure, suddenly realizing she was at work. She had an appointment. With Wolffe. Was she late? Did she miss it? Did he leave? How long was she asleep? What—

“Are you crying?” An aggressive voice asked, startling her as she whipped her head toward the sound.

Her stomach dropped when she saw Wolffe sitting on the bed of the chamber, staring right at her. Or maybe, right through her. She shook her head furiously and wiped her face, standing up with more determination than she felt. Now wasn’t the time to dwell in the past. It was showtime. She had a job to do, and she needed to deliver on that promise for the trooper who came here for his treatment. How long he waited for her to wake up, she didn’t know until she checked the time. Her eyes widened in disbelief when she realized more than an hour had passed, causing her to ask, “Were you here this whole time?”

“It doesn’t matter,” he decided, “Can we get started now?”

She frowned as she washed her hands in the sink at the end of the room, truly so embarrassed her morning turned out like this. For once, she wasn’t looking at him or his freakishly large muscles. No, she was avoiding his judgmental gaze as she snapped a new pair of gloves on and walked toward the chamber’s monitor to begin the process.

“Goggles,” he said while pointing to her face, “You forgot that.”

“Oh.” She touched the skin near her eyes and realized he was right, “Right, sorry. I promise I know what I’m doing, I just—“

“It’s fine.”

“Are you sure? Because I probably wasted a lot of your time and—“

“I said it’s fine,” he growled, “Are we gonna start this or what? I’m busy today.”

“Yes,” she said quickly, “Yes, just one second.”

What is he doing today? She wondered as she pulled a pair of goggles over her head, not placing them over her eyes so she could clearly see the buttons while starting up the machine. In just a few seconds, the chamber was swallowing Wolffe whole. Even though she knew he could still hear her, not really giving her any personal space in this moment, she couldn’t help but begin a string of nervous humming. Dr. Bell wasn’t in here to tell her otherwise, so she carried on and enjoyed the way this eased her aching heart from the aftermath of her dream just before. All the pressure in her mind and soul lifted the more she quietly harmonized with the whir of the speed-healing machine. Maybe Wolffe wanted to tell her to stop—she didn’t know—but he didn’t say anything. He was silent. She was grateful for that.

She paused her humming when his heart rate increased just a teeny-tiny bit, causing her to ask, “Are you okay in there?”

“Uh-huh. Fine.”

“Okay. Let me know if you feel any discomfort or pain. Don’t be shy—there’s no judgment here.”

“I’m not shy,” he grumbled, “I’m fine.”

She laughed softly at his tone before saying, “If you say so.”

“What’s so funny this time?” He sighed, unsure why he was still talking to her.

“I don’t know,” she admitted, “I just laughed because I felt like it.”

“You’ve barely changed,” he muttered, mainly to himself.

She heard this, furrowing her eyebrows a bit at this observation.

“What do you mean?” She asked carefully, knowing this was dangerous but also interesting territory to gauge any potential feelings for her.

“You’ve been working here for a few years now,” he began, not saying anything until she replied, “Yes, about two.”

“Yeah. I can probably count the amount of times I’ve been here on one hand, but you’ve always been here. I’m sure you’ve seen some nasty shit,” he continued, mentally recalling how she was sleeping before waking up crying earlier today.

“I’m not really following.”

“I just don’t understand what there is to be so joyful about.”

“Oh. A lot of things,” she shrugged, “I’ve seen bad cases, but I’ve also watched mothers deliver their babies…or the elderly finish their cancer treatments successfully despite all odds…oh, there was also this one time when—“

She stopped talking, realizing she might sound insensitive to the “nasty shit” he definitely experienced as a soldier. Yes, she had her fair share of terrible situations, especially whenever she failed to save a trooper or a regular Coruscant citizen from their demise. But there was more to this medical facility than death and loss. There was also life and victory in the overcoming of pain. That was what she felt she was here for—not just the difficult responsibilities she was fully capable of, but also the privilege of watching people bloom into their best selves. Recovery was the key to opportunity.

On the other hand, Wolffe’s job was to fight and destroy. To plow through dangerous territory with blasters raised and armor scratched. Speaking about life when all he knew was death…maybe she shouldn’t have gone there. Of course, he believed there was nothing to laugh about. What could possibly occur around him to stimulate such an expression of joy? Sure, he probably had moments with his brothers that allowed him to experience simplicity—like 79’s—but she wasn’t even sure if there was anything else. Did troopers have hobbies? Dreams? Plans? She didn’t know any well enough to answer these questions for herself. She didn’t want to know any well enough but the one in this room, though.

The silence that had passed between them was interrupted when Wolffe asked, “How much longer do I need to stay in here?”

She blinked and checked the monitor’s progress, noticing his time was almost up.

“Less than five minutes. Thanks for reminding me.”

“Uh-huh.”

These five minutes passed more quickly than she would have liked. She filled this time with more humming, keeping her volume as low as possible while still feeling content about this distracted state. As she powered down the chamber, she watched Wolffe emerge with his eyes closed like he was sleeping. He opened them quickly, adjusting to the light in a brief squint that creased some lines into his face. Catching herself staring like she always did, Evangeline took off her goggles and gloves in an effort to appear occupied.

“What are you doing later today?” She asked, trying to sound casual in this conversation starter.

He stretched his neck out with a low groan before replying, “Training.”

“Already?” She turned around to look at him as he redressed himself in his armor, surprised he wasn’t taking a day of rest with his short time off from his duty.

“Yeah. I’m behind,” he told her, “Honestly, don’t ever tell me to break my leg again. I think I took that too seriously.”

His face was neutral as he said this, indicating to her that he wasn’t joking. As usual, he was being serious. Despite this, Evangeline found herself laughing yet again. His lack of humor was the exact thing that made him so funny to her. She was never really impressed with those who went out of their way to make jokes. Sarcasm, blunt honesty, and irony were much more entertaining to her. There was no particular reason why. This was just her truth. Her preference. Her type.

“I learned my lesson,” she reassured him warmly, “But…if you’re ever in a similar situation, I’ll be here.”

She missed the subtle twitch of his lips that wouldn’t have constituted as a smile even if she caught it. Instead, she quickly added, “Because it’s my job. I’m being paid to be here—not that I’m doing this for the money. My salary is sort of a bonus perk for all of this so don’t get me wrong, I like being here.”

Inhaling a deep breath, she realized, “You’re busy today. I’ll have your report out in a minute—you can head to the waiting area while I wrap things up in here.”

“Do I make you nervous, Sterling?” Wolffe suddenly asked, stepping closer so that he towered over her more intensely.

He hadn’t put his helmet on despite wearing the rest of his armor, and Evangeline suspected this was intentional. She stepped back, her hands finding a table behind her as she leaned as far away from him as possible. His expression was still apathetic, but she could see a strange twinkle in his eyes that made her believe he was having fun with this. With her.

“No,” she lied, “I’m not nervous.”

He raised his eyebrows. “No?”

“You wouldn’t hurt me.” This wasn’t a lie. She truly, truly believed this with all of her heart.

“No, I wouldn’t,” he agreed before clarifying, “I wasn’t talking about that kind of nervous.”

Her mouth dried as the butterflies in her stomach began whirling around like a maelstrom. She nearly clutched at her abdomen from the squeezing pain, unable to breathe as steadily as she wanted. He noticed this and stepped back, giving her space while holding her wide eyes in a stare that didn’t gentle from the new distance between them. Every bone in his body was telling him not to do this, especially since it was obvious that she had a stupid crush on him while he didn’t feel anything for her. To take advantage of her feelings in this game of power was definitely shitty. He knew this. He didn’t care. That was one of the reasons why he wanted her to stay away from him and stop holding onto this naive hope that he might look at her the same way she was now looking at him.

Move on, Sterling. It’s now or never with girls like you.

He raised his eyebrows when she blurted out, “I think you’re good-looking. And your personality isn’t bad. I don’t mind that you’re a little mean sometimes. I find you interesting, and I like talking to you. I’d like to get to know you more…if…Yeah.”

Wolffe was at a loss for words, recounting this conversation in his mind to figure out what led to this confession. For fucks sake, they barely knew each other. Most of his treatment occurred on Kamino or aboard Republic cruisers. With only the rare occasions where he was here, she decided all of that? She really was weird. He figured that this was just a physical attraction, which could easily be quenched if she pursued someone else—anyone, really. He was a clone, after all. But to bring in his personality? How could she say she liked it? Honestly, the more she got to know him, the less she would like. She might have learned a shit ton about being a doctor, but she knew nothing about the way these kinds of things worked.

“I’m flattered,” he deadpanned, “But I’m not interested. You should get that through your head before it’s too late.”

His words knocked the wind out of her as her lungs seemed to constrict and deflate. She tried to keep her expression level, not really feeling devastated about this. This was more…disappointing. But, it made sense with the way he acted toward her—he wasn’t rude, per se, but he was exactly what he just said. Not interested. Maybe he already had a girlfriend, and he was just letting her down easily. That would be nice of him. She would hate to interfere with an already-established relationship.

“Okay,” she squeaked, “Thank you for your honesty.”

“No problem. Thank you for yours.”

One minute he was here, and then the next…he was gone. Evangeline paused for a moment before grabbing her hair, cursing under her breath as she berated herself for what just happened. What was she thinking? Confessing her feelings to him like that? She definitely came on too strong.

It’s okay. We’ll just forget this ever happened, she told herself, This is good. It’s closure. It was just a silly crush. Time to move on now that we know it wasn’t going to go anywhere.

Satisfied with this plan, she cleaned the speed-healing chamber before downloading a full report of Wolffe’s injury now that it was fully healed. Exiting the room, she found him in the waiting area like she instructed and showed him her datapad so calm, cool, and collected that both of them were a little surprised. It was as if nothing happened back there with her abrupt declaration of interest. Wolffe decided that was best, though, and he was glad she was finally acting normal for once. They bid each other goodbye just like any other patient and doctor before the commander left the medical facility to begin a long day of training. His mind was dead centered on all the things he needed to do to get back on track, not even sparing a single thought toward Evangeline.

She was similar, actually. The rest of the day was busy for her, too, definitely helping to get her mind off that embarrassing rejection. When she clocked out of work at the end of her shift, she saw a group of Coruscant Guard troopers conversing just outside the entrance. As she was about to pass by and tell them to have a good night, one of them said, “Sterling! Down for another round at 79’s?”

“Not today, sorry,” she apologized, “I have classes soon.”

“Aw, yeah, that’s right. What about tomorrow?”

“Uh…” She considered it for a moment, knowing she didn’t have any classes tomorrow night, “Okay, sure. But I can’t stay long.”

“Ha, you said that last time. We’ll try to keep you for longer.”

Growing red in the face, she tucked some hair blowing in the wind behind her ear and said, “Maybe. I’ll see you all tomorrow—Have a good night!”

The Coruscant Guard troopers hurried away to catch a public airspeeder with amused expressions, noticing how she was slightly hunched over from the intense wind as she clutched her data pad toward her chest. Again, they didn’t know the reason she agreed to join them tomorrow night at 79’s. This time, it wasn’t about seeing Wolffe. Actually, this time, it was the opposite. It was about seeing anyone but Wolffe after the rejection she was going to take as an opportunity. If she had any chance of moving on from him, she needed to meet new faces and learn that he wasn’t the only man to ever exist. The only person. Really, it was time to branch out. Having a crush was fun but also very restrictive. The whole experience tunnel-visioned her into something that didn’t even succeed.

Even though she was trying to open her mind up again, though, Evangeline couldn’t help but remember how Wolffe so harshly said, “I’m not interested” as if he didn’t even take some time to think about it. The response was pre-constructed, indicating to her that he really didn’t like her. Not even a little bit. Was it her face? Her personality? Her job? What was it that he didn’t like? What did he like?

No, stop. Don’t think about that anymore, Evangeline thought to herself with a shaky resolve blooming in her heart, He’s just not interested. Leave it at that.

“You said WHAT?”

Wolffe rolled his eyes and sighed while sitting up from the mat with beads of sweat trailing down the side of his face.

“I’m not repeating myself,” he told a baffled Boost, “If you weren’t listening, that’s not my problem.”

“No, no, I was listening. That’s the fucking problem,” Boost retorted, folding his arms across his chest.

“So, he rejected her,” Sinker interjected from across the floor, “Big deal.”

“Huge deal. How do you pass that up? Especially when she came to you first.”

“Since you like her so much,” Wolffe said loudly, “You can take advantage of this opportunity.”

“Nah, not my type,” Boost dismissed before insisting, “I’m thinking about you, dumbass.”

“Don’t think about me. Just focus on yourself.”

“Starting with fixing that haircut,” Sinker mumbled under his breath, dodging a jab to the face from Boost.

“Quit joking around. This is serious.”

“She’s not actually interested in me,” Wolffe told his brothers like it was obvious, “She’s just confused. I’ll bet that she doesn’t talk to anyone but the people at the hospital. She’s kind of socially awkward, so I doubt she has any friends. The kind of girl who just latches onto someone because she’s lonely.”

“Harsh, even for you,” Sinker said carefully, “You said you two barely know each other, so how can you be so sure of that?”

“Because it’s obvious. Can we stop talking about her now? I’d like some peace and quiet”

“Alright, but only if you’ll come to 79’s with us tomorrow,” Boost bargained, “Everyone’s gonna be there—we’re all back on Coruscant this week, I guess.”

“Alright,” Wolffe shrugged, “Now shut the fuck up and let me focus.”

“Oooh, okay, Commander. Whatever you say.”

“Fuck you.” Wolffe stalked away to continue his training on the other side of the room, trying to get as far away from this conversation as possible. He didn't think anything of the events that would take place tomorrow, assuming it was just going to be another normal gathering with a lot of his brothers. Looking forward to this, actually, he felt quite content as he went through the rest of the night with grueling discipline. Little did he know, a certain someone had also agreed to be there tomorrow. 

Chapter Text

When the Coruscant Guard invited Evangeline to accompany them during another fun night out, they didn’t expect her to watch a space opera in a dark corner of the cantina. Not to mention she was hogging all of the women who came out here tonight. The more Twi’leks who joined her and crowded the booth with entertained curiosity, the more Evangeline had to stretch her arm forward to ensure everyone could see her datapad. She was surprised about this turn of events as well, initially thinking she was mainly going to be with troopers tonight. One thing led to another, and she eventually found herself with a bunch of pretty women who took an interest in her space opera obsession. It brought her back to when she would watch a bunch with her younger sister, June, back on Corellia during their early childhood. But, as nice as these Twi’leks were, it wasn’t the same. It would just have to make do.

On the other side of the cantina, Wolffe and his group of brothers had no idea this was happening until they overheard a conversation near the bar. A dejected trooper was complaining that “some chick over there has all the tailheads to herself!” Nobody in Wolffe’s immediate vicinity thought anything of this until Boost returned from the bar and said, “Hey, that Sterling girl is here. You’ll never guess what she’s doing.”

Wolffe felt a tinge of surprise at this but didn’t react other than a brief roll of his eyes. His unbothered expression turned into a scowl when Sinker asked, “What’s she doing?”

“She’s watching a space opera. Got the tailheads invested, too,” Boost answered while sitting down, “Must be why I keep hearing people complain about someone keeping all the girls to herself.”

Sinker’s lips curved into a knowing smile as he pointed at Wolffe, who interrupted with a loud, “Don’t say it.”

“You like space operas,” Sinker continued, ignoring his brother’s order.

“Like five years ago,” Wolffe retorted, not in the mood to entertain any of this, “I don’t like them anymore.”

His brothers shared a skeptical stare as they observed the solemn commander, knowing he was full of shit. Wolffe’s scowl intensified with a displeasure rushing through his blood. How was it that all of a sudden anything and everything was about her? Why was she everywhere? And why did she have to like space operas? That was his thing. Fucking annoying. Night ruined.

“Not true. You were watching one last night,” Sinker reminded him.

“Oh, that’s what that was,” Boost realized, “I thought it was some weird alien porn.”

Wolffe closed his eyes and tuned everyone out, trying to calm the irritation that was threatening to burst. The conversation around him drowned out until he heard some yelling on the other side of the cantina. He and his brothers whipped their heads in that direction at the same time, noticing the crowd had parted to reveal the booth of space opera watchers. Evangeline was staring up at a group of troopers with a flash of fear in her eyes, just remaining silent as they projected their grievances onto her. Their grievances being…a lack of attention from the ladies. She clearly didn’t know what to do, shrinking her shoulders smaller and smaller the more they told her off. It didn’t help that Twi’leks were also so fucking docile. These girls were quiet, too, not making any move to leave the booth but also not saying anything.

“Jeez. She’s getting eaten alive,” Sinker observed.

“You gonna step in, Commander?” Boost smirked, obviously trying to goad Wolffe into interacting with Evangeline.

“No,” Wolffe said, “She should know better than to do something like that here. It’s not the place for a movie night.”

“Look at her, though. You don’t even feel a little bad?”

“If you do, then you step in.”

“Come on, I don’t have your authority,” Boost teased, “It has to be you.”

“You’re full of shit,” Wolffe dismissed, “One more word out of you and I’m leaving.”

Even though Boost had shut his mouth, this threat didn’t stop him from gesturing toward the scene that kept unraveling with more and more chaos. It got to the point where one of the troopers berating her tried to take her datapad away. Wolffe and his brothers watched as her hands fell away toward her lap, not even attempting to fight back or hold on with some strength. There was some teasing laughter and snickering as the troopers passed her datapad around, not thinking anything of this. After all, they were drunk. It was hard to tell if they had malicious intent—at least, to Evangeline, it was hard.

“That’s fucked up,” Boost whispered in a low tone, “Even I’ll admit it.”

“I said,” Wolffe growled, “Not another fucking word.”

“So leave. Just make sure to take care of that over there on your way out, okay?” Boost gestured to Evangeline and leaned back in his seat, tipping a shot down the back of his throat with a content sigh.

Wolffe clenched his jaw and stared at Evangeline, not understanding the temptation to intervene twitching throughout his body. He wondered where her company was, confident that she was invited here like the last time they saw each other in this same setting. His question was answered when he saw a group of Coruscant Guard troopers playing a game of cards toward the entrance, completely oblivious to the situation in the back. Good eye twitching in annoyance, Wolffe couldn’t help but think that it was irresponsible that they left her alone when they obviously brought her here. They should have been keeping an eye on her, especially knowing how fucking airheaded she was.

“He’s thinking about it,” Boost snickered, “You see that look on his face?”

“Honestly, someone needs to tell her these things are bound to happen if she pulls shit like this,” Sinker offered, “I know you’re not above doing that.”

“I know what you’re doing,” Wolffe grimaced, “It’s not gonna work.”

“Oh, shit—“ Boost started, standing up from his seat, “That’s—“

Wolffe followed his brother’s gaze and turned his head, seeing what everyone else was seeing. Evangeline had tried to take her datapad back with as little hostility as possible, provoking one of the troopers to grab her arm. She was frozen in place, indicating to Wolffe that she bore zero survival instincts like a fucking goldfish. The trooper tried to tug her out of the booth with minuscule aggression, but he was still moving her forcefully. Touching her without her permission. Laughing at her.

Convincing himself that he would intervene if this was any other woman—stranger or not—no matter the situation, Wolffe cursed under his breath and stalked toward them. He crossed the cantina in long and quick strides that made his brothers laugh from behind, but he wasn’t paying attention to that. His steps slowed when he approached the booth, ignoring Evangeline’s look of surprise upon seeing him. Rather than say anything, Wolffe took the trooper by the arm and lightly shoved him back so he wasn’t holding onto her anymore. Once this distance was established, he moved between this startled trooper and the table, turning his back to Evangeline as he said, “I think we’re done here.”

“I’m not,” the trooper scowled, pushing his shoulder back in defiance to escape Wolffe’s firm grip, “Tell her to take this shit somewhere else.”

“I understand if you’re desperate,” Wolffe drawled, “But this is unnecessary. Leave them alone before you embarrass yourself.”

“Excuse me? Who the fuck are you anyway?” The trooper slurred, shoving at Wolffe’s chest.

The commander hardly budged from this measly attempt to intimidate him, just smirking sadistically with a distinct arrogance boiling in his blood. There was no need to physically fight back when he knew he would win, anyway. That was childish—a waste of his time, energy, and patience. Besides, he wasn’t about to punch his way out of this just for her. He didn’t even know her, nor did he care. This intervention was just about a display of authority, as Boost said. Everyone could walk away winning if they just listened. Nobody needed to take things further than they were now. Sinker was right, too. Someone needed to instill some sense into this Sterling. And Wolffe wasn’t above doing that.

“Hey,” someone whispered, “Isn’t that Wolffe? From the 104th?”

“No way,” the trooper who had grabbed Evangeline squinted his eyes and moved closer, “I can’t really see…”

His face morphed into one of shock when he noticed the signature cybernetic eye that told a story already spread across the GAR a long time ago. Wolffe kept his posture straight and his head held high, knowing his observers were remembering the distant memory of a clone commander who engaged the Asajj Ventress in a fight. Of course, he didn’t win, but he lived to tell the tale. Not many people could say that. And, what’s more, is that he received a battle scar to denote this triumph.

“Give that back,” Wolffe said while pointing to the datapad, “And apologize.”

The trooper sputtered in embarrassment before tossing the device into Evangeline’s lap and muttering a half-hearted apology that didn’t satisfy Wolffe. The commander sighed and moved closer, slinging an arm around the trooper’s shoulder to bring him in close. Though casual, this gesture wasn’t friendly. It was threatening, like the dark look in Wolffe’s eyes as he murmured, “You can do better than that. Be a gentleman, and you might find what you’re looking for tonight.”

The trooper swallowed the lump in his throat, suddenly embarrassed after speaking so high and mighty before. With an aggravated sigh, he pushed Wolffe backward and apologized again. This time, his voice was a little louder and more sincere. Wolffe folded his arms across his chest and stared the entire group down as they left, trickling away from this booth to find somewhere else to go. He vaguely heard Evangeline tell the Twi’lek girls in the booth, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you here. Thanks for watching with me.”

“No, no! It was fun!” One replied in a thick accent, “You should come by again and we can finish the series.”

Even though he couldn’t see it with his back still turned toward her, Wolffe could picture the way Evangeline’s face lit up and her body straightened as she said, “That sounds nice. I’ll definitely be back, then.”

“Great! We’ll see you later, then. The boss might get mad at us for being here for too long,” the Twi’lek replied sheepishly while sliding out of the booth with her friends, “I hope you don’t mind.”

“No, of course. See you next time,” Evangeline reassured her quickly, waving the group off as they returned to work around the cantina: flirting, serving, and dancing.

When it was just the two of them, Wolffe turned around and stared down at Evangeline. She realized he was still here, peering up at him through her dark eyelashes that were slightly more curled than usual. Her fingers nervously tapped along the edges of her datapad as she broke the silence first, blurting out, “Thanks for your help. I really didn’t know what to do there—Funny seeing you here again, though—“

“Do you know what kind of place this is?” Wolffe interrupted tersely.

“Um…” She furrowed her eyebrows, “It’s a bar.”

“So you do know. Are you just pretending to be stupid, then?”

Her face blanched before she replied, “I’m not—What am I even supposed to say to that?”

Ignoring this question, he said, “People come here for a few things, sweetheart. To get fucked up, fuck someone else up, or just fuck. So, when you’re playing your little movies and occupying the staff everyone’s hoping to do one of those three things with, you’re gonna run into some trouble. Understand?”

Sweetheart. She felt her skin grow redder and hotter as she registered his words, not understanding why this aggression was making her stomach roll around so teasingly. Not to mention his vulgar language that shouldn’t have sounded so sexy along the deep tones of his voice. She wasn’t sure if he was yelling at her like this just to yell at her, or if he was warning her in some way. Did he care? He had decided to intervene, after all.

“And don’t take this the wrong way,” he said as if reading her mind, “I’m not here to help you. Seeing stupid shit like this just ruins my mood.”

Okay, now he was just being plain mean. She had told him she didn’t mind, but this was pushing it. Not only was he insulting her, but he was also rubbing this whole situation in her face. Yeah, she didn’t really know bar culture like that. It was obvious to her that she shouldn’t have started this space opera booth from the beginning of the night, but she wanted to. The Twi’leks wanted her to. And, it was fun. What did it matter if some troopers missed out on whatever Wolffe was telling her they came for? They could just come back next time or wait a little bit. It wasn’t like she was constantly here.

Suddenly, the gears in her mind began turning as she pieced the commander’s words together. Maybe he was so angry because he was hoping to…Oh, of course. He was a man just like everyone else in here. Perhaps he came here to spend a fun night with one of these pretty Twi’leks. They were all tall and slim with curves that made every normal person go crazy. Not to mention that they came in different colors with soft facial features that balanced them out along the spectrum of cute, sexy, and beautiful. How was it that they were simultaneously all three? Meanwhile, Evangeline felt as plain as a porcelain doll. It made sense that Wolffe wasn’t interested in her when he had his options here.

“Well, you’re free to have fun as you please, now,” she suddenly lashed out as her stomach squeezed in envy, “I’m not occupying anyone anymore.”

He raised his eyebrows at her outburst, realizing he had just unlocked another side of her that suddenly made her a little more interesting. Was she…jealous? Of course, she was. She couldn’t have moved on from him overnight. If she had, then he definitely would have confirmed his suspicions that she didn’t actually like him all that much. He still had his doubts, but he could see a fire in her eyes that he hadn’t noticed before…simply because it wasn’t there. Oh, yeah. She was jealous. It was almost funny.

Before Wolffe could open his mouth to reply, he was abruptly forced into the booth and crushed into Evangeline’s body. His eyes widened in surprise until he realized what was going on, causing his expression to shift into his usual state of indignation. Boost was smothering his entire side into Wolffe, bringing the two of them further into the booth and squishing Evangeline against the wall. Her heart was beating rapidly from this proximity, not just because she was in direct contact with Wolffe, but also because she hated being trapped in tiny spaces and pinned to surfaces against her will. There was enough of that during her childhood as punishment.

“Please,” she whimpered, “I need some space. I—“

Wolffe’s head snapped toward her at the fear in her voice, prompting him to shove Boost with all of his strength so he wasn’t pressing her against the wall anymore. The three of them settled into the booth normally, sitting up straight with completely different emotions fixed on their expressions. Wolffe was cursing Boost out, only growing angrier and louder as the latter laughed and refused to stand up. Evangeline was catching her breath and covering her face, tuning out the loud sounds around her. She came back to reality when a new voice spoke from in front of her. Sinker slid into the booth across from the three of them and asked, “You good, Sterling?”

“Yeah,” she breathed, rubbing her eyes, “I was just startled.”

“Let me out,” Wolffe demanded to Boost, “I swear to fucking—“

“Hey, Sterling,” Boost interrupted, leaning forward to catch her eye, “What were you watching just before?”

She scooted away from Wolffe, realizing their thighs were touching, and glanced down at her datapad. Even though she knew the title by heart, she wanted to look away from the three faces staring at her.

“Graveyard of Stars,” she answered, “It’s a series.”

“Have you seen that?” Boost asked Wolffe, shaking the commander’s stiff shoulder.

“Everyone’s seen it,” Wolffe dismissed, “Except dumb fucks like you.”

Boost exaggerated a frowning pout before telling Evangeline, “The commander here likes space operas, too. Isn’t that nice?”

Evangeline suddenly felt embarrassed, thinking these troopers were acting like this because Wolffe said something about yesterday. Why wouldn’t he, since they were so close? Still, she began to regret telling him her true feelings the more exposed she felt in this vulnerable setting.

“That’s nice,” she said quietly, “It’s one of my favorites.”

“It’s his favorite, too,” Boost said without even knowing for sure, “Right, Commander?”

It actually was Wolffe’s favorite since he was a young cadet, but she didn’t need to know that. Instead of responding honestly, he shrugged and answered, “It’s alright. A little dramatic for my taste.”

“It’s supposed to be dramatic,” Evangeline disagreed, “The emotion and passion are what makes it so good.”

Wolffe bit back the response on the tip of his tongue that stemmed from a growing interest in this conversation. Boost took advantage of his silence and suggested, “Play it. You don’t have somewhere else to be, do you?”

Her eyes widened in surprise as they darted around the booth, stalling on Wolffe. His expression was less annoyed than before, but he was definitely unhappy with his scrunched eyebrows and clenched jaw. Boost noticed her hesitation and said, “Aw, don’t worry about him. He only looks scary. He’ll enjoy this the most out of all of us.”

“He doesn’t look scary,” she murmured while tapping on her datapad to find her downloaded space opera files.

They took up most of her storage, which was a difficult factor to consider in her note-taking for school. Maybe she needed an upgrade. Within a few minutes, Boost and Sinker were switching spots so that the former could hold the datapad upright while the latter joined the other side of the booth to watch alongside the grumpy commander and flustered medical assistant.

“You’re not going to watch?” Evangeline asked Boost, “You don’t have to hold—“

“I’m good,” Boost said, “I’m not really into alien pornography.”

A flush spread across Evangeline’s face as she told him, “It’s not pornography—I would never—“

“Never?” He teased, pausing when Wolffe set his jaw and said, “Enough. Just shut up and press the play button.”

“See?” Boost told Evangeline, “He wants to watch.”

She laughed before covering her mouth and falling silent upon hearing the beginning of the space opera. It was already hard enough to hear because of the cantina’s loud music and conversations, but they made do with some amplified volume that definitely deafened Boost’s ears for the rest of the night. While he and Sinker got distracted and began talking to each other during this watch party, Wolffe and Evangeline paid attention. Both of their postures were stiff as boards, neither of them stirring or budging an inch. They didn’t touch. They didn’t look at each other. They just faced forward and kept their full focus on the film while wondering if the other was enjoying this.

Wolffe grimaced when Evangeline began dabbing her wet eyes with the ends of her sleeves, not wanting to cry all her makeup away. They had reached the end of the first film that not only ended on a cliffhanger but also tore the lead couple apart in a devastating finale filled with death and sacrifice.

“He’s not dead,” Wolffe reminded her gruffly, “If you watched the second movie.”

“I know,” Evangeline sniffled, “It’s still so sad. He gave up immortality for her.”

“It’s not that sad. He’s in love with her,” Wolffe shrugged, “So, he was willing to die for her.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“I didn’t say that.”

She glanced at him from the side carefully, her breath hitching when he met her eyes. They stared at each other for a moment that was silent until she said, “Thanks for watching with me.”

“I didn’t really have much of a choice, but…you’re welcome.”

“Are you sure?” She suddenly smiled, tilting her head to look at his brothers, “You look a lot stronger than them. I’m sure you could’ve pushed your way out.”

Her words tugged at his ego but he resisted any feelings accompanied by such a string of praise. Rather than deny this humbly, though, he told her, “You’re not wrong.”

Her smile widened as she pivoted the conversation with, “I don’t know a lot of people who have seen Graveyard of Stars. Or people who enjoyed it, at least.”

When he didn’t say anything, she continued, “I first watched it during primary school, but my classmates didn’t really care for it. I loved it, though. Or, maybe I just had a crush on Jax.”

Wolffe furrowed his eyebrows and asked, “The bodyguard?”

“Yep,” Evangeline nodded, “Really dreamy.”

“I can’t say I agree with that.”

She giggled and shook her head. “That’s okay, I wasn’t expecting you to.”

“He’s not even the main lead. You’re not supposed to like him. He has like...two lines total.”

“Who are you to tell me who I’m supposed to like?” She laughed harder, “It doesn’t work like that, silly.”

“Don’t call me that,” he bit out, remembering how she did so during his first session for his broken leg.

“Okay, grumpy. That’s more accurate, anyway.”

He rolled his eyes and pivoted his body toward her, resting an elbow against the table. This sort of caged her in with an intimate proximity, but Evangeline had nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. She had already scooted as far away from him as possible, so the only thing she could do was shrink her body just a little lower. This was a mistake, though, because he leaned in closer until he was towering over her with their faces just inches apart.

“You can call me ‘commander’ or ‘sir,’” he said in a low voice, “Those are your options.”

“What about your name?” She blurted, “We just watched Graveyard of Stars together. Are we not on a first-name basis now?”

His expression turned quizzical as he asked, “Is that like a milestone for you?”

“Yes,” she nodded, “In my book, watching one space opera means we’re friends. Watching two means we’re good friends. Watching three means we’re best friends. Four—“

“You measure your friendships with how many times you watch movies with them?” He interrupted, growing more confused, “That’s pretty fucking weird.”

She frowned defensively and said, “It’s important to me. Must be why I don’t have many friends, though. Like I said, not many people I know like these kinds of things.”

“I don’t think that’s the reason,” he muttered under his breath.

“Hey,” her frown deepened, “It’s not my fault everyone’s already friends at the academy. They grew up together here on Coruscant. Not to mention they’re all filthy rich.”

Wolffe paused, thinking about this. He had assumed she was the same. After all, people who attended the private academy on this planet came from extremely fortunate backgrounds. Even though he didn’t really think about what her private life looked like, he hadn’t considered the possibility that she was different from her peers. Maybe even shunned.

“Where are you from?” He asked cautiously.

“Corellia.” She avoided Wolffe’s gaze as she said this, indicating to him that this was territory he shouldn’t tread for both of their sakes.

He confirmed his suspicions that she didn’t have friends, though. He just didn’t think this was the reason. An odd sensation coalesced in his chest the more he thought about what she told him, knocking against his bones and rattling his insides with an uncomfortable intensity. Not understanding why he felt like this all of a sudden, he clenched his jaw and looked away from her. His eyes swept over the rest of the cantina, not really looking at anyone in particular. She followed his line of vision with a bashful curiosity until she kept stumbling upon the lewd sights of Twi’leks dancing with the many troopers that occupied this entertaining space.

Blowing out a breath, she recaptured his attention by asking, “So…first names or not?”

He turned his head toward her slowly, his eyes dark and heavy-lidded. She thought he was going to deny this request until he said, “I don’t know your first name.”

“Evangeline.” Her eyes were round and curious as she said this, contrasting the sharp knife his gaze felt like.

“Evangeline,” he repeated, his voice so silky and seductive, “Might take some time getting used to.”

“That’s okay,” she reassured him with a furious blush, “My siblings back home call me ‘Ev.’ If you prefer that.”

He shook his head so briefly that she almost didn’t catch it. Rather than respond, he ended the conversation at that and told Sinker he needed to use the restroom. When he returned to the booth, he was slightly surprised to see that Evangeline was gone. Apparently, she decided to head home. This didn’t bother him, actually relieving him of some tension he felt in his chest and stomach throughout the movie. The rest of the night was just as he originally anticipated before discovering she was here, filled with casual conversations as he caught up with a wide array of many brothers who he hadn’t seen in a while. In the back of his mind, though, he thought about the milestones Evangeline used to denote her relationships. One space opera equaled friendship. Two equaled good friendship. Three equaled best friendship. He interrupted her before she could tell him what four meant. What could be more than becoming best friends, though? That was a dangerous question. A dangerous thought. Did that make her a dangerous woman? He didn't know. He didn't want to know.

Evangeline. Evangeline Sterling. Hm.

Chapter Text

There was something terribly unsettling about the pit of doom one felt without knowing what was going to occur in confirmation of this gut instinct. Some people would define it as anxiety, which was probably the scientific term, as well. Others would dismiss it as nothing. Wolffe knew it as a warning for whatever was to come and prove to him that destiny wasn’t to be underestimated. His fate often hung along the balance of every battlefield he stepped on, not giving him any time to fear or doubt. He tried not to think about anything but protecting his men, following his orders, and completing his mission objectives when he was out there, but there were times when he felt this impending danger deep in his stomach. And that was when he knew he was going to lose something that day. All he could do was just hope he didn’t lose everything.

The ringing in his ears after today’s particular events didn’t dull or pause even after he boarded the venator that would bring his battalion back to Coruscant. There were too many wounded, the fatal severity of these injuries prompting Wolffe’s commanding officer to pull their forces out early and head straight toward the Grand Republic Medical Facility. Republic forces could only afford to seek treatment on Coruscant when things were nearly irreversibly bad. And…everything was pretty bleak on this cruiser. They were worse on the surface with all of the deaths. It was hard to say who was luckier: the ones who escaped the pain of survival, or those who cheated death with one more chance left inside of them.

“We’re coming up on Coruscant,” someone told Wolffe and Jedi General Plo Koon before asking, “How are things back there?”

“Not good,” was all Wolffe said much quieter than he would have liked.

Needing to feel productive, he turned on his heel and headed toward the medical wing of this cruiser where he could hear some heart monitors stall while others sped up. His stomach dropped lower and lower as he watched the droids scrambling to keep as many alive as possible until they arrived at the hospital. He was startled when a familiar hand dropped to his shoulder, squeezing firmly to indicate his presence.

“There’s no use in worrying anymore,” General Plo told him in his usually steady voice, “You’ll only expend what little energy you have left.”

“I’m fine.”

“Hm. I suppose you’re right since broken ribs still leave you standing.”

Wolffe glanced at the general from the side, unsurprised that he was able to discern his broken ribs. Even though he tried not to labor his breathing too much, there was very little one could hide from a Jedi. Actually, the more Wolffe thought about it, the more he thought that there was nothing. And a Jedi like General Plo…yeah, there was no getting past him. It was hard to imagine a situation where he was fooled or sabotaged.

“They’re probably fractured at most,” Wolffe sighed, “My squad made sure of that.”

“It’s not your fault,” General Plo assured him, “I believe they will be fine, as well, once we get them the help they need.”

Wolffe pursed his lips and looked away, his eyes slightly shaky with fear. He didn’t want to show this even though he knew his general could feel it, proving yet again that there was no use in hiding anything. It wasn’t just his immediate squad members he was worried about, even though the Wolfpack was one of his highest priorities. The rest of his battalion mattered, too, and a lot of them were also fighting for their lives on the other side of the glass. This part of the war was so much harder than the blasters and explosions. To him, at least.

Wolffe remained silent and alert throughout the rest of the trip, accompanying his general and all the wounded to the facility on Coruscant. Doctors and nurse droids were all over the place as soon as the 104th arrived, spread quite thin compared to the number of troopers they had to take care of. Ignoring the sharp stabs of pain in his ribs, Wolffe joined his general in the waiting area where he was speaking to another Jedi about this sudden change of plans. They weren’t exactly supposed to be here, but General Plo cared more about his men than his victories.

“Are you looking for someone?” The general asked when the hologram shut off, sensing his commander’s strange feelings that mixed conflicted longing and anticipation.

Wolffe glanced up at General Plo in surprise, tearing his eyes away from the corridors where all the chaos was ensuing.

“No, sir.” He denied.

“Never mind, then. I must have been mistaken.”

The ringing in Wolffe’s ears did not calm for a while until someone he hadn’t seen in a few months crossed the waiting room covered in blood. Her scrubs were dark and wet with this vicious liquid, contrasting her fair skin that looked like moonlight. Wolffe remained still in his seat as his vision cleared and the ringing stopped, just watching Evangeline walk past him toward the other side of the facility. She halted her step when she saw him, glancing between him and the general sitting in the next seat over. It was unclear to Wolffe whether or not she wanted to say something because of the way her lips parted in hesitation while her body swayed but didn’t move closer. As if remembering where she was heading until she saw him, though, she snapped her mouth shut and continued on. His eyes followed her figure until her footsteps quieted and she disappeared around the corner.

Why is she here? Doesn’t she have classes at this time of the night? And how the hell do I know that?

“You know her,” General Plo mused, “Have you seen her here before?”

Wolffe suddenly stiffened, feeling more exposed than usual. “Yes, I have. I don’t really know her, though.”

“What’s her name?” The general asked, his voice casual despite the curiosity in this question.

“Evangeline,” Wolffe answered without thinking. The response just slipped past his lips.

“She looks young. How old is she?”

“Twenty.”

“Her position?”

“Assistant.”

“From Coruscant?”

“Corellia.”

“Ah,” the general said, “So you do know her.”

Poking his tongue into his cheek, Wolffe realized he just walked into a trap. Did it even matter, though? All of these questions were surface-level. Her name, her age, her occupation, and her home planet. This information was all accessible through her public file, which he had never read. He just knew these useless facts from the few times they’ve crossed paths during the war so far. It didn’t take much to learn the answers to these questions. So, it didn’t mean anything that he knew them. Obviously.

“With all due respect, sir,” Wolffe replied, “I don’t see the value in knowing that kind of information about her. It doesn’t mean anything to me. Nor am I curious to learn more.”

“You know her name. How long she’s been alive. What she does for a living. And where she comes from,” General Plo phrased carefully, “From there, you can learn everything.”

Wolffe furrowed his eyebrows, well accustomed to this kind of flowery Jedi talk but not understanding what any of this had to do with him and Evangeline. There was no him and Evangeline, to begin with. The two of them were separate individuals, only meant to run into each other when someone’s life was on the line. As she told him in front of the bathrooms at 79’s, it was definitely better if she didn’t see her patients as often. That meant they were doing just fine without her.

“If I may speak freely…” Wolffe began.

“You know you can.”

“I just don’t understand why you’re telling me this. Sir.”

The general looked up from his clasped hands in his lap and stared right into Wolffe’s eyes. The gesture was quite prying despite its silence, filling the commander with all sorts of questions that he didn’t ask. Neither one of them said anything until the general suggested, “You should have someone take a lot at your ribs. We’ve been waiting for a while now.”

Before Wolffe could respond, the general was asking someone to take care of his commander with patience which still stirred meaningful movement among the medical staff. In a few minutes, a nurse droid was leading Wolffe toward a large room with identical beds lined across each side. In each one, he recognized his brothers slowly but surely regaining consciousness at different speeds according to their varying injuries. He was particularly looking for his direct squad members, experiencing a flood of relief when he counted all three of them. But, when his eyes acknowledged Comet, he saw something that he hadn’t anticipated.

Evangeline was delicately perched on the side of Comet’s mattress and smiling down at him with occasional nods as he spoke to her. Wolffe didn’t know what they were saying until he drew nearer, just following the nurse droid who sat him down on the unoccupied bed right across from this conversation. Now in earshot, he could hear Comet telling Evangeline about the mission they just came from while she covered his bare chest in soothing bacta patches. Wolffe couldn’t help but roll his eyes, knowing Comet wasn’t this talkative with him and his other brothers. But, he was a bit delirious from all the painkillers, so that could have been a reason for this anomaly. Definitely not Evangeline’s enticing agreeableness. It wasn’t even enticing.

“Remove your armor and your jumpsuit from the waist up,” the nurse droid instructed Wolffe, causing him to turn his head away from this conversation.

Silent as a stone wall, the commander obliged and focused his stare toward the window where he could see the night sky begin to lighten with the coming dawn. He didn’t make a single sound nor move a single inch as the nurse droid-treated his broken ribs despite his insides screaming at him in sharp pain. While his heart was still beating as usual, the rest of his spirit was like a flatline. There was very little he felt at this moment, but this was nothing new. The numb indifference this war had instilled inside his soul was the only thing protecting him from the tortures of grief.

“Sterling, my dear, do you have extra bacta patches over there?” The nurse droid asked over her shoulder, “If not, then, if you could run to the storage—“

“Yes, right away,” Evangeline said with haste, standing up and turning on her heel to exit the room.

In doing so, her eyes collided with Wolffe in a stare that shouldn’t have been surprised. She saw him earlier in the waiting room, but that logic didn’t matter. What did matter, or, at least, what she realized, was that his bare upper half was completely on display. And even though she had just gone through so many half-naked troopers from his battalion (not to mention they were all products of the same genotype), her mouth dried with a distinct shock only he had the power of provoking. She had definitely seen him shirtless before, but not recently. So, her heart wasn’t prepared and began erratically racing with childish nerves.

“Hey,” Comet slurred from behind her, “Don’t run off too long. I have to finish my story.”

She blinked and glanced over her shoulder, forcing a friendly smile she had perfected over the years during her experiences in the service and medical industry.

“Of course,” she reassured him, “I would hate to miss it. Just give me a second, okay?”

“Okay.”

Wolffe scoffed and looked away, refusing to believe that this exchange of words was actually real. That he actually heard such a stupid conversation. It wasn’t her job to baby and entertain these troopers who were fully capable of shutting up. But, of course, there was a lack of brain function in a room bursting with hormonal men. If they saw a pretty woman through the blurry vision of their pain, they saw an opportunity. Whether they just wanted to talk or do something more didn’t matter. Company was nice. Company that looked nice was even better. Simple fucking creatures.

Suddenly, the commander’s stomach dropped when he realized he just admitted to himself that Evangeline was pretty. Where did that even come from? No, it didn’t come from anything. She was objectively pretty. Her round, brown eyes and small, pale face were conventionally attractive and nothing more. Wolffe estimated that she was about one and a half meters tall based on their height difference—maybe a little more or less—just skating around that number. So, she was small enough to be thrown around in bed but not so small that she appeared microscopically weak.

His stomach dropped further when he caught himself thinking about her eligibility to be tossed in different positions during sex. No, again, he was thinking objectively. Maintaining this logic inside of his mind, he perceived her figure’s shape with deep thought. He hadn’t really seen the way her body looked as he had only seen her in unflattering scrubs or an oversized jacket that swallowed her whole. So, perhaps that was a mystery left to be solved.

No. There was no reason to wonder these things. What she looked like underneath those clothes was none of his business. Taking a deep breath, Wolffe focused on doing what he always did when he became distracted with physical desire: resistance. Of course, he experienced this feeling from time to time. This always heightened in moments where his lack of sexual activity became a frustration rather than a fact. It was nothing he couldn’t control, though. As much as his brothers poked fun at him for giving up this aspect of pleasure in his life, he prided himself on such a quality. The men around him could learn from this. There was no reason to be such a fucking animal.

His focus was disrupted when Evangeline returned with a tray of packaged bacta patches that she planned to split between her and the nurse droid helping Wolffe. He noticed how she avoided his gaze, obviously remembering the last time they saw each other some months ago. They had watched the first movie of Graveyard of Stars at 79’s, which happened to be both of their favorite space operas. He still didn’t know what to make of this. No, there was nothing to make of it.

“Thank you, dearie,” the nurse droid said to her, “Do you mind patching the commander up for me? I received an alert from Dr. Bell requesting my presence in the operating room.”

Great, Wolffe thought to himself, Just what I needed. Her fucking hands all over me.

Evangeline bore the same apprehension Wolffe felt, but she made hers more obvious with the red blush that colored her cheeks and ears. Mumbling a string of agreement, she sat down beside him and allowed the nurse droid to leave the room in a brisk hurry. Still not looking at him, Evangeline began pressing the bacta patches against his bare chest while trying not to touch him directly. This was difficult, though, as she needed to smooth the cool strips across his wounds. This flattened her palms against his skin, bringing them much closer and in contact than either of them would have preferred.

She could feel his eyes on her as she worked silently, not even smiling like the way she had been with Comet just earlier. Her face was growing pinker the more her hands moved across the hard plain of his chest and the harder he stared at her through this task. Neither of them had spoken a word to each other until he asked her a question, surprising himself.

“You work the night shift, too?”

“Not usually,” she sighed, her voice laced with exhaustion.

She didn’t elaborate on this, but Wolffe suspected she was probably here because of his battalion. It didn’t take much brain power to put two and two together. Doctors were always on call even after they clocked out. Dr. Bell must have asked her to come in after hearing the 104th’s plans to bring their wounded here. And, being the agreeable lady she was, Evangeline said yes without hesitation.

He opened his mouth to reply, pausing when the sun began to emerge from the cloudy sky. This sudden stream of light hit her face and illuminated her eyes, causing her to squint and say, “Well, my usual shift is starting now, so…there’s not much of a difference anymore. Everything blurs together more or less.”

When he didn’t say anything, she looked up from his chest and met his stare. He realized he was being awkwardly quiet—rather than just quiet—and cleared his throat, tearing his gaze away from her to look outside the window.

“I understand that,” was all he said.

“I’m sure you do,” her smile returned, “I shouldn’t feel tired. You guys probably haven’t slept in weeks.”

“You can still be tired.” His voice was gruff and uncaring, but she wasn’t fazed. She took his words kindly, regardless of how he meant them.

“Honestly…I am. I’m not used to more than forty-eight hours of sleepless nights,” she admitted, “But I should be if I want to keep this up.”

“When’s the last time you slept?”

“A few days ago. I’m solely running on caf.” She smiled wider and shrugged, seemingly full of energy despite her lack of rest this week.

He set his jaw and told her, “Relying on caffeine is unhealthy.”

“Oh, the commander wants to play doctor,” she teased, pausing her fingers on his stomach.

Rolling his eyes, he said, “I don’t, actually.”

“Only joking,” she laughed softly.

“Funny.” There wasn’t an ounce of humor in his expression.

Her smile widened with her amusement before she focused her attention on his shoulder blades. She was tasked with patching and bandaging up his ribs, which she finished, allowing her to observe the other visible parts of his upper body. With furrowed eyebrows, she gently pressed down on the taut muscles and said, “Do you stretch properly? You have a lot of tension here. Maybe consider seeing a specialist to help relieve some of it.”

His eyes roamed over her face as he asked, “Are you offering?”

He received the reaction he was looking for when she recoiled, turning beet red in the face and neck. Her words were jumbled up as she stammered, “No, I—It’s better if you—There are facilities around Coruscant that—“

“Guess not,” he interrupted casually with a shrug, “And yeah, I do stretch properly.”

“Okay, I was just asking,” she said defensively, “We’re done here—You can rest. Someone will be back to check up on you. Um, yeah. Bye.”

She hurried away before he could respond, quickly glancing at Comet to confirm whether or not he was awake. To her relief, he had fallen asleep like a lot of the troopers in this room. When she exited the room, Wolffe leaned back against the bed and closed his eyes. He didn’t open them when Boost, who was pretending to sleep on the mattress beside him, began speaking in a hushed whisper that bothered the hell out of him.

“You’re cruel. Riling her up like that.”

“So you’re alive,” Wolffe drawled, eyes still closed, “Good to know.”

“Eh, I know you were worried about me.”

“Sure. Is Sinker awake?”

“Yep,” Sinker’s voice called out from the next bed over.

Wolffe nodded in contentment, exhaling a breath that released some tension from his chest. Evangeline wasn’t wrong before. He would kill for a nice back massage that took his mind off everything and loosened the knots under his skin. She had suggested a specialist, but there was probably some Twi’lek at 79’s who could do the job for a cheaper price. Only, that would mean something else, too. His mind drifted away from this potential solution when he remembered the brief touch of her fingers against his shoulders. Just that momentary pressure felt excruciatingly relieving. Fuck.

Taking another deep breath, Wolffe rid his thoughts of anything related to his current desires and needs. This lulled him into a mindless sleep that was interrupted after a couple of hours when he was told he and his men were being sent back out to battle. Unsurprising, since they had abandoned their post to be here. As he left the room with his brothers behind him, all dressed in their armor once again, he spotted someone sitting with her back against the wall on the other end of the corridor. It didn’t take much squinting to discern that this was Evangeline. Her face was pressed forward into her tucked knees, indicating to everyone looking at her that she was asleep. The floor couldn’t be comfortable, but that must be how tired she was.

“Poor girl,” Boost murmured, “They’re working her ass.”

“She does it to herself,” Wolffe said, not meaning to sound malicious.

“I guess,” he shrugged, following the rest of the group that had begun to trickle toward the exit, “Come on, we’re gonna be late.”

Wolffe nodded but couldn’t move from this position as if his feet were glued to the ground. His squad mates assumed he was behind them until they turned around, watching him cross the corridor toward Evangeline. There was a pause when he stood in front of her, looking down through his helmet. The observing trio exchanged glances that were a mix of surprise and amusement when Wolffe crouched down and took her in his arms before shouldering open the door to the room she had fallen asleep beside. He disappeared for a moment when he brought her inside the room, emerging again after a few minutes empty-handed. Not wanting to hear his aggravated reprimands, the Wolfpack quickly turned around and continued to the exit as if they didn’t see anything. Maybe they were also giving their commander peace of mind. After all, he had never displayed such courageous affection before.

Wolffe ignored his brothers’ quiet snickers and joined his general at the bridge of their venator. The Jedi glanced at him from the side and asked, “You’re not nervous, are you, Wolffe?”

“No, sir.”

“Hm. Your heart…I sense its haste.”

“Just thinking about the mission, sir.”

“The mission, yes,” General Plo nodded, “Think about it. Don’t run from it.”

“Uh…yes, sir,” Wolffe said slowly, not really understanding what his general was talking about but also too tired to ask for more elaboration.

Anyway, Jedi spoke in philosophical tongues that weren’t really supposed to make sense. It was good advice, though. Wolffe just didn’t know that the general wasn’t speaking about the battle ahead. No, he was referring to the choice left behind. A decision he could come back to…if he so dared.

Chapter Text

Evangeline remembered sitting down in the corridor outside Dr. Bell’s office to rest her legs, and that was about it. So, she was surprised to wake up inside and tucked into the cot at the end of the room. Sitting up, she realized her shoes were off as she stared at the mismatched socks she hadn’t thought to fix during her morning rush. Or, was it a night rush? She couldn’t even remember the last time she was at her apartment. Wondering how she ended up here, though, she looked at the time and saw it was now midday. Her eyes widened as she burst out of the room, stuffing herself back into her shoes and nearly bumping into the passing Dr. Bell.

“Oh, you’re awake,” he said while pushing up his glasses, “I was just about to come check on you.”

“I’m sorry,” she told him, “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I don’t even remember—“

“That’s alright. You’ve been a great help this week—You can go home now,” he decided, “Take the rest of today off.”

“Are you sure? What about the troops that just came in earlier?” She chewed the inside of her cheek nervously as she immediately thought about Wolffe, wondering if he was still in the medical bay.

“The Council sent them back on the field. Despite my hesitance, I had to comply.”

“Oh. I see.”

Dr. Bell smiled and patted Evangeline’s shoulder while repeating, “Go home now. Rest up for tomorrow.”

“You’ll need my help,” she refused, “There are more patients to take care of.”

“I need you to rest. Doctor’s orders.”

She opened her mouth and closed it when no words came, unsure how to react to this. Even though she knew better than to talk back to her elders—something she learned as a child with great discipline—something inside of her wanted to remain here like she was supposed to. Despite the kind warmth in Dr. Bell’s eyes, though, she was afraid to say something that might set him off. More familiar with unpredictability and antagonizing rage rather than soft consideration, she nodded obediently and said a quiet, “Thank you.”

“No, thank you. I appreciate your help,” Dr. Bell smiled as he walked past her, continuing on with his many responsibilities that he would handle without her today.

Evangeline pursed her lips and headed to the locker room where she retrieved her bags. As she exited the facility in slow steps, she turned to the troopers on guard with a tired smile.

“Have a nice day,” she told them.

“You too,” one of them replied while the other said, “Rest up, lovely.”

Evangeline couldn’t help but think about how similar their voices were to Wolffe’s, only, it wasn’t the same. Not to mention how that pet name struck her heart so close but also so far. As she flashed them another smile and turned on her heel to catch the nearest public airspeeder, she wondered if she should start saving up for her own vehicle. That would mean cutting out the money she sent back home to her family, though.

Her family. She suddenly remembered that she hadn’t called June in a while now, and she hadn’t been very responsive with messaging her back. Evangeline could go round in round with as many excuses as she wanted, like how things got busy at work. Classes became too overwhelming. She needed time for herself. The war was growing intense. All of these reasons for her disconnected communication were true. They were so true that they were convenient. As much as Evangeline didn’t want to admit it, she knew that she benefited from all the factors that occupied her time. They allowed her to forget where she came from. But no matter how far she tried to run, she couldn’t hide from the fact that her family was still on Corellia. Waiting for her money and her call.

And eventually, they would wait for her to bring them here. On Coruscant. There was nothing stopping Evangeline from doing so now except for her own selfish greed. Her desire to get as far away from that part of her past as possible. It was impossible to abandon family and cut ties, for blood was something viscous that dripped rather than drowned. These bonds would remain for an eternity. She knew this and still kept her siblings holed up in that shack on Corellia just so that she could experience the life she had always dreamed of in the greatest city of the galaxy. So, no matter how softly she smiled and gentled her words to the people who believed she was some sort of angel, Evangeline herself knew exactly the kind of person she was. A selfish, sickening coward.

I’m sorry, June. I’m sorry every day. But it’s not enough. I know.

Wolffe was dreaming about something other than the war for the first time in a long, long time. It was so wretched that, for once, he wished his mind was centered on the horrors of death and loss. His failures as a commander—as a brother. But no, his nightmares punished him in a different way tonight as he slept aboard his general’s venator that was currently bringing them back to Kamino after a long mission in the Outer Rim.

“How does that feel?” Evangeline’s silky voice spoke as she leaned down from behind him with her hands kneading against the tight ridges of his back muscles.

He wasn’t sure if the low groan that escaped his lips was from the sensation of her smooth hands pressing against his skin or her delicate mouth near his ear. Even in his dreams, he harbored a resistive strength that prevented him from turning his head and colliding their lips together in the furious kiss he wanted to give her. Only, he felt confused by this desire. Why did he want to kiss her? Why did he keep turning toward her, letting their mouths brush against each other through her quiet whispers that settled in his stomach with a torturous heat? Why? Why, why, why?

“Was there anything else you needed tonight?” She asked, settling on her knees in front of him.

His breath hitched when he realized she was in a skimpy dress that hugged the curves and breasts he didn’t even know she had. But this wasn’t reality. It was his fantasy. She was his fantasy…right now, at least.

“Was there anything you were planning to offer?” He replied, his voice husky and thick with seduction as he looked down at her through heavy eyelids.

“Anything you want,” she whispered while running her hands up his thighs.

He held his breath as she leaned forward, arching her back slightly. Her eyes were dark pools of honey and desire that made him feel weak. Weak for her.

“Take off your dress,” he murmured, brushing a hand through her hair. It was long, which was odd because he had only seen it short.

She stood up slowly and slid into his lap in a straddling position while saying, “Take it off for me, Commander.”

He held her stare with a devilish smirk while tearing the flimsy fabric apart. Her lips parted in anticipation as his bare hands roamed around her soft skin before dipping along her inner thighs. Looking down between them, he realized she wasn’t wearing any underwear. Wait—he wasn’t either. When did that happen? His doubts about the logic behind this entire situation faded when she lifted her hips and sank down on his length, wrapping her tightening walls around him through a throaty moan that sounded so much like her. But, at the same time, it didn’t. Because he had never heard such a noise from her before. This was fake. It was scripted from the writings of the darkest desires he ensured were purely fictional. But even then, thinking about these kinds of things was so wrong.

“You’re so big,” she whimpered, clutching his shoulders to stabilize her trembling body.

He gripped her ass with his large hands and pushed her down further. “You can take it.”

“Oh—Wolffe,” she cried out, dropping her head into his shoulder.

He threw his head back and grunted, suddenly feeling disconnected from this moment. His consciousness began to fade out as someone else began calling his name. The voice that he knew as Evangeline’s that kept moaning, “Wolffe” was cascading away in waves that brought him back to reality. Before he knew it, a different voice was trying to get his attention.

“Wolffe. Wake up.” Boost shook his brother’s shoulder, folding his arms over his chest when the commander opened his eyes in desperate haste.

Wolffe blinked a few times and lifted his head that had been thrown back against the wall he was leaning against during his nap. His heart was racing while his cock strained against the tight fabric of his underwear and jumpsuit, but that was luckily hidden beneath his armor. Keeping a nonchalant expression on his face, though, he cleared his throat and told Boost, “You’re the last person I want to see right now.”

“Get used to it,” his brother retorted, “Just wanted to tell you that we’re here. Honestly, it’s nice to be home.”

Wolffe stood up and stretched his neck out with a sigh. “Yeah. Finally.”

“You slept like a baby through the trip. Haven’t seen that in a while.”

The commander glanced at his squad mate from the side as they departed the venator and entered Tipoca City through one of the familiar hangars that introduced the rest of the facility.

“I was tired,” Wolffe said, “It’s not easy being with you fuckers all the time.”

“Nah, you’re always tired. This was something different,” Boost insisted before asking, “Nice dream?”

He didn’t mean anything by it, but Wolffe stiffened with guilt and apprehension. Luckily, his brother was too exhausted or ignorant to notice.

“No,” Wolffe muttered, “It wasn’t nice. It was awful.”

“Ah, shame,” Boost nodded, thinking the commander was referring to a dream rooted in the carnage of their lifestyle, “Those are the worst.”

“Yeah.”

Wolffe was solemnly quiet on the way back to his squad’s barracks, which was nothing new. Even though he refused to fall back asleep again, fearing his dreams would return to the exact point they left off, he found himself just lying on his back closing his eyes in his familiar bed. The barracks quietly hummed with brief chatter that slipped in and out of his ears as he silenced his thoughts in a half-awake, half-asleep state of mind. This continued for a few hours before Boost told the group he had a date on Coruscant, and that his squad was welcome to accompany him as long as they stayed “the fuck away” from his engagement.

“A date?” Sinker asked, turning over on his side to look at his brother, “Where?”

“Where else?”

“79’s isn’t a date. Do better.”

“Oh, come on. We met there anyway,” Boost argued, “This was her idea.”

“Whatever—Honestly, I could use a drink. I’ll come,” Sinker yawned, “What transport are we taking?”

“There’s one in a few hours,” Boost answered before turning his head to ask, “Wolffe?”

“No.” The commander’s body remained still as he kept his eyes closed, not planning to be convinced about this.

“That means ‘yes’ in his language,” Sinker said to Boost, “So that’s settled.”

Boost snickered under his breath as Wolffe’s eyes opened with a flash of irritation. How was it that he was constantly surrounded by people who vexed him to no end? He just wanted to some peace and fucking quiet.

“It means ‘no.’ Because that’s what I fucking said.”

“Come on,” Boost insisted, “We’ve been on the road for who knows long. Talk to some girls for once. It’s been like, what, two years since you—“

“This again,” Wolffe said coldly.

“I’m not talking about Sterling. Anyone, really. Could help with your terrible mood.”

“But his terrible mood is just his personality,” Sinker pointed out, raising his hands in defense when Wolffe stood up quite menacingly.

The commander rolled his eyes at this and went to get a glass of water, feeling his brothers’ eyes pierce through him like identical hawks preying on the same idea. When he turned around to look at them, he paused a moment and thought about what he currently needed. The surface-level, weak-minded answer would be that he should grab a few drinks with his brothers and wait for one of the Twi’leks in the bar to keep him company. That was usually how things played out for anyone unless one was feeling particularly bold and wanted to initiate the conversation himself. Not much of a talker anyway, though, Wolffe didn’t need to start anything. A lot of women saw challenge and reward in his silence. Very few actually succeeded in scoring something with him.

“If not for the girls, then just hang out with some brothers,” Sinker suggested like the middleman he pretended to be, “Don’t know why you would say no to that.”

“Because,” Boost said, “He’s scared to run into Sterling.”

“Am not,” Wolffe snapped, returning to his bunk while wondering if how he felt was that obvious.

Well, he wasn’t scared. That was ridiculous. He just…didn’t want to see her. And she seemed to always be at 79’s whenever he was now like some sort of omen. Wolffe didn’t like that. They were meant to only run into each other at the facility during times of need and struggle. The war was the magnet that drew them together in these coincidences that aligned with their respective duties. Socialization was not. Wolffe and Evangeline were not supposed to see each other outside of what kept them in this battle and loyal to the Republic.

“Admit it, and I’ll let it go,” Boost smirked.

“I don’t need to admit anything. She is the least terrifying person I have ever met,” Wolffe retorted loudly, “I’m not scared to run into her. She can go wherever she wants—that’s not my problem.”

“Are you convincing us? Or yourself.”

Wolffe glared at his brothers before collapsing back into his bed and sweeping his blankets over his entire body so that he didn’t need to be part of this conversation any longer. A few hours passed through his quick nap until it was time for Boost to start heading out for his date. Sinker, Comet, and a few other brothers from the 104th were planning to leave with him so they could also experience their night of fun after that grueling mission they had just returned from. The only person in the room left to convince was still Wolffe, who had thought about just training for the rest of the night to take his mind off of his dream about Evangeline (among the other thoughts that constantly ran through his thinning sanity). But his body was in a sore pain that made it difficult for him to want to go downstairs and breathe everything away. Usually, he just pushed through this discomfort and trained anyway. That was how he made so much progress in his strength and physique—such results didn’t come easy.

“You coming, Commander?” One of his brothers asked at the door.

“No.”

Despite saying this, Wolffe found himself fully dressed and sitting beside Boost in the transport that was currently taking them to Coruscant. At this point in the war, all of his brothers knew exactly the kind of person he was. Wolffe could grumble, refuse, deny, and complain all he wanted. Everyone in the 104th—not just the Wolfpack—knew him like the back of their hand. And that wasn’t just because they had the same hands, technically. It was because there was more to their brotherhood than fighting in arms and following orders. In this strange time, each and every clone had developed what most would call an individual spirit. So, it was only natural that they learned each other’s. To love someone was to perceive them. And this family loved each other very much.

79’s was as welcoming as usual when Wolffe and his brothers stepped through the entrance, already being greeted by the people already there. Some were familiar and recognizable, while others weren’t as much. It didn’t matter, though, because they were all there together. The space was quite packed together, preventing Wolffe from properly seeing the bar top. He could only catch glimpses of it in waves as the troopers enjoying themselves moved with the crowd. Not really paying attention, though, he focused his attention on those in his direct proximity. A couple of hours passed, leaving everyone around him drunk but him. Well accustomed to being the sober facilitator of these kinds of outings, Wolffe wasn’t fazed when his brothers’ words became more slurred, emotional, and crazy.

He glanced around absentmindedly, not looking for anyone or anything in particular. Suddenly, his eyes locked onto the bar top when there was an opening in his line of vision. Body locking with a rigid tension, he stared straight at Evangeline’s backside as she spoke with some Coruscant Guard troopers sitting around her. She was right in the center of this group, turning her head from side to side throughout this seemingly fun exchange of words. He could tell she was enjoying herself from that smile on her face, even though he could only see her side profile. Of fucking course, she was here. He tried to empty his mind of her as much as possible, not wanting to experience flashbacks of something that didn’t even happen in reality but rather emerged from his fantasies. It was always more dangerous to dream than act.

Still looking at her with an overwhelmed frustration distracting his consciousness, he didn’t realize how she pushed out her seat and stepped off to the ground. When she turned around, though, he felt their eyes lock with a strange magnetism that made him wonder if anyone else was really there. For a moment, the cantina felt empty.

Evangeline’s eyes widened in shock as she registered Wolffe’s presence while questioning whether or not she was imagining this. He was back so soon…it had only been about a day since they came into the medical facility before being sent back out. Was their mission successful? Were his ribs better now? Her curiosity drowned her mind as she willed herself to move and use the bathroom as she had planned. Instead of taking a step to the side in the correct direction, though, she found herself putting her foot forward. A group of troopers passed in front of her, causing her to lose sight of Wolffe for a moment. When she saw him again, though, she realized someone had beaten her to him. A tall Twi’lek with shiny, beige skin had sidled into the booth Wolffe was sitting inside, pressing her curvy body against his left arm and thigh. Despite his armor, Evangeline couldn’t help but think they were far too close in contact. Her heart thumped louder and louder in her chest as she watched them begin a conversation, picking up on how the Twi’lek’s nimble fingers brushed teasing touches across his chest plate.

Just like that, Evangeline didn’t want to be here anymore. For once, she was distraught to have run into Wolffe. Maybe, for the first time, Wolffe felt the complete opposite.

Chapter Text

A few years after she moved to Coruscant, Evangeline scored her first boyfriend ever. His name and memory were now irrelevant, as she had dubbed him anonymous in her mind to forget about their embarrassing relationship. He was three years older than her, nineteen at the time they started dating. Believing she was just a young, pretty thing to dangle from his arm as they walked through the corridors of their medical academy, he asked her to be his girlfriend. She obliged, sick of the four years of friendless isolation in her studies thus far.

Soon enough, though, he discovered that she wasn’t born among the Coruscant elite like he assumed. No, she was a rat from the slums of Corellia. A nobody trying to blend in with the somebodies. Even though he didn’t break things off with her, enjoying the way she would complete his homework and reports for him, he slowly but surely drifted away from their relationship. Instead of meeting her for their study sessions as he promised, he attended parties and galas with his inner circle. Rather than introduce her to his parents, he courted other women behind her back. He slept with them, too, after convincing Evangeline he wanted to “take things slow” with her.

When she confronted him about this, eventually encountering the truth in a humiliating incident one night after classes, he told her that she wasn’t exactly on his level…in many ways. Not just financially, because that was pretty obvious already. But he was convinced she couldn’t keep up with him sexually, socially, emotionally…the list went on. She wasn’t sure why they weren’t broken up right then and there. Maybe she was clinging to the rare occasions he treated her well and watched space operas with her. Because, surprisingly enough, he liked space operas. Not only that, but they shared a lot of common interests that expanded beyond movie-watching. Professionally, academically, and culturally.

It was seeing the women his age and his “level” that instilled a wretched jealousy inside of Evangeline over the years. After about a year of this terrible relationship, she unintentionally outed him in front of their professors when she made clear that he didn’t contribute anything to the research project they were tasked with. That filled him with a rage like no other, so he ended things with her. Finally, she couldn’t help but think to herself once she felt free of his chains. Of course, she could have done so herself, but she didn’t. She just kept holding onto the hope that she could change him. Fix him, like doctors were supposed to.

And so, history moved in circles like it always did. Here she was again, feeling jealous over a man who didn’t belong to her.

“Hey, Sterling,” Fox said from beside her, “Did you forget where you were going?”

She blinked and realized Wolffe was out of sight again, covered by all the passing troopers and dancers in front of her. Whether or not he was still speaking with that Twi’lek was beyond her now. Maybe they had progressed past simple conversation, though. If they were in the bathroom getting frisky, she didn’t want to know. She didn’t want to go anywhere near that.

“No,” she told the Coruscant Guard commander, “It’s a bit crowded right now. I’m not sure if I want to push my way through.”

“Oh,” he said, “I can help you with that.”

“It’s okay,” she told him quickly while shaking her head, “I’m not in a rush.”

He tilted his head at her before nodding, not planning to fight her on this. His conversation with his fellow troopers continued as Evangeline sat back down, wondering if she should leave before her heart exploded. She tried to calm the burn in her cheeks with the water she had been drinking the entire night, as she was still holding onto her abstinence from alcohol. After seeing that, though, she couldn’t help but think there could be some benefit in having just a few shots to forget about the dreadful feeling paired with that dreadful sight.

She tapped Fox on the shoulder and pointed at his drink. “Can I try that?”

He glanced down at it before meeting her eyes. “Sure. I thought you said that you worked at a bar before.”

“Not for a long time,” she clarified, “Just briefly when I turned eighteen. I got fired before I could really learn anything, but I earned my fair share of tips before my boss kicked me out.”

“Fired?” Fox chuckled, pausing to order her the same drink as him, “What did you do?”

“I’d rather not say,” Evangeline said nervously while the droid behind the bar slid a glass into her cold hands, “You wouldn’t approve.”

Before he could respond, she changed the subject with, “So…cheers?”

He tapped the edge of his glass to hers before downing the rest of the liquid, prompting her to do the same. The taste burned her throat with her lack of experience, causing her eyes to water and blink rapidly. Her mind immediately started buzzing, the feeling she assumed was her approaching drunkenness. The world around her was already spinning, but her heart felt so much better. Her mind was so much less focused on Wolffe. Before she knew it, she was drinking her consciousness away. Just like her father back home. Maybe this was how he became so violently, brutally addicted. All of a sudden, she didn’t feel so shitty. She felt strangely free.

It became harder and harder for her to stay awake, though. The more drinks the Coruscant Guard passed toward her, the less control she had over her body. From floating through her conversations with airy happiness to stumbling toward the bathroom, Evangeline was experiencing the many stages leading up to a blackout. She braced her hand against the wall and tried to slide along as steadily as possible, but everything was tipping from side to side. The music was loud, her skin felt hot, and she wanted to throw up. Her knees suddenly buckled and she was crouched down on the floor while trying to catch her breath.

Get up, she willed herself, Get up. Get up. Get—

“Get up,” a masculine voice interrupted, “Someone might trip on you.”

Her warm blood froze in apprehension as she registered this voice. Even in her drunken state, she knew who this was. She hoped she was hallucinating this, though, because she really did not want this man in her vicinity. No, no, no, no.

“Go away,” she slurred, lifting her head to squint at him.

He stared down at her with a clenched jaw before asking, “Are you drunk?”

“No,” she denied, trying to stand up, “I’m not.”

Swaying slightly, she pressed her hand into the wall and looked down at the ground to avoid his gaze. As she suddenly remembered she needed to use the bathroom, she took a few shaky steps forward. Wolffe’s eyes twitched in annoyed observation before he grabbed her free arm and held her in place.

“Don’t touch me,” she frowned, “I don’t want you to touch me.”

He blew out a breath and released her, realizing she was way too far gone with every word she spoke aloud. Her eyes were nearly closed, too, barely alert with how dull they looked.

“You’re drunk,” he told her, “You need to go home. Who did you come here with?”

She leaned against the wall and tried to remember, mumbling something along the lines of, “Coruscant Guard…Commander Fox…Coruscant Guard…”

“Sterling,” Wolffe said firmly, coming in front of her to see her face, “Look at me.”

“Don’t call me that.” Her frown deepened, causing him to see the sadness in her gaze.

“Is that important right now?” He scowled, “You can’t even stand up straight—“

He paused his words and surged forward when she nearly fell backward, trying to put as much distance between them as possible with little control over her body. His arms wrapped around her shoulders to keep her upright, instinctively tightening when he felt how perfectly she seemed to fit in his hands. This action brought them a lot closer than he could handle, though. He was suddenly thinking about the dream he had earlier today, as their faces were leveled the same way they had been when she sank into his lap—

“Don’t touch me,” she muttered, juxtaposing her words with her death grip on his arms.

“You’re bossy tonight,” he replied in a low voice while straightening her posture, “How did you get here?”

“We took…” She rubbed her eyes and leaned forward into his chest with a muffled sigh, “An airspeeder.”

“Hey,” he pulled back to see her face, “Stay awake.”

Her eyes were closing as she leaned in, startling him a bit. He held his breath when he saw her hand come up and cup the side of his face where his scar from Ventress occupied her vision for a moment. Brushing a thumb over part of this old wound that seeped down into his cheek, she whispered, “Hurting.”

“It doesn’t hurt,” he said softer than he expected.

She shook her head and whispered something else, but he couldn’t hear. Leaning in closer, he dipped his head so that she could speak into his ear. Her heart fluttered as this new proximity as she realized how close they were, causing her mouth to shut and her legs to weaken. Suddenly, she remembered that she was upset with him and why she felt this way in the first place. So, she pushed at his chest and tried to sound as menacing as possible with, “Go away, or I’ll throw up on you.”

“You need to go home,” he told her while glancing toward the rest of the cantina, “I’ll ask Fox—“

He stopped talking and thought about this, looking down at her with a simmering anger boiling in his blood. She came here with the Coruscant Guard—that much was clear from her slurred strings of words. Which meant they were the ones who got her this drunk. She had told Wolffe a while back that she didn’t drink—something they had in common, apparently—explaining why her tolerance was so awful. Of course, he didn’t know how much she had tonight, but this girl was on the brink of passing out. Could Fox and his group really be trusted with bringing her home safely? They were wasted, too.

This isn’t your problem, Wolffe told himself before thinking, But you’re sober and competent. Yeah. Just bring her home and leave. Don’t hang around. Don’t talk. Make sure she walks through that door. That’s all. You’d do it for anyone.

“No,” Wolffe corrected himself, “I’ll bring you back. Can you walk?”

Her lips parted in surprise as she registered his words.

“Not you,” she mumbled while shaking her head, “I don’t want you to.”

He clenched his jaw, wondering if she had developed a new dislike for him recently. What’s worse, though, was the fact that he cared. How she felt about him didn’t matter, especially since he made that clear on his end. All he needed to focus on right now was making sure she got back to her apartment safe and sound so she could throw up and pass out all she wanted. As long as that wasn’t anywhere near him, of course.

“Too bad,” he said, “Let’s go.”

“No,” she refused, planting her feet with all her strength, “I want to stay.”

Narrowing his eyes, he towered over her with an intense scowl that would have made her more nervous if she wasn’t so drunk.

“And do what?” He snapped, “Blackout? Get taken advantage of? You can barely move on your own. You can’t even speak coherently.”

“I won’t,” she slurred, “Everyone here is nice to me. Except you.”

“Wrong. You don’t know what could happen to you in a place like this,” Wolffe retorted, “Especially if you’re this drunk.”

“Blah, blah, blah. Go away. You never talk this much.”

“Enough. We’re leaving now.” He moved forward to guide her out of the corridor, rolling his eyes when she stubbornly evaded his hold and folded her arms over her chest.

“I’m having fun,” she told him, “You can leave. Bye.”

“You’re leaving with me now,” he warned, “Or I’ll make you.”

“You can’t—“

She didn’t even finish her sentence when he bent down and tossed her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing. Whatever she was about to say got caught up in her throat as she squirmed in his arms, feeling dizzy from the sudden rush of blood to her head. As if he knew this discomfort, he shifted her lower and carried her out of the bar bridal style. She covered her face burning in embarrassment with shaky hands as she prayed to any deity above that this was just a figment of her imagination. Just another fantasy she created in her mind to fulfill her thoughts of this strange commander.

The next thing she knew, she was in the back of a public airspeeder and being strapped to the seat. Her vision was growing less and less clear as she drifted unconscious, only mumbling her address when Wolffe asked for it. She vaguely heard him repeat this to the driver before she fell asleep, leaning against the window. What she didn’t know was that she ended up with her face pressed against Wolffe’s bicep when the driver made an abrupt turn that tossed her around the vehicle. Wolffe made no move to fix her current position except for a slight adjustment that would make her leaning on him more comfortable. He wasn’t sure where this gentleness came from. He just felt the need to do it.

She briefly woke up when he stirred her awake, causing her to realize they were right in front of the entrance to her apartment. Her face was pressed against the back of his neck while her arms were draped over his shoulders and her legs were locked tightly around his waist. Wondering how she ended up on his back, not remembering anything from the drive, she began to think that she had taken things too far tonight. Wolffe was right—she wasn’t functioning properly. That was dangerous.

Stupid. You’re stupid, she told herself, You know how Dad gets when—

“Stupid, huh?” Wolffe repeated, causing her to realize she had been speaking aloud.

“What?” She lifted her head and looked at her front door.

“I’m home,” she said before he could say anything.

“What’s the password?” He asked with his fingers hovering over the keypad.

“Not telling. Intruder.”

“I’m not—“ Rolling his eyes and sighing, he told her, “Tell me. Now.”

“1, 2, 3, 4.”

Wolffe nearly snapped his head back in apprehension before remembering she was behind him. He furrowed his eyebrows in disdain, repeating, “1. 2. 3. 4?” The last number was emphasized with a punctuating disapproval that confused her.

“It’s easy to remember.”

“Unbelievable,” he muttered while tapping the code into her keypad.

The door opened with a whoosh sound that she mimicked as he entered the space and immediately cast his eyes over the clothes strewn across the floor and the books piled on the desk. Her bed was snug under the window, unmade and rumpled from a morning rush. There was an unfinished cup of caf on her small dining table that couldn’t fit more than one person during a meal. He noticed the two chairs surrounding it, though. Did she have guests often? Did it matter? No, it didn’t.

He sat her down on her bed and carefully slipped her arms out of her jacket, draping it over the seat near her desk. When she was free of this extra layer, she flopped on her back in a starfish position and looked up at the ceiling. An absentminded hum slipped through her lips, pausing his movements as he kneeled down to unlace her shoes. Continuing on with this task, though, he didn’t let her voice distract him until she started singing like a lunatic. Only, she sounded decent. It was just weird to him that she was currently putting on a show. Despite her drunken state, though, her voice was clear and unshaken. He could almost admit to himself that she sounded…nice.

Once he was done taking her shoes off and setting them by the rack near the door, he looked at her with a clenched jaw. It was obvious to him that she wasn’t aware of anything that was going on, but he returned to her by the bed to say, “I’m leaving now.”

Her eyes opened in a rush as she sat up, the sudden movement causing her vision to go spotty. Before she could control her bubbling question and stuff it down her throat, she blurted out, “Did you have sex tonight?”

Wolffe blinked, his body unmoving despite the surprise that flared across his chest. “Excuse me?”

She gasped and covered her mouth nervously before repeating the question in a muffled tone.

“Did you have sex tonight?”

“I am not answering that. I don’t even know where that came from,” he replied firmly, “Good night.”

Frowning deeply, to his heightening confusion, Evangeline stood up and trudged toward the bathroom. The door slid open and waited for her to enter the space before closing with the same whoosh sound as her main entrance. Wolffe realized he had been staring in that general direction even after she disappeared, too perplexed to discern what his next steps were. That question was out of nowhere and really fucking intrusive. Where and how did she find the nerve to ask that? What provoked this curiosity in the first place? Did she just randomly ask men if they had sex or not? What an odd thing to wonder, first of all.

He grimaced when he heard her start vomiting in the toilet, knowing she was going to be there for a while. That was his cue to leave, but something stopped him from walking toward the front door. His gaze locked onto the messy space around him, bothering him like a pet peeve more than a necessity. This was her apartment, and he shouldn’t have felt annoyed with how disorganized she kept it. Still, he wondered how she could live in a place like this. Cleanliness was really fucking important.

A muscle ticked in his jaw as he willed himself to just leave. But, the more he walked around the apartment and observed her mess, the less he wanted to. He told himself that she was drunk, so it would be easy for her to trip over something in this chaos and hurt herself. Yeah, exactly. There was nothing wrong with tidying this up a bit. After that, he would be out of here. Convinced this was a solid plan, he got to work as he heard the flush of a toilet, some shuffling of movement, and then the rush of a shower. Before he could register what she was doing in there, she began singing again. Great.

Evangeline’s voice became a sort of background music to Wolffe’s current tasks until the shower closed and water dripped into silence. Suddenly, she was emerging from the bathroom wrapped in nothing but a towel that covered her body from her chest to her calves. She yelped in horror when she saw him crouched down in her kitchen with his head inside the cabinet that led to her pipes. He turned around, not realizing she had finished her shower but quickly coming to the conclusion that staying was a mistake.

Her hair was wet and curving along her collarbones, sending drops of water down her skin that he could see until the area her towel began to cover. She blushed furiously as she said, “I didn’t know you were still here.”

He ignored the heat building in his stomach, keeping a level expression while asking her, “When’s the last time you checked your pipes?”

“Um…” She thought about this, feeling much more in control of her mind after that cold shower, “I’m not sure. I’ve been busy.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment, watching her cross the room and find some clothes that would rectify this awkward situation. In doing so, though, he caught a glimpse of something on her upper back. Her short haircut allowed him to see that this was a tattoo, or, at least, part of it. Even though the full picture was covered by the rest of her towel, he figured out that these were butterfly wings that spanned across her skin as if they were real. When she turned back around with clothes in her hand that weren’t keeping her towel bunched together, he quickly averted his gaze and refocused to her pipes. The image of her like this was already burning through his patience like a hot iron against the flesh, and that tattoo didn’t ease anything. It only made things worse.

She stole a glance at him as he continued fixing whatever it was that he found a problem with before slipping into the bathroom again. Her body felt warm and tingly all over from this heated encounter. If anything, though, it was his fault. Why was he still here? Not to mention he was probably with that Twi’lek all night. More disappointment, jealousy, and anger seized her insides as she thought about how he refused to answer her question before. Even though she felt a lot more sobered up from her cold shower, slightly regretting voicing her curiosities like that, her gnawing wonder still remained. If he did sleep with her tonight, or at least spent some time with her, then why did he bother to come here?

Confusion distorted her thoughts as she dressed herself and exited the bathroom with quiet footsteps that he could still hear. Since he didn’t turn around or say anything to her, she climbed into bed and turned on her side so she could watch him. The deep concentration on his expression was evident and strong, just like him.

“Stop staring at me,” he said without sparing a glance toward her.

“I wasn’t,” she huffed, “What are you even doing?”

He set his jaw and looked up at her with a stare that turned her body into a pile of mush under her many blankets. She was too distracted by this intensity to pay attention to the problem with her pipes that he began explaining until he realized she wasn’t listening. Rolling his eyes, he muttered, “I’ll write it down for you. Read it tomorrow when you’re less drunk.”

“I feel better now,” she told him.

“Great. Next time, don’t go so crazy.”

“I didn’t know it would be this bad.”

“You don’t drink enough on a regular basis to tolerate an abrupt amount like tonight,” he scowled, “Whatever. The guys you were with should have known better.”

“It’s not their fault,” she yawned, stretching her arm across the bed to retrieve her datapad from the windowsill, “They weren’t pressuring me or anything.”

“Alright.”

The apartment fell into a comfortable silence until Evangeline began watching something on her datapad. Thinking Wolffe might be interested in this between the attention he was giving toward her pipes, she connected her device to her holo projector that displayed the second movie of Graveyard of Stars on the wall in front. She snuggled under her covers and began watching attentively, not realizing Wolffe had finished fixing her pipes and was now sitting on one of the chairs around her dining table with his gaze fixed on the wall as well.

It wasn’t until he got up and brought her a cold glass of water that she discovered he was done with everything he felt he needed to do here. She sat up and took the cup from him, sipping slowly while hoping her pounding headache would disappear like magic. He kept his eyes on the movie as he took the empty glass from her, setting it down on her nightstand without looking.

“Thank you,” she told him quietly, “For helping me tonight. You didn’t have to.”

“I know,” he replied.

“Are you going to go back now?” She asked, trying not to think about the Twi’lek from before.

“Yeah, I guess. My brothers are probably still there.”

“Okay. Um, how are they? How was your mission?”

He raised his eyebrows and answered, “They’re good. The mission was fine.”

“Did you win?” She asked, knowing she should stop talking to let him leave, “How are your ribs?”

“We completed our objective. And my ribs are fine. Thanks for asking.”

She opened her mouth to reply, pausing when he lifted his hand and pressed the back of it to her forehead. His skin was cold against her warmth, but her face grew hotter against all explanations of science. Keeping her eyes away from his to avoid his stare, she observed the paint on his chest plate that was worn out but still detailed. There was nothing new about seeing this, but she just wanted to look at anything but his face. When his hand fell away, he said, “Just keep drinking water. And go to sleep.”

“I will. I like falling asleep to things in the background,” she explained, “It’s how I study sometimes, too.”

He flicked his gaze to the wall where the movie was still playing. “Study.”

“Not tonight, obviously,” she said defensively, “I just remembered we never finished rewatching the series. You know, from when—“

“I remember,” he pulled her chair from her desk forward and sat at her bedside, “Is this you asking me to become your good friend?”

She furrowed her eyebrows before realizing what he was referring to. Shuffling lower into bed with her blankets up to her chin, she murmured, “I don’t know, but I wouldn’t mind being your friend. It gets lonely around here.”

Her honesty reminded him that she was still drunk despite the life that had returned to her eyes. He leaned back and adjusted his hips in her seat, thinking it was way too small for his figure. Just like they had in the cantina, they watched the movie in complete silence and stillness. No matter how much he tried not to admit it to himself, this was very close to the peace and quiet he was constantly looking for. It surprised him, too, because Evangeline liked to talk people’s ears off. Maybe she craved something similar underneath all of that flowery chatter.

She began to doze off at the end of the movie, prompting Wolffe to shut off the holo projector and place her data pad back on its charging port. He didn’t like that she kept it right beside her on her windowsill, so he moved everything toward her desk that he had organized during her shower. The entire apartment was pretty spotless now, thanks to him. He glanced at her when she stirred, turning over on her side toward him. Her lips were moving in words that he couldn’t hear, so he moved closer until they were face to face.

“Are you going now?” She murmured, trying to look at him through her closing eyelids.

He nodded and adjusted her blankets so they were covering her shoulders. “Yeah, I’m gonna head out.”

“Did I—“ She frowned and pressed her face into her pillow before finishing her sentence.

“I can’t hear you,” he told her.

“Did I ruin your night?” She whispered, so softly he almost didn’t catch it again. But he did.

The air left his lungs for a moment as he registered this question. For a moment, all he could hear was the violent beating of his heart.

“What are you talking about?” He dismissed, “Go to sleep. It’s late.”

“I’m sorry,” she continued, “If I did. I know you were with that lady.”

“What lady?” He scoffed, still thinking she was talking crazy, “You’re drunk. Just go to sleep.”

“I saw her,” Evangeline insisted, suddenly reaching forward to grab his arm like she wanted to ensure he was still here, “Talking to you. Before.”

His heart jolted as he tried to think back to what she could be talking about. His night pretty much lacked all interaction with women until he saw her hunched over in the corridor by the bathrooms. But, the more he wracked his brain, the closer he became to remembering that one of the Twi’leks who worked at the bar had approached him just randomly. Yes, they exchanged a few words, but he quickly shut her down once she put his hands on him. There was nothing wrong with her, per se, but he was just uninterested. 

“No,” Wolffe finally said, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear, “No, you didn’t ruin my night, Angel.”

“I’m not an angel,” she mumbled while falling asleep at the sound of his low, soothing voice, “Don’t call me that.”

“It’s part of your name.” Evangeline.

“Only part of it.”

“Still part of it.”

They held each other’s eyes for a moment before Evangeline said, “Good night, Wolffe.”

She turned over in the bed before he could respond, taking one last look at the sky through her window. A few beats of her heart passed before she heard him stand up from her chair and shift some things around. In less than two minutes, he was slipping out of her front door as his footsteps mixed with that whoosh sound she replayed in her head while slipping into her dreams.

Good night, Evangeline.

Chapter Text

Wolffe didn’t see Evangeline for many months after that drunken fiasco at 79’s, but he couldn’t stop thinking about her during this distance. She never left his mind as the war trickled into its third year, thrusting the entire Republic into a heavier and busier mess of violence that didn’t seem to be ending any time soon. Wolffe and his brothers were spread thin, so they were lucky when they could tune out the fight and sleep soundly. But, in this commander’s dreams, he faced a different kind of battle that nobody had trained him to handle. There was no textbook, no simulation, and no training lesson that could prepare him for the woman he saw when he closed his eyes.

It was quite sudden, bestowing a dizzying spell on his mind that seemed to control every fiber of his being. But there was no such thing as gradual with Wolffe. When he wanted or believed in something, he did so with his entirety. There was something obsessive about the habits that consumed his routines. He could never do anything half-heartedly, and that was because he was either all or nothing. Perhaps this mindset proved more common regarding his duties as a soldier, but there was more to life than war—even if he didn’t know this yet. So, all he could do was succumb to his fantasies or refuse to sleep at all.

The second option was hardly a solution at all, though. Wolffe didn’t have to sleep to be haunted by Evangeline. She occupied his thoughts during the brief in-betweens of his missions. Her twinkling eyes. Her flustered rambling. Her incessant smile. Those qualities were nothing new in his memories. But now, he had a few more to increase the intensity. Her obvious jealousy. Her butterfly tattoo. Her impressively beautiful singing that he didn’t know she was capable of. The idea that she might have other talents outside of her medical career didn’t occur to him, simply because he didn’t know what else he was good at besides war.

Many of his brothers had artistic or athletic hobbies that Wolffe wasn’t necessarily excluded from. He enjoyed relatively the same activities as them with varying skill levels. But nothing was really his “thing,” if that made sense. It didn’t to him, but he felt this distinction all the same. Anything he picked up because of the people around him successfully passed the time, but nothing more than that. As a result, Wolffe firmly believed his only purpose in this galaxy was the one already given to him. There was nothing more he needed to search for or experiment with. His role as a commander—his duty to give, follow, and execute orders—was the only reason for his resolved heartbeat.

Meanwhile, Evangeline hardly had the energy to think about Wolffe. Her simple crush on him had turned into something visceral and cruel ever since he took care of her that night. Working was the only thing keeping her sane until it coincided with him.

“Sterling,” Dr. Bell said after a rather long surgical operation, “Do you have an opening tomorrow evening? I had a meeting with the Kaminoans about the most recent iteration of our speed-healing prototype, but I’m afraid something has come up.”

“After my shift, yes,” Evangeline answered, “Did you want…me to fill in for you?”

“Yes, exactly. Your professors have been showing me the reports you’ve been submitting for the past year or so. So, I know you’ve been following these prototypes quite closely.”

“Oh. Yeah, I find them interesting.”

“Hm. Are research or engineering your particular passions in this field?” Dr. Bell asked curiously, slowing his step in the corridor so he could focus on this conversation.

Evangeline matched his pace and said, “Um, I don’t know. I’ve always been on the patient-care track with my studies. It’s the most stable in terms of income, so…”

Her face suddenly grew warm as she regretted explaining her career choice this way. Shaking her head, she tried to correct herself with, “I mean—I’m not doing this for the money. I love taking care of people—it’s important to me. I just…I like to say that the salary is a bonus perk to all of this.”

Dr. Bell paused for a moment before laughing, patting her shoulder reassuringly. “Oh, my dear, you remind me so much of myself when I was your age.”

“Really?” She looked up at him quizzically.

“Yes, really,” he nodded, “There’s no shame in pursuing financial stability, Sterling. Just remember this kind of work requires more than ambition for prestige and status.”

Before she could reply, he continued, “What does it mean to work in this facility? What does it mean to you?”

“It means…” She tried to phrase an eloquent response in her head before answering his question.

“It’s what I’ve always been taught to do,” she admitted quietly, “It means everything to the people around me back home. Resources and access to treatment are scarce where I come from.”

“What does it mean to you?” Dr. Bell pressed, coming to a halt at the end of the corridor.

Her lips parted as she realized she hadn’t given him the answer he was looking for. Trying again, she started, “My family—“

“No, not your family. You.”

It was as if he expected her response to come naturally and instinctively. Right away, instead of taking some time to think about it. Realizing she was deep in thought about this, Dr. Bell straightened his posture and said, “Think about it. That’s my assignment for you. No deadlines, though. I rather dislike those.”

She watched him turn the corner toward his office before she could say anything to affirm her understanding, perking up when he reminded her, “You’ll give a presentation to Dr. Nala Se and Prime Minister Lama Su tomorrow after your shift. There will be a transport to bring you directly to Tipoca City from here.”

“A presentation?” She sputtered, stumbling forward to catch up to him, “I don’t even—“

“You know all of the information already. This is just a formality,” he reassured her before disappearing into his office and shutting the door.

She opened her mouth and closed it, at a loss for words. There was no time to stop and think, though, as she was quickly being called into the medical bay where she needed to perform her checkups for the afternoon. Her trooper patients were waiting for her, all of them quite polite and friendly. None of them were him, though.

Stop thinking about Wolffe, Evangeline berated herself, He’s not even thinking about you. He’s busy. You’re busy, too. Your job is just as important as his. You have a life. Act like it!

Her mental pep talk was slightly successful, pairing well with the fact that her patients spoke kindly to her and eased all of the frustrations she often felt when she thought about Wolffe. If only she just knew exactly how he thought of her. Then, every confused question or hopeful prayer would disappear from her thoughts. She would go on with her life like she had tried when he first rejected her. Now that they had sort of, kind of, awkwardly become friends…how was she supposed to discern their relationship? In what ways were they connected now? Everything was quite uncertain.

What was certain, though, was that she was to be on Kamino tomorrow. That meeting arrived quicker than she expected, proving much smoother than she initially believed. Nala Se was quite interested in Evangeline’s reports, prolonging the discussion a few more hours than they had scheduled. When Evangeline left the lab and tried to find her way back to the hangar where she would wait for a transport, she ended up in a corridor she definitely had not taken before. Oops.

She kept walking, wondering if she was allowed to check out some of the labs while finding her way. Even though she wanted to, though, she was worried about becoming a burden to the important work occurring around this renowned community. It was safe to say that she was a fan of Tipoca City, especially with how well-known it was in the scientific and medical realm. As a young girl, she heard whispers about the interesting projects and achievements that grew from these very labs. When it became clear to her that her dreams in entertainment and acting weren’t going anywhere, she believed she could be a pioneer of innovation.

Her mind was meant for creation, it seemed. Whether this occurred on a theatrical stage or inside a research lab didn’t change the fact that she wanted to make something out of nothing. Because deep down, that’s what she wished she could do for herself—become somebody from a nobody. The freedom to create was one that kept slipping from her fingers, though. Instead, she found herself taking care of people. First, her family, even at her minuscule age. Now, everyone and anyone at the medical facility on Coruscant. There was nothing wrong with this, of course. Her work was more important than she could ever understand.

She just didn’t know why she always had to be the savior. For once, she would like to be the one people prayed to. Not the one answering the prayers. There was a difference, one that was established through the division of power. Angels answered to their gods, after all.

“Sterling. Fancy seeing you here.”

Perking up at her name, she turned her head toward the doorway where Wolffe’s squad mates were emerging from. She recognized them immediately as her eyes flicked between each one: Boost, Sinker, and Comet. Where was their commander, though?

“Hi,” she said, “Long time no see.”

“Yeah,” Boost said before smirking in amusement, “Actually, now that I’m thinking about it…the last time we saw you—“

Her face flushed in embarrassment as she averted her eyes, realizing everyone in the cantina probably saw Wolffe carrying her out. She had cleared this up with Fox and the rest of the Coruscant Guard who had accompanied her that night until she went home, but there were obviously still loose ends to be rectified.

“Um, yeah,” she interrupted, “I’m sure Wolffe told you that he was just doing me a favor. I have a pretty weak tolerance to alcohol.”

“Uh-huh,” Sinker said under his breath, “A favor.”

“Where is he, by the way?” She asked, ignoring his remark, “I thought you guys came in a package or something.”

“He’s…uh…” Boost thought about it before lying, “He’s on a date.”

The cheeky trooper watched Evangeline’s reaction, knowing he was being cruel and dishonest. But, if he was to understand what was going on between her and his brother, he needed to gauge some sort of boundary of where they stood. He didn’t miss the flare of surprise in her eyes and the frown on her lips. Interesting, indeed.

“He’s not,” a new voice joined the conversation from a short distance.

The hairs on the back of Evangeline’s neck stood up as she willed herself not to turn around and meet the eyes of the man she had tried her hardest not to think about during these past months. The fabric of their clothes briefly touched as he brushed past her, trying to enter the door his squad mates came out of. This was the entrance to one of the 104th’s barracks, which she quickly realized upon seeing Wolffe’s current state. It was obvious that he just returned from a grueling session filled with training and sweating.

“Um…” she said, “Hi.”

He glanced at her over his shoulder and replied, “Hey” before entering his room without another word.

Evangeline didn’t notice how his brothers each sent him an identical scowl, expecting much more than just a simple greeting that didn’t address anything. She had averted her eyes from this group as quickly as possible, regretting stumbling upon this corridor out of pure chance.

That’s it, huh? She thought to herself, Hey.

Suddenly, her holopad began beeping as a transmission tried to pry through this connection. She glanced down at her jacket with a hand hovering over her pocket, knowing who could be calling her at this hour.

“You gonna answer that?”

“Huh?” She looked up at the Wolfpack and then back down where she was fumbling for her communications device, “Yeah, I—Excuse me.”

She rushed to the end of the corridor and turned the corner before putting the transmission through. Her sister’s hologram was quickly appearing, the sight so horrifying that Evangeline’s mouth dried and her stomach dropped. It wasn’t seeing June that provoked this reaction. It was seeing what had happened to June. The young teenager’s face was covered in bruises of different sizes and shades, reminding Evangeline of the good old days. She once looked like that, too, at the ripe ages between four and twelve.

“June…” Evangeline swallowed thickly, “What happened?”

June furrowed her eyebrows but then realized what her sister was talking about. “Oh, nothing. I got into a fight at school.”

Evangeline’s worries disappeared as fast as an exhale as she scowled at her sister. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah. Ask me if I won.”

“No.”

“Well, I won. I just wanted to tell you the news…” June said, trying to suppress her goofy smile.

Evangeline raised her eyebrows and observed, “You’re excited.”

“Uh-huh,” her sister replied, “‘Cause Dad finally got a job again.”

“Really?” Evangeline’s lips parted in surprise as some color returned to her pale cheeks, “Did he stop drinking?”

“He said he’ll try to stop because of this,” June explained, “I don’t really believe him, but it’s nice to get him out of the house.”

“Yeah,” Evangeline murmured, “I’m sure.”

“What job, though?” She asked a bit louder.

June scratched her head and answered, “He didn’t give me the details. Something to do with transporting cargo, though. Should be easy. I’m helping him fix up the ship tomorrow.”

“The ship? As in…our ship?” Evangeline questioned in disbelief, “That thing hasn’t run in ages.”

“Yeah, well, we need it for the job, apparently.”

“June, don’t get too involved. Just focus on school…I don’t like how vague this sounds.”

The blonde waved a hand in dismissal. “Stop worrying so much. I’m passing all of my classes.”

“Passing? You need to do better than that,” Evangeline scolded.

“Nah. I’m not smart like you.”

“You are smart,” Evangeline paused and then added, “And good at kicking ass.“

June grinned wide and silly as she replied, “Yep. That’s me. How are things with you, though?”

“It’s okay. I’m just waiting for the war to end.”

“I’ll bet. Say, do you think we’ll be together again? When this is all over.”

A sharp pang of guilt ran through Evangeline’s heart as she registered this question in her mind. She tried to keep a level expression, forcing a smile and softening her voice like always.

“Yeah,” Evangeline said, “When everything’s over, we’ll be together again. I’ll get us a nice place somewhere safe. I promise.”

“Cool.” June turned around and beckoned with a casual hand to someone behind her, “Come here. Ev’s on the call.”

Evangeline’s eyes lit up when she saw her younger brothers enter the hologram, pushing and shoving each other to fight for the center. June rolled her eyes and tugged on their ears, cursing them out for being so rowdy. They immediately shifted their behavior and sat still, waiting for their eldest sister to prompt them to speak.

“Hey guys,” Evangeline smiled, “I miss you both.”

“When are you going to visit us?” Theo asked, “It’s been so long. You haven’t been here since before the war.”

“I know, I’m sorry. It’s pretty strict here, buddy.”

The twin boys didn’t miss how she didn’t answer Theo’s question, but they didn’t pry further. Instead, they started telling her about what they had been learning at school. Theo was more like June in the sense that he didn’t like going to classes. He preferred playing sports with his friends on the field or in between the streets. Kicking around a ball was much more fun than sitting in a classroom. Thomas, on the other hand, took an interest in biology from an early age. His disdain for chemistry was keeping him on the fence about a medical career. They still had time to decide what they wanted to do with their lives, though. That was the beauty of youth. The gift of opportunity.

Evangeline said her goodbyes and good nights when June told the boys to tuck into bed, ending this brief transmission that didn’t cover nearly enough conversation as any of them wanted. Turning the corner, she walked right into a stiff chest that she immediately hoped was not Wolffe or his squad mates. It was her lucky day, though (or unlucky, depending on how she wanted to look at it).

“Sorry,” she said while looking up, her heart seizing when she saw who this person was, “I didn’t mean to bump into you.”

Wolffe cocked his head to the side and peered down at her. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m trying to get back to the hangar, but I got lost,” she answered defensively as her cheeks turned red.

“No,” he said, “What are you doing on Kamino?”

She pursed her lips and stuffed her communications device in her jacket pocket before crossing her arms over her chest in frustrated defiance.

“So, now you want to talk to me?” She couldn’t help but ask in annoyance, “Do you know how stupid it makes me feel when you act like you have better things to do than spare a nice ‘Hi, how have you been?’ after…After you did all of that the last time we saw each other? I guess you’ve just taken drunk girls home loads of times, but nobody’s ever done that for me. Maybe it didn’t mean anything to you—”

“I didn’t say that.” He was suddenly a lot closer than she initially perceived, backing her into the wall behind her.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and forced herself to meet his eyes. “Well, it feels like it.”

A beat of silence passed before he asked, “How have you been?”

Her lips parted in surprise as she searched his expression for some readability, only finding her reflection in his dark pupils.

“Busy,” she admitted, “I’ve been thinking about taking a break from my classes to spend some more time at the hospital. It hasn’t been easy over there.”

“What about you?” She quickly added when he didn’t say anything, “I’m sure you’ve been busy, too.”

“Yeah…” He found himself thinking about what to say, realizing he wasn’t very good at conversation, “I overheard your call.”

“Oh. Were you standing here this whole time?”

“No,” he scowled, “I just came out of my room. I could hear you from the other side of the corridor.”

She laughed and told him, “I was saying hello to my siblings. I need to do better with reaching out to them.”

“You’re busy,” he reminded her, as if that made everything okay.

Shifting on her feet, she wondered if he would understand the underlying truths behind her lack of communication with her family. Knowing him, he couldn’t. He was loyal to his brothers, and the idea of avoiding them or being embarrassed of them probably never crossed his mind. But…was there ever a time when he felt overwhelmed with his responsibilities? Did he ever feel this in the same way she did?

“Were you going somewhere?” She asked, glancing down the rest of the corridor to see where he could have been heading before they bumped into each other.

He watched her carefully before replying, “Ran out of painkillers. I was on my way to get more from the medical bay.”

“Are you okay?” She looked at him again and dropped her gaze from his face a bit lower, noticing some bandages peeking out from under his shirt, “What happened?”

“Got shot. I’m fine,” he told her while backing away with the intention of continuing on, “You’re not on the clock so…don’t worry about me.”

“I’m always on the clock,” she said quietly, hoping he would catch the double meaning behind her words.

He paused before sighing, shaking his head slightly in disapproval. Before she could ask why he was reacting this way, he said, “You wear your heart on your sleeve, Sterling. If you’re not careful, someone could exploit that.”

“Like who?” She challenged, her voice still soft but defiant, “Like you?”

Clenching his jaw, he replied, “You don’t know if I wouldn’t. If I don’t.”

She took a step closer since he had tried to place some distance between them. As she looked up at him with newfound confidence, she found the courage to ask, “If you’re so mean and scary—which is totally cliche, by the way—then why did you bring me home that night?”

He folded his arms over his chest, enlarging his biceps to her weakness. “It would have been wrong to leave you there. Would you have preferred if I did?”

Ignoring the grumpiness in his tone, she nodded in acknowledgment and continued, “Okay, but why didn’t you leave when you said you would? You cleaned my entire apartment, and you fixed my pipes. Which reminds me, I still don’t know what’s wrong with them—I think I did something a few weeks ago that messed things up.”

He stared at her in disbelief, not even knowing how to respond. She took his silence as an opportunity to keep talking, seeing the subtle flicker of panic behind those dark eyes. Hopefully, her delusions were correct today. If not, then…that would just be another embarrassing encounter with him. Nothing new.

“And you stayed behind to watch—“ She began, shutting up when he scrubbed a hand over his jaw and interrupted her with a low growl that shocked her entire spine in tingly goosebumps.

“Because I wanted to,” he snapped, “You’re presence is more tolerable than others.”

Her face grew warm as she scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Gee, thanks. That’s the nicest thing you ever said to me.”

She moved to leave the conversation, pausing when he spoke again. His words seemed to bite his throat with the intensity and difficulty of his tone, but he still expressed them honestly.

“I thought I could do you a solid,” he continued with an irritated tone that was more directed toward himself than her, “You’ve helped me out a few times, and you’re an annoyingly nice person. So…there’s your answer.”

He met her eyes and added, “And now, I’m going to offer to fix your pipes again. Since you messed them up.”

“Um…” She shoved her hands into her pockets and averted her gaze. “You don’t have to. I called the maintenance—“

“No. I’ll come by tomorrow evening. I have shit to do during the day,” he decided while walking away to continue to the medical bay.

She watched him leave with her mouth slightly agape, not knowing what she had just gotten herself into. Her mind was reeling with a mix of excitement and fear as she thought about what could happen tomorrow. This was like…a date. A date! She hadn’t felt this light and floaty in ages. What a night to look forward to, indeed.

“What are you doing?”

Wolffe glanced up at Evangeline, who was standing in the doorway of her apartment and watching him tamper with her keypad.

“Changing your password,” he answered, “1, 2, 3, 4 isn’t gonna cut it, sweetheart.”

Sweetheart. That again. Evangeline’s heart raced as she thought about how he couldn’t seem to decide on what to call her. She was so many things—Sterling, sweetheart, Angel. All but her real name, even though they established their friendship.

“Okay,” she said, “You should have knocked first. My security alert went off.”

“Yeah, I heard. Pick a new one.” He moved aside and gestured to the keypad, waiting for her to step out of the apartment.

She stepped into a pair of slippers and tentatively joined his side at her keypad, clearly caught off guard by his arrival. Wolffe scanned his eyes up and down her body, making note of the fact that she was wearing pajamas. It was a little late into the evening, explaining this choice of clothing. He blinked when he realized he was staring at her ass, which appeared more accentuated than usual from her sleep shorts.

Fuck.

“Um…” Her fingers hovered over the keypad as she thought about what to choose, “I don’t know.”

He sighed in exasperation and said, “Literally anything. Is it really that difficult?”

She scowled at him over her shoulder before an idea popped into her head. Suddenly, she was telling him to look away so she could hide this new password from his eyes. He obliged her request and heard her tap a new set of numbers while wondering what they were. Her birthday, perhaps? A birthday?

“Done,” she told him while returning inside and holding open the door for him, “Also, I was just eating dinner. You can help yourself—I feel bad that you came all this way. The maintenance guys—“

“Maybe I’m here for something else,” he interrupted coolly, leaning against her dining table as she fumbled with her dirty dishes.

Her heart skipped a beat as she heard the rough gravel in his voice. Looking up at him, she squeaked, “Oh.”

“Oh,” he repeated, slightly amused by her fluster.

When she didn’t say anything, just nervously trying to figure out how to reply, he approached her with the ghost of a smile on his lips.

“I was talking about the third movie,” he clarified, “So we can finish the series.”

Her eyes suddenly lit up, which was exactly the reaction he was hoping for. Not wanting to get ahead of himself, though, he gestured to the area under her sink that he had worked on the last time he was here and told her that he needed to take a look at that issue first. Instead of leaving him to this task as he expected, she crouched down beside him and put her face inside the cabinet to see what he was seeing. She laughed and apologized when their heads gently knocked together, prompting her to scoot backward and give him the space he needed. Sitting crisscrossed on her floor, she observed his deep state of concentration that shouldn’t have been as attractive as it was.

“This,” Wolffe said while gesturing to one of the pipes, “Don’t touch it. Just leave it like that.”

She nodded in affirmation and said, “You’re pretty handy. Where’d you learn how to fix things like these?”

“I don’t know. Just something I picked up from working on ships and stuff over the years.”

“I wish I was good at working ships. That’s more of my sister’s thing.”

“Is she a pilot?” Wolffe asked, more curious about Evangeline’s family after briefly overhearing her in the corridor yesterday.

“No. She’s still in secondary school.” Evangeline bit the inside of her cheek, hoping he wouldn’t ask any further.

“Hm. And your brothers?”

“Primary—Did you seriously listen to my entire conversation?”

Wolffe paused his hands and looked at her with an unreadably stoic expression. “No.”

“I don’t believe you,” she laughed.

“How devastating.” His tone dripped with a sarcasm that only heightened her amusement.

She paused, thinking about what to say until she decided on, “I’ve never had anyone over before. You’re my first guest.”

“So you really don’t have friends here.”

“You don’t have to make it sound like a bad thing. You could take pride in being the first.”

He rolled his eyes and turned his head slightly so she couldn’t see the temptation of a smile twitching on his lips.

“The first, huh?” He murmured, “An honor, I guess.”

“Well, besides your brothers, do you have any friends? No, right?” She pointed out defensively.

“No. But I have a lot of brothers.”

“Sure, but…there’s nothing wrong with branching out.” She unnecessarily gestured her arms in a widening stretch that personified this statement.

“You’re right,” he said, suddenly more serious, “Maybe I spoke too soon before.”

“Before? What are you talking about?” She furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head at him, trying not to react to his abrupt stare.

“I wouldn’t mind getting to know you. I said I wasn’t interested, but I changed my mind,” he told her out of the blue.

She blinked, unsure if her hearing was deceiving her. “What? Why?”

He inhaled a deep breath before looking away, clenching his jaw. “Because I don’t understand why I keep thinking about you since the last time we saw each other. It’s driving me fucking insane.”

Her mind began buzzing as she processed his words. This was certainly abrupt, but could she complain? The months that passed between them seemed just as torturous for him as they were for her. Maybe even more so. Based on his conflicted expression, she could tell he didn’t know what to do about this. Was he inexperienced…like her? It was hard to fathom, but it was a possibility. This was a man who held his head higher than his feelings. Of course, he was confused. That was where her clarity could fix things.

“Okay,” she said, “But we have to finish the series first.”

The air left her lungs at his reaction to this. For the first time ever, in the three years they’ve known each other, he smiled. It was paired with a “Hm” sound that was close to a laugh—maybe the closest she would get in terms of hearing that kind of noise. The lines on his face became more prominent for a moment as his lips curved, not dramatically but still noticeably. Yeah. That was definitely progress. And, that was a pretty smile. 

Chapter Text

Unfortunately, in the grand scheme of things that boiled down to fate, life did not go as planned. Wolffe should have known better than to rekindle his curiosity for dating and girls. And, Evangeline shouldn’t have gotten her hopes up. Because, just a few months after they finished the Graveyard of Stars trilogy, a new conclusion crossed the entire galaxy and occupied their time for a while. The end of the Clone War, to be specific. Every star system was now being reorganized under the Galactic Empire, not even stopping to acknowledge the curtain call that bid the Republic goodbye in a violent termination. Fallen Jedi and forgotten troopers ghosted the background of this transition, reminding those who weren’t yet blind that they were still there. That was only a small minority, though. Most people simply accepted this new stage of government without knowing the cost that was to be paid for the long journey up ahead.

“You don’t understand,” Evangeline said as patiently as possible, “I work here—I check in every day. There must be a mistake.”

The Imperial officer refusing to allow her past the facility’s entrance looked her up and down with a snide expression.

“You’re not in the system,” he replied curtly, “I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do about that.”

“No, please,” she swallowed the lump in her throat as panic ensued her insides, “Check again. Please.”

He sighed and adjusted his glasses on the high bridge of his nose. “Please, don’t make me call someone to escort you away. I would like my morning to begin with ease.”

“So would I,” she insisted, “I promise, I really do work here. I’m a student at the Coruscant Medical Academy, and—“

“Sterling. What’s the issue?” Dr. Bell’s voice sounded from behind her.

Relief flooded her insides as she watched her supervisor approach the Imperial officer with displeased scrutiny. They exchanged a few words before she was let inside, trailing after Dr. Bell as he complained about how strict everything had become. He was right to be angry about this, though. Not only were the rules tightening everywhere, but also the surveillance. Everyone was being watched at all times. Evangeline couldn’t enter her apartment without feeling cameras on her back as she stepped into the doorway. Of course, security systems weren’t new, but these felt different and more in control. One wrong move was all it took to lose everything. She had seen this in action with all the unnecessary arrests and detainments across the city. This Empire wasn’t to be tested.

So, the way Evangeline saw it, she should just keep her head down and continue her life as usual. There was no reason to fight back against the currents this galaxy was flowing. She had made it this far into her career, and she was just getting started. There was a long way to go. Whichever government allowed her to climb and support her family as best she could was the one she would pledge her loyalty to. Her purpose to fulfill her medical profession counted on that.

Evangeline glanced up from her datapad that she was reading at the end of the corridor when she saw a trooper in plain white armor approach her. Upon realizing he was looking at her, she asked, “Can I help you?”

A soft gasp escaped her lips as the trooper pulled his helmet off, revealing the face underneath. She stepped closer, holding her datapad to her chest as she said, “Wolffe? You changed your armor?”

“Not willingly.”

His voice sounded much more sullen and exhausted than usual, causing her to observe him in further detail. It hadn’t been long since the war ended, but he was already so different since the last time they saw each other. There was something heavier and burdensome against those usually steady shoulders. Even though she couldn’t see this, she could feel it. What was it, though?

“Where have you been?” She asked, “What are you doing here? Are you okay?”

He looked at her warily before answering all of her questions. “I’ve been around. I came here to check on one of my squadmates. And I’m fine.”

“Your squadmate? I didn’t see anyone…Who? Um…” She wracked her brain for a name, “Boost?”

She wasn’t sure why his eyes flashed with a solemn darkness until he replied, “No. I’m not assigned to my old squad anymore.”

“Oh…” She furrowed her eyebrows and asked, “Has a lot changed for you recently? I know things have been weird here, ever since the war ended. But I try not to think about it and just focus on my job. Is the GAR being reorganized, too?”

He was silent instead of responding, causing her to take another step closer and smile warmly at him while meeting his distant stare.

“Sorry, I’m asking so many questions. I just haven’t seen you in so long,” she said, hoping he would reveal a similar sense of yearning.

“It’s fine,” he replied, “I would say I’m the same. Just trying to focus on my job.”

“Yeah, definitely,” she agreed before asking, “What are you doing later today?”

Sighing and putting his helmet back on, he told her that he was getting sent out again and he wasn’t sure when he would be back. Despite the disappointment that tinged her heart, she forced herself to understand and nod. Thinking this was the end of their conversation, she opened her mouth to bid him goodbye until the next time. But, he spoke first with a surprising question.

“Are your pipes giving you any trouble?”

Her eyes lit up as she answered, “No, but you’re welcome to check if everything is still good. You know, instead of me scheduling a maintenance inspection with my—“

“Yeah. Alright.”

He didn’t move for a second, just looking at her from under his helmet before turning on his heel to exit the facility. She watched him leave, wondering if the odd gut feeling in her stomach was just nerves from seeing him. But, strangely enough, her heart felt at peace upon drinking in his presence. After wondering what the end of the war looked like for him—if he survived it or not—she was able to confirm for herself that he was still alive and well. Only, he didn’t seem like the second part. There was nothing immediately alarming about his demeanor, as he had always been rather cold and serious to anyone. Still, her intuition told her that something was just off.

This partially had to do with the fact that all of the troopers she treated recently were a little rougher and stranger than she remembered. It was as if a switch had flipped in their minds and collectively shifted their personalities to make way for this more serious ruling power. Not to mention that they had to execute the Jedi. That was quite the plot twist for Evangeline, but she found herself unquestioning as usual. Troopers had always been loyal, dedicated, and rational. It made sense that they were the ones to bring those traitors to justice. Especially Wolffe, who believed in protocol like no other.

A few weeks that felt relatively identical to each other passed until Evangeline heard a knock on her front door. It was late, but she had been studying for an upcoming exam in one of her classes. Her desk was piled with all sorts of junk, so she had taken her efforts to the floor. Her books and handwritten notes were strewn everywhere, creating a traditional sight that most people around the galaxy weren’t used to. Even the simplest forms of technology were preferred over these primitive mediums of knowledge. She had grown up with paper and pen rather than screens and holograms, though. Upon hearing the person at her entrance, she bolted up from the ground and rushed forward. Slipping on one of the papers, she fell face-first and hit her forehead against the dining table with a painful bang sound.

“Ow.”

She gathered herself up again and slowly tip-toed over the mess she made across her apartment, eventually opening the door for just a peep. Her unexpected guest stared down at her, initially unreadable until his eyes flicked toward the lump growing on her forehead with confusion and…concern?

“Wolffe,” she blinked, “I didn’t know—Um, wait—“

Backing away and turning on her heel with the intention of letting the door shut, she didn’t realize how he braced a hand against it and opened it further. He stepped inside and watched her attempt to alleviate the chaos she unleashed across her small space for about two seconds before he asked, “Is this a bad time?”

“No!” She exclaimed, holding way too many things in her arms at once, “Not at all, I just need to—“

“Put that down. You’ll hurt yourself.”

He set his mouth in a disapproving line while coming forward, taking her heavy load away. Before she could protest, he was sitting her down at her table and retrieving an ice bag from her freezer. She winced when he pressed it against the lump on her forehead and lifted her hand up so she could hold it in place. Their eyes met from their proximity as he leaned over her, breathing in her fresh scent after all that time under rubble and smoke.

“How did that happen?” He asked while gesturing his chin toward her forehead.

She took a shaky breath, noticing his hand was still cupped over hers as they kept the ice against her skin together. His skin was cold like the bag, stealing the heat that radiated from hers.

“I tripped…just now,” she admitted, “I was trying to get to the door.”

“Ah. So that’s what that sound was.”

“Um, yeah. I can hold it, by the way. Don’t worry.”

Realizing she was talking about the ice bag, he released his hold on her and stepped back. His gaze turned lower as he observed the mess at his feet, already calculating how to clean this up. He ignored her insistence that she would handle it and began organizing everything from the floor to her desk while occasionally stealing glances at her. She smiled softly when their eyes met during these instances, never looking away from him. It was unclear to her why he always did things like these when he was at her home, but she thought it might have had something to do with his desire for control. Wolffe liked being the leader in charge, and Evangeline would gladly give him that power.

“You’re honestly the best guest I could ask for,” she sighed in contentment, “Who else would infiltrate my apartment just to clean it up for me?”

“You should get into the habit of doing this yourself,” he replied while pulling the other chair at the table closer to her and sitting down.

They were now facing each other, so close that her tightly bunched knees slipped in between his spread thighs. She held her breath as he leaned in and held the ice bag up, giving her arm a break even though she had another one to spare.

“But I have you,” she half-joked.

His lips twitched into the precedent of a smile before he asked, “Were you studying for something?”

“Uh-huh. I have an exam in a few days.”

“Hm. So this is a bad time.”

Her eyes widened in worry as she assumed he was implying that he wanted to leave.

“No, it’s not. Anyway, I was planning on taking a break to eat dinner soon. And, coincidentally, you showed up, so I guess that means you’ll be eating with me,” she told him quickly while gently removing his hand to stand up and place the ice bag on the table.

“You haven’t eaten yet? It’s almost midnight.” He furrowed his eyebrows at her as she walked a few steps toward her kitchen area where she began preparing her meal for tonight.

“I was busy. Besides, it’s exam season. Nobody is really eating or sleeping these days,” she said over her shoulder.

“Sounds more like the war than exam season,” he murmured to himself nostalgically.

Hearing this, she asked, “Did you just make a joke?”

“No. I was being serious.” His eyes bore into her backside, tracing the tattoo he knew she was hiding under the fabric of her thin shirt.

“Oh, of course. What was I thinking, really,” she laughed, not turning around.

As a result, she missed the way he smiled in amusement. She wasn’t at all aware of how her presence was lightening the heaviness of his heart that he didn’t want to talk about, simply because he didn’t know how. The end of the war was confusing for every trooper, but it was also full of grief they couldn’t understand. What had they lost, exactly? He couldn’t explain this gnawing feeling inside of his chest ever since that day everything changed, so he wasn’t planning to bring it up. The question of whether or not she would understand remained in the back of his mind, though.

“Troopers don’t have allergies, right?” She asked after some silence, “Actually, now that I’m thinking about it, how would that work? Is it possible for you guys to develop different allergies? Especially environmental or seasonal ones—like based on where you’re stationed. Oooh…”

“I’m not allergic to anything,” he answered, thinking about her questions with deep consideration.

“Lucky,” she said before he could address her curiosities, “I have a nut allergy.”

“A nut allergy?” He snorted, “That puts you at the bottom of the food chain, for sure.”

“That’s not how the food chain works, actually,” she retorted as a flush crept up her neck.

“Oh, apologies, Doctor.”

“You’re silly today. I wonder what’s gotten you in such a good mood,” she teased, briefly glancing at him to observe his expression.

He shrugged and casually adjusted his hips in her chair while replying, “It’s nice to be on Coruscant.”

“Really?” She wrinkled her nose and turned around again, “I can’t say I’m a big fan of the city.”

“You don’t like it here?”

“No, I like it. Because it’s Coruscant, you know. Not because of the urban environment.”

“So you…prefer something more…rural?” He asked quizzically, trying to gauge what she liked better while wondering why that mattered to him.

“I’m not sure. I’ve always wanted a big house with a big backyard, though,” she dreamed aloud.

He paused, thinking about whether or not he felt the same. Thinking about what he had always wanted. But his mind was blank before defaulting to what it always did. Because he was a soldier.

“But I would never leave Coruscant,” she said, startling him out of his thoughts, “I have to be here if I want to make a better life for myself.”

Again, he wasn’t sure how to respond. He was quiet as she turned around and returned to the dining table with two steaming plates that smelled a lot better than he wanted to admit. While he straightened his body out stiffly, she sat down with a leg up on her seat and tucked her knee toward her chest. Noticing he wasn’t eating, she asked, “Do you not like it? I can make something else—“

“No,” he interrupted, “I like it.”

“You didn’t even try it yet,” she laughed, seeing his scowl before he actually took a bite.

There was something homey and warm about the taste of this dinner, definitely different from the stale rations Wolffe was used to. He found himself eating much more than he could spare to talk, which Evangeline didn’t mind. She quickly became distracted by her datapad that she read while taking occasional spoonfuls from her plate. Her eyes widened in surprise when Wolffe plucked the device out of her hand and shut it off, setting it down to the side.

“I thought you were taking a break,” he said with raised eyebrows.

She blushed and looked down at her plate. “You’re right. Sorry. I’m just nervous because I haven’t really been keeping up with the material in class.”

“Why’s that?”

“Just a lot of things going on all at once. I’m thinking, if my exam doesn’t go well, I should pause my studies and focus on work.”

“I don’t really know how that works,” he admitted quietly.

“Oh, that’s okay. I would just need to request a leave of absence,” she explained, “I think that means I would lose my scholarship, though. So I’m still on the fence about this.”

“If I was going there for free,” he said, “I wouldn’t want to lose that.”

She met his eyes and sighed, knowing he was right. Her reaction caused him to wonder if he said something wrong, but she replied before he could clarify what he meant.

“I need this job more than I need my education,” she phrased carefully, “But in the long run, becoming a doctor is more beneficial for everyone relying on me.”

“Your family.”

“Yes.” She chewed on the inside of her cheek nervously before changing the subject with, “You know, I feel like you know more about me than I know about you. Probably because I talk too much. You can tell me to stop when it gets annoying. Like right now.”

Pausing in embarrassment, she pursed her lips and forced herself to shut up. She didn’t miss how his expression grew more amused as he released a soft breath that would have sounded like a laugh if not for how quiet and brief it was. Shaking his head slightly, he asked, “What do you want to know?”

She thought about this, sifting through the many curiosities she harbored for him. They ranged from personal questions about his spirit and past experiences to more situational inquiries that would allow her to gauge his feelings toward certain things. An idea sparked in her mind like a lightbulb coming alive in a dark room, inspiring her to suggest, “We can play twenty-one questions.”

He couldn’t help but roll his eyes, remembering the couple of times he had been approached with this activity at 79’s. It never went further than around ten questions, though, because there was always an ulterior motive for such an initiation. This was when he was young and stupid, still new to the war. Seeing his reaction, she said, “Or not. I thought it was a good idea.”

“No,” he shook his head, “Let’s play.”

Her eyes lit up as she went first. “Okay. What’s a bad habit you have that you can’t get rid of?”

Random, but okay, Wolffe thought to himself before responding, “I don’t have any bad habits.”

“Not even one? But you—“ She began in disbelief.

“My turn,” he interrupted, leaning back in his seat and folding his arms over his chest, “Did you ever go out with Fox?“

“What?” Her face flushed a dark red color as she scrambled for an answer, “No—I don't know where you got that from—We never—“

His expression was neutral with his silence, which allowed her to continue her nervous rambling. Suddenly, she remembered that she hadn’t seen Fox since the war ended. Most of the Coruscant Guard she was accustomed to seeing for the past few years had disappeared, replaced by a new set of troopers she was still getting acquainted with. She hadn’t thought to check his name in the military archives to determine where he could have gone, but maybe…

Maybe he was dead. Like a lot of other people who she once knew.

“I haven’t seen him in a while, actually,” she said quietly, “I don’t know what happened to him. And some others. I’ve been so busy—I didn’t stop to think what the end of the war looked like for everyone. I was just thinking about myself and…”

And you, she almost said, You, Wolffe.

“Haven’t heard from him in a while either,” Wolffe realized before adding, “Haven’t heard from a lot of people. We’re all scattered…or something.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“I don’t know,” she inhaled a deep breath, “I’m just sorry.”

He stared at her through his heavy eyelids, reading the conflict in her expression that indicated to him that she was just as confused as he was about all of this. The times had changed so quickly and so strangely that made him desperate to keep up. He could only do so if he remained the good soldier he was. But it was haunting to think about the bloodshed this Empire was founded upon.

Think about it. Don’t run from it. General Plo’s voice constantly echoed in Wolffe’s mind. It was the most excruciating torture he could imagine. Only, he didn’t have to, because he was living it.

“Your turn,” Wolffe said after some silence, hoping to distract himself from this new reality.

Evangeline considered whether or not to ask a question about his dating life, since he so abrasively brought up hers. This made her a little giddy inside, though, because it clearly meant that he cared. Of course, he had expressed his new interest in her a while back, but this was an indication of jealousy. Or concern. Either way, he cared.

“What’s your favorite color?” She decided on, thinking she could progress the intensity as they went on.

“I don’t have a favorite color.”

“Um..are you going to say that for every question I ask?”

His lips curved into a smirk as he said, “You can only ask one question at a time, Angel. Follow the rules.”

She squeezed her thighs together under the table at the sound of his deep, commanding voice while hoping he didn’t notice her obvious reaction of attraction.

“Okay,” she agreed, “Your turn.”

“When did you move to Coruscant?”

“Like around eight or nine years ago. I’ve been attending the academy ever since.”

He nodded and gestured for her to ask next while wondering if she had been living alone all this time. That would be his next question, then.

“What do you like to do in your free time?” She asked, hoping he wouldn’t say something along the lines of “I don’t have free time” or “I don’t do anything.”

To her dismay, he said exactly the former. “I don’t have free time.”

Folding her arms over her chest, she glared at him and replied, “You’re terrible at this game. Can you at least pretend to put in some effort?”

“I am putting in effort,” he retorted, copying her movements.

“There has to be something. It doesn’t have to be high commitment like knitting or—“

“Knitting?” He interjected incredulously, “Do I strike you as the type of person who enjoys that shit?”

“No,” she scowled, “But I’d rather not assume. That’s the whole point of this game—so I can get to know you.”

His expression softened when he noticed the genuine annoyance behind her eyes, filling him with the temptation to laugh and reach across the table to touch her frowning lips. Rather than do either of those things, though, he leaned forward in his seat and locked their gazes together so he knew she was paying attention.

“I like films. But you probably already knew that.”

She leaned forward, too, tilting her head as she rested her chin in her hands. “Oh, right. Your brother mentioned that you like space operas.”

“Was his word more telling than the fact that I watched three with you?”

“You asked me a bunch of questions just now. What happened to following the rules?”

Chuckling under his breath, he told her, “You just asked a question, too.”

“Ugh, whatever,” she furrowed her eyebrows in a pout, “Can we agree on unlimited questions, then? Starting now.”

“You’re changing the rules?” As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized it was another question. Shaking his head, he conceded to her request and agreed, “Alright. Unlimited.”

“Great. Um, who’s turn was it?”

“Mine,” he said quickly, “What was it like living here for so long…without your family?”

A flash of uncertainty and fear crossed her expression before she concealed such feelings and regained her composure. Despite her attempts to keep herself neutral, Wolffe caught the shakiness in her eyes and voice. He was beginning to discern a pattern, like the sharp-minded individual he was. Anything to do with her family or her past seemed to be off-limits. If he was perhaps nicer and more considerate, he would acknowledge that preference and steer clear of any mention of those topics. But, alas, he wasn’t. She couldn’t run or hide from this conversation. From him.

“It was lonely but freeing,” she said as casually as possible, “It still is.”

“What’s so freeing about it?” He asked, thinking this was his opportunity to get closer to the truth.

“Hey,” she wagged a finger at him, “It’s my turn.”

Setting his jaw stubbornly, he waited for her next question.

“Do you have any tattoos?” This surprised him, causing his head to snap up in a more alert position.

“Are you asking me to strip?” He replied in a husky voice while staring at her with dark eyes.

She turned red like before and averted her gaze from him. “No. I wouldn’t—No.”

“You wouldn’t?” He smirked, seeing her grow more and more flustered from this sudden shift in conversation.

He nearly forgot how fun it was to flirt until she came barreling into his focus. And today, she was giving him the opportunity of a lifetime with this silly game. If he didn’t make the most out of that, then what was the point?

“If you’re going to make a big deal out of this then I’m changing my question,” she snapped, “I was just wondering because I know troopers like that kind of stuff, but I haven’t noticed any on you. But you’re also a little traditional, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t have any. I have a tattoo, actually, fun fact, and—”

“Yeah, I have a couple,” he answered, blinking away the memory of those butterfly wings across her smooth, bare back.

“Okay. Cool.” Her voice sounded slightly strangled as she regretted asking that question. It just came out without a second thought, racing past all of the other possibilities she had listed in her mind for this game.

“You’re not gonna ask to see?” He asked, “Or what they are?”

“What are they?” She huffed, ignoring his first inquiry that created an aching pool of heat in her lower stomach.

“Come here.”

Her lips parted in surprise as she glanced at him. “What?”

“Come here,” he repeated before adding, “I won’t bite.”

She stood up slowly and warily as a brief fantasy of him biting her crossed her mind beyond her control. No! Why was he doing this to her? Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. Approaching him with delicate footsteps that barely made a sound against her floor, she waited for his next move right in front of him. A surprised gasp escaped the back of her throat when he tugged on her arm until she was behind him. He bared the back of his neck to her, allowing her to see the little wolf icon that she remembered from his armor during the war. It was like his squad’s mascot, so tiny that she couldn’t have noticed until now.

Her fingers instinctively moved forward and brushed over his tattoo in a soft touch that raised the hairs all over his skin. Now, it was Wolffe who began to regret this question as he clenched his jaw and squeezed his fists into his lap. Every fiber of his control was pulling in a tight line that he feared would eventually snap and give into what he was trying to avoid while simultaneously provoking. The more he convinced himself that Evangeline Sterling wasn’t worth wasting any time on, the less he believed that was true. He hoped that he could get to know her as he expressed the last time he was here so he could find something he disliked and be able to move on.

There was nothing yet, though. And he was afraid he never would at this point.

“Your squad,” she whispered, “They’re important to you.”

“They’re not my squad anymore,” he murmured somberly.

“What happened?”

“Nothing. The Empire just reassigned all of us.”

She rested her fingers against his neck, subconsciously trying to warm his cold skin while replying, “You’re still connected to each other. And you can see them…when possible.”

“I don’t know. A lot’s changed,” he couldn’t help but say as his mind returned to its darkness.

“In a bad way?” She asked quietly.

His head snapped up, causing her to remove her fingers from his tattoo and pull back a bit. When he turned around, her mouth dried from the stormy look in his eyes that told her more than he needed to say. Concluding that she must have struck a nerve, she whispered a gentle apology and returned to her seat as if this specific interaction never happened. His eyes followed her movements and traced her figure as she said, “Your turn” in an effort to change the subject. She always seemed to do that. What was she avoiding? There were quite a few real questions he wanted to ask, and he suspected that she felt the same.

It was hard to get to that point in their “friendship” without breaking down a few barriers, though, and neither of them was sure if that was a box worth prying open. Someone had to take the first step rather than wait for the other first. Just not tonight, it seemed. Maybe not ever. The way he saw it, this couldn’t go much further than it already was now. It wasn’t like he was around enough for something to spark. Or so he hoped, for his own sanity and sake.

“Do you want me to help you study?” He proposed to her surprise, “Every question you get right, you can ask me something.”

“Oh…” She thought about this and said, “Sure. That sounds productive.”

“That’s the idea.”

“Okay. Good idea.”

Before she could get up and do so herself, he was putting away their dirty dishes and cleaning the mess she made in her kitchen from cooking. She tried to intervene and help, but his grumpy remarks that told her to go away incentivized her to give this up. Instead of pushing him further, she listened and began organizing her study materials from before. He had placed everything so neatly on her desk that, ironically, she couldn’t find everything she needed at first glance. This was the opposite of how she usually operated her belongings. In no time, her desk was a chaotic mess again, which made him approach her with disapproval in his expression.

“Uh…” He muttered, “You’re kidding.”

She glanced at him over her shoulder and replied, “Oops.”

He sighed and shook his head. “Whatever. I’ll fix it later.”

“It’s okay. I’ll do it—I don’t want to keep you here for too long, anyway. It’s really late.”

“I’m free.”

She turned around and faced him fully with her datapad and some books in her arms. Smiling up at him, she said, “Thank you. Your company means a lot to me.”

He suppressed a grimace from the stupid, fluffy shit she was getting at with this indication of gratitude. Maintaining a neutral expression, he replied, “Sure.” Deep inside his soul, though, strings of his true feelings felt plucked and pulled upon hearing her words. His chest warmed momentarily before he convinced himself that it was just the idea of having someone—anyone—around that made her happy. Not him, specifically. That was the problem with relationships, especially in his experience. People merely searched for ways to fill the voids in their lives rather than actual, meaningful connections. Wolffe had to learn that the hard way, back in the day.

But, the more they spoke through her studying that night, the less he could convince himself that she wasn’t interested in him as an individual. Even though she kept suggesting for him to return to base so he could get some sleep between their conversations, he stayed for the entire night. It wasn’t until the sun rose that he decided to head out, but not before lifting her sleeping body from the floor and tucking her into bed. She had dozed off not too long ago, a pretty sight that he couldn’t help but stare at. When he left her apartment, he wasn’t thinking about how bad this was. What the consequences of this would entail. No, he could only feel a weight lifted off his shoulders. Not because it didn’t exist anymore, but because he was beginning to believe he could carry it with someone other than just himself. 

Another fantasy, perhaps, but there was not much else to depend on in this bleak, changing galaxy. 

Chapter Text

Evangeline wasn’t sure when the next time she would see Wolffe would be, especially since he left without a word. She woke up in her bed after the sun had already risen, tucked into her warm blankets that suddenly felt cold when she realized he wasn’t there anymore. But, like a lucky coin toss that was purely random, she met him again at the medical facility a little over a week later. He was speaking to one of their new hires, a young, female doctor who had just graduated from the same academy Evangeline was currently attending. Like that night at 79’s when she saw that Twi’lek approach him, she felt the same sense of dread and anger in the pit of her stomach.

She didn’t even know what they were talking about. Logically, it was about something professional and related to the troopers in the medical bay—maybe they were from his new squad. Unfortunately for Evangeline, though, there was no logic running through her brain at this moment. She didn’t realize she was staring at the two of them from the other side of the corridor until Wolffe looked up and turned his head straight at her. His helmet was off, the reason she recognized him in the first place, revealing his sharp eyes that immediately pierced through her flesh with embarrassing acknowledgment.

He said a brief string of words in finality and walked toward her, hardly sparing a glance toward the doctor he was initially conversing with. Evangeline’s face heated up the more he drew closer until he was right in front of her, peering down at her in amused observation. She pretended to appear busy with her datapad, but it was too late. He read the jealousy off of her expression like a book.

“I didn’t think I’d see you tonight,” he said while cocking his head to the side a bit, “Guess I was wrong.”

“What? Oh,” she cleared her throat, “I’m staying for part of the night shift. We’re short-staffed, recently.”

“I heard.”

She frowned, realizing she was repeating the same conversation he had with her coworker just before. Before she could reply, he asked, “When do you get off?”

“In like…” She checked the time on her datapad, “Five hours exactly, actually.”

“Alright.”

“Where are you coming from?” She observed some faint blood stains on his armor.

“I’ve been on Coruscant this week. They’re having us clean up some areas,” he answered, “I’d say it’s below my pay grade, but we don’t get paid.”

Her lips curved into a smile at his “joke” while his mouth remained pressed in a flat line. Laughing softly, she replied, “Clean up as in…people? Not trash, I’m sure.”

“Yeah. People.”

“That sounds rough. The people here aren’t so great when you go a few levels down.”

“I have my orders. It doesn’t matter to me.”

“Well, you’re a good soldier, Wolffe.” Her smile widened as she looked up at him, glad to have run into him today.

Her words should have made him happy because he secretly liked hearing compliments about his competency as a soldier. But, instead, they made his blood run cold for some odd reason. It wasn’t that he disagreed with her. No, not all, in fact. Hearing this aloud after all that had happened made him feel strange, though. He didn’t like it. He was a good soldier. That was a fact.

“You should get back to work,” he said in a more resigned tone than before.

She straightened her posture and nodded, expressing a quick goodbye before she hurried toward the medical bay she came from. The doctor who Wolffe was speaking with earlier was in there, too, looking up at Evangeline when she rejoined the staff.

“Sterling,” she said, “If you’d like to socialize, don’t take on extra hours onto your shift.”

Evangeline’s shoulders stiffened as she felt way too many eyes on her.

“Sorry,” she apologized quietly, “I—“

“Dr. Rose,” a familiar voice interrupted in the distance, “I can assure you that my assistant is focused on her responsibilities. Thank you for your concern, though.”

Evangeline perked up, hearing Dr. Bell’s expression of defense on her behalf. She flashed him a grateful smile before continuing on with her checkups, not missing the way Dr. Rose’s face reddened in humiliation. It was nice to know that at least someone had her back around here. Who else would that be other than her supervisor?

The hours of her partial shift dragged on until Dr. Bell told her to head home and rest for a few hours before she would need to return in the morning. She obliged, not fighting the yawn that occupied her expression as she exited the facility. Too tired to notice that someone was approaching her, she was startled when she heard a familiar voice that awakened every exhausted bone in her body.

“Wolffe?” She squinted her eyes even though he was right in front of her, “What are you still doing here?”

Instead of answering her question, he stared her down and asked, “Are you going home now?”

“Uh-huh,” she rubbed her eyes, “I got a new airspeeder a few days ago. Do you wanna see?”

He remained silent while following her to where she parked her vehicle, immediately grimacing at how old and beaten up it looked.

“You bought this?” He questioned in disbelief while folding his arms over his chest, “Why?”

“Why not? I need my own ride. I can’t keep paying for public transportation. This is a long-term investment.”

“Do you even have a license?”

Her jaw dropped as she fisted her pockets and raised her ID card in his face that indicated she was allowed to drive. He took it from her and observed the contents with intense scrutiny as if she would have the nerve to forge such important documents. Rolling her eyes, she plucked it back out of his fingers and said, “She only looks concerning. Once you get the engine on, she does the job.”

He still didn’t look convinced, prompting her to shrug and open the door so she could get herself home. Before she could slide into the front seat, though, he grabbed the back of her jacket collar and pulled her toward him. She yelped in surprise, watching him shoulder past her and say, “I’ll drive. I don’t trust this. Or you.”

“Excuse me?” She scoffed as he gestured his head toward the passenger seat beside him.

“Get in.”

His voice was clear and commanding, controlling her body to move on its own accord as she went rigid all over and complied. Before she knew it, she was leaning her head against the window and waiting for him try to get the engine on. Was it really that easy for him to tell her what to do? If she wasn’t so tired, she would have been embarrassed.

“Press it harder,” she said without looking at him as it grew more difficult to stay awake.

“I am. Where did you buy this?” He sounded more aggravated by the second, not understanding why she spent her money on this piece of junk.

“I went to a dealer. Duh.”

“Yeah, and you got fucking scammed. This is a hazard.”

Right as the words left his mouth, sparks started flying where they shouldn’t. She shook her head and flicked on the engine not any differently than he had been attempting. This had the effect they were looking for, as the airspeeder was quickly accelerating beyond Wolffe’s control before he was steering them steadily.

“Magic touch,” Evangeline bragged while he rolled his eyes and mumbled a string of profanity under his breath.

“She reacts well to kindness and respect,” Evangeline added, ignoring Wolffe’s foul mood, “If you assume she’s not gonna run, then she’s not gonna run. It’s all about the trust.”

“That is the most bullshit thing I’ve ever heard.”

“It’s not bullshit. It’s true.”

Wolffe shook his head and sighed, appearing much more on edge than he actually was. He waited outside the facility until the end of her shift for a reason. Even though he couldn’t admit to himself that this was a pure fact, something in his body kept him there. Seeing her exit those doors was like reaching the end of a quest for answers. The question was, though, why? Why did he wait? Why was he here? When did he become so thoughtless, reckless, and baseless? He never made decisions like this on a whim—he was a meticulous planner who followed plans exactly as they were constructed.

Another one of those excuses he kept making to convince himself that he stuck around her for surface-level reasons came into mind. He was supposed to meet his old squad mates tonight at 79’s. They hadn’t seen each other since the war ended, after all. There were too many elephants in the room to discuss or avoid, depending on what they were in the mood for as the night went on. Even though Wolffe wanted to catch up with them, having been more worried about them than he would like to admit, something was stopping him. There was a mental block that prevented him from desiring any connections back to the war. His old battalion. His…No, not his. The former general he used to serve. The traitor.

But, again, why? It wasn’t a big deal. Everyone was moving on to bigger and better things with the Empire while remaining aligned to the cause that bound them to duty. Also, he knew that it was wrong to use Evangeline as a barrier between his unwillingness to confront the past and himself. It was a shitty excuse because it was shitty in quality and character. He could go to 79’s if he wanted. He didn’t have to wait for her all those hours, but he did.

Glancing to the side, he noticed Evangeline was sound asleep with her face pressed against the glass. An unflattering angle for sure, but he wasn’t thinking of that. He could only see the soft pout of her lips and the subtle pink blush on her cheeks. The way her hair was slowly slipping out of its low ponytail that wasn’t even necessary because of its short length anyway. How her hands were bunched together in her lap like she was holding onto something for dear life.

Magic touch, she had said with an enthusiastic smile that contrasted how tired she was. The recent recollection made Wolffe chuckle under his breath for a moment, softening the harsh blows of his recent days at work. He enjoyed yelling at people and telling his men what to do—that wasn’t the problem. There was just something empty about the Empire’s tasks for him that left him wondering what he was fighting for now. Before, he had been a part of the Republic. That was the cause. That was his purpose. Now…what? But no, it didn’t matter. He was a soldier, meant to follow orders no matter the cause or power.

Don’t think too much, he told himself as he pulled into the garage he didn’t know her apartment complex had.

He hadn’t wanted to wake her up, but killing the engine proved difficult and noisy. It took her waking up and working her “magic touch” again for the airspeeder to do what they wanted it to do, eventually shutting off with a choking sputter that couldn’t be good.

“This isn’t a long-term investment. What if the engine dies while you’re driving?” Wolffe snapped, turning his head to glare at her.

She rubbed her eyes for the hundredth time that day and replied, “You’re worrying about nothing. This isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever driven, and I’m still alive.”

He pursed his lips and looked away, wondering why neither of them was moving to exit the vehicle. It wasn’t until she asked, “Where are you off to now?” that he met her eyes again.

“My brothers want to see me.”

Her eyes lit up as she replied, “Your old squad? From the war?”

“Yeah,” he answered, “They’re around. I’m around. Asked to meet up.”

“Well, I don’t want to hold you, then,” she said, “Thanks for driving me.”

When he didn’t say anything, remaining seated with a solemn expression, she faltered and reached a hand over the controls to touch his gloved hand. Her fingertips were gentle and tentative as she whispered, “What’s wrong?” like she could see the conflict in his eyes that even he didn’t understand.

“Nothing.” He glanced down at where they were touching, realizing he hadn’t pulled away.

“It’s not nothing,” she insisted softly, “Do you not want to see them?”

“It’s not that.”

“Then what?”

He inhaled a sharp breath and stared at her, nearly telling her not to pry into his business, but his heart caught when he saw the concern in her eyes. It felt almost genuine, like everything else about her. It felt like he could believe in it. Her hand came up to cup the side of his face where his scar from that horrific eye injury still remained. He furrowed his eyebrows just slightly before relaxing, not perceiving any immediate threats in this situation.

“You know…” She murmured, “I didn’t know what I was doing when I replaced your eye.”

He raised his eyebrows. “That’s reassuring.”

“I’m just being honest. Could you tell, though? That I was nervous?”

Thinking back to this was the equivalent of reflecting on when they first met—because these events coincided. Wolffe suddenly remembered how she talked him through the pain and slipped the new eye into its socket like nothing happened. All he focused on was her voice at that moment. He was so occupied with his own anxieties that he didn’t see her trembling hands or hear her shaky tone.

“No,” he finally said, “I couldn’t tell.”

Her shoulders relaxed in relief as she smiled. “I guess I did a good job.”

“Hm.”

She absentmindedly swiped her thumb over his skin back and forth, so slowly that he almost couldn’t feel it. It was hard to imagine that Wolffe was afraid of anything, but she had to remind herself that he was only human. Whether or not he was avoiding something wasn’t as clear as the fact that he didn’t want to leave this vehicle. After all, he hadn’t gotten out of his seat or pushed her hand away. He definitely wasn’t above doing that—she knew this for certain.

“You can tell me if something is bothering you,” she said, “I won’t judge.”

“Nothing is bothering me. Is it so hard to believe that I’m still here because I want to?” He retorted.

“A little,” she laughed to his dismay before adding on a more serious note, “But you can be here willingly while also avoiding something. Both things can be true.”

“I’m not looking for a philosophical pep talk.”

“So what are you looking for?”

He leaned back in his seat, causing her hand to fall away. A beat of silence passed between them before he told her, “Sell this speeder for parts. Don’t drive it.”

“You’re still on that? Or are you just trying to change the subject?”

She stared at him with an unfolding intensity that she hoped would convince him to tell her what was going through his head. The way she saw it, it was strange that he simultaneously wanted to be here while remaining disconnected from their conversation. This indicated to her that Wolffe was a man who didn’t really know what he wanted at all. Sure, he carried himself with an arrogant confidence that made him appear like he knew what he was doing. He also spoke with a demeaning and commanding tone that frightened his constituents.

In this airspeeder, though, he looked quite lost. She sought to find him, no matter the journey or the cost.

“I don’t know,” he said with frustration biting his throat, “I don’t know what I’m doing here. I don’t know why I waited for you until the end of your shift. I don’t know why I’m not at 79’s right now.”

Because I don’t understand why I keep thinking about you since the last time we saw each other. It’s driving me fucking insane, he had told her just before the war ended.

She blinked and stared at her hands in her lap before looking up at him again. Pivoting her body so that she was facing him fully, she tilted her head against the seat with an amused smile.

“You like me,” she realized aloud, “And you don’t know what to do about it.”

He scoffed and averted her eyes for a reason he couldn’t discern. “I don’t like you, I—“

“So, you don’t feel anything right now?” She asked curiously, not even offended by his immediate denial, “Because I still like you. And I’m okay with admitting that.”

Turning his head to her in surprise, he found himself scrambling for a reply that would sound as dismissive as he wanted to appear. His breath hitched when he realized they were as close as they were before when she was touching his cheek, just inches apart with mingling breaths and an invisible magnet that drew them nearer. Her smile widened as she caught his gaze flicking between her eyes and her lips, an obvious indication of his conflicted desire. She reached between them and touched a finger to his mouth, tracing the soft and slightly wet red flesh.

“Stop,” he breathed as his eyes grew darker and her reflection became more clear in them.

She listened, removing her finger but only slightly so that the ghost of her touch was hovering over his lips.

“Why?” She whispered, “Are you scared?”

“No.” His voice was suddenly a lot lower and more lethal when he added, “Maybe you should be, though.”

This didn’t sound like a threat to Evangeline. It felt like an invitation.

“I’m not scared of you,” she murmured.

His eyes flashed with an unfamiliar intensity as he snaked his hand through her hair and gripped the back of her head, forcing her closer. She gasped softly and waited for something to happen, but nothing came. He simply stared at her, observing her reaction to this sudden action that wasn’t even a sample of what he could do to her. Not wanting him to perceive her in a cowardly light, she closed her eyes and leaned forward. Their lips met in a soft and brief kiss that he didn’t reciprocate at first, only because he was too stunned to think clearly.

She quickly pulled back, not getting very far because of his hand that still had her locked into place. Cheeks burning in embarrassment, she said, “Sorry, did I—“

Her words were cut off when he crushed his mouth to hers. She gasped in surprise, the sound quickly muffled by the kiss that he was controlling with his fist in her hair. There was nothing much she could do but keep up with his bruising rhythm that hurt so good. She moaned breathlessly as he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth just a tease, savoring her taste. Opening her mouth wider for him, she felt his tongue tangle with hers so impatiently curious. He was devouring her, angling her head exactly where he wanted just to show that he could. Definitely not because of how right this felt. And certainly not because of how his fragmented chest seemed to click together in a puzzle he had been trying to solve for ages now.

They pulled away for air while breathing hard and heavy. Foreheads touching and noses brushing over each other, they didn’t speak for a few moments. Instead, they opened their eyes and just looked at each other. This exchanged stare was communication in itself, saying exactly what they couldn’t put into words. Before Evangeline could fully catch her breath, caught off guard by all of this even though she had started it, Wolffe was kissing her again. The pressure of his lips was starved and desperate, releasing her just to go back for more. She could feel her inexperience crawling up her spine, causing her to worry that he wasn’t enjoying this as much as her.

Little did she know that he was too busy trying not to get carried away with every wet kiss they exchanged in this shitty airspeeder. He touched her everywhere he could over the fabric of her scrubs while her hands remained planted on his chest for stability. It was taking every fiber of his self-control and discipline for him to not strip her bare right then and there. Meanwhile, she didn’t know if she should start undoing the complicated buckles and straps that held his armor together. They were both questioning their next courses of action, all while sharing the same warm breaths as their lips slid and collided against each other.

Evangeline pulled away first, panting quickly through her kiss-swollen lips. She swallowed nervously and fixed her hair, noticing some strands had fallen in front of her eyes. Her heart raced faster when she saw Wolffe trying to catch her eye, prompting her to avoid his stare as much as possible after realizing how irreversible this just was.

“Look at me,” he demanded, grabbing her chin and turning her face toward him.

She averted her eyes toward her lap and said, “I can’t.”

“Why not?” He almost sounded…hurt.

“I think this means a lot more to me than it does to you,” she admitted quietly, suddenly overthinking about how…skilled he was. The fact that he refused to admit any potential feelings for her didn’t help. Maybe he was just into casual—

“You’re always putting words into my mouth,” he scowled, his voice louder and angrier.

“I don’t really have much to work with,” she snapped, not meaning to sound so hostile.

He raised his eyebrows, also surprised by this expression of frustration. Unintentionally proving her point, he didn’t say anything in response. This prompted her to shake her head and say, “You won’t admit how you feel. I understand if you don’t trust me, but I can only go so far without feeling stupid.”

She waited for him to tell her something real instead of just looking at her so neutrally that she was nearly convinced that he didn’t care about her if not for the way he was holding onto the sleeve of her shirt. But she couldn’t keep reading between the lines of his actions. Yes, they spoke louder than anything she would ever hear from anyone, but there were times when simple clarifications were necessary. After all, it was unclear where this connection between them was headed. He couldn’t keep coming to her apartment under the guise of wanting to fix her pipes—that would continue to instill a false hope inside of her. She was willing to be completely honest and upfront about her feelings, unashamed for harboring them toward him, but she didn’t want to humiliate herself. There was a fine line between communication and degradation.

Taking one last look at him that night, Evangeline came to the conclusion that he wasn’t going to say anything. He was frozen in place like a statue, which was an answer in itself.

“Never mind,” she shook her head and forced a smile while fumbling for her bags and coat, “We can just forget this ever happened—I didn’t mean to overstep or rush you into anything you aren’t comfortable with.”

“Maybe…we should stop seeing each other,” she added while prying his hand off her sleeve, “I mean, if we run into each other, we can’t help it, but…I think we can just go back to how things were before. It’s more professional that way, too. I wouldn’t want to interfere with your responsibilities. I also have a duty to uphold, so…”

Say something, she begged in her mind, Don’t just look at me like that.

Wolffe clenched his jaw and looked away. “If that’s what you want.”

“Isn’t that what you want?” She asked, “Or do you not know what you want.”

His eyes widened ever so slightly as he processed her words. Unable to take any more of his silence, she bid him a quiet goodnight and exited her airspeeder as quickly as possible. She didn’t look back, so she didn’t see that he was watching her until she disappeared into the staircase that would lead to her apartment complex. Trying to push this kiss into the back of her mind as she did with any memory she didn’t want to keep, she was instead reminded of her first romantic experience with a boy back in primary school. Her classmate, who also happened to be playing the main lead in their silly school play, kissed her behind the curtains that hid the entire cast and crew from the audience. It was only because he was dared to, though. This event had nothing to do with the way Wolffe kissed her, especially because of how passionate and different tonight’s experience felt for her.

The only similarity was how the two incidents made her feel. Alone and in the dark, backstage with a growing pit of dread for the performance to come.

Chapter Text

Evangeline tried not to hate anybody—such an emotion was soul-sucking and reserved for only the worst possible people. For example, she hated her father. She hated her mother. That was about it. This mindset was difficult to maintain at times, especially when faced with those who simply got on her nerves to no end. She liked exhibiting patience, thinking that would allow her to “be the bigger person.” And, what’s more, is that she often refused to develop any negativity toward her fellow women in their shared medical field. There weren’t many of them, after all, and it was so much better to remain supportive rather than competitive. Or, in her case right now, just plain rude.

Dr. Rose, the newbie on the team (and unfortunately a higher position than Evangeline), was not easy to like. Rather than make everyone’s difficult days easier, she preferred to pick on the lowest of the low in the unestablished hierarchy that put Evangeline closer to the bottom than anything else. It was bad enough that Evangeline associated Dr. Rose with Wolffe after seeing them speaking to each other so cozily. What was worse, though, was how this particular woman enjoyed unraveling Evangeline’s confidence. Each thin layer was slowly but surely being peeled away through her snarky remarks and passive-aggressive questions that Evangeline tried to brush off with little success. They were petty and harmless, but they hurt.

However, today was a different kind of obstacle. The notorious Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin, who had been evaluating the clones’ competency to continue serving ever since the Empire rose to power, placed Dr. Rose in charge of the medical examinations that would contribute to his final decisions. Those who fell short of their established expectations would be decommissioned. To say that Evangeline had been cheating the system would be an understatement. Of course, she wanted to follow orders and remain out of sight as much as possible. But it was hard to decommission the troopers who clearly didn’t want to give up their service. Besides, the criteria for this examination were ridiculous. There were many reasons why Evangeline had been leniently passing those who failed.

But all it took was one humiliation for that to change.

“Unbelievable,” Dr. Rose scoffed while backhanding Evangeline across the face, “I gave you clear instructions on how to conduct these examinations in my absence, and you still don’t understand? Or is your insubordination intentional? I suppose they just let anyone into the academy. What a waste of my father’s donations—We do not have the time to support charity cases like you. Either you follow orders, or you get out.”

“And as for the troopers you wrongly passed, they will be decommissioned immediately,” she continued, “If I don’t have a list of all of their designation numbers by tonight, you won’t be let into this facility tomorrow. Or ever. Perhaps that’s for the best, so you can return to the dirty hole you climbed out of. Where did you say you were from, again? Remind me, since both of us have seemed to forgotten.”

Evangeline remained silent and kept her eyes trained on the floor as her cheek burned with the stinging imprint of the doctor’s hand. Her breath hitched when Dr. Rose grabbed her chin and forced her to look up. All of this aggression in both her touch and tone sent Evangeline’s mind to a decade in the past when her greatest adversary wasn’t the Coruscant elite. When the hand raised to her face wasn’t Dr. Rose. Suddenly, she was a little girl again, trying to escape her father’s rage that she never meant to provoke. She could barely hear Dr. Rose hiss, “Know your place. Or I’ll fucking ruin you” over the pounding of her heart.

Her knees buckled when Dr. Rose released her and left the room in an irritated haste. Bracing her hands against the desk beside her, she tried to catch her breath and steady her vision. Nothing was changing, though. It was only becoming so much worse. She could feel the ghost of her father’s fists against her flesh, a series of memories she had buried to the best of her ability. In times like these, when she felt small, weak, and helpless, they couldn’t help but resurface and remind her where she came from. The dirty hole she climbed out of.

A few droplets of blood landed on Evangeline’s fingertips that were splayed across the desk to keep her steady. She touched a hand to her cheek and felt the short but deep gash that probably came from the doctor’s diamond ring splitting her skin during that harsh slap. Inhaling a deep breath, she began humming a melody that instinctively came to mind and calmed the rapid rise and fall of her chest. She was so distracted with cleaning the blood away while sticking a careless bandage on her face that she didn’t realize Dr. Rose had returned with someone she really did not want to see. This day was just getting worse and worse, it seemed.

“Sterling,” she said in a falsely polite voice, “Would you mind handling the commander’s examination for me? I have a meeting with the admiral that I cannot miss, but let one of the nurses know if you require any assistance.”

Evangeline’s eyes widened as she drew closer, leaving Wolffe at the entrance to this private room. Forcing a smile, she nodded and said, “Of course. You don’t have to worry about me.”

Dr. Rose placed a hand on Evangeline’s shoulder and squeezed a little too hard for comfort. “I would expect nothing less from you.”

A chill ran down Evangeline’s spine as the doctor turned on her heel and exited the room once again. Wolffe stepped inside once she was gone, his eyes zeroing in on the red handprint across Evangeline’s face. He didn’t miss the bandage that was patched in the center, nor the red dot that had begun to spread under the mesh material.

“What happened to you?” He asked as casually as possible while sitting down on the mattress.

Evangeline avoided his stare, silently wishing he was wearing his helmet so she didn’t need to be reminded of what happened the last time they saw each other. But, even if he was hiding his face, she would still think about it. She couldn’t stop, no matter how much she tried.

“I asked you a question,” he said when she remained silent.

“I tripped,” she replied while getting the monitor ready for his evaluation.

“On someone’s hand?”

Her shoulders tightened at this wildly accurate accusation before she denied it. “No. It’s none of your business, anyway.”

“I don’t care,” he snapped, “Tell me who did that to you.”

The overprotectiveness in his tone provoked an eruption of butterflies in her stomach that she knew she had to calm if she was to get through this session without embarrassing herself. Even though she knew she should just carry on and change the subject, focusing on the task at hand, she couldn’t help but instigate more reaction from him.

“Why?” She said, “If I told you…what would you do?”

She found the courage to meet his eyes as she drew closer, standing in between his spread legs. He didn’t lean away like she thought he would, only heightening this sudden boldness that distracted her from what she really needed to do here.

“Stop playing games,” he gritted, his hands itching to pull her closer by the waist and force her to tell him what happened.

It was clear that they were both thinking about what happened in her airspeeder a few weeks ago. Their eyes were both dark and cloudy with desire as their fingers twitched with the control that was slowly slipping away. Wolffe had even changed his appointment to now despite being assigned to complete his medical examination sometime during the night shift—when Evangeline didn’t work. He couldn’t admit to her or himself how he truly felt, but that was only because he genuinely didn’t understand this sickening pull that constantly led him down this winding road. And she was at the end of it every time.

“I’m not.”

She hooked him up to the monitor with a few wires that spanned across his chest. The desperation to just pass him and be done with this exam gnawed at her heart, not just because she wanted him away from this room as fast as possible, but because she didn’t want to be faced with the responsibility of failure…if that was to occur. As if they were on the same wavelength of nerves, she caught a striking flash of fear in his eyes that surprised her. Maybe he was worried about the results of this test, too. Most of the troopers who entered this room were.

“I’m not going to fail you,” she told him bluntly, “After your evaluation, I’m going to actually start taking this seriously.”

He raised his eyebrows and set his mouth in a harsh line of disapproval. “I don’t need you to break protocol. Take this seriously now, or I’ll report you to your supervisor.”

His words didn’t even hurt, even though she wanted to believe he would exhibit some favorability toward her. Especially since she was willing to pull some strings for him, should the results of this test not align with what they were hoping for. But Wolffe was loyal to his duty like no other. There was no way he would bend the rules for her.

“I’m just trying to make you feel better about this,” she frowned, “I understand that this can feel scary. I’ve learned recently that nobody wants to be decommissioned anytime soon.”

“I’m not scared. I’ll pass.”

“Okay.”

She conducted the rest of the exam in silence, relieved to find that Wolffe was in perfect shape. There was hardly any doubt, but even the most unexpected of troopers were being forced to “retire.” The Empire didn’t even have a proper plan in place to integrate them into modern society. They were just letting these former soldiers loose without any care toward their well-being. It hurt Evangeline to see, but she knew she didn’t have much say or power in the matter. She wasn’t a politician, and even the Senate was struggling to grasp everything that was going on. Division was stark along every line.

“Well, I guess we’re both in luck today,” Evangeline said while showing Wolffe her datapad where he could see his results.

“If I failed…” He said, “Would you really have passed me anyway?”

“Of course,” she answered without missing a beat, “These evaluations are designed for failure. Admiral Tarkin created them with no scientific or medical knowledge to back them up. He doesn’t know what he’s doing, but we have to listen to him anyway.”

“Orders are orders.”

“I know. I guess I’m learning that the hard way.”

They stared at each other with a buzzing magnetism until Evangeline looked away first. The gash on her cheek began to sting harder than before now that she wasn’t distracted with her work. She moved away from the bed and turned around, unsticking the sloppily placed bandage from her face and tossing it in the trash. Blood immediately began running down her skin again, causing her to curse under her breath and scramble for a gauze that could pause this mess.

“You’re free to go,” she said to Wolffe over her shoulder, “I’ll send your report to the admiral.”

Instead of leaving, he stood and walked toward her in a few strides. He saw her stick another bandage on her wound and move to exit the room, prompting him to take her by the wrist and halt this hasty movement.

“You might need stitches,” he informed her as if he was the doctor, “Don’t you know better than to just put a bandaid on shit and call it a day?”

She pursed her lips and twisted herself out of his hold. “I don’t have time. I need to see the next trooper.”

Rather than listen to her, he was already moving past her and rummaging through the cabinets where he found some scissors, needles, thread, and cleaning solution all already pre-organized on a tray. The nurse droids liked to keep their materials already available in one place, as part of their programming that sought to minimize the amount of unnecessary buffer between treatments.

“Sit down,” Wolffe commanded when Evangeline’s fingers hovered over the button that would unlock the door.

“Look, I know it’s your job to tell people what to do, but—“

She was cut off when he yanked her toward him by her jacket and sat her down on the mattress. Her heart began racing as his hand slid down her body until he was gripping her waist, pinning her down with only one arm. She squirmed, thinking she could probably escape this nightmare if she kneed him in the groin or something, but a large part of her was swooning over how easily he was holding her down. It filled her mind with all sorts of fantasies that didn’t even begin to scratch the surface of what he was capable of.

Wolffe was able to take advantage of her distracted state as he began disinfecting her wound which was much deeper than he initially expected. Before he could control himself, he was instinctively rubbing his hand against her waist in an attempt to gentle the stinging alcohol against her split skin. She winced and closed her eyes, hating the burning sensation that was spreading across her face like wildfire.

“You know what you’re doing,” she managed to say as he applied local anesthetic and began closing the wound with careful stitches.

The hand on her waist moved higher to grip her chin and hold her face steady as he replied, “I’ve done this a few times.”

The image of Wolffe touching another woman’s face while stitching her wound and leaning in close to her lips appeared in Evangeline’s mind as an upsetting figment of her imagination. She didn’t mean to frown, not wanting to reveal this vulnerability, but he saw the flash of curious jealousy in her eyes. His mouth quirked up in a subtle smirk as he clarified, “For myself. And some of my brothers.”

Embarrassed that he read her so easily, she said, “Right. Of course.”

His smile widened for the first time in a while, reminding her of the last time she saw such a sight. She couldn’t help but lean forward and tell him, “You should smile more often. You look pretty.”

“Pretty?” His voice was laced with forced disgust that made her laugh softly.

“Mhm. Smiling also helps with improving a bad mood. Which you could work on.”

He actually chuckled at this, surprising the both of them. “Yeah, I’ve heard that before.”

“I’m sure you have. It’s the go-to piece of advice, to be honest,” she replied, “Oh, you’re upset? Just smile more. Everyone always says that.”

“So, does it work?” He asked, “Or does it just feel fake? Since it is.”

She thought about this and lowered her voice a bit for no reason in particular. “Sometimes.”

“Hm. Not a one hundred percent success rate, then.”

“Definitely not, but hardly anything is.”

He quickly snipped the excess thread, done with her stitches before changing the subject. His voice was lethally demanding as if his patience hung on the balance of her response. It definitely did, with the stormy look in his eyes. He wanted to know who scratched up her face like that, and whose handprint that belonged to.

“I’m not going to ask again,” he said quietly, “So tell me who did this to you. Now.”

She shook her head, trying to hop off the bed and leave before this escalated. He set his scissors down and planted both hands on her hips, caging her in with his entire upper body.

“Please,” he murmured, squeezing his fingers to feel her soft and plush figure over this annoying fabric.

This simple word caused her eyes to widen as she stared at him, too stunned to speak. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she whispered, “What if it was a trooper? What would you do?”

A flare of anger crossed his expression. “Who was it?”

She shook her head again and inhaled a shaky breath. “Wolffe, it doesn’t matter—“

“It does,” he snapped, “It matters to me.”

“Because…” She squirmed in his hands, feeling awkward but still asking, “Because we kissed? Is that why? Don’t act all possessive just because of that one mistake.”

He gripped her tighter to stop her from moving and came closer, pushing his entire body between her legs. His gaze was so undoing that she nearly looked down at herself, momentarily convinced that he was stripping her naked with those eyes. Their chests synced in a heavier rise and fall than before, clearly trying to swallow as much air as possible from this suffocating barrier that didn’t need to be there. When he spoke again, her entire body trembled with need.

“A mistake,” he repeated slowly.

She opened her mouth to reply, but he wasn’t done.

“You think that was a mistake?” He scoffed, “Because I don’t, and I know I should. My fucking honor is on the line here, but I don’t care about that. I know I should, but I don’t care. Because I care about you. So, tell me who the fuck put his hands on you.”

This might have been as close as a confession Evangeline would ever receive from him, but that was okay for now. She closed her eyes briefly before opening them back up, meeting his cold stare that ironically warmed her more than any heated fire could.

“It wasn’t a trooper,” she admitted softly, “It was my colleague.”

“Your supervisor?” He asked, thinking about Dr. Bell.

“No,” she released a frustrated breath and said, “You won’t be able to do anything about it. She’s too untouchable. This is normal in the field—if you mess something up, you get punished.”

She. That one, simple pronoun ticked in Wolffe’s brain as he pieced together what Evangeline refused to tell him in completion. He was about to release his hold on her and leave, already forming a plan in mind to make things right. But, when he heard her sniffle and attempt to shift away from him, he paused. She was immediately trying to conceal the tears that dripped from her eyes and control the surge of overwhelmed sorrow that she had been bottling up these past few weeks. The nightmare that was Dr. Rose hadn’t given her a breath to spare once.

Wolffe leaned back slightly, not knowing how to react. His fingers twitched along her waist until one of his hands came up and began touching her hair, smoothing out the tangled mess that she didn’t have the time to brush earlier. He didn’t really know what he was doing, but his gut instincts told him to be gentle with her.

“I don’t know what I’m doing wrong,” she sobbed, “I just want them to like me. I want you to like me. I want—I want—“

“I…” Wolffe swallowed, not understanding the sudden ache in his chest, “I do.”

She couldn’t hear him, though. Shaking her head, she rubbed her eyes and said, “I don’t belong here. They don’t want me here—she doesn’t—“

Her words got caught up in her throat as she cried harder, releasing all that she had been hiding—not just recently—but forever.

“Stop,” Wolffe pleaded desperately, “Please, stop.”

She inhaled a deep breath and looked up at him, her eyes wet and glassy with tears. Neither of them was sure who moved forward first, but they were suddenly chest to chest as he encircled his arms around her shoulders and ran his hands across her hair. She hesitated before hugging his waist, tentatively locking him in an embrace that she didn’t expect to experience from him. There was a strange switch in roles that occurred today from the moment he walked through that door. Evangeline was so accustomed to taking care of people and meeting their needs that she never thought someone would be capable of doing the same for her. But Wolffe was here, mending both the physical and emotional wounds that her work had been inflicting on her flesh and soul. If that wasn’t weird roleplay, then she didn’t know what else to make of it. Surely he wasn’t suddenly in tune with his feelings for her—if they even existed. Surely not.

“This isn’t what I meant when I said we should go back to normal,” she suddenly spoke, her voice muffled from her face pressing against his armor.

He shifted his hands and cupped her face so they could see each other eye-to-eye. She stared up at him, her face red and puffy but still…

Still beautiful. Somehow, that was the only thought crossing his mind at this moment.

“Then I don’t want to go back to normal,” he confessed, “Is it too late to say that?”

Her lips parted before she pulled back and tried to wipe her face with the fabric of her shirt. Wolffe caught sight of her stomach from this, which filled him with a childish sense of excitement that he immediately dismissed because of how stupid it was. Brushing his thumb across her cheeks, avoiding her stitches as much as possible, he caught her tears against his skin as she regained her composure and found the will to respond.

“Are you just saying that?” She asked quietly, staring up at him again.

He inhaled sharply and held her face tighter before leaning in closer. Their lips were almost touching, sharing the same breaths of air as they had in her airspeeder.

“No,” he murmured, “I’m not just saying that.”

“Wolffe…”

Her voice was so soft and delicate like a whimper, but it also phrased a question because she still wasn’t completely sure if he was being truthful or not. She felt them grow closer and closer as her eyes fluttered shut, waiting for his lips to find hers. Their noses crossed and brushed against each other, and their mouths would have followed suit if not for the abrupt banging on the door that jolted them apart.

“Sterling! Are you in there?” One of her coworker’s voices asked, “You’re needed in the OR!”

Evangeline opened her eyes and blinked rapidly, too distracted by this to notice the fury in Wolffe’s eyes. She scrambled off the bed and moved toward the exit, sparing a glance over her shoulder. Neither of them said anything before she left, but the look in both of their stares said one thing and one thing only.

This conversation isn’t over.

Just one day later, Dr. Rose was fired from the Grand Imperial Medical Facility. Evangeline didn’t know this until she clocked into work at her usual time, noticing one body was missing from their headcount. She furrowed her eyebrows and asked Dr. Bell where this missing team member could be, to which he responded, “She won’t be working here anymore.”

“What? Why?” Evangeline questioned, slightly baffled by this turn of events.

“Hm, I don’t know. Apparently, someone filed a report, but I don't know the details."

Evangeline’s stomach rolled around as she thought about how this could have happened. Only one person came to mind, and this theory certainly did not help the butterflies that had been whirling inside of her since yesterday. Dr. Bell noticed that his assistant was zoning out, prompting him to snap his fingers in front of her face and say, “Come, now. We have much to do today.”

“Of course,” she replied quickly while trying to hide the giddy smile on her face as she followed her supervisor into the medical bay. Fuck you, rich bitch!

Later that night, she was lying down on her floor and taking a break from her homework. She had closed her eyes and began humming a random tune that came to mind, occasionally filling in this noise with some actual lyrics. This was just leisure at its finest, though, not contributing anything to her current responsibilities. She was simply waiting for her five-minute timer to go off so that she could productively resume the rest of her study session. Right as her alarm sounded in a high-pitched tone that made her eyes fly open, she heard a knock at her door. Who could be asking for her at this hour?

Not wanting her imagination to get ahead of herself, she stood up and cleared her throat before padding to her entrance. She unlocked the door and opened it with just a peep, growing rigid when she saw who was on the other side.

“Wolffe?” She opened her door wider, “What are you doing here?”

“You owe me something,” he told her while stepping closer and towering over her, “I’m here to make sure I get it.”

Just as the words were said, he was grabbing her face and bringing his mouth down to hers in the kiss that would have been if they hadn’t been so rudely interrupted.

Chapter Text

Kissing Wolffe was like catching fire. Evangeline felt hot all over, from the tip of her toes to the last hair on her scalp. She was burning with the sensation of his lips covering hers as he slid his rough hands down her body and grabbed her ass, pulling her closer. The gasp she let out was all he needed to deepen the kiss, stroking his tongue against hers in excruciatingly slow motions. They vaguely heard the door shut and lock automatically, too busy backing up into the nearest surface where they could find some stability in this chaos. He braced a hand against her dining table before lifting her up with the other, a simple gesture that made her eyes fly open in wide surprise at his strength.

She was quickly closing her eyes again, not wanting to lose this moment to her frantic thoughts. Just focusing on him was enough to ground her to everything she needed to stay afloat. Cupping his face, she kissed him back with as much fervor as she could muster while realizing how familiar this was even just after one simple precedent in her front seat. She could taste the same warmth with hints of mint on his tongue. Feel the same hard pressure of his hands that bunched her thin shirt together in question of whether or not to take it off. He was shaking with the same self-control he always had, preventing him from truly giving in all the way.

Thinking he wasn’t going to touch her more than he already was if she didn’t give him a clear green light, she slowly guided his hands under her shirt. His breathing picked up in a shudder as he splayed his hands across her torso, just barely skimming the underside of her breasts. She wasn’t wearing a bra, which made logical sense because she was in her own home during the dead of the night. Still, he experienced a jolt of shock upon feeling her bare skin like a teenager discovering women for the first time. It had certainly been a while for him, though.

But that wasn’t the main reason why his heart started racing faster to the point where he thought it might leap out of his chest. No amount of past experiences, gargantuan or minuscule, would change the fact that Evangeline Sterling felt like heaven in his hands. Needing to take a breath, he forced himself to pull away from the kiss. She tried to follow his lips, but they were already slowing down and looking at each other through heavy pants.

“That,” he said hoarsely, “I came here for that.”

“Thanks for stopping by,” she squeaked, mentally cringing at this response.

He smiled unexpectedly and pressed his thumb into her bottom lip, teasingly moving it back and forth. His eyes were foggy with the haze that had occupied both of them in this heated moment of desire, distracting him from the fact that she was observing him as well. She glanced over his upper body, noticing that he wasn’t wearing all of his armor. His shoulder plates and arm coverings were missing, leaving him in just the shell of his chest plate. It was as if he came here in a rush that he didn’t have time to put on his full getup. Or, maybe, he didn’t want to. Either way, she wasn’t complaining. His large, sculpted arms were on display and straining against the black fabric of his shirt. Hot.

Her attention was turned back to his face when he moved his thumb lower to hold her chin and lift her face for a softer, briefer kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him closer, sighing against his lips with relieved contentment. Being held by him felt so right. The kiss quickly intensified again as he snaked a hand up her hair, tugging her head back so he could control their movements. She moaned at the sudden pressure of his lips claiming hers and his tongue sliding through her mouth, this time more dirty and sloppy than before. It was like his tightly bundled control was slowly unraveling as he fell deeper and deeper into these waters that drowned him in everything that was just her presence.

Tilting his head, he kissed her harder and sucked on her bottom lip before drawing it out and taking her mouth again. This continued in a rhythm that was only so perfect because he was. The precision of everything flowing between them was exactly what she needed and wanted from him. Not knowing what to do with her hands, she began undoing the buckles of his chest plate that would have been complicated if not for the fact that she had done this before—in a completely different setting, of course. She didn’t realize that Wolffe was suddenly apprehensive about this until he pulled away and stared at her through sharp and dark eyes.

“You know what you’re doing,” he said, repeating what she told him yesterday back at the hospital when he did her stitches.

His armor clattered to the ground as she admitted, “Not really.”

He raised his eyebrows and searched her expression, finding a tinge of insecurity behind her gaze. Instead of elaborating, she pressed her hands against his chest before spreading them out in smooth, circular motions that felt way too good. He held his breath as she touched him lower and lower, feeling the hard ridges of his stomach that almost seemed too good to be true. Eventually, she slipped her fingers under his shirt and began exploring her way around his bare skin.

“Is this okay?” She asked quietly, “Can I touch you here?”

“You can touch me wherever you want.”

His voice was strained and breathless, indicating to her that he was in some sort of pain. She looked up at him before lifting his shirt a little higher, allowing her to see all of the scars she was familiar with from their previous encounters at the hospital. Tonight felt different, though. She wasn’t in the medical bay, and he wasn’t seeking treatment. They were both just here because they wanted to be, not because they were bound to a specific role they had to fulfill on film. No. Tonight, they were off-camera and reconnected in the privacy of each other’s perceptions. Nobody else could interfere.

“You’re…perfect,” she whispered absentmindedly, not even registering that these words had left her mouth.

He released a sarcastic chuckle. “Far from it.”

“No,” she shook her head and met his gaze once again, “You are.”

Sucking in a breath, he kissed her hard and fast before covering her hand with one of his own. They moved across the plane of his upper body together, touching what he wasn’t afraid to show. He only paused to take his entire shirt off, letting it drop to the floor with the rest of the armor she had managed to undo before. Blushing a deep red color, she kept her focus on his scars rather than his toned muscles that certainly did jump out at her but didn’t tell as much of a story as every jagged line or healed bullet wound.

She surprised him when she leaned forward and kissed his chest where some marks crossed each other more prominently and angrily than the rest. His heart was pounding with something simpler than the anticipation of more. Instead, he realized he was nervous because he had never experienced something or someone as gentle as her before. Everything in his life was an ultimatum of death or survival—there was no such thing as thriving or flourishing. There were only three things that kept his pulse alive. Duty. Honor. Purpose.

And although this still remained true, even after she had begun to show him what more the world could provide, he couldn’t help but want to believe he was worthy of this soft recognition. This mercy. Even if he wasn’t, he desired it anyway. Because he desired her.

“I want you,” he said suddenly, not able to deny it any longer.

She leaned back and stared up at him, her eyes rounding in wide disbelief.

“I don’t like you,” he continued, “Because it’s more than that. I don’t understand it—I can’t explain it. I’m the last person you can expect to articulate these kinds of things. I feel fucking insane.”

An obsession. An addiction. Those were the words that came to mind when he tried to formulate his feelings for her into something tangible and comprehensive. He clenched his jaw and looked away, unable to control the embarrassed scowl that took expression. It was more difficult to say these things aloud than to bare his skin to her for a reason he wasn’t sure of. Perhaps words spoken from the heart were more revealing than anything the eye could catch.

Her lips curved up in a happy smile as she cupped his face and turned his head toward her so they could make eye contact. His rigid shoulders relaxed when she pulled him forward and kissed him, splaying her other hand across his chest right above his heartbeat. They didn’t exchange any words for a while, just kissing and holding each other on the dining table. More armor fell away until it was just them, the only barriers the clothes they had left. Everything was tender and quiet until he moved closer, wrapping her legs around his middle and bringing their front sides flush together in a compromising position that forced them to feel all of each other. Everything.

Evangeline’s breath hitched when she felt a hard, long bulge align with the throb between her thighs. She paused the kiss, looking down between them where they were still clothed but touching. Her heart skipped a beat when she glanced up at Wolffe, who immediately bore down on her with a dark stare. She began to wonder if there was something more to achieve tonight—something else to give. But…would it be good for him? So many nervous questions crossed her mind as she returned to the reality that adults didn’t just stop at kissing. She should have known this, but she hadn’t been in the dating scene for a while. And it wasn’t like she had ever…

She didn’t even realize her eyes had lowered back down to his groin until he said, “Are you just gonna keep staring?”

“I don’t know what else to do,” she blurted.

He raised his eyebrows and asked, “You mean you’ve never…”

“No.” Her shoulders instinctively tightened to shrink her body smaller.

“How far have you gone with other men?” He demanded, squeezing her waist tighter as a sudden possessiveness grabbed his throat.

“What?” She blushed, “Are you seriously—“

“Tell me.”

“No! Let’s just drop it, please—”

“No.”

She released a frustrated groan and pressed her face into his chest to hide herself. His scowl softened as he dipped his head to kiss her neck, tasting her sweet skin with teasing sucks. He wondered if she knew he was leaving subtle marks—if she was even aware of such a thing—until she said, “You’re not allowed to give me hickeys.”

He ignored this and didn’t say anything, kissing and biting her harder wherever he could until she answered his question. Her breathless whimpers sounded right against his ear, only stimulating more aggression in his movements.

“Tell me,” he murmured, “Come on, Angel.”

“It’s not a big deal,” she squirmed in his hold, “What, do you prefer if I was more experienced? So I know what I’m doing?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Then if you have a thing for virgins, that’s even worse. No offense, but—“

“I didn’t say that either,” he replied before clarifying, “So you are a virgin.”

She pushed at his chest and glared at him, only growing more annoyed when she caught his amused smirk. Shaking his head, he leaned in and paused before kissing her just once on the mouth.

“It wouldn’t matter to me either way,” he told her, “But if you really haven’t done anything then I want to make sure we do this right.”

“Of course, the commander has protocol for sex,” she grumbled, not taking him seriously.

He set his jaw firmly and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him with a determined resolve in his eyes that made her melt.

“Don’t fucking sass me,” he said roughly.

“Don’t be so mad.” She reached her hands forward and pushed his lips upward with her fingers to create a fake smile.

“What are you doing?” He grimaced, trying to dodge her touch but quickly giving in when she frowned.

“I’m fixing your attitude.”

“I don’t have an attitude.”

She gave him a pointed look that made him laugh, but in the typical “Wolffe way,” of course. The sound was brief and quiet like every lively emotion he expressed in just a snapshot of what he truly felt. They smiled at each other for a few moments before she pulled him closer by the waist, spreading her hands across his back.

“I’ve only gone as far as kissing…” she admitted, feeling more comfortable all of a sudden, “And, um, I’ve touched—“

“Alright. Stop there. I don’t want to know,” he interrupted with annoyance in his tone.

“But you were asking—“

“Not the details.” His stomach hurt thinking about the other men who experienced the blessing of her lips against theirs and her hands…

“What about you?” She questioned innocently, her falsely sweet tone indicating to him that this was dangerous territory.

His eyes narrowed briefly before he simply answered, “I’m not a virgin.”

“Oh. Hm.”

She dropped her hands from his back and folded her arms over her chest, clearly upset by this even though she didn’t expect anything different. It was just illogically irritating, tugging at the worst parts of her insecurities. He tried to unravel her tight and stubborn arms, tugging on them so she could touch him again, but she wasn’t budging. Her mouth was set in a disapproving line as she glowered at him, not saying anything because there really wasn’t much else to express.

“It was a long time ago,” he said exasperatingly, “And it doesn’t matter to me. It never did.”

“Whatever.”

His gaze hardened as he leaned closer, brushing their noses together and bringing their mouths dangerously close. She tried to turn away but she couldn’t, secretly wanting him to break through this distance and kiss her again. Kiss her so hard and long that she forgot there were others before her. He could even touch her if he wanted. She would let him do anything to her, even though she was slightly frightened by such an idea. No, not slightly. Very.

“I told you not to sass me,” he murmured.

She opened her mouth to reply, her words getting caught up in a punishing kiss that would definitely bruise her mouth by the time it was over. Her soft moan traveled between their interlocking lips when he pressed himself into her harder, sliding their bodies and rocking their pulsing centers against each other. She wasn’t sure if this felt any good for him, but she knew for certain that she liked this. It became more difficult for her to kiss him back as the string of her desire pulled longer and farther from her control from this heated friction. Her thin sleep shorts and underwear were already wet, which he felt when he skimmed his fingers over the fabric.

“Fuck,” he whispered to himself.

“Wolffe,” she whimpered against his lips, “I need—“

When she didn’t continue, he said, “Say it.”

She shook her head, too embarrassed to admit what she really wanted right now. Her hand instinctively and carefully traveled downward, pausing between her thighs just above where she wanted to be touched. He noticed this and raised his eyebrows at her.

“You touch yourself, Angel?” He asked in a husky voice.

“Sometimes,” she breathed.

He clenched his jaw before commanding, “Show me.”

Her eyes widened as she processed this request in her mind. Except, it wasn’t a request. It was an order.

“Like…now?” She whispered, not knowing what else to say.

Bracing his hands on either side of her on the table, he leaned forward and gestured to her lower half.

“You were thinking about it. Don’t let me stop you,” he said casually.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, unsure how to escape from this mess. Something inside of her was telling her that this wasn’t a good idea, but she didn’t stop him when he slowly tugged off her shorts and left her in her underwear. His external reaction to seeing her like this was minimal and stoic as always, but a vehement flame erupted inside of his chest when he fully observed the sight in front of him. Her nipples were more visible and pebbled from under her shirt, while her thighs were bared and so inviting. He squeezed a hand over one of them, immediately growing obsessed with how soft and thick it felt.

“It’s not me who’s perfect,” he muttered to himself.

Her cheeks warmed upon hearing this, only heightening the needy desire pooling at the bottom of her stomach. With a shaky breath, she said, “Wolffe, I’m nervous.”

“Do you want to stop?” He asked cautiously.

She inhaled a deep breath as her core pounded harder like it was screaming at her to say “no.” So that’s what she responded, causing him to nod once and guide her hand closer to the seam of her underwear.

“When’s the last time you did this, hm?” He said in her ear.

Clutching his shoulder with her free hand, she slipped her fingers through the line of her underwear and answered, “Last night.”

He kissed her neck and snuck a hand up her shirt to palm her breast and play with her nipples. She let out a quiet moan as her breathing picked up, pressing her face into his shoulder while holding onto him with all of her strength. When her fingers made contact with her wet clit, she couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief, already feeling a lot more eased than before.

“What were you thinking about?” She vaguely heard him ask through her distracted daze of desire.

Her mind flashed with her most recent sexual fantasies of him that she felt ashamed to admit. Sometimes, she imagined him fucking her from behind and pulling her hair. Other times, she wondered if he would be the type to make sweet love to her. Last night, though, she was thinking of his mouth against her clit.

“I asked you a question.”

“I was thinking about…you,” she moaned, squeezing her eyes shut as she continued to stroke herself the same way his tongue did to her last night in her daydreams.

“Yeah?” His voice was laced with a venomous arrogance that she wanted him to poison her with, “And what was I doing?”

She shook her head. “It’s too much—“

He nipped at her neck. “Answer me.”

“You were…” She gasped and continued, “Going down on me. On this table. I—It was—“

His eyes flared wider at this confession, leading him to realize that she also thought bad, filthy things. All of the times that he dreamt about her in such a light felt a little more substantial now that she was telling him that she could be just as dirty as him. He wasn’t going to let this pass by like a temporary drizzle, especially not when her words instilled a storm inside of him.

“Stop,” he commanded, “Move your hand. Now.”

“What? But I—“ She tried to protest, feeling herself grow closer and closer to her much-needed release.

He wrenched her hand away and yanked on her thighs, shifting her body so that she was lying down on the table. Suddenly looking up at the ceiling, her chest rising and falling in anticipation and desperation, she vaguely heard the scrap of a chair as he sat down. It was like he was preparing himself for dinner or something, only, she was the meal. Her ass was off the table and being held in his large hands, giving her more stability than she expected. He rested her legs on his shoulders and kissed her inner thighs, the slowness of it all building more frustration in her stomach.

“Is this what you were thinking about?” He taunted while pulling off her underwear, “You—“

His mouth snapped shut when he saw her bared to him, so wet and pretty that all the smugness from his expression and tone washed away within seconds. Mouth drying, he didn’t realize that he had frozen up until she took his words from earlier.

“Are you just gonna keep staring?” She tried to keep her tone casual like he had before, but the fast pace of her heart was difficult to keep up with.

He squeezed her ass, only tightening his hands when she squirmed.

“No,” he answered, “I’m going to do whatever it was you were thinking about last night. And you’re going to come, but only when I say you can.”

“You’re…really bossy…” she breathed, still not knowing how to respond to his filthy words. Maybe that was an area of improvement she should work on. Among other things.

Ignoring this remark, he gently sucked on the patch of skin on her inner thigh that was dangerously close to where he would put his mouth next. She held her breath as he pushed his tongue inside of her, quickly unable to suppress the moan that followed suit from this slow and dirty caress. Her body suddenly felt weightless and floaty, causing her to scramble for something—anything—that would help her stay grounded. She arched her back and gripped the table, digging her nails into the wood surface.

She didn’t know that he was starting off slow on purpose, convincing himself that this pace was for her rather than him. In actuality, he was nervous, too. He wanted this to be good for her, especially since she had never experienced this before. So many questions and doubts of what she preferred or expected crossed his mind as he simply dragged the flat of his tongue up and down.

“That—oh,” she squeezed her eyes shut and writhed against him, creating more friction between his mouth and her core, “That feels good.”

She cried out when his lips moved up to wrap around her clit, taking the sensitive bud into his mouth and sucking it just barely to test the waters. It was the slightest, gentlest touch, but she felt electrified everywhere. This wasn’t anything like her imagination because it was so much better, and it was real. She tried to quiet herself, failing miserably when she felt his fingers at her entrance. Moaning louder, her legs trembled and her clit pulsed harder while swelling in size. He was doing so much all at the same time—sucking, licking, and curling his fingers in and out of her—that she thought she was going to fall apart.

“Is this what you wanted?” He teased, his voice slightly muffled, “Is this what you like?”

Her face burned in embarrassment as she managed to choke out, “I don’t know. Feel free to take creative liberties. You’re doing great.”

She heard a deep chuckle from the back of his throat that made her regret even speaking at all until he said, “You’re fucking cute.”

Her reply got caught up in her throat when her body jerked and she whimpered, “I’m—I think you’re going to make me—“

“Not yet,” He slowed down, “Let me enjoy you a little longer.”

“Wolffe—“ She moaned, “I can’t—“

“You can,” he pulled away to whisper before shoving his face back into what he was considering as his dinner for the night. She felt like the clouds, her taste like the morning dew that fell from them when the sun would rise and cast its light on the darkness he had to remind himself that was only temporary. He was so lost in experiencing this moment and hearing her struggled noises that he almost didn’t hear her beg. But that word—that one word—it alerted his entire body like a trigger.

“Please. Please, Wolffe.”

“Please, what?” He skimmed his free hand over her leg, which was still shakily draped over his shoulder, unable to wipe the sadistic smirk that had bloomed across his face from her desperation.

“Please,” she inhaled sharply, “Let me…”

“Say it.”

“Let me come,” she pleaded, not even caring about the humiliation that paired with such a request, “Please.”

She wasn’t sure if he was going to oblige until she felt his tongue suddenly move faster than before, indicating to her that he was satisfied with this desperate plea. If he wanted to, he could have drawn this out and left her a whining, tear-streaked, begging mess. Such a possibility exhilarated her, but she was too focused on the sensation of his tongue pushing in and out of her while his thumb and index finger rolled her clit for stimulation. She dug her heels into the deep arch of his back, barely able to feel her legs anymore. Her mouth fell open in a series of moans and pleas when her climax surged through her, but he wasn’t stopping. To both her dismay and pleasure, he kept going until she was coming again, taking advantage of her sensitivity. It was too much, but it was also too good. It felt too perfect.

And just like that, it was over. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the table, relaxing her body completely while trying to catch her breath. Unaware of what was left of her, too dazed and exhausted even though he had just done all of the work, she barely noticed that he had stood from his chair. When she opened her eyes, she saw him staring down at her with an unfamiliar sense of awe and admiration that contrasted his usual state of judgment. Observing the pretty pink flush of her cheeks and her pouted lips, he moved some hair out of her face with his clean hand and helped her off the table.

She looked down at his groin and reached a hand forward to touch the massive bulge that she thought would rip through the fabric any second now. He stopped her, catching her wrist and lacing their fingers together. Glancing up at him in question with a tilted head, she asked, “What about you?”

“Not today,” was all he said, despite the obvious frustration in his voice.

“But…” She frowned, suddenly feeling guilty, “Why?”

He leaned down and kissed her, only pulling away to say, “I’d rather not rush this.”

“I don’t mind. It doesn’t feel rushed, I promise,” she explained quickly, thinking he was holding back because he thought she was incapable of learning how to make him feel good.

“Well, I do. I’d have to be a pretty shameless motherfucker to take all of your firsts in one night.”

She didn’t know what to say to this, only releasing a soft breath of surprise in response. They shared a silent stare that only broke apart when he kissed her forehead. His lips remained on her skin as he told her, “That was more than enough for me.”

“Okay,” she replied quietly, “Um…thanks for…that.”

“You’re so polite,” he chuckled and shook his head, “It makes me want to ruin you.”

Before she could discern what this meant, he was bringing her to her bed and sitting her down. Rummaging through her drawers, he found a new pair of underwear and shorts that he slipped through her legs and up her body so she was fully dressed again. She watched him curiously and asked, “Can you stay the night?”

He frowned, not because of this question, but because of the answer he had to give. “No, I can’t. I’m getting sent out in a few hours. I wanted to see you before I left, though.”

“Oh,” she tried not to sound disappointed, “That’s okay. I understand.”

“I’ll be back.”

She nodded and tucked her legs into the bed, feeling oddly vulnerable after what they just did. He noticed this sudden shyness but didn’t know how to rectify it, so he turned away and began taking care of the mess on the floor. Their clothes, his armor, and her study materials were littered around the space, all being picked up by Wolffe as an attempt to distract both of them from this point of no return. It was growing more difficult for Evangeline to stay awake as a sudden sleepiness overtook her body like a thick blanket covering her consciousness. She curled into bed on her side and watched him through half-lidded eyes, following his figure when he disappeared into her bathroom.

When he returned, all dressed and cleaned up, she was already asleep. He stood over her, casting his long shadow over the bed while silently wishing they had more time to talk tonight. Not wanting to wake her up, though, he simply bent down and kissed her softly. Once on the forehead, then her cheek where her stitches from yesterday still remained, and then her mouth.

“Good night, Evangeline.”

Chapter Text

Wolffe was only gone for a little over a week, but quite a lot of shit went down during this brief moment in time. Just two days after he left for a mission in the Outer Rim, Evangeline’s airspeeder broke down in the middle of the expressway and crashed into a random building that belonged to a typical Coruscant conglomerate who was not happy with the damages. She was left with a broken right arm—her dominant one, which was convenient—multiple fractures in her ribs, a concussion, and severe lacerations on her leg from the shattered glass. The rest of the week was not an exciting period, to say the least.

She tried to get Dr. Bell to stick her in the speed-healing chamber that they used so often for their trooper patients, but neither of them could get that approved under the Empire’s strict protocol. There was a significant emphasis on maintaining resources sparingly, so employees like Evangeline weren’t seen as important enough to waste money and time on. There was still plenty of advanced technology to make her recovery as easy as possible, but she needed to wait for everything to heal the normal way. That meant wearing an embarrassing cast on her arm for around two months along with the other annoying wounds she needed to monitor.

“Damn, Ev. You look like shit.”

Evangeline heaved a sigh and glanced down at her arm that was bound up in a sling. “Thanks. Really glad I can count on you to make me feel better about this.”

Her sister spun around in her chair and leaned her head back while replying, “On the bright side, you get medical leave from work. That’s totally a thing, right?”

“I have to go back at the end of this week,” Evangeline said, “But I might go in tomorrow. Things are busy.”

“Just rest,” June insisted, “Do you know how to do that?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to. There’s just not enough hands on deck these days,” Evangeline retorted defensively.

June paused her spinning and looked at her sister with narrow eyes. “Bullshit.”

“Oh, stop. I work, I get paid, and everyone wins,” Evangeline dismissed, not meaning to sound bitter about that truth.

“Right. ‘Cause that’s all that matters to you, huh?”

Evangeline’s stomach dropped. “What do you mean?”

Shrugging, June turned to the side a bit and said, “You’ve never really cared about anything other than money. Besides getting out of this shithole, at least. But I guess those are the same things—and now you have them. You’ve been had them.“

“That’s not true.” Evangeline tried to make her voice sound more confident, but something caught in her throat that prevented her from doing so.

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” June clarified, “Everyone wants to be rich.”

“Yeah, but I care about…other things,” Evangeline said, growing a little angry all of a sudden, “Who are you to say that I don’t?”

June shifted herself in her chair so that she was facing her sister’s hologram fully. Leaning forward in her seat with that lethal gaze she harbored only when she took things seriously, she stared at Evangeline as if she was seeing right through her. It was unclear whether this was like looking through glass or observing a mirror. Either way, Evangeline felt transparent.

“I’m not just in this for the money,” she said before June could reply, “This is about saving lives. It’s more than the prestige.”

“Sure, but you like fitting in up there.”

“I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”

June locked her hands around the back of her head and leaned back. “Just admit it. Yeah, it’s hard being busy with your kind of work and school, but you also like it because it means you can get away from us.”

The hairs on the back of Evangeline’s neck stood as she opened her mouth. But no words came.

“I don’t know why you would say that,” she finally whispered, “Everything I do…it’s for our family.”

“We haven’t been a family since you left.”

“I left to make a better life for us—“

“For yourself. Don’t get that twisted,” June interrupted with a fire burning in her eyes.

Evangeline faltered, casting her gaze down to her lap out of cowardice. Her sister’s words stung, not because they were malicious, but because they were true. Deep down inside, at least. Of course, June was able to access these real feelings when nobody else couldn’t. Their distance apart through time and space had no effect on their ability to see each other exactly as they were. That was the problem. Evangeline didn’t want to be known as the girl she grew up as. The old version of herself she left behind on Corellia was dead. She killed it when she moved here, where she could become somebody bigger and better. Not even that, though. Just somebody.

“So, was I just supposed to stay?” Evangeline questioned, raising her voice like her father always did to her, “End up like Mom? Live in that cycle forever? Just so we could be together? Fuck that.”

“There it is,” June drawled.

“No,” Evangeline shook her head and squeezed her hands into fists, “You don’t get to call me out on this. You know how much I hate that I left you to deal with Dad alone, but that was once me. I don’t expect you to understand or agree—“

“Yeah. Just pass it on, right?”

“June, stop—“

“Why? Because I’m right?” June argued before raising her hands, “You know what—no. We’re not fucking talking about this. I’m just saying, maybe this isn’t as worth it as you think it is. The Empire—“

“So, now you’re talking politics,” Evangeline scoffed, “You’re full of all sorts of shit today.”

June pursed her lips and averted her eyes with a deep scowl that lined her entire face despite how young she was. “Maybe because I fucking care about it.”

Evangeline was quiet instead of responding, so the teenager continued, “Things are getting crazy here, Ev. The Empire…they don’t fuck around. It feels like we’re on different sides now.”

“You’re being ridiculous,” Evangeline shook her head, “We’re all part of the Empire. Yes, sure, I’m an employee, but we’re citizens of this galaxy. Maybe the rules have gotten a little extreme but there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“You really think they care about us? You should see what’s going on here,” June said before adding, “But maybe you’re too busy living it up on Coruscant to really notice what’s happening.”

“You have no right to tell me what I can or can’t see.”

“Dad got his ass fucking beat in the town square for ‘loitering.’ He wasn’t even being a nuisance for once. He was just drunk, but—“

“Sorry,” Evangeline interjected sarcastically, “But you won’t receive any sympathy from me about that.”

“Just use your fucking brain! Forget that it was Dad or anyone. This is about the principle of the issue,” June tried to explain to her dismissive sister.

“The principle? What, that Dad finally got a taste of what he’s been doing to all of us?” Evangeline spat, not recognizing herself but too angry to care, “My earliest memory is him hitting me, you know.”

“I know,” June said desperately, “Just listen. It’s not about Dad—I fucking hate him, too. It’s about the fact that they think they can just do this under the excuse of public safety or whatever. Don’t you see? What gives them the right to just police everything to each second of the day? Lock down our streets with a ridiculous curfew that doesn’t need to exist? Are you hearing me?”

Evangeline sighed and tore her gaze away from her sister’s hologram to look outside her window. June always had the potential of the politicians who walked the Coruscant streets in the upper districts where Evangeline studied and worked but didn’t live. She made up for her lack of education and network with her fiery temper that often made her the most capable of thinking critically…when she put her mind to it, at least. Perhaps this drastic turn of events across the galaxy reminded her of this skill.

On the other hand, Evangeline kept her mind and opinions as blank as possible. So, maybe June was right. She didn’t care about anything other than herself. That was the root of her desperation for money, after all. A few stacks of credits meant nothing unless a lucky individual owned them.

“Just stay out of trouble,” Evangeline said quietly, “And you’ll be fine. Don’t worry about Dad.”

“You’re missing the point—Ugh, forget it. I don’t expect you to understand. You’re one of them now.”

Evangeline sighed and met her sister’s eyes. “It’s late there, I’m sure. You should go to sleep.”

June folded her arms over her chest. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Pick up, or else.”

“Okay. I will.”

“Swear?”

Evangeline smiled softly, a complete turnaround from their heated discussion before. “Swear.”

When the transmission shut off, she released another heavy breath and placed her holopad on the windowsill. Shuffling lower in her bed now that this conversation was over, Evangeline returned to the nap she had paused when she heard that familiar beeping. The early morning bled into a noisy afternoon that she would’ve continued sleeping through if not for the light knock on her door that immediately filled her mind with one thought only.

Wolffe.

Bolting out of bed, getting caught up in her blankets, she scrambled to the entrance without thinking about her disheveled bedhead. She immediately saw his looming figure when she cracked open the door before swinging it wider, looking up at him in relief and excitement. Suddenly, she forgot all about how shitty her sister made her feel before. All that mattered was his presence.

Her cheeks flushed as they made eye contact, both of them clearly remembering the contents of their last reunion. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came when she thought about his hands squeezing her ass while his mouth devoured her and licked every last drop she could spare. He gave her what she defined in her mind as the orgasm of her lifetime, and then he just left like nothing happened.

“What the fuck happened to your arm?” He thundered, taking a few steps forward that made her walk further back into the apartment.

She blinked and glanced down at herself, cringing slightly at how weak and miserable this cast made her look. It didn’t help that he had disapproved of her airspeeder from the moment he saw it.

“Don’t get mad,” she prefaced, “Okay? It already happened, so…”

“What. Happened.”

“You have to promise not to get mad first.”

“No,” he snapped, taking off his helmet and setting it down on her table, “Tell me what happened. I’ll decide if it makes me mad or not.”

“It definitely will,” she remarked, smiling nervously at him.

He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his jaw while coming up to her until they were chest to chest. Her smile widened as she stood on her tip-toes to kiss him, just a simple peck that he immediately took further with a rough hand in her hair. Pulling her closer, he ravished her lips and breathed in her scent before breaking away to repeat his question. Still dazed by how intensely he just kissed her, she braced her good hand against his chest and took a tiny step back so she could look at him more clearly.

“I got in an accident,” she admitted, “My airspeeder broke down while I was driving and I crashed into someone’s apartment. It was like a movie. Really dramatic.”

His eyes flashed with surprise. “I told you to get rid of it.”

“Well, it’s gone now.”

He clenched his jaw, biting back a remark that placed the blame on her because he knew that she wasn’t at fault. Of course, she shouldn’t have bought that shitty speeder in the first place, but he was more concerned about the injuries she must have sustained from this accident. A broken arm wasn’t all, that was for sure.

“Are you okay?” He asked in an aggravated tone.

“Yeah, I’m okay. I can move around fine,” she reassured him while walking toward her kitchen area and asking, “Did you eat yet?”

“No. I just got back,” he told her, turning around to follow her movements with his eyes.

“Okay. Sit down,” she said over her shoulder, “I have some leftovers from yesterday you can help me finish.”

“No. You sit down,” he disagreed as he came up behind her to pull her away by the waist.

“Stop saying no all the time.”

“No.”

She laughed and glanced up at him. “I missed you.”

His lips parted as he tried to think of what to say in response. “I missed you, too,” immediately crossed his mind, but he felt strange about admitting that. Even when he was focused on his mission, he kept her in the back of his mind. Imagining her face before stepping off the ship and readying for battle was dangerously distracting but also oddly motivating. He liked to think that he had something to come back to. Someone.

“I wasn’t gone for that long,” he found himself saying.

Leaning her head against him, she replied, “It felt like a long time.”

He swallowed the nervous lump in his throat and tangled his hand in her hair. “Yeah. It did.”

They were silent for a moment, just taking a breath in each other’s proximities before he told her, “I’m sorry…that I wasn’t there. You must have been scared.”

Realizing he was talking about her accident, she nodded and turned her head toward him again.

“I was, but it’s not your fault. I should have listened to you.”

And I should have been there, he thought to himself with a burning pit of frustration in his stomach, I should have been there for you.

“Is it just the arm?” He asked, shifting her body so she could face him fully while examining her.

“My ribs, too,” she sighed, “I think I’ve expended my stock of bacta patches this week. I took some from the hospital, but I haven’t been there in a while.”

“I was surprised you were home when I came,” he said while walking toward the door to her confusion.

“Yeah, I got a few days off because of this—Where are you going?” She furrowed her eyebrows and tried to follow him, pausing at the entrance when he stepped out.

“I’ll be back. Stay here,” was all he said before letting the door shut.

“Oh-kay…” She muttered, “Good to see you, too.”

She vaguely remembered climbing back into bed again and dozing off, only to be reawaken when she heard the same knock from before. Yawning profusely, she let Wolffe back in again and was surprised to see that he had a bag full of…stuff. For her. Her eyes widened in surprise as she looked up at him.

“You didn’t have to…” She trailed off when he sat down in the nearest chair and tugged her closer, tentatively lifting her shirt so he could see her abdomen.

She held the bunched fabric in place to keep her chest covered, blushing slightly from this slight exposure. But then she remembered that he literally went down on her the last time they saw each other, and she realized this wasn’t even close to embarrassing. Standing between his legs, she watched him carefully unravel her bandages that she should have replaced a few hours ago but felt too lazy to bother. Her skin was still bruised and swollen, but this ugly appearance didn’t faze him from sticking new patches on her and wrapping her up once again. The bacta substance immediately soothed her irritating pain, the cold numbness tricking her into believing she was already fixed up and brand new.

“Thank you,” she said, “I feel better already.”

He kissed her stomach, erupting an avalanche of butterflies inside of her. “Stop getting hurt.”

“Okay, Commander.”

“Hm.”

She unexpectedly pulled his cheeks and laughed at how silly he looked before he twisted himself out of her grip with a scowl. About to offer the leftovers she was planning to ready for him, she closed her mouth when he asked, “Can I use your shower?”

“What?” She blinked, “Yeah, of course. I have spare toiletries in the first cabinet on the left. But I think my shampoo might be a little…floral for your taste. Not that there’s anything wrong with—I don’t know, you just strike me as—“

“That’s fine,” was all he said, feeling disgusting and desperate after his mission.

That was nothing new, though. He always spent way more time than necessary in the shower after returning from a long trip on the road, convinced he could still see the blood and dirt in his skin no matter how hard he scrubbed it all away. Tossing a brief “Thank you” when she told him to leave his clothes outside the bathroom so she could throw them in her laundry machine, he slipped inside and passed the mirror as quickly as possible.

He wasn’t sure when he remerged after his shower, but he saw his blacks and underwear already draped across one of the dining table chairs. His armor was shoved underneath, the rag beside it indicating to him that she had attempted to clean away some of the filth but eventually (or quickly) gave up. Scanning his eyes across the room, he saw her tucked into bed with her broken arm crossed across her chest and her lips slightly parted. If this accident was the only way she could rest, then he wasn’t sure how she managed to get through each day normally.

Upon drawing closer to the table, he noticed that she had also left a covered plate of the leftovers she must have been talking about before. It was slightly cold from the time he spent showering, but that didn’t change the fact that it smelled fucking amazing. Not even five minutes later, his stomach was full again and he was standing over Evangeline’s sleeping figure while wondering if she would mind him slipping into bed with her. Just to nap, as well. He was exhausted.

Fuck it, he thought to himself before sliding under the covers next to her. As soon as his head hit the pillow and his side pressed into hers, he was asleep and dreaming about everything until his mind was blank with nothing at all.

Evangeline woke first, having fallen asleep before Wolffe. She didn’t realize he was in bed with her until she opened her eyes and sat up, accidentally pressing her hand against his chest. Her heart lurched when she felt his cold, hard skin that was only exposed because he wasn’t wearing a shirt. Great. No, really, it was great. She shifted closer and stared at him, laughing softly when she noticed how rigid he slept. He always stood at attention when he was awake, but this seemed to remain true even during his calm slumber. His body was so straight while his hands were clasped over his torso like a corpse.

Or, maybe he was just afraid to touch her.

She quickly dismissed that thought and traced his face with a light finger that barely grazed his skin. He didn’t stir, allowing her to continue observing him without his perception or awareness. It was so nice to just be with him again after the intermission where they were apart. She felt like the show of her life was resuming again now that he had returned.

“Stop staring at me.”

Startled by his low, raspy voice, she blinked and pulled away slightly. He cradled the back of her head without opening his eyes and brought her back down beside him. Their bodies shifted, placing her face in the crook of his arm as her back collided with his front. They were lying on their left sides so that she didn’t put any pressure on her right arm, which she instinctively held in the air out of fear. Trusting that he wouldn’t do anything to hurt her and knowing how careful he was, she relaxed into his hold and sighed.

“I wasn’t,” she told him.

“Sure.”

She pressed her face into his arm and smiled, happy that he was awake and talking to her. Suddenly overcome with the urge to sink her teeth into his massive bicep, she did just that.

“Ow,” he grunted, “What’d you do that for?”

“You’re so bitable,” she replied as if that made sense.

She heard him inhale a deep breath through his nose before he pressed his lips to the crown of her head. He spoke into her hair when he told her, “Don’t go to work for the rest of the week.”

“I’ve already taken too much time off.”

“But I’m going to be here.”

He tried to sound casual about it, but he was really hoping she would be able to spend time with him during his time on Coruscant. She lifted her head and turned over, lying on her back as her legs sprawled across his body.

“Okay, then, but I still have to attend my classes,” she said.

“Alright,” he agreed.

His eyes were open now, looking up at the ceiling until he propped himself up on his elbow and suddenly dipped his head to kiss her. She was startled but kissed him back, holding his face as he braced his hands against the mattress and fisted her sheets. Reminding himself that she was still injured and he needed to be gentle, he slowed down and took her bottom lip between his teeth. Her breath hitched as he drew it out before releasing it, only accelerating when he slid a hand across her stomach. She tried to squirm away, causing his gaze to harden into a firm glare.

“Come closer,” he demanded.

“Okay,” she said defensively, still trying to remove his hand from her stomach. He didn’t like that, though.

“What’s wrong?” His voice was a little quieter now as he searched her expression and found some embarrassment behind those dark eyes.

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit.”

She thought about her sister upon hearing this, remembering their conversation from before. Bullshit, June had said in a similar tone. Was Evangeline just that easy to read? A pang of guilt shot through her heart when her mind further lost itself to their argument before. Like all the other times they had sisterly disagreements, they just acted like nothing happened the next time they spoke. Remembering the topic at hand, though, and not wanting to talk about her family to him anyway, she poked his stomach with a shy smile.

“You’re so fit,” she murmured, “I can’t compete.”

He raised his eyebrows. “We aren’t in a competition.”

Laughing, she shook her head and splayed her entire hand against his abdomen. “I just feel like you’re out of my league.”

He nearly choked on his breathing upon hearing this, not believing she actually said those words with such certainty.

“I’m not,” he said, “I’m a clone. You can walk down to base and find me at least a thousand times.”

“That’s not true,” she shook her head, “You’re right here.”

His heart began beating against his chest more aggressively at this soft but meaningful distinction that very few people still maintained with this new Empire. The only other person who made him feel different and whole—besides his brothers, of course—was long gone. Wolffe hadn’t even received the chance to say goodbye, only hearing on the radio that his former general was executed for treason just like all the other once-renowned leaders of the Republic. He often cursed himself for thinking about this man, who was now a stranger and not meant to be mourned. Even in this moment, he knew not to let his mind stray.

“I’m not out of your league,” he eventually told her after some silence, “And…I see nothing wrong with you. I don’t feel it, either.”

She turned to kiss him on the cheek, which she now should have known wouldn’t stop there. He turned over and caged her into the bed with his entire figure, planting his hands on either side of her head to keep himself upright and not crush her. Their lips didn’t break apart from this shift in position, only sliding against each other hungrier and more desperately. She moaned into his mouth when he pushed his tongue through her lips and began touching her inner thighs, teasing her with this rough invitation.

“Fuck,” he groaned, pulling away and burying his face in her neck, “I have to stop. You’re injured—“

“I’m okay,” she whispered, drawing circles along his back with her fingernails.

“No. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t.”

He laughed humorlessly, chilling her spine with curiosity. When he lifted his head and looked down at her, his eyes black pools of haunted and smoky desire, he saw the question in her expression that he could only answer if he really gave in all the way. For some reason, the idea (and actual experience) of him making her come wasn’t nearly as daunting as fucking her exactly the way he fantasized all the time. There was nothing casual about sex to Wolffe. It was an all-or-nothing decision that most people didn’t match his energy about.

But maybe he could just give her a sample. 

He dipped his head to kiss her again, starting off slow and careful with the brush of his lips. The pace of their lips parting and meeting quickly picked up when she dug her fingers into his arms that were still keeping him propped up. He deepened the kiss, releasing a low sound from the back of his throat when their tongues slipped and slid over each other the more comfortable she became. She paused to gasp when one of his hands snuck under her shirt and began rolling her nipples before tugging. He kissed her harder when she cried out, pressing her deeper into her pillow while sucking on her tongue feverishly.

Her hands left his biceps and ghosted over the hem of her shirt, causing him to pause and pull away for just a breath. Their lips were still grazing over each other as he registered what she was thinking about doing. Before he could say anything, she was shuffling her shirt over her head and pushing it off to the side. They breathed heavily as they stared at each other, both of them topless now. His eyes dropped from her face to look at her chest, the sight nearly turning his limbs to jelly. Even though he had felt them in his hands, nothing would have prepared him for seeing the real thing.

“I know it’s not very impressive,” she murmured, thinking about how she could be bigger, slimmer, so many things.

But Wolffe wasn’t thinking about any of that.

“You’re beautiful,” he said, not even realizing he had said this aloud.

Her lips parted slightly as her cheeks warmed, seeing the sincerity in his hooded stare.

“Kiss me,” she whimpered, and his mouth was on hers again.

He shifted her body a little higher so she was slightly on an incline. She wondered why he did this until he aligned their hips, rubbing his hard length right against where she was throbbing for him. They could both feel each other’s need through the thin barriers of the fabrics that covered their bottom halves. She gasped and spread her legs wider, inviting him for more. He cursed under his breath and intensified the kiss, closing his lips over hers and dragging his tongue out with each instance they pulled apart. Not wanting to jostle her ribs too much, he thrust his hips against hers as slowly and softly as possible while still creating heavy friction that made her moan against his lips.

The bed shook with this dry-humping that was growing increasingly fast, despite Wolffe’s efforts to control himself. There was no way she wasn’t in pain right now, but she kissed him harder and whimpered louder whenever he tried to pull back. He grunted in her mouth as his release threatened to pump through him, the sudden pressure sending tremors all over his body. Blaming the short amount of time it took for him to get there on the fact that it had been a while since he had done something like this, he shifted his face to kiss her neck.

“Wolffe—“ She whimpered, “I—“

“I know, Angel,” he whispered, using the heel of his hand to rub her clit.

“Oh—“

She gasped and bit her lip as her release hit her unexpectedly fast, vaguely hearing Wolffe groan through his climax. His body convulsed and jerked, threatening to collapse on her from the sudden exhaustion that weakened his limbs. Still aware of her injuries that he probably just made so much worse just now, he rolled over with a pained grunt. His back hit the mattress as he caught his breath, not even caring that she just made him come in his pants like an amateur kid. He couldn’t find a single fuck to give, especially when she shifted closer to him and kissed the scar on his face while also panting heavily.

“Did I break your ribs all over again?” He rasped.

“Worth it,” she shrugged, not even knowing the answer to that question.

“I think I’m going to have to do your laundry again,” she added while taking a peak at his wet underwear.

He laughed under his breath and pulled her into a soft embrace before kissing her on the mouth slow and sweet.

“Worth it.”

Chapter Text

Evangeline knew how to deal with her own nightmares that woke her in a sweating, crying mess when they consumed her sleep. Instead of returning to bed, she would simply make herself a cup of tea and put on a movie that could help her forget about this resurfacing trauma through laughter. Oftentimes during her childhood, when her little siblings experienced similar terrors during the night, she would hold them in her arms and fill the quiet space around them with soft singing that eased their hearts. But then she left them to fend for themselves, carrying some of that darkness beyond her control. The heavy baggage she couldn’t rid herself of remained in her closet like all the other skeletons that haunted her.

She quickly realized that she wasn’t the only one who struggled to let go of the past. Sometime in the middle of the night, many hours after she and Wolffe had their little moment of fun, she felt the lack of a familiar weight on the other side of the bed. Sitting up and rubbing her eyes that were adjusting to the dark room, she found Wolffe on the edge of the mattress with his head in his hands. He was breathing heavily, but not like before when they were kissing and dry-humping. With a sinking heart, Evangeline determined his fear through his trembling shoulders and struggled gasps.

“Wolffe?” She whispered, tentatively touching a hand to his back that was slightly damp.

He lifted his head in a startled exhale, realizing she was awake. She couldn’t help the flash of fear that struck her nerves when he looked at her over his shoulder with an unfamiliar glint in his eyes. It was more than the irritation or grumpiness she was used to and not afraid of. This was something more violent and bloodthirsty, a projection of whatever he had woken up from just before. For a moment—just one, tiny moment, she thought he was going to hurt her. She was scared that he would do something she never actually believed he was capable of.

Removing her hand, she tucked her knees into her chin and watched him closely. Her flight or fight instincts were itching to take over, even though her heart was screaming at her that this was Wolffe. No one else. Despite knowing the capabilities and the extent of his strength, she felt safe around him for a reason. Why wasn’t that processing right now? He was clearly in need of a comforting presence and a listening ear. Frustrated with herself, she closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath before meeting his stare once again.

“Are you okay?” She asked quietly, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m fine,” he said a lot weaker than he would have preferred. So, he cleared his throat and repeated, “I’m fine” in a louder voice.

“Go back to sleep,” he told her when she didn’t say anything.

She hesitated before reaching a hand out slowly, using it as a barrier between them at first. When he remained still, she cupped the side of his face where his cybernetic eye seemed to be twitching in remembrance of something. Carefully swiping her thumb across the line of his scar from side to side, she leaned forward and waited for any signs of apprehension or refusal. He merely stiffened for a moment but relaxed into her touch when she kissed him softly, letting their lips linger over each other without taking anything further.

“Not if you’re staying awake,” she said in reference to what he just told her to do.

A muscle ticked in his jaw as he turned away, not responding to this. Understanding that he didn’t feel like talking, she copied his position and swung her legs over the bed so they were sitting hip to hip. She was somewhat glad that he was quiet right now because she wasn’t sure what she would do if he was suddenly reactive or unpredictably angry. But then she felt guilty for thinking this, knowing that his silence was just a reflection of his pain. It was hard balancing her desire to take away his sorrows while also protecting herself from the possibility that this could backfire on her.

“Go to sleep,” he repeated firmly when she laid her hand over his.

“Only if you do,” she replied.

“Evangeline—“ He stopped, realizing he just called her by her real and full name for the first time. To her face, at least.

She smiled, realizing this as well. “I don’t think I’ve heard you call me that before. Even though you said that you would.”

“I never actually said that,” he corrected, recalling their exact conversation back at 79’s.

“Whatever,” she dismissed, “You implied that you would, which was misleading.”

“I didn’t imply anything. I didn’t say anything.”

Knocking her shoulder into his, she scowled at him and braced her hands behind her to lean back. He was unmovable, not reacting to this other than a light shake of his head. She observed his backside in more detail as the moonlight shone through the window her bed was pressed against, illuminating the little Wolfpack tattoo on his neck. Remembering that he said he had “a couple,” she wondered where his other ones were.

Maybe now wasn’t the time to ask, though. Saving this question for another time, she looked down at herself and tried not to be surprised that she was also still topless. Her ribs were tightly wrapped in more bacta patches and bandages that were a little excessive, but Wolffe felt these measures were necessary. She couldn’t help but think that he was being overly dramatic, especially since they didn’t even have sex. Did he really think he was going to tear her in half or something? He seemed to think highly of himself in that light if he was convinced that he committed some sort of atrocity against her a few hours ago. Or, maybe, she just wasn’t taking her injuries seriously enough. She was too hormonal and attracted to him to care, though.

Berating herself for thinking about sex during this vulnerable moment, she leaned forward and planted gentle kisses along his back. He straightened his posture before turning around, taking her in his arms more aggressively than he intended. Burying his face into her hair, he just held her and tried to calm his breathing. She pressed her lips against his chest and continued kissing him, gasping softly when he hugged her tighter.

“Am I hurting you?” He asked, loosening his grip slightly upon hearing this abrupt noise.

“No,” she shook her head and wrapped her arms around his middle, “I like this.”

He sighed quietly and closed his eyes, not used to having someone by his side like this after his nightmares. If this was to occur in his barracks, which was the usual setting, he would isolate himself as fast as possible and take a long shower. Evangeline was comforting, though. Just her presence made it a little easier to breathe. Made it a little better to remain awake. Maybe it was because of how openly affectionate she was, which he didn’t really know how to replicate. It was obvious that she had her fair share of bottled-up problems just like any other normal person, but Wolffe wasn’t sure if he was competent enough to handle that with her. Little did he know, she was having the same exact doubts about herself. Did two broken souls make a whole one together?

Resting his chin on her shoulder, he cast his eyes down to look at her bare back. Part of her butterfly tattoo was visible, the rest covered by the bandages that wrapped around her torso. Come to think of it, he had never seen the inked image in full. He supposed that would come with the gift of seeing all of her…one day. He couldn’t help but thank the heavens above—if they even existed—that she had gone this far with him. But at this moment, he realized that there were far more vulnerabilities than physical intimacy. Sometimes, the most difficult secrets were the ones from the soul rather than the skin.

“What’s bothering you?” She asked softly, “Don’t say nothing.”

The question was harmless and well-intended, but it sent a shock of annoyance through his veins.

“Oh, great. That’s what I was going to say,” he said sarcastically with a hint of bitterness that he knew she didn’t deserve from him, but he was still throwing it at her anyway.

“Wolffe…”

He sucked in a breath and released her from this embrace, suddenly realizing that being alone was the best course of action. What was he thinking? Ignoring her hurt expression when he pushed her further into the blankets, not hard but firm enough so they weren’t touching anymore, he stood and stalked toward her bathroom where he shut the door harder than he needed to. Back at the bed, Evangeline was swallowing the thick frustration in her throat and turning toward the window where she could see the stars dotted around the Coruscant sky. She tried not to fall asleep, remaining in her sitting position with her chin resting on her knees, but these efforts failed the longer he spent in the shower.

When Wolffe came out again, a bullet of guilt shot through his heart upon seeing her hunched over and asleep. She wasn’t even lying down properly, her head dipped into her knees uncomfortably. He closed his eyes and slowly opened them back up, suddenly overcome with a gnawing feeling in his chest that chewed at his lungs and organs like a parasite. Approaching her slowly, he didn’t understand why he felt afraid to reach out and move her body so that she was lying down properly. After inhaling a deep breath, he carefully wrapped one hand around her shoulder and braced his other against her back.

There was a distinct pause in his movements when he just allowed himself to experience the sensation of her in his hands. She was so soft and light, concealing the heaviness in her heart that he didn’t fully know yet. What he did know, though, was that he hurt her tonight. Once they were lying down next to each other again, side by side under the covers, Wolffe propped himself up on an elbow and stared down at her calm, sleeping face. The moon lit up her skin in an ethereal glow that fueled his temptation to touch her. So, that’s what he did. Lifting his free hand, he skimmed his fingers across her cheekbones and the frame of her face with gentle caresses that didn’t wake her.

“I’m sorry, Angel,” he murmured, knowing this didn’t even matter because she couldn’t hear. Saying the words aloud had no effect on anyone but himself.

Resting his head back on the pillow, he kept his eyes open and trained on her for the rest of the night. Not once did he return to sleep, only pretending when her alarm went off and she climbed out of bed to get ready for a long day of classes. He remained still when she kissed his temple before leaving despite the butterflies that flew about in his stomach from feeling her lips so tenderly. His heart clenched as her footsteps grew more distant until the front door shut, and he was alone in this apartment.

Evangeline returned from her classes in the early evening. She had decided to attend the morning lectures because she wasn’t going to work while Wolffe was still here. When she opened her front door, though, the apartment was empty. She quickly found a note on her dining table, presumably written by him. His handwriting was neat and pretty—a lot better than hers, actually. Most people didn’t have good penmanship because of the reliance on digital devices, but it made sense to her that Wolffe was capable of this. What wasn’t he capable of?

I’ll be back, the note said, On patrol.

She read it in his voice, imagining that he was saying it to her aloud. His absence didn’t feel so striking after that. Casting her eyes down a bit, she noticed that there was something else written below, but it was scribbled out so darkly that she had no chance of discerning what it was. Even turning it over, she saw that he did the same to the other side to erase any visibility from all angles. She wondered what he could have been hiding throughout her shower and all the way to the moment when she climbed into bed for the nap she thought she could take to pass the time until his return.

A few hours later, Evangeline slowly opened her eyes to the sound of someone’s deep and familiar voice just around six feet away from her bed. Stretching slightly, she turned over and saw Wolffe sitting at her dining table while talking to someone’s hologram. Her vision adjusted, allowing her to see who exactly was capturing his attention at that moment. It was another trooper, wearing a full set of armor that prevented her from discerning whether or not she knew him. She looked at Wolffe’s backside for a few minutes, sort of zoning out from her sleepy daze (but also checking out the muscles that strained against the fabric of his blacks).

When the transmission shut off, Wolffe turned around and noticed she was awake. He stood and pushed out of his chair, coming toward her at a speed that she couldn’t register until he took her face in his hands and kissed her. She was suddenly on high alert, melting into his body and reaching up to hold his arms as their faces tilted for a deeper angle. Her heart rattled in her chest from how slow and lingering this kiss consumed her, nearly convincing her that everything was perfectly fine. That this was a lovely dream, erasing the question of last night. But when his hands slid down her body to slip under the hem of her shirt, she pulled away.

“How did you get inside?” She asked, trying to steady her shaky voice.

He peered down at her before sitting on the bed beside her. “Your password is on the fridge.”

She furrowed her eyebrows and glanced toward her kitchen, mentally slapping herself on the forehead when she saw the note pinned to the door with a magnet. The numbers “4321” were scrawled on it with no additional context, but Wolffe was sharp. Or perhaps Evangeline was just predictable. There might have been a mix of both of those truths in this revelation, now that she was thinking about it.

“Um…right,” she said, turning back to him, “I guess you don’t approve of that one either?”

“No.”

“I’ll change it to something better.”

“Will you?” He asked sarcastically.

“Yeah, sure,” she nodded, “I’m open to taking suggestions, though.”

“I’ll think about it.”

She nodded again and smiled, standing to get a glass of water and soothe her parched throat. He exhaled a deep breath and leaned back, sweeping his eyes over her apartment before locking on her. Undoubtedly checking her out from behind, noticing she was only wearing a thin shirt and cotton underwear, he ran a hand over his jaw while losing himself to his wandering thoughts. His stare followed her all the way until she was sitting next to him again, sitting crisscrossed in front of him. Both of them took just one second to observe each other in silence, noticing how the day had worn them out differently with the same effect. Dark circles rimmed their skin under their eyes like shadowed half-moons of the same night that was currently upon Coruscant. He broke the silence with a question that prompted her to scoot closer.

“How were your classes?”

“They were okay. It’s kind of nice not going to work, actually. I always feel so drained from it.”

“Then why don’t you quit?” He questioned, realizing he didn’t fully understand her reason for working there alongside her studies.

She was planning to become a doctor, after all. Working as an assistant didn’t add anything to her resume other than good rapport with her colleagues and professors. So, juggling this now that the war was over didn’t really make sense to Wolffe. She was just making her life more difficult. Sure, she might feel loyal to her responsibilities—he definitely understood how that felt. But if she was so easily swayed to not go to work, did she really care about it? Nothing or nobody could convince Wolffe to miss a day of his duty. That was the kind of mindset that he believed made him a good soldier.

“I need the money,” she answered automatically.

He raised his eyebrows and said, “You told me you weren’t in it for that. It’s a bonus perk.”

She fell silent, realizing this as well. Suddenly remembering her conversation with June yesterday (and the fact that she hadn’t called like she swore she would), Evangeline grew red in the face and averted her gaze. It was embarrassing that such a response came so naturally without the need to think twice. And someone like Wolffe, who served his duty without any monetary gain for his entire life, would definitely look down upon that.

“I did say that,” she sighed.

He waited for her to elaborate, slightly thrown off when she changed the subject and asked, “What about you? How was your day?”

There was a pause in the conversation before he eventually said, “It was fine. Just a lot of telling people what to do and making sure nobody’s causing trouble.”

“Your specialty,” she smiled while leaning forward to tug on his cheek.

Wolffe’s hands itched to touch her and haul her into his lap, but he remembered how she pulled away just before. So, he stayed put and merely smiled back at her. It wasn’t every day when this kind of expression came so easily to him, but he just found his mouth curving beyond his control as she moved closer and looked at him with the sun in her eyes. She was shining in the low light that had fallen across this room, darkening their bodies into silhouettes. Still, he could see her. All he saw was her, really.

“I don’t know,” he couldn’t help but reply.

“What do you mean?” She asked curiously, noticing a hint of vulnerability in his tone.

He inhaled sharply and shook his head. “Nothing.”

“You said that last night,” she frowned, “When it’s obviously not nothing.”

It’s not like you tell me everything, he thought to himself before saying aloud, “I get bad dreams all the time. It’s just the way things are.”

She nodded slowly in understanding and gently touched his face. “You don’t have to push me away when that happens. I’m here.”

“I know. I’d just rather be alone and deal with it myself.”

“I get that. I just want you to know that I care…and…I want to help you.”

He hesitated before wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer, noticing she wasn’t shying away this time. Kissing the top of her head, he told her, “You have enough people to take care of. Don’t worry about me.”

“It’s not like that,” she shook her head, “Do you really think that?”

When he didn’t respond, she straightened her posture and held the sides of his face in her hands. He expected her to say something immediately, pleasantly surprised when she kissed him first before pulling away to touch their foreheads together. His eyes remained closed as their lips brushed against each other from her quiet words.

“You’re my priority, too,” she told him, “The way I care about you…it’s different from how I’m supposed to care for my patients.”

“I would hope so,” he dismissed, “Or else I might think someone’s paying you to hang out with me.”

“Oh, well, this is awkward…You mean they didn’t tell you?”

She feigned a guilty expression, laughing when he narrowed his eyes and pushed himself forward to cage her into the bed. Somehow, they rolled over, and she ended up on top of him. Quickly collapsing onto his chest, unable to hold herself up from her currently useless arm, she shifted herself higher and pressed a quick kiss to his mouth.

“Kidding,” she teased before adding on a more serious note, “You believe me, though…right? You trust me?”

Smoothing a hand through her hair, he nodded absentmindedly. Maybe she just didn’t understand that his preferential boundary had nothing to do with his trust in her. There was just something disgusting and unpleasant about sharing feelings that made him feel weak. He found it easier to just keep things to himself. That was how he always handled his shit, and he didn’t experience anything alarming or out of the blue that would incentivize him to end this habit. Nothing about him needed to change, in his eyes. Even if the galaxy around him was rapidly swirling into something more unfamiliar with each day.

Noticing he had gone quiet, Evangeline simply observed his expression and discerned that he was deep in thought (as usual). Not wanting to disrupt him, she slid off his chest and curled up beside him where she held onto his bicep and occasionally squeezed the stiff bulge. He couldn’t help but think to himself that this felt good, causing him to wonder where else she could touch him so carefully but also firmly—a balance that rightfully mixed pleasure and pain. Instead of saying anything, he closed his eyes and breathed quietly, only speaking when spoken to in response to her curious questions and comments about his responsibilities today. His heart and soul both felt at peace, leaving the noise from the outside world to focus on her.

“Can you stay the night again?” She asked before backtracking, “We should have dinner, too. Can you stay for dinner?”

“Yeah.”

“Which one?”

“Both.”

“Great,” she said happily.

“Do you have classes tomorrow?” He asked, realizing tomorrow was the weekend. He vaguely knew that there was one day of the week when she had a break from her studies.

“No,” she answered, “I usually take tomorrow to run errands at the market, do laundry, clean…”

“You do not clean,” he interrupted, “This place is always a mess.”

“Not true! Look at it right now!”

“That was me.”

Her mouth snapped shut as she turned over out of spite. He rolled his eyes and shifted closer, pressing his frontside against her back in a spooning position as his hand snaked around her waist. She tried to squirm away, but there was nowhere to go but the wall. Besides, his strength had her pinned down, sending an alert reminder that she would be powerless against him if things came down to that. But why would she think that? She would never have to fight against him—he would never hurt her. She remained quiet, angry at herself again for letting her thoughts intrusively convince her that she couldn’t trust him. Wolffe was not like that. He was not violent. He was not angry.

He was not her father.

“Fine,” she eventually conceded, not wanting to make this moment awkward for no reason, “Honestly, we make a pretty good pair. Men who know how to clean make the best husbands.”

Suddenly, her blood ran cold from this stupid outburst.

“I mean—Not that we’re—I’m just trying to compliment your—I’m just trying to express my gratitude for your help around here!” She stammered, the volume of her voice rising and falling through this sentence as she tried to scramble for something to say.

“You’re welcome,” was all he replied, suspiciously unfazed by her slip-up.

She opened her mouth to change the subject, her words flowing into an exhale when he began kissing her neck. This started off gentle and harmless but quickly picked up into something slow and languorous, building heat in her stomach from the hungry pressure of his lips. She turned around to face him, quickly consumed with a real kiss as he lifted his head and locked their mouths together. He nipped at her bottom lip when she grabbed his back and squeezed, for no reason in particular other than the fact that he wanted to. His teeth were rough and sharp against her flesh but not enough to draw blood.

Pulling away for air, she touched his face and said, “You’re a good kisser.”

He raised his eyebrows at her, flicking his gaze between her swollen lips and her wide eyes.

“As opposed to someone else?” He asked, pressing his thumb against her bottom lip.

“I meant in general,” she replied as her cheeks colored a darker red.

“You’ve kissed the general population?”

“What? No! I meant—Never mind.”

She pushed her face into his chest, embarrassed to have said anything at all. The corner of his mouth quirked up before he laughed softly, pressing his lips to the top of her head.

“Kidding,” he murmured, stealing her words from before.

“Very funny.” Her voice was muffled, but he still heard the amusing aggravation from it.

They embraced in silence for a few minutes as their hearts thumped with the essence of the life they breathed back into each other after a long day for both of them. Wolffe hesitated before asking, “Do you…want to watch something?”

She pulled back and looked up at him. “Yes.”

He told her that she could choose what to watch, which prompted her to show him all of the many space operas she had downloaded on her datapad. This led to a tangent he only interrupted to pick the film himself, realizing she was being indecisive about such a choice. Even though he enjoyed this lovely, quiet movie night, he spent more time looking at her than he did the projector. Often times, his eyes would stray to her lips, and he would think about what a good kisser she was, too.

Chapter Text

Evangeline opened her eyes to the sensation of hands wrapping around her throat, but there were no monsters in her dark room. Just her mind. She tried to breathe normally, remaining still as her heart pounded in her chest like the fists that plagued her dreams. When she turned her head to the side, she saw Wolffe sleeping soundly in the same corpse position he seemed to naturally fall into. Trying to replicate the steady rise and fall of his chest, she felt more grounded in her present reality than her gnawing past. She thought about waking him, wanting to hear his soft voice that so wonderfully gentled his rough exterior. Or, maybe, he wouldn’t speak at all. He could just take her in his arms and kiss her bruises away, which was better than a conversation in moments like these.

But she didn’t, pulling her hand back upon observing the calm flutter of his eyelashes. His face wasn’t molded into a scowl for once, naturally smoothing out from the peace and quiet of his sleep. She hoped he wasn’t having a bad dream like last night, leading her to believe that they were on an alternating schedule of some sorts. It was strange to put it that way, but there had to be a greater reason for the fact that she experienced another one of her distant nightmares exactly a day after he did. Maybe there wasn’t, since most things were just coincidental.

If this was intentional, though, she missed yet another opportunity to open the doors she closed in her mind to save her sanity. The knobs kept rattling from the other side, threatening to unlock everything she kept hidden for so long. She truly believed she could just build another wall and install more locks on those memories, but those efforts didn’t change the reality that they still remained inside of her. Brushing this off, she checked the time on the wall and noticed that dawn would arrive in less than an hour. The night sky outside looked more blue and black now, confirming this theory.

She didn’t want to return to sleep, afraid she might lose herself to something more intense and unpleasant than before. Rising like the early bird she forced herself to become, she found herself at the lower market districts in the next hour. The usual vendors and shops that set up along the streets were already there, welcoming their regular customers and tempting new ones. As she perused the stands she normally frequented, she fell into many conversations filled with small talk that made her forget about the dream she came here from.

“Let me see your license,” a familiar voice spoke from behind her.

Evangeline turned around, momentarily expecting to see the man from her bed. But this trooper wasn’t Wolffe, not just literally. Upon hearing his voice in more detail, she realized he didn’t harbor the same confidence or dominance that distinguished Wolffe from his brothers. Perhaps this trooper was just tired, as it was far too early to be checking seller permit, but she was certain that nobody compared to the commander who was convinced he wasn’t anything special. To her, he was everything.

“Of course,” the Rodian behind the stand said, “Here.”

Evangeline watched the trooper scan his license before staring at them warily and continuing on to the next vendor. Turning back to their conversation, she asked, “Is this a new policy or something?”

“You haven’t heard?” He replied, “We all had to apply for seller permits. Things get pretty nasty when they find out you don’t have one.”

“Really? But these markets have been around forever.”

“Yeah…you remember Marlee, right?”

“Of course,” Evangeline nodded, “I don’t think I saw her today. Is everything okay?”

“Not really. Last time they did these inspections, she didn’t have a license—she was still waiting on one—so they told her to pack her shit up and leave. She didn’t want to, though, so they arrested her. Dunno where they took her. Haven’t heard from her since.”

Evangeline’s eyes widened as she recoiled in shock, not expecting this turn of events from a simple mistake.

“Are you kidding? When was this? I didn’t know…” She trailed off, making room for some people coming up behind her.

The Rodian tapped his chin before answering, “Earlier this week. You wouldn’t have heard about it. These incidents are too commonplace to be reported all at once.”

“No…really? I can’t—“ Evangeline stopped and took a breath, “Poor Marlee. She was always so lovely.”

“Yeah. Her replacement came quickly, though. Everyone’s trying to make a living,” the Rodian told her while gesturing his head toward a flower stand in the distance.

Evangeline followed this direction and frowned, feeling conflicted. She didn’t see anything wrong with abiding by the new rules, but there were times when catching up to this protocol was difficult. Rushing these transitions only ruined certain lives that adapted slower than the norm—like Marlee. The woman was elderly and sweet, not one to hurt a fly. Not to mention that she always prepared a fresh and free bouquet of flowers for Evangeline whenever she stopped by. Today was supposed to be one of those days, but it wasn’t.

She suddenly remembered what she told her sister the last time they spoke. Just stay out of trouble. Of course. There was no time nor energy to spare in thinking about other people’s mishaps. This Empire simply didn’t tolerate stragglers. She couldn’t do anything about that, unfortunately. Was she entitled to her own opinion about whether or not that was right? She didn’t know. What she knew was that this galaxy was changing and there was no reason to fall behind now.

“I should get going,” Evangeline said quietly, forcing a smile, “But it was wonderful seeing you.”

“You too, Miss Sterling. See you next week—Take care of that arm!”

She smiled and waved goodbye before continuing down the road, stopping in front of the new flower stand that replaced her old friend. The vendor was occupied with some other customers, but she didn’t mind and simply observed the available assortment. She didn’t realize that someone approached beside her, placing their bodies in parallel until she turned her head and widened her eyes.

“Wolffe?”

He didn’t look at her and merely gestured to the vendor for the permit. It wasn’t until he performed the same scan as the trooper from before that he lifted his head and stared at her through his helmet. She couldn’t even see his face, but she felt that sharp gaze and hard line of his mouth. He was still staring at her while handing the vendor her license back, shifting his body to face her fully with his arms folded over his chest.

“Good morning,” she squeaked, already knowing that he was annoyed at her for a reason she didn’t know until he spoke in a voice that sent goosebumps across her skin.

“You left without telling me.”

She opened her mouth and closed it, not knowing what to say. He almost sounded sad, catching her off guard.

“I thought I could come back before you woke up,” she told him after a beat, “But I guess you have work to do, too.”

“Leave a note next time.”

“Will do, Commander.”

He rolled his eyes under his helmet but also smiled, glad his expressions were private at this moment. Her attention shifted when the flower vendor asked if she needed assistance, to which she responded, “Oh, I’m just looking. Thank you, though.” Busying herself with this observation, she didn’t notice Wolffe still watching her until she glanced at him over her shoulder. Even though his face was concealed, she knew his eyes were right on her. They didn’t speak, just magnetized by each other presence while also maintaining an invisible boundary that might have looked curious from an outside onlooker.

Evangeline suppressed the urge to reach her hand out and touch him, knowing they were in a public space where even their conversation could appear suspicious. Instead, she carefully adjusted her bag slung around her shoulder, wishing her left arm was more useful in the functional absence of her right. Unbeknownst to her, Wolffe was also faced with the temptation to close the distance a bit more and help her with her belongings. But they had to remain estranged in the passing eyes.

“I’ll see you later?” She asked softly so nobody else could hear.

He nodded and watched her leave as the crowd consumed her. It wasn’t until she turned the corner at the end of the street that he lost sight of her, causing him to turn his gaze back to the flowers she was looking at. His observation was cut short when he heard some radio chatter on the comms, bringing him out of his trance. And just like that, he was walking in the opposite direction of her. This divergence reminded him that they weren’t a socially acceptable pair or a real couple by normal standards. Their double act had to remain behind the curtains, never revealed on stage to a willing audience.

For as long as their duties remained frozen in this chilling galaxy’s shadow, this truth would prevail over their love.

“Wow. You’re gorgeous.”

Evangeline took one step forward so that she and Wolffe were chest to chest—literally. He was shirtless and standing in the middle of her apartment, watching her closely as she set her datapad down on the table. His expression was neutral until she wrapped her arms around his middle and squeezed, hugging him instead of doing whatever she claimed she needed his body for. Lifting his arms, he returned her embrace before tilting her face up for a slow kiss. She stood on her tiptoes to take his mouth deeper as her head spun with a dizzy spell that warmed her insides.

“Are you gonna tell me what this is all about?” He murmured against her lips when they broke apart.

“Just a project for school,” she answered between another kiss, “I didn’t actually need you to take your shirt off. I guess you do have an obedient side.”

He pulled back and paused before shaking his head. She could have sworn that she heard him laugh, but her ears might have been deceiving her. Her eyes weren’t, though, catching the amused smile that curved his slightly swollen lips.

“Obedient, huh?” He rasped, grabbing her hips and pulling her closer.

“Mhm,” she nodded and ran her hands down his body until she was just ghosting over his underwear.

He closed his eyes and pretended he couldn’t feel her nimble fingers teasing him to get more naked than he already was. His blood was rushing with anticipation and heat, dangerously building lower and lower the more she looked up at him. The round allure in her eyes was too enticing to resist, but she had a project to do. He didn’t want to distract from the task at hand.

“Get your work done,” he told her, “And then we can see how obedient I really am.”

She parted her lips in surprise, still not able to keep up with him during these kinds of conversations. Cheeks reddening, she stepped back and began rambling about the project she claimed she wanted to go above and beyond on. Not only was she fighting for a top mark, but she also sought recognition from the Empire in thinking about how this could shape her career. She had asked him to undress, but she only really needed his brain. Most of her classmates were focusing on gene theory or the heart, so she thought she could stand out and learn something about the mind.

“And…I fit into this…how?” He asked slowly, taking in all this unfamiliar information at once.

“The Kaminoans are pretty secretive about how they made you guys,” she shrugged, “If I can figure some things out for the Empire, maybe I’ll get a good grade.”

“Only if you’re okay with this,” she added quickly when he stared at her, “You can tell me if you’re not. I don’t want to do this if you’re—“

“I don’t care. I just don’t think there’s really anything interesting going on up here.”

“That’s where we disagree.”

She smiled and took him by the hand, sitting him down at the table where she began attaching nodes from his head to her datapad. They fell into a slow conversation that paused when she needed to concentrate, slightly unfamiliar with the software that she downloaded for this project while praying it wasn’t malware in disguise. She needed to delete most of her movies for the storage, as brain scanning usually required machines much larger than a simple screen that could fit in her hands.

“This would be a lot easier if I had access to the labs at the hospital,” she sighed, “But I don’t have the clearance.”

“I might.”

“Really?”

He caught the excitement in her tone and turned his head to meet her eyes. “Maybe. No promises.”

“Okay…I guess you wouldn’t approve of breaking and entering after hours then?” She suggested tentatively, tracing his collarbones with the same teasing gentleness as before.

“Did you just admit to me that you’d commit a crime?” He replied roughly, yanking her in front of him.

She pretended to quiver in fear, locking her wrists over each other in a fake handcuff motion. “Oh, no. Arrest me, Commander!”

Again, that weird coiling heat in his stomach returned. He pushed it away and set his jaw, staring at her with a firm scowl that only increased her amusement.

“Enough,” he grumbled, “Can you focus? This is your project.”

“But you’re so handsome,” she said playfully while sitting in his lap.

She encircled her arms around his neck and squealed when he seized her waist between his rough hands. Bringing his lips close to her ear, he whispered, “Stop fucking with me. I’m not as patient as you think I am.”

“I don’t think you’re patient.”

She still wasn’t taking him seriously, grinning wide as she slowly pushed the last of his buttons. He narrowed his eyes at her and leaned closer, biting her bottom lip before kissing her roughly. Her focus was too centered on his hands slipping under her shirt and his lips devouring hers that she didn’t notice he had taken off the wires attached to his head somewhere in between this heated mess. When he lifted her up in his arms and circled her legs around his waist, though, she broke away and looked down at the floor.

“My project!” She exclaimed, turning her face back to his with wide eyes.

“Fuck your project,” he growled, taking her mouth in another kiss as he carried them a few steps backward where her bed was waiting.

A flare of excitement shot through her body, straight toward the center of her desires when they fell into her sheets still kissing and touching each other frantically. Soon, her shirt and shorts were off, leaving them in a similar situation of clothing. All of a sudden, Evangeline wasn’t thinking about her project. She was thinking about how they were going to take care of the bulge settled between her legs, the sheer size and weight convincing her that it was going to tear through the fabric barricading them from truly feeling each other.

Wolffe sat up, pulling her into his lap again as she straddled him. Looking down between them, she couldn’t help but frown at the unfairness of how his abs remained solid and taught while her stomach pooled out a bit like jello. Again, she thought about how she couldn’t compete. But when she glanced up at him and met his eyes, she realized that she didn’t have to.

“I don’t know if I can keep this up for much longer,” he murmured as his large hand traveled up her stomach and between her breasts before gripping her throat lightly.

Her lips parted into a soft gasp of approval, already loving this rougher side to Wolffe. His hands didn’t feel like they could hurt her, reassuring her heart that she wasn’t as damaged and broken as she thought she was. Despite her worries and fears that occupied her mind sometimes, she was certain that she was safe in this moment. She could tell from the look in his eyes that told her how much he wanted her but also how much he cared about her. There was never anything to be afraid of when he was here, with her.

“Keep what up?” She asked quietly, leaning forward to brush their lips together.

Instead of answering in words, he closed the distance and slammed his mouth to hers, swallowing her surprised moan in a rough and needy kiss. His lips devoured hers with sucks and bites and long strokes of his tongue that she felt everywhere—but between her legs, most of all. Trying to return this just as hard, she sucked his tongue into her mouth just like he would always do to her. He made a low noise from the back of his throat and flipped them over in one breath so that she was beneath him. Yanking his mouth away, panting heavily, he peered down at her with a stare that grazed her entire body.

“Not having you all to myself,” he answered, causing her to remember what they were talking about just before. It had gotten lost in translation through their kiss, but she quickly realized what he was referencing.

“You do,” she told him, reaching up to cup the scarred side of his face, “I’m yours. I think…I have been for a while.”

His heavy-lidded eyes narrowed further as he took in her words. Before he could respond, she was sliding her hand down to his underwear and curling her fingers around his length over the fabric. He couldn’t stop the grunt that escaped his mouth, mixing with a pained gasp that made her eyes widen.

“Fuck,” he cursed, dropping his head into the crook of her neck.

She wrapped her arms around him and brought him closer, not even caring that she was still recovering from her injuries. He was leaving Coruscant in a few days, and she wanted to take the next step with him now. There was no telling when they would see each other again, scaring her but also motivating her to spend as much time with him as possible during this period of rest. It wasn’t just the quantity of this reunion, though. It was also the quality.

“I want to make you feel good, too,” she whispered in his ear, “Will you teach me?”

He sucked in a breath as one of his hands fisted the sheets by her head. All that control and discipline he thought he had mastered was slowly slipping away, erasing the honor and dignity she was tugging at. But she was asking so nicely. So politely.

You’re so polite, he had told her after he had just made her come on his tongue for the first time, It makes me want to ruin you. When he lifted his face and looked into her eyes, he saw the response to that remark even though he hadn’t said it aloud. Ruin me, she was telling him. No, not telling. Begging.

“You’re still injured,” he reminded her, “I don’t know if this is a good idea. There’s nothing gentle about the way I want to fuck you.”

The aching throb between her legs only heightened at this warning. She lifted her hips a little and rubbed against him, moaning softly when his gaze hardened and he thrust against her. They were still fully clothed while also hot and wet for each other.

“I’m fine,” she said softly, “They sent me a new prescription the other day. It’s no speed healing chamber, but it works a similar way.”

“You better not be lying to me right now—“

“I’m not! I swear—do you think I want to break my ribs? It really hurt the first time.”

He looked at her closely with a slightly tilted head before lowering his mouth to kiss her again. This time, he took her by the wrist and slowly guided her hand down to his underwear. Her fingers passed through the fabric until they were touching him. She couldn’t see, keeping her eyes locked with his, but she could feel just how massive he was. Her hand didn’t even come close to wrapping around the entire thing when he instructed her to. Continuing to follow his quiet commands, she swiped her thumb across his head and spread his pre-cum around before pumping the ridiculously long length a few times. Her movements were excruciatingly slow, causing him to close his eyes and release a low groan.

“You’re teasing me all day,” His chest heaved in angry breaths.

“So do something about it,” she murmured, slowing down even more.

His eyes snapped open as he pulled her hand out and pinned her down. His entire hand wrapped around her forearm as he pressed her further into the mattress, using his other hand to touch her through her underwear. She moaned and arched her back, seeking more friction—more of him. In a swift, ripping sound, her underwear was gone and he was plunging two fingers inside of her. Crying out, she fisted the sheets and begged, “Please. More.”

“I’ll give you more,” he said roughly, pulling his fingers out while moving backward.

She pressed her thighs together at the loss of pressure and looked up at the ceiling, catching her breath from that momentary feeling of whatever he had in store for her. Before she knew it, he was yanking her toward the edge of the bed and pushing her legs up so that her knees were almost touching her shoulders. She was being spread apart, bearing her entire body to him. There wasn’t an inch of her that he couldn’t see anymore, and that was exactly what he wanted.

“I’m going to fuck you,” he decided, staring down at her with heavy resolve, “But I have some rules.”

She straightened her legs out a little and propped herself up on her elbows, looking up at him in curious question. “Of course you do.”

He squeezed her thighs, the intense glower in his eyes indicating that this wasn’t a time to joke around.

“One. I’m in control,” he said darkly, “I need to know if you’re okay with that.”

“I’m okay,” she nodded, genuinely trusting him with her entire body and soul.

That wasn’t easy, especially for her. She wasn’t used to knowing that someone would handle her with care. Despite the circumstances of this situation, she knew she was safer than ever. Not only was she willing to give up full control of him, but she wanted him to lose control over her. She so desperately needed to unravel this rigid commander and see just how disciplined he really was.

He nodded back. “Two. We don’t fuck until you come first. Always.”

“Okay,” she breathed, suddenly feeling the anticipation, “These aren’t bad. Not bad at all.”

He seemed to notice her nerves and smoothed a gentle hand over her hair as he concluded, “Three. Both of us have to be on the implant. I’m not risking anything.”

“I have it,” she said to his slight surprise, “I got it just in case, you know, but—“

She paused, shaking her head and stopping herself from rambling at this moment. There was nothing sexy about going on about her story with birth control in front of the man about to take her virginity.

Oh my gosh, she thought to herself, He’s about to take my virginity.

“Are you having second thoughts?” He questioned, seeing the shifting expression on her face, “Because if there’s even a small part of you that doesn’t want to do this—“

“I want to,” she blurted quickly, “I’m just scared. But that’s normal, right? I mean…were you scared? During your first time?”

She stopped, suddenly upset to have even brought that up. It wasn’t actually a big deal that he had been with other women before her—how many that might be, she didn’t know—but it still felt unfair that he was her first everything (almost) and she…well, what was she? To him?

“I was drunk,” he answered dismissively, pushing her legs up again so that her knees were at her shoulders and she was spread wide, “And it doesn’t matter. You’re the only one who matters to me.”

Her stomach somersaulted as she tried to form a response, but her words turned into a moan when he pushed his tongue inside of her. He held her trembling legs apart with strong hands, fucking her quickly and desperately with his mouth as he curled his tongue inside of her before dragging it back out. He sucked on her clit, flicking it around almost playfully. Whimpering loudly, not even caring how humiliating she sounded, she squeezed his head tighter with her calves as the familiar sensation of an impending orgasm burned in her lower stomach.

“Wolffe,” she cried out, unintentionally bucking her hips into his face when he licked the sensitive area behind her clit, “Oh, please—I need—“

His hands sought out her ass, kneading the flesh slowly like he had all the time and patience in the galaxy at his disposal. He slowed down, swirling his tongue around her entrance instead of slipping inside. She could’ve sworn she felt his lips curve against her into a sadistic smirk as her moans and whines grew more restless, shamelessly begging him for more. Shaking all over, she exhaled a breath when he continued his pace from before, devouring her until she was coming all over his tongue. When he pulled away, he was licking his lips and carefully leaning over her to brush some hair out of her face.

Catching her breath, she stared up at him and ran a finger down his scar like a teardrop. He caught her hand and kissed it before shifting over her in the bed again with her knees still spread out and drawn to her chest. She felt his tip graze her center which was still pulsing from the aftershocks of her orgasm, provoking a soft moan that made all of this feel more real than ever. If she wasn’t fully conscious of this moment before, she certainly was now.

He planted his hands down on either side of her face and looked down at her, asking for one last confirmation. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yes,” she whispered, “Are you?”

His eyes flashed in surprise at this question. He hadn’t expected her to seek this affirmation from him.

“Yeah. I’m sure.”

He dipped his head to kiss her neck, not wanting to admit that he was scared as well. Wanting this to be good for her, he willed himself not to come in two strokes like a fucking amateur. She whispered his name absentmindedly, prompting him to lift his head and crush his mouth to hers. She kissed him back before moaning breathlessly, suddenly feeling a lot more stretched out than usual. Unsure why tears were welling in her eyes, she tried to steady her increasingly fast breathing as he slowly pushed into her inch by inch.

“Does it hurt?” He asked through a pained gasp while lacing their hands together and pinning her arms into the mattress over her head.

She squeezed his hands before going slack, trying to formulate a response through her nervous whimpers. He kissed her forehead and murmured, “Breathe. We’re not even halfway there yet.”

“Are you serious?” She snapped, her voice still breathy and strained, “Why are you so big?”

His chuckle turned into a groan as he continued pushing inside of her, trying to hang onto his last thread of patience for her sake. He paused when he was fully inside of her, meeting her eyes that were fluttered shut until she realized he was looking at her. Tightening her hands in his, she looked up at him and gave him a shy smile that sent waves of butterflies cascading down his chest to his stomach. Her heart was racing with the same nervousness, but it was also thick with an abrupt emotion that she didn’t recognize. There was something strange about this moment that made her feel all sorts of things at the same time, and she didn’t know how to handle it. Her thoughts were interrupted when he slid back out of her achingly slow, maintaining heavy eye contact that burned into her soul.

“Is there something I should be doing?” She whispered carefully.

“No,” he grunted, “Just stay like that.”

“Okay—“ She gasped when he slid into her a little faster than before, arching her back.

“How does this feel? Tell me.”

“It’s—good—Oh—“

She was a moaning, writhing mess through this patient rhythm that contrasted his warning from before. There’s nothing gentle about the way I want to fuck you. Observing his tight, trembling body towering over her, she concluded that he was holding back because he didn’t want to hurt her. She understood this, but she was done with that kind of control from him. This could be a new opportunity for both of them, it seemed.

“More,” she whimpered, “You can do whatever you want. Stop holding back.”

His gaze hardened as he tightened his hands around hers. “Don’t.”

She shook her head and rolled her hips upward, defying his order from before even though she knew he was in charge here. He sucked in a breath, groaning louder when she locked her legs around his waist and pushed him deeper. This sudden sensation hurt, causing her to cry out, but the exhilarated burst of satisfaction that shot through her told her that this was exactly what she wanted. There was no pleasure without some pain. Most rewards in life come with a cost.

“Evangeline—“ He stopped and closed his eyes, “Fuck.”

“Stop holding back,” she repeated before adding, “Please, Wolffe.”

And just like that, the line that tethered Wolffe to the last of his control snapped like a flimsy twig. He suddenly slid out of her and flipped her over onto her stomach with zero effort, pulling her toward the end of the bed again where he stood on the floor and bore over the sight of her backside. Her tattoo was completely bared to him, the butterfly wings spread out and convincing her that she truly was the angel he saw her as.

“On your knees,” he commanded, “Ass in the air.”

The hairs on the back of her neck stood as she obliged, pressing her face and chest into the mattress while lifting the rest of her body on her knees. She gasped when he palmed her ass, instinctively arching her back before glancing at him a bit nervously. He gave her a look that said, last chance, but she didn’t waver from this challenge. Pinning his eyes to her pussy, he slid his hands across her waist and slammed into her without warning. She saw stars for a moment and shoved her face into the mattress, releasing a scream that shocked both of them.

All she could think was how full and incredible he felt despite the stings of pain she felt through his faster fucking that still didn’t feel like everything he could throw at her. Still, she couldn’t complain, especially when she was finally hearing something more than those restrained grunts and groans. He was almost as much of a mess as she was, moaning deeply and cursing under his breath with his head thrown back and his eyes squeezed shut.

She lifted her face to moan, “Wolffe…I’m going to come…”

He chuckled, suddenly focused and razor-sharp to her words. “I don’t think so. We’re done when I say we’re done.”

She gasped softly when he grabbed her again and turned her over, locking his ankles around his neck as he slowed down like before. This angle felt deeper and more compromising, folding her body and giving him access to her insides. So many scientific reasons for the different sensations this position provided ran through her mind, all disrupted when he pulled out completely and replaced his length with his fingers. She moaned in apprehension, shaking her head while trying to express that she wanted his cock.

“No,” she whimpered, “I want…”

“What do you want?” He taunted, “Tell me.”

He drew his fingers out slowly before pushing back in, knowing exactly what she was too afraid to ask for. Still, he enjoyed unraveling her dignity just like she did to him.

“You know,” she breathed, reaching up to grab his arms, “Don’t make me say it.”

“Mmm, that’s too bad, then.” He removed his fingers, too, leaving her hanging for a moment, “I do love a good girl with good manners.”

She squeezed her eyes shut as her core throbbed with need, the raw sensitivity too much for her to handle but also not enough. Inhaling a deep breath, she looked up at him and said, “I want to come.”

“You can do better than that,” he tsked, leaning over her and brushing their lips together.

“I want you to fuck me with your cock and make me come,” she begged, “Please, Wolffe.”

He smirked in satisfaction before taking her lips between his and pushing into her again. She dug her fingers into his biceps as he filled her up just as perfectly as before, her mouth falling open with a loud gasp from this slow but hard pace that he maintained with every snap of his hips. When he increased his speed, though, keeping the intensity the same, he began hitting a spot so deep inside of her that her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

“Ohh,” she moaned when he hit it again. And again. And again until she was crying out from her release that she couldn’t even preface to him through her frenzied mind and frantic body. Perhaps that lack of warning was better, though, so that he couldn’t chase off her orgasm again. He slammed his mouth into hers harder as he came, too, emptying all of his release inside of her along with the exhaled groan that escaped his chest. Bracing his hands on either side of her head to prevent him from collapsing on top of her, he unraveled her legs from his shoulders and straightened her out.

She was panting heavily and covering her tear-streaked face, waiting for the stars to disappear from her vision. When she opened her eyes and met his concerned stare, she couldn’t help but smile and try to sit up. He stopped her, his gaze dropping lower to the spot between her spread legs.

“You’re bleeding,” he said regretfully.

“It’s okay,” she breathed quickly, calming the rapid rise and fall of her chest as they both came down from their highs, “That’s normal…I just—Maybe some water—“

Her words trailed off when he lifted her up and carried her to the bathroom where the lights blinded them for a moment. She held onto his arm as he ran a small towel under warm water, leaning against him when he turned around and began cleaning the sore spot between her thighs. The white fabric was colored red, but that wasn’t as alarming to her as it was to him. Quietly explaining to him the reason for the blood, she watched his body lose its nervous trembling over the course of her reassuring words.

Still, she could tell that he felt guilty for what happened just now. Even after he finished cleaning her up and she sent him away so she could use the bathroom, he appeared uneasy while throwing her sheets into her laundry machine and replacing them with new ones. It was hard to convince him that she was okay, but she didn’t complain when he dressed her in comfortable clothes and brought her a glass of water as she asked. He also asked if she was hungry, to which she responded that she was sleepy.

Once they were curled up together in bed again, lying down side by side while looking into each other eyes, Evangeline felt a wave of emotion catch her throat. She reached forward and touched Wolffe’s face, cupping his cheek and kissing him softly.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, unsure why she felt the urge to cry when she also felt so happy. Above everything, though, she felt the need to sleep.

“For what?” He asked with a little bitterness in his tone, still thinking that he was too rough with her tonight.

“For going this far with me. It was definitely more of a milestone for me than it was for you, but—“

“You don’t know that.”

Her lips parted in surprise as she processed his words. Shifting closer, she melted into him when he wrapped an arm around her waist and hugged her.

“I haven’t slept with someone in years,” he admitted quietly.

“Really?” Her eyes were wide as she stared at him, “But you were so good.”

He paused before laughing, pressing his face into her chest. She suspected that he was hiding, leading her to realize that this stoic commander also experienced embarrassment. How cute.

“Yeah, but it doesn’t matter.”

“You keep saying that. What do you mean?”

“Because,” he lifted his head and met her eyes, “You’re the only one who matters to me.”

That again, she thought as she recalled their conversation from earlier.

“You’re the only one who I want to go this far with,” he continued, “And I’m not stopping here.”

“How exciting,” she yawned, nestling herself into his body, “I look forward to that...”

He rolled his eyes, unable to hide his smile as he pressed his lips to the crown of her head.

“Good night, Evangeline.”

“Good night, Wolffe.”

Chapter Text

Wolffe couldn’t sleep a wink. Not once did he close his eyes, despite Evangeline’s quick transition into her dreamless and exhausted slumber. She clung to him and slept peacefully, all while he tortured himself with terrible regret.

It wasn’t that he wanted to take back what they just did. No, he was planning to keep this moment very close to his heart. He just couldn’t stand himself with the realization that he had fucked her like a plaything when she was injured—not to mention that this was her first time. No matter how much he convinced himself that he tried to control this urge, it wasn’t enough to ease his turmoil. In his perspective, the fact of the matter was that he took things way too far regardless of whether or not he attempted to resist. So many thoughts crossed his mind in a chaotic whirlpool as he cursed himself and imagined all the ways he could have made this better for her. Sweeter, softer, and safer. That was the kind of experience she deserved. The time he should have shown her.

Scrubbing a hand over his face, he sighed and cast his eyes down to look at her. There was no doubt that she was so heavenly beautiful, more celestial than any star currently constellating the night sky. And after feeling exactly how their bodies fit together—how wet and warm she was around him—he tried to recall what good deeds he must have fulfilled throughout his life to be gifted with someone like her. He felt an aching, swelling comfort in his chest the more he skimmed his eyes and fingers over her figure. One of her hands was curled around his arm, holding him like an anchor through her unconsciousness that was still conscious of him.

Her breathing had remained steady, which he was making sure of as the minutes passed into hours. He had scanned her injuries more times than necessary, confirming what she told him earlier that her ribs were doing fine. Whatever weird, newly manufactured pill she was taking to mend her bones seemed to be working as she promised. It was her arm that was taking longer to heal, probably because of the difference in severity. Still, he worried. He worried all night that he fucked this up, not knowing that her mind was consumed with completely opposite feelings.

When she woke up in the morning, she found herself smiling and stretching out like she had all the time in the world. Wolffe was already gone, presumably soldiering like he always did, but he left some traces of his presence behind. As she sat up and rubbed her eyes, she looked at the dining table where she unexpectedly saw her vase in the center and filled with water. But that wasn’t all. Her heart began to race when she caught sight of the fresh, pink lilies that she was certain she saw at the market yesterday. She tried to stand, her legs immediately giving out as she braced herself against the bed with a sore ache in the middle of her body. At this moment, she realized that she would feel him everywhere for a while, at least in the coming days. She managed to shuffle toward her table where she could see the flowers up close before picking up the note he left behind right beside them.

I’ll be back late tonight. I’m sorry. Check the fridge.

Her eyes paused over the apology that looked like it was written slower than the all of the other words. The ink was darker and pressed more firmly into the paper as if he was imprinting its meaning—not just its sound. There was an unusual guilt laced into this note, but she didn’t understand why. Anyway, both of them had long days ahead of them. She needed to attend her classes and submit her project’s proposal—

“Fuck!” She exclaimed, slapping a hand on her forehead.

It appeared she had forgotten all about this assignment that would precede a long research journey ahead in order to graduate and receive her license to practice as a doctor. She just hadn’t expected to be so exhausted after all of that last night. Instead of waking up in the middle of her sleep to do her work like she thought she could, she remained deeply dormant until…what time was it? She looked at her wall frantically, her stomach dropping into a pit of doom. It was past noon. It was late. She hadn’t overslept like this in more than a decade. And, what’s more, is that she had never felt this rejuvenated despite the slight soreness around her body. Her spirit was awakened—was that normal? What was different? Hardly anything except for the fact that she felt closer to Wolffe than ever now. There was another layer of trust added to the bridge that bound their hearts together.

She turned the note over in her fingers before setting it back down, glancing at the flowers as a shy smile curved her lips. This was…romantic. It was sweet, soft, and safe, gentling the passion and heat she enjoyed equally as much last night. Her expression turned wistful until she shook her head, remembering the responsibilities he distracted her from. Well, it wasn’t his fault, but it kind of was because he was so him. Sighing, she got ready for the day as fast as possible while trying not to hobble around like an idiot who just got fucked into the next century. Her steps were slowly paced when she left her apartment after eating the breakfast Wolffe left in her fridge, but she quickly realized she needed to speed things up if she was to fix this mess she got herself into. Late assignments were one thing. The project that her degree was relying on was another.

There was only one person she knew she could ask for help in this case. So, instead of taking a public airspeeder to her classes, she asked the driver to take her to the Grand Imperial Medical Facility.

“Sterling, this is serious. I’m not supposed to pull strings like this,” Dr. Bell told her sternly, “Especially not now. They’re watching.”

Evangeline looked around at the empty room, causing the doctor to shake his head.

“Not in this literal moment, at least…I hope, but now is less of a time than ever to make mistakes like this. And anyway, this isn’t like you. You’re always on top of your responsibilities. That’s why I hired you.”

She cast her eyes down to the floor and shifted on her feet a bit, trying to control the shakiness of her legs. Dr. Bell muttered something under his breath and crossed the room, typing some madness on one of the many interconnected screens that occupied this side of the lab. Apparently, the Empire wanted him to do less patient care and more research. He wouldn’t tell her what exactly he was doing for them, but it seemed like that was because he didn’t understand it either. There were just so many questions raised and not enough answers these days.

“I know,” she apologized while trying to follow his movements that were much too quick for her current state, “I’ll admit, this week hasn’t been very productive for me…”

In some ways, she thought to herself before refocusing on the conversation at hand.

“…And I don’t want to use my accident as an excuse. The new prescription you sent me has been working really well—“ She continued, stopping when he snapped his head up and looked at her.

“Prescription? What prescription?” He interrupted, suddenly apprehensive.

A momentary flash of shock stung her body before she replied, “The one you sent me a few days ago? It was inspired by the chamber, apparently. I can almost feel my bones fusing together again. It’s weird, but it’s working—“

“I didn’t approve that. I told them to wait until we did more testing.”

She parted her lips in confusion, suddenly afraid that she had put something in her body that she wasn’t supposed to. Dr. Bell noticed her fear and shook his head, coming toward her with a reassuring smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes.

“It works fine, and it’s safe. I can guarantee that,” he prefaced before explaining, “But I asked them to wait. I like to be more than one hundred percent sure, as you know.”

“Why didn’t they wait if that’s what you told them to do?” She asked quietly, already knowing the answer to that.

All power structures have changed with this new Empire. Maybe Dr. Bell’s influence here was also beginning to crumble. She didn’t like to think of that as a possibility, though. If she couldn’t rely on him, who else? There were hardly any people in this facility who were truly on her side. That was all the more reason to develop the rapport she struggled with during the Republic’s era. If this Empire could see her as someone other than that worthless rat from Corellia she shoved in her closet—the version of herself that she killed—then she could swim while everyone sank.

“The Imperials do what they want. I’m just here to do their bidding,” he said bitterly.

“You’re one of them,” she disagreed, “We all are.”

Dr. Bell raised his eyebrows at her. “I still have yet to decide that.”

“Decide…?” She repeated, furrowing her eyebrows quizzically.

“Yes. That is something the Empire cannot take from me.”

He walked away from her at that, causing her to believe this conversation was unsuccessful and over. But, when he turned around just before exiting the lab, he met her eyes once again. She was able to observe him in more detail, noticing the deeper wrinkles that were lining his face. His hair also looked grayer and thinner, too. But still, there was nothing dull about his expression or his voice.

“I’ll inform your professors that you are still conducting preliminary research on Kamino for your project. You best go there now, so this doesn’t prove to be a lie,” he told her firmly.

“Thank you,” she breathed, “Thank you—“

“I want your proposal by tomorrow, no later than noon.”

“Of course. Thank you.”

Evangeline left the hospital in a blur, taking a random transport that she only was able to board because Dr. Bell negotiated something with the Imperial officer in charge. She spent the whole day in Tipoca City scouring their archives, focusing on the clone trooper’s brain composition, but none of the information was ever complete. It was like they were hiding something, just that one missing puzzle piece she had to brush off because she couldn’t get bogged down now. There was such little time left. She was so focused on this, remaining silent for hours as she read and typed away that she didn’t notice that something was off. The whole facility was off.

Things were being packed away and loaded on transports, which she didn’t realize until an officer entered the archives where she was trying to remain out of sight. It wasn’t that she couldn’t be here—she had received permission from Dr. Bell that translated to the higher-ups—but she thought it was just better to avoid all conversation in case they found a problem with her presence. She was right because she was quickly being approached and asked to leave.

“I’m here on behalf of Dr. Matthew Bell from Coruscant,” she slightly lied, “Our research—“

“Yes, that’s nice. I’m afraid my request still stands, young lady. You’ll be escorted out of the facility and taken back to Coruscant immediately.”

She frowned, knowing she had to comply with this while also wondering what was happening. Not wanting to ask this unfriendly-looking Imperial, though, she quickly packed up her things and let one of the Kaminoan guards walk her toward the hangar where a transport was waiting. So many troopers marched across the space in zigzags that distracted her vision from the fact that this facility was being decommissioned. It was obvious with the way ships were being loaded with large containers while military personnel were following this transition. She tentatively tapped the guard escorting her on his shoulder and asked, “What’s going on?”

“Don’t know. We were just told to get everyone and everything useful out of here.”

She couldn’t tell if he was lying for the sake of privacy or if he was just as confused as she was. Nodding in understanding, though, she remained silent on the ride back to Coruscant and just continued writing her proposal with the readings she was able to download. Again, she was too focused on her own tasks and thoughts that she missed what was occurring around her. The signs pointed toward a greater issue that the Empire sought to keep under wraps as tightly as possible. They didn’t think she was any threat to this operation, though. She was just a student. A medical assistant among an infinite number on Coruscant. She could not unravel what was going to be done, that was for certain.

Nine hours later, in the middle of the night, Tipoca City was reported to have been destroyed by a cataclysmic storm.

Evangeline heard this on the radio that she had kept online during her work, as she was just finishing up her proposal all hunched over at her table. When she heard this news, though, her posture shot up like a bullet. Eyes wide and alert, she turned the volume higher and heard the static noises of the comms on this Imperial channel that she only had access to through her employment. She didn’t normally listen to it, but she found herself replugging the wires and awakening the device as if her subconscious was telling her to pay attention tonight. Like a gut feeling that indicated something was wrong—but what? Now she knew. Tipoca City was gone, even though she had been there just hours ago.

Her stomach began to hurt with a clenching anxiety that she didn’t understand. Trying to make sense of all of this, she listened carefully and heard the details of the storm that drowned the infrastructure and remaining citizens who inhabited this great city. It didn’t make logical sense—everything in Kamino was built to withstand such harsh weather conditions that occurred every day. She shook her head at this doubt because the Empire wouldn’t lie. But then she thought about how everything was being packed and transported away like they had been anticipating such a dramatic exit.

Eyes glazed over with uncertainty and conflict, she quickly regained her composure when she heard the familiar beeping of her keypad. She stood and shuffled to the front door where Wolffe was already emerging, his expression slightly grimmer than usual. He exhaled as she embraced him, tightening his arms around her when he felt that she was trembling.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, his voice rougher than he intended.

“Did you hear? About Kamino?” She could barely speak, her words getting caught up in her throat from the overwhelming reality of it all.

“Just now.”

She thought about saying something—how she truly felt about this whole situation—but she didn’t at first and just returned to her seat at the table while avoiding his stare. When he sat across from her, she reached over and covered his fisted hand with hers. They finally met each other’s eyes, allowing them to see the tired fondness they shared after this long day. She released a breath and stroked her thumb across his skin gently while saying, “I’m sorry. It must be a lot…your home…”

He was silent, clearly much more overwhelmed than her about all of this. After all, he had much stronger ties to Tipoca City than she did. Where she felt admiration and inspiration, he experienced the early memories of his childhood—what little he had of that period of his life, at least.

“You want to say something else,” he observed, “Say it.”

Shaking her head, she pretended to be confused. He saw right through this, though, and switched their touching hands so that he was holding hers now. Squeezing firmly, he repeated his command.

“Say it.”

She pursed her lips and said, “Wolffe, I don’t know…”

Waiting for her to continue, he drew his hand back and crossed his arms over his chest. He didn’t expect her next words, having assumed she was thinking about something completely different from this accusation that she was now throwing out into spoken finality.

“I don’t think it was a storm. Logically, at least,” she whispered.

“So what was it?” He asked sarcastically, not wanting to debate the cause of what destroyed the closest thing he could consider as his home.

But even then, it wasn’t really, making all of this more frustrating than he wanted to feel.

“I was there earlier today. They were packing and transporting everything away…” She trailed off and thought about it before coming to the conclusion, “Like they were decommissioning the place.”

“You were on Kamino? Doing what?”

“Research, but that’s beside the point. The point is—”

“Stop,” he interrupted, “You know what you’re suggesting, right?”

She closed her mouth and stared at him, wondering if he really wasn’t planning to hear her out on this. It was ridiculous, but…

“If we look at the facts,” she swallowed the lump in her throat, “It feels too coincidental that the day they empty out the place, a storm wipes it all out. You weren’t there, but—”

“So, you think they’re lying?” His voice was raised now, freezing her body for a moment as memories began to resurface.

For a moment, her eyes blurred from her mother’s voice tearing her eardrums with raw and horrific screaming that was purely rooted in her own miserable rage. And then, Evangeline felt her father’s hand as he told her, “Apologize to your mother, you fucking brat.” When she blinked and took a breath, all of that was gone, and she saw Wolffe again. But the fear lingered the more he hardened his gaze at her.

“No,” she said quickly, reaching forward to take his hand reassuringly, “I didn’t say that. I don’t think that, I promise. They wouldn’t—but—I just don’t know what to think of this.”

“Tipoca City is gone,” he snapped, “It’s done. It happened. There’s nothing else to think of it.”

“You don’t mean that,” she frowned, not knowing how to ease the sadness in his eyes that he was trying to shove away.

“I do mean it. And for your sake, you shouldn’t say things like that,” he told her coldly, “You could run into trouble that you don’t want.”

“I didn’t mean anything bad,” she tried to explain, “I just have a few questions from hearing about this, is all. Like why they were decommissioning—”

“They weren’t decommissioning the facility, Evangeline—”

“You weren’t there! I was, and at the moment, I didn’t think anything of it. But now knowing what happened, I—”

“Enough,” he said, covering his face with his hands as he let out an exhausted sigh, “I’m done talking about this.”

She snapped her mouth shut and looked at him, remaining silent when he spoke once more.

“I’m doing my job. You do yours. We’re here for that.”

Looking down at her almost finished proposal that she was actually pretty proud of, aside all of this chaos, she nodded in agreement. Honestly, Wolffe was right. She always believed she was brought to Coruscant to fulfill her purpose in life regardless of the true, underlying motivations that her sister called out a few days ago during their call. Being part of the Empire didn’t change this truth—it only continued it. Realizing they weren’t on opposite sides of this argument, she stood and laid a hand against his cheek with a somber smile.

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to fight,” she murmured while bending to kiss his forehead.

He tugged her down, causing her to fall into his lap as he embraced her long and hard. They remained wrapped around each other as the radio faintly played in the background, now talking about something else. The entire galaxy had moved on from Tipoca City, just like that. It was dangerous to stay there and continue speaking about it. That was terrible territory to cross. So, most people didn’t. The ones who did, well…they were met with the consequences. Because good soldiers followed orders.

Chapter Text

Wolffe was considerably quiet even after easing his mood, leading Evangeline to suspect that he wasn’t thinking about their disagreement anymore because he was too occupied with the loss of his home. He was a bit more talkative during dinner, noticeably pleased when she expressed her gratitude and love for the flowers he got her early in the morning. But overall, he kept his words short. She understood this and kept her chatter minimal as well until he began asking her how her research was going.

After explaining the many stages she needed to go through in order to complete this process successfully, starting with the now-finished proposal due tomorrow, they ended up in her bed and under the blankets just holding each other. His eyes were closed as she traced the lines on his face and the slight dampness of his skin from his shower just before. Meanwhile, one of his hands was alternating between rubbing her lower stomach and inner thighs while he kept his head rested on his bent elbow. She ignored the tingling sensations from his touch and focused on how her soreness was being soothed after a long day of feeling like her legs were going to fall off.

Sighing, she told him, “That feels nice. Thank you.”

He opened his eyes and looked at her, the corners of his lips tugging into a frown. This confused her, so she touched his mouth before kissing him softly.

“What is it? Did I say something?” She whispered against his lips.

“No,” he shook his head slightly and slid his hand from her stomach to her lower back to pull her closer, “I…I’m sorry for last night. I took it too far.”

Her lips parted in surprise as she took this in, not knowing he felt like that. “What? No, I—“

Swallowing the growing lump in her throat, she averted her gaze from him and asked, “Do you have regrets now? I thought you said—“

“No,” he interrupted quickly, not wanting her to misinterpret his words, “No, it’s not that at all.”

“Then what?”

“It was your first time. It shouldn’t have been so…”

Suddenly embarrassed but not wanting to admit such an emotion, he pressed his mouth in a flat line and let the memories of last night speak for themselves. She blinked at him before laughing, pressing her hand against his bare chest so she could feel his heart rate increase. His eyes roamed over her face with a deepening intensity as both of them thought about the time they had. What a time it was, indeed.

“Don’t be sorry,” she reassured him, “I had a lot of fun. We have more in common than you think.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He rasped despite knowing exactly what she was insinuating.

She laughed again, a little nervously this time while squishing herself against his chest. “Nothing…”

He narrowed his eyes at her and squeezed her thighs, relaxing his hold when she winced and said, “Wolffe, I’m sore…”

“Fuck, I’m sorry, Angel,” he murmured into her hair before kissing the top of her head.

“It’s okay.”

She sighed and wiggled herself into his arms, smiling when he embraced her and began rubbing her back. His fingers lightly pressed against the tattoo that he knew the exact position of. Realizing that he was tracing the shape of the wings he committed to memory after seeing the full artwork last night, she perked up and asked, “Do you like my tattoo?”

“Yeah, I do.”

Smiling, she reached a hand over his shoulder and touched the back of his neck where his little Wolfpack logo was. “I like yours. Didn’t you say you have more than one, though? I didn’t notice any yesterday.”

He raised his eyebrows. “You didn’t?”

A hot blush crept through her cheeks as she remembered the sight of his naked body bearing down on her with delicious ferocity. Stammering slightly at the recollection, she shook her head and tried to regain her composure.

“Um, no. Can you show me now?”

He lifted the blanket a little and gestured toward his lower half, the specific location unclear. “Try to find it.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

Her face, neck, and ears reddened furiously as her eyes flicked between his body and his face. He raised his eyebrows at her, not backing down from this request. His bottom half was still clothed, but that would mean removing at least some of it to see where his other tattoo was hiding. Not wanting to disappoint him, and also quite curious herself, she reached forward with a tentative hand until her fingers were pulling down his underwear.

He held his breath as she slowly moved the fabric lower and lower, centimeter by centimeter until she caught sight of some ink near his hip bone. Ignoring his prominent v-line that was staring her in the face, she shifted his underwear to just reveal a short string of words written in Aurebesh. He kept his eyes trained on her, never wavering as she read what his tattoo said. Wait for me among the stars. She recognized this quote, causing her to pull her hand back and glance up at him with an amused smile.

“You’re such a nerd! Even I wouldn’t get Graveyard of Stars tattooed on me,” she laughed before remembering, “I thought you said it was too dramatic. Did you change your mind after we watched it or something?”

“I had this way before I met you.”

“So you lied to me. To look cool?”

“No,” he denied.

She gave him a pointed look and asked, “Is it your favorite or not?”

“It is. But I was entitled to withholding that information.”

“You just wanted to look cool. You didn’t want to admit we have the same favorite movie.”

He scowled at her, only growing more annoyed when she started laughing harder. Pushing him playfully but hardly having any effect on his current position, she began teasing him to no end in this conversation. Even though he tried to appear indifferent, he couldn’t help but feel refreshed from this casual banter. Everything was always so serious these days—including him, of course. But there was something missing from the dynamic of his old battalion from the war. They weren’t just squad mates or colleagues or whatever. They were best friends. Brothers in arms.

Now, it all felt a bit emptier. Nobody joked around. Nobody laughed, even just from time to time. Nobody dared to talk about anything other than the objective at hand. When did that change? And when did Wolffe start yearning for that element of “fun?” Even during the war, he was never really the spark of all of these silly conversations. But still, he enjoyed them. He missed them. Was that so hard to admit? Yes, it was. So, rather than express these sentiments aloud, he simply rolled his eyes and smiled at the source of the growing warmth in his heart.

She smiled back before asking, “Why did you do that line in particular?”

“I like it,” he answered in an obvious tone.

“Duh,” she rolled her eyes, “But it must be personal to you.”

He cast his eyes higher, looking at the window behind her where night had fallen over the city. Feeling vulnerable all of a sudden, he tried to come up with a response that wouldn’t reveal the soft weakness he didn’t want anyone—not even her—to know about him. She noticed the distance in his gaze, prompting her to slide a hand across his jaw and cup the side of his face with a reassuring hand that told him not to be afraid. Meeting her eyes once again, he released a soft breath and shrugged a bit.

“It has a romantic context from the movie…but it can apply to anything, really,” he explained slowly.

When she didn’t say anything, just observing him silently so he could continue, he pulled her closer and lowered his voice. Despite the privacy of this apartment, he felt the need to speak quieter.

“Maybe it reminds me of my life a little,” he murmured.

“In what way?” She whispered, “Who’s waiting for you?”

“A lot of people,” he answered, thinking about everyone he lost and had to go on without.

Her eyes softened in understanding as she leaned closer and slowly swiped her thumb back and forth across his skin. He stared down at her with a thick fog in his expression, seeing cloudy and blurred faces of those he never let himself forget. His throat caught when his memories shifted from the ones he shared with his brothers to the man he thought he locked away when the war ended. That familiar face, calm gait, and wise advice still haunted him, though. Sometimes, Wolffe wondered if he would have been able to comply with the order that changed everything if they had been together that day. He didn’t know why he doubted this in himself. All he knew was that everyone he lost was waiting for him among the stars. Even the ones he didn’t want to miss.

“What about you?” He suddenly asked, despite seeing that Evangeline had opened her mouth to reply.

“Your wings,” he clarified when she furrowed her eyebrows.

“I’ve always liked butterflies as a kid. We don’t see a lot of wildlife where I come from,” she answered, not realizing that she had pulled her body away a little.

“But it must be personal to you,” he repeated her words from earlier.

She laughed softly but not in humor, turning over so that she wasn’t lying on her side anymore but on her back. Looking up at the ceiling, she laced their fingers together and listened to the faint whirring of her fan in the background for a moment. Still not looking at him, she replied, “It’s silly, but I used to dream that I could fly away. Go anywhere I want.”

“Where did you want to go?” He stared at her, not understanding why she wasn’t meeting his eyes.

“Anywhere. But I guess I ended up on Coruscant.”

He was quiet so she turned her head toward him once again and added, “I didn’t think I would ever get a tattoo, you know. I’m scared of needles.”

“But…you’re in medical school,” he said in disbelief, “You’re going to be a doctor.”

“I don’t mind using them on other people, but I don’t like it when people do it to me,” she explained.

“Is that weird?” She asked when he paused to think about this.

“No,” he admitted honestly, “It’s about whether or not you’re in control.”

“Yeah, I didn’t think of it like that, but you’re probably right.”

“When did you get the tattoo? When you moved here?” He asked while pulling her closer again, disliking how far apart they suddenly became.

“A couple years after, yeah. It hurt a lot—I think I cried the entire time,” she recalled with a nostalgic smile.

“Why would you do that to yourself?” His tone was less judgmental than his words, indicating to Evangeline that he wasn’t speaking with malice.

“I thought it would make all of this feel more official. That I really did fly away—which doesn’t really make sense. I mean, I took a transport here—the academy paid for my ticket. But it’s a metaphor, you know? Tattoos are supposed to be deep, or else people don’t understand why you got them.”

She stopped her rambling and shook her head, tucking herself closer into his side so that her face was directly pressed against his chest. Not able to see his eyes, she didn’t notice that he was swimming in so many follow-up questions that he had a feeling she would avoid. There was no evidence or explanation for why he felt like this—he simply believed that there were answers she wouldn’t provide him. Maybe because she would have already if she truly wanted to.

“What about you? When did you get these?” She vaguely gestured to the areas he was inked, “And why are they so tiny? I can barely see them.”

“That’s the point. I didn’t want them to take up a lot of space.”

“I see. You’re a minimalist.”

His lips quirked up into a brief smile. “Guess so.”

“One of my brothers probably did this one,” he added to answer her other questions while feeling the back of his neck with his free hand.

“And the other?”

He paused before telling her, “Just a random artist in the city.”

She heard the slight caution in his tone, causing her to look up and meet his eyes. Some gears began turning as her gut feeling connected with her mind.

“What?” He said when he saw her suspicious expression, “I’m serious.”

“Okay,” she nodded slowly, “So who was it, then?”

He raised his eyebrows at her. “Does it matter?”

“You’re obviously hiding something,” she pointed out, “Maybe it does matter.”

“I’m not—What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb. It’s written all over your face.”

Releasing an exasperated sigh, Wolffe snaked his hand up the back of her head and tangled his fingers in her hair.

“Don’t call me dumb,” he said gruffly.

She ignored the caution in his tone and gripped his arms, squeezing a bit when she replied, “Tell me!”

“There’s nothing to tell,” he scowled, “Enough of this.”

“You’re lying,” she insisted, “Is it ‘cause it was a girl? You can tell me. I won’t get mad.”

He stared at her before scoffing and averting his eyes, muttering something about how she was “fucking crazy,” but all she could think was that she was triumphantly correct in her suspicions. Once this settled in her mind, though, she felt a sickening nausea crawl up her body at the image of some other woman marking his skin—ink or not—especially in an area as intimate as that. How much did he have to undress for this tattoo? And what did she look like? What did she talk like? Why did he go to her out of all people? Did they know each other before?

Frowning, she tried to turn away but squealed when he grabbed her tighter and pulled her into him for a hard, sloppy kiss that intensified the ache between her legs. Tilting his head to the side a little, he was able to lock their lips together and deepen the kiss with a low sound of approval from the back of his throat. It had only been one day since he had her—one day since he had her for the first time—but he wanted her all over again when he heard her moan softly at the slow flick of his tongue over hers. He was so lost on why she was concerned about other women who didn’t even matter to him when it was her body in his hands and his heart beating against hers. Somewhere in the mix, he ended up on top of her as she wrapped her legs around his middle and whimpered at building pressure in the center of their bodies. Not wanting to crush her with his weight, he rolled them over without breaking the kiss and bit her bottom lip hard. She gasped and pulled away, breathing hard while staring down at him.

“I’m leaving tomorrow,” he rasped, “And you wanna talk about someone whose name I can’t even remember?”

“I was just asking,” she said defensively.

“Don't. None of it matters to me,” he grumbled before tugging her down for another kiss.

She braced her hands against his shoulders and parted her lips for him, believing his words from how he held and kissed her with resolved fervor. This kiss was slower and gentler, partly because he was in less control from this current position. Still, he used the hand fisted in her hair to move her how he wanted as he tasted what he could of her before all that was left was just a memory that he needed to wait to return to.

“What time are you leaving tomorrow?” She whispered when they broke apart for air.

Glancing at the time on the wall behind her, he said, “Early. In a few hours, actually.”

“Oh—you should have told me—We should probably go to bed now,” she realized aloud before asking, “Where are you going?”

He sighed and leaned his head back against the pillow completely, wrapping his arms around her to press her down against him. When he spoke, she could feel the vibrations from his chest and neck right against her skin. Even though she felt warm and safe, a shiver ran down her spine from the deep sound.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, “I didn’t read the briefing.”

“That’s not very like you,” she said, harmlessly poking fun at his usually rigid approach to his missions.

“It’s all the same anyway.”

The bitterness in his tone was alarming, especially after what he told her just a few hours ago. I do my job. You do yours. We’re here for that. Observing the look on his face, she realized that he was surprised at himself, too. Clearing his throat, he shifted her on the bed again and reached an arm back to switch off the last light. Once the apartment was dark and both of them were under the covers, Evangeline whispered, “Wolffe?”

“Hm?” He replied with his eyes closed. Even though he wasn’t tired, he thought some half-assed sleep was better than none at all.

“Thanks for spending time with me this week. I had a lot of fun.”

His heart skipped a beat at how soft her words and tone sounded against his ears which were largely used to screaming and blaster fire. That was definitely one of the reasons he liked being around her, which he now realized just from this one statement of gratitude that summed up how she felt during the past few days when he was here. He turned on his side and faced her, opening his eyes to look at her one last time before they both fell asleep.

“You don’t have to thank me. Just make sure you don't crash into another building by the time I get back.”

“I won't. You should be careful, too,” she murmured, “I wouldn’t want to see you when I’m on the clock.”

He smiled and closed his eyes with a slight shake of his head. “But you’re always on the clock.”

“Oh…you’re right. Silly me.”

His smile widened as his mind drifted away, vaguely hearing her quiet humming that was putting him right to sleep. The last thing he thought about before everything around him darkened and silenced were the wings on her back for some odd reason that he couldn’t pinpoint.

If you end up flying away, Evangeline, just be sure to take me with you.

The next day, Evangeline was devastated to discover that her proposal was rejected due to a reason that vaguely brought up Tipoca City’s destruction. It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since this entire civilization was sunk under the Kaminoan sea, but her professors were quite indifferent…as if they anticipated this turn of events? Evangeline didn’t want to assume that, thinking about what Wolffe said to her during their disagreement, but she couldn’t help but feel an eerie sense of dread as she clocked into her shift after a restful period of medical leave.

“Sterling,” her supervisor’s voice sounded behind her, “I thought I told you to bring your proposal here, to me.”

Evangeline turned around, immediately faced with a stone-faced Dr. Bell.

“I think I misunderstood,” she said quietly, “I thought you meant that I needed to submit it by today.”

He sighed and adjusted his glasses along the bridge of his nose. “No. I meant that I wanted to see it. I should have made that more clear.”

“It doesn’t matter,” she sighed while entering the medical bay with him, “They rejected it.”

“Of course they did. Tipoca City is gone. Your interests in the troopers’ behavioral mysteries won’t go very far anymore.”

Glancing up at him, Evangeline discerned the same indifference she heard from her professors’ identical tones back at the academy. She paused her step and shifted on her feet as the odd feeling in her stomach roared louder with the pounding of her heart.

“Doctor,” she said, grabbing his attention, “What’s all of this about? Is there something happening, or am I imagining all of this? This…I can’t even explain this feeling in my stomach—it’s nauseating, and I—“

She sucked in a breath and stopped talking, realizing she sounded like a psycho. Her supervisor pursed his lips and stepped closer to her, though, looking around before meeting her eyes.

“You feel it, too, then?” He muttered, “And here I thought I was crazy.”

The corridor was silent until he asked, “What did you see in Tipoca City yesterday? I sent you there for a reason.”

“You did?” She stammered, “I—I don’t know. I saw them packing away the labs and the barracks and…everything, really.”

Dr. Bell’s back straightened as if someone controlling him had pulled a string like magicians did to their puppets. He mumbled something to himself before speaking louder to his assistant.

“You’ll do this project with me, but no one will know about this. Do you understand?” He told her firmly.

Wavering slightly, she furrowed her eyebrows and looked around at the empty corridor. Even still, though, she didn’t feel alone. There was no such thing as that anymore.

“I don’t understand. It was rejected,” she explained, “I need to pick a new topic. I might do something about cellular modification—“

“You do that,” he interrupted with a dismissing wave of his hand, “But you and I are going to be unraveling some answers for the time being.”

“Answers to what?”

“What they’re hiding.”

The three words felt like a bucket of cold water being dumped over her head. Taking a shaky breath, she shook her head and said, “They’re not hiding anything. You can’t say things like that, Doctor—“

“You’re young, Sterling. Your eyes should be much clearer than mine.”

“I don’t—“

“Earlier this year, I asked you what it meant for you to work in this facility,” he said, “I’m not asking you to answer this now. But I will tell you what it once meant to me.”

“It was about saving lives,” he continued, “But now, I’m not so certain. Now, I believe I’m meant to play the part they have created for me. Perhaps if the knowing individuals appear oblivious, the group at large cannot anticipate its vulnerability.”

“What are you saying?” She whispered.

Dr. Bell peered down at his assistant through the top rim of his glasses.

“I’m saying that this is all wrong, and I cannot keep pretending it’s all right. How is it that the entire galaxy is blind to the things right in front of us?” He asked in a harsh, low tone that rubbed Evangeline an odd way.

Not because she thought he was being crazy, but because he was saying something more real than anything she had heard in a while from these parts of the galaxy.

“And what do you want me to do?” She asked quietly.

“Well, of course, I want you to be my costar. Smile for the camera, dear.”

He pointed at the surveillance at the end of the corridor, causing her to turn around and stare directly into the beady lens that was currently watching them like it always did. They were too far away for any sound to be captured, but just the fact that they had eyes and ears on them at all times made Dr. Bell’s words feel all the more frightening. And, he was right. This was all wrong.

“Could you answer just one question, Doctor?” She said while turning back to him.

“Of course, Sterling.”

Her heart raced and clenched as she willed herself to speak the words aloud. Lifting her chin to make eye contact, she asked, “Did you know Tipoca City was going to be destroyed?”

“I’m afraid that was the wrong question,” he mused, “But I’ll give you another chance.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Was it really a storm?”

“It was,” he answered, “But the whispers among my colleagues say otherwise.”

With that, he turned on his heel and entered the medical bay while saying something along the lines of, “Come now, Evangeline. We have much to do today.”

Chapter Text

Wolffe returned to an empty apartment that was still “protected” by the password “4321” despite Evangeline’s promise to change it. He was a little surprised, especially since he didn’t see her at the hospital when he checked just before. She wasn’t on shift or at her classes—he had memorized her schedule by now—so where was she? This question indicated to him that they needed to exchange comm channels, which was something he hadn’t thought of before. Still, he wasn’t exactly pleased about initiating this process. Not because he was scared to ask—that was stupid—but because all communication was under much heavier surveillance these days. Would he be flagged for some sort of violation if his supervisors discovered that he was seeing someone?

It wasn’t like they were married, though. As long as they didn’t cross legal bounds, he was safe. Right?

“What the fuck?” He muttered under his breath when he stepped into the doorway and saw the mess on the floor.

Really, it wasn’t surprising, but he thought she would at least try to keep herself organized while he was gone. What if she tripped and hit her head like she had done so before? Honestly, she was such a worrisome person. He couldn’t rest well on the road while thinking about what she was up to and what could possibly go wrong, especially after that speeder accident. A knot formed in his stomach as his imagination got the best of him, filling in the many possibilities as to why she wasn’t home. Inhaling a deep breath, he convinced himself everything was fine and headed toward her bathroom for another one of those long showers that cleansed his mind more than his body.

A couple of hours passed, and her apartment looked as good as new again. He was replacing the annoying bandage around his shoulder when he heard the familiar beeping of her keypad on the other side of the wall before someone was stepping inside with a relieved sigh. Their eyes met, and he remained sitting as Evangeline let the door shut behind her and dropped her bags to the floor.

“Wolffe?” Her lips cracked into an excited smile, “You’re back already?”

“What do you mean already?” He grumbled, standing up to intercept her embrace as she rushed toward him.

Their arms came around each other, squeezing tightly to make up for the distance and time that had stretched between them until now. She pressed her face into his chest, which was bare and slightly bruised. He tried not to wince at the sudden pressure that was more sore than anything else, but she heard his sharp inhale and pulled back slightly.

“You’re hurt.” Her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting across the room as she observed his upper body, “What happened?”

“I’m fine,” he replied, “I just fell.”

“You fell? From where?”

“I’d rather not talk about it.”

She searched his eyes for vulnerability or apprehension, only finding something much more amusing. He looked almost…humiliated, which was odd because she had seen him injured before. Smiling a bit, she cupped the side of his face and leaned closer.

“Was it embarrassing?” She asked, tilting her head slightly.

He scowled at her and turned away. “No.”

She only smiled wider at this, laughing softly at how obviously bashful he was. “Are you sure? I mean, I’m sure your whole squad was watching—“

“Stop,” he muttered while unraveling his arms from her and sitting back down in his chair, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

She slid into his lap, pressing her back against his chest while teasing, “Aww, you’re so cute. I know you wanna look big and strong in front of—“

Squeezing her waist, he buried his face in the crook of her neck and bit her hard. She gasped and arched her back instinctively, her words getting lost in her throat from the breathy sounds replaced them.

“Careful,” he murmured, “I’m in a shitty mood.”

“What would make it better?” She asked while running a careful hand along his collarbones before sliding down his chest all the way to his stomach.

Pausing above the waistband of his boxers, she stared at him curiously and leaned just a little closer so that the tips of their noses were touching. Her lips parted in surprise when he wrapped both hands around her waist and shifted her so that she was straddling him and they were facing each other. She tilted her face down with an innocently curious look in her eyes that was easy to dismiss as harmless. But the more he stared up at her after weeks of thinking about her, the less he could control the hunger that seized his stomach like predatory talons reaching for prey. Her heart skipped a beat when he gripped the back of her head and brought her closer, teasingly brushing their lips together to build more anticipation. He could tell that she was waiting for him to close the distance from the way her eyes fluttered shut in a shy smile.

“You,” he said before kissing her.

She arched her back into him and cupped both sides of his face, parting her lips with a sigh as his hands ran across her back and fisted her sweater. He tasted the bittersweet linger of chocolate in her mouth when he slid his tongue across hers, causing him to pull back and ask, “Where are you coming from?”

“I was at the academy with Dr. Bell,” she answered, her voice slightly panted, “He asked me to work on a project with him.”

“Your project for school?” He questioned, pushing his hands under her sweater and shirt to feel her warm skin.

“No,” she shook her head, “It’s more personal that he needs some help with. My project was rejected—I came up with a new one, though. It’s going fine.”

“Why was it rejected?”

“They didn’t see the relevance.”

She avoided his eyes as she said this, not wanting to reopen the wound Tipoca City’s destruction left behind. Before he could respond, she was kissing him again and shifting closer in his lap. Their centers were flush against each other, both beginning to pulse and heat up from this building friction. He decided they could talk later and kiss now, too far gone in her smell, touch, and taste to pull away again. She only paused to lean back and take off her sweater, which she let drop to the ground at the foot of the table.

“You taste like chocolate,” he murmured as she leaned in again.

“I think I went overboard with the snacks today,” she laughed softly, “Did you know he has a whole cabinet full of them in his office?”

“No,” Wolffe raised his eyebrows, “How would I know that?”

“Oh, I guess you’re right. He let me take some for the road, though. Here.”

She reached into her pants pocket and pulled out a pouch that she shook around so that he could hear the contents clinking against each other. He opened his mouth to reply, not even realizing that she had opened it and unwrapped a chocolate just to shove it between his lips.

“It’s good right?” She asked him, wondering why he looked so mad all of a sudden.

Not wanting to spit it out, he swallowed and glowered at her. “I don’t eat this shit.”

“You just did,” she pointed out to his annoyance.

“It’s unhealthy,” he continued, ignoring this remark for the sake of his patience.

“Actually, it’s not,” she corrected him, “As long as you maintain a balanced diet and exercise frequently. Which, I know you do.”

She gripped both of his biceps and squeezed as she finished her sentence, muttering something about man candy. He sighed and pulled her closer by pressing on the small of her back, watching her closely through his tired but softened eyes. Noticing this reaction, she pressed her lips together in a line before smiling and kissing his jaw.

“Sorry, I know I’m bothering you. I’m just really happy to see you,” she whispered.

“You’re not bothering me.”

“Okay.”

They looked at each other before kissing again, neither one of them sure who leaned in first. Their lips simply collided as both of them moved to hold each other closer, this proximity not enough even though there was not much else they could do. Evangeline smiled a bit when she realized he tasted like chocolate now, too, considering she had just forced-fed him a piece. Wolffe felt her lips curve against his at that moment, causing him to kiss her harder and deeper. Whatever it was she was feeling or doing or thinking, he wanted to swallow it whole and keep it for himself. She moaned when he took her hips between his hands and began rocking her against him, unable to reciprocate the energy of his kiss the more friction he built between them.

“Wolffe…” She pulled away for a breath, touching their foreheads together.

“Hm?” He leaned forward and kissed her neck, still moving her hips against his at a slow pace that was fueling desperation in both of them.

Winding her arms around his neck, she released a shallow breath and closed her eyes. This was all still unfamiliar territory to her, but she knew that it felt good for her. She whimpered when he left a mark on her neck, only heightening the sensitive frustration beating between her thighs.

“Finish your sentence,” he said in a low voice.

She pulled back and met his eyes, sliding her hands higher to cup his face. Pressing her thumb into his bottom lip, she said, “I missed you a lot. You don’t even know.”

His heart swelled and skipped a beat at such a rapid intensity that he nearly doubled over. Squeezing her hips, he tilted his face up and crushed his mouth to hers again. Their lips slid against each other before opening and closing between heavy breaths that only grew louder as the minutes progressed.

“I missed you, too,” he eventually groaned, “You don’t even know.”

She couldn’t even respond, immediately caught up in another kiss that felt more anguished than before with how soft and slow it was compared to their previous rhythm. Their panting slowed down into sighs that they exchanged between every instance their lips parted and met, pausing sometimes just to taste each other. He stood, holding her legs around his waist and wanting to bring them toward her bed if not for the sudden beeping that came from his communications device. They broke apart and glanced down at the table where his holopad seemed to stare at them, waiting for them to unravel from each other.

“You should probably take that,” Evangeline breathed while trying to brace herself back onto the floor.

He set her down on her feet and looked at her before answering the transmission. His voice was suddenly clearer and firmer as if he just put his “Commander” mask back on. Even though he was still a leader and soldier around her, the version she saw of him the most was just Wolffe. She could make that distinction. The question was, could he?

She slipped away from the conversation to give him privacy, heading toward the bathroom where she decided she would take a shower. Observing herself in the mirror, she noticed how disheveled her hair was and how swollen her lips were. That wasn’t immediately alarming, since she always looked like this after kissing Wolffe. She was more concerned about the dark bags that underlined her eyes, which had been prevalent for a while now. Wolffe’s sudden return was exciting and relieving, but it meant that she didn’t have time to fix herself up beforehand and appear presentable. It wasn’t obvious if he cared, but it still ticked a question in the back of her mind.

Brushing all of that away, she showered for the next half an hour or so before emerging from the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around her body. Wolffe was still speaking to the trooper who called him, sitting at the table noticeably relaxed. Upon further observation that she maintained from a distance, she recognized this trooper as Boost. His squadmate from the war. She caught Wolffe’s eye through the hologram, swiping some wet hair out of her face as his gaze shifted into something more distracted and heavy.

Both of them vaguely heard Boost say something along the lines of, “Are you even listening?” but the answer was obviously no. Wolffe tossed a quick, “I’ll call you later” before ending the transmission and adjusting his hips in his seat. He was staring at her quite shamelessly, not hiding the amusement and curiosity in his eyes. Goosebumps crawled across her bare arms as she bunched her towel around her body tighter, but this reaction was nothing compared to the whirlwind that tore through her stomach when he spoke.

“Come here.”

“Me?” She squeaked.

He raised his eyebrows. “There’s nobody else here.”

“Right,” she laughed while approaching him carefully.

He stood when she was close enough, taking a few steps until they were chest to chest. Looking down at her, he folded his arms over his chest and smirked sadistically.

“Are you nervous?” He asked, cocking his head to the side.

“A little,” she admitted quietly, “We haven’t seen each other in a while.”

“You’re right,” he murmured while tugging on her towel, forcing it away from her body so abruptly that she didn’t have the chance to protest.

The cool air of her apartment hit her everywhere as she stood completely naked in front of him. Her arms instinctively crossed over her chest, but he quickly took her by the wrists and pulled her closer. She gasped softly, feeling a mix of vulnerability and excitement from this sudden turn of events. His eyes roamed over her figure with a dark hunger that she remembered from the last time they were in a similar situation like this. They had gone all the way only once before, but that number wouldn’t remain. Not with the way he was looking at her now.

“How are your ribs?” He asked, surprising her, “And your arm.”

“Better,” she nodded, “They gave me a higher dose after you left. So that cut my recovery time in half.”

“Good.”

She touched a few fingers to the bandage that wrapped around his shoulder and part of his chest. “What about this?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Are you sure?”

A brief laugh escaped his lips as he released her wrists to cup her face. She stared up at him, suddenly feeling a lot warmer despite the cold biting her bare skin.

“I’m sure,” he said before lowering his mouth to hers.

The kiss is urgent, trying to make up for the lost time—not just between his mission and now, but also from their interruption just before. He snaked his tongue over hers every time their lips parted in a way that left Evangeline wanting more before it was even gone. She braced herself against him with both hands gripping his arms, squeezing tighter in surprise when his hands slid down her body to lift her up by the back of her thighs. Before she could register where he was taking her, she was pinned to the nearest wall. He thought the bed was too far, an extra few steps that would waste the time he couldn’t spare.

Her legs tightened around his hips as she pushed herself up higher, trying to get as close to his lips as possible. He groaned against her mouth when he felt her center rub against his, causing him to pull back and look down between them.

“You’re so wet,” he rasped, “I don’t even have to touch you.”

She squirmed in his arms, averting her gaze while replying, “Okay, but I was hoping for some touching.”

He blinked in surprise before chuckling under his breath and kissing her again. Her back pressed further into the wall when he rolled his hips into hers, provoking a strained moan from both of them at this pressure. Keeping one hand cupped around her ass to hold her up, he reached his other hand between them and dipped one finger inside of her. She bit her lip before moaning, unable to control how the sound passed right through his ear from their proximity. Her head sagged into his shoulder the more he touched her, slowly pumping in and out of her before pressing his thumb into her clit.

“Look at me,” he demanded, “Or I stop.”

Inhaling a sharp breath, she lifted her head and met his eyes with a wave of butterflies swirling around her stomach from the intimacy of this moment. Crying out when he nudged the bud of her clit in lazy but intentional circles, she felt her whole body trembling with the anticipation of her building orgasm. Still, his grip on her never faltered. He held her steady as he added another finger, watching her grow more desperate for what she really wanted.

“Wolffe.” She clutched his shoulder and rocked her hips against his fingers, “I want you inside me.”

A flare of surprise jolted his spine as he realized it didn’t take very long for her to develop this uncharacteristic boldness that she probably kept hidden all this time. But still, he had a protocol to follow.

“What’s my rule?” He replied firmly.

Her head fell back against the wall in a breathy moan. “You have so many. Hard to keep up—“

“Do you want me to fuck you or not?” He asked roughly, leaning in close to touch their lips together as he spoke.

“Yes,” she whispered, “Please.”

“If you want it…” he murmured before his lips landed on hers.

She held her breath as he kissed a sloppy pathway down her neck, suddenly growing so hot all over that she barely heard his next words.

“…Then come.”

He pressed his thumb into her clit while curling his fingers inside of her, squeezing the entire area with his palm so deep inside of her that she had no choice. She came, pulsing and clenching so erratically that she didn’t register he had pushed his fingers into her mouth until she opened her eyes and saw him staring at her.

“Suck,” he told her, “Clean up your mess.”

Doing as she was told, she began sucking and licking his fingers slowly while wondering if she was doing this correctly. His gaze hardened into something unrecognizable and a little intimidating, so she paused and asked, “Like this?”

“Uh-huh,” he replied, “One day, I’m fucking your mouth just like that.”

His promise warmed her cheeks and distracted her from the fact that he had removed his fingers from her. He kissed her again, recognizing her sweet taste on her tongue. This made him realize that it had been so long since she came all over his mouth, instilling a desire to prolong the main event she was waiting for so that he could enjoy her a little longer.

“You know…” He murmured, “I don’t think I’m ready to fuck you just yet.”

Her groan was miserable. “But I—“

She stopped when she saw him slowly sink to his knees, looking up at her with a teasing smirk across his face. Even though it appeared she was in a position of power from his physical submission, both of them knew that wasn’t the case. His eyes were cautionary and controlled, telling her without words that he was still in charge. Regardless of this truth, she wanted to have some fun as well.

“I like this,” she teased while placing a hand under his chin to tilt his face up, “The commander on his knees.”

“Don’t get used to it.”

She couldn’t complain about that, especially not when he tugged her toward him and buried his face in between her legs. The pulsing from her previous orgasm hadn’t subsided completely, creating more sensitivity as he swirled his tongue around her nerves before sucking on her clit. She cried out, her knees buckling and supported by his strong hands holding her thighs. Her second orgasm tore through her quicker than both of them expected. This was a relief to her and a slight disappointment to him, as he was hoping he could savor her for a little bit longer. But then he supposed that was his fault since he approached this operation in this specific order. The strategic details of this all quickly washed away when she leaned against the wall with quivering legs, already tired. On the other hand, he was just getting started.

“I just came twice,” she panted as he stood again, lifting her up against the wall like before, “And you haven’t even come once.”

His expression was subtly amused as he slid his hands to grip her ass and drag their hips closer together. She realized he wasn’t wearing his underwear anymore when the head of his cock skimmed her folds but didn’t enter inside yet. Her breathing picked up as she looked down before staring at him, forgetting what she had said.

“It’s not a competition,” he told her.

His mouth met hers in a searing kiss as he slowly pushed into her, not wanting to surprise her. She winded her arms around his neck tightly and opened her mouth wider in a breathless moan that he had to tune out if he was going to start off slow. The sound filled him with all sorts of wicked desires that asked how loud he could make her. How desperately could she beg him? How much did she miss him? He knew for certain that he missed her. Not just because of how perfectly their bodies joined together or how easily he slid through her core all the way, but also because of how she suddenly pulled away from their kiss to smile at him. That fucking smile.

“You feel so good,” she whispered, kissing his neck with more confidence than she thought she had.

He groaned softly when he felt her suck on his throat, the idea of her marking her territory on him completely erasing all efforts to not get carried away—in the beginning, at least. He was quickly abandoning that resolve as carnal desperation squeezed his chest and tempted him to fuck her just as hard and passionately as he knew she could handle because she had proven it before. Pulling out of her just to enter her again in one swift thrust, he braced one hand against the wall and began pounding into her so intensely that they both saw stars.

She could barely hear the sounds of her own moans from her body rushing with her roaring blood and racing heart. He was conflicted between kissing her because he longed for her taste or remaining just like this so that he could hear just how good he was making her feel. His muscles clenched with need during every instance he slid out of her just to slam back in, the pace and pressure rough and unforgiving like him.

“You missed this, huh?” He grunted in her ear.

Her response was largely incoherent, but she managed to choke out, “Yes—“

Hearing her unable to speak clearly indicated to him that she couldn’t think properly either. Smirking, he moaned low in the crook of her neck and murmured, “Who knew you were so fucking dirty.”

“So are you,” she moaned, throwing her head back and baring more of her throat to him, “I didn’t know you—Ah—could be so—“

“So what?” He rasped when she didn’t finish her sentence.

“I can’t…think of the word right now,” she gasped, “But I didn’t think…I don’t know—“

“Listen to yourself,” he taunted, “You’re a fucking mess.”

She shook her head and pulled him closer, kissing him frantically. He tilted his head and pushed his tongue into her mouth at the same time he thrust into her, claiming her in every way possible at this moment. Their lips parted and collided faster and harder, following the rhythm of their hips grinding against each other. He grunted when she bit down on his bottom lip and started shaking, indicating to him that she was close before she even said it. Well, she could barely get the words out. As soon as he slowed down, though, she was alert and speaking clearly. It was as if a switch flipped in her mind, allowing her to communicate her frustration toward him.

The corner of his mouth quirked up in amusement when she said, “No, please. I need—“

“I know,” he smiled wider, “Why don’t you try asking nicely, hm?”

“Wolffe…” She writhed in his hands, her hips bucking against his for more. But he wasn’t giving it to her, only toying with her dignity until she gave into his command.

“What do you need, Angel?” He asked, pausing to lift his head back a little and groan, “Tell me.”

“Please,” she whispered, surprising him when she cupped his face and kissed him softly, “I need more. I need you.”

His chest tightened at her words as his face heated up beyond his control. Suddenly, he forgot all about his plans to withhold her third orgasm for as long as possible and draw out this experience for both of them. Feeling the gentle caress of her touch and lips unraveled this desire and replaced it with something else. The need to give her anything and everything she wanted.

“You have me,” he whispered back, quickening his pace to her appreciation.

Their eyes remained locked and unwavering through this returned intensity. Evangeline fought to keep her gaze fixed on him despite struggling to control her composure. Suddenly, Wolffe leaned forward and kissed her before groaning loud and deep from the back of his throat. His orgasm shot through him into her a few seconds before she shattered, too, the aftermath lingering in both of their heartbeats that could be heard along the same frequency. Even after everything subsided into a calm silence only occupied with heavy but slowing breathing, they didn’t stop kissing. Clutching each other tighter and closer, their lips continued parting and meeting less rushed than before. A more languorous rhythm passed between them until Evangeline pulled away to kiss the scar on his face.

“I think…” she said slowly, “I need a nap.”

She leaned back to look at him, smiling when their eyes met. Wondering why he was just staring at her and not saying anything, she pressed her fingers into the nape of his neck and said, “I’m also kinda hungry.”

“Let me clean you up first,” he finally said, pushing off the wall and walking them toward her bathroom.

He set her down on the toilet seat and began running a towel under the faucet with his eyebrows drawn together in deep concentration. All of his sadistic arrogance was gone, replaced with his usual state of quiet stoicism that she knew all too well. The more she looked at him and thought about this, the more she realized that sex seemed to bring out a different side of him. Of course, control was a major aspect of his spirit to the point where he craved it and feared its absence. But there was also something so expressive about the way he acted just before and also the first time they did this. In these moments, he let go of everything. There was nothing holding him back from his true desires—how he really wanted to act...if that was different from how he presented himself in all other environments. It seemed to be, at least. Despite having a strict protocol as to how he went about their sexual endeavors, there was an aspect of improv she had to recognize as well. Because between the two of them, there was only freedom and opportunity. He was in charge, so he had the floor.

Her thoughts were distracted away when he turned toward her, still naked. She unintentionally dropped her gaze to his groin, where he was still fucking huge even while soft. Catching this, he grabbed her chin and tilted her face up with raised eyebrows.

Her face warmed and reddened as she blurted out, “I always used to think that penises were ugly, but yours is really hot.”

His lips parted in surprise before he laughed, the sound louder than anything she had ever heard from him before. He laughed with his entire body, including the crinkles around his eyes that made her heart flutter with new admiration. Crouching in front of her, he was still smiling as he began cleaning the sore spot between her legs.

“I don’t know what to say to that,” he said with a subtle shake of his head, “Thanks, I guess.”

“I meant it as a compliment,” she clarified, feeling a mix of triumph from making him laugh like that but also embarrassment for bringing up such an off-putting thought.

“I’m sure you did.”

She hesitated before pointing out, “I’ve never heard you laugh like that before.”

He flicked his gaze up and met her eyes. “Me neither.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s not exactly fun and games where I usually am.”

Nodding, she cupped the side of his face and stroked her thumb across his skin. “I know, but…being with your brothers? Isn’t that something?”

“It was,” he agreed solemnly, “But it’s not like that anymore. It hasn’t been for a while.”

“I’m sorry,” she frowned and shifted closer, sliding her hand down to his uninjured shoulder where she squeezed reassuringly.

“It’s fine,” he dismissed, “I’m a soldier. Things get restructured all the time—I’m not supposed to complain.”

“You’re not complaining,” she disagreed quietly, “It’s okay to miss the past.”

He went a little rigid at this, causing her to pull her hand back into her lap.

“Do you?” He suddenly asked, his voice rough and coarse like the gravel her father used to drag her across back home.

In his mind, they were talking about the war. The Republic. But her notion of “the past” spanned far beyond this small moment in time. This distinction made sense since Wolffe’s entire life was meant to lead up to the Clone War—he and his brothers were bred for combat. Evangeline’s life, on the other hand, truly began the moment she escaped Corellia on that transport that brought her here. That was long before the war—before any of this conflict ensued across the galaxy. Her past wasn’t the Republic—it was the little shack at the end of the long dirt road that stretched across the shipyard where her father used to work. And inside that little shack was always screaming, crying, and praying.

“No,” she said coldly, her tone coming as a surprise to both of them, “I don’t.”

“Why?” He asked despite the growing apprehension in her expression, “Because you wanted to run away? Your tattoo—you said that you—“

“It’s not like that,” she denied, shaking her head and trying to stand up.

He stopped her from leaving the bathroom, gripping her arms and holding her in place. They stared at each other before she averted her eyes, unable to challenge his pressuring gaze.

“Then what is it?” He demanded.

“Wolffe, I’m tired,” she sighed, “Can we not do this right now?”

“Do what?”

“I don’t want to argue.”

“We’re not arguing,” he said in disbelief, “I just want to know…”

He tried to search for the words. What did he want to know? The more he wracked his brain, the less he could figure it out. It was just as simple as the fact that he wanted to know her. More than her body or her interests. He wanted to go deeper than that—maybe he wasn’t the best at opening up either, but he was willing to admit things to her that he wouldn’t tell anyone else. It wasn’t perfect, but it was something. She was always just listening to him or reassuring him, but he wanted to do that for her, too. If only she let him, though. As he stared down at her, silently pleading for something he couldn’t put into words, she was pulling away. Not just physically, he could see.

“I just don’t like to dwell on anything,” she told him while stepping back, “It’s okay if you do—I understand—but that’s just me.”

But why? His mind screamed at him, Why?

“Alright,” he nodded, leaning closer to kiss her on the forehead.

“I’m just going to use the bathroom,” she murmured, “And then I can make dinner.”

“Don’t worry about that. I got it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” he pulled back and looked down at her while cocking his head to the side a bit, “You look like you’re about to fall asleep.”

She scowled at him, suppressing the embarrassed smile that he caught. “Maybe you went a little overboard.”

“Did I?” He asked, suddenly concerned.

Noticing the genuine fear in his eyes, she shook her head and laughed softly. “Not in a bad way, of course. I didn’t realize you were such a sex god.”

He laughed again, shaking his head in false disapproval. “You’re running your mouth today. What are we going to do with that?”

She leaned against his chest and looked up at him, blinking innocently. “We can do whatever you want. It’s still early.”

His breath caught as he peered down at her, running his hands through her hair which had grown out a little since the last time they saw each other. When he kissed her, he did so with an uncharacteristic gentleness that warmed both of their hearts despite the cold air outside. Winter was upon Coruscant, but this was simulated like most of the fluctuating weather patterns that swept across this artificial planet. Not enough was real these days, but there was nothing dishonest about the embrace Evangeline and Wolffe locked themselves into as a temporary escape from all things difficult to speak or think about.

Chapter Text

Evangeline’s early interests in film and theater launched her down a temporary rabbit hole of literature back when she was still in primary school. She was particularly interested in the term “hamartia,” defined as the protagonist or hero’s fatal flaw that subsequently led to his downfall. There was something poetically tragic but also releasing about this inevitable fall from grace after succumbing to one’s true inner self. It showed her that no matter how far someone tried to run from who they were, they couldn’t hide. The past would always return to bite the hero in the back.

She lost a lot of time to mingle and enjoy fictional stories when she moved to Coruscant. Still, the things she learned from these aspirations rooted in her passions lingered in the back of her mind. They weren’t conscious thoughts, but they never went away. It wasn’t just characters who suffered from their fatal flaws, after all. People did, too.

“Dad hasn’t come home in a few days,” June suddenly brought up in the middle of their conversation, “It’s been quiet around here.”

Evangeline looked beyond her sister’s hologram and swept her eyes over the traffic outside her apartment. The wind was howling in her ears like frigid claws, but she had taken this call outside. Her mental excuse was that Wolffe was sleeping and that she didn’t want to disturb him. In reality, though, she just didn’t want him to hear this conversation for the exact reason June was now discussing.

“What’s he up to?” Evangeline sighed, brushing away some hair that had whipped into her face and covered her eyes.

“Dunno. I told you—he’s been working.”

“You don’t even know what he’s doing, though. What if it’s dangerous?”

“Like you care about that,” June snorted, “I can say for sure that I don’t.”

Evangeline pursed her lips and met her sister’s eyes again. “It’s not that I’m worried about him. I’m worried about you and the boys.”

“Eh, we’re fine. As long as he’s out of the house.”

“What about Mom?”

June rolled her eyes. “She’s been out, too. Just partying probably.”

Rubbing her eyes, Evangeline heaved another sigh. “I’m sorry, June. I’m almost done with school.”

“And then what?” June replied.

“And then…” Evangeline paused when she heard a loud honk in the distance before shifting her gaze back to her sister, “I’ll be a real doctor. And I’ll get paid a real doctor's salary, too.”

“I’ll get you out of that house,” she continued when June was silent.

“And then…we can be a real family?” June asked hopefully.

Evangeline ignored the pang of guilt and shame that stabbed her heart. “We are a real family, June.”

“Ha. Funny,” she dismissed bitterly.

“We are,” Evangeline insisted.

Shrugging, June said, “I know you don’t believe that. You just say things because you want to believe it. Two-faced bitch.”

“If I was as pessimistic as you,” Evangeline replied, “Our conversations wouldn’t get very far.”

June laughed at this, spinning around in her chair before facing forward again. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Suddenly missing her brothers’ presence, Evangeline asked, “Where are the boys?”

“They’re supposed to be doing homework, but I heard Theo sneak out.”

“Are you serious? And you just let him? Where did he go?”

“Oh, relax,” June waved a hand, “He’s probably by the junkyard. The kids like playing there. He brings back all sorts of cool shit that he likes to sell for some credits.”

Evangeline nearly dropped her head into her hands if not for the fact that she had to hold her holopad in her palm to keep this transmission upright.

“He’s too young to be hustling people like that,” she snapped, “Besides, isn’t there a curfew?”

“It starts in a few hours. They have time.”

“I’m glad you’re taking responsibility for this.”

June stuck her tongue out and blew raspberries at her older sister. “Yeah, yeah. Of course, Miss Perfect doesn’t approve.”

“Stop,” Evangeline drew her eyebrows together in annoyance, “Can you call Tommy here?”

“THOMAS!” June yelled, “Come here!”

“I’m busy!” a distant voice called back.

“Okay? I told you to come here!”

“No!”

June rolled her eyes and gave Evangeline a pointed look, saying, “Ev wants to talk to you.”

Suddenly, a pair of footsteps thundered across the creaky wooden floor until Thomas Sterling was standing in the frame of the hologram. His glasses were a little askew, slipping down his nose from this abrupt movement. June turned around and scowled at him, adjusting his glasses and murmuring about playing favorites. He was too excited to see Evangeline to care, though, immediately rushing forward to speak to the older sister he missed so dearly.

“Hey, buddy,” Evangeline smiled despite the tight feeling in her chest that intensified from his presence, “How’s school?”

“This guy,” June proudly pounded her brother in the back, “Won the science fair. Fucking insane, if you ask me.”

“You did?” Evangeline asked in astonishment, meeting Thomas’s bashful expression with her own pride, “That’s amazing. What did you do?”

“I can show you. Be right back,” he said quickly before rushing toward his room.

Evangeline and June shared a smile until the latter squinted her eyes when the wind started picking up again.

“Is that a hickey?” The teenager demanded, slamming a hand down on her table, “No fucking way—“

Evangeline’s eyes widened before she cringed, sweeping her hair in front of her shoulders to cover her neck again. The damn wind.

“Yeah,” she admitted with a slight blush on her cheeks.

June’s expression morphed into one that perfectly captured the balance of disgust, amusement, and pride. She wiggled her eyebrows with a goofy grin, provoking a quiet laugh from her older sister who was growing redder by the second.

“Who was it?” June whispered, “That commander you were into? You haven’t talked about him in a while…”

“Um…” Evangeline patted her hair down and tried to distract herself with something other than this conversation, “We’re kind of…seeing each other now.”

“HUH? Since when?”

“Since…I guess earlier this year. It’s been some months.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me,” June shook her head, “Whatever. Just don’t get pregnant.”

Evangeline furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as if such a warning didn’t apply to her.

“I won’t. We’re both on the implant,” she replied confidently, “Besides, I don’t want kids. I don’t think he does, either.”

June opened her mouth to reply, stopping herself when Thomas returned with a mysterious box that presumably held his winning science project. She gave Evangeline a look that said, Tell me everything later, to which Evangeline responded with a shy nod. The two sisters turned their attention to their brother, who was excitedly sharing his project with them. He never thought Evangeline would have the time to hear about it. Sometime later, she returned to her apartment and slipped through the front door as quietly as possible. She was relieved to find that Wolffe was still sleeping, but her heart ached a little when she noticed that his hand was outstretched toward her empty side of the bed.

Climbing back under the covers with him, she glanced down at their legs and nearly giggled aloud. It had been a few days since he returned to Coruscant, and in between that time, she had gotten them both a pair of matching flannel pants that he hated the color of. He claimed that the bright pink didn’t suit his demeanor, but here he was…dressed in this apparent blow to his masculinity. She was startled when he suddenly grabbed her and pulled her closer, shoving his face into her chest with a sleepy groan that reminded her of the indoor…activities…they had been up to these past few days. Ignoring the growing blush on her cheeks, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him softly.

“Where did you go?” He murmured, causing her to realize that he wasn’t as fully asleep as she thought he was.

“I just stepped out for some air,” she told him, keeping her voice quiet.

He didn’t say anything in response, just squeezing her tighter as if he was trying to prevent her from leaving again. She snuggled closer to him and traced circles along his back while looking up at the ceiling. Neither of them acknowledged that she lied. They just slept in each other’s arms as the stars above watched them carefully, thinking about what the new day would bring to this cozy apartment.

Over the next few weeks, Wolffe was frequently in and out of Coruscant. His missions were a lot briefer than usual, which Evangeline couldn’t complain about. It was nice having him around as much as possible even though she was busy, too. She didn’t speak much about her schedule other than the consistency of her classes and work. Purposefully omitting the research Dr. Bell had asked her to help with, she kept her side of their conversations relatively simple. In her mind, there wasn’t much to be said—most things were just as they were before. Nothing had really changed, especially as much as it did for him. Besides, she liked hearing him talk a lot more than herself. He wasn’t a man of many words, but things were becoming different around her the more they saw each other.

One morning, some hours after they had said goodbye for the day, Evangeline threw up in her kitchen sink.

“Shit,” she cursed under her breath, reaching for a towel.

She didn’t feel much different than usual other than the sudden nausea that began churning in her stomach yesterday. Her medical instincts ticked a cautionary warning in her mind, but the denial that struck her nerves pushed them away. But then, she realized that she hadn’t menstruated in a while, so she turned on the faucet to wash away the bile before reaching for her datapad where she kept her calendar. Her period was late, okay, but that happened before. It happened a lot, especially with how little sleep she got these days. There was no way she was…

Just don’t get pregnant, June had told her. This piece of advice echoed in Evangeline’s mind as she zoned out, staring at her datapad with trembling hands. No, this was just coincidental. She and Wolffe were both on the implant—which did have rare cases of not working, but what were the chances? What were the odds? Faulty instances could be counted on one hand with how scarce they were. It was to the point where people said the implant always worked—these anomalies were just too irrelevant for anyone to care.

Her first instinct was to tell Wolffe when he got back, but then she stopped this idea from actually proving valid. His third rule of sex said loud and clear that he didn’t want anything to do with children—he wouldn’t even entertain such a notion. After all, why would he have bothered to ensure that she was on the implant, too? Usually, if one person in the relationship had it, both parties felt safe. He didn’t, obviously. He needed a greater guarantee that there were no babies in the picture. She couldn’t blame him for this, since starting a family wasn’t exactly in his line of sight. Clones were forbidden to marry—basically enjoy any rights a basic citizen had. They weren’t citizens, legally at least. They were property.

Anyway, like she told her sister before, she didn’t want kids. Evangeline never had that dream. Closing her eyes, she suddenly felt afraid that Wolffe would be angry at her for this—if this was exactly what she thought it was. What if he left her? What if he didn’t want anything to do with her anymore? What if…There were too many what-ifs. She wasn’t going to risk this relationship for a broken rule. At that moment, she decided she would handle this alone. After washing up herself and the kitchen sink, leaving no trace of this turn of events behind, she tore out of her apartment and headed straight for the nearest convenience store where she bought a test that would confirm or deny her suspicions. They had grown in accuracy and access over the past decade, which she had often seen up close due to her proximity to her professors at school.

Within an hour, she was staring face to face with two lines instead of just the one she hoped for.

“Shit,” she cursed again, “Shit, shit, shit…”

How could this have happened? What did she do wrong? Where did she mess up? This was such a careless, avoidable mistake—and it was now a nightmare come true. She tried to convince herself that these two lines were an inaccuracy she could ignore, but her experience in the field told her better than that. It was so strange to think about, though. When she wasn’t working with troopers, she often helped regular civilians on the other side of the facility. This included mothers giving birth to babies—something she told Wolffe about when he asked her what part of her job brought her the joy she always seemed to carry. And now…was she going to be one of them? That didn’t sound joyful at all. No, it sounded like a curse. A punishment. A jinx, since she had just told her sister this wasn’t something to worry about.

You think I wanted kids? I’m stuck here on this fucking rock because of you. Get that through your fucking head before you even think about getting on that transport. You’re not leaving this place. You don’t even deserve it.

A chill ran down Evangeline’s spine as she heard her mother’s voice start ringing in her ears despite their distance. It was as if she was back in that house again, being told what a useless, worthless waste of breath she was. She could almost feel her mother’s hands tugging her toward her father for the “lesson” she needed to be taught. Over and over again would her mother complain that she wasn’t acting right. Over and over again would her father ensure she did. And so, Evangeline Sterling got on that transport and didn’t look back. It wasn’t until she remembered the torment that she passed onto her siblings that she decided to send them money from time to time—the least she could do for leaving that fucking rock. "Family" just didn’t positively connote her mind despite her efforts to look at life on the bright side. Deep down inside, she didn’t believe in such a dynamic. June was right—they weren’t a real family. And, what’s more, was that Evangeline just said things she didn’t believe.

What she truly believed, especially right now, was that this growing child inside of her wasn’t something to celebrate. This was someone to fear. 

“You’re back late,” Wolffe said when Evangeline entered the apartment many hours after he thought she would return.

His voice was level but displeased, not from her obvious tardiness but more because of the fact that she didn’t respond to his messages all day. He didn’t send that many, but there were still enough to prompt a reaction from her. She had disappeared all day as if she was intentionally trying to hide, but he wasn't thinking of it like that right now. Instead, he was just worried that she was overworking herself again. The minuscule life in her stomach wasn’t obvious to him yet, and she dreaded the day it would. One thing at a time, though. One lie at a time.

“I got held up at the lab,” she sighed, turning away from him while hanging her coat up, “I’m sorry.”

He didn’t say anything, simply standing up and walking toward her before engulfing her in a strong hug that made her melt despite her frozen blood. Her insides had gone rigid and immobile since she discovered her pregnancy earlier that day, but she felt warm to him. They wrapped their arms around each other, silent until he pulled away and looked down at her with concern in his eyes.

“You’re shaking,” he murmured, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she replied, her voice muffled since she had pressed her face into the thin fabric of his shirt.

“Don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not lying. I just…Today was a long day.”

Before he could respond and ask her what happened, she was unraveling herself from him and heading toward the bathroom. An odd, sinking feeling that he couldn’t pinpoint began settling in his stomach as she walked away and didn’t look back once. She just slipped through the whooshing door and began showering shortly after. The only sounds that could be heard in this apartment were the running water, her quiet singing, and his pounding heart. Something was wrong, but he didn’t have enough concrete evidence to prove it. The gut feeling wasn’t enough—that would make him look crazy. The more he watched her throughout the night, though, the less he felt crazy for thinking this. She was so quiet and avoidant, completely different from the early morning when they said goodbye for the day. The tipping point in their silence occurred when she dropped her glass of water on the floor, supposedly distracted with something else that he couldn’t see because it was in her mind. Her thoughts. She still didn’t say anything when the glass shards and cool liquid splattered across the floor, spreading out beyond her feet that were luckily covered by her slippers. Instead of reacting with a startled curse or abrupt apology, she just stiffened and began trembling.

I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to drop it. It was an accident. I’m sorry. Her younger voice ran through her mind as her vision blurred with tears that had sparked from her sudden fear. She knew she wasn’t in her childhood home anymore, and that broken glasses weren’t a big deal as long as her parents weren’t around, but her instincts simply defaulted to flight or fight when certain memories were provoked.

“Hey,” Wolffe’s voice tried to ground her to reality, “Are you alright? Show me your hands.”

Her arms remained at her sides as she dropped her gaze to the floor, trying to make her body as small as possible. Still shaking, she took a few steps back and away from the glass. He raised a hand to tuck her hair away from her face, wanting to see her expression more clearly, but his chest seized when she flinched. Closing her eyes, it was as if she was bracing for the impact of his touch. Like she was afraid of it.

Sucking in a breath, he dropped his hand and said, “Evangeline, I would never hurt you.”

“I’ll clean this up,” she whispered, ignoring his words, “Sorry.”

“No.” He shook his head and gestured to the table, “Go sit down.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing. Just sit down.”

“I’m sorry,” she said again, suddenly louder and more anguished, “I’m so sorry, Wolffe.”

He stared at her, quickly realizing she was crying. His stomach dropped when he caught sight of fat, heavy teardrops running down her porcelain skin like raindrops against a window. Stepping around the glass on the floor, he took her shoulders in his arms despite her repeated flinch that hit like a punch to the gut. He led her to the table where he sat her down, completely forgetting about the mess on the floor when she began sobbing harder. She was trying to turn away from him, shaking her head and catching her breath like something was choking her.

“What’s wrong?” Wolffe asked, his voice unrecognizable with how desperate it sounded, “Tell me what’s wrong. I’ll fix it—I can—“

“No!” She interrupted, suddenly angry, “You can’t fix it.”

His mouth dried as she stood, placing more distance between them. He got up from the table as well, coming toward her while noticing how she kept taking steps back.

“Evangeline, just talk to me,” he said when she started pacing around like a mad woman, “Please.”

“I don’t want to,” she spat, unsure why she was speaking to him like this but too overwhelmed to stop.

“Why not?” He asked, raising his voice, “Are you hiding something?”

She flinched again, instinctively looking down. He thought she was avoiding his eye contact, but she was staring at her stomach. Neither of them spoke until she whispered, “No.”

He folded his arms over his chest. “Yeah? Is that why you leave the house to call your siblings when I’m around?”

Freezing up, she stared at him in disbelief while noticing knowing what to say. He scoffed and shook his head, the bubbling questions that he usually suppressed for the sake of peace and trust suddenly erupting now that they were going toe to toe like this.

“Or what about the fact that you never talk about them?” He continued, “Even though you claim that you’re here for your family.”

“You hardly ask about them,” she said weakly.

“Because it’s obvious you wouldn’t answer properly if I did.”

“How is it obvious if you’ve never tried?”

He scrubbed a hand over his jaw before replying, “If you wanted to tell me, you would have already. For fucks sake, Evangeline, do you think I’m an idiot? Do you think I don’t know how this works?”

“I don’t think you’re an idiot,” she shook her head, now matching the desperation in his tone, “I just—Look, I haven’t lived with my family for about a decade. There’s not much I remember—“

“You’re lying again,” he seethed, “Besides, that’s not my fucking point.”

“Then what is it?” She retorted, subconsciously perceiving his growing anger as something to prepare herself for. No surprises.

“You don’t—“ He paused, unsure how to phrase this at first.

Wanting to get out of this argument as fast as possible, Evangeline tried to walk past him so that she could put on her coat and leave. He stopped her, gently taking her by the wrist so that she wasn’t startled. Unfortunately, she was too frantically anxious to recognize that he wasn’t here to hurt her. Twisting herself out of his grip, she took a few steps backward while shaking her head like she couldn’t bear to be around him at this moment. He stared at her with confusion and conflict squeezing his heart, unable to understand how this conversation ended up like this. But this was inevitable from the very second she walked through that door tonight.

“I need some air,” she said, “I can’t be here right now.”

“It’s late,” he replied, “Just stay. Just talk to me.”

“About what? There’s nothing to talk about!” She exclaimed, turning to avoid his gaze out of guilt and shame.

“Bullshit,” he retorted while stepping closer to her, “You’ve been off all evening. Did something happen at work? Is someone giving you a hard time? Tell me, and I’ll—“

“No,” she squeezed her eyes shut, “No. No. No. It’s not that.”

“Why can’t you tell me?” He whispered, “Why can’t you tell me anything?”

“Anything?” She repeated angrily, “What are you even talking about?”

“You hardly talk about yourself. Like really talk about yourself.”

“I do. I’ve told you more about myself than anyone in the past ten years. You’re like…the only person I actually talk to.”

He shook his head, feeling his hard resolve crumble the more she pulled away from him. It wasn’t like him to throw these emotions in the air this vulnerably, especially since that meant they could be caught by anyone. But standing in front of him was the only person he knew would hold these secrets dear to her heart instead of exploiting them. And she couldn’t even look him in the eye right now.

“You don’t always talk about yourself either,” she brought up, “If we’re comparing. But we still talk about things—I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”

“You…” He exhaled harshly, “I know you in so many ways, but I also don’t. That bothers me.”

“What do you want to know?” Her voice was a timid whisper that almost threw him off from the lethal rage in her stare.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and came closer, tentatively reaching his hands forward so slowly that she could predict his movements without error. She closed her eyes when he cupped her face, but she wasn’t expecting a kiss or something of that nature. Both of them suspected she just didn’t want to look at him, and that fucking killed him from the inside out.

“Everything,” he murmured, “Is that too much to ask? Am I crossing a line? Can't you at least tell me what's wrong, Angel?”

“Nothing is wrong. And just because I don’t tell you about my past,” she replied, “Doesn’t mean I don’t tell you everything. Like I said, I don’t dwell on anything.”

“But it’s your family. It’s like they don’t exist. What, you don’t even have pictures? Nothing we talk about happens to remind you of them?”

“No.”

“No?” He shook his head, still not understanding, “What do you mean no?”

“Why are we talking about this?” She suddenly pulled away, moving closer to the door, “My family has nothing to do with this conversation. I’m just—today was just hard. Nothing out of the ordinary. Sometimes things just happen out there.”

He clenched his jaw and flexed his hands at his side before telling her, “Stop. You know this is different, and you’re hiding it.”

Hiding. He kept saying that word over and over again tonight, it seemed. Her back had been turned to him when she reached to press the button that would open her front door, but she slowly glanced over her shoulder as her body was wracked with angry tremors that vibrated through her bones. She didn’t think it had been obvious that she skated around conversations regarding her past, but it must have been if he was bringing this up now. After all, he was right. A random element to their conversations was always missing. She could count the number of times she talked about her family (without being prompted) on one hand. But normal people with normal parents had a much easier time saying things about them on a whim without even thinking.

Evangeline, on the other hand, was always conscious of what to reveal about herself. She was always meticulous about ensuring she avoided the topic of Corellia because of the Pandora’s box such a discussion would open. Maybe he noticed that for a while but didn’t say anything until tonight. Because the more walls she put up, the less he could turn a blind eye. The more she hid from him, the less he would know her as the woman he fell for. She would just become the stranger they started as. For some reason, though, Evangeline wasn’t thinking about that—she wasn’t seeing this conversation from his clouded perspective. All she saw was red, hot rage as if a bucket of coals had been dumped on her back like the scalding reminder of the dirty hole she crawled out of.

You can run, Evangeline. But you can’t hide.

“What the fuck am I hiding, then, huh?” She snapped, her voice much louder and aggressive than usual, “What do you want to know so badly that you think I’m a liar?”

“I didn’t say—“

“What do you want to know?” She repeated, interrupting his attempt to alleviate this abrupt change in conversation, “You want to know about my family? That my dad’s an alcoholic? That my mom’s not any better? She hasn’t gone a day without spice since both of them lost their jobs at the shipyard.”

“I didn’t—I didn’t know that—“

“And do you know when that was?” Evangeline interrupted, her tone unrecognizably cold, “That was when I was four. Can you guess how the next eight years played out for me? Take a fucking guess since you’re so desperate.”

He was silent, trying to speak but unable to with the way his throat was catching and squeezing. She stared at him blankly before saying, “I’ve tried to forget all about it, but I remember what they did to me. But you don’t want to fucking know that. You don’t want to fucking know that I spent the next eight years being the parent for the siblings I wish I didn’t have because they made my life hell. You don’t want to know that because it’s fucked up—you don’t want to know that I’m fucked in the head because who wants to know that? Who wants to know that my dad beat me every single day, sometimes more than I could possibly survive when Mom made up stories about how I pissed her off or did something wrong. But I’m still here—somehow—but you don’t want to know that. You don't want to know that I'm just a filthy nobody with absolutely nothing going for her.”

“Evangeline—“ He tried to take her by the hand, but she stepped back and glared at him so angrily that he thought he might die then and there.

“Don’t touch me,” she spat, “Don’t touch me—Don’t even think about feeling sorry for me. I didn’t spend the last ten years trying to rebuild my life just for you to bring up everything I’ve been running from all over again. You think I’m hiding something? We all are—don’t act like you’re completely open about your past. I know you don’t like talking about the war—the Jedi.”

He stilled, his posture stiffening and proving her point. She scoffed and shook her head, almost ridiculing him for this. At that moment, Wolffe realized it wasn’t just her family that she had been hiding from him. It was also the cruel and unusual nature that must have been instilled inside of her from that young age when all this torment began.

“Whatever,” she turned away and faced the door again, “I’m done talking about this. There’s your fucking secret. Surprise, I guess.”

And just like that, she was leaving as the wind tore through her coat. All that remained in the trail she left behind was the whoosh of her front door. But then that was gone, too.

Chapter Text

The streets of Coruscant were as busy as ever, unsurprising but still overwhelming. Evangeline’s mind was elsewhere despite her body moving through the crowds, ignoring the rush of traffic and her roaring blood. Some people bumped into her, and she definitely bumped into them, but none of that mattered. She was just trying to get as far away from everything and everyone as possible. Her communications device constantly went off in her pocket, indicating to her that Wolffe was trying to reach her, but she didn’t stop walking. Ending up in a dark alleyway, she paused to catch her breath and lay a hand on her stomach. There was no bump yet, obviously, but just knowing something was inside of her was enough to make her vision blurry with stars. Heaving a few gulps of air, she leaned against the wall and tried to steady her pounding heart that was tearing open the more she thought about how terribly she had spoken to Wolffe just before. She didn’t mean to lash out, but she did. She did when she was supposed to trust him because he never gave her any reason not to. But instead, she reopened her old wounds and inflicted new ones on him. He didn’t deserve any of that. She didn’t deserve him, that was for certain.

Some metal cans rattled in the distance from movement, causing her to look up and realize how empty this alleyway looked. She wasn’t thinking when she turned the corner, but she was slowly coming to her senses and realizing that she shouldn’t be here. A few shadowed figures seemed to be walking toward her—unclear, though. They could just have been passing through. She convinced herself of this until they were standing right in front of her, their faces concealed in the darkness of the night sky and their hoods.

“Can I help you?” She asked timidly.

“You’re Evangeline Sterling?” The one in the middle spoke, his low tone sending a chill down her spine.

“How do you know my name? Do we know each other?”

“I know you. Much more than you think.”

Before she could register the sinister caution behind his words, someone was pressing a blaster into her back. She recognized the shape of the metal through her coat, causing her to freeze up and look between the creatures surrounding her. There were more than she initially recognized, sparking questions and fear in her sinking heart.

“What is this about?” She whispered, “Do you want money? I don’t have much on me right now—“

“I want,” the one in the middle interjected icily, “You to come quietly. This doesn’t have to be difficult.”

“Where?” She whipped her head around when someone grabbed her by the arm, “Where are you taking me? Who are you?”

The leader—or at least she thought he was their leader—paused and held up a hand. She was quickly being released but pushed forward, almost stumbling into the enclosing crowd of mysterious figures.

“Your father double-crossed me,” he said to her surprise, “I’d like to teach him a lesson. It’s unfortunate, really. Your siblings are quite young—especially those two brothers of yours.”

Her heart seized in her chest at this. “What did you do?”

He seemed to stare at her for a moment before replying, “Nothing yet.”

“Don’t hurt them,” she begged, “Please—whatever score you want to settle with my dad—just take me instead. I’ll do anything. Just leave them alone—they’re children.”

“I’m not here to bargain with you,” he said to her before turning to his men, “Search her pockets. Whatever’s beeping in there—I want it destroyed.”

“No, wait—“

But they weren’t listening to her. She was quickly being grabbed again before someone reached into her coat and took the communications device that hadn’t stopped going off. Her stomach dropped when it clattered to the ground before the nearest person stomped on it with his boot. Someone else pushed her forward with the end of his blaster, muttering something about how she was dead if she didn’t cooperate. I’m dead, anyway, she thought to herself while following them to their ship.

“Put her to sleep,” the leader said, “I’d rather not find out if she’s as talkative as the other one.”

June. Evangeline swallowed the lump in her throat, not even feeling a needle break the surface of her skin until her vision went dark and all she heard was the distant laugh of her kidnappers shared among the same breath she exhaled when her head hit the floor.

“Evangeline Sterling?”

Twelve-year-old Evangeline glanced up at the academy representative who was speaking to her in a curt tone that could only come from a city as grand and fast as Coruscant. She shoved her hands into her pockets and tried to smile, nervous but also excited for this new journey up ahead.

“Yes, hello. It’s nice to meet you,” she said quietly.

The representative smiled and reached his wrinkled but strong hand out for a shake. She stared at him before reciprocating, smiling back when she saw how warmly he was looking down at her.

“My name is Matthew Bell. But you can call me Doctor Bell.”

“Okay,” she nodded, “Doctor Bell.”

“Have you said your goodbyes?” He asked, looking over her head and noticing a frantic pair crossing the shipyard with haste he misunderstood as the unwillingness to part ways out of love. But no, Evangeline’s parents were desperate to keep her here out of possession.

“Yes,” Evangeline answered, walking further into the ship without looking back, “I said goodbye already.”

Dr. Bell shifted his gaze between the couple and the girl, perhaps stringing together some dots in his mind or not. Either way, he let the ship close and informed the pilot that they were ready for takeoff. Evangeline wandered around before reaching a window where she could see her hometown grow more distant and tiny.

“Have you ever been to Coruscant, Sterling?”

“No, but I’ve always wanted to go.”

Dr. Bell nodded and strapped her into a passenger seat before sitting across from her.

“I hope you don’t get space sickness. We’re going to be flying for a while.”

She tucked her hands into her coat and started swinging her feet, suddenly more giddy than afraid. He noticed this shift in her mood and watched her with an amused expression, thinking to himself that her heart was no doubt made of bubbles and butterflies. Her soul, on the other hand, was a little heavier. When the ship entered hyperspace, she began to feel the weight of this new change. She responded to this realization with some quiet singing under her breath, the tune taken from a lullaby she remembered the words but not the source of.

“We’re going to be flying for a while.” The words echoed in her head as the trip dragged on to the point where she hoped she could fly forever.

Evangeline suddenly woke up with a throbbing headache and a shiver wracking through her body as she tried to sit up. Before she could register her surroundings, a voice she never wanted to hear ever again was speaking to her.

“Evangeline!” Her father said, his voice strained and weak, “Is that you? Babygirl—“

“What did you do?” She hissed, not even phased by his presence as her memories from earlier started flooding back, “Where are—“

She stopped, her eyes locking onto the heap of bodies behind her father. They were too far and the room was too dark to see properly, but Evangeline recognized the blonde hair that June had coined since they were kids. Only right now, it was matted and dark with blood. Evangeline’s stammered, incoherent, and broken words erupted into a scream that tore her throat into a raw mess. She tried to stand and move toward her sister and whoever else was part of that pile, but the shackles around her ankles pulled her back. The metal bit her skin and sank into her flesh, cutting through as easily as they were locked.

“What did you do?” She whispered, staring at her father who looked much older than she last saw him all those years ago, “WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?”

“I didn’t do anything!” He wailed, “It’s the fucking Pykes—“

Her blood ran cold as she looked around and saw that they weren’t alone in this room.

“You were working…for the PYKES?” She screamed at him, thrashing around psychotically, “WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING WORKING FOR THE PYKES?”

“Evangeline, baby girl,” he wheezed, clearly not listening to her, “Please. Just hear me out—“

“No,” she shook her head, “You brought me here to kill me.”

“No, I didn’t,” he insisted, “I tried to protect you but they found you anyway! I swear—“

“He’s lying,” a Pyke said as he approached her with a beady stare, “He told us a lot about you, Evangeline Sterling. Starting with your fancy scholarship at the Coruscant Medical Academy.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “How do I know you’re not lying?”

“Trusting him won’t get you very far,” the Pyke whispered, his voice gentle despite his threatening demeanor, “But I’m sure you know that already.”

“But you lied,” she whispered back, “You said you didn’t do anything to them.”

Gesturing her chin to the pile of bodies across the floor, she couldn’t control the swell of tears that spilled down her dirt-smudged face. The Pyke didn’t follow her eyes, simply staring down at her with zero remorse in his expression or words.

“Every action has a consequence, Evangeline Sterling—“

“They’re children!” She screamed, “They didn’t do anything!”

She aggressively pointed at her father who was slumped on the floor and babbling like a toddler. The Pyke tsked under his breath and kneeled down in front of her so that they were at eye level. Trembling from his proximity, she averted her gaze and flinched when his fingers curled around her chin. He forced her head up so that they were looking right at each other with nowhere to run or hide.

“You’re young,” he observed, “But you’re not that young. You should know that collateral damage isn’t just a grievance but a promise. It’s my job to deliver that.”

“My brothers…” She cried, “Where are my brothers?”

“Your entire family is in this room,” he answered, “What a touching reunion, no?”

“You’re awful,” she told him while gasping for air.

“I’m sure you believe that. But what about your father? Is he not awful as well?”

“I don’t care about him. Please—don’t kill me. Spare me—I don’t care what you to do him—“

“Interesting…” The Pyke mused, “What an awful proposition. I guess blood—“

He paused to grab her wrist before brandishing a pocket knife that he used to slice open her forearm in a shallow but stinging gash that made her vision go spotty for a moment. She winced when he lifted her arm and let her blood drip down her skin. Red, liquid dots constellated the floor like stars.

“…isn’t everything. Wouldn’t you agree?” he finished.

“Please…I’ll do whatever you want. Just don’t kill me. However you want me to make myself useful, I will,” she begged, “But don’t kill me.”

“Like I said, I’m not here to bargain with you,” he dismissed, “Your father isn’t of any use to us anymore. I would just like to finish what I started and show him what it means to disrespect my generosity. I’m glad you could join us for this…finale if you will. Your father mentioned that you were interested in theatrics when you were young.”

She held her breath as he leaned closer and continued, “But I can assure you, Evangeline Sterling, this isn’t in your head. This is very much real. Doesn’t it feel that way?”

He grabbed her forearm where he cut her skin and squeezed, remaining silent as she yelped in pain from the sudden pressure. More blood seeped from the wound, spurting around the split edges of her flesh before trickling down her arm. She felt dizzy all of a sudden as the throbbing in her head returned from before. Her vision blurred with tears that couldn’t stop falling no matter how violently the Pyke threatened her to stop crying. She could feel every slow inch of his knife now moving down her back like a pen against paper. There was too much blood, too much pain, and too much grief tumbling around the bubble Evangeline tried to encase her consciousness inside so that she could convince herself this was a horrible dream. But, as the Pyke said, this was very much real.

She was barely conscious when he stepped away and observed the lines that crossed her back. He had cut through her butterfly tattoo quite viscerally, letting the ink mix with the blood beneath her ruined skin. Turning toward her father, he was displeased to find that Mr. Sterling wasn’t paying attention. It seemed the drunkard was too far gone to notice his last alive child was undergoing this kind of torture. Evangeline heard some shuffling in the background before her father was screaming in pain as well, but the sound only brought a subtle smile to her face as she closed her eyes. The stone floor felt cool against her warm cheek, grounding her in this moment that was slowly slipping away.

“I’m here, June,” she croaked out, “We’re all together again. Right?”

She could have sworn she heard her sister’s voice reply back, but that must have been wishful thinking. When she opened her eyes again, she realized she was still in the chamber but something was different. People in white helmets were crouched over her—troopers. Imperial troopers. One of them noticed she was awake and said, “Ma’am can you hear me? Can you tell me what day it is?”

Instead of saying anything, Evangeline sat up and noticed her ankles weren’t chained to the floor anymore. Crawling forward, she pushed past the startled troopers who tried to reach for her without injuring her further. Not letting anyone deter her from this path, she dragged herself across the floor until she was right in front of the pile of bodies that pretty much summed up her entire family. She ignored her parents’ still and cold figures, immediately reaching out for her lifeless siblings. First, she touched her brothers—one face for one hand. Even in death, they looked so similar, the twins they were. When she shifted her gaze toward her sister, everything crumbled and she launched herself forward despite the heaviness fatiguing her body. Sobbing loud and deep from within, she buried her face in June’s blonde hair and didn’t stop until she passed out again.

Meanwhile, Wolffe had broken protocol to be here. More than protocol, actually. The Empire hadn’t established its presence on Oba Diah, and it would never for as long as the Pykes roamed this planet’s grounds. He had just finished receiving an earful from his supervisor when his squad boarded their transport with Evangeline unconscious and bleeding on a stretcher. The rest of her family was also collected, but Wolffe was here for Evangeline. His heart had not stopped beating out of his chest since the moment she left, and this only worsened when he found her comm shattered on the ground in that dark alleyway. It didn’t ease when he saw the surveillance footage of the Pykes bringing her away, sparking all sorts of questions that were only answered with one thing—that he had to get her back. The consequences would be his when they returned to Coruscant, but the most punishing thing of all tonight was seeing her torn up and barely breathing in the ship’s small but busy infirmary.

“Commander, she’s lost a lot of blood,” the medic said to him as he stood in the doorway unable to move further into the room, “I think we’re losing her.”

Wolffe’s expression twitched under his helmet as his ears started ringing like the high-pitched humming he’d always hear under Evangeline’s breath. He couldn’t find the strength to step closer, but he also couldn’t tear his eyes away from her quivering body lying across the blood-soaked mattress.

My fault, was all he could think to himself, This is my fault.

“What do you mean you’re losing her?” He snapped, “Do your fucking job, or find someone else who will.”

“But sir, she’s—“

“She’s Imperial personnel. Stop wasting time and keep her alive.”

Wolffe moved to leave, stopping abruptly in his tracks when the medic said, “She’s pregnant. Her body is already fatigued as it is—“

She’s pregnant. The words felt like a punch to the gut, too unreal for him to believe. Wolffe slowly turned around, his heart violently rattling so loudly that he could hear every thump. He stared at his squad mate, who wasn’t sure why he was so on edge for this random woman who wasn’t actually a stranger…but nobody aboard this transport knew that.

“What did you just say?”

“Uh…she’s pregnant—“

“Are you sure?” Wolffe interrupted, “Since when? What—How—“

Realizing he sounded insane, he stopped talking and stiffened his posture as if this didn’t faze him. The medic spared him a confused glance before refocusing on Evangeline, thinking more about how he could keep her stable until they reached Coruscant than the fact that his commander was acting like a total nutcase since he called them for this mission. Most of the squad knew that this was unsanctioned, not because he said so, but because there was no official briefing to go along with his orders. It was odd seeing someone who constantly followed protocol to a T now diverging for the sake of…what? Nobody knew what drew him to this rescue, but the medic had a feeling this girl had something to do with his uncharacteristic desperation.

“I don’t know if you wanna stick around and watch,” he told Wolffe, “It’s just gonna get uglier.”

The commander ignored this, remaining planted in place but still not fully entering the room.

“You, uh…” the medic carefully phrased, “You know her or something? Sir?”

“Stop talking. Just focus.”

“I’m focused. I know what I’m doing.”

Again, he was ignored. Wolffe folded his arms over his chest, trying to swallow the fear and anguish bubbling inside him like a pot that had already reached its boiling point. He could barely hear his squad mate asking, “She your friend? Girlfriend? Wife? Must be pretty important for you to risk your position like this…Brothers are getting decommissioned left and right for less than this...”

“She’s my…” Wolffe found himself saying beyond his control, pushing away the comment about being decommissioned so that he didn't lose the last string of his sanity. He trailed off when he didn’t know what would complete this sentence, wondering the same thing as his squadmate. My what?

Mine. Just mine. Wolffe didn't admit this aloud, but a silence passed through the room that spoke louder than these hypothetical words. The medic nodded in understanding, not saying anything further. This wasn’t something to say aloud comfortably, especially for troopers like them who were inevitably on the road to being replaced sooner or later. The two brothers were quiet for the rest of the trip until they arrived at Coruscant at the crack of dawn. Sunlight reflected off of Evangeline’s still face as her stretcher was pushed toward the facility she worked at every day. But this time, she was seeking help from them. Her fingers twitched at her sides when Wolffe drew closer, staring down at her before she would be led away for who knows how long. He held his breath as her eyes slightly opened, just enough so that she could see him.

Thinking she was dreaming or dead, she smiled and whispered, “I’m glad you’re here.”

He suppressed the urge to reach out and touch her face as his heart clenched in pain. “I’m sorry.”

“Me…too…” she replied quietly, closing her eyes again as her coworkers pushed her stretcher deeper into the facility, leaving him at the doors so helplessly alone and afraid. Not just for her, though, but also for the child inside of her. Both of them, now that this was his reality that he didn’t know how to handle.

And the one person he needed guidance from was long gone, waiting for him among the stars. The one person who would tell him what he needed to do. For a moment, Wolffe could only feel the absence of everyone and everything despite the busy life already teeming in this loud city. He didn’t think there was more he could lose after the war ended, but he was incredibly wrong. What was almost worse was that there was no one to turn to during this conflicted and heart-stopping battle he didn’t know how to approach. So, he could only do what he always did. Putting his helmet back on, he clenched his jaw and returned to base with a stone-cold expression that didn’t reveal anything even while receiving the reprimand of his lifetime.

Duty. Honor. Purpose. These words didn’t feel the same to him today. For some odd reason, they just didn’t feel the same.

Chapter Text

Evangeline woke up to what she thought was an empty room until she saw Wolffe standing in the darkness, just watching her intently. For a moment, his stare looked just like it always did—heavy, cold, and thoughtful. A beat later, though, she saw a flash of desperate relief as he came closer until he was sitting on the bed in front of her. Bracing a hand against her blankets, he sank his weight into the mattress and exhaled before speaking. His voice was rough but quiet, slightly coarse as if he hadn’t talked in ages. She felt more awake upon hearing him, but she couldn’t exactly discern what he was asking or telling her. Her consciousness was slow and foggy, lagging behind from the rollercoaster of events that had occurred on Oba Diah.

Suddenly, Wolffe stood and moved toward the door where he wanted to call a nurse or a doctor to take a look at Evangeline, who was still unresponsive to his words. Her eyes were blank but glassy, reflecting an anticipated fear that her whole body didn’t feel because she had mentally shut down. But, before he could walk away, she was reaching forward and grabbing him by the wrist. He stopped and stared at her over his shoulder, immediately sitting back down when he saw silent tears beginning to fall down her face.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, searching her expression, “Where does it hurt? Are you in pain?”

She let go of him and instinctively pressed her hands into her stomach, causing him to realize that she knew she was pregnant. He thought that there was a possibility she hadn’t known, especially this early on, but her obvious behavior last night blared flashing alarms in his mind. That, paired with her sudden concern as she touched her stomach, confirmed she was aware of this new situation. And she had hidden it from him.

“The baby,” she cried, “Did we lose the—“

“The baby is fine,” he interrupted tersely, “Fuck, Evangeline, were you ever going to tell me? You—“

He stopped, not wanting to argue about this right now. There were larger concerns to be addressed, like her own physical well-being from her gruesome wounds that were all wrapped up in bacta and bandages right now. On top of that was the fact that her entire family was dead. She seemed to remember this as well, sobbing harder into her hands as he stared at her so helplessly. He wanted to take her in his arms and soothe the pain away, but he wasn’t sure if she would like that. After all, they hadn’t exactly rectified their last conversation.

“I’m sorry,” she sniffled, calming down a little, “I thought you would be mad at me—I thought—You’re not mad, are you?“

“Why would I be mad?” His heart ached at this as he wondered if this was how she perceived him—just an angry man with no heart? How could he be mad at her for carrying his child? Their child?

“Because…” she paused and wiped her face with some tissues from the nightstand beside her bed.

He sighed and laced their fingers together under one of her blankets. Her skin, which was usually warm, felt cold for once. His skin, on the other hand, was so feverishly hot that he thought he might burn her just from this simple touch. They stared at each other before she finished her sentence in a whisper that he almost couldn’t catch.

“Your third rule,” she said quietly, “You said you didn’t want to risk anything. But it happened anyway—I still don’t understand how—but I thought you’d be mad about it.”

“I’m not mad,” he frowned, “We can talk about this later, but I want you to know that I’m not angry at you. Do you understand?”

More tears welled in her eyes as she leaned closer and touched their foreheads together, not saying anything in response. Her throat felt squeezed and clogged, suffocating any attempt to get her words out.

“Stop crying,” he murmured, “It’s fucking killing me.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, squeezing her fingers that were still locked with his, “I just—I’m just so sad right now.”

His heart clenched as he registered the dejection in her tone. Berating himself for being insensitive to all of the loss and suffering she endured today, he pulled away to kiss her on the forehead. Leaving his lips lingering against her skin, he said, “Don’t apologize. You’ve done nothing wrong.”

She inhaled a deep breath, but the sound turned into a choked gasp as she couldn’t stop the sobs that shook her frail body. Wolffe took her face in his hands and caught her tears with his thumbs, brushing gentle caresses across the wet and soft skin. Staring at him through her blurry vision, she paused before pushing herself forward with the little strength she could muster. He was startled when she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, closing her eyes so that all she could feel was the weight of his hands around her waist. Not wanting to put too much pressure on her wounds, he simply rubbed her back up and down as slowly as possible while itching to kiss her like the world was ending.

Reality flooded into the room when the door slid open and a familiar voice said, “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

Wolffe pulled away first, his ears burning as he stood and cleared his throat awkwardly. Dr. Bell stepped closer, peering between the two of them with a curious but also knowing smile that was so subtle it wasn’t visible to the naked eye. Evangeline also felt a bit caught, causing her to avert her gaze elsewhere until she saw the sunset lowering behind the tall buildings that surrounded this facility. She wondered how long she had been asleep until her supervisor continued, “You slept for nearly the whole day. How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay,” she told him, noticing that Wolffe had left the room. That was fast.

The doctor didn’t look at her as he read the screen that displayed all of her readings and vitals. When he turned toward her, though, his eyes were sharper than usual but also cautious.

“Is he the father?”

The question sent a nervous bolt of shock down Evangeline’s spine as her lips parted with no words to follow. She swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to calm the hairs that had stood on the back of her neck with a few deep breaths. Dr. Bell didn’t waver despite her obvious discomfort, staring at her until she answered the question.

“Who?” She squeaked.

“CC-3636.”

“No, I—He’s my—“

My what? She thought to herself, My boyfriend? We’ve never even established our relationship. Nice going, Ev. You got pregnant without even putting a real label on this…whatever this is.

“Evangeline,” Dr. Bell said sternly, “If he’s the father, you’re in for serious trouble. You know—“

“I know,” she replied, “I wasn’t thinking. This wasn’t supposed to happen…we’re both—“

She paused and cringed slightly, not wanting to discuss her sex life with her boss of all people. But he was also a doctor, and he seemed to be approaching this conversation from that kind of perspective. Maybe he could provide some insight into how all of this even came to be.

“We’re both on the implant,” she said, blushing furiously, “So I’m not sure how this happened.”

“It’s not a 100% guarantee against conception, but your confusion is valid. These chances are so slim that you could say they’re one in a million,” Dr. Bell explained casually, “I’m not superstitious, but those odds are almost prophetic.”

Evangeline shook her head, not wanting to get into the whole discussion about how “this was meant to happen” or “this was a gift from the galaxy.” She wanted the facts rather than the flowers, but she was slowly coming to the conclusion that this was just bad luck. There was no clear science behind why this happened to her of all people, especially when her life was taking this kind of turn for the worst. Not to mention that her partner wasn’t allowed to have a life beyond his duties. Even just seeing her was risky, but now…

Now they were going to be parents. If she decided to keep the life growing inside of her.

As if reading her mind, Dr. Bell said, “We can discuss your options another time. I was planning to keep you overnight, but your scans have returned all clear. You can go home—just make sure to take care of that wound on your back. The infection is gone, so make sure it stays that way.”

She nodded absentmindedly, knowing what she needed to do to take care of herself. He watched her hesitate before whispering, “Please don’t tell anyone about this. I don’t want him to get in trouble.”

“I won’t,” Dr. Bell reassured her before mentioning, “But in terms of trouble, I think it’s too late for that. He’s been temporarily suspended from duty. The Pykes didn’t take well to the Empire’s presence when he took his squad to rescue you on Oba Diah.”

“Suspended?” Her stomach dropped in disbelief as she registered her supervisor’s words, “No…because of me? He didn’t do anything—“

“I think you should ask him for the details,” Dr. Bell interjected, “I only overheard this information briefly.”

Noticing her deepening frown, he added, “Apparently his record was completely clean up until now. I wouldn’t worry too much.”

“There’s barely any clones left after they started recruiting their soldiers,” she murmured, “What makes you think they won’t get rid of him any time soon?”

“True,” Dr. Bell nodded, “But if he’s as good a soldier as they want him to be, then they’ll keep him.”

She went quiet at this, so Dr. Bell gently clapped a hand on her shoulder and smiled down at her. Changing the subject, he said, “I asked some of our guards earlier to escort you home once you were discharged…just as a precaution. I’ll let them know when you’re ready to leave.”

“Okay,” she said, “Thank you, Dr. Bell.”

“Of course.” He hesitated before adding, “I know you’re going through a difficult time right now, but I want you to know that I understand. At least, to some degree. So, if you need anything…”

Looking up at him, she smiled softly and nodded when he trailed off.

“Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“Of course. Just take care of yourself.”

They exchanged one last glance before the doctor exited the room and left her alone in this dimly lit room. The sun cast a fleeting orange glow across the floor, but that was quickly replaced with more darkness as Evangeline got ready to leave and return home. She emerged from the facility with two Coruscant guards at her side, looking around to see if Wolffe was still there. He wasn’t in the waiting area, and she was disappointed to find that he wasn’t outside either. Not realizing she had planted her feet in place, she was startled when one of the guards asked, “Are you alright?”

Blinking and refocusing on the two soldiers in front of her, she hesitated before replying, “Have you seen Commander Wolffe? He was here earlier…”

“Who?” The other asked, reminding her that she didn’t know these troopers.

“Um…CC-3636?”

“Oh, yeah. Saw him catch a speeder just before. Maybe he went back to base. Why—did you need him for something?”

“I just…” Evangeline coughed and shook her head, “I just wanted to thank him. He, um…went through a lot of trouble just to get me out of that situation before.”

“Yeah, he’s done for,” the guard snorted to her dismay, “But glad you’re alright.”

She suppressed a flinch and forced a smile, thanking him before following the two troopers to a transport that would bring her back home without risking another kidnapping situation. Her stomach sank even further when she saw that her apartment was empty contrary to what she had hoped to come back to. Where was he? Did he not want to talk to her after all that had happened? Was he angry at her for risking his career? So many questions ran through her mind before washing away as her eyes locked onto the broken glass on the floor near her kitchen area. Wolffe hadn’t cleaned it up, which meant he probably left the apartment to look for her shortly after she stormed off.

Alone and utterly exhausted, Evangeline collapsed in front of the glass and tried to pick up the pieces. Tears pricked her eyelids when the sharp edges slipped across her flesh, drawing blood that dripped quickly and viciously all over her coat. Everything came crashing down on her shoulders all at once—her argument with Wolffe. Her family now gone. Her unborn baby. It was all too much. For a moment, she just clutched her chest and cried until her heart was dry like a wasteland devoid of any hope or signs of life.

Wolffe couldn’t remember the last time he drank a drop of alcohol or shed a single tear, but here he was doing both. 79’s was as loud as always, but there were fewer troopers than usual. These numbers had only trickled down in recent months, which was bad for business but also concerning to the brothers who still remained.

“He’s really going through it,” Boost muttered under his breath at Sinker.

The two troopers were sitting across from Wolffe in a booth isolated from the rest of the bar, wondering why their former commander was so distraught. And so drunk. He never drank. He never cried. He never crumbled like this.

“Ah, let him be,” Sinker shrugged, “If he wants to talk, he’ll talk.”

“You think Sterling broke up with him?” Boost hypothesized.

“Sterling? The medic girl? What, are they together or something?”

“You mean you didn’t know?”

Sinker scowled, folding his arms across his chest. “No, I didn’t know. Do you two talk to each other without me?”

“I mean, sometimes. When you’re busy…it’s hard to keep up with everyone’s schedules now that we’re all doing our own shit,” Boost said defensively.

“Fuck you.”

“Me? Fuck—“

“Shut the fuck up,” Wolffe suddenly said, his voice frustrated and slurred, “Both of you.”

“Hold on,” Sinker raised his hands and tried to calm the conversation, “You mean to tell me that the commander has a girlfriend? And it’s the chick he swore he wasn’t interested in?”

“This is old news,” Boost drawled, “Where have you been? Besides, she might not be his girlfriend anymore.”

This seemed to upset Wolffe even more, causing him to put his head in his hands and inhale deep breaths that sounded more like hyperventilation than anything. So much alcohol of all different types burned through his veins, only heightening the strong emotions he currently felt all at once. This was part of the reason why he stopped drinking—the physical incentives weren’t everything. He always found himself acting a bit more brash and reckless than usual, probably because he always restrained himself while sober. Being drunk brought out different sides toward people that were often kept hidden until let loose like wild animals being released from their domestic cages.

“Shit…I think they really did break up,” Boost said with a bewildered expression.

“We didn’t,” Wolffe groaned, his head suddenly aching, “I don’t fucking know.”

“Well, we don’t either,” Boost told him, “So this conversation is as good as nothing.”

“I’m not here to have a conversation.”

“You asked us to come here. What, do you want us to cry with you or some shit?”

Wolffe opened his eyes at this and glared at his brother, who was staring back at him with raised eyebrows. An unspoken conversation passed through all three of them as they looked at each other, feeling rather than knowing what was going on in their minds. With a dejected sigh, Wolffe leaned back in his seat and averted his gaze toward the bustling crowd doing all sorts of crazy shit in its drunken state. He wasn’t looking at anyone in particular, just zoning out while thinking about Evangeline and how shitty he was for being here when he should be with her. So much had happened in such little time, though. Even though he knew that she was going through something so much worse than him, he couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by it all. Almost afraid, even.

“She’s pregnant,” Wolffe murmured.

Silence. Both of his brothers’ jaws unhinged in shock as they stared at him. Wolffe inhaled sharply before shaking his head, almost laughing at the absurdity of everything.

“That’s not all,” he droned on, barely awake at this point, “Her whole family is dead. Her dad was working with the Pyke Syndicate as a spice runner. Got everyone killed ‘cause he did something shady behind their back. And they would have killed her, too. They fucking tortured her—“

He stopped, his expression twisting in pain as he remembered the deep gashes that tore through her back. Reaching for another shot, he tried to find a glass that wasn’t already empty. Boost stopped him, though, grabbing his arm and pushing it back with a disapproving expression.

“What the fuck are you doing here, then? Getting drunk and crying like a pussy when your girlfriend’s whole family is dead? And she’s PREGNANT?” He barked loudly.

“Is it yours?” Sinker asked, still dumbfounded by this information that was dropped like it was nothing.

Wolffe blinked, having never considered the possibility that the baby belonged to someone else. But there was no way Evangeline had been sleeping with someone other than him. Their label was unclear, but their loyalty wasn’t. Shaking his head, the commander said, “It’s mine.”

Turning to Boost, he added, “I don’t think she wants to see me right now.”

“Bullshit,” Boost scowled, “She wouldn’t want to see anyone but you.”

“Maybe it’s you who doesn’t want to see her,” Sinker phrased carefully, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Of course I want to see her,” Wolffe snapped.

“Then why are you here?”

“Because I fucked up, and I don’t know how to fix it!”

Wolffe’s hands began trembling as he forced a level expression that wasn’t at all convincing. He released a harsh breath and continued, “I don’t know what’s going to happen to me. I’m one report away from being decommissioned because of the shit I pulled to find her on Oba Diah. And nobody knows what happens to the clones who are decommissioned—it’s like they fucking disappear off the face of the entire galaxy. If I can’t be here…then I can’t take care of her. I can’t—“

Wolffe couldn’t remember the last time he talked this much, but he wasn’t stopping now. Not when nothing was holding him back. The alcohol buzzing through his blood was a stimulant for all that he wanted to say after constant silence. For the first time in a long time, he felt a maddening sense of fear that he truly did not have a single purpose for his existence. He wasn’t a good soldier. He wasn’t a good partner. He wouldn’t make a good father. There was absolutely nothing he was good for any more as he thought about all that tied his life together right now. Everything his soul was devoted to—and that was a short but sweet list—didn’t belong to him anymore simply because he didn’t deserve it.

“I love her,” Wolffe suddenly said, putting his head in his hands again as the world began to spin around him.

“Wolffe, you’re drunk,” Boost grimaced, “Don’t say things—“

“I mean it,” the commander slurred desperately, “I love her. I fucking love her. I want to be the right man for her, but I’m not.”

Boost and Sinker exchanged a glance before the latter said, “If you believe that, then you’re really not the right man for her.”

The words knocked the wind out of Wolffe, almost sobering him up completely. He opened his mouth to reply, but his attention shifted toward the entrance of the bar that was in his direct line of vision from his seat. Like an angel who heard his prayers, Evangeline was frantically speaking to a trooper at the front and showing him something on her datapad that she shoved into her coat pocket when he pointed in Wolffe’s direction. She followed his finger, her lips parting in surprise but also relief when she locked eyes with the man she had been searching for—the right man, finally. All of the other identical faces in the room blurred together as she focused on him, quickly pushing through the crowd so she could get to him as fast as possible.

“Wolffe,” she gasped when she reached their booth, not even noticing how Boost and Sinker had whipped their heads around upon hearing her voice, “What are you doing here? I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

“Evangeline,” he whispered, standing up despite shaking all over, “I thought they were keeping you overnight—“

His words cut off when she wrapped her arms around his middle. He vaguely heard her ask, “Can we go home?” over the loud music, causing him to open and close his mouth in disbelief.

“I’m…” He cursed under his breath before telling her, “I’m drunk. I don’t want you to feel—“

She seemed to understand what he was getting at, reading between the lines that he was concerned about his drunken state because of what she told him about her father—the abusive, alcoholic fuck who was now sitting in the mortuary a few levels below her workplace. Her worst nightmare she couldn’t help but mourn despite everything he put her through as a child. Her father, who got her entire family killed because of his greed.

Stepping back, she cupped the side of his face and looked up at him. He avoided her eyes which were bloodshot and puffy like his, focusing more on the hand that he carefully ran through her slightly damp hair. Maybe she had taken a shower before coming here—he didn’t know. His brothers were staring at him with more shock than ever—even more than when he told them she was pregnant—because they couldn’t recognize the man standing before them. They couldn’t fathom how gently he was touching Evangeline. How softly he was gazing down at her. None of this felt real, but it was. Wolffe’s feelings for her were anything but fake.

“Were you crying?” She asked quietly, “Did I upset you? I heard you were suspended from duty—I’m sorry if I—“

“No,” he said, “It’s not your fault. I swear.”

She frowned and dropped her hand from his face so that she could hold both of his hands with hers. They shared a heavy stare before she said, “Come back with me. We can talk at home.”

“Are you sure?”

“For fucks sake,” Boost interjected, slapping a hand over his forehead as if this conversation was physically paining him, “If your girlfriend tells you to go home with her, you go fucking home.”

Evangeline turned around, finally registering all of the other presences at the bar. Smiling softly, she felt some of the heaviness in her heart lift away.

“Hey, guys,” she said quietly.

“Hey yourself,” Boost said as Sinker asked, “Is it a girl or a boy?” at the same time.

Evangeline’s face flared up in a hot blush as she glanced up at Wolffe, who was displeased with this question. Wrapping a possessive arm around her waist, he pulled her closer to his side and scowled at his brothers like his usual self. She leaned into him and answered, “We don’t know yet.”

“You shouldn’t just tell people,” she whispered to Wolffe before anyone could reply, “What if word gets out?”

“Sorry,” he murmured, feeling a little dizzy the longer he stood.

“Don’t worry about us,” Boost reassured her casually, “We won’t tell a soul.”

She pursed her lips before nodding, still slightly ruffled from the fact that this was their new reality now. When she looked up at Wolffe again, she noticed that his eyes were heavy-lidded with drunken fatigue that couldn’t be good. Suddenly, he was moving forward and collapsing his upper body on top of her in a crushing embrace that startled her. Unable to resist himself anymore, he encircled his arms around her and buried his face in the crook of her neck. Her hands hovered over him before pressing down, hugging him back as her heart slowly warmed just from this simple moment.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered in her ear so quietly that nobody could hear but them, “I’m so fucking sorry.”

“Don’t be,” she whispered back, “Let’s just go home.”

Wolffe nodded, knowing what she meant. Still, he couldn’t control the thought that passed through his mind when she said this. With their arms around each other and their chests pressed together, he felt that he already was home. The entire city could blow over in a catastrophic explosion that left buildings fallen into rubble, but he would still be holding onto her. And he would still be right at home.

“Mhm,” he agreed, stepping back and swaying slightly from this abrupt change in position.

She grabbed his arm and stared at him with concern before turning toward his brothers who had distracted themselves with a separate conversation. Wolffe vaguely heard the three of them exchange a brief string of words as his brothers tried to lead him out of the bar so that he didn’t topple over and embarrass himself. He insisted that he was fine, but there was no doubt he wasn’t with how sluggishly he staggered forward with every step. Getting to Evangeline’s apartment was a blur for him, but he did feel her hand laced with his in the backseat of the airspeeder they took.

“What happened?” He mumbled, leaning closer toward her as he realized her fingers were bandaged, “Did you hurt yourself again?”

She rested her head against his shoulder and sighed. “A little, but I’m okay. I didn’t mean to.”

He exhaled and pressed his lips into the crown of her head. She could feel him speaking, but she wasn’t sure what he was saying. Later, when the group arrived at her apartment, she was unsurprised when he was completely knocked out on her floor without even bothering to take off his armor. Exchanging a glance with his brothers, she asked, “How much did he drink tonight?”

“A lot,” Boost told her, crouching down to slap his former commander across the face a few times, “What a fucking loser. He needs to get his shit together if he’s gonna have a kid.”

Evangeline shook her head and knelt down as well, trying to sit Wolffe up while asking if he could hear her. She spoke quietly and gently, her voice soothingly musical even though she wasn’t singing. He was just listening, too focused on her proximity that he didn’t notice when she started unbuckling his armor and letting it fall to the ground around them. Pressing the back of her hand against his cheek, she looked at his brothers over her shoulder and said, “Could one of you get me a glass of water? Cups are in the first cabinet.”

She turned back to Wolffe before she could receive a response, holding his face upright as his eyes continued to flutter open and closed with the passing seconds. Frowning, she leaned closer and tried to get his attention again.

“Wolffe,” she said, “Can you stand?”

He opened his eyes a little wider and stared at her, lifting a hand to touch her face. His fingers skimmed her jawline with hesitant caution as he replied, “You’re so fucking pretty.”

“You’re so drunk,” she almost laughed, “I can’t drag you to the bathroom, Wolffe. You have to get up.”

Ignoring this, he rested his forehead on her shoulder and wrapped his hands around her stomach. Her breath hitched when he began feeling his way around her clothed skin, obviously thinking about the baby inside of her. She pushed him away when Boost returned with some water and handed the glass to her before stepping back to watch this unexpected couple. He glanced at Sinker, who was also both amused and amazed by this odd sight they would never let go. The commander’s gone soft, they thought to themselves.

But that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Once Wolffe finished drinking his water, surprisingly obedient to this request, he set the glass down on the floor and pulled Evangeline into another hug. She felt warm all over from this abrupt expression of affection but also slight embarrassment because they had an audience. Looking over her shoulder again, she told his brothers, “Um…I think I can take it from here. Thanks for your help.”

Both of them snickered under their breath when Wolffe squeezed her tighter, displeased that half of her attention was elsewhere. They bid her good night, leaving her apartment with little disruption to this intimate moment on the floor here. Evangeline tried to loosen Wolffe’s grip before sighing, resting her chin on his shoulder while running her hands up and down his back.

“Come closer,” he muttered, “You’re too far away.”

“What are you talking about?” She breathed in disbelief, “We’re as close as we can possibly be.”

“Not close enough.” His voice was more muffled as he pressed his face into her chest.

Inhaling a deep breath, he whispered, “I thought I lost you.”

An ache shot through her chest as she squeezed him tighter. “I didn’t think you’d find me.”

“Of course I did.” He sounded a little more awake now as his drunken state didn’t hinder his determined resolve, “There isn’t a single place in this galaxy where I wouldn’t be able to find you.”

She closed her eyes and exhaled, believing him with her whole heart. He protested a bit when she pulled away, falling silent as she kissed him between his eyes before leaning their foreheads together. They looked down between their bodies where their fingers were intertwined, hers bandaged and his calloused.

“Wolffe…” she said quietly.

“Hm?” He replied, caressing his thumb over the back of her hand.

“I want…” She swallowed the lump in her throat, “I want to keep the baby.”

When he didn’t say anything at first, she thought she fucked everything up right then and there. Doubling back a little, she told him, “I know it’s a lot…I never wanted kids before this. But you two are the only family I have left.”

“Me?” He asked hoarsely, a little surprised that she considered him family.

“Of course,” she nodded, her voice breaking from a sudden melancholy.

He went quiet again, thinking about what he wanted. Logically, he knew that having a child made no sense with his kind of life. Whether or not he would remain an Imperial soldier didn’t change that. No matter what, this was a lose-lose situation because he wouldn’t be there for her when the moments truly mattered. How could he put her through that? How could she want that? Everything seemed disadvantageous the more he thought about it, but he also couldn’t bring himself to care. Not just because she was telling him that she wanted to grow this family, but also because he wanted that as well. Deep down, from the bottom of his heart, he wondered if he could have this. If he could deserve it. If he was meant for it.

“I wasn’t going to ask you to get rid of the baby, Evangeline,” he eventually admitted.

“You weren’t?”

“No.”

“So…” She pulled back to look at him curiously, “You want this, too?”

He cupped the side of her face, smiling subtly with thick emotion clouding his eyes.

“I want you,” he confessed, “I want all of you.”

Her eyes lit up for the first time that day as some color and life returned to her expression. A single tear rolled down her cheek, identical to the one that fell from his good eye. The three heartbeats in the room thumped in unison, together like the family they were going to become soon enough. The only real family that mattered now.

Chapter Text

Being pregnant was a lot easier said than done, but Evangeline didn’t let that faze her. She knew everything she needed to stay away from and do more of, making all of this much calmer than Wolffe’s side of the story. He fretted to no end, going as far as abstaining from most sexual activities because he was worried that he might hurt the baby. “Your dick isn’t that big,” Evangeline told him while rolling her eyes. This snide remark ticked him off, tempting him to put her in her place. She saw this in his eyes and smiled innocently, constantly dropping lewd comments here and there so that he would give into both of their desires. But, alas, Commander Wolffe was difficult to crack. He limited himself to going down on her when she felt all hot and bothered, which was really frequent. Her hormones were all over the place, but he couldn’t complain about an opportunity to taste her and make her feel good. Her only problem with this was that he never received anything in return, but he didn’t care about that. She did, once breaking down in tears when she was feeling particularly emotional.

“Why don’t you want to have sex with me?” She had cried to him, “Do you think I’m ugly now?”

Grimacing slightly, still unsure how to handle her constantly changing moods, he knelt in front of her and said, “No, of course not. You’re beautiful.”

“Okay,” she sniffled, “Do you think I’m too desperate?”

He pulled back a little and lifted a shoulder, his expression slightly sarcastic. “Yeah, well, you’re practically begging me to fuck you every day—“

“I am not!”

She looked shocked at this, clearly lacking some self-awareness of how she had been acting for the past month. It wasn’t her fault that she wanted to practically live inside of his skin. There were many reasons why she felt this way—her consistent attraction toward him, his consistent attractiveness…the list went on. Ultimately, though, the baby inside of her was changing her body a lot more than she could handle alone. Wolffe’s temporary suspension was coming to an end, which meant the days they spent every day were slipping away. They hadn’t been easy, not just because of her pregnancy, but also because of everything that had led up to this change in their lives. When she wasn’t incessantly horny, Evangeline often felt…empty. Nothing had changed all that much for this feeling to make sense to her. She kept up the same routine, relatively, as her classes continued and her work busied more than ever. Dr. Bell still required her assistance with his secret research, too, which he had many theories about that he didn’t disclose to her. It seemed as if he was just using her as a medium to justify the time and funds he pulled to continue these efforts, probing clone troopers’ brains under the guise that he was “mentoring” Evangeline about something important. Even though she was helping him record data, she didn’t understand what he was looking for. He didn’t say a word about that.

Anyway, she had other things to focus on. If he was trying to prove something, she would find out soon enough. Her mind was more centered on passing her classes while balancing her work, baby, and mourning. She knew things would only get more difficult from here since her symptoms were relatively minor right now. It was still early on, and she hadn’t even begun showing yet. Soon, though, she would be able to determine the sex of the baby. Ultrasounds had only become more advanced in the past few years, which she had been on the other side of. Now, she would experience this as a mother. Still, despite the many things to look forward to, Evangeline felt the hole in her heart where she used to keep her family. She thought she’d be alone when she cremated their bodies and watched the ashes burn from the other side of the glass window, but she wasn’t. Wolffe was there. Dr. Bell was, too. For some reason, no tears came—it was as if she had sucked herself dry of that kind of sorrow. The melancholy she felt was more like a dull knocking that could be heard when everything around her became quiet. She couldn’t hear it when things were noisy, but she did when they weren’t. Thus, silence was dangerous. Slowing down was a vulnerability. Life needed to be fast and loud for her to stay afloat instead of getting bogged down in her grief.

A whirlwind of emotions, for sure. But feeling something was much better than nothing at all.

“Are you not tired?” Wolffe asked, keeping his eyes closed as Evangeline ran a teasing hand under his shirt and across his stomach.

“Nope,” she replied, moving her hand down lower where she was just about to break the waistband of his underwear.

He opened his eyes and turned on his side, wrapping an arm around her to pull her closer as he looked down at her with a sharp stare that only made her more excited. His hand shifted lower to cup her ass, squeezing without mercy.

“You sure?” His voice was husky with a tinge of demanding frustration.

Her smile widened as she looked up at him, her eyes round and enticing like pools of dark honey.

“Yep.”

Her fingers pushed past his waistband where she traced the tattoo on his hip that she didn’t need to see to know. He inhaled a pained breath before grabbing her by the waist and pulling her on top of him so that her legs were spread around his middle. She gasped when she felt their centers align, pressing her weight down just a little more. Their eyes locked through a beat of silence before he said, “Then strip.”

“What?” Her mouth dried as she registered his request in her mind, not expecting him to actually play along this time.

Sitting up with a quiet groan, he shifted their position a bit so that she was now in his lap. Leaning closer, he brushed their lips together and clarified, “Take your shirt and underwear off.”

She was naked within what felt like seconds, baring her body to his eyes that observed her shamelessly and hungrily. Looking down at herself, she was reminded that her cup size had increased as one of the many ways her body was adjusting to the baby. A soft moan sounded from the back of her throat when he took hold of one of her breasts and released a grunt of frustration because he wasn’t able to fully cup them anymore. Before her pregnancy, his hand seemed to swallow them whole. And he liked that. He liked having full control over her body.

“I can barely fit you in my hand,” he murmured, staring at her chest, “Do you know how fucking insane that makes me?”

She swallowed nervously but didn’t let the butterflies in her stomach prevent her from straddling him tighter and rocking against him. He groaned, feeling how wet and warm she was through his underwear. Before she could say anything in response, he was gripping the back of her neck and kissing her with a bruising pressure that she welcomed because she was waiting for it. His other hand snaked between them as he slipped his fingers across her pussy, causing her mouth to pause against his in a needy whimper.

“Wolffe,” she breathed, “Stop playing around.”

His lips curved in a subtle smirk. “Don’t tell me what to do. I’ll play with you how I want.”

She couldn’t stop her answering moan when he pushed one finger inside of her. Spreading her legs wider, she pulled away from the kiss and dropped her face into his shoulder. He closed his eyes and threw his head back a bit when she started kissing his neck, moaning louder against his skin as he added a second finger. Her entire body squirmed and trembled in response to the scissoring motion he opened and closed his fingers in, stretching her out slowly but steadily. She didn’t think this could feel any better until he pushed his thumb into the mix, circling her clit to tighten the tension building inside of her.

“Don’t stop,” she begged, then remembering that he preferred when she minded her manners, “Please, Wolffe. Please fuck me.”

“Tell me how much you want that,” he whispered in her ear, moving his hands faster as her thighs clenched in warning that she was close.

“So much,” she cried out, “I want you—stop being patient. Just fuck me however you want.”

“Hmm,” he chuckled in approval, coming undone by her words after trying to resist taking some pleasure for himself this month, “You know what to do, then.”

She felt a flare of triumph shoot up her spine, causing her to level their faces so they could kiss again. His lips moved up as hers crashed down, sealing their mouths together for a moment before she was moaning and unable to kiss him back from her sudden release that coated his fingers in wet arousal. With a swift movement, he pulled away and wiped his fingers across her mouth. Pushing them past her lips when they parted, his eyes darkened as he told her to suck. She moaned again, tasting herself on her tongue like a heavy but sweet reminder of how dirty he used her. How good he made her feel. Expecting him to change their position so that he was on top like always, she was surprised when he shucked off his underwear and kept her in his lap. Their eyes met in a stare that was interrupted only when she pulled away his shirt before running her hands across his bare chest.

Still breathing heavily from her orgasm, she said, “I thought you were in charge.”

He raised his eyebrows. “What makes you think I’m not?”

She looked down at their naked and touching bodies with a shy smile that contrasted her desperation just before. “You’re always on top. Doesn’t that give you more control? I don’t know…”

“Oh, yeah?” he replied in a low voice while grabbing her hips with both hands and lifting her up, “Let’s see if you still think that after we’re done.”

She gasped when he slammed her down on his hard length that was pulsing in frustrated anger from the lack of attention it had been receiving recently. A burst of shocked pleasure spread across her lower back and coalesced in her stomach as he lifted her up and down with impressive ease. She definitely wasn’t as light as she was before, and that would only worsen once she started showing. Her stomach was still waiting to expand, causing her to wonder if any of this would change between them. Hearing how desperately her body accepted him, though, she quickly turned her focus elsewhere—to the man fucking her from below.

“Is this what you wanted?” He taunted, his voice slightly strained and breathy, “Fucking listen to that. Listen to how wet you are for me.”

“Yes,” she whined, arching into him, “I wanted this.”

He thrusted up into her, wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her closer. She clutched onto his shoulders, realizing that she was wrong. Even though she was on top, there was hardly anything she could do but fall apart around him. The sensitive pressure between her legs was almost too much to bear, causing her to squirm and writhe in his hold as if she were trying to escape even though there was nowhere else she wanted to be. He left a rough mark on her neck, scraping his teeth against her skin before whispering, “I missed this. Don’t know what I was thinking—saying no to you.”

“I don’t know either,” she moaned, helplessly bucking her hips against his to meet his urgent thrusts, “Sometimes—You just—Like saying no…I think—“

He couldn’t help but release a pained laugh, no doubt amused by this theory that she just had to bring up during this heated and dirty moment. She heard this and smiled, but this comfort was quickly replaced when he began hitting her deeper at a faster and harsher pace. This provoked a slew of new sensations inside of her as she cried out, shaking violently against him. He held her tighter, murmuring, “I got you. Come for me.”

“I can’t—“ She sobbed, her body too overwhelmed from her second orgasm that was coming too fast and intensely for her to process, “Oh—Wolffe—I don’t think I can—“

“Yes, you can,” he grunted, palming her ass roughly, “Don’t tell me you can’t. Give me another, Angel.”

His words of encouragement mixed with his harsh tone pulled the tight string of her climax even more than it was already from his dick pumping in and out of her like they were fighting a race against time. She clenched around him tightly while instinctively rolling her hips to match his harsh rhythm. Not knowing what she was doing but feeling that it was right, she grinded against him as the last of her energy spiraled through her body in eager desperation.

“There you go,” he groaned, throwing his head back, “Just like that. Fuck me just like that.”

This sent her over the edge, blinding her as she saw stars that clenched and unclenched like the pulsing in her core from her dizzying release. She would have crumpled forward into him if not for the sudden change in position that she couldn’t even register. Still reeling from this orgasm, her moans turned into a jumbled mess when Wolffe finished them in a more familiar position with him leaning over her. He crushed his mouth to hers, still pounding in and out of her as his hands fisted the sheets on either side of her head. Teeth clashed, tongues slid, mouths gasped, and hips slapped against each other through the separation and union of their bodies. Every loud groan and hiss of approval from Wolffe made Evangeline want to fall apart yet another time.

Wrapping her legs around his waist, she pushed him deeper into her and came all over his dick again. Tears slipped from the corner of her eyelids and ran down their connected mouths, causing Wolffe to run his tongue between their lips to lick them away. He laced their hands together above her head and squeezed, coming inside of her with a few short thrusts. She felt warm all over from the heat of his release that spread into her as the veins lining his pulsing cock pressed against her flesh like a permanent imprint that determined who she belonged to. They shared a final, collective moan before sighing into each other’s lips and holding each other tightly.

Evangeline felt sleepy and satisfied, more than ready to curl up in their blankets for a good night’s rest. There was nothing left for her to do but breathe heavily and fight to stay awake so she could stare up at Wolffe, who was already looking down at her with an unreadable expression. She touched his scar and smiled, tracing the jagged line as he kissed her forehead so gently that it was hard to believe he fucked so disrespectfully good.

“I think I prefer when you do all the work,” she panted softly.

He chuckled, rolling over so he could get a towel from the bathroom and clean her up. “I did do all the work.”

“I still had to hold myself up,” she insisted, “I don’t have the core strength for that.”

“You woke me up,” he replied, standing up and walking away, “Might as well put in some effort.”

“Oops,” she singsonged in a tone that was not at all apologetic or guilty.

He rolled his eyes but smiled, unable to contain the joy seeping through his chest like sunlight on a warm summer’s evening. When he returned to the bed, he was unsurprised to see that her eyes were closed and her legs were spread out in a starfish position. Clearly, she hadn’t moved an inch since they finished. Once he cleaned the mess between her legs, made sure she drank a glass of water, and brought her to the bathroom, they were back in bed despite Wolffe’s insistence to replace the sheets.

“In a few minutes,” Evangeline replied sleepily while absentmindedly touching her stomach.

He followed the movement of her fingers skimming across her bare skin just over where she knew their baby was resting. He hesitated before placing his hand over hers, also wanting to feel this. She looked up at him with curious excitement, noticing that his expression had shifted into something more thoughtful and solemn than before.

“Do you think I gave him a concussion from fucking you?” Wolffe suddenly asked as a protective urge surged through his body.

“Who?” Evangeline blinked quizzically before flicking her eyes back down to their hands over her stomach, “The baby?”

“Yeah.”

“What? No—Is that what you’ve been worried about this whole time?”

He scowled at the amused astonishment in her tone, averting his gaze as she propped herself up on her elbows and laughed.

“I don’t want to hurt him,” Wolffe grumbled, very embarrassed from this conversation.

“You won’t,” she kissed him on the cheek and caressed the side of his face, “That’s not even how it works. He’s in a protective sac. Besides, there’s a lot of tissue and fluids to keep him from moving around too much. When he gets bigger, he’ll experience a lot more movement just from my day-to-day activities anyway.”

“So…he’s alright?”

“Yes, of course. You’re so cute when you’re worried.”

“I’m not cute,” he disagreed irritably, only heightening the adoration she felt for him.

“You are,” she giggled while lacing their fingers together and moving their hands over her stomach together in slow circles, “Are you vouching for a boy, then?”

He paused, realizing he had unintentionally defaulted to masculine pronouns when talking about the baby. Maybe it was because that was just more common—he didn’t think that this was from wishful thinking. It definitely wasn’t.

“Not really,” he eventually answered, his expression turning distant.

She stared at him, wondering if his sudden detachment was from his lack of interest. He noticed the deflation in her eyes and clarified, “I’d rather have a girl so she can be like you.”

A beat of silence passed through the room as she observed him closely, trying to read the somber but guarded look in his eyes. Touching his scar, she turned his head toward her so that they were facing each other.

“You’re scared,” Evangeline whispered, “You’re scared you’ll see yourself in him.”

Wolffe remained quiet, looking over her head to watch the city from the foggy window above her bedside. She frowned and shifted closer, wrapping an arm around his middle to run her hand up and down his back. Goosebumps erupted across his arms from the sensation of her fingernails lightly scratching against his skin, a little ticklish but also comforting. When she spoke again, he was more relaxed already.

“I think I told you that I never wanted kids,” she said quietly, “That’s because I was afraid I might end up like my parents. I never knew what it meant to love my family.”

He met her eyes and stared at her intently, suddenly feeling less vulnerable from this confession. Her next words sent a shock down his spine, creating a buzzing in his ears that disrupted his focus on the reality he tried to ground himself to.

“But I love you,” she told him with a shy smile, “And I already love our baby—girl or boy. So, I think whatever I’m scared of…it’s not real. And I would love to have a son if it means he’ll be just like you. You’re so much better than you think you are.”

He had barely been listening to her after she uttered those three words that knocked the wind out of him. His voice was unrecognizably soft when he replied, “You love me?” as if such a truth seemed impossible to him.

Her face heated up as she stammered, “I mean, yes, but I understand if you’re not there yet. I’m not trying to pressure you—“

He interrupted her with a searing kiss that she melted into immediately before pulling him down on top of her. They were still naked, tangled in the bedsheets they had forgotten they needed to replace. Even though they both felt a tingling spark from their skin sliding against each other and their lips locking together, there was also something more than that. This “something” could be found in Wolffe’s eyes when he pushed up on the mattress, staring down at her with a lively flame flickering behind those dark pupils. It could be seen in Evangeline’s nimble fingertips spreading across his face as she cupped his cheeks, caressing him so gently that he almost felt delicate. And, finally, it could be heard in his next words to her.

“You think I don’t love you?” He whispered against her lips, “I love you so fucking much. Whenever I look at you, I have to ask myself what I could’ve done to deserve you.”

“Really?” She asked, her voice swimming with emotion.

“Really.”

She pulled him down for another kiss that was slower this time around but still overwhelming and enigmatic. He breathed out a harsh and low sound against her mouth when she slid her hands down from his face to his back, bringing more of his weight down on her as she pressed lightly. Coaxing her lips apart, he kissed her deeper and slipped his tongue in her mouth with a soft dominance that still controlled every breath he stole from her. She didn’t fight him, quick to follow his lead like always. Both of them needed to pull away for air, but they settled for the quick gasps between every instance their lips parted and met. Neither of them wanted to stop, addicted to this dream that was somehow real and given to them of all people. Eventually, though, Wolffe leaned back and stared at her through heavy eyelids as his chest heaved with desperation. He dipped his head, not to resume what he had paused, but to leave a trail of warm kisses down her throat. Her breathless whimper sounded right in his ear, growing a little louder when he sucked roughly and left a few marks.

A flare of possession erupted inside both of them, expressed aloud when Evangeline whispered, “I don’t want you to leave tomorrow.”

He lifted his head to look at her but didn’t say anything, unsure how to provide comfort for this inevitability. She frowned, more at herself because of how selfish she sounded. His temporary suspension was finally being lifted, which was a good thing. He didn’t deserve to be punished, especially so wrongfully or because of her. There were hardly any soldiers as strong, loyal, and dedicated as him. It made sense that the Empire needed him, and it should. At the end of the day, this was his duty.

“I’ll be back,” he reassured her before gesturing his head to the side where a half-built wooden crib stood in the center of the apartment, “Just promise you won’t touch that.”

“You’re such a control freak,” she rolled her eyes, “I was just trying to help.”

“You couldn’t even follow my instructions correctly.”

“Okay. I won’t touch it.”

The corner of his mouth lifted in a brief smile before he kissed her again, pushing his body closer to her so that their hips aligned. She moaned softly against his mouth when she felt the tip of his hardening, swelling dick press against her core which was still wet and lightly beating for him. Sore but not wanting to let this moment slip away, especially with the little time they had left, she was quiet and efficient in wrapping a hand around him to guide him closer until he was inside of her again. They were still kissing slowly, breathing heavily into each other’s parted lips while savoring the taste they now shared. Instead of chasing an orgasm or proving a position of power, they barely moved and simply felt their bodies join as one.

“Can we just stay like this forever?” She murmured, her voice slightly breathy from his gentle rocking that was new for both of them.

“Do you mean literally?” He replied, glancing down at where they were both physically and spiritually connected, “Because I wouldn’t be opposed to that.”

She laughed softly and kissed him again. “You’re saying that now after refusing to have sex with me this whole month because you didn’t want to give our baby a concussion.”

“It wasn’t just that,” he murmured, “You’ve been through a lot recently. I know it bothers you even when you act like you’re too busy to think about it.”

Her chest suddenly ached as she circled her arms around his neck and pulled him closer so that their foreheads were touching. He grunted quietly, maintaining the slow pace he was fucking her with. It couldn’t even be constituted as fucking, though, if one wanted to get technical. The pressure building inside of their lower stomachs was so unbelievably patient that they weren’t even thinking about when this would end. Sex was usually about achieving a result, like most things in life, but that wasn’t the goal right now. There was something soulful and irreplaceable about the way they were just preserving this moment between their low whispers and lingering kisses. She stared at him through her eyelashes, trying to think of something that would break this comfortable silence.

“I just feel weird,” she admitted, “I haven’t really been with them in over ten years—I was so young when I left. But I still…”

“It’s different,” he replied bluntly when she trailed off, “Not being able to see them because of distance versus…”

“Yeah. I know.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—“

“No,” she shook her head, “You’re right. And I feel shitty for missing them after a decade of trying to get away from them. All I wanted was to forget about them, but now I can’t stop thinking about them.”

“I guess we don’t know what we have until we lose it,” she sighed before he could respond, pulling his face closer so she could bury herself in the crook of his neck.

He sighed, too, knowing exactly what she meant because he experienced this all the time. It was always on smaller scales during the war, like someone not making it back from a mission or watching a brother die right beside him. But once all of that ended and the galaxy started changing, he felt a heavier loss that he still couldn’t bring himself to admit even in just the privacy of his own mind. His entire life as he knew it was gone and different. The only good part to come about from all of that was lying beneath him with her lips touching his in a soft kiss that set fire to his soul.

“You can go faster if you want,” she whispered, “You don’t have to hold back.”

“I’m not,” he said honestly, feeling every centimeter that he slid in and out of her with excruciating but also heart-fluttering slowness.

“Are you sure?”

He nodded, brushing their noses together from this movement before kissing her. Coaxing her lips open with his tongue, he devoured her with leisurely mercy that was not at all similar to how he usually approached their sexual endeavors. For once, he didn’t feel the need to be the one in charge. He just wanted to be with her for as long as the galaxy would possibly allow them. And, what’s more, was that he sought to cherish her so that he wouldn’t know what he had until he lost it—not when it came to her, at least. He was fully aware of what he had, and he had no plans to let go. She felt the same, grabbing at his back in quick desperation despite his calm thrusts. Their bare skin touching wasn’t enough, but what would be? When one was completely and wholly in love, nothing was ever satisfactory. Desiring more—even if that “more” wasn’t clear—was as natural as the starlight that streamed through the window and cast a gentle glow across their bodies.

“I love you,” she moaned, feeling braver about this admission now that he expressed his reciprocation.

“I love you, too,” he breathed, kissing her once before adding, “So much.”

Evangeline let her eyes fall shut completely, squeezing out the tears that she didn’t know had begun to well in the midst of their conversation. Wolffe tasted the salt between their lips and kissed her harder, wishing he could take all of her pain if it meant seeing her true smile return. He would gladly bare himself to his worst nightmare because he was now living in the dream that was her. No amount of darkness could change the fact that there were always stars shining down upon them, twinkling with the confidence that everything would be okay. No matter how long it took, everything would be just fine.

Chapter Text

It only took one mission back on the field for Wolffe to fuck up again. But, the more he thought about his disobedience during the trip through hyperspace, the less he cared. His mind was too busy reeling about the person—people—he saw when he thought this would be a simple extraction. He should have known today was going to be a shit show from the moment he stepped off his ship and saw the base their target was allegedly inside completely destroyed. It was a bad start already, considering their orders that this random kid was to be brought back alive, but that wasn’t the worst of it. Seeing dead clones labeled as insurgents strewn across the ground was unsettling. Ending up face to face with ones he recognized and thought were long dead after the war was rattling. Realizing some of his brothers were on the other side of the fight was heart-stopping.

“Sir, the admiral is not going to be pleased that we let them go,” one of his squad mates insisted, still confused as to why the commander suddenly aborted the mission after being such a stick up the ass on the way to Teth.

Wolffe didn’t stir from his seated position, just starting at the blue aura of hyperspace outside the cockpit’s window. After exhaling a quiet sigh that sounded more exasperated than exhausted, he said, “I’ll handle that.”

“I’m serious,” the trooper continued, glancing behind him before whispering, “The TKs are already talking about ratting you out.”

“I know.”

“Commander—“

“Stop talking,” Wolffe muttered, “That’s an order.”

The trooper pursed his lips, unsatisfied with how this conversation was going. Just for good measure, he said, “Look…I’m just trying to help a brother out. Not many of us left around here. You wanna end up like those insurgents? Or worse…”

Wolffe ignored this, folding his arms over his chest and leaning back in his seat like nothing bothered him. Of course, everything was bothering him right now. Not only was his position and usefulness to the Empire on the line, having been hanging by a thin thread ever since he was temporarily suspended from duty, but he also couldn’t stop thinking about his encounter with the “insurgents” he knew as his old friends. Some of them, at least. He didn’t recognize all of them. But clones were clones. Brothers were brothers. Traitors were traitors, he tried to remind himself. It wasn’t easy to keep believing this, though.

“I’ll take full responsibility for what happened today,” Wolffe eventually replied, “Since you’re so worried about your promotion.”

“I’m not—“

“I said stop talking.”

The rest of the trip was silent with Wolffe still fuming in conflicted frustration under his helmet. He barely spoke even once they returned to Coruscant, just calmly submitting a report detailing what happened during their recovery mission on Teth. Omitting the part where he intentionally allowed the insurgents harboring their target to escape, he knew that someone in his squad would submit a counter report and place the blame on him. He was waiting for that since it was inevitable. But he wasn’t ready for it.

The bodies he instructed his squad to recover were transported to the mortuary in the facility where Evangeline worked. Looking at the time, he realized she would probably still be there. It was nearing the end of her shift, but he supposed that he got lucky when he saw her emerge from one of the labs down the hall. Why they kept the dead so close to all the experimental creations happening just on the other side of the corridor was beyond him. It was a weird juxtaposition, almost poetic. Because when she drew closer to him, somehow recognizing him under the dim lighting, the life and death along this floor convoluted into neither one of those truths that bordered their existences. All he could feel was her eyes on him, smiling with a question she hadn’t yet said aloud. So, he spoke first.

“What are you doing down here?” He asked, his gaze dropping to her stomach which still wasn’t showing signs of her pregnancy. It had only been a few days since he left, after all.

“I’m just record-keeping for Dr. Bell,” she answered while lifting a shoulder casually, “He really did steal my project idea. I don’t even know what he’s looking for at this point.”

“He didn’t tell you? What are you recording, then?”

“No, he didn’t. He’s just been asking me to keep track of every trooper’s designation number and the day they came in to see him.”

Wolffe knitted his eyebrows together. “Isn’t that something he can do by himself? That doesn’t take much skill.”

“Hey, I’m doing a good job,” she huffed, “He’s been seeing a lot of clones these days.”

“And you have no idea what he’s doing with them.”

“Nope. He sends me away to do busy work before every session. I’m like…an intern.”

She giggled quietly at herself for a moment, which was weird but also endearing. He didn’t say anything and just stared at her, finally able to drink in her presence after that shitty mission. It hadn’t been very long since they last saw each other, but a mere few days apart was now difficult. Bad territory.

“What about you? You weren’t gone for very long. I guess things went well?”

Her voice pulled him away from his thoughts, causing him to realize that he was zoning out. She leaned to the side slightly and looked behind him where the insurgents’ casualties were still being loaded away, her expression growing tender as she registered this loss. Or not, she thought to herself, wanting to take back her words from just before.

“They’re not ours,” he said a bit roughly.

“They’re not?” She drew her eyebrows together quizzically, “Why did you bring them?”

Wolffe sighed and rolled his neck around, unable to release the tension that had built in his posture. His tone was devoid of emotion when he murmured, “I’ll tell you later,” but Evangeline saw the weighted melancholy that burned his eyes into darkness. She nodded and looked around hesitantly before confirming that the coast was clear. Stepping closer, she leaned forward on her tip-toes and kissed him on the cheek so quickly that he didn’t have time to react. His grip on his helmet tightened in response, though, as he clenched his body with restraint so that he didn’t push her against the wall and completely ravage her like he wanted. Just one simple kiss seemed to provoke that carnal desire inside of him. Or maybe it was just from looking at her once.

“Don’t do that here,” he told her, sounding a lot weaker than he would have hoped.

“Nobody’s watching. And the cameras stopped working down here for some reason,” she dismissed before taking him seriously, “But okay. You’re right.”

“It’s not that.”

“Oh. Then what?”

She held his stare, a blush spreading across her face the longer he looked at her as if he was trying to undress her with his eyes. Sort of joking, but not really, she vaguely gestured to the storage closet beside them.

“Well, that’s always there for something quick.”

He couldn’t help but recoil in surprise at this, his lips parting as he glanced between her and the closet with heightening disbelief. Fucking dirty, he thought to himself as a flare of desire shot through his stomach at the fantasy growing in his mind. He was never the type to enjoy public, risky sex—a private and patient space like a bedroom was much more preferred. But his mind wandered to an imagined scene that flashed before his eyes—him pinning her to the door and fucking her so fast that she couldn’t keep quiet no matter how hard she tried. She would be a mess in his arms despite knowing that they couldn’t get caught. Maybe he would kiss her to keep her quiet, but even then…she would just moan into his mouth and beg for more. He could almost feel that familiar sensation of her clenching and squeezing around his cock, so wet that every thrust slid easier than the previous.

His skin tingled all over before he blinked, staring down at her and meeting her shy smile. She was red in the face from noticing his shifted stare, definitely recognizing the hungry look in his eyes.

“No,” he finally said, his voice slightly strained, “Just wait until I’m home.”

Her expression lit up before she regained her composure and told him, “You might be earlier than me. I still have class.”

“I know,” he nodded, “But I might be late, too.”

“Oh…do you have somewhere else to go?”

“I don’t have to, but my brothers are here. Asked to see me in a few hours.”

“Okay,” she bit the inside of her cheek nervously before blurting out, “Just don’t drink too much. Like last time.”

“I’m not going to drink,” he said in an obvious tone, his face heating up from how humiliating he acted that night.

She noticed his subtle embarrassment and smiled reassuringly while reaching forward to take him by the hand. Squeezing once before letting go, she said, “I’ll see you later, then.”

He wanted to lean closer and kiss her goodbye, maybe smooth a hand over her hair and tell her that he missed her. But the corridor was soon occupied with passersby who paid no attention to them, not noticing anything out of the ordinary between their fixed stare. Taking a few steps back until he wasn’t within her proximity anymore, he said, “See you” before turning on his heel and heading out. Evangeline watched him until she couldn’t, already yearning for his presence even though they had just seen each other. It was so difficult not to leap into his arms every time their eyes met, but this was a public space where anyone could see and report him to the higher-ups. Hugging obviously wasn’t a crime, but the implications of this display of affection were definitely against the protocol he followed. Inhaling a deep breath, she also turned around and left without another word.

She reentered the lab that was now empty, as Dr. Bell had been called to help a trooper who contracted a strange disease from somewhere along the Outer Rim. Having only been to Corellia and Coruscant, both Core Worlds with little mysteries, she couldn’t fathom the life that hailed from the outskirts of the galaxy. But, alas, there was nothing prestigious about the Outer Rim. Most planets were abundant in wilderness, too primitive for the kind of future she had been hoping for since she was a little girl. A while ago, she told Wolffe that she would never leave Coruscant despite her preference for large houses and big backyards. She still found herself believing this, not wanting to let her growing opportunities fade away just because her family was now dead. It was impossible to deliver on the promise that she would get her siblings out of that house, but Evangeline could still make a life for herself. As selfish as that seemed, it wasn’t anything new that she was only thinking about how she could climb out of her past. Just herself.

Not exactly, though. Looking down at her stomach, she remembered that she had a new responsibility that she put upon herself in choosing to keep it. She still wasn’t sure how the three of them—Wolffe included—fit together in the mix of everything. They hadn’t exactly talked about this in detail yet, probably because neither of them knew what they were doing. It wasn’t that she needed help—there were plenty of nurse and nanny droids that could be there for her in his absence when things started picking up. The problem, in her perspective, was that they couldn’t even be an official family. Of course, they were. A legal stamp of approval didn’t determine that. But the fact that their love couldn’t even be considered real indicated to her that it could be taken away whenever the Empire wanted. That was terrifying to her—maybe her worst fear now that the one before was gone.

But that was conflicting to her, too—that she harbored a sense of solace and freedom in the loss of her family. She missed her siblings so dearly despite the bubbling resentment she wrongfully felt for them since they were children. It hurt that she couldn’t see them ever again, especially after not doing enough to stay in touch with them. She didn’t even get to tell June about Wolffe in a full story that would had them giggling and bantering like always. Wondering if her siblings would have gotten along with him, she was so distracted that she almost didn’t notice that Dr. Bell had left his datapad on the table beside her bag. It wasn’t until she slipped her arms into her coat that she caught sight of something odd on the screen.

Her records for his ongoing experiment were on display, but it was the column next to this data that confused her. He must have added it himself because she certainly didn’t recognize the contents. Why he was being so secretive about everything was beyond her, especially after he told her how he truly felt about the Empire. It was obvious that he was looking for something to prove such skepticism, but why had he seen potential in her idea to study the troopers’ brains? She had just randomly thought of this out of pure curiosity and interest as a way to stand out from her peers. Even when she tried asking him for more elaboration so that they were on the same boat—assistant to doctor—he only responded with, “I like to think that I’m doing something meaningful.” Whatever the fuck that meant.

“Designation Number…Date Visited…” she read aloud in a low whisper under her breath, “…Status?”

What status? She wondered to herself while scrolling through the data. All that was populated in this column were some inconsistent red slashes that didn’t seem to mean anything. Not every row had this marking, which meant not every trooper could be associated with the status her supervisor was referring to. Glancing at the room where his sessions with the troopers occurred, always off limits to her, she stood and slowly made her way over. It was locked, which shouldn’t have been surprising. There was definitely a way to bypass the security, but that would require time and energy she couldn’t spare right now if she was to make it to her classes in time. Still, even as she left the facility with the cool wind blowing her hair back, she couldn’t help but think about what could be going on in that room when she wasn’t looking. But Evangeline’s unquestioning, docile nature was the reason she wouldn’t find out any time soon. This made her perfect for the Empire, ignorant to the true darkness that shrouded the galaxy from the moment the Republic fell and the war ended.

It also kept her safe, though, like a deer inside of a cage surrounded by wolves prowling nearby. Just watching. Just waiting. Freedom was so easily exchanged for shelter when the galaxy was such an awful place. With so much evil and chaos, most people were like Evangeline in the sense that they acknowledged some odd occurrences but didn’t act on this curiosity. They just followed the flow of time like mere water droplets that made up an entire river once put together in a rushing stream that everyone had to fight to keep up with. Maybe in the back of their minds, they would feel something strange ticking their consciousness. Evangeline certainly did ever since Tipoca City fell like it never existed in the first place.

But she didn’t do more than she was told. One could say that she had orders to follow as well. After all, everyone did.

Evangeline was soaked in more ways than one. Wolffe had her against the wall of her shower, his chest to her back as he slammed into her from behind. She braced her hands forward, leaning against the cold glass while trembling all over and moaning loudly. Her voice echoed everywhere before reaching him like a gravitational center for her desires. One of his arms snaked around her waist to keep her upright after he noticed that her knees had begun buckling from the thick pressure of his dick sliding in and out of her without barrier or hesitation. His free hand cupped her breast, occasionally squeezing too tightly for her to handle.

“Wolffe,” she gasped, “I can’t—“

She cried out, her words getting lost as he slowed down but hit her deeper, filling her all the way with his length from the change of pace. A shudder crawled up her spine when he groaned in her ear, dropping his head into the crook of her neck. His lips parted, lazily kissing his way around her skin with an intensity that left sensitive and dark marks he would triumphantly observe later. She whimpered and pressed her hands into the glass harder, curling her fingers as if she were trying to hold onto something. Everything was too smooth and slippery, though. The only thing grounding her with secure attachment was Wolffe in every instance he claimed her with that usual roughness.

“Give me a kiss,” he demanded, his tone low but pleading.

She turned her head, looking at him through heavy-lidded eyes that matched his. He wasted no time crushing his lips to hers with a shared, muffled moan. His tongue fucked her mouth as hard as he was fucking her, stroking so deeply that she could barely keep up. She was coming undone in her entirety, fighting to kiss him back with the same fervor so she could prove just how much she missed him while he was gone. Her breath hitched when he squeezed her breast intensely, the sensitivity from her pregnancy causing her to instinctively bite down on his bottom lip. He grunted but loosened his hand on her, remembering that he needed to be gentle with that area.

“Sorry,” he murmured, breaking the kiss a little, “You feel too fucking good.”

“It’s okay,” she moaned, turning around again but throwing her head back against him as her core squeezed with anticipation, “Oh, I’m so close, Wolffe…”

He dipped his face into the crook of her neck again as she leaned into his chest, grinding her hips backward to meet his rough thrusts. Clearly impatient for her orgasm, she whispered, “Don’t stop. Please.”

Sucking on the side of her neck, he merely groaned in response and felt himself approach the end as well. He cursed under his breath when she clenched around him before gasping loudly at the loosening tension he had been building up inside of her. She squeezed her eyes shut as her orgasm slammed into her, causing her to sway slightly from the erratic pulsing between her legs. It was hard to stay upright, but Wolffe held her stable through his last few strokes that were sloppier than before from his diminishing control over himself. He wrapped both arms around her middle and filled her up with warm come that trickled down her thighs like the shower water once they were done, leaving them panting and clutching each other in the aftermath.

“I missed you,” she whispered when he turned her around and kissed her forehead, smoothing some wet hair out of her face, “I’m glad you’re back.”

“Glad to be back.”

His voice was slightly distant despite his tender touch. Pulling her closer with his slightly shaking hands, he kissed her gently as his tongue caressed hers. She circled her arms around his neck and stepped on her tiptoes, tilting her head for a deeper angle. They could taste each other through the water that slipped between their faces, drowning them in the proximity they were waiting for.

“Is something wrong?” She asked, noticing he hadn’t stopped trembling.

He pulled back from the kiss and stared down at her, thinking back to his mission from just before. He hadn’t mentioned what happened (and who he saw) to Boost and Sinker, who he had just briefly seen at 79’s a couple of hours ago. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust them, but he felt strange about recounting the experience aloud. Telling someone else who wasn’t involved was like sealing the moment into reality. Of course, it was real because it actually happened. He just had a hard time believing it even though he saw those clones for himself.

“Wolffe…Are you okay?” She said when he didn’t reply.

Inhaling a deep breath, he closed his eyes and hugged her into his chest. She made a quiet noise of surprise but wrapped her arms around his middle in return, wondering where this sudden action came from. All that could be heard was the shower water beating down around them mixing with her soft humming as she traced circles around his back. He touched her scars from her incident with the Pykes, stopping when she froze up a bit. She didn’t pull away, though, just startled by this. Her butterfly tattoo was long gone, the remnants of what was left after her skin mangled with those gashes removed for practical reasons. Having a quarter of a tattoo was stupid.

They remained quiet, feeling each other’s vulnerabilities and scars instead of speaking them aloud. That was why Wolffe surprised her when he said, “No. I don’t think I’m okay.”

She looked up at him, the bottom of her chin resting along his chest.

“I made another mistake.” His voice sounded exhausted and dejected, sending a pang of guilt through her heart.

“What happened?” She whispered, splaying her hands across his back, “Did you get in trouble again?”

“Not yet. But I will,” he answered before explaining, “I was sent to recover an Imperial asset on Teth—they said she was being held by a group of insurgents. But…when I got there…”

A silence passed between them before he said, “They were just other clones who went AWOL. I don’t know what the fuck they’re doing, fighting against the Empire. Are we not soldiers?”

“We’re supposed to be on the same side,” he continued, his voice sounding more desperate as the water continued rushing past his ears like rain from the storm that was brewing inside of him.

“Is that why you brought the casualties back?” She asked, “Because you know them?”

“I didn’t know all of them. But one of them—You might know him, too. He had a good fucking reputation in the Republic. And I thought he was dead.”

“Who?”

“Rex. He led the 501st.”

Evangeline recognized the name but not the actual person. She saw the frown that crossed his expression, prompting her to reply, “That’s not all that’s bothering you, is it?”

“I let them go,” he whispered so quietly that she almost didn’t hear, “And I don’t think anyone would understand why I did. I know I don’t.”

“I understand,” she whispered back, “They’re your brothers.”

“It doesn’t feel like that.”

“Even if it doesn’t…it’s not your fault.”

“It is,” he disagreed bitterly, “And it’s only a matter of time before they get rid of me for it. Or something.”

“That won't happen,” she said, more to reassure herself.

The thought of Wolffe being decommissioned sparked so many questions of where he would go. Would they punish him for disobeying orders too many times? Would they send him away? The best option in that worst-case scenario would be just letting him go—he could stay with her. But if they had other plans for the clones they didn’t need for service anymore, she wasn’t sure what either of them could do.

“You don’t believe that. You’re just saying that,” he muttered a bit harsher than he wanted.

She stiffened, his words reminding her of June. You just say things because you want to believe it. He felt her posture go rigid, causing him to pull back and keep his hands on her shoulders so they were still touching.

“I didn’t mean—“ He began, but she interrupted him.

“No, it’s not you. I just—my sister would say something similar to me,” Evangeline admitted, “But I don’t think it’s my optimism that annoyed her. She knew I would be lying when I looked on the bright side of things. I think that was the worst part. She looked to me for hope, but I didn’t really have any myself. So I lied…all the time…and she knew that.”

Wolffe slid his hands higher and cupped her face, brushing his thumbs over her cheeks as if he were wiping away her tears. The water running down her face from the shower made it look like she was crying. Maybe she was. Either way, he was there. He was with her. She was with him.

“But I promise,” she said quietly, “I believe myself this time. I know you’re gonna be okay. You’re a good soldier, Wolffe.”

“Am I?” He replied roughly, never allowing himself to question this aloud until today, “So much has changed. I think I’m really seeing it now.”

“You’re right—a lot has changed,” she agreed, “But you’re still a good soldier.”

But I’m not, Wolffe wanted to say, I made a mistake. I don’t feel guilty for it. I want to keep making mistakes if it means doing what I think is right. But that’s wrong. It’s not what I’m supposed to do. I’m not supposed to want that. I’m supposed to follow orders, regardless of who’s in charge. But I can’t stop thinking about…

“I wasn’t with my usual commanding officer when the war ended,” he suddenly told her, “He was assigned to Cato Neimoidia. That’s where he was killed, I guess.”

He tried to phrase this as indifferently as possible, but Evangeline knew that Wolffe was talking about this for a reason. Never before had he brought up the Jedi since the Republic was reconstructed into the Empire. Never before had he brought up what the end of the war looked like for him. Until now, it seemed.

“But…I’m thinking…” Wolffe said slowly, “If I was there…”

He went quiet, thinking about how to phrase the confession bubbling from inside of his soul. Evangeline raised her hand and cupped the side of his face, swiping her thumb over his scar before running her entire index finger down the jagged line. He closed his eyes, letting her start at his eyebrow until she was reaching his cheek once again.

“Do you doubt that you would’ve been able to kill him?” She asked softly, “Because that’s okay. It doesn’t mean you’re not a good soldier. I know you two were close.”

Wolffe frowned, unsure how to respond to this with complete honesty.

“I trusted him,” he eventually confessed, “But he was a traitor.”

“But you’re right,” he continued when she didn’t say anything, “I don’t think I would’ve been able to kill him if I was there. Maybe it’s better that I wasn’t.”

Not looking at her anymore, too ashamed that he had actually said this aloud, he averted his gaze toward the wall behind her. She tried to say something, whispering his name and holding his hand, but he was done with the conversation. He kissed her once on the mouth and then the forehead before calmly suggesting they finish their shower, which meant he didn’t want to continue talking about all the crushing weight that suffocated him like a hand to the throat. Instead of fighting him on this, she agreed and left him to silence.

A bit later, he was sitting in her bed and looking outside her window. Her blankets circled his lower half, leaving his upper body bare and on display like a toned sculpture that made her pause in admiration. When she approached him, gingerly handing him a cup of tea like the one she had for herself in her other hand, she noticed that he was still conflicted and bothered. Sitting down beside him and crossing her legs together, she kissed him on the shoulder and said, “I’m sure if you explain yourself in a certain way, they won’t blame you. I mean, you were in charge of that squad. Your word is stronger than any of theirs.”

“I don’t know,” he shook his head briefly, “The Empire doesn’t exactly like clones anyway.”

She sighed, realizing this was a losing situation no matter how many angles they tried to look at it. He seemed to realize this, too, setting his mug down on the windowsill before lacing their hands together. His other hand reached for her stomach, and in that moment he was touching his entire family. Leaning closer, she rested her head on his shoulder and looked outside the window with him.

“Do you know yet?” He asked, changing the subject to something that made his heart feel a little lighter, “If it’s a boy or a girl.”

She fought her smile and said, “I do. I wanted to surprise you, but now that you’re asking…”

“Tell me.”

“Nooo…It was supposed to be a surprise. I have it planned out.”

He narrowed his eyes and pinned her to the bed, gripping her forearms on either side of her head. She laughed and locked her legs around his torso, bringing their bodies closer together.

“I want to know,” he demanded, “Tell me.”

“No, please,” she squirmed, laughing harder when his scowl deepened, “Just wait a little.”

“That’s not fair. When did you even check?”

“Yesterday. With Dr. Bell.”

He pursed his lips, feeling a little guilty that he wasn’t there. But he couldn’t be, even going forward. Leaning closer, he brushed their mouths together before kissing her as if he was trying to apologize for this shitty situation they were both looking forward to despite the reality that consumed their relationship. She parted her lips for him and kissed him back, sighing when he slid his tongue across hers. No part of their body wasn’t embracing or touching in some way.

“You have to tell me by tomorrow,” he decided while pulling away, “Or else.”

“Or else what?” She giggled, not feeling threatened by this at all.

“I don’t know. I’ll think of some sort of punishment.”

“Ooh…exciting.”

He rolled her eyes at her sincerity, repeating his order that she needed to tell him the sex of their baby by tomorrow. She eventually agreed, saying she could make that work. That was when Wolffe realized that yes, he was certainly doomed, but he was also so, so lucky.