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Chapter Text

The sudden tempo change of the music drew Ahsoka’s attention towards the dance floor of the ballroom. So far, the gala had been filled with bright, vibrant melodies that sent the dance floor into a flurry of colors as the guests did their best to keep up in their formal outfits. Now though, the notes of this new song were long and unhurried, and within a few seconds, the movement of the dance floor had decelerated to match the new pace.

Ahsoka stifled a small sigh as she watched the other guests begin their slow dance. She couldn’t help but cast a glance at the man beside her. Rex stood at her shoulder, currently invested in an exchange with Cody, who flanked his other side.

She’d known for a long time that her partner wasn’t a dancer and, for the most part, she didn’t really mind. Dancing wasn’t exactly part of her daily life nor was it something she felt compelled to do often, if at all. Today, though, something about the legato notes and the idyllic atmosphere felt so romantic, and Ahsoka silently wished that she and Rex were amongst the couples twirling across the dance floor. She wouldn’t bother him about it, of course. She never wanted to ask him to do something he was uncomfortable with.

“Ahsoka.”

Her partner’s voice snapped her out of her daydream and it was then that she noticed his hand extended in front of her. She looked up to meet his gentle, amber eyes.

“Do you want to dance?” he asked and she had to stop herself from gaping in astonishment.

“Rex, you don’t like dancing,” she pointed out, furrowing her eyebrow markings.

“But you do and I love being with you, no matter what we’re doing.”

They’d been partners for a long time now, but his words still sent heat to her lekku and caused her heart to flutter. Not for the first time, she wondered how she had gotten so lucky.

Unable to find the words to respond, she placed her hand in Rex’s and he led her out onto the dance floor. Ahsoka barely contained a smirk when he quickly glanced at the other couples around them, and mimicked their positions by keeping hold of her hand, placing his free palm on her waist, and pulling her close. Then he began to guide them a bit awkwardly across the dance floor.

“Sorry, I don’t really know how to do this,” he mumbled against her montral.

“I don’t care.” They stopped moving for a moment and she reached up to trail her fingers along his jaw. “I’m just glad you’re here.”

As she tilted her head upwards, a bundle of green hanging above them caught her attention. Noticing her distraction, Rex followed her gaze towards the clump of leaves and the white berries that were sprinkled amongst them.

“It’s mistletoe,” Ahsoka said, when he glanced at her questioningly. “When we stand under it, we’re supposed to kiss.”

Suddenly she had all of Rex’s attention again. His amber eyes were warm as they met her blue ones and she felt her lekku heat again as her partner’s lips pulled up into a half-grin.

“I suppose I can’t say ‘no’ to that.” He was already leaning in and she felt the rumble of his voice vibrate in her montrals, even before he made contact.

Rex had never been one to openly display his affection for her in public; not physically, at least. But something about this gala and its blissful atmosphere must have inspired him to make some exceptions. 

First the dancing, and now he was cupping her chin and kissing her tenderly. His other arm encircled her hips to pull her closer and her hands found their way up to the back of his neck, pulling him down to her, so she could deepen the kiss further.

Ahsoka had to stifle a whimper of regret when they finally broke apart. She already knew she couldn’t get enough of this man and that knowledge was only further reinforced when he shifted to resume their dancing position.

Chapter Text

Fox hated the Republic Senate’s annual holiday party. Actually, he hated any event that required him to wear something other than his armor. 

As usual, the nat-borns didn’t understand and, if they spoke to him at all, he would receive some form of, “It must be so nice to be out of your armor for once.”

Those comments alone demonstrated just how little nat-borns knew about the clones. Armor was protection from more than just physical attacks. It shielded the clones from the scrutinizing eyes of the very people they were assigned to guard. With his helmet on, Fox could almost disappear in plain sight; just another member of the Guard doing his duty and staying out of the way.

Now, though, in a black tuxedo with a red collared shirt and nothing to obscure his face, Fox felt vulnerable. Of course the senators and other distinguished party guests knew what a clone looked like, but now they could see him . They could see the gray that flecked his hair and the scar that stretched across the bridge of his nose. The things that set him apart. The things for which they could recognize him in the future, if they had a motive to do so. Those motives were seldom good.

Having his face on display also meant that Fox had to maintain firm control over his facial expressions. Regardless of what went on around him, he couldn’t allow himself to grimace or roll his eyes or curl his lip with disgust when one of the pompous guests inevitably made a demeaning comment about himself or one of his brothers. Fortunately, Fox had mastered the art of keeping a straight face long ago, as a cadet on Kamino when the security of his helmet had not been an option.

So as the holiday party began, the commander maintained his projection of professionalism as he scanned the celebration around him. He had chosen a secluded corner of the banquet hall, from which he could observe the majority of the crowd. His amber eyes scanned the hoard of sentients that filled the open space. Nothing seemed to be amiss at the moment. The senators and other party guests had begun scarfing down food, chattering loudly to those nearby, or doing both at the same time. Nothing new there.

Then a flash of blue and lavender caught Fox’s eye. Before he could stop himself, his gaze had fixated on Senator Riyo Chuchi, who had just entered the hall. She wore a sleek, but professional, maroon dress and her hair, rather than being pinned back in one of her usual golden hairpieces, hung loose around her shoulders.

It wasn’t the first time Fox had found his attention drawn to the Pantoran senator. She was beautiful; anyone could see that. She was intelligent, though he supposed all of the senators were or at least pretended to be. What stuck out most, however, was that she was kind to everyone, even the clones.

Suddenly Riyo’s gold eyes met Fox’s amber ones and his heart rate instantly doubled its pace. Normally he would have his helmet on, so the senator wouldn't be able to see those moments when he was helpless not to stare at her. But now she’d spotted him.

Her lips pulled into a sweet smile and then she was pacing towards him. Fox quickly averted his gaze and forced his eyes to scan the room in front of him again. If anyone laid eyes on him now, he was nothing but a loyal guard; calm and professional. No would be able to see the sweat that had suddenly beaded on the back of his neck or hear the way his heart thudded harder with each step Riyo took towards him.

“It’s good to see you, Fox,” Riyo said warmly, halting her stride directly in front of him. A tiny part of him had hoped that she wouldn’t recognize him—he did almost always wear his helmet around her—but of course she knew who he was.

“You too, Senator,” he responded, his voice a bit more rigid than he intended.

“I’m sorry you couldn’t wear your armor,” the senator continued. “I’m sure you would have been more comfortable.”

It took Fox an extra heartbeat to respond. He had never expected a nat-born to understand the security the clones felt while wearing their armor, but if anyone would understand, of course it would be her.

“Thank you, Sen-”

“Riyo!”

A cheerful voice cut Fox off and he glanced up to see that Senator Padmé Amidala had materialized from the crowd.

“Padmé!” Riyo turned to greet her friend. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too, though don’t let me interrupt.” Padmé’s brown eyes sparked as she directed them towards the ceiling above Fox’s head.

Both Riyo and Fox followed her gaze to the green plant that hung between them.

“You know the rule. If you’re caught under the mistletoe, you have to kiss.”

Before either could respond, Padmé winked and turned to trot away back into the crowd. Fox might have noticed the way General Skywalker suddenly appeared beside her and the way she didn’t hesitate to hook her arm through his, but he was too distracted by her words.

Padmé’s statement alone had sent heat crawling up Fox’s neck, threatening to color his cheeks to match his shirt. Then he turned his gaze back to Riyo and blinked with shock when he saw that her face was already flushed a deep purple. Was she standing closer to him than before?

“Sorry about that,” Riyo muttered, averting her gold eyes. “We don’t have to abide by that tradition.” Despite her words, he thought he saw her take another half-step towards him.

“Right.” Fox quickly cleared his throat when his voice once again came out rougher than he expected. “I’m sure it doesn’t apply to clones anyway.” He barely registered the way his own foot shifted forward as he spoke.

“I mean, it could.” Suddenly, Riyo was standing so close to him that she had to tilt her head upwards to meet his eyes again. “If you wanted it to.”

“That’s, uh,” his voice was still coming out softer than usual, so he leaned down slightly towards her, “something I’ll have to think about.”

“I hope you do.”

He could feel her breath on his lips now and when he inhaled, he drew in the lavender scent of her perfume. Suddenly all coherent thoughts vacated Fox’s mind; his nerves, his hesitation, his common sense, everything.

He closed the gap between their lips.

Fox had never kissed anyone before, but somehow his body knew what to do and he found he had no control over it. One hand lifted to cup Riyo’s jaw, while the other curled around her waist and pulled her against him. He felt her gasp and he nearly stepped back, but then she was leaning into him, pressing her soft chest against his and hooking her arms around his neck. Maybe there were benefits to not wearing armor, after all.

The kiss only lasted a few more seconds before they broke apart and he took a step back, reluctantly retracting his hands from her face and hip. Then they spent another several heartbeats staring into each other’s eyes, still frozen in the moment they had just shared.

Fox was first to snap out of his daze and he quickly glanced around to see if anyone had noticed the commander of the Coruscant Guard kissing a senator. Miraculously, no one appeared to be looking their way. All he could think was that the rest of the party guests were too wrapped up in their own engagements to notice or care about two people in a far corner taking part in what was apparently a holiday tradition.

When he glanced back at Riyo, she had composed herself as well, though the purple still lingered on her cheeks.

“It was good to see you, Fox,” she said, looking up into his eyes one more time.

“You too,” he responded, without thinking.

The senator flashed him one more sweet smile before her professional mask fell back into place and she turned to make her way back into the crowd.

Fox had to harness every bit of discipline he possessed to focus on his duty for the remainder of the night. Once again, he was a soldier on the outside, but his insides couldn’t stop vibrating as thoughts of Riyo repeatedly rose to the forefront of his mind.

He didn’t mean to, but his gaze kept finding her in the crowd. More than once, when his amber eyes locked on the senator, his heart would skip when he found that her gold orbs were already staring back. Despite his lingering nerves, he couldn't deny the exhilaration that sparked through his veins each time their eyes met across the room and his mind flew back to their kiss.

Maybe not wearing armor really wasn’t so bad, after all.

Chapter Text

“Glad to see you guys came,” Phee said, as she walked up to where Hunter, Wrecker, and Omega were scanning the buffet table at the edge of Pabu’s main village plaza.

“I’ve never celebrated a holiday before!” Omega told her, excitedly.

A pang of sympathy struck Phee’s chest at the young girl’s words. Life Day wasn’t unique to Pabu, though of course Pabu had its own unique traditions that distinguished its celebrations from that of other planets. Even so, Phee had been afforded the opportunity to enjoy Life Day nearly every year of her life so far. The reminder that Omega had never had that chance at all, until now, made Phee all the more glad that she had brought her and the Batch to Pabu in the first place.

“Well, you can experience it now,” Phee said, warmly. “You can eat whatever you want here and then there are a bunch of games on the far end of the plaza.” She gestured to each location accordingly.

Omega immediately spun towards the direction of the games and then whipped her head back around to cast a pleading look at Hunter.

“Can I go play?” she asked, her brown eyes big and round, as if he would even consider saying “no.”

“Go on,” Hunter said, with a small chuckle.

Omega’s eyes immediately brightened and she turned to grasp Wrecker’s hand. The large clone was so engrossed in the pastry he was devouring that it took him a moment to realize his little sister was tugging on his arm.

“Come on , Wrecker, let’s go!” Omega huffed impatiently. She pulled harder on his arm, but it didn’t move the larger clone in the slightest.

“Oh, sure! Let’s go!” As Wrecker swallowed the remainder of his dessert, he finally allowed Omega to drag him away across the plaza.

“So,” Phee turned back to Hunter, once his siblings were out of earshot, “Did Brown Eyes come with you?”

Hunter’s eyes sparked knowingly, but Phee didn’t care. She’d never exactly been shy about her attraction to his brother.

“Yeah, he’s over there.” Hunter gestured towards the large tree in the center of the plaza.

Tech was seated on the stone wall that surrounded the tree, his head tilted forward as he tapped something into his datapad. One of the tree branches hung lower than the rest and suddenly Phee’s eyes were drawn to the little green and white plant that was hanging above Tech’s head. He must have no idea. That won’t do.

“I think I’ll go pay him a visit.”

Hunter just gave her a casual wave as she excused herself and made her way over to where Tech was seated.

“You might want to watch where you’re sitting, Brown Eyes,” Phee commented, as she approached.

Tech didn’t react at first, but his eyes flicked up to meet hers at the sound of his nickname. She let herself hope that was a good sign.

“What do you mean?” he asked, lowering his datapad slightly.

Phee plopped down beside him, close enough for their shoulders to brush. She felt a small tingle of pleasure when he didn’t shift away. Small victories.

“Do you know what that is?” She pointed at the plant hanging above their heads.

Tech followed her gaze. “That is mistletoe.” Of course he knew what it was.

“Well, in case you didn’t know, there’s a tradition that goes with it. If two people are under the mistletoe, they have to kiss.”

She paused, waiting for a response, but for some reason Tech just stared back at her. She leaned towards him slightly, further encouraged when he still didn’t move away. He remained frozen as Phee closed the distance and placed a light kiss on his cheekbone.

When she sat back, she had to stifle a chuckle. Tech was still staring at her and now the skin on his face had brightened to an intense shade of red. After a couple more heartbeats, he seemed to snap back to reality.

“Actually,” Tech began, clearing his throat, “the tradition states that the man is supposed to kiss the woman under the mistletoe.”

What?

Before Phee could process Tech’s correction, he was already leaning in and pressing their lips together. 

The kiss started off light, but quickly intensified and it wasn’t long before Phee was beginning to feel lightheaded, both from enchantment and from lack of oxygen. She doubted Tech had much experience with physical affection and yet it wasn’t at all surprising that he was as skilled at kissing as he was at everything else.

When they broke apart and their brown eyes locked, Phee felt heat rush to her cheeks, as if Tech had somehow passed his blush to her through their kisses.

“Thank you for correcting me,” she said quietly, still trying to catch her breath. They were still sitting incredibly close and she took the opportunity to reach for his hand.

“You are welcome.”

He tightened his hand around hers, threading their fingers together, and she was pretty sure she saw his brown eyes flick down towards her lips again.

Chapter Text

“Look who’s under the mistletoe now.”

Before Ahsoka could turn towards Fives’ voice, his arms encircled her waist from behind and he pulled her back against his chest. She felt the brush of his goatee as he settled his chin between her montrals. She didn’t know why he suddenly felt the need to hold her this way, but she certainly wasn’t complaining.

She looked over to the corner of the room to where she knew the mistletoe was hanging. She and Fives had spotted it as soon as they arrived at Riyo’s party, and they had been scoping it out throughout the evening; watching to see who they could catch kissing beneath the hanging plant. They’d already seen Bly and Aayla, Obi-Wan and Satine, and Riyo and Fox, of course. Then to their surprise, they’d seen Tech and Phee together, and then Crosshair and the beautiful blonde woman that he’d brought as his date.

“Crosshair has a date?” Fives had gasped in surprise, though he’d kept his voice low against Ahsoka’s montral.

“Don’t act so surprised,” she scolded, smacking her partner lightly on the arm.

Then a short while later, they’d spotted Echo under the mistletoe, making out with an auburn-haired woman who Ahsoka didn’t recognize.

“Oh yeah, Echo had a girlfriend too,” Fives had explained, vaguely. Then Ahsoka had slammed her hand over his mouth when he added that he should cheer them on. She’d ask him more details about that later.

Now it was Anakin and Padmé, and Ahsoka couldn’t help but smile as she watched her former master with his wife. Now that the war was over, he’d left the Jedi, and his marriage was common knowledge; he and Padmé were nearly inseparable.

And now Ahsoka could relate. She tilted her head up slightly, attempting to catch a glimpse of her partner, who was still holding her from behind.

“What?” Fives asked, turned his head to meet her eyes. “You want to go next?”

“What, no!” she protested.

“Why not?”

“Fives, you can kiss me whenever you want,” Ahsoka pointed out. “We don’t need mistletoe.”

“But it’ll be romantic.” He pulled her against him again and pushed his nose into her neck, sending goosebumps rippling across her skin.

“Stop!” she laughed. She wiggled in his arms until she could turn around to face him. “Just kiss me here.”

She rose on her toes and attempted to kiss his mouth, but he leaned back, out of reach.

“No, I want to kiss you under the mistletoe,” he said again.

“Fives,” Ahsoka groaned, banging her fists lightly on his chest. “You’re not going to get me to go over there, so you might as well kiss me here.”

“But the Skywalkers are done now.” He nodded towards the now empty mistletoe corner. “Just in time for us.”

“By the time you get me over there, we will have wasted all this time that we could have just been kissing right here,” she pointed out.

“Well, we better hurry up then.”

Before Ahsoka could protest again, Fives bent down and scooped her into his arms. By the time he’d carried her over to the mistletoe, she had buried her face in his chest to muffle her own laughter.

She lifted her head when she felt him stop walking and glanced up to see the white berries of the mistletoe looking down at them. Then she turned to look at her partner. His amber eyes were sparking with mischief and he had the smuggest grin stretched across his face.

“Okay, you win,” she huffed. “Are you going to put me down?”

“Nope.”

Then Fives leaned down and kissed her deeply. He didn’t hesitate to graze her lower lip with his teeth and push his tongue into her mouth to intertwine it with hers. It was the kind of kiss that always made Ahsoka’s lekku heat and her heart flip. When he placed one last, soft kiss on her lips and pulled back, it was way too soon.

“So, was that kiss worth coming over here for?” he asked. He finally loosened his grip and let her place her feet back on the floor, but he kept his arms around her waist, holding her close to him.

“Maybe.” She offered him a smirk. No way was she going to make this easy for him. “Would be better if you’d just kiss me like that all the time.”

Fives raised an eyebrow and his lips pulled up into the half-smile that she loved so much.

“That can be arranged.”

Before she could respond, he was pulling her in to kiss her again.

Chapter Text

“Hey, Echo!” Jesse bumped the ARC trooper’s shoulder roughly. “Are you paying attention?”

“Leave him alone.” Fives reached across the table and swatted Jesse away from his twin. “He didn’t want to come anyway. He can space out if he wants.”

Echo considered chiming in to defend himself, but decided it wasn’t worth it. Hardcase had already cracked a joke about something completely unrelated, capturing Fives and Jesse’s attention in the process. Free to return to his own thoughts, Echo tuned his brothers out again and reset his gaze on the far side of the room.

Senator Amidala had invited Torrent Company, along with their Jedi commanding officers, to a holiday party at her luxurious apartment. It was true; Echo hadn’t felt particularly keen on attending, but Fives had practically begged until he agreed. Jesse, Hardcase, Kix, Rex, and some of the 212th were here as well, so he figured it couldn’t be all that bad. The troopers had claimed a table when they first arrived and so far had mostly stuck together. Usually Jesse, Hardcase, and Fives would have already wandered off to socialize, but with the rest of the guests being primarily senators and otherwise upper class, it was easy for the clones to feel out of place.

Then a small group of women had arrived and Echo’s attention had instantly been drawn to one woman in particular. She looked shorter than average and wore a sleek, silver dress that fell to her knees. Echo couldn’t stop his eyes from following the tight fabric down her body and was relieved when no one seemed to notice that he stared at her thick hips for far too long. He quickly shifted his focus to her other features. She had bronze skin, like his, but maybe a shade lighter and wavy hair that just barely touched the top of her shoulders. He was having a difficult time telling whether her hair was brown or red, or maybe it was both. 

As he continued to watch her, it took only a few moments for him to spot several details that differentiated her from her friends. She was the only one who wasn’t wearing heels; which was probably part of why she appeared to be so short. When the other women beamed and laughed loudly, she didn’t join in; offering a small smile, at most. The most obvious difference though, was the silver BD unit that was hanging off her shoulder. Every once in a while Echo would see her turn and say something to the little droid, rather than participating in her friends’ conversation. It wasn’t difficult for Echo to guess that she wasn’t pleased to be here at this party, much like himself.

His eyes continued to follow her as she and her friends slowly moved around the room, collecting drinks and appetizers as they went. Eventually, they stopped in one corner of the room, just inside Senator Amidala’s wide balcony. While her friends continued to chat, the woman in the silver dress turned and leaned against the nearest wall, choosing to stare out at the Coruscant sky, instead of engaging.

Echo had the sudden urge to go talk to her, which wasn’t like him. At all. He actually couldn’t remember a time that he’d ever gone out of his way to approach a woman, but something felt different this time. He felt like he understood her, even though he had yet to speak to her. He couldn’t help but smile slightly as he watched the BD unit hop off her shoulder, so she could cradle it in her arms.

“Echo!” He turned to see that Fives was grinning at him; mischief sparking in his amber eyes. Echo knew that look. “See that girl over there?”

He turned and pointed at the woman in the silver dress. Yes, I’ve only been staring at her since she arrived. He decided not to say that, though.

“What about her?” he asked.

“Look where she’s standing.” Fives’ gaze shifted upwards and Echo followed it to the small, green plant that was hanging from the ceiling, almost directly above the woman and her droid.

“What’s that?” Echo raised an eyebrow at his twin.

“That’s mistletoe, di’kut.” Fives rolled his eyes. “If two people are caught under the mistletoe together, they have to kiss.”

Oh, no. Echo had an idea where his brother was going with this.

“So Fives is going to go kiss her!” Jesse finished excitedly.

“Yes, sir!” Fives gave Jesse an exaggerated salute. Then he hopped out of his seat, patting Echo’s shoulder as he passed. “Wish me luck, vod!”

“Good luck,” Echo said flatly. 

Fives didn’t seem to notice his twin’s lack of enthusiasm and began making his way over to the same woman who Echo had just been considering talking to. So much for that.

The woman turned towards Fives as he approached, without him having to say anything. Echo watched as she silently pressed two fingers to the side of her droid’s head. Then the BD unit hopped out of her arms and trotted away into the crowd of guests. Echo lost track of the droid as he turned his attention back to his twin.

“Hey-” Fives barely got the word out before he was cut off.

“Not interested,” the woman said, bluntly. She turned to fully face the ARC trooper now and folded her arms across her chest.

“But I didn’t say anything,” Fives protested, though he didn’t step any closer.

“You didn’t have to.”

“Okay…” 

Echo resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he watched his twin subconsciously rub the back of his neck. Fives wasn’t used to being rejected; not that quickly, anyway.

“You’re standing under the mistletoe,” Fives tried again, gesturing to the plant hanging above them. “Tradition says that if two people stand under it together, they have to kiss.”

“I guess we’ll just have to break tradition because I’m not kissing you,” the woman said, with an exasperated shrug. Suddenly her attention shifted until she was looking past Fives, directly at Echo. “I’ll kiss him, though.”

What?

“What?” Fives gasped, spinning around to see who she was talking about.

“What?” Hardcase burst into a fit of laughter and was quickly joined by Jesse.

“Wait, but you don’t know us and we look exactly the same!” Fives protested, his jaw still slack with shock.

“No, you don’t.” The woman raised an unamused eyebrow.

“Why my brother then?” Fives sounded genuinely curious now.

For the first time since Echo saw her, he thought he saw a hint of insecurity in the form of a light blush on her cheeks. “Because he’s cute,” she said, a bit softer this time. Her eyes met Echo’s for a heartbeat and then flicked away again.

“And I’m not?” Fives asked, his voice rising with disbelief.

“Not really.”

“I guess there’s no arguing with that.” The ARC trooper sighed with resignation. 

Then his expression brightened and he dashed back to the table where his brothers were sitting. Before Echo could react, Fives was pulling him out of his chair.

“Echo, guess what!”

“I heard.”

“That girl wants to kiss you, come on!”

Suddenly Echo wasn’t sure if he was excited or if he wanted to hide. He was still trying to figure out exactly what was happening as his twin dragged him over to where the woman in the silver dress was still waiting under the mistletoe.

“Have fun, vod,” Fives said, cheerfully. He patted Echo’s shoulders and then retreated back to their table.

Echo resisted the urge to grumble something at his twin and turned to face the woman in front of him. Her arms were still crossed over her body, but her now posture appeared more unsure than when Fives had been in front of her.

“Sorry,” she said, before Echo could speak. “I just really didn’t want to kiss him. I didn’t think he’d drag you over here. You don’t have to kiss me, if you don’t want to.”

Echo swallowed, unsure of what to say. A sudden heat was creeping up his neck and his palms felt unusually clammy. He’d been nervous in the past, of course, but this was a different sort of nervousness that he hadn’t experienced before.

“Did you mean what you said?” he asked, surprised by how steady his voice came out.

“Which part?” Her voice was quieter now, so he took the opportunity to take a small step closer.

“Any of it? All of it?”

“I don’t say things I don’t mean,” she said, seriously.

Now that Echo was closer to her, he could see that her eyes were gray; almost matching her dress, but not quite. He also noted the freckles that dotted her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. Then his gaze fell to her lips. He definitely did want to kiss her.

“So, the part about me being cute…”

“Yeah.”

“And Fives—my brother—isn’t?”

She chuckled as she shook her head. “Nope.”

“And you wanting to kiss me?”

“Yeah.” Her voice was almost a whisper, but her response spurred Echo’s heart rate to double its pace.

“I, uh,” his voice tried to falter, but he refused to let it, “I want to kiss you too.”

Her eyes lit up and he couldn’t help but think how pretty her irises were as she stepped towards him, stopping only a few inches away. Now that she was standing right next to him, he realized that she really was short; the top of her head barely made it to his shoulder.

“I’m Cadence.” She had to tilt her head to look up at him now.

“I’m Echo,” he said, lowering his voice to match their new proximity.

“I know you were watching me,” she said, suddenly.

Echo’s heart skipped nervously in response, but he told himself that her observation wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“It was hard not to,” he admitted. He knew he’d said the right thing when a small smile formed on her lips.

“So are you going to kiss me?” she asked. “I’d kiss you first, but I can’t reach.”

Echo couldn’t help but chuckle at her comment. He’d never kissed anyone before and his veins were still pulsing with nerves, but something about her voice was soothing.

He was still smiling slightly as he leaned down and touched his lips to hers. He kissed her lightly, tentatively and his heart skipped when he felt her press against him as she kissed him back. He kept it short—they didn’t know each other, after all—but it was still the best sensation Echo had ever experienced. When he leaned back, the nerves in his veins had been replaced with exhilaration.

Their eyes locked as they broke apart, but Echo only had a moment to enjoy looking into Cadence’s gray irises before a barrage of shouts erupted from both sides of them.

Echo turned to see his brothers cheering from their table; Fives was the loudest, of course. He scanned the room as he turned back to Cadence and saw that her friends, along with several other party guests were applauding them as well. He didn’t bother to stifle his groan.

When he glanced at the woman beside him, she appeared equally annoyed.

“Hey,” he nudged her arm lightly. “Do you want to go for a walk or something?”

“Yup,” she grunted in agreement. Then she raised her voice as she called out, “Bettii!”

Less than a second later, her BD unit darted out of the crowd and hopped onto her shoulder.

Then, to Echo’s surprise and delight, Cadence grabbed his hand and completely ignored everyone else in the room as she led him towards the exit.

Chapter Text

Riyo wasn’t a jealous person and she was always delighted at the opportunity to host a party, especially an informal one. But even she couldn’t help but wish for a brief moment that she hadn’t taken on so many responsibilities this evening and could enjoy the party the way her guests were.

She’d first come up with the idea during a visit with Ahsoka a few months ago. Her friend had been expressing her elation about her new relationship with Rex, but also her frustration at the need for so much secrecy. At the time, Riyo was the only person that Ahsoka had even told about her forbidden romance; Riyo and Fox had been together for a while now and, while their relationship was equally illicit, the senator had confided in the young Jedi Knight on occasion.

Riyo had no regrets about her and Fox’s relationship, but she couldn’t deny the constant burden of having to hide her feelings, monitor their interactions in public, and the fact that they could never function as a normal couple outside of her apartment. She knew Ahsoka and Rex felt the same, and they weren’t the only ones.

So Riyo had decided to host a private party, specifically catered to forbidden love. It was tricky, as the event couldn’t be public knowledge, but she hoped that it would provide some relief to those burdened with secrecy. She invited everyone individually, so no one had to say they were attending a party with a date, but when she subtly relayed the true motive of the event, her prospective guests were delighted.

All of the effort and secrecy was worth it when Riyo got to see the joy on her friends’ faces. There were more forbidden relationships than she’d realized and with each new pairing that she discovered, her resolve strengthened to give them a rare chance to openly express their love for each other.

It had actually been Padmé’s idea to hang mistletoe in one corner of Riyo’s living room and the little plant had ended up going to good use. The Pantoran senator couldn’t help but smile each time a couple stopped to kiss, possibly for the first time in a semi-public space, surrounded by people they knew.

Padmé had brought Anakin, of course, and Ahsoka had brought Rex. They had also slipped an invite to Aayla, so she could attend with Bly. Riyo was a bit surprised when Obi-Wan, who she had always thought was a stickler for following the Jedi Code, arrived with Cody. Then several more couples arrived—mostly combinations of Jedi, clones, and senators—until there were at least ten couples taking full advantage of the opportunity to act on their relationship.

The only downside was that Riyo and Fox weren’t quite afforded the same opportunity. Always an attentive hostess, she was constantly making rounds, chatting with her guests and making sure everything was running smoothly. Meanwhile, Fox was on security detail. 

He had pointed out that it would be good to have someone ensuring that only those invited were permitted in the apartment, otherwise it would defeat the purpose of the party. So he, Thorn, and Stone had stationed themselves subtly around Riyo’s building to ensure that no one unwelcome came by or, if it was absolutely unavoidable, Fox could give Riyo a heads up.

She appreciated him considering this detail, but it meant that she barely got to see him the whole night. The party had been going for a couple hours already when she was finally able to lay eyes on him.

“Is everything okay?” she asked, as her partner pulled off his helmet.

“All clear. I just needed to grab some snacks for Thorn.” He rolled his eyes, but Riyo knew he didn’t really mean it.

“It also means I got to see you for a moment,” she pointed out.

“Exactly.” Fox leaned into place a light peck on her lips.

“Hey, lovebirds, go kiss under the mistletoe like everyone else,” Ahsoka chided jokingly, from where she and Rex were standing nearby.

Riyo glanced at Fox. It would be nice to enjoy time together for a few more minutes, but she knew how seriously he took his duties, even unofficial ones.

“I’m sure Thorn will survive a little longer without food,” Fox pointed out, extending a hand to his partner.

Riyo felt a pleasant heat rise to her cheeks as she took Fox’s hand and he led her over to where the mistletoe hung. When they got there, they didn’t waste any time. She stood on her toes, leaning into him, as his arms encircled her waste.

Their lips had barely touched when Fox’s comlink beeped.

“Commander, we have a senator sniffing around down here,” Stone reported.

“Direct. En route,” Fox said into his comlink. Then he sighed and turned back to his partner. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, do what you have to do,” she reassured him immediately. “I really appreciate you guys doing this.”

Riyo meant her words; between the two of them, they were providing a temporary sanctuary for forbidden love. She just wished they could enjoy the party as much as their guests. Though she supposed, as the host, that was never a realistic expectation.

Riyo didn’t see Fox again until after the party ended. Their guests had departed and Fox had finally returned to the apartment.

“Did everything go okay?” she asked, as he closed the front door behind him.

“We’re good to go,” her partner reported. He was already beginning to remove his armor. “How about you?”

“Everyone had such a good time,” she said. “I did miss you, though.”

“Me too,” he agreed. He had swiftly removed the last of his armor and was already neatly stacking the plastoid plates.

Riyo walked over to him and placed her hands on his shoulders as he turned to face her.

“I just wish we’d had a bit more time under the mistletoe,” she admitted.

“Well, it’s still up, isn’t it? And we have plenty of time now,” Fox pointed out. He placed his hands on her hips and didn’t let go as he walked her over to the mistletoe corner.

As soon as they were under the hanging plant, he leaned down to capture her lips with his. Riyo felt the familiar fluttering in her chest as she kissed him back. She expected him to stop after a moment, but the kisses kept coming, each one getting deeper.  Riyo was always thankful when Fox was out of his armor, so she could feel the warmth of his palms as his hands began to wander over her body. She could also feel his hard muscle as she slid her hands along his chest and abdomen.

They were both breathing more heavily by the time they broke apart.

“Maybe continue somewhere more comfortable?” Fox suggested, resting his forehead on Riyo’s.

“Sounds good to me,” she purred.

Chapter Text

79’s had always been bright and colorful, in keeping with the tone of Coruscant night life, but Ahsoka really hadn’t expected the establishment to sport Life Day decorations. A massive green wreath hung over the entrance and strings of multi-colored lights decorated the exterior of the building, including the doorway. Inside, the same colorful lights outlined the bar and tables, and other various lights, plants, and sparkly ornaments were sprinkled throughout the bar.

Her friends in the 501^st had invited her out for drinks that evening. It was the first time their leave had lined up since she was promoted to general and officially transferred to the 332^nd. She was excited to see the troopers she had worked alongside for so long, but there was one man in particular who she was looking forward to reuniting with.

As soon as the blue and white armor came into view, a chorus of greetings flooded her montrals. She couldn’t help the joyful grin that spread across her face as she slid into the booth beside Fives. With how many people were squeezed into the booth, it was a bit of a tight fit, so it only made sense for her to sit close enough for their legs to press together.

His amber eyes locked on her blue ones for a heartbeat before she turned to the rest of the troopers.

The clones and their former commander quickly caught up, exchanging battle stories and developments in a few of the guys’ personal lives. Then Ahsoka commented on 79’s unexpected Life Day decor and their conversation shifted to their surroundings.

“There’s even mistletoe hanging in some of the corners,” Echo pointed out. He nodded towards a vacant corner near their table and Ahsoka was able to spot the green plant with white berries hanging from the ceiling.

“Interesting. Any of you guys get a kiss tonight?” she asked, raising her eyebrow markings suggestively.

She wasn’t quite sure what she expected the response to be. Jesse and Kix both raised a hand and then, to her surprise, Tup shyly raised his fingers as well.

“Good for you, Tup!” Ahsoka leaned across the table to offer him a fist bump.

“Hey, what about me?” Jesse whined.

“Fine,” she chucked, offering her fist. “Good job, Jesse.”

“How about you, General?” Hardcase asked. “You going to kiss someone?”

“Maybe you should kiss Fives,” Jesse burst out, before she could answer. “Normally he’d have gotten ten kisses by now, but the lazy di’kut hasn’t even tried.”

“Hey, I could’ve gotten a kiss if I wanted one,” Fives protested.

“Maybe you should prove it then,” Hardcase challenged. “How about it, General?”

Now the entire table was staring at her, except for Fives, who was making an effort to specifically not look in her direction. Normally she wouldn’t participate in traditions like this, but… She couldn’t help casting a glance at the man next to her.

“I suppose,” she agreed, feigning reluctance. “Is that okay with you, Fives?”

“Sure, why not?” He shrugged, like it didn’t matter one way or the other.

“Don’t be too eager now, you guys,” Jesse teased, sarcastically.

Neither Ahsoka nor Fives acknowledged him as they stood and made their way over to the nearest mistletoe.

“They have no idea, do they?” Ahsoka asked, lowering her voice so only Fives could hear.

“Nope.” The ARC’s mouth spread into a half-grin. “Not sure if I’m thankful or offended that no one actually asked why I stayed in my seat all night.”

“I appreciate that.” She knew Fives’ reputation for frequent hookups as well as anyone or at least the reputation he’d had before they became a couple.

“Did you expect anything less?” His voice was teasing, but she saw the way his amber eyes flickered earnestly.

“Of course not,” she reassured him, softly.

“Hey!” Both of their heads jerked in the direction of their table as Jesse called out. “Are you two going to kiss or what?”

Fives flicked a rude gesture at his brother, while Ahsoka rolled her eyes. Then they turned back to each other.

She wasn’t sure how they were going to play this. No one knew about their relationship, aside from Echo, and she wasn’t sure if now was the time to reveal it. Maybe it would be best to just kiss quickly, for show.

Ahsoka was opening her mouth to suggest that course of action, when Fives stepped in and kissed her. The instant their lips touched, she felt warmth spread through her body. He was already wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her closer, while his other hand cupped her cheek. She instinctively lifted her arms over his shoulders. She knew the confidence of their movements were absolutely not indicative of a first kiss, but as Fives ran his tongue along her lower lip, she realized that she didn’t care in the slightest.

“Kriff, I missed you,” Fives said, when they broke apart for a heartbeat.

“I missed you too.” Ahsoka was practically cut off as he pressed his lips to hers again.

One of her hands found its way up into his hair, pulling him farther into her. He responded eagerly, using the arm around her hips to press her flush against him. She probably could have kissed him forever, but after several long minutes, their kisses began to taper off. Fives pressed one more soft kiss to her cheek before loosening his hold on her.

Figuring their relationship was sufficiently revealed, they threaded their fingers together as they walked back to their table.

Fives’ brothers were silent as he and Ahsoka sat back down; all of them were staring at the couple, frozen with shock. All except for Echo, who was cackling madly.

Chapter Text

“I didn’t realize you were still up.”

Rex nearly jumped at the sound of Ahsoka’s voice. His head snapped up from his datapad to where she was standing in the doorway of his office, leaning against the frame. Normally, her presence put him at ease, but now he felt his heart rate spike at the sight of her lithe form.

“Just finishing some reports,” he told her. His words were steady, but he was sure she could sense his unease in the Force. “I didn’t exactly have time earlier.”

“I suppose that’s fair.” She walked over and seated herself across from him. “How can I help?”

Her blue eyes were blinking brightly at him. If she were feeling as tense and nervous as he was, she didn’t show it.

“Thanks, but I think I’ve got it,” he said. “I’ll be finished soon, anyway.”

A thick silence stretched between them. Seeming as though she wasn’t sure how to respond, Ahsoka stayed in her seat and began fiddling with her comlink. Rex wanted her to stay—he always did—but the bantha in the room seemed to be growing, widening the space between them.

Not three standard hours ago, Rex, Ahsoka, and several other members of the 501^st had been at the Life Day party that Senator Amidala had held at her apartment. Skywalker had been very specific about the fact that she was the host and he was not involved whatsoever, because the two of them definitely weren’t involved.

Rex had never been huge on parties or social events in general, but he had appreciated that the senator had been gracious enough to invite him and his brothers. He was especially glad that he’d chosen to attend when Ahsoka arrived in a tight, navy dress that outlined her curves in a way that made it nearly impossible for him to take his eyes off her.

The evening had gone relatively well. Rex had made sure to split his time evenly between everyone he knew, though that was mostly to prevent himself from sticking to Ahsoka’s side too much. She had found him out on the apartment’s balcony near the end of the night though, and they had spent a few minutes chatting comfortably and staring out at the Coruscant skyline together.

It was when they made their way back inside that disaster struck.

Rex and Ahsoka had passed under the mistletoe together, and of course the party guests had immediately turned to face them, freezing them in place.

“If you’re under the mistletoe together, you have to kiss,” Padmé called over to them, from where she stood across the room. 

So that explained why she and Skywalker kept coming over here whenever they wanted to show each other affection. Rex mentally kicked himself for not connecting those dots sooner.

The crowd was still staring at him and Ahsoka expectantly. When he turned to face the woman beside him, he was surprised to find that the chevrons on her lekku had darkened to match her dress. The skin on Rex’s neck and cheeks was prickling with heat as well.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to kiss Ahsoka; kriff, he wanted to do a lot more than that and had for a while. If he ever did though, he didn’t want it to be in front of a crowd of people and forced by some silly holiday tradition. But it didn’t seem like they had much of a choice.

Rex turned back to Ahsoka and was stunned to find that she’d taken a few steps closer to him. He stepped forward as well, so their chests were almost touching. He leaned down towards her and she tilted her head up to touch their lips together.

The kiss was light and quick and awkward. Definitely not how Rex had hoped his first kiss with Ahsoka would be, if he ever got one. Even so, his mouth seemed to tingle afterwards and he felt a twinge of regret that he hadn’t gotten to feel her soft lips more.

The party guests had seemed satisfied though, and applauded as Rex and Ahsoka stepped apart. Her chevrons were nearly black now and when he met her gaze, she quickly looked away.

They didn’t talk the rest of the evening and Rex took his next opportunity to slip out and head back to the Resolute . They were due to depart early the next morning, anyway.

“Are you still, um, thinking about earlier?” Ahsoka asked, snapping Rex’s mind back to the present. 

She had changed back into her battle dress since the party. She was still seated across from him, her forearms now resting on the cold surface of the desk. Her blue eyes were now trained on her own fingers, as she tapped them together restlessly.

“I am,” he admitted tentatively. He had no idea where she was planning to go with this conversation. He had figured it would be best to just pretend nothing had ever happened. “What about it?”

“I was just, I don’t know, disappointed.” 

“What do you mean?” Rex looked at her with furrowed brows. He waited for her to elaborate; unsure yet if he should feel hurt or hopeful.

“I guess I just wish some things had been different.” She finally glanced up at him, meeting his amber eyes with her blue. “Fewer people, more time.”

Rex’s breath caught. Did she mean what he thought she did? He slowly rose from his chair and his heart rate accelerated when Ahsoka rose with him, not breaking eye contact. Then slowly, simultaneously, they stepped towards each other.

Ahsoka rose on her toes and Rex leaned down to meet her. Their lips locked and the tension between them evaporated instantly. He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him, while she looped her arms around his neck, one of her hands finding its wait up to scrape through his short hair.

Rex didn’t know how much time passed before they broke apart, only that they were both short of breath. They rested their foreheads against each other; his hands still on her hips and hers on the sides of his head.

“Better?” he breathed.

“Much better,” she confirmed.

Then she tilted her head up to kiss him again.

Chapter Text

It all happened so fast that Ahsoka didn’t have time to react. Or perhaps it was less of a concern of reaction time and more one of pure unexpectedness.

Tonight was Riyo’s casual Life Day party; casual meaning that most of the guests consisted of Jedi and clones, and no one was here on business. Despite the semi-formal dress code, Ahsoka felt as though she were able to relax for once.

So she was sipping a glass of wine, and chatting with Riyo and Padmé when suddenly something dropped onto her montral. But before she could lift a hand to investigate, a set of fingers was gripping her chin and turning her head. Then a pair of lips landed on hers. 

It took her a few heartbeats to figure out exactly what was happening, but she immediately recognized the soft mouth and the scratch of the facial hair that came along with it. She was just starting to lean into the kiss when he pulled away.

“What’re you doing?” she asked, failing to mask her disappointment.

Fives’ mischievous amber eyes were gazing back at her. “I’m kissing my lovely partner under the mistletoe.”

“Wait, what mistletoe?” Then she remembered the feeling on her montral, just before Fives had kissed her. Her hand shot up to her right montral, where her fingers found the brush of small leaves, mixed with round berries. “You didn’t-”

“Brilliant, right?” His mouth had now spread into a smug half-grin. “Now, any time I kiss you, it’ll be under the mistletoe.”

“Why not just take me over to where some mistletoe is hanging from the ceiling?” Ahsoka was still deciding whether to laugh or feel annoyed.

“You know me. I like to be efficient.” He leaned in and kissed her once more.

As soon as he pulled away again, she turned to set her drink down, deliberately ignoring the amused expressions on Riyo and Padmé’s faces.

“Okay, come here,” she said, pulling the mistletoe off her montral.

She turned back to Fives, but he was already backing away.

“What’re you going to do?” he asked, raising his hands defensively.

“Maybe we should put the mistletoe on your head. It makes more sense, since you’re taller.” Ahsoka flashed him a smirk. “You like to be efficient, right?”

Instead of replying, he darted away and she dashed after him, both of them now completely oblivious to the party around them. Fives raced straight to Echo and attempted to hide behind his twin, but as soon as Echo saw Ahsoka giving chase, he shifted away from Fives.

“Don’t get me involved.” Echo chuckled and shook his head, as he stepped clear of the Jedi’s path.

Fives barely had enough time to call his brother a traitor before Ahsoka barreled into him, shoving him back against the nearest wall. She gripped one of his wrists and they both were laughing as he tried half-heartedly to escape. She pressed her chest against his as she stood on her toes and used her free hand to place the mistletoe in his hair, making sure to sufficiently tangle it in his curls. He wrapped his free arm around her waist as she did so, holding her against him.

“Satisfied?” he chuckled, when she lowered her hand. They were flush against each other now and he leaned in to press his forehead to hers.

“Yes, you ridiculous man,” she laughed in response.

“Says the woman who just chased me across the room at a fancy party. Besides, you love me and my antics.”

“Yes, I do.” She leaned in close enough to brush their noses together. “For some reason.”

She finally released his wrist, and he used that hand to cup her cheek and pull her in for another kiss.

Chapter Text

Cadence had never liked crowds. They were loud, dense, and they filled her mind with uninvited emotions. Even Pabu’s open courtyard felt congested as she weaved through the mass of people at the festival. But none of that mattered when she laid eyes on the reason she’d attended this gathering in the first place.

“Echo!”

Bettii hopped off of Cadence’s shoulder as she dashed towards her partner. She only gave him a few seconds' warning, but that was all he needed. She launched herself at him and he caught her readily, holding her up so she could look directly into his light amber eyes. Both his scomp and flesh arms hooked around her waist; she was still getting used to the cool, hard sensation of his right limb compared to the warm, soft feeling of his left.

Echo barely allowed himself enough time to mutter a quick “hi” before kissing her. When their lips touched, the contact sent a spark of warmth through Cadence’s body and she sighed involuntarily as she relaxed into the kiss.

“Hi,” she finally responded, when they broke apart.

“Um, hello?” Came Fives’ voice from beside Echo.

Cadence rolled her eyes as her partner set her down. He kept his left arm around her as she turned to his twin.

“Hi, Fives, how are you?” she said flatly. She felt a twinge of satisfaction when his expression tightened.

“I was better before you interrupted my time with my brother,” he shot back.

Cadence couldn’t resist smirking in response. She could tell Fives was annoyed, but she also knew how delighted he secretly was that she was there with his twin.

“Give him a break,” Echo said, squeezing her hip. “He’s in a bad mood because his date is running late.”

“Wait, ‘date’ meaning someone he’s actually committed to?” Cadence raised an eyebrow.

“Yes,” Fives grunted, crossing his arms.

“Are you sure she’s even coming?” She was more teasing than actually asking.

“Of course she is!”

“Well, Echo and I are going to find somewhere private. Bettii,” Cadence glanced over to where her droid had settled on a nearby tree stump, “why don’t you keep Fives company until his date arrives?”

“Oh no, that’s not-” Fives started to protest, but Bettii was already climbing onto his shoulder with a trill of happy beeps.

“Come on, Bettii loves you. For some reason.”

As if to prove her owner’s point, the little droid tilted her head to nuzzle Fives’ cheek. He groaned, but didn’t move otherwise.

“See you two later,” Cadence said, taking Echo’s hand.

“Don’t worry, vod, she’ll be here,” Echo tried to reassure his twin.

“I’m not worried!” Fives insisted, but his brother was already being dragged away.

“It’s Ahsoka, isn’t it?” Cadence asked Echo, the instant they were out of his twin’s earshot.

“Yup.”

“Finally! Took them long enough. You’d think a flirt like him would have made a move a lot sooner."

“Oh come on, we both know it’s more of an act than anything,” Echo said. “The more he cares, the more nervous he gets, and the longer he takes to make a move.”

“You got that right,” she chuckled.

Neither of them spoke for a few moments, as they walked hand in hand towards one of the large trees at the edge of the plaza and sat in the grass beneath it.

“Thank goodness there are fewer people over here,” Cadence said, leaning back against the trunk.

“Almost sounds like you came just to see me,” Echo suggested, nudging her shoulder.

“Obviously.” She nudged him back. “You’re the only one I’d come for. You know I’d rather be with machines than people. That hasn’t changed.”

“So, since I’m mostly machine now, does that mean you like me better?”

Cadence felt him looking at her and a sudden wave of heat swept up her neck. Only Echo would ask something like that and only be half joking. She felt the warmth of his eyes on her as he waited for her to answer. She could feel her cheeks darkening now and lifted her hands to her face to cover them.

“Would it be weird if I said ‘yes’?” she finally asked. She turned her head just enough to peak at him, waiting for his reaction.

Echo blinked at her, clearly not expecting that answer; Cadence really had no idea what answer he’d been expecting. He didn’t look upset—she knew he wouldn’t be—but confused.

“I guess not,” he said slowly. “But why?”

She turned to look at him fully now and her heart clenched at the insecurity reflecting in his amber eyes. Echo had always been confident in who he was, which was something Cadence had always loved about him. But she supposed that even he would question his worth after all that he’d been through.

“Look at me.” She shifted her body so she was facing him and he turned his shoulders towards her. “I love you so much more now than I did before, but it’s not because of what you went through, it’s because of what you did after. You fought through it and adapted to what you had. You always do that. You always find a way to make a better version of yourself and I love that about you. And no matter what happens to you or what you look like, you’re still my Echo.” She reached up to cup his cheek and he leaned into her touch.

“Are you sure you’re not just biased?” He chuckled lightly, but she knew it was still only half a joke.

“Maybe a little,” she admitted. Then she added seriously, “But you also know that I’m not.”

“I know.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap. “I love you,” he said quietly, leaning his forehead against hers.

“I love you too.” Cadence shifted so she could wrap her arms around his neck, hugging him back tightly.

“Did you notice the mistletoe above us?” Echo asked, after they’d been holding each other for a few moments.

“The what?” Cadence tilted her head upwards. She spotted the white berries first; the green of the little plant blended in with the leaves of the tree.

“It’s some holiday tradition here on Pabu,” he told her. “If you’re with someone under the mistletoe, you have to kiss.”

“Well, I was going to do that anyway,” she said, with an amused eye roll.

“I’d hope so.”

Echo closed the short distance between their lips. He kept his right arm around her waist and lifted his left to card his fingers through her wavy hair. His hand landed on the back of her head, holding her to him as he deepened the kiss.

When they broke apart, Cadence rested her head on his shoulder and his left arm rejoined his right to hold her tightly.

After a moment, she spoke again, her words coming out a bit faster than planned. “Okay, but is it alright if I do think your prosthetics are really cool and I hope you’ll let me tinker with them sometime?” She buried her face in his shoulder as soon as the question was out.

Cadence felt the rumble of Echo’s laugh vibrate through her.

“That’s definitely alright,” he said, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

Chapter Text

Life Day was always a slightly confusing time for a Jedi or at least it was for Ahsoka. It was a day that a lot of people used to express their love for each other, especially their romantic partners. They would exchange gifts, go on dates, and many events and establishments even decorated with mistletoe, which could be used by either couples or singles who wanted an excuse to explore physical intimacy.

Once, Jesse had asked Ahsoka if she ever wanted a kiss under the mistletoe; not from him necessarily, but in general. Truthfully, she wasn’t sure. She had been kissed once when she was a teenager, but that hadn’t been the most pleasant experience and she’d never gotten another opportunity to have a better one. She supposed if there were someone she wanted to kiss, she would consider making use of the holiday tradition, but there wasn’t. No one she could think of, anyway. Besides, she was a Jedi General now and she had no intention of following her former master’s footsteps into a forbidden romance.

So she resolved to be content just watching every Life Day as couples found themselves under the mistletoe together, whether deliberately or unintentionally. She couldn't deny that it was amusing when two people ended up kissing awkwardly and then laughing about it afterwards. It was also heartwarming to watch more serious couples hold each other close and take their time under the mistletoe. 

She would never admit it, but sometimes she did wish she could have that sort of relationship. Only sometimes, though. She knew her role and so made an effort to steer clear of the mistletoe or any other romantic holiday traditions. In a life already complicated by war, physical affection and feelings would only create unnecessary confusion.

She successfully managed to evade those potentially perplexing scenarios for several years, but eventually her luck ran out. It happened at 79’s, of all places. Even the clone bar hung mistletoe throughout the building and there always seemed to be plenty of nat-borns eager for a kiss with a trooper; not that they couldn’t get one any other night of the year.

Ahsoka had been spending the evening with her friends from the 501^st, most of whom she hadn’t seen in a while since her promotion and transfer to the 332^nd. After the first round of drinks had been drained, she had offered to buy the second; telling the guys to relax in their seats for once and let her take care of it. 79’s was more crowded than usual that night, so the only spot she’d been able to find along the bar was at the far corner, where she patiently waited for the bartender to approach, so she could flag him down.

“General!”

She turned to see that Fives had appeared behind her. If not for his Force signature and the tattoo on his temple, she might not have recognized him out of armor. He seemed smaller in his casual button-down blue shirt and dark pants, but he still towered over her as he stepped closer.

“Hi, Fives,” she greeted warmly. “I didn’t realize you were coming.”

“Echo and I just got in,” he explained, leaning over her montral so she could hear him better. “He’s over at the table. The guys said you were getting the next round, so I came to help.”

“Thanks. I’m still trying to get the bartender’s attention, though.” Being one of the shorter women in the room, she didn’t exactly stand out in a crowd of tall clones.

“I got you. If you don’t mind…?” He squeezed in next to her along the bar.

“Go ahead.” Ahsoka stepped as close to the adjacent wall as she could to make room, but it was still a tight fit and she ended up with her chest pressed against his muscular arm.

After a few moments, Fives finally managed to wave over the bartender, a slim Twi’lek man. When the bartender approached, Fives gestured to Ahsoka, so she could put in the order, but instead of addressing the Jedi, the Twi’lek shifted his eyes to the ceiling above them. Fives and Ahsoka both followed his gaze, and her breath caught when she spotted the green and white plant hanging above them. Mistletoe.

“I’ll give you two a minute,” the bartender grunted and walked away again.

“Hey wait-” Fives began to call after him, but Ahsoka put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

“It’s not a big deal,” she said. “He’ll be back.”

“He better be.” Then Fives turned to her and lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck. “As for the mistletoe, don't worry, I won’t try to kiss you or anything. It’s just a silly tradition.”

Ahsoka furrowed her eyebrow markings. It almost sounded like he didn’t mean his words. The Fives she knew wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to kiss someone, but maybe the fact that she used to be his commanding officer changed that.

“I mean, you could,” she said tentatively, “if you wanted to.” 

Now that she thought about it, this was only the second time that she’d been afforded the opportunity to kiss someone. The first time hadn’t gone well and she knew it shouldn’t matter, but the sudden chance at a redo was unexpectedly appealing. Besides, it was Fives. She couldn’t say she had feelings for him, but there were few people she trusted more.

Fives’ eyes widened at Ahsoka’s words and she was certain she saw a faint glow of desire reflecting in the amber depths of his gaze. His eyes drifted downwards, landing on her lips and causing a sudden heat to sweep through her lekku.

“You’re sure?” he asked. His voice had lowered, but they were standing so close, she could feel the rumble of his words vibrating in his chest.

She could only nod in response. Her heart rate had begun to accelerate so rapidly that she lost track of her voice. Was this how people always felt before they kissed someone?

Fives reached out to carefully cup her cheek and, despite the heat that was certainly darkening her cheeks and lekku, goosebumps spread down her body, originating from where his fingers had touched her skin.

“Ahsoka.” She met his eyes and was shocked at the tenderness she was met with. “You don’t have to be nervous. I got you.”

Suddenly, it was as if all of her nerves dissipated. Between the soothing timbre of Fives’ voice and the way his thumb was gently stroking her cheekbone, she suddenly felt more secure than she had in a long time.

When Ahsoka had seen Fives kiss people in the past—something he often did when they were out at 79’s—he had always seemed eager, hungry, and maybe even a bit aggressive. That was the kiss that she mentally prepared for now, but it wasn’t the kiss she received.

He leaned in slowly and when he pressed his lips to hers, his movements were soft and careful. He didn’t push for more either; kissing her lightly and going no farther than gently tugging on her bottom lip with both of his. Even that small movement sent a tingling wave through Ahsoka’s body, causing her heart to skip in a way it never had before.

When Fives pulled away after only a few seconds, all she could do was stare at him. One of his hands was still on her cheek, while the other had come to rest lightly on her hip. Her hands were on his chest now, though she couldn’t remember putting them there. 

Neither of them moved. His face was still hovering so close to hers that she could feel his breath on her nose. When she glanced at his amber eyes, they were softer than she’d ever seen them. He was hesitating, as if he didn’t want to move away from her and she realized that she didn’t want him to either. 

Ahsoka had no idea what was going on. She’d just kissed her friend; someone she trusted and cared for, but had never thought of in any other way. But now she desperately wanted to feel his lips again.

She let her hands slide up behind his neck and she pulled him down into another kiss. She felt the Force brighten around him as he responded. This time, he let his arm encircle her waist completely and he pulled her flush against him.

Ahsoka wasn’t sure how long she and Fives stood there making out at the corner of the bar, but it was one of the best feelings she’d ever experienced. His lips, his tongue, his teeth, the way his hands had begun to gently roam her body; she felt as though she would never get enough and it seemed like he felt the same way. Each time one of them would break away for a heartbeat, the other would close the distance again.

By the time their kisses finally tapered off, they were both out of breath. Ahsoka was now pressed between Fives and the wall. They continued to hold each other as he leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers.

“What just happened?” she asked, once she finally regained her voice.

“I have no idea,” he breathed.

“Any chance you want to get out of here? Just you and me?” Those were words that she never thought she’d say to anyone, but suddenly she was certain it was what she wanted.

“What about the next round of drinks for everyone?”

“I’m sure they’ll manage.”

Ahsoka felt a flutter in her chest as Fives leaned in to kiss her lips once more. Then he took one of her hands and led her out of the bar. 

Their friends didn’t hear from them for the rest of the night.

Chapter Text

Ahsoka couldn’t remember a time when she didn’t want to kiss Rex. From the moment they met on Christophsis, just seeing him seemed to accelerate her heart rate and threaten to darken the chevrons on her lekku. She knew he didn’t feel the same way, of course. She’d been a young teenager at the time and she was sure that he’d viewed her as such.

Even if they’d been physically the same age though, she was a Jedi and they were in the middle of a war. Not exactly ideal for a romantic relationship. So she’d done her best to stow away her feelings, but they still seemed to resurface in waves over the course of the next five years.

After Christophsis, Ahsoka managed to refocus her mind on her Padawan training, only for her feelings for her captain to come rushing back when he nearly died on Saleucami. After that, she managed to bury her thoughts of him yet again, only for them to be dredged back up when she escaped the Trandoshans and returned to the 501^st to find out just how worried Rex had been for her. The pattern kept repeating. She refocused her thoughts, only for the events of Umbara and Zyggeria to ensue. So she buried her feelings yet again, only for them to resurface when she was framed for murder and nearly decided to leave the Jedi Order.

So now, five years into the war and her Jedi Knighthood on the horizon, Ahsoka had come to terms with the fact that Rex would never return her feelings. Even when she’d begun joining the guys for drinks at 79’s, he never indicated that he saw her any differently; not that she could tell anyway.

But her feelings for him refused to leave her completely, so when the two of them were caught under the mistletoe at Padmé’s Life Day party that year, nerves spiked through Ahsoka’s veins. She finally had the opportunity to kiss the man she’d been pining for ever since they met, but it was being forced by some holiday tradition. As much as she wanted to be close to Rex, she didn’t want to do anything if it wasn’t what he wanted too.

They had been chatting in this corner of the room for several minutes now and had only just realized they were beneath the mistletoe. Ahsoka swiftly glanced around the rest of Padmé’s apartment and was relieved to find that no one else seemed to be paying attention to them.

“Seems like no one has noticed us standing here,” she commented, turning back to Rex. She almost started with surprise when her eyes focused on his face. There was a layer of pink across his cheeks that most certainly hadn’t been there before. She wasn't quite sure what that meant, though. 

“So, uh,” she fumbled over her next words, “I suppose we could just pretend this never happened.” That wasn’t quite what she wanted, but the last thing she wanted to do was pressure her closest friend.

“Actually,” he responded slowly, “I had something else in mind.” His voice carried an unexpected mix of uncertainty and resolve.

Then Rex was moving towards her and her heart rate seemed to increase with each step he took. By the time he was almost close enough for their chests to touch, Ahsoka was frozen in place, unsure of what to do.

Then he leaned towards her slowly, giving her every opportunity to pull away, and carefully touched his lips to hers. Her heart jumped and her body thawed instantly, allowing her to lean into him. Then he was pulling her into his arms and deepening the kiss. Rex was so strong, but gentle at the same time and it was all Ahsoka had ever hoped for.

When they finally broke apart, he kept his arms around her, continuing to hold her close.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for a while,” he admitted softly. He was gazing at her face now, his amber eyes shimmering with affection.

“Really?” Ahsoka’s voice didn’t seem to be working properly and her question came out as a whisper. She cleared her throat. “Me too. How long?”

The red tint on Rex’s cheeks seemed to brighten. “About a year. You?”

“A bit longer than that.”

Chapter Text

“I don’t like where this is going,” Fives grumbled, as soon as he spotted the mistletoe hanging in the corner of Torrent’s rec room.

“It’s for your own good, vod,” Echo insisted, from beside him.

Fives loved his twin, he really did, and Echo was the only person he told everything to. But suddenly he was strongly regretting confiding in his closest brother about his feelings for their commander.

Ahsoka had left the Jedi Order and the GAR for a few months after being framed for murder; no one could blame her. Most of the 501^st were convinced they would never see her again, but one day she miraculously returned. That was when it started. 

Fives had returned from an ARC mission to discover that Ahsoka was his commander again, except this wasn’t the reckless teenager he remembered. Somehow, over the past several months—or maybe longer and he was just now noticing—she’d become the most beautiful, capable woman he’d ever encountered.

Ever since, Fives had been helpless not to stare at her when she entered a room or go out of his way to put a smile on her face at every opportunity. Just hearing her soothing voice and looking into her tranquil blue eyes set his mind and heart at peace in a way he’d never experienced before.

He could never tell her how he felt, of course. Even though he only worked with the 501^st on occasion, she was still technically his commanding officer and she was a Jedi, so she wasn’t meant to form attachments. The biggest reason though was that he was certain she’d never feel the same way. Echo hadn’t agreed.

“Have you seen the way she looks at you or has love blinded you that much?” his twin had asked.

“What are you talking about?” Fives genuinely had no clue.

“Sometimes I wonder how you ever made it to ARC,” Echo said, pressing his palm against his forehead. “You seriously haven’t noticed that she always sits next to you whenever possible and laughs at everything you say, even if it’s really stupid?”

“I never say anything stupid,” Fives protested, but his twin ignored him.

“She also talks to you more than the rest of us. Oh and the biggest one. Whenever we’re in the gym, she pretty much just watches you the whole time.”

“She does?”

“Yes, you di’kut!”

Fives couldn’t help the doubt that continued to nag at his gut. Maybe Echo was right; he did make some good points. But there were other reasons why he and Ahsoka couldn’t be together. Maybe it was easier to just tell himself that she couldn't see him that way.

But of course, Life Day was tomorrow and now Echo was leading Fives over to the corner of the rec room to where someone had hung mistletoe from the ceiling. Fives already had a pretty good idea of what his twin’s plan was.

“Echo, wait.” He stopped walking before they reached the corner and his brother turned to face him. “I know what you’re trying to do, but if it doesn’t work out, it’s going to create a lot of unnecessary problems.”

“It won’t, vod.” Echo placed a hand on Fives’ shoulder. “Do you trust me?”

Fives sighed. “I guess,” he grunted unenthusiastically.

“Okay, good. Now maybe get that sour look off your face before she gets here.”

Fives opened his mouth to protest, but froze when an angelic voice sounded behind him.

“Jesse, what’s going on?” Ahsoka was asking.

“You’ll see, Commander,” the lieutenant answered vaguely.

“If this is another one of the pranks you guys always pull…” Skepticism had entered the commander’s voice now.

Fives was still listening to their conversation and barely noticed Echo putting a hand on his shoulder and guiding him the rest of the way to the corner of the room. Fives turned around now and saw Jesse leading Ahsoka across the rec room. The commander spotted the two ARCs and her blue eyes seemed to light up when they met Fives’ gaze.

“Hey, guys,” Ahsoka greeted, as she and Jesse joined the twins in the corner of the rec room. “What’s going on?” 

She was speaking to the whole group, but Fives couldn’t help but notice the way her gaze was fixated on him specifically. Maybe Echo really did have a point.

“We just thought,” Echo began, exchanging a glance with Jesse, “that now would be a good time for you two to talk.”

“Or kiss,” Jesse chimed in.

“Wait, what?” Ahsoka’s mouth dropped open.

“Life Day tradition states that if two people are under the mistletoe together, they have to kiss,” Echo explained, shooting Jesse a stern look.

“So anyway, we’ll give you two some privacy,” Jesse said.

Before Fives or Ahsoka could respond, Echo shoved Fives farther into the corner, directly under the mistletoe. Jesse pushed Ahsoka at the same time, sending her stumbling into Fives, who instinctively put his hands on her shoulders to steady her.

“You kids have fun!” Echo grinned cheekily. 

Then he and Jesse swiftly retreated across the rec room, leaving Fives and Ahsoka alone under the mistletoe.

“What’s all this about?” Ahsoka asked.

Fives realized his hands were still on her shoulders and quickly withdrew them. She turned to face him and he was suddenly all too aware of how close they were standing. Their chests couldn’t have been more than a few inches from each other, but she made no move to back away.

Fives stifled a sigh. “They wanted to get us under the mistletoe together,” he explained, gesturing to the green and white plant hanging above them.

“Why would they do that?” Was it his imagination or did she shift even closer to him?

He thought about lying or saying something otherwise evasive, but when he looked down into her deep cerulean eyes—so close now that he could see the distinct patterns of her irises—he couldn’t stop the truth from spilling out.

“Because they know how much I like you.”

Tension filled the small space between them, but it wasn’t unwelcome. It felt like electricity; like some magnetic force that was pulling them closer and not allowing either of them to back away. 

But Fives still hesitated. If he let this happen, it could cause all sorts of complications and he still wasn’t even sure if the strength of Ahsoka’s feelings matched his own. What if-

Fives’ mind went blank when Ahsoka rose up on her toes, lifted her hands to cup his face, and pulled him down until their lips met. Suddenly, she was his only thought and he immediately wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him. Her lips were so soft on his and the kiss quickly deepened, her mouth malleable to his every movement.

By the time they broke apart, Fives’ heart was so full, he knew there was no going back. When their lips disconnected, he couldn’t stop himself from trailing more kisses along her cheeks, and up to her forehead and montrals. He felt her sigh contentedly in his arms and, when his kisses came to a stop, she pressed her face into the crook of his neck, as they embraced each other tightly.

It was several minutes before Ahsoka tilted her head back just enough to meet Fives’ brown eyes with her blue ones.

“Remind me to thank Echo and Jesse,” she said. A soft smile spread across her face as she continued to gaze up at Fives.

“I’m still not sure I liked their methods, but if it led us here, then I suppose we could thank them,” he agreed, somewhat begrudgingly.

Though the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he really did need to thank them. At length. He would thank Echo and Jesse a million times over because it was their interference that led to Ahsoka being in his arms now. And as long as he had her, Fives couldn’t imagine needing anything else ever again.

Chapter Text

Ahsoka still wasn’t quite sure why she'd been invited to the Galactic Senate’s annual Life Day gala. Nearly everyone present was a senator, with only a few exceptions. Padmé had invited Anakin and Ahsoka, along with Obi-Wan, Cody, Rex, and a few other members of the GAR. Ahsoka appreciated the thought, but this wasn’t exactly her scene.

She had arrived with her former master, but he had swiftly slipped away and glued himself to Padmé’s side, leaving Ahsoka to her own devices. It was still very early in the evening and no one else she knew had arrived yet, not even Riyo. 

She hoped that at least Fives would arrive soon. This would be the closest they’d gotten to going on a date in months, and she was looking forward to being able to dance with her partner or even share a kiss under some of the mistletoe that she’d spotted hanging around the grand ballroom. For once, they’d be able to hide their relationship in plain sight, the way Anakin and Padmé always managed to do.

Still unsure of what to do with herself, Ahsoka decided to make her way over to the bar. Maybe a drink would ease her mind while she waited for someone she knew to arrive. She was about halfway across the room when a familiar voice called her name.

“Ahsoka, it’s so good to see you!”

When she turned to see who it was, her gut suddenly swirled with unease. It was Lux Bonteri. She hadn’t seen the Onderonian senator in a few years now, but the memories of their last few interactions still brought a sour taste to her mouth. She quickly forced a relaxed expression onto her face.

“How are you, Lux?” she greeted smoothly.

“I’m doing well. I was hoping to catch you, actually.”

She noted how he didn’t ask how she was and barely contained an eye roll.

“You were?” she asked, feigning interest. She subtly glanced around them, but there was still no one else that she knew; no one she could use as an excuse to end this conversation.

“Of course. Ahsoka, I haven’t stopped thinking about you since we worked together on Onderon,” the senator said.

Really? she thought skeptically. That was over three years ago now.

If she had to guess, he hadn’t thought of her once until just now. From the way his eyes kept raking shamelessly over her figure, she would be willing to bet that the tight dress she was wearing was what had piqued his interest. She also noted the way he was walking them towards one corner of the room. A couple times, she felt his hand graze her lower back, but each time she shifted away before he could make more contact.

“You know what,” she halted in place, causing him to stop with her, “I need to check in with Anakin. It was nice seeing you, Lux.”

She was turning to walk away, when he reached out and grabbed her arm. She immediately tensed, fully prepared to knock him out, but restrained herself. She stiffly pulled her arm out of his grip and turned back to him. The only reason she refrained from striking him was the fact that they were in such a formal setting, and her demonstrating any form of aggression would reflect incredibly poorly on the Jedi and Padmé, who had invited her.

“Before you go, look where we’re standing.” Lux glanced upwards and Ahsoka’s stomach flipped when she spotted the mistletoe above them.

Now she openly glared at the senator in front of her. If he tried to kiss her, he would be out cold in seconds; she didn’t care whose reputation she damaged.

“Don’t,” she warned, her lip curling so her fangs were visible.

“Come on, it’s tradition,” Lux insisted, as if he hadn’t heard her.

He took a step towards Ahsoka and she tensed, preparing to strike. But the senator never managed to get any closer.

Suddenly, Fives was there. In one fluid motion, the ARC trooper stepped between Ahsoka and Lux, grabbed the senator’s arm, and twisted it behind his back. 

Lux’s eyes were wide with fear as Fives leaned in and growled into his ear, “If you touch my woman again, I will break every bone in your body.”

Then he released the senator with a rough shove, sending him staggering several feet away. Then, with Lux still watching, Fives turned to Ahsoka. Placing one hand on her hip and the other under her jaw, he swept her into a fierce kiss.

All of the tension that had filled Ahsoka’s body when Lux touched her disappeared completely when Fives kissed her. Now that her partner was holding her, she felt completely safe and suddenly the social expectations of the gala were the last thing on her mind.

When they broke apart after several long minutes, Fives continued to hold her close and they spent a moment just looking at each other; neither of them cared to check whether or not Lux was still there.

“Hey, mesh’la,” Fives said, placing a light kiss on her cheek. “You look amazing.”

Ahsoka’s stomach fluttered and heat swept to lekku, as it always did when he complimented her.

“You look pretty handsome yourself.” She hadn’t had a chance to look at his suit too closely yet, but it was Fives, so she already knew how attractive he surely looked. “Thanks, by the way. I was worried I was going to have to make a scene.”

“That’s what I’m here for.” His hand had found its way to her cheek, where he now was tracing her white chevron with his thumb. “If it’s for you, I’ll make as many scenes as I need to.”

“And you’ll break every bone in that guy’s body?” She raised an eyebrow marking.

“Of course.”

“Every single one? Don’t humans have like two hundred bones in their bodies or something?”

“Every single one. I’ll count,” he flashed her a cheeky grin. Then both his voice and expression softened. “I’m serious; anything for you, ‘Soka. I love you.”

It wasn’t the first time Fives had told her he loved her, but Ahsoka’s heart still skipped every time he reminded her.

“I love you too.” She leaned in to kiss him one more time before they finally stepped apart.

He immediately extended his hand to her. “Dance with me?”

She readily took his hand and let him lead her across the ballroom to where the dance floor was located. For the entire walk there and for the rest of the evening that followed, it felt as if they were the only two people in the galaxy.

Chapter Text