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It has been a long day for everyone. While walking back to the Marauder after a running another job for Cid, Echo finds himself quarreling with his own thoughts. His entire body aches, but that’s not what is bothering him.
Echo doesn’t understand it. Laughs spill from your mouth as you walk side by side with Wrecker.
What could possibly be so funny that she can’t stop laughing?
He feels a pressure in his chest. He can’t explain it. He doesn’t understand why the mere presence of Wrecker being next to her is making him feel angry. Not only is it enraging him, it’s making him sad. The thought of her laughing because of him of all things.
Echo walks at the back of the group watching what is transpiring. He feels guilty. He shouldn’t feel this way, especially when he knows that Wrecker has no feelings for her.
Especially because she isn’t mine.
“Why don’t you just tell her how you feel?” Hunter says from next to him. Maker, he must really be thinking if he didn’t realize he had walked to the back.
“What are you talking about?” Echo thinks he has hidden it so well. He doesn’t want to talk about this now, not with her so close by, and certainly not when he is so confused.
“It’s so obvious how you feel about her. If you weren’t so blind you would see that she feels the same way.” Echo looks at Hunter in shock. It’s one thing for him to not be good at hiding his feelings, but there’s no way that she has any type of feelings for him.
Why would he say something like that, though?
“I don’t feel any type of way about her. She’s our medic, our friend too. It would just be wrong and I don’t want to treat her that way.” A lie. Hunter knows it. Everyone knows it. They have all seen the way he looks at her. It’s so obvious to everyone, but not her.
As they arrive back at the ship, Hunter drops the conversation. Tech walks right to the cockpit with Crosshair following behind him, while Wrecker holds your hand as you walk step into the Marauder. Echo’s heart drops in his chest. Hunter is standing there looking at him with a face that can only say ‘I told you so.’ He begins to realize exactly why everyone can see that he has feelings for her.
“Please go talk to her. I don’t want to see you both pining over each other anymore. You both are di’kuts and this has been going on for too long.”
Echo decides that maybe Hunter is right. It is time to confess. He’s been keeping it in for far way too much time already. Especially after hearing Hunter say that she feels the same. Echo walks into the ship only to then see you still holding Wrecker’s hand, but now while sitting together. You both are still laughing together. He can’t hear what you both are talking about over the anger and sadness that he is feeling. That’s when he loses it. Echo turns around and goes to his bunk. He doesn’t realize that you saw him. You look at Wrecker only to see him looking right back at you.
“That was weird. Do you think he’s ok?” you say quietly, hoping that Echo can’t hear you. The last thing you want to do is upset him if nothing was wrong.
“I think you should go talk to him,” Wrecker says quietly. You feel bad to leave him in the middle of your conversation, but you just can’t help the way you feel for Echo.
You smile at Wrecker and get up. You start to get nervous at the thought of being alone in the same room as Echo. It’s hard to speak around him, words getting jumbled at every moment. He has no idea how he makes you feel. He doesn’t know you hold feelings for him. You can feel you heart beating faster as you approach the door.
Can Hunter hear how fast my heart is beating?
You open the door and notice all the lights still off. You say his name quietly, not wanting to disturb him if he has fallen asleep already. You find him curled up in his bunk. You can tell he is still awake after memorizing the way he sleeps after being with all of them for so long.
“Echo, are you ok? I don’t mean to disturb you if you wanted to be alone or have a moment of peace, but I needed to make sure you were ok.” You say quietly, hoping that he isn’t going to push you away.
He doesn’t respond at first. You start to think he is ignoring you, until he turns over. He looks mad.
“Why don’t you go back out there with Wrecker?” He doesn’t mean to snap. He feels bad the moment he does. He just can’t get this feeling out of his head. He’s jealous. He wants to be the one holding your hand while you laugh at whatever he’s saying. He just wants to be yours.
I’ll never be good enough for her.
I’m more machine than man.
She doesn’t like me. She probably like Wrecker.
“I want to make sure you are ok.” The hurt is evident in your voice. Why would he say something like that? It starts to click in your head.
Is he jealous?
“Can I ask why you walked away from all of us?”
He doesn’t respond. He doesn’t know what to say. This is his worst nightmare. He doesn’t want to face rejection right now. It would be the worst thing to happen since Skako Minor. He just wants her to leave so he can be alone. But he also wants her to climb into his bunk and lay next to him. He wants to feel her arms wrapped around him. He wants to feel her laying against his chest.
When he doesn’t respond, you start to get worried you have offended him in some type of way. He’s been through so much already; you don’t want to make it even worse for him. But part of you wants to keep pressing him, to get him to confess to liking you. You know it’s not going to happen, but one could hope. With a sigh, you stand up. As you are about to walk away, Echo grabs your wrist.
“I’m sorry… I just saw you… with Wrecker… and I had to walk away…” Echo stops himself from fully confessing. It’s already embarrassing enough that he said all of that, the last thing he needs to do is admit to being in love with you.
“Echo, I have feelings for you.”
Everything stops. Echo feels his breathing stop. He feels like his heart is going to beat out of his chest. He starts to believe this is some dream his mind has conjured up to give him some relief. Or possibly it’s going to turn into a nightmare. He realizes it is real when you go to pull your hand away from him. How long had he been sitting there just staring, not responding. You go to walk away again to save yourself from embarrassing yourself any further, but once again he grabs your hand.
“Wait, I’m sorry for not saying anything. I just didn’t expect you to say that. Maker, I feel like such a di’kut right now. Did you really mean what you said?” You nod and he continues. “I have feelings for you too. I have for a long time. I’m sorry for snapping, I just thought you wanted to be with Wrecker. You looked so happy sitting with him”
“I love Wrecker like a brother, it could never be anything other than that. Besides, he’s not you. He doesn’t make me happy in the way that you do.”
Echo feels himself start to blush. He didn’t even think he could anymore. All of those nights spent wanting you to be besides him could have been avoided. He wishes he listened to Hunter earlier.
“Will you come lay with me?” Echo feels himself getting anxious that you will say no, even after you just confessed.
You nod and climb into his bunk with him. Its not very big, there is hardly enough room for both of you, but it is still worth it. He feels so warm against you. you can feel his accelerated heart rate, just as he can feel yours.
The rest of the night is spent telling each other all of your feelings, from the very start to the little things he does that make you happy. You spend the night laughing and smiling with him. You both fall asleep in each other’s arms, a perfect way to end the night.
Bonus:
Tech says good night to Hunter and Wrecker as he will be taking the first watch. Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair walk to their bunks, both assuming you’ve both fallen asleep. Hunter walks in first, only to stop in the door way, noticing that your bunk is empty. He looks to the left only to find you and Echo wrapped around each other.
“It’s about time,” Wrecker announces from behind him, having seen them due to being taller than Hunter. Crosshair laughs quietly as he walks in, hoping he doesn’t wake them. They deserve each other.
Hunter smiles to himself and walks to his bunk. He’s glad he doesn’t have to see them look at each other like two di’kuts in love anymore.