star wars x reader (one-shots)

always: tup pt. II

-soooo I wanted to make a part two but wasn't sure where to start
-ehehehe ima make this dramatic??? idk
-also i'm sORrY for throwing shade at dogma but i'm not wrong lmao
-remember, ratiin means always in mando'a

The sun was warm. It shone upon your face with a fire that chased away the coolness of the moon and left you rather disorientated. You blinked, rubbing at your eyes as it blinded you with its brilliant light.

"Well, well, well."

You jolted to your feet, completely disregarding Tup's comforting embrace to meet the eyes of Captain Rex. His helmet was tucked tightly under his arm by the hip and waist, where his fist clenched and unclenched. Uncertainty settled in his eyes and Force signature, morphing from worry to joy and back again. Rex was a close friend, but this wasn't something you wanted to tell him. At least not like this.

Tup began stirring by your feet, mumbling something along the lines of 'Cyar'ika' and 'sleep'. You nervously laughed, forcing an uncomfortable smile onto your lips. "Uh..." Rex placed a hand to his forehead and rubbed at his temples to soothe an oncoming headache. It was his nervous tick he only ever did around you. "If you're going to get into a relationship, you oughta do a better job than that, General."

You pursed your lips together and averted your gaze to a long string of grass. It swayed peacefully in the early morning breeze, tickling the tops of your boots. "So you aren't mad at me Rex?" He glanced at Tup, who remained in a deep sleep. "Even if I was angry, I couldn't stay mad, and I promise I won't tell a soul either." His gaze was far off as he turned to stare at the rising sun. It glowed over your faces, casting the planet in beams of gold.

"You know, I once met a deserter on Saleucami. He said he left the war right after Kamino, then settled down and had a family. Two kids, one boy and one girl. I thought he was a coward for deserting." He sighed a sigh that spoke of decades beyond his age. "But that wasn't true. After talking to him, I finally understood why he left. My loyalties do remain to the Republic, but sometimes they don't make the right decisions."

You nodded thoughtfully as Rex settled against a lone tree. He crossed his arms, keeping his gaze set on the golden horizon. "The ability to exact freedoms of choice is what makes us human. We all have the ability to think for ourselves unlike those buckets of bolts. And for the record," his eyes finally met yours, "as long as you both are happy, I'm happy. Take good care of him and he'll take good care of you." He pushed off the tree with a warm smile and patted your shoulder.

Your lipped twitched upwards in reply until they formed a grateful smile. "Thanks, Rex."

"You're lucky everyone's still asleep." he retorted with a snort. "I'm just glad it was me who found you and not..." He lowered his voice to a low whisper. "...Dogma." You both shared a short-lived chuckle before Tup stirred in his sleep. He rubbed at his eyes with that classic kitty-like yawn, stretching his arms cutely as he sat up. Rex nodded towards you with a knowing smile before taking it as his queue to leave.

---

For months, everything went as well as it should have. Your relationship filled with sweet smiles and soft kisses and warm hugs was more than you could ask for. It made you more than happy, more than elated. Tup was the best man you could ever ask for, and you knew he felt the same about you.

But that was when everything wasn't fine and the sky came crashing down on your shoulders. You were in the middle of a battle, scaling through a Separatist cruiser whilst running your blade through durasteel like a knife to butter. The mission could have been completed as planned. It could have been completed like it should have.

But it didn't.

You sensed Tup's presence behind you, but it was like he wasn't there at all. His Force signature had gone blank, as if the canvas you nurtured and painted over with your heart and soul had been ripped to shreds. You turned to face Tup. The first thing you noticed was the blaster barrel connecting with your temple, or the way Fives had shouted. No, it was the look in Tup's eyes, or rather, what was left of him.

This wasn't the same man you shared sweet kisses with only a day ago--he wasn't yours because he was a complete stranger. For a moment, you could have sworn his pupils had dilated, but as soon as it came, it was gone. "Tup...?" Your voice was unsteady because you knew this wasn't Tup. He looked like the man you loved with every fibre of your being, but he wasn't.

This wasn't his fault, that much you knew, so you smiled the best you could when life was hanging on by a single thread. "Always?" Your voice cracked and that was okay. You would be gone before Tup, leaving him alone in this, big, wide galaxy where nothing else could amount to what you both had. If he even did come back to his senses, you only hoped he wouldn't blame himself.

For a fleeting moment, you saw Tup again. He was fighting--hard, but it was clear it wasn't enough. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes as his finger landed on the trigger. "Ratiin."

He fired.