I know it's been a long time and I'm sorry this note is brief, but I just cannot keep up with this and school anymore. My hyperfixation on these guys also has completely died. And it's kinda hard to write a romantic subplot when you don't feel connected to the characters anymore. This story is going on be on an indefinite hiatus. It may last until December, I just don't know. I'm teaching myself five classes, trying hard to keep up with all the assignments, and balance mental health on top. I just can't keep up.
I don't think there's any warnings to be listed. If I missed one I am so sorry, but I just do not have the energy to proofread right now.
I will also be replying to the comments sometime in the future, I again just can't push myself to do it right now.
He couldn't stop thinking about her eyes. Blues and greens swirling together, that gaze sharp and intense. Hunter hadn't ever given much thought to the eyes of a feline, but seeing them stare back at him with the soul of a human lurking behind... it was a different sort of unsettling. The kind he did not appreciate having to deal with.
A commando. He was a damn commando . And here he was getting worked up about a mountain guide's eyes of all things.
You are a disaster, get a grip!
"Would'ja stop pinin'?"
Hunter bristled as Crosshair's voice rasped over his private comm. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I can see your vitals. Heart rate gets higher every time you look at the brat."
Son of a Sith . "Focus on the mission, Cross," Hunter gritted out through clenched teeth.
"Sure, I'm the one who needs to focus."
"I don't care for your tone," Hunter retorted.
"Y'all know I can see you communicatin', right?" Shadow asked as she walked alongside Hunter. "Your heads are movin'."
Pushing down the urge to smack Crosshair for putting him in this situation, Hunter cleared his throat as he switched to the main comm. "Classified intel."
Crosshair's barely repressed snorting filled his helmet. " That's the excuse you're gonna go with?"
"Shut up ."
"Gee, sorry."
Hunter cursed as he realized he never switched to a private comm and had just said that for everyone to hear. Shadow's look of shock and mild hurt did not help matters. "Crosshair's being a di'kut ."
Multicolored ears twitched back and forth. "That ain't classified, everyone knows that."
Wrecker laughed, nudging Shadow. "I'm likin' ya more and more, Haran'ika !"
The guide didn't seem annoyed by Wrecker's roughhousing. If anything, it had brought a smile to her face.
They would be a terrifying pair on the battlefield.
Why did his thoughts always lead back to asking her to join their squad? She was not a soldier.
With a little guidance, anyone can be trained.
She probably is not capable of going into hard combat, Hunter argued with himself.
Take one look at her and you'd be lying if you didn't think she'd slaughter a battalion of droids given the chance.
She did seem prone to causing chaos.
Shadow was shaking her head and laughing softly at Wrecker's exclamation. "Glad I've got one Bad Batcher who likes me well enough!"
You've definitely got more than one.
"Aw, Tech's taken a likin' to ya too!"
"More like he's taken a likin' to my physiology. First blood, then fur samples. I'm honestly scared to hear what he wants next!"
"Shadow!"
A comically exaggerated grimace spread across Shadow's face, made complete by her ears. "Oof, why do I say things?" she sighed as Tech came jogging back down the trail.
Hunter immediately cursed when he saw his younger brother's hands cupped around something. Oh no... What had he found this time?
Tech's eyes under his helmet were scrunched up in a smile as he trotted over to the Alphian. "Can you tell me what this bug is?" he asked, opening his hands just enough so she could see.
There it was again. Hunter had noticed it numerous times before, the way Shadow minutely froze when asked a question about either her past or something to do with the planet they were currently on. As if she either needed a moment to think, or needed to wait until the correct answer came to her.
Delays were normal. Hunter had met many a person with them. People had to process information after all, and some processed things slower than others. But Shadow had selective delays, more so than the average person. Something just was not adding up about her.
Could... no, that's not possible. There's no way. Realm Walkers are not real .
Or were they? Shadow was showing the signs they supposedly showed. Spotty memory of some topics, intense knowledge of others, familiarity with things the average person they met knew nothing about, the fact she had supposedly survived things that would kill most anybody else...
Keep an eye on her. Maybe talk with Tech, he's bound to know something about Realm Walkers .
Locked in his own mind, he missed whatever Shadow had said. He did not, however, miss Shadow holding out her hand for Tech to dump a spider into.
This woman is crazy!
"See?" Shadow said with a smile as the long limbed spider scuttled up her hand to her arm. "They're not able to chomp us. Frens."
"Can I see?" Wrecker asked, hesitantly reaching out with one hand as he slipped his helmet off with the other.
"Sure, big guy, just don't squish him."
Wrecker grinned. "Thanks!" He let the spider crawl onto his hand before using Shadow's head for a helmet holder.
Hunter stifled a snort as how oversized the helmet was compared to her. His own helmet had looked good on her. Wrecker's looked downright hilarious.
"Still think it's an improvement," Crosshair said over his main comm.
"I think removin' the rod rammed up your cornstalk ass would be an improvement too, but I keep that to myself!"
Do not laugh. Don't you dare laugh. Stars...
Wrecker, however, clearly had no such thought process for his loud laughter rang through the misty trees. Abandoning his spider, which he settled on a tree trunk, he slapped Shadow on the back. " Cornstalk ?! Your arsenal of insults never run out, does it?"
"Not if I can help it!" Shadow laughed with a swish of that multicolored tail.
How did the extra appendage connect? Where was the point where the spine branched off? And did she have two sets of tail bones? One like a human and one for her actual tail?
"If ya aren't pinin', why're ya starin' at her ass?"
Hunter was immensely thankful both for his helmet and the fact he didn't have Tech's fairer skin because had he been paler he would have been red all over. In a brief moment of terror, Hunter thought Crosshair had said that on the main comm. He began to breathe easier when Shadow did not react.
Crosshair, when this mission is over... I'm going to order Tech to take us to Tatooine and I am dropping you in the first Sarcclac pit I see.
For a muscle bound super soldier reaching nearly seven feet, Wrecker was downright adorable. I was so glad the man's helmet hid my face, because I had to be blushing when he flashed a goofy grin my way.
This mission... I was in trouble big time. One sided crushes were troublesome enough with one guy. But I had a crush not only on Wrecker, but every damn one of them. Four. Four dudes! Even Crosshair! Somehow.
How in the Nine Corellian Hells was I supposed to manage this? Wrecker's physical nature was not helping my touch starved self. Every fiber of my being had begun screaming for cuddles. Considering I was not a physical person by nature...
Bruhhhhhhhhhhhh .
I quickly forced my face neutral when Wrecker reached forward and tugged the helmet off my head.
Phew. He didn't make a comment. Maybe I'm safe!
"Shadow, are you alright? You look flushed. Was it hot in his helmet?"
Tech, I love you buddy, but I am gonna strangle you.
Of all things, I did not expect Hunter to jerk minutely and the slight scent of fear to drift over. The hell?
Come to think of it.. damn were there a lot of hormones right now. Bouncing around like possessed ping pong balls or something. Smack in the middle, I was less than thrilled and removed myself from the four way intersection to stand further down the trail. "Yeah. Fine! Let's keep goin'!"
Four more days. I got four more days of this. What did I do to deserve this bad luck? I knew I should have forwarded that chain message. Damn that bad luck elephant strawberry... thought that puppy picture gave me immunity from those!
Wrecker quickly jogged to my side. "Sorry, Haran'ika . I never noticed it gettin' hot in there myself."
Oh for the love of... "Heh... yeah well uh you know."
"Wait... ya weren't hot were ya?"
Put that grin away . "It's humid as hell, look at my fur." I pointed to my tail.
"Humidity doesn't make ya blush like that," he teased, nudging me.
Why me? Whyyyyyyyyy. "It's hot!"
"Uh huh." Another nudge sent me to the otherside of the trail. "You're cute when you blush!"
"Race ya to the rocks!" I yelped, running full speed out of that situation. Don't mind me, Imma just grab my stuff and leave! Excuse me please!
"Hey!" Wrecker yelled behind me. "Damn you're fast!"
My problems can't catch me if I outrun them!
At least it wasn't Hunter chasing me. That boy was fast .
Up ahead I could see a small stream crossing the trail. It didn't look deep. This would be a snap!
I stopped long enough to judge the depth before stepping into the water, only to give a high pitched yelp and launch myself backwards out of the water.
Shit that was cold!
Wrecker laughed. "Didn't know ya could squeak !"
Oh I had to be red in the face now. Fuck my voice box and everything it stood for. Just ignore the comment... ignore it for now... "Great, gotta get wet..." I muttered, angrily eyeing the rippling water.
"Oh, I could get ya across easy!"
I sighed, looking up at Wrecker. "Yeet?" I asked tiredly.
He grinned maniacally. " YEET! "
I crossed my arms as he scooped me up and threw me across the river. "Now I know how Rex feels," I grumbled, touching down on the other side. I waited until Wrecker had tossed the others across before calling to the big guy, "So, how you makin' it over?"
"Uhh... I'll just wade!" He awkwardly lumbered across, muttering a "sorry fishy" occasionally. Emerging on the other side, he turned to me. "See! I can do it!"
"Never said you couldn't." I looked at the others. "Alright boys. Onward."