As Hera hugged Ezra, she noticed an odor coming from him. It was a mixture of sweat, soot, grass, wookie and dirt. It wasn't too bad, but it was there. There was also a light amount of said material on his bidy and clothes. Honestly, the twi'lek was surprised that the human boy didn't smell or look worse. Most street orphans she and her crew encountered were disheveled and in rags. But Bridger's clothes looked like new.
"You're unusually clean for someone who lived on the street for years Ezra," Hera pulled back and observed him with her hands on his shoulders, vocalizing her thoughts.
"You're not the first to notice Hera. I hate feeling dirty, so i make sure to take a bath everyday, mostly by stealing water containers, but sometimes I'll walk miles to a lake or river. I hate the feeling of rags too, I sometimes wore them as a disguise, so I make sure to steal new clothes when mine get too small," he explained. Hera nodded and then asked, "How about you go to our refresher and take a bath or shower kid? Just to get rid of the recent muck that's hitched a ride on you, not that you reek or anything."
"Say no more Captain Syndulla. I know I need some scrubbing and polishing. Would you mind showing me the way milady?" Ezra asked sarcastically.
"Of course my good sir," Hera responded with her own wry smile. Then she grabbed his hand and led him out of the cockpit. They soon reached the refresher and rumble came from the Lothal resident's tummy. The blue-eyed boy blushed and clenched his belly.
"Guess I should've eaten those yogans I stole," Ezra said with an embarrassed laugh. Hera stifled a giggle and then said, "I'll make you something."
"No need for that, I can just…"
"No, save those yogans for later. I won't be rude and let a new team member make his own meal.
Ezra sighed in surrender, recognizing the impeccability in her tone, and entered the refresher. Hera showed him how the buttons to the shower and bath worked and left him in peace.
"You can can us auto-dry or towels in that metal closet himself which are there in case the Ghost's automatic drying system breaks down," She'd explained
Ezra sighed in happiness as the hot-but-not-scalding water sprayed down over him. It had been along time since he had heated water to cook or bathe with. It was a hassle to get a heating unit or build a makeshift stove to raise the temperature of his. So he mostly cleaned himself with cold water.
"I left some clean clothes for you Ezra in front of the door. Put your dirty ones outside too, and Chopper will take them, okay?" Hera said from the other side of the door.
"Okay!" he shouted back. After 7 minutes, Ezra reluctantly ended his shower. Then he cracked the door grabbed the clothes Hera left, some grey pajamas which resembled an imperial uniform, but they were softer and silkier. Once they were on, Ezra left the bathroom to see Hera waiting for him. She walked up to Ezra and sniffed his hair.
"You smell great, and you look so shiny."
"Thanks Hera. BTW, not that I don't like the ones you gave me, but could you buy me some…? Ezra paused.
"Hhmm"? Hera asked in an encouraging tone
"…some more colorful pajamas."
This time Hera couldn't resist squealing and glomping her new youngest crew member. His face grew as hot as the sun as she nuzzled his cheeks.
"That is so cute! Of course I will! Don't you worry!" she paused let him go, went behind him, and pushing his shoulders towards the kitchen said, "Now let's get you some grub."
On the table Were three slices of ham, four sausages, two meilooruns, six Blue Milk pancakes, an eight ounce glass of pineapple juice, and eight star shaped carrots.
"Eat up my boy."
"Yes ma'am!"
"Don't do it too fast though, I don't want you choking or vomiting."
Without ado, Ezra dug in. Heeding Hera's advice, he carefully chewed and swallowed his food, finishing his meal in ten minutes. Second after doing so, Ezra felt the urge to do number one and two, and raced to the refresher. Once he was through, Bridger started feeling tired. He yawned and said, " You got some place where I can hit the hay?"
"Sure kid, follow me," Hera said, leading him to the room she and Kanan shared. Once they entered the room, she turned to him with a pleading expression.
"I know you don't want to be babied, but at least let me show you some tenderness. I'm sure you've been lacking that," the beautiful twi'lek opined.
"You're right, I have," Ezra responded. This was especially true since he rejected Mr. and Mrs. Sumar's and Moreena Krai's offers to live with them. Hera smiled and then sat down on the bottom bunk.
"Did your mother ever stroke your hair while you laid your head on her lap?"
"Y-Yes."
"I'd like to do the same. I know you don't exactly trust me yet, but to have trust someone in order to be trusted."
"I know Hera," Ezra said. The Ghost crew took a huge chance letting him aboard and coming back for him twice. Surely he could let his guard down around the twi'lek. Of course it wasn't just being in a vulnerable position that scared him, it was getting close to and losing Hera and her crew like he'd lost his parents.
"I'm not going to promise you that I or Sabine, or Kanan, or Zeb will always be here for you, like I'm sure your mom and dad did," pausing when the boy bowed his head and nodded sadly.
"But I and they will do our best. Now," Hera patted her lap. Putting aside his trepidation, Ezra walked toward the bed and started to lay down, but then asked, "Is Sabine an artist? I noticed her colorful armor."
"Indeed she is."
"Tell her that if she paints this, she's dead."
"As if you could beat me," Sabine said from outside the room door. She'd been following and observing the two since Ezra got to the shower, reveling in his pleasure.
"But how about this? Let me take a holo-photo instead."
Ezra sighed and said "Fine."
Without further ado, he laid down the the bed and laid his head on the green-skinned captains lap. It felt surprisingly comfortable, and Hera's gentle ministrations through his hair locks felt even better. In ten seconds, Bridger was asleep.
"I'll admit it, the kid's pretty cute," Sabine said.
"I'm glad his personality matches his looks," Hera said with a smile, before bending down and kissing his forehead. Sabine's smile grew and then she said, "I'll get the camera!", before running out of the room.