You open your eyes and discover yourself inside the Jedi temple. --Another nightmare-- you think to yourself as you begin to wander like usual. The darkness grew more intense with each night that you returned here and you felt that you were wading through sludge on some floors ... at least you hoped it was sludge.

As with each night you wander for what feels like hours traveling through each of the rooms of your old home and towards the end of your nightmare which now became more and more terrifying each time was the raspy old voice of your pursuer.

He grew ever closer and his presence became more and more recognizable to you. He always greeted you like an elder greeting a child although he never used your name. Sometimes you would be walking around a corner and would see his shadow in the distance or would hear something and see his dark cloaked frame floating towards you.

It was unnerving and you would run and hide wherever you could find until you woke up. Usually you would suddenly be awake with fear gripping your system. You would look around the room wildly, somehow still feeling he was near. You would cuddle back down or retreat to the bathroom before calming yourself and centering your mind on where you were. The last few nights had been frightening but once you woke up Rex would pop in and sit on the floor near the head of the bed resting his back against its frame and looking up at you. The others didn't comment on it, no doubt because Rex was a superior officer, but they did notice and kept tabs on you two through the door.

He wasn't there when you initially woke up, but he would usually appear soon after. His presence brought you some comfort and he even listened while you mentioned what happened.

One night Omega stayed up late playing a game with Tech on his holopad. It was really training for a gun turret, but Tech made it more interesting by holding her in his lap and moving the chair around. There had been plenty of laughter and you had gone to bed assuming she would join you. Instead she had come over and gotten ready only to pop back into the guys room and find Tech sleep in his chair. Seizing an opportunity to cuddle with one of her less touchy brothers she had grabbed his blanket, climbed back into his lap, carefully slid off his goggles and fallen asleep on his chest. You only knew this had happened because Hunter saw it before he went to bed and stealthily took a picture of it with Techs holopad camera. It was just too adorable.

However, since Omega was not in your room and had left the door open, Rex woke up in the middle of the night and came over into your room. You seemed to be sleeping peacefully so he settled down on the floor as usual and got comfortable leaning against the bed frame. In the silence of the quiet room he could just hear your breathing and he closed his eyes and started to drift off again. You had thought Rex was joking about sleeping on the floor but apparently the clones are capable of sleeping just about anywhere in any position, a remnant of their military training.

Rex personally did not want to cause any issues within the team by being in your room, hence why he kept the door open and did not join you in bed. Hunter had filled him in on the current drama that Tech was both complaining about and causing and it had almost made Rex's eyes roll which was not an expression he pulled often. Hunter had also told him that you were interested in Tech, which was understandable. He was just as intelligent and handsome as he was insufferably correct. That nerd could become quite the romantic if he wanted to, but emotions not being his strong suit had now resulted in this fiasco, although Hunter said that Tech was coming back around. --probably cause he is actually thinking it over-- Rex had thought to himself.

Rex was decently comfortable on your floor when you had sat upwards and woken up. In the nightmare, which was shorter than usual, the dark figure had gotten much closer to you than before. The feeling had been so intense you had almost screamed in your sleep and when you shocked yourself awake you quickly covered your mouth assuming that Omega was beside you.

Quietly you took a few deep breaths and you swung your legs over the side accidentally hitting Rex in the head.

"Agh!" He had exclaimed, suddenly awake again only a few hours after he had started resting.

"Sorry" you whispered "I didn't know you were there". You brought your legs back up onto the bed and leaned over the side barely able to see what could be Rex's outline in the dark. "Are you alright?"

"You can really kick," Rex chuckled, rubbing his now throbbing head.

"I'm really sorry" you continued whispering, before reaching out and finding his shoulder so you knew where he was. Once you had your hand resting on his shoulder you balanced yourself on the bed and whispered closer to his head "How long have you been there?"

Rex was a little jarred from getting kicked, and your hand on his shoulder followed by whispers much closer to his face almost made him jump. "Omegas cuddled up next door, so I thought I'd head over here so you're not alone" Rex explained and he heard the bed lurch as you withdrew your hand. There were a few clicks in the dark and then a lamp turned on.

The light made Rex blink a few times as his eyes adjusted, and you checked next to you and confirmed Omega was not present. "Well" you say quietly "I do appreciate the thought, but maybe you should wait til I'm awake. Who knows"- you sit up and adjust your pillow to lean against "might knock you out next time".

Rex chuckled sleepily "That's one way to get back to sleep".

You pulled up the pillows next to you that Omega would have slept on against the headboard and then turned back to Rex who was still leaving against the frame with his back to you. "I'm not going to continue sleeping" you mention "why don't you come up here and join me? There's plenty of room and if you think the floor is comfy this bed is going to be even better".

Rex thought about it for a moment, mainly concerned about the implied intimacy. But, at this point you had become part of the team, you were inviting him up and he would leave immediately if he thought you were getting uncomfortable or felt uncomfortable himself. If anything, being around you was calming and sweet, much like Ashoka you had the skill of feminine gentleness that made you comfortable to be around.

Rex decided he would and replied "sure" before getting up and heading around the other side of the bed. Once he had gotten up and actually looked at you another flicker of concern had crossed his mind. The orange-yellow glow of the side table lamp bathed the room in warm light, and while your hair was a bit everywhere from sleep your sleepy face was adorable and your pajamas were almost revealing compared to the layers he had seen you in before. The dark blue camisole covered you well but your shoulders and collarbone caught his attention for a moment and he quickly began examining the pattern on the carpet as he walked around and then climbed onto Omega's side of the bed.

After settling and laying down on his side you leaned back and closed your eyes sitting more upright then Rex but still lounging. You felt tired, like sleep could beckon you at any moment but you didn't want to go back there.

The lamplight framed you enchantingly, and Rex had to admit you were enjoyable to look at. It made Hunters comment about Tech observing you often much more believable, not that you weren't attractive enough to justify it already. Rex closed his eyes to try and get his brain back from staring at you. Thankfully your eyes were shut so you hadn't noticed, but you had glanced over at Rex and chuckled "already going back to sleep? Either I hit you harder than I thought or this bed really is comfortable''.

"I must admit I am a bit jealous. I should have asked Senator Organa for a room as well" he chuckled, resting the weight of his head on his right hand and arm.

"Just lay down Rex" you said with a smile "your arm is going to have a wicked cramp if you fall asleep like that."

Rex opened his brown eyes and acquiesced to your logic, flopping down onto his back and pulling the pillow under his head. He continued to stare at the ceiling feeling the call to return to sleep grow stronger. "What happened in your nightmare?" he asked quietly.

You looked down at him laying there, eyes closed, just like Hunter when he was 'just resting his eyes'. You smiled and kept yourself from laughing as you answered "I was being hunted. Running through the Jedi temple. It's almost the exact same every night".

"Hmmm" he replied and you started to come through your hair with your fingers.

"It's like he's almost going to catch me, and when I can't handle the fear anymore I wake up" you continue to explain. You sit there waiting for Rex's answer, but you don't hear anything. All it took was a glance to confirm the tired Captain had gone to sleep. You smiled at the stern look he always kept on his face, it remained even while relaxed and sleeping.

Quietly you pull one of the thinner blankets over him, since he is still dressed in his usual clothes and you get out of bed. You head to the bathroom first, washing your face and taking care of your morning routine before heading back out and carefully combing the styling product into your hair. The process was quiet and you were sure Rex would sleep much deeper then Omega does. --Of course-- you think to yourself with a chuckle --they might all be relatively light sleepers--.

You combed and slowly braided your hair for over an hour and you could see the sunlight just beginning to come under the drapes as the sun peeked over the horizon. Your hair is not long enough to braid long braids like you used to, so instead you made very small braids using only a few strands of hair. This way when you pull your hair back into a bun there would be some interesting textures although all of the top would be covered by the headpiece.

You were continuing to slowly braid these little braids when you heard footsteps. Since you were seated in front of the mirror you could easily see behind you and you noticed Tech standing in the doorway. He was dressed down for sleep, wearing the bottom of his blacks and a shirt he had gotten from somewhere. It looked like he was just stepping in, but you two made eye contact in the mirror and he then realized you were not in bed.

You watched him glance over to the bed, his eyebrows knit together and then look back to you. You clipped your half-done braid to your head so it wouldn't slip out and turned around on the cushioned stool to face him.

"He's Still sleeping," you quietly say.

"Why is he here?" Tech asked, with what sounded like agitation in his voice.

--For a moment you thought of saying 'he didn't want me to sleep alone' but you decided that would imply a situation contrary to the truth.-- You looked at Tech calmly, although really you were still sleepy and replied "well, I had gotten up and I saw him sleeping on the floor so I poked him about resting there since I was up".

Tech's brow unfurrowed itself and his face returned to its entirely neutral state. He knew Rex would join you in the mornings but his observations had yet to provide him with any tangible reason yet.

"Is anyone else up?" you ask, removing some clothes from the other stool near you.

"Not just yet, I only woke up because I realized a light was on" Tech replied, although really it was because Omega had moved causing him to wake up.

"Oh" you say, getting up "I didn't think of that, I can turn it off".

"No, you need some illumination to see your hair. I know its a visual process" he continued lifting up his goggles and rubbing one of his eyes. "I can just shut the door".

You sat back down on your stool and gestured to the one next to you "If you are not heading back to bed I wouldn't mind your company".

Tech stands there for a moment, as if he's thinking over what you said before he shuts the door and walks over to the other stool and sits down. You observe him as he walks over, the sleepiness on his face threatening to make you smile at how adorable it is. You realize you're almost staring and so you turn yourself back to the mirror and focus intently on finishing your braids.

Tech had been considering his options once you offered him a seat, specifically trying to figure out why such a simple gesture had lifted his spirits. When he had woken up to Omega he was initially annoyed, but her sleeping face had caused him to smile and he had carefully gotten up and laid her down on his spot on the bed. She had continued to sleep and he had then come over to investigate the light.

He wouldn't be surprised if you were up, but not seeing you near the lamp, where you would have been seated surprised him. There was a figure in the bed, which could be you but then he noticed you seated at the mirror. You were in your pajamas still, and it was the first he had seen your shoulders since Ord Mantell. In fact, there was much more skin showing then he had previously observed. Clearly some of your night clothes were missing.

You were clearly putting up your hair and the realization that Rex was sleeping there had caused an interesting reaction. At least, it interested Tech why he reacted that way. He had an ongoing theory that the tension he had been perceiving in the group and making changes to correct had actually been due to his own emotional instability which was not a variable he usually considered. It was not that he did not feel, quite the contrary. However, as the intellectual planner he was, expressing those emotions was never a priority unless it had something to do directly with the mission outcome.

Thus, now that this variable was considered he had begun to experiment with his emotional reactions. He took time to observe you, look at you when you were making eye contact or not, or take a moment to think about you in a social sense. He had been documenting his findings in between data scanning sessions. It would appear that a pattern was emerging and given his reaction to Rex's presence in 'your' bed he could confirm his findings. He was feeling symptoms of jealousy. He had only experienced externally what this type of emotional state could result in with Wrecker and Crosshair in their 'kill count' challenges. However, that jealousy seemed to be much lower level then what he was currently undergoing.

As he sat there watching you carefully brush and then braid your hair he became puzzled. Why was he having these symptoms? What was the initial trigger or thought process? How could he address and avoid this reaction to keep it from messing with his performance?

His brows knitted together and he looked in the reflection realizing that your eyes had been watching his face.

"Is something wrong?" you ask, your arms feeling tired from holding themselves up for so long. You had been redoing some of the braids to make them tighter and your arms were getting worn out.

"I am trying to determine that" Tech replies and you try not to laugh but you do smile.

"Well, I wish you luck on your assessment" you reply.

"I have discovered one factor" Tech continues, as you rest your arms and you both hold eye contact in the mirror.

"What is that?" you ask, trying not to let your joy at talking to him AND having him sit next to you become obvious.

"It takes me much longer to reach optimal levels of function without my coffee maker" he says and you blow air through your nose as you purse your lips and try not to laugh.

Tech can see that you're amused about something and his mind wanders back to the fact that Rex is sleeping in your bed. --How long has he actually been there?-- he thinks to himself again, feeling the symptomatic reaction stir up again.

"Why not just stop over and get it off the ship?" you ask and Tech refocuses his eyes on you as you continue your braiding.

"Well" he sighed "I had not considered the need to transport my caffinator to a different location and have it hardwired into the system. Removing it could be easy, but the correct attachments are not present in this hotel meaning such efforts would be futile".

"I never realized you liked it so much" you replied, dropping your arms to rest them again "of course, you do have it every morning".

"I have concluded the majority of my lack of functioning has been associated with withdrawals" Tech nodded, affirming your statement "and the coffee present is not satisfactory and may cause suspicion to order directly to the room daily".

"Well" you smile at him in the mirror "Thanks for toughing it out."

Tech's face remained neutral but there was a glimmer of something in his eyes. He knew you weren't being sarcastic but this genuine kindness felt so much more stirring then it had before. Has he missed you? --I will need to test this further-- he thinks to himself before noticing that your braid is not complete.

"Why have you stopped?" he asks, and you look at him confused. "I'm referring to your hairstyle. I see that you are trying to layer the textures but you have only completed one side".

You sigh "as strong as my arms are, holding them up to braid makes all the blood flow run out. Even while I was resting them on the table. I'll have it done before long" you reply and try not to blush as you watch him look you over.

Tech stands up, making you dismayed, but he then steps behind you "Look forward".

You're nervous but you follow his instructions and look forward, watching him in the mirror. His slender fingers pick up the braid you have started and he takes the clip off, clipping it to his shirt sleeve and then slowly begins to braid the small strands together where you had left off.

You didn't know how to feel or how to react. In one way, you should remain calm. He was helping you out and no doubt this was a 'big brother' gesture. But on the other hand you could feel your heart race faster as you felt his hands gently touch your head, let alone looking in the mirror and seeing him focused on the task at hand.

His eyes were intensely looking at the braid he was making and his fingers nimbly twined the strands while keeping most of the hairs within the braid. He made quick work of what you had left on that one and you handed him a small rubber band to finish it.

You thought he was then going to sit down but he picked up the comb on your desk and started separating out the next three strands, mirroring what you had done on one side of your head to the other.

"Tech" you said, much more shaky than you had wanted to and his brown eyes looked back to you in the mirror's reflection. "When did you learn to braid hair?"

He smiled slightly as he looked back at his work and explained "A while ago actually. Far back enough that we were still cadets".

You could feel your heart melting, you had missed his attention, his conversations, his oddly intellectual linguistics. You could feel your face getting redder but there was nothing you could do to hide it so you hoped the light wasn't showing too much.

Tech continued his story as he braided faster the second time "Hunter didn't always have long hair but at one point he started growing it out. My theory at the time was because his enhancements are sensory, thus shorter hair caused his helmet to be irritating. However my theory now is that he wished to be more distinguishable from the others. He closely resembled the regs and wanted to seem like he fit in more with our group then theirs".

You chuckle a little as you think about a little Hunter refusing to wear his helmet but secretly wanting to stay with his brothers. "You are all unique" you comment "if it were not for Echo's voice I'm not sure I would have known you were clones in the first place".

You hear Tech chuckle. --he laughed?-- you think, surprised and unsure if this is the first time you've heard him laugh in weeks.

"While we are trying to be mercenaries, our origins are rather obvious to say the least" Tech replied before continuing on "After Hunter started growing his hair out there were some arguments about uniform rules and that his hair could impede his training if not managed. Thus, after some quick research I learned to braid it back. He fit uniform standards, and did not have further helmet irritation".

Tech looked up as he finished the second braid and noticed you were giving him a very sweet look. Your eyes gave an empathetic kind gaze and your face smiled so gently and sweetly. "I must admit Tech. You care about your family very much".

Tech blinked and felt heat rushing to his face. Both of you looked away from each other. --Another interesting reaction-- Tech thought, "what do you mean?" he asked tentatively as he started the third braid.

"I know you're the planner" you jest "but you're very caring too".

Tech didn't know how to respond. If anything he believed you were exceedingly caring, particularly how you had taken so quickly to Omega and even in your socialization with the group. Being called caring wasn't something he was used to, this might even be the first time.

You watched Tech's face, which had returned to a neutral state and you were worried you had offended him. Tech was glad your face blocked the reflection of the light because he could feel the heat on his face and knew that it was socially signaling embarrassment. He didn't like this feeling, but experiencing it now was more bearable than previous encounters. He finished the third braid in silence and started on the final one.

You continued to watch his face, focused and neutral while he worked. You didn't mean for this to impact you this way but you didn't want this moment to end. You felt so comfortable, and even cared for. Compared to his actions earlier in the mission it was like you had the Tech from Ord Mantell back. You waited patiently as he finished the last braid and then sat back down next to you. He observed your hair as you pulled the remainder back into a bun, partly admiring his handiwork and mostly admiring you.

"Y/N?" he said, in that smooth velvety voice you had heard once before.

"Yes Tech?" you asked, looking at him with your sparkling eyes in the mirror.

"Do you feel romantic attraction towards Hunter?"

~~ End of Chapter ~~