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They felt it when it happened.
Fox, in the safety of his office, crumpled to his knees, doubling over so far that his helmeted forehead pressed to the red carpet in his office, howling so deeply the sound ripped straight from his gut. Thire stumbled where he was speaking to Senator Chuchi about her upcoming diplomatic visit back to Pantora, stumbling, his gloved hand gripped onto the doorframe as his chest constricted and his lungs felt like they were on fire. Stone felt like he was dying
And they were, they had to be dying and there was only one reason for why they felt like their bones were breaking and that their chests were burning and their lungs were seared with heat and plasma.
" Thorn!" The internal comms array crackled to life inside their helmets, on their private frequency. " It's Thorn ."
"Something's happened. Stone, something's happened.” Thire panicked, fear evident in his voice. Thorn was heading the peace delegation to Scipio, he was off Coruscant, away from them and he was in danger.
"Have Corinth raise Shade company on long range comms." Fox ordered. He could still feel them, they weren't lost yet but Fox was filled with fear from the faint pain he felt radiating from his flesh and blood. They could not feel them strongly, the distance and separation dulling their senses, but the pain from Thorn, that was the most blinding even with the empty chasm that stretched between them, void of stars and matter filling the space.
His heartbeat staggered in his chest.
For a moment, they felt Thorn’s stop.
Thorn tapped his foot impatiently as they entered Republic Space once more. Surviving had been the least of their worries once Shade Squadron had pushed the remainder of the Separatist invasion fleet back. Senator Amidala had already seen the truth of what they were, she already knew they weren’t entirely mortal, even with their cloning vats as origins, but still it was one thing for Senator Amidala and her close confidants to know, for the GAR to know. It was another thing for the galaxy to know the truth about them.
To know the truth about their vode still on Coruscant.
Sometimes using their forms, who they truly were, still made Thorn wary. This wasn’t protecting vode and melting through walls, or whispering to each other about which senators to avoid. It wasn’t safe-
A boot pressed into the toes of his own and Thorn looked up at Parjai, his best lieutenant, and met his eyes.
"Udesii vod." Parjai muttered and brambles grew from his vambraces to curl around Thorn's. That was the thing Shade squadron was so good at, adapting to their Commander’s needs. “You’ll be alright.”
“You haven’t seen Fox worried.” Thorn murmured, eyes flicking over to where Senator Amidala was speaking kindly with one of Shade’s shinies.
Parjai gave him a deadpanned look and raised a knowing eyebrow.
They had all seen Fox worried, especially worried over one of the command staff. It was a sight to behold, and a sight not worth repeating.
“They would’ve felt it-”
“We all felt it.” Parjai admitted. “And it scared us, because we know we can’t be killed. You can’t be killed.” The brambles around his wrist tightened and dug into his flesh through his blacks.
“ Ni ceta-” Thorn whispered.
And while he wouldn’t bow to Parjai in the presence of a nattie, he would make it up to his squad in private once he reunited with his cyarese.
It was rare to see three prominent members of command staff waiting on a landing platform, together, as the Coruscant Guard rarely had time to deviate from their duties that wasn’t already taken from their personal respite time. Yet here they were, Thire, Stone and Fox, standing together, standing anxiously, waiting for the peace delegation of Scipio to return to Coruscant as a ship was sighted and radioed with Thorn’s clearance code.
They were all impatient.
So impatient.
This was their cyare, a quarter of their hearts and souls.
Was it true that Thorn and the others made it out, was it true that Shade squadron survived the full force of a Seperatist invasion fleet. It was unthinkable, even though Fox, Stone and Thire knew that their cyare, their vod, agol, aliit could not be killed.
They stayed stone still, as if they had turned to statues until the ramp of the ship lowered. First Senator Amidala came off the ship flanked by two of Shade, Rol’eta and Parjii. Then, from boots upwards, they saw Thorn descend from the ramp, chestplate scorched with blaster burns, helmet and paint destroyed by a blaster scorch to the temple.
Fox was right, they had felt him die, at least for a moment.
Even though their deaths never lasted long.
They couldn’t just whisk him away, no matter how badly Fox wanted to. No matter how desperate Stone was to hold him in his arms, with or without the barrier of armour between them. No matter how Thire wanted to coax and worship Thorn until he remembered what it was like to be in a loving embrace without the fear and stench of death hanging over their heads.
They had to debrief, Shade squadron and Thorn needed to be checked over by the medics to keep up appearances, as to not alert the Chancellor about their otherworldly connections.
“Glad to see you safe, vod.”
The door slid shut behind them, all four commanders exchanged glances with one another, waiting for the first one to speak. For someone to break the nervous silence between them.
“Well.” Thorn finally said after a moment. “If that’s all to it, I wouldn’t mind a shower-”
Fox stepped away from the three of them and crossed his arms behind his back, clasping his right wrist. A stance they all recognized as him being serious.
"Strip." Fox commanded. His helmet tilted in a way that meant he wasn’t going to be questioned.
"Fox I'm fine-" Thorn scoffed in disbelief.
"Are you disobeying an order from your Commander?" Thire joked, disguising concern with laughter. They could hear the nervousness in his voice.
All four of them could also feel the tension that lingered, left behind from the fear that Thorn could’ve potentially died and they would’ve lost a part of them, cosmic entity a part of them or not.
"I am older than you Thire." Thorn grumbled.
"Well, are you?" Stone’s jab of irritation was sharp and quick and silenced whatever response Thire was preparing to throw in Thorn’s direction.
That was the nature of things, hiding their fear, their worry, behind jibes and jabs and hoping each other could read their actions and tones instead of the words themselves. Nothing could describe the fear they lived through day in and day out even with the darkness lingering as their protection.
"No, but I'm fine-" Thorn protested.
"Now." Fox's tone shifted. "Thorn."
His tone bore no room for argument, the tone Fox rarely used with them, because they were his equals in every way, in every station. They were him and he was them. His tone spoke of the severity of the situation, the sincerity to their fear.
It made Thorn pause.
A warning. A plea. A want, all rolled into one. Fox had shifted his weight across his stance and was now leaning away from them, Thire leaned back against Fox's desk, gloves fingertips tapping rhythmically on the wooden top, Stone's fingers twitched at his side, clearly wanting to reach out for Thorn as Thorn raised his hands to his helmet.
Fox’s breath caught in his throat as Thorn lifted his helmet over his head and revealed a still pink, just healed scar on his temple. Fingers twitched with the urge to touch the scar, to soothe the hurt. To help along the healing process.
His chest plate came off carefully next. Thorn hesitated in lifting his elbows further than ear height and Stone stepped in to help him, slipping the chestplate the rest of the way off over his head before he placed it down on one of the armour racks. The stomach piece came next, plastoid clacking against Thorn’s chestplate as Stone set it down. Thorn set to work removing his vambraces and bracers, those went to the armour rack next to his chestplate.
Even his blacks were scorched, though the synthweave material wasn’t melted to Thorn’s skin like it should have been thanks to the three consecutive blaster bolts on his chest.
Thorn unzipped the uppers of his blacks and as it slid off his shoulders and fell to the ground, he revealed four silvery scars on his body, three on his chest, one on his side, just over his ribs.
“ Kriff. ” Thire gasped under his breath and took his helmet off. As Thorn took in the expression on Thire’s face, he stilled and felt his heart clench in agony. Slow whispers, of Thire’s thoughts, of Fox’s emotions, of Stone’s worry hidden beneath his passive demeanour, they all started trickling back the more he bared himself to them.
Thorn blinked, and made quick work of his belt and kama, codpiece joining them on the floor, not minding that Stone picked up after him and settled his armour neatly on the ground.
He needed them , just as they needed to see him alive in this very moment.
"I'm fine, really." He tried to reassure them as he finally, peeled himself out of the last of his blacks, and his gloves joined the mess on the floor only to be picked up by Stone and placed neatly on top of his stacked armour.
A short moment of silence, before Fox lifted his helmet from his head and held it by the lip in one hand.
"I felt you. I felt you die."
Thorn flinched.
"I felt your heart stop for that split second and for a moment I thought you weren't coming back." The distance between them still felt as wrought and empty as the chasm of stars that kept Fox from reaching out in fear. "So forgive me, Thorn, cyare, if I need to see your flesh moving without plastoid and distance shrouding your thoughts."
"Fox I'm here. I'm alive. I'm here with you right now, standing in front of you-"
"Ner kad'la cyar'ika…" Stone spoke up, being the first to close the gap between them. He took Thorn's face in his hands and pressed their foreheads together. "I think what Fox is trying to say, is that he was scared, and if it weren't for the fact we are cosmic entities you would be gone."
"You had a whole squad. Shade is one of the Guard's best and you barely survived a full invasion fleet." Thire added with a placating smile. "If we were still… human. Flesh and blood that could actually hurt-"
"Thorn, please." If anyone else witnessed the scene they would've missed the trembling of Fox's fingers as he clung to the lip of his helmet, his golden eyes glistening with some wetness. "I need to see you. Don't shut me out."
To the rest of them, the uncharacteristic vulnerability was rare, it almost never made an appearance unless Fox was truly terrified in the moment, and it was more than Fox could ever give them, his vulnerability.
Bare chested, cock still soft between his legs but slowly gaining interest in the way three pairs of eyes roamed over his body. Thorn stepped up to Fox, who’s worry and fear were the most tangible in the room, closing the gap between them. Stone immediately bracketed him against Fox, crowding against him at his back. Fox laid a hand over the silvery pink skin of fresh scars, healing over on Thorns chest. He felt Thire move to their side, essentially boxing Thorn between the three of them.
Thorn's chest rose and fell beneath Fox's palm and he shuddered, leaning forward until his forehead bumped against Thorn's. He fought the urge to tuck Thorn and the rest of Shade away into each of his craters to keep him safe. He couldn't do that, it would upset his independent vod'ike. It would upset Thorn if Fox thought him fragile.
So instead he gripped with his free hand, Thorn's bicep, and squeezed it to feel Thorn's muscles tensing between his fingertips. He heard Thorn's breath. He felt it against his own lips as Thorn leaned in and ghosted his lips over Fox's.
"I never want to feel that fear again." Fox admitted softly, the vulnerable words hidden between just the four of them. His cyare'se. "I never want to fear losing any of you, I can't- My heart cannot take it."
“ Ni ceta-” Thorn gasped as Fox nipped at his bottom lip. “I’m sorry Fox.”
"What do you need Thorn? What do you need from us?" Thire purred into Thorn's ear, teeth nipping at Thorn's earlobe, tugging gently. "What do you want?"
"You." Thorn panted, body shuddering as Fox's palm brushed over the head of his cock. "All of you please- Ah kriff please! ” Thorn arched his back and squeezed his broad hands onto Stone’s thighs beneath him, Stone’s hard cock sliding wetly between his asscheeks, teasing him.
With Thire at his back, Fox at his side palming at his cock with interest, Stone beneath him, his calloused hands holding Thorn’s hips firmly in place, sure to leave finger shaped bruises onto his tanned skin, Thorn felt like he was slowly being filled once more, with the presence of his vode, the presence of flesh, of blood, of love . Their expressions were plain on their faces, reverent devotion, thankfulness that their ‘ defects’ had brought their lover home to them. Their cyare.
Stone’s eyes, tattooed sclera, and caramel, gaze as decadent as the sweet itself, were swallowed by the darkness of his irises, pupils blown with lust.
“ My Thorn.” Stone groaned.
“Our Thorn.” Fox corrected gently, stroking the length of Thorn’s cock, spreading precum that dribbled from the head of Thorn’s cock. “Our strong, loyal , Thorn. We will give you everything cyare. You know this.”
“Then fuck me please! I want to feel you, all of you-” Thorn squeezed Stone’s firm thighs in his hands. He turned his head to brush his nose against Thire’s cheek, ghosting a kiss over his jawline. “Need you splitting me open. Need to feel something other than the space between us.”
They were ready for such a request, mildly expectant for it, but mostly because they just wanted to be one again. Stone's cock was already coated in lube and slick, sliding wetly between Thorn's asscheeks. Stone slid his hand around from Thorn's hips to grope his ass with a moan, grinding upwards, thighs flexing beneath Thorn as the head of his cock brushed against Thorn's hole. But preparedness in all shapes and forms couldn’t account for the stretch of Stone’s cock pressing inside him, and his own body accommodating the shaft of Stone’s cock.
Thorn ground his hips down into the feeling of being stretched out, chasing the sting and pleasure. Chasing the hot point of contact between them, his ass pressed to Stone’s hips. His body trembled as Fox’s hand wrapped reverently around his cock and stroked it lovingly.
“Fox, get back here.” Thire ordered as he shifted to the side, though keeping his hand on Thorn’s cock. Thire shuffled around to his side, hard cock brushing against his bare skin, leaving a streak of precum glistening on Thorn’s tanned skin.
As Fox’s warmth plastered on his right side, a finger teased his rim around Stone’s cock and tested the stretch.
“More!” Thorn gasped as the finger slipped inside him. From the callouses alone he knew it was Thire’s finger pressing into him. Fox’s were littered, not only with callouses, but flimsicuts he got from organizing countless physical flimisiworks, alongside datapads. He reached back with one hand, leaving Stone’s thigh to grab onto someone’s, Thire’s, bicep and squeezed. “Give me all of you.”
“Thire needs to prep you.” Fox chided and nipped at his earlobe.
“ I can take it!” Thorn insisted. Prickly vines grew from Thorn’s fingers and squeezed Thire’s bicep, drawing blood as they climbed up to his throat and jaw and played with the fine amounts of five o’clock shadow on his face.
Stone gave a thrust from beneath them and Thorn’s indignant insistence melted into pleasure, eyes rolling up into the back of his head. The thorns around Thire’s flesh tightened and he moaned.
Two pushing inside of him was enough to make him feel like he was flying. It burned, in a way that ignited lust in him. Thorn couldn’t get enough of Thire’s hands wandering all over him. His cock joined Stone’s inside of him. Thorn could still feel Fox’s brushing against his hip, leaving glistening streaks of precum on his skin, before Fox possessively rubbed it into his flesh.
“Need you Fox.” Thorn pleaded. “One more. Need you inside. Need to feel you.”
“Shhh I know.” With the hand not wrapped around Thorn’s cock, Fox cupped his chin and kissed him, licking the seam of his lips and then the inside of his mouth, tongue pressing against tongue, before licking over the enamel of Thorn’s teeth and even his gums, wanting to taste every part of him. “I know cyar’ika but we’ll take care of you. We’ll give you what you need.”
“You always do-” Thorn painted as another finger, he lost track of who’s, pressed in beside Thire and Stone’s cocks into him.
The stretch of all three of them pressing inside him was unbearable, except Thorn wanted more, wanted to feel all of them, wanted to feel Fox’s large hands cradling his pecs. Wanted Stone’s finger shaped bruises to stay on his hips forever, with the way Stone was holding him in place while he fucked upwards into him. Wanted the ache of how his mortal body stretched to accommodate for the not quite human way they all fit inside him, to stay forever, to remind him that they were there for him.
To support him.
It was unbearable in the way that he could feel it down in his lungs and reaching into his heart, the same way his vines and thorns were crowding Fox, Thire and Stone’s own.
Thorn felt like he was floating, and the touch of skin on skin, body to body, mind to mind, was the only thing keeping him grounded and anchored to his cyare’se.
“I only ever-” Thorn gasped. “O-Only ever thought of coming back to you.” He felt Fox slow his thrusts, giving him a moment to gather his thoughts and words. “Couldn’t leave you behind.” Thorn said as he turned his head to meet Thire’s lips and kissed him.
“For the Republic-” Thorn’s laugh was muffled into the kiss. “For you, you, You are my Republic.”
“That’s treason-” Stone’s chide melted into a moan as Thorn rolled his hips down onto their cocks.
“Our mere existence is treason.” Fox laughed and kissed the side of Thorn’s throat where he could reach. “You came back,” Fox licked a stripe up to Thorn’s jaw. “We will keep you safe.”
Cum dripped out of Thorn and calloused fingers rubbed it into the backs of his thighs possessively. He slumped forward against Stone’s chest, feeling Stone’s warm breath and strong arms wrapped around his torso. Lips kissed the shell of his ear and he was held onto tight. He heard shifting around them, Thire murmuring softly and then a cool cloth brushed against his ass.
Cold salve brushed against his rim and over aching muscles in his back and his hips, the sickly sweet smell of bacta filled the air.
Thorny brambles spread across the bed, enveloping their limbs with a neediness that transcended planes. Thorn was reaching out for all of them even as Fox got out of bed to settle their clothes and armour, neatly stacking their armour and folding their blacks, maintaining somewhat of a standard. Thorn could feel that he was slowly easing, tension melting from his shoulders as he went. One brambly vine snaked up Fox's ankle and held onto him like a lifeline, thorns pressing painlessly into Fox's flesh.
"Come back Fox." Thorn muttered against Stone's bare collarbone. The thorns in his ankle tugged and Fox felt a small smile grace his lips as he climbed into the bed next to Thorn and Stone. Thire came back, after ditching the warm cloth in the freshers and setting the small packet of salve off to the side, climbing in behind Stone to nuzzle affectionately into the nape of Stone’s neck.
“Thank you.” Fox whispered into the top of Thorn’s head as Thire brushed the bare skin of his hip with his knuckles. “Thank you for coming home.”
An eye opened on Thorn’s shoulder blade that stared into Fox’s, reading his fear, before winking knowingly. “Always.” Thorn rumbled against Stone’s neck.
Fox grew large enough to accommodate all of them on his chest, hands clinging onto the edge of craters, heads pillowed onto his chest. Stone was curled protectively around Thorn, clinging to him with one hand practically cupping a pec over one of the silvery blaster bolt scars. The shiny new, healed skin was beautiful, in a way that made their skin seem like canvasses. Thorn was marred by the experience, his death immortalised onto his skin for all of them to see when he stripped off his blacks.
But all it left was a sense of pride and thankfulness because Thorn came home.
Thorn. Came. Home.