#I'm back on my echo and crosshair bullshit and none of you can stop me

[the-bi-space-ace]

The first week Echo is around Crosshair doesn't even speak to him. He looks vaguely displeased, nods or shakes his head as answers to everything, grunts in his direction when he wants his attention for something. Mutters quiet 'reg's to refer to Echo. Echo is half convinced Crosshair hates him, regrets having him join Clone Force 99.

Until Echo mentions he likes strawberries. He didn't even say strawberries were his favorite fruit. Just that they had strawberries and when asked if he wanted some he said 'Sure, I like strawberries.'

The next day there are two cartons of strawberries in his locker on the Marauder.

He has no idea where they came from but he's not complaining about free fruit so he washes them and cuts them up and shares them with the rest of the batch. And every so often another carton of strawberries will show up in his locker. He has no clue who this mystery strawberry gift giver is, just that they seem to always know when he's out of strawberries. He knows its one of the batch but they all swear up and down it isn't them so he lives with these gifted berries until one night he catches Crosshair shoving another carton of strawberries into his locker.

The next day Echo washes the berries, cuts them up, puts some sugar on them (the way Cross prefers to eat them), and sits down next to Crosshair to silently share the strawberries between them. After a bit of silence he says "ya know, I like raspberries, too. If you ever can't find strawberries." Crosshair side eyes him but just hums in acknowledgment, continuing to share the little bowl of fruit between them until they've both had their fill.

The next time he opens his locker there's a fresh carton of raspberries shoved inside.

[the-bi-space-ace]

I'm back on my Echo and Crosshair bullshit and none of you can stop me.

I think Crosshair has never felt such an urge to yap at someone before Echo showed up. He is so confused by it, just as much as Hunter, Wrecker, and Tech are, but the moment Echo joins them and spends daily life with them all he wants to do is talk. He follows Echo around at night after missions, chatting, without even realizing it. He tells stories, updates him on their first ever missions, actually shares random thoughts that pass through his mind. The moment they're back on the Marauder and done for the day he just can't stop himself. He tries, oh boy he tries. He has to straight up cover his mouth with his hand sometimes because whatever is happening to him is unbelievably embarrassing. And Echo has no idea this is out of the ordinary. He just assumes this is how Crosshair is. He is near silent around anyone outside of the squad, only opening his mouth to say something snarky, and when they're alone he lets all of those pent up words out. Echo just lets it happen. And he's happy to have someone to distract him.

Hunter, in particular, is perplexed. This simple, snarky, quiet man he's known forever is sitting on his bunk wide eyed telling Echo his like fifth fucking story and Echo is just nodding along, interjecting where it fits, and is none the wiser that this is not typical Crosshair behavior.

Hunter: what the fuck is happening? Tech: *looks where Hunter is staring* Ah, yes, I believe this is what they call 'making a new friend.' It makes sense that you'd have no idea what that's like since we do not have any other friends. *walks off* Hunter: >:(

The image of Crosshair being so pissed about wanting to yap is so funny to me. He has this battle inside himself like why do I want to talk to him so much this is so humiliating I can't believe this is happening to me what is going on and Echo is just like cool I am making new friends isn't this wonderful? All my new friends want to talk to me :)

Cross starts to mellow out after they get used to Echo being around all the time and soon they start switching off who is quietly sitting and listening while the other chats without pause or breaks.