#apologies I didn’t put a summary when I posted this earlier 😅

[softer-sunny]

Take A Breath

Fandom: The Bad Batch

Word Count: 3,789

Summary: Echo won't stop yapping and Crosshair is worn out. Perhaps he needs to help Echo get all of this energy out before either of them can sleep.

Ao3 link: Take A Breath

This is a tickle fic

Crosshair had a problem. And that problem was about six feet of endless yapping sitting on the bunk next to him.

Echo hadn’t stopped to breathe since opening his mouth that morning. All of his thoughts tumbled out without an end in sight and while Crosshair was pleased that Echo had chosen him to talk to, he was still half dead from their last mission and needed a good nap sooner rather than later. Echo's voice was already starting to go out in places, throat scratchy from the dryness, coughing into his elbow every few sentences. Any more yapping and that man would hack so hard he might rupture something. Echo shoved his face in his elbow again, coughing aggressively, then went right back to it.

Yeah, he needed to stop him. If not for Echo's sake then his own.

Crosshair leaned forward on the bunk to try and catch Echo’s eye but he just kept chatting. Distant and quick and constant. So much pent up energy. So few places to put it. Being stuck on the ship had been hard for all of them but Echo had started to get antsier than usual. Feeling closed in, maybe? Crosshair let his eyes land on Hunter who was listening from one of the other bunks - amused. He’d been watching since Echo approached and plopped down, curious about how this was going to go. Whether Crosshair would allow the personal space intrusion or start an argument to push Echo further away. It seemed to pleasantly surprise Hunter that he’d put up with it for this long, even pausing his own reading to listen peacefully to Echo’s soft and constant murmur. With a sigh he let his chin rest in his palm.

”Alright, that’s enough.” Crosshair said, but Echo steamrolled right past him, continuing to tell a very animated story that he just couldn’t let go of. Crosshair rolled his eyes but tried again, punctuating it with a light poke to Echo’s side. “Take a breath.” The reaction was a little dramatic. Echo’s body flinched, bending away from Crosshair, and his hand shot to cover the spot he’d just touched. Suspicion made his eyes narrow, studying. At least the chatting had stopped but now he was worried for other reasons. “Injury?” He asked. He knew he should’ve insisted on a med check after their recent mission. Their reg had refused one and - of course - was hiding an injury from them. Typical. They were going to have to start enforced injury checks after missions if this kept up.

Idiot.

Instead of growing defensive Echo huffed, mouth lifting a little as he rubbed his side. He shook his head. “Not injured, just ticklish.” After he said it he grew almost bashful. Like he wasn’t exactly sure he wanted to admit it out loud. The admission, however, sparked Crosshair’s interest.

Ticklish? He’d only briefly considered the prospect of Echo being ticklish - expected something at the very least - but, regardless, something playful tugged at his chest that made his fingers itch. Echo. Reg ARC Trooper Hero of Anaxes. Ticklish. Really? Their Echo? The rest of them were sensitive, some more than others, but he hadn’t gotten quite close enough yet to see if Echo had the same reactions they did. Hell, he wasn’t even sure Echo would let him do it. There was a very strong possibility he'd get a scomp to the face but anything worth doing was bound to be a gamble, right? They’d have to figure this out sooner or later - although Echo might disagree - and what better time than the present? It was almost evil how quickly his concern turned into a grin and Echo must’ve thought so too with the way he shrunk back in response.

“Oh, you shouldn’t have told me that.” Crosshair teased, reaching it to grab Echo around the waist before he could make a run for it. Good thing he did because Echo was trying to bolt but was yanked back just in time. There was a short tussle, a scramble while both of them attempted to gain power in the situation. Echo was at a disadvantage, though, stuck trying to pull away as Crosshair used his body as a counterweight, dragging them both backwards more firmly onto the bunk.

"Crosshair!” Echo complained as he was restrained, hand and scomp trying to worm under his locked arms. Crosshair wasn’t really doing anything yet, nothing that required any level of squirming. He needed to get Echo into a good position to hold him still, first, knowing how slippery he could be even this early on. So he pulled Echo as tight as he could manage to his chest, wrangling his already wiggling captive. There was a nervous smile on his face already, body twitching in anticipation of what had been set as a threat against him. Already? Really? Maybe it was the ridiculousness of what Crosshair was proposing that already had him nervous, smiling at the mere possibility of what was about to happen. That was something he could work with.

“Is it just that spot? Or are there more I can find?” Crosshair asked. He felt around for that same place he’d poked and that’s when Echo started to get noisy. He wasn’t exactly laughing yet but there was a lilt to his voice that let him know it wouldn’t be too hard to get a reaction. It echoed around the cabin, drawing attention and eyes from the other members of their squad that hadn’t had any stake in this game yet. Now that they had an audience Crosshair was prepared to put on a show for them as long as Echo cooperated.

“I’m not telling you!” Echo swore, voice a little higher pitched than usual. He started squirming when Crosshair put some pressure on that spot - the one right at the base of his ribcage - and wiggled gently to try to recreate the same reaction he’d gotten earlier. The quiet laugh Echo let out was properly endearing - although he’d never admit that out loud - and all that squirming seemed to settle while nervous energy was transferred to Echo trying to clamp his elbows down instead.

“So the answer is definitely.” Crosshair hummed, having to dip his head out of the way so he didn’t get head butted when he wiggled his fingers a little harder. It really wasn’t smart to let such an easy access weakness slip out this early on. Echo grew up with a batch, he should’ve known how dangerous that was. Stupid mistake, really. Should’ve kept all that information to himself if he didn’t want this to happen.

“Shuhuhut uhup-“ Echo complained but it was undercut so badly by the laughter that Crosshair had to smile. Echo’s feet were scrambling for some kind of purchase but the bunk was too short to accommodate that, leaving him partially hanging off and at the mercy of whatever Crosshair wanted to do. He didn’t want to push too far, they’d only just started to get on each other’s good side, but he did want to test a few more things while he was at it.

In fact, Crosshair had a theory that stemmed from Echo’s first physical with them. They’d done it on the ship and Tech had handled it but he’d tensed when Tech touched certain places and Tech hadn’t paid much mind to it. Echo hadn’t seemed overly uncomfortable - he knew what it looked like when touching somewhere Echo hated - but he had gotten a bit more tense which, having the information he did now, led Crosshair to a conclusion he found most logical.

There was no warning - where was the fun in that - before he shifted to get one of his hands on Echo’s belly. Enough to be a threat without voicing it. And just like he expected Echo’s body tensed, a quiet gasp giving him away without even thinking about it. Just like the damn physical. Who knew that Echo was giving away what was possibly the most entertaining secret information he could that easily? Crosshair was delighted.

“Oh, Echo.” Crosshair let his voice dip into a tease, the kind of tone that everyone accused him of being ‘mean’ over. With his other fingers paused, Echo got a reprieve, now leaning back into his chest and nervously anticipating what would come next. He seemed to fidget in the spot, hand now gripping his wrist in a weak attempt at stopping the attack. “You are really far too obvious.”

“D-don’t know what you’re talking about.” There was still a helpless smile on his face that Crosshair matched with a grin of his own.

“Lying isn’t very nice. And you aren’t good at it.” Crosshair leaned to make his voice a whisper, hoping it would have a similar effect and make him more giggly, which it did. Echo had to lean away from the breath hitting his neck, hand still gripping Crosshair’s wrist like it would do anything to stop him. “Gotta make sure you pay for that.” He curled his fingers before scribbling lightly, still not too sure about how it would be received, but it got him a satisfying reaction regardless.

Turned out Echo was ticklish there, maybe even his worst spot by the way he sucked in his stomach before letting out an honest laugh. It was bright and unreserved, something quite bubbling compared to the typically stoic man he had gotten to know. The squirming returned but Crosshair was ready. He tightened his grip with one arm and got his fingers under the hem of Echo’s shirt to trace little patterns on the skin. It made the man jolt, the joyful sound coming out of him getting louder with the contact. From the vantage point he’d gained he was free to scribble his fingernails over the spot as much as he pleased, even pausing to draw little figure eights over anywhere that got a thrash or - even better - a squeak.

Echo still wasn’t begging, wasn’t asking for it to end, or complaining about being touched. Hell, he wasn’t even fighting back that hard. So Crosshair searched around with nimble fingers, chasing jumping muscles, and trying to find that spot. The one that would get Echo to practically melt while he laughed, too worn out and tickled to really do anything about it. It wasn’t that hard to find. Echo hadn’t really let go yet. He was still easily taking the playful touch with the courage of someone who endured plenty of this in the past. Echo's batch passed through Crosshair's mind. He wondered what they were like, who they could've been, how much Echo must miss them. Crosshair would miss his own batch if they were gone, even the things they did to annoy him. A sting of sadness washed over him but he shoved that away quickly in favor of focusing on the cheerful sound he was forcing out of Echo. When Crosshair’s fingers skated too close to his lower stomach right in the dip nearing his hips there was a bark of laughter so frantic it almost made Crosshair lose his grip.

“Ah! Not there! Nohohot thehehere-" Echo’s words were cut off with something close to what Crosshair would call ‘cackling’ as he zeroed in on that spot and went to town. That's a good spot! Not exactly his hip but too close to it to really be his belly. A perfect in between that rarely saw much attention and was now the best place to focus all of his work. The scratching was periodically interrupted by a jolt as he drummed his fingers over it and got a panicked squeak out of Echo when he lightened his touch to just the pads of his fingers. He switched to the other side to get another shriek and laughed at the man who was now starting to lose some of the energy he had left.

”Who knew,” Crosshair began but had to stop to smile when Echo had to turn his face into Crosshair’s neck to hide. He’d given in, wasn’t getting away any time soon, so he was going to keep his face away from prying eyes. Prying eyes meaning the rest of their squad who weren’t even pretending not to be amused by the scene in front of them. “That an ARC trooper like yourself would be so damn sensitive. Shocking, really.”

“E-” Frantic near-giggles escaped when Crosshair drummed his fingers around Echo’s exposed stomach. At this rate his eardrums would burst from all of Echo’s noise directly aimed at his ear but deep down he didn’t really care. He hadn’t heard this laugh yet. The one that was so unreserved it reminded Crosshair of a cadet’s. Knowing he could get this laugh out of Echo whenever he wanted was reward enough for the ringing in his ears. “Eheveryohone is tickLISH!” Maybe it was mean, he’d only really thought about it after he’d done it, but it was too tempting to pass up. He’d just wanted to see if Echo’s hip bones were sensitive like Tech’s, and Force they definitely were.

Echo squirmed, that iron grip on his wrist only tightening, as Crosshair pinched his hip, skating over it to prod along the length of the bone then drilling his thumb into it. It was like he’d found a gold mine and he was definitely planning on exploiting it.

“Most people are. True. I am.” Crosshair admitted. Echo’s head popped up from its hiding place, excited at the new - free - information he’d been given, but he didn’t have long to delight in it. His fingers crawled up to Echo’s ribs to wiggle between the spaces mercilessly. The way he tried to bend in half almost knocked him free but Crosshair pulled him back. Echo shoved his face back in his preferred hiding spot, all of that anxious energy bouncing around his body so bad he had to kick his legs just to feel settled.

Crosshair had to laugh. It was infectious, that sound springing around the bunk room, and it made him feel bubbly on the inside. Who knew Echo’s laugh was so contagious? Maybe it was that he’d never really heard it before that did it. Or that he’d not gotten to play around with Echo yet. Although, from the way Wrecker had to keep a hand over his mouth to stop himself from outright laughing along was possible proof enough that Echo's laugh really was just that infectious. There were still quite a few places he wanted to try - under his arms, his neck, maybe see if spidering fingers on his back made him react the way Hunter did - but even with the gentleness of his touch Echo was losing stamina. Maybe one other spot and he knew just what he wanted to try.

All it took was the slightest brush over Echo’s bellybutton to get him to yelp but finally his body melted back into Crosshair and bright, frantic, light laughter flowed freely out of him. Well, he found the giggle spot. He could already see it becoming one of his favorite places to target if that’s how useless Echo became when touched there. He was going to have to remember that next time Echo was getting under his skin. It was going to be so easy to pick on him and that alone was priceless. Echo telling him what to do? A good poke would solve it. Echo taking someone else’s side in a squabble? Perhaps he just needed some convincing and he’d see the light. The possibilities were endless and the more playful side of himself was definitely going to take over from time to time. Only when Echo deserved it, of course.

“I- wahahahait.” Echo giggled before covering his face with his arms, face burning red over the embarrassment. Meanwhile Crosshair just kept brushing gently over the area, circling a few times before poking deliberately to wiggle inside of it. Echo wriggled uselessly but just continued to lay lax in Crosshair’s arms. A giggle spot. Crosshair had a few, mainly his ears and neck, but he’d been able to find one on every other member of their squad. A spot so sensitive you couldn’t even wiggle away properly. This one had turned Echo into a pile of pliant mush rapidly approaching his limit. Echo had given up protecting himself, even as his face grew pinker and his laugh descended into tittering giggles. (Echo! Giggling! He'd have to have Tech take a video of this some day. Perfect blackmail material.) So little self-preservation for someone who was an expert strategist. A note to be added to his growing knowledge on Echo: becomes useless when tickled. Got it. “Okay, Cross, plehehease!” Echo finally begged, giving up. If they’d been on the ground Echo might’ve stomped his feet on it - a test for another day. With a regretful sigh Crosshair took pity and stopped his relentless prodding. He did, however, keep his arms tight around Echo who very well might slide onto the floor if he was let go. Who knew? A little bit of gentle tickling and their ARC trooper was basically putty.

“Didn’t know you could blush so much.” Crosshair teased as he laid his head against Echo’s while he tried to regulate his breath. The man groaned but didn’t move, a good sign that he hadn’t pushed too far. “That’s all it takes, really? You get tickled and you’re down?” Echo continued to grumble but wouldn’t respond. He had his arms crossed grouchily over his chest now even as he relaxed back into the hold, now convinced he wouldn’t be attacked. “Did they use that against you in ARC training? A special course just for you? ‘How to fend off enemies who have especially mischievous intent when you have the sensitivities of a cadet’? Is your arch nemesis a feather?” That one got Echo to elbow him.

“Shut up.” He complained, though he didn’t sound hurt by it, just still embarrassed. Well, embarrassed or not Crosshair was going to milk this new tactic for all it was worth. He was already sick of Echo besting him in spars. At least now he had a secret he could use against him, fair or not.

“Oh, leave him alone, Cross.” Hunter scolded, smile still firmly planted on his face. “You’re no better and you know it. All he’d have to do is grab your neck and you'd crumble.”

“Yeah, so?” Crosshair threw back at him. He could feel Echo side eye him, interested in this mentioned weakness but not sure if he wanted to test it with Crosshair’s hands still in the danger zone. Bravery was unearned - he knew Echo would get him back the first chance he got - but a few hints at what would get him to laugh wouldn’t hurt. It was only fair. “It’s not as if any of us have any room to talk. You scream when you get poked in the ribs.” Hunter glared at him.

”At least I’m not as bad as Tech and his knees.” Hunter hitched a thumb in Tech’s direction who, while still listening to all the ruckus, had been minding his own. The comment made him shoot a glare in Hunter’s direction.

“It is not my fault. Most individuals have some sort of sensitivity as Echo pointed out.” Tech pushed his goggles up his nose then gave Echo a mischievous look. “If you ever want to get Wrecker you should try his feet when he is sleeping.” The look on Wrecker’s face was priceless.

Echo let out a laugh, his head rolling back against Crosshair’s shoulder, weight heavy but comforting. “I feel like I’d get kicked.”

“You might.” Tech conceded, now wary of Wrecker’s narrowed eyes. “But it would give you a chance to run, which you will need.” Good point. Wrecker never let it go without some revenge and once you were caught, well, he wasn't one to let you get off easy.

“Ah, I don’t mind, Echo.” Wrecker said, gesturing towards them with a flourish. “They pretend to hate when we play like that but they’re liars.” Echo chuckled at the accusation but didn’t comment, instead settling in like he was going to nap right then and there. Hell, he might. He’d snuggled closer, head tipped back against Crosshair’s shoulder and arms resting lightly on top of where Crosshair still held firm around his waist. Echo was now a heavy, warm weight that was nearly putting him to sleep. The cabin settled once it was clear no one else was going to get tackled, although Wrecker made a few threats that he didn’t follow through on. One to grab Crosshair’s feet since he was ‘pinned down’ by a heavy ARC trooper was enough to make him want to curl his legs up and away from open air. He didn’t let down his guard until Wrecker had safely tucked back into bed.

“I think I’ve decided you're evil. Just so you know.” Echo commented as the energy settled. Crosshair peaked down at him. His eyes were closed but there was a smile still on his face. Leftover from all the laughing. He seemed tired but peaceful, even as he accepted the unfamiliar attention. With a shrug Crosshair laid his head against Echo’s, content and hoping he could get a good nap out of all that warmth.

“Shouldn’t have been so quick to mention ticklishness if you didn’t want to be tickled in the first place.” He whispered back with a hint of teasing in his tone.

“Whatever.” Echo was quick to grumble back. A hint of pink dusted over his cheeks again but Crosshair decided he could tease about that some other time. “I’ll get you back.” Echo promised. Oh, he was sure Echo would. He’d strike when it wasn’t expected and he was sure it would be just as bad if not worse than when the others took him down. Echo seemed to have a revenge streak in him if the pranks he already pulled on Tech were anything to go off of. Yeah, he could anticipate a battle in his future.

Instead of letting on to the way he tensed he slapped Echo’s side. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Later. Just relax for a bit, would ya? You’re going to give me a headache from all your yapping.” It made Echo bristle but he did keep his mouth closed until a yawn escaped. Turns out he wasn’t the only one overtired - and Echo finally seemed worn out and content enough to sleep. With one last squeeze he settled back against the wall to take one of those cat naps he was so fond of, his new brother tucked securely in his arms.

[kybercrystals94]

Detail Work

Read here on Ao3!

Author’s Note: This elderly story is the second Bad Batch fanfic I ever wrote that I only posted on Archive of Our Own and never on Tumblr (except as a link). I’ve decided I wanna cross-post my older works 🫶 More older (read rougher) fics to come 😅

Rated: G | Words: 1204 | Summary: Omega asks for Tech’s help.

Omega sat with her arms folded on the table, her head pillowed on them comfortably, watching Tech work in companionable silence. The others had gone on a supply run earlier that morning, and Tech was using the quiet as an opportunity to delve into some of his lesser important projects. Currently, this consisted of rewiring the comm in his helmet to allow him the ability to switch between frequencies more smoothly. While GAR regulations had not deeply affected his willingness to alter equipment, it had put a damper on it – especially when Echo joined the batch. He never thought Echo would necessarily “tattle” on him, but there had always been a wary glint in Echo’s eye that made Tech keep his more daring improvements secret from the ARC Trooper.

He had no such qualms now.

“You’re really good at twisting the wires around like that,” Omega said suddenly.

Tech acknowledged her with a hum.

“You’re good at detail work, aren’t you?” Omega asked, although it was not really a question.

“I like to think so,” Tech agreed, not looking up from his work.

“Better than anyone else I’ve ever seen,” Omega continued.

Tech finally spared a glance in Omega’s direction, eyes narrowed. He had a feeling that this line of conversation was going in the direction of – as Wrecker called it – attempting to “butter him up” with the intent of getting something she wanted. After a pause, he said, “Thank you, Omega. I appreciate your confidence in my work.”

Omega didn’t lift her head from her arms but smiled at him shyly.

“My hair is getting pretty long,” Omega said, changing the subject abruptly.

“Hmm, yes,” Tech agreed, tossing another glance in her direction. “I suppose we should consider cutting it soon to be a more manageable length.”

To his surprise, Omega bristled, sitting up straight. “I can manage it this long,” she said coldly. “I’m not complaining about it. Besides, Hunter’s hair is even longer than mine and he manages just fine.”

Confused by Omega’s suddenly heated tone, Tech wondered if he had missed something, replaying the brief conversation in his head to find his mistake. Perhaps he had misunderstood her comment about the length of her hair? He should have responded positively rather than try to correct a perceived problem. Ah.

“I apologize, I did not mean to imply that you could not manage the current length of your hair,” he intoned awkwardly.

Omega’s furrowed face smoothed out, and she smiled again, shrugging off the accidental slight. Tech relaxed, appreciative that he had managed to avoid a crisis of emotions without his more emotionally intelligent brothers present.

“That’s alright,” Omega said brightly.

“I believe,” Tech said carefully, “that you were making a point...about your hair?”

“Yes,” Omega agreed readily, “I think that it is finally long enough to braid!”

Tech considered her hair length with his analytical mind. “I believe you are correct,” he said.

“So,” Omega said, seemingly encouraged by his words, “I was wondering – since you are good with detail work – if you could do it? Braid my hair?”

And there it was. The entire point of the conversation, which had, in reality, never diverted from its original course. Tech had to give the girl credit for catching him completely off guard, especially in the fact that he was struggling with denying her simple and trusting request.

Her eyes stared straight into his, sparkling with hope and determination.

“Ah, yes, well,” Tech stammered, his project now completely forgotten in his hands. “Well,” he tried again, “I am afraid I don’t know how to braid hair.”

“That’s okay,” Omega said smoothly, as if she’d expected as much. She held up a datapad she’d had in her lap. “I found instructions. They are very comprehensive." The last word was stilted, as though she were ensuring she said it correctly.

She really had thought of everything.

Tech gave her a wry smile. “How long have you been planning on enlisting me to braid your hair, Miss Omega?”

Omega grinned, averting her gaze to the pad in her hands. “Maybe since I found out the others were going to be gone on a supply run a few days ago?”

He appreciated that she had planned it around their brothers not being present. While he was certain they would not be unkind about Tech braiding Omega’s hair, he imagined that they would feel obliged to lightheartedly rib him a bit on the subject...as brothers do.

“I suppose I had better start reading these instructions then,” Tech said, taking the datapad from her.

***

The smile that lit up Omega’s face made his heart warm with sentimental emotion. No wonder his brothers were so easy to persuade into her whimsical schemes – her happiness was most contagious and addicting.

After some trial and error, Tech was finally able to sit back and admire his work. While Omega had been correct in assessing that Tech was proficient in what she called “detailed work”, hair was a much more delicate medium than he was accustomed to. Hair seemed to have a mind of its own, going every which way while his fingers clumsily tried to reign it in. Granted, his attempts were undoubtedly better than what any of his brothers might have managed given the same task.

“I believe I have finally finished,” Tech said, giving one of her braids a gentle and playful tug.

They were very short at the ends, but since he had started the braids at her hairline, it made the braids look ornate although the tails barely went past the nape of her neck.

“Oh!” Omega breathed, reaching up, her hands carefully touching her hair, feeling the plaits with her fingers, and tracing them down to the ends. “I’m going to look in the mirror!” She jumped up and ran to the ‘fresher, Tech trailing behind her.

She stood on tip toe to peer into the reflective metal plate attached above the sink. It was hardly reflective anymore, dented and scraped to the point that Omega’s reflection was disfigured and dull. She didn’t voice her disappointment over not being able to see Tech’s hard work, but her shoulders sagged a bit at the realization.

Tech quickly came up with a solution. “What if I take a holopic?” he asked. “Then perhaps you might see it in more detail.”

Omega could barely stand still long enough for him to take a clear pic before she was scrambling to take the datapad out of his hands and examine it. “Wow,” she gasped, her voice soft, “they look even better than I imagined! Thank you so much, Tech!”

“You are most welcome,” Tech responded with a smile, and before he could catch himself or think better of it, he added, “And should you need help again in the future, I would be happy to assist.”

Omega put the datapad down on the table and threw her arms around Tech’s waist, hugging him tight. “I’m so happy that I have a brother like you,” she said, squeezing impossibly tighter.

Tech chuckled and patted the top of her head, careful not to disturb the woven tresses. “And I am most grateful to have a sister like you.”

END