#crosshair: *heart full of fear*

[gardens-light]

Hiii so as i was scrolling i was your account and WOW you're really good at writing^^ and i was wondering if you could make an Bayverse drift x fem reader, where the reader sacrificed the world for drift while drift sacrificed her for the world? But if you can't do it or you're busy feel free to ignore this^^(new follower of you)^^

Hi! Thanks for checking out my fanfics and for the compliment, I really appreciate it. One of my fave songs inspired me to go more a slight angst, 'what if' approach, so apologies if it's not what you envisioned. But I hope you still enjoy it. :)

Touch the Fire

A heavy sigh escaped your lips as you slowly sat up. Feeling the hot metal of the car roof become uncomfortable as you peeled yourself away. Casually draping your arms over your knees, while leaning forwards, gazing at the junkyard around you. The recent year or so haven't been forgiving for the Autobot's, neither for you or Cade. Between dealing with living as a fugitive and attempting to control dark thoughts swirling around your head, getting through day to day was becoming more of a struggle...

Content: Autobot Drift X Fem/Human Reader. Slight angst. Events takes place during 'Transformers- The Last Knight.' Reader insert. Course language.

Word Count: 1K

Inspired Song: Touch the Fire- Icehouse

"No fear. No hate. No anger."

A small smile tugged the corners of your lips, as you rested your chin upon your palm. Feeling the calmness and zen that radiated off Drift, admiration shined in your eyes, as the Autobot balanced himself on the tip of his sword. The display of his upper body strength sending your heart a flutter, and the butterflies in your stomach to entangle your nerves.

"No fear. No hate. No anger-"

"For fucks sake, Grimlock!" Cade's angered tone echoed throughout the junkyard.

His sudden tone snapping Drift out of his meditation, causing the Autobot to lose his balance. Slightly hiding your small smile behind your knees, as he tumbled to the ground. Sending violent vibrations through the pile of vehicles you sat upon.

"Got into some shit?"

Cade's narrowed glare briefly landed on you, storming past you and Drift. "Yeah! Neck deep!-"

"Cade, that's what you get for taking a yellow bugger." Crosshairs' sarcastic tone piped up. "You need a leader out there. Like me!-"

"-Shut up!-" Bee's radio buzzed. Squaring up to Crosshairs whom stood not too far away, "before- I do- some damage- that you- won't walk away- from!-"

"Bumblebee!"

Drift's soft expression gazed at you, as you rose onto your feet, struggling to balance upon the pile of vehicles beneath you. Pathetically attempting to bring yourself more to the yellow scout's height

"You'll never come close to Optimus!" Crosshairs' snarled.

"That's- it!"

"Come on guys!" the sound of their metal fists clashing drowned out your frustrated tone. "You're supposed to be legendary Autobots! Yet you're out here acting like a bunch of junkyard dogs!-"

A throaty groan rumbled within you, while rubbing your temples. Attempting to soothe the building headache, as Cade's voice shouted at Grimlock.

"A flower cannot bloom, if the environment isn't well nurtured."

You raised an eyebrow at Drift's calming tone, giving him a weak smile, "you try and contain this chaos." Gesturing towards Crosshairs and Bumblebee having a full on brawl, while Cade lectured Grimlock not too far away.

But the blue Autobot's soft expression remained on you, concern building up within his spark. As his green optics noticed the exhausted expression and tired lines upon your features, "are you... alright?"

A sigh finally escaped your lips, running a hand through your hair as you looked up at him. "I'm fine, just... got a lot on my mind."

Your heart fluttered slightly as he knelt before you, offering an opened servo. "Perhaps... we should go for a walk..."

Carefully making your way across his servo, settling onto his palm as Drift cradled your fragile form.

"Tell me what's on your mind."

"I..." a small hesitation took your voice for a moment, as you leaned against his index finger. Feeling Drift's each measured step, as he made his way through the junkyard. "I... don't wanna be a burden."

A small chuckle escaped his lips, "you could never be a burden." Giving his surroundings a brief scan, he lowered himself onto the ground. Bringing you towards his chest, encouraging you to lay close to his spark, as Drift laid on his back. Placing a servo behind his helm, his green optics softly gazing at you. Watching as you settled upon your stomach. "You should talk about it. Don't allow things to build up within you."

"H-Have you... ever met someone you cared about? I-I mean... really... cared about."

A mixture of surprise and concern flashed across his features, his thumb upon his free servo pausing from tracing delicate circles upon your back. "Y-Yes... Yes I have."

"W-Would you... sacrifice the world for them? Or... them... for the world?"

Drift choked on his own breath for a brief moment. Your unexpected question leaving him speechless, as his shocked expression studied your features while his processors contemplated upon his answer.

"I-I... would sacrifice them." His calm tone wavering, as concern slowly crawled into his words.

A small frown formed upon your lips, your unamused gaze flickering up at him. "Why? Would they mean that little to you?-"

"Of course not." Concern and worry rung within his tone, as Drift gently propped himself up upon his elbow. His optics giving your features a soft, questioning gaze. "But... if it came to choosing them or the world, it... it would be an incredibly hard decision. One of the hardest decisions I'd ever have to make-"

"Then... why not just sacrifice the world?"

Drift's optics widened, "I-I couldn't bring myself to do that! To leave hundreds- no thousands of others to die or suffer, just for the sake of one person?-"

"But... isn't that one person more important than anything in this shitty world?" his servo slipped from your back, as you sat up. Sitting upon your legs, while kneeling against his chest plate. "I mean... so many people have treated the Autobots so poorly, why not just... let everything burn for the one you love?"

The blue Autobot firmly shook his helm, noticing suttle flashes of concern and frustration across his features. Hearing the strain within his words, as Drift attempted to remain his calm tone, "despite how important they are to me. I-I... I couldn't trade the lives of an entire planet for them! No matter how much I loved and cared for them. I'd never forgive myself-"

"But what if they'd sacrificed the world for you?" Your words come out more defensive than intended. Your frown growing as your brows knitted together slightly, "that they'd happily ignite the fires and standby the ashes! Even if it meant just to be with you?!-"

"W-Why... are you asking all of this?" Drift's free servo gently pressed you closer against his chest, as the Autobot slowly sat up right. A mixture of worry and confusion shinned within his optics, as his soft gaze studied your features once again. "What's the matter?"

"N-Nothing..." frustration slowly melted away from your tone, as his aching spark pulsed beneath you. "No reason. Just... wondering..."

"There's a reason, isn't there?" Drift carefully placed the knuckle of his digit under your chin, gently tilting your head up more to meet his gaze. "You've... been acting off this entire time, my dove."

"Drift, I'm ok..." your words sounded a little too sweet to Drift's audio receptors. His scanners perfectly reading your fake smile, "I've just... had a lot of things on my mind that's all."

His digit carefully moved from your chin towards your cheek, "Something's wrong. I can tell when you're lying... you clearly need to talk to someone about whatever it is that's bothering you."

"I-I just... wanted to know... your thoughts-"

"Are you sure that's really it?" The thumb upon his free servo resumed to gently trace circles along your back. "You... were being weirdly specific with what you said."

A heavy sigh escaped your lips, as you ran your fingers through your hair. "Everything's... just been so fucked up, Drift. Some days... I-I can barely stand it! I mean... look at where we are!" you gestured at the junkyard surrounding you. "This isn't living, just existing! All this simply because Earth has turned it's back on us! W-With... all this shit happening, my mind just..."

"I get it... Trust me, I do." Drift's spark skipped a beat, as you gently leaned into his touch. His digit still gently cradling your face, "And... things have been hard, I cannot disagree with anything you're saying. You're not alone with how you're feeling."

"I guess, after a while..." your voice was low, untucking your legs from beneath you and pulling them towards your chest. Resting your chin upon your knees. His digit slipping from your cheek. "the idea of destroying all this bullshit in the name of love seemed better. More... tolerable."

"You'd... truly be ok with destroying thousands of lives... just to be with the one person you love?"

Your simple nod spoke volumes.

"How... How long have you been thinking about this...?" worry and concern strained his tone once again.

But you simply shrugged, "a while... probably a few months. Sometimes... I even wonder if the Decepticons had a point-"

"Y-You can't be serious?!"

"Why not?" Your innocent expression caused his spark to sink further into his chest. "You were a Decepticon once-"

Drift's servo quickly cupped your face, your fragile head barely fitting. "That's different! I wasn't a true Decepticon- I don't like the idea of their 'ends justify the means' way of thinking!-"

"But-"

"Enough is enough, my dove. Please... you need to get these thoughts out of your head, now. You... You shouldn't ever entertain those ideas for a second."

A weak smile tugged your lips, slight guilt building within your chest as you looked up at his worried gaze. "Sorry Drift... I didn't mean to upset you."

A heavy but relief sigh escaped the Autobot, as Drift carefully held you against his chest. You reached up for his neck, feeling the humming of his spark slowly return to it's regular pulsing beat against your chest. "I'm not upset with you... I'm just concerned. You can't let those thoughts win, it can be dangerous to have thoughts like those-"

"I know, really I do." You whispered into his audio receiver, burying your head into the crook of his neck. "It's just... with everything that been happening. Sometimes... I forget that we're all facing the same struggles."

"I understand, everything has been tough. And it's not getting any easier, but... we'll get through it. We always do." Drift ran his thumb down your back.

"That's what I love about you, Drift." A sweet smile came to your lips, planting a soft kiss upon the Autobot's cheek. "With you near me... this world feels a little less... fucked up."

[yoitsjay]

Catch and Keep

Pairings: Hunter x fem! Reader

Summary: yeah... you fucked up...

Warnings: unprotected sex (p in v) (wrap it up) knife play, choking, slight bondage, overstimulation, edging, cream pie, slight breeding, Hunter and prey trope, most literaly Hunter and his prey. Gentle at the end, sweet aftercare, several rounds

Word count: 2,673

“You're a real piece of work, you know that?”

“Yeah well you're full of bantha shit! so suck my nuts.”

“What nuts? you don’t even have the balls to kill fucking bugs! let alone droids that have no concept of pain!”

“Fuck you Hunter! I've probably saved your asses from death more times than you've killed droids!”

Tensions were extremely high as another one of your and Hunter’s arguments ensued. You were Clone Force 99’s nat-born medic, and the minute you joined them you and Hunter butted heads instantaneously. However you were an incredible medic, maybe not a good shot when it came to droids, but when it came to injuries and fixing them quickly, it was basically your “enhancement”

You and Hunter seethed at each other before he stormed off to the cockpit. You scoffed and walked into the medical area, prepping your things for the next mission. Soon the Marauder landed on a heavily forested planet. You grabbed a couple rations, and walked to the ramp of the cockpit before being stopped by Hunter, his hand firmly wrapped around your arm.

“And where are you going?” He asked, glaring down at you. You turned and narrowed your eyes at him, yanking your arm away. “It’s none of your business, nerf herder.” You spat, seeing the anger flash in his eyes. “I could tell you that I'm leaving to go masturbate, would that get you off my back?” You challenged, walking away from him.

However you paused when he called your name.

“ill give you a ten second head start to run before i find you and fuck you like an animal.” He growled, and your eyes went wide, bewildered by the words that just came out of his mouth. “Excuse me?” You asked, taking a step back as he took a step forward.

Though as you looked at him, you saw something deep and primal in his eyes that you haven't seen before.

Something terrifying.

But also, underneath all that fear you started to feel, arousal was quick to follow. what would happen if he caught you? would he simply kill you? or would he torture you with pleasure until you broke.

Your thoughts were quickly interrupted when Hunter pulled out his vibroblade, and your eyes went wide. Crosshair had poked his head out from the Marauder, smirking slightly as he looked at you.

“Id run Y/n. He won’t stop chasing until you're under him.” Crosshair warned.

And with that you turned tail and ran into the forest, dropping the supplies you would have brought with you. Your heart was already thrumming in your ears as you jumped over fallen logs and used branches to make sharp turns.

Hunter could track you easily, so you made a b-line for the swamp area, and caked your clothes in mud before continuing to run so he couldn’t track your scent. though you had a feeling he'd find you anyway.

And that dirty, filthy, slutty part of you wanted too.

You managed to find a tree with low enough branches to climb onto, so you started your climb, not very high in case you fell, but high enough to where you hoped he couldn’t see you. But those hopes were useless.

You heard low whistling coming from the south, and your blood ran cold. You sucked in a deep breath and closed your eyes, trying to calm your erratic heart. Fuck he could probably hear it.

The whistling got louder and louder until it stopped, and you felt something, a rope, wrap around your waist. You were pulled from the tree, your scream scaring the bird out of the trees, you fell, but not to the ground.

You were caught in a pair of arms, Hunter’s arms.

“Caught you. little fawn.” He growled into your ear.

Hunter pressed you into a tree, his hand firmly wrapped around his throat as he brought his vibroblade up to your clothed sternum, catching the fabric of your clothes before he tugged and sliced it down the middle, your shirt and bra falling open to reveal your bare skin, and breasts.

“Hunter please-”

Your words were cut off as he squeezed your throat a little tighter before releasing it, tugging off your top clothes before he ripped off your bottoms, tossing them to the forest floor.

“I am going to fucking ruin that pretty pussy of yours.” He murmured, the non sharp part of his blade gliding against your clit, making you gasp loudly as he did so. He then lifted you up against the tree, holding you with one arm, while you basically sat on his leg, the feeling of his clothes against your throbbing pussy sending shivers up your spine.

“I am done with the arguing.” He grunted, using his free hand to unbuckle his belt, shifting his pants down to free his cock, which was already leaking pre-cum. But he didn’t move to fuck you, no he knew that would hurt you, and not in the way he wanted to hurt you.

Not in a way that would feel good.

Hunter sheathed his blade, holding you up against the tree with his hand, kneeling down. You automatically placed your legs on his shoulders, so his second hand cupped your thigh to help support you.

But the minute he saw your pussy flutter in anticipation you were done for. His mouth was against you, tongue roughly flicking against your clit. He then stopped, and sucked at your folds, dipping his tongue into your entrance before going back to your clit.

The sounds that left you and him were vile, he was slurping up your juices like a lifeline, like you were his feast. And you were, oh you were his feast and more.. you were his prey that he caught.

And now you were his.

Hunter left sloppy opened mouth kisses against your cunt, your juices and his saliva dripping down his chin and onto the forest floor. You squirmed against his grip, the harsh bark of the tree scraping against your back which only made this so much more intense.

You screamed as Hunter almost brought you to an Orgasm, but pulled his head back just before you could cum. You let out a frustrated groan, but again that attitude was quickly silenced as he grabbed your jaw, glaring at you.

“good girls listen to their superiors, you wanna be a good girl don’t you?” He asked, his raspy voice sending your brain into overdrive, yet you nodded, biting your lip as he released your jaw, and started licking tentatively up your folds again.

“Good” He muttered against your clit, his hot breath fanning across your thighs. “Now shut up and take it.” he growled.

He started the process all over again, building you up before stopping, edging you over, and over, and over again until tears were streaming down his face. “Please!” You begged, voice and legs shaking. Hunter moved you from the tree, laying you down on the ground as he removed his pants and boxers, followed by his shirt.

He was now on top of you, gathering your juices on his fingers before he pushed three of them inside you. And that was enough to push you over the edge as he let you cum.

You squirted, all over his fingers and all over his torso. And he was grinning like a fucking wolf, thrusting his fingers in and out of you to keep your orgasm going for as long as possible. He finally removed his fingers, though you were still twitching against the ground.

He was nowhere near done.

Hunter leaned down, licking up your tears on each cheek before he started biting and sucking marks down your skin, sliding his hands to your hips before he roughly turned you into your hands and knees. He slid his bandana off, using it to tie your hands behind your back.

Hunter then pulled you up to your feet, pressing you against a tree just as he slammed his cock into you.

You cried, more tears streaming down your face as your pussy burned, but then started throbbing with desire. Hunter pulled out, the tip of his cock barely inside before he slammed into you again. You moaned, incoherent words leaving your lips as you tried to beg for more.

he was happy to oblige, one hand on your hip while the other held onto the bandana that bound your wrists behind you. He thrusted into you, slow and hard. He wanted you to feel every inch, every vein of his cock as he slammed into you, then dragged his cock out so slowly.

Your arousal was practically running down your legs, and you were blabbering nonsense, and Hunter was barely making a sound. “Not so tough are you now? little fawn.” He growled. You whimpered in response to his words, feeling him shift behind you as he pulled you against his hot skin, releasing your wrists from the bandana, instead tying it around your neck. He gave it a good tug, and held it in his fist.

You moaned, and cried and begged, and he finally started quickening his thrusts, his arm wrapped around your torso, the other holding the end of the bandana around your neck, keeping bent down but not letting you fall forward as he rutted his hips against yours.

You could just barely hear his grunts of pleasure now, your own cries of pleasure filling your ears. Your legs were shaking, but Hunter was easily able to keep you up, until he had enough of standing and pulled you off his cock, letting you fall forward into the ground.

he was back on top of you within seconds, his thrusts wild and meticulous. His cock hit every good spot in your pussy, rubbing up against the g-spot and against your cervix. He had your arms pinned on either side of you, legs spread and slightly suspended upwards.

You rocked back and forth, having worn out your voice at this point.

Then he came.

White hot cum filled your cunt, so much so that it started leaking out of you, even though Hunter was still inside. He rolled his hips against yours, hearing your soft whimpers. He then pulled out, flipping you onto your back now, taking his bandana back from your neck, tying it around his head as he smirked down at you.

“Learned your lesson yet? babygirl?” He asked, seeing you nod weakly. But he still wasn't done. Of course he wasn't.

Hunter lifted your leg, and moved to lay down kind of on top of you, but also to the side, resting on his elbow as his other arm wrapped around your thigh and tugged it towards your chest. His cock was back inside of you within moments, and he was slowly thrusting, but not nearly as hard as before.

You looked into his eyes, unable to tear your gaze away as he rocked his hips into yours. “Such a good girl for me.” he purred into your ear, and you nodded, your jaw falling open as he slid his arm down, his fingers making contact with your clit. Your eyes rolled back, and your head lolled to the side.

“Don’t close your eyes, keep fucking looking at me.” He ordered, and you snapped back to look at him as he slammed his hips against yours. You cried out his name, and he grinned widely. “That's it… good girl… gonna cum for me?” He asked, and you nodded, the pleasure from his fingers and his cock sending you into overdrive.

Soon you came around his cock, burying your face into the crook of his neck as you cried. He wiped your tears, and halted his thrusting. Allowing you a few moments to gather yourself. Hunter then pulled out, and sat up cross legged. He was still hard, and your mind was still clouded with a sex haze.

You sucked in a deep breath before getting onto your knees, standing up shakily, feeling Hunter’s hands on your hips just in case. You hovered over him before lowering yourself down, guiding his cock back inside you. You wrapped your legs around his waist, and sat there for a moment.

He wrapped his arms around your back, supporting you upright as you started to rock your hips into his. Your arms were around his neck, and your foreheads were pressed together. You had your eyes closed for only a moment, but when you opened them he was looking right into your eyes.

As you rocked your hips, he started thrusting upwards, your breaths becoming synchronized, heat blooming between the both of you, more so than before as this became a lot more intimate rather than raw and wild sex.

Hunter then tilted his head up and he pressed his lips to yours, you happily reciprocated, your tongues now mingling together as the pleasure both of you were experiencing got a lot more intense.

The kiss grew more passionate, and his soft moans and grunts were being swallowed by your lips, vice versa. Your’s and Hunter’s orgasms hit you both at the same time, and he came inside you, tightening his grip around you, trying to pull you further into him.

You broke the kiss, your head falling back as you panted, both of your chest rising and falling heavily as you replenished that air that he had starved you of.

Hunter gently laid you down, pulling out of you again, watching as his several loads of cum leaked out of you, practically gushing. He chuckled, laying down beside you as he admired your sweaty, fucked out complexion.

“You gonna stop arguing with me now?” He asked, and you smirked a little bit, raising a hand to his cheek before sliding it through his hair. “If it gets you to fuck me like this? absolutely not.” You joked, letting out a soft squeal when he playfully pinched your side.

“Also… with what Crosshair said before… you’ve- you’ve done this with someone else?’ You asked, pouting slightly as you spoke. Hunter frowned, but nodded, his hand cupping your cheek gently. “Yes, but it was the worst experience I've felt, and i didnt go far with her… I actually left her in the forest.” He breathed out, smiling as he heard you chuckle.

“Your mine… and i’m yours… okay?” He asked, and you nodded, pressing a kiss to the palm of his hand. Hunter hummed, leaning down to kiss your lips once more before he gathered up his clothes. “There's a small river nearby, we can wash up there, then I'll carry you back.” He said softly, and you nodded.

Hunter picked you up with ease, taking you to the stream as he washed you up. You may or may not have had one more round in the water, but he was so gentle with you. Once the both of you were clean, he slid his pants on, and let you wear his shirt, which was large on you so it covered enough.

You were back in his arms, and he carried you back to the Marauder, Tech was working outside with Echo, and Crosshair was cleaning his rifle. He smirked at his brother, who just rolled his eyes as he carried you inside and to his bunk.

“Get some rest.” he muttered, placing a kiss to your temple before he turned to walk away.

“Hunter?” You called out, seeing him turn back. You bit your lip, sighing. “I’m sorry for being rude to you… can we…” You trailed off, trying to find the right words. Hunter seemed to know what you were saying though, and he nodded, smiling down at you. “We’re even, and we will be making up for lots of lost time.” He stated.

You chuckled, nodding before laying down in his bunk, pulling the sheet over your body as you smiled. Your hips and thighs ached, but it was so worth it.

So fucking worth it.

➺

Tag list:

Hunter tag:

Tbb:

@only-my-unexistent-fiances

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@moomoog017

[miss-musings]

The Bad Batch Post-"Plan 99" Fanfic

Summary: Takes place between the events of 2.16 "Plan 99" and 3.01 "Confined." Crosshair finds out Omega has been captured and hears about Tech's death. He struggles with the news and his new routine as a prospective CX operative. Later, Omega makes her first visit to his cell. ~15 minute read

WARNING: Lots of sad, angsty thoughts about Tech's death. Don't read if you aren't comfortable with ~50% of it being Crosshair ruminating about Tech's death and his own guilt.

Crosshair’s neck was stiff from pain. He was lying on his back, and could feel the restraints holding him to the medical table. He heard voices around him, but he didn’t dare open his eyes. He hoped they’d still think he was asleep and leave him be.

“He’s waking up,” an unfamiliar female voice said. “Inform the doctor.”

A heavy pair of footsteps stomped away from the area, but he could still feel eyes on him. He heard the hum of equipment and the clinking of metal objects nearby.

“You may release him from the table,” the voice said again.

Someone jostled his wrists, slapping binders on them, while someone else loosened and then took off the restraints on his forehead, chest and ankles.

“You should sit up now,” the voice said to him this time. “The doctor will be here shortly.”

There was no hiding, then.

Crosshair opened his eyes and sat up. A female doctor with thick goggles and even thicker brown hair looked at him. Troopers and a commando were nearby, their guns pointed at him.

Crosshair was in a large room with other clone prisoners lying unconscious on other medical tables in the center of the room, and there were tanks along the walls with eerie-looking bodies inside.

He wondered what new torture Hemlock had in mind for him when the doctor walked into the room, escorted by a commando. His black hair was slicked back, and he was holding his gloved left hand in his right.

He approached Crosshair and said in his chilling whisper-like voice:

“As impressive as your dedication to your former squad is, I’m afraid it has all been in vain.”

Crosshair stiffened.

“Omega is now in my custody.”

No. It couldn’t be. This was some kind of trick. He’d told them to hide.

It was hard to read Hemlock’s face, but in Crosshair’s few interactions with him, he’d been unusually straightforward. Cruel, yes, but straightforward.

But, Crosshair couldn’t bring himself to believe it.

“You’re lying,” he said with a scowl.

Hemlock practically smiled as he gestured toward the door, and said, “I’ll show you.”

Crosshair got off the table and, escorted closely by the troopers and commandos, followed Hemlock out of the room and through the corridors.

They went to a part of the facility Crosshair had never seen before. Some kind of medical wing.

Hemlock stopped in front of a large window. Crosshair stopped and looked in too. He saw a large room full of medical beds, equipment and personnel. Clone prisoners were on the beds, getting blood samples taken.

But Crosshair’s eyes first fell on the shortest person in the room and he felt his heart plummet inside his chest.

Omega.

He hadn’t seen her since the day his squad had left him on that Kaminoan platform, but it was undoubtedly her.

Her light-blond hair was longer. She looked taller too, as she walked around in the light-gray uniform of Tantiss’ medical personnel. She seemed to be shadowing the female clone Crosshair had encountered when he first arrived on Tantiss.

She looked anxious, but didn’t appear to be hurt at least.

Crosshair glanced at Hemlock, who was looking over at him with a sinister gleam in his eye.

“I found Clone Force 99 with the help of one of their own associates,” Hemlock said. “They made an ill-advised attempt to infiltrate Governor Tarkin’s fortress on Eriadu, and lost one of their own in the process.”

Crosshair’s eyes went wide with fear.

“Oh yes,” Hemlock said. “You would’ve known him as Tech.”

No.

Tech? It couldn’t be.

His face went blank as Hemlock continued:

“The others managed to escape custody, but no matter. I have what I need now.”

Even with a million thoughts spinning in his head, Crosshair instinctively looked back through the window at Omega.

She was still following the female clone, who was giving her some kind of instructions. She seemed unaware they were watching her. It must be two-way glass.

He was about to take a step toward it – to warn her, alert her, anything – when the troopers grabbed him and held him in place.

“You needn’t worry,” Hemlock said. “Omega will be safe here, for now. I only need her to ensure my work for the Empire may proceed as planned.”

Nala Se. That had to be it.

Admiral Rampart had sent the Kaminoans’ chief scientist to Tantiss when they decommissioned Tipoca City. And Omega had been Nala Se’s medical assistant. Perhaps they were closer than Crosshair had realized, and Hemlock was now using Omega to force Nala Se to cooperate.

If that was the case, he realized, then she would be safe.

They’d need her alive to ensure Nala Se did whatever work the Empire – or rather, Hemlock – had in mind.

And, going by the pleased look on the doctor’s face, she was.

Hemlock stepped toward Crosshair, putting his hands behind his back.

“And if your former squad ever comes looking for Omega – as I suspect they will – I have plans for them,” he said. “As I do for you.”

Crosshair blinked.

“What plans?”

Hemlock smiled, and said, “You’ll see.”

He then turned to one of the commandos.

“Put him in the detention block,” Hemlock said. “Have him brought to the training room at 0800 with the other candidates.”

The commando nodded and looked to the troopers on either side of Crosshair. They grabbed him by his arms and shoulders, and were preparing to lead him away, when Hemlock held up a hand and stepped toward Crosshair again.

“If you had accepted my offer, you would be free now,” Hemlock said. “But, since you refused, you will continue to serve the Empire. In fact, your true service is only just beginning.”

He looked Crosshair up and down, and took a very calculated breath before adding:

“I look forward to seeing what you will become, CT-9904.”

A chill ran down Crosshair’s spine. Somehow, he could feel exactly what Hemlock’s true intentions were.

The doctor nodded, and the troopers led him away. Crosshair tried to look back at the window for one last glimpse of Omega, but it was too late.

Everything was gone.

*****

All the hours and rotations after that exchange were a hellish blur.

Crosshair and a few other clones were subjected to brutal training and torture – or “re-education,” as Hemlock called it. His plan was to turn them into specialized operatives who were completely loyal to the Empire – to him.

Their conditioning lasted for hours on end every day.

But the nights were worse.

Crosshair was left alone with nothing but his thoughts for hours and hours. Physically hurt and mentally exhausted, he hardly slept each night before the hell of the next day began again.

He kept thinking about Tech. He kept seeing flashes of days, missions, memories together. Sometimes they were cadets, learning how to fight and shoot. Sometimes they were soldiers, running headfirst onto a new battlefield.

He kept hearing Tech’s voice in his head.

“Understanding you does not mean that I agree with you.”

Was that the last thing his brother had ever said to him?

He wanted to believe Hemlock had lied, that Tech was still alive, that his old squad was safe and alive somewhere.

But, he’d been telling the truth about Omega. Why fabricate some long-winded story on top of it?

What the kriff had they been doing on Eriadu? Surely, they couldn’t have been infiltrating Tarkin’s base to try to find him?

He had to know. The uncertainty, the questions were killing him.

But, there was only one person who could possibly tell him; and as much as he wanted to know, he hated the thought of facing her again.

It was all his fault.

He knew it in whatever remained of his heart.

Tech was dead because of him.

Omega was Hemlock’s prisoner because of him.

Hunter, Wrecker and even Echo could be dead, captured or tearing themselves apart with grief, all because of him.

If he’d just gone with them that day on Kamino – he thought to himself every day, every hour – none of this would’ve happened.

Tech would be alive.

They would all be safe.

Maybe they could’ve even been happy.

Crosshair had always despised that his former squad was living job-to-job as mercenaries in the Outer Rim. But, compared to this, it would have been a paradise.

More than once he finally drifted off to sleep with tears in his eyes, only to dream of Tech. Sometimes he died in a firefight. Sometimes he died in a fall. Once he died trying to fly The Marauder away from Tarkin’s mountainside fortress.

Crosshair was almost relieved when the troopers woke him to start the hellish cycle all over again.

There was no chance of rescue. Hemlock would kill or capture Hunter and the others if they somehow found Tantiss.

There was no hope of escape. Even if he managed to elude or defeat his guards again, Crosshair didn’t even know how big the base was, or how to get outside or to a shuttle bay.

So, he didn’t bother counting the rotations. There was no point.

He almost hoped someone would kill him during their operative training. Or he would somehow die during Hemlock’s conditioning.

But, no, he thought. He deserved it.

He deserved all of it.

*****

Not that Crosshair was counting, but it took Omega five rotations to track down his cell.

He was lying on his bed, trying not to think about Tech again, when a familiar fwing hit his skull.

Someone was watching him.

Before Tantiss, he would’ve bolted upright, blaster ready. But now he didn’t bother. They were always watching him.

He felt the eyes drawing nearer and nearer, and that striking sensation against his head became harder and harder to ignore. He could tell something was different. This wasn’t any of his usual inspectors.

There was only one person it could be.

His heart sank when he heard that soft, eager voice whisper to him through the cell door:

“Crosshair?”

He opened his eyes and looked over to see Omega kneeling outside his cell. Her brown eyes, so full of care and concern, stared back at him.

“What—what are you doing here?” he asked as he quickly sat up. “You need to leave, before they catch you.”

Hemlock was smart. He was already using Omega as leverage over Nala Se. Who’s to say he wouldn’t use Omega as leverage over him too, if he felt like it?

“It’s fine,” Omega told him. “The guards are on shift break.”

He rolled his eyes and gave a small sigh.

“And I needed to check on you,” she continued. “You were still unconscious when I first got here. I tried to wake you, but Emerie said you didn’t cooperate with the doctor.”

So, Omega had found him, tried to talk to him even. It must’ve been sometime before Hemlock had gloated about capturing her.

“Crosshair, what did they do to you?”

He shook his head and replied, “It doesn’t matter now.”

He looked past her, and scanned the seemingly empty corridor beyond. He didn’t see or sense anyone else watching.

Finally, he was face-to-face with the moment, the person he’d dreaded meeting.

“What happened?” he asked, taking the plunge. “How are you here? Did they not get my message?”

Omega looked down.

“We did,” she said. “We were trying to rescue you and all the other clones trapped here. We infiltrated an Imperial summit on Eriadu so we could track Hemlock’s ship. But, everything went wrong as we were trying to escape.

“And Tech,” she said, as her voice cracked and her eyes welled up. “… He—he sacrificed himself so we could get away.”

So, it was true.

Tech’s kind face and goggle-covered brown eyes appeared in Crosshair’s mind. His voice echoed in his ears: “Understanding you does not mean I agree with you.”

His brother really was gone. Dead.

Crosshair’s expression went hollow. He felt like a barrage of blaster bolts to the chest would’ve been less painful.

Omega continued her story, but Crosshair barely registered it.

“The next thing I remember, we were back on Ord Mantell and the Empire was there. They took Hunter and Wrecker away, and I tried to free them but Hemlock caught me and brought me here.

“I’ve been asking Emerie and looking everywhere, but I haven’t been able to find out what happened to them,” she said, her eyes wide with desperation and sorrow.

Somehow hearing Hunter and Wrecker’s names snapped Crosshair back into full consciousness.

“They’re not here,” he said. “They escaped. Hemlock told me so himself.”

Hope briefly shone in Omega’s eyes.

“We can’t trust him,” she said. “What if he’s lying?”

“Hemlock is a bastard, but I don’t know why he would lie about that,” Crosshair said. “Besides, if they were here, I would’ve seen them by now.”

“What do you mean?”

Crosshair looked down and didn’t answer her.

He had long realized what Hemlock had meant when he said he had plans for Clone Force 99 if they ever made it to Tantiss. The doctor wanted his own squad of elite clones to carry out his every bidding, and he was especially excited at the prospect of “re-educating” Hunter and Wrecker with their enhanced abilities.

Thank whatever Force might exist in the galaxy that Tech had been spared that fate.

Crosshair looked back at Omega, who was still waiting for his answer.

“You need to go,” he said. “Before anyone finds you here.”

“Alright,” she said in a determined voice. “But I’ll come back the next chance I can.”

“No. Don’t come back here at all. If they catch you…”

“I’ll be careful.”

Crosshair gave a high-sigh, half-scoff. She was just as stubborn and willful as she’d been on Kamino. How had Hunter and the others put up with her for so long?

She made a move as though she was about to leave, but then bent back down and looked at him again through the criss-crossing bars of his cell door.

“Don’t worry, Crosshair. We’re together now. They can’t stop us both.”

Crosshair exhaled and threw her a look that spelled out their exact situation. No hope, only despair. No relief, only defeat.

But, unsurprisingly, she didn’t get the message.

She simply looked back at him with such care, such hope, such… love.

“I knew you would come around,” she said. “Tech did too.”

Crosshair’s eyes went wide. It felt as though the blood in his body had stopped circulating.

“He said you were still his brother, and he wasn’t going to leave you behind. … And neither will I.”

She stood up and silently walked away, as Crosshair’s mind raced with a million new thoughts alongside the same old ones.

He felt his right hand tremoring. He couldn't stop it.

Tech had died trying to save him. Tech had died believing in him. Tech had died still caring about him.

With every thought, every realization, Crosshair felt the same truth beating inside his head like a drum.

Everything.

Everything.

Everything was all his fault.

COPYRIGHT 2024.

Story is subject to minor edits/tweaks as necessary.

[multi-fan-dom-madness]

hello dear. for the kiss prompts, may i please see ‘a possessive kiss in the rain’ with crosshair? 👀

hiiii friend, thank you so much for your patience for the wait. the muse has been extra fickle since October, but I hope this is worth the wait <3

Uncertain Tomorrows

Summary: Actions speak louder than words. Aka, Crosshair isn't good at emotions.

Warnings: blog is 18+; angst (it's Crosshair, what do you expect), miscommunication / lack of communication, pre-Echo, swearing

Word Count: 688

Chewing on the inside of your cheek so hard you’re liable to draw blood, you can’t help the way you’re glaring at Crosshair’s back. He’s perched on the edge of a high stool at the bar, long legs crossed at the ankle, twirling a whiskey glass between thin fingers. You’re supposed to be enjoying shore leave, the first one the squad has had in months, and yet all you feel is pissy. 

Earlier in the night, you’d deboarded the Marauder with the others, all of you in civvies and in high spirits, even Crosshair. You feel like you’ve finally been able to get a decent grasp on reading him and his moods, and the loose way his toothpick had hung between his lips was clear indication that he was relaxed, ready for a break. You all were. 

Apparently, Crosshair’s idea of a break is chatting up women at the cantina bar. 

You’re not together. You have to remind yourself of that. Despite the mutual longing glances, neither of you have acted on your feelings, whether by mutual respect for one another or by fear of tearing the squad apart. So it shouldn’t sting as much as it does to watch him toss easy smirks at the pretty woman at the bar right now. 

But it does. 

Hunter gives you a sympathetic look as you finally decide you’ve had enough and scoot out of the booth. With Wrecker across the cantina hustling pool and Tech acting as his number two, the only one who will know where you’ve gone at this point is Hunter. Which also shouldn’t sting, but it does. 

The moment you step outside, you’re met with a bone-chilling rain. Breath fogging in front of your face, you shiver, pulling your jacket tighter around you. The spaceport isn’t too terribly far, but you’re already beginning to regret coming outside. 

Whatever. It beats going back inside.

You only make it a few steps, ice needling into your skin, before the cantina door opens behind you. Warm light and laughter spill out, inviting you back. Glancing over your shoulder, you grimace. 

“I’m going back to the ship,” you call. 

“I know,” Crosshair responds.

“You should go back in,” you say, turning to face forward once more, hunching your shoulders against the cold. “She looked nice.” 

He calls your name, but you keep walking. 

You gasp when a hand grips your upper arm and spins you around. Colliding with Crosshair’s chest, you glare up at him and open your mouth to rip him a new one—

Only to grunt in surprise when his lips meet yours. 

Jerking back, you try to break from his embrace. His hands remain on your arms, though he lets you step back. 

“What the fuck, Cross?” you snarl. “You think it’s cool to just—toy with my emotions like this?” 

“No,” he grits out. 

You wait, but that seems to be all he wants to say. Rain streams down your face, the cold an afterthought now with the anger burning through you. 

“That all you have to say for yourself?”

His jaw works as he gazes at you, his short gray hair plastered to his head. Nostrils flaring, he looks away. “No. I’m—I’m not good at this. Clearly. But I don’t know—I don’t know how to—Kriff it! Can I kiss you again or not?” 

All of your anger condenses into a single burning, molten dagger in your heart as you stand there, jaw dropped as you weigh his words. This is so far from how you ever would have expected this confession to go, for either of you, and yet the opportunity is here. If you let it go, tell him no, he’s going to respect that. 

And you’ll have missed your shot. 

You pull him back to you and kiss him. It’s a hungry, desperate, possessive kiss, full of teeth and tongue. Cold rain water sluices off your skin as you swallow his moan. 

You don’t know what this means—you don’t know where to go from here—but Crosshair is in your embrace, and all you know is that you don’t intend to let him go.

Ragu: @dystopicjumpsuit @clonemedickix @littlemissmanga @wolffegirlsunite @anxiouspineapple99 @wings-and-beskar @sinfulsalutations @523rdrebel @sunshinesdaydream @moonlightwarriorqueen @sev-on-kamino @starrylothcat @deejadabbles @starqueensthings @mandos-mind-trick @idontgetanysleep @eyeluvmusic21 @wizardofrozz @mythical-illustrator @sleepycreativewriter @bobaprint @dickarchivist @a-single-tulip @thorsterstrudle @droids-you-are-looking-for @goblininawig @cw80831 @mssbridgerton @dreamie411 @jedi-hawkins @lune-de-miel-au-paradis @9902sgirl

[nahoney22]

Hiii!

Could you write me something sweet with Cross?

He had so little screentime in the last trailer and i fear for my favorite angry crispy twig.

You rock! Bye!

Interrupted

Crosshair X F!Reader

word count: 2.1k

Crosshair tries to talk to you but no matter what he does, he always gets interrupted. So what happens when you go talk to him first?

warnings: none, fluff, slightly insecure reader and Crosshair. Not proofread. Female reader. Sorry for the wait @kaitou2417, enjoy 😊

Masterlist

Crosshair had been eyeing you from a distance, observing you as you sat outside the Marauder with your head buried in a datapad. Meanwhile, he was leaning against one of the many trees of Endor, nervously tapping his foot as he tried to muster up the courage to approach you.

Despite living in close quarters on the Marauder for the last few months, he had never truly spoken to you beyond a passing remark or two. He had overheard you talking about a book series that you were entranced by and figured that could be a possible way to start a conversation. But for some reason, he just couldn't seem to get his nerves under control.

He had never had trouble talking to women before, but something about you was different. Maybe it was because you didn't hit on him like many others did, which he found refreshing and even a bit attractive. You were sweet and innocent. Maybe even too much for a man like him.

He sighs to himself, running a hand over his face in aggravation as the negative thoughts of talking himself out of it kept springing to his mind.

"Screw it," he thought, taking a deep breath and straightening his posture as he made his way towards you after psyching himself up.

Just as you caught a glimpse of him from the corner of your eye, Tech stepped in front of you, blocking Crosshair from view. "I need your assistance," Tech said, holding a pair of tools in his hands.

You suppress a small jolt of shock at his sudden presence and you even tried to hide the crestfallen look on your face.

"O-oh, really? Me? Now?" you tried not to sound flustered, but the disappointment was evident in your voice as you tried to look over Tech's shoulder.

"Is there something else you'd rather be doing than helping me get this ship running at full capacity?" Tech asked, giving you a quizzical look.

Crosshair had vanished, and your heart sank.

You had been hoping for a chance to talk to him, but now that opportunity seemed lost. You had always been so scared to approach him first in case he didn’t like your company; so when you saw him approach, a lot of things ran through your mind. Did he want to talk to you? Did you accidentally steal one of his cloths that he uses to clean his weapons with?

Did he change his mind? Did he have something else to do? You wondered as you took one of the tools from Tech and tried to mask your disappointment.

"No, sorry, I thought I saw something," you mumbled, picking up your datapad too and following Tech towards the ship.

When back on the Marauder, traveling through hyperspace, you’re sandwiched between Echo and Wrecker who were both bickering about whose turn it is to clean up.

You’re rolling your eyes shy the situation but your head almost explodes when you suddenly lock eyes on the Marksman. He is standing in the hallway, a few feet away from you with his arms crossed over his chest.

The look on his face was unreadable, although you knew that you were on his mind.

As you look back at him, you smile. Softly. Admittedly, he hated your smile because it annoyed him. Though, not in the sense where he hated it. He adored it. A lot. Often occupying his thoughts late at night and early in the morning.

Crosshair knew this would be a good chance to pull you for a chat so he psyches himself up, knowing you would probably be grateful for a respite from Echo and Wrecker's never-ending bickering.

Just as he uncrosses his arms and rolls back his shoulders, as if to relieve the tension that was building, Hunter suddenly appears in front of him. "Have you filled out your reports for today, Crosshair?" he asks.

Crosshair feels his jaw tighten as you look away, hiding your disappointment. Why does this keep happening? Is the universe conspiring to keep the two of you apart?

"Not yet," Crosshair snarls, making Hunter, the sergeant, raise his eyebrows at his attitude.

"Something bothering you, brother?"

He sighs internally, trying to hide the fact that he was bothering him but said nothing.

“No,” he mutters before storming off.

You watch him leave and as Hunter turns to face you, it heats up as he raises a brow. Did he know something you didn’t? Maker, he could probably sense how you felt about him which made you wonder if Crosshair could ever feel the same?

——————————

You stir awake as the first light of dawn creeps in, casting a soft glow over the sleeping forms of your shipmates. You sit up and rub the sleep from your eyes, only to pause when you hear the soft clanging of metal coming from the center of the ship. With everyone else still fast asleep, you are quick to notice that it was Crosshair who was awake. This had to be the perfect chance to talk to him.

Quickly, you stand and straighten out your nightwear and throw on a jacket, knowing the ship can get pretty chilly when it's running on low power. You run your fingers through your disheveled hair that often resembles a nest when you wake up, trying to smooth it down, before silently making your way towards the source of the noise.

Unsurprisingly, you find Crosshair leaning against a console, lost in thought as he blows the steam from his cup of caf. You hesitate for a moment, trying to decide how to approach him. You pondered what to say first: hello, sup, hey… but nothing seemed right. This was silly really. How could you not know how to talk to him?

Though before you can say anything, he looks up and catches your eye.

You take a deep breath and point towards the caf machine, teasing him with a husky morning voice. "You not going to make me one?"

"Sure," he says, setting down his own cup and starting to pour you one. But as he works, he can't help but feel a twinge of nervousness.

He pretty sure knew how you liked it but as you were watching him, he low-key started to panic. Was it milk first then water? The other way? Did you have sugar or honey? Neither? Either?

"Teaspoon of honey, please," you tell him with an amused smile, noticing his confusion.

"I knew that," he says gruffly, fixing up the drink for you and sliding it over to you.

You both make your way to the cockpit and sit in silence, sipping your drinks. Crosshair taps his fingers nervously against the rim of his cup, until he finally musters the courage to ask, "Is your drink nice?"

"Nah," you say with a coy smile, tilting your head to look at him.

He frowns in confusion. "Really?"

You giggle softly. "You forgot to add the caf."

Crosshair blushes with embarrassment but doesn't apologize, instead falling into silence once again. You try to fill the awkwardness with a question. "Is there something you want to talk about?"

"Not in particular," he says, not meaning to sound cruel or uninterested. He knows he's not the best at talking to people, even when it comes to someone as beautiful as you. He feels guilty as he watches you slump back in your seat with a soft sigh.

"Is there," he starts, feeling nervous, "something you want to talk about?

“Not in particular.” You reply but as you both look at each other, you both find yourselves smiling. He had such a nice smile, it was a shame he hid it most of the time.

"I couldn't help but notice that you tried to come talk to me yesterday," you said, trying to sound nonchalant, but with a hint of curiosity in your voice. You couldn't shake off the feeling that you had imagined it all.

Crosshair's grin faded a bit and he nodded. "Uh, I wanted to ask you about the book you've been reading," he said, looking a bit sheepish. You couldn't help but find it endearing that he was at a loss for words, especially since he was usually so confident. But, you’re so surprised by his statement.

You spun around in your chair to face him, your eyes wide with surprise. "Really?" you asked, intrigued.

"Yeah," he said, his eyes lighting up a bit. "It sounded interesting."

Before you knew it, you were telling him all about the book, going into great detail and using your hands to animate your words. Crosshair sat back, sipping his coffee and listening with rapt attention. He didn't say much, but he could tell that he was thoroughly enjoying hearing you talk about something you were passionate about.

After a few minutes, you suddenly stopped, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Sorry, am I rambling too much?" you asked, biting your lip.

Crosshair shook his head, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. "No, I like listening to beautiful girls talk," he said, his eyes meeting yours with a warm gaze.

You felt a blush rise to your cheeks as you realized what he had just said. "Did you just call me beautiful?" you asked, unable to hide the smile spreading across your face.

Crosshair's eyes widened, and for a moment, he looked like he was about to take it back. But then, he squared his shoulders and said, "Yes, because you are."

You’re stunned but elated at the same time. Obviously you were harboring unsaid feelings for the man, always finding him attractive despite the lack of conversation. You didn’t want to jump ahead and assume he likes you back because maybe, he was just being nice. Or teasing.

“You don’t mean it.” You say abashed, finding it hard to look at him as you play with the hem of your jacket.

He tilts his head to the side. “What makes you say that?”

“I don’t know,” you mumble. “Nobody has ever called me that and we don’t particularly speak often so…”

“So because of that you assume I don’t think you’re attractive?” He leans forward on his chair, arms resting over his knees as he tries to get you to look at him.

His words make you halt and so you just shrug awkwardly, still blushing. “Why… why are you wanting to speak to me? Really?”

He is conflicted about whether to be truthful or to play it off, but with the others asleep and no interruptions to disturb the moment, he decides to be honest.

He stands up, offering you his hand, "You're smart, I think you can figure it out." His voice is soft, and the scent of his morning caf fills the air as he brings your hand to his lips and teases them with a light graze.

“You like me?” You rasp, your breath being sucked out of your lungs

“Have done for a while, but you can probably tell I’m bad at this.” He mumbled, not feeling all too confident in his approach. He really didn’t want to mess this up.

Your heart is almost bursting out of your chest at his confession, feeling like you should pinch yourself to know it wasn’t a dream. “Crosshair… I feel the same. I too am pretty bad at this.” You laugh softly and there’s a small smile that forms on his lips, a rare and beautiful sight.

"Looks like we'll have to help each other then, huh?" He tilts his head, and you can swear that he's glancing at your lips, reminding you of all the times you've gazed at him from a distance, wanting nothing more than to kiss him.

“Oh yeah?” You whisper, definitely not wanting the others to wake up and interrupt this moment, “How would you like me to help you?”

“With a kiss.” He says bluntly but of course, only if you wanted to.

There isn’t a moment of hesitation on your part as you lean up and plant a soft kiss to his lips that were invitingly warm as was the feeling of his hands landing to your waist.

He sighs into you, embracing this soft and sweet moment with you.

His lips are soft and gently, like a summer breeze that dances on your skin, and you find yourself responding in kind, your own hands sliding up his tall, slender yet muscular chest. It's a kiss filled with pent up longing and unsaid affection, and you feel like you could stay in this moment forever.

Eventually, the kiss slowly comes to an end and you pull away, catching your breath. You both share a shy smile, not quite sure what to say, but knowing that this was just the beginning of something amazing.

Masterlist

Tags: @nunanuggets @andyoufollowyourheart @littlefeatherr @kaitou2417 7 @eyecandyeoz @captxin-rex @cwarssimp @jesseeka @ashotofspotchka @oohyesplease @megafrost4 @theroguesully @equalityforcats @mustluvecho @misogirl828 @ladykatakuri i @jambolska-grozdova @chxpsi @arctrooper69 @padawancat97 @rain-on-kamino @either-madness-or-brilliance @staycalmandhugaclone @ko-neko-san @echos-girlfriend @fiveshelmet @dangraccoon @tech-aficionado @grizabellasolo @therealnekomari @autumnleaves1991-blog @tech-depression-inventory @brynhildrmimi @greaser-wolf @tinyreadersmur @agenteliix @rintheemolion @kaminocasey @hotpinkplastoid @cosmic-persephone @imalovernotahater @swiftiexstarwarssimp @the-good-shittt @whore4rex @photogirl894 @s1st3r @taskfork-archive @by-the-primes

[crosshairs-dumb-pimp-gf]

Last line challenge-

Rules: In a new post, give us your last line (written or drawn) and then tag as many people as there are words!

I was tagged by @orangez3st!

Working on Chapter 11 of Disgrace.

I'll put the full excerpt cause I'm difficult and hate following directions. (And want to break your little hearts.)

Fear. It was fear crawling over him and I realized I had never seen it on him before. Anger, loathing, guilt sure… but the Crosshair that leaned over me now was scared, his voice small.  “I don't want to be alone, Tahny,” The crack that went through my heart must've shattered the ground beneath me. I felt like I was falling backwards, lightheaded. 

There you have it, folks.

Tagging: @feral-ferrule @thora-sniper @sandcoffiin @haybellewrites @moonstrider9904 @vimse 💋💋💋

[danceswithsporks]

Awake-Part 4

Crosshair x f! Innkeeper

*Not canon to Season 3*

Parts 1 2 3

Chapter Summary: Crosshair begins to try and settle into life on Pabu while dealing with his feelings.

Authors Notes: It’s another long one folk! This one was tough for me to write for whatever reason. I think I hit a wall and I’m slowly getting over it. Think of it as a 60ft wall and I’m using two little daggers to climb over it because I can’t find a ladder. Does that make sense? Idfk. All I know is this took me longer than intended and I’m so sorry for that! I still hope you’ll enjoy this chapter! ♥️

Spotify Playlist has been updated with the new song!

Awake, he was fucking awake again. The entire inn was asleep and yet here he fucking was. Wide awake and lost in thought. Ever since he’d arrived on this island he’d barely slept. When he did sleep she wasn’t there anymore. Instead, she was replaced by those he’d lost like Mayday and Tech. They haunted his sleep. They berated him and reminded him of their deaths. Tortured him with the knowledge that they’d both died and he was in some way connected.

It had been a week since they’d returned to Pabu and Crosshair had scarcely left his room. In the last seven days, he’d left twice. Once, on their first day there to try and interact with the others, and then on day four to go with Hunter and Echo to check on Wrecker and the kid. He couldn’t even make it to their home before he turned back. He couldn’t do it, he couldn’t face the kid right now. 

During his walk back to his room, he ran into you. You smiled at him and it made his heart beat fast. He still didn’t understand how you could be real. You used to run rampant in his dreams and then suddenly you’d stopped. Your voice, your laugh, and your eyes, it was all the same. How could this be possible? He still hadn’t mentioned to the others about his dream in fear they’d write him off as crazy. Deep down he knew they never would do that. But his mind kept telling him they could. 

“Good evening, Crosshair.” You said sweetly to him as he walked by. The flowing sundress you wore blew in the breeze of your opened patio doors. “Will you join us for dinner tonight?” You looked hopefully at him. 

He shook his head no as he neared the stairs. He felt horrible for not speaking to you. He’d dreamed about you so much before meeting you and now he couldn’t even face you. What would you think of him if you knew everything he’d done and what he’d gone through? Would you continue to be this nice?

You watched in silence. The way he was acting reminded you of how Stitches had acted after losing her parents. It had been months before she was back to normal. From what you’d heard from Stitches, Crosshair had made the call to the boys to warn them. Could he possibly blame himself for them leaving the safety of Pabu and the avoidable death of his brother? You sincerely hoped that wasn’t the case. That was a dark deep pit to be stuck in. It took you and many others months to get Stitches back to normal. Maybe you should reach out to him? Talk to him? The sound of the door opening drew your attention away from the clone and back to your business. 

-*-

The second week came and went in a haze for Crosshair. He barely left his room and barely ate the food you brought up. He could hear his brothers in the hall talking to you on different occasions and the concern you felt for him was clear. It was only when he was sure everyone was out of the hall did he ever open his door for food. He wanted to leave his room, he did, but it was like there was a weight on him preventing him from doing so. It chained him to his room and anchored him to that space alone. Every time he attempted to leave his chest would get heavy.

One night at the beginning of the third week, when the moon was full and illuminated the island in a gentle glow, he found himself compelled to leave his room. He wasn’t sure why he was compelled to leave, he just was. He crept down the stairs quietly in hopes of not waking his slumbering brothers or you. To his surprise, you were already awake and sitting on the patio in one of the chairs overlooking your garden with the door wide open. A gentle breeze blew through the room carrying the scent of lavender and roses in the air. Crosshair inhaled slowly and let out a quiet sigh. He’d been stuck in his room for so long that he’d forgotten the smell of fresh sea air. It reminded him of Kamino. He, surprisingly, missed the water planet. 

He stepped towards the patio door and the floor creaked beneath his feet. You turned in your seat and smiled softly at him. 

“Crosshair, I was wondering when I’d see you again.” Your voice was gentle like the ocean air. You didn’t stand from your seat but simply looked over your shoulder at the mysterious clone. You’d briefly seen his hands poke out from his room to grab a tray of food before the door would shut again. You could hear him moving around from the first floor and you’d heard him cry out a few nights prior. 

He didn’t say anything to you as he stepped out onto the patio. A cup of tea sat on the table in front of you with steam swirling from it. You motioned to a chair near you and after a moment of hesitation, he sat down. 

“Here.” You whispered. “I’ll go make another cup. Don’t worry, I haven’t drunk from it.” Carefully the cup was passed to him before you stood and went back inside.

Crosshair hadn’t expected you to give him your drink. He hadn’t expected anything from you, he didn’t deserve anything from you. Not after the things he’d done. His hand wrapped around the cup and the warmth from the drink spread across his body making goose flesh scatter his skin. Behind him, the sound of you in the kitchen could be heard. The clink of another mug being placed on the counter, a cabinet opening, the clang of the kettle on the stove, and the sound of a metal spoon stirring in the mug. It all rang out in the silent night air to his ears. After a few minutes, you returned with a happy hum and sat back in your chair. 

A silence hung in the air between the two of you as you both stared at the night sky. Every few moments Crosshair would shift in his seat or take a drink of the tea. A cool night breeze danced through the air and against your skin making you shiver. “Should have brought my sweater.” You joked lightly before moving to go inside and grab a blanket. Instead, Crosshair stood and motioned for you to stay in your seat. He moved inside quickly and after a minute returned with a blanket. “Oh, thank you, Crosshair.” You spoke gently as he laid the blanket around your shoulders. You watched as he returned to his seat and the two of you fell back into your silence. 

An hour later you finally let out a long sigh and broke the silence. “I should get inside and get some sleep before I have to make breakfast.” 

Oh, you were leaving already? He was kind of enjoying this quiet time. He watched as you stood from the table with the blanket still around your shoulders. Words seemed to fail him as you stood in the glow of the moonlight in your pajama shorts and tank top. 

Grabbing your empty mug of tea, you began to head inside before stopping in the doorway. “You should take a walk down to the docks. There’s a sea wall you can sit on and just breathe in the crisp sea air. It might help you clear your mind.” 

“How do you know I need to clear my mind?” Crosshair stood from his chair. 

“My apartment is below your room.” You pointed over your shoulder. “I hear you moving around at night. You have trouble sleeping, don’t you?” Reaching up, you pulled the blanket tighter around your shoulders as you tried to fight off the chill of the night air. 

“I” he hesitated. You were right, he was having trouble sleeping. 

“Take the walk, Crosshair. When you get back you can take a long shower and I’ll have breakfast ready for you.” You passed him a sweet smile before turning and heading inside, not giving him the chance to argue. A plan was forming in your head.

He watched you place the blanket on the back of the couch in the living area before disappearing into the apartment behind the door marked ‘Private’. A shower and breakfast? Did he smell that bad? He gave himself a sniff and frowned, it had been a few days since he’d last showered. 

Crosshair looked out at the vast star-filled sky and chewed his lip. Perhaps you were right, a long walk in fresh air might do him some good. No doubt the shower later would help as well. Grabbing the same blanket you had used, he wrapped it around his shoulders and headed out the front door. 

You stood watching from your balcony as the quiet clone began the descent down the island. It would take him some time to reach the docks at the speed he was walking. But perhaps that was a good thing. You’d never gone through a big tragedy like they had. Your life on Pabu had been perfect. Two parents who loved you fiercely, grandparents who adored you, and an inn that, before the empire had taken over, had been doing great. 

Your mother had passed from sickness a few years prior and your father soon after from, what the doctor had called a broken heart. It was sad and you’d cried your eyes out for nearly a month. But you knew people like Stitches had had it harder. Your grandparents took over raising you but then they passed the year before, your grandmother in spring and your grandfather in winter, and thus you were on your own.  It wasn’t some tragic tale of loss and heartbreak. You hadn’t been traumatized from any of it. In short, your life had indeed been close to perfect as perfect could be. The only bad times you could think of where you truly were upset would have to be the bad breakups you’d had over the years. That was to be expected when you dated customers. 

With a sigh, you thought about your family. You’d been sad when your parents passed, that much was true. But your grandmother had always told you to take walks and let the sea air calm you. It worked too. Perhaps it was one of those old wives' tales mixed with a placebo effect. But you believed in it and hopefully so would Crosshair. If your grandmother was still alive she would have dragged him from his room on the third day and forced him to eat a big bowl of her homemade lentil soup. He probably would have outwardly hated it, but it would have warmed his soul and no doubt it would have helped him. You’d once tried to make the soup in hopes of honoring your grandmother, but it didn’t taste anything close to hers. You hadn’t tried to make it since then. Maybe you should, perhaps the boys would like it. 

They were still your only customers, more like tenants at this point. You’d had conversations with both Echo and Hunter since they’d first arrived and you’d seen Stitches, Wrecker, and Omega just a few days ago when you went to pick up the clothes the seamstress had made for the boys. One night, a few days ago, Hunter and Echo explained what happened. Your heart hurt for them. To lose a brother in such a terrible way was one of the worst things imaginable. You’d offered your condolences to them and they’d taken it. Now you understood why Omega and Wrecker were having nightmares and why Stitches was so worried. You’d asked if anyone had told Chai what had happened and both men shook their heads.

“I offered to explain it all to her. But she said she wasn’t ready.” Hunter had told you solemnly. 

You wondered if the girl would ever be ready. With a long hum, you pushed off the balcony wall and stepped back into your room. The worry for your friends ran through your head as you laid back into your much too-large bed. Perhaps you’d visit Chai in the morning? Check on her before checking on Stitches and her little family. Whatever you’d do, Crosshair would come first. You fell back to sleep thinking about your plan. 

-*-

The walk down Pabu was surprisingly nice. The cool night air mixed with the sea air and blew through his skin in a way that had him closing his eyes and sighing. Memories of Kamino danced through his mind. Sure they were ignored and on the receiving end of insults from the regs but outside of that, it was his home. The place he grew up with his vod at.the place where he’d made the stupid decision to wait for the empire instead of going with the batch. Whether the memories were good or bad, that ocean scent would always transport him home. 

He followed the cobblestone path to the base of the hill where a waist-high seawall sat. A figure shifted on the wall making him realize he wasn’t alone. Instinctually, he moved to grab his blaster but realized he didn’t have it. He moved to turn and head away from the potential danger when he kicked a loose pebble across the cobblestones. The sound seemed to echo in the quiet night air. The figure shifted and turned to face him. It was her, Techs girl.

“Oh. I thought I was the only one up this late.” Chai tried to force a smile but found herself still unable to. She’d last smiled before they returned. Back when she felt like everything would be okay and Tech would come back to her. Now it felt like she’d never smile again. She looked at his brother with tired eyes and found the same exhaustion looking back at her. “Couldn’t sleep?” 

“No” What was he supposed to say to her at this moment? It was clear she wanted to be alone. He’d heard Hunter talking to Doll and Echo about how the woman didn’t want to know about what happened to Tech. Seeing as he was the cause of his death, Crosshair was the last person who should be talking to her. “I’ll leave.” 

“No!” Chai nearly jumped off the sea wall. Perhaps having the company of one of his brothers would help calm her. “Please. Join me?” She patted the space next to her. 

Crosshair swallowed as your words rang out to him. The sea air would help, hopefully you were right. He nodded to Chai before moving to the wall and boosting himself onto the stone wall. His feet dangled next to hers and he wished he hadn’t worn shoes so he could feel the spray on his ankles. How they were sitting reminded him once more of Kamino and how he and his brothers would sit and watch the Aiwha fly around. 

“We haven’t been introduced. I’m Chai.” She released the datapad in her lap with one hand and offered it to the clone before her. A burn scar could be seen on the right side of his head and she wondered how he got it. Tech had never mentioned a burn scar. 

“Crosshair.” He shook her hand gently before looking down at the familiar datapad. “You look yet?” The question left him before he could stop it. 

She shook her head solemnly. “I tried a few days ago. But it’s locked and I don’t know the code. I tried his clone number but it didn’t work.” Talking to him was almost refreshing in a way. This was the most she’d spoken in days. 

“Check his goggles. He wrote the code in one of the rims.” Just in case he forgot it for whatever reason. Crosshair was the only one to know of its location. It was his job as Tech's twin to know these things. Twin, he wasn’t a twin anymore. Now it was just him. Tech understood him deeper than anyone else had and now he was on his own. 

“Oh.” She looked down at the device in her lap and sighed softly. She’d look for the code when she went home. Maybe today would be the day she’d look through it. “Thanks” 

Crosshair nodded before looking back out over the ocean. It was nice here, just the sound of the ocean waves hitting the rocks below and their breathing. Maybe a sigh here or there but that was it. 

Chai had to admit, she appreciated the silence that fell. For the past two weeks, people had been offering their condolences and sympathy for her loss. Her brothers and father had tried to talk her through the grief and both Hunter and Echo had tried to explain what had happened. But so far Crosshair was keen to not say anything about the topic. She liked that. For these last two weeks, she’d felt so alone. But having someone just sit by her who wasn’t trying to talk about anything seemed to be just what she needed. 

After an hour, Chai turned and hopped off the wall. “I should go back and get ready to open the shop.” A shop owner's job didn’t stop, not even for the death of one they cared for. Crosshair nodded to her, not moving to stand. “I come down most nights. Feel free to join me.” 

He looked over his shoulder at the girl before nodding once more. He had barely any words to say to her. His mind hadn’t stopped running over what to say to her or discuss with her. But according to Shaak Ti, sometimes saying nothing was just as important as saying something. She offered for him to join her another night. Would she hold that offer once she learned what he’d done? That he was why Tech was gone? “Thanks.” Was all he could think to say to her. 

-*-

You woke up to the sound of Crosshair's door shutting and his feet crossing the room. Perfect. You checked your clock and found it had been three hours since he’d left. Hopefully that time away did him some good. Humming softly, you pulled yourself from the warmth of your bed and back into the cool air blowing in off the ocean. You’d left your balcony doors open and that cool crisp air had filled your room. Pulling on your long robe, you stepped out of your room and over to the main kitchen. Stitches would be dropping off breakfast and lunch for them soon enough, but you wanted to do something more traditional and hearty for him. Something to truly welcome him to the island. 

While two eggs were boiling in salted water, you pulled fresh yogurt from the conservator that had been delivered the day before from one of Pabu’s sister islands. A merchant fleet of ships traveled to all the islands on your planet, even Pabu had two ships that were part of the fleet. 

You poured the yogurt into a small dish and added a drizzle of honey over the top of it with a few figs on the side before moving over to start the gliko caf. Maybe he wouldn’t like it so sweet but you loved it that way and so he’d have to at least try it. You poured the sugar and cream into the cups and waited for the delicious dark liquid to pour from the brewer. Now you just needed the kalathaki, prozimi, and the amygdalota. You had the feta, gruyere, and nuts already. 

As if on cue, there was a knock on your front door. After a moment the door opened and Chai’s older brother, Vino, came in with your daily order of sweets and bread. He was always kind enough to swing by the bakers and pick up your bread order. Chai had let it slip that he had a crush on you and while you found it sweet, you didn’t feel the same way back. He was your best friend's brother after all. 

“Thank you, Vino.” You stepped around the island in your kitchen and over to the basket in his hands. 

“Anytime, Doll.” He smiled at you the same way he always did. With a twinkle in his eye and a smile that reached his bright blues. “Your orders have been bigger since the clones arrived.” 

You took the basket from him and shrugged. “They eat a lot. Well, two of them do. Plus I split with Stitches.” The smell of the prozimi wafted through the air and made you sigh. The sourdough always smelled amazing. “How is she?” You hadn’t heard from your dear friend in a few days and you worried. 

Vino shrugged. “Some days are better than others. She’s been going out at night when she thinks we’re all asleep. Goes to the seawall and just stares.” 

“They had a lot of moments there.” The seawall, huh? You wondered if Crosshair had run into her a few hours ago. “I’ll swing by and talk to her later today. That okay?” 

“You know you’re always welcome at our place, Doll.” You were like family after all. He reached out and placed a hand on your shoulder gently. “Maybe talking to you will pull her out of her funk. I haven’t seen her this bad, ever. Not even when mom passed.” 

You nodded to him while patting his hand. “She’ll be okay. Just give her some time. We all grieve in our own way.” 

Vino stepped closer to you and looked down into your eyes. “Are you grieving as well?” He raised his hand to stroke your chin but heard someone clear their throat behind him. Damn. One of these days he’d get the courage to ask you out. 

“Stitches!” Thank the stars she was here. Things were getting awkward with Vino. 

“Hey, Good morning.” She winked at you as you stepped around Vino and back to your island. She walked across the room and elbowed her friend's brother. “Vino. Don’t you have a shop to open?”

“Right.” He nodded to you sweetly. “See ya later? I’ll let Chai know you’re coming over.” 

“Sounds good. Thanks again, Vino.” You watched as the man waved bye to Stirches before leaving. You shook your head as you stepped around the counter and back to the slowly forming tray of food. Already you could tell that Stitches was going to tease you. The basket of goodies was placed on the counter while you checked on the caf. It was almost ready. Just five more minutes. You could see into the small crate that Stitches carried. Six containers of food sat neatly within. “Hope this wasn’t too early for ya.”  You tried to avoid the teasing that was no doubt coming. 

“I was heading to the school to get Omega enrolled so I’ve got some time.” She walked over and placed the crate down while smirking. “So you and Vino, huh?” 

“Don’t start.” You hated how awkward things were between you two now that you knew he liked you. “Wish Chai had never said anything.” The goodies of your basket were pulled out and placed on the counter. The kalathaki looked amazing with its golden crispy crust. You pulled out a knife and cut two pieces from the cheese-based pie. A few more slices were cut and placed into your fridge before you packaged the rest up for Stitches. 

“I think it’s cute.” She watched as you sliced a few pieces of the sourdough bread and placed it on the tray. Now who were you making all of this for? “He’s like a little puppy with the way he does things for you.” She reached over and plucked an amygdalota from the basket. The almond cookie danced on her tongue as she took a bite. “Ugh, Chai definitely made these.” They tasted just right. Nice and firm on the outside but chewy on the inside with just the right balance of salt and sugar. 

She moved over to your conservator and pulled out a few pieces of mixed fruit as well as some olives. “Wow, good haul from the merchant ships. Was Dion working?” Out of all the merchants, Dion liked you the most, and thus he always gave you a great deal. She placed the items on the counter next to you. 

“Yeah.” Once again there was another man who crushed on you. None of them fit that fairytale romance you wanted though. You wanted someone who would listen to what you had to say and understand it. Someone who looked at you like you were everything to them. Someone who you could care for but would care for you as well. That perfect relationship like yours, and so many others, parents had. 

“So which one of them is it? Who's the lucky clone getting this amazing-looking tray of food.” She watched as you placed a few of the almond cookies onto the tray before turning and grabbing the eggs from the water. Stitches was quick to help you by grabbing a bowl and filling it with ice and water.

 You deposited the eggs into the water to quickly cool as you finished filling the tray. All you needed was the eggs and then the caf. Already your inn was smelling amazing and no doubt the other clones would be up soon. You tried to ignore her question but as usual, your friend wouldn’t let up. 

“Can’t be Hunter, he’s too rugged for your taste. Remember Ienzo? You hated his ruggedness.” She grabbed an olive and popped it into her mouth. The salty brine burst in her mouth. She hadn't eaten before she left and it was catching up to her. 

“Ienzo’s beard was too long and had stuff stuck in it. Not to mention his hair was too greasy. I don’t think I’d call that rugged. I’d just call that gross. From what I’ve seen, Hunter is far from that.” But still far from your type. You grabbed the caf from the brewer and poured it into the two cups. It took a lot of willpower not to down your cup right away. 

Stitches shook her head as you rolled your eyes. “Ok, well it can’t be Echo. He’s far too pale for you. Remember Ansem?” 

You placed a few pieces of cutlery on the tray before looking around for some napkins. “Ansem couldn’t even step outside without burning. I can’t be with someone like that while living on a sunny island. From what I understand, Echo is recovering from some serious shit and hasn’t regained his color. Just as Crosshair is.” 

As soon as you said his name she knew she’d got you. “So it is Crosshair.” She giggled excitedly. “You and Crosshair. I can’t believe it!” Wrecker had folded her very little about Crosshair. Just that he was Tech’s twin and had been the one to make the call that sent them on their rescue mission. 

“Will you keep your voice down? Honestly.” You shooed her with one of the cloth napkins you’d found. “It’s not like that. He’s struggling with something. I just want to try and help him through whatever it is.” Having someone moping around your inn wouldn’t look good for you. Plus he was too cute to be sad. 

Oh. Oh no. You found him cute. 

No, you couldn’t fall for yet another customer. Not after the last one. You’d made a deal with yourself that you wouldn’t date another customer. You were just helping him because you felt bad for him. Yeah. That was all. Not because he had soft eyes filled with emotion or a cute butt. No, it was just because he was sad and you were trying to be nice. 

“Doll? Doooollll.” Stitches waved her hand in your face to draw your attention once more. 

“Huh? What?” You hadn’t realized you’d zoned out. You waved her hand away from your face before walking over to the bowl of ice and pulling out the two eggs. 

“I asked if you’d be making him this special meal every day?” If you were then she could cut back on one of the meals she made every day.

Sighing, you shook your head. “Just today. I’m trying to make him feel comfortable here. It can be hard going from one planet to another, especially when dealing with the death of a brother.” Or so you’d heard from passing customers. Back before the Empire took over you had all manner of customers come through your inn. Families, vendors, bounty hunters, and lone wolves. You’d seen it all and heard it all. You may not have experienced hardship like those around you, but you understood it enough. 

“Right.” She clapped her hands together and hugged you quickly. “Well I expect to be the first to know when that fails and you end up married to him.” 

“Oh, my gods. Why are you this way?” You hugged her before shooing her once more. “I can guarantee it won’t come to that.” 

“Whatever you say, Doll. Whatever you say.” She gathered her portion of the baked goods and bread into the basket. She took a moment to think about something before speaking in a more serious tone. “Don’t force him, or Chai, to talk about what’s wrong. You know as much as I do that’ll just push them deeper into themselves.” 

Your lips formed a thin line as you nodded. “I know.” There was a moment of hesitation between you two before you continued. “How are they? Wrecker and Omega?” 

She hummed in thought for a moment. “It’s day by day. They both still have nightmares and Omega barely eats right now. But I think getting her enrolled in school and back around other kids will help.” Stitches checked the basket for everything to distract herself from worrying too much about her little family. “Give Chai my love?” 

“I will.” You nodded while resting your hands on the cool countertop. “I’ll stop by after I talk to her. ‘Kay?” Your friend nodded before turning and leaving your inn. Only once the door was shut did you move around the counter and begin to pull the containers of food from the crate. You’d quickly get these sorted before going up to Crosshair’s room. Hopefully, he was done showering by now. 

-*-

Crosshair sat on the edge of his bed in the darkness of his room. He’d showered after his walk and reluctantly put a fresh pair of pajama pants on instead of simply laying on his bed in a towel. He wasn’t back to normal, it would take a lot longer for that to happen, but he did feel a little bit better. 

A soft knock on his door drew his attention. Standing, he walked over to the door and pressed his ear against the cool metal. 

“Crosshair? I brought you a little something to eat.” You spoke just barely loud enough for him to hear. Not wanting to wake his brothers up or draw attention to you two. 

He paused for a moment before opening the door with the intent of taking the tray of food from you and then going back into his room alone. It seemed you had other plans though. With a sweet smile at him that shook his entire body, you stepped past him and into the room he’d holed himself up in for two weeks. He barely caught sight of the tray but it was far from ‘a little’. From what he’d seen it was a lot, the tray was full. “Umm,” What was he supposed to say? Get out? What are you doing? You look nice in that dress. 

Wait. 

You’d worn a sundress countless times before, it seemed to be your preferred outfit, so why did he think you looked nice this time? He stood in the doorway watching you closely as you moved to the desk and placed down the tray. You stepped over to the window and in one swift movement the curtains were pulled back and the morning light flooded his room. The dress you wore was light blue with white stripes running down it multiple times. You had a pair of heeled strap sandals on and your hair was down. You looked just like you did nearly every time he’d caught a glimpse of you. So what was it about this time that made him feel this way?

“Don’t worry, I won’t be charging you extra for the meal.” You smirked at him before turning around and staring at his window. It was a little musky in here. With a cute humph, you unlatched the window and pushed it open happily. The crisp morning air blew into the room instantly and fluttered your dress making you laugh lightly. 

Crosshair practically swooned at your smirk. When the wind blew your dress around his knees nearly gave out. You were the most stunning creature he’d ever seen. “Huh?” Wow, he was not great at speaking to you. 

You fought the little chuckle that bubbled its way into your throat. “How was your walk? Did you make it to the seawall?” You’d been fussing with the tray of food until you heard the door shut. Good, he wasn’t running for the hills. Smiling, you looked up at him and watched as he walked across the room to you. It was only then that you noticed he wasn’t wearing a shirt. Your cheeks flushed at the sight of his surprisingly toned body. Hunter had told you that he’d been a prisoner for a while but that didn’t seem to have affected him too much. 

The morning sun enveloped you like a halo of orange and yellow as he stepped across the room. Seeing you like this, looking so beautiful, it seemed to loosen his tongue. “I did. It was nice.” He looked down at the tray of food and felt his mouth water. Everything looked so good, even the eggs. 

Picking up one of the mugs of caf, you passed it to him. “Did you see Chai? Her brother told me this morning that she’s been going out at night.” 

“I did.” Her brother? He didn’t realize she had a brother. There wasn’t much he knew about the girl, only that Tech was interested in her. This morning? It had only been a few hours since he’d seen the girl. Was it normal for men to come to your inn so early in the morning? Why did that make his heart twinge? “Didn’t say much.” He took the caf from you and waited for you to pick up the one intended for you. 

“Did she seem okay?” Your hand hesitated over your cup. 

You really cared for the girl, didn’t you? “She was quiet. Told her the code for the datapad.” 

Picking up the caf, you chewed your lip. “So she still hasn’t looked at it?” Echo had explained that there was something on the device that Tech had wanted her to see. What it was no one seemed to know. It was all just part of the contingency the clone seemed to have had. 

“Suppose not.” If she couldn’t even unlock the device then there was no way that she’d seen what was inside. 

You couldn’t let this get you down, not when you’d come in here with a plan. The cup in your hands was held out to him in cheers that he seemed reluctant to return. Never dropping the smile that you forced back onto your face, you took a sip of your caf and hummed happily. It was just the perfect level of sweetness with a small bite of bitterness on the tail end. “I’ll check on her later.”  You watched Crosshair carefully as he downed the entire cup of caf. He made a face that let you know that he didn’t care for the sweetness of the drink. It made you chuckle. “Sorry, wasn’t sure how you liked your caf.” 

You were so happy and peppy. Usually, that would annoy him but on you, it looked great. It almost made him want to smile and forget about everything. Almost. “It’s fine.” 

Well, it was the thought that counted. “Well, I think you should try the kalathaki next. It’s from the baker, they’re the best on the island when it comes to the pies.” You picked up the plate holding a slice of the cheese pie, it smelled delicious. 

Crosshair looked down at the tray of food and felt his stomach ache. He’d barely been eating these last couple of days. It all looked good too, you truly knew how to make a meal. But his mind and body pulled away from the food. He couldn’t bring himself to eat. Shaking his head, he lived to step away but heard you clear your throat suddenly. 

You watched the way he turned from you. Oh, he thought he’d get out of eating? Clearing your throat, you picked up a fork and cut a small piece of the pie. “Try a bite?” You gave him the best puppy dog eyes that you could muster. 

“I” he let out a long sigh. How could he say no when you looked at him like that? You’d gone through all the work of making the food for him and bringing it up to his room. The least he could do was try a small bite. Crosshair allowed you to slide a small piece into his mouth, the smile on your face pure as he did so. 

It tasted amazing. Better than anything he’d had before. The flavor burst in his mouth making his tongue sing. His stomach practically growled at the introduction of delicious food. He’d only been snacking on small pieces of bread or the rolls that came with the meals she dropped off. This was on an entirely different level. Before he could process the first bite you were already cutting another piece. He should step in and say he was able to feed himself but you seemed so pleased with yourself and honestly? He was tired. 

You let him chew the piece in his mouth while you set the plate down. Moving behind him, you grabbed the chair and placed it behind him. Without a word, he sat down and stared at you. You could see how tired he was, but that was okay. You’d take care of him. 

-*-

Thirty minutes later he took his final bite of the food. It had been a slow process for you to feed him, he didn’t seem too excited to eat. It wasn’t a lot that he’d eaten, small amounts here and there from the different items on the tray, but he’d at least eaten something. 

You stood from the spot on the floor that you’d slid into. It had been silent in the room since you’d started feeding him. You didn’t mind too much. Yes, it was odd at first but you didn’t want to press him too much. You were lucky that he’d let you in and do this much for him, pressing your luck could prove futile. He could easily lock back up and not let you in again. 

“Come on.” You whispered while extending your hand to him. 

The last thirty minutes had flown by in a blur as you fed him. He’d felt like a child at first but slowly he’d felt something else. Gratefulness? Lust? Desire? Someone as beautiful as you had been hand-feeding him. He didn’t deserve it. He didn’t deserve someone like you taking care of someone like him. Every moment and bite was savored as you worked around the tray. All of it had been delicious, but the pie had by far been his favorite. 

You stood and offered your hand to him and without hesitation he took it. He was easily pulled onto his feet and into your body. “S-sorry.” Came from him as he realized how close to you he was, you smelled amazing. 

Oh. He was warm. Your hand rested against his muscular chest for a moment as you repositioned him. You intended to lead him to his bed so he could get some sleep but you realized it was messy and deeply slept in. No doubt it smelled as bad as it looked. “Follow me?” 

Follow you? Follow you where? He’d trusted you so far. He continued to hold your hand as you led him from his room. “Where are we go-“ 

“We’re going on an adventure.” You squeezed his hand gently while leading him down the hall and the stairs.

 In the dining area at the table sat Hunter and Echo. Both men were distracted in a discussion over information Rex had found on some Republic medical staff prisoners. The stairs creaked under the dual weight of you and Crosshair as the two of you walked down them. Hunter looked over to say good morning to you and was surprised to see your hand wrapped around his vods. You paid them both little mind as you rounded the stairs and stepped through the door marked private. Hunter tried to wave down Crosshair and ask what the hell was going on but the man seemed just as lost as he was. The door shut with a gentle swoosh leaving Hunter and Echo to ponder what the hell they’d just seen. 

Crosshair looked around your small apartment in surprise. He was in your private space right now. The space that no one was supposed to see besides your friends. What did that make him? He’d only known you for two weeks and you’d barely spoken to each other. You walked into a side room and pulled him in behind you. The bed made it clear that this was your bedroom. It smelled of flowers and fresh linen while your bed looked incredibly comfortable and inviting. 

Finally, you stopped and motioned to your bed. “Please, get comfortable.”

“But it-“ you raised your hand to him quickly and shook your head. 

“Your bedding needs to be washed. None of the other rooms are set up for guests right now. So the obvious choice was for you to use mine.”  Stepping over to the bed, you pulled down the white floral print duvet and matching sheet before motioning for him to get in. “Don’t worry, I won’t watch you sleep.” 

“I didn’t think you would.” Maybe he did a little but you’d never know that. He walked over to your bed and carefully sat down on it. It was so soft and comfortable. 

“Oh, he’s snappy.” You winked at him while walking back around the bed and towards the door. “I like that.” You stood in the doorway and watched as he laid down and got comfortable. “Refresher is over to the left and there’s a pitcher of fresh water on the bedside table. Get some rest and I’ll see you at dinner.” 

“Why are you doing all of this?” He asked as he rested his head against your soft pillow. Now this was a nice bed. 

“Because we all need a little help sometimes.” Whether it was getting out of a rut or seeing the bad that others already could see. “Sweet dreams, Crosshair.” 

He turned his head and watched as you stepped out of the room. “Thanks” came as a whisper that only he could hear. 

Crosshair lay in the bed for what felt like an eternity, sleep eluding him for the time being. His mind raced over the events of the morning so far. First, he’d sat with you outside, then he’d met Chai and sat with her, you’d actually fed him and now he was lying in your very large bed. How had he gone from the sad darkness of his room to the light happiness of yours? He looked around from the warmth of the bed and picked up on a few things. You kept a datapad that was designed for reading next to your bed as well as a box of tissues. Your balcony led to the garden where the smell of flowers was coming from and your closet could be seen from the bed. There was, in fact, a large amount of sundresses within. There were also a few trophies on your wall surrounding a vanity with a large mirror that was directly across from the bed. It was a nice room. The scent of your perfume hung on the pillow pulling him from his thoughts and finally, after countless sleepless nights and an hour of laying in your bed, he fell into a deep sleep.

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[am3mb3r123]

hi yes i’m watching the Bad Batch arc of season 7 for the millionth time so here are this rewatch’s thoughts for all four episodes:

Marshall Commander Cody, highest ranked clone in the GAR: “let’s just wait until we’re in enemy airspace to debrief this highly important mission”

watching TBB inflict damage is always so much cooler than reading it, thanks aphantasia

wat tambor can suck a dick

Rex having both his greatest hope and worst fear confirmed is fucking *chefs kiss*

everytime they zoom in on Hunter it’s like a bad video game cut scene and i love it

poor Rex, Anakin puts him through so much

i will never get over Crosshair using Tech’s shoulder as a stabilization

god i wish TBB tv show showed more of Hunter giving incredibly specific orders in increasingly vague numbers

did i mention wat tambor can suck a dick?

yah know what? i’ll say it. Cross deserved that punch from Rex

TBB theme behind Anakin trying to brace Rex for Echo not being there?? kill me now

“Yeah, it’s a lift”

“His mind is ours” STFU TAMBOR

THE IMPLICATIONS THAT ECHO HAS BEEN RELIVING THE CITADEL FOR what TWO YEARS HELP

Anakin sees Echo back from the dead and doesn’t bat a fucking eye he’s seen so much since the start of this war

Wrecker blowing up Echo’s chamber so they can’t use it again warms my heart look at how much Wrecker cares!! (excuse me while i refrain from my full emotionally intelligent Wrecker rant)

I FORGOT ECHO JUMPED ON THE KEERADECK BY HIMSELF MINUTES AFTER WAKING UP FROM A MEDICAL COMA

so much time is devoted to the battle between the techo union and the TBB/Rex and Anakin/the Poltechs and i genuinely just want so much more of it

saying “hopefully it’s gonna be just like old times” to a man who’s been kept as a science experiment for two(?) years is insane

the narrator will not let us forget that Echo’s an ARC Trooper and i’m so grateful for it

whoever decided to give Echo a scomp arm i am kissing you on the mouth

“to be blunt” Tech you’ve never not been blunt in your entire life

has no one informed Admiral Trench that his “algorithm” has been compromised!?

Windu trying the “can we not?” method with the battle droids is so funny to me

“if it makes you feel better, it isn’t my plan” Anakin you little shit

unrelated but since when is the entire back of Jesse’s helmet blue??

Anakin wasn’t super justified in cutting off half of Admiral Trench’s limbs and then killing him, but who boy i love watching him go from Jedi to Jedi-adjacent to Sith

god i love Wrecker, if you’ve made it this far and have Wrecker-centric fics to recommend let me know

and, finally, love seeing TBB give a clean salute to Rex and knowing that they’re only doing it bc of Echo lmao

[lifblogs]

Worth It

@ailesswhumptober Day 19 Dissociation, Losing a Sense, "I wish I could get you back"

Fandom: The Bad Batch Rating: Teen and Up Audiences Word Count: 1136 Summary: Crosshair finds himself mourning Tech again. READ ON AO3

“I wish I could get you back,” Crosshair said down at the datapad in his hands.

He was all alone, sitting by the water, waves gentle as they lapped against the sand. Crosshair hated this place. Hated it because it was too easy to forget he was a soldier, hated it because he could feel himself listening to the soothing voice of the waves, hated it because he didn’t know who he was supposed to be.

Hated it because Tech wasn’t here, like he had wanted.

“I—it’s not fair that the last time I saw you was when I wanted you to leave me. That I’d… hurt you. And before that… Everything was so confusing. But I think you knew I wasn’t myself.

“I lost track of days while… imprisoned, but I know it’s been over a year since I saw you last. I’m sorry for what I did, what I said. I’m… glad you understood me, but I wished I hadn’t been the problem then.”

Crosshair looked out across the vast ocean, wondering if that force could swallow him up.

But then what would have been the point of Omega finishing Tech’s final mission?

She had saved him when Tech couldn’t.

She had done that for him, because of who she was, who her family had built her into. There were things in her that resembled all of them, he was realizing. Her open, unashamed laughter made him think of Wrecker, her ability to lead and take charge in a crisis made him think of Hunter, he thought of Echo when she was kind, thought of himself when she was snarky, and… there was so much about her that was like Tech. The way she sometimes had a bunch of information to share, and she was going to share it one way or another. The way she’d raise a finger to make a point, or admit that a dangerous mission was fun.

Crosshair wiped away some wetness on his face.

“I wish you could see her, Tech. I wish you could see the—the brave, selfless girl you turned her into. She loves so hard, and she’s always willing to sacrifice. It’s hard to see her like that sometimes, but I guess she learned that from you.”

He sighed, clutching the datapad hard in his trembling hand.

“Sometimes I… well… I’m angry with you,” he got out, feeling a fire of betrayal burn deep in his chest, so fierce he felt as if he couldn’t breathe. The words came out anyway, like torture upon his lips, “I sent that message to make you go into hiding, to protect yourselves, protect Omega. I wish… I wish you hadn’t cared about me so much. Then—then…” Crosshair had to pause, finding it hard to get the words out, chest feeling like it was being pounded in with a hammer, his heart ready to rupture. “Then you’d still be here,” he eventually said.

What he didn’t voice was, Maybe I wouldn’t be.

But maybe that would have been better.

He had wanted Tech to stay away, had wanted him to live. And—and maybe Crosshair was the reason he was dead.

No, no. Tech knew what that message had meant.

He’d ignored it.

He’d ignored it because he had loved him.

And Crosshair didn’t feel like he had even deserved anything like love at that point, especially from his family. He had hurt them so much, had put fear in their hearts.

And now he was here, paying for it with Tech’s absence.

“I learned what you had done. From Hemlock, of all people. I didn’t believe it at first, but… Omega told me the whole thing. I wish you were here just so I could hit you and tell you what an absolute idiot you were. But then… then I wouldn’t have to tell you that because you’d be alive. You’d be alive.

“I know we’re soldiers. I know we’re supposed to die. Somehow I never thought how that would include you. I suppose I thought it was impossible that someone so talkative, so full of information and wonder, and with more intelligence than anyone I’ve ever known—that that person could… could die.

“I don’t know what to do without you. I keep going because I have no choice, but your death was just another torment for me. You hurt me. You hurt me, you kriffing idiot!” he cried. “What were you thinking? I know what you were thinking. Omega told me everything. I see how there was no other way, but there should have been! Maybe you should have just stayed here, and left me inside that mountain.”

Crosshair’s throat was sore from speaking so much. He didn’t know what else to say. Could loop across these same ideas over and over because what else was he supposed to do?

Yet after his tears dried, he looked out toward the ocean, out toward the sky.

“Thank you,” he said. “Thank you for caring.”

“Who are you talking to?” Omega asked, making Crosshair jump.

For once he’d let his other senses get distracted, and hadn’t known she was approaching.

He hurriedly wiped his face.

“No one,” he responded.

Omega looked down at Tech’s datapad in Crosshair’s trembling hand.

She sat down beside him, gently holding his wrist.

“Guess I’ll talk to no one too.”

Crosshair let out a surprised laugh at her quick understanding, her little joke.

And they sat there in silence till the wind off the ocean left them chilly and racing back to the Marauder to get warm.

The others were out, and Omega was now flushed from all the running. She caught up with Batcher, and then said she’d get an ice cone for him.

Crosshair nodded, and went to put Tech’s datapad away.

He left it amongst his things they hadn’t had the heart to get rid of.

Maybe Hunter liked to torture himself with Tech’s broken, and bloodied goggles. But Tech was no longer in them, his spirit had not been in what helped him see, but in what he’d used and loved. Well, that was how Crosshair saw it.

He put a hand to the datapad, thanking it again.

Then he walked out into the sunlight—something he had thought he’d never see again. And that sun shone on him not just thanks to Omega, but thanks to Tech too.

He laughed as Omega came racing up, Batcher trying to eat one of the ice cones.

He took the blue one Omega offered, holding it well away from Batcher. He sat by the Marauder with his daughter, free, and missing Tech with every second.

He supposed that’s how love worked eventually: it always ended with sadness, bitter feelings, regrets.

But knowing Tech had made it all worth it.

[indigofyrebird]

Dream Keeper

591 words

I liked my mini idea and wanted to expand it a little more.

Tech recorded their dreams. For research.

When they were small, he enjoyed his position of bedside confessor, offering cold comfort in his stiff presence. He allowed only so much, drawing the line when Hunter's nightmares had him clinging to Tech, small shoulders heaving with emotion. He would gently extricate himself from his brother's clutches, smoothing damp hair from their foreheads not unkindly before settling further down on the bunk to discuss the dream.

The human psyche fascinated him and he read all he could on dreams, wanting to understand what was behind each of his brother’s unconscious thoughts.

He knew their secret desires, their fears. He knew what horrors, what dark images lurked in each of his brother’s subconscious minds. He knew them, and he kept them secret. Many times he was asked to keep quiet about a certain dream, as if the dreamer had some kind of control over it and should be ashamed of the idea their mind had created while asleep. 

Tech, ever rational, would explain patiently that there was no need to be embarrassed, it was as natural as breathing. 

Nevertheless, he kept the dreams to himself.

He liked to interpret their dreams for them, to analyze them. His brothers found this comforting, most of the time, but occasionally they would stop him, a hand on his arm, eyes wide. There was only so far a person wanted to delve into the deepest parts of themselves and to share that with their brother. 

Hunter frequently dreamed of losing his entire squad, every last man. These dreams, when he was a cadet only increased after he was given the responsibility of Sergeant. He had grown out of the need to bury his face in Tech's stomach, to cling, but he still felt better if he could talk it through with his brother. He would dream that someone had roughly chopped his hair off with his own vibroknife, leaving it short and jagged, always so relieved when he woke. 

Wrecker dreamed of holding on to his brothers so tightly that he sometimes hurt them in his dreams, their bodies squished flat in his arms when he looked down, horrified. He dreamed of food. Tables overflowing with unlimited food.

Crosshair dreamed of judgement. In his sleep, he was always doing something wrong, his actions picked apart to the smallest minutiae. He dreamed of making the most impossible shots, his bullets curving unnaturally around corners. He dreamed once that a reg saved his life. He made Tech swear on the Marauder never to tell anyone about that dream.

Tech would never tell anyone of the whispered confessions in the middle of their sleep cycle. He listened and he analyzed, his mind making connections where the dreamer could not. 

Tech recorded his own dreams, sometimes waking in the night to speak into his datapad's recording device so he wouldn't forget. If he ever thought it would be beneficial to have someone like himself to talk through a particularly unusual dream, he quashed that idea at the thought of letting anyone see his most vulnerable inner self. He preferred being the dream keeper, never the dream giver.

Tech dreamed of flying, both in his ship and outside of it. He dreamed of beautiful, rare birds, species never before recorded, their songs so complex that he would run out of recording space trying to capture it all. He dreamed of the moon on Kamino, a sight not often seen. He dreamed of a heart full of thoughts and a tongue incapable of voicing them.

[velvet-glory]

liquid fire

— avenhill, mildly suggestive undertones, 475 words

Boothill is not so different from liquid fire.

Mesmerizing, every flicker telling a new story. Impossible to contain. Radiant and so full of energy it’s blinding to look for too long.

And yet, Aventurine can’t help but reach out, seeking the warmth, wondering what it’s like to trace the flames that feel so gentle against his skin.

Boothill always indulges him; leans into his touch with a smile.

It burns. Not his hand, but his heart, with how it aches at the notion so painfully tender. So openly affectionate. Boothill indulges his every whim with a toothy grin; a quirk of his brow; a laugh that rings like chimes in the wind and Aventurine can’t help but be swept away in their song.

And when Boothill turns his head—when he gently presses his lips against the center of his palm—Aventurine wonders if this is how a pebble feels as it watches magma approach.

There is no fear, simply awe. It spreads through Aventurine’s lungs as he holds his breath. His fingers twitch and yearn, and Boothill’s lips travel upwards to where his pulse beats fiercely at his wrist. There’s a faint glow within crosshaired eyes as they flicker open, the intensity of said gaze enough to send a tremor down Aventurine’s back.

It’s dizzying. Aventurine licks his lips as he allows himself to be engulfed—as Boothill moves closer not like a hunter, but like inevitability. A slow and steady approach leaving behind nothing but ash that coats his skin.

And like destiny, their lips finally meet, colliding like homecoming.

It’s only then that Aventurine finds he can finally breathe again. He gasps for it, struggling to fill his lungs as Boothill’s cold, metallic, hand comes to rest at the back of his neck, toying with the short strands of hair there. The change in temperature shoots through Aventurine’s body like a bolt, his hands grasping for anything to steady himself; to keep his knees from buckling.

But, even like this—as Boothill’s tongue brushes against his lower lip in quiet permission—Aventurine never fears falling.

There’s few certainties in life, but Boothill always being there to catch him is one of them.

Him always noticing every shudder and their meaning is another.

“Somethin’ on your mind, darlin’?” Boothill whispers against Aventurine’s lips.

“I’m… afraid you’ll have to be more specific.” Aventurine’s reply is breathless, unable to hide the desire that thrums within his veins and the affection that winds around his bones—even as he smiles around the presented challenge.

Boothill laughs. A loud, genuine bark of happiness that makes Aventurine forget himself.

There is no past, no future, only Boothill holding him like a treasure. Every caress another confession, every kiss another promise. Meeting him halfway, always. Understanding what lies beyond the charade and easily plucking him apart as an equal.

(Originally posted here.)

[zoeykallus]

Hiiii!!!! I love ur work sm <<<<33333

If you get the chance could you do reader with an anxiety/panic disorder + platonic bad batch

Maybe with some snuggles from wrecker bc I love him SO MUCH <<<<<33333

Aloha! Thanks a lot! Love to read that! 😊 Okay, I'm not really sure if you want this as HCs or a One-shot. But it sounds like a One-shot, with all of them but focus on Wrecker? Let me give it a try. I'm not really a proffesionell, so I can only draw from my own experience regarding anxiety and panic. I hope that works for you. If not, I would need a little more details.

The Bad Batch x Platonic Reader One-Shot - We Have Your Back

Warnings: anxiety/panic disorder/Hurt/Comfort/Fluff

____________________

You let yourself be persuaded to go to the market with the boys. Actually, it's not a good idea, today is not a good day, you feel it in your bones, but you don't want to be a killjoy. Against your better judgment, you go along anyway.

While you stroll through the market, you concentrate on the boys as your fixed points, your safety buffers. But there's really a lot going on at the market today. So many people, so many smells, sounds, voices. It's actually not that warm, but you start to sweat a little.

Your eyes twitch back and forth, you don't know what to focus on first, you feel harried and lost at the same time. You constantly have the feeling that you are being watched, subliminally you expect to be grabbed by some stranger at any time. It's not a full on panic attack yet, but you know it's about to happen.

You feel helpless, trying to fight that upcoming feeling of paralyzing fear, but it only seems to get worse.

Suddenly, Hunter stops and turns to you.

"Hey, is everything okay?"

You force yourself to smile and say, "Sure."

His gaze is critical, but he doesn't contradict you.

"Okay, if you say so"

It's only a small gesture, and if you weren't so observant you might have missed it, but you see Hunter barely noticeably giving hand signals to his brothers. Like a ring of protection, the boys form around you almost unobtrusively, enclosing you in their midst like a shield.

You look up and Echo smiles gently at you. Tech shows you something on his holopad and distracts you with a few facts about the planet. Crosshair lets you nibble on some dried fruit he bought.

The guys already know that you suffer from these attacks from time to time, by now they know how to deal with it quite well. Wrecker takes your hand very gently. When you look up at him, he smirks at you.

"We've got you, dear."

Your heart beats faster with joy and relief. You take a deep breath and return his smirk. You are incredibly grateful.

Carefully, Wrecker puts his arm around your shoulders and gently presses you against his side.

"You're perfectly safe here," he says softly.

Touched, you say, "I know Wrecker, thank you."

Tech suggests buying stuff for a picnic or barbecue and going to a quieter place. You're not the only one who likes the idea.

That evening you sit together in the middle of nowhere around a campfire, the Marauder hidden not far from you between some trees. Over the fire is a rack that Tech has put together, on which vegetables and pieces of meat are roasting.

You are leaning against Wrecker's strong chest, he holds you gently in his arms. It feels wonderful, safe, warm, secure. The food over the fire smells so good, the night sky is starry. It seems like a perfect evening, it feels like the world is in order again. There is no fear lurking somewhere in the back of your mind, not now.

You sit back in relief as you hear Echo say, "It's okay if you say no, by the way, you don't have to go along with everything if you don't feel like it, dear."

You blink and look at him in surprise.

Tech adds, "We want you to feel comfortable, but to assure that, you have to be honest with us."

Hunter nods in agreement and says, "None of us are judging you."

Crosshair growls, "Stop saying only what you think we want to hear."

Wrecker squeezes you gently with a soft laugh and says, "What Crosshair is saying is that we want you to be comfortable, so you need to tell us honestly what you want and how you feel"

You smile cautiously and say softly, "Sounds reasonable. Thanks guys"

Hunter assures you, "We'll always have your back, never hesitate to let us know when you need something"

Ko-Fi (If you feel like giving me some coffee)

@rintheemolion

@andyoufollowyourheart @clone-whore-99

@brynhildrmimi @kaliel2310

@misogirl828 @tech-deck

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@echos-girlfriend

@taskfork-archive

@cpnt616

@starwarsnerd111

[ghostfives]

Werewolf pup omega and werewolf bad batch it is then.

Secrets kept

Hunter growls as he and the batch head off the ship, looking around. Omega is asleep in the back and it’s just them, so it’s time to finally let loose and be what they are. Werewolves.

The batch have been werewolves since shortly after Echo had joined, when a mission went wrong and Wrecker got bit. Then he bit all of them.

Now this was their new norm, and they actually enjoyed it until Omega… they can’t lose her. And if she sees the monsters they are, then this won’t end well.

“Okay boys, only an hour. Let’s do this.” Hunter smiles as he steps out in the moonlight, letting the transformation take hold.

“Awww.” Wrecker pouts as he steps out to and grunts, feeling his bones rearrange as fur sprouts all over his body.

“Can’t scare… Omega.” Echo growls, his cybernetics off and he replaces them with his werewolf ones.

Crosshair grins and stretches. “Has been way too long.”

Once they are fully transformed, Tech stretches. “We need to hurry, let’s catch a meal.” He says, voice deeper as he pulls his goggles over his eyes.

“Let’s go!” Wrecker goes running, letting out a howl.

Hunter sighs softly, chuckling and running after him as he howls, followed by his brothers. This will be good.

xxx

Omega whines as she transforms, and crawls out of the marauder. She needs food, she hasn’t had raw meat or transformed in weeks. She hopes her brothers don’t come back soon, as she runs off.

Omega sniffs the air, smiling as she smells a nice rabbit. She goes running. This is the first time she’s hunted that’s not in an enclosed environment that Nala Se created, and it feels wonderful! The wind in her fur, the dirt on her paws! All the amazing scents in the air, it’s the best thing ever!

Omega lets out a happy howl without thinking, and that’s when she hears it. Somethings running towards her, and she lets out a yelp as she sees a large werewolf run towards her and freeze. It stares at her before sniffing the air.

Omega whines, and whimpers as four other werewolves come running with the first and they all just stare.

“A pup?” One asks softly. “How…”

“Omega!?” The first one asks.

Omega whimpers, backing away.

“No, Omega don’t-“

Omega goes running, as fast as she can back to the ship. She’s too scared to transform back so she just has to hope for the best. Hope that her brothers don’t check on her.

She quickly hides in her little room, curling up with her Trooper doll and Lula as she whines softly. She’s starving for fresh meat, but she’s not getting any of it.

xxx

Omegas ears wiggle as she hears the door open, and her heart thumps hard in her chest. She’s so scared, but… something wrong. The footsteps sound heavier?

“Omega?”

Omega whimpers, that’s the same voice as before and her ears press back tightly in fear. Her tail tucks between her legs, and she listens as the footsteps stop right outside her room.

“Omega, it’s Hunter, honey.” The deep voice says, and honestly… it does sound like Hunter.

Omega hiccups. “No! Hunters not a monster!”

“Oh Omega, you’re not a monster. You’re a scared little girl. I promise, it’s me. Remember when you called me Buir two weeks ago? No one else knew that.” The wolf says.

Omega gasps, whining. “Hunter?”

“Yes baby girl.” Suddenly two furry arms come in and pulls her close to an equally furry chest. “I’ve got you, little one. I’m here.”

Omega sobs. “Buir!” She curls close. “The… other werewolves?”

“Our family is all werewolves.” Hunter hums softly. “Want to come see everyone?” He asks softly, wanting to give Omega the choice. She deserves that.

Omega sniffles, but nods bravely.

Hunter grins and heads outside, Tech, Echo and Crosshair all sitting around a fire.

“Hey kid!” Crosshair smiles. “You are so cute!”

Omega smiles and slides out of Hunters arms, running over and sniffing Crosshair. “You’re like me?” She asks, eyes full of hope.

“Yes we are.” Crosshair smiles and nuzzles her.

Echo comes over too her. “Oh kiddo.” He coos and licks her head, before sniffling her and giving a gentle grooming.

Omega rumbles happily and her tail wags behind her. “What’s that?” She asks softly.

“This is grooming, parents do it to their young. And since we are your parents in every sense of the word but biological, then it is our job to do these things.” Tech hums, adjusting his goggles and coming over. “And you, our pup, need a grooming.” He licks gee face, getting a giggle.

“Omega! I got ya good!” Wrecker says, mouth full as he runs out and drops the rabbit at her feet.

Omega smiles and digs in.

Hunter smiles as he and his brothers sit together, watching their Pup eat her fill. They never could have imagined that this would have happened, but they’re happy to have their Pup, no matter what.

Once Omega is full, she yawns and stretches out. Then she gasps as she’s picked up in Crosshairs mouth, and moved up where the other Wolves are making a nest out of blankets. She’s sat down and then cuddles between them all.

“Goodnight, Pup.” Hunter coos, nuzzling her.

Omega smiles, yawning and curling into Hunter. She’s the happiest she’s ever been, and it’s all because of her five werewolf dads. Life can’t get better.

[littlemissmanga]

Yay! Wrecker!!

What do you think he is afraid of, other than heights?

Where does he feel most at peace?

How would he describe himself in 5 words?

How would his romantic life be? 💕

OMG I love getting to talk about him 💕

Fears:

So I think all of his fears are all based in things he can't fight with his strength and determination. That's why he's afraid of heights. I think he's also terrified of being caught out in the ocean. Both are kinda tied to the same thing on Kamino - falling off the platform and sent adrift in the sea - and both represent situations where he can't fight his way out.

At Peace:

He feels most at peace in the Marauder but not because of it, but because that's where he's had his best memories with his brothers.

WHEN they're all safe on Pabu, it'll definitely be Pabu. His favorite place will always be the heart of his home. For ultimate peace, it'll be sunset after a day of helping his community, belly full after a meal with his brothers, sister, and close friends, and if he's with someone, them in his arms as they watch the sun sink over the edge of the sea.

It almost looks like an explosion, but with none of the fear or adrenaline.

How He'd Describe Himself

Big

Strong

Hungry

Funny (Wrecker think's he's hysterical and honestly I just love that. I'd laugh at his laugh more than the joke but that's even more delightful)

Caring

Romantic Life

Wrecker would give 150% into his romantic life, and he'd live it LOUD. I don't just mean in volume - though he'd definitely talk about you enough to just about anyone who'd listen - but in action.

This man would be trying to do every sweet thing he can for you to take care of you. There literally wouldn't be a "honey-do" list because the second you'd ask something, he'd be on it before you could blink. Acts of service are a big way for him to show he cares - he isn't the most confident when it comes to expressing himself verbally.

It's also why he loves taking you on dates. He may not always plan them thoroughly, but he definitely always picks something fun and active - picnics and hikes, physical training/going to the gym, paintball, scavenger hunts/escape rooms (he loves these a lot). But he is adaptable and if you need a quieter day or night, he LOVES getting super comfortable in PJs (preferably you in just his shirt, he goes wild for that) and grabbing every pillow and blanket you can and play board games or video games in your nest, then cuddling and watching a holofilm to bed.

As much as he loves going out to have fun, he secretly treasures the nights in, where he gets to just hold you all night for as long as he can. Acts of Service is how he communicates his love, but Physical Touch is how he receives love, so holding you close and feeling how perfectly you fit against him soothes him. He also will never get over how relaxed you are around him. It humbles and makes him proud that you feel so comfortable around him that you trust him that much.

Some NSFW below here, please read responsibly.

Wrecker is not inexperienced when you meet, but he's closer to that end of the spectrum. He's hooked up, mostly to experience it, but he didn't like that he knew his partner didn't care for him and that he didn't really care for his partner.

I can see Wrecker being demisexual but even if he isn't, he very much prefers to have a relationship of some kind with a sexual partner.

But ultimate preference is to be committed to them and them to him. He loves (LOVES) the intimacy of it, of being so connected and open with someone else. Pretty much the exact kind of vulnerable that Crosshair hates, Wrecker looks forward to experiencing with you. Over. And over.

So there are some natural challenges when you start becoming intimate, as you have to teach him how to learn your body and he doesn't have much experience to know what he likes with a partner at first. Luckily, exploring with Wrecker is fun. He's nervous - he doesn't wanna mess up and he really doesn't wanna hurt you. But with reassurance and patience, he'll come to treat it as a game - and Wrecker loves playing games, especially when winning means you both get to feel good.

He cannot get over the reactions he can pull from you. It's reassurance he needs that he's doing good. And when you confirm it with your words???? OMG his brain does stop working some times. Hello praise kink. He tries to reciprocate. It takes a while, and he struggles with saying explicit stuff, but he's got some go-to phrases he uses that just get you going, and since he knows how good that feels for him, he keeps it up seeing it's making you feel just as good.

Prefers giving to receiving but that's mostly because he's afraid to hurt you. Once he gets comfortable that you'll communicate with him and he can read you better, he let's up and will be rougher with you.

Man's a messy pussy eater. There, I said it. Absolutely feral and all over down there. He'll smack his lips when he comes up, too, so you can hear how wet he made you. Gotta make sure you're ready for him, after all.

And ya, he's proportionate, so he insists on making you cum at least once before you try penetration.

But Wrecker is incredibly sex positive and knows that PiV is not the only way. He's a HUGE fan of mutual masturbation and assisted masturbation, heavy petting and grinding, and of course, thigh riding. These aren't just "we don't have time, here's something to tide us over" for him. They're all equal ways of showing you how much he loves you and how he can use his body to make yours feel good.

He's not into power dynamics since that makes him feel distant from his partner and he is NOT into degradation at all - that's a hard boundary for him. That said, he definitely has a size kink - he loves his size and how he makes you look small and you make him look big, no matter how tall you actually are.

I can't see Wrecker as really into impact play, but he does love marking you up with love bites and seeing the imprint of his grip on your skin (once you've confirmed you're ok with it). He really likes gripping and grouping and seeing your soft skin mold to his touch.

His favorite position is cowgirl, shortly followed by you on your back, your thighs over his hips as he kneels. Both give him complete access to you and he loves watching himself slide in and out of you. Though he'll never say no to bending you over a table, especially if you're wearing a flirty little skirt. He CANNOT be blamed for wandering hands leading to more when you're wearing a tiny skirt. That's almost as bad as his shirt.

[staycalmandhugaclone]

If you're new, this all starts with Touch Starved - Echo! You can read this little chunk as a standalone, or head back to the beginning for the full experience!

Apparently, I felt like Crosshair didn’t get quite enough whump in that first one… So sorry my beloved… Continuation to Muzzled.

Febuwhump Day 3 Ch 2

Muzzled – Crosshair

Warnings: This one's gone some proper medical procedures - gore/blood/injections. Adult language. Good bit of guilt and angst.

WC: 4,079

We were aboard The Dominator for mere minutes, just long enough to drop Rex and his men off before being ushered to the far side of the galaxy. I’d have argued – insisted on a few days med-leave for Crosshair’s jaw to heal, but we’d be traveling for nearly a week. Not accounting for some unforeseen complication, that would be ample time for the bacta to help knit the fracture closed.

Halfway through that first day of our journey, I noticed the extra meal bar in the small kitchenette. After learning of how they’d starved from insufficient rations for most of their lives, I’d begun tracking inventory more closely, both to record how much food Wrecker actually needed as well as ensure no one fell back into the habit of rationing their meals for fear of not having enough. At least to that point, there’d seemed no cause to worry over the latter, but it didn’t take much thought to understand who’d skipped their morning meal and why.

I found Crosshair dozing in one of the crash seats in the cabin. Echo and Wrecker chatted quietly nearby while the taller man used the overhead racks as pull-up bars, speech intimidatingly even despite the tempo of his movement. Treading lightly across the room, I nestled into the seat beside the resting sniper and lightly tapped my knee against his to wake him.

“Hey, I want you to drink this.” I said quietly, undeterred by how quickly his lips pulled into a frown as he turned to face me.

“No.” The simple brusqueness of his response drew a soft chuckle from me before, with a pointedly deep breath, preparing for the coming fight.

“Cross, you skipped breakfast. You can’t do that while using bacta.” His frown deepened into an unimpressed glare. “Would you rather I shove a tube down your nose to force-feed you?” I asked blankly and had to fight to ignore the stifled snickers behind us. Crosshair held my gaze a moment longer, debating how far he wanted to push me.

“What is it?” It wasn’t cooperation, but it was a start as his eyes dropped down to study the cup.

“It’s a meal replacement shake – all the calories and nutrients of a ration bar without needing to chew.” I couldn’t help the quiet laugh that bubbled past my lips at his skeptical grimace. “Don’t worry – it’s not GAR-regulation chalk flavored. I keep a few different ones on hand – let me know if you don’t care for how this one tastes.” I shifted forward in a gentle offer, smile growing as he reluctantly took it.

“Oooh, can I try one?” Wrecker asked eagerly, abandoning his workout to trot toward us, and I immediately shot him a toothy grin.

“Of course, big guy.” I answered warmly, pushing myself back to my feet. “Why don’t you come choose which one you’d like?” The brilliance of his joy was a thing I’d never weary of, unabashed glee lightening his movements as he eagerly agreed. “How about you, Echo? They’re really gentle on the stomach.” I added at that first whisper of doubt on his face.

“Sure.” He sighed with a shrug. Stealing a final glance to see Crosshair still merely studying the cup, I reached out to let my hand just brush softly over his shoulder before starting back toward the kitchenette.

He didn’t fight me when I presented him with another one that night, thoughtlessly bringing the straw up to his lips after I’d handed it to him. I tried not to show the pleased smirk. It was such a simple, little thing, but just knowing I’d managed to offer even that tiny bit of comfort made my heart dance.

“The other one was better.” He muttered before walking out, ripping a bark of laughter from me.

-

My attention kept wandering to that tall grump, mind churning over the certainty that I was overlooking something. He’d been more quiet than normal, but given the trauma of being tortured, that was hardly unexpected. It wasn’t until he leaned absently against a wall, body instantly flinching for barely a fraction of a second before shifting to stand upright that it clicked.

“Hey… Crosshair…” I called hesitantly, unbothered by the way his frown deepened, tongue shifting a toothpick across his lips as he stared me down. “Are you still having pain in your back?” Caught. That tiny flicker of tension that flashed over him told me everything. “What’s wrong? Did I not give you enough bacta?” I pressed, stepping closer to him. His arms folded across his chest stubbornly, and I didn’t try to silence the loud sigh. “Would you just show me?” I asked, words fleeing on an exasperated breath, but he didn’t move.

“You’re going to make me say it?” His cold expression remained pointedly unfazed. “You really just want to hear me say it, don’t you?” Still nothing. Movements overly exaggerated, I clasped my hands together, head tilting in a flirtatious sway, “Oh, Crosshair, it would mean so much to me if you would please take your kriffing shirt off so I can make sure whatever’s wrong with back doesn’t cause lasting tissue damage.” The sickly-sweet tone carried through each word, bringing an initial flash of confusion to his face before it fell back into that familiar snarl for the split second it took the sharp pain to shoot through his jaw and force him back into a violent glare. Brows raised expectantly, I waited mere seconds before motioning my hands impatiently toward him.

The begrudging movement of his limbs was more than enough to send tendrils of worry through my chest. He was letting me help. With so little argument, he was submitting to my request. Something was wrong. My worry overrode the whisper of appreciation I couldn’t help but feel at the reveal of that muscular torso, abs dancing beneath caramel skin in a display of raw power that I’d never get used to as he slipped the skin-tight suit over his head.

Without waiting for him to turn, I immediately moved to see his back, and that worry turned to ice in my veins. Several dark bruises still covered that gorgeous skin, but the one that I couldn’t rip my eyes away from lay just between the top ridges of his shoulder blades, skin stretched taut over a massive ball of nearly black swelling. I could see a starkly defined line of healed and unhealed damage, and I didn’t need to ask.

“Your shoulders,” I sighed, heart rending beneath the realization I should have made days ago. “They were hurt from how you’d been restrained… you couldn’t reach your back until they healed.” He purposefully avoided even glancing at the desperate regret tearing through my eyes, shifting to stare blindly through the far wall. Drawing a carefully slowed breath, I dragged my hand over my face, fingers clawing into my hair in a frenzy of guilt and frustration. If he’d just said something, anything, given me some tiny hint, he’d be almost free of pain, but now, the dark mass lying dangerous near his spine was an very real concern.

“Listen, I really need you to be honest with me right now.” I prompted, voice abandoning any teasing lilt or sarcastic drawl. His frown deepened, hesitating at the shift in my tone, but then he moved just enough to glance over his shoulder, eyes finding mine with that unsettling stillness. “Are you having any numbness or tingling in your fingers? Or have you noticed any limited mobility?” He watched me for a long moment, and I could see how carefully he thought over my question before his head dipped in a small nod. My chest sank, body deflating in a slow, tense sigh.

“Okay.” Maker, he wasn’t going to like this. My hand reached for the painful ball of swollen tissue, pausing barely an inch away as I gathered my thoughts. “Crosshair, I need to drain this. And I need to do it now.” His expression didn’t change, but I saw how the air stilled in his lungs. “I can numb it – like I did your jaw, but the longer we wait, the more likely that nerve damage becomes permanent.” The resignation that slowly settled over him was a thing I hoped never to see again, and I hated myself for the relief I felt as he nodded once more.

“Come on.” I breathed, hand automatically slipping around his arm in an instinctive need to offer some measure of reassurance. I nearly pulled back the instant I realized what I’d done, but he didn’t shy away from my touch. I didn’t know how to feel about that. Was he in so much pain that he didn’t notice? Had he decided the annoyance of my absent caresses weren’t worth fighting? Or was he so distraught over the possible disability, that even he found himself needing that tiny measure of comfort?

“Lay down on your side. Do you want me to explain what I’m going to do?” There was a gentle quiet in the hum of my voice.

“No. Just do it.” He said blankly, movements stiff as he forced himself onto the cot I usually called mine. I wasted no time in gathering my supplies, careful not to let him see. He didn’t want to know what I needed to do, and I was too eager not to tell him, not to grant him any indication of the coming hurt beyond the numbing medication. After slipping a drip cloth beneath him, I took a final breath.

“Quick burn.” I warned but didn’t wait for him to tense before resting the injector against the center of that mass. The muscles curled along his spine, back threatening to arch as he let out a nearly growled exhale, and my heart ached for him. The last whisper of that strained breath faded into a quick huff, tension fleeing him in a rush.

“Alright, a lot of pressure, then a big release.” Again, I didn’t wait before slipping the blade through skin and muscle. His breath hitched, arms wrenching back, and I had to quickly lock my hand around his shoulder to keep him still enough to slip the drainage tube in. I quickly set a catch beneath the incision as the pooled blood and fluids poured from wound and tube alike, and he let out a huff of relief through still clenched teeth.

“The kriff was the damn shot even for?!” He snarled, and I wanted to sob at the tremor in his voice.

“I know – I know; I’m sorry, but it would have been a lot worse without it.” I murmured, thumb absently sweeping over suddenly chilled skin. “The hard part’s over, though.” I offered gently, and his head fell heavily to the thin pillow, eyes clenched as his torso rocked with too-quick breaths. “I want you to try to keep still.” I instructed, reaching out to drag my blanket over his lightly shaking form. “We need to leave that in for a while – make sure it doesn’t swell back up again.” He shifted only slightly before abandoning the attempt.

“Leave… what in?” He demanded despite the weakness trying to drag his voice into a hoarse whisper. “What did you do?” Those words wanted to be a snarl, but the heaviness of his breaths robbed them of any force.

“I had to place a drainage tube. I’m going to secure it so it doesn’t fall out, and then I want you to try to rest.” The way he rolled his eyes granted me some measure of relief – that, at least, had lost none of its strength. Movements meticulous to avoid even the slightest jostle around that painful injury, I applied a few strips of adhesive, pleased to see the flow of liquid slow to only an occasional drip.

“I can give you something to help you sleep.” I offered quietly, hand returning to rest gently atop his shoulder. He answered with that signature glare. “Okay, how about some water? Either say yes, or I’m sticking an IV in you.” I threatened, and I knew how eager he was to twist that aching jaw into a scowl.

“Fine.” He relented, gaze returning to some distant point well beyond the Marauder’s walls.

“Okay. I’ll be right back – no moving.” I added before starting toward the door.

Hunter said nothing as he caught my eyes the instant I was in the hallway, arms crossed over his chest, jaw taut with concern; waiting, and that guilt struck me anew, tears balling in my throat.

“I’ll know more tomorrow.” I told him, “I should have noticed sooner-I… Maker, I’m so sorry.” I hated the way my voice broke, hated the tears that slipped down my cheeks.

“There’s not much you can do when he gets it in his head that things should go a certain way.” He sighed, and I could hear an exhaustion in his voice that spoke of a lifetime of trying to save his brother from himself in far too similar situations. “It’s not your fault, Doc.” His shoulders sank as he stepped toward me, arms falling heavily to his sides before bringing a warm hand to my shoulder. Teeth grinding behind tight lips, I shook my head.

“Of course, it’s my fault.” I nearly growled, “I saw what kind of state he was in when we found him. I knew there was still something wrong. I…” Letting out a breath that threatened to cave into a sob, I forced myself to focus. I still had a job to do. “I need to get him some water.” Without meeting Hunter’s eyes, I pushed passed him to the supply room.

“Why don’t you take a minute? I’ll stay with him.” I was shaking my head before he’d finished speaking.

“I need to monitor that drain tonight – make sure he doesn’t jostle it in his sleep.” Without waiting for him to find some other excuse or futile attempt to lessen my strife, I quickly tread around him to return to the medbay. Crosshair hadn’t moved, but I was please to see his breathing had calmed.

“Is it any better?” I barely whispered the words as I tread lightly to the front of the cot.

“Great.” The rumbled word snapped from still tight lips, but I was certain ridding him of that massive buildup of fluid had to grant some reprieve.

Crouching down slightly, I brought the straw to his mouth, with a quiet, “here,” but he immediately pulled back in disgust, arm tensing to take it himself. I quickly reached out to stop him, hand clasping firmly around his forearm.

“Don’t.” I kept my voice soft, but left no room for argument as I met the obstinate look in his eyes. “I don’t want you do to anything that’s even going to tense your shoulders right now.” Again, I watched that moment of debate war within him, but, when his eyes darted away from mine beneath that wretched flush of shame, he reluctantly shifted just enough to catch the straw between his lips. I said nothing as he drank, gaze carefully lowered to avoid even accidentally glancing at him, nor did I breathe a word of rebuttal at the amount of water still in the pouch when he pulled away.

“Are you alright with me replacing that patch,” I asked, motioning toward jaw, “and getting some bacta on the rest of your back?” I didn’t have to grant him that choice – I could have merely told him I was doing it, and he would have had no valid grounds to refuse me, but I knew he needed it – needed some whisper of autonomy to sooth how violently I’d stripped it from him already. So, I waited patiently until he gave the faintest shift of a nod. He didn’t look at me as I reached for the day-old bacta-patch, but he tilted his neck slightly for me to reach the edge easier, and I didn’t realize how much I’d needed even that tiny show of acceptance until feeling the stiffness lock around my throat.

The quiet that settled around us was a kind one. I let myself melt into it as I carefully tended his jaw before turning my attention to treating each blotch of abused skin covering his back, and I wondered if he was able to find some solace in it, too.

“I’ll check on it a couple times tonight – make sure it doesn’t shift, but I really want you to try to sleep.” My voice whispered softly into that quiet, and I watched him pointedly close his eyes without so much as looking toward me. Moving lightly, I tread to the nearby wall panel and, with a thoughtless tap, plunged the room into near darkness.

-

I spent the night curled atop a chair, legs tucked against me with my ankles crossed over the armrest, aimlessly browsing my datapad with little interest for anything beyond some distraction to keep me awake. Nearly every hour, I crept to the bed, lifting the blanket just enough to confirm everything was still in place before returning to my perch, pleased that he seemed to sleep through my inspections.

Finally, I heard the others begin to move about the ship. Crosshair was still asleep, and I let myself take full advantage as I returned to his bedside once more. Praying the earlier dose would only just be starting to wear off, I touched another injector to the skin just beside the tube, flooding the tissue with a fresh bout of the numbing agent. His shoulders tensed, but only slightly, a soft grunt catching in his throat as the sensation roused him from the light sleep.

“Sorry,” I murmured, “I was hoping it was still numb enough to dull that.” He glanced wearily back at me before letting his head rock drowsily back to the pillow.

“It’s fine.” The absent dismissal rumbled in that subtle slur of near-sleep, and I felt my lips pull into the first earnest smile I’d managed since seeing that bruising.

“Good,” I sighed, “I’m going to check for residual swelling first, but then that tube should be fine to come out – I promise: they come out much easier than they go in.” I added at the way he tensed. He left out an impatient grunt but offered no further response.

The mass was barely noticeable now beyond a lingering discoloration, tissue carrying only a fraction of that excess fluid. With gentle, sweeping palpations, I guided a bit more of that swelling toward the incision. He barely noticed; sensation almost completely dulled from the injection even as I began easing the adhesive strips away from his skin. I granted him no warning before slipping the tube free, knowing the anticipation would be far worse, and he barely flinched.

“All done.” I said with a gentle smile after easing a bacta-patch over the cut. He started to glance back, surprise just twitching over his face before catching himself. Hesitantly, his arm tensed, as though waiting to see if I’d try to stop him, but, reassured by my silence, he pressed his hand against the mattress and pushed himself up, legs swinging over the edge. I watched the tentative roll of his shoulders precede a more confident series of shifting muscles to further test the motion.

“Okay, give me your hand.” I said after granting him a moment. He looked at me with narrowed eyes but held his hand toward me without further complaint. I slowly worked over each long digit with gentle squeezes between my thumb and forefinger. “Any numbness or tingling?” He shook his head, idly watching me as I continued meticulously over his palm, careful not to miss a single inch of flesh before moving to his other hand, and the relief starting to bubble through me was palpable.

“Perfect. Now, try to match my movements.” I continued, hand raising to illustrate touching each fingertip to my thumb, but he showed no intent to follow me. Gaze shifting to his, I readily let my expression fall into the same deadpan glare he sent me. “Fingers. Moving. Now.” I ordered. He let out a loud scoff, attention shifting past me, but, albeit reluctantly, matched my motions without difficulty.

In a flood of relief, my head sank in into my hands with a loud, shuttered exhale, fingers dragging thoughtlessly though my hair as that massive weight finally began to slip away. Body slowly straightening with a deep breath, I looked up to find him watching me, expression carefully blank.

“Crosshair, I really,” Hands falling wearily into the scant distance between us, I struggled for a moment to convince my lips to work, to steady my breath long enough to remember how to speak, “Really need you to understand this: I am here for one reason. That’s it. I’m not here to judge you or report you or belittle you for getting hurt. I’m here… to help you.” His lips tightened into a thin line, but he offered no further response, pulling an exasperated huff from me, but I tried to let it go, focus shifting back to what did matter to him.

“I want to look at your back again tonight, but it should heal up fine now.” I could hear the exhaustion clear in my own voice as I stepped back for him to push himself off the cot.

“Great. Wouldn’t want our effectiveness falling on your watch.”

It would have been less painful if he’d struck me. Breath caught in my throat, I was so taken aback by the venom in those words that I could only stare at him, eyes wide, lips slightly ajar. Part of me saw the flash of regret that instantly stole over him, but I couldn’t focus on that. I thought I was used to his crass remarks. I didn’t expect one to hurt like that. Without a word, I quickly turned and walked away, gaze dropping pointedly to the metallic paneling beneath me.

I don’t know why I went to the storage room, but once there I couldn’t bring myself to leave. Not yet. My hands shook slightly as I aimlessly organized even the slightest disarray of gear, mindlessly grabbing a few packages of shakes to restock what I’d used the previous day. When the door hissed open behind me, I didn’t turn toward them; didn’t want whoever it was to see the still raw hurt in my eyes because, if they did, if they offered even a fleeting look of understanding or sympathy or apology, I knew I’d break, and I wasn’t ready for that.

After several seconds passed without them saying anything, however, curiosity finally drew my gaze back just enough to glimpse them. Crosshair. His arms were locked tightly across his chest, body leaning stiffly against the wall as a sharp glare burned into the shelving beside him. He was waiting, and my heart broke the instant I understood why. He couldn’t quite bring himself to apologize, so he forced himself, instead, to allow me whatever retribution I wanted. Letting out a shaky breath, I set the prepackaged shake mix back down and walked lightly toward him, loathing the way his brows drew even further together.

“You have never… never been just a number to me.” I didn’t shy from the desperation in my voice begging him to believe me, and, as the tension abandoned him beneath something just threatening to become remorse, I felt my chest sink with a sharp sigh.

“I know.” He still wouldn’t look at me as the quiet words breathed over his lips, eyes falling to the flooring beneath us, and hearing him say that was worth every ounce of hurt his harsh words had caused. I didn’t fight the few tears that trailed down my cheeks despite how they seemed to make the normally detached man before me squirm, fingers shifting uncomfortably about his arms as he quickly turned his gaze further away.

Without a word, I leaned forward, pressing my forehead gently to his shoulder, and he went so perfectly still even the air caught in his throat. He didn’t move either to push me away or draw me closer, merely stood there as I stole that quiet moment with him; felt the tension slowly fade from his taut frame.

Chest swelling with a deep inhale, I finally stepped back, grabbed the handful of supplies I’d gathered, and left.

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[wolveria]

On Frozen Wings - Ch 7

Pairing: Crosshair x Hunter

Rating: 18+ only, Explicit

The Empire invades Pabu, and Omega is taken.

AO3

Hunter raced up the steps, taking them two at a time. His lungs burned, his thigh muscles ached, and he was still dripping seawater, but he pushed himself to his limit to keep up with the hound.

He relied on her to guide him, his own senses muted under his helmet. He couldn’t catch a good scent through the filters, and it was difficult to get a lock on Crosshair’s electromagnetic signature on an island full of people, especially ones stressed and frightened.

Hunter would have found him eventually, but he didn’t want to waste a moment, and the hound was eager to help. She ran along one of the curving paths midway up the island peak, and when she skittered to a halt, Hunter stopped beside her, following the direction of her stare.

They found him.

But something was… wrong. Crosshair didn’t look up, even though they were standing in the middle of the path and were impossible to miss. His helmet was donned so Hunter couldn’t see his expression, but he didn’t move from where he leaned against the seawall, a hand curled around his stomach.

For a heart-stopping moment, Hunter thought he’d been shot. Batcher’s uncertain whine added to his fear, but he didn’t see a wound, and Crosshair was still standing.

Hunter patted the hound and gave her a quiet, “Stay.” She sat on her haunches obediently, though she let out another soft whimper. Hunter understood.

He began his approach, slow and careful, eyes darting to the corners and higher platforms where they could be fired upon, but he didn’t sense a trap. In fact, the stormtroopers seemed to be pulling out.

Which was why he hadn’t stopped to catch his breath after nearly drowning. Hunter knew what their departure meant.

“Crosshair?”

No response. He didn’t seem to breathe.

Hunter continued to circle around until he stood right in front of his brother. If Crosshair was aware of his presence, he didn’t acknowledge it. At least he was alive, and able to stay on his feet, but beyond that, Hunter didn’t know his status.

Taking off his helmet in the middle of an active battle zone was a stupid way to get shot, but Hunter still did it, carefully setting his helmet on the ground next to their feet.

Crosshair neglected to move. He continued to not move as Hunter reached up and gingerly removed his helmet. Only then did shift—a slight wince, a hunch inward, but he had nowhere to retreat, back to the wall.

He wouldn’t meet Hunter’s eye, and he kept his hand curled against his stomach. It was the same hand that often shook, and it trembled now. It didn’t stop.

“Crosshair?” Hunter tried again. “What happened?”

Crosshair’s lips tried to form words, but nothing came out. Hunter waited patiently, conscious of the distant sound of gunships still patrolling, and he kept Crosshair’s helmet tucked under his arm in case he needed to slam it down on his head in a hurry.

“I…”

His voice was so quiet that even Hunter had to move closer to catch it.

“…missed.”

Hunter frowned.

“You missed?”

Crosshair winced at the word, as if Hunter had physically struck him.

“The kid,” he said, his voice as ragged as his features. “I… They were burning the houses. She wanted to turn herself over to them. Stop the violence. I was supposed to… tag the ship.”

Crosshair drew another strained breath.

“I missed.”

Ah.

Hunter thought for a moment, always aware of the gunships and how close they crept. Most likely the patrols were doing one last sweep to pick up their troopers before moving out. They weren’t clear yet.

“We need to get moving,” Hunter finally said. “Take shelter until the Empire’s pulled back all troops. Then we can—”

“Didn’t you hear me?”

Hunter’s mouth closed shut. Crosshair’s eyes were wide, almost vicious, but his voice shook too much for pure anger.

“Omega is gone!”

Crosshair panted, as if each word cost him a great deal. His hand shook worse, and he trapped it against his stomach with a frustrated noise. Hunter kept his response neutral.

“I heard you.”

“Then why aren’t you—” Crosshair cut himself off before trying again. “Why aren’t you pissed? At… me?”

Hunter frowned further.

“Why would I be?” He didn’t really get it, not until Crosshair scoffed and then looked away, guilt bleeding through the cracks before he could hide them. Hunter softened in opposition to those hard lines. “Crosshair… it’s not your fault.”

His brother tensed further, his body one entire tight ball of stress.

“Look at me, Cross.”

His jaw flexed, and Hunter thought he might not listen, but then Crosshair turned his gaze on him, looking more like a prey animal about to flee before a predator.

Hunter didn’t know how to approach this, not with Crosshair. He knew how to comfort Omega when she blamed herself, but she was easy to soothe. Crosshair was not.

He thought of Tech in that moment. Though he sometimes overlooked emotion as a factor in people’s reactions, he also understood how to get to the root of the problem once he did. He would have tried to assuage Crosshair’s guilt, not with comforting gestures, but with logic and facts.

“We… were never getting off this island with Omega,” Hunter started slowly. “We were trapped. No exit plan or strategy. No extraction. No escape craft. My plan would have, at best, warned Echo of what was happening. But Rex wouldn’t have had the men to break through the blockage. We were always on borrowed time.”

Hunter watched him. Crosshair was listening, but he didn’t seem entirely convinced yet.

“Fact is, this was the best-case scenario.”

“Best-case?” Crosshair repeated in disbelief.

“We’re alive,” Hunter pointed out. “Omega was taken, yes, but she’s valuable to Hemlock. Which means he would want her taken unharmed. And Wrecker—”

Hunter tilted his head, and then pushed Crosshair further into the shadows. Batcher squeezed in tight around their legs as a gunship soared overhead, slow and unhurried. Hunter waited until it passed, but he kept close, not moving away even though he crowded Crosshair’s space. Crosshair didn’t complain, and instead watched him with an expression that wasn’t as heavy as before. That was good.

“And Wrecker,” Hunter smiled a little, “is awake. I stopped to check him first. He’s going to meet us at the rendezvous.”

Crosshair relaxed, if only a little. Their fallback point if they ever got separated was the Archeum, and Hunter only hoped Wrecker was able to make it inside unseen. He probably did, otherwise they would have heard a lot more explosions and screaming.

Hunter chewed on the inside of his lip, a habit he thought he’d quit as a cadet. He wanted to touch Crosshair, reach out to him, but he was still too hunched, too much like a cornered animal that would bite even when the extended hand meant to help.

In the end, he stared down at Crosshair’s helmet for a moment before stepping back and holding it out to him. Crosshair took it with careful fingers, and Hunted noted they were steadier.

Once Crosshair put on his helmet, Hunter picked his off the ground and donned it. Not wanting to leave it at that, he reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. Crosshair paused, but he didn’t stiffen or pull away. Hunter was encouraged.

“We’ll get her back,” Hunter said, and there wasn’t a shadow of doubt in the words.

Crosshair nodded, but he remained silent, and Hunter’s hand traveled to the nape of his neck, as it had a mind of its own. It felt natural to put it there, as it did to pull his brother forward, touching their armored foreheads together.

Crosshair didn’t move, but Hunter heard the quiet intake of a surprised breath. He pretended not to notice, and that the gesture didn’t send a heavy warmth through his abdomen.

Hunter finally let go, glad his helmet was on so Crosshair couldn’t later tease him about the warm flush on his cheeks.

“You good to move?” he asked.

Crosshair nodded. He grabbed his rifle from where it leaned against the wall and followed Hunter up the spiraling steps, Batcher close at their heels. They didn’t slow or stop unless it was to avoid lingering patrols, and they made it to the peak’s plaza without being spotted.

Hunter paused under the colored tarps and awnings, left abandoned after the festival had been cut short by the invading force. The Archeum stood alone, the door closed and left unharassed by stormtroopers as far as he could see.

“You should be clear,” Hunter said over his shoulder where Crosshair crouched behind him.

“You’re not coming with me?”

The words were sharp, but that was how Crosshair always sounded when he was worried. Hunter smiled a little, though his brother couldn’t see it.

“I left Lyana with her neighbors, and I want to make sure Shep finds her. Make sure the last of those troopers leave too,” he added, eyeing a patrol that passed overhead.

Hunter moved back further into the shadows, already planning his route for how he would leave the plaza unseen, but when Crosshair gained his feet, he didn’t move.

“I could… go with you.”

His stance was uncertain, his words lacking their usual self-assured confidence, and to Hunter he seemed… lost. Hunter wanted to pull him into his arms so badly it hurt, but there wasn’t time for it, and he wasn’t sure Crosshair would react well to the treatment.

“You could,” he agreed, “but I’d feel better if someone was with Wrecker. AZI said he would need to be watched the first rotation after he woke up.”

Crosshair remained quiet, so Hunter took a step back towards him.

“I’ll be quick. And I won’t be alone.” Hunter snapped his fingers, and the hound was at his side in an instant. He patted the top of her head crest. “I’ve got Batcher.”

She leaned against his leg and gave a happy huff, tongue lulling out of her mouth. Crosshair folded his arms over his chest, helmet tilted down at her as if in a scowl.

“You like him better now?”

Batcher let out a chuff, practically ready to roll over as Hunter scratched her side.

“Traitor,” Crosshair muttered, but there was affection masked underneath. “Better take care of him, seeing as you’ve traded me in.”

She let out a quiet bark of acknowledgement.

“We’ll be back soon,” Hunter assured him.

“I’ll hold you to that.”

Hunter warmed at the stubborn insistence there, and the promise that if he didn’t come back, Crosshair would go after him. And Maker help whoever got in his way.

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