#soft crosshair

[crosshairlovebot]

you good? / crosshair x gn!reader

pairing: crosshair x gn!reader (no y/n). reader has a nickname.

description: crosshair returns to you on shore leave to find you unwell, so he takes care of you.

word count: 2,521

needed to write a crosshair version of the hunter one i did. i love him so much i can't even talk about it properly. hope this brings comfort to anyone who's reading and sick. you deserve a gentle crosshair looking after you.

also posted this on ao3. feedback is welcomed, reblogs are appreciated.

Crosshair had intended to use his unexpected shore leave to surprise you. To knock on your door and see you light up at the sight of him. That feeling always made him warm inside, to see you happy that he was standing in front of you. He relished in the feel of your arms being thrown around his shoulders and wrapping him tightly. He could live inside your arms if the galaxy let him. His chest would expand with contentment when you would gush about how happy you were to see him, knowing that happiness was not only in response to no longer being alone in your cold, quiet Coruscanti apartment, but also the knowledge that he was okay, and safe, and alive in a war that only seemed to become more endless as the fighting went on.

Crosshair would let you fuss over him, give him real food, let him have a warm shower before you would both fall into bed together, wrapped in each other’s arms – feeling like he had never left. It was easy to pretend he was just a man when he was alone with you. To get lost in the normalcy of sharing a home. You’d both play pretend for as long as you could before the inevitable end of his all too brief shore leave would sneak up on you both, and he would be shipped out again, for who knew how long with only infrequent comms for both your comforts. 

He had been looking forward to the familiar routine of his shore leave, to seeing your entire body lift once you opened the door to him, but those hopes were dashed when he knocked on the door and you opened it, blanket wrapped around your shoulders like a cloak, sniffly and half-closed eyes.

“Crosshair,” you croaked, excitement clear in your voice before you began coughing into your blanket. “You’re home.”

“Ca’tra,” Crosshair breathed as he took in the sight of you, concern immediately spiking inside him. “You’re sick.”

“It’s nothing,” you brushed off, sniffling and stepping aside so Crosshair could enter the apartment. “I’m so happy to see you.”

“It’s not nothing,” Crosshair scolded as he watched you press the close button on the door and shuffle into your tiny living room without even hugging him like you usually do.

You had made a bed on the couch, full of pillows and other blankets. The holo was on and playing some movie he didn’t recognise. You sat down, making a sound that made it sound like walking and standing had been a big effort for you. He shrugged off his pack and placed it by the door before he moved to crouch in front of you, hands on your knees.

“How long?” he asked, looking at you.

You tried breathing in, but your nose was blocked. “Was feeling a little off yesterday but woke up today feeling much worse.”

Crosshair stood up and he watched your neck crane up to follow his gaze. He placed one hand under your chin and the back of the other against your forehead. You were warm, but not feverish. With the coughing and sneezing, it must just be a bad cold. He knew you didn’t take much time to relax, usually opting to keep busy to distract yourself from his absence. He guessed it was all catching up with you, the exhaustion manifesting itself into sickness.

“Have you been to a med droid?” Crosshair smoothed a hand over your hair in a gesture so soft, that on a regular day, he would’ve watched you close your eyes and smile in response. Instead, you barely reacted before pulling away gently.

You were more unwell than you were letting on.

“Too expensive. Too much effort,” you coughed before letting yourself fall on your side, head hitting one of the many pillows as you groaned.

Crosshair watched you, crease in his brow. He sat down on the caf table, elbows on his knees. “Tell me what hurts.”

You huffed and curled yourself into a ball. “Throat. Head. I’m so tired.”

Crosshair looked at an empty plate on the floor next to the couch. “Have you eaten?”

You breathed through your mouth, rubbing your nose. “Small things. Crackers. Bread. Low effort stuff.”

Crosshair let out a breath. He hated seeing you like this. He’d never been sick, since clones had been engineered to be immune to nearly all diseases, but to not feel like yourself didn’t seem like something he would enjoy.

Crosshair pulled a blanket out from the many under your legs, and you frowned at him as you watched him drape it over you wordlessly. He pulled it up to your chin, the way he liked as a cadet before he bent over to tuck you in.

It wasn’t even a decision for him to take care of you during his brief shore leave, more like something he was willing to do simply because he loved you.

When you loved someone, you tried to do anything you could to make their life easier, to release them of their burdens and carry them yourself.

Crosshair would shoulder all your burdens unasked, no matter what they were. The act of caring for you wasn’t and would never be something you had to ask for. He was glad he was here, that way he knew you would be well taken care of under his watchful eyes.

Though he had become better at articulating his love for you with words, the best way for him to show how much he loved you was still with actions.

“What’re you doing?” you croaked, brows furrowed at him as he pushed the blanket around the edges of your body.

“What does it look like?” he replied tersely as he adjusted the pile of pillows you were reclining on, making sure they were supporting your head properly.

“Cross, you don’t have to take care of me,” you told him.

Crosshair only scoffed in response as he took in the rest of the living room.

It was messier than you usually kept it, with several plates and empty cups littering the floor and the caf table he sat on as well as small piles of discarded face napkins.

He started gathering up the dishes before walking them over to the sink. He hated mess, and he knew you did too, so the fact that you hadn’t at least taken the used dishes to the sink told him how sick you really were. He started rinsing them before he placed them in the small bench-top dishwasher he’d helped you pick out a few shore leaves ago.

“Cross,” you said from the couch, having made yourself sit up and ruin his perfect tuck-in job.

He couldn’t be annoyed at you, no matter how hard he tried.

Crosshair ignored you as he made his way back to the couch to gather up all the face napkins and put them in the trash.  You said his name again, this time falling into a coughing fit as your breath caught in your sore throat. He grabbed a clean cup from the cupboard and filled it with some water. He came back over to you and sat on the coffee table, holding the cup out.

“Drink,” he ordered softly.

You gave him a look like you weren’t happy with him. But he didn’t care. He wasn’t going to leave you to fend for yourself, not when he was here. It was his job to look out for the people he loved.

You wordlessly took the cup, and the bottom of it immediately went on your knee, like you lacked the strength to bring it to your lips. Crosshair sighed. You needed some proper food in you. He took the cup from you as he shuffled closer then placed his empty hand behind your head.

“Head back,” he told you. You did what you were told, and he helped you take a few sips of water. After, he ran his thumb across your lip to catch a stray drop. His hand stayed for a moment so his thumb could caress your cheek. He wished he could take this away from you.

“Cross, I’m okay,” you tried to tell him.

“No, you’re not,” he said, placing the cup next to him. “Lie down. Rest.”

“I’m not good at resting,” you grumbled.

“Too bad.”

You groaned and the strain on your throat only made you fall into another coughing fit. Crosshair gave you another sip of water before he tucked you in again, tighter this time so you wouldn’t get up.

Once he was satisfied you weren’t going to move again, he told you he’d be right back before quickly going to your bedroom. He stripped out of his armour and blacks before taking the speediest shower of his life and dressing in the spare clothes he kept here.

Now in loose pants and a threadbare short-sleeved top that smelt faintly like you, Crosshair padded barefoot into the living room again. He was relieved to see you in the same position as before, eyes closed. He watched you from the doorway for a moment and looked at how small you looked on that couch. He didn’t like the thought that if he hadn’t come home when he did, you would be suffering through this by yourself, without him to care for you.

He tried to move quietly, but your eyes cracked open once you heard him enter the room, a small smile on your lips. Crosshair returned it and came and sat back down on the caf table, facing you.

“You good?” he asked, placing the backs of his bare fingers on your cheek. You pulled a hand out from under the blanket and grabbed his, moving the backs of his fingers to your lips, kissing them gently. He smiled, warmth blooming in his chest at the simple gesture of intimacy. It’d been a long time since he felt your lips on his skin.

“Better, now that you’re here,” you told him honestly, your voice scratchy.

Crosshair smiled. He liked being here as much as you liked having him here.

“You’re all warm from the shower,” you smiled, pressing your face against his hand, holding his arm close to you.

“Been a while since I had a decent one.” The corner of his mouth tipped up. You chuckled and kissed his palm. He let you cradle his hand and arm, and he would’ve let you hold onto it forever, but he wanted to make sure you were taken care of before he wrapped himself around you.

“Hungry?” he asked. He frowned when you shook your head, nose rubbing against his wrist. “You should eat something. Even if it’s small.”

He sighed when you wrinkled your nose at the thought. He went through what he remembered from the Kaminoan training module on nat-born illnesses. “Have you taken anything?”

You nodded. “I took something a couple of hours ago when I woke up.”

“Did you eat then?”

You nodded again. He would have to be satisfied with that. Maybe he could get you to eat something when you were due to make more medication, but for now, he just wanted to let you rest. He’d try again later.

He searched your face, his mouth pressed in a line. He wished he could do something more for you, it frustrated him to not be able to fix this easily; that he had to wait it out with you. He was patient when it came to sniping, he could lie in the same position for hours before taking a shot with no difficulty. But he was not so patient when you were in pain or unwell. He felt himself scowl. It was the restless and useless feeling he hated. Crosshair never liked feeling useless.

“I feel bad,” you told him in a small voice.

Crosshair’s spine straightened in alarm. “What can I do?”

“No, I mean, I feel bad about this,” you gestured to yourself lying on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket, poorly.

“You?” He couldn’t hide his surprise. “Why?”

He was just silently commiserating about how bad he felt that he couldn’t absorb your pain and experience it just so you wouldn’t have to. Why would you feel bad?

“It’s your time off,” you told him, your hold on his arm tightening. “You barely get any and now it’s ruined because I’m sick.”

Crosshair let out a breath. Is that what you thought? That your being unwell was an inconvenience to him?

He shook his head. “It’s not ruined.”

“We can’t even do anything fun. I’ve been wanting to take you to this new diner that opened a few levels up. I haven’t even been there because I wanted us to go together.”

Crosshair smiled at the thought. “There will be other times, ca'tra.”

You let out a frustrated breath. Crosshair crouched down and smoothed your hair back off your face with his free hand, and you watched him with those eyes of yours that rivalled even the most beautiful of stars. Crosshair leaned forward and placed a lingering kiss on your forehead. When he pulled away, you were looking up at him with slanted brows, like he was the single most amazing thing you’d ever seen, and that made his chest tight with the kind of feeling he’d only ever read about.

Never in the entire galaxy did he think he would ever be loved the way you love him.

You yawned as Crosshair stroked your cheek softly, tenderly. “You should sleep.”

You tugged on the hand you still had gently. “Lay down with me?”

Crosshair stood up and shut the holo off before lifting up the edge of your blanket. You wordlessly shuffled over and when there was enough room, he lay down next to you. His feet dangled off the edge, his frame too long for the piece of furniture.

You wriggled around trying to find a comfortable position in the narrow space of the couch, before you finally settled to lying half on top of him, head on his chest, arm wrapped around his torso, and leg hooked around his hip.

Crosshair grunted as he adjusted his position, he predicted he would not be moving from this spot for some time. He didn’t care. He’d let you lie on him until you were back to normal, and even then.

He let out a breath as he draped the blanket over you both, tucking it around your frames. You relaxed on top of him, and there was something so comforting about having your body right next to him like this. He rubbed a hand gently up and down your back as you sighed, the breath all broken with your sore throat.

“Thanks, Cross,” you whispered. Crosshair smiled and kissed the top of your head. He didn’t need to be thanked. He’d do anything for you.

“Love you,” you murmured as your breathing became deep and even as you fell asleep. Crosshair tightened his hold on you as your heartbeat pressed into his. He loved you more.

banner art by @vimse thank you reading! i love writing soft crosshair so much :') it's literally my mission to fill the crosshair/reader tag with soft crosshair fics

🏷️ @starrylothcat @sinfulsalutations @moodymisty @nahoney22 @freesia-writes @nobody-expects-the-inquisitorius @bobaprint @crosshairsnose @jesseeka @thegalaxys-edge @chopper-base @shredderwest @leavingkamino @r2d2staser @beckbucket @pb-jellybeans @mylifeisactuallyamess @padawancat97 @littlecrowtime @jedipoodoo @ezras-left-thumb @lovelycurls @fruitsaladtree @literallydontlook @burningfieldof-clover @queencousland101 @clonethirstingisreal @skellymom @hopelessromantic727

TAGLIST FORM

[fakegingerrights]

Bloody knees and bruised cheeks

[Crosshair brainrot go brrrrr. TW: Alcohol, bar fights, questionable attitudes towards cloning, blood and broken glass. And Crosshair being a flirt in his own way. Crosshair x gn!Reader]

“This seat taken, Sunshine?” The obviously drunk man’s breath hot on your cheek as he leaned in far too close for comfort.

“It is.” You bit back, glancing nervously at the bartender and hoping he’d get the creep off you. You knew your boyfriend had said he might be running late, but an hour and a half was pushing it.

“Well, I don’t see a name on it. Lemme buy you a drink.” The man cajoled, swirling his own cheap beer in his glass.

“I’m fine, thank you.” You leaned as far away as the barstool let you without tipping over. “I’m waiting for someone. And he wouldn’t like you hovering like this.”

“Is that a threat, Sweetcheeks?” The man growled, leaning even farther into your space. A cold voice snarled behind him, sending a ripple through you as you turned back to look at the newcomer.

“Yes.” Crosshair snarled, standing there in all his dusty and carbon stained, red and black armored glory as he placed himself between you and the drunk.

“That’s what you’re waiting for? A labgrown meat droid? I should take you home anyways and show you how a real man fucks.” The drunk slurred, lurching to his feet and squaring up to Crosshair. Cross didn’t budge, but you could tell he was too tired for this.

“She’s not going anywhere with you.” Crosshair’s voice was flat and cold, a hard promise. The drunk snarled, smashing his glass of half full beer against Crosshair’s pauldron, shattering it and sending shards everywhere. As soon as Cross was in the clear for self defense he grabbed the drunk and had him pinned on the bar.

“Care to-“

“Corascant guard is already on the way. Uh… sir.” The bartender fumbled, glancing at the bouncer for the bar. Crosshair grunted at the title. “We’ll take it from here if you want to take your girl home.” The barkeep offered. Even he could see the exhaustion in Cross’s shoulders.

“Great. Next time don’t let creeps get that close to an uncomfortable lady.” He hissed, passing the swearing drunk to a beefy looking zabrak. The greasy man took the opening and broke free, swinging wildly and connecting with Crosshair’s jaw just as he was turning away. As he did, you caught sight of a dripping red line cut into the side of his cheek just under his eye, presumably from the glass shattering.

He staggered but was quick to break the man’s nose and send him sprawling. The zabrakii bouncer got ahold of him now, pulling the drunk away.

Gingerly, you slipped your hand into Crosshair’s, getting his attention. “Let’s go home. Tonight’s a bust anyways. Unless you want to wait for the guard to get here and haul you to a hospital to patch your cheek up?” You murmured lowly, already knowing his answer and pulling towards the door before he even grunted a negative. There was a fine tremor in the very tips of his fingers as he tightened his grip on your hand.

The bar you two had planned to meet at for drinks was only a few blocks from your tiny shoebox of an apartment. Crosshair hissed and stepped away from you only a minute into your walk, shaking like a dog and sending residual splinters of glass tinkling to the ground.

“Bastard got glass in all the chinks of my armor. I’ll have to have Tech send it through a scrub cycle again.” He growled sourly. “Damn stuff got everywhere.”

“I can scrub it out when you get home. Call it a thank you for taking care of that guy.” You fumbled with the keys as he hovered behind you.

“I’m your boyfriend. That’s my fucking job.” Crosshair hissed softly, a hand finding your chin and lifting it so you met his eyes. He had taken his glove off to rid it of splinters. His hand was cool against your skin, fingers still trembling slightly in his exhaustion as he leaned down to press a kiss to your lips, nipping at them a little with a smug quirk of his mouth. He tasted like blood and ozone.

“My stars get a ROOM!” One of your helpful neighbors yelled from the apartment next to yours. You flipped them off without looking, dragging Cross inside and hardly even pausing the kiss.

His hand shifted from your jaw to curl protectively around your neck, the motion making you sigh into the kiss as you reach up to cup his cheek, only for him to hiss and pull away as your fingers meet the unpleasantly warm and tacky sensation of half dried blood from the cut on his cheek.

“Let’s get you out of your armor and blacks.” Your murmur, your voice slightly throatier than normal. At this close you could see the dark circles under his eyes and the rapidly darkening bruising along his jaw where he had been punched. He just grunted an affirmative as he fumbled with the catches, carefully removing each piece.

After he got all of it but his boots, there were several small shards even still that littered the floor. He took off the top of his blacks too, shaking the garment out. You gasped at the sight of bruised ribs and a row of neat stitches above his hip covered in thin medical film to keep them dry.

“It looks worse than it is.” Crosshair filled in the silence. He dropped the top of his blacks in the pile with the rest of his armor and gingerly flopped down on the couch, throwing an arm over his eyes as he sighs, tension slowly seeping out of his body as he relaxed.

“Don’t fall asleep yet, let me look at your cheek. And don’t get blood on that couch, it was my grandmother’s.” You call over your shoulder, grabbing a bag of frozen peas for his jaw and looking for the medistrips in the first-aid kit.

“Ah. So that’s why it smells like mothballs and old lady perfume.” He groused from his sprawled position.

“Har har har.” You rolled your eyes, catching his soft smile at the banter and grinning to yourself.

“I’m stealing your shower when I’m done.” He grunted, carefully sitting up and blinking as he took his arm off his eyes.

You sat on the tiny coffee/dining table in front of him, armed with a damp rag, first aid kit and your frozen vegetables. He took the peas and pressed them against his jaw, sighing at the contact as you dabbed at the bloody mess on the other side of his face.

“This is gonna sting a bit.” You warned as you doused a clean corner of the rag with hydrogen peroxide once you got the blood mostly cleaned up.

“When does it not.” Cross hissed rhetorically, his grip tightening on his knee as you cleaned the cut and made sure there was no glass embedded in his skin before carefully applying the medistrips and butterfly bandages you found. The cut wasn’t deep and you didn’t think it needed stitches, so it probably wouldn’t scar either.

“There you are. Now go shower, you smell like beer and a teen boy’s lockerroom.” You tease, helping him to his feet as he took the peas off his jaw, working it a few times to check for stiffness. Crosshair pouted at the insult but went, ducking into the small bathroom as you went through your drawers to come up with a pair of sweats and an oversized teeshirt for him to wear.

You knocked on the bathroom door before walking in, setting the clothes on the toilet glancing at Crosshair as he stood under the hot spray, rolling his neck appreciatively.

“You’re gonna send my water bill through the roof.” You tease, grabbing him a toothbrush and mint paste and passing it to him.

“That’s your fault, giving me access to the shower.” He snarked right back, sighing as he washed his hair, fingers combing through suds and silver curls. “Want to join me and make the most of it?” He offered, but you shook your head.

“Don’t think me joining will get you any cleaner. Might even do the opposite.” You wink as he rinses off again.

“Worth a shot.” He shrugged, turning the water off and motioning for a towel. You passed it to him with a fold exasperation as the two of you brushed your teeth and he got dressed, forgoing the shirt and toweling his hair off.

As you changed into nightclothes yourself and slipped into bed next to him, he seemed happy. Content. You pressed your face into the spot just above his sternum and sighed as one arm wrapped around you and the other tucked under his head, propping him slightly above you. You relaxed into the embrace, missing the words as they rumbled in his chest.

“What was that?” You mumbled sleepily, looking up at him.

“I said thank you.” He murmured right back, kissing your forehead. “And you’re out of conditioner.”

“Ass.” You accuse, snuggling closer.

“Proudly.” He agreed, a smile tugging at his lips. You were silent for a long moment and he almost thought you were asleep when you spoke up again.

“Why were you late?” You whisper into the darkness. Crosshair rumbles sleepily.

“Got jumped by vulture droids as we changed hyperspace lanes. Tech outflew them, as always.”

“And the mission?” You ask, listening to his slow heartbeat as he replies.

“Successful. Can’t say much else, unfortunately. Not sure when I leave again, before you ask.” He presses another kiss to your temple and tucks your head under his chin. “Go to sleep already, I’m tired.”

“Fine, fine.” You grumble. “Hey Cross? I love you.”

“I…” He paused, feeling stupidly off guard at the phrase even though you’ve said it a dozen times.

“I know.” You whisper, before he can doubt himself. “You don’t have to say it for me to know.”

“I love you too.” He whispered back, smiling sheepishly at the rush of elation and nerves he got even now every time he did. “I always will.”

[mythical-illustrator]

@staycalmandhugaclone

The final product of the sketch I did for their story Docs Adventures Chapter: you'll have to go through me part 1.

Crosshair offers comfort in a time of uncertainty (this is a beautifully written story that I can't recommend enough)

Art master list

It's just so soft 😩

[lulalovez]

ATTENTION ALL CROSSHAIR SIMPS!!!!

I don't know who to ask, but could someone write Crosshair with a breeding kink?

I know a lot of people headcanon him as someone who doesn't like kids, but the way he naturally takes on a fatherly role with Omega has me thinking otherwise. He's amazing at being a parent, and I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted kids with his partner. The Jango fett genes are showing with him.

Like tag me in a fic or send me a link of a fanfic, please!

[xecutivecucumber]

You know, Crosshair is probably the only character that turned out softer than I imagined them, but also while staying completely in character. And I am loving it.

[icariusdexx]

⠀⠀

Haunting Nightmares

Crosshair x Reader ( SFW )

Brief introduction : You and Crosshair were on the run after escaping from imperial grasp. It was your night sleeping somewhere peaceful however you couldn't sleep - nightmares.

You were back on Pabu , finally back somewhere safe. . .where you could seek shelter. Somewhere away from the empire's reach. However in the next second the imperial fleet arrived and they didn't even hesitated to blast their shoots. . .in the next moment you saw Omega struggling against the grasp of stormtroopers , there were too many you felt hopeless. You tried to run , find weapon and safe her but everything was on fire.

In the next moment you woke up in dark ship , your chest raising up and down in fast rhythm as you feel cold sweat running down your face. As you hear quite heavy steps getting closer and closer you quickly raised your blaster pointing at him , you lowered it when you saw that it was just Crosshair who came to check on you after he heard your screaming. His gaze was rather exhausted , which would perfectly potray his wellbeing , mentally and physically exhausted. His brows narrowed as he observed you lowering your blaster and making his way slowly towards you.

" Give me that. I don't want you to blast me. "

You were thinking of fighting and telling him that you needed this for your self defence however when you saw his exhausted features you decided to just obey and give it to him. His long fingers grazing your hand as he took your blaster placing it in the holster.

" Okay now. . . You wanna tell me what happened to cause you scream like that? "

You raised your head to now properly look at him , into his stunning brown eyes focused right on you. He slowly sat down right next to you waiting for your answer.

" It's nothing. I'm sorry for disturbing you. "

" I want to know what happened. Talk to me. "

You were a little caught off guard , was he really caring that much that he wanted to hear about your nightmares ? You bit inside of your cheek thinking if you should tell him or not , won't he get bored ?

" nightmares. I watched Pabu burn again. . .seeing Omega getting taken away again by the stormtroopers. I couldn't do anything. "

Crosshair listened to you quietly , as you described your dream. It sounded so damn familiar for him but his nightmares mostly included seeing Marauder exploding which ended up in him screaming because he knew that his brothers were inside. His arm without any response wrapped around you to provide some comfort , at least any bit of comfort he could provide.

" I have familiar nightmares but instead of Pabu it was Marauder. However trust me , Omega is safe with Hunter and Wrecker. They will protect her with their lives. "

His hand gently caressing your side as you laaned against his seat being glad that you have meet him and that you two managed to escape away from Hemlock. . .whole entire. You hoped that it would last forever. You thought for a longer while if Crosshair even wanted to come to Pabu knowing what harsh relation he has with his brothers who still don't trust him.

" Your brothers . . .you have seen them right? "

" Yes. . .however they weren't pleased at all to see me. I haven't felt that guilty around them like ever. They looked at me like they wanted me gone. "

He frowned , his features were looking so miserable on the thought alone , your hands moving to gently land on his cheeks and Crosshair leaned against touch. It must be harsh for him to not feel welcome around anywhere. You leaned forward to press soft kiss against his nose , his brown eyes softened looking at you with adoration. He was glad that he had partner like you who would always be here for him and support him whenever he needed and he was doing the same thing for you. His forehead soon was pressed against yours as he said.

" thought at least I have you. With you by my side I don't feel so. . .alone. "

The sharpshooter quietly said , your heart always melted when you saw that softer side of him , thought you loved every side of Crosshair. That soft one , the snarky one and the loyal one. He saw that you were tired as well so he slowly got up and gave you his hand.

" you want to sleep in cockpit? I will be right by your side. . .hopefully that will scare your nightmares away. "

You firmly grabbed Crosshair's hand and made your way towards the cockpit with him. As he settled back on pilot seat you settled down on the co-pilot seat , leaning back and slowly closing your eyes. His soft gaze remained as he observed you dozing off to sleep. Hopefully you won't get any bad nightmares since he was here now by your side.

[zoeykallus]

aloha zoey! i hope you're doing well :) i am wondering if you're still taking requests, could you write something a little angsty with a happy ending with crosshair. maybe the jedi!reader and him were in a relationship before he joined the empire and it completely broke after it was revealed his chip was never removed. and so now they're trying to reconcile now that he's back? thank you so much ❤️

Aloha Anon!

I cooked something up for you 😊

Crosshair x Jedi!Reader Oneshot - What Are You Afraid Of?

Warnings: Angst/Fluff

______________________

The moment you part ways is so surreal, so devastating. Crosshair has left the team, switched sides, and in your last encounter, you barely escaped with your life.

You look back once more from a safe distance, seeing him in the distance with the other troopers as they swarm out, looking for you. Your heart is heavy, heavier than you could have ever imagined.

It's hard to accept what has happened, hard to understand that Crosshair is no longer your Crosshair. The realization that he has succumbed to his programming hits you like a slap in the face. There is nothing you can do but turn your back on him, stay away from him, if only for your own safety.

The thought that you have lost him is crushing, the feeling overwhelming. But you have to move on, adapt, you can't just give up everything because of it.

With the Bad Batch, you've been around for a while now, and Crosshair's split from the team has hit you all hard. But you hold yourselves together, holding each other up in unsettled, dangerous times.

You've all made your peace with the situation, one way or another. You haven't heard from Crosshair in a long time, so it's all the more surprising when you receive a coded message from him.

"It's probably a trap," Echo says seriously.

Hunter sighs softly, crosses his arms in front of his chest and nods, "Probably."

You say quietly, "But he asked us for help. What if he really needs that help?"

Wrecker agreed with you, "We have little choice but to take the risk. We can't ignore Crosshair."

Tech frowns and says, "We could, but would surely regret it sooner or later"

You look from one to the other, sensing the mood in the room, feeling how torn your teammates are. Your own feelings are far too wild, erratic and intense for a Jedi, but you can't help yourself. You still miss him, your grumpy sniper.

No matter what the mood, you know you will answer this call for help.

It's a strange feeling as the Marauder lands, perhaps because Tech makes a soft landing for a change. Even his flying style seems thoughtful today.

Your heart is still racing, you can't really control your emotions, outwardly you can, but inside there is an excited, yet anxious restlessness.

Suddenly, you feel Hunter's hand on your shoulder and hear him say, "Take a deep breath. We don't know what to expect, we need to keep a clear head, just in case. I know how much it would mean to you if Crosshair were to come back, but you can't let that get to you, none of us can."

Of course, he had noticed your restlessness, his senses were actually not unlike that of a Jedi, perhaps even superior in some situations.

"I know," you say softly with a nod.

As the ramp opens, and you can already see the tall, slender figure of Crosshair approaching in the distance, you still can't help it, your pulse racing, tingling in your nerve endings. For a moment, a vibration seems to go through the ship, a few objects suddenly float up into the air.

The men look around, startled, then you hear Hunter's gently admonishing voice say your name. You pull yourself together, the floating objects fall down again, here and there you hear a soft clatter or rumble. The vibration in the ship's walls stops.

"Sorry," you say meekly.

The figure comes closer, and it's clear, the way he moves, the stature, the posture, and last but not least, the modified, unmistakable sniper rifle on his back. This is undeniably Crosshair.

You open your mind, looking for other people in the area, but all you sense is the unease, the caution, the uncertainty Crosshair feels. Then his gaze seems to fall on you, and you feel a strong pull, a longing coming from him that you didn't expect.

Hunter says softly, "I can't sense anything other than Crosshair so far."

Tech adds, "Scanners show nothing so far either, just a small shuttle, presumably the one Crosshair landed here with"

You nod and say, "I don't sense any presence other than his and ours so far either"

Finally, Crosshair stops at the end of the ramp and one by one of you, come out of the Marauder, you wait until the end. Your steps are slow, deliberate, and you watch for any reaction from him.

He slowly removes his helmet, you see the scar where the chip had been before, look at the unfamiliar short cropped gray hair.

"You look different," you say softly.

Crosshair blinks and says, "You haven't changed at all."

What you feel is so intense, so much so, that you let the men talk among themselves first, discuss and work through unresolved issues, waiting for your moment.

Hunter and the others go back into the Marauder, it's a done deal, for now Crosshair is to travel with you again. Crosshair and you remain standing outside, no one complains or asks questions, the men know you both have your own thing to work out.

"It's good to see you again," he says quietly.

"Likewise," you say, searching his gaze and your feelers for what's going on inside him.

He's unusually nervous, something you haven't seen from him before, at least not like this.

"What are you so afraid of?" you ask curiously in a calm voice.

He blinks, gritting his teeth, he still hates it when you look through him so easily. But after a sigh, he admits, "That maybe you can't forgive me".

You smile softly, perhaps a little mischievously.

"So you care what I think?"

He looks at you seriously and grumbles, "I always did, you should know that."

"I'm not angry at you, never have been. Sad and angry about the situation, yes, but not necessarily at you," you say honestly.

He takes a deep breath, takes another step towards you, stands so close to you that you almost touch each other.

You state in an almost whisper, "You're still attracted to me."

Crosshair nods, you know his heart is up to his neck, but he seems perfectly calm on the outside.

"Is it still mutual?" he asks quietly.

You nod.

"It is."

You flinch, almost startled, as his hand reaches for your chin quite unexpectedly, his lips descending on yours. He kisses you, intensely, and you feel the longing behind it, the relief, the affection, the intensity of his personality.

His free hand has clawed into the fabric of your tunic, as if he fears you might pull away. One hand on your chin, the other on the fabric of your clothes, he holds you tight. But what really holds you captive in the kiss is all the emotion he's radiating at this moment.

There is also something deeper, the will to be close to you, to have you all to himself, that winds around and through all the other sensations of his, like a bond that holds you both tight.

When his lips break away from yours, you are both quite breathless. Your knees are soft and almost buckle away, but he pulls you back up, his hand still on your tunic.

He smirks, "My kisses are still blowing your mind, it seems."

You grin cheekily and say, "Don't flatter yourself."

Crosshair laughs softly, "Still a little feisty, are we?"

"As you said, I haven't changed a bit"

With a relieved sigh, he pulls you closer to him with both hands and engages you in another kiss, this time much more tender.

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

@rintheemolion

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[staycalmandhugaclone]

I Missed You, Too

This is almost entirely @drafthorsemath's fault. We were talking about Crosshair and got sad... so I needed write a little something and figured I'd kill two birds with one stone for the Clone x Reader Bingo prompt: Bed. (It's not spicy - I just wanted a tiny snip of fluff)

In my head, this is a Doc/Crosshair future scene, but it can be read as gender neutral and totally apart from the Doc Series.

Warnings: Crosshair being Crosshair, but he's really a softy. Snuggling in bed. Probably one of the least Warning-heavy things I've written

Words: 660

I knew he’d be there, sprawled out on my cot as if it were the most natural thing in the world, feigning pure ignorance to the way seeing him like that made my heart jump as wisps of glee sparked through my stomach. I knew he’d allude to some annoyance that I’d intruded while he was so near to sleep, all the while fighting the faintest hint of a smile as he reached for me, and I knew that he wouldn’t dare let himself actually begin to drift off until he held me firmly in his arms, but there will always be some profound disconnect in consciously anticipating these things, in imaging the façade of a scowl ruined by the love he couldn’t quite keep from those golden eyes, in remembering the feel of his hands and the warmth of his touch, the strength of his embrace surrounding me and the steady beat of his heart thudding softly against my cheek, with actually living through those breath-taking moments.

His arm already lay draped dramatically over his eyes as the door hissed open, flooding the room with an unforgiving light, and I couldn’t stifle the tiny chuckle that caught in my throat at his grumble.

“I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to show up.” Crosshair drawled with a careful boredom that I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at as I walked past him to set my supplies down on the counter to be dealt with later.

“Keep giving me that attitude and maybe I’ll find somewhere else to sleep tonight.” I retorted, but before I could take more than a few steps back toward the door, his arms latched about my waist, wrenching a bark of laughter from me as he hauled me toward him, something torn between a growl and a grunt rumbling from his chest.

“Alright, alright! Scoot over!” I yielded, joy singing through my voice. He refused to release me as he shifted slightly, guiding me down until I lay nestled atop his chest, body thrilling in the want fueling his hold, in the flutter of his breath through my hair as he lightly touched his lips to my brow.

“I missed you, too.” I whispered, and it was so nearly teasing were it not for the depth of some unspoken promise veiled within those words. I’ve missed you just as desperately as you’ve missed me. I understand all the secret murmurs you can’t bring yourself to say through any means other than hidden touches and the covetous strength of your embrace. I couldn’t think and not wonder about you, if you were safe, if you were happy, if you were thinking about me, too. I couldn’t breathe without searching for the scent of you upon the air, and not a moment passed in which I didn’t long to return to you.

Trying to put the entirety of those thoughts into words would only work to cheapen the violence of emotion fueling them, and so we said nothing more as a relief more profound than the first rays of sun after an unending winter storm settled quietly about the room. I felt the deep breath slowly leave him, taking with it all of the tension and fear and worry that weighed upon every second we were apart, and found my own breath mimicking his in that same release.

I’d known he’d be here, laying atop my bed in the perfect allusion to an effortless sleep we both knew he’d been robbed of since I’d left. I’d known he’d play the role of aloof impatience all the while restraining himself from giving in to the need to feel me against him until the last minute. And I knew his lips now pulled into a gentle smile that he’d never reveal to anyone but me as we finally allowed ourselves to rest, eager for the comfort of the coming night safe in each other’s arms.

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[cc--2224]

Second Impressions

Pairing: Crosshair x GN! Reader

Summary: You expected the worst when the Bad Batch were assigned to be your bodyguards, but first impressions aren't always everything. It doesn't take long for you to get close to them, well, most of them.

Warnings: Canon-Typical Violence, mentions of broken bones/injuries

Notes: Can be seen as platonic or romantic, however you'd like! Also, softer than normal Crosshair because I'm into that

Word Count: ~2.5k

Taglist: None, let me know if you'd like to be added!

Read on AO3

You didn't have a chance to react to the nearby explosion before you felt something collide with you. It felt like durasteel barreling into you, you felt a sharp pain and then a weight on top of you before it went quiet. Your eyes were glued shut, fearing what you might see if you opened them.

It was supposed to be a normal day, or at least as normal as it could be. You had been traveling with Clone Force 99 on a series of expeditions, with them acting as somewhat of your bodyguards while you conducted your research on different planets. 

They hadn't really been keen on the assignment at the start, deeming it "too boring to just go around looking at plants" and "not a job worthy of their skills" as you had heard them say. In all fairness, you weren't sold on the idea either, but your protests had fallen on deaf ears. The war had become too dangerous for you to venture out on your own, and nearly every other unit was too preoccupied fighting that war to assist you. 

As your research continued, however, you got used to them, even growing to like them. They were much different than any other clones you had worked with, each of them had enhanced abilities, and incredibly different personalities. Over time, you had begun to consider them your friends. 

Wrecker became willing to help you with the heavy lifting that your job entailed, bringing the larger samples you had to gather back to the ship. Hunter's astute senses started to come in handy when you were tasked to locate rare vegetation that no one seemed to be able to pinpoint the location of. Tech was always okay with having his brain picked whenever you had questions or needed someone to bounce ideas off of. And then there was Crosshair. His sharp eyes, always watching from a distance, never getting too close to you. His tongue was just as sharp as his eye, and the few times he did speak to you, it was never to exchange pleasantries or words of comfort. You were positive that if the others had considered you a friend, Crosshair most certainly did not. 

Your first impression of him left much to be desired, as much as you tried to befriend him.

You learned early on that it was best to let him do his own thing, although there was a part of you that was almost upset by that. You had heard him on more than one occasion joking with the others, and you had tried to use that as an opportunity to speak to him, figuring the other times he was just in a bad mood and now it had been lifted, but when you'd open your mouth, he would close back up. You wished that you could have gotten to know him as well as you had his brothers, but his boundaries were set and you did your best to respect them.

When your research brought you to Felucia, you were slightly apprehensive to go there. You had heard of recent skirmishes between the Republic forces and the Separatists, but decided you would be far enough away from any outposts to get in and out without issue. 

The ship landed about a klick away from the co-ordinates your supervisor had sent you, and when you exited the ship, the dense forest seemed empty. Feeling a false sense of security, you insisted on going to find the fungi you were sampling on your own. The others didn't see any problem with that, so they accepted the idea, but only if you remembered to comm them if there was danger. Their terms seemed reasonable enough, so you agreed and made your way into the forest.

You hadn't been gone long before there was unrest in the Marauder.

"Was it really a wise decision to let them go on their own?" Crosshair asked with his teeth grinding against a toothpick. 

"They'll be fine, there's hardly ever any conflict around here, and definitely not this deep in the forest." Hunter tried, unsuccessfully, to reassure him. 

"If you are so worried about their wellbeing, why did you not go with them?" Tech glanced over at him before looking back to the control panel he had begun fiddling with.

"Yeah, Cross, you like them or something?" Wrecker joined in with more of a teasing tone than his brothers had.

Crosshair simply scowled at all of them in reply before standing from his chair. 

"I'm going to take a look around."

No one said anything else while he made his way outside, but they each exchanged their own secret looks.

His eyes scanned the area, but found no trace of you aside from your footprints in the mud, and thankfully no sign of any danger. But just as he was about to walk to the other side of the ship, he heard the sound of distant blaster fire coming from the direction in which you had taken off. 

Without thinking, he started off into the forest, following your footprints as best as he could. Through the trees, he could see a tank crushing the trees in its path and a patrol of droids following it.

"Kriff." He muttered under his breath as he tried to find your trail again. 

You had gotten lost in your work, you didn't really know where you were relative to any occupied villages on the planet, and you didn't know how long it was taking you to retrieve the samples you were instructed to obtain. Until you had heard blaster fire, you weren't even aware there could be anyone this far out. It sounded far away, so you thought you could finish what you were doing before going back to the ship. The return fire sounded much closer, and this worried you. You sighed and reached for your blaster in case things went awry, but found the holster empty.

This seemed like the kind of danger the others would have expected you to comm about, and just as you were bringing your commlink up to speak, you saw a flash coming toward you, and that's when you felt something colliding with you.

It was dark.

Death? Is that what this was? 

No, your eyes were closed, that's why it was dark. Death wouldn't hurt this much. You were suddenly very aware of a pain radiating from your side into your chest.

But you couldn't find the will to open your eyes, when you did eventually try, your vision was blurry and you were forced to shut them again.

You felt a weight on top of you, halting your movement and shallowing your breath. The nearby conflict you heard, and now the ringing in your ears meant there must have been some kind of explosion. You tried to piece together what just happened, but with limited movement and blurred vision, that task was proving difficult. You must have been lucky enough to miss the explosion, but unlucky enough to be in the range of flying debris, and you couldn't bring your comm up to call for help.

You figured that if death didn't find you already, it soon would.

As you resigned yourself to your fate, you heard a muffled voice, it didn't sound like a battle, it just sounded like one almost desperate voice, you thought you heard it say your name but you couldn't be sure. 

The weight lifted from your chest and you heard the muted sounds of blaster fire before it was silent again. In the silence, you felt your head being lifted slowly from the ground, almost like you were being cradled.

"Please..." The voice returned, becoming more clear. "Wake up." 

Your eyebrows furrowed and a groan sounded from your throat. Slowly, your eyes opened, you had to blink a couple times before you could clearly see the figure holding you.

"Cross..hair?" 

He sighed in relief. "You're okay."

"Y-Yeah but.. what happened?" You tried to sit up on your own, but his hand was still firm on your back, stabilizing you. You felt the sharp pain in your side and your chest more furiously as you breathed in, and you winced in response. "I feel like I was hit by a railspeeder." 

"No, luckily just plastoid." He looked over you, trying to assess any injuries, but he almost looked guilty when he met your eye. "...Sorry." 

You looked at him with a confused expression.

"There was a clanker patrol in the area, must have been targeting a nearby village, but a tank fired this way. I tackled you out of the way, I guess doing so injured you."

You looked down at his chestplate, and pieced together that the impact you felt, as well as the weight on top of you, it had been him. 

"Can you stand?" He asked, standing up slowly and offering you a hand to help you up.

You took it but when you tried standing, the pain you felt in your side became worse, shooting in different directions across your torso and bringing tears to your eyes. 

He stopped trying to help you up and in a swift movement, he carefully scooped you off the ground. 

"We'll take a look at that when we get back to the ship." He said and started walking back.

It took a few moments to feel comfortable, both with your injuries and with his demeanour. He had never expressed interest in being near you, and now he was willingly carrying you back to the ship.

As if he could feel your stare, his eyes darted over to meet yours. "What is it?"

"Why are you being so nice to me?" You asked quietly, still looking at his face intently, like you were trying to draw out his usual annoyed expression.

"What do you mean?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I mean... you never even talk to me. And now you apparently saved my life."

He looked ahead with a stern expression. 

"We were hired as your bodyguards." He reminded you.

"I didn't even know you were there."

"I was wor- …I disagreed that it was safe for you to go out by yourself, and then I heard the blasters, so I came to find you." He paused, considering your earlier words and how he acted toward you prior to this.

In truth, he had seen how close you had gotten to Hunter, Wrecker, and Tech and he didn't feel you had a place for him. He tried to be content to watch from afar as he always had, it was what he was made for after all. Keeping his distance was his role in every mission they took, and he was certain this mission would be no different. But watching from afar, observing the way your eyes lit up when you spoke about your research, your smile that grew when you'd talk to his brothers, everything about your interactions with them planted a bitter, jealous seed inside of him. Knowing they could talk to you so freely, that they could draw those smiles from you, a smile that he wished he could see up close. And knowing that he could too, if he hadn't pushed you away anytime you tried to get near him. He was petulant in the way he craved your affection, while also refusing to get close to you, to let you in, but he'd never admit that to himself much less to you.

"As for not talking to you," He continued, "I'm just… not talkative."

"You're talking now." You countered, and you were met with a slight smirk. "I always assumed you just hated me or something."

He didn't answer for a long time after that. You were nearly at the Marauder when he finally spoke again.

"I never hated you. It just takes time for me to get used to people. I like you." His eyes widened just slightly enough that you notice. "I mean, I like having you around."

You could feel yourself blushing. You tried shifting to bring your face closer to his, but you were unable to without causing yourself more pain. He noticed your movement and stopped for a moment so you could readjust yourself in his arms.

"Crosshair, can you.. come closer for a second." 

He glanced down at you before obliging, bringing his head down so he was level with you. You slowly moved your head toward his and kissed his cheek. 

"Thank you… for saving me."

He snapped his head back and you smiled slightly when you saw the tips of his ears reddening. He didn't say anything, but he gave you an acknowledging nod.

When you finally returned to the ship, Crosshair laid you down gently on your bunk as your injuries were scanned and treated as best as they could be, unfortunately bacta patches wouldn't do much for broken ribs, but bedrest would.

Crosshair kept you company as much as he could while you healed. His visits were often silent, there were many times where he just stood and watched over you. It was awkward at first, but you started to understand that was how he'd feel he was keeping you safe. Although, sometimes he would attempt to get to know you, he's sit at the end of your bunk asking you questions about your research. A topic that would always send you into a verbal frenzy for which he wouldn't accept any apology. On occasion he would also allow you to ask him questions about himself, but there was never any consistency to how much or how little he would tell you. You knew he was trying to open up to you in his own way, and this led you to reconsider how you first felt about him. You wished you hadn't jumped to conclusions about him, but at the same time you were glad that he was willingly opening himself up to you rather than you breaking a boundary by mistake. You began to feel closer to him the more time you spent with him, and you slowly began to understand that he considered you a friend long before the events on Felucia, even though he never made it clear. 

Everything about him felt different now. His discerning eye always watching, somehow always being able to read you with ease regardless of what you did and didn't tell him. His sharp wit always countering your own. You learned that he was never one to exchange pleasantries or offer words of comfort, but you didn't hold it against him as you once had. Even after you had healed, he was more open to speaking with you, when you heard him joking with his brothers, he no longer closed himself off when you approached. Instead, he'd usually make a small joke at your expense. 

Your second impression of Crosshair was much better than the first, now that you understood him more than you thought you had early on.

While you hoped you wouldn't have to deal with a couple broken ribs and bedrest again any time soon, it wasn't the worst thing to happen to you. Although getting even closer to Crosshair without having to go through all of that again would be much more ideal.

[secretthegriffin]

A MOST RESTFUL NIGHT

summary: crosshair often fights his exhaustion, but tonight proved to be a little bit more difficult...

pairing: crosshair / fem! jedi ( can be seen as reader as they're unnamed)

A/N : so this is basically an excerpt from a story I'll never finish. I don't usually post what I write but I felt this is special. I also would like to point out I am in no way shape or form a professional writer so I'm sorry if there's mistakes but anyways this is mostly in cross' pov. and its super fluff. with softie and slightly touched starved cross. so no warnings. :)

He sat alone in the darkness of the shuttle. All of his crewmates have been asleep for some time now so the ship was especially quiet. He held his fire-puncher with his supplies, ready to relax and clean the weapon. Most of the time his rifle hardly needed it. Alas he cleaned the damn thing so much though it turned habitual. Often avoiding sleep entirely he would indulge himself with said habit until complete exhaustion. It is so cleaning his rifle, he found himself entirely lost in the activity. He didn't even notice the hesitant figure approaching him from the shadows of the ship.

"How can you see? Its so dang dark" she sighed.

Almost startled, he looked up from the gun speechless. There the jedi stood as breathtaking as ever, standing before him.

"I don't need the light, I can see in the dark". He replied sarcastically.

Avoiding the jedi's sleepy eyes, he took her in. she wore her regular jedi robes, except she had a tightly fitted tank and shorts on as if she threw the robes over her sleep wear.

"figures" she yawned stretching her hands above her to the ceiling. cross was thankful it was dark, she wouldn't see his hawk like eyes devour every inch of her as she stretched. From her pretty face and soft curves down to her beautiful breasts and long smooth legs. Cross would be lying to himself if he said she wasn't attractive. Maker, she was down right the most stunning jedi cross had ever laid his eyes on. He keenly watched as she carefully made her way through the dark to the opposite side of the sofa he sat on. yawning once more she gestured to the rifle.

"Well, go on" she proclaimed.

"What?" He was taken aback a bit to be honest.

"Don't let me stop you from cleaning the damn thing". Gesturing once more to the rifle, but with a smile.

That damn smile. It made cross's heart flutter a bit. She could never know what she does to him. She made him felt things one never thought could exist. He hated it. Hated she made him felt this way. And yet. He hated how much he loved it. oh so much. With heat rising to his face, he smirked. going back to his business. Basking in the warm feel of her watchful eyes as he silently cleaned the weapon. He didn't quite understand why she watched. But he also didn't really care. He loved the idea of being the very object of her interest in this moment.

"Its soothing". She whispered. as if reading his mind.

"Excuse me?" He whispered back.

"The noise. Watching you...its.. Meditating" she hummed, closing her eyes.

"hmm". He didn't really know what to say, she must be especially tired.

"Can I get a better view?" Her bold question surprised cross a bit, making him stop suddenly to directly look at her.

"What do you mean?"

She huffed. her cheeks going pink as she smiled at him again, turning his insides to mush.

"Like this". She lifted his arm off his lap and gently adjusted herself to lay across his lap so her head rested on his thigh, looking at the rifle and his hands.

"Now I can watch closely and comfortably." she said quietly lifting her hands to snuggle between her head and his thigh.

"If I didn't know any better, sweetheart, I'd think you're looking for a different kind of entertainment tonight". He teased with a chuckle. Though he was not so subtly trying to hide the fact he was entirely flustered by the closeness. He couldn't take his eyes off her beautiful face. The warmth of her body on his thighs sent shivering chills through his body. Maker what he wouldn't give to wrap his arms around her and pull her closer to him, into his lap.

she giggled at his response but playfully smacked his leg.

"shut up. now c'mon, I'm trying to meditate." she insisted.

Looking down onto the gorgeous jedi, Cross gladly went back to his rifle, but not without a stupid smug smile on his face.

She watched intently as his skillful fingers cleaned the rifle. His hands were so carefully delicate as he took the weapon apart. She was surprised the mean marksman could care enough about something to treat it so. Watching as if he was an artist, it relaxed her. Sighing as she slowly fell asleep to the soft clanking of the metal.

As soon as Cross noticed she was soundlessly asleep, he thanked the stars for such a moment. His gun long forgotten, Cross silently studied her features and the gentle rise and fall of her chest. She looked so gorgeously peaceful and so serene. and so perfect against his lap.

"Mesh'la". He breathed. Gently brushing loose strands of hair from her face. His hands trembled as he ever so lightly with the tips of his fingers traced her face. they ached to reach out and hold her, but he could never let himself do that. After some time she began softly snoring. So with a tired and heavy sigh Cross tucked his arms under her, lifting her to his chest bridal style. He slowly and carefully made his way to her bunk. Softly laying her against the cot. But as he turned to go to his own cot, her hand reached out to his wrist stopping him.

"Do you wanna lay with me?" she whispered. She sounded so tired, and so beautiful. Cross sighed another heavy sigh, he too was tired. hesitating, he slid next to her, not touching her, but sitting awkwardly just next to her. He eyed her as she lazily curled herself next to his side, falling back to sleep. for a moment he thought about going to his own bed. until she reached out in her sleep, wrapping her arm across his chest to snuggle into his side. cross's heart completely stumped. He completely gave into his feeling he was never going to beat, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her as close to him as possible. He curled into her, almost melting. Soaking in the warmth of everything her. He felt so undeniably comfortable, he wished the stars this wasn't a cruel dream. As he held her tighter to his chest he succumbed to the drowsiness he'd been avoiding for so long. Loosing another internal battle. Falling oh so deeply into a blissful slumber.

-----the end---- <3

[crosshairlovebot]

enclosed intentions / crosshair gn!reader

pairing: crosshair x gn!reader (no y/n). reader has a nickname.

description: amid your growing feelings for the silver-haired sniper, you and crosshair are paired together on a mission that goes awry, which brings to light intentions you've been aching to know.

word count: 9,934 (pHEW!!)

warnings: near-death experience (everyone lives). landslide. heavy storms. enclosed spaces. minor injury. minor injury description. making out. light angst.

been wanting to write another crosshair fic for a while bc he's my GUY and i love him!!! season 3 is only fuelling the burning fire he stokes in my chest. i hope you enjoy this! strap in! it's a long one! (sorry if there are any errors, i've edited this but it's so long it's entirely possible that i missed some <3)

also posted this on ao3. feedback is welcomed, reblogs are appreciated.

More often than not, Clone Force 99 was sent on dangerous missions – missions too specialised for the regular battalions and squads that filled the Grand Army of the Republic. The missions that troubled Jedi Generals regarding the potential loss of men. But Clone Force 99 and their specialised skills took on those missions with ease, enthusiasm even.

You were about to embark on another one of those missions.

When you’d first joined the GAR as a medic, you’d heard rumours about the squad of defective clones and their enhanced skills, and you would be lying if you said you weren’t impressed by their reportedly unbroken mission success.

When Echo walked into your medbay after he’d been rescued from Skako Minor and you were the first to check over him – making him feel comfortable after years of prodding and inhumane treatment – it only made sense for you to join the team as a field medic to continue to treat him and the other members of the squad.

Though they were initially dubious of the idea of a nat-born joining their ranks, they had always been a misfit crew – you were only another addition to that, and it wasn’t long before your presence with the squad felt like being at home.

You got on with each of the members well, even if they grumbled and complained about your regularly scheduled medical check-ups after missions.

Tech was a great help in collating the medical files he’d made from when he acted as the informal medic. You joked along with Wrecker, who often used you as an alternate barbell, lifting you over his head to warm up before a mission. Hunter often conferred with you before mission briefings to go over any hazards that could harm them. Echo was probably your strongest bond, the trust that existed between you both created a level of closeness not shared with the other members of the squad.

But Crosshair…

You’d soon discovered that Crosshair was weary of anyone who wasn’t part of his immediate family, and you joining Clone Force 99 – and in such constant close quarters, meant your relationship with the sharpshooter was a little more distant than the others.

You tried not to let it bother you so much, but it was hard when you were joking with Wrecker, and you could feel Crosshair’s discerning enhanced eyes on you. You often ignored his gaze as best you could, but sometimes you would look over at him, and hold his eyes for a moment before he got up and walked away.

You wish you knew what those looks meant. You would lay in your bunk at night, and think about it, trying to piece together any patterns and figure out why Crosshair’s eyes never seemed to truly leave you.

Despite the distance between you both, it didn’t deter your intrigue about him. There was something about him that drew your attentions towards him.

If you didn’t feel his eyes on you, your eyes would find him. He was so fascinating to watch. Everything he did, he did with purpose; intention. Nothing about Crosshair was insignificant. Every word, every gesture, every look held meaning. You liked trying to figure it out, but you had yet to decipher much of it – especially when it was directed at you. He was like a puzzle that didn’t want to be solved, hiding all his answers in disappearing ink, you had to hold him up to the light to try and unravel him. You wished he would let you, but his terse demeanour kept you at bay - not wanting to disturb what balance you had.

So you were content to watch him from a distance. He was methodical about everything. Cleaning his rifle the same way after every mission, never missing a step, always performing each of them in the same order. His armour went on the same way. You would watch how his toothpicks would always dangle from his lips as he cleaned his prized weapon, and you would almost be hypnotised by the way he moved the wooden stick between his teeth. You spent so much time staring at his mouth, that you could probably draw it from memory.

He was magnetising.

Whenever you needed to perform a medical check on him, you would do so quietly and draw it out, as if trying to soak up every moment of the closeness to him, catalogue it all.

When it came to checking his hands, you would gently hold them in your palms and gently massage the joints that could get cramped from holding the rifle tightly. You would check the nerves with a light prick on each fingertip and around the palm. Those examinations were so tense, his eyes on you the entire time watching your every move in the tiny medbay on the Marauder. You could barely focus in that room, there was nowhere to hide from his sharp eyes. And when you dared meet his gaze, his eyes would hold yours in a way that left you breathless and you were never able to look him in the eyes for very long. They’d look right into yours, an expression dancing in them you could never place.

But he never said anything to you – not unless you asked him a question about pain. But you’d think about each interaction for days afterwards.

Your silent exchanges filled your head at night, spilling over into your dreams. Dreams where those hands you’d just inspected in the waking world would be holding you tightly, that mouth you’d stared at brushing against your cheek and neck, whispering things you pretended not to remember once you woke. You’d wake up from those dreams confused, still feeling the ghost of his touches on you. It didn’t hit you until several dreams later that that initial intrigue had given way to feelings much deeper; to an intense crush that only seemed to build the longer you spent with Clone Force 99.

If anyone else noticed, they never said anything. You carried on as normal and hoped Hunter’s heightened senses didn’t pick up on the way your face heated or your heartbeat increased when Crosshair was near.

Except the silence between you broke a few days ago.

After the last mission, you were scheduled to do the weekly checks on the squad. You always left Crosshair until last, knowing he liked to clean his rifle as soon as the mission debrief was over. When you called him into the tiny room, he sat down on the bench, and you completed the first part of the check-up smoothly.

It was when you were massaging one of his hands, loosening the stiffness with your own fingers, that you felt his close around yours.

You had stilled and slowly looked up at him. His brown-eyed gaze met yours and you felt the air get sucked out of your lungs. You watched his eyes flick between yours, his throat working as his fingers were warm around yours. He was holding your hand, and it was warm and strong despite its slenderness. It was such an innocent gesture, and yet the sensation of his touch made your face burn and heat unfurl in your chest as your feelings for the sniper were unleashed in full force. You didn’t know what to do, but you would be lying if you didn’t like the feel of his fingers around yours. But this was Crosshair – the Crosshair who barely spoke to you, who watched you like he was analysing your every move.

“A-am I hurting you?” you managed to stammer out.

Crosshair blinked, seemingly jolting himself out of a trance and pulled his hands away roughly, frowning. “No.” His voice was like gravel, and he stood up and quickly left the room, check-up unfinished.

You had no idea what had happened, what you had done, what he had done, but you stood in that room trying to quell your racing heart for ages before you worked up the nerve to emerge. You spent that night thinking about the warmth of his fingers around yours and the way his throat bobbed like he wanted to tell you something.

What was it that he wanted to say? You knew Crosshair was always intentional in everything he did, so what was his intention with holding your hand like that?

Now, as the Marauder flew into a planet you couldn’t remember the name of, you felt those brown eyes on you from where Crosshair sat in one of the seats in the cockpit, his arms crossed and toothpick between his lips. Echo helped Tech guide the ship as Wrecker bench-pressed Gonky in the corridor. Hunter stood nearby as you held onto the back of Tech’s pilot seat as the ship flew into the planet’s atmosphere.

Since joining the squad a mere two months ago, you had been to more planets than you ever thought you would visit in your entire lifetime, but you had never seen anything like this.

The sky was full of enormous floating rocks, with thick greenery on top. You didn’t know how they stayed floating like this.

“This place is unbelievable,” you murmured. “How is this possible?”

“The rocks are held up by the planet’s unique gravity, creating a balanced pull that tethers the rock to its place. Think of them as miniature planets that exist within the atmosphere,” Tech explained.

You hummed in amazement as Tech flew past them all and steered towards the planet’s surface, which lay beneath a thick bank of dark clouds. The clouds gave way to rocky terrain, with a mountain range that jutted up from the ground haphazardly, not unlike their floating counterparts, as well as canyons and valleys. The whole planet seems to be rocks in various states. Tech landed the ship in a clear area and then everyone turned to Hunter.

“So, what’s the plan, Hunter?” Wrecker called out, finally giving Gonky a rest and placing him back on the ground.

Everyone gathered around a holomap Hunter had brought up. You felt Crosshair slide in next to you, his crossed arms grazing yours. Heat prickled your skin, the memory of the warmth of his fingers coming to life again, and you shifted slightly, drawing your arms closer to your body. You looked up at him but for once, his gaze wasn’t on you, but on the blue graphics in front of him. Your face burned. It was embarrassing how much of an effect he had on you, and even more so now after that moment in the medbay. He seemed to have completely forgotten about it, and here you were still having phantom feelings of the way his fingers wrapped around yours.

“We divide our squad,” Hunter begins. “Break off into pairs. The mineral we’ve been sent to recover is located across this entire sector, but according to Tech, not all of it will be viable.”

“There is a very narrow window in which the mineral is usable, and it will be difficult to find. But we will need to be cautious. The viable mineral is highly volatile when handled. And there’s an incoming storm headed this way, and due to the unique gravitational field on this planet, the storms here are quite lethal,” Tech tapped on his datapad.

You took a deep breath in. It appeared there was a lot that could go wrong.

Hunter nodded. “I can feel it. We’ll need to move fast, so let’s get going. Echo, you’re with me in the Badlands. Tech and Wrecker, you head west for the Valley. And that leaves Crosshair with N’edee up in the Mountains. Comm if you find any viable mineral and triangulate your position as best you can for reference before extracting as much as possible. Then head back to the Marauder where we’ll reconvene. Questions?”

Everyone shook their head. “The terrain is tough out there, so let’s try to avoid N’edee having to patch up any injuries,” Hunter added, sending you a smile. Everyone nodded before Hunter signalled everyone to move out.

N’edee was the little Mando’a nickname they’d appointed you. It meant ‘no bite’. After you’d first joined, you’d witnessed your first ever disagreement between Crosshair and Hunter and, not used to their scuffles yet, tried to mediate between them. They were so amused it stopped the argument and earned you the name – since you’d rather try to keep the peace instead of letting them fight it out.

Now, you knew better, but the name stuck. You wished you hated it, but Crosshair’s smirk as he called you it the first time was the first time he ever sort of smiled at you.

And the last.

The squad grabbed their gear, and you strapped your med pack to your back and holstered a blaster you barely ever used. You felt your whole body go into overdrive, not only because of the risk of the mission but also because you were paired off with Crosshair. The thought of being so close; just the two of you sent nerves running through you. If it was anyone else, you wouldn’t hesitate to ask what happened in the medbay, and try and sort it out and move forward, but you didn’t have that kind of closeness with Crosshair. There was no way you felt comfortable bringing up the way he held your hand – this was an important mission, and you didn’t want to risk ruining it by making Crosshair uncomfortable and clam up so tight you’d lose the modicum of trust you had.

Whenever intention he’d had, you weren’t destined to ever know what it was. So, you’d just have to take a page out of his book and pretend it never happened.

You made your way down the Marauder’s gangplank to find Crosshair waiting for you, helmet under his arm and holding the barrel of the sniper with his free hand as the hilt rested on the ground. He was the only one there, the others had already started their treks. You quickened your steps down as he looked over at you, heat blooming up your neck.

“Sorry,” you told him. Crosshair shook his head, either dismissing the apology or disappointed in your slowness to get ready – you couldn’t tell.

“Let’s go, the storm’s moving quickly,” he informed in that way of his. He placed his helmet on and started walking. You watched him walk away, not looking back at you as his long legs carried him quickly through the rocky ground in the direction of the mountain range.

“Try and keep up,” he called back, and you huffed, adjusting your med pack and jogging after him.

Crosshair kept a quick pace as you both walked, and his height didn’t help. The rhythmic beeping of the scanner Tech provided you with and your footsteps were the only sound between you both. You tried to keep up as best you could as you approached the base of the mountain range, but you were still lagging a couple of metres behind him.

You had been worried about the awkwardness a conversation about what happened in the medbay would bring, and yet you were not even close enough to have one.

You huffed, a light sheen of sweat covering your brow, as you stepped over a bunch of rocks, moving between them as best you could, looking down at your feet to ensure you didn’t fall. The weather was beginning to change, and you knew the storm was getting closer as the wind picked up and nearly knocked you off balance a few times. But you had still to find any viable mineral. You looked at the scanner and saw it was indeed picking up signs of the mineral, but none of it was suitable – either too old or too young a sample. You sighed. This was going to take longer than you thought, and you only hoped you had more luck once you reached the mountains, and that the storm would hold off.

“Watch your step,” Crosshair called back to you. You looked up to watch him as he stepped on a boulder and jumped down into what must’ve been a small ditch at the foot of the mountain range. You frowned and kept walking. As you got closer, you were surprised as you realised he was waiting for you. His helmet was trained on you as you reached the rock and you tried to pretend like it wasn’t a big deal to you. You stepped on top of the boulder, the wind whipping around you as his gaze tilted up at you. For once, you towered over him. You couldn’t help but smile playfully at him.

“So, this is what the world must look like for you,” you joked, trying to ease the tension that was still thick between you.

Crosshair let out a small scoff at your joke before holding out his hand. “Hurry up.”

You widened your eyes at his extended hand, your eyes flicking to it and then back to his visor. After the medbay, you hardly imagined he’d be offering a hand to you again in a clinical setting, let alone to help you descend a boulder. You looked at his outstretched hand, letting a moment pass as you waited for him to retract it, but he didn’t.

This gesture was intentional.

You slowly placed your hand in his. His hand was as warm and strong as it was several days ago, and the familiarity of it made your insides jolt as you felt it wrap around your palm. The nerve endings in your hand tingled in excitement as they ignited from his touch. Heat coiled its warmth through your whole body as you crouched down to a sitting position, doing your best not to topple over not only from the wind. He helped you slide off the edge down to where he was standing, his hand steadying you.

You wobbled on your feet slightly as you landed, and you looked up at him, wishing he wasn’t wearing his helmet right now so you could discern his steely gaze. Though you had a feeling his bare face still would not betray anything of what was going on in his head.

Was he acknowledging what happened? Or was he just being considerate of the terrain?

Before you could open your mouth with a ‘thank you’, he let go of your hand and started walking up a pathway that seemed to wind up the mountain.

You guessed it was not the former.

You took in a shaky breath, body tingling with the remnants of his touch as you felt its cold absence and started after him; scanner poised as you walked.

The pathway up the mountain was wide enough to walk on, but too narrow to walk side by side comfortably without worry of falling over the edge. So, you trailed behind Crosshair once again, who had now slowed down that the route had grown more precarious. You clenched your jaw as you followed his steps carefully, avoiding any loose rocks as you walked. You tried not to think about the increasing ascension of the mountain, the ground below getting smaller and smaller the higher you both trekked as you continued to scan the side of the mountain for any trace of a viable source of the mineral, but still, there was nothing.

The higher you moved the wind that whipped around both your bodies increased as the clouds rolled in. You had to move your hand alongside the mountain as you waked, too afraid you’d blow away as the gusts of wind threatened to knock you over.

You’d been walking for a few hours by now and with the weather getting worse, the constant pace was starting to wear on you; arms and legs sore and feet aching, face stinging. You looked out over the cliff and saw you were almost halfway up, and the sky was getting darker as the storm continued to draw closer. Every time you looked, it seemed to be moving towards you quicker, so as much as you wanted to stop and rest, you knew that you couldn’t – especially when you looked ahead at Crosshair and saw he didn’t seem to show any signs of exhaustion.

Though you knew clones had been engineered to withstand increased levels of physical exertion, you still felt inadequate not being able to keep up. Even after two months with the squad, you still weren’t used to the physicality of the missions. You weren’t initially trained as a field medic, but you still didn’t want to look like you couldn’t handle this simple mission – even if it was more gruelling than you anticipated. So, you gritted your teeth and kept walking, despite the way your body protested with each step.

Crosshair began to slow before he stopped and turned to look at you. “Picking up anything?”

You shook your head and hoped you didn’t sound as puffed out as you felt. “Nothing viable. Not even a false read.”

Crosshair grumbled. “Another wild bantha chase.”

You tried to sound upbeat, but you weren’t fooling anyone. “Maybe the others have had more luck?”

“Maybe,” Crosshair said, his helmeted face drifting from you to the sky. He removed his helmet and scowled as the storm drew closer and closer to your position on the mountain. It was close enough now that you began to see flashes of lightning strike within the clouds, and you jolted when a crack of thunder sounded like it was almost on top of you.

“The storm is too close,” he said, shaking his head in concern.

“I know. Should we head back to the Marauder?”

“There’s no time. We need a pickup,” Crosshair sighed and placed his helmet back on, pressing the side of his helmet. “Hunter, do you copy?”

You watched him, hand gripping the mountain as the wind grew stronger with each passing second. You were starting to feel spits of rain hit your skin as more thunder and lightning struck. Your body was shaking with exhaustion and all you wanted to do was lie down in a safe place and fall asleep.

“Wrecker? Do you copy? Tech? Echo? Hunter, are you there?” Crosshair spoke into his comm, his voice getting harder with every word. He let out a frustrated sigh.

“I can’t reach them. There’s too much atmospheric interference with the storm, maybe even the gravity too.”

You looked at him and tried not to sound panicked, but you knew your face betrayed you anyway. “What do we do?”

A crack of thunder sounded, and it was like the sky was splitting open. The mountain shook under your feet, and you fell to your knees, yelping. You felt Crosshair crouch next to you, a hand on your back to steady you. You looked up at him as the rain started to pelt down heavily on you both. You tried to shield your face, but the rain was so heavy it felt like knives cutting as it hit the skin of your face.

Crosshair hooked a hand under your arm and hauled you up. “We have to move.”

“We need to get off this mountain!” You shouted over the rain.

“We need to find shelter. Come on,” Crosshair skirted you in front of him and you both started to run up the path in the pouring rain. You held a hand against your brow to try and see, but the rain and wind intensified more than you thought possible, blurring your vision.

“Crosshair, I can’t—”

You slipped on a rock loosened by the wet ground. You cried out and fell forward, landing on your hands harshly. You felt your palms sting as you tried to get to your feet, but Crosshair slid his hands under your armpits and lifted you just as there was a flash of bright light, and the mountain shook again, this time more violently. It felt like the lightning had hit the mountain this time, and when you tried to look up to check, your worst fears were confirmed as the sound of rocks tumbling began to get louder over the heavy rain. Panic coursed through your veins.

“Go!” Crosshair yelled, hand steady on your arm as you both ran, him pulling you forward. You could feel rocks landing behind you and you tried to run faster, skin numb from the rain.

“There’s a cave up ahead! Hurry!” Crosshair shouted as he led you towards the mouth of the cave. Your thighs and calves burned, and Crosshair pulled you inside just as rocks fell and covered the entrance of the cave, trapping you both inside.

You fell to your knees, catching your breath as you looked around and realised how dark it was. You’re eyes hadn’t adjusted yet, so could barely see anything, but you heard Crosshair’s body hit the ground nearby as he sat down, grunting as he took his helmet off. His breath moved quickly too as you blinked and tried reaching out to see where he was.

“Crosshair?” you said, patting the hard ground next to you until you found his knee.

“I’m here,” he said, placing a hand over yours. You sucked in a breath as his fingers curled around yours. “You okay?” He asked, his voice raspy.

Your heartbeat which had only just started to slow, picked up again as he held your hand again. How many more times was this going to happen? Would you ever not freak out when he touched you now? Was that his intention?

You swallowed. “Yeah, I’m okay. Are you?”

You felt the muscles in his hand flex. “Yeah.”

You took in a shaky breath and let him hold your hand again, relishing in the feel of his fingers wrapped around yours for a moment, so warm and solid. The feel of his knee under your palm, a part of the body you had originally thought completely savoury until this very moment. After a moment too long of no sound except the roaring rain on the other side of the rock, you cleared your throat before you felt around you with your other hand. “I can’t see.”

“I can.”

You blushed profusely and hoped to the Force you didn’t look as bewildered as you felt. “Right. Of course.”

Crosshair slowly let go of your hand but made a point of keeping your empty palm on his knee, like he knew you needed to feel him close by.

The word intentional flashed in your mind.

Your stomach turned over at the gesture and you wiped your face with your other hand, shoulders beginning to shake. You heard Crosshair take off his pack and scramble through it, pulling out a small light that he usually placed on the end of his rifle. He clicked it on, and you shielded your eyes, before blinking your vision clear. Now you could see Crosshair’s face half illuminated, his brow was creased as he held out the light to you.

“Thanks,” you said, taking it from him. You pointed it around the cave and realised it was not so much a cave, but an oversized cavity in the side of the mountain. It wasn’t very deep, and it looked like its width was only a little bigger than Crosshair was tall. But it had saved your lives. You looked behind you, at the rocks that had fallen there.

“How are we going to get out of here?” you asked, running the light over the edge of the cave to see if there were any openings, but there were none substantial enough for you to try and get leverage to move the rocks that blocked you both in. Some rain fell through the cracks, the water landing on the rock as the storm carried on outside. That was good – at least you had some airflow.

“We need to wait for the storm to pass before we can see if comms will work to call the others,” Crosshair explained. “If we can’t contact them, we’ll have to wait for them to find us.”

The thought of being trapped in here for an undetermined amount of time made your heartbeat begin to race. “And if they can’t find us?”

“They will.” Crosshair’s conviction was comforting. You’d learnt that his belief in his brothers was unwavering, and never misplaced. If he believed that they would find them, then you did too.

You looked at him, careful not to shine the light in his sensitive eyes. His gaze was on you, and this might’ve been the first time you didn’t feel the need to avert your eyes. As intense as his gaze was, it was soft, and the brown of his eyes shined in the low light. Your hand was still on his knee and your eyes flicked down to it. You didn’t know if removing it would make it more awkward, or if leaving it there would. In the split-second moment, you were debating it in your head, with your body still shaking when Crosshair interrupted your thoughts.

“You’re shivering,” Crosshair said. “You need to get dry.”

You looked up at him and realised just how much you were shivering, now that the adrenaline had worn off. Your clothes were soaked through from the downpour, and the chill was sinking into your bones. You knew that if you didn’t get dry, you would get hypothermic.

You held out the light to Crosshair to take, which he did wordlessly. With shaky hands, you pulled your med pack off your back and placed it in front of you. Crosshair shined the light where you needed it as you searched through the items for a reflective blanket and when you found it, you pulled it out, the light bouncing off the shiny fabric. You looked at Crosshair, heat crawling up your neck.

“Um, I need to…”

Crosshair turned his head immediately but kept the light pointed in your direction. As quickly as you could, embarrassment flooding your trembling frame, you removed the layers of clothes you had on. You kept on the black GAR issue bodysuit you wore under all your clothes, even if it was slightly damp – you weren’t going to be completely bare with just a blanket between you and Crosshair. As you stripped everything off, you noticed the palms of your hands were grazed from the fall, and it hurt to move them as the skin stretched. You would deal with it once you weren’t shivering anymore, but the priority right now was to get warm.

Once you piled all your clothes together – there was no hope in everything drying whilst you were stuck in here, you pulled your knees to your chest and wrapped the reflective blanket around you tightly.

“Okay.” You said and Crosshair looked over and he squinted as the light bounced off the blanket, gaze searching your frame.

“What about your hands?”

“My hands?”

“You fell. I saw your palms are grazed.”

He was so perceptive, you wondered what else he saw that he never acknowledged. “I’ll patch them up after I stop shaking,” you told him, wrapping the blanket tighter.

Crosshair shook his head. “Aren’t you always telling us that injuries should be treated as soon as possible? Give me this—” he pulled the med pack in front of him and pointed the light inside.

“Crosshair—” You said as he dug around your pack, pulling out some antibac wipes and bacta patches. “You don’t have to. It’s not your job.”

Crosshair sent you a withering look before he placed the light between his teeth and gestured for you to show him your hands. You sighed and pulled your hands out of the blanket as best you could without it slipping off your shoulders. You turned your palms up, still slightly tremoring. They weren’t bleeding, but they were red and rubbed raw from the gravel you landed on. And they stung, but you were trying to be brave about it.

They were easily treatable, but your hands didn’t look pretty, that’s for sure.

Crosshair looked at them, adjusting the light in his mouth so they were completely illuminated before he shook his head with a frown, ripped open an antibac wipe, and cradled one of your hands in his.

 He met your eyes, a silent question in their gentle expression as his hand was poised, wipe ready to be drawn across your palms. You’d never seen him look at you like this before; this softly. It was so easy for your crush to bloom when he looked at you like this. You looked into his brown-eyed gaze, cheeks heated, and you nodded.

Crosshair gently placed the wipe on your palms, and you sucked in a breath as it stung the exposed skin. You felt the hand that cradled yours tighten and then he slowly began to clean the wound. With his attention on your hand, you could watch him unabashedly. The roles between you had now reversed. He was treating your hands as attentively as you treated his. The way he held your hand in his large palm was so gentle that your heart fluttered. You could feel the heat permeate from under his gloves into your skin, and you felt your hand slowly begin to still, the warmth returning to you with his touch. You were so touched at the way he was doing this for you, without you even asking. The way he insisted upon it. You hadn’t expected it after the medbay, and you ignored the little voice in the back of your head that asked what his intention was and simply savoured this moment of kindness from the man you were hopelessly crushing on.

He was as methodical as he was when cleaning his rifle, wiping the wound on one hand in even strokes that coated all the raw skin twice before he moved to the other hand, a new wipe this time.

You watched the way the light was poised between his teeth, and when his eyes flicked to yours for a moment, you averted your gaze back to your hands reflexively. You heard him breathe out through his nose harshly as he discarded the wipe and grabbed a bacta patch, pressing it between his palms to warm the liquid. You watched him, your eyes meeting his tattooed gaze once again as your hands remained suspended between you.

You thought back to the medbay, at how his fingers had curled around yours so naturally like it was instinctual; at the way he pulled his hands away so quickly and so forcefully it was like your hands had been burnt; at how fast he’d left you standing there, reeling from his actions. You tried to think of what his intention had been, and what you had done that had made him retreat.

“I’m sorry…for the other day.” Your voice was quiet in the small space. The storm continued to rage outside, but there was no way he hadn’t heard you. Crosshair looked at you, knowing exactly what it was you were referring to, and placed the bacta patches in one hand before removing the light from his mouth to talk, confusion etched into his brow.

“Why?”

You brought your lips between your teeth as your eyes flicked between his. “Because I upset you.”

Crosshair looked at you for a moment, an undiscernible expression passed over his half-shadowed face as your eyes stayed locked on each other. What you would give to know what he was thinking, what thoughts swirled in his head. Two months of watching him had barely scratched the surface – you wanted to know everything, to be privy to the innermost workings of his mind.

Crosshair was the first to break his gaze, shaking his head.

“You didn’t upset me.”

You frowned at him, but before you could ask him what he meant, he had placed the end of the light back between his teeth and started applying the bacta patches to your palms, activating the adhesive and smoothing them down over your hands with his thumbs. He held one of your hands in both of his, his fingertips touching the back of your hand as he ran his thumbs along the edges of the bacta patch. He pressed them gently down, and you could already feel the bacta doing its job. He did the same thing to the other side.

You watched him and you realised you’d never felt so cared for before. Never had you been held so gently, treated with such practised methodical hands that were also so soft and caring. Your heart swelled.

He took the light out of his mouth. “Bandages?”

You cleared your throat. “They’re in the side pocket.”

Crosshair took some out and started wrapping your hands up so the bacta patch would be more secure. He was so good at this. With the light dangling from his teeth, he circled the bandage around one hand, before he tied it off and tucked the end, and then the same on the other side.

When he was done, he dropped his hands from yours and removed the light from his teeth for the final time.

You looked at your hands. You couldn’t have treated them better if you had done it yourself. You hadn’t even had to coach him through what to do, and that impressed you. It only made the warmth in your chest grow, that hopeless crush in full bloom and only growing more hopeless by the minute.

“Thank you,” you told him and pulled your hands back underneath the blanket.

Crosshair hummed and then placed the light up on its base between you both and leaned it against the rocks behind you, so the beam of light shined upwards and illuminated where you at. You watched him then sit back against the rock, stretching his long legs out in front of him and closing his eyes, sighing. You sat facing him and brought the blanket around you tighter. You no longer shivered, but you still wanted to be warmer than you were. You stared at the side of his face, Crosshair’s profile half-lit in the light. You gazed at the brown of his skin, the sliver of his hair, the slope of his nose, the purse of his lips. You noted the stubble lining his angled jawline, and wondered what it would feel like against your lips. He was beautiful.

“Crosshair?”

He only hummed again in response.

You tightened your hold on the blanket as you worked up the courage to ask the question that was burning inside you. You couldn’t sit here anymore and not know.

“If I didn’t upset you…what happened?”

Crosshair opened his eyes, but he didn’t speak straight away. It was like he was searching for the right words, the best way to explain what had happened. You waited patiently for him to answer, your anxiety only building in anticipation.

Crosshair scraped the sole of his foot on the floor of the cavity as he brought one of his knees to his chest, resting his elbow on it. You swore you saw the tips of his ears turn pink, but you weren’t sure in this light. “I…crossed a boundary, and I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry for acting the way I did.”

You blinked at him, confused. That was the last thing you expected him to say, especially his apology. “Boundary? What boundary?”

“Does it matter?” Crosshair grumbled, his voice scratching.

“It does to me,” you told him gently.

He turned quiet again. He avoided your eyes, instead choosing to focus on a spot on his knee, frown etching deeper into his brow. You wished he would look at you. All those times you caught him watching you, now you willed him to meet your gaze. If he looked at you, you would be able to tell him with your eyes that he could trust you with whatever it was he was having a hard time verbalising. That you wouldn’t judge him the way you knew so many people did. That you saw him, how underneath all that surly exterior was a kind heart who’d been wounded too many times. But he pointedly didn’t look at you, and all you wished to say would remain your secret.

Crosshair sighed, breaking the silence. “You’re our medic, that’s more important.”

That only puzzled you more. “More important than what?”

Quiet descended again, and after several moments, you tentatively reached out and placed a bandaged hand on his shoulder pauldron. His eyes darted to you, wide like they were before in that medbay, and he shrugged you off, his voice hard and frustrated, and his cheeks tinted pink.

“Just forget it. It won’t happen again.”

You watched him, and the way his hands were clenched on his knees. The way he wasn’t looking at you anymore. You recalled the panic in his eyes that you saw in the medbay when he allowed himself the comfort of holding your hand, and how he’d had that same expression just before. You thought back to all the times you caught him looking at you, the way his eyes never left you – even when it was just the two of you during check-ups. The way he brushed up next to you when standing in mission briefings. The way he didn’t hesitate to touch you when he was helping you or keeping you safe – because it was easier to hide behind those gestures than the curling of his fingers around yours alone in the medbay.

Intentional. Intentional. Intentional.

Oh. Oh.

You felt your heartbeat increase as heat rushed through your body, your stomach flipping over at the realisation. You bit the insides of your mouth to stop yourself from smiling before taking a breath. It all made sense now.

Crosshair wasn’t upset at you, he was embarrassed. The man who was so careful about everything he said and did, had one moment where he allowed himself to do something on a whim, and it had made him vulnerable. The impulse had revealed a secret part of himself he had always intended to keep hidden, and now it was out there, and he was embarrassed about it.

He was embarrassed because he thought you didn’t feel the same.

What a fool. A beautiful stupid fool.

Nerves rattled through your body, but you couldn’t sit here any longer and not let him know how you felt too.  “Crosshair…” you said his name softly, barely above a whisper.

Crosshair didn’t move, his eyes stayed glued to the middle distance, his hands still clenched into fists. You let out a breath and held out your bandaged hands. At the movement in his periphery, his eyes slid towards your hands and then up to your face. You flexed your fingers, a silent signal to place his hands in yours. His mouth turned into a line and just when you thought he wouldn’t, he slowly placed one of his tight fists in your palms.

You cradled his hand, the back of it resting in your bandaged palm. As best you could with your other bandaged hand, you began to manually unfurl his fingers, spreading them out slowly against yours. He let you, his hand as pliable as it usually was when you did this – there was no apprehension in this moment, only trust. You began to slowly massage his hand, pressing and kneading the joints of his knuckles and the centre of his palm. Neither of you spoke, and the storm continued its fury on the other side of the rock, but it very well could’ve been a parsec away with how intimate this moment was. All you could focus on was him. You could feel him watching you, wondering what you were doing, but you didn’t let his intense gaze pull you away. Not anymore.

Once you reached the end of the massage, you slid your palm over his, fingers lined up. You moved your hand slowly like he was a baby tooka you had to coax into your lap, you were giving him time to pull away. You let your fingers fall between the gaps of his and then curled your fingers down, so you held his hand.

You felt him tense as he realised what was happening, and you looked at him, but his eyes were locked on your intertwined hands. You waited to see if he pulled away, but he didn’t. His hand stayed firmly in yours, his fingers still splayed out – but his palm stayed pressed into yours. You heard him take in a shaky breath as he finally looked at you.

His eyes had softened on the edges, but his shoulders were still tense, and he had an expression that looked like he was pleading with you; begging you not to play with him like this.

You wouldn’t dream of it.

“Is…is this the boundary?” you asked. You felt Crosshair shift, and his voice came out in a rasp and his ears were definitely pink in this dim light.

“Yes.”

You looked down at your intertwined hands and squeezed his gently. “And me being your medic is more important than this?”

His reply came a second and a half later, all strained and breathy. “Yes.”

You looked at him, his tattooed gaze boring into your face. Ever the perceptive one, you could see he was trying to figure out what you were doing, and why you were doing it. You offered him a smile as you gave him the answer.

“This…this isn’t a boundary for me. Me being your medic has never mattered when it comes to this with you, and never will.”

You watched his eyes widen minutely, and if you didn’t know his face so well, you wouldn’t have noticed anything. But other than that almost indiscernible change in expression, Crosshair remained unmoving, his shoulders still rigid and his fingers still splayed out, not touching the back of your hand.

You searched his face and suddenly felt like you had completely misjudged his actions. Maybe he didn’t have the same crush on you, you did him. Maybe he had just held your hand by mistake, that what you thought had all been intentional, wasn’t actually intentional at all.

Your face burned and embarrassment flooded your body. You started to pull your hand away from him.

“But if it’s a boundary for you—”

But Crosshair’s fingers came down before you could rip your hand away, and he held your hand to his tightly, stopping your palm from leaving his. His hold was secure, warm and purposeful. There was nothing to hide behind anymore.

“It’s not,” he told you, his voice as soft as you’d ever heard it. He looked at you, and he was more vulnerable than you’d ever seen him. You felt your heartbeat flutter. You knew this was hard for him, vulnerability of any kind wasn’t Crosshair’s comfort zone. You smiled at him as reassuringly as you could.

“Good.”

You felt his shoulders drop as his whole body relaxed. Your heart almost burst when you saw the corner of his mouth turn up at you – a smile that was yours and yours alone. You smiled at him, that warmth in your chest glowing brightly, making you feel so at home, you almost didn’t mind you were trapped in this space. You were with Crosshair, and that was enough.

You both sat there, holding hands in the torchlight. It was such an innocent kind of intimacy, but for you both, it held so much. So many unspoken feelings now known through the feel of your palms against each other. You never wanted to let go, and you suspected he didn’t either. You felt his finger muscles flex and you squeezed his hand. He lifted his thumb and placed it on top of yours, stroking it gently in a ministration so comforting you could’ve sobbed. You smiled at him, and he returned it.

A genuine Crosshair smile was a rare gift so few received. He kept them, saving them for the people he trusted and loved. To get one now, to see the corners of his eyes crinkle and the smile lines in his cheeks stretch in a closed-mouth smile, you felt honoured. You never imagined you would ever see Crosshair smile at you like this, to let you close like this – to let you close at all. The dim light of the cave had revealed the disappearing ink of his feelings, and it was extraordinary. You would tell him the full extent of what you felt for him in time, but for now, your feelings were wordlessly exchanged with just you two for witnesses.

You watched as Crosshair tentatively and wordlessly brought the back of your hand to his lips. With his tattooed gaze on you the whole time, he placed a lingering kiss there. You inhaled sharply at the gesture and the skin tingled under the bandage where he kissed you. The rain outside was heavy, but your heart felt light – like if you weren’t trapped in this space, you float away and join those rocks in the sky. You watched him pull away, brushing his lips on the spot for a moment before he let your hands drop between you.

“Was that okay?” he asked, his husky voice asked softly.

You chuckled, a grin stretching across your face. “Yes. More than okay.”

Crosshair hummed, his eyes smiling. “Good.”

The mountain shook again, and you looked around you frantically as dust from the cavity began to fall on you both. Crosshair pulled you against him, arms going around you as he shielded you to his chest. You held onto the edge of his chest plate so tight it dug into your fingers, your face pressed into his chest as he held you tightly. You squeezed your eyes shut and tried to focus on the mixed smell of soap and wood of Crosshair instead of the panic that coursed through you. When the tremor stopped, you looked up at him, and him at you.

“You okay?” he asked

“Yeah,” you lifted your head but didn’t dare untangle yourself from Crosshair’s arms.

Crosshair adjusted the blanket on your shoulders, pulling it tighter around you. “The longer this storm goes on, the more danger we’re in.”

“Should we try the comms again?”

Crosshair let go of you briefly to grab his helmet and put it on. “Hunter, come in. Tech? Wrecker? Echo? Do you read?”

You waited. Crosshair’s arm tightened on you, but he let out a frustrated sigh and pulled the helmet off roughly, setting it down next to him. “Still nothing.”

You let your head rest on his shoulder as you sighed. “What do we do?”

“Wait.”

You groaned. Crosshair chuckled and you felt his hand run up and down your back soothingly. It was a simple gesture, but one that conveyed how much he cared for you. A man of few words, he let his actions show his feelings for you. And you had no doubts about it.

After a minute, you lifted your head to find him looking down at you intensely. You felt his arms tighten on you as this hand travelled down to your waist and stayed there. You blinked up at him, drawing your eyes across his face before they landed on his lips.

They had been so soft when they touched the back of your hand, what would they feel like pressed against your own? You’d dreamt about it, but you had a feeling that it would be nothing to the reality of it.

“N’edee?” His voice was quiet, but you feel the weight on them in your stomach.

“Hmm?” you hummed innocently, but there was nothing innocent about what was running through your mind right now.

“Can I test another boundary?” His tone was hesitant, careful as he leaned in a little closer to you.

Your voice came out in a whisper. “Which one?”

“This one.”

Crosshair slowly closed the distance between you and pressed his lips to yours. It was like your whole body lit up inside, igniting you so completely you were aware of every nerve ending you had. Your fingers tightened on his armour just as Crosshair languidly pulled away after too brief a moment. You stared at him, dazed with your mouth parted slightly, and in need of more.

“Well?” he asked, his voice like silk.

You were breathless. “Not a boundary. Kiss me as much as you like.”

“If you insist,” he smirked and pressed his lips to yours again.

Kissing Crosshair was an all-consuming kind of feeling. That magnetic pull he already had on you only seemed to intensify the minute his lips descended on yours. You wrapped your arms around his neck as he hoisted you onto his lap, your thighs falling on either side of his as you straddled him, and the blanket slipped off your shoulders – not that you needed it anymore with the heat that thrummed through you.

You melted into the kiss, and you were right – your dreams of his lips were nothing compared to the real thing. You felt the tickle of his breath on your cheek as you arched yourself closer to him. With just your body suit on, you could feel every hard ridge of his armour against you. His arms moved across your back, and you could feel his fingertips searing along your shoulder blades. His hot mouth moved against yours and you allowed yourself to nip at his lips. You felt him flinch before his lips stretched into a smile against yours, a chuckle vibrating his chest.

“Guess you do have some bite, N’edee,” he mumbled against your lips.

“Just for you,” you breathed, and he groaned into your mouth, kissing you deeper.

He was just as starved for you as you were for him, and you wondered how long exactly he’d been feeling like this towards you, but you’d ask such questions later. His mouth was heavenly, his lips like a caress against yours. Your lips parted and he took the chance to deepen the kiss as you dragged your hands up into his buzzed hair, feeling the short strands against your fingernails. And you felt just how skilled he was his tongue as it slid against yours, and you silently thanked his toothpicks for giving him the practice.

You’d never been kissed with such passion before, with such intention. Now, he was no longer embarrassed, he did not hold back his kisses and touches. That knowledge made it all the more thrilling as Crosshair pressed you into him, pulling your hips against his with hands that you knew to be tender, but now held with you with such desire you felt dizzy.

He moved his lips down your jawline to just below your ear, and you panted as you tightened your arms around him, rocking into him. He sucked the skin there, his tongue darting out and wetting the area. It made you moan so loudly you were glad no one else could hear how desperate you sounded.

“Crosshair,” you moaned.

You felt him smirk against your skin before he made his way back to your lips. Groaning into your mouth again, you felt his hands move from your hips to your ass and back up again, and you felt your body go into overdrive, pulsing with a wanting need. Where did he learn to kiss like this? You wanted to thank whatever Kaminaon training module taught him, or the illicit holos you knew Tech had stashed on the locked-down data drive you found a week after you joined them – whichever it was.

You were so lost in his kisses, the way they grew in fervour with each press against your skin, you almost didn’t hear the beeping of Crosshair’s comm in his helmet.

“Crosshair,” you said when you finally heard it, pulling away, but his mouth just found your neck instead. You patted his shoulder. “Crosshair, the comm.”

“What?” he said raggedly. His lips ceased their attentions, and he pulled back. His lips were all swollen and you smiled at the knowledge that was all you. You stayed perched in his lap and he grabbed his helmet and put it on. You could hear the other voice when you were this close to him.

“Crosshair, come in.” It was Hunter.

“Copy, Hunter,” Crosshair said, and you mentally applauded him for not sounding as breathless as you would’ve.

“Are you and N’edee okay?”

Crosshair’s hand squeezed your thigh, and you squirmed on top of him, smiling. “For the moment. We’re trapped on the mountain. The storm caused a cave-in, and we can't get out.”

“We’ll lock in on your signal and fly to your location. Stand by.” You realised then the rain and thunder had stopped, and that the storm had now passed.

“Copy,” Crosshair said before he removed his helmet and placed it next to him again, and you both looked at each other. He gripped your hips. “They’re on their way in the Marauder. Wrecker will be able to push the rocks out of the way, and we’ll be free.”

You breathed in, relieved help was coming. “I didn’t even realise the storm had passed,”

“Well, we were busy,” Crosshair snided.

“Right,” you laughed lightly.

Crosshair looked away from you for the first time since everything changed between you, and his hands on your hips loosened. You frowned as you watched his once open expression, slowly begin to close off again in the dim light. He looked uncertain, all in his own head again and you realised that he was worried – worried that this moment together was but a brief interlude in which you got caught up in the danger of the situation. You wanted to shake his shoulders and tell him he was being absurd, how he could think such a thing after all you just said and did. But you didn’t, because like baby tooka, Crosshair needed gentle reassurance; that his vulnerability and his feelings were not being played with.

Later, when you had more time and were back on the Marauder and tucked away in the medbay just the two of you again, you would tell him just how much he had nestled his way into your heart. That your crush was much more than that, that you saw all of him, and though you were still learning to decipher the riddles he was made of, you never wanted to stop. That you saw all his intentions, and now yours was to hold his heart in your bandaged hands the way he held yours.

But for now, in your final moments alone with him before his brothers rescued you both, you locked your eyes on him and gently grabbed the hands that had slackened on your hips, linking your fingers together once more. You watched his eyes find yours, his brows slanted at the ends as he looked at you with all this apprehension. You brought his knuckles to your lips and kissed them, lips lingering there as you let the gesture convey wordlessly your intention to keep nurturing what was between you for as long as he let you. That this didn’t end once you were both bathed in sunlight again.

“I hope we’ll be busy again later? And many laters after that too?”

Crosshair’s shoulder relaxed and you smiled as the corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk, his eyes smiling as he squeezed your hands once more. “Oh, I’m counting on it.”

banner art by @vimse thank you reading! if you made it this far, thank you! i appreciate it so much! this is the longest standalone fic i've ever written!

🏷️ @starrylothcat @sinfulsalutations @moodymisty @nahoney22 @freesia-writes @nobody-expects-the-inquisitorius @bobaprint @crosshairsnose @jesseeka @thegalaxys-edge @chopper-base @shredderwest @leavingkamino @r2d2staser @beckbucket @pb-jellybeans @mylifeisactuallyamess @padawancat97 @littlecrowtime @jedipoodoo @ezras-left-thumb @lovelycurls @fruitsaladtree @literallydontlook @burningfieldof-clover @queencousland101 @clonethirstingisreal @skellymom @hopelessromantic727

TAGLIST FORM

[echoxbuggs]

Crosshair-dresser

Words count: 1.8k

Warnings: some angst I guess, fluff

To say Hunter was concerned was an understatement.

He hated it.

He hated watching his little brother sit in the house or on the porch all day without saying a single word. He knew Crosshair was still getting used to it, to being comfortable and safe somewhere, really, he did. But Hunter couldn't stop worrying about the things that could be going on in his brother's head.

It had been a few weeks since they had rescued Cross, Omega, and Tech from the hands of the Imperial scientists. He knew both Tech and Omega couldn't sleep well from the nightmares. The young girl often ended up sneaking into one of their beds during the night and clinging to them like her life depended on it.

None of them minded, of course. They all loved their little sister and would do anything to ensure she was okay. It still concerned them to a great amount.

Tech—who hadn't slept much before—definitely wasn't getting sleep now. Hunter knew he spent most of the night tinkering on odd projects or doing research on Maker-knows what. Hunter had to call Phee over several times to convince Tech to go to sleep.

Though these were both concerning, what most worried Hunter was Crosshair. He didn't seem to have any sort of mental or emotional reaction to it. Sure, he struggled with eating and moving around too much, but that was more physical. They all tried to get him to talk but he never did. A few times, they tried to get Crosshair to see a therapist, but he turned down the idea straight away and avoided everyone if they tried to take him anyway.

The sniper stayed in the house mostly, cooped up in his room like a hermit. The only time he went outside was if Omega dragged him along somewhere or if his brothers forced him to go to the doctors. He did like having occasional night walks outside. No one was ever out that late, it was peaceful. No one to bother him or fuss over him.

Crosshair huffed as he and Hunter walked inside their home. They had just gotten back from his weekly checkups. He hadn't spoken one word on the walk to the house, preferring to just not talking about it.

His 'physical therapist' had suggested he do something familiar, get back into routines. He knew Hunter was going to suggest sniping again. After all, that's who Crosshair was; a sniper. However, he no longer had his beloved rifle. His strength had deteriorated, he had actually attempted to shoot a target several times, each time missing horribly due to his lack of muscle.

So he remained quiet, choosing to avoid the subject and just get home to his room, where he could shut everyone out.

As he walked down the hall towards his cave, he heard sniffling coming from a certain blonde's room. Stopping dead in his tracks, Crosshair knocked on Omega's door softly, not waiting for an answer as he opened it and moved inside.

Over their time in Mount Tantiss, Crosshair and Omega had grown closer. He truly considered her his sister, and—he would never admit it—but he loved her dearly. He knew she struggled with the memories of that awful place, he did too, and it only troubled him more to hear the usually happy girl crying.

"What's the matter, kid?" He asked softly, noting Wrecker sitting beside the crying girl on her bed.

"Went to get her a haircut and she freaked out." The large clone explained, sighing softly as he looked up at Crosshair.

"A barber? With scissors and other equipment?" Crosshair asked, brow raising. He slowly moved closer to the two, looking down at Omega who was curled up under her multicolored blankets.

"I...I didn't think it would remind her of it." Wrecker mumbled, looking down as he realized he had unintentionally brought up some bad memories for his sister.

Crosshair sighed softly, nodding to Wrecker. "Go. I got it." He said, giving his brother a ghost of a smile.

Wrecker looked at Crosshair for a few moments before letting out a breath and standing up. He nodded to Crosshair before moving out of Omega's room, closing the door behind him.

Crosshair watched him wordlessly, sitting down beside Omega once they were alone. "Scared you, didn't it?" He asked quietly, putting a hand on where he guessed her shoulder was.

Omega nodded slightly, still sniffling under the blankets. Crosshair sighed, looking down at the girl's figure. "You're not back there, 'Meg. You're safe. We're safe."

Omega slowly peaked her head out from the blankets, puffy eyes looking up at the marksman. "I know." She mumbled, leaning into Crosshair's touch when his hand came up to gently wipe at her eyes. "S-still scared me."

Crosshair nodded, eyes soft as he looked at Omega. "I get it." He said, nodding softly. "Don't like people touching me with tools either. Even barbers."

Omega nodded softly, sniffling as she moved to lean into Crosshair's side. The sniper slowly wrapped an arm around her, humming softly. "I know what could cheer you up." He said, knowing Omega wouldn't want to talk further.

"What?" Omega asked, brows furrowed slightly as her head tipped back to look up at him. Crosshair smiled a little as he looked at her, showing her his free hand. "The black polish is coming off. Think I need a touch-up."

Omega looked down at his hand, grabbing his fingers carefully and examining them, ignoring how he had been picking at his skin again.

"I ran out of black, so only pink and purple are left." She said, frowning softly.

Crosshair chuckled softly, letting her take his hand. "Pink and purple are fine."

.　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

Crosshair and Omega sat on the floor of her room, paper-towels, nail polish remover bottles, and nail polish scattered around them. Crosshair sat crisscrossed as he leaned against her bed, watching Omega with a small smile as she painted his nails. She was currently working on his right hand, his left propped up so it got the flow of air from the mini fan Omega had.

She had also gotten a bowl full of candy, eating some pieces every few minutes before returning to the task at hand.

Crosshair watched on patiently, commenting occasionally on the color or whether or not she should add another coat. He had noticed her hidden annoyance though; scratching at her hair frequently, huffing every time she hand to brush hair away from her face. He understood why Wrecker had attempted to get her a haircut. Her hair certainly had grown, reaching nearly past her shoulders.

An idea popped in his head at that, Crosshair tilting his head. He could trim her hair. He knew how to, of course. His brothers always had him trim their hair since he could do it extremely well. Omega trusted him too so there was a less likely chance she'd freak out.

"'Meg?"

Omega hummed softly in response, not looking up from Crosshair's nails as she applied polish.

"I can do your hair."

Hunter paced back in forth in the living room, running his hands through his hair. Crosshair and Omega had been in there for a while. He didn't hear any crying, but at the same time, that's not always a good thing.

"Cross said he could handle it." Wrecker mumbled, watching Hunter from where he sat on the couch.

"I know, Wrecker. I'm just worried. He seemed off today." Hunter said, letting out a sigh.

"He's always weird after the doctor." Wrecker said, shrugging softly. Hunter shook his head, running his hand over his face with a tired groan.

"Hunter, come look at this..." Echo called softly from the hall, peeking into Omega's room.

Hunter's brows furrowed, the sergeant moving over towards the girl's room. He looked inside hesitantly, his expression softening at the sight.

Omega was seated in front of the small vanity, a bright and curious smile back on her face. Crosshair sat behind her, a pair of bright pink scissors in one hand as he snipped at the girl's hair, a content smile on his face as he spoke. "-ou want it braided after? I can probably figure something out."

Omega hummed softly in response, not wanting to nod in case she messed him up. She was nervous at first when he suggested cutting her hair, not aware that he was skilled in the matter. The scissors part scared her at first as well, however she knew it was her brother and she could trust him not to harm her.

"You can braid?" She asked curiously, watching his movements in the mirror.

Crosshair nodded slightly, his tongue sticking out a little as he concentrated on cutting her hair evenly. "Yeah. Hunter seen it once so I had Tech search up how to." He replied, lightly brushing his fingers through her hair. "I know several braids."

"That's really cool!" Omega smiled brightly, leaning into his touch. "Can you do whichever one is the prettiest?" She asked, smiling more when Crosshair nodded.

Hunter allowed Crosshair to finish at least cutting her hair, not wanting to mess him up or distract him. He stood behind Crosshair as he watched him braiding Omega's hair, noticing the smile on the sniper's face. All previous worried about these two had disappeared, the sergeant relaxing slightly at the sight of his siblings happy. "Still got it, I see."

Crosshair glanced up to meet Hunter's eyes in the mirror for a quick moment before focusing back on his sister's hair. He nodded slightly, letting out a hum.

"You have time for another client?" Hunter asked, chuckling softly. He knew his hair was getting longer, he'd need to get a trim soon anyways.

"Sure, 100 credits." Crosshair quipped, smirking softly.

Hunter chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. "Never had to pay before." He pointed out, smiling softly as he noticed his brother's attitude shining through.

"Hm, fine. More toothpicks then." Crosshair bargained, tapping Omega's shoulder lightly. The girl handed him a hair tie, her smile brightened as she realized she would see his work.

"Deal." Hunter said, watching Crosshair tie off the braid and gently move it over Omega's shoulder.

"One more condition though."

Hunter raised his brow, noticing the way Crosshair sent a smirk to Omega through the mirror. "Go on..."

Crosshair hummed softly, unwrapping the towel from around Omega's shoulders so she could get up. "You get a trim and a manicure." He said, holding out his painted nails towards the sergeant.

Hunter sent a light glare to Crosshair, sighing softly. He noticed Omega's giddy laugh, the girl grabbing her nail polish already. "Fine. Nothing too bright though."

"All she's got is purple and pink." Crosshair chuckled, gesturing for Hunter to sit down on the tiny chair. "Hot pink."

Hunter grimaced lightly, holding his hands out towards Omega as she sat on the floor beside him. "Great."

[fakegingerrights]

Walk by Faith (1)

[Crosshair x Medic!reader. TW for nonsexual nudity and showering, medical procedures, blindness, seizures, angst, mentions of self harm and suicide.]

Next Chapt Masterlist

“They call themselves: The Bad Batch.”

Crosshair panted, too bright, always too bright. Too cold hands of a kaminoan, their distinct medical smell and rubbery skin grabbing at his face to pry his eyelids open.

Crosshair screamed.

“A group of clones with ‘desirable mutations.’”

He wasn’t alone, of course. Hunter hated the lights too, his heightened senses making laboratory settings living hell for him. Tech’s constant testing for recall speed and IQ and the sheer amount of information crammed into his head often left him mumbling for hours, unable to think enough to remember his own name. Wrecker spent his nights in agony, growing pain was bad for all of them but his was worse, often spending nights in a drugged sleep to keep him from screaming as his limbs stretched and muscles tightened.

Now he sat in darkness. Alone. Not surrounded by the familiar groans and sighs of his brothers, alone in their own misery but at least present.

“Clone force 99 has been listed as traitors to the empire. Shoot to kill.”

Crosshair never missed. Never. But standing across from his brothers on that platform, watching as Hunter dragged Omega onto the Marauder, and he couldn’t do it.

It’s what got him to where he was now.

“CT-9904?” The new medic wasn’t a clone. The voice was feminine, but the thick bandages over his eyes prevented him from seeing your face. “I’m your assigned optician. I’m here to check how your eyes are accepting the new artificial lenses?”

There’s the sound of footsteps approaching. Crosshair didn’t have ears as good as Hunter, but he had spend enough time blind folded to have a good grasp on using his ears to the fullest.

“I’m going to touch your face now, please try to hold still.” You warned him. Crosshair went stone still, barely even breathing as soft hands brushed his face, deftly undoing the bandages that covered his eyes. He blinked, trying to clear his vision as his heart leapt into his throat.

“You’re doing this in the dark?” He asked, his voice hoarse, even though he already knew the answer.

“No. Until we’re sure your eyes have adjusted to the lenses, you’re on neural blockers to prevent you from consciously using your eyes. it wouldn't be anything more than a blurry mess anyways until they've settled. It should only be a day or two” You explained, a hand coming up to cup his cheek, thumb resting on the bottom of his tattoo, a slight warmth signifying a handheld light flitting across your face. “That’s quite the spot for a tattoo. The work on the eyelid is done well.” You remarked. Crosshair gritted his teeth. As glad as he was to not have a kaminoan working on him, natborns always talked too much.

“Tech did it.” He ground out. You hummed, pulling back sore eyelids to look under them.

“Tech?”

“CT-9902.” He spat the number out.

“Ah, I saw his file briefly. They contacted me to work on his goggles. Now hold still.” You commanded firmly, and Crosshair again went still as something itchy brushed across the surface of his actual eye, then the other one. “You have a name?”

“Crosshair.” Cross gritted out again. The new medic was getting on his nerves, but a small part of him was grateful. Since his squad decided to betray their empire, he hadn’t spoken this much to anyone in weeks.

“Oh! Like your tattoo?” There’s the sound of a tube opening.

“Yes, like the tattoo.”

“That’s really neat. I have a similar one, kinda. A replica of the scope’s readout from my father’s hunting rifle between my shoulder blades. He taught me to shoot with that blaster. Right, I’m going to apply some bacta to your inner eyelids, and then we’ll have to wait until it’s settled before I can apply eyedrops to counteract the dryness it will cause.” You chattered on, Crosshair barely listening. He stared at nothing, not even blinking until you told him he could. The bacta burned something awful, and tears ran tracks down his cheeks as he fought not to rub his eyes.

“Yeah, sorry about the sting, you know, we aught to really come up with something better than bacta, we kinda just use it as a cure all but-“

“Do you ever stop talking?” Crosshair’s annoyance got the best of him and he snapped, glaring in your direction through sightless eyes.

“Eh, I’ve been told I’m quite the chatter box.” You retort. “Right, gonna touch your face again.”

He grimaced as you leaned back into his personal space, so close he could smell your faint perfume as you tipped his head back and administered numbing eyedrops to ease the burning once the bacta had set long enough.

“How long until my sight returns?” He asked, turning his face upwards and blinking to help the eyedrops settle in.

“About a week, give or take a day.” You answered. “The Kaminoans, idiots, wouldn’t let me perform the surgery, and have declared I’m to be your nurse until your eyes have healed. Do I look- wait, no.” Crosshair glared in your direction. “Do I sound like a nurse to you? I’m an optometrist specializing in artificial lenses and improvements! Not that yours could be improved much. Your natural eyes are phenomenal. I’ve never seen more beautifully shaped retinas, and your pupil dexterity is amazing!”

“Yes yes, I get it. I’ve got good eyes.” Crosshair rolled his empty eyes. “Not what girls usually compliment me on, but I’ll take it.” He wasn’t sure why he kept indulging you in conversation. He’d rather be left alone to his own dark world.

“There aren’t many girls who know what to look for in a decent set if eyes.” You shot back, picking up the fresh set of bandages. Crosshair flinched when your knuckle brushed his temple.

“Sorry, I forgot to warn you. Just reapplying the bandages, then we can get you out of this wing and to your temporary outpatient accommodations.” He sighed, his shoulders dropping slightly with relief at getting out of the lab before he caught the rest of what you said.

“I’m not going to my barrack?” He asked. Crosshair didn’t need eyes to know you were wincing.

“Yeah… about that. The long necked idiots decided you needed around the clock monitoring before your sight returned. And decided, since they’re my lenses in your eyes, you should be put with me. In my quarters.”

Crosshair scoffed. “Absolutely not.”

“Unfortunately, Commander, you don’t get a choice. Do you have anything you need out of this room?” You say briskly, looking around.

“I’m not staying in-“

“Nothing you need then?”

“…” Even through the bandages, you can feel his glare as he chews his lip. “Do you have a toothpick?”

“In my quarters. Right, let’s get you up.” Hands grab his shoulder and help him out of the post-op gurney and to his feet. He sways slightly as he tries to find his balance without his eyes. “Whoah there, I gotcha.” The hands on his shoulders tightened. “Wow, you’re tall. Ok, do you want to take my shoulder or have me take your arm?”

Crosshair hated this. He wanted to scream and tear the cloth away from his eyes and rub them until they stopped itching and he could see and-

And it wouldn’t do anything but give him an infection. The voice in his head sounded painstakingly like Tech, who was always trying to help.

“Shoulder.” He gritted out after a moment. Soft hands that had just thoroughly tortured him with their medicine now took his hand and placed it on your shoulder. He fell into step beside you, letting you guide him into the hall and through the corridor.

“Your room is on the left past the kitchenette, I moved as much of the furniture as I could out of your way. Our rooms are connected by a shared refresher, too.” You chattered on as he followed you through the halls.

The darkness without his vision never failed to unsettle him. Kamino is always so bright, so blindingly white... even without vision the shadows felt out of place.

"Here we are." Your voice startled him out of his thoughts. "I'll drop you at your room and let you get settled from there. You won't be drilling while you recover but your armor and rifle is on the bed."

You set his hand against the doorframe into his room. "If there's an emergency shout and I'll be there."

Yeah, right.

The room was small, Crosshair was thankful for that. Less space for him to memorize. He sat down on the bed, taking a deep breath and fighting the urge to scratch at his eyes. He focused instead on mapping out the unfamiliar bunk. It was about the size of the one in his barrack, maybe a hair bigger. the most curious thing though was the dense, soft quilt that draped over it. It certainly wasn't anything from Kamino. On a hunch, he let a hand drift up to run a finger along the edge of the pillow.

Cotton. And thick. Not the thin cushion the kaminoans insisted on. It smelled off too, like fresh air and sunshine rather than bleach.

Had you... made up the bed for him?

Crosshair shook off the thought and all it entailed. There was a bedside desk of sorts, a datapad resting on it. Not that he would be able to do anything with it...

At the foot of the bed was his sniper rifle and armor, which he quickly checked over. Everything seemed to be in order.

Satisfied he could at least confidently navigate his temporary sleeping space, he kicked the quilt to the foot of the bed and curled up on the mattress, giving a quiet sigh of appreciation as he let himself sleep for the moment.

---

He awoke to a soft knock at the door, then the sound of it sliding open. Crosshair suppressed a twitch and focused on maintaining his breathing, staying as still as possible.

"Cross- oh." Your voice went from a casual tone to barely above a whisper. He feigned sleep and focused on listening to your footsteps as you padded across the room, pausing by the table.

There was the clatter of something... cutlery? And the faint smell of hot rations from the mess. Kriff, he must've slept longer than he meant if you were bringing in food already. He fought the urge to tense as he felt your presence close to him, then down by his feet where he had kicked the quilt. The sensation of the weight being pulled from the edge of the cott and the rustle of heavy fabric, he barely stifled a flinch as the blanket touched down over his shoulders first before coming to rest over the rest of him.

Then your footsteps retreated back towards the door, and he let himself relax a little more.

"I know you're awake, Crosshair. Food's on the desk if you're hungry. Double portion, to help you make up the weight you've lost the last few weeks." Your tone was still soft, and slightly... amused? Were you laughing at him? "The overhead lights are off but the desklamp is on. I'm out here if you need anything."

The door slid shut again. The quilt was heavy, but deceptively cool against his exposed skin, the white shirt and loose pants of the medical ward suddenly left him feeling exposed and vulnerable.

Crosshair huffed a long sigh, sitting up and folding his knees up against his chest. He started with his ankles, slowly and methodically going through and cracking every joint all the way up to his neck then down his arms, stretching as he goes and enjoying the sensation of his muscles relaxing. He trailed one of his hands up against the smooth surface of the desk until he bumped the tray, then feeling around the edges for the warmth of where the rations would be.

Satisfied with the layout of his trey he moved to eat over the desk. As he did so, he also found a glass of water and a hefty box of toothpicks.

He picked at the food, getting barely halfway through before he pushed it away, downing the water and settling back on his bed to chew on a toothpick in sullen silence. His eyes ached. It wasn't a new sensation, but it was much more annoying. Especially that he was now left alone in the dark instead of having his squad around him to distract him.

Crosshair shook his head. That line of thought never ended well recently. He opted instead to grab his tray and glass and slip into the shared living space, setting them carefully in the sink and rinsing them over. There's the chatter of noise... a holo drama of some kind? And your voice from behind him and to his left, against the far wall.

"You know, you can change out of those awful medical uniforms if you want to." You called. Crosshair grunted.

"Don't have anything else. It's this or my blacks." He shot back, wincing at how gravely his voice sounded.

"Really? Nothing else?"

He rolled his eyes behind closed lids on impulse, then winced at the stinging feeling of the motion. "That's what I said, isn't it?"

"Sorry. That just seems a little spartan, though. Even for- well."

"A clone?" He drawled the word out. "We're property. Property can't own property, so we have enough to keep us from running around naked."

"Now that would be a sight. Kaminoans would be under a lot of heat for it though, since then there'd be no doubt about your humanity." There's a clatter of you setting something down, a datapad, probably. "Actually, scrap that. They'd just use it as more marketing. Do you want me to make a few calls, get you something else to wear?"

"That is... unnecessary. These are fine." Other clothes would be nice, Crosshair mused. He hated how much he sounded like Tech in that moment, but really, these would do just fine. He was a weapon for the Repub- Empire. He got what was given to him and didn't ask for more.

His momentary confusion sent a jolt of pain through the side of his head, he pressed a palm to it with a wince. Everything seemed to fizzle around him before snapping back to it's usual feeling. Dimly, he heard your voice talking to him.

"-Hair? Crosshair, are you alright?" Fingertips grazed his cheek just below the bandages. His hand snapped up to close around your wrist in a bone crushing grip. Kriff, when had you gotten close enough to touch him? "Ow, owowowow, ok, Buddy, you gotta let me go here. Take a breath." Your other hand came up to pry at his fingers. He took a shuddering breath and slowly released his death grip, his hand slipping away to hang limp at his side.

You mumble a few nasty curses that made his eyebrows raise slightly below the bandages, pulling away to presumably rub at your sore wrist.

"Warn me before you go grabbin me." He ground out in lieu of an apology, moving to push past you. You stopped him with your good hand on his chest.

"I did. You didn't hear me. Come sit down, I need to check your vitals." Your tone was stern, and he sighed knowing he wasn't gonna be able to get out of this one. He ground down on his toothpick as you took his elbow and lead him over to what felt like a low sofa, pushing him down onto it. If he had his eyes uncovered, he'd be glaring daggers.

"I thought you weren't a nurse." He bit the words out. You give him a snort in return.

"I'm not. But I am your around the clock care for now. Wanna tell me what that was? Gonna check your blood pressure, can I have your non-dominant arm?"

Crosshair held out his right arm, and you tapped his hand twice to warn him before moving to slip the cuff around his arm, taking care to maintain some form of contact so you didn't startle him again. "Just a lapse in attention." He lied through his teeth.

"Crosshair." Your tone was tired, borderline scolding him.

"It's a recurring headache. I've had it since the Reformation." he ground out. "It's on the side of my head, up high. Bleeds down into a migraine above my right eye."

"I'm gonna do a bloodcheck. Can I have your little finger? Little poke." He held out his hand as you slipped the blood pressure cuff off. He hissed as the needle lanced into his skin and out, taking a fair amount of blood [and actual flesh] with it. "Right, while that processes, we're gonna go to the refresher and get you cleaned up."

"My inability to see doesn't mean I can't bathe myself just fine." Crosshair hissed.

"You can do your body on your own just fine, but I need to get your eyes for you. We don't want to risk infection and you got some blood and crusties that would probably feel much better gone." You tap his elbow and pull him to his feet. "And while you're bathing, no shower. Bath only, keep the water away from your face and eyes, no soap-"

"I know post op care, Doc. Not my first time under the long neck's knife." Cross ground out.

"-And I'll leave you to do that while I track down some proper clothes for you." You finished, taking him through his room into the refresher. "Edge of the tub is behind you. Gonna have you sit on the floor in front of it and lean over it, ok? I'm gonna have my hands all over your face and head, so I'd appreciate it if you don't grab me again." He felt with his foot until his heel found the tub and lowered himself to the floor with a sigh. The tub was partially sunken into the ground, so the lip was fairly close to the floor. It was a little awkward at first as he slowly slid down until he was resting mostly laying on the ground with his head on the edge of the tub.

"Mk, right next to you, Crosshair." You said, tapping his shoulder lightly. "Let's get another look under these wraps, ok? I'll be gentle." As if you'd risk being anything else. Wouldn't want to damage the Empire's perfect weapon. He focused on breathing as you slowly unwound the strips from his face, blinking away the gritty feeling of his eyelids finally being able to move freely. He squinted through puffy eyelids into the darkness on instinct, trying to search for even a whisper of change or movement. "Ah, careful now. Nothing to see, remember? Do you want your eyedrops now or later?"

"Later." He grunted, to a small chuckle from you. He glared in your direction, but you paid him no mind.

"Lift your head for me?"

He did so, and he heard the slide of coarse fabric against ceramic as you slid a folded up towel under his neck and shoulders so they weren't digging into the smooth surface of the tub. He always hated this part.

The sound of the spigot being opened made him flinch, and he could feel flecks of water hitting the back of his head as the sound of a bottle being filled hit his ears. He gritted his teeth, waiting.

"Ok, bear with me now, gonna be up in your face for a bit." You warned, turning the faucet off again. Crosshair grunted an acknowledgement, bracing himself. Your off hand, the one he'd grabbed, he noted, slid under the base of his skull to better support his head as a damp microfiber cloth was dabbed at the disgusting mess of bacta, mucus, blood, and who knows what else that had gathered in the innermost corner and under his eyes, slowly breaking apart the mess with as little pressure as possible.

Crosshair swallowed, his pulse ticking up slightly before he remembered to go back to focusing on his breathing as you worked your way outwards, into the edges of his eyes. Memories flitted to the surface of his mind, of his eyes being rinsed out with something like a power washer as a cadet whenever he got another eye infection and the itchy, blurry vision he always had after another round of testing, debating on whether or not he was good enough or if he needed more improvement. Blinding white alternating with terrifying darkness, he hated not being able to see.

"Crosshair?" Your voice was soft, right next to his ear. It pulled him out of the painful memories as he realized you were no longer working on his eyes. "Is everything alright?"

"Situation Normal." His voice was raspier than he would have liked, sound just a bit too choked to be 'fine.'

"Alright. The worst of it's over, ok? Everything is looking good." There was the click of a soap bottle, and he tensed up again as the faucet was turned back on. His breathing, which he had done well at keeping metronome-steady up until this moment, caught slightly as something cold touched his scalp and the hand behind his head carefully pulled away.

"What're you doing?" He growled.

"Washing your hair. You'll feel better once it's done, trust me." Your voice had lost it's worried note, amusement creeping in as you begin to work the shampoo into his close cropped hair, gently scrubbing away at layers of built up sweat and dander at the edges of his hairline. "There you go, relax. I'm not going to hurt you, Commander."

Crosshair did his best, closing his eyes. It might've been your imagination, but he seemed to be leaning into your touch ever so slightly.

You switched to a small tipped squirt bottle you had filled earlier and began gently rinsing away the suds, a hand coming up to make sure none got close to his eyes. He shifted against the towel under him, listening to the still running faucet as you washed the last of the soap away, close cut nails still scratching at his scalp.

Just for a moment, he let himself drift. Just for a moment, the hands in his hair were stronger. Rougher, calluses from a knife dragging against his curls, murmuring in Mando’a in his ear-

Then you pulled away, and the illusion broke.

“I’m going to go grab you some clothes, okay? The tub is full and the water is warm. Oh, hold on.” You pull away and pause as he makes the tiniest sound in the back of his throat, then covers it with a dry cough. It almost feels like you imagined it, and not sure what to do, you ignore it.

Crosshair waits with bated breath, but slowly relaxes as you don’t seem to notice his slip up. Stupid of him, getting lost in the past.

“Ok, I’ve got an elastic cover here, just gonna slip it over your eyes so you don’t get water in them. You can take it off when you get out, but I’d like you to at least sleep with it on so you don’t rub in your sleep.” He immediately stiffens, waiting for the awful scratchy material to be pulled over his head-

Only for gentle hands to pull something soft and silky down over his eyes, barely a weight. He lets out the breath he’d been holding as you fuss with it for a second, making sure it won’t slip off.

“Ok. All good, Commander?”

“All good, Doc.” His answer is immediate. Your hand comes to rest on his shoulder and he suppresses a flinch.

“Ok, you can come out whenever you’re done. I’ll bring you some proper clothes.” And then he was alone in the dark once more.

Slowly, methodically, he shrugged out of the thin white shirt and loose pants before stepping down into the tub, hissing slightly at the hot water. The burn felt good though, as he eased himself down to sit in a ball in the corner of the tub.

It was a much longer bath than Crosshair had ever had, letting the hot water be a distraction from his own mind as he methodically soaped up and rinsed enough that the water must be cloudy. He couldn’t shake the feeling of dirt, of the sensation of it caked into his skin and under his nails and-

That’s enough of a bath today. He opened the drain and listened to the water swirling down, a rap at the door catching his attention.

“What do you want?” The words are harsher than he means, but he can’t bring himself to feel too bad about them.

“Clothes, not that maker-forsaken medical uniform. I’m not looking, just gonna set them on the counter.”

The door slid open and you shuffled in, your footsteps slow and hesitant as you blindly reached for the counter, setting the stack down before retreated.

Ha, modesty around a clone.

Crosshair grabs the towel that was folded behind him earlier and dried off, gingerly patting around his hair before searching out whatever you had brought. His fingers came in contact with soft polymer and heavy cotton as he found the teeshirt and sweats you had left for him, sliding into them with a shiver.

These weren’t clone clothes. These were the expensive sleepwear they reserved for natborns. They smelled of expensive detergent rather than the bleach based mess that was used for clones, turning what little clothes they had scratchy and awful to touch.

He padded out through his room and into the main living area, taking off the soft eyewrap while he did so and made his way to the sofa. His foot found it before he did and he swore, much to amusement of you already on the sofa.

“Do you want a hand?” You asked, a smile in your tone. Crosshair sat down with a glare and a rude gesture in your direction.

“Eyedrops?” He asked.

“Oh! Yeah, we should do that now. Stay there.” He felt the sofa shift as you stood up, collecting what sounded like a bag from the other side of the room and returning to your seat.

“Got them. Ok, hold still, try not to flinch.” You instructed, tapping his shoulder twice to prepare him as you tilted his head up. He went stone still, breathing slowing to barely a gasp as a thumb swept sore eyelids up, he fought the urge to blink as two drops splashed into each eye.

“Ok, ok easy.” The hand released his chin and your presence retreated. “Take a breath, Crosshair. You’re trembling.”

Crosshair took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and keeping his head leaned back against the back of the couch as he closed his eyes.

“M’fine.” He grunted. “Hate these.”

You snorted softly, patting his knee sympathetically. Even through the heavy material of his sweats, he felt the odd shape of a bandaged hand. He frowned slightly, that hadn’t been there before.

“Yeah, they’re not pleasant.” You agree, settling back. “You’re not supposed to use a datapad but do you want to listen to a book or something?”

Crosshair just grunted. “What’ja do to your hand?” He asked.

“My…. Oh. You did that, actually. When you grabbed me earlier. It’s just a bruise, nothing too bad.” You shrug off the concern as Crosshair shifts to get more comfortable.

“You should have warned me-“

“I did, Commander. You were too out of it to notice. Speaking of which, your blood results came back. When did you get electrocuted?”

The question took Crosshair by surprise.

“I haven’t been.” He forgot to sound angry at the question. You gave a small ‘huh.’

“You have a lot of ionized carbon in your bloodstream, from either a massive jolt or long term low level shocks.” You reported.

“I’m a mutant. Gonna have weird blood.” He mumbled back.

“Not like this.” You huffed. “It doesn’t match previous levels of your blood samples.”

Crosshair blinked the eyedrops away again, feeling the grittiness diminish for a moment.

“They took me. After we came back from our last mission with a jedi. They kept me from my brothers. I don’t remember what happened much after that.” The words felt… strange, to admit them aloud. A bolt of pain shot through his head, making him gasp slightly as a hand shot up to the side of his head. It was a lot worse than it had been in a while.

Flashes and echos of memory assaulted him, Hunter’s cold glare, Tech’s sneering face, Wrecker’s rage and Echo’s snide pity as they abandoned him on that platform. The roar of the jets as they betrayed the Empire, betrayed him.

Hunter opening his mouth to shout-

“Crosshair? Commander Crosshair.” His eldest brother’s voice came out panicked and feminine, not a clone’s voice. Crosshair was yanked out of memory, the haze of pain lifting slightly. Soft hands, gentle hands, scraping over his hair, massaging the cramping muscles in his hands as tremors wracked his whole body.

He was vaguely aware he was laying against someone, his head under a chin and legs bracketing his thighs to keep him from thrashing as he struggled to remember how to breathe.

“Crosshair, can you hear me?” The voice came from behind him, rumbling through him like a jolt of clear water. He managed a rough nod. “Good. I want you to try and match my breathing. In for 8, hold for 5, out for 8.”

You slowed your breathing down, counting softly. It took him a few seconds but he managed, pants turning into shaky but even breaths.

“‘Appened?” Crosshair slurred, not even trying to fight even as he realized it it wasn’t a brother under him but a doctor.

“You had another episode. This one was a lot worse. You were screaming and thrashing and-“ You had to take a breath, calm yourself before you startled him worse. “Can you describe to me how you’re feeling?”

Crosshair groaned softly, your hands returned to his close cropped silver curls and resumed combing through them.

“Head hurts… confused…” He closed his sightless eyes, relaxing into your touch.

“Yeah? Can you tell me where you are?”

Crosshair was silent for a long time. “Temp medical housing.” His voice was stronger.

“Good. Anything weird you’re seeing?”

“Doc, I’m blind for another day or so. Lemme up.” His attitude was the next to return, pulling your arms off of him and sitting up, palming his head and going to rub his eyes before stopping himself. The couch shifted under him as you moved.

“Careful. Careful. I’m going to go grab you a painkiller and something to drink.”

He grunted an acknowledgement, listening to you clatter around the kitchenette while he massages at his temples in an effort to release the tension prickling at his scalp.

“Hey.” He jumped as your voice came from a lot closer than he was expecting, and winced slightly at your instant step back incase you needed to avoid a blow. “Hey. Still with me?” Your voice was softer the next time. Crosshair nodded. “Alright. I’ve got a painkiller, but it’s gonna make you sleepy, ok? And water. You’re dehydrated.”

A cup was pressed into his hands and he took a drink before tilting his head to the side and exposing his neck.

“Good, you already know the drill. Ok, I’m right next to you, little pinch.”

It was not a little pinch, it never was. It hurt. But it was quickly replaced by the feeling of lead in his veins as a weight settled over him. He took another drink of the water before setting it down, not having the energy to fight it.

Crosshair tried to get to his feet, but his balance was a skewed mess. A hand slid under his shoulders to steady him as the world rocked wildly.

“You wanna sleep out here or in your room, decide fast.” Your voice was a gentle murmur in his ear.

“Second.” He gritted out, accepting your help with annoyed resignation as you half carried him to his room and set him down on his bunk.

“Get some rest, Commander. You’ve done so well today.” Your voice echoes like it’s from a long ways off. He falls back against the pillow, and the quilt is settled over him. He’s asleep before he can even curl up properly

---

“One day, Cross, we’re gonna be proper Commandos. No more labs for us.” Hunter’s voice is right by his head, whisper soft.

“Me too?” Wrecker, six years old and already almost as tall as the trainers. “And Tech?” Tech had been the one for testing that day, he was snoring away tucked against Wrecker’s side.

“All of us.” Hunter promised. “We’re gonna be free of testing and together fighting tinnies and living free.”

Crosshair just rolled over. Wishful thinking, at best.

[A/N: Whew! This is kinda awkward to break into chapters, but I'm trying. I've decided to release it chapter by chapter and then publish the master when I'm done so everyone is happy, got it? Taglist:

@rinwritesfics @endo-bunny @renon4224 @tecker ]

[kybercrystals94]

Stories

Read here on Ao3!

Febuwhump 2024 | Day 27 | Prompt 27: Left for Dead

Rated: G | Words: 1624 | Summary: Crosshair sees his opportunity and takes it.

“Crosshair! We’ve been looking for you,” Omega announces, unabashedly intruding on Crosshair’s peace and quiet.

Crosshair cracks open one eye to glare at his sister looming over him. He had found a lush patch of grass under a tree about a five minute walk from their Pabu abode, hidden from the prying eyes of curious neighbors and meddling siblings. Well, evidently not hidden enough.

“We?” Crosshair drawls, closing his eye again and shifting to get more comfortable.

“Yeah, me and Tech!”

Crosshair sighs. “Why?”

“We found an uninhabited island on one of Phee’s maps. We wanna go explore.”

“That doesn’t sound like it has anything to do with me.”

When Omega doesn’t immediately respond, Crosshair opens his eyes to see her looking away, a despondent expression on her face. “Well, Hunter and Wrecker are working today…and Hunter said we could only go if you went with us because,” she pauses miserably, “you know, Tech’s still recovering, and if anything happened…”

Omega outright stomping on Crosshair’s stomach would have been a softer blow for all the dread and regret that boil up at the hesitant explanation. Tech, his adventurous, capable brother, still recovering from a botched rescue attempt…an attempt to save Crosshair. Tech almost died. Had died in the minds of their siblings until he got a distress message out weeks later.

And now he’s reduced to hoping Omega can convince their wayward brother into joining them for something as mundane as a nature walk on another island.

Crosshair pushes himself up to a sitting position, not missing the way Omega’s face lights up, dispelling any shadows that had lingered there. “Thank you, Crosshair! Tech didn’t think you’d say yes, but I told him you would,” Omega tells him, her hands immediately latching around his wrist to haul him to his feet, as though he needs any help.

“It’s not like I have anything better to do,” Crosshair grumbles, if only to put off the undeserved gratitude.

Omega is unfettered. “I already packed a picnic and everything. Wrecker helped me make sandwiches this morning, and Hunter said we could bring that sweet drink Lyana taught me how to make.”

It seems Omega is not the only sibling who believed Crosshair would go, which simply aches more.

Only Tech had doubted, and another dull ache throbs in Crosshair’s chest as he allows Omega to drag him up the trail. Too soon, they are entering the house, Omega’s voice ringing through the small space, “Tech! I found him! He said he’d come!”

Tech appears from the common room, a spanner in one hand and a small part in the other. He looks surprised. “I am just finishing up on the proximity alarm I am repairing, but it should not take more than a minute or two.”

“That’s fine,” Omega tells him, “I still need to put another container of juice in my pack for our picnic.” She skips into the kitchen happily humming a local tune.

Tech doesn’t immediately return to his work, regarding Crosshair with that calculating look that makes the ex-sniper want to squirm. “I hope Omega didn’t pressure you into agreeing to come,” he says after a moment.

Crosshair scoffs. “Unlike Wrecker and Hunter, I know how to say no to Omega’s tooka eyes.”

This gets a smirk out of Tech before he walks back into the common room. Crosshair hesitates a moment, and then follows. Tech’s work table looks as Tech’s work tables have always looked: cluttered chaos. However, Tech is able to see through the mess, plucking up parts and tools as though they are exactly where he means for them to be. A method to his madness, Crosshair thinks fondly, before squashing down the sentimental emotion.

“I told Hunter that I am recovered enough to handle such a small expedition on my own,” Tech says, not turning to face Crosshair, “but the local healer does not agree…and apparently my own medical experience and knowledge is of little weight in the matter.”

Crosshair leans against the back of the couch. “I don’t mind coming, Tech.”

“It’s not…” Tech starts, his voice taking a sharp tone. He takes an audible breath. “I am not helpless.”

“None of us said that you are.”

Tech huffs a deprecating noise, but does not offer a verbal retort. The room becomes occupied by stiff silence and the soft clattering of Tech finishing his work. Until Omega bursts in, a large pack strapped to her back. “We’re ready whenever you are, Tech,” she chirps.

Tech sets aside his tools and turns, giving Omega a small smile. “I am ready,” he says, going for his own pack that is propped against the table. Crosshair almost offers to take it; however, he doesn’t want to confirm any of Tech’s ill founded ideations. But the allowance doesn’t negate the feeling of guilt when he sees his brother stagger slightly under the weight.

Even in civilian clothes, Tech has incorporated a utility belt, which he clips his well worn data pad to. He looks at Crosshair and Omega in turn. “Shall we?”

<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>

The island in question is small. Small enough to walk around at a leisurely pace in an hour. Small enough that Tech is barely able to land the Marauder on the widest part of the narrow beach. Small enough that Crosshair wonders why it was marked on a map at all.

“In her notes,” Tech says, data pad in hand, “Phee states that there is a rare variety of flora native only to this hemisphere, and then only to a few select islands. This being the closest to Pabu. Phee says she has come a few times to look for it, but has been unable to locate it.”

Crosshair and Omega exchange glances, and the tilt of mirth on Omega’s lips nearly sets Crosshair laughing outright. All this to find a flower for Phee. Crosshair is not remotely surprised. But who knew Tech, of all his brothers, would be the hopeless romantic among them.

“Do you have a holopic of it?” Omega asks sweetly at Tech’s elbow.

Tech tips his data pad in Omega’s direction. “Merely a crude sketch; however, it is sufficient.”

They begin their trek into the forested center of the island. Omega, having relinquished her pack to Crosshair when he wordlessly put out his hand for it, is unburdened, darting off ahead to “scout”, as she calls it. Crosshair begins to protest, but Tech shakes his head. “I assure you, this island is perfectly safe. She will be fine.”

They walk shoulder to shoulder, eyes wandering their surroundings in search of the elusive species of flower.

“It should be evident now,” Tech says after a long period of silence, “that Omega and I would have been fine on our own. Your coming was entirely unnecessary.”

Crosshair bristles, disguising his hurt as a bitter retort, “If you didn’t want me to come, you could have just said so. I’m sure the kriffing flower could’ve waited until Hunter or Wrecker were available.”

“That is not what I meant.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

Tech is quiet a moment before he bites out, “You felt obligated to accompany Omega and I out of a position of guilt. I do not desire your pity.”

“That’s not–”

“Do not deny it, Crosshair. You forget that I know you.”

With a step and a sharp turn, Crosshair cuts off Tech’s path, forcing the splicer to come to an abrupt stop. He shoves a finger into Tech’s chest. “And you forget that I almost lost you!”

Tech glares up at him. “I was not aware that you could lose something that you gave up.”

The words crush like a fist around Crosshair’s heart. “I protected you, all of you, after Kamino fell,” Crosshair hisses, the words feeling like fire in his throat.

“We didn’t want your protection, we wanted our brother.” Tech keeps eye contact, doesn’t flinch away. “And when the opportunity arose that we might save you, I readily gave up protection in favor of you. And I would willingly die again and again, for any one of our family.”

Before Crosshair can respond, Omega’s voice breaks through trees. “Tech! I think I found them! Come see!”

Tech pushes past him, trudging through the undergrowth towards their sister’s voice. Crosshair takes a steadying breath before trailing after.

<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>

Crosshair lays on his back, staring up at the cloud strewn sky, listening to the tumbling of waves and the animated voices of his siblings down by the shoreline. They’d found Phee’s flower, and carefully transplanted it in a container Tech had brought especially for the occasion. It sits next to Crosshair now, its petalled head bobbing in the salty breeze.

“Crosshair!” Omega’s voice calls out, sounding far away over the roar of the tide.

He lifts his head to look at the girl, up to her knees in the lapping water. Omega waves her arm wildly, motioning for him to come. Tech isn’t in the water, but he stands just short of its reach, inspecting a shell in the sunlight.

“I’m good up here,” Crosshair calls back lazily, dropping his head back on his arms.

“Aww, you’re no fun!” Omega taunts.

Crosshair chuckles and closes his eyes. “I can live with that!”

A few minutes pass, and someone sits down on the blanket next to him. Crosshair doesn’t have to open his eyes to know it is Tech.

“You’re wrong, you know,” he says, softly.

”Pardon?” Tech asks.

“About why I came,” Crosshair says, “It wasn’t guilt.”

“Why then?”

“Omega told me stories about…while I was gone.” Crosshair pauses, swallowing back the emotion that creeps up. “I’m not gone anymore, Tech. And when Omega tells this story…It’ll be my story too.”

END

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[axo-the-adhder]

crosshair is absolutely the kind of person to send his partner a picture of his empty lap with the text “my lap is looking awfully empty… ;)” when they’re away and when they get back he’s sitting there, petting batcher who’s on his lap, looking at their confused face and saying “what? did you think i was asking you to sit with me? *eye roll* pathetic.”

but in actuality he was really worried about what took them so long

he acts like he’s mad at them all day but when he thinks they’re sleeping he cuddles up to them and spoons them all night, just glad that they’re okay.

[mythical-illustrator]

@staycalmandhugaclone

A work in progress, because of all the angst and pain you've been giving us. Here's some soft crosshair.

Doc gets forehead kisses from a soft comforting crosshair. You know before it all goes to hell in a hand basket

This is from their Docs Adventures story, chapter : You'll have to go through me part 1.

It will get colored tomorrow but...here's the line sketch.

Art master list