Work Text:
1.
Echo had been with Clone Force 99 for almost a month now. He was still recovering from his ordeal at Skako Minor, but his new team was doing everything they could to help him. Tech was able to help Echo gain back some body muscle and fat with a detailed dietary schedule as well as upgrade his cybernetics, Wrecker helped him train, and Hunter would talk to him and help him make sense of all his thoughts now that Echo’s brain was essentially a super computer. But Crosshair? He avoided Echo. Hunter had told the cyborg not to take it personally since Crosshair disliked Regs the most out of the four of them and to give him some time.
So of course Echo was surprised when the sniper approached him at the shooting range. Tech had recently replaced his cybernetic arm so Echo could once again have two hands. The technician had wanted the cyborg to test it out at the range, so Echo went and tried to fire a few rounds but missed the target most of the time due to his hand shaking. Echo sighed as he tried to massage the tight muscles in his right arm, right above where the cybernetics started. Echo paused when he felt a slender hand rest atop his right shoulder.
“Problem?” Asked the sniper as he moved to lean against the partition, crossing his arms as he stared Echo down with his sharp golden eyes. Echo would be lying if he said he didn’t find the other clone attractive, but it was pointless to be hung up on someone who clearly didn’t like him at all. “I…My arm won’t stop shaking.” Echo explained, looking away and resumed digging his fingers into his tight muscles. Crosshair narrowed his eyes at the spot the cyborg was rubbing and leaning over to pick up Echo’s discarded blaster.
“Let me see you shoot.” Crosshair demanded, shoving the blaster into Echo’s cybernetic hand. The cyborg sighed but complied and raised his arm to fire off another round. Like before, he missed the target because his stupid arm wouldn’t stop shaking. Before Echo could even lower his arm, Crosshair grabbed the blaster from him and immediately dug his slim fingers into his upper arm. Echo was about to protest until he felt the tightness in his muscles release and couldn’t help the heavy sigh of relief that escaped his lips.
Echo quickly picked up his blaster and aimed at the target, every blast actually hitting the target this time. Echo’s eyes went wide as he turned to Crosshair who raised an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at his lips. Echo couldn’t help but smile back. “How did you do that?” Echo asked in disbelief and Crosshair chuckled. “My eyes can pick up on small details.” The sniper replied vaguely, his eyes moving from Echo’s face to the target he had just fired at. Echo turned to look at the target as well, surprised to see how almost every blast hit the bullseye. “You shoot well for a Reg.” Crosshair commented, patting Echo on his shoulder as he walked away and back down the corridor of the shooting range. Echo paused when he noticed that there was no malice behind Crosshair’s words. It almost even sounded like a compliment; kind of like the way the sniper would joke with Wrecker.
Echo quickly turned around and peaked around the partition to see the other clone almost rounding the corner. “Crosshair!” Echo called out, causing the sniper to stop and turn to look back at him. “Thanks!” Echo shouted down the corridor and smiled when Crosshair waved at him over his shoulder as he rounded the corner. Echo picked up his blaster and returned it to his holster. Maybe Crosshair didn’t hate him like he had originally thought.
~~~~~
2.
“Ow!”
“Hold still!”
Echo huffed as Tech worked on attaching the head implants to his skull, his hand slipping and nicking Echo's skin accidentally. They were sat inside the Havoc Marauder as Tech worked on Echo's new implants. Turns out having your brain turned into a supercomputer meant lots of head splitting migraines. Luckily Tech was able to relieve that pain with the implants he was currently attaching to his skull. Tech stepped back to rummage through his toolbox and Echo rubbed his aching forehead.
Echo looked up when he felt slender fingers graze his shoulder. “The hell is this?” Crosshair asked, his hand ghosting over Echo's head implants. “These are neurological implants. They are supposed to help minimize Echo's head pain.” Tech spoke up as he finally found the tool he was looking for. “How are you feeling?” Crosshair asked, staring down at Echo who blinked at him in confusion. “Uh, better, I think.” Echo replied, watching how Crosshair's eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed. It almost looked like the sniper was concerned.
“Good.” Crosshair mumbled, quickly turning on his heel and retreating further into the Marauder. “Hmm. Odd.” Tech commented as he continued his work. “What do you mean?” Echo asked, hoping Tech would shed some light on Crosshair’s strange behavior. “Well, I've just never seen Cross worried about someone other than us. Guess he's finally warmed up to you.” Tech explained, soldering a few wires in a specific panel on Echo's implants. The cyborg frowned, still confused as to why Crosshair left so quickly. It almost seemed like he was embarrassed but that didn't make any sense. Echo sighed, starting to wonder if he was ever going to understand Crosshair's behavior.
~~~~~
3.
Echo scrubbed a hand over his face as he stared up at the ceiling of the bunk. Tech offered to share his bunk with Echo since the technician always fell asleep at his work bench anyway. Echo sat up, burying his face in his hands, his eyes stinging from lack of sleep. He had barely been getting any sleep since his prosthetics and head implants made lying on a mattress extremely uncomfortable. Echo removed his hands from his face with a heavy sigh and turned when he noticed movement beside the bunk.
Echo was taken aback when he saw Crosshair tying one side of a hammock to the side of the bunk. “Did I wake you?” Echo whispered as he stood up to join the sniper. The other clone shook his head as he moved to attach the other side of the hammock to a hook hanging near the windows. “Wrecker used this to relieve the pain in his muscles when we were cadets. Maybe it can do the same for you.” Crosshair explained quietly as he tugged on the hammock to make sure it was sturdy. “Thank you.” Echo breathed, running his hand along the smooth canvas. Crosshair grabbed a blanket and pillow from Tech’s bunk and placed them in the hammock.
Crosshair patted Echo's shoulder and walked back over to his own bunk. Echo watched the sniper curl up on his side as he pulled the blankets back over him, his back facing Echo. The cyborg climbed into the hammock and immediately felt relief from the pain and discomfort in his cybernetics. He looked back over in Crosshair's direction and smiled, sleep quickly taking over.
~~~~~
4.
Echo rolled his shoulder as it started to cramp up from staying crouched for hours behind Seperatist lines. Crosshair was crouched to his left, staring down the scope of his firepuncher that was aimed at a Seperatist factory. Echo found that he rather enjoyed the missions that he got to tag along with Crosshair. The sniper was always so quiet and calm and it always helped with Echo's anxiety. “I've got eyes on the target.” Crosshair's voice came through the comms. “Finally!” Came Wrecker's relieved response. Echo couldn't help but chuckle at the larger clone’s reaction.
“You have a nice laugh.”
Echo froze, staring at Crosshair through his helmet's visor. Did he?... Echo shook his head. No, there was no way Crosshair was flirting with him. Especially since the sniper’s tone was so nonchalant; like he was just stating a fact. “Let's get moving.” Hunter's voice came through the comms and Echo quickly stood up with Crosshair as the two sprinted along the tree line after the target, which happened to be a Seperatist convoy.
~~~~~
5.
Echo felt his hands shake uncontrollably as he walked down the bright fluorescent halls on Kamino. He hated when his anxiety and stress would get to overwhelming levels. Echo was thankful for the helmet covering his face as he passed other clones, some giving the cyborg weird looks.
Echo felt familiar slender fingers grab onto his arm and yank him into what he assumed was a supply closet. The cyborg tore off his helmet as he gasped for air, the room feeling like it was closing in on him. Echo felt a hand gently squeeze his flesh hand as the other hand came up to softly cradle his jaw. Echo knew that Crosshair was the one touching him, even though it was hard to see the sniper through the tears sticking to the cyborg's lashes and clouding his vision.
Echo wasn't sure how long the two of them stood there with him sobbing and shaking, but the cyborg was eventually able to pull himself together after what felt like hours. Echo froze when he felt Crosshair gently swipe away the tears sliding down his cheeks, but quickly leaned into the touch, making sure he didn’t take these rare touches from the other clone for granted. The sniper was also missing his helmet so Echo had a clear view of Crosshair’s face. His expression was unreadable as usual, but he had a soft look in his eyes that made Echo feel calmer. The cyborg watched as the sniper's eyes fluttered shut as he leaned forward. Echo's eyes widened when he felt the other clone's forehead gently press against his own. He wasn’t expecting that, but it was still very comforting.
Echo’s metal fingers reached up to gently wrap around Crosshair’s wrist as his eyes also slipped shut. He felt the sniper’s thumb gently stroke his cheek and Echo sighed softly. The cyborg felt himself start to calm down as the stress slowly left his body. Echo pulled his flesh hand from Crosshair’s grasp so he could cradle the back of the sniper’s neck. Echo heard Crosshair’s breath hitch, as the sniper pulled back a few inches so he could lock eyes with the other clone. Echo wasn't expecting to see Crosshair staring back in mild surprise. The two clones stood there, staring into each other's eyes before Echo's eyes wandered down to the sniper’s lips.
“Echo?” Crosshair whispered, his breath ghosting over Echo’s lips. The cyborg hadn’t realized he’d tried to unconsciously close the gap between their lips by pulling the sniper close by the back of his neck. Crosshair hadn’t punched him in the face, so Echo assumed that was a good sign that the sniper wanted to kiss him, too. Echo felt Crosshair’s free hand grip his bicep and the cyborg released a shaky breath.
“Can…Can I-“
Both of them jumped when the door suddenly slid open and Tech burst through. “There you guys are!” Tech exclaimed and Echo immediately took his hands off of Crosshair, feeling his face heat up. “What the fuck is it, Tech?” Crosshair growled, glaring at the technician as his hands continued to stay firmly placed on Echo’s body. “General Billaba called for reinforcements on Kaller and we’re the reinforcements, so come on!” Tech explained quickly, making Crosshair groan in annoyance and reluctantly remove his hands from Echo’s body. The sniper grabbed both his helmet and Echo’s, handing the cyborg his own before storming past Tech and towards the hanger.
“Was this a bad time?” Tech asked innocently and Echo sighed heavily and hung his head in defeat.
~~~~~
+1
The door to the Havoc Marauder hissed open as Echo made his way down the steps. He knew Crosshair was outside considering his bunk was empty. The Batch had finally been able to corner Crosshair away from any imperial reinforcements so they could stun him and remove his chip. The sniper had been unconscious for a few days so when he finally woke up, the five of them were all incredibly relieved.
Echo spotted Crosshair leaning against the ship's hull, a cigarette between his lips. Hunter had mentioned the only time Crosshair smoked was when he felt extremely guilty about something. The only other time was when Wrecker had protected him from an explosion, resulting in the larger clone’s facial scar. Echo was relieved to see that Crosshair was still wearing the bandages around his head. Tech had been obsessing over the nasty scar near his chip, worried that the Empire hadn't properly healed it. The sniper had resisted medical attention at first, but gave in when he noticed Tech's hands shaking.
Crosshair turned his head slightly as Echo approached, removing the cigarette from his mouth. “In know this is a stupid question, but are you doing okay?” The cyborg asked as he joined the other clone in leaning against the ship. “I'm no longer being controlled by the fucking Empire.” Came Crosshair’s exhausted response and Echo turned his head to watch Crosshair bring the cigarette back up to his lips, his hand shaking slightly.
“I'm sorry we couldn't get you back sooner.” Echo said, moving closer to Crosshair so their shoulders touched. The sniper sighed heavily and shook his head. “I’m here now. Doesn't matter how long it took.” Crosshair mumbled, taking a long drag from the cigarette. Echo shook his head and moved so he was standing in front of the sniper. “But, it does! You got hurt because we abandoned you!” Echo said, his hands coming up to gently grasp Crosshair’s arms. “You had no choice. I tried to kill you all. Multiple times.” The sniper mumbled, purposely avoiding Echo’s gaze. “That wasn’t your fault. The chip and the Empire were controlling you.” The cyborg insisted, hoping Crosshair would realize that this wasn’t his fault. The sniper finally met Echo’s gaze and stared at him with an unreadable expression for a few seconds, before he flicked the cigarette to the ground and grabbed the front of Echo’s undersuit and pulled him forward until their lips finally met.
Echo made a surprised noise, but quickly started to kiss back once his brain caught up. He’d been waiting for so long to finally feel Crosshair’s lips on his own and it felt amazing. Echo’s hands slid down Crosshair’s arms and down his back until they came to rest on his slim waist, pulling him close. Echo felt Crosshair start to shake and pulled away just far enough so he could look at the other clone’s face. The sniper’s eyes were squeezed shut, tears sliding down his cheeks. A broken sound escaped his lips and Echo immediately pulled him into a hug. Echo held Crosshair close as the sniper shook in his arms, crying silently.
Eventually, Crosshair pulled away from the cyborg’s shoulder, wiping away any stray tears on his face. Echo leaned forward and pressed his lips to the sniper’s, his flesh hand coming up to gently stroke his thumb along the other clone’s tear stained cheek. The two pulled away after a few seconds, resting their foreheads against each other’s. “We should get some sleep.” Echo suggested and Crosshair hummed in agreement before pulling the cyborg in for a quick kiss. The sniper pulled away, grabbing Echo’s flesh hand as he laced their fingers together before leading the cyborg back inside the Havoc Marauder.
Once inside, Echo climbed into his hammock and got comfortable before Crosshair climbed in after him. Echo knew Crosshair weighed very little but had never felt the other’s full weight on top of him before. He felt so light, it would’ve been concerning if Crosshair hadn’t been engineered that way. The cyborg sighed contently when the sniper pressed their lips together in a quick kiss. “Thank you, Echo.” Crosshair whispered against Echo’s lips. The cyborg brought a hand up to cradle the sniper’s face, their foreheads resting against one another’s. “Of course, Cross.” Echo whispered back, tilting his head up until their lips met yet again. Crosshair smiled as he laid down and draped his body over Echo’s, resting his head atop the other clone’s shoulder. Echo gently caressed the side of the sniper’s face, careful to avoid the bandages covering his scar.
Echo was surprised to find how comfortable he was with Crosshair’s full weight lying on top of him. The sniper’s weight made the cyborg somehow feel protected and less anxious. “Is this okay?” Crosshair asked softly and Echo pressed a kiss to the sniper’s head as he wrapped his arms around the thinner clone in confirmation. “Yeah, this is perfect.” Echo agreed, pulling a blanket over the both of them. Echo listened to Crosshair’s soft breathing and closed his eyes as he fell asleep, relieved to finally be reunited with the man he fell hopelessly in love with.