Archive of Our Own ^beta

Batcher scratched at Crosshair's bed, waking him up.
He grumbled a little and turned his head looking sleepily at his dog.
She gruned at him and walked to the door scratching at it too.
"Really? Now?" Crosshair sighed.
Groggy he got out of bed and shuffled to the door "Couldn't you have went earlyer? It's like two in the morning" he grumbled, opening the door and both went out into the hallway and down the stairs.
Batcher basically ran them down to get to the main door.

"Be quiet, you'll wake the others."
Impatiently she waited at the door and whined "Hold it dog, I'm almost there."
Still half asleep Crosshair throtted to the main door and reached for the handle.
Batcher bursted through the door as soon as it was open a gap, causing it to swing the rest open and thump against the wall if Crosshair hadn't catched it last second.

"Damn it Batcher!" He hissed "Don't-"

He froze at what he saw.

Everything outside was white and sparkling in the moonlight, a very light snow fell and Crosshair could watch little clouds forming before him with every stuttering breath he took.

A light cold breeze blew in, causing him to shiver and take a step back.

He felt the hair on his neck stand up and a cold shiver down his spine, but that came not from the cold outside...

"Batcher! Come back inside!" He called low, she came after a moment and Crosshair quickly closed the door and went back upstairs, staring at the ground as he did so.
Batcher followed him, looking at him worriedly.

Back in his bed he closed the curtains in a quick motion and wrapped himself tightly up in his blanket, pressing his eyes shut.
Batcher whined a little, then hopped up on his bed and laid down beside him, pressing herself against him.

He didn't shoo her off this time.

——— morning ———

"Guys! It snows!" Omega cheered and ran outside in her pyjamas "I'll go to Lyana!" "Put on some clothes!" Hunter called after but she was already gone, he laughed and turned around to get his mug of tea Crosshair made for him.

"You're up early." He said to him sipping his tea.
"Couldn't sleep." Cross murmured.
Hunter watched him, Crosshair was not facing him but he could tell that he was on edge, tho why he couldn't figure.
Batcher was lying next to Crosshair so Cross had to step over her to get to the drawer holding the other mugs.
When Batcher acts like this theres usually something going on inside Crosshair.
But Hunter desides to leave it be for now.

"Didn't knew it could snow on an island." Wrecker said amused, looking outside.
"Oh can't wait to get into a snow fight! Cross you're in my team right?" He turned his head to look at the sniper who gave no answer, instead focused on making another cup of tea.

"Cross?"
Hunter stepped into Wrecker's few and briefly mentioned to him 'cut-it-out' with his free hand, shaking his head a little. Wrecker nodded shortly then looked back outside.

"The kids come back" he said cheery again and went to open the door. Omega and Lyana came in giggling and hopping in order to warm themselfs up again.
"Now, why did you think going out in the snow in your pyjamas was a good idea?" Hunter said to Omega.
"Well, was a fun idea at the start." "Thought so too" Lyana said, who too was in her pyjamas.

"Hey kids, wanna have a snow fight later?" Wrecker said bending down a little to get on the girls level
"Heck yeah!" Omega said and turned to Crosshair in the kitchen, but before she could say something to him Hunter held her back and pushed her to her room "Go put on some dry clothes, your pants are all wet."
"Yeah, I slipped." She said laughing a little.

Omega mentioned Lyana to come along who followed with a smile. She looked back at her brother in the kitchen area of the room briefly, then up at Hunter who had a worried expression and shrugged with one shoulder.
Then the kids went into Omega's room.

Crosshair sat up more water on the stove to make more tea for the kids and leaned against the counter with crossed arms, staring at the pot, waiting for the water to boil.

"Staring at it won't make it boil faster" Hunter said, leaning on the counter next to him, tea mug still in hand.
Crosshair said nothing.
"We're here if you need to talk. You know that right?" He said taking a sip.

"There's nothing to talk about.” Cross mumbled
"That's not true, you're on edge so something is up, we can't read your mind so you’re gonna have to catch us up."
"I don't-"
"And you don't have to" Hunter interrupted him gently "Just know that we will be there for you when you do." He patted his little brother on the shoulder a little "all of us."
Hunter catched the slightest hint of a nod from him, then he left Cross alone again and walked to the living area sitting down on the couch.

"Here's your tea Wrecker." Cross said low, avoiding looking up while handing the mug he held to his big brother who took it with delight "Thanks, you always make the best tea!"
Cross nodded and went back to the stove as the kettle started to whistle.
He poured two more mugs of tea as the two kids came back into the room smiling brightly.

"Here's the plan!" Omega said "Plan?" Hunter asked amused "We're telling every kid to meet up at the platorm on the upper level" Lyana said "For a big snow battle!" Omega ended.
"Oh I'll join there!" Wrecker said.
"You too, right Hunter?"
Hunter briefly looked at Crosshair who came over with the two mugs in his hand and back at Omega
"It would be an unfair fight if I'd join." He just said and took another sip of his tea.
"No it won't we can make different teams or something." Lyana said with a smile.

Crosshair sat down the two mugs infront of the girls and went to go back up when Omega placed a hand on his arm, he stopped mid action and looked at his sister.
"You will join, won't you?"

Crosshair found himself unable to look away from Omega nor move, she didn't grabbed him just put a hand on his forearm.
Even tho she said it in a oblivious tone, Crosshair saw that she knew.
She knew that something was up.

"I..." he started low "I think I'll sit this one out"
He finally got his muscles to obey him again and turned back to make himself a cup of tea.
"Haven't slept much, I'm tired..."
Wich wasn't technically a lie.

“Okay then.” Omega said with a smile in her voice but looked after her brother with sad eyes.

——— short break ———

Omega, Wrecker and Lyana went to gather their 'snow troops', and left Hunter with Crosshair and Batcher in the house.

Crosshair went to go upstairs but Hunter stopped him briefly by calling him.
"Do you need anything? Or got everything?"
Crosshair gripped the edge of the rail a bit harder narrowing his eyes a little.
"I'm fine." He said not looking at his older brother.
"Okay. Just tell me if you need something. K? I’ll be right here."
Crosshair nodded and went up followed by a worried Batcher.

Hunter sighed and sat down on the sofa, taking the datapad on the table and reading an interesting novel he found a few weeks ago.

After an hour or so, Hunter had closed his eyes to doze a little, he heard someone going down the stairs again. Someone followed by an animal.
He heard the person going around the sofa slowly and then felt them sitting down beside him.

Crosshair sat unusually close.
Batcher flopped agaist their legs and let out a big huff.

Hunter shifted a little, leaning a bit against Crosshair who didn't pull away and instead leaned closer too.

They sat like this for a while until Crosshair started to speak in a low tone.

"Barton IV..."
Hunter opened his eyes and turned his head to him a little, waiting for him to continiue.
"I had my last mission on this planet, before I got sent to Tantiss..." he rubbed his stump slightly
"There was a..." he took a breath "A Clone, named Mayday, he was stationed there over a year protecting the cargo that was stored there. All his other men had died, there where only him and two others. Hexx and Veetch. Tho they died too as local raiders attacked the outpost and stole two crates of cargo."

Crosshair swallowed and Hunter put a hand on his brother's back.

"The scumslug of a lieutenant ordered Mayday and me to get them back. I hated that guy from the start... So Mayday and I went to track down the raiders and get the cargo back. While tracking them down, I stepped on a pressure mine wich Mayday dissarmed, saving my live with it." Hunter's eyes widened in surprise and silently thanked this Mayday for saving his little brother.

"We managed to het the cargo back without much further problems."
He went quiet for a min.
"But there was an avalanche wich swallowed the cargo which was gear by the way. Not clone trooper gear tho, just ‘new armour for their shiny new military’." Cross took a breath. "We ran from the evalanche and Mayday pushed me aside before I ran straight into a rock which led him to hit it in return, saving me a second time... we both got burried under it..."

Batcher whined and hopped up on the couch and settled her head on Crosshair's thigh, Hunter leaned forward a bit and watched his brother wearingly.

Sometimes Hunter hates having enhanced senses, being able to smell the stress and sadness overwhelming his little brother like Batcher, or even more so, leaves him fighting with his own emotions and desire to just wrap his brother up in a bunch of blankets and hide him from everything that could harm him.

Crosshair took a sharp breath.
"I managed to dig myself out again and then went looking for him. Mayday got injured... he... he told me to leave him behind, saying that he won't make it..."

Crosshair's voice began to crack at the edges and Hunter pressed himself closer and laid his arm around his brother's back.

Cross sniffled a little, then continued.
"I didn't leave him, I picked him up and carried him back to the outpost... we spend one night huddled together for warmth in a rock crevice..."

Hunter felt a sting in his chest.

"We managed to get back to the platform of the outpost and I told the lieutenant to get Mayday a medic" Crosshair's face scrunched up in disgust "but he denied it! Said that it would be a waste of the empires recources! I begged him to help him! But he just stood there! Telling me that he served his purpose! That he's expendable! That I'm too..."

Hunter tightened his grip around him and Batcher stuffed her nose under Cross's arms he was leaning on.

"Mayday died right next to me... He saved my live twice and I couldn't save him in return..."
He sniffed again "But I avenged him. I shot that blue eyed bastard and watched him fall! ... I lost consciousness a few secons after and woke up again on Tantiss... He was my friend... The only friend I had at the time... He didn't deserve to die... not like this..."

"He died knowing that you tried to save him... I think... I believe, he was grateful for that."
Hunter said low rubbing the back of his brother a little.

"This morning Batcher had to go out so I let her and when I looked outside and saw the snow I-... It all came back hitting me like a tank..." Crosshair looked down and let out a sigh.
Hunter pulled him closer and leaned his head on him. "I'm sorry you went through this brother... You don't have to go outside if you don't want to or can't. It's okay, you can stay here. And I'll stay as long as you like, you're not alone anymore."

Instead of an answer Crosshair just leaned into him more and wrapped an arm around him.
Hunter slowly lied down, pulling his little brother along, making him lie down ontop of him.
Crosshair settled his head on Hunter's collarbone and wraped his arms around his brother. Hunter stroked Crosshair's short gray hair and traced little circles on his back.

Batcher placed herself between their legs, resting her head on one of Cross's thighs.

After a while Crosshair fell asleep and Hunter continiued the motion going through his little brother's hair.
"You're gonna be okay brother." Hunter said low "You're gonna be okay. We're all here for you."
And with that Hunter dozed off after a short while too.