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"Are you coming with us?"
Wrecker's voice sounds hopeful with just the right amount of a pleading tone that makes your heart ache.
It's been so long since you have seen Crosshair, been on a mission with him - well, it's been ages ago that you stood on the same side at least.
You tear your eyes away from Wrecker's face, a little scared of what you'll find when you look at the sniper.
To your surprise he looks just as lost as you feel - deep in thought, eyes cast to the ground.
You have a feeling he's really making up his mind this time, carefully weighing out the options that lay before him.
He glances away before his eyes dart back. Not to you, not to the kid and not to any of his brothers who look at him with different levels of hope and longing.
No, his eyes land on Hunter.
And immediately you catch on.
The Sergeant has the darkest look on his face you've seen in a while, brows pulled tight into an angry frown as he looks at his youngest brother.
It makes the blood in your veins freeze as much as it makes it boil.
All the others have ever wanted was their lost brother back - and of course, who was going to ruin it again?
You recognise the glimpse of hopelessness, the sheer regret flash across Crosshair's features before he forces himself to relax his jaw. Before he starts to turn away from you.
Perfect.
His head snaps back around the moment he hears the bottom of your fist slam against Hunter's curiass, and you use the second that it takes him to comprehend what's happening to slap your palm against his forehead.
His frown finally loosens as he looks at you in surprise, but you speak before he can gather his thoughts.
"Of course he's coming. You don't get to decide that."
"Neither do you. And it seems like he's made up his mind, haven't you Crosshair?"
He spits out his brother's name with so much venom that makes you want to strangle him.
Crosshair on the other hand looks like a hurt puppy for a brief second before his eyes harden and the usual mask of indifference is back in its place.
Your jaw clenches painfully as you turn back to Hunter.
You shove him harshly.
"Are you mad?!", you give him another one, "Are you out of your fucking mind?"
You can feel the attention of everyone shift away from Crosshair and towards you, twelve pairs of eyes watching you intently. From the edge of your vision you can make out Wrecker, preparing himself to pull you off of Hunter the second this situation gets out of control.
"Calm down! How do you talk to me, I'm your Sergeant!"
"Don't you dare pull rank on me now.", another shove. "You don't get to make his decision. You've disregarded everyone for months - pushed our opinions and feelings aside so you could stay on your weird ass power trip."
He wastes no time to defend himself immediately.
"I did not!"
You interrupt him just as quickly.
"No? What's with Echo then? Who had nightmares for days on end because we helped this separatist guy. What about Wrecker? He's crying himself to sleep every night because he misses his brother."
You can’t bring yourself to care that Wrecker's face flushes in embarrassment, but you notice that Tech reaches out to pat him on the back to give him some sort of comfort.
"Tech is miserable because he has no one to talk to. The only things you care about are her-" you gesture towards Omega who suddenly shrinks in on herself. (And you feel very bad for a second, before you realize that you are just speaking the truth.)
"Don't bring her into this-"
"And your own ego. You're being cruel and selfish."
Now that was a word he didn't expect to hear from one of the people closest to him. He was the leader. Selflessness was his job. His brothers were always more important. Their needs always had a higher priority than his. How dare you say that to his face.
He turns to his brothers for support.
"What do you think about this? Do you think she's right?"
"Don't ask them to decide between us. It’s not like we’re getting a divorce. It was my observation and mine only. But I fail to understand that you listen to her every beck and call, that you go out to save the entire galaxy if she asks you to- the entire galaxy except him."
You pause for a second to take a deep breath.
"I agree with Crosshair." These words take the sniper by surprise. "You might have forgotten that he was one of us. But I haven't. I'm not leaving him behind again just because of you. So either he's coming with us, or I'm staying."
You walk over and stand next to Cross, who squirms a little and moves half an inch away from you, not wanting to get too close too quickly. But you are yourself, and decide to wrap your arm around his to hold him - to anchor yourself in case the world decides to shatter underneath your feet.
"You're not one of us." Hunter says coldly and it makes your stomach drop. "You've never been."
And with that he turns away and walks towards the ship, not giving you a second glance.
"Go." you hear Crosshair hiss. You turn your head up to meet his eyes. He looks like he's pleading, begging you to go back to his brothers.
"You can still leave."
"Crosshair. I've tried to reason with him. I begged and pleaded to come and get you. You never were his priority and neither am I, as you can see. I've made up my mind. I'm staying."
He would never tell you how much your words meant to him in this moment. That you were willing to leave everything behind because he was more important to you than Hunter's feelings. You stayed for him.
When you lay your cheek against his arm he knows that you mean it. You're not letting go.
The next thing that manages to pull you out of your thoughts is an arm that wraps around both you and the sniper.
Wrecker.
Your eyes widen in surprise when you notice him.
"Wreck, what?" you whisper in confusion.
"She's right." he says, directed to Crosshair, not to you: "I cry every time I think about how much I miss you. I want you to be with us no matter what."
Crosshair suddenly has trouble swallowing, a lump forming in his throat. There’s no way his brother is doing this for him.
"I missed you." is all he manages to say, but it's enough for Wrecker, who doesn't need elaborate apologies and confessions.
By now Hunter has almost reached the ship, he lifts his foot to the first step when Echo starts to move towards you.
He stops in front of Crosshair, clears his throat and speaks.
"I don't think I've ever really gotten to know you, but you welcomed me with open arms when I needed it most. I really appreciated that. I want to be your brother. And I want you to be my brother too." he looks like he's finished but turns towards you next.
"Thank you for standing up for us. Thank you for caring about me."
You gently lay your free hand on his bicep, rubbing up and down the armor a few times while giving him a gentle smile. He takes position next to you, and Wrecker extends his other arm so he holds you tight.
When Hunter turns around his eyes confirm what his ears already have told him. The four of you look happy. Happy together. Happy without him.
Self doubt shows its ugly face and starts to gnaw at him. Did he really manage to turn his family against himself?
Did he do that to Crosshair as well?
He should have stunned him on Kamino, the second he laid eyes on them, before the shoot out had begun.
He should have captured him on one of their many run-ins.
He should have listened to you.
The last ounce of triumph he might have felt vanishes when he sees Omega taking Tech's hand - Tech lowering himself to kneel before her, now face to face, explaining the situation.
"You have to understand that my decision should not influence yours.", Hunter can read his lips, but Omega doesn't give Tech another second. She looks from Tech to him, a longing and apologetic look in her eyes, before she turns on the spot and runs towards you, wrapping her arms around your waist.
You seem surprised but happy.
You are, indeed, surprised and happy.
Your hand unravels from Echo and gently touches her hair.
"I want this family, and I want it complete.", she looks up at Crosshair, who looks like he's about to start sweating out of nervousness.
"I want you to be my brother."
He tries to swallow around the lump that is still blocking his throat.
"I will be. If you let me." he croaks out. Your heart melts knowing that he longed for this as much as you did.
"I suppose you leave me no other choice."
Tech's voice almost rings in your ears when you hear it.
"Guys I- I didn't want this I wanted all of us together. It seems we're loosing another one." you say under your breath.
"Ah, you know Hunter, he'll pull himself together in a minute or two."
Wrecker’s attempt at comforting you makes you smile. Yeah, you knew Hunter, knew how stubborn he could be.
Thankfully Tech interrupts your thoughts.
"I propose-"
"I do."
Echo and Crosshair say simultaneously.
You're confused for a second before you remember their old joke.
"You should stop proposing to everyone around you Tech, it's getting out of hand." Omega says, sounding an awful lot like Hunter. You try not to laugh when you notice that Crosshair and Echo are still staring at each other, as if they had just formed a bond that united them against Tech and his antics.
"I said yes first."
"I know him for longer, he loves ME." Crosshair counters, picking a playful fight with Echo.
The sigh that leaves Tech tells you he hates them both equally and that he may regret his choice now that the galaxy's worst shit-stirrer is back on board.
"Oh I know who I would chose." Wrecker teases before he picks up Omega and throws her into the air, earning a squeal and a bunch of giggles.
You feel like you're in a little happy bubble that radiates warmth, a family forged back together, not ready for what awaits them, but definitely preparing for it.
It bursts quickly when Hunter clears his throat.
All eyes are on him as his gaze wanders over his brothers. You didn't want to dwell on the fact that he basically exiled you from this family mere minutes ago, but unfortunately your petty side wins this time.
"Too bad you're not one of us Hunter. Missing out on all the fun."
You say, more teasingly than actually angry. For a second he wonders what he did to deserve this - this second alone gives him a headache that makes him drop it.
Yeah, he deserved this. One hundred percent.
But he is Hunter, after all. The words that come out of his mouth are not apologetic, nor are they particularly nice or loving. But apparently, they do their job.
"Are you coming with us now?"
Under the sheer amount of expecting and hopeful faces surrounding him the only thing Crosshair can do is nod.
He would be fine. Not necessarily now, or tomorrow, or next week, but definetly soon.
And maybe you could make Hunter properly apologize as well.
That's a lesson both of them still had to learn.