Work Text:
I have missed you too!
They might not have agreed on most things in the past even if they had worked rather well together. Perfectly so some might say. Hunter certainly had. But in Tech’s opinion, Crosshair was severe and unyielding while Crosshair kept telling Tech he was way too of a stick up the ole shebs kind of a nerd glued to his gadgets.
But they were family, always had been and always would be.
And that was a bond not to be broken easily. No matter the constant fights, the ‘trying to kill us’ thing having happened there for a while, the brainwashing or control chip incidents nor serving the Evil Empire ever able to break said bond. And those things never had.
“It’s really you isn’t it. I mean you you, not some imperial automaton I heard you had become?”
Crosshair could only stare at the genius standing right there in front of him, the second rescue having gone well at the end and the ‘thought dead’ Tech being back where he belonged. With his Batch, his family as said.
“Look who’s talking!” Tech let out a hefty chuckle, which was unnerving to the others hearing it, but not to Crosshair. “But I can assure you I am no less me than I was before getting in there.” Well, Tech for one hoped he wasn’t. The scans indication of as much.
And that all might have been true for the physical part of the gadget wizard, but there were scars deep, deep inside of Tech like there were in Crosshair. The Empire having carved them there as a permanent reminder nothing in life was easy. Certainly not for the clones it wasn’t. Never really had been.
But in time those wounds would fade at some point. They would never heal completely but they would close up and be forgotten on some level. And perhaps having shared some of the same experiences, Crosshair and Tech would be able to help each other heal.
Crosshair had a lopsided grin on his face. Clear indication he was up to something no good.
And then it happened, out of the blue! Tech felt himself grabbed tightly and lifted off of the floor only to be pulled against Crosshair. The sniper holding the genius against himself in a most crushing hug. Something Tech would have expected form Wrecker for sure, but never Crosshair. Not since they had been kids at least. Crosshair hardly ever giving out hugs freely.
Tech felt awkward only for mere seconds before leaning fully into the loving, caring embrace.
Things had certainly changed as had the two of them too. And Crosshair despite the bad blood between him and his family having accumulated during their separation, was certainly a changed man. With all the things he had experienced while serving the Empire, then having been incarcerated by the same regime having left its mark on the sniper.
Tech’s stint with them however briefer than Crosshair’s, but no less of an experience to having managed to leave its mark on the genius.
Tech snuck his own arms around Crosshair. Holding on tightly as he did. The tears prickling behind his goggles, the emotions reaching surface level even if Tech was trying hard not to cry. Then again Crosshair was no more worse for wear. His own eyes watering.
“I’m glad you’re back, Cross”
“I’m glad you’re back too, Nerd.”
The endearment as it was meant as for sure spoken out softly. They both chuckled and cried and laughed. Holding onto each other for a long while as if not daring to let go. As if the other would disappear if they ever let go.