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Watching is as easy as breathing; as natural as a sunset. His comfort hobby to soothe the jagged edges of his soul.
A part of Crosshair wondered if he would enjoy watching over the squad even if his eyesight wasn't enhanced. If he would still like to linger on the high ground for just a moment more to do another head count…
… but that were ponders for a past life.
Crosshair could still watch over his new squad though; could still find a little bit of comfort in what was natural as the breeze… and so he watched.
From the treeline. Through the scope. From the back of the marching order. Across the campfire….
… at some point his gaze began to linger on his commander…
It was only to protect the fleshy natborn. He didn't have a lifetime of training, he was a liability to himself with that fake cheerful attitude that grated on the sniper… he was didn't have the armor they had…
He was a liability that kept Crosshair's gaze far too long and he was only concerned because if Kolto died then he would have to get used to another overly pompous natborn commander.
And that's the only reason why he watched Kolto twice, if not thrice, as much as anyone else.
In his watching, Crosshair picked up on things…
How he got a little fidgety right before pulling out a cigarette; a trait Crosshair refused to admit mirrored himself and his precious toothpicks.
The soft sighs before rolling his shoulders back and square when he was tired but hiding it.
The slight brightening of his green eye when something caught his attention… The first time Crosshair caught that glimmer, he thought his heart was about to give out. He borrowed a med scanner to ensure the vital organ was fine. Of course it was perfectly normal (as normal as a 'medically defective' clone heart could be), but it was still alarming.
That little glitter of light came more frequently, now that Crosshair was actively looking for it. Luckily his heart didn't threaten to stop on subsequent observations of the light in Kolto's eye. It was a soft light, a blink and you miss it light. It came with a softening of his face, as if the galaxy wasn't at war for just a moment.
Sometimes Kolto gave this look to stray Tookas… other times to vista they were marching past… but more often than not it was to food stalls- specifically dessert ones.
He never got Wrecker anything from the mess hall. Not even when he made the same doe eyes and slight tight lipped pout at a treat he couldn't have. He wouldn't have done this for a brother, it made no sense why he would do it for his commander.
Still his long legs carried him through the corridors with purpose. Mug of caf in one hand… and the last carrot puff cake in the other. Kolto had eyed the rare mess hall treat the last three times it had appeared on rotation but refused to get it. Making some half-hearted excuse and then leaving to smoke.
He always smoked in the same place, the officer's wing balcony. Crosshair didn't technically belong there anymore but his trademark scowl chased away anyone that looked at him twice… anyone but Kolto that was. Somehow every glare and scowl was not enough to demand space out of his superior officer; a small part of Crosshair wondered if he really wanted that space from Kolto anymore…
A very small part.
Stepping onto the balcony, Crosshair watched Kolto for just a moment. Finishing his latest cigarette looking out across Coruscant without a care.
Crosshair swallowed his oddly behaving heart to cross the balcony to his commander.
"Crosshair?" Finally, he noticed the approaching sniper. This was only confirmation that he was liability and in need of Crosshair's watchful eye if he only now noticed Crosshair's approach.
"Here." The sniper spat the word out while shoving the plate of cake at him.
Kolto blinked in confusion while Crosshair sat down beside him, hiding in the mug of caf.
"This is carrot puff cake." While it was a statement, Kolto's tone was questioning; as if suddenly it was cease to be a cake and turn into a loaf of bread.
Crosshair sighed, "How perceptive."
"Why?"
The question stopped his next sip of warm liquid. Why did he get the cake? He couldn't exactly explain the uncontrollable desire to remove the tight-lip sad look from Kolto's face when he looked at the baked good only to walk away from it.
"You like it." That was respectable. Understandable and completely normal reason for his behavior.
That soft look and brightness returned to his eye, "Yeah… I do." Then it hardened suddenly to look down Crosshair with a sharpness that mirrored the sniper's. "How did you know that."
Crosshair pulled away from the gaze and returned to his caf. "I noticed it," mumbled into the next sip.
Kolto hummed contently and looked at the cake again. "You noticed…" softer, nearly a whisper. That softness returning in earnest along with a brightness to his cheeks and eye.
Crosshair really needed to see medical; his heart was absolutely out of control and now his face was overly warm in the cool night air. He would see them… as soon as he was done with this mug of caf. He couldn't waste a good mug of caf.
His delay had no connection to continuing to sit next to Kolto for the time being. Absolutely no connection at all.
