The Bad Batch: One Shot Collection

BBAW Day One

Disclaimer: I want to bury this and never look at it again I HATE it Lol It's one of those things I wanna pretend I never wrote, but I wrote it, so XD

PS. This is for the Bad Batch Appreciation Week Day 1. :)

~ Rivana Rita

In which Hunter is on Kamino with Crosshair overnight, and they have a very awkward talk.

They're still waiting for his squad to show up. Hunter has no idea how long it'll be, though he doesn't think it could be too much longer. It's already been overnight, though he feels thoroughly exhausted from nothing at all. Falling down a mountainside. Daro. His capture. All of it – he tried to sleep. Really, he did, even if being tied to the table in their barracks when attempting to do so makes it decidedly uncomfortable.

He's more exhausted than when he settled down.

Crosshair drags him off into the 'fresher early – he's cranky. Really cranky – he had nightmares several times. Hunter woke every time, but he's tied to the stupid table leg and there was nothing he could do but try to wake him up, and Crosshair seemed even crankier about that.

They don't talk, and Hunter's trying his genuine hardest to avoid Crosshair as much as possible, despite them sharing the 'fresher and carefully tripping around each other. It shouldn't be this uncomfortable. Really. They used to do it all the time, but right now, his skin is crawling, and he wants so badly to disappear.

He's mid redressing, trying to yank the rest of his bodyglove on as fast as possible, when Crosshair grabs his arm, yanking him to a stop. It's not forceful, but Hunter reacts instantly, stilling before he can irk him.

He's still a prisoner. That's the only thing ringing around in his head.

When he looks up, Crosshair's not looking at him – he's avoiding his gaze uncomfortably. "Where'd you get that?"

"What?" Hunter asks, twitching and looking down. Crosshair's already in his bodyglove again, and Hunter feels frustratingly self-conscious about – being here. He'll get his armor back on, but right now, he's stuck in here. With Crosshair.

He flinches when Crosshair moves closer to him. Doesn't mean to, but it's instinctive. His little brother keeps moving, anyway – which he's almost grateful for, because it would be very awkward if he stopped – touching his chest. His fingers trace over the blaster scarring from when Bane shot him through.

"I don't remember this," he says, moving a little closer. They're close, too close, and Hunter wants to back away, to push him off, but he's not sure if he – can do that. He doesn't want to just stand here and try holding still while Crosshair touches him, but he doesn't really have much choice, does he? It's – not like it hurts. "How did it happen?"

"I had a run-in with a bounty hunter. It got pretty messy," he answers tonelessly.

Crosshair sighs. He doesn't have his gloves on yet, and it's strange to feel his skin again. He slides his hand down, pressing against Hunter's side, narrowly avoiding the too-many-to-count bruises across his body from various missions and... mostly, from the fall.

From Daro.

He wants to hide them. Doesn't want Crosshair to see them, to touch them, to know – he could hurt him. It's a weak point that he needs to keep hidden.

"I never saw any of this," Crosshair murmurs, his voice rough but quiet.

Hunter's eyes dart to the scarring on his little brother's head, and his heart aches. They shouldn't've had injuries apart, that they could patch each other up over and move on from.