Chapter Text
Life for you has fallen into a sort of routine; you would wake up Marchion would usually be gone already. You would fuss around in the little room off the kitchenette that Marchion let you have a table garden in when he found out you liked flowers. And when you were done fussing with your flowers you would curl up on the couch and read until Marchion got back. And when he did the two of you would go to bed. Most nights he just held you; appreciating the warmth and calm you brought over him and you liked how honestly safe you felt in his arms. You'd been with him about 5 months and he'd never hurt you, and sure sex was rough but on the one or two times he was too rough with you, you told him and he immediately stopped and made sure you were okay and apologized profusely as he cuddled and kissed you.
Your nightmares had even lessened both in frequency and severity. Everything was just… nice.
//
You woke up one morning to find Marchion, to your delight, still in bed. He had your back pulled against his chest; arms draped around you. You took one of his hands in both of yours, just playing your fingers through his and admiring his nails.
There was a rumbly chuckle that alerted you that Marchion was awake.
"I know you like my hands Birdie but I thought that was only when they're around your throat," He teased and nuzzled his face against your hair. "But I’m not complaining, this is nice."
You snuggle back against him. "I'm surprised you're still in bed. Don't you have a raid to go on Mr. Big Scary Eye of the Nihil?"
"Well for one it's rather early… you're usually still solidly asleep purring away. But two: no, that's tomorrow, just need to finalize everything and make sure everyone gets their Paths and are on the same page." He pulled one of your hands back and kissed your wrist. "Besides you're right I am the Eye of the Nihil… which means if I want, I can stay in bed with my favorite pet."
"Favorite," you scoff almost indignantly.
"What… you are."
"I'm your only pet." You remind him.
You feel him smirk as he kisses your neck. "Alright fair point… but you would still be my favorite even if you weren't the only one."
"Oh I know." You smile smugly.
"Oh do you?" He murmured, still kissing your neck. "How?"
"Because," you purr, you shift around in his arms so you’re chest to chest with him and wrapping your arms around his neck. "I'm the one that gets to sleep in your bed and get all your soft attention.”
“Very true.” he chuckled.
“You should get going though.” you tell him pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Sounds like you have a tedious day ahead of you."
Marchion sighed and nodded. But instead of getting up he shifted sliding you beneath him.
"But we could have some fun before I go." He rumbled, fingers already tugging your waistband down.
"Then you're really going to be late." You chide without making any move to stop him.
"We can be quick Birdie." He said kissing your jaw. "Don't worry."
"I'm not sure you can be quick with this." You laugh playing with his hair.
His comm pinged.
Marchion's head snapped around to glare at it sitting on the bedside table.
It pinged again. He growled and snatched it up.
"Yes?"
"You planning on showing up, Marchion?" Kassav grumbles.
Your immediate reaction to his voice is to bare your fangs.
"I do have a lot of things to check in on for tomorrow. So I am busy…." Marchion didn't bother hiding the contempt in his voice.
"Okaaay." Kassav huffed. "Well we are waiting."
Marchion cut the line and scowled.
"Hey," you say, softly stroking his cheek. "Go, I'll be here when you get home."
He gave you a soft but lingering kiss and pulled himself off you to go get dressed.
With it still being early you pull the thick soft comforter up around yourself and snuggle back down to get a little more sleep.
Marchion, now dressed, ran his hand through your blue-black hair, brushing it off your forehead and tucking it behind your ear. You blink up at him with a smile.
"You get your rest my sweet storm bird." He ran his hand down your cheek. "You'll be waiting for me when I get back?"
"Don't I always?" You coo.
He smiles down at you. "I'll see you later then." And he's gone, and you curl up for your nap.
Your day was normal, you checked on your flowers and then sat down to finish your book.
You were making tea when Marchion returned, far later than usual.
"I was getting worried." You call to him pouring another cup of tea. "Rough day?"
"Yeah." He sounds despondent.
"Marchion?" You cross over to him. "What's wrong?"
Usually his rough days meant he was grumpy but he wasn't, he seemed worried and nervous.
"Don't worry yourself about it Birdie."
"No how can I help?" You insist tugging him close. "It's what I'm here for right?"
His shoulders drop slightly as he sees the logic in what you said.
"Mari isn't doing too well. And I decided to leave the Gaze Electric behind for the raid so it doesn't stress her out too much. But it means I'll be gone for a few days."
You gently rub his back. Mari was important to him… probably more important than he wanted to admit. "We'll be okay. You don't have to worry."
"But I will worry."
"That's because you are a worrier." You tease pulling him towards the bedroom. "You need your rest for tomorrow. C'mon I know what will help."
"No Birdie I'm not in the mood to-"
"Mind out of the gutter Mister." You cut him off. "I don't mean that."
You snatch your data pad off the counter and tell Marchion to get into whatever he wants to sleep in. As he changes you find the book you wanted and then bounce into bed.
Marchion gives you a confused look when you don't cuddle close to him like every other night but instead motion him over. He lets you pull his head to your chest. You play your fingers through the hair at his temple and purr comfortingly to him. His arms curl around you and you feel him relax into you.
You hold up your data pad and begin to read to him.
" 'In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.' "
Marchion didn't even last the first chapter before he had fallen asleep curled around you. You smile down at him. You didn't often get to see him asleep. You play with his hair until you start to doze off.
In the morning you tell him what must be a thousand times not to worry.
"Just focus on showing them what the Storm that is the Nihil can do." You tell him handing him his mask. "Especially with you as the Eye."
He takes his mask from you. "But will you be okay alone for a few days."
"Of course I will!" You assure him, before snaking your fingers into his belt loops and pulling him a half step closer. "But that bed's going to be awfully empty without you."
Marchion grins and takes your chin in his hand. "Well my pet when I come back I promise to be sure you spend a good amount of time in that bed and very much not alone. How that?"
You nod enthusiastically and he kisses you.
"Well then I do have to go… behave." And with a swoosh of his fur cloak he's gone.
//
The first day without Marchion passes without note. Though you do sleep slap bang in the middle of the bed stretched out like a contented cat.
The second day is much the same. Only that night you have a minor nightmare. You couldn't even remember once you woke up. Nothing some cold water on your face and a cup of tea couldn't set straight.
The third day you're tired and cranky and knowing Marchion would be home the next day you decide to go to bed early.
You have one of the worst nightmares you've had in years.
It's of your first year after being taken from the Chiss by the Grysk. Most of it being trapped in a little cell with shackles on your wrist. You had been resolutely uncooperative to help pilot the Grysk ship through the Chaos. As such you were used as an example for the others so they wouldn't misbehave.
You pull yourself from the nightmare and stagger to the bathroom choking and sobbing.
You don't even bother with lights and you splash water on your face. That's when you notice the scratches on your wrists and forearms. You must have been scratching to get the restraints in your nightmare off.
You tried to find some bacta to keep the nastier scratches from getting infected. But your hands were shaking and you couldn't help but feel like you were back in that little cell again, just a scared little kid.
You can't get your breathing under control long enough to calm down before memories spring, unwelcome, to the forefront of your mind.
Of being stolen.
You couldn't remember what prompted the excursion off the Nightwind . But you did remember the first shot that rang out… the one that killed your Caregiver. You remember Admiral Avi'faren picking you up and trying to run you to safety. You remember the shot that brought him to the ground.
You should be trying to pull yourself out of this memory but part of you didnt want to. You don't want to forget the last things he said to you. You weren't supposed to have known but the Admiral was your father, and you clung to every shred of memory you had of him.
He had taken your face in his hands and pulled your attention away from the wound in his leg.
He pressed a kiss to your forehead and told you to run.
"B-but Papa… your leg." You had whimpered.
"Don't worry about me, my little Star Flare. You are too precious for them to catch. You have to run."
"I don't wanna leave you."
"You're not leaving me, I will see you back at the ship. But you have to run. You are strong, you can do this."
You had stood up "I love you Papa."
He'd given you a soft smile as he readied his blaster. "I love you too Star Flare. Now run."
And run you did with everything you could. And you would have made it… if there hadn't been Grysk waiting by the hangar bay.
You pulled yourself out of the memory with the realization that your father had probably died that day. You'd never thought about it before.
He died trying to keep you safe.
You crumpled yourself up in the corner of the shower just trying to make yourself small. As you sit there and sob your soul out you wonder if you could have changed that.
And then you heard the main door open.
Marchion was home.
You didn't want him to see you like this. You clap your hands over your mouth and try to stifle your sobs.
You hear him walk into the bedroom and, assuming he saw the empty bed before even coming into view from the bathroom walk back out.
"Birdie?" He called softly. "Did you fall asleep with your flowers?"
He presumably went to check to see if you were with your garden. A few moments passed and when he didn't find you he became panicked.
You could tell he was worried when he called out your actual name. The bedroom door opened again.
"Storm Bird? Where are you my treasure?" He called as he passed the bathroom door.
He saw you out of his peripheral. He took two long strides and was crouched in front of you.
"Birdie what happened?" He asked, touching your upper arm in what was meant to be a soothing gesture. With your head now buried against your arms you don't see the way Marchion's heart breaks a little when you shrink away and continue to sob.
"My Precious Bird," he cooed softly. "What's wrong, what can I do to help?"
Through your sobs you manage to spit out some words. "Nothing…. It's stupid."
"Can't be that stupid if you're crying in the shower and won't even look at me."
"I was just a nightmare." You say sliding your arms from your face to your chest so he wouldn't see the scratches. But he picks up on this and gently tugs at one of your wrists. You resist for a moment and then realize it's futile and let him see your arm. He runs his thumb over the scratches.
"Was it a nightmare or a memory?" He asks.
You look at him and wonder how he knew. His dark eyes are watching you. You stopped finding them cold a while ago, in fact you found him so warm now. He hated seeing you so distraught. He took your hand in both of his.
"Birdie please tell me how I can help."
You fling yourself at him, hiding yourself against his broad chest, sobbing harder. He holds you. One hand rubbing your back, one petting your hair. He lets you cry all the while telling you it was all okay.
Then, suddenly, like a dam breaking everything comes out. About how the Grysk stole you from your people. How your father probably died trying to save you. How it didn't even matter because they got you anyway. The torture they inflicted on you till you escaped. Your life on the run that left you almost no room to even breathe or sleep. How you lost your only friend in the galaxy to those thrice-damned pirates. And Marchion holds you and listens to everything.
By the end your soul choking sobs had simmered down to hiccupy ones. Marchion dried your tears and gave you soft soothing kisses to your head.
"Let me get your arms taken care of okay."
He lets you get a better hold on your breathing as he runs bacta over the scratches and wraps your arms in some bandages.
"Your father was right though." He murmurs setting the medpack aside. "You are strong."
You chuckle weakly.
"But listen," he says, his voice as serious as the grave. "No one will hurt you again alright?" He takes your face in his hands. "I will not let anyone lay a finger on my most precious treasure. Okay?"
You nod and lean into his touch. "Okay." You say weakly.
"Let's get you back to bed." He scoops you up and carries you to bed.
Sleep is fitful the rest of the night. But every time you startle awake, Marchion is there telling you everything is okay and that he's there and he's got you.
The next day you're exhausted and feel horrid. But Marchion doesn't leave your side as you lay curled in bed.
You can't help but give a little laugh that evening.
"What's funny Birdie?" He asked, running his hand down your back.
"You kept your promise." You say nuzzling his chest.
"What promise?"
"You promised when you go home to be sure i spend a good amount of time in this bed and very much not alone."
"So I did, my Storm Bird… so I did."