It's a beautiful night/and we're looking for something dumb to do/
Hey baby, I think I wanna marry you.
-Bruno Mars
It had only been a week since both Cassian and Jyn had been released from medbay and were free to move about the Ziggurat on Yavin IV. The Death Star had been destroyed and an immediate evac was underway. They were eventually sent on a ship towards the new base with the rest of Rogue One.
Jyn tried to make nice, but her fight or flight response was heavy due mostly because she hadn't officially joined the rebellion. She worried that they would drop her off on a no name planet without resources or worse Wobani.
Without Cassian.
The thought of losing Cassian scared her the most. How had she become so dependent on one man she met just weeks ago?
Her breathing picked up as panic set in.
Could she survive without him?
She was a wanted woman.
All three of her spare identities were wanted by the Empire. She doubted that she would be able to create another credible ID before she was caught again, and she wouldn't be sent to Wobani this time.
Erso was tied to the Death Star and to the destruction of Alderaan. To Jedha. She was hated by the Alliance. A large hand placed on her back soothed her panicked thoughts. Cassian rubbed the tension away with his back to the hull of the ship. He didn't ask, but sensed it.
Her breathing evened out and she relaxed into his touch.
/
He promised to meet her in the mess hall after his meeting with the counsel. Bodhi walked next to her babbling about something, she had stopped listening.
Eyes fell on her.
Whispers followed, her father's name in the echoes.
She took a deep breath and stood up to the counter to grab her food, ignoring the whispers. She felt exposed with her back to the hateful eyes at the tables. She took a step closer to Bodhi as they headed towards a mostly empty table in the back, only a pair of refugees sat at the opposite end.
"You can't sit here." Growled the man with a dirty look towards them.
Jyn sat her tray down and glared. "You are not the commander on this ship." She snapped and took a seat anyway. The man glared back, but returned to his meal.
Bodhi sat across from her timidly and slowly picked up his fork.
She wasn't hungry anymore. The woman and man who sat on the end of the table kept shooting them dirty looks. Their whispers stood out over the rest. Traitor. Murderers.
Eventually their whispers turned into a small roar in her ears and she couldn't stand it anymore.
She slammed her fists on the table, making the pilot jump. "If you have something to say, then say it to my face."
The man stood up, seemingly doubling in size as he tried to intimidate Jyn. "We know who you are." He seethed, taking a step towards her, the room went quiet. "We can tolerate being around Imperial defectors, but you, the fact that they let you roam so freely on this ship is an insult."
Jyn didn't bother getting to her feet and she didn't even bother to look at him, taking a bite of her food. "I don't even know you." She said ignoring him.
The man shoved her tray from underneath her and it clattered to the floor. "The commander told us who you are." He growled and Jyn jumped to her feet, looking up at the man with a steely glare. "If you had any respect for the dead, you wouldn't have gotten on this ship."
They were refugees from Alderaan, she assumed. But at this point she didn't care, all she saw was red. "Did I commit a crime?" She snapped.
The man spat at her feet. "Erso." He growled. "Galen Erso created the planet killer. The deaths on Alderaan and Jedha are on your head too, Jyn Erso. How do we know that you are innocent?"
She took a step towards the man, Bodhi jumped to his feet ready to stop the woman from killing the refugee. "If it wasn't for my father, Alderaan and Jedha would have been just the beginning, believe what you want about me, but my father was as a good man.." Jyn growled, it was deadly and it almost stopped the pilot in his tracks.
"Your name is associated with the deaths of millions of innocents." He low-balled, ignoring what she said. "The weight of the dead are on your shoulders, Jyn Erso. You could at least change your name so we don't have to remember it."
All she could hear was the rush of blood in her ears, her nails dug into her palms and just as she was about to lash out, Bodhi grabbed her arms and dragged her away from the man. "I hear you're from NeJedha." The man yelled at him as he tried to push Jyn out of the area. "How can you associate with the likes of . . ."
He didn't even dignify it with an answer as he shoved Jyn through the door.
Once she was in the passageway, she kept walking. She was filled with so much rage that she felt sick to her stomach. Bodhi feared that the next unsuspecting victim to cross her path was going to get their neck snapped as he struggled to keep up. "Jyn!" He called out to her. "Please wait!"
She ignored him, flying down a set of stairs so fast that her feet didn't touch a step.
Luckily for him, she stormed passed a group of people he had vaguely recognized and she didn't lash out at them. But unluckily for him, the second she reached the cargo hold, her fist collided with the first solid thing she reached, which happened to be the heavy metal wall, her wrist folded at the impact and Bodhi was certain that he could hear the bone crack even over the sounds of the ship, but she didn't even flinch. "Jyn!" He shouted to get her attention.
She wanted to throw things and break things.
She wanted to dismantle this ship piece by piece until it was nothing more than bolts.
As she went to strike the wall again, Bodhi grabbed her arm again. "Please! Stop for a minute." He cried and she turned to look at him, eyes wide with so much malice that it made his heart stop for a minute.
"Leave me alone." She choked out as if she really wanted to hurt him, but was forcing herself to not. She took her anger out on the wall again, without even flinching. The skin at her knuckles splitting and it made him flinch.
"Jyn!" He cried out again. "What he said wasn't true!" But it went on deaf ears.
Bodhi wanted to go find help, but didn't want to leave her alone when she was like this. He wished they had been allowed to carry comms with them while on board, but General Draven refused the courtesy until they were tried for a menagerie of stuff that Cassian, Princess Leia and Mon Mothma assured them that it was just customary and they would be found justified.
He could hear boots coming down the stairs and he turned to step outside to stop who was coming down. It was Cassian, his eyes wide in panic. "Have you seen Jyn? I heard that. . . "He asked breathlessly and Bodhi stood to the side for him to see the woman.
"I can't get her to stop." He said timidly, he was angry at himself for being so scared of her.
Cassian trotted the remaining steps and past him towards the angry woman. Bodhi watched him grab her arm and she nearly slugged him with her other. Her eyes widened in terror when she realized it was him before her face fell and a sob escaped her lips.
He pulled her to his arms and she buried her face into his chest as her shoulders shook, but barely a sound came out. Bodhi stepped back into the doorway to see the captain drop his lips to the top of her head, his whispers drowned out by the hums of the ship. His large hands splayed along her shoulders and her waist, hers hidden between them.
He was intruding on their private moment, but he didn't want to leave them in fears of someone else, or worse the refugee who started this, came down the stairs. His heart hurt for Jyn. Galen Erso was the best man that he had ever known, but he knew that his name was going to be associated with the Death Star and the havoc it had created in such a short time.
Galen Erso went from being a hostage of the Empire to the scapegoat for the death of millions. His name was never going to be clear and in turn Jyn sharing her name with him, was going to become the martyr. Didn't anybody recognize that Jyn Erso was as much of a victim of the Empire as everybody else?
After her sobs subsided, Cassian pushed her back enough the press his lips to her fevered forehead and his hands ran up and down her arms. "This isn't going to stop." She whispered, just loud enough for Bodhi to hear. "They are throwing his name around like it was his idea . . ."
"Shh." Cassian whispered, his lips still against her forehead. Her teeth worried her bottom lip as she forced herself to calm down. Her breathing was labored, but Cassian waited patiently. His eyes were closed, he was surpassing the pain he felt for her.
Her eyes were closed as well, Bodhi could see the streaks gleaming in the harsh light. "I just need to go back to being nobody." She whispered and both men's hearts sunk. "I'll go back to being someone who nobody has ever heard of. . ."
Cassian tightened his grip. "Is that what you want?" He asked, he pulled back enough to rest his forehead against hers. Bodhi waited anxiously for her answer from the doorway.
"No!" She cried, her grip tightened on the lapels of his jacket. She was scared that if she disappeared she would lose her new friends. "I don't want to disappear! I can't lose. . . "
His lips rested against her forehead, her eyes closed. "If you go, I go." He whispered, his arms rubbing up and down her arms. Bodhi bit his lip, Cassian's affection for the woman that stole their hearts, was overwhelming. Cassian would give up everything for her, even the Rebellion-that has been the biggest part of his life for twenty years, he would leave if she asked. A woman he had just met two weeks ago.
Her breathing hitched at his promise. "I can't ask you to do that." She whispered.
His hand went to her cheek and lifted her gaze into his. "If you go, I go, Jyn." He said firmly, his fingers brushing the streaks that the tears left. He pressed his lips to her cheek.
Her eyes were closed and she took deep breaths. "I'm never going to escape this." She whispered so softly that Bodhi nearly missed it from the doorway. "This is never going to go away, Cassian."
Tears streamed down her face with waves. "We will defend his name until we die, Jyn."
He said softly, resting his forehead against hers. She shook her head and he replaced his forehead with his lips. "Erso is a tarnished name now. . ." It was weak. "It's a battle we don't have the luxury to fight Cassian, when we don't know what is going to happen when we get to the new base. Anytime my name comes up it's going to be associated it with the Death Star, millions of people died and I. . .."
Her eyes closed and a soft hiccup escaped her lips. "Then take my name." He whispered against her warm forehead and she held her breath.
There was silence. Even the ship seemed silent.
"Okay." It came out breathlessly.
Was that a proposal? Bodhi's heart exploded with joy and he pressed his fist to his mouth to keep himself from crying out, either way. He wanted to run over there and hug them both, to tell them that if anybody deserved happiness, it would be them.
More silence.
When the adrenaline started to wear off, her wrist had started to throb. It hadn't helped that she held the lapels of his jacket, when she released her grasp, she flinched.
It didn't go unnoticed by Cassian, who pushed her back slightly to look her over. "Let me see."
Sheepishly she held out her arm for him to inspect. His fingers ran lightly over the broken skin of her knuckles and over the bruises that surrounded them. Her wrist was already swollen and an angry bruise peppered it. She looked away, unable to make eye contact with him anymore. She was embarrassed that she let her anger get the best of her. "I'm sorry."
He shook his head, his hand went to cup her cheek. "Shh." He whispered. "Let's go see the medic."
Jyn nodded, too tired to argue with him. She noticed Bodhi standing in the doorway. "I'm sorry."
Bodhi stepped into the room and placed a soft hand on her shoulder. "It's okay." He said softly. "Galen Erso was a good man."
She bit her lip, trying to keep the tears at bay. "Come on, Jyn." Cassian said, nodding his thanks to Bodhi as he placed an arm across his shoulders and leading her through the door and up the stairs.
/
It was hours later when they finally left the medic's.
X-Rays showed that she had broken two bones in her wrist and was currently splinted in heavy bandages, they didn't have any bone knitter on board. The medics were impressed that so much self-inflicted damaged happened to someone so small. Cassian waited patiently next to her, his warm hand rested between her shoulder blades, or the small of her back, or played with her hair. His hands never left her and for that she was grateful.
Walking down the hallway, they almost literally ran into the Princess Leia, who was talking animatedly with the smuggler, Han Solo. "Captain Andor! Sergeant Erso!" She said, her smile faded when she saw the state of them. "Is everything okay?"
Jyn nodded. "...Fine." She lied.
Leia looked at her skeptically, obviously noticing the large splint on Jyn's arm and Han wisely remained quiet. "Is there anything I can do for you guys?" She asked, she asked them that all the time. After Scarif, she felt indebted to them and it frustrated her when they repeatedly turned her down.
Cassian opened his mouth to deny, ready to help Jyn to bed. "Will you marry us?" She asked and his tired eyes opened wide.
"Right now?" She asked, slightly confused.
Jyn looked up at Cassian, whose face matched the Princess' and the Smuggler's. "Yes, right now." She was literally the only person with the authority that Jyn trusted.
The princess lit up excitedly. "Of course!" She looked between the pair before she frowned. "You will give me 30 minutes to make you look. . ." She fought for the word she wanted as her hands outlined Jyn's form. "Like a bride."
Jyn held up her hand to stop her, shaking her head and Cassian placed a hand on her arm. "Just give this to her." He said and Princess Leia's smile lit up the corridor.
Leia took Jyn's good hand and pulled her away from Cassian's side. "You go get cleaned up and go find whoever you want want there, we will meet inside the Millennium Falcon in thirty minutes." She ordered Cassian gently before both women disappeared without a trace.
Han looked at Cassian-wide eyed and surprised. "What just happened?" He asked and Cassian shrugged, unsure what exactly happened.
"I think I'm getting married in thirty minutes." Cassian answered and folded his arms.
The smuggler nodded. "That is easily the happiest I have ever seen her." He commented, punching the spy in the arm playfully. "Thanks for that. We best do as she says, You go hit the refresher and I will go find your friends."
Cassian smiled and followed his orders.
/
Exactly thirty minutes later, Cassian stood freshly showered in his cleanest uniform. His his pocket were his parents wedding rings on a chain, something that he had kept hidden since he was a child. He had promised his aunt, who had cared for him after his parents had died, that he would never lose them or sell them, even if he was desperate. It was to remind him the love that his parents had for each other, his siblings and for him.
A six-year-old with nothing to his name took her words seriously and wore them around his neck until he was about ten years old, where they rested in his pocket. And then when he became an officer and had consistent accommodations, he left it in a small safe in his bedside table.
He was lucky enough to be given a few minutes to pack what little belongings he had before they boarded the ship towards the new base. Had he been asked yesterday that this was in his future, he probably would've laughed and then blushed, he had hoped his feelings for Jyn Erso was hidden well enough. Hell, he had just met the girl just over two weeks ago.
But seeing her so heartbroken, he would give up his entire existence to make her happy. Giving her his mother's ring and his last name was the least he could do for her after she saved his life and the Rebellion. He would never be able to pay the life debt he owed her, but in return he would gladly protect her and defend her father's honor.
It was late when he stood in the cabin next to Han, Luke, Bodhi and the Guardians of the Whills. Three of which Han had to rouse from their bunks to join them on the Millennium Falcon for this special event.
It was Bodhi that elbowed him gently when Leia arrived with Jyn in tow. Jyn held her head high, but a flush colored her cheeks. She wore one of Leia's white dresses, it was more formal than what she normally wore with an open neck and sleeves that stopped passed her elbows. The dress fit perfectly save for the length, Jyn was taller than the princess by a few inches, but it looked perfect. Her hair was down and it had surprised him, he hadn't seen it down before and it was longer than he had expected.
She was glowing brighter than a star.
Nervously she bit her lip as Leia passed her hand into Cassian's, the heavy splint was replaced with a brace-Leia must've had some bone knitter hidden somewhere to help heal her wrist. He smiled down at her and her heart fluttered. "Okay?" He asked in a whisper, while Leia was handed her datapad and got ready to recite the marriage vows for them.
Jyn nodded and squeezed his hands.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked, hoping that she would say yes, but it was so sudden and so spontaneous that he was sure that she would panic. "We don't have to do this now."
A slow smile filled her cheeks. "I think I want to marry you."
It warmed his insides and he nodded. "I think I would like that, very much."
Leia started to speak, addressing everybody in the room, but Cassian stopped listening as he looked down at Jyn. She looked up, a genuine smile graced her lips. And somewhere between the 'dearest friends' and the 'I do's,' Cassian realized that he would make the same decisions every single time if it led him to this exact moment as he slid his mother's ring on her slender finger, it was a little big but it looked beautiful against her hand. She slid his father's ring slowly onto his finger with a curious look on her face, he was going to have to tell her the story of the rings at some point.
". . . By the power invested in me, by the Rebel Alliance I pronounce you man and wife." Leia said happily. "You may kiss the bride."
There in front of their closest friends, nay family, Cassian leaned down and captured her lips with his. Their matrimonial kiss was their very first kiss.
The group hooted happily from behind them and when he pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers. She looked up at him with a small breathless laugh, a tear escaped her eye and he caught it with his thumb. "Is this even real?" She whispered to him and he nodded before he kissed her again excitedly, his hands on her her cheeks.
"I would like to introduce for the first time Mr. and Mrs. Cassian Andor." Leia said happily before pulling them both into a hug.
They were soon wrapped up in the arms of all those in attendance. Han had smuggled some alcohol into the mix, something that he had been saving for awhile, as a wedding gift of sorts. Leia had insisted on lending them her quarters to allow them some privacy, Jyn's cheeks flushed red. Leia laughed and wrapped Jyn in her arms again. "It's the least I can do." As they both watched her husband talking with Bodhi and Luke.
"You've done so much for us already." Jyn said in a small voice. "Please don't feel like you owe us anything."
Leia's smile softened. "Jyn, I like you a lot." She said. "I take care of my friends and if stealing bone knitters from Han, lending you my clothes, and giving up my privacy for you to consummate your marriage with your husband, so be it." She had such a light sense of humor for someone who had lost her planet and spent so much time with Han Solo that it was contagious.
Jyn laughed, for the first time it seemed so free. "Please stop saying that." She pleaded, but her smile betrayed her discomfort.
Cassian tried to focus on what Luke was saying, but watching Jyn laugh with the Princess was distracting. She was so beautiful, he had always thought that, but now she was his wife. She now had his name and he was going to protect her until he died.
Bodhi noticed that he had stopped paying attention and took the upper hand of the conversation. "Come on, Luke." He said, winking at Cassian. "It's late, congratulations again Cassian."
He nodded and patted him on the shoulder on his way to Jyn, who had stifled a yawn. He took her hand in his, giving it a squeeze. "Thank you, Leia." Cassian said sincerely and the Princess beamed.
"You are more than welcome. I bet you both are tired, come on I will show you to your room." She said and motioned for them to follow her out of the Falcon, through the hangar and down a long hallway. She had her own quarters, being a princess and a figurehead and all. She talked the whole way towards her room about processing their marriage licenses and Jyn's name change.
When she pushed the door open, they could see the simplicity of it. "You both are off your duties tomorrow, so feel free to sleep in." She said with a wide grin on her face and she disappeared without another word.
"How sure are you that we both are awake right now?" Jyn asked as they stepped into the room. Both of their bed clothes sat on a chair in the corner and she crossed the room to pick them up.
He chuckled and picked up his. "I'm not entirely sure." He answered. "Head injury maybe?"
She turned to face him, suddenly somber. "Thank you." She said softly and he took a step closer to her slowly."For doing this for me." She took half a step so that both of their chests were touching and his hand went to her waist. "For giving me your name."
He smiled. "No need to thank me, Mi Estrella." He said cupping her face in his large hands. "I just want you to be happy and safe." He indulged himself in a kiss.
Her heart fluttered in her chest as she kissed him back. His lips were soft and warm, her lips parted ever so slightly and he just felt the tip of her tongue lightly skimming the seam of his lips. His lips parted automatically, his tongue ventured out to reach hers.
She responded in kind.
She was in no hurry. They now had eternity.
They met kiss for kiss until they were dizzy, until the back of Jyn's legs bumped into the bed. Her breathing hitched nervously and he backed away. "We don't have to. . ." He whispered.
Jyn's eyes opened as she looked over her husband. "I want to." She whispered and turned around, lifting her hair up so that he could unzip the dress. His fingers went to the back over her dress and pulled the zipper down her back. His mouth traced the path down her spine and her skin erupted in goosebumps and she shivered at the feel of his beard on her skin.
He pushed the sleeves off her shoulder and the dress pooled to the floor. ". . . so beautiful." He muttered against her skin. His mouth found her neck and she gasped, his hands carefully mapping her bare arms, down her toned stomach and stopping under her breast. She was tense underneath him and he stopped. "Jyn, we don't have to do this. . ." It was soft in her ear, the hair tickling her neck.
She turned around to face him. "I'm okay." She said softly. "Just nervous, it's been awhile."
A small smile graced his lips, she had allowed herself to be vulnerable in front of him. "I don't want you to think that we have to do this because Leia was joking about consummating. . ."
It was her turn to grab him by the lapels of his jacket and pull him to a kiss.
His jacket joined her dress on the floor, followed by the rest of his clothes. It was slow and careful undressing each other before collapsing on the bed, Cassian took care to run his lips down every inch of her skin, spending time to get to know each scar that littered her body, some newer than others.
Eventually his enticing mouth was on hers again. His arms winding around her, pulling her close. Her own arms wrapping around him, she needed to feel his body, sturdy and hard against her body. HIs mouth was sinful, somehow both aggressive and coaxing. His kiss conveyed a possessiveness that seemed intent to prove that he had feelings for her. The kiss was soul searing, yet careful and allowing her to stop if she wanted to.
Jyn stopped thinking, stopped thinking about the confrontation from earlier, about her father, the Empire. A fiery ache zinged through her nerve endings as he rolled them over on the bed, settling between her legs, something inside her belly spreads through her body. She sighed, a deep blissful sigh, and feels the anticipation build.
He slows his kisses, not in a rush. Cassian runs his thumb back and forth along the lower curve of her breast and dipped his head, trailing kisses down her neck.
He continues down to her breasts, her belly button, her stomach, lingering there for a while, letting his teeth rake lightly over her hip bone. He hooks his arms under her thighs and splays his hands over her hips, giving them a little squeeze. She lets her legs rest against his shoulders, lays her head back on the pillow and closes her eyes when he kisses his way up her thigh and, finally, lands a kiss exactly where she wants it.
His tongue works in little circular motions, back and forth, light and teasing. It had been awhile since she had these feelings, more intense now that she, dare she say it, had feelings for Cassian.
She hissed as he began to gently suck, sinking into the soft downy pillows and digging her fingers into his hair. He angled her hips with a firm grip, though he was gentle, mindful that it had been awhile since the last time she had done this. His strokes were easy, one finger, then two, opening her up to him. She tugs at his hair and lets her legs fall wide open, her exhales become laden with soft moans.
She can't feel anything except his mouth on her and his shoulders moving against her thighs. It was so good and it was enough to rock her world. She stifled a cry with her hand as her body came down off her high. He pushed himself up as he sat her legs down and looked her over, a smile on his face. "You okay?" He asked with a little laugh, she was limp and breathing hard-so much different from the tense and upset from earlier that day. She looked utterly exhausted, but warm and inviting.
"Yes." She said breathlessly and he crawled back up her body, dragging his lips across her skin. Her neck. Her cheeks, forehead and nose before capturing her lips with his. His body was flush against hers and she could feel him against her opening, he was more than what she expected as she took him in his hand and stroked it a few times. His eyes closed and he shuttered in her grasp before she positioned him at her entrance.
He pushes into her slowly and she hissed, the delicious burn of stretching, of being filled only went so far. She whimpered when she realized he was gently rocking himself forward, inch by inch, concentration filled his beautiful face as he slowly advanced into her body. There was that sweet, sweet ache of being completely filled.
After a few thrusts, they settle into an even, slow rhythm. He peppers her jaw with kisses and a deep thrust makes her thighs wrap around his legs giving her the leverage to roll her hips, meeting each thrust. She plants kisses along his jaw, reaches his earlobe, licks it playfully before biting down gently. His breath hitches and a muted 'fuck' escaped his lips.
She tossed her head back with a laugh as he grabs her leg, bringing it up towards her chest so that each thrust goes deeper. The wave inside of her begins to crest, and when it does, she arches her back and her chest pressed into his as a moan escaped her lips. Another numbing warmth pulsates through her limbs, he follows, picking up his pace and pants into the crook of her neck as he spills inside of her.
He rocks his hips slowly through the aftershocks. When they finally come to a stop, his hands stroke her thighs, stopping at her him and tracing soothing circles into her skin with his thumb. Brushing a few strands of hair from her face, taking care of her.
Carefully, she lifts her head to capture his lips for a little longer, it's long and deep. When he pulls away, he has a look on his face, the one that makes her want to look away and escape. She stays planted, her hand moving to cup his cheek. "Is this real, Captain Andor?" She asked, it was unsure and timid, but she tried to mask it.
"If it is a dream, then do not wake me up, Sergeant Andor." He said softly, kissing her again. He liked that he could do that whenever he wanted.
She smiled brightly, feeling light for the first time in days. "I like the sound of that." She said as he pulled the blanket up and over them, he draped an arm over her stomach and settled between her breasts and immediately the day seemed to have melted away. "Sergeant Jyn Andor. You gave me your name." It was happy.
"And I would do it again and again." He pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "I would give you my life if I could."
She sealed the promise with a kiss, rolling over to lay her head on his bare chest. His heartbeat lulled her to sleep.
/
General Draven sat at his desk, it was early.
He picked up his datapad with the intention of starting to assign jobs as they reached their new base. He had been putting it off for a few days, but they were only two days away now and he had to focus, he had to figure out what to do with the refugees.
Scrolling through the list of personnel, he something caught his eyes.
Captain C. Andor-(Updated 12 hours ago by L. Organa)Single Married to J. Andor nee Erso.
Sergeant J. Andornee Erso, AKA Lianna Hallik, Kestrel Dawnet al(Updated 12 hours ago by L. Organa). Single Married to C. Andor, subject chooses to change her name from Erso to Andor, let all future documents reflect as such. (L.O.)
His hand went to his forehead.
He was going to need something to drink to survive the day.