AN: Anomaly belongs to a friend of mine, and Mids & Gunner belong to another friend. They were kind enough to let me use their OCs for this fic.
Aerie threw back the edge of the sleeping bag and huffed an exasperated sigh. The sound melted into the steady sssssh of rain on the canvas of their makeshift barracks. Avril Flight had been planetside, running recon for the 327th's upcoming insertion op, but the weather had turned foul, shuttering the infantry troops inside and grounding the pilots. Which was fine; she hated flying in atmo anyway. But she couldn't sleep. Nothing felt right. There was no steady hum of engine to fill the barracks, no soft glow from the running lights. Just the harsh hiss of rain and the sharp strobe of lightning. Even Mids' and Gunner's warm presence on the bedroll beside her couldn't calm the itching tension that kept her tossing and turning, trying to hide form the maddening growls of thunder that rumbled overhead.
Aerie scrubbed a hand across her face. The storm air was cold against her skin, gusting in through the open tent flap––
Which shouldn't be open.
Aerie bolted upright, muscles already on edge. A figure sat beside the opening, silhouetted by the flickering lightning. As the light ghosted across silver hair and the glint of a durasteel hand, though, she willed herself to relax. Just Anomaly. Holding the tent flap open and peering up into the sky. He looked far away. Which Aerie couldn't blame him for; she'd much rather be in her zee high above the storm. But his far away seemed…different, somehow. And the lightning seemed to catch in his eyes, hooked on something jagged in their depths.
A sudden gust of wind tore the tent flap from Anomaly's hand. Instinctively, Aerie jumped up to capture it. As they wrestled the tent flap into submission, Anomaly's far away expression slid quickly into the quirked smile that meant he recognized her.
"Didn't mean to wake you," he said softly.
Aerie shook her head. "You didn't. Didn't mean to startle you."
"You didn't."
Anomaly peered out of the tent flap once more, albeit opening it only a crack. "I'll be more careful," he continued. "Don't want to interrupt your beauty sleep." He paused to glance at her, and even in the darkness she could see him wink. "Not that you need it."
"And you must be awake because you're too pretty already." She reached out to tuck a strand of silver hair behind his ear. "You're gonna kill me with your looks one of these days."
Anomaly's playful smile bubbled through his voice. "You think that could work on droids?"
"Oh yeah," Aerie said. "Next battle just land your zee in the middle of them and take off your bucket. They'll all be stunned."
"You'll have to come with me then. It'll be twice as effective."
Aerie snorted out a laugh. "If only it were that easy," she said.
They lapsed into silence. This close to the canvas, the sheets of rain sounded like rotary cannon fire. Aerie fought the urge to flinch away.
"Really," she finally said, "you should come back to sleep. If we get up in the air tomorrow, I don't want my wingman asleep in the cockpit."
"Your wingman?" Anomaly's voice was teasing. "But if you're leading, then who's in the eagle's nest?"
Aerie began to smile, but a crack! of thunder made her jump. She took a deep breath to steady her voice.
"Hopefully both of us, in the blanket nest, tonight, if you come back to sleep. What are you doing letting all the cold air in anyway?"
Another flash of lightning burst in through the crack in the tent flap, illuminating Anomaly's vivid blue eye as he looked out. "Enjoying the show," he breathed.
Aerie braced herself for the peal of thunder, but it was only more flickering lightning. She could almost feel her heartbeat increasing as the seconds ticked by.
"Could you maybe enjoy it from a warmer spot? Like back in your bed? Next to me?"
If her voice cracked a little, Anomaly made no point of noticing. "Knew you'd miss me eventually."
Before Aerie could formulate a response, the thunder finally split the air in a resounding boom! Aerie's heart skipped a beat, and her hand shot out of its own accord, to grab Anomaly's…thigh. Anomaly's thigh. Great. Well, if she could just get her breathing under control, she could maybe pass it off as part of their game. Just a casual flirtation. No big deal.
"You know I can't stand to be away from you." And if she scooted a little closer, moved her hand from his thigh up to his arm, snaked her other arm around his stomach, then he wouldn't notice how her insides were trembling, right?
But the thunder crackled through the sky overhead, shaking the ground, and Aerie all but climbed into his lap.
Anomaly put his hands gently on her shoulders, holding her slightly away. "Aerie, what are you doing?"
Aerie tried to keep her voice light. "Thought you could use a blanket." Just keep it light, keep it friendly, keep it flirty. Don't think about how the wind is pushing the tent flap open again. Don't think about how the lightning makes the shadows dance across the wall. "I know I could, anyway," she continued.
Anomaly reached up to pat her hair, but she felt the hesitation in his touch. "Look, Aerie, I do like you, but I don't think now is the best––"
A crrrrack! of thunder ripped the air, and Aerie buried her face in Anomaly's chest, whimpering. After a moment, she found her voice.
"I'm scared, okay?"
She kept her face pressed against Anomaly's chest. Her hair fell in curtains around it. Good. Good way to hide the shame flushing her cheeks.
"I hate thunderstorms," she mumbled. "Ever since… Ever since Kamino. I just… I can't…"
For what felt like ages, she held her breath. Waiting for him to dump her off his lap, waiting for him to laugh at her, waiting for…something cutting. But then she felt Anomaly's arms come around her, and she squeezed back even tighter. "Did they ever…did you ever…do the drills, out on the deck, in the rain?"
"I did," Anomaly said quietly.
"I used to… I used to crawl in with my batchmate, at night, after those drills. I used to hold him––" She paused to force down the lump in her throat. When she spoke again, her voice was barely a whisper. "I couldn't stop shaking."
"You're okay," Anomaly said, stroking her back lightly. "You're safe."
A low growl of thunder sent a shudder through Aerie. "I thought being a pilot meant I'd never have to face this again. At least there's no...sound...in space."
"You're safe," Anomaly said again. "It won't hurt you. Come on." He shifted, pulling Aerie up but keeping her arms around him. "Back to the nest it is."
Anomaly secured the tent flap and they shuffled back to the bedrolls. Aerie curled on her side as she lay down, back pressed against Mids and Gunner again. Anomaly sealed their sleeping bags together to make a blanket. He settled the blanket over them, and Aerie wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. A bright flash of lightning illuminated the tent, and Aerie buried her face in the crook of his neck. She felt his arms tighten around her in return, and she braced for the thunder. When it came, booming through the air, Mids gave a snort in his sleep and rolled over, flopping an arm over her and Anomaly.
Pinned between them, with their warmth seeping into her bones and their steady breathing coaxing her own into a gentle rhythm, with Anomaly's occasional shushes and his thumb lightly stroking her back, Aerie felt herself starting to drift. Her mind wandered to her old batchmate. She missed his gangly elbows poking into her as they tried to fit in a sleeping tube build for one. She'd have to tell him about her new squad some time, when she saw the 212th again. She'd have to mention Anomaly. Have to say how…safe…she felt…from the storm…next time…she…
She dreamt she was flying, high above the storm, not in her zee but soaring on beautiful wings, while the sun bathed her body in radiant warmth. Mids and Gunner flew above her. And Anomaly was beside her, holding her hand.