Title: Make My Dwelling Place in You
Author: Tiamat's Child
Fandom: Farscape
Pairing: Stark/Zhaan
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: The pretty people aren't mine.
Summary: Zhaan invites Stark in.
Make My Dwelling Place in You
For a time Stark could only sleep by finding a corner near Zhaan somewhere and curling up, unnoticed by any save, perhaps, Rygel, who keeps his own counsel.
He dreams and sparks words and stories - half remembered remnants of someone else's past. If you were to ask him what he was thinking of at such moments he would give you a babbled flood of tales. Apet known for following his master into the hell of battle and standing guard as he slept so he would not be taken unaware by the Wrym that plagued him. A young girl who slept across her lover's feet to keep him safe and smashed in the skull of a poisonous beast that came a lurking. And the one he thought most fitting, of a stable boy who slept ever in his mistress's doorways, and never spoke a word of how he loved her for it was enough to serve.
No one asked, of course. Stark is rarely asked what he is thinking, as he has a habit of telling the truth, and the result is... disturbing, to cast the thing in a gentle light. With Stark, you are mostly happier not knowing.
This rarely holds true for Zhaan, however. She hears something in his ramblings that the others miss - a bright and shining note, as if there were a beauty yet in the brokenness. The way a geode is lovely when shattered, perhaps, entropy revealing what had been hidden by creation. Who knows save Zhaan alone?
Zhaan asks. But at first she thought Stark's reasons his own, and saw no need to trouble the quickened and fast growing bond between them. When she came to realize that it would be best for both of them if she spoke she knew also that everything with Stark must be done carefully, carefully. Zhaan waited.
Patience is a virtue not for itself alone, and not because it prevents irritation of difficult traveling companions, but because it allows for the right thing to happen at the right time. For the right thing to be done at the right time and in the right way. This is ever and always the most important part of encouraging growth. The right action in the right moment. Zhaan knew it.
Knew it better than any, perhaps, and so she took her time, affecting not to comprehend the patterns in Stark's choices of out of the way sleeping spots (the rest of the crew genuinely didn't understand - they'd given up on trying to convince Stark he was safe enough to sleep in the same spot every night quite early on, and took no notice of the arrangements he made for himself thereafter).
Zhaan waited for the right action in the right moment to present itself, and rejoiced in her heart when it did.
On that day - or evening, rather- Zhaan saw Stark curled not-quite-asleep in a niche across from her door. She was going to fetch a few things from stores, and so she smiled at him as she passed. He almost-not-quite smiled back, confusion coloring him bright in her mind. She laughed to herself for joy at how much clearer and stronger his mind had grown in his time on Moya, and her walk became something rather like a dance.
She was near floating when she came back to Stark and stood in front of him gently - not a hint of threat or disapproval in the arch of her spine. "Whatever are you doing here?" she asked, only open and friendly and curious.
Stark stared at her, and explained something about loving her and following her anywhere if he could only sleep outside her room, and even if he couldn't that would be all right, just knowing she was living and thriving and bringing so much centered peace everywhere she went that would be more than enough, more than he'd ever thought to have.
Zhaan smiled, gentle as the sun, and said, "But why stay outside when you could come in with me?"
Stark had nothing to answer that. He'd never thought of even having the chance. So he followed her in without a word.
They talked until the morning grew small and Stark fell asleep near mid-word.
Zhaan spread a blanket over him and thought it better than good for a first night.