Sorry! I promise I'm around, I just got caught up in the insanity of Christmas.
A sweet little scene to get my hand back in again. A new adventure is planned!
Kanan groaned and lowered himself onto his bunk. He gripped his side and let the breath slowly hiss from his lungs as his ribs protested. He plucked at the hem of his tunic in annoyance. He felt the press of inertia as they made the jump and closed his eyes. It actually made him feel a little bit ill.
After a while, the door to his room opened and he propped up one eyelid. The smile he attempted was probably more like a grimace. One side of his face felt numb, but he didn't think he could raise an arm to check if anything was broken.
"You look terrible." Hera studied him with a raised brow.
"I hurt," Kanan complained.
"Where?" She didn't sound very sympathetic.
"Everywhere." He tried to gesture, but that hurt too. So he stopped.
"Poor love. But we got the crates out. That's what matters."
He scowled petulantly. "I thought it was important that I got out with all my bits intact."
Hera laughed softly and reached out to caress his cheek gently. "I always believe you will make it back with all your bits intact, Kanan."
He turned his lips toward her palm and pressed a kiss there. She hummed softly and ran her fingertips through the messy strands of hair falling from it's queue.
"Now come, let me make it all better. The kids are fighting in the mess over dinner." She tugged at the straps of his pauldron and eased it from his aching shoulder. With careful movements, she slid her fingertips under the hem of his tunic and tugged the soft fabric over his head, murmuring quiet sounds of sympathy. A drawer slid out from below his bed and she tugged a first aid kit from the depths.
Though gentle, her fingers wrought groans and grunts from her recalcitrant patient, and when finished, his chest swathed in bandages, she helped him lay down. She tugged the elastic that held his hair and combed the dark strands out with her fingers. He was watching her sleepily, the sedative she had given him slowly tugging him with cobwebbed fingers. He closed his eyes, and his face relaxed a little. She leaned down and brushed a gentle kiss on his forehead.
"Sleep, my warrior. It will help the healing."
She moved as though to stand. He caught her hand, though his grip was gentle.
"Stay…" he entreated. "Just a bit longer?"
Hera entwined her fingers in his, and leaned back on the post of his bunk bed. She gently brushed his forehead, scraped and scratched in a few places, and slowly brushed out the long strands of his hair, a soothing gesture while he drifted off. When his hand relaxed, she placed it on his chest and stood. She studied the strong planes of his face, the fan of eyelashes on his cheek, the long, elegant fingers splayed on his chest, and smiled.
The change in their relationship intrigued her. She knew he struggled with his training, but the Jedi were a long, long way away from the Ghost.
For which she was eternally grateful.
Ridiculous notion, really. She shook her head. One of those old Jedi must have really got his heart ripped out and stomped on to make that foolish edict. She spread a blanket over him, and stilled when he murmured. But he didn't awaken.
Hera closed the door to Kanan's quarters and found Ezra seated on the ground outside, his untouched bowl of stew beside him. He looked up at her with wide eyes and an unspoken question on his lips.
"He's sleeping. He's fine, Ezra." Hera smiled kindly at him.
"I'm … not worried." He broke her gaze to stare down at his hands.
She lowered herself on her haunches to his level. "He will be fine, Ezra. It isn't the worst he has ever taken, and it probably won't be the last time it happens." She reached out and chucked Ezra lightly on the chin. "It does no good telling him to stay out of trouble. He never listens."
The boy's big blue eyes met hers again. "I can see him when he wakes up?"
"You bet." Hera rose to her full height and held out her hand. "Come join me in the cockpit?"
"Okay." Ezra grasped her hand and she pulled him up.
They walked down the corridor to the front of the ship, her arm resting lightly on his shoulder.
