Howdy all! Fanfiction has been a but screwy lately, so my updates have been a bit behind. Here's the second to the last chapter on this one. Just some Nikka/Theron interaction. Thanks for reading!
Nikka POV
I lay in bed, unable to fall asleep. I had been having a terrible time sleeping since returning from Nathema and I had a fairly good idea as to why my sleep was being disrupted. One word: Theron.
He was back on Odessen, safe and sound, and not a traitor. He should have been laying next to me, holding me, making up for lost time. He wasn't. And why wasn't he? Because I was being stubborn. I knew my hurt feelings were the only reason he and I weren't back together. And, bless his heart, Theron was giving me the space I needed, even though it was killing him to be separated from me. Damn Force senses. All of this would have been easier if I could truly ignore Theron's pain.
As I lay there, almost a month after the events on Nathema, I realized something profound. I was an idiot. I was choosing to torture myself and Theron, just because I was a stubborn idiot.
I rolled out of bed, grabbing my personal holocom from the table next to my head. I had a feeling Theron was still up or, if he was asleep, he would probably answer the call anyway, when he saw who was calling. My holo only beeped once.
"Nikka? Are you alright?" Theron said. He looked like he was still fully dressed, which means the man was still awake and probably still working.
"Not really. Do you have time to talk?"
"Where?" He said eagerly.
"My ship."
Theron nodded. "I'll be right over."
The call ended and I put my holo away. I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. I ran through a relaxation exercise I had learned from Sana Rae, then stood and headed to the ramp of my ship, lowering it. I only had to wait five minutes for Theron to arrive. Once onboard, I closed the ramp, sealing the ship. No matter the outcome of this conversation, I wanted us to be alone and undisturbed.
"Thanks for coming. Sorry if I'm disturbing your evening." I said. My voice sounded sad, even in my own ears.
"You weren't disturbing anything. What's wrong?" Theron was worried. Very worried.
"I was trying to fall asleep, unsuccessfully, and I realized that I owe you an apology."
"Nikka, you…"
I held up a hand to stop Theron from talking. "Let me finish, please."
Theron nodded and stood quietly.
"I'm sorry for how I've been acting the last few weeks. You were doing what you thought was right and I've been acting like a child. I should have welcomed you back with open arms, knowing you'd never truly betray Rio, the Alliance, or me."
"I could have handled the situation better. I could have told you something." Theron said quickly.
"Maybe. And maybe I could have had complete faith in you. Rio didn't have that luxury, neither did Lana, but I could have stayed on your side. I'm sorry for not welcoming you home the way you deserved to be welcomed."
Theron approached me, placing a hand on my cheek. He wiped away a tear that had slipped down it. The tear was more from my own frustration than any real sadness.
"No, you had a right to be angry. I was angry with myself, too. Just know, leaving you the way I did was the hardest thing I have ever done. I'd dream at night about losing you. I haven't slept a solid night since the night I shared with you before Umbara."
Theron took a step closer, so we were only inches apart. "I know I don't deserve it, but can you give me another chance? Can we start over?"
"No. We can't start over." I said, quietly. I could feel heartbreak from Theron. I closed the gap between us, wrapping my arms around his neck. "I want to start back up where we left off. For Force sake, it took six years for us to say 'I Love You". I can't wait six more years to hear it again."
Theron wrapped his arms around me to pull me close and kissed me, hard and passionate. His relief was almost tangible. "I love you." He said after we pulled apart to breath. "I'll say it whenever you need to hear it. You'll never need to wait to hear those words again. I love you and I plan to spend the rest of my life proving to you just how much I love you."
He kissed me again. Nothing else needed to be said.
When I woke up the next morning, I had a mild panic attack when it felt like I was alone in my bed. For a moment, I thought I might have just dreamt the late night conversation with Theron. I rolled over and sighed with relief when I saw him sleeping soundly next to me. I'd been sleeping alone for so long, I hadn't instinctively rolled to him in my sleep.
With a smile, I slide over to his side, resting my head on his chest. I could feel his heart beating. The rhythm would have put me back to sleep, if he hadn't started to wake up. He opened his eyes and looked down at me.
"How do you feel?" He asked me, tightening his hold on me.
"I never want to leave this position. Ever." I joked, snuggling closer.
Theron laughed. "I think people will notice if we're never seen again."
"Don't care." I replied.
We laid there for a long time, snoozing. I kept thinking about the night before. What was done. What was said. I remembered one thing in particular. I had been too emotional to truly think about what was said until that moment. I had also been rather distracted.
"Theron, you said something last night that I think we need to discuss." I said, turning my head to look at him. "You said you'd spend the rest of your life proving how much you love me."
"I meant it." He said.
"I know you did. It's just, that phrase sounded very much like a proposal."
Theron's eyes widened. "I thought you never wanted to get married again."
I shrugged. Or, tried to shrug. It was a bit awkward in my position. "I didn't, but that was before I almost lost you."
Theron was silent for several minutes. I think I might have spooked him a little, since I knew he didn't think of himself as the marrying kind and I'd told him long ago I never planned to get remarried. The whole situation had to be very difficult for him to process. I stayed quiet, watching Theron's face as he thought.
"Ya know what?" Theron finally said, getting out of bed. I sat up, wondering what he was up to. "I'm not making the same mistake twice." He knelt down by the side of the bed. "Nikka Drucos, will you...ya know…"
I laughed. I couldn't help it. Theron was trying so hard.
He rolled his eyes at me. "Just marry me...please?"
I scooted closer to the edge of the bed and kissed him. "How can I say no to that? I just ask for one thing."
Theron climbed back onto the bed, hovering over me. "A long engagement?"
I smiled up at him. "You know me so well."
To Be Continued...
