Quantum Entanglement: Howzer and Aurelia

41. Catching Up

[I just have to keep writing a little bit more for these two, because I don't want to leave them in a sad place... So here's what I'm thinking -- all of time just PAUSES, and we'll get to enjoy some domestic fluff and romance while they settle back into life together. But all of it is kind of separate from the "real" story, at least until TBB Season 3 comes out and we see Howzer's next steps. Also open to requests of situations for the two of them to enjoy while "real life" is on pause!] <3

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Aurelia woke up with a start, clammy with sweat and breathing hard. Another nightmare, this time something about being in a cage and Gowden cackling outside of it. She realized that it had been partially fueled by the cramped situation she found herself in: wedged against the wall with a sprawled Howzer beside her, taking up all the space on the single bed they shared. As her eyes landed on his chest, slightly less full than she remembered it because of whatever hell he'd been through, she felt a warmth immediately flow through her, and all the panic and terror of the dream melted away in an instant. She still couldn't believe it was real... Here he was, beside her, snoring lightly with his mouth open, face slightly puffy from sleep, tousled hair in a mess across his forehead. The affection in her chest felt impossible to contain, and she carefully rolled from one side to the other with the minimal space she had, facing him while propped up on an elbow. She didn't want to wake him because he was so irresistibly adorable, but she also didn't know if she could keep her hands off of him for another second. 

Selfish yearning won out, and she leaned over him, brushing his hair away from his forehead. She had to stifle a giggle at the quiet snort he made as he roused, closing his mouth and turning his head slightly toward her, still asleep. Featherlight fingers traced from his sharp eyebrows down the side of his face, relishing the softness of his skin after some hours of sleep. She caressed his jawline, brushing a thumb against his lower lip, and couldn't hold back any longer. She brought her lips to his forehead, placing a tender kiss on it that sought to convey the immense gratitude and deep, soul-level peace that she felt at his mere presence. A gentle trail of kisses made their way from his temple to his cheek, then to his lips, where the tingles in her middle radiated out to her entire body. Pulling away with a quiet smack, she ran a hand over his hair again, basking in the sight and sound and smell and feel of him. 

Golden brown eyes slowly opened, finding her face after a quick scan of the surroundings, and Howzer's lips curved into a blissful smile. He reached for her, pulling her flat against his chest with a deep rumble of affection, and kissed the top of her head as his arm lay warm across her back. They rested for a moment, Howzer loath to wake up, Aurelia listening to the breath in his lungs as his chest rose and fell under her head. 

"You were snoring," she said quietly, a tinge of playfulness in her voice. 

"I never snore," he answered, with the same amount of snark that was softened by the sound of a smile in his voice. "You must have been dreaming."

"Ugh. I had an awful dream last night," Aurelia admitted, stomach souring at the remembrance of it. "I've had nightmares about Moss Gowden for months, off and on. They're getting better, but still happen periodically."

Howzer ran a hand over her hair, down her neck and spine, and let it come to rest at the small of her back. His other hand came up to hold hers, against his chest, as he spoke. "I'm so sorry. I wish I had come up earlier that night. Could have prevented the whole thing."

"Hindsight is always 20-20," she answered, giving his hand a squeeze. "Plus, I'm eternally grateful that you came when you did. I hope they'll go away for good soon though, now that we know he's dead."

"You've known that for a long time, no?"

"No!" she said, suddenly realizing she'd somehow left out that horrific detail. They'd been all over the place since their reunion and hadn't even discussed why she was on Coruscant instead of Ryloth. "I forgot to share... He came back. He found me on Ryloth, outside my apartment, and threatened me if I didn't come in to work. That's how I got here -- a friend from the medical clinic snuck me out in the middle of the night."

Howzer released her, gently rolling her onto her back, and sat up fully, turning to look at her in dismay, "Wait... So he's still there on Ryloth?" The darkness in his eyes sent a chill down her spine, as well as a flash of heat to her nether regions that surprised her. 

"No, he's really dead now. Lennox was keeping tabs on him, checking the holonet for any sight of his name, and they found his body in a transport that was shot down by insurgents. So he told me as soon as he found out."

An unreadable expression crossed Howzer's face, perhaps a pang of pain judging by the quick flash of lowered eyebrows. "Yeah... You've mentioned this Lennox quite a bit..." he said, eyes dropping to his hands as they fidgeted in his lap. "Sounds like he took good care of you while you were here." His smooth voice had a slight edge to it -- was it jealousy? Regret? Some mix of both? 

"He did. And the whole clinic staff... they were so kind and helpful... But yeah," Aurelia admitted, never wanting to withhold anything between the two of them, "We grew pretty close. I felt bad about it, but no one else was really there like he was... I'm sorry," she trailed off, wondering why she was apologizing. She hadn't done anything wrong, had been on her guard against crossing any lines or leading Lennox on. It had been clear from the start that she was not available for any kind of romantic involvement, although she did have to admit that the way he had been with her in some of the most traumatic moments of her life did create a unique and lasting bond. 

"I should have been there," Howzer said, eyebrows furrowing now. "I should have been holding you, caring for you, protecting you..." His heart ached with the months that had been stolen from him, the pivotal moments that she had shared with another. "This damn Empire..."

"Hey," Aurelia said softly, sitting up next to him and drawing her knees up to allow her to lean in close to his face, "You did the right thing, Howzer. Who could have known what was going to happen... Everything is changing these days."

He tilted his head slightly, bringing his forehead against hers, closing his eyes in an attempt to release the angst that was churning inside. "I know. I just wish I could get it all back."

"Maybe we can just make up for lost time," she said, another little spark in her voice that invited him to lighten up if he could. He opened his eyes, pulling his head back, a glint in his eye as he smirked at her fondly.

"You can't tease me like that."

"Who said I'm teasing?"

Two hands flew out to cup his face as she leaned forward, kissing him with more intensity this time. Every ache of loneliness, every gut-wrenching feeling of pain, every hour of loneliness seemed to fade away as if it were all a bad dream, and Aurelia didn't think she would ever be able to get enough of him. She pulled away briefly, eyes brimming with emotion, and touched her nose to his. 

"Your breath is awful," he murmured.

"You're one to talk!" she laughed, flopping down onto her back and pulling him down with her, He held himself up with one elbow near the side of her head, leaving the other hand free to trace up the outside of her arm, across her shoulder, and as it came to rest at the base of her skull, gently grasping the back of her neck, he brought his mouth to hers again. The growing passion was threatening to burst in her chest as Howzer's lips grazed the corner of hers, slowly brushing their way across her jaw and down her neck, so she trailed a few fingers down his chest, across the middle of his stomach... She chuckled quietly as she realized he'd slept in the towel, although it was barely wrapped around him still, and she drew her fingertips across the line it made across the low part of his waist. He shivered, drawing a sharp breath in, and the cool air on her neck brought Aurelia's shoulder up at the ticking sensation. She sighed suddenly, leaning back as though she were all finished and perking up for the day. 

"We should probably get up and get some breakfast..." she said, fully intending to convey the ridiculousness of her immediate change in focus. Howzer snorted, leaning right back over her, eyes large and intense.

"I don't think so," his husky voice purred.