Through The Storm

Short Story

A/N: We keep receiving severe thunderstorms and tornado watches/warnings in my area. We don't usually get tornadoes and severe weather in the summer but for the past two years it's been almost every two weeks and well, I'm scared.. ANYWAYS this is my attempt to soothe and bring comfort to myself while it happens and pass. Stay safe!

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The sky was gray and cloudy, witha cool breeze blowing softly. Which gave you little to no relief from the heat of this green and rocky place. Even though you kept drinking water, you still felt dizzy and heavy. It never lasted long but was enough to make you aware of your surroundings.

As you brought branches to the campsite, the Mandalorian moved his helmet in your direction. "I think it's going to rain." he said simply, while working on some parts of the ship.

You nodded, "I better hurry up then."

He didn't reply, only watched you walk back into the woods before returning to his task.

As you moved further into the greenery. You found a waterfall with some berry bushes nearby. Smiling to yourself, you walked faster to them. Ration bars were good, but they were dry and to be honest, probably expired too. You grabbed some and put it in a pouch attached to your waist. As you were carefully picking the best, you heard some thunder approaching, not really paying attention.

After a moment the rumbling intensified, and you could hear someone shouting in the distance. Oh oh, that was definitely Mando yelling. The wind had begun to pick up now, the sky was a complete dark grey with no light from the sun in sight. You knew you had to take cover and fast.

Your name being shouted again made you pick up the pace as the humidity increased. It was getting darker by the second. Making the strikes of white and dark purple lights more visible above you. The rain started to fall and after a short moment you couldn't even see what was in front of you. The pouring rain was coming in waves. Flooding everywhere and everything around you.

As your breathing and panic intensified, lightning strikes a tree about ten feet away from you. Making you scream almost simultaneously. You stood frozen in place. Terrified and lost. You closed your eyes trying to ground yourself and think quickly when a gloved hand gripped your arm.

"You scared me." he panted, the rain and thunder muffling his voice as he stood only inches from you.

"How did you find me? I can barely see a thing!" you shouted.

He looked like he couldn't understand you well over the roaring thunder. Stepping closer, closing the small gap between you, "I was calling you and I heard you scream."

As the wind picked up again, more violently this time, he wrapped his arms around your body. Picked you up and lifted you over his shoulder in one quick motion. The rain continued to pound down mercilessly on you as he ran as fast as he could while you held onto him.

Arriving to the ship, still carrying you, he rushed inside. Pushing a command into his arm brace. The trap door closed behind with a hiss, as the automatic locking system engaged. He set you gently down on your feet. Pushing back wet pieces of hair that were stuck to your cheek.

He stared at you for a moment, the dim light from within your surroundings created a soft glow on your face and his helmet as he looked over you. He could tell you were shivering. Your clothes and hair were soaked and damp and stuck to your skin. He could see your body trembling. Your clothes clinging to your curves, showing your figure underneath.

Without a word, he went to a cabinet and grabbed a towel. Walking back towards you, he started to rub the towel on your hair. Attempting to dry you off and get you warm. His motions were quick yet soft. Gently working to soak up as much of the water as possible. He could hear your teeth chatter as your body trembled from the cold.

He paused for a moment, looking at you concerned. "You're freezing."

"Yeah..." you managed to reply, shaking.

As he wrapped the towel around your shoulders, you heard the rumble of the ship as it was rattled by the storm. The Crest rocking back and forth from the strong gusts of wind. He took a step closer as his free hand came up to your waist and held you steady against him. The cold and shiver still taking a toll on your small form. Your trembling got more and more out of control.

He was secretly hoping his body could give you some heat and relief, but he was just as damp as you. Plus, the beskar of his armor wasn't really much help. He reluctantly let go and pulled away from you after the ship was steady once again.

"We need to get out of these clothes," he said in a firm tone. He took a step towards the small bunk bed at the back of the ship, where he stored a few of his things. Rummaging around for a moment before pulling out clothes from a chest. Coming back to you, he noticed the fabric of your dress clinging to your body, leaving very little to the imagination. "Here," he sighed, handing you a shirt and pants with an expression that was both firm and protective, "...change into these."

Noticing his gaze you changed yours to the floor.

"Do you need help?" he asked in a low, almost stern tone as he continued to hold the dry set of clothes out to you.

Your cheeks becoming redder, you grabbed it, shaking your head. "I'll be back..." you finally let out almost stuttering, moving to the fresher. He nodded and watched as you quietly went your way. Chuckling softly to himself, amused by the shy and timid way you were behaving.

After changing out of his flight suit and out of his beskar, he waited patiently outside as he heard you rustling about in the small fresher. His mind wandered for a moment as he sat and waited, thinking about how you felt against him earlier. Since you started traveling together, few words were spoken between the two of you and he didn't know how much longer he could last without the proximity again. He was used to being solitary, but now that he had you... The thought of not having you close was almost driving him to madness.

You stepped out of the fresher. The clothes were slightly too big for your small frame, but it gave you a cute and petite appearance. You couldn't deny how soft and warm you felt in his clothes. Plus, it smelled like him too.

"Feeling better now sweetheart?" he asked in a low, gruff tone.

You nodded, feeling your cheek blush from the new pet name, "Yeah, feels comfortable..." As you say the words, the ship began to move again.

He instinctively took a step closer to you. His hand shooting out and landing on your waist to hold you steady. He could see the worry and uneasiness in your eyes as the ship continued to shake violently. His fingers gripped tighter around your hip protectively. "It's just a storm. The ship will hold up fine."

"I believe you." You nodded nervously as another gust of wind rattles over the razor crest.

He noticed how tightly you shut your eyes, the worry and fear still apparent on your face. His hand loosening its grip on your hip but still holding onto you securely in case the ship rocked again. "You don't like storms, do you?" he asked in a low, quieter tone. You simply shook your head. "That's okay. You're safe here. This ship has survived and flown through much more dangerous things. Some rain and thunder is nothing." He reassured you.

You hummed in response. Still feeling uneasy.

He stepped closer, his body now pressed tightly against yours as he pulled you into his arms in an attempt to provide some comfort and security. He could feel you shivering slightly, the whistling of the wind doing little to help calm your nerves. His hand rested on your hip, holding you firmly against him while his other came to tilt your chin up to him.

"I've got you sweetheart. You'll always be safe with me."