Stardust- A Jyn and Cassian Fanfiction

Chapter 21- Cassian

I wake up in the morning to find Jyn snuggling me in her sleep.  The peaceful, content expression on her face is one that I don't get to see very often, but it absolutely melts my heart.  She's just so freaking adorable.  Words cannot describe the level of cuteness that she reaches.  Her eyelashes tickle my chest as her slender, fair arms embrace my torso lightly.  For reasons I simply cannot explain, my face breaks out into a smile.  I guess I'm just enjoying the fact that both of us are alive and not at the mercy of the Empire anymore.

I'd like to lay here forever, just watching over Jyn and protecting her from any potential danger.  It's not that she needs protecting.  She could easily take out the entire Rebellion single-handedly if she wanted to.  She'd probably kill me if she found out that I've been watching over her in her slumber.  Yet something inside me demands that I need to keep her safe.  It might have something to do with the fact that I'm deeply in love with her, but I don't think it's just that.  Over the years, I've lost lots of people.  I've lost countless comrades in battle, along with friends and family.  I've already been separated from Jyn twice, and I feel very fortunate that I didn't lose her for good.  I feel like I need to watch her, to keep her safe.  Not in a creepy way, of course.  But I guess I'm kind of acting as a guardian angel.  So I lay still with my arms around her, listening to the birds chirping happily in the wilderness.

Sunlight is streaming through the windows, yet Jyn still hasn't awaken.  She must be really tired.  I'm kind of tempted to get up and eat something, but at the same time I don't want to wake her up, or she'll murder me.  Well, maybe not murder, hopefully, because she actually sort of cares for me.  It would be probably more along the lines of torture.  Which isn't really that much better.  But hey, if I'm stupid enough to wake her up in the morning without her permission, I almost deserve to be punished.  Almost.

My need for food has finally surpassed my desire to not be killed, so I carefully try to untangle myself without waking the slumbering beast.  It's a long and slow process as I lightly pull her arms off of my chest and set her down on the pillow.  I hold my breath as much as I can, trying not to make any unnecessary movements or sounds.  Jyn isn't really helping my situation.  She keeps grabbing back onto me in her sleep, holding me tight.  I suppose I should appreciate the gesture, and appreciate the fact that someone actually wants to be with me, but I'm hungry.  I could eat a tauntaun right now.  Of chocolate, of course.  Actual tauntauns are kind of disgusting.

I've finally managed to completely pry Jyn off of me, and I'm sitting on the edge of the bed, being as quiet as humanly possible.  A single breath could wake her up.  I stand up, silently celebrating that I've managed to get up without Jyn obliterating me.  

Or at least, so I had thought just a moment ago.

I'm almost immediately grabbed and pulled back onto the bed by a smirking Jyn, who purrs like  a cat and snuggles next to me again.

"You aren't escaping me that easily." she exhales quietly.

"How long have you been up?" I laugh.

"A while.  I didn't want you to let go, so I didn't bother informing you that I was awake." she explains.

"Geez, Jyn! I've been starving to death over here!" I say with mock exasperation.  "You denied my basic human needs because you wanted to be cuddled!"

"Food can wait.  Cuddling cannot.  We'll be sure to get food this morning, yes? But what if this is the last day we'll ever spend together? What if the Empire swoops in and kills me tonight? Could you live the rest of your life with the regret of not cuddling your incredibly perfect girlfriend whenever you had the chance?" she points out.

I roll my eyes.  "Really? You're trying to guilt me into this?" I try to act like her words don't have any effect on me, but they really did.  What if she's right? There's no way I could live with that kind of conscience.  Making up my mind, I sigh and pull Jyn's body into my arms.