Crash

Thanes Pov 16

I woke up to the rising sun, a warm breath brushing at the base of my neck. I took a deep breath feeling the arm tossed over my ribs and a warm chest breathing against my shoulder blades. I was distracted by the sound of footsteps approaching.

"Should we wake them?"

"Pour water on them like she did to me." i rolled over gently as to not disturb aria who was curled around me

"Do not." I hissed zinc and hassium looked surprised. Aria whined in her sleep and her hold tightened around my waist.

"You are awake good," Hassium said looking between me and Aria, "you may want to wake your chosen, we need to start on our ship if we are to leave by nightfall." I frowned looking down at her

"She's not my chosen." Hassium frowned looking at the arm around me

"But you trust her enough to sleep next to her?" Hassium looked confused zinc who was beside her wound an arm around her

"Forgive my chosen, on her planet you choose your chosen based completely on trust." Zinc tugged hassium away "come love let's leave them." They walked away I listened to them chat zincs soothing tone explaining that other planets have different customs

"Are they gone?" Arias voice startled me

"How long have you been awake?" She opened her eyes to look up at me

"Since you said I'm not your chosen." I grimaced internally. I would not want to wake up to someone saying that. "We better get up if we wanna work on the ship." She released her hold on me and rose to her feet, her movement fluid for someone who just woke up. I stared at her memorizing how she looked, how she moved.

"Yeah sure." I got up less smoothly, almost tripping over my own feet. Aria caught my elbows keeping me steady. I took a second looking at her face, I was going to miss her terribly when she left.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Aria looked over my face "you okay?" I frowned and she looked worried

"I'm going to miss you." I admitted her expression softened and she wound her arms around me tucking her face into my neck

"I'm gonna miss you too." I hugged her back and let my head drop so my face was in her hair. We stayed like that for a while then weren't to meet up with the vultures.

The day was a blur from working on the ship. It was something completely new to me so I just mostly kept the aria company passing her things and talking. the ship was even bigger than hers the panels a gunmetal grey rather than the painted ones like arias I'd never seen anything like it aria said it was for stealth then she insulted hassium piloting which resulted in a tussle they wrestled until aria gasped and reached for her stitches I shoved hassium away and held aria. Zinc snapped at me and Aria snapped at her and she and hassium glared at each other then burst into peals of laughter confusing me and zinc both.

"I don't get it." Zinc said aria and hassium giggled a little more before wavering is off

"We should get back to work." Hassium snorted and stood offering aria a hand aria took it and hassium pulled her up out of my arms I tried not to think it was foreshadowing for the end of the day.

They all went back to work after that. Working until the sun went down then finally the ship was finished just as the second sun disappeared. Aria placed the last panel and screwed it into place as I watched the sky change colors.

"Finished!" She cheered hopping down from the little platform she stood on. "Hassium agreed to fly us back to the farm so we don't have to walk." She said offering a hand. I wound my i gets into hers she pulled me into the ship I looked around the inside and hated it. It was nothing like arias and it made me uncomfortable. "You might wanna sit down." I frowned sitting in a little alcove

"Why aren't you sitting?" I asked puzzled

"Because I'm used to it."

"Used to what-"  the entire ship jolted and rattled. I clutched onto anything I could grab "why is it doing that?!" Aria laughed rubbing my arm that was locked aren't her waist

"It's just the ship starting up, relax." She glanced up towards the front of the ship "we are almost to the farm." I looked up at her

"Already?" She nodded seconds later the ship made a series of thunking noises and what still engine still humming. "That was scary." Aria untangled herself from me smiling

"It's okay my next ship will be a smoother ride, promise." I relaxed a little. Promised we're good. Promised meant she was coming back. "I'm gonna go get my stuff, will you go get your nana for me? I wanna talk before I leave." I nodded following her out of the ship on wobbly legs. I watched as she walked to the barn fei bound out to meet her circling around her. She laughed and played with him for a bit. I watched him pin her to the ground, her voice carrying over the small clearing. I walked inside and spotted my nana already heading for the door.

"I take it she is leaving?" I nodded and she hummed "good I will speak with her privately before she goes." She bustled last me and I watched her interrupt fei and aria fearlessly. They spoke briefly and Aria looked over to me once and they exchanged a few heated words before they did the most puzzling thing. They hugged. After that aria marched over and tackled me into a hug

"I can't promise I'm coming back but I promise I'll try my hardest." She held me like she would never hold me again like if she didn't she might die.

"I promise I'll wait for you." My words made her tighten her hold she pulled back and placed a gentle kiss to the making under my left eye and then the right

"I'm sorry I couldn't stay." She said sorrowfully she had tears in her eyes. "I'm glad I crashed in your backyard." She gave a watery laugh and a tear dropped out of her eye. I brushed it away and paced kisses on the makings in her face just like she did to me.

"You have to apologize." She smiled and pulled back quickly. I caught her hand at the last second holding it between both of mine.

"Take care of fei for me? He gets really lonely so you can keep each other company and cuddle him because if he gets lonely he will get sad and-" her words shuddered to a stop when a tear fell from my eye "i'm doing it again aren't i?" i watched her bleed all the emotan from her expression i watched it die in her eyes

"No, no i'm just sad you are leaving." i let go briefly to bring my hands up to her face "You'll make it back i know you will, you wouldn't let the vultures stop you, you wouldn't let mark stop you and this won't stop you either. I believe in you." Hassium shouted something from the ship and Aria closed her eyes leaning into my hands. She opened her eyes and backed away. My hands fell from her face and I watched her walk away into the ship. The doors closed and she disappeared from sight. Just as suddenly as she came aria was gone. I watched the ship take off and tried to remember what she looked like from memory. Fei whined mournfully. He leaned his shoulder into my side and I rested my hand on his back. "It's okay she's coming back." i hope.