I know it’s not even June yet, but when @the-bi-space-ace gave the prompt, “Wrapped in a blanket”, my brain went “Chrimmus!” 🤷🏻♀️
Not beta’ed, minimally proofread. Hope you enjoy!
It was Life Day Eve, even here on Coruscant. Mina had decorated the apartment with twinkle lights and red banners, and even made Echo carry home that ridiculous tree up to the fifth floor. Tradition, she claimed. He didn’t know about that, but he knew he wasn’t a fan of the sap that covered his hands the rest of the afternoon.
Mina had always loved Life Day- the stories of family and joy, the songs sung, and the great feast that came afterwards. And having someone to share it with now was important to her. She wanted to make sure Echo’s first Life Day was special.
They had been all over town that morning- the tree stand, three different gift shops, the two food markets for snacks, and then back again after she remembered what she wanted to serve for dessert after dinner that night.
Echo dropped into the couch and closed his eyes. He had just one more day of leave before he was sent Maker knows where, and had already been running around with Mina all day. He was exhausted. But he didn’t want to tell her that.
She peeked over her shoulder to see him sinking into the furniture. A warm smile came across her face just to see him so comfortable. Mina busied herself in her small home, putting away her purchases and humming her favorite Life Day songs.
After a moment, Echo stood slowly and began unclipping his armor. His chest plate, the vambraces, his thigh plates, stacking them all neatly in the corner. Finally down to his blacks, Echo sat back down with a tired grunt.
A calm peace came over him.
It wasn’t a feeling he was familiar with. His short life had been filled with trainings, missions, war, fighting. The roar of space freighters, the cold of space travel. Not to mention his armor wasn’t truly fitted to him. Echo and his brothers regularly chafed and developed sore spots in their skin. Nothing about their existence was soft, by design.
But with Mina, he experienced comfort for the first time he could name it.
A fullness he didn’t know he was missing.
Echo allowed himself to close his eyes, just for a minute. And one minute turned into another, and another, until Mina came out from the bedroom and he was entirely unaware.
“Baby, would you mind if we-“
She stopped in her tracks at the sight in her living room. Echo had sprawled himself in his sleep across the couch. His eyes shut and his face relaxed so much, his jaw had gone slack. A light snore emanated from his open mouth. His feet hung off the armrest.
She fought back a giggle. Tiptoeing around to see him in full, Mina gingerly pulled the blanket off the back of the couch. She carefully draped it over Echo’s body and tucked it around him. Then she leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. He stirred for just a second before nestling further into the arm rest.
“Sleep well, my love,” she whispered. Dinner could wait.
