Beyond - Legends "Softly", Luke/Mara, MMM Dialogue Free Vignette!

"Softly"

Genre: Romance
Rating: G
Time Frame: Early NJO
Characters: Luke Skywalker, Mara Jade Skywalker

Summary: My viggie for the No Dialogue MMM!

Notes: It's short, it's sweet, and it's sentimental bordering on the sappy. But hey, I think you guys will let it slide.

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Sometimes, when she sleeps, he watches her.

It's an odd quirk of his, something he lets slide in the dark hours before morning when the steady sound of her breathing is not enough to lull him to sleep. He watches her during the day, too, but this is something different ? private and personal and for him alone.

He sees her during waking hours ? a formidable warrior with smirking eyes and a biting tongue for anyone daring enough to step too close for her rather acerbic wit. Her sugar and venom voice has become something that he recognizes as well as his own, and her soft smiles are something that he knows are only for him. Yet, this is different.

During the day there is an edge about her ? remnants of a woman both hunter and hunted, and that is something left far behind in the night. In the night she is completely relaxed ? at ease, curled into his side with a soft smile on her sleeping features.

She is soft ? face relaxed and tension absent from her body; and it only took one night of careful gazing to determine that this is his favorite way to see her.

Sometimes, when she sleeps, he touches her.

He'll trace her face, and finger her hair ? still scarlet and vibrant; just beginning to thread with silver here and there. She never awakens, just leans into the fleeting caresses, and so when she claims to be a light sleeper he'd just laugh secretly and ignore her questioning gaze.

More often as of late, her skin is cool to the touch. Her body's chilled and tired, clasping on almost greedily to the warmth he offered. It's hard to imagine that under her skin ? still soft and smooth, her body is waging a desperate fight. Her body's fighting the alien virus, and her mind is fighting fear, and during waking hours she'd squeeze his hand that much tighter to avoid fighting him. His hands clench a little less than gently over hers when he thinks of this, wanting to destroy any enemy that would dare harm her, but unable to face this one.

So he threads his hand through her hair, and wills her on with all of the strength and love he keeps inside of him ? just for her, always for her.

Sometimes, when his thoughts take darker turns, he'll rest his hand over the steadily growing circle of her stomach.

The child is quiet at night ? flexing just gently to its father's presence before growing still again. Sometimes he is grateful for the shadows that hide the wonder on his face as he felt life ? real and hopeful and promising under his hand. He knew how much the child was willing Mara onwards, far past where most had fallen to the virus.

Her life is a gift he can't thank the child enough for.

Sometimes he'd speak softly, whispering little words that meant nothing to him and everything to the ones whose dreams they tamed. Luke would speak fondly of restless boy and a war torn girl. He'd speak of unending sands and then clear streams and bright skies and old friends here and now and long gone.

He knew that sometimes the words invaded his wife's dreams when she'd wake up with a smile on her face as she'd fold her hands over her stomach and whisper remembered things from the night.

Sometimes he'd fall asleep watching her, and wake up much later to find that she had curled into his hold like a child seeking his warmth. For a long time before Mara his dreams were just nightmares ? memories that were not his own, old friends long gone, days saved and lives lost and every deep and dark thing he had seen through his life. With her his nights were peaceful, soft and sweet.

He never told her, but sometimes she'd smile softly in the morning, and her eyes would tell him what she knew.

Because sometimes, when he would sleep, she would wa