imthepilot | (no subject)

"Why?" Galen says. "I am sorry about not coming here sooner. I left you all alone."

There are years in his eyes again as he looks I to Bodhi's face.

Bodhi shakes his head. "Time doesn't move right here. People kept telling me you might turn up. Even after me. But hope was a poison. It's not your fault. I should have been stronger."

Galen holds him again, warm and close. "I am here now, and I love you," he says. "I'll stop blaming myself if you do."

That can be a mutual promise, geared towards healing.

"I'll try." It's the best Bodhi can promise. He blames himself for so much.

Kyber, annoyed at being left out, jumps up Bodhi's chest to headbutt his chin. "Are you hungry again?" Bodhi asks, slightly exasperated.

"He is small and needs fuel to grow," Galen says. "Milk and poultry to turn into fur and claws and muscles."

He reaches out to stroke the kitten.

And yes, he nods, he accepts the promise, conditional though it may be.

[[ OOC: This post is brought to you, in turn, by my water bottle and my own small black cat singing arias in the night.]]

"And fuel mischief." Bodhi mutters fondly, "I can fetch some food from the bar for them. If you want stay here in the sun?"

"That would be good," Galen says. "I can't move very fast yet, with this thing."

"Do you want anything while I'm there?" He's hesitant to let go of Galen but Kyber is climbing his arm.

"Maybe some water to drink for both of us, and treats for Myrrh?"

Crying is thirsty work.

"Of course." He manages a weak smile and kisses Galen softly. "Just promise you'll be here when I get back." He's been burnt once.

Kyber, convinced he's going to miss out on something, chases after Bodhi, getting scooped up and tucked inside Bodhi's shirt.

Myrrh however, stays to keep an eye on Galen, curling up in his lap.

"I promise," Galen says, stroking the black cat in his lap. There is a crackle of faint electricity in the black fur.

When Bodhi returns, Galen is of course still there, eyes narrow as he peers at the shimmering fur. "They have some sort of energy to themselves."

The name Kyber definitely fits the little one.

Bodhi comes back with a basket of food, Kyber's head poking out of the lid, chewing on a twist of the wicker.

"Myrrh's fur sparks a little when you stroke her in the dark." He unpacks, pouring Galen a large glass of water, cold and clean. He offers Galen the glass with that ritual sharing of Jedhean habit.

He pours himself one and takes a small sip before pulling out the warmed bottle of milk for Kyber. Who pounces on it, greedily.

Galen drinks the water as ceremoniously, savouring the clear, cool liquid with the realisation that yes, he is thirsty, and yes, he needs this.

And it is the beginning of a new life, even after death.

Bodhi's head is still spinning, his sense of what his life is now is still so rocky and unstable.

But he has Galen back. And a little kitten who relied on him, something that anchored him in the here and now.

He tries to focus in that - on this moment. He passes Galen a closed container of meat for Myrrh, a tray of cookies for themselves. One handed of course, feeding Kyber with the other.

Galen sits beside him, takes a cookie, then offers the box to offer the cat in his lap a bit of meat. Myrrh takes it with careful, pointy teeth, so very white and sharp in her black face.

Then, he leans in to kiss Bodhi, his lips tasting of those cookies.

Myrrh's a delicate eater. As opposed to Kyber who finishes his milk and comes bouncing over to investigate what Myrrh's eating.

All of which Bodhi is too busy to notice. To busy returning the kiss. Hesitatingly, like he's afraid that Galen might vanish. Or break. Or he might break himself.

Kyber might raid the entire box while Galen is kissing Bodhi back, tenderly and with all his heart.

They are together, again, at last. For good.

Bodhi wraps an arm around Galen, holding him carefully. "Galen."

While Kyber raids Myrrh's treats. There's a soft yowl as Myrrh picks Kyber up by the back of the neck and removes him from her food.

"Bodhi," Galen whispers.

He reaches for the cats with his free hand as it's all moving on his lap, and knee, and might fall to the ground.

Bodhi snorts as there's a tumble of fur and food, leaning back just enough to see what's going on. "Perhaps we should take these two inside where they can get up to less trouble?"

"We should," Galen says. "I'll just tell the infirmary staff where I am -- they are very helpful, so I'd rather not have them worry. Where will we be?"

"We can go back to the day room?" He knows it well, having spent a while there himself. "If you're not ready to come upstairs to mi- our room."

"Upstairs sounds like a bit of a bad idea," Galen says. "On account of stairs. But I'd love to be alone for a little bit..."

"There's a turbo lift? Or we could sit by the fire for a while?"

"Then let us take that lift," Galen says. "And curl up in that room, with the cats, and think what we need to change to start making a life in there."

Beat, then he smiles.

"And kiss and things. Not everything, because I don't think I can yet..."