Chapter Text
He'd never run so fast in his life. The base suddenly felt too large, too crowded, like too much of an obstacle.
But no one dared to be in his way.
It was an unofficial rule amongst the general population that if someone was running across base, they had a reason and you got out of their goddamned way. So he ran, from one end to the other, not bothering to slow once he made it to the medbay. He practically ran into the front desk, startling the shorter woman who sat there. “Jyn Erso; where is she?”
The woman sighed, speaking to him in a nasally voice. “I'm sorry I can't release any information to anyone outside of her immediate family-”
“She's my wife-” White lies never hurt anyone, right? “I need to see her.”
She typed something out on her computer, looking up at him with bored eyes. “You're not listed-”
“It was a shotgun wedding, we didn't get around to updating the proper paperwork yet,” he huffed, pinching the bridge of his nose in an effort to quell an oncoming headache, a knot already in the pit of his stomach. “ Where is she? ”
The nurse pursed her lips. “I'm sorry, I can't-”
“The woman I'm looking for is Jyn Erso,” his voice was even, low, he was sure he looked absolutely terrified and he couldn't bring himself to care. “And I'm Cassian Andor. We spent four months in this medbay after recovering from Scarif-” Recognition flashed across the nurse’s face. “Please don't make me fight through this.”
Her jaw clenched, eyes scanning his face. She was about to crack, he knew it. She sighed, eyes flicking down to her computer for a breath before returning to his gaze. “Room nine.”
Cassian let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. “Thank you so very much,” he smiled. She nodded once before he walked off, speed walking because he knew he'd be kicked out for running.
When he reached her room his heart dropped to his stomach.
Jyn was on her stomach, bandages covering the entire length of her back. He felt almost numb as he walked, falling into the seat next to her. She had a black eye, various cuts across her face; though they seemed to have faded slightly, making him think they'd received some mild form of a bacta treatment. Her hair was scorched, looking fried in some areas, ending unevenly. He nervously reached forward to brush her hair from her face, stopping as the ends broke apart between his fingers. “What did they do to you?” He breathed, threading his fingers through hers.
A nurse walked in, freezing when she saw him. “Captain Andor?” He remembered her voice.
Cassian nodded, resting his chin on the back of Jyn's hand. “Actually, I got promoted,” he murmured with a ghost of a smile, not looking away from Jyn's unconscious form.
The nurse chuckled softly, setting down a tray on the opposite side of her bed.
He remembered her, the short, perky nurse who had provided them both aid post-Scarif. She'd been a good friend to him, always letting Jyn sneak in to sit with him as soon as she could walk. She'd even held him when he'd broken down, offering him a grounding force until Jyn could run across base and take over.
“ Major Andor?” His eyes flicked up to her. She was frowning. “I highly suggest you turn away.” When Cassian quirked a brow, she pursed her lips. “She sustained some very bad burns. We're trying to get her stable enough before we submerge her in bacta, but her back got the worst of it.”
Cassian nodded reluctantly, pressing a kiss to their interlocked fingers before he turned to watch the plain wall opposite the door. “Do you know what happened?”
The nurse sighed. He heard her start to pull back the gauze pads covering Jyn's back, tape being gently pulled away from skin. “I don't,” she sighed. “But based on these burns, she's going to need you.”
His brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“Burns are traumatic,” she explained. “They're painful and bacta can't fix everything. She'll most likely have at least mild scarring for the rest of her life.”
He nodded slowly, looking down at the floor. “Is she in pain?”
“No,” the nurse breathed, her smile evident in her tone. “She's comfortable. We just need to watch over her another night before we proceed any further with bacta or any other options.”
Cassian nodded and then they both sat in silence as Jyn's bandages were carefully reapplied.
“You told the receptionist you were married?” The nurse asked quietly.
Cassian smiled, gently squeezing Jyn's hand. “A little lie like that never hurt anyone.”
The nurse hummed. “Are you going to ask?”
“No,” he sighed. “Not my place.”
“ What ?” She practically gasped. “I've never seen two people so in love , are you-”
“Traditions from home,” Cassian interrupted with a chuckle. He squeezed Jyn's hand again. “She asks.”
“ Oh ,” she breathed in understanding. “You think she will then?”
“Hopefully,” he hummed, head falling forward. “At least, I like to think so.”
“I'm sure she will,” the nurse agreed. “When she looked at you...the whole ward would stop sometimes just to see something worth smiling about.”
Three days later he woke to Jyn's fingers slowly working their way through his hair. She smiled when he blinked her into focus, eyes still heavy with sleep. “Hey, handsome,” she hummed, lightly tapping his nose. He scrunched his nose, groaning sleepily. She lightly trailed her index finger along the curve of his jaw, drawing a content little noise from him. “Sleepy boy.”
He groaned, closing his eyes for a breath before clearing his throat and forcing himself to repress how tired he was. “How do you feel?”
She sighed, biting her bottom lip. “Bacta helps, but I'm still in a little pain,” she hummed, fingers mapping out his cheek. “Though I'm on some wonderful pain medication.”
“So, you're just doped out of your skull right now?” He couldn't help but grin.
“Absolutely,” she giggled with a large smile as she shifted on the thin mattress. She frowned suddenly, pulling her hand back.
“What's wrong, little bean?”
“I want you to hold me, but you'd probably get yelled at,” she pouted adorably.
He sighed, reaching up to brush his fingertips over her cheek, her eyes slipping shut. “You want me to talk to the nurse?”
“No,” Jyn hummed, leaning into his touch. She smiled again, softer this time. “She's a very busy human.”
“She is,” he agreed, smiling when Jyn took his hand again. “We can wait until she visits again?” Jyn nodded gently, already half asleep again. “Okay,” he hummed. He pulled her hand to his mouth, pressing featherlight kisses to each of her fingertips. “Why don’t you sleep?”
“That’s a good idea,” Jyn nodded with a yawn.
“I’ll be right here,” he assured her, leaning down to kiss the corner of her lips. “I promise.”
She squeezed his hand weakly before finally slipping under, the drugs and her exhaustion catching up to her once again.