Work Text:
You had to fight the urge to snarl in annoyance when Rey glanced at you yet again, worry clearly displayed on her face even from what little you could see in your peripherals. Really, you should have expected it. Ever since Rey had learned about your previous life with someone that was Force sensitive, she’d been a welcome but insistent thorn in your side. You loved your neighbor, but days like these you wanted nothing more than to be left alone.
She’d found you knelt in the place you’d buried your lover so long ago, now only recognizable by the large stone that served as a landmark. Naturally, she refused to let you be alone once you told her that today marked the anniversary of his death. A sweet thought, but infuriating when you were in moods like this.
“Tell me about him,” Rey implored quietly. It wasn’t the first time she’d asked, but until now you’d only told her tales from your days in Crimson Dawn.
“He was Sidious’s apprentice once,” you said bluntly. “The fucker raised him, and by raised I mean abused the shit outta him.”
The girl’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”
“Deadly.”
She was silent for a spell. “And you loved him despite that?”
“By the time I met him, he wasn’t Sith anymore. Don’t get me wrong, he wasn’t as light as you or anything, but he wasn’t one of them.” You sighed. “Maul was … a bastard. He was a coward sometimes. He was one of the best assassins I’ve ever known. He was a scoundrel leader of one of the most feared gangs in the galaxy … He was my best friend.”
You felt Rey place her hand on your shoulder. “That doesn’t mean you have to stay here,” she said quietly. “You are not chained to this place just because his body is here. Surely he taught you that the Force–”
“Takes us all when we die, I know,” you rolled your eyes. “But I promised I’d protect him, and I failed. I’m staying here because no one else would. I’m staying here because there’s no one else to remember him.”
“Then tell me more,” Rey implored. “His memory doesn’t have to die with you.”
A smile tugged at your lips. “I’m not plannin’ on dyin’ anytime soon, kid,” you informed her.
She responded with her own grin. “All the more time to hear the stories.”