Work Text:
You stand under the big tree that dominates your front yard, watching anxiously as Wolffe moves from branch to branch. Each time he stops, he hangs a crystalline Life Day orb.
You’d started the project while Wolffe was at work, hoping to finish before your husband returned. But after you’d stopped for lunch, you’d gotten distracted by the plie of presents you needed to wrap. When you’d realized what time it was, a few hours later, you’d thrown a frozen casserole in the oven and hurried back outside to try and finish putting up the orbs.
Wolffe had come home to find you halfway up the tree and immediately demanded you return to the ground.
“But I’m not finished putting up the decorations,” you had said.
“Come down and I’ll finish for you,” he’d insisted.
You’d climbed down and Wolffe had pulled you into his arms, squeezing more tightly than you thought was warranted.
“Were you worried?” you'd asked, teasing.
“You’re not a natural tree climber,” he’d replied.
You gave a scoff and smacked his arm. “I’ll have you know I’ve never fallen out of a tree, ever.”
You also haven’t climbed a tree in years, but you don’t mention that.
Wolffe grinned. “I meant you’re not a Wookiee or a Kowakian monkey-lizard. They belong in trees. You belong right here.” He’d tightened his arms around you, then leaned down for a kiss.
When the two of you come up for air, you say, “We can put up the rest of the orbs tomorrow.”
You try to pull him toward the house.
“It’s going to snow tonight,” Wolffe says. He takes off his coat and hands it to you. “I’ll put the rest up so we don’t have to do it in the snow.”
“Okay.” You can’t help but admire his broad shoulders as he walks to the tree, picks up an orb, then climbs onto the lowest branch of the tree.
You start to get a sense of the anxiety Wolffe must have felt as you watch him climb higher and the branches get thinner. There are only a few orbs left, but honestly, you could just cluster them around the base of the trunk and it would still look festive.
“Come on down, hun,” you call, clutching Wolffe’s coat to your chest.
“I’m almost finished,” Wolffe says, looking down at you. His cybernetic eye seems to glow faintly in the falling twilight.
“You’re not a monkey-lizard either,” you yell back.
Wolffe reaches for another branch to hoist himself onto and there’s a loud crack.
Both of you freeze.
“Please don’t let him fall,” you whisper to whatever gods or Force is listening.
The silence is broken by Wolffe saying, “I think I’ll come down now.”
You hold your breath until he drops from the last branch, then you run to him and throw your arms around his waist. He returns the hug, and the two of you stand like that for a long moment. Neither of you comments on the fact that the other is trembling.
“Dinner should be ready now,” you say, and lead Wolffe into the house.
After dinner the two of you put up more decorations; garland around the banisters, twinkle lights around the doorways, mistletoe in the doorway between the kitchen and the dining room. Not that you need an excuse to kiss your husband.
You’re just putting away the storages boxes when Wolffe calls, “Cyar’ika, turn off the lights and come to the front room.”
Wondering what he has planned, you shove the boxes in the closet and do as he asks.
“Stand right here,” Wolffe says, positioning you in front of the drapes that cover the front window.
You throw him a look, hoping he didn’t go out and hang the last of the Life Day orbs when you weren’t looking. Wolffe just smiles and opens the drapes.
“Oh,” you breathe.
Outside, thick fluffy snowflakes are falling and the soft blue light from the orbs cast your front yard in an ethereal glow.
“Wolffe, it’s beautiful.”
He moves behind you and twines his strong arms around you.
“Happy Life Day, cyare,” he murmurs.