Author's Notes: Written for the prompt "Accidentally Sleeping In" on Tumblr. Set post 5.9/Nathema Conspiracy, major spoilers for that installment.

Sunlight filtered in through the open window, the beam having slowly traveled its way through the room over the course of the morning and had finally reached the point where it was shining directly onto one of the occupants. Her eyes slowly opened, and for the briefest of moments, she felt disoriented in the relative brightness and watched the dust motes dance in the air.

Mornings on Odessen's underground base always started dark, the air just a little stale due to the constant recirculation that left a chill on her skin. The air here it was fresh and filled with the salty tang of the nearby ocean, the gentle sea breeze wafting in through the open window chasing away the warmth and humidity settling in as the morning crept on. The draft was just cool enough that it would have sent gooseflesh along her skin. However she only let out the briefest of shivers before the warmth of the body behind her shifted, his tall form conforming to the curve of her spine, and one arm curling protectively around her torso.

The action was so close to a normal lazy morning, she might have thought him still asleep if it wasn't for the feel of his lips pressing against her neck, kisses traveling slowly upwards until he was nuzzling her ear.

"I didn't mean to wake you," Grey murmured quietly.

"You were cold," Theron's words were muffled by the constant stream of sleepy kisses, "and I have to take care of my bride."

He accentuated the statement by pulling her closer to him, nose burying itself into her hair as if he was settling in for another round of sleep. A flush of warmth raced through her at the word, an unfamiliar term, one she'd never pictured herself being, but it wasn't an unpleasant feeling. Just unexpected, in the best way possible.

His fingers absently traced the long healed scar over her abdomen that eerily mirrored his latest one. The inflamed pink on hers had long faded into a pale uneven silvery-white pucker that marred the otherwise smooth skin. His matching scar was still fading, the healing patches of skin still a little tender to the touch. Some of the more ragged and raised bumps were trying to harden and required a small daily application of kolto to try and prevent the keloid from setting into something permanent, hard, and painful. When he curled in close like this, skin-to-skin, she could feel his scars pressing up against hers. They nearly lined up perfectly, their exit wounds pressing up against each other as if some strange cosmic twist had brought them together.

Battle scars from near-fatal wounds were not a normal thing for a married couple to share.

She much preferred the matching set of rings, and let her hand drift down to his, hearing the satisfying clink of metal. The lips pressing against her ear curled up into a smirk, and he twined his fingers through hers, absently stroking the delicate carvings that had been painstakingly etched into the small piece of metal. It was beautiful craftsmanship, and she would have to remember to thank Arcann for lending his expertise in Theron's attempt to make something unique and special. One of the many sweet and well-meaning gestures he'd gone through since his return to the Alliance.

She let out a long sigh and leaned back slightly, as if that could somehow wrap herself further into the warmth of her… husband's embrace. That was still new, still strange—and yet fitting. Most of the past few months had felt that way, as if they had both been slowly rediscovering who they were, both together and apart, healing the wounds inflicted on them both physical and emotional. The 'impromptu' vacation to Rishi, back where they had begun, had seemed like a perfect escape from everything that had happened over the past year. Even if it was probably the first real vacation that either of them had taken in a long time—if ever.

They'd relaxed in the sun during the day, splashed about in the ocean, and wandered along the beach, hand in hand with nothing but the stars above them. Without any impending crisis or doom looming on the horizon, they'd had time to finally exist and just be. It wasn't even a question that this was the perfect place to start their new beginning.

Stars, she was pretty sure at least half of Odessen was going to have a conniption fit when they got back. Senya had been so supportive, so ecstatic for the upcoming nuptials — all too happy to fill in the maternal void that had long been left in Grey's life. Hylo had been making some big-to-do about Theron's bachelor party, Koth likely planning to act as getaway pilot for whatever hijinks the Logistics wing had come up with. Lana had been curiously neutral on the whole subject, but then again elaborate parties and fairy tale weddings weren't exactly her style. Grey knew the feeling.

"This is perfect," she said.

"You're perfect."

There should have been a flash of annoyance at that, his insistence that she was somehow more elevated or pure than she actually was, but his meaning was carried low in his voice, in the way he pulled her closer, in how just their renewed proximity lit up a different kind of heat low in her belly. She rolled over, and the disgruntled noise he made at the break in contact was quickly silenced as she closed in the distance. Their limbs tangled together as she pulled him in for a slow, gentle kiss, trying to savor the moment — and make this perfect quiet morning stretch out as long as possible.

When they finally broke apart, he took a few moments to stare at her with the full intensity he always focused on everything with. His eyes were soft though, not glinting hard like when he was working through a problem. He was open in a way that he never allowed himself to be with anyone else. This was him at his core, naked honesty laid bare. She had missed so much about him when he had been gone — but this was the part she had missed most. It was hard to do or say anything when he looked at her like that. Like looking into the heart of a star, it was so bright she wanted to look away but somehow couldn't, and tied her insides up in knots in a way nothing else could.

He never had to say "I love you" aloud, because he practically shouted it from the rooftops whenever he looked at her like that. Words had always seemed to be something he struggled with, at least it was when the emotion behind them was real. She couldn't say that was exactly a foreign feeling as her own words often got caught in her throat. That depth of feeling too hard to quantify with her meager vocabulary. So instead she laid a hand on his cheek, and hopefully returned his smile with one-tenth of the intensity of his.

He turned, lips gracing across her palm. "Good morning."

"It is a good one," she agreed quietly, "although it's rapidly getting away from us."

"There are worse things," he murmured, "than spending time with my wife."

She flushed at that, the title still strange and awkward to her ears. She wondered how long it would take for it to settle in and feel natural. "You don't have some pressing business with a pirate somewhere you need to get to?"

"Not unless you remembered to bring that outfit from your Red Hull days."

"Why would I bring that?"

"Hey, you just really got into the whole pirate thing last time we were here. Wasn't sure if you had some sort of secret fetish."

"Theron!" She was not turning red, she wasn't—but his smug grin said otherwise. "I don't—I…"

"If you want to wear an ornamental eyepatch for the duration of our honeymoon, I'm not going to stop you." The stupid jerk was openly grinning, clearly trying to fight down his mirth. "I just want to be supportive."

"I was just getting into character!"

"Oh, so it's role playing you're into then?"

"No, I—it wasn't—"

He finally lost the fight and let out a sharp bark of laughter, and quickly followed it up by trying to physically kiss away the deep frown that he had just induced. She let out a heavy sigh and shook her head.

"Why do I put up with you?"

"Because you love me?"

She tried to remain irritated, but found it melting away as he flashed her the biggest set of puppy dog eyes that she could never turn away from. It was such a normal moment, lacking all of the gravitas that had leaked into all of their personal interactions over nearly the past year.

"I suppose I do," she said after a moment, "even if you get far too much enjoyment out of teasing me."

"Maybe I just want to see how far that blush will go down."

"I would think you'd have your answer by now."

"Maybe, but still haven't gotten tired of seeing it yet." He leaned in, resting his forehead against hers, still watching her with that same mixture of adoration and boyish glee that was such a rare but cherished sight to see. "Pretty sure I'm not going to at this point."

She could have continued with the banter, let the conversation meander on naturally as it always did, but instead she decided to just lean into the moment, breath out on his inhale, and breath in on his exhale, until it seemed like they were exchanging one long, continuous breath, and it wasn't clear where he stopped and she began. Just like it used to be, how it always should have been.

It was her who finally broke the moment, the words out of her mouth before she'd even had time to consider them. "There's a part of me that wishes we could stay here forever."

He blinked, quiet for a moment, as he parsed the statement, but then gently reached forward and brushed at the bangs that had fallen into her eyes. "What part of you says that?"

"I don't know," she said softly, glancing down to where their fingers were still twined together, "the part that just wants to start every day like this. Just you and me, not weighed down by the rest of the galaxy."

"You wouldn't get bored?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head, then looked back at him. "Probably as bored as you would get."

He shrugged a shoulder lightly, although she couldn't tell if it was meant to be in agreement or not. "I'm adaptable. Wherever you go, I go, remember? For better or for worse—you're stuck with me."

Her smile was bittersweet, remembering the night long ago when she had contemplated running away from it all as the weight of the galaxy pressed in all around her. It was not her proudest moment, she knew what duty dictated of her—knew that there had been too many counting on her to pull off some miracle that she herself had no hope of accomplishing alone. But they had done it together somehow, her, the Alliance—Theron.

The man willing to give up everything including his life to keep her safe. Had come dangerously close to doing just that.

There was a stinging behind her eyes that she refused to give into, and she swallowed past the lump in her throat and hoped that he hadn't noticed. He was so happy right now, she couldn't ruin it by getting sucked back into could-have-beens.

"I love you," she said after a long moment, "and I just want more days like this."

Theron's expression softened from the carefully composed expression of nonchalance into the man who hid underneath all of the prickly layers he presented to the outside world. "I do too—maybe… we can do that."

At her frown, he continued.

"I know we're laying low right now, and that's not going to last forever… but what if we compromise?"

"How so?"

"We buy a place here, somewhere only you and I know. And when it gets too crazy—we slip away for a while. At least until we catch our breath."

"That sounds an awful lot like a vacation you're talking about. More than one in fact. Didn't think you took those."

"Look who's talking," he tossed back, "but I'm serious. You shouldn't have to run yourself ragged like you have been. You didn't ask for anything that was thrown at you—and I just made a vow in front of a somewhat questionable Rishii priest that I'd take care of you no matter what."

She couldn't fight down the blush or smile, and tried to redirect the attention elsewhere. "Now that you mention it, I'm not sure anything we did last night is legally binding."

"Hey, we're married now, so in my book everything we did was all very much legal." His wink was a little lurid, and she caught onto his meaning, the warmth rushing back to her cheeks as she remembered in fairly vivid detail what 'everything' entailed, including the interlude on the balcony.

"I was talking about the marriage license."

"We can double-check the paperwork later. Right now… I'm happy to continue our honeymoon. That is… unless you're really wanting to go visit the hall of records at this very moment."

"Well, when you put it that way…" She caught his laugh in a quick kiss. "I suppose it can wait a little bit longer."

"At least until this afternoon?" He tried.

"Maybe tomorrow — no rush, right?"

"For you? I have all the time in the world."