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[zombieproof]

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Shenko al fresco: Reconstruction Era

[standsentinel]

The towers and glass of Vancouver are still being restored to their former glitter, but two years' time means the traces of the Reapers' presence on the other side of the coastal mountains have been wiped clean. The arrogance they'd shared with their Leviathan masters had led to a thriving guerilla network in the hills back then, as the machines felt secure enough in their inevitable victory to focus on the great cities of Earth and leave the towns largely as a mopping-up exercise. The foothill mountains and the jewelled ribbons of the lakes, as always, had persisted as they always had.

Now, four days into a rare stretch of shared leave, on the first summerlike day in May, Kaidan'd taken Shepard decisively by the hand and led her to the very best hillside of his ancestral family orchard, where the valley floor rolls away beneath them across pastures and vineyards until it meets with the kilometre-distant edge of the nearest lake and then climbs the far hill again. A wool blanket with Hudson Bay striping that may just predate human spaceflight serves as a workable ground sheet, and what it lacks in camouflage it makes up for in keeping ants away from the remains of a meal. Bottle of beer in hand, dressed in civvie jeans and a plaid shirt that says he's reached Peak Canadian some time ago, he looks out at the curve of the foothills and ventures that "I could never put my finger on it at the time, but I think this is one reason I always liked the Presidium ring on the old Citadel."

[letoldthingsdie]

He was always careful to keep from accidentally intruding on her dreams. There were certain things that their connection within the Force didn't always afford them and privacy was usually the big one. Being able to have thoughts to himself or even his subconscious was important. He tried to afford Rey the same. It didn't always help, however when he found himself ripped from sleep, feeling her emotions leak into his subconscious.

When he opened his eyes she was curled up in a ball, turned away from him. He didn't have to see her in the darkness of night to know that she was having a nightmare. He could feel it. It was something they both unfortunately had in common. Nightmares never truly left them behind after all the fighting.

"Rey." he speaks quietly, hesitating to touch her and make it worse. He whispers her name again and carefully brushes his knuckles along her cheek. It wasn't always easy for them to go through this. For him, it was torture to know that she went through this alone. He'd seen flashes now and again of the burning red walls of Snoke's throne room, of Snoke's claws trying to sink themselves deep. He couldn't take away the nightmares but he could help her through them.

"Wake up." He tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear, still gentle in his touches as he curled himself around her so that she was surrounded by him again. Sometimes he would wake to find her tucked under his chin, their limbs tangled together, and others she would be facing away from him and his arm would be thrown around her hip while he curled up against her in his sleep. Either way they always inevitably found themselves touching.

[provenforce]

Her whole life Rey has been plagued with nightmares. Some worse than others, some truths that had come to pass, some things that had yet to happen. Part of her had hoped that once the war was over and the dust settled that she'd left the nightmares behind. But that would never be the case.

Snoke was long dead but his influence had left a lasting mark. She didn't dream of him turning Ben against her anymore, but now she dreamed of worse things. Death she can't prevent, Ben's hands slipping through hers.

She awakes with a gasp, every muscle tensing before relaxing a moment later when she registers the warmth surrounding her, the feeling of Ben's hand on her cheek. The feeling of relief as she immediately wraps her arms around him is quickly followed by embarrassment, because she knows why he's awake now.

"I'm sorry," she murmurs.