Astrid assumed it was morning as her eyes had opened fully awake. However, confusion clouded her brain when she didn't see Vader next to her and Maya. The last time she was here, he wasted no time cuddling with her, but now he was nowhere in sight. Her footsteps falter when she reaches the living area of Vader's room, her heart melting into a puddle as she catches sight of Vader sleeping on one of the large couches. He lay curled up into one of the couch pillows, his lower body covered with a light blanket.
She purses her lips as she quietly crosses over to him. As she grows closer, she takes in every detail of his face. His lip parted as he let out soft breaths, his scar on his eye, the new scars that decorated his perfect face, his sharp jawline. He looked like an angel—much like how Astrid had described Mustafar, a fallen angel. Without realizing it, Astrid had begun smiling.
Her hands reach out to the edges of the blanket and gently shift it up so that it covers up to his neck. Her fingers lightly travel up to his face, fingertips leaving slight caresses on her cheek. A small ball of nerves began to grow in her throat as she slowly came to a realization. A realizes that no matter what he does, she will always love him, and she knew she would always make small reasons to justify every inhumane thing he does. She swallows thickly as she noiselessly backs away from him and heads to the bathroom.
Astrid was careful to not make any noise as she shut the bathroom door, she knew very well that both Vader and Maya were a bit grumpy when woken up. Just as she opens the cabinet to the toothpaste and toothbrushes, the door slides open again. Astrid looks at the mirror, eyes meeting the blue ones of Vader. He held a sheepish smile as he moved over to where Astrid stood.
"Did I wake you up?" Astrid's voice was soft, however, it held a rasp. Something in her body felt at peace like it was complete now that she was with him and Maya. Vader merely shakes his head with a light hum, his arms reaching out to wrap around her waist as his head falls onto the crook of her neck. He was obviously tired, if his dark circles didn't give him away, his slow actions did.
Astrid first stiffly wraps her own arms around Vader's neck, but her body relaxes her grip as she loses herself in his embrace. The warmth of his body radiated and diminished the slight chill that Astrid had felt. She wanted to hate him for not telling her about her father when he knew, to hate him for sleeping with her instead and leaving her in the dark, to not be comforted by him, to not want him, to not need him, but it seemed impossible.
"Mommy?" a light voice calls from outside the bathroom door. Astrid pulls away from Vader who huffs quietly in response. Her face could fight the smile that arose on her face when she heard Maya's voice, and Vader took note of that. She makes her way to the door, sliding it open.
"Good morning, my precious. You woke up much earlier than I expected you to," Astrid coos, picking up Maya into her arms. The girl rests her cheek on Astrid's shoulder, a soft sigh slipping her lips as she does. Only two people could lift Astrid's mood with their mere presence and it was Maya and Anakin.
"M'tired," Maya mumbles with a yawn. Astrid presses a soft kiss on the girl's forehead as she feels a wave of unwarranted protectiveness—Vader's unwarranted protectiveness. The woman turns to Vader who leans up against the granite counter of the bathroom. He watched them with a light smile, eyes glinting in pure admiration. Maya opens her slow-blinking eyes, smiling a bit when she sees Vader, "morning, daddy."
"Morning, honey," Vader cooed, pushing himself off the counter and towards his two girls. One hand gently pushes back Maya's baby hairs while the other finds a home on Astrid's waist. Maya smiles widely at Vader, her eyes twinkling with excitement. Astrid watches the interaction with a jubilant heart—she was glad the two got along.
"Can I have ice cream for breakfast, daddy?" Maya says with a mischievous smile. Despite her young age, she had figured out that Vader would have a soft spot for her, so why not use it to her advantage? She knew that her mother would say no, but she still tested her luck.
"Of course—"
"Anakin," Astrid's tone was stern as she gave Vader a warning glare. The Sith makes eye contact with her, and he practically shrinks at the intensity of her glare—she definitely had the mother glare down to a T. She watches as Vader looks back at Maya with pursed lips, he clearly hated saying no to her already.
"How 'bout you eat ice cream after dinner and have waffles for breakfast instead?" Vader proposes, his hand still combing through Maya's messy bed hair.
"Deal," Maya nods, snuggling her head into Astrid's neck, "I want chocolate with brownie bits."
"You got it, Cheeks," Vader snickers as he straightens up. His metal hand never leaves Astrid's hip, the cold of it burning into her skin. He knew she loved his touch, whether she wanted to deny it or not.
"Cheeks?" Astrid mutters with an amused smile.
"Mhm," Vader nods, "she's quite cheeky, plus she has big cheeks."
