( rebelsouled // cassian andor )
cassian found himself worrying on his bottom lip for a moment as his mother addressed mako, looking up to his co pilot for a moment and offering her a light expression ; relieved when mako seemed to open herself up to the comments and move herself closer to the two andors. he watches as she crossed the room and settles next to his mother – watches the almost surreal interaction between the two. it was better than he could’ve hoped for when he thought about coming here for this. he could see her weakening – even if he couldn’t feel it as he had his father. he could see her breathing labored with each word she spoke. listening closely to the silent pauses, he could hear her lungs rattling. he only hoped that he could help make it peaceful for her. he didn’t want his mother to suffer as his father had.
“i try to think he got that from me,” martina responded, voice softer and hoarse when mako spoke of cassian’s heart – a light laugh coming from the son as he ducked his head down. “but he has too much of antonio in him.” cassian’s lips thin, and he focuses his gaze on where his hand met his mother’s. he could try and pretend to close his eyes and imagine that he was much, much younger. before he learned to fight. before he learned anything outside of his home in mexico ; and martina was merely nursing a wound from being a careless kid. the imagery was fleeting, though. her hand was much too cold for it to be convincing.
“cassian -?” she breaths after too long of a beat, and cassian is raising his gaze to her hers. “ ¿cual es el nombre de la chica? “
he steals another glance at mako across the bed before looking back to his mother and responding, “ mako, “ softly.
“ ella es muy hermosa y muy fuerte, pero tú sabes esto. ¿ estás feliz con ella ? “ cassian sucks in a sharp breath, holding himself back from looking to mako once again as he feels his neck heat and color under his shirt collar. at this point, cassian is under the assumption that his mother doesn’t realize that mako knows spanish – knows enough to understand her. he holds his tongue, and wonders if mako will too.
he considers his response carefully before speaking, weighing his words slowly – because he knows mako will understand him. “ ella es una persona maravillosa con el corazón más fuerte que he conocido. no sabía que podría ser … feliz con otra persona como esta. “ he vaguely wonders if this was how his father felt – for her.
his mother smiles, as distant as it was. “ eres un chico duro cabezas. Ella debe ser especial, deberías casarte con ella un día. cuando hayas vencido a los monstruos. “ she sounds far off at this point – almost childish, in a way. cassian swallows thickly – letting out a low breath and peaking at mako through his lashes.
“ ella es muy especial, “ he agrees softly, “ a mi. “she smiles again – and it seems further off than before. cassian can feel his heart breaking. “ hijo, “ she starts, voice soft, “ mi amor estoy cansado. “
his breathing stutters and suddenly it all seems too real and too close. and everything is closing in too tight. and he swallows around a lump he didn’t realize had formed itself in his throat, making it harder to breathe. “ entonces deberías descansar, mamá. voy a estar aqui, lo prometo. “
WARM FINGERS ENTWINE WITH THE WOMAN’S FRIGID DIGITS, forlorn countenance responding to her with the upward tilt of her lips. even though the topic of cassian’s father had only been mentioned a few times during their visit, the warrior noticed a certain light in her eyes whenever she uttered his name. a deep love that never wavered, despite him leaving her behind on this war-torn earth. it was rather touching, mako’s own heart swelling with admiration for the andor matriarch. despite the looming end that drew nearer & nearer, there was a small relief that came with it. with the end of her life, her pain would finally be gone & she would be reunited with the love of her life once more. a tear rolls down her cheek & mako is quick to wipe it away, almost embarassed having to do so. she despises showing her more vulnerable moments to others, but the overwhelming emotion she felt in this situation was too much to hold back.
AS THE ELDER WOMAN BEGAN TO SPEAK to her son in their native tongue, the warrior decides it best to remain silent. however, when she begins asking cassian pressing question about her, mako is caught off-guard completely. eyes widen slightly as she felt the heat rise in her cheeks, still not daring to utter a word as she attempts to look at anything other than her fellow jaeger pilot. mako was uncertain in that moment what he would say, if he’d say anything at all. this wasn’t the sort of thing they TALKED about so freely. how does anyone talk about this aloud ? the anticipation is enough to make her legs quake, waiting to hear what he would say. his words would soon drift out from his lips in a soft tone, describing his feelings for the rookie pilot in a way that mako never expected him to. scarlet tinted cheeks turn a deeper shade as she turned to look at the pilot, noticing the fluttering glance he returned if only for a moment. his words rocked her very core, filling her with an overwhelming slew of emotions that she never expected to feel for one person. there’s an urge to thank him, perhaps even return the favor with words of her own, but she would refrain. their ghost drift lightly hummed above her head, allowing her one thought during this exchange. eres el persona mas importante en mi vida cassian.
HER HEART SOON SINKS AS she felt the woman slowly dwindling, the heart monitor beeps growing slower & slower with every second. her time was coming, & it would be any minute now that she would leave cassian forever. with one hand still tightly laced around martina’s fingers, she would reach over the bed to take cassian’s hand into her own. the warrior would not allow him to endure this part alone, knowing well just how hard it would be for him. with baited breath, she held on tight to the two remaining andor’s, feeling the life of the elder slowly sunk away —— her grip loosening ever so slightly.