#sorry i never know how to end things jjfsdlf

[ourlittleforever]

a touch of color

pairing; millie x thr.awn

rating; g

soulmates au

Who knows, maybe you’ll meet your soulmate.

Millie groaned, remembering their friend Eli’s teasing words from the night before, when they’d lamented having to go to yet another art show in such a short period of time. They picked up a nearby canvas and hoisted it onto the easel, adjusting it on the frame. Millie had met Eli during his time on Coruscant at the Imperial Academy; they had been working as a barista at a coffee shop the young man frequented, and had instantly bonded when they noticed his Wild Space accent. The two had remained in contact over the last few years, with Millie regarding him as the older brother they never had. 

Millie tucked a stray lock of hair behind their ear and looked over their station. They could only see in shades of gray, as like Eli had implied, they hadn’t met their soulmate. Being a painter who only saw in black-and-white made their works “eclectic” and “unique,” or so they’d been told by folks who could see more than black, white, and gray. Millie scowled. They needed to create, needed to put their feelings to canvas – but it would be so much easier if they could see in color outright. 

Their comlink buzzed, and Millie picked up. “Hey,” Eli said over the line, “So, I have a bit of a surprise for ya.”

“That’s never good.” Millie turned and glanced over their shoulder; the art show had begun, with humans and aliens alike starting to mill about. 

“I’m here for the show. And I brought a potential big client.” Eli paused, and they could practically hear him grinning. “Grand Admiral Thr.awn. Remember that alien I said I was aide to back at the Academy?”

Their jaw dropped. The Grand Admiral Thr.awn? Artists and collectors alike whispered about the alien Imperial, claiming he would buy art at any price for his personal collection aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer Chimaera. They said he tried to collect art from all species and cultures in an effort to understand them in battle. Surely he wouldn’t find their art pleasing, though? Millie wasn’t a noble warrior, and their subject matter was deeply personal. “That’s nice,” they managed to squeak out.

“I’ll try and swing by your booth before he does,” Eli comforted them. “Give you a little bit of a warning before he shows up.” His Wild Space drawl was deeply comforting, reminding Millie that they weren’t alone in this sector of the galaxy. “Gotta go. Keep your chin up, buttercup.”

Millie stood anxiously in front of their mini-exhibition, wringing their hands. The hour dragged by, with no sign of any Imperial; it was a large convention center, but they felt fear creeping up from their stomach and clamping around their heart. Their mind had started to spiral. What if the Grand Admiral wasn’t impressed with their work? What if he threw them in jail over it? What if – 

Suddenly, a tall man in a stark white uniform came into view. Even from here, and without the benefit of color sight, they could tell he was different. They surmised he was approximately 6’5”, with broad shoulders and a strong jawline. Millie swallowed hard. He was quite handsome; they knew that, even from far away. However, they noticed Eli, his aide, wasn’t at his side. That familiar fear bit down in their chest. Interacting with any Imperial officer, even with Eli to buffer the discussion, was nerve-racking, but without him? How would Millie survive this?

The man approached, his mouth in a straight line, but his eyebrows slightly raised and pleasant. Millie felt themself shrinking against the easel behind them. “H-hello. Officer,” Millie mumbled, already forgetting all sense of decorum.

“Grand Admiral Thr.awn,” he responded, his voice betraying nothing. “You must be Millicent, Eli’s friend. I apologize he is not here at the moment. We became... separated.”

“He’s a good friend of mine,” they confirmed, making a note to look for Eli when they could. “Like my big brother, really. My first real friend on Coruscant.” They looked down shyly. “He said he had an alien… friend.” Friend wasn’t how Eli would have described the man now known to Millie as Thr.awn in those first few weeks, but the Wild Space cadet did come to appreciate the alien. 

“I see.” Thr.awn folded his arms behind his back, examining Millie’s collection. “Your command of the brush is exquisite. And though I cannot see the color, I imagine it must be a fascinating combination.” So he hadn’t met his soulmate either. Unbothered by that admission, Thr.awn continued. “The pose is open and vulnerable, with a certain innocence about it. And the beast overhead is well-rendered in your style. Can you tell me about your inspirations for your work? The silhouettes are incredible.”

“Oh. Um…” Millie scratched their neck. “It’s… much of my work is about… my past.” They had never openly discussed their life before moving to Coruscant; even Eli only knew the basics. They gathered their strength to form a proper, artistic reply in an effort to impress the Grand Admiral. “I had a difficult life on my homeworld. I’m still processing much of the trauma, and I find that painting how I felt in those moments is healing.”

Thr.awn’s face softened, and he gave them a sympathetic little smile. “I understand. We all have our tribulations, and we must find our own paths to healing.” He took a step closer, and Millie felt both exhilarated and boxed in. “Are your paintings for sale? I understand if they aren’t, due to the subject matter.”

“N-no, they’re for sale. That’s why I brought them,” they replied with an awkward laugh. “Feel free to take them off the easels if you need to. Here – I’ll help you, since you were eyeing this one. Untitled 13.” Millie easily took the painting off the stand and handed it to Thr.awn. He reached for the piece, and their fingers brushed.

It was like being hit by a supernova. Millie felt a deep, sharp pain rack their head, and they nearly stumbled backwards into their other works. They couldn’t open their eyes, either. All they could see was blinding white light, searing into their memory. What the hell?

And when they could open their eyes…

Oh, he was beautiful.

Words for these new sensations came to Millie as if they’d known them all along. His skin was a gorgeous blue, brighter than the other blues scattered about the room. And Thr.awn’s gaze was red, piercing yet kind, seeing right through them without cruel judgment. They could see the tiles on his plaque were blue, red, and another new color: yellow, like the epaulets on his uniform. Millie found their fingers were still over his, still gripping the painting they’d begun to hand to him before being dazzled. 

Then it hit them. Oh.

He’s my soulmate. My soulmate.

Millie looked up through their lashes at Thr.awn, who looked nearly as bewildered as they were. “Millie,” he finally managed to say after a moment. “You look wonderful in color.”

They laughed, unsure how to reply at first. “You do too.” Gingerly, they took the painting from him and set it back down before turning to him again. “So. Um. What happens now?”

“I’d still like to buy that painting.” Thr.awn’s face flushed a new shade – purple – as Millie took his large, warm hands in their tiny ones. “I apologize. I am… not used to physical affection.”

“O-oh. Sorry–”

“No, it’s alright. Please don’t pull away.” His voice was almost pained, and Millie’s heart ached for him. The fear from earlier had faded, replaced by a deep, resonating love. They’d only just met Thr.awn, only just begun to see in vivid color, but somewhere inside their soul, he’d etched his name upon them. “How long do you have until the showing is over?”

“Um, about an hour.” Millie gave him a lopsided smile. “Why?”

“I simply think that if we’re soulmates, we should get to know each other better. I would like to take you to dinner.” Thr.awn gave their hands a little squeeze. “Is that alright?”

“I’d love nothing more,” they replied, and for the first time since moving to Coruscant, the world felt a little brighter, warmer – and certainly more colorful.