Who Comforts the Hero...
See
part one for discliamers
Busy did not begin to cover what the
following days were. They may have destroyed the Death Star but they certainly
hadn't defeated, killed the Empire. What was left of it was more then
sufficient to destroy the Temple where they'd set up their base. And
unfortunately, pretty much pretty much the whole of the territory knew where
they were now. Hell they were getting tourists coming to check them out. Not
really great for security. Yavin IV had to be evacuated, and with no new base
established, personnel ended up spread out in smaller bases or shipboard.
*****************
Luke sat in the nearly empty mess hall slowly
drinking a mug of something warm. So lost in though, that he didn't even notice
when Wedge entered the room and came to stand beside him. He only came back to
his surroundings after the other man had called him several times.
"It's late, Luke." Wedge said
quietly when he saw that Luke had become aware of him. "Come to bed."
Luke nodded and rose, following the younger
man out in to the corridor. As they walked back to the quarters they shared,
people called out greetings, or stared in awe. Many of the young rebels looking
at Luke with pure adoration and hero-worship.
For Wedge it wasn't as bad, but with so few
survivors after the Battle of Yavin they were all called heroes. And it never
stopped; the ship was crowded and busy there was never a time you could be
anywhere with out others being there. Their only reprieve existed within the
privacy of their quarters
They never discussed it. Not even the
slightest reference to Yavin in their quarters. And very little mention of any other
missions or battles found its way in either. They talked about their pasts,
where they grew up; each fascinated by where the other had. Wedge longing for
the wide spaces and freedom of Luke's youth. And Luke envying the bustle and
excitement of a heavily populated planet right on the space lanes. Sometimes
they'd just kick back play vid games, or do something equally childish, not
that they'd ever tell anyone that. Nobody ever seemed to remember that these
two heroes weren't even out of their teens. Hell, sometimes *they* even forgot
they were still that young. It was easy to forget their youth. Neither acted
their age as they'd been forced to grow up quickly. Both orphaned and left
alone in the world. Wedge was actually the younger of the pair, although though
most people thought it was the other way around. Wedge just always seemed far
more worldly and serious. He'd had to make his own way before he joined the
rebellion as he'd found legitimate shipping just couldn't survive with all the
smugglers in the Corellian system. And if he was going to be forced to smuggle
he might as well do it for a good cause. As for Luke, orphaned not once but
three times. First by parents he never knew then by the murders of his Aunt and
Uncle and finally by the death of Ben. He was for more serious than a boy his
age should be he just hadn't had as much practice at maturity as his friend.
The similarities in their pasts and the
mission against the Death Star was what every one thought held the two men
together. Their sharing quarters was common knowledge and unquestioned; space
was so tight even heroes had to make sacrifices. What wasn't common knowledge,
or known to anyone but them, was that only one of the narrow bunks in their
quarters ever got used.
Every night Wedge would find Luke in whatever
part of the big ship that he was haunting and bring him home. They would get
ready for bed and finally crawl on to the bunk. Wedge would draw his friend
into his arms and Luke's head would come to rest on his shoulder or maybe lower
on his chest. Then Wedge would lay in silence until he fell asleep with the
rebellion's most vaulted hero in his arms.
This night was no different then any other.
Wedge sighed softly as Luke drifted towards sleep, instinctively drawing closer
to him and throwing one arm across his chest. "Shh... Hero. I'll look
after you." He murmured against Luke's hair, then pressed a light kiss to
the sandy locks before settling back against the pillow to try to sleep
himself.