Who Comforts the Hero...
See part one for Disclaimer
Luke lay on the bunk in his and Wedge's
quarters trying to sleep. But he just couldn't get comfortable. The bunk seemed
too big and cold. The pillow was too soft and it was too quiet. Rolling on to
his back he sighed. Wedge had made him promise to remember to sleep. And he was
trying her really was. But he just couldn't.
Wedge. That was the problem. Wedge wasn't
here; the younger man had held him practically every night since the battle of
Yavin. Since he... NO he wouldn't think about that. Protecting him from the
nightmares he had always felt lurking just waiting for a chance to torment him.
They'd started too in the few days since his friend had left.
Wedge was off on a mission with the rest of
their flight group and wouldn't be back for a couple more days at least. It
wasn't as easy target they had to hit. Luke should have been there with him.
But he's been forced to stay. Forced to play poster boy Hero for a bunch of
representatives from a world that might or might not help the Alliance. He
hated every minute of it, but he had strutted and shown off acted like the
wonderful Hero he was supposed to be. Alone. Wedge on his mission. Han was off
'acquiring' some new weapons for them.
It didn't help of course that the dignitaries
were rude more often than not. One had gone so far as to call Luke's final shot
at the battle of Yavin pure luck and say if he'd been there he would have done
the job in no time flat. Luke had wanted to hit him. Not for he own pride. But
for the others who had died trying that this man was so callously insulting.
Finally with thought of doing just that he
drifted off in to a fitful sleep as he felt the nightmares moving in.
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"Leia do really me there today asked
over the com unit." He was lying on his bed just trying to keep his eyes
open he was exhausted, he'd only slept a short while before the dreams had
started. They hadn't woken him up but they certainly hadn't help him have a
good nights sleep from the way the blankets had been tangled around him when
he'd first woken up had attested to the fact that'd he'd been struggling with
it in his sleep.
"Luke it *is* a tour of the hangers.
That is really more your department." He said warily.
"I know Leia. But I'm really not up to
it. I'm sorry." Luke told her.
"Should I send you a med droid?"
She asked in concern.
"No I'm alright. Just tried, I haven't
been sleeping well lately."
"Well..."
"Are you alone Leia?"
"Yes, why?"
"So I can say this. Leia if I try to
deal with them today I really think I'm going to hit one of them."
"Alright then Luke. But you have to
promise me you will rest today. No working on that secret project that you an
Wedge spend so much time on."
"Yes ma'am." He said smartly, then
added with a yawn. "Thanks Leia."
Closing the connection he rolled away from
the unit. It had never really occurred to them that he might have a problem if
he and Wedge got split up. Hell it had never occurred to them that they would
get split up. They flew with in the same wing, worked the same shifts, and
shared quarters. They never had to be apart for long. But now here it was.
Wedge had been sent off on a mission he couldn't go on. What if he got killed?
Stop that! He mentally berated himself. Wedge
will be just fine. He'll come back and everything will be better. He'd be able
to sleep again. In those strong arms that kept the nightmares away, against
that warm chest, beside the body that he fit perfectly against... He'd told
Wedge once early on before they'd left Yavin IV even, that he was sorry the
other man was doomed to be his security blanket. Now he was beginning to
realize that his friend was much more then a security blanket. Wedge could
protect him, and wouldn't leave not even when he wasn't really needed anymore
and he was more then that still. But he'd figure that out later, Luke decided
as he was lulled to sleep by the warm thoughts of his friend.
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