Who Comforts the Hero...
See part one for declaimers
Wedge looked at his friend, now his lover,
curled up on their bunk fast asleep. The other pilot usually claimed he didn't
like and often couldn't sleep with out Wedge in the bunk with him. But didn't
begrudge him this. Luke was completely exhausted, and well he should be with
all he was trying to do. He was dividing his time between planning and
executing missions with Rogue squadron, the elite team he'd been given command
of, helping with the endless search for a new base, and practicing his Jedi
skills.
He was running, most people just thought he
was utterly devoted to the cause. But then most people didn't know how Luke
suffered with the horrible guilt of having killed so many at the death star,
and in encounters after. That's what all this continuous work was... he was
running; away from that guilt, from all the other problems. He couldn't face
them and deal with them alone so he ran. Wedge hoped that eventually Luke would
realize he wasn't alone, that there were people to help him.
Wedge sighed. He refused to admit it but it
hurt more then a little that Luke had stopped turning to him and seemed to be
running in the other direction completely now. He didn't understand it at all;
they had been close, telling one another practically everything. They had
become lovers, Wedge had assumed that that would just deepen then friendship
further. He'd been wrong. Now they were lovers but the closeness, the
friendship had disappeared. He couldn't understand it. For awhile Luke had
seemed to be getting better. His smile had come easily and he was calmer. Then
he had begun to retreat in to himself, and bury himself in his duty and what
ever other work he could find, until he hardly seemed to be there at all.
Luke woke feeling someone watching him.
Rolling over he found himself gazing into his lovers deep green eyes.
"Hey." He murmured with a sleepy smile.
Wedge smiled, his worried expression
retreating until it was only apparent in his eyes. He sat on the edge of the
bunk, reaching out to gently brush a few sleep tousled sandy locks away from
his friend's eyes. It had been several months since Luke had cut his hair and
it always seemed to be falling over the soft blue eyes.
"How are you doing?" The young
pilot asked.
"Tired." The sleepy reply was
accompanied by a yawn.
"Go back to sleep then." He
suggested stroking a soft cheek.
"No' wi' out you." Luke slurred.
"I'll come to bed as soon as I've
grabbed a shower." Wedge promised.
"Kay." The blond said his eyes
slipping closed again and his breathing evening out. With a smile the Correlian
drew the blanket back up to Luke's chin and bent to press a kiss to his
forehead as had become his habit.
*** *** *** *** *** ***
Wedge watched as Luke deflected the bolt
fired from the remote. His lover's Jedi skills were improving, but slowly, and
he knew it frustrated his friend to no end. The next bolt was again easily
deflected, but the one following one came quickly. Too quickly and Luke
couldn't move fast enough to stop it. He gave a yelp as the bolt struck his
shoulder. Angrily he shut down the lightsaber, throwing it down. Turning, he
saw Wedge in the doorway. He flushed slightly then stalked towards him.
"I'm going to go look over a few more charts." He said trying to push
past the other man.
"No you aren't." Wedge said,
grabbing his arm and propelling him back in to their room. "This has gone
on long enough." He sat Luke on the edge of their bunk. "Luke it has
to stop." He said firmly. Luke's eyes went wide and filled with panic.
"You can't keep running away from all this. You have to face it
sometime."
Luke just stared up at him for a long moment.
"I can't it's too much."
"You don't have to do it alone. You have
friends. You have me." Luke turned his head away refusing to meet Wedge's
intense gaze. "I don't understand, Luke. You used to trust me to help you
with this. Why did that change?"
The other man still said nothing and kept his
eyes glued to the bunk, until Wedge took his chin in his fingers and firmly
brought his face up to meet his eyes. "Is it something I did?"
"No." Luke half shouted.
"Then what?"
"I didn't want you to leave. Can't lose
you." Came the soft reply.
"Why would I leave Luke?"
"You deserve better then me, some stupid
farm kid with some many problems even you won't have the patience to deal with
them all." Sadness flooded the blue eyes. "You're constantly
comforting me and I'm not giving anything back. Why would you want to
stay?"
"Luke. I won't ever willingly leave as
long as you want me." The other man blinked.
"But why?"
"Because I love you."
Luke's eyes went wide again. "You love
me?"
"Of course. You're my friend, my family,
my lover. How could I not love you? Promise me you won't hide from me
anymore." Wedge said pulling his friend in to his arms.
"I'm sorry." Luke cried softly,
throwing his arms around his lover and clutching at him. "But I was
afraid."
"Hush love. We'll be alright now." Wedge said dropping a kiss on top of the sandy head and falling in to a pattern of comforting that he was now used to.