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Keeping the Cold at Bay 
by Lianne Burwell
June 1999
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Luke Skywalker, Rebel pilot and hero of the battle of Yavin, stopped one 
last time to scan the horizon through his electrobinoculars, even though 
he knew he wouldn't see anything except snow, ice and more snow. It was 
all he'd seen in the months since the Rebel base on Hoth had been 
established.

Hoth. A frozen wasteland in the middle of nowhere. As different from his 
homeworld of Tatooine as you could get. But in the two years since Yavin, 
he'd seen a lot of new sights. All the things he'd dreamed of growing up. 
Sometimes, though, he wondered if it were really worth it.

Not seeing anything -- unsurprisingly -- he rode the last of the way to 
the underground base, passing through the thick blast doors that also 
protected the base from the killing cold of the Hoth nights. He climbed 
off his tauntaun and gave it a friendly pat, automatically ducking the 
inevitable spit-wad that the furred lizard fired back at him. The beast 
headed over to join its fellows at the end of the hangar that had been 
converted into a stable, while Luke went hunting for something hot to 
drink to warm him up.

After growing up on a desert, he'd been ready for the dry air of Hoth, 
but the cold was a different matter. Ever since they'd moved here, he'd 
been unable to stay warm. He was beginning to think he'd never get warm 
again. He'd come in from patrol, frozen to the bone, and would barely 
warm up at all before it was time to go out again the next day. In 
between patrols, he worked with the base technicians, trying to keep 
their equipment working despite the temperatures. It was the icy cold 
that forced them to use the native tauntauns as mounts during those 
patrols.

In the cafeteria, he found a mug of mulled Corellian ale, which he sipped 
at gratefully while eating his dinner. Warmth spread through him, both 
from the alcohol content and the temperature, and he began to think he 
might warm up long enough to get a decent night's sleep.

"Listen, your high-and-mightiness, I don't *need* your little piss-poor 
Rebellion. Do you really think you stand a chance against the Empire?"

"You better hope we do, fly-boy, because if the Empire stamps us out, the 
next target will be everything else it doesn't control. That includes 
mercenary smugglers like you. The only reason that the Emperor *hasn't* 
put your kind out of business is because he's too busy with *us*!"

Luke shook his head. Han and Leia had only arrived on Hoth a few days 
earlier, but they'd been fighting the entire time. It made him wonder 
what they'd been doing in the year since he'd last seen them. You'd think 
that they would have at least declared a truce.

"They at it again?"

Luke looked up at the dark-haired man standing next to him. "Did they 
ever stop?" he asked, trying to keep the bitterness from his voice.

Wedge dropped into the chair next to his with a grin. "Good point. If 
they had any sense, they'd stop with the sublimation."

"The what?" Luke was baffled. Wedge Antilles was about the same age as 
him, but in other ways he seemed much older. He'd been flying since he 
was a kid, ran his own ship since he was sixteen and now flew for the 
Rebellion. He was sophisticated and worldly. He also made Luke think of 
Han, not surprising since they both came from Corellia.

He was also the only other survivor besides himself from the Red Squadron 
that had led the attack on the Imperial Death Star.

"Sublimation. It means that they want each other, but don't want to admit 
it to themselves, so they fight instead of having sex."
Across the room, Han Solo and Princess Leia continued their argument, not 
caring that they had an audience. Luke sighed, and took another gulp of 
his ale.

He'd seen the attraction between them the second they'd met. The spark 
was so bright that neither of them had eyes for a farmboy from Tatooine. 
After all, how was he supposed to compete with a worldly smuggler with 
roguish good looks? And he definitely couldn't compete with a princess.

Sometimes he wondered what the hell he was doing here. Who did he think 
he was kidding? He was just a farmboy who'd been lucky. No real use to 
the Rebellion. And yet here he was; Commander Skywalker. There were times 
when he felt like such a fraud. One of these days they would turn around 
and say 'Hope you enjoyed yourself, kid. Now don't you think it's time 
you went home?'

He pushed away his now-empty mug and stood up. Leia was storming out of 
the room in a huff, Han following her, chuckling at the young woman's 
temper.

"I'll see you later, Wedge," he said tiredly. "I think I'm warm enough to 
get some sleep."

Wedge chuckled. "I hear you, Luke. Who are you bunking with?"

Luke blinked. "What do you mean?"

Wedge stared at him in amazement. "You're sleeping alone? That's crazy. 
Everyone's bunking in twos and threes to share warmth. No wonder you 
always look so tired. Sleeping alone in this cold would sap anyone's 
strength. C'mon," he said, getting up and heading for the door. "You can 
bunk with me."

Luke followed along, not sure he understood. "But if everyone is sleeping 
with someone," he said, trying not to blush, "then what about whoever 
you're um... bunking with?"

"She got shipped out today. I was going to slip in with Grass and Silkor, 
but since you don't have anyone, you can room with me."

They stopped at Luke's quarters long enough to grab the depressingly 
small bag that held all his worldly possessions, then headed for Wedge's 
quarters. Several people called out greeting as they passed in the 
hallway, and despite Luke's embarrassment, no one seemed surprised to see 
the two of them heading into the same room.

Inside, it was basically the same as the room they'd just left. A bed just 
barely wide enough for two was tucked into a niche in the wall, with 
cabinets above and below, and hooks on the wall. Luke shoved his bag into 
one of the cabinets, and turned around to find Wedge already stripping. 
He probably looked like a bumpkin, he thought, blushing at the sight.

Wedge smiled. "Skin-to-skin is best for transmitting body heat," he said. 
Luke breathed a sigh of relief when the other pilot slipped into the bed 
still wearing his shorts.

Moving quickly, the chill air already leeching away the warmth that the 
ale had provided, Luke stripped down to his own shorts and slipped under 
the covers next to Wedge, wondering how this would work.

Wedge promptly rolled over and spooned up against his back, pulling him 
into a loose embrace, the blankets pulled up to their chins. Luke tensed 
for a moment, then relaxed. He was already starting to warm up again.

Slowly slipping into sleep, Luke snuggled deeper into Wedge's embrace. 
"You're right," he said in a muzzy tone. "This is much better."

A chuckle spilled over his shoulder. "Go to sleep, Luke."

And he did.

* * * * *

The next morning, Luke reluctantly drifted into wakefulness. He was 
warmer than he could remember being since arriving on Hoth. It was 
soothing and comfortable.

He was also not alone. And something was digging into his back. Something 
hot and hard.

Wedge, he suddenly remembered. And Wedge had a morning hard-on. Luke 
couldn't help being embarrassed for the other man. He just wondered how 
he could get out of bed without waking him.

Luke shifted, trying to wriggle out of Wedge's embrace, but the other 
pilot just held onto him a little tighter. Luke tried again, but the arms 
tightened, and now they were moving, large hands caressing his chest. His 
own morning hard-on reacted eagerly, further embarrassing him.

"Wedge," Luke protested. Maybe Wedge and his previous bunkmate had been 
lovers. It would explain what was going on. "Wedge, I need to get up." 
His bladder agreed with him, whole-heartedly.

"Hmmm? Oh. Morning, Luke."

Wedge pulled away, and Luke nearly jumped out of the bed, already 
reaching for his clothes. The cold air instantly wilted his erection, so 
he didn't have to hide it when he turned around.

"I've got patrol in a half hour," he said, apologetically.

"No problem. See you tonight?"

"Sure."

His clothes pulled on, Luke headed for the door to find breakfast.

* * * * *

Wedge smiled at Luke's back as he disappeared. He hadn't considered Luke 
as a candidate for bed games before arriving on Hoth, but the close 
quarters had prompted him to take a second look. Luke was a nice kid. He 
was obviously hung up on both Solo and the princess; not that either of 
them would ever consider him as anything more than a friend, brother-
substitute and mascot. He'd seen a few others give Luke the once over, 
but no one ever approached the kid. His reputation after the battle of 
Yavin had put most of them off.

Wedge, on the other hand, had no problem with that. After all, he'd been 
right there, flying in the same wing. They were the only survivors, which 
gave them a bond. Besides, the kid was too cute for words. He just needed 
to relax a bit, and Wedge has the perfect idea for how. And since Oskaa 
had been transferred to the main fleet, he was looking for a new playmate.

But he would have to be careful. The blushes and stories of his childhood 
said that Luke was probably a virgin. Slow and gentle, that was the way 
to do it.

Aw, hell, who was he kidding? It was going to take all his willpower to 
keep from just jumping Luke the second he got the chance.

* * * * *

After riding patrol for the morning and part of the afternoon, Luke had 
the rest of the day off.

His usual time-filler was working on his x-wing, but he'd already tuned 
every part of the craft that *could* be tuned, so he had moved on to some 
of the surplus land-speeders that had been brought to Hoth for patrol 
duties but never used because of the extreme cold.

Years of keeping the farm's equipment running despite blowing sand and 
lack of parts meant that he was probably the best person in the base to 
work on the speeders, and the techs were more than willing to let him 
have them to himself.

It worked well to fill in the dead time.

"Luke! What are you doing hiding back here?"

Luke jumped at the unexpected voice in his normally quiet corner of the 
vehicle hangar. Looking up, he found Wedge standing next to him, hands on 
his hips, and he wondered how the other pilot had managed to creep up on 
him without him noticing.

Then he glanced at the clock and realized that it was almost dinner. The 
entire afternoon had vanished without him noticing the passage of time.

He straightened up, hissing as stiff muscles protested. "Sorry, Wedge. 
Lost track of time, I guess."

"No kidding. C'mon. A bunch of us are setting up a game of sabacc."

Luke dropped his eyes, turning around to gather up his tools. "You'd 
better go without me then," he said in a tense voice.

"Why," Wedge teased. "Don't you know how to play?"

"No."

A hand dropped on his shoulder, making him start. "Luke, what's wrong? 
Surely someone would have taught you. Han, if no one else."

Luke shrugged. "He suggested it, but the first time he tried to take me 
to a game, the others said he was trying to cheat. That I would use the 
Force to control the chip-changes in his favor. They refused to play 
while I was in the room." He tried to keep the bitterness out of his tone.

That had been the first time that he'd been faced with prejudice because 
of his barely trained abilities. After that, he'd looked a little closer 
and realized how often people avoided him. That had led to a sense of 
isolation that hadn't gone away since then.

"That sucks!" Luke's head came up at the outrage in Wedge's voice. "But 
you won't run into that here. C'mon, Luke. It's time you got your first 
lesson in how to play sabacc properly."

* * * * *

One of the squad rooms had been turned into a mini-cantina for the 
personnel stationed on Hoth. It served ale and smoke and a variety of 
snack foods, and was host to a never-ending series of games, primarily 
sabacc, the most popular game of chance and strategy in the known space.

Wedge nodded in response to the greetings called out as he and Luke 
entered the room. And after what Luke had told him, he also saw a few 
people who looked like they were going to protest the young man's 
presence, but he glared at them, making them back down before they said a 
word. He was pleased to note, though, that none of the people who were 
upset were pilots. Luke had nothing but support among his own.

"Hey, kid! Get your butt over here!"

From across the room, Han Solo waved, a welcoming grin on his face. Next 
to him, Chewbacca growled a greeting.

Wedge led the way, stopping only long enough to grab a pair of tankards 
for himself and Luke, then plopped down next to his fellow Corellian.

"Heya, Han," he said, taking a look around at the rest of the players 
around the table. No one seemed overly concerned at Luke's presence. Good.

"I thought it was about time that Luke learned how to play a proper game 
of sabacc," he said, lifting his tankard for a healthy swallow.

He saw a softening in the smuggler's eyes. Han might not look at Luke the 
way he wanted, but Han obviously had a soft spot for the farmboy from a 
backwater planet.

"Absolutely right," was the enthusiastic reply.

With a little shuffling, Luke was squeezed in between Han and Wedge, who 
kept up a running explanation of the rules of the game, the goal and the 
popular strategies. Everyone at the table good-naturedly defended their 
personal systems, probably confusing the heck out of Luke.

Between the camaraderie and the steady supply of alcohol, Luke quickly 
lost the depressed expression that he'd had earlier. Instead, he was 
flushed and laughing and more than a little tipsy by the time it was late 
enough that they needed to head for bed.

They said good night to everyone, then carefully made their way back to 
their room.

Tonight, the ale had lowered Luke's inhibitions enough that he didn't 
show any hesitation in stripping down to his shorts and climbing into bed 
with Wedge. Wedge spooned up behind him, and pulled him into a loose 
embrace, same as the night before.

"Thanks, Wedge," Luke said, already more than half-asleep.

"You're more than welcome," he said, and briefly nuzzled at the blond 
hairs on the back of Luke's neck.

They both sighed, and slipped into sleep.

* * * * *

After that, the pattern was set. During the day, they both performed 
their duties; riding patrols, running scans and maintaining equipment, 
breaking only for meals.

Evenings were spent playing sabacc. Luke quickly picked up the game, 
becoming a competent player. Wedge overheard a couple of people grumbling 
that Luke was using the Force to improve his odds, but Wedge quickly shut 
them up. Anyone with a brain could see that Luke was using nothing more 
than his already sharp mind, not his rumored Jedi abilities.

Then nights were spent curled up together, sharing a bed and body warmth, 
but nothing else yet.

Wedge was starting to feel a little frustrated. He'd rarely gone this 
long without sex since he'd hit puberty. Still, he figured that Luke was 
worth the restraint. The kid was certainly more relaxed around him.

Wedge figured that it was only a matter of time, now.

* * * * *

Luke was a little surprised when Wedge didn't meet him in the cafeteria 
for dinner, the way he usually did. Frowning, he went looking for the 
other pilot.

He found Wedge in their room, dressed in his flight suit and shoving a 
few items into a travel bag. He looked up as Luke opened the door and 
smiled.

"Great! I was just going to look for you."

"What's up?" Luke asked, a little worried. He liked spending time with 
Wedge, and he knew that if the other man were transferred out, he would 
probably end up slipping back into his old isolation. That was not an 
appealing thought anymore.

"They're sending a few pilots to check out the neighboring systems for 
signs of Imperial interest. I'll just be gone for a few days."

"Oh," Luke said, plastering on a fast smile. "Watch your back, Wedge."

A bright grin was flashed back at him. "Hey, that's what Zev and Hobbie 
are for," he said. "I just need to watch *their* backs and keep an eye 
out for Imperials. Not that we're likely to see any out this way."

He closed up the duffel, ready to shove into the storage compartment of 
his X-Wing.

Spending several days in an X-Wing wasn't comfortable, but it was doable; 
Luke had done it before. But afterwards, the cockpit usually had to be 
fumigated to get rid of the smell of sweat and other less pleasant 
substances.

Wedge gave Luke a brief, hard hug and a peck on the cheek, then was gone.

Luke watched the pilot's back as he disappeared down the hallway, and 
forced down the annoyance that he hadn't been included on the mission. He 
would have felt better if he'd been the one who was going to watch 
Wedge's back.

Luke sighed, and considered his options. He could just go back to 
spending his evenings alone, the way he had before Wedge dragged him out 
of his isolation, but he had the feeling that the other man would be 
upset if he came back to find Luke hiding off on his own again.

No. He would go get some dinner, then head over to the cantina, the way 
he did every night with Wedge. Besides, Han would be there, as would the 
rest of the newly re-formed Red Squadron, other than the three sent out 
on recon.

Decision made, Luke set out to do just that.

When he arrived at the cantina, Luke breathed a sigh of relief when he 
found his welcome to be as warm as ever. In the back of his mind he'd 
been wondering if his reception had been more due to Wedge's presence 
than an acceptance of himself.

He grabbled a tankard and joined the game at Han's table, just like usual.

It was a pretty good evening. He won and he lost, but ended the evening a 
few credits ahead. All in all, not to bad.

Except that Wedge wasn't there. He kept finding himself turning to make a 
comment to the dark-haired man, only to find Wedge's seat either empty or 
taken by someone else, and he felt that absence keenly.

It was strange how quickly Wedge had become a large part of his life. 
He'd always been there, but now he was there during just about every 
off-duty minute that Luke had, and he found that he liked it. He liked 
spending time with the man. He liked sleeping with the man. He especially 
liked cuddling up to the man.

Luke turned over his chips, revealing twenty-three again, and Han laughed 
loudly, throwing a brotherly arm around Luke's shoulders and claiming to 
any who would listen that he had taught the 'Kid' everything he knew. 
Luke grinned back at the older man, but inside he was examining his 
reaction.

He pulse-rate didn't change, nor did his breathing. It used to be that 
Han could send him into a blush just by smiling at him.

Now? Now Luke reacted with feelings that held lots of camaraderie, but 
nothing more.

Instead, it was thoughts of Wedge that made him squirm in his seat. Luke 
was beginning to consider taking his chances one of these nights, and 
turning around and propositioning the other man. He just wished that he 
had an idea of how Wedge would react to that.

Deciding to quit while he was ahead, Luke collected his credits.

"Early patrol tomorrow," he told the others when they groused about not 
having the chance to get their money back, then headed for the door.

"Hey, Luke," a voice called as he got to the door.

Luke turned around and found one of the other pilots from Blue Squadron, 
Merrick, coming towards him. "What's up?" he asked, pitching his voice 
just loud enough to be heard over the buzz of the room.

"I heard Antilles is away. Thought you might like some... company."

Just in case Luke hadn't understood the suggestion, Merrick's hand came 
up and brushed his cheek briefly. The older man smiled invitingly.

"Ummm," Luke mumbled, hoping that he wasn't blushing. "Thanks, but... not 
tonight."

Luckily, the other man didn't seem upset by the rejection. "Well, if you 
change your mind, let me know. Night, Luke."

"Night."

Luke knew that he had a slightly dazed expression on his face as he made 
his way back to the quarters that he and Wedge were sharing. It was the 
first time he'd been propositioned by *anyone*. Part of him was asking 
why he'd said no. Merrick was an attractive man, and a nice guy from what 
Luke knew of him.

But he'd still said no.

Before leaving Tatooine, the sum of his sexual experience had been 
fooling around with his friends. Kissing. Touching. That sort of stuff. 
Maybe if Biggs had asked he would have gone even further.

But then Biggs was gone, off to the Academy. Luke had only seen him twice 
after that. Once, when Biggs had come home for a visit and had privately 
confided that he and a group of his fellow students were planning on 
defecting to the Alliance. Luke had been shocked that he friend was going 
to jump ship to join the Rebellion, but anything Biggs did was all right 
in his eyes. Biggs had been such a figure for hero-worship for him 
growing up. The second time had been during the briefing, right before 
the battle of Yavin.

That was also the last time he'd seen Biggs. For a brief while, he'd been 
a voice over the comm system.

Luke relived that battle on a regular basis in his nightmares. Holding 
off tie fighters, while team after team made a run for the conduit that 
was their only chance of destroying the Death Star before it destroyed 
the Rebel base. Listening to the other teams fail, until it was his turn.

He still wondered why he'd been chosen to make a run, even the last 
possible run. The rebel command had seemed to be putting a lot of faith 
in what little training in the Force he'd received from Ben Kenobi.

Or maybe they'd just been desperate by that point.

Whatever the reason, he'd gone in with Wedge and Biggs to guard his back 
against the inevitable pursuit.

First there'd been the laser batteries, pumping shot after shot at them. 
Then they'd fallen silent. After a moment, the report of pursuit had come 
through.

Wedge had been hit; his x-wing to badly damaged to continue the run. Luke 
had told him to pull out. He'd be no use with the amount of damage. Wedge 
had apologized, then pulled up and out of the trench, heading away from 
the Death Star.

So it had just been him and Biggs. It almost felt like old times, racing 
through Beggar's Canyon as kids. Kids... It had only been a year or so 
earlier, but it felt like a lifetime.

Still, he'd almost forgotten the pursuit, he'd been so focused on the 
target. Forgot it until a shot hit his wingman, and Biggs had dissolved 
in a screaming fireball.

Suddenly, the childhood hero had become earth and clay. And he hadn't 
been able to grieve properly. First he had to finish the mission. Then 
there were the celebrations and ceremonies, as he and Han, who had come 
to his rescue, were held up as examples of everything the Rebellion 
should be.

By the time he had a chance to grieve, he'd gone numb inside. Uncle Owen 
and Aunt Beru were dead. Ben was dead. Biggs was dead. And the thousands 
upon thousands of staff on the Death Star were dead. All because of him.

Suddenly, as he climbed into bed, everything rushed in at once, 
threatening to overwhelm him. He curled up into a ball, and let loose the 
sobs that had been buried deep inside him for more than two years.

Eventually, the tears tapered off, and Luke slipped into a deep, 
exhausted sleep.

* * * * *

Deep in space, there is no warmth. The vacuum leeches warmth from 
everything it touches.

It was also lonely.

Deep in space, three x-wing fighters move through the darkness, dodging 
asteroids as they search for signs of life.

"Anything?"

"Nothing. Wait. Hang on."

Silence, as fingers dance across a control screen.

"I'm picking up communications signals. Not far. Right over..."

Out of the blackness, a dozen tie fighters appear, screaming as they head 
for the startled x-wings.

Immediately, weapons are armed, and fire is returned. But four to one 
odds are not good.

The first x-wing is only able to destroy a single tie fighter before it 
is caught in the crossfire of two others. A brief scream is heard over 
the comm channel before the fireball blossoms, then fades.

The other two immediately close ranks. There is no place to run. Home 
base is too far away, and they will not lead the enemy back to it.

Working in concert, they destroy three tie fighters in quick succession, 
improving their odds. Whooping, they turn towards the remaining enemy 
fighters.

But the enemy is no longer alone. Tie fighters are not long-range 
vehicles. They have to launch from a mother ship.

And mother has just arrived.

From that point, there is no hope. The two x-wings fight back bravely, 
but one is quickly destroyed.

The remaining x-wing becomes focus of the enemy. He continues firing, 
even though it will not change the end. A voice whispers in the dark.

"Luke..."

* * * * *

Luke woke gasping from the nightmare for the third night in a row, 
wondering if he'd go nuts before he heard anything about Wedge.

After the first nightmare, he'd gone to Leia. For him, she'd checked. 
Wedge and the others had reported in at all the expected intervals, 
reporting that they hadn't found anything suspicious. After the second 
nightmare, he'd done the same. She'd smiled, and checked, and reassured 
him that everything was all right.

He was *not* going to ask a third time.

Luke rolled over in the bed, shivering in the cold. He'd had a couple 
more invitations to 'share warmth', but he'd turned them down.

He'd finally come to a decision, though. If there were no other purpose 
to them, the dreams had pointed that he was wasting time. With the Empire 
out to kill them all, any one of them could die in an instant.

He didn't want to spend his life regretting chances lost if Wedge died.

So, as soon as the pilot got back from this mission (and he *would* come 
back, Luke told himself sternly), he was going to tell Wedge everything. 
He didn't know if what he felt was love, or just lust, but he was going 
to find out.

And if Wedge laughed in his face, he might have to reconsider those other 
offers.

Luke shivered again, and pulled the blankets up over his head. If 
everything went according to schedule, Wedge would be back that day or 
the next.

Decision made, Luke slipped back to sleep

* * * * *

Heading for his room, Wedge stumbled and hit the wall. He'd managed to 
stay awake during the flight back to Hoth. He'd been alert during the 
debriefing. He'd even stayed awake long enough to get a bite to eat.

But the hot shower had been the last straw.

By the time he'd finished his shower, dried off and redressed in clean 
(blessedly clean) clothes, he'd been asleep on his feet. All his 
remaining though processes were devoted to getting himself back to his 
quarters and into bed.

The door opened easily, and in the light from the hallway, he could see 
that the bed wasn't empty.

He dropped his bag on the floor instead of trying to put it away, his 
attention only on a soft bed, warm blankets and a bedmate to cuddle up 
against.

Wedge toed off his boots and climbed into bed, still fully clothed. 
Instinctively, he spooned up behind Luke and gave a contented sigh. The 
worst thing about sleeping in a cockpit was the lack of something -- or 
someone -- to hold.

Luke muttered in his sleep, and wriggled closer to the warmth. Wedge 
dimly noticed that the younger man was shivering, and wrapped himself 
tighter around the blond.

And then he was asleep.

* * * * *

When Luke woke he was surprised to find himself warm, rested...

And not alone.

Twisting in the narrow bed, he found himself face to face with Wedge, and 
he couldn't help smiling. Unfortunately, while he would have liked to 
stay where he was, he *did* have an early patrol and he had to get going.

Wedge looked so peaceful asleep. Luke resisted the urge for a moment, 
then gave in. He gave the sleep-slackened mouth a long kiss.

When he pulled away, Wedge smacked his lips a couple times, as if seeking 
a flavor, and muttered, "Luke," before slipping back into sleep.

Luke was smiling so broadly, now, that he thought his face would crack. 
It looked like he needn't worry about how Wedge would react to a 
proposition from him.

He would find out for sure in the evening, though.

Luke pulled his clothes on quickly and headed for the door. He paused, 
and looked back at the dark-capped head that was retreating to under the 
covers. Then he schooled his features and headed for the bay to saddle up 
his tauntaun

* * * * *

When Wedge finally woke, a check of the chrono told him that he'd slept 
right through until the evening meal. He sat up and stretched, then 
decided to answer the call of nature.

His bladder taken care of, he headed for the cafeteria to answer the 
other call; the hollow grumble of his stomach.

Heads came up when he entered the room, and several voices called out 
greetings. He answered them cheerfully, but one blond head and bright 
smile had his attention. He filled a tray and headed for the table where 
Luke was sitting.

"Hey," he said, sliding into the chair next to the younger pilot.

"Hey," was the shy reply. "How was the patrol?"

"Boring as they can get," Wedge said with a grimace. "And Zev and Hobbie 
aren't exactly great conversationalists. Wish you'd been along."

"You and me both."

Wedge frowned at the dark tone in the other man's voice. "Something 
wrong?" he asked, wondering if something had happened while he was gone.

"Nah. Just... bad dreams." Luke ducked his head, and moved another 
forkful of stew to his mouth. "Glad you're back."

Wedge grinned at the comment and turned back to his own meal. They lapsed 
into an easy silence while Wedge filled his stomach -- paradise after 
patrol meal supplements.

When he finally pushed the tray away, Wedge was feeling relaxed and very 
mellow.

* * * * *

Through the meal, Luke watched Wedge from the corner of his eye. Every so 
often, the other man would meet his eyes and smile.

Luke's stomach was doing flip-flops, but his mind was made up. He was 
going to tell Wedge he wanted him, and he would do it that night. But... 
not in front of an audience.

Meal over, he turned to the dark pilot. "You heading over to the cantina 
tonight?" he asked in as casual a tone as he could manage, hoping that 
the answer would be no. He'd made his choice, but he wasn't sure that his 
nerves would manage a wait.

Wedge shook his head. "No. I'm not rested enough to face those sharks. 
I'm going to relax for a while, then go to bed. That way I'll be 
completely awake for duty tomorrow."

Luke nodded, and watched as Wedge got up and left the room. He waited for 
a few minutes, practicing the breathing techniques that Ben had taught 
him.

Then he scrubbed damp palms against his thighs, got up and followed the 
other man.

* * * * *

Back in his sleeping quarters, Wedge tuned into the base system to read 
the latest news from outside the Hoth system. He did this on a regular 
basis, trying to keep an eye on the "big" picture. It was too easy to 
just fall into the trap of only seeing what you were involved in yourself.

But he was really just killing time. He'd seen the looks that Luke had 
been giving him during dinner, and anticipation thrummed through him 
pleasantly.

He didn't have to wait long. He'd barely settled down to read the first 
report when the door opened. He looked up to find Luke in the doorway, 
shifting his weight nervously from foot to foot.

He waited patiently.

"Wedge..." Luke said, then stopped and took a deep breath. "I'd like to 
do more than just sleep together," the young man finally said, all in a 
rush. "I mean..."

Wedge decided to take pity on him. "I know what you mean," he said with a 
grin. "And the answer is yes."

Luke blinked, then all the air rushed out of him in a woosh. "Really?"

"Of course, really. You're a bright, handsome young man and a wonderful 
friend to have. Why would I say no?"

"If you say so..." Luke said uncertainly.

"I do. I know you might prefer someone else. Han maybe?"

"No! I mean, not anymore. While you were gone, I realized that I didn't 
really want him anymore. You were the one I was missing."

Wedge got to his feet and walked over to Luke. We wrapped his arms around 
the blond, and felt him first tense, then relax completely against him.

After a moment, he reached behind Luke to lock the door. It wouldn't do 
to have someone walk in unexpectedly. Then he coaxed the young man over 
towards the bed.

Luke was practically vibrating in his arms. Wedge brushed the bangs out 
of the young man's eyes, then leaned in for a quick kiss. Not much. Just 
a brush of lips against lips.

Then he backed away and started to strip. Luke watched for a moment, then 
started tugging at the fasteners on his own clothing. Wedge eyed him 
speculatively.

"How much experience do you have?" he asked. He'd figured that Luke was 
probably a virgin, which was why he'd been so patient, but the kid was 
even more uncertain than he'd expected.

Luke ducked his head. "Not much. I mean, the usual fooling around growing 
up. But my uncle kept me too busy to get together with friends much. Then 
Biggs left for the Academy, and Cammie and Fixer paired off. The rest 
just thought I was a foolish dreamer, someone to make fun of more than 
anything else."

"And since then?"

"I got a couple offers while you were gone, but those were the first. I 
decided to wait for you, though."

Wedge couldn't stop a pleased smile from spreading across his face. Naked 
and already more than half-hard from just anticipation, he moved over to 
help Luke finish stripping. The kid was beautiful. All pale skin and gold 
hair and one of the prettiest cocks that Wedge had seen.

"Don't worry," he assured the young man. "You'll enjoy this. I promise."

Luke grinned. "I'm counting on it," he said, then suddenly aggressive, he 
pulled Wedge's head to him until their lips met.

Wedge threw everything he had into the kiss, exploring Luke's mouth with 
abandon, and felt Luke do the same in return. By the time they pulled 
apart, they were both shivering, and not just because of the chill in the 
air.

"I thought you didn't have much experience," Wedge gasped.

Luke buried his face in Wedge's neck, mouthing it in a way that sent 
shivers up and down the pilot's spine. "Lack of experience doesn't mean 
lack of imagination," he said. "I've had a lot of experience in my 
fantasies."

Wedge stepped back, grinning. "Well then, let's get under the covers 
before we catch cold and we'll see if we can't turn some of those 
fantasies into realities."

They squeezed together under the covers, this time fully naked and not 
planning on sleeping any time soon. There was a momentary awkwardness as 
they figured out the best arrangement for arms and legs. Then they 
snapped together perfectly, like two pieces of a puzzle.

They just kissed for a while, gently exploring each other with their 
hands and lips. Wedge let Luke set the pace. As he grew more confident, 
Luke's hands became progressively bolder. Wedge was delighted to find 
that once in bed, Luke seemed to toss away any inhibitions that he might 
have had. Luke wanted to play -- a wonderful quality in a lover.

Hands were all over the place now, learning every plane and curve of each 
other's bodies. A light graze along Wedge's hip made him twitch and utter 
a most unlikely giggle.

Luke promptly homed in on that spot, tickling Wedge until he had to roll 
over on top of the younger man and pin him out of self-defense.

They looked at each other for a moment, both of them flushed and 
snickering. Then Wedge lowered himself until their lips met again, and 
their cocks nestled against each other.

He thrust his hips experimentally, and Luke gasped into his mouth. 
Pleased, he repeated the motion, this time a little harder.

It wasn't very complicated sex. Just a slide of flesh against flesh. 
Sweat eased the way, but allowed enough friction to set nerve endings 
afire.

They were both still young enough that it wasn't going to last long. 
Luke's legs had spread as far as they could go, and his hands had moved 
from the back of Wedge's neck to grip at his ass, urging him to thrust 
harder and faster. Wedge could feel the bruises forming already, but was 
hot enough that he didn't care.

Suddenly Luke froze, an expression of near awe on his face. Then he 
arched up as hard as he could and almost screamed. Wedge felt a warm 
moisture spread between them.

He held still and waited for Luke to collapse bonelessly back into the 
mattress. When his own need became too urgent to ignore, he started 
grinding his hips down hard, chasing his own orgasm. He could see Luke 
gasping as the pressure on his own still-sensitive flesh sent aftershocks 
through him, but Wedge didn't care. He needed... He was close...

He cried out his triumph as he added his own contribution to the damp on 
Luke's stomach.

He collapsed, twisting to the side at the last moment so that he wouldn't 
land on top of Luke. He ran a finger over Luke's stomach, then brought it 
to his mouth to taste the flavor combination. Luke's eyes were fixed on 
his face, almost glowing. He held out his hand, and new shivers went 
through him as Luke lapped at it delicately.

When his hand was clean, Wedge wrapped his arms around Luke, drawing him 
a little closer.

"Can we do that again?"

Wedge laughed. "Give me a while to recover, Luke," he said.

Luke cuddled up to him and wrapped arms around his torso, a blond head 
coming to rest on his shoulder. Wedge smiled, and dipped his head for a 
kiss.

Yeah, it had definitely been worth the wait.

* * * * *

EPILOG

Luke sighed, and moved a little closer to the warmth of Wedge's body.

Wedge looked a lot better than he had the last time Luke had seen him, 
floating in a tank filled with Bacta.

Wedge had nearly lost his life to an Imperial drone ship in danger of 
exploding. To keep the engine from detonating, he'd jammed his hand 
between two crystals that were trying to come together, almost losing his 
hand in the process. Luke had just barely been in time to save him.

Luke had wanted to be there when the doctors released Wedge, but a vision 
from Ben Kenobi had already sent him on his way to Bakura in response to 
the drone ship's distress call despite his own lingering injuries from 
his confrontation with the emperor.

Unfortunately, that had been the usual state of affairs for them since on 
Hoth. For the few months before the Imperial attack on the ice-bound 
Rebel base, they'd been inseparable. They'd flown patrols together, 
played sabacc together and in the night Wedge had taught him just how 
much fun the right bed-companion could be.

But then Luke had gone to Dagoba for Jedi training and Wedge had headed 
off to join the main fleet, along with the rest of Rogue Squadron. In the 
year since then, they'd only managed to steal a handful of days together, 
here and there.

Luke had once heard an expression: absence makes the heart grow fonder. 
In their case, it had muted the feelings. They'd easily gone from passion 
to just a deeper friendship than they'd had before.

The sex was still great, though. He was going to miss it and Wedge almost 
as much as he would miss flying with the squadron.

Luke sighed, and turned towards Wedge. "They're sending me to Kornoth," 
he told the waiting man. "A representative to coax them into joining the 
New Republic."

"I heard. You're more valuable in that role than in a cockpit, you know."

"I know." Luke felt a pagn of regret. All his life, he'd only wanted to 
be a pilot. Now he was a Jedi, and like it or not, a diplomat. But 
something inside him told him that it was the right choice.

"I've recommended you as Rogue One," he said, referring to his own 
position as commander of the already legendary squadron that had grown 
out of long conversations on Hoth.

"They already offered it to me," was the sheepish reply. "I said yes."

"Good."

They lapsed into silence again, just enjoying the closeness. There were 
only a few hours until Luke's transport left, and he didn't really want 
to waste the remaining time on sleep.

Finally, he rolled over on top of Wedge and kissed the older man. Wedge 
grinned up and him, and reached down to grip Luke's ass. Luke purred, and 
arched into the touch.

One of Wedge's hands came around to ruffle Luke's hair. "If you ever get 
bored with the diplomatic circuit, you're always welcome in the Squadron."

Luke snorted. "I would certainly hope so," he said in a slightly caustic 
tone. "Considering I helped *create* the squad."

Wedge's grin softened. "And don't close yourself off, Luke. You deserve 
someone who can be there for you more of the time."

"So do you, Wedge," Luke pointed out.

He wasn't sure that he'd have the chance himself, though. Already the 
legends were spreading, calling him the slayer of both Darth Vader and 
the Emperor, even though neither was true. People who didn't know him 
were already flinching away, eyeing him with expressions of mixed awe and 
fear.

But he didn't want to think about that just yet. Instead, he bent his 
head to kiss Wedge again, and they were quickly rolling back and forth 
in the bed, giggling like kids.

Luke grinned. They might not have the romantic sort of love that others 
had, like Han and Leia, but Wedge was one of his dearest friends, and 
would always be a part of him, no matter what might happen in the future.

And who knew? Maybe he would find someone to spend his life with. After 
all, if they could defeat the Emperor, anything could happen.


THE END