For Cal

[hisfathersimage]

It was two months after Endor.

A perfectly normal (for him) night's sleep was interrupted. It was like a mental hiccup, or a system reboot. He wasn't aware of anything and then-

The bond snapped into place before he gained awareness. It was old and young and familiar, a previously cautious candlelight that felt closer to a hearthfire now, tempered and warming and clear. The memories rushed back as he woke, sitting up with a choked gasp and a flare of Force awareness and anxiety bright enough that he felt Leia awaken on the otherside of the system with it.

He couldn't explain to her. To anyone. All he could do was throw on clothes as he went, grabbing the bare necessities and choking out something about 'Jedi business, another Jedi, I can feel him' before he was loading up R2 and the X-Wing.

Outer Rim.

He went to Botajef. Intersection of major hyperspace lanes. Near Dathomir, near Yavin, it felt significant and right.

And once he was there, he set himself outside of the main city and he reached out, along the bond and just in general, because he knows the bond is good, but at the same time, he isn't confident about it.

Cal Kestis. I'm here. I know you.

Comments

[hisfathersimage]

Both of them have a single person they've told.

It isn't the same for Luke, he's told Artoo some of it over the days of travel, trying to sort out two years of memories with his old, familiar sounding board.

They wait. The Force whispers around him and sometimes it has familiar voices but whereas he would've been overjoyed a week ago, right now, they're not the voices he wants.

He feels when they exit hyperspace. Starts making his way to the port, because he knows that's where they'll have to go and it's taking too long, even if it's not really taking any time at all.

And then-

"Cal!!"

He's barrelling towards the other man, Artoo screeching and whistling behind him and maybe there's a push of the Force in his jump to close the distance between them so he can crash into Cal's arms.

[bunchofscrewups]

For all the anxieties he's felt over the years, there's no space for them now, through the delirious excitement about the fact that Luke has finally caught up and remembers. There's no space to worry about whether it might be weird or awkward, now that he's lived so many more years, except for the split second between him spotting Luke and Luke forcefully - literally - launching himself at him.

At least he didn't worry unnecessarily.

If he doesn't catch them both, it's going to hurt, he also has the time to think before Luke barrels into him. Luckily, he does catch them, if barely, stumbling back for a moment before propping himself up with the Force. After only a couple of steps, he stops, wrapping his arms tight around Luke in turn, burrowing into him with a laugh.

BD is scrambling to find his hold on his back again, and he makes a mental note to apologise to him in a bit.

"Finally you're here."

[hisfathersimage]

Luke's got his arms around Cal's neck and he's half hanging off him (maybe more than half) with his face buried in against his neck. He pushes his happiness, his regret, his relief at Cal through the bond as his hands tighten on the broader shoulders.

"I'm sorry. It took me a while to catch up," he finally whispers into Cal's skin. "And I'm sorry for knocking you off, BD."

[bunchofscrewups]

They'd been born far too apart from each other. Meant to be, maybe, if there is such a thing, but it's not fair that he had to live for so long without Luke by his side. But, of course, it's not Luke's fault, so when he feels that regret, he immediately tries to reassure it. It's fine.

The wait is over now.

BD-1 makes a long, high-pitched protest that makes Cal laugh.

"Hey, let us have this, okay?"

BD knows very well how important this is to him.

[hisfathersimage]

Luke lets go enough to take his own weight on his feet, but promptly tightens his grip again in his new position.

There's no fault. It is what it is. But there's still regret that what is had to be.

Artoo helps out the moment by ramming into their legs. Luke nudges him away and tucks himself in closer. "Ignore him, he's just excited.

"You're bigger," he murmurs after a pause.

[bunchofscrewups]

It's not that he didn't know R2 was there. It was pretty hard to miss him, really, with the screeching. But he doesn't expect to be rammed into, and he jumps a little before briefly looking down at him.

He's not sure he would have interpreted that as excited.

He feels BD-1 jump off his back, and hears him go to greet R2 with some curious beeping, but Luke's words are more important.

"Oh. Really?"

If anyone would notice it would be Luke, who only just saw him at about 20 years old. Which is a ... weird thought.

[hisfathersimage]

Artoo is not subtle when he wants someone's attention, but BD coming down to him will keep him occupied for a while.

"Yeah." His left hand splays over Cal's back, feeling muscle. "You were smaller. Lighter. You've bulked up. It's to be expected, I guess." He finally leans back to look at Cal, really look at him.

He's so different. He hasn't changed. His right hand comes to gently cup Cal's cheek.

"Hi."

[bunchofscrewups]

"I guess."

Obviously, Luke wouldn't look much different, and Cal wouldn't say he expected that either. It's still weird to get a proper look at him and see that he looks just the same as he did all those years ago. Time travel, it turns out, is trippy.

Luke's hand feels just like he remembers. With a warm smile and watery eyes, he tilts his head into the touch.

"Hi. I've missed you."

[hisfathersimage]

Luke's thumb brushes over Cal's cheekbone and that's the same, even if the skin is darker and the jaw that touch heavier. His cheekbones are exactly as Luke remembered. "I missed you too, even just for the last week. I'm sorry it took me so long to get here."

Here isn't a place, even if it sort of is.

Hand still on Cal's face, Luke leans in to give him a soft kiss.

[bunchofscrewups]

For Luke, it hasn't been long. And even though it's been so very, very long for Cal, it's surprisingly easy to just fall back to this. His hands settle on the small of Luke's back as he leans down to meet him, and ...

He can't believe they're so lucky. He's not sure how it is that what everyone always said would happen didn't, and that they could reunite, even if he had to wait for almost twenty years. It's not impossibly lucky, because he can't imagine they wouldn't ever meet even if they'd forgotten, and he's not sure he could imagine not falling for Luke all over again.

But they get to remember. And for all that Duplicity was a miserable place, they got to have a kind of life that he doesn't think will be possible here, for a little bit, and they get to remember it. He'll treasure that forever.

He could burst with the happiness swelling in his chest.

[hisfathersimage]

In the midst of ongoing war and fighting and struggling, they had a holiday that was horrifying at times and at others, was the sort of domestic life they couldn't have as two of the last surviving Jedi.

Cal's happiness is almost a physical pressure between them, bubbling and fizzing and soaking deep through them. Luke feels the same but it can't compare, not to the years of waiting, or living with it and hoping that it would turn out.

He breaks the kiss to laugh with the sheer overwhelming joy. "How did I get so lucky?" It's a whisper, not really being asked, just needing to vocalise the words.

[bunchofscrewups]

He laughs too, and places another brief kiss on Luke's lips before he simply rests their foreheads together. It's a good question, and he's sure he'll be asking himself that many times.

But they're not alone, and with some enthusiastic and questioning beeps, BD-1 clambers back onto his back and peers over Luke's shoulder.

"Oh, yeah," he says with another laugh, and straightens up. "BD-1, this is Luke. Luke, BD-1." There are another few beeps. "Of course I told him about you."

[hisfathersimage]

Luke closes his eyes and leans in, resting comfortably against Cal.

And laughs at the carry on from BD. "Yes, he told me about you, BD, just like I told him about Artoo." He twists to peer at the little droid and offer his right hand for examination, though his glove is still on.

Artoo makes some very rude sounds about BD being allowed to clamber all over people.

"Hush, you'd do it if you were smaller and we all know it."

[bunchofscrewups]

BD-1 happily scans the hand, and makes some appreciative noises about the handiwork. Excitement that is sort of interrupted by Artoo, as he turns around to tell him off. And if this carries on, they might have some sort of fight on their hands, so Cal reaches up to gently bop him on the head.

"And eighteen years ago, he asked permission."

For the most part, he's the only one BD clambers over.

[hisfathersimage]

"Let them fight it out if they need to." His hand goes back to Cal's cheek to turn him into another soft kiss. And then one more. "They'll sort themselves out. I'm more interested in getting us sorted out. I have a place on world, in a different name."

[bunchofscrewups]

But do they really need to? Before Cal can question it out loud, though, Luke is kissing him, and offering ...

"Oh."

Somehow, after eighteen years, he'd not thought that far yet. Maybe because it's been eighteen years and he's too busy just enjoying the feeling of Luke nearby at all.

He smiles, and idly swipes his thumb over Luke's lips before giving him a brief kiss in turn.

"Eager to get a better look?"

[hisfathersimage]

Cal is acclimating to seeing Luke again, unchanged, after so many years.

And Luke... wants to get to know Cal. Because Cal's lived nearly Luke's entire lifetime, waiting for Luke to catch up to this moment. And he wants to learn about that life, this Cal, who he's grown into.

"Yes. Among other things. I want to know the you who has lived the better part of twenty years. Also, you've been flying for a while and a shower wouldn't go amiss." He gives Cal a cheeky grin.

[bunchofscrewups]

There's a lot to learn. Cal's gained a few new scars over the years, usually from mercenaries and bounty hunters, though as time passed people were getting less and less used to fighting a Jedi. That, and his own abilities, particularly his connection to the Force, has kept getting stronger. It's been a while since he's been hurt now. He's not sure he's much different as a person, although he probably is. Fighting the Empire almost non-stop for this long has been both tiring and rewarding, but he definitely wouldn't have done it any differently either.

Even if he was never meant to end their reign, he thinks he's helped people. That counts for a lot.

At the comment about needing a shower, he turns his head to quickly sniff his clothes. And it does smell, but it could be worse, so the way he recoils is mostly a joke.

"Yeah, it wouldn't. It's a good thing you can't smell, BD."

There's a beep if agreement, even if the droid wouldn't really know what he's lucky enough to miss out on.

[hisfathersimage]

Cal's lived a life. And Luke wants to know about it, especially since he wasn't able to share it. He wants to understand what Cal's lived and how he's lived it and who he's lived it with, because it all matters.

And it is a joke. And a little bit of a dirty suggestion. He still has his left hand splayed on Cal's back, holding them together. "Artoo's often told me that he's glad he can't smell biological stink with the places we end up going. But he also doesn't know the joy of getting clean with someone else."

[bunchofscrewups]

"That's true."

It's been a while now. He hasn't committed to abstinence or anything like that, but for the past several years he's been mostly entirely alone. Even if the opportunity had presented himself, though, he's not sure he would have been interested so close to Luke potentially remembering.

But that's enough standing around talking, if they have a room they can withdraw to. He reaches for one of Luke's hands, and takes a slight step back.

"Come on, then."

[hisfathersimage]

Luke gives him a warm smile, lacing their fingers like he remembers doing, even if the hand holding his is that touch broader now than before. He just lets the information of where they're going surface, shares it between them, over the bond and then squeezes Cal's hand again.

"There's charging stations for these two as well. And unlimited hot water."

[bunchofscrewups]

BD-1 stays put on his back as usual as they start walking.

"Wow. I can't remember the last time I had unlimited hot water."

Which is oddly similar to some of the conversations they had on Duplicity. Funny how little things have changed. Of course, it's largely self-inflicted, because he might have been able to find somewhere better if he'd really wanted to, maybe. It just wasn't an option in his mind. He never wanted to hide who he was ever again.

[hisfathersimage]

"I picked it on purpose." Somewhere a little luxurious, because he suspected Cal deserved it. Even if Cal wouldn't think to do it himself.

It's walking distance away. Luke pulls up his hood, as much out of habit as anything, but his hand stays tightly clutching Cal's. Artoo trundles alongside them, quiet for the time being.

[bunchofscrewups]

He gives the hood a cursory glance, but says nothing. Not like he doesn't understand habit. You get accustomed to behaving a certain way when you're potentially hunted, and although the Emperor might be dead, that hasn't secured their future.

But it's looking a whole lot brighter.

"Spoiling me already?" he says, gently nudging Luke's side.

Hopefully it's not actually too expensive for Luke, but he was a pretty successful rebel, to say the least. It would make sense that he had a good amount of money.

[hisfathersimage]

The Emperor might be dead, but a lot of the galaxy doesn't believe it yet and the bounties are still out there.

"Maybe." He nudges back. "I bet you haven't been, so I will."

After two years of doing his best to look after and spoil Cal, it's an easy habit to fall in to, even if it might not be so much of a habit for Cal anymore.