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

[bunchofscrewups]

The feeling of Luke's body against his own, no matter how brief it might be, makes him hum quietly with contentment as his lips spread in a smile. Only half-awake, but it's enough to catch everything, even if it's possible he'll forget about it in between this waking moment and the next.

[hisfathersimage]

Luke sends a pulse of reassurance and affection along the link before slipping out of bed. He wraps himself up in a robe before heading to the droids, rousing Artoo with a hand over his dome. "Next room, buddy, I need to call Leia and I don't want to wake Cal up."

Artoo chirped softly, unplugging himself and trundling to the other room. Luke followed, closing the door over but not shutting it completely.

The hololink took a moment to connect, Leia's worried face appearing. "What's going on, Luke?"

"I'm not the only one," Luke says softly. "His name is Cal, Cal Kestis. He's a jedi. We sensed each other, I had to leave to find him. To make sure."

"Another jedi? How?"

"Being careful? There's more, other... Force things involved. But I'll be here with him for a while. We need to talk. Work out what now, where from here."

"You seem, different, Luke. Is there something else going on?" Leia was astute, but Luke didn't doubt it was also him being terrible at shielding his presence.

"Force things," he repeats.

"Force things," she echoes, sounding dubious.

[bunchofscrewups]

Even if Luke and even Artoo are mindful of his sleep, the soft chirping is enough to get through the haze in Cal's mind. He blinks his eyes open, but doesn't move at all for several seconds, just looking at the wall ahead as he listens to Luke and ... a woman's voice? Is that Leia?

He yawns, and turns over onto his other side again, gathering the covers tighter around him. It would be easy to fall asleep again, but if Luke is awake, he'd rather wait for a bit. Unless Luke has any plans to do something very much like him like leaving to get some lavish breakfast, Cal fully intends to make him get back in bed for more sleep.

[hisfathersimage]

"Look, Leia, I need to go." Cal's sleepy, adorable noises are much stronger than the pull of familial duty. "I'll call you in the next day or two, let you know how it's going."

"Luke, you are okay, right?"

"Yes, Leia. I'm fine. Love to everyone, okay, bye!" He cuts the call before she can try dragging it out any more. And then heads back to the bed, shedding the robe and tugging at the blankets to make Cal let him back in.

[bunchofscrewups]

The shift in Luke's voice makes Cal smile to himself, and it only widens at that hurried goodbye. When he feels the tug on the blankets, he opens his eyes again as he lets go of said blankets to let Luke in.

"Leia?" he asks, and yawns while winding an arm around Luke's waist.

[hisfathersimage]

"Leia," he agrees, snuggling in against Cal to warm up again. Chest to chest, he wriggles down to tuck his head under Cal's chin and closes his eyes for a moment. "I could feel her worrying. Thought I should fix it."

[bunchofscrewups]

With a little bit of effort and wiggling, he manages to get his other arm under and around Luke, and squeezes him briefly. Perfect.

"It sounded like you might have given her something new to worry about," he says with a crooked smile.

[hisfathersimage]

Luke grumbles into Cal's skin. Leia fusses a bit over him, especially since Endor. And he understands why, now more than ever, but that's also something for her to deal with. "She's a big girl," he finally mumbles.

[bunchofscrewups]

"And how soon can we expect to see her if she decides she's not happy with your explanation?"

After all, if she's a big girl, she can fly herself here. Not that he'd be opposed to it, because it should still be plenty of time for them to enjoy each other's company on their own. And eventually he'd like to meet her.

[hisfathersimage]

"She won't fly here herself."

Luke sounds oddly confident about that.

"She probably can't afford the time away with the Alliance in the state it's in. What she'll do is send Han and Chewie if she's not happy with my explanation."

[bunchofscrewups]

He makes a quiet hum of recognition.

"Well ... I'd like to meet them too."

So that's fine. Getting more time with just Luke would be his preferred option, he thinks, but either way is fine.

[hisfathersimage]

"This is my Han," Luke says softly. Not the shadow of the man he knew, that they knew, in that place. This Han doesn't have his odd obsession with a woman Luke can't trust or respect.

"But it will be at least a few days. If they get sent."

[bunchofscrewups]

"Good."

With that, he nuzzles Luke's hair, then closes his eyes again with a pleased sigh. More sleep. He won't be moving until it's midday, at the earliest.

[hisfathersimage]

"You planning on sleeping until someone comes looking for me?" Luke enjoys lazing, but he's also too used to being up and about to sleep more right now.

[bunchofscrewups]

"Mmmm, no. Then I'd miss out on alone time with you."

And that would be a bit too much sleep. But he'll happily get a few more hours in before he decides he's done. Taking the chance when he feels completely secure.

[hisfathersimage]

"Want me to stay in bed with you?" He can meditate in bed as well as sitting elsewhere. Assuming he doesn't fall asleep again wrapped up in warm, safe arms.

[bunchofscrewups]

"Mmmhm." He confirms it without hesitation at first, selfishly, and only realises after a moment or two that maybe it is selfish. "If you don't mind."

There. Because Luke is, of course, free to choose. But Cal, of course, very much wants him to stay.

[hisfathersimage]

"Nope." He pops the 'p' as he says it, snuggling in more. "I might not sleep, but I can meditate perfectly comfortably here." It's sometimes easier to cast into the Force when you're comfortable and able to feel safe drifting your awareness away.

[bunchofscrewups]

"Okay. Good."

It doesn't take him long to fall asleep again, after that. For all his intentions of staying in bed past midday, though, he wakes up again after barely half an hour. Maybe he doesn't have much more in him, considering how many hours they've spent in this bed now.

He doesn't move, though, beyond burrowing his nose in Luke's hair and breathing him in.

[hisfathersimage]

Luke's body is relaxed and heavy, his awareness elsewhere entirely. Since waking up from... whatever it was they experienced, he hasn't had a chance to really stretch what he can do, how far he can reach, because he was focused on reuniting with Cal. Now, with Cal as a safe anchor, he's drifting on the ebbs and eddies of the Force.

He barely turns his attention to Cal when he feels a snuggle, checking if he's waking up or just heading back into sleep. Unseen fingers trail through Cal's hair and across his cheek.

[bunchofscrewups]

The fingers in his hair draw a quiet humming sound from him, and he draws back just enough to press a kiss to Luke's forehead. Of course, just because he might be awake, that doesn't mean they have to go anywhere. He's more than content to stay here, for now. And content to not disturb Luke's meditation.

[hisfathersimage]

Luke's hands rest against Cal's back and his fingers tighten briefly against the skin. There's no pressure to come to immediately, so he lets himself drift back bit by bit, until he's firmly back inside his own skin, warm and comfortable and settled.

He gives a soft hum at Cal and wriggles in against him. "Mornin'. Again."

[bunchofscrewups]

Cal can sense it clearly, the way Luke meanders through the Force on his way back, and he takes that moment to settle back down with his chin on top of Luke's head. And he of course knows when Luke has returned fully even before he speaks, and idly scratches his back as a sort of greeting.

"Morning. I think I actually don't have more sleep in me."

[hisfathersimage]

The scratching draws another happy, contented sound from low in Luke's throat. "Yeah. Happens, unfortunately." He rubs his cheek against Cal's collarbone and stifles a yawn. "Probably some of the best sleep either of us has had in a while."

[bunchofscrewups]

That's a very nice sound. Cal smiles to himself, and starts idly rubbing his hand up and down Luke's back.

"Definitely some of the best sleep I've had in a while." He closes his eyes again, just to relax. "And I'm still staying in bed until noon."