Who Comforts the Hero...

Part Two

See part one for discliamers


Busy did not begin to cover what the following days were. They may have destroyed the Death Star but they certainly hadn't defeated, killed the Empire. What was left of it was more then sufficient to destroy the Temple where they'd set up their base. And unfortunately, pretty much pretty much the whole of the territory knew where they were now. Hell they were getting tourists coming to check them out. Not really great for security. Yavin IV had to be evacuated, and with no new base established, personnel ended up spread out in smaller bases or shipboard.

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Luke sat in the nearly empty mess hall slowly drinking a mug of something warm. So lost in though, that he didn't even notice when Wedge entered the room and came to stand beside him. He only came back to his surroundings after the other man had called him several times.

"It's late, Luke." Wedge said quietly when he saw that Luke had become aware of him. "Come to bed."

Luke nodded and rose, following the younger man out in to the corridor. As they walked back to the quarters they shared, people called out greetings, or stared in awe. Many of the young rebels looking at Luke with pure adoration and hero-worship.

For Wedge it wasn't as bad, but with so few survivors after the Battle of Yavin they were all called heroes. And it never stopped; the ship was crowded and busy there was never a time you could be anywhere with out others being there. Their only reprieve existed within the privacy of their quarters

They never discussed it. Not even the slightest reference to Yavin in their quarters. And very little mention of any other missions or battles found its way in either. They talked about their pasts, where they grew up; each fascinated by where the other had. Wedge longing for the wide spaces and freedom of Luke's youth. And Luke envying the bustle and excitement of a heavily populated planet right on the space lanes. Sometimes they'd just kick back play vid games, or do something equally childish, not that they'd ever tell anyone that. Nobody ever seemed to remember that these two heroes weren't even out of their teens. Hell, sometimes *they* even forgot they were still that young. It was easy to forget their youth. Neither acted their age as they'd been forced to grow up quickly. Both orphaned and left alone in the world. Wedge was actually the younger of the pair, although though most people thought it was the other way around. Wedge just always seemed far more worldly and serious. He'd had to make his own way before he joined the rebellion as he'd found legitimate shipping just couldn't survive with all the smugglers in the Corellian system. And if he was going to be forced to smuggle he might as well do it for a good cause. As for Luke, orphaned not once but three times. First by parents he never knew then by the murders of his Aunt and Uncle and finally by the death of Ben. He was for more serious than a boy his age should be he just hadn't had as much practice at maturity as his friend.

The similarities in their pasts and the mission against the Death Star was what every one thought held the two men together. Their sharing quarters was common knowledge and unquestioned; space was so tight even heroes had to make sacrifices. What wasn't common knowledge, or known to anyone but them, was that only one of the narrow bunks in their quarters ever got used.

Every night Wedge would find Luke in whatever part of the big ship that he was haunting and bring him home. They would get ready for bed and finally crawl on to the bunk. Wedge would draw his friend into his arms and Luke's head would come to rest on his shoulder or maybe lower on his chest. Then Wedge would lay in silence until he fell asleep with the rebellion's most vaulted hero in his arms.

This night was no different then any other. Wedge sighed softly as Luke drifted towards sleep, instinctively drawing closer to him and throwing one arm across his chest. "Shh... Hero. I'll look after you." He murmured against Luke's hair, then pressed a light kiss to the sandy locks before settling back against the pillow to try to sleep himself.


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