SUMMARY: Luke and Anakin discover that fame isn't always easy.

NOTE: I needed more father-and-son bonding moments. This is a stand-alone story that's set in "The Truth" universe, shortly after the original story ended with Palpatine's demise (in chapter Shatterpoint). It's not necessary to read the original, but the basic background is: Luke is 17; Vader found him 2 years earlier; Vader is now suitless Anakin.

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His son was perched on the edge of the balcony, swinging his legs casually while eating a shuura.

Not eating, Anakin corrected himself. It looked more like licking or… slurping. "What are you doing?" He joined Luke on the ledge, taking a moment to gaze over the cityscape that stretched around them, feeling for dangers but finding none that was imminent.

Luke studied the pear that was shiny and wet but unmarked by teeth. "Didn't you see the Coruscant Today update? We're supposed to be at the ceremonial groundbreaking in a couple hours. Hah– as if we hadn't broken enough ground already!"

"Yes. You saw our schedule yesterday. Why has this become a concern? And haven't you had breakfast? If you're hungry, stop playing with the shuura and eat it."

"Daaad. I'm not playing with it and I'm not eating it!" The blue eyes (he'd never tire of his renewed ability to see their true color) widened accusingly. "I'm practicing! Didn't you read the Today's Comments section?"

He slid sideways to rest on his elbow, one leg bent, lounging in a precarious position that no one except a Force user would assume unless their intent was suicide. It was a long way down from the penthouse in 500 Republica. "Somehow I missed the gossip. What's discombobulating you, Bug?"

"It says everyone should bring their babies to be KISSED!" The youngster drew a long breath and added through clenched teeth: "By Little Luke!"

Anakin winced. "Sorry, I haven't been able to discourage that nickname. I warned the media outlets not to repeat it, but it's become common vernacular –"

"Not that! Well… yeah, that too, but they want me to kiss babies!" Luke sent him a pleading look. "I've never even held a baby and now people want me to slobber on them!" He glared at the fruit as if it were a –

Oh. "You're using a shuura to practice kissing babies? Don't throw it!" he added quickly, when Luke's face pulled in disgust as he looked at the item. "You could kill someone down below."

They blinked at each other, sharing the identical thought that between them, their body count was unfathomable. Luke cleared his throat. "Right. Fine. The point is, I don't know how to kiss a baby! Don't they squirm and wriggle and spit? And smell?! They're gross and… terrifying!"

He didn't probe their link because it was simply more fun to allow his son's thoughts to regurgitate out his mouth. "I see. Yes, I suppose they do all those things. You probably did them too, and not so long ago."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Well?"

He had to squeeze his lips to stop a smile. "I doubt they will misbehave while you're holding them."

"ME?! Oh no, I'm not holding babies! Not even one baby!"

The look of horror pushed him into mischief. "Of course you are. Unless their guardians can be convinced to keep hold of them."

"But what if they –"

"If anyone attempts to hand over a baby, push them away with the Force. They won't realize it's you, they'll simply think that someone in the crowd shoved them –"

"Crowd? You think there's going to be a crowd? Ugh, this gets worse by the second."

"Of course there will be a crowd, probably hundreds. Or thousands. And all with babies. We're famous, it comes with the territory. Luke, I cannot believe that after you faced Sidious, you're afraid of babies."

"I'm not afraid!"

Anakin raised an eyebrow. You will be.

"Very funny. Not. How about some practical advice instead of torturing me?"

"Very well. To kiss a baby, keep your lips closed and brush them against the child's cheek. No licking or slobbering or whatever you were doing to that poor fruit."

Luke pouted. "Okay, let me try it on you."

Resigned, Anakin turned his cheek. His son kissed him with a resounding smack! sound.

"What did I say?" He wiped wetness from his skin. "Keep your mouth closed tightly."

"Fine! Let me try again!"

"Do it on the shuura," Anakin ordered and added sadistically because it amused him: "Mouth tightly closed…. Yes, like that. You don't want to spread germs between babies. You don't know where their hands have been, then they put their hands in their mouths and on their faces, and they might drool all over you and your beautiful clothes."

"You're just mean," Luke decided. He looked at the pear and took a bite out of it, mopping away the juice from his chin.

"True. And you're just sloppy." He grinned. "I suppose you could do an air kiss. Like this." He leaned over and kissed an inch away from his son's cheek.

"Oh. Okay! Let me try." Luke repeated the gesture but included sound effects.

"It's not necessary to make that loud smacking noise!" Anakin shook his head. "Sometimes I question your age and maturity."

"Whatever that means." Luke slid him a glance. "Hey… is kissing a baby the same as kissing a… you know… another adult?"

He was taken aback for a few seconds and almost said no, but thought better of it. "I… yes, it is, exactly like that. Always keep your mouth closed and use the air kiss to prevent sharing bacteria. At any rate, you are much too young to be thinking of kissing an adult."

"Sure. One second it's okay for me to face Darth Sidious, the next second I shouldn't kiss anyone. You know, I see how they do it in romance holos. I'm not naïve."

They were quiet. He wondered if his son actually wanted to kiss someone. It didn't seem likely, but…. "Is there a particular person you wish to kiss?"

"No." Luke wrinkled his nose. "I don't want to kiss anybody, but I feel I should be prepared just in case someone tries to kiss me. Not that I want them, too, of course. I just think I should practice. Am I doing it right with the pear? How did you… you know… learn kissing?"

"It came naturally." This was an unsettling conversation and potentially an embarrassing one.

"Did you kiss anyone before my mother?" Luke persisted.

He straightened and swung his legs over the edge. Maybe he should jump. "I practiced so I'd be ready in case the opportunity arose."

"Oh. Like I want to do." Luke held out the fruit. "Did you practice like this?"

"No." Really, he was making too much of this. His son required practical instruction. "I used the base of my thumb. It was always available."

Luke gaped at him. "Wow. Almost TMI, yet useful. Like this?" He stuck his thumb in his mouth.

"No!" Sith help him. "At the thenar eminence."

"The what? Did you just look that up?"

"Have you neglected your anatomy studies?"

"Daaaad!"

"At the base of the thumb, before it meets the wrist. It's rounded, soft yet firm. It's perfectly shaped for your mouth to mold against.… Anyway, it's comfortable and… there's no commitment."

His son was staring at him. Luke inhaled, then blinked a few times. "Show me how you do it!"

"I don't – it was – I was young, I was nervous about seeing Padmé again, I was –" He stopped when Luke began to giggle. "Are you 'yanking my chain' again? You should be more cautious, young one!"

"Hah!" A smug expression was turned on him. "I was sorta serious. I have to be prepared for baby kisses. Just like you have to be prepared for all the selfie hugs."

"All the what?" It was his turn to feel discombobulated.

"It says that right in Today's Comments. You really should read this every morning." Luke picked up his tablet and read: "Bring your baby to be kissed by Little Luke and get your own selfie hug with the Hero himself, Anakin Skywalker."

He shook his head and slipped off the parapet, pulling Luke with him. "We need a new PR person. I'm contacting the editor and ordering them to announce that we are not kissing and hugging!"

"Not even each other?" his son asked with false innocence, fluttering his lashes.

Which told Anakin that he had been set up much earlier in this conversation. "Bug. Shame on you for teasing your old man!"

The familiar sunny smile beamed up at him. "Sorry, Dad. You're easy to tease."

"It's a family trait." He gave Luke's elegant outfit a once-over and flicked absolutely nothing off the shoulder, then straightened the jacket. "You're not wearing this, are you?"

Luke was suddenly stricken with doubt. "What's wrong with it? It's gorgeous!"

"True." Anakin shrugged as he walked indoors. "But velvet isn't slobber-proof," he called, and was pleased to hear his own baby whine with dismay.

"Daaaaaaad!"