A/N Luke is eight in this one!
"Stars, the newest episode of Octave Stairway was so good." Luke sais, Luke and Aaron were walking through the halls of their school towards their lockers. Aaron flung his hands to his ears.
"Luke don't say anything, I haven't even seen it!" Aaron looked at him concerned.
"Why haven't you seen it yet!?" Luke asked once they reached their lockers.
"Because I prioritize school over hologramas, unlike some people." Aaron laughed. Luke shrugged.
"To each their own." Luke smiled, he looked at the front of his locker and saw a poster taped on the front. "What's this?" Luke muttered, Aaron had one on his locker too. Aaron ripped the paper off their lockers.
"A school lock-in? Oh yeah, I remember the teacher talking about it in homeroom." Aaron said as he held the poster.
"I slept through homeroom." Luke confessed awkwardly, Aaron gave him a look then went back to the poster.
"Its tonight, you wanna go together?" Aaron smiled, Luke looked at the poster. It was the end of the week, he couldn't imagine wanting to stay at school for longer than was required. But it could be fun, the poster listed games and snacks were involved, which seemed to win Luke over. It would be his first night away from his home ever though, but there was a first time for everything.
"Yeah, it will be fun!" Luke opened his locker and put his books in it and closed it. "Hey, have you ever spent the night away from your home?"
"A couple times." Aaron shrugged, "It was to my cousins." Luke contorted his face in concern, he wanted to ask what it was like and if Aaron was nervous. But he would definitely be teased for never having slept anywhere else.
They both headed out to leave the school, Luke held the poster in his hand and looked at it contemplatively. Once they got out to the landing pads and saw Lekauf he turned and waved Aaron goodbye and ran to the speeder.
He hoped in the speeder, "How was school?" Lekauf asked as he lifted the speeder in the air and into air traffic. Luke moved his backpack onto his lap.
"Boring as usual, but apparently my school is having a Lock In sleepover-type thing." Luke smiled.
"A sleepover type thing?" Lekauf laughed, "Wow, you have never left the house to sleep anywhere else." Lukes face grew slightly embarrassed.
"Yeah I know, but this would be cool right?" Luke held up the poster, "Look, snacks and games!"
"You won't be nervous?" Lekauf asked, Luke shrugged.
"I'll be fine." Luke looked out of the speeder as they headed back to his home. Lekauf landed in the hangar, Luke jumped out and ran into the turbo lift. He stretched out with the force and poked at his father's force presence, his father poked back. He smiled to himself and closed their bond, once the turbo lift doors opened Luke darted down the halls towards the conference room.
"Father!" Luke cheered, he set his backpack on the table.
"How was your day, my son?" His father asked, he stood at the end of the conference room table and held a datapad.
"It was good," Luke pulled out the poster he found from school, "Look at what my school is doing tonight!" Luke walked over and handed him the poster. His father held it in his hand and looked at it.
"A lock in?" His father asked, "What is this exactly?"
"It's like a giant sleepover with the school." Luke informed, "The school locks up at night so its safe."
"You wish to partake in this?" His father asked as he placed the poster down on the conference room table.
"Yeah, I think it could be fun." Luke shrugged with a small smile. His father studied him for a moment.
"You have never slept anywhere else before." His father stated, "Do you think you could possibly become scared?" Luke shrank slightly in embarrassment.
"Scared!? Of what I mean- it's just school." Luke reasoned.
"I thought you took every chance you got to get away from your school."
"Well," Luke pointed at the poster, "Games and snacks! My friend Aaron will be there too."
"I see," His father paused, "You may go if you wish." Luke smiled brightly and jumped slightly.
"Thank you!" He cheered, his father tousled Lukes hair. "I'll go get packed now!" Luke turned and left the conference room and pulled out a duffle bag. He grabbed a pair of pajamas, socks, clothes for the morning and his brush. He turned to grab his pillow on his bed when he saw his ducky blanket on his bed.
He looked at it embarrassed, he couldn't possibly bring this to his school. What would they say if they saw that he still slept with something he had since he was a baby. He grabbed it and held it in his hand, it was still soft. He loved this blanket, but maybe he should just leave it behind for tonight. He dropped it back on his bed and packed a couple other things and zipped up the duffle bag.
The Lock-in didn't start for a couple hours, so he passed the time by doing some of his homework. Usually, he and Aaron would do their homework together during lunch, but they didn't get to do it that day. There was a special announcement from a selected student council.
Sometime later Luke finished a dinner he ordered and sat up from his desk, his father then entered the room. "Oh, hi father."
"I wanted to say goodbye before you had left." His father walked further in his room.
"Thanks dad." Luke smiled and grabbed his duffle back and rung it over his shoulder, his father lifted up his hand and his ducky blanket flew into it.
"You are not bringing this?" His father asked him, Luke blinked at him quickly.
"Well- uh, I mean don't you think it's a little babyish?" Luke stammered, his father just looked at him.
"You have never slept without it." His father reminded, Luke sighed.
"I know but-" Luke paused, "The kids at my school will probably think its stupid, or something." Luke slumped.
"Why do you care what they think?" His father asked, still holding the blanket.
"B-Because!" Luke said, "I think I am old enough to not sleep without it." Luke sighed, his father was silent for a moment.
"I see." His father replied, Luke let out a deep breath and looked up at his father.
"Well, I will see you tomorrow." Luke smiled, his father was silent once again and studied Luke.
"Goodbye, my son." Luke gave him one last smile and walked out of the room and down to the lift. He entered the lift and it descended to the hangar, his stomach twisted with anxiety. He was too old for this! He has left his home before and slept on Star Destroyers just fine, this was just the school.
The lift doors open and he walked out to the speeder Lekauf was sitting in, Luke dropped his duffle bag in the back seat and sat up in the front. "You nervous?" Lekauf asked as the speeder rose into the air. Luke looked at him incredulously.
"Nervous!? Of course not!" Luke lied, Lekauf eyed him skeptically then began to tell Luke about his first time at a sleepover. They talked all the way until they reached his school, the sun was beginning to set. The glare of the sun reflected off the skyscrapers and the sky was turning a soft orange as the sun slowly disappeared. It was weird to be at his school around night time, he saw a bunch of other speeders land on landing pads as well.
Luke exited the speeder, grabbed his duffle bag and glanced between the school and Lekauf. A strong urge to jump back in the speeder overwhelmed him, his only chance back home was about to leave.
"Have fun Luke." Lekauf smiled, Luke was about to stop him but Lekauf's speeder began to lift in the air. Luke slumped his shoulders and turned around to enter the school. Groups of kids his age began to enter the school with their friends, Luke squinted his eyes and looked around for Aaron.
He then saw Aaron standing around alone, probably looking for Luke. Luke ran over to him, "Hey Aaron!"
"You made it!" Aaron smiled.
"Of course I did!" Luke grinned, Aaron smiled back and turned around to enter the school, Luke followed. Life Day lights lining the halls and big poster boards with arrows pointing to the large gymnasium. The three followed the signs and opened up to a large gymnasium which was designed head to toe.
One corner had rows of foldable beds ready for students to claim, another side were tables with colorful clothes and a large spread of snacks. The other corner had small family-friendly games, Luke smiled, it was really impressive. Luke and his friends walked in, Aaron ran over to the beds.
"Before the ones next to each other are gone!" Aaron said in a rush, Luke ran after Aaron and noticed how people were choosing beds already. Hopefully Luke and Aaron could get beds next to each other. Once they reached the spread of beds, Luke plopped his duffle bag on a bed and Aaron put his bed on the bed next to his.
Luke pushed down on the bed with his hands to test if it would be comfortable, it felt okay but the bed creaked slightly under the weight. Luke grimaced when he felt the springs under the mattress, he looked up at Aaron skeptically. Aaron gave him the same face, "It will do for tonight." Aaron sighed.
"Wanna go get some snacks?" Luke suggested, Aaron nodded. They left their stuff on their beds and ran over to the snacks. They passed the time by eating sweets and playing games, Luke was able to ignore his worries and anxiety about sleeping somewhere else most of the night. At some point, Luke and Aaron changed into their pajamas. After a couple of hours passed, a woman walked in the gymnasium.
"Alright,it's 2100, lights out. Time to go to sleep!" She announced, there was an audible groan through the crowd. The woman laughed and turned the lights off, there were still twinkle lights throughout the gymnasium on the ceiling. It filled the room with a dull light and somewhat appeared like a night sky.
Luke and Aaron made their way back to their beds, Luke got to his and set his pillow on the bed. He sat on the bed and looked over to Aaron. "Goodnight," Luke whispered, other kids around them whispered to their respective friend groups. Aaron smiled and crawled under his sheets, Luke did the same.
It all came back crashing into him, it felt wrong. This wasn't his home, his bedroom, his bed, he didn't have his ducky blanket, and despite the large group of people around him he felt alone. He was used to sensing his fathers presence before he fell asleep. He tried to shut his eyes, he squeezed them tightly focusing on the dark. His heart began to ache slightly, he opened his eyes and stared at the twinkle lights in the ceiling.
He stretched out with the force, trying to find and sense his father. He wanted his father to connect back with him, sensing his father would put him at ease. He felt nothing, he closed off to the force. He felt stupid for being so childish, he was old enough to not be homesick. Everything was wrong though, he couldn't fall asleep without his blanket and not in his own bed.
He spent the past hour trying to fall asleep. He rolled over side to side, trying to get into a comfortable position. Nothing helped, every time he closed his eyes he felt the urge to call his father and go home over and over again. He would open his eyes and stare into the darkness, he huffed softly and laid back on his back and looked at the ceiling. He crossed his arms over his chest frustratingly and furrowed his brows.
What was he gonna do? It became evident he wasn't going to sleep. He boiled silently in frustration, wishing his father would come and use the force to make him sleep. He wasn't here, maybe that was the problem. As embarrassing as it was to admit, he missed him. It would be so embarrassing to leave now, people had seen him here. What would they say if they woke up and he was gone?
He fiddled with his sheets frustratingly, he stretched out with the force again in an attempt to reach his father. He felt the room softly buzz with sleeping life forms, he seemed to be the only one awake.
"Father?" Luke shot out through the force. He waited silently for a couple of minutes before shutting the bond once again.
He pouted silently, he looked over at his friend Aaron who was sleeping soundly in his bed. Luke slowly sat up in his bed, he couldn't do it. He had to go home, he felt so stupid. He facepalmed then rolled out of his bed and silently reached into his duffle bag. He pulled out his comlink and looked around to make sure no one was awake, he silently moved to the exit doors of the gymnasium and walked out into the dark halls of his school.
It was chilling, they seemed longer in the dark. The hall was lightly lit by the moonlight which seeped through the transparisteel viewports at the end of the hall. He saw a man in a security outfit at the end of the hall, was he supposed to keep the kids in or the danger out. Perhaps both, the man glanced up at Luke then back down at his datapad.
Luke leaned his back against the walls of the hallway and commed his father, it did not take long for his father to answer.
"Are you alright, my son? Why are you calling at 23:30." His father asked, concern clear in his voice. Luke took a minute to respond, wondering if he should just go back in there. But he knew he wouldn't have been able to fall asleep.
"W-Will you come to pick me up?" Luke sniffled, he was getting teary-eyed. It was embarrassing, frustrating, and he was getting tired. He felt stupid now for beginning to cry.
"You want to come home, my son?" His father asked, Luke nodded softly and a tear trickled down his eyes.
"Y-Yes, please." He sniffled again, his father was silent for a moment.
"Alright, I shall come and pick you up." Luke smiled as he felt instant relief for his father not telling him to tough it out. He just wanted to go home, he couldn't believe how relieved he felt.
"Thank you," Luke whispered.
"I will see you soon, young one." The com was cut, Luke let out a sigh and felt his anxieties roll off of him. He pushed off from the wall and quietly walked back into the gym and towards his rollout bed. He kept as quiet as possible, he didn't want people to see him leave.
He slowly grabbed his duffle bag and tucked his pillow under his arm, he sighed softly when he saw his sleeping friend on the bed. Maybe he could make up a lie and say he was sick and that's why he left, Luke turned back to the exit of the gym and quietly walked back.
He walked out into the hall and looked down to the exit doors where the security guard was, he slowly made his way to the door and anxiously fiddled with the strap of his duffle bag. He walked up to the security guard who still looked down at his datapad. Luke awkwardly cleared his throat for attention, the guard's eyes slowly looked up at Luke.
"C-Can I leave please?" Luke asked softly, the guard begrudgingly set down his datapad and looked at Luke.
"This is called a Lock-in, kid. You can't leave." The guard huffed, Luke's eyes widened. They couldn't make Luke stay here could they?
"B-But my father is on his way to pick me up!" Luke furrowed his brow in worry.
"Well, he will just have to leave when he gets here." Luke crossed his arms over his chest.
"So you're just going to make me stay here?" The guard picked up his datapad and looked at it.
"Yup." Luke rolled his eyes and moved to sit against the wall and wait for his father, he didn't care what the guard said he was leaving. Luke sat there for a few minutes until he saw his fathers shuttle land, his heart leaped and sat up.
"It's my father!" Luke said to the guard.
"It's called a lock-in for a reason." The guard shook his head in annoyance, "Tell him to leave and go back to bed." Luke watched as the ramp to the shuttle lowered and his father stepped out, Luke waved to him to get his attention and his father walked towards the door. The guard turned around to see what Luke was waving at and jumped in his seat. "Its Lord Vader!" He whispered.
"Bye!" When the guard stood away from the door and looked at Vader, Luke took this as a chance to leave while he was distracted. Luke ran out of the school and ran to his dad. "Thank you so much for coming!" Luke smiled, his father looked down at him.
"Are you sure you want to leave, my son?" His father folded his arms over his chest, Luke nodded slowly.
"Yeah, I-I can't sleep." Luke looked down, "I thought I could sleep somewhere else, but I can't."
"Luke, you can sleep anywhere. You have fallen asleep at the bridge of a Star Destroyer before."
"Yeah, well-" Luke paused, "I can't this time, I just can't!" Luke waved his arms frantically.
"Wait right here." His father said then walked back into the ship, Luke watched curiously, what was he doing? Soon his father walked back out holding something in his hands. "Perhaps this would help." His father held out his ducky blanket, Luke's eyes widened and looked around.
"What! My blanket-" Luke paused, "Why did you bring it!"
"It may help you in your efforts to sleep, my son." His father still held out the blanket to him, Luke looked at it skeptically.
"Why can't you just take me home?" Luke slumped his shoulders.
"Because this is something I believe you will be proud of if you accomplish." Luke sighed sadly, "If you truly cannot fall asleep within the next three hours, I will pick you up. Take your blanket and try again." Luke stared at the blanket then grabbed it and threw it around his shoulders so it draped over him somewhat like a cape.
"Okay.." Luke muttered, "But pick me up soon! As early as you can!" Luke jumped.
"That can be arranged," His father replied, "Goodnight my son, may you sleep well." Luke smiled.
"Goodnight, father." Luke felt a strong urge to- he quickly hugged his father then ran back in the school before his father could react. When he ran in he saw the guard was gone, he turned back and saw his father walking back into his shuttle. Luke ignored the guard then walked back into the gym with his blanket wrapped around him.
He quietly made it back to his bed and placed his pillow back on it and crawled under the covers, he held onto his blanket tightly. He was amazed how relaxed he felt and at peace, he closed his eyes and soon enough drifted off to sleep.
Luke's eyes fluttered open, at first he was slightly frightened as he had forgotten where he had fallen asleep. But then everything slowly came back to him, Luke sat up slowly then noticed his blanket, he jumped slightly and looked around to see if anyone else was awake. He saw a couple kids sitting up and talking to their friends, no one had seemed to notice Luke had woken up though. He grabbed his blanket and shoved it in his duffle bag so no one would see.
He looked around, light peaked through the transparisteel viewports into the gym, Luke turned to see his friend Aaron sitting up. Aaron rubbed his eyes and looked at Luke and smiled, "Hi Luke," Aaron yawned, "How was your sleep?"
Luke shrugged, "It was alright." He swore to never mention to anyone what happened last night, he couldn't believe he had actually fallen asleep here. His father was right, he was a little proud of himself. Luke then felt a familiar presence wrap around him, his father was here. He then remembered he told his father to pick him up as soon as possible.
"My father is here," Luke whispered, Aaron's eyes shot open. Aaron was slightly frightened of Luke's father, they have only talked a couple times.
"Really?" Aaron looked at the chronometer on his wrist, "My father might be here too." Luke looked around, a small band of kids were making their way to the exit. Luke jumped out of the bed and grabbed his duffle bag and pillow.
"We should probably get going then." Luke yawned, Aaron nodded and rolled out of his bed and collected his things.
"This was a lot of fun- hopefully the school does more stuff like this." Aaron said as they walked to leave the gym and go down the hall. The hall was busier then when Luke was here last, kids sat back against the walls with their bags by their ankles and looked out the door waiting for their parents.
Luke and Aaron walked out of the school, Luke's father wasn't standing outside but say his turned to Aaron and waved goodbye then darted to the ship, Luke quickly boarded the ramp and dropped his bag on the floor. He punched into the control panel to close the ramp and walked into the cock-pit and saw his father. He sat in the co-pilot's seat and smiled.
"I did it! I slept there all by myself." Luke boasted proudly.
"I knew you could, my son." His father said as he lifted the shuttle. "Did you sleep well?" Luke nodded.
"Yeah, after you came I was able to fall asleep pretty easily," Luke said as he looked out of the transparisteel viewport.
"So the blanket helped after all?" His father inquired, Luke sighed.
"Yeah...maybe a little." He mumbled, still feeling slightly stupid he needed that to fall asleep.
"There is no shame in needing something to comfort you, my son." Luke smiled softly as he continued to look out onto the city from the shuttle. Content with himself for staying the night, doing something he had never done before. Happy that his father didn't judge him, he was content, he was happy.
A/N I hope you guys liked this chapter update! I am trying to keep a consistent baby Luke then older Luke fic, let me know what you guys think! I am working on a Baby Luke fic right now!