Greetings friends and readers! I have returned from my trip and to this story. Thank you for your kind comments in the reviews. Happy new year!
Leia frowned, clearly irritated. "Yes, with me. But don't worry. I mean sleep as in just sleep. Your virtue is safe with me."
"That's not what I meant," Luke protested. "I'm just . . . I've never gotten an invitation to sleep in someone else's bed."
"Really?" Leia asked, cocking her head to one side. "Never?" Luke shook his head. "Weren't there any girls on Tatooine who were impressed by your flashy skyhopper?" she asked with a smirk.
Luke laughed nervously. "In Anchorhead, every homestead was sealed up tight at sundown. If you kept a girl out past then, the best you could hope for was finding her father at the door with a justice of the peace ready to marry you off."
Leia nodded, the smirk still on her face. "I'm curious. What was the worst case scenario?"
"Finding her mother at the door with a blaster, ready to shoot," Luke said. Leia laughed out loud, but Luke grimaced at the memory. I only wish that was a joke.
As Leia's smile faded, it left a strange expression in its place. "Listen, Luke, if you don't want to . . ." she began, before Luke interrupted.
"I'll do it," he said firmly. "I said I'd do anything, and I will." Then, somewhat self-conscious, he added, "If you think this will help you, I mean, I'm not him."
"I know who you are," Leia said sharply. Then, softening, she said, "Also, thanks."
Luke smiled, struggling to ignore what his heart – and his stomach – were doing. Calm down. We are both adults. There is absolutely no point in being nervous about the prospect of sleeping next to a friend.
Emotional control had never been Luke's strong suit.
Maybe I can settle for pretending not to be nervous, he reasoned. "So, er, how do you want to do this?" he asked, willing his voice not to tremble.
Leia shrugged out of her robe, and Luke steadfastly kept his eyes on her face. "I guess we can just, well, lie down and see how it goes," she suggested.
"Right," Luke said, not trusting himself to offer much more in the way of helpful suggestions. He stood, took off his own robe, folded it neatly, and left it on the desk chair. He quickly slipped out of his shoes. That left him in only a soft shirt (which, in truth, was a size too small) and sleep pants. He noticed that Leia was suddenly not looking at him either. So I'm not alone in thinking this is awkward. Good to know.
Leia drew back the blanket and lay down, scooting in towards the wall. She turned onto her right side and got comfortable. Luke sat down next to her and hesitated for a moment. He usually slept on his right side, too, but turning towards her seemed too familiar. The man she loves probably turned towards her. He wouldn't like it very much if I took the same place. At that moment, Luke decided then again, I'm never telling Han about this night no matter how I end up sleeping.
After another second of waffling, he lay down and turned onto his left side. His back pressed up against Leia's, and the warmth of her body soon spread through him. "Are you comfortable?" he asked.
"More so than I have been in weeks," came the answer.
Luke could feel the hard edge of the mattress digging into his left knee. The bed ended no more than three centimeters from his face. If only this bunk were just a tiny bit wider, I might actually be able to get comfortable. "Good," he told Leia. "Let me know if you need me to move over, or anything."
"Thanks," Leia said, her voice already starting to sound sleepy.
Luke tapped the bedside panel to turn the lights out. He stared at the far wall until his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He'd gotten into the habit of doing that at night, though he wasn't sure why. He took the time to breathe, and work on quieting his mind. His missing hand still ached. When he paid attention to the pain, he inevitably started thinking about why it hurt, and what had happened, and what Vader had said . . . that line of thought could keep him awake all night. Sleep is powerful, Master Yoda had told him once. Deny it to yourself, you must not. Luke focused his efforts on ignoring the pain.
"Leia?" Luke said softly, as his exhaustion began to catch up with him.
"Mm?" she mumbled from her side of the bed.
"Thank you for coming for me, after Bespin," Luke said. "I never said thank you."
After a moment of silence, Leia replied, "Thank you for coming for me, tonight."
"Anytime," Luke whispered.
In ten standard minutes, they were both sound asleep.