Author's Note: So, what's all this then? Well, I have some plot b*****s (can't spell the word out, it just causes them to multiple) that refuse to vacate the premises and let me get on with writing Conversations. I'm hoping by posting them once in while it will let me clear my brain. So far they mostly seem to be Luke/Boba b*****s, which I find amusing since my head cannon for both those characters is that they're Ace, pan-romantic Ace, but Ace nonetheless. But they look so damn cute together in my head.
Warning: Slash, if that's not your thing please turn back now.
Why Are You Laughing? Why Are You Crying?
As it turned out there was someone else on the planet aside from herself, Chewbacca, R2D2, and Luke Skywalker; the scarred old man in the boat looked from Rey to Luke to Chewie and then narrowed his gaze on Luke again with a frown. Luke gazed serenely back, but unexpectedly the corner of his mouth quirked up. The man in the boat raised a scar-broken eyebrow and faintly shook his head. Luke simply tilted his. Bound bundles of some sort of kelp were chucked on the dock, very carefully missing the group standing there, and Luke with a gesture floated them into a stack. Containers of fish followed, but those were tossed more gently than the kelp. Rey couldn't help but notice, feel, a tiny bit smugness radiating from Luke; not much, just a hint.
Then a very small fish smacked into Luke's head.
A globe of water rose up behind the man on the boat and then lost cohesion over his head.
The man in the boat huffed a growl, but finally smiled.
"If I'm feeding another Jedi and a Wookie, Skywalker," he swung himself onto the small dock, shaking himself dry and doing his level best to get everyone else wet, "You're coming out with me sometimes. You can just use the Force to deal with your seasickness."
"I'm not a Jedi," Rey blurted out the same time as Luke said, "She's not my student."
"Jedi," the man simply shook his head in fond amusement, and then looked at Chewbacca, "what are you looking at?"
Chewbacca whuffed a sharp question at Luke.
"No, you can't," Luke said with a quiet laugh, "I've been sleeping with him for two and a half years now and the bed would be cold without Bo in it."
Chewbacca threw back his head a howled.
"Now, you've gone and done it, Skywalker," Boba Fett chuckled, "you've broken the mighty Chewbacca."
Rey had been watching the whole display while gnawing on her knuckles. She decided the only who would give her a straight answer was R2D2.
"Artoo, who is that?" Rey asked.
R2D2 tootled and tweeted.
"You're sure?" she looked from the astromech to the scarred man; he didn't quite seem old enough, "You're Boba Fett?"
"Possibly."
"Rey, yes, this is Boba Fett," Luke finally made a proper introduction, with an exasperated look at the other man, "Boba, this is Rey; Leia asked her to find me."
"Of course she did."
The little house had been well camouflaged - from the outside it looked like a formation of rocks and moss with the odd plant growing here and there. Rey was certain she could have found the entrance if given enough time, but conceded she probably would have fallen prey to the number of security measures before that. The steps leading down the interior were well-lit and clean of any debris that might have blown in from the outside. Artoo had whined about being left behind, but Chewie had told the little droid to return to the Falcon.
Once inside the sunken interior was surprisingly light and airy, the stone walls coated with a faintly blue-tinted white, insulating plasti-seal, except for one gap that was a massive fire-place. And other than what looked like enclosed cubical in one corner, it was one open space. Along one wall was a food preparation and storage area that looked like it would comfortable in any modern apartment on any of the Republic's worlds. There was a table and two chairs nearby that. Three bluish-gray large shapeless bag like things were randomly scattered about the space. There were waist-high storage cabinets against the walls. And farthest from the door was a large stone and wood bed. The rest of the decor could be described as eclectic at best.
It really wasn't a large enough space for the four of them to be truly comfortable in, but two people could live there, if they were familiar enough with one another.
After setting his share of the fish and kelp burden in the food storage unit, Chewbacca huffed a sigh and seat down on one of the chairs. He lowed out a few mournful inquiries.
"I was here first," Boba answered crossly, "I woke up one morning and found him," he jerked his thumb towards Luke, "Hanging in one my traps, meditating."
Rey settled herself in one of shapeless bags and let out a soft noise. It was almost sinfully comfortable.
"He cut me down, told me to stay away, and then retreated like a wild gundark was after him," Luke smiled, taking Boba's hand and guiding them to the bed to sit upon its edge, "after a few days, Bo came and found me in one of the temple caves. 'I don't need a sad-eyed ghost in a bathrobe wandering around.' We went from there."
"And I ended up with a Jedi in my bed," mock-groused Boba pulling away from Luke, but leaning back in momentarily to kiss his forehead, "I am wet, and I am tired, and I'm going to take a shower. I'll make supper after."
Luke looked at Rey and Chewbacca and paled.
"How about I make supper?"
Boba looked over his shoulder as he headed for the cubical that hid refresher.
"One time, Skywalker, it happened one time when I had a cold and couldn't taste anything."
"Bo, the first time I ate with you, I couldn't taste anything for a month," Luke chuckled, "and Chewbacca's sense of taste is far more sensitive than mine."
"Fine, fine, suit yourself," and he disappeared into the 'fresher.
"I've eaten mandalorian cooking before," Rey volunteered, recalling one of her few fond memories of Jakku, "it's spicy, but not that spicy usually, Master Skywalker."
"It's Luke, please." he responded getting up and going to the kitchen area, pausing to pat Chewie's shoulder, "and there mandalorian cooking and there's mandalorian cooking by way of Concord Dawn learned from a Father who consistently mixed up milligrams and centigrams when it came to cooking. I've never asked, but I suspect the Sarlacc spat him back out as too spicy."
Later, after Rey and Chewbacca returned to the Millennium Falcon, Luke dimmed the lights with a wave of his hand, earning his nightly:
"Show off."
It had surprised the both of them at first but it was Boba who latched on and curled up close to his bedmate, unconsciously, leading to some awkward mornings, and then, after saying the frak with it, snuggling up immediately when they went to bed.
"Well, this is going to get interesting," Luke said, moving one arm so it wasn't pinned under where Boba had melded himself to Luke's side. He gently stroked Boba's back, as he continued, "even if we don't leave with them now, Rey will stay and we both know Chewbacca will bring Leia back to try and talk some sense into me about my choice of spouse."
That got him an annoyed huff of warm breath against his neck.
"I could say something about her choice of spouse, but out of respect for the dead, won't. But if I ever see our nephew, I'm shooting him," Boba muttered, "Killing a perfectly good Father like that."
That was one subject Luke wasn't touching with a ten meter pole.
"I built this bed, Skywalker, I intended to die in this bed," Boba rambled on, "then you turned up. Had no clue how to make a shelter here. Didn't even know how to fish. Just some insane idea to follow the Force on your quest to find the first Jedi Temple and it would provide for you."
"And it clearly did," Luke demurred, "you were here."
Boba snorted, but let Luke draw him even closer.
"I was not put here by the Force."
"Keep telling yourself that, Bo," Luke chuckled.
Silence reigned. Breathing evened out, but neither man was asleep.
"We could stay here, Bo" Luke said quietly.
"No, not now," Boba sighed, "I'd better go retrieve up my armor. I can't let you run off on some damn fool idealistic crusade without someone to watch your back."
Luke flipped them so he was covering Boba, startling him; Luke knew Boba hated being pinned down with a passion. Luke's face was buried in Boba's shoulder and neck. Luke was shaking, so Boba re-wrapped his arms around the Jedi Master and held tight.
"Why are you laughing, Skywalker?"
Then a moment later.
"Why are you crying, Love?"