Archive of Our Own ^beta

Luke would be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous about staying for dinner.

So much had happened in only a matter of hours. Being prepared to fly back to Coruscant only for Maz to lay everything out on the table, making the snap decision to stay in Mos Pelgo even though he’d been so sure that he needed to leave, to create that distance. Arriving at the general store, desperate to find Din only to find out he’s gone and chased him to the airport and if he wasn’t already falling for him then that moment definitively sealed the deal.

And now here he is, standing at Din’s sink with Grogu who’s up on a step stool, being shown the correct way to wash the root vegetables by a very serious Grogu, all the while stealing glances at Din from across the way. He’s utterly entranced, watching Din glide gracefully from cutting and seasoning the meat to juggling three pans at once on the stove. He’s so unapologetically confident in this setting, a soft tune hummed beneath his breath as he dices the vegetables, only to glance up and realise Luke is staring. Again.

Having helped Grogu clean up their station, the little boy running to the lounge area where his colouring books await, Luke dries his hands off on a dishtowel before approaching Din. Sliding his arms around Din’s waist from behind, he goes up on his toes, peeking over his shoulder to see what all he’s doing here on this side of the kitchen. He angles his head to Din’s right ear, speaking into it quietly.

“You’re unbearably sexy while cooking.”

Din freezes, the pan slipping slightly on the stove. Luke grins as he presses a kiss to Din’s neck, about to back away when Din catches his hand.

“You can stay,” he murmurs.

Luke tucks a shy smile between Din’s shoulder blades, more than happy to remain pressed up behind him for the remainder of the cooking.

The whole apartment smells of deliciously braised meat and stir-fried vegetables by the time they’ve moved to the dining table. Din sits at the head of the table, Grogu on his left and Luke on his right.

“Thanks,” Luke murmurs with a shy smile as Din helps him plate up. “It smells delicious.”

“Yeah…” Din breathes. He looks a little dazed like he can’t quite believe this is happening. Honestly, Luke’s still a little in shock himself.

They’re brought out of their impromptu love-struck gazing when Grogu slaps a flat palm on the table, the both of them startling at the loud noise.

“Sorry,” Din says after he’s helped Grogu with his own serving. “I usually have my aid off by now so Grogu’s used to getting my attention like that,” he murmurs with an apologetic look.

“Oh…” Luke hums, thinking a second. “Well, you can take it off. If you want to, of course.“

Din looks shocked at the suggestion. “You… You wouldn’t mind?”

Luke shakes his head, gently laying his hand on Din’s. “This is your safe space, right? The place you come to at the end of the day to sort of… get away from the outside world?”

“Yeah,” Din murmurs in awe. “Exactly.”

“I don’t want you to sacrifice that just because you don’t want to inconvenience me,” Luke explains. “I want you to feel as comfortable around me as you are with Grogu. Which includes you not having to wear your aid if you don’t want to.”

“You really mean that?”

“I really do. Besides, I need all the practice for signing I can get, and who better than you two?” Luke’s aiming for light but he knows by Din’s expression that this is a big thing for him.

“You’re really sure?” Din asks, starting to reach for his ear.

Luke nods. “I am.”

His lips ticking downward in that frown-smile Luke adores, Din reaches up and unhooks his aid from his ear, tucking it into the front pocket of his flannel for safekeeping. He rubs the shell of his ear before picking up his cutlery again.

Luke signs one-handed, speaking while he does, “Does it hurt?”

Din waves his hand in a so-so gesture. “It pinches a bit if I wear it for too long.”

Luke reaches up, gently rubbing his thumb where he can feel the indent from the aid sitting there all day.

“Here?”

Din visibly swallows, grip tightening on his fork.

“Y-Yeah.”

Curious, Luke lets his fingers lightly trace the shell of Din’s ear, tucking a stray curl back. He watches in fascination as dusty rose blooms high on Din’s cheeks, the tips of his ears heating beneath Luke’s touch.

Interesting…

Tucking this little piece of information away for later, Luke withdraws his hand, putting on his best innocent face as he takes his first bite of dinner. He can’t help the little appreciative moan he gives at the juiciness of the meat, the perfect seasoning of the vegetables with that hint of tang from the soy sauce.

Grogu giggles at his reaction, Luke sending him a conspiratorial wink across the table.

I could get used to this, Luke thinks, he and Din sharing a secretive smile before digging back into their meals.

*

“Thank you again for the meal,” Luke signs later that night. He and Din are hovering at the entrance to the store. Grogu has long since been put to bed, allowing Luke and Din plenty of time to sign over a pot of tea, their ankles hooked beneath the table and shy smiles hidden behind the rims of their mugs.

“I’m glad we could do this,” Din says as he signs, hoping his voice is pitched low enough that it won’t disturb a slumbering Grogu upstairs.

He’d been taken aback when Luke was so open about him not having to wear his aid. He’d feared that maybe it would cause an issue, that Luke would quickly realise that trying to communicate with Din could be frustrating. And yet they’d run into no issues at all, managing to carry an hours-long conversation with sign and carefully mouthed words, Din quietly speaking just in case so Luke could follow. There were more than a few times when Luke asked him to repeat a sign, trying to copy it so he could add it to his growing vocabulary.

It was enjoyable, dare Din say it, incredible even. Besides Grogu and Boba, Din’s rarely felt easy communicating with others without his hearing aid in, afraid that he’d miss something important and cause frustration in his conversation partner for when they’d inevitably need to repeat themselves or have to re-phrase what they were saying so Din could follow.

But with Luke, it was so easy, the times that one of them did miss something bringing with it soft laughter and a learning moment rather than frustration. It almost felt too good to be true.

“Do you have a place to stay the night?” Din asks, the fingers of his dominant hand starting apart at the top of his head before moving down to end below his chin, the fingers touching together with his thumb for sleep.

Luke nods, finger-spelling Cody’s name.

“They have a spare room,” Luke explains, faltering a second before he remembers the sign for spare.

Din nods, offering a thumbs up that has Luke chuckling. He hesitates a second before adding, “I’m glad you decided to stay.”

Luke rocks on the balls of his feet, eyes ducking shyly to the floor a moment before he looks back up at Din, mouthing clearly, Me too.

They both hover, Luke’s eyes wide and expectant. Din leans in, Luke sucking in a small breath before Din gently presses his lips to Luke’s. Luke hums, the vibration transferring through where their lips are connected, causing Din’s chest to flutter.

Luke teasingly tugs on Din’s bottom lip as they part, grinning softly.

“Goodnight,” he signs, pressing the flat fingers of his right hand to his chin before laying the hand over his left.

“Ret'urcye mhi,” Din whispers in return.

Din waits until Luke’s headlights have disappeared down the street before shutting the door. The lock clicks into place, Din leaning back against the door with a long, happy sigh. He places his fingers to his lips, the skin slightly tingling from the leftover sensations of his good night kiss.

Smiling softly to himself, Din pushes off the door, quietly thanking the Makers and the Manda both for what was probably the best evening of his life.

*

Plunging into the unknown depths of a relationship goes far smoother than Luke expected. Maybe because a strong foundation had already been built in their friendship. That plus the relief of actually being able to show their affections, to explore their feelings for one another openly without fear of rejection, makes slipping into his new routine all the more sweeter.

Luke usually starts his day at the flower shop, helping Obi-Wan and Cody with opening and set up. They’ve been extremely gracious hosts considering Luke had decided without warning to stay in Mos Pelgo. He can’t stand the idea of going to the lake house, not yet. Obi-Wan and Cody said Luke could stay with them however long he needed until he was ready to face the lake house head-on. While they refused to let him pay a rent fee, Luke could at least do his part in keeping the space clean, doing dishes and helping out in the store.

When lunchtime comes around, Luke pops over to the little café on the corner for some lunch options before heading to the general store. As soon as Din spots him coming through the doorway, he breaks into the sweetest of smiles, Luke waiting until he’s free of customers before coming up to the counter and greeting him with a kiss. The first few times earned them some catcalls and wolf whistles from the Kebi’yaimi usuals, but after a while the jokes get old, and they’re left to their own devices, Luke and Din more than happy to enjoy a stolen moment together for lunch in the lounge area.

Luke doesn’t come round to Din’s for supper every night, Luke wouldn’t dare try to impose like that, not after all Din’s already done. No, he patiently waits for Din’s shy invitation, his usual excuse being there will be too much leftover.

“I’m used to cooking for a larger group,” he explains the first time, earning more than a few amused snorts from said larger group who had once been Din’s secret helpers.

Those nights Luke comes round for dinner are so sweet in their simplicity, in their domesticity. He enjoys helping Din in the kitchen, seeing Din so comfortable in his home, enjoys talking in sign and being so warmly welcomed by Grogu into this new routine.

Evenings are whiled away on the couch, either watching a movie or playing board games and once a yawning Grogu is put to bed, Din and Luke enjoy a bit of extra alone time, usually over cups of tea. They play twenty-one questions and never have I ever, silly games that give way to truths and revelations about one another, like how Din can’t stand the taste of liquorice and how Luke is terrible with dealing with the cold.

“Coruscant can get to Hoth levels of cold, I kid you not!” he argues, Din chuckling softly.

Sometimes the conversation will give way to a natural lull, one where kisses replace questions, quiet and exploratory and so very sweet.

It’s been a long time since Luke has experienced this, the gentle beginnings of a relationship where you discover something new every day, another treasure unearthed by your partner that clicks into the larger puzzle of understanding.

Luke could admit, there was a slight thrill that came with the knowledge that he was Din’s first, that just as Luke is discovering these little bits of knowledge about Din, Din is learning them about himself as well. Like the fact that Din’s ears are sensitive.

Luke had noticed it that first night they shared dinner, the flush that had spread high on Din’s cheeks with a mere touch to the shell of his ear.

He doesn’t test his theory right away, not wanting to rush into anything and especially not wanting to overwhelm Din with too much at once. He’s already left breathless by a good night kiss with just a little bit of tongue. When Luke first introduces teeth into the mix, gently nibbling on Din’s bottom lip, it’s like the wheel’s been invented all over again. Din is attentive and eager to learn, to explore and get lost in the simple pleasure of a kiss. It's a reminder Luke didn’t know he needed, the intimacy and closeness one can experience without there being anything inherently sexual to distract and detract from the sensation.

Tonight is a perfect example. Din is leaned up against the kitchen counter, he and Luke having dropped off their empty tea mugs at the sink only for Din to swoop in and steal a kiss, whispering something about Luke in the moonlight that’s irresistible which makes actual butterflies flutter in his tummy—something he’s never experienced before with previous partners.

Luke is standing between Din’s legs, keeping a little distance so as not to crowd Din, his hands resting on Din’s chest while Din cups his face, thumbs drawing streaks across his freckled cheekbones that leave a blush in their wake. Luke edges his kisses to the corner of Din’s mouth, Din nuzzling his nose at Luke’s temple as Luke trails his lips across Din’s jaw, nearing his prize. Pressing a kiss to the soft spot just behind Din’s ear, Luke can’t help the little spark of victory he feels when Din sucks in a sharp breath.

Luke pulls back, mouthing his words clearly for Din to read. Is this okay?

Din nods, eyes a little dazed as his hands come to rest on Luke’s hips.

“If you need me to stop, tell me?” Luke asks.

“I’ll double tap you,” Din whispers, his fingers giving Luke an example tap.

That’s the other thing about Din. He’s a little afraid of being vocal. Luke thinks it’s maybe to do with the fact he doesn’t have his aid in most of the time when they do this, that he doesn’t want to risk being too loud and waking Grogu. There could maybe be more to it, but again, Luke doesn’t want to push where pushing isn’t needed right now. Din’s comfort during all of this is what’s most important to him.

Pressing a chaste kiss to Din’s lips, Luke reaches up, brushing a stray curl behind Din’s right ear. He visibly shudders at the touch, hands flexing where they’re still resting on Luke’s hips. Moving slowly so Din can pull back if he wants to, Luke goes up slightly on his toes, his lips giving a playful nip at Din’s earlobe. Din shudders again, his exhale shaky, but he doesn’t give the double-tap. Feeling a little more confident, Luke takes Din’s earlobe between his lips, sucking gently on it as he drags his lips away.

A soft moan leaks past Din’s lips, fuelling Luke as he peppers soft kisses up the curve of Din’s ear, his fingers carding through Din’s curls. When he traces the tip of his tongue around the shell of Din’s ear, Luke isn’t prepared for the downright sinful groan it rips from Din’s throat. They both freeze, a little startled. Luke pulls back to find Din’s eyes wide in shock like he’s gone and surprised himself.

He shakes his head, murmuring, “Sorry. Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so loud—”

Gently cupping Din’s face, Luke makes sure he’s holding his gaze as he says, “It’s okay. I liked it.”

Din holds up his finger in a one moment gesture, his hand digging in his jeans pocket. Slipping on his aid, Din clears his throat, his eyes averted.

“Sorry. About just now—”

“Din, look at me?”

Din wavers for a second before, slowly, bringing his nervous gaze up to meet Luke’s.

“Do you think I don’t like your voice?” Luke asks. “Is… Is that something that’s been a problem with others in the past?”

Din slowly nods, looking close to ashamed.

“Without my aid in, it’s hard to know if I’m speaking too loudly or not. I hate the idea of making someone uncomfortable so I just… don’t say anything. I guess… I’m a little self-conscious about my voice.”

“Can I ask why?” Luke asks, “If you’re comfortable sharing?”

Din nods, taking a steadying breath and letting it out slowly. “I don’t have a distinct deaf accent like others who are born deaf, but people have said before that I tend to sound robotic and monotone when I speak. I don’t really know when to inflect at times, especially if I’m not wearing my aid.”

Luke shakes his head, unable to comprehend why anyone would think it was okay to make Din so self-conscious about a piece of himself.

“Darlin’, I love your voice,” Luke insists, his words rushing forward in his fervour. “It’s deep and throaty and it actually kind of almost sounds like a constant bedroom voice.”

“B-Bedroom voice?” Din stammers.

“Well, yeah, you know like…” Luke purses his lips thinking of the best way to explain. “Like a certain tone you use to get your partner riled up, especially if you like dirty talk.”

Din’s eyes widen, looking close to popping out of his skull. The poor man’s cheeks are so red Luke’s worried he might overheat.

“Sorry, too much?” Luke asks with a wince.

Din shakes his head rapidly. “No, no. I just… I’ve never… I don’t really know anything about this stuff.”

“You’ve never… watched porn or anything? Never been curious?” Luke asks, keeping his tone light, trying not to make Din feel put on the spot.

Din averts his gaze, shaking his head mutely.

“Din… are you ace?”

Din frowns, lips slightly pursed in thought. “I don’t know to be honest. Boba asked the same thing when I first started cooking for you. I think… I think I’ve always just been drawn to you. Other people… I can see objectively why someone could be considered attractive, but I can’t just look at someone and think, ‘I’d like to kiss them’. Except…”

“Except?”

“Only with you,” Din admits on a rasp. “Only ever with you.”

Luke sucks in a sharp breath, slightly off-kilter by the unexpected admission. He lightly traces shapes through Din’s shirt with his finger, Din’s thumbs glancing the bare skin of his lower back from where his shirt has ridden up.

“Is sex something you’d be interested in?” Luke asks. “Not that that’s going to be a dealbreaker,” he’s quick to assure. “If you’re not, that’s okay. If you just want the kissing and cuddling, that’s already enough. I just… I don’t want to cross any lines and make you uncomfortable or worse make you feel like you have to say yes just because you think it’s what I want. I need you to know that you have every right to say no, and I’ll always respect that. I never, ever want to force you into anything. And it doesn’t just have to be with sex. If maybe you’re not comfortable with any touches or kissing or whatever, just tell me and I’ll give you your space.”

“I… I appreciate that,” Din says, words a little stilted as he tries to give form to what he’s thinking. Luke’s more than happy to wait, to give Din the time he needs to think this through. Din’s crossed his wrists behind Luke’s back, his shoulders curling in towards him like an apostrophe as his forehead gently bumps with Luke’s.

“I think… I’d like to try more than just kissing with you. Eventually. If we could maybe just keep it slow for now?”

“Of course,” Luke agrees readily. “I’ll always check in with you, I promise.”

“It goes both ways,” Din promises, his arms flexing around Luke, holding him a little closer.

Luke breaks into what is probably that silly slant-ways smile of his that he used to feel a little self-conscious about, but Din’s said before how much he loves Luke’s smile, comparing it to sunlight and summer breezes.

“Thank you, for opening up to me about all this.”

“Thank you for listening,” Din returns. “And also being so understanding.”

Luke shrugs, his forearms draping over Din’s shoulders as he tilts his face up. “I like you, Din. All of you. Especially that bedroom voice of yours.”

A startled laugh bubbles past Din’s lips, his cheeks heating where he hides his face in the crook of Luke’s neck.

“I mean it,” Luke insists, chuckling now too at the sugary-sweetness of this moment.

“Do you wanna stay the night?”

Luke pulls back, eyebrows climbing up past his hairline in surprise. “Stay?”

“To sleep?” Din says, brown eyes nervously darting across Luke’s face, gauging his reaction.

“I’d love to,” Luke whispers, his heart fluttering at the pleased little grin it earns from Din.

Pushing off the counter, Din takes Luke’s hand in his own, quietly leading him down the hallway towards the bedrooms. Grogu’s door is on the right, bearing the letters of his name in different shades of green. Din leads them into the room on the left, Luke unable to stop his jaw from dropping as he takes in the beautiful interior design. Din’s kept to the orangey beachwood and green colour palette established in the rest of the apartment, the walls painted a soft cream with a sage green accent wall where the headboard of the double bed is pressed against. The sheets are a warmer, deeper green, with burnt orange decorative pillows and an extra velvety blanket in the same orange colour running across the foot of the bed. There’s a little wicker chair with green cushioning tucked into the corner next to a small, over-stocked bookshelf and a provincial oak armoire. A quick peek into the en-suite reveals a claw-footed brass tub and rich forest-green tiling covering all four walls.

“Would you like to borrow some pants?” Din offers, already digging in the bottom drawers of his armoire for some pyjamas.

“Won’t they be a little big?” Luke teases.

Din purses his lips adorably as he gives it serious thought, Luke chuckling as he joins him at the armoire.

“Do you have some sweatpants maybe with a drawstring?”

“That I do,” Din says, handing them over.

With a quick kiss on Din’s cheek a wink, Luke pads over to the bathroom to change. Even with the drawstring, the sweatpants are still on the large side, pooling a little around the ankle where the extra leg length isn’t being used but Luke doesn’t mind. Folding his jeans over his arm, Luke tentatively knocks on the bathroom door.

“Din?”

“You can come in.”

Din turns as Luke re-enters the room, Luke’s hand coming up to smother a giggle when he sees what’s printed on Din’s sleep shirt. It features Snoopy lying face-down on the floor, the words NOPE, not today written above and below his passed-out figure.

Din looks down at his torso, huffing a laugh through his nose.

“Cara got it for me.”

“Of course she did,” Luke giggles.

He can’t help his eyes from darting to the bed before looking back up to Din in question.

Din rubs the back of his neck, his eyes darting to the hardwood floor.

“Um… Well, it’s probably obvious but I don’t sleep with my hearing aid in.”

“Do you have an alarm in the morning?” Luke asks with an interested tilt to his head.

Din nods to the alarm clock on his bedside table. There’s a thin secondary wire snaking between it and beneath Din’s pillow.

“There’s a sensor I keep beneath my pillow. It vibrates when my alarm goes off.”

“Huh… Honestly, I think I’d prefer that to a sound alarm.”

“It’s certainly a gentler way of waking up,” Din agrees.

Shuffling beneath the covers is a little awkward, though isn’t it always when you’re sharing a private space with someone else for the first time? Din slips out his aid, setting it up to charge overnight beside his phone. Luke’s own battery is getting low, but he’s made sure to message Obi-Wan and Cody to let them know he won’t be coming back for the night.

Laying on his right side, Luke tucks his arm beneath his pillow, knees slightly curling as he makes himself comfortable. Din’s doing the same, facing him with a shy little smile.

“Hi,” Luke says. Din chuckles, low and rough, whispering a soft, “Hi,” in return.

“It’s been a while since I’ve done this,” Luke admits.

Din arches a brow in question.

Luke raises his hand to his forehead, fingers apart, then draws a line to his chin, bringing his fingers together. He then forms the A sign with both hands, placing the knuckles together following by holding up the index finger of his right hand, palm facing him as he draws a small circle.

“Sleeping with someone?” Din whispers, Luke nodding.

“My past relationships were more flings than anything serious,” Luke explains, keeping his words slow for Din to read. “I think… I was trying to distract myself. And maybe also fit in more with the club scene in the city. But I grew bored of it really quickly and I didn’t like who I was becoming.”

Reaching out, Din cups Luke’s jaw with his right hand, Luke leaning into his touch.

“Are you happy now?” Din asks. “With yourself?”

“I’m getting there,” Luke admits. “I think… Mos Pelgo is good for me. The people here… They like me. The real me. Not the persona I had to create to get my art seen.”

Din considers him a moment, the moonlight filtering in through the curtains igniting the gold in his eyes and making them glitter.

Silently, Din opens up his arms in invitation. Luke immediately scooches closer, curling up happily against Din’s chest. He’s warm and soft and smells faintly of sandalwood, his arms strong where they cradle Luke, his lips pressing kisses to Luke’s hairline.

Luke wants to thank him, wants to tell him how much this means to him, how much Din means to him, but he doesn’t want to pull away either from the cocoon of comfort Din’s created for him. So he places his finger to Din’s back and he writes, praying Din gets the message however meagre it may be.

Din gently squeezes him when he’s done writing, murmuring a soft, “Anytime, Luke. It’s what I’m here for.”

Squeezing his eyes shut, Luke swallows back the little whimper his sincerity brings about, quietly thanking whatever forces there may be that he gets to have this.

*

“Skyguy, I wasn’t expecting you!”

“Hey, Ahsoka,” Luke greets, grinning as Grogu sprints and slams into his legs with a happy giggle.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of you both?” Ahsoka asks, her eyes flicking to Din in question.

It’s the end of the school day, Ahsoka’s class all but empty except for the four of them which is what Din had hoped for though that doesn’t make his nerves any less prickly in the pit of his stomach.

As if sensing Din’s worries, Luke’s hand finds his own, giving him a little reassuring squeeze. Din releases a shaky breath, sending Luke a grateful smile before turning back to Ahsoka.

“I was wondering if you’re free to chat?” Din asks.

“Sure, I’m free,” Ahsoka assures, her hands tucked casually into the pockets of her cardigan.

“Grogu,” Luke says, bending down to his haunches so he’s at Grogu’s height while signing. “Want to go play outside while Buir chats with Ahsoka quick?”

Grogu agrees readily, tugging a chuckling Luke out of the door and towards the school’s playground with all the strength a six-year-old can possess.

“So, what’s up?” Ahsoka asks as she leans up against her desk by the windows. Din joins her, sitting atop the nearest school desk opposite her.

“I don’t know if Luke’s said anything to you?” Din starts.

Ahsoka shakes her head, brows furrowed in concern. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, yeah, of course,” Din rushes to assure. “It’s just, um… Well, he said maybe you’d be the best person to talk to about, um…”

Ahsoka tilts her head, waiting patiently.

“About being ace,” Din stammers out.

“Oh,” Ahsoka says, understanding replacing her concern. “Yeah, of course. I’m happy to talk about that.”

Din hadn’t expected Ahsoka to say no, though relief still floods him at her understanding.

“To be honest, I had a feeling that maybe you were on the spectrum,” Ahsoka admits. “But I didn’t want to assume. After all, there isn’t one type of ace. It’s a pretty broad spectrum.”

“Yeah… I think that’s maybe why I’m still a little unclear of how it all works,” Din murmurs, cheeks heating slightly at the admission.

Ahsoka pushes off her desk, walking over to the whiteboard.

“Maybe this will help.”

She draws out a long line, adding a point on either end and in the center. From left to right she writes allosexual, graysexual, asexual. She points to the first word.

“Allosexual encompasses everyone who experiences sexual attraction. We usually shorten it to allos when talking about it casually.” She then points to the opposite end. “Asexual is when someone experiences no sexual attraction towards others. They simply don’t have the same urges or reactions to others as allos do, in terms of being sexual or physically intimate.” She then points to the tag in the center. “Graysexual lies in-between these two points. This is where the idea of a spectrum comes in because, depending on the person, they can lean more towards allo,” she slides her finger to the left, “or more towards asexual,” then slides it to the right. “Or perhaps they’re closer to the middle where there are some sexual urges or the occasional want to have sex, but not always. It can depend on certain circumstances unique to the person. This is a little different to demisexuality. Demis experience sexual attraction but only after they’ve formed a deep, emotional attachment to someone.” Ahsoka closes the cap of her marker, pointing it at Din. “I’m thinking maybe this is where you’re at right now?”

Din slowly nods, his fingers tugging at his leather bracelet.

“I’ve never really had any interest before,” he says, the words slowly revealing themselves to him. “I knew that I didn’t feel things the same way others did. Growing up around the Fetts, you hear almost constant guy talk about partners and wanting to do things and I just… didn’t understand what was so fascinating about it all. I didn’t understand the urgency. The weight that was given to having sex. Guys are expected to constantly be pursuing sex and sexual partners during high school already which is… it’s a little messed up if you think about it.”

Ahsoka nods along, giving Din the space to piece together his thoughts.

“I think, back then already, I had feelings for Luke. It wasn’t quite a crush, maybe more an admiration from afar. But now that we’re actually together…” Din tapers, his eyes finding Luke through the window. He and Grogu are at the jungle gym, Luke helping Grogu climb up the ladder and there to give him a high five as he slides down. Luke must sense his eyes on him as he looks to the classroom, blue eyes locking with brown. He offers a shy smile and a wave that Din returns.

“Now that I have the chance to explore my feelings, to be… close to him,” Din murmurs softly. “I’m starting to want things that, until now, I’ve never had an interest in. Which is a little scary because… because it’s all so new and I have no idea what I’m doing, what’s considered right. And Luke… he has experience with these things. I think… I think a part of me is scared that I can’t deliver. That I can’t be what he wants.”

“Have you told him that?”

“We’ve talked a little. Luke’s said that if sex is off the table then he would respect that. That if I ever feel uncomfortable I should tell him. That when I say no, he’ll listen. And I believe him.”

“It’s good that you’re having those talks,” Ahsoka says with an encouraging smile. “Every couple should, in my opinion. Respecting boundaries is a big part of building a relationship with someone, especially when something as intimate and vulnerable as sex is involved.”

“I think… I think I do want to try with Luke,” Din admits on a whisper. “When we kiss… it’s like a fire is lit within me. My body almost acts of its own accord, like it knows what it wants. It’s my brain that’s still a little slow on the uptake.”

“That’s totally understandable. This is all new for you. Creating a safe space to explore these feelings is important. Including Luke in that space even more so.”

“I do want to,” Din is quick to state. “Luke is… he’s special to me. More than words can define.”

Ahsoka breaks into a knowing grin, walking up to Din and gently chucking him under the chin. “Then I think you already know what the next step is.”

“Yeah,” Din says, a shy smile ticking at his lips. “I guess I do.”

*

The first time they move past kissing, Din doesn’t plan it per se. It’s just like any other evening. Luke stayed over for dinner—slow cooker pork stroganoff, something warm to fight off the last little bit of winter’s chill—helped put a protesting Grogu to bed and read him no less than three bedtime stories before the little womp rat finally nodded off.

With fresh cups of rooibos and cinnamon tea in hand, Din and Luke had snuggled up on the couch, signing lazily with idle talk while sipping on their tea. When their mugs were drained, Luke’s lips found their way to Din’s neck, pressing soft, adoring butterfly kisses. It’s when he sucked the first hickey into full bloom, his hand splaying across Din’s chest that the passion flickered to life.

With an arm wrapped around Luke’s waist, Din had gently tugged him into his lap, Luke more than happy to comply as their lips slotted together in a hungry kiss, his hands cupping Din’s face with so much care as he takes Din apart with the power of his tongue alone.

Din groans as Luke runs his tongue along the roof of his mouth, making the motion slow and sultry as he carefully pulls back, just enough for the tip of his tongue to trace the outline of Din’s lips, blue eyes heavy-lidded, fair lashes fluttering. Din can feel his jeans starting to grow tight, can sense Luke trying to keep his hips still, to not breach the small gap of space they usually leave whenever they kiss like this. But Din’s body is hungry for the feeling of Luke’s lithe form pressed to his own, to blur their edges until they become one.

Holding his breath, Din presses a flat palm to the small of Luke’s back and gently tugs him closer, Luke gasping as their hips and chests align entirely.

“Din?” he says, parted just enough for Din to read his lips.

“Can we…” Din starts only to falter when he realizes he doesn’t know how to put this into words. What he wants to try with Luke, the closeness and the intimacy he’s craving.

He reaches for his shirt pocket, slipping on his hearing aid.

At Luke’s concerned look he explains, “I don’t want anything to get lost in translation right now.”

“Okay?”

“I… I want to try more with you. I don’t, that is, um, I don’t really know what I’m doing. I’m just sort of… following instinct. But I do want to try. I want—I want to be closer with you. Intimate.”

“Oh…” Luke breathes. He shifts slightly in Din’s lap, Din sucking in a sharp breath when he feels their hips brush up against one another, can feel Luke’s want pressed to his own.

“Are you sure?” Luke asks, eyes darting across Din’s face to get a proper read on him.

Din nods, shifting his hips forward to meet Luke’s again more deliberately this time. Luke’s bottom lip is caught between his teeth, cheeks flushed a rosy pink, his freckles stark and clear as the stars in the night sky.

Slowly, Luke trails his hands down Din’s chest, his fingers finding Din’s belt buckle.

“Can I?” he asks.

“How much are you—”

“Just underwear,” Luke promises. “The zippers can get uncomfortable pretty quickly.”

“Okay,” Din whispers. He holds his breath as Luke carefully undoes his belt buckle, the pop of the button and slow slide of his zipper sounding near-deafening in the stillness of the room. Luke slides off Din’s lap, standing. He holds Din’s gaze intensely as he makes quick work of his own jeans, stepping out of them entirely to reveal thin, svelte legs with soft blonde hair and a pair of tight black briefs that hides absolutely nothing. Luke just stands there a moment, letting Din drink him in, before whispering, “Your turn.”

Din nods, his thumbs hooking into the waistband of his jeans, hips lifting to make quick work of ridding them. Luke chuckles when one of Din’s ankles gets hooked in his rush, gentle hands reaching down and helping to unhook the last of the material.

“There we go,” Luke says with a shy smile.

Din opens his arms, welcoming a still-smiling Luke as he sets himself in Din’s lap once more and instantly, Din understands what Luke meant before about the jeans being in the way. He can’t help the little groan that leaks past his lips as Luke gives a very deliberate roll of his hips, the soft material of their underwear feeling like there’s barely any barrier at all.

“Okay?” Luke asks, Din nodding frantically.

“Very.”

Luke grins, his hands cupping Din’s face, his thumb stroking along his cheekbone. “Good,” he whispers, slotting their lips together and tilting his head just right to easily slip his tongue past Din’s lips. Din thought this act alone was already dizzying but add the friction of Luke’s hips shallowly rolling against his own, the soft slide of Luke’s length beneath his underwear, and you might as well have handed him a first-class ticket straight to heaven.

“Makers,” Din swears breathily between kisses, his fingers gripping Luke’s hips hard as he starts to shift his own, meeting Luke’s rolls and causing them both to groan at the delicious contact. One of Din’s hands slips in his earnestness, grasping the firm roundness of Luke’s cheek instead. Din’s pulling back, an apology on the tip of his tongue when he feels Luke grasp his wrist, guiding his hand right back to where it was, his other hand quickly being guided there too.

“You can,” Luke informs him, voice rasping with want. “I want you to.”

“Okay,” Din murmurs, Luke licking back into the heat of his mouth.

Din’s a little hesitant at first, not knowing what might be too much. But when he gives his first experimental squeeze of Luke’s ass, he swears he can feel the vibrations of Luke’s purr where their chests are pressed flush together. Din tries it again, hands flexing and curling, gently kneading the flesh there. Luke’s response is instant, his hips slotting with Din’s and grinding down hard and Makers but he’s gone.

All Din can do is silently worship Luke, his body pressing up against Din’s, lithe and pliant and his to experience like this alone, to feel them connecting again and again as sticky-sweet heat pools deep within his belly.

“Cyar’ika,” Din groans, Luke teething and kissing the column of his neck, his hips never slowing their rhythm as he ruts against him, pressing that pleasurable spot again and again and again.

“I’m here, darlin’,” Luke whispers into his ear, teeth nibbling at his lobe, his ass perking up into Din’s grasp only to roll down and make two bodies feel like one. Heat pulses deep within his belly and Din gasps upon his climax, clutching Luke close as he rides out his waves of pleasure.

When he does eventually click back into reality, it’s to find his face tucked into the crook of Luke’s neck, the crotch of his underwear hot and sticky and Luke’s fingers gently carding through his curls.

“Are you back?” Luke asks.

Din nods, pressing a quick kiss to Luke’s shoulder before pulling back.

Luke’s cheeks are flushed, eyes bright and lips playing at a smile as he looks down at him adoringly.

“Was that good?” he whispers.

“Too good for words,” Din signs, Luke giggling as he bumps his forehead to Din’s.

“I’m glad. I’m glad you felt comfortable sharing this with me.”

“You’re the only person I want to share this side of myself with,” Din admits on a whisper, brown eyes searching out blue.

Luke sucks in a sharp breath, fingers curling where they’re still caught in Din’s hair.

“That’s… I…”

Din gently hushes him, capturing Luke’s lips in his own in a chaste kiss.

“You don’t have to say anything.”

“I feel like I should…”

“Trust me,” Din says, his hands giving Luke’s hips a light squeeze. “Sometimes silence is the best response.”

Luke chews on his bottom lip, giving a shy little smile and a nod.

Din could sit like this all night, if he’s honest, just gazing up at his partner with the moonlight creating that ethereal halo about his head, but there’s a certain mess that needs to be taken care of and Din can see Luke is fighting off a yawn.

“I’ll get you something to change into,” he whispers, the two sharing one last kiss before Luke’s carefully sliding out of his lap.

Later, with Luke sound asleep using Din’s chest as a pillow, Din replays their moment on the couch behind closed lids, thinking of the slide of Luke’s body against his own, the way they’d fed off one another’s reactions, the vibration of Luke’s little moans transferred through to his own chest. He could admit, in those months of getting to know Luke, of secretly cooking for him, putting his love out in the open in the form of spices and herbs, he’d indulged in a few fantasies. Mostly it was just kissing, his mind already overwhelmed with just the thought of Luke’s lips on his own. But tonight… Tonight already exceeded far past just what Din considers as intimate. He knows there’s more, knows there’s probably endless resources of inspiration. But porn has never interested him. Seeing two strangers share a moment of vulnerability like that, even if it is staged… No. No, he wouldn’t be comfortable with that.

Maybe there were some articles he could read? Surely there are experts about these sorts of things, advice columns, things like that.

Din’s fingers itch for his phone, his curiosity already getting the better of him, but he decides against it for now.

Tomorrow, he promises himself as he snuggles up with Luke, holding him a little closer. I’ll start tomorrow.

*

They’re two weeks into February when Luke finally works up the courage to go back to the lake house. Until now, he’s been staying between Obi-Wan’s and Din’s, not quite ready to approach the ghosts that lay waiting here for him. But Luke needs a space to paint, needs a place of his own, and he knows he can’t impose on Obi-Wan and Cody’s kindness forever even though they insist he’s welcome for as long as he needs. But he can’t hide at their cottage forever. He knows he needs to face his ghosts, to take this step in the grieving process, to accept the lake house without the sounds of Owen’s grumbling and the squeaky wheel of his chair.

Besides, it’s still far too early to even think about moving in with Din, no matter how much he adores the safe space Din’s created above his store with its emerald green kitchen cabinets and the butter-soft leather couch that he loves to throw himself onto after a long day.

No, he needs to do this. Owen left the house to him, trusted him to take care of it, to maintain the small little slice of heaven that was his childhood home. Plus, the last of Luke’s things would be arriving from Coruscant soon and if anything, he needs the storage space.

The whole drive over Luke can’t help his knee from bobbing incessantly, the radio doing nothing to soothe his nerves. All too soon, he’s pulling up to the drive in his truck, taking a moment to breathe in the sight of the lake house from where he’s sat rooted behind the wheel.

“Luke.”

Luke blinks, looking to the passenger seat where Din is watching him with a concerned furrow to his brow.

“We can do this another day?” he suggests.

“No,” Luke says, his eyes darting back to the house. “No, I want to do this. I need to.”

Together, they walk hand in hand up the porch steps. Luke hesitates only a second before slotting the key into the front door.

The place is exactly as Luke last left it, the furniture covered in dust sheets and boxes carefully stacked to one side.

As Luke slowly ambles from one room to the next, fond memories float back to him unbidden. Baking with Beru in the kitchen, board games in front of the fireplace, cups of hot chocolate shared out on the porch on chilly winter evenings, Owen reading him bedtime stories, afternoons spent in the water or lounging about on the pier.

Despite the dull ache in his chest, despite the Beru and Owen shaped holes in his heart, Luke quickly finds his melancholy giving way to acceptance and remembrance.

It’s okay that you’re not here, he thinks. Because your memory will always be with me.

It’s with this assurance that Luke is able to tear off the first dust sheet, sending dust motes floating through the air and revealing the plush, well-worn couch hidden beneath. Din doesn’t hesitate, helping him fold up the sheets one by one, to unroll the carpets and unstack the chairs from on top of the tables.

Some boxes Luke instantly decides will go into the spare room for storage, but others he unpacks—the white-painted vase of Cody’s making, certain photographs Luke just can’t imagine not having on display. He leaves the mantel clock for last, popping in a fresh set of batteries. He feels the first tick, the shift of the second hand, and when it chimes the quarter-hour, a tremulous smile tugs at his lips.

They manage to have the kitchen and living room fully unpacked and re-ordered by the time lunch rolls around and with the sun out and clear blue skies it doesn’t take all that much convincing to have their pre-packed lunch out on the porch. The days are slowly beginning to heat up, spring just around the corner. Beru’s meadow will probably be needing some taking care of in preparation but Luke isn’t too worried about that. He’d spent many a spring helping Beru tend to the meadow, just giving little nudges where needed but otherwise letting nature do her job.

“Thank you, for being here,” Luke says softly, his eyes cast out to the clear blue water of the lake. Din takes his hand, raising his fingers to his lips and pressing a kiss there.

“Of course, cyar’ika.”

An easy silence falls between them, nothing but quiet birding and the lapping of gentle waves filling the air.

“Do you have any plans for the space?” Din asks.

Luke nods, fingers tearing the crusts of his sandwich into little bits.

“I think I’ll take the master bedroom and convert my old room into a studio. It’ll still be a little cramped compared to what I’m used to but… I think I can make it work.”

“I’m sure Ahsoka wouldn’t mind lending her classroom in the summer again?” Din suggests.

Luke’s lips quirk at the reminder. “Yeah, I’d like that. I could pop round the store, meet you and Grogu for lunch?”

“Sounds good,” Din agrees, his lips forming that frown-smile of his Luke adores.

“Think you can help me take my old bed apart so we can move it into the spare room?” Luke asks once they’re done with lunch. Din checks his phone and sees he still has a couple of hours before he needs to fetch Grogu from school.

“Sure thing.”

They get right to it, first moving the small chest of drawers and Luke’s desk out of his room, giving them more room to manoeuvre the bed. Luke and Din are sitting on either end of the bed, undoing the screws by hand with a set of screwdrivers.

“What did you do most of the time in here growing up?” Din asks conversationally.

“Well, if I wasn’t tinkering with a house appliance that needed fixing, I’d either be reading or drawing.”

Luke looks behind him, smiling when he spots what he was looking for. “See this?”

Din cranes his neck to see what Luke is pointing to, spotting a small ink stain on the wooden floorboards.

“I was experimenting with ink drawing,” Luke explains. “Beru had said no, didn’t trust me not to make a mess, so of course, I did it anyway and ended up doing exactly what she warned would happen. I had to hide it with my chest of drawers so I didn’t get into trouble. Thankfully, they never found it.”

His fingers draw the outline of the stain, lips tugging up as fond memories flood him.

“You know, when I was a teenager, I was always hoping I’d get to have, like, you know, those cliché experiences you see in all the movies. Like sneaking in a boyfriend late at night.”

Din chuckles, his eyes finding Luke’s across the bed. “And what would you have done?”

Luke shrugs. “Ya know. Make out, fool around, pray the adults didn’t catch us in the act.”

Din hums in interest, his hand slowing. “You still could.”

Luke grins when he sees the flush high on Din’s cheeks, understanding what he’s getting at. He puts aside his screwdriver, standing and dusting off his jeans. He crooks his finger at Din.

Din’s eyes widen when he realises Luke’s actually serious, a smile playing at his lips as he stands as well. He comes to Luke willingly, the two smiling into their first kiss. Luke reaches behind Din, shutting the door before walking Din backwards so he’s pressed up against it.

“Okay?” he asks.

Din nods, his hands cupping Luke’s face as he guides him in for a deeper kiss.

Luke keeps it light and playful at first, lips skimming up Din’s jaw and gently teething at his ear, relishing in the soft breathy gasps it pulls out of Din. His hands bunch in Din’s shirt, eyebrow arching in question. Din nods, Luke grinning as he slides his hands up beneath Din’s shirt, feeling out his chest. He loves how sensitive Din is to his touch, how he trusts Luke implicitly with these moments. When his thumb strokes Din’s nipple, Din’s grip in Luke’s hair tightens, a sharp gasp breathed in.

“Do you like that?” Luke asks, stroking his thumb over Din’s nipple again, a little slower, with more purpose.

Din nods, lips parted on a shaky breath. Luke holds eye contact as he licks his fingers, his hand dipping beneath the material of Din’s shirt once more and finding his prize. Din groans low and guttural at the easy slide of Luke’s fingers and the little pinch he gives at the end.

Luke steps in closer, slotting his thigh between Din’s as he holds direct eye contact, keeping his words slow and clear as he asks, “Can I kiss your chest?”

“Yes, please,” Din rasps.

Luke toys with Din’s shirt hem, arching a brow in question. With a nod, he’s helping Din shuck off his shirt. He unconsciously licks his lips at the beautiful sight of tanned skin and a strong, broad chest.

“Luke, could you—?” Din asks, tugging at Luke’s flannel.

Luke grins, untucking his flannel from his jeans. Din helps him shimmy it up over his head, his hair mussed from the action. Din brushes it back for him, eyes tender and filled with a longing that takes Luke’s breath away.

They kiss, Luke’s lips skipping across Din’s jawline and giving his ear a playful nip before starting down his neck. Din angles his head back, baring his throat for Luke to ravish with more nips and kisses.

Meanwhile, his hands feel out Din’s chest, mapping out broad shoulders, the very tips of his fingers trailing down Din’s arms, feeling the flex and pull of his biceps where his own hands are exploring Luke’s bare back. Luke doesn’t try to suppress the shiver Din’s touch brings, his hips shallowly rubbing up against Din’s thigh, encouraging Din to do the same.

Teething at Din’s collarbones, Luke presses him more firmly against the door, Din sucking in a surprised breath. Catching his gaze, Luke holds it steadfastly as he presses the flat of his tongue to Din’s nipple, his stomach swooping as Din’s grip tightens on his hips. Luke pulls back, breathing hot air on the slicked skin before lightly tracing his tongue around Din’s nipple. Din’s head thumps against the door, face tilting up and chest arching into Luke’s touch, a sigh of ecstasy leaking past his lips as Luke takes him apart.

Gently sucking on the perked skin, Luke skips over to the other nipple, his fingers taking over where his mouth had been moments ago and using the lubrication provided to twist and slide his fingers around the bud. Din’s panting at this point, his hands cupping Luke’s ass and giving appreciative squeezes with every flick of Luke’s tongue and teasing nibble of his teeth, the both of them rocking up against one another as they chase their pleasure.

Mouth still occupied, Luke’s fingers slide down Din’s abs, fingers hooking in the belt loops of his jeans as he grinds his hips with Din’s, the both of them gasping at the friction.

“Darlin’,” Luke breathes, grinning at the groan just that one word earns him. “Hold on.”

Din makes a confused sound that quickly gives way to an awed breath as Luke bends down and wraps his arms beneath Din’s thighs, picking him up and pressing him flush against the door, their hips now seamlessly aligned. Din’s legs wrap around Luke’s waist, thighs strong and thick and fitting so perfectly like this, his arms circling Luke’s shoulders. His fingers curl in the hair at Luke’s nape, breaths hot and heavy as Luke starts up his grinding again.

“Cyar’ika,” Din rasps, voice breathless as Luke’s lips latch onto his neck, licking and sucking and biting, leaving a mark that sends a whole new bolt of pleasure down his spine. “Gedet’ye, cyar’ika.”

“Got you, darlin’. I’ve got you,” Luke assures.

He watches in wonder as Din comes first, the light fluttering of his lashes, the way his lips part to mouth Luke’s name silently. It’s what tips Luke over the edge, his face tucking into the crook of Din’s neck as an expanse of colours with no names burst to life behind his closed lids.

They’re both panting, out of breath but smiling still. Luke presses a kiss to Din’s cheek and temple, his hands guiding Din’s feet back to the floor before finding their resting place on Din’s bare hips.

“Okay?” Luke asks, his shoulders relaxing when Din nods with a shy smile.

“That was just… unexpected. You lifting me like that…”

Luke grins, offering a casual shrug. “I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve still. Can’t reveal them all at once, though.”

“I look forward to seeing them, then,” Din whispers, his lips tugging up into a contented smile.

*

When Biggs Darklighter enters the store, Din doesn’t think much of it. It isn’t unheard of, Biggs popping in every now and then, sometimes alone, sometimes with Luke. He and Din will exchange some polite talk but otherwise, they don’t interact all that much.

So when Biggs walks straight up to the counter and asks, “Din, you free to chat?” Din blinks in surprise, sharing a confused look with Boba.

“Um, sure?”

With Boba taking over the counter, Din leads Biggs through to his office in the back. Biggs huffs a short laugh as he takes in the space.

At Din’s questioning look, Biggs says, “Sorry, just… memories,” with a shrug.

“How can I help you?” Din asks, arms crossed and leaning back against his desk.

“Well, uh, it’s not so much you helping me but more like… that is… I wanted to apologize.”

Din brows furrow but he doesn’t interrupt, waiting for Biggs to continue with… whatever it is he’s planning.

“Last year, before Life Day,” Biggs says, “I wasn’t kind to you.”

Din’s frown deepens, head tilting in question.

“I could tell there was something going on between you and Luke, and me being the jealous idiot I was, I… I tried to get between that. I had no right, even though I felt I was justified because… because I didn’t want to lose Luke. I didn’t want to be replaced again.”

While Din has never been big on gossip, it’s a little hard to escape in as small a town as Mos Pelgo. Everyone knows everyone’s business, unfortunately, and that of course includes Biggs’ divorce.

Din didn’t know Biggs or Annie well, they never ran in the same circles as school, though the times he did see them together they seemed happy, blissfully so. It’s a little strange to think that such happiness could wither away, that his happiness with Luke could ever diminish into nothing.

How strange to think at one point Din thought he could be happy just knowing Luke enjoyed his cooking, that he would never have the easy intimacy Luke and Biggs shared so openly to the rest of the world. And yet here he is, and here’s Biggs apologizing of all things.

“I know I’m late to say this,” Biggs continues, his hand rubbing nervously at the back of his neck. “I… I’ve recently been doing some therapy sessions. It’s been helping me put a lot of things into perspective. Including the things I’ve done wrong and that still need amending. I’m not expecting forgiveness, I just wanted you to know that… I know the way I treated you was wrong and selfish. And I hope, for Luke’s sake, that we can get along okay. He’s like a brother to me and the last thing I want is him feeling like he has to choose, not when he deserves all the love he can get.”

Din takes a moment to let Biggs’ words sink in, the sincerity and the honesty of them. Admittedly, he’s taken aback. He figured things were fine between them already. Sure, they weren’t best buds but they managed to co-exist for Luke’s sake. The friendly hugs and touches Biggs and Luke share don’t make his stomach broil with jealousy anymore. Because that is what he used to feel—jealousy towards the casual affection the two shared, the easy-going intimacy of having known each other since childhood.

But Luke had promised that day Din chased him to the airport that he and Biggs were strictly platonic, a familial love only. And Din believed him. Just like he believes Biggs now.

“It’s okay,” Din murmurs. “I maybe also wasn’t at my best.”

“Jealousy’s an ugly bastard,” Biggs agrees, his lips twitching in mild amusement. He considers Din a second before sticking out his hand. “Truce?”

Din’s eyes dart between the hand and Biggs’ earnest brown gaze. He takes it, giving it a firm shake.

“Truce.”

Biggs breathes a soft sigh of relief, his hands tucking into the back pockets of his jeans.

“Thanks for listening.”

Din nods, offering a half-smile. “Thanks for starting the conversation.”

Biggs grins, his expression open and bright, and for the first time, Din thinks he maybe understands why Luke cares for him as much as he does.

“You wouldn’t happen to know where Luke is, by the way?”

“He should be down at the lake house,” Din says, the two exiting his office.

Biggs claps him on the shoulder, offering a wink and a “Thanks, man,” before heading out the store.

“What the hell was all that about?” Boba grumbles, watching Biggs’ retreating form with a frown.

Din shrugs. “Nothing much. Just wanted a chat.”

Boba arches a brow, not looking the least bit convinced, but he when realises Din isn’t going to give any more details, he leaves it be, shaking his head and murmuring something about letting sleeping dogs lay.

Din chuckles, shaking his head at his brother. It certainly was strange, but then again, stranger things have happened.

*

Luke’s relationship with his art has been a little rocky as of late. He could barely manage to look at his paints and brushes just after Owen’s passing, and even if he was inspired what with him staying with Obi-Wan and Cody, it’s not like there was really any space for him to paint.

A foolish part of him had hoped that once he was all set up in the lake house and picked up that paintbrush, inspiration would simply come. Instead, Luke found himself standing in front of an empty canvas for half an hour, growing more frustrated the longer he stared at the blank white slate. Which is how he ended up on the pier instead, sketching out a landscape with charcoal instead. He hasn’t used charcoal in ages, not since his Uni days, but as he slowly starts to build up the shadows, erasing with his putty eraser to create sunspots on the water and feathering out his strokes with his fingers to create the trees’ foliage.

A sense of calm washes over him the more he draws, getting lost in shapes and texture and shading. He’s always been drawn to painting, expression of colours through brushstrokes and abstract forms, but as he brings his landscape to life, he finds himself wondering why he stopped working with charcoal. It’s a whole other medium, a less forgiving medium than acrylics but that perhaps makes it all the more rewarding when you do complete your composition.

He’s just starting to wonder how Din would look rendered in charcoal—all square jaw and strong, curved nose, the perfect visage for such a medium—when someone says, “Damn, I forgot how good you are.”

Luke startles, chuckling when he sees Biggs’ smiling face looking down at him.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare ya,” Biggs teases.

Luke waves his apology away. “It’s fine.”

Biggs tilts his head, trying to get a better angle. Luke does him one better, handing over the sketchbook for him to really take in the details.

Biggs whistles long and low, shaking his head with awe-filled eyes. “It’s really somethin’.”

“It’s the first piece I’ve been able to do since Owen passed,” Luke admits quietly.

Biggs’ smile falters. Lune winces, quietly cursing his poor timing and mood killer. “Sorry…”

“Naw, it’s all right,” Biggs is quick to assure, folding his long legs to sit beside Luke on the pier. “What are friends for?” He passes back the sketchbook, Luke taking it, careful not to smudge the powder.

“Right…”

“Din said I’d find you here,” Biggs says, trying to kickstart the conversation back to life.

At the mention of his partner, Luis instantly finds his lips tugging up into a small grin, some of his melancholy melting away.

“Yeah. He helped with getting the house back into order.”

“I know you two’ve been goin’ steady for a while now,” Biggs says, the grin that always leads to trouble spreading from ear to ear, “but how’s that goin’?”

“Good,” Luke replies.

Biggs arches an incredulous brow. “Really? That’s all I’m gonna get?”

“What more do you wanna know?”

“Well now that you’ve gone and gotten yourself a beau, I want to hear all the gossip!” Biggs proclaims with a sly tilt to his lips. “Ain’t it about time we turned the tables and I get to hear all about your relationship drama for once?”

Luke shrugs, trying for innocent as he says, “There isn’t that much to tell.”

“You sure? Cause that hickey I spotted on Din’s neck says otherwise.”

Luke’s cheeks burst into flames at being caught out, Biggs chuckling as he lightly punches his bicep.

“I’m happy for you, Luke, seriously,” he says sounding nothing but genuine.

“Thanks,” Luke murmurs, smiling as he gently knocks his shoulder with Biggs’. “How have you been?”

“Ah, you know,” Biggs says with a shrug. He’s leaned back on his hands, head tilted up to the sun. “Not much to say. Annie called.”

Luke gapes at his friend, Biggs’ giving him a sideways glance.

“That’s not nothing, Biggs,” Luke says.

Biggs winces, his eyes darting across the water. “I dunno. It was weird. Like… super forced. I could tell we both wanted the conversation to end but neither of us had the guts to actually say it.”

Luke fiddles with his charcoal stick, turning it slowly around between his black-powered fingers. “You said you guys grew apart.”

Biggs slowly nods, Luke internally cursing when he realises Biggs is gonna make him ask.

“Is that really what happened? Or is there more to it?”

Biggs sighs, head hanging low. “Why you always gotta be so damn perceptive, Luke?”

Luke shrugs with an apologetic smile. “Sorry, can’t help it.”

Biggs blows a frustrated raspberry, sparing Luke another glance before turning his gaze back out to the water. Biggs always tended to look away when revealing something more vulnerable, never quite able to meet Luke’s eyes when he needed to dig deep.

“Annie… She was, um… She was seeing someone else. I knew there were problems going on, things being left unsaid between us. I thought, you know, give her some space, let us cool off a bit and then when we were ready, we’d talk. I didn’t know during all of that that she was…” Biggs falters, his shoulders hiking up with a shaky exhale.

Luke instantly scooches closer, wrapping a comforting arm around Biggs’ shoulders as the first tears fall.

“If I’d known how bad it was, I would have said something sooner. But I—She didn’t say anything. Why didn’t she say anything?”

“I don’t know,” Luke admits, his hand rubbing soothing circles into Biggs’ back.

“Me neither. Even when we got together to sign the divorce papers, she couldn’t tell me.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there to be your support,” Luke whispers.

Biggs shakes his head, wiping at his eyes with the heel of his palm. “I could have phoned you. But I… I hated the idea of the first reason we talked again being because I needed something from you.”

And Luke… Luke doesn’t know the right response to that. How would he have reacted if Biggs phoned him during those tumultuous months? Luke would have been halfway through getting his latest showcase paintings together. Would he have been relieved to hear from his old friend even under such dire circumstances? Or would he have been too self-involved to give Biggs the support he needed?

He’s been trying to be more self-aware about these sorts of things, tried not to get stuck in his head, to be present and take notice. Things have become easier between him and Biggs, the fantasy he’d been clinging to for all those years finally put to bed, allowing him to enjoy Biggs friendship and cherish it for what it is.

Even if he couldn’t be Biggs support back then, he’s here now. He can start now.

“Never again,” Luke promises, hugging Biggs close. “We don’t need to think like that anymore. We’re here for each other now. I’m here for you now.”

“Thanks, Luke,” Biggs whispers, squeezing Luke slightly.

“Anytime, Biggs,” Luke assures, his own tears starting to streak down his cheeks. “Anytime.”

*

Usually, Luke would be taking lunch with Din downstairs in the lounge area of the store, as per their usual routine. However, for facts unknown, Boba had been especially pushy about the two of them going upstairs and enjoying their lunch together up in the apartment. Alone.

“I insist,” Boba says, all but shoving Din and Luke towards the stairs. “Besides, I think I know how to run my own shop.”

“Our shop,” Din corrects, Boba rolling his eyes with a fond smile twitching at his lips.

Seeing as Din has access to the kitchen, he decides to whip something up off the fly, making some heavily spiced chicken quesadillas with white yoghurt on the side to soothe the sting. Luke offers to do the dishes alone as repayment, but Din manages to finagle his way into the doing the drying, Luke huffing and puffing but not meaning it a bit, not with the way that blush of his spreads high across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose whenever Din gently bumps his hip with Luke’s.

Luke eventually shoos Din out of the kitchen to make them both a mug of tea, “I can at least do that,” he argues good-naturedly, Din relenting with a chuckle.

Luke walks over to the dining table where Din is sitting, passing him his mug with a quick kiss on his cheek, Din quietly thanking him. Rather than taking his seat from before, Luke goes and sits on top of the table instead, his legs crossed underneath him. Din doesn’t know why but Luke manages to make himself comfortable in the strangest of places and positions. Luke had once joked that it’s considered a gay thing, although Din doesn’t fully understand the correlation. He’d tried researching it but only managed to stumble onto some strange website where people makes posts of the strangest of things. But then again, he should be used to that considering he’s been doing some reading up since his conversation with Ahsoka, though his reading material is mostly essays and manifestos about queer culture and history that caught his eye on his usual online shopping site. There’s also a few fiction books he’s bought from a queer book shop a few towns over which thankfully do deliveries via post. While he’s enjoyed the occasional romance novel here and there, he’s found himself far more entranced with them as of late.

That isn’t the only reading up Din’s being doing, though.

He also may or may not have been doing some more… intimate research, shall we say. He immediately clicked out of some sites for obvious reasons, but there were actually some very instructive articles out there written by professionals about these sorts of things. Funnily enough, Din finds them rather similar to recipes. The instructions are clear, the certain combinations resulting in specific reactions, just like mixing eggs and flour with just a touch of sugar can give you a delicious cake batter.

Until now, Luke’s been taking the lead in terms of their more intimate moments, though always first checking in with Din to make sure he’s comfortable, which he appreciates. But for once he’d like to try and spoil Luke, to show him how much he means to him without having to struggle with his words. The only trouble is mustering the courage to actually try to get the build-up going.

Though perhaps he should know by now that these sorts of moments best happen organically.

“Din?”

Din blinks, looking up to find Luke looking at him expectantly.

“Sorry,” Din says, “Could you repeat that?”

“I was just asking if you’re okay? You seemed a little lost,” he flicks his fingers at his temple, “up here.”

“I was just thinking about…”

“About?”

Din swallows thickly, his hands clutching his mug tightly.

“Your voice,” he blurts.

Luke arches a brow, lips quirking in amusement. “What about it?”

“I was wondering… what it feels like.”

“Feels like?” Luke asks, tilting his head in confusion.

Din nods, shifting slightly in his seat. “When you lose your hearing, you learn to appreciate sounds in different forms. The vibrations of a base for instance. I can faintly hear it if it’s loud enough, but if I press my hand to a speaker, I can feel all the nuances of the song like I was hearing its layers.”

“How would you do that with a voice?” Luke asks, eyes glittering with interest.

Placing his mug down, Din shifts his chair closer so that he’s sitting in the space between Luke’s thighs. He reaches up, first unhooking his hearing aid and tucking it into his flannel pocket for safekeeping, before gently placing the backs of his fingers to the front of Luke’s throat. His hands are already warm from holding his mug, but he still feels Luke’s initial shiver at the unexpected touch.

“Say something,” Din whispers.

He reads Luke’s lips as he carefully sounds out the words, asking, “How does it feel?”

“Speak more and I’ll tell you.”

Luke grins, putting aside his own mug of tea so his full attention is on Din.

“Well,” Luke says, “I didn’t say it before, but I think that’s my flannel.”

Din’s eyes widen, looking down at the flannel in question. Now that Luke says it, it is a little tighter than he’s used to…

He feels the vibration of Luke’s laughter against his fingers, the swoop and dip of his Adam’s apple as it moves in time with his lips. It’s wonderful.

“It’s okay, I don’t mind,” Luke tells him, voice still tinged with laughter. “It looks good on you.”

Din’s cheeks heat all the same, heart fluttering when he feels Luke’s laughter again.

“Your voice reminds me of the tone of a piano,” he finally says, happy with his decision. “There’s a similar timbre to it.”

Luke’s lips part on a surprised breath, a spark of satisfaction going off in Din’s chest when he sees a bit of colour dot Luke’s own cheeks.

Reaching into his (stolen) shirt pocket, Din replaces his hearing aid, starting to retract his hand from Luke’s throat when Luke catches it. He holds Din’s gaze steadfastly as he presses a kiss to the back of his knuckles, the soft flesh of his palm, the beating pulse beneath his inner wrist.

Din slowly rises to his feet, his hands planted on either side of Luke’s hips. Like this, Luke’s exactly Din’s height, making it all the more easier to simply lean in and slot their lips together. Luke reacts almost instantly, his fingers curling in Din’s hair as he breathes a happy sigh.

His hands finding Luke’s hips, Din gently tugs, bringing Luke right to the edge of the table so their hips are aligned, Luke’s legs winding around Din’s thighs to eliminate every last inch of distance between them. Din would already be more than content just to while the rest of his lunch break away like this, Luke pressed up against him exchanging lazy, languid kisses. But there’s a little voice inside his head, a very insistent little voice that he’s finding rather hard to ignore, especially when he feels the tell-tale hardness in the front of Luke’s jeans.

“Luke…”

Luke hums, still a little preoccupied with Din’s lips.

“I’d like to try something.”

Luke stills, pulling back with an interested head tilt. “Yeah?”

Swallowing thickly, Din shifts slightly from foot to foot, mustering his courage to finally say, “I’d like to take the lead this time.”

Luke’s brows rise up past his bangs, lips parting on a surprised breath.

“Is that… okay?” Din asks hesitantly.

Luke blinks a couple of times, giving his head a quick shake as if waking from a dream. “I—Yeah. Yeah, of course.”

“Yeah?”

Luke nods, breaking into a sly sidewise smile. “Yeah. What do you have in mind?”

Back straightening, Din clears his throat, releasing a steadying breath as he takes a second to compose himself because this is happening.

Din keeps his gaze heavy-lidded, pitching his voice slightly lower as he looks up at Luke through his lashes, purring, “That’s a surprise.”

Din watches in fascination as the most beautiful shade of pink floods Luke’s cheeks, his pupils blowing wide until there’s only a thin ring of blue left.

“Okay,” he rasps, his legs tightening around Din’s waist. “Surprise me.”

Lips tilting up in a pleased smile, Din leans in, slotting his lips with Luke’s. They slowly work up their rhythm again, Din’s grip on Luke’s hips strong and secure. It’s when Din starts kissing Luke’s neck that they shift gears. Luke tilts his head back happily, breathing a contented sigh as Din layers butterfly kisses with little nips. Luke’s admitted that he likes the rasp of Din’s facial hair against his skin, that it only stimulates him more when Din goes back and kisses those areas and soothes the sting with his tongue. This will be coming into play for what he has planned, but Din needs to switch canvases first. His hands slowly travel to the front of Luke’s jeans, fingers making quick work of the button and zipper. Luke hums his approval, fingers curling in the hair at Din’s nape and giving a little teasing tug which is already a promising sign.

Pressing his palm to Luke’s chest, Din gently guides him to lay back on the table. Luke goes willingly, blue eyes wide and still dream-dazed with his blown-out pupils. Rucking up Luke’s shirt, Din presses hot, open-mouthed kisses to Luke’s chest, taking a winding path down, down, down until he reaches the waistband of Luke’s underwear.

Eyes locking with Luke’s, Din noses along the band, flat palms pressed to Luke’s hips where his fingers hook in the waistband of his jeans.

“Cyar’ika, may I?”

Luke nods frantically, already lifting his hips. Din grins, pressing a kiss to Luke’s bare hip as he helps peel his jeans off, tossing them carelessly to the side.

Reaching behind him, Din finds his abandoned chair and tugs it by the seat, sitting down so he’s placed at the perfect level between Luke’s legs. Luke’s heels come to rest on the back of the chair, seeking some leverage. Shifting even closer, Din dips his shoulders beneath Luke’s thighs before sitting up fully again, Luke's legs now draped over his shoulders and bringing his prize in perfect distance of his mouth.

“Din…” Luke croaks.

“Shhh…” Din soothes, pressing a kiss to the inside of Luke’s knee and taking great satisfaction in the little shiver that alone brings about. “I’ve got you.”

Pressing another kiss to Luke’s inner knee, Din takes his time layering light kisses down Luke’s inner thigh, making sure to nuzzle his cheek here and there, gently scraping the skin with his facial hair. Luke’s already panting, his hips shifting up uselessly in some hope of friction but finding nothing to satiate himself.

Din reminds himself to take his time, even though a part of him desperately wants to skip a few steps and give Luke the satisfaction he’s craving. But if these past few months in the kitchen has taught Din anything, it’s that you can’t skip vital steps, not unless you want the perfect result. So he keeps to his easy pace, keeps his kisses and nips light and teasing as he dances from one hip to the other, completely ignoring the very evident want between Luke’s legs to kiss up and down Luke’s other inner thigh instead.

“Din,” Luke whines.

“Yes, cyar’ika?” Din replies, keeping his tone light and innocent.

“Din, please…”

“Are you needing something?” Din asks. He knows he’s being a little mean, making Luke ache and dangling the promise of more right in front of him, holding it just out of reach. But there’s something rather stimulating about seeing Luke like this, knowing that he’s the one that brought Luke this far, that Luke wants more, wants him.

Luke gives an indignant click of his tongue, his head lifting to find Din’s gaze and causing the air to be punched right out of Din’s chest. Luke looks absolutely ravished; cheeks ruddy, bottom lip slightly swollen from being bitten, his hair a mess from his fingers scrubbing through it. He’s radiant, the sight of all sights to behold. And it’s all because of Din.

“I want your mouth,” Luke states, voice cracking at the end from want. “Can I please have it?”

“It’s yours,” Din promises without even thinking.

Luke’s Adam’s apple bobs with a thick swallow, shaky fingers reaching down to gently curl in Din’s hair. “Please?” he whispers, pleads, the strain in his voice sending a bolt of pleasure straight down his spine.

“You’ll get it,” Din assures, pressing one last kiss to Luke’s inner thigh. “I promise.”

Din’s gaze settles on what awaits him, Luke’s briefs straining to keep him contained. There’s a small wet patch too that has Din licking his lips. Adjusting his grip, Din wraps his arms snugly underneath Luke’s hips, giving a sharp tug that has Luke gasping, fingers tightening in Din’s hair. Din breathes a deliberate hot breath right above Luke’s arousal that has him squirming, Din’s name already leaking past his lips again when Din closes the distance, mouthing at Luke’s arousal through his underwear.

Luke breathes a soft, “Oh,” followed by a longer, rasping, “Oh...” as Din gently sucks on his wet patch, tongue lathing where he can feel the firm swell of Luke beneath his underwear. Luke’s hips shift up, chasing the heat of Din’s mouth. He accommodates, breathing hard through his nose as he continues to work his mouth up and down Luke’s length. His confidence slowly grows as the first praising words leak past Luke’s lips, his fingers raking through Din’s curls, gently massaging his scalp as he rolls his hips in time with Din’s tongue, all the while rasping in that sugary sweet drawl yes, and so good, and his forever favourite darlin’. Din lightly pulls off, running the tip of his nose from Luke’s base all the way up to his navel, Luke’s back arching up with a happy purr.

“Do you need more, cyar’ika?” he asks, his voice rough and rasping, even deeper than usual.

“Please,” Luke begs, nodding frantically, his grip in Din’s hair tightening to a delicious sting.

Hooking his thumbs in the waistband of Luke’s underwear, Din makes quick work of disposing of the briefs. He takes a second just to admire the sight laid out before him, Luke flush and out of breath, his shirt still rucked up and leaving him completely bare from the waist down, his inner thighs featuring a few patches of red from Din’s teeth and beard. His eyes, though. They’re incredibly soft, his hand cupping Din’s jaw with the utmost care.

“Okay?” he asks.

Din nods, angling his head to press a kiss to Luke’s palm. “You’re just so beautiful,” he whispers, “I needed a moment to recover.”

Luke clutches his chest like he’s been shot, his arm thrown over his face. “Give a guy a little warning, you charmer!”

Din chuckles, pushing up off his seat and leaning across the table to give Luke a quick, chaste kiss to the lips.

“It’s true. You’re breath-taking.”

“Don’t you mean mesh’la?” Luke asks, peeking up at Din from under his arm with a sly smile.

Din blanches, his jaw dropping. “You knew?”

Luke shakes his head. “Nah, I only recently thought to look it up.” He wags his finger in a mock-reprimanding manner, grin turning cheeky. “Clever you, complimenting me in another language so I had no clue.”

Din clucks his tongue, giving Luke’s hip a teasing pinch, Luke still chuckling anyway.

That is until Din gets back to business, tentatively wrapping his lips around Luke’s length.

Luke’s laughter gives way to a groan, his fingers finding their way back into Din’s hair. Taking that as encouragement, Din takes in a little more, careful to keep it slow and easy at first as he gets used to the sensation. Luke remains considerate even now, keeping his hips still as Din slowly works his lips up and down his length, taking in a little more each time.

“Doin’ so well darlin’,” Luke praises, voice honey-thick, gaze adoring as he watches Din unashamedly and with open awe.

Din carefully pulls off, his lips licking at a stray dollop on his top lip. It’s salty with a sweet undertone he finds he rather likes.

“Try move with me?”

“You sure?” Luke asks.

Din nods, thumbs rubbing circles into Luke’s bare hips.

“Tell me if it’s too much or you need a break,” Luke tells him. “Your jaw will get sore quickly if you’re not careful.”

“I know,” Din says, cheeks heating as he admits, “I’ve been… doing some research.”

“That… we can put in a pin that,” Luke states, Din nodding in agreement. Holding Luke’s gaze, he takes him into his mouth once more, relaxing his jaw. Luke tries a shallow thrust at first, testing Din’s comfort level. He gives an approving hum, thumbs stroking Luke’s hip in a silent sign to keep going. So Luke does, again and again, Din taking him in deeper and deeper, lips swollen and tongue lathing as Luke works up into the heat of his mouth, hips thrusting at a steady rhythm. His fingers card through Din’s curls, praises leaking past his lips in a stream of affection, Luke’s accent slipping more and more, only riling Din up with the syrupy sweetness of his words.

“Din,” Luke warns, a little breathless. “I’m close.” He tugs at Din’s hair, a silent question. Din doesn’t pull off; doesn’t want to ruin the rhythm they’ve built up. So, he doubles down instead, semi-standing from his seated position to take more of Luke in. A low, guttural groan is ripped from the back of Luke’s throat. He doesn’t ask again, understanding Din’s answer loud and clear and having no qualms with it in the least. His legs wrap more firmly around Din’s shoulders, back arching beautifully, hair splayed out about his head like a halo. His flush has crept all the way down his neck and to his chest, evident where his shirt is still rucked up. And if Din thought Luke looked beautiful before, he looks downright resplendent now.

With one last snap of Luke’s hips, heat explodes across Din’s tongue. He’s a little unprepared for it but he manages to keep anything from spilling, swallowing until Luke slumps back against the tabletop, limp and satiated.

Din wipes his mouth off on the back of his hand, his thumb catching the remains. Luke’s lids flutter open just in time to watch Din lick the pad of his thumb clean, a soft moan trickling past Luke’s lips.

Carefully, Din helps Luke sit up, his legs hanging off the edge of the table with Din standing between them.

“Luke, you okay?”

Luke nods, a lazy smile pulling at his lips as his hands sign, “Not just okay. Amazing.”

That pulls a startled laugh from Din’s chest, his cheeks heating slightly at the praise.

“It was really that good?”

“I’m still recovering,” Luke rasps, brushing back his bangs and making the messy strands stand up at all angles. His shirt is rumpled, cheeks flushed and eyes glassy still with that lazy smile gracing his lips. Debauched is perhaps the best word Din can think of.

With a happy hum, Luke slumps forward, his forehead gently knocking on Din’s sternum.

“For your first time, that was astoundingly brilliant,” he praises.

Unsure of how to handle all this praise, Din simply hugs Luke closer with a soft whine, Luke chuckling at just how flustered Din’s become when moments ago he was nothing but certified confidence.

When Luke’s a little more lucid he pulls back, his hands cupping Din’s jaw as he tilts his face up for a firm kiss.

“Now,” Luke says, “what’s this about doing research?”

Din groans, tucking his face in the crook of a snickering Luke’s neck.

“I just… I wanted to make you feel as good as you make me.”

“Darlin’,” Luke says, his fingers carding soothingly through Din’s curls, “every moment with you is a treasure.”

Din shakes his head, pulling back to meet Luke’s gaze head-on. “I wanted to spoil you for once.”

“Oh, I’ve been spoiled,” Luke teases. “Spoiled rotten even.”

All Din can hum, his lips tugging up into a pleased grin as he hugs Luke a little closer.

“I’m glad…” he admits shyly.

“Do you need anything?” Luke asks, his hands resting at Din’s hips, but he immediately pulls them back when Din shakes his head.

“This was for you,” Din insists. “I’ll… calm down after a bit.”

Luke chews on his bottom lip, looking uncertain, but he doesn’t push, instead, his eyes dart to where his jeans have been thrown halfway across the room.

“Mind passing me my pants?” he asks with a sheepish grin.

Din chuckles, murmuring, “Sure,” as he presses a kiss to Luke’s cheek. He gathers Luke’s jeans, giving them a quick flap to rid them of wrinkles before turning back to Luke. He’s stood up on slightly jellied legs, his flannel just long enough to keep him modest but allowing plenty of leg to be on show. It’s a rather enticing look on him if Din’s being honest.

Luke grins naughtily, striking a silly pose and fluttering his eyelashes exaggeratedly. “Like what you see Mr. Djarin?”

Blinking, Din gives his head a little shake, offering a sheepish smile of his own as he passes Luke his jeans. “Sorry…”

“Don’t be,” Luke assures with a wink.

“Do you want some fresh boxers to change into?” Din offers, picking up Luke’s forgotten underwear and throwing it into the washing machine where a load is already awaiting a cycle. He’ll probably need to change his underwear while he’s at it…

“You don’t mind?” Luke asks, balancing where he’s got one leg halfway into his jeans already.

Din shakes his head, quickly popping into his room and throwing Luke some boxers before disappearing to change himself.

When he returns it’s to find Luke giving the table a quick wipe-down with some surface cleaner.

“I just realised we sort of defiled your dining table,” Luke murmurs guiltily, pouting down at the table apologetically like he’s gone and personally hurt its feelings.

Din snorts, snaking his arms around Luke’s waist from behind and planting a kiss on his temple.

“It’s all right. I think it’ll forgive you. Eventually.”

Luke giggles, giving the table a quick consolatory pat before turning in the circle of Din’s arms, going up on his toes to press his forehead to Din’s.

“Seriously, Din, thank you. I really enjoyed that.”

“I’m glad,” Din whispers. “Your thighs don’t hurt from the beard burn?”

Luke shrugs. “I little, but I like it. It’ll remind me of you for the rest of the day.”

“I like the sound of that,” Din admits quietly, the two managing to share one last quick kiss before the knocking starts on his door, followed by a quick flash of the blue light indicating Din’s doorbell.

“Coming, Boba,” he calls out.

“You better. Don’t think I don’t know what you two’ve been up to.”

Luke snorts, his hand rushing up to muffle his laughter when Din blanches at being caught out. Giving Din’s hip a quick squeeze, Luke waltzes over to the door, opening it to reveal an unimpressed Boba on the other side.

“The time got away from us,” Luke says in explanation, casual as can be.

“Oh, I’m sure it did,” Boba snarks. He looks past Luke to a still-blushing Din. “I’m taking the rest of the afternoon off.”

“Of course,” Din assures, his voice cracking and Luke failing miserably to bite back his amusement at all of this.

Boba rolls his eyes, muttering something about not being paid enough for this shit before he starts clumping down the stairs. Din has a feeling Cobb will be phoning later to ask what exactly it is Boba is bitching about.

“Well,” Luke remarks, grinning impishly as he gives a low bow and gestures to the stairs. “Shall we?”

“I’m never going to hear the end of this,” Din mumbles, Luke chuckling as he tangles their fingers together and leads them back down to the store.

*

“So.”

Luke startles, spinning around from where he’d been perusing the lending library of the general store to find a stern-looking Boba regarding him.

“So…” Luke echoes, a little unsure what exactly Boba has planned.

“I know you and Din’ka have been serious for a while now,” Boba starts, his expression giving nothing away.

By a while, Boba means four months. Four amazing months that Luke wouldn’t exchange for anything in the world. Four months of shared meals and stolen moments on the couch and visits to the lake house on the weekend. Four months of blissful domesticity, of slowly-stoked passion and quiet intimacy. Four months of getting to see a side of Din so few have had the privilege of seeing. Of Grogu welcoming him into their family like he’s always been there, of feeling like he’s a part of something special.

Which is why for their four-month anniversary, Luke has planned a semi-surprise picnic for the two of them. Semi because Din of course has done the meal prep, but Luke is keeping their picnic spot a surprise for his partner and his partner alone. Boba and Cobb will be babysitting Grogu for the evening, once Boba’s closed up shop.

Luke knows he isn’t Boba’s favourite person. Boba had a front-row seat to the pain Luke had caused Din with his carelessness. And while Luke and Din have had the difficult talks, have had the few arguments that brimmed from those scars, Din has forgiven Luke and Luke has been putting in all of his effort to be less careless, to ensure that Din knows that he makes Luke feel like the luckiest person in the world just with that little frown-smile of his whenever Luke walks into the room, let alone all the other sweet and considerate things Din does seemingly on instinct.

Honestly, he’d expected this shovel talk a lot sooner, though then again, it’s rare for Luke and Boba to ever find themselves alone without Din or the other Kebi’yaimi usuals to act as a buffer.

So, Luke squares his shoulders, widens his stance and prepares himself for the shakedown of a lifetime.

“And I think we both know that for him, this is it,” Boba states.

Luke swallows thickly at the blunt statement but concedes with a nod. They may not have said it yet aloud, but then again, Din’s managed to find many ways of communicating his feelings without the need for words. It’s in every meal they share, every shy suggestion that they try something new, every glance and smile and tender touch. Luke wants to say it, has been desperate to for weeks now but finds himself faltering for what could be considered the perfect time. He’s never been this serious with any previous partners, has never been so sure about anyone as he is with Din. Not even his teenage fantasies of his dreamed-up version of Biggs comes close to what he and Din share.

“What I’m still trying to figure out,” Boba continues, “is where you stand on all of this. What does Din mean to you? Because if you’re having doubts even for a second, I’m telling you right now to pack up your things and get the hell out of dodge.”

“I don’t doubt my feelings for Din,” Luke says, his voice surprisingly steady considering he’s being given the ultimate death stare by a man who could have easily been a crime boss in another life. “I want a life with him and Grogu. I want to do right by him, want to show him how much I appreciate him each and every day because it’s what he deserves. I know… I know, in the past, I’ve fucked up and I’ve hurt him. But I hope you’ll believe me when I say we’ve talked it out and we’re ready to move past that.” Luke angles his chin up, stepping closer so he’s standing toe-to-toe with Boba. “You don’t have to trust me. I know I’ve given you plenty of reasons not to. All I ask is that you trust Din. Trust in his choice to trust me.”

Boba is silent for a terribly tense minute, coffee ground eyes brittle and dark, his lips downturned in a disapproving frown. But Luke sees the moment he makes his decision, sees the flash of acceptance behind that dark, stern gaze.

“I can do that,” Boba mutters, sticking his hand out.

Luke takes it, Boba shifting his grip to grasp Luke’s forearm in what Luke knows to be a Mandalorian greeting and acknowledgement of allies. It’s certainly an upgrade from the death glare.

“Don’t make me regret it,” Boba warns.

“I won’t,” Luke promises, dropping his hand.

They’re both brought of their intense not-quite-a-stare-down when the bell above the entrance jingles, announcing Cobb’s arrival. He’s changed out of his sheriff’s uniform into a pale red long-sleeved shirt and skinny jeans that make his already thin frame look even sleeker.

“All right?” he says in greeting, clapping Luke on the shoulder and giving Boba a quick kiss to his temple.

“Yeah, all good,” Luke assures, sharing a nod with Boba.

Thankfully, that’s when Din comes back down the stairs, picnic basket in hand with Grogu and Razor at his heels.

He freezes at the bottom step when he notes the slight bit of tension still hanging in the air, thick brows furrowing in question.

“Is everything—”

“It’s all good, vod,” Boba assures.

Din doesn’t look completely convinced but doesn’t push the issue either, crossing the distance to join their little group. His eyes flit to Luke, widening slightly as he takes him in.

“Wow…”

Luke’s gone for something slightly newer compared to the old T-shirts and flannels he’s been indulging in ever since he moved back to Mos Pelgo. For tonight, he’s wearing a short-sleeved button-up shirt in colourful stripes of royal blue, burnt orange and butter yellow paired with some black slim-cut jeans rolled up at the ankle and black Vans to match. Din looks unfairly handsome in a pale beige button-up shirt and soft grey linen shorts that cling to his thighs and show off strong calves.

“Wow yourself,” Luke teases, stealing a quick kiss before he turns his attention to a pouty Grogu. He wasn’t all that pleased when he found out he won’t be joining Luke and Din for the picnic, Din’s guilt evident in the concerned furrow to his brow as he watches his son now.

“Hey, buddy,” Luke says, kneeling so he’s at Grogu’s eye level. “I know you’re disappointed you can’t come with tonight. But how about tomorrow, you join your buir and I at the lake house and we can all have an awesome day in the water? If that’s okay with everyone?” Luke looks to the others in question, grinning when he gets no complaints and seeing that Grogu’s pout has perceptibly lessened. “Sound good?”

Grogu thinks on it a second before his head bobs with a quick nod. He rushes forward to give Luke a hug, Luke more than happy to return it as he affectionately ruffles Grogu’s curls.

“And Razor?”

The dog tilts her head in question, floppy ear adorable as usual. “Keep a good eye on Grogu, yeah?”

Razor barks her agreement, tongue lolling as Luke scrubs her behind the ears in thanks.

“All right, get going already,” Boba grumbles though there’s a slightly fond uptick to his lips.

“Thanks, Boba,” Din whispers, the brothers sharing a quick mirshmure’cya and Din giving Grogu a quick peck on the head before he and Luke are shooed out the door.

With the picnic basket resting safely at his feet in the passenger seat of Luke’s truck, Din turns to Luke in question. “So, where are we going again?”

Luke scoffs, shaking his head. “Nice try.”

Din sighs, jokingly put out, Luke chuckling at his theatrics.

“You’ll see soon enough,” Luke assures, his hand finding Din’s across the center console and giving it an affirming squeeze.

Luke has to rush to make sure Din keeps his eyes firmly shut even when he pulls the truck to a stop, quickly explaining they still need to walk a little ways.

“If I trip and fall,” Din starts to argue.

“Then I’ll catch you,” Luke quips, walking behind Din with his hands firmly clamped around Din’s eyes to ensure he doesn’t try and sneak a peek.

After leading Din down a slightly winding dirt path, Luke finally brings them to a stop, removing his hands.

“Okay, and… open.”

Din’s eyes flutter, brown eyes widening as he takes in their surroundings.

In the last golden rays of the waning sun, the small meadow found nestled in this moderately sized clearing amongst the pine and redwood trees looks like something straight out of a fairy tale book. Butterflies skip from one colourful flower to the next, quiet birdsong filling the air while the rich scent of nectar gently wafts through the spring breeze.

“This is my aunt’s meadow,” Luke explains, speaking in a gentle hush as the two walk hand-in-hand deeper amongst the wildflowers. “This was her special spot. She’d always come here if she ever needed some time alone. This is where Owen proposed to her and promised to build the lake house. She’d bring me here whenever I was feeling down or when the weather was just right for a picnic. I always called it Beru’s garden even though she insisted this only belongs to nature and nature alone.”

“It’s beautiful,” Din breathes, tone awe-filled as he takes in the splendour of just what nature has to offer.

Finding the spot Beru always used to set up their picnic blanket, Luke and Din spread out their own now, unpacking their basket and revealing the small feast Din’s gone and prepared in the form of tapas.

“I couldn’t decide what to make so I just did a little bit of everything,” he admits sheepishly, Luke grinning as he gives him a kiss.

The food is delicious as always, Luke unable to hold back his little moans and happy wiggles whenever he tastes something especially praise-worthy. He just loves Din’s reactions whenever Luke is vocal about his cooking, loves the blush that colours his cheeks and the small, pleased little smile that creeps across his lips.

“You know the flower mug?” Luke asks later when the sun is nearly set and the food has been all devoured. They’re both laid back on the picnic blanket, the two forming a T with Luke’s head in Din’s lap, Din's fingers brushing through his bangs in a way that reminds him so much of how Owen used to.

“The one that you painted for Beru?” Din asks.

Luke nods with a hum. “I based it off this meadow. You know, until our dinner that night, I hadn’t been able to let anyone else use it.”

Din’s fingers still, voice hushed as he whispers, “Really?”

Luke angles his head back, blue eyes searching out brown. “Yeah. You know, you remind me of her a lot. You two are cut from the same cloth.”

Luke turns his gaze back to the sky, Din’s fingers continuing their soothing motions.

“I wish I could’ve introduced you to her, properly…”

“I would have liked to have baked with her I think,” Din muses, his eyes darting to their empty dessert plates. “Her lemon meringue pie really is out of this world.”

Luke giggles, sitting up and facing Din properly, his hands propped on either side of Din’s head.

“She had this fantastic chocolate banana bread too. I should ask Maz what all of Beru’s recipes she still has…”

“Does it hurt still?” Din asks hesitantly.

Luke doesn’t need to ask. He knows what Din is referring to.

“Sometimes,” Luke admits. “I always regret not being able to tell her I love her one last time. One minute she was there and the next… gone.”

Din reaches up to cup Luke’s cheek, his thumb gently wiping away the lone tear streaking there.

“I’m sorry, cyar’ika.”

Luke shakes his head, turning to press a kiss to Din’s palm. “Was it the same for you, with your parents?”

Din nods. His eyes glaze over a moment, faraway in memories long gone.

“I saw them after the crash. The firemen had just come and managed to extract me. I could tell they were trying to keep me away from the wreckage, but I saw the body bags and I just… knew. They were gone.”

It’s Luke’s turn to wipe away the stray tears, Din leaning into the warmth of Luke’s palm with a quiet sigh.

“I’m sorry,” Din murmurs. “This is supposed to be a happy moment—”

“Don’t apologize,” Luke is quick to say. “Never apologize for feeling. Sometimes these things creep up on us at the strangest moments. Like, I’ll be helping Ahsoka with class and the colour of the paint will suddenly remind me of Owen’s eyes and I—” Luke shakes his head, a weak chuckle tripping past his lips. “What I mean is… I get it, Din. I understand. Just like you understood me when you sent those flowers.”

Din slowly sits up, shaking hands cradling Luke’s jaw, brown eyes tender and still a little glassy from unshed tears.

“I wish I could have done more for you, back then, if I wasn’t such a coward—”

Luke shakes his head, pressing a finger to Din’s lips to stop him. “It was exactly what I needed. You’ve always known, always been exactly what I needed. I just wish I’d seen it sooner. Seen you sooner.”

“You see me now,” Din assures, his forehead gently bumping with Luke’s, an instant balm to his aching heart and trickling guilt.

“I do,” Luke promises. He seals it with a kiss, a promise in and of itself.

When they pull back it’s just in time to see the first firefly flicker into view. The sun has set, bringing with it an ink-wash sky and tens of hundreds of little floating golden orbs dancing about the meadow, like the sky is being reflected, the stars brought down to them.

“Mesh’la…” Din breathes, Luke chuckling at his child-like awe at the sight.

“They’re only here for these first couple weeks at the start of spring,” Luke explains, his eyes trailing after two particular bugs that weave and twirl around one another in an intricate dance. “Another reason I wanted to bring you here now.”

“It’s amazing,” Din says, managing to tear his gaze away from the spectacular sight to offer Luke the most beatific smile. “You’re amazing.”

Luke’s heart skips a beat at the sincerity in Din’s voice. “So are you,” he whispers. They’re both leaning in, about to steal another a kiss when those two little fireflies come back around, one landing on the tip of Luke’s nose, the other on Din’s cheekbone, just for a moment before they’re off sailing away into the night.

“Aunt Beru would say that’s good luck,” Luke murmurs, still a little shocked at the magical moment.

Much later, when they’ve looked their fill of the night sky and the sea of stars dancing about the meadow, the two carefully fold up the picnic blanket and pack away their dirty dishes. And as they slowly amble back to the car hand-in-hand, Luke swears he can feel Aunt Beru’s presence remaining behind in the meadow, watching him go with pride in her eyes and love in her heart for the man she’ll never get to meet but she would have inarguably doted on the minute Luke introduced them.

It's with that thought that his heavy heart lightens, a smile tickling at his lips as he gives Din’s hand a gentle squeeze.

*

It’s the last week of school before the summer holidays begin. The general store’s AC is already cranked up, Tatooine’s unrelenting summer heat rolling into town early this year. The radio’s on low, playing something smooth with an acoustic guitar and lyrics that could break your heart if you’ve had enough to drink. Axe is propped in his usual reading chair, a cool glass of lemonade Din made fresh this morning in hand while Boba does inventory. Cara’s lightly dozing off, just here to leech off the free AC while hers is being fixed. Din’s just finished with a customer when Luke come stumbling into the store. Or should he say, a Luke-shaped monster covered in paint and glitter glue.

Everyone freezes what they were doing, all eyes turned to the mess monster standing dripping in the doorway.

“I, um, would really appreciate it if I could borrow your shower,” the Luke-shaped thing says.

Cara bursts into cackling laughter, phone already put and snapping blackmail photos, Boba muttering something about having to mop the floors. Luke even manages to tear Axe’s gaze away from his book long enough to earn a dropped jaw.

Din approaches him, hands reaching out to comfort only to think better of it at the last second. “What happened?”

“Well,” Luke says, pushing back a glue-smothered strand of hair, “as you know, I was helping Ahsoka out today with arts n crafts, as I usually do.”

“Right.”

“Well, uh, I may have accidentally started a paint fight.”

“You what?!”

“It was a total accident!” Luke proclaims. “I didn’t mean for it to happen! I don’t even know how it started but the next thing I knew all the kids were bombarding me with every art supply they could get their hands on!”

“And hence—”

“The mess monster you see before you,” Luke sighs, his shoulders slumping and head bowed.

“Let me help you upstairs,” Din decides. “Last thing we need is you slipping and breaking something.”

Luke manages to crack a grateful smile, only to wince when some paint manages to dribble past his lips. “Much appreciated.”

The two must make quite the sight, Luke slogging through layers of paint and every other craft material known to mankind while Din hovers at his side, walking with him up the stairs and opening the door for him so Luke doesn’t get any glitter gel on the doorknobs.

Din doesn’t think twice about leading Luke to his bathroom. There’s a copper tub which he indulges in after long days tending to the store, but also a shower in the corner with a high-pressure setting that should do the trick.

“I’m really sorry about this,” Luke apologizes for the millionth time, wincing when he notices the trail of paint and glitter he’s left in his soggy wake. “This was the first place I thought of—”

“Luke, it’s okay,” Din assures with a chuckle. “I like that you thought of here first.”

Luke’s lips part on a soft, shy, “Oh…” blue eyes wide.

Ducking his head with a cough, Din gestures to Luke’s dripping shirt, murmuring, “Can I help?”

“If you don’t mind,” Luke sighs, the apologetic tone returning to his voice.

Din takes Luke’s hem in his hands, Luke lifting his arms to make it easier for him. “Trust me, there have been many a day Grogu comes home soaked in mud from top to toe.”

“Let me guess, frog hunting?” Luke teases.

“Yep,” Din replies, popping the P just for Luke’s amusement.

With Din’s help, they make quick work of peeling Luke out of his ruined clothes. By the time Luke’s in just his underwear, he’s mostly okay mess management-wise. His hair still dripping with what might be PVC glue with stripes of paint all up his arms and across his neck and cheeks.

“Let me pop these in the wash and get you some extra towels,” Din says, gathering Luke’s clothes and holding them at a distance so as not to get his own clothes caught in the crossfire.

“You’re a saint!” Luke calls after him, Din chuckling as he shakes his head fondly.

When he returns, Luke is already behind the curtain, singing an old country favourite, his voice soft and sweet with just a hint of that honey-tinted twang Din loves.

“Take me in your arms and hold me
Like I've been holding you in my heart
Take me in your arms and tell me
That you've missed me since we've been apart.”

“I didn’t know you could sing.”

Luke’s voice cuts off, a hand pushing back the shower curtain for Luke’s head to pop into the available space.

“Don’t you know every country hick can sing? It’s a requirement in our DNA and everything.”

Din rolls his eyes, dropping off the spare clothes and towels he’d procured on the toilet seat.

“Enjoy your shower, Mr. Mess Monster,” he teases, about to slip out the door when Luke’s fingers catch the back of his Henley, keeping him in place. Din arches a brow in question, turning to find Luke smiling that side-ways smile.

“Care to join me?”

Din blinks, unsure he misheard Luke over the rainstorm that is the shower. “Come again?”

“Would you like to join me?” Luke asks again, his hands signing it as well for good measure.

“Y-You mean—”

“Showering together, yeah,” Luke says. His smile dips, eyes dropping to the floor. “Sorry, if it’s asking a bit much. I know you’ve got work still. Never mind, it was silly—”

“Okay.”

Luke’s head whips up quick as lightning, blue eyes wide. “Really?”

Din nods, his fingers finding his leather bracelet. “Just give me a minute?”

“Sure, I’m not going anywhere,” Luke assures, his smile returning.

Quickly dipping out of the bathroom, Din stalks across the living room and to the apartment entrance, peeking his head out the door and pitching his voice loud enough for Boba to hear.

“Boba?”

“Yep?”

“This is going to take a little longer than I thought. Think you can manage the store for a bit?”

Boba grumbles a few choice words, the stomping of his boots preceding him as he appears at the bottom of the stairs.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.”

Din swallows thickly, his cheeks heating. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Boba scoffs, not looking the least bit convinced. “Sure you don’t. Get going, before he uses all your hot water.”

Thanking Boba and ignoring the catcalls his friends are granting him, Din shuts the apartment door and locks it for good measure before heading back to his room.

Luke’s already started his singing up again when Din quietly slips into the bathroom, the gentle pour of the water mixing with his angelic voice.

Taking a steadying breath, Din tugs his shirt over his head, carefully folding it and putting it to the side. His shoes and socks are next, followed by his jeans until he’s left standing in only his boxers. Slightly procrastinating, he decides to unhook his hearing aid next, placing it on the edge of the sink. The sound of the running water dulls to a faint, muffled drumming, Luke’s voice dropping out entirely. With another steadying breath, Din hooks his thumbs in the waistband of his boxers and shimmies them down his hips. He adds them to his pile of clothing, quietly reminding himself that it’s okay. It’s only Luke.

It's not that he doesn’t want to do this, quite on the contrary. He just can’t help the small bit of stage fright he’s experiencing with the knowledge that this will be the first time Luke sees him completely bare. Plus, there’s the added intimacy of bathing together for the first time as well, another first on the long list of firsts Din’s shared with Luke and Luke alone.

Anticipation building, Din approaches the shower, shaking fingers pulling back the curtain only for his heart to immediately come to a screeching halt.

Luke is quite the sight to behold, his wet hair pushed back in a style that makes Din desperately wants to sink his fingers into the strands, golden skin glistening with water droplets and gentle streams that follow the drips and curves of his body, drawing Din’s eyes to slim hips, a slightly pronounced V-cut, dimples in his lower back and lithe legs that could make any dancer jealous.

Luke’s eyes flutter open, and he greets Din with a smile, his finger crooking teasingly in a come hither motion.

Stepping beneath the spray, a shiver wracks down Din’s spine as his skin adjusts to the warm water, the pressure of the drops gently drumming against the back of his skull and shoulders.

“Okay?” Luke signs, Din nodding with a shy smile.

Luke’s managed to scrub off most of the paint by now, though his hair is still a mess of glitter and glue. Din picks up the bottle of shampoo, wiggling it in question. Luke grins, nodding.

There’s something soothing about helping Luke wash his hair. Perhaps it’s the easy motions of his fingers massaging the shampoo through those golden strands or maybe it’s the sense of calm and peace that seems to wash over Luke, his eyes fluttering closed with a content little smile, his hands resting on Din’s chest, palms like brands where bare skin touches bare skin.

By the time Din’s moved on to conditioner, he’s completely relaxed as well, his skin flush from the steam and all thoughts focused on the beauty that is Luke’s star-pointed lashes. Water drops fill the gaps between his freckles, making them almost glimmer even in the fluorescent lighting.

Luke chuckles as Din carefully turns them, sticking Luke’s head beneath the water to wash out all the suds.

Luke brushes back his wet bangs from where they’d fallen into his eyes, more radiant than the sun itself as he looks upon Din adoringly.

Your turn, he mouths.

Din nods, slightly bending his head to give Luke an easier reach. His hands settle on Luke’s bare hips, thumb drawing little circles and gathering water drops.

“Can you sing again?” Din asks, pitching his voice to what he hopes is loud enough to be heard over the spray.

Tucking the shampoo bottle beneath his armpit, Luke takes one of Din’s hands and raises it to his throat, offering Din a little wink before he starts singing again.

Din smiles, eyes closing as he focuses solely on Luke’s fingers massaging his scalp and the vibrations of his voice against the backs of his knuckles. He steps closer almost unconsciously, aligning their chests, wanting to feel more of Luke’s voice. Luke stutters for a second but quickly recovers, his nose bumping with Din’s, lips moving soundlessly at the hollow of Din’s throat. Din can feel the gentle vibrations emanating from Luke’s ribcage, the sounds bouncing and building before finding their way to his fingers still gently pressed to Luke’s throat, Din is just barely able to understand the words as he feels Luke mouth them against the soft skin just below his jaw.

It’s perhaps the rawest expression of sound Din’s ever experienced and he honestly wouldn’t exchange it for anything in the world.

Luke continues to sing as they help each other wash up, Din maintaining a point of contact with a hand either to his throat or pressed to his chest or between his shoulder blades, not wanting to miss a single note. He bows his head, forehead tenderly bumping with Luke’s, a silent declaration of his affection. He can feel Luke’s smile against his lips, can feel the gentle drip of water droplets dribbling down the bridge of Luke’s nose only to land on Din’s collarbones. His lips follow the path of the water droplets, Luke chuckling softly at the ticklish sensation of Din’s scruff. The vibrations of it pass through Luke’s chest and into Din’s own, the treble of it nestling happily inside his ribcage alongside his heart.

Pruning hands cupping Din’s jaw, Luke rises up on his toes, Din keeping him steady with his hands on his hips as hungry lips find one another, Luke humming happily as Din angles his head just right, immediately deepening it.

They exchange lazy kisses, Din taking some comfort in the fact that it doesn’t always need to be heated passion. Sometimes, it’s the simple connection of Luke’s body pressed to his own, feeling the shape of him, memorizing it until all the hard lines and curving contours are burned into his memory. It doesn’t always need to escalate. Sometimes it’s enough to simply indulge in one another, to enjoy their presence and the simple fact that they’re here, together, at last.

“We’re gonna run out of hot water soon,” Din warns reluctantly, not wanting to break away from this moment but knowing soon they’ll be drenched in ice-cold water if they’re not careful.

Luke heaves a put-upon sigh, pouting adorably. Din grins, kissing it away before reaching for the tap behind Luke and shutting the water off.

The moment doesn’t end then, though, to Din’s delight. He reaches the towels first, opening one up to Luke in invitation before even thinking of using it himself. Luke grins a giddy grin as he lets Din help wrap him up in the towel, chuckling softly as another is plopped atop his head and scrubbed to towel-dry his dripping hair. Luke does the same in return, helping tie Din’s towel around his waist and using it to tug him closer and steal a quick kiss before helping with his hair.

It's such a mundane moment, domestic and sweet and silly and so damn perfect Din half-expects to wake any second and realise this is all just a dream. But no, Luke is here, warm and real beneath his hands, his hair a mess and eyes bright with unbridled mirth.

The words slip past his lips without hesitation, soft and secret as he says, “I love you.”

Luke’s eyes widen in surprise, lips parting on a quick intake of breath. Just as quickly he’s recovering, giving his head a little shake before his hands shakily sign, “I love you, too.”

“You know the sign?” Din asks, taken aback.

Luke nods, chewing on his bottom lip as he replies, “I’ve been practising. Been wanting to tell you but could never find the right moment. But you did.”

A surprised bark of laughter trickles up Din’s throat, his smile no doubt love-struck and goofy as hell but he doesn’t care, not when the man he loves is standing before him, soft and satiated and signing that he loves him too.

Din swoops in, arms winding around Luke’s waist as he seals it with a kiss, Luke grinning into the motion as his arms drape over Din’s shoulders.

How perfect, Din thinks happily to himself, getting lost in Luke’s smiling lips. How perfect this is, in all its unplanned perfection.

*

There’s a certain kind of state Luke enters whenever he’s deep into a painting. It’s a little hard to explain, not unless you too have found yourself so lost in a task that your vision becomes tunnelled, all your focus, all your actions, your very breath, all of it amounting and accumulating towards doing whatever it is you’ve found yourself entranced with.

Luke can spend hours like this, standing in front of his easel, palette and paintbrush in hand as he forgets about such mortal things as hunger and bathroom breaks. Which is why he only manages to answer Leia’s call the second time she tries calling him.

The buzzing of Luke’s phone catches his attention when he takes a second to step back from his painting, looking at it from a distance to take in the full composition.

It’s completely different to his usual work. Usually, Luke expresses himself through more abstract means, broad brushstrokes and contrasting colours. This, however, is stepping in the totally other direction.

There’s still the use of more expressionistic colours, however, the scene is very much based on reality. A calming lake pier with the pale blue mountain range Luke could trace the ridges of in his sleep at this point. And there standing on the edge of the pier, just on the precipice of getting ready to jump is a figure with a shock of blonde hair, body lined with tension, his back to the viewer, totally lost in only himself and this moment of just before.

He's chewing on his bottom lip, second-guessing his use of colour for the pier when he finally notices his phone buzzing for his attention, lying forgotten on the desk near the door where Luke had dumped his jacket, bag and shoes from this morning. He’d come straight from the general store—where he’s been spending more and more of his nights as of late—determined to finish up this painting before the summer social picnic tonight.

Putting down his palette and plopping his brush into the glass of water in need of changing, Luke wipes off his paint-splattered hands before swiping his phone up and answering the video call.

“Finally!” Leia crows, not looking the least bit impressed when her face comes into view.

“Sorry,” Luke says with a sheepish smile. “I was painting.”

Leia blows a raspberry, rolling her eyes in that fond way of hers whenever she’s managed to squeeze between Luke and his artistic process.

“I suppose I can forgive you if you give me a sneak preview?”

Luke does so gladly, switching the camera and walking over to his canvas.

“Oh, Luke…” Leia breathes, brown eyes wide as she takes it all in.

“It’s not quite finished yet,” Luke murmurs, looking over the painting himself again while he has the chance. “I’m reconsidering some of my colour choices.”

But Leia shakes her head, a look of determination flashing across her features. “It’s perfect.”

“Yeah?”

Leia nods, lips tilting up a knowing smile. “When am I ever wrong about these sorts of things?”

“She’s right, kid.”

Luke chuckles when Leia’s camera shifts, revealing a smug-looking Han sitting beside his wife.

The thing is, Luke knows she’s right. He’s been nit-picking for the last half hour, feeling unsure of himself because he’s stepped so far out of his usual realm, out of his safe little bubble of comfort. But ever since he’s moved back here officially, Luke’s found himself drawn to the beauty of nature he now finds himself constantly surrounded by. Living in Coruscant, the closest you’d get would be a pristinely plucked park, with its neat, even grass and perfectly straight walking paths. Here, everything has been left to its wilder nature—broken tree stumps eaten away by bright orange fungi, moss-covered stones and endless green canopies.

Luke’s eyes skim past his easel to some of the other paintings he’s done in the last few months, all of them depicting the beauty and harshness of the Tatooine wilderness in the strangest and most enticing colour palettes, jumping between fantasy and reality, bordering on the surreal. There’s one in particular that always draws his eyes the longest, of Beru’s meadow at dusk where the fireflies are just starting to come out and play and a figure with broad shoulders and a mess of curls lays nestled at home amongst the blooms.

“I guess,” Luke relents, turning his attention back to the screen. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Leia and Han share a look that transcribes a thousand words, Leia biting on her bottom lip in that rare sign of nervousness before she finally blurts, “I’m pregnant.”

Luke blinks then blinks again and when the words finally register he breaks into an ear-splitting grin, practically bouncing off the walls as he proclaims, “No way! No way! I’m gonna be an uncle?!”

“Well, that’s the other thing,” Han says, he and Leia sharing another look before he says, “We were thinking maybe you’d like to be the godfather?”

“Oh…” Luke breathes, coming to an immediate standstill.

Leia jumps back in at his silence, saying how she knows it’s a big responsibility and if Luke doesn’t feel comfortable with the idea that he can totally say it but Luke shakes his head, his lips spreading once more into a smile.

“Leia, I’d honoured.”

Leia’s shoulder slump with relief, Han miming wiping his brow with a soft “Phew!” that has Luke and Leia both laughing.

“When are you due?”

“February, we think,” Leia says. Her hands unconsciously cup her stomach, his eyes turning soft in the corners.

“Well, I can’t wait to meet them,” Luke says. “Din and I could come through for the shower, maybe find an Airbnb to stay in—”

Luke trails off when notices the look Han and Leia share. It’s different from the previous ones, slightly more smirky.

“What?”

“You’re thinking pretty long term, huh?” Han teases, wiggling his eyebrows.

Leia grins too, far too sharp for Luke’s liking. “Should we be expecting wedding bells soon?”

Luke sputters, cheeks burning as his friends laugh at his being flustered.

“I—we haven’t—”

“Relax, kid, we’re only teasing,” Han says between his snickers.

“I’m not!” Leia protests, turning her steely I’m-gonna-dig-the-truth-out-of-you-whether-you-want-it-or-not look on him. “Are you really that serious about Din?”

“I mean… Well…” Luke hems and haws, eyes darting about the room as he tries to find his words.

It’s not that he’s unsure. It’s quite the opposite. Luke is so sure about Din, it’s almost scary. They just… they fit. There’s no better way to say it. Din is it for him. He just knows it, can feel it like every other certainty of this world. The sun rises in the East, flowers bloom in the spring, Luke Skywalker loves Din Djarin and Din Djarin loves him in return.

It’s as simple as that.

“Yes,” Luke finally says, cheeks heating, and shoulders squared as he looks his best friends in the eyes. “I’m serious about Din.”

“So… Are we hearing wedding bells soon?” Han asks, Leia smacking her head into her palm.

“Well, like I said, we haven’t really talked about it. I mean, technically we’re still living apart, though I’m honestly more at his than I am here.”

“Then maybe that’s the next step?” Leia suggests.

“Yeah, but that’s Din’s call,” Luke states. “The apartment… that’s his and Grogu’s world. I love spending time with them there, being a part of their Clan… but Din’s the one who needs to ask, needs to give that permission to make it official.”

“Well look at you, all grown up,” Han says, Luke and Leia both rolling their eyes with fond exasperation.

“I think what Han’s trying to say is that we’re happy that you’re happy,” Leia says.

“Thanks, guys," Luke says, shyness quickly giving way back to giddy glee as he adds, "And seriously, congrats. I want all the updates, all the ultrasound pictures!”

Leia snorts, Han shaking his head as he chuckles, saying, “Sure kid, we’ll send every gory detail.”

“You better,” Luke warns, pointing a stern finger as he grins from ear to ear.

“Don’t you have a picnic to get ready for?” Leia asks, brows rising in challenge.

Luke’s eyes dart to the time on his phone, a swear muttered beneath his breath when realises how late it’s gotten.

“Gotta go! Love you guys!”

“Enjoy your date!” Leia calls out, Han halfway through making some or other crude joke about bringing a spare condom when Luke ends the call, shaking his head at his friends. They’re ridiculous and can get on his nerves at times, but deep down, Luke loves them like family and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

*

Compared to last year’s picnic that had ended in a bit of tragedy and dashed hopes, this year’s picnic couldn’t have been more perfect. Luke not only got to slow dance with the most handsome man there, but he finally got to tick off getting a kiss at the famous kissing spot on the pier, he and Din getting lost in one another while the fireworks went off overhead.

It had already been agreed upon well in advance that Grogu would be having a sleepover with Winta afterwards. Omera had promised that they’d get the two munchkins to bed at a somewhat reasonable hour, Cara offering them a wink as she told them to enjoy the rest of their evening together.

And Luke and Din are doing just that. They come stumbling into the apartment, Razor raising her head from where was snoozing in her dog basket only to give an unimpressed sniff and go right back to sleep again when she sees what they’re up to.

While Luke is usually all for showering the adorable dog with loving words and ear scratches, he’s currently a little preoccupied, hands hungry and mouth hungrier as he and Din grip and grapple one another, fingers seeking out bare skin beneath shirt hems and waistbands.

They managed to make it Din’s room in one piece, Luke only having a minor altercation with the edge of the dining table but he’ll survive. Luke sits down on the mattress, fingers fisting in the front of Din’s shirt to pull him in until Din is straddling his lap, those deliciously thick thighs bracketing Luke’s hips, broad shoulders curved inwards as he takes Luke’s face in his hands and kisses him soundly.

Luke hums his approval, one hand caught in Din’s hair, the other arm slung around Din’s waist, pulling him even closer. That first little inviting roll of Din’s hips has Luke purring, his hand travelling down to give Din’s ass an appreciative squeeze, encouraging him to keep going.

“Luke…” he rasps, voice enticingly rough and deliciously deep.

“I’m here, darlin’.”

“Can we…” Din starts only to trail off.

Luke pulls back, looking up at him expectantly, waiting patiently for Din to piece his words together.

“I… I’ve been doing some reading.”

Luke’s heart flutters at the statement, a silly smile pulling at his lips. The fact that Din’s been reading up on these things, has been so open to exploration and learning, is so endearing and so very Din, it makes Luke’s entire body flood with warmth at just the mere thought.

“Mhm?” Luke hums, combing his fingers through Din’s hair.

“How do you… How do you know if you’re a top or a bottom?”

Luke’s fingers still, eyes widening. “Oh… um…”

Din winces. “Sorry, bad timing?”

“No, of course not,” Luke assures. He cups Din’s jaw, his thumb stroking through the scruff there. “I was just a little surprised. But we can talk about it.”

“Yeah?”

“Of course.”

Din’s shoulders lose some of their tension, fingers gently curling in Luke’s flannel where they rest on his shoulders.

“I’ve been doing some reading about it,” Din explains. “But most of the articles talk about using toys or masturbating to figure out what you like and I… I don’t really have an interest in either of those things.”

Luke nods along, lips pursing in thought. “It can be a little hard to figure out then.”

“Is that how you figured it out?”

Luke shrugs, smile sheepish. “Well, a little. To be honest, I figured it out more during college when I was seeing people.”

“Is it rude to ask what you are?”

Luke shakes his head, his arms wrapping snugly around Din’s waist. “No, not at all. It’s important information to know when in a relationship, just like discussing boundaries.”

Din nods, cheeks flushing an even deeper red. “Okay, so…”

“Well, lots of people assume I’m a bottom because, you know,” Luke flicks his hair dramatically with a teasing lilt, “stereotyping. I actually thought I was exclusively a bottom as well when I first started experimenting with sex. But I realised I’m actually more of a switch that favours topping. Or at least, favours giving.”

Din frowns in that adorable way of his when he’s trying to compute something he doesn’t quite understand, Luke unable to resist pressing a quick kiss to those perfectly plush lips.

“It’s called being a service top. I like spoiling my partner, taking care of their needs above my own. It’s one of the things I enjoy most about being intimate with someone.”

Din’s cheeks blossom a beautiful dusty rose, his lips twitching into a shy smile.

“Yeah, I’ve noticed that…”

Luke chuckles, Din gently bumping their foreheads together with an ever-growing smile.

“Is the reason you brought this up because you’d like to try to find out?” Luke asks, keeping the question light and empty of expectation.

He watches as Din’s flush deepens to a crimson red, spreading to the tips of his ears.

“It’s been in the back of mind as of late…” Din admits quietly.

Luke chuckles, nuzzling his nose with Din’s, earning that sweet frown-smile he adores.

“Well, I’m open for a little bit of experimentation if you are?”

Din swallows thickly, brown eyes wide and doe-like. “Yeah?”

Luke nods, tilting his head in question as he waits for Din’s reply.

“I think… I’d like to,” Din eventually says after a moment of contemplation. “If it’s with you then I think I might like it.”

The admission sends a bolt of pleasure zinging down Luke’s spine, his grip on Din’s waist tightening.

“Well then, Din Djarin,” he purrs, grinning as he presses his lips to the shell of Din’s ear, whispering, “Prepare to be spoiled rotten.”

Din’s little shiver sends another thrill thrumming through Luke’s body, Din’s thighs flexing where they still bracket his hips.

“You gonna pull out some of those tricks you’ve been keeping hidden?” Din teases, his voice only slightly tremulous.

“Maybe,” Luke sings, his lips peppering butterfly kisses across Din’s jawline. “If you’re up for it.”

Din gives a teasing roll of his hips, causing them both to hiss at the obvious want already growing there.

“Does that answer your question?”

“Yes, it does,” Luke rasps.

His lips seek out Din’s, Din humming softly into the sweetness of the kiss.

Luke’s gentle as he starts to shift up, his hands gripping the backs of Din’s thighs to steady him as he turns, guiding Din to lay back down the center of the bed.

Sitting up, Luke starts to unbutton his flannel, Din’s eyes growing heavy-lidded and lustful as he watches deft hands make quick work of the buttons. He sits up as well and helps Luke shrug out of the shirt, pressing kisses to Luke’s bare shoulder and up his neck to the soft skin just beneath his jaw.

Luke tilts his head back with a sigh, indulging in Din’s praising kisses, the lovely rasp of his facial hair against his skin while starting on Din’s shirt buttons. Din tugs on the sleeves impatiently, Luke chuckling softly at his eagerness to rid himself of the offending clothing.

Hands splayed across Din’s abdomen, Luke gently pushes him back so he’s laid out once more, dark curls cushioned on a plush emerald pillow. His dark eyes remain trained solely on Luke, watching hungrily, waiting to see what will come next.

It’s taking a lot of willpower on Luke’s side to not get ahead of himself. He wants this to be good for Din, wants to give him a good first experience and even if Din finds he doesn’t like it, then he can at least say he kept Din’s comfort in mind above all else.

Speaking of…

“I just realised we’re missing something important,” Luke says with a wince, his hands stilling at Din’s hips.

Din arches a brow in question.

“Lubrication is really important,” Luke explains. “I could, um, use spit but that’s—”

“I have lube.”

Luke stumbles on his words, blue eyes widening in shock. “You… You do?”

Din nods, sitting up on his elbows and twisting to dig a little bottle out of the top drawer of his bedside dresser.

Luke takes it, turning it over in his hands. “Why do you—”

“I wanted to be prepared if… when we…” Din tapers off, hiding his burning face in his hands.

Luke giggles, pulling Din’s hands away to shower his flushed cheeks with kisses. “You’re adorable. I love you.”

“I love you too…” Din breathes.

Luke puts the tube to the side for now, still within easy reach but making no move to open it.

“Aren’t you going to—”

“In due time, I’ve still got those tricks up my sleeve, remember?” Luke says with a wink.

Din chuckles softly, shaking his head at Luke’s teasing. His laughter quickly gives way to soft, breathy moans as Luke makes his way down his chest, sure to give Din’s nipples a little extra attention to get him riled up before his lips skim lower, lower, lower.

Luke gently noses at the dark hairs below Din’s naval as his fingers make quick work of Din’s fly, helping him to shuck off his shoes and socks before peeling his jeans off, leaving him in only his underwear.

“Before we go any further,” Luke says, “I just want to make sure you know that if at any point you don’t like what’s happening or you’re feeling uncomfortable, just say the word and I’ll stop.”

“I know,” Din whispers, his fingers playing with the tips of Luke’s hair. “It’s why I trust you with this.”

Luke’s heart clenches at the sincerity in Din’s voice, at the untainted trust he sees in his eyes. It’s enough to send his heart thumping into overdrive, his belly warm, and they’ve barely even done anything.

“I want this to be a good experience for you, but if you feel it doesn’t work or it’s not something you’ll like, that’s okay.”

Din nods, his smile easy and sure.

Pressing his smiling lips to Din’s, Luke gently hooks his fingers in the waistband of Din’s boxers, Din lifting his hips to help peel away the last layer.

Taking his time, Luke carefully makes his way down Din’s torso, relishing in the little shivers his kisses and caresses cause. His fingers snag in a loose pillow, dragging it down to where his lips are gently sucking pink and purple bruises at Din’s hipbones.

“Hips up,” he instructs, slotting the pillow beneath Din’s hips to help keep him propped. It’ll be helpful for what Luke has planned.

Luke’s lips just barely ghost Din’s hardened length, deliberately breathing hot air on the area and relishing in the squirm and quiet curse in Mando’a it earns him. He keeps his kisses light and skimming as he follows the crease of Din’s hip, his hands gently guiding Din’s knees further apart as he settles between his legs.

The first time his lips touch Din’s rim, Din startles so hard he manages to knock his head against the headboard.

Luke sits up like a meerkat peeking its head out of the sand, wincing in sympathy as Din rubs the back of his head.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, you just took me by surprise,” Din murmurs, embarrassment colouring his cheeks.

“It’s okay, darlin’,” Luke assures, his hand finding Din’s hip and drawing soothing circles into the tanned skin. “Making silly mistakes is part of the fun. This isn’t a test, it isn’t gonna be graded. It’s just you and me.”

“Just you and me,” Din echoes, his shoulders losing their tension.

Luke nods, pressing a smiling kiss to Din’s inner knee. “I’ll make the pain go away, promise.”

Din gives an indignant snort, Luke playfully pinching his hip in retaliation before his lips get back on track.

Luke would be lying if he said he hasn’t thought about this before, about Din writhing beneath him with blown-out pupils and Luke’s name sailing off his tongue like a prayer. But this is a much quieter moment, nothing like the incessant screaming and overly lewd moans porn would have you believe is the backing track to every intimate moment. No, the room is quiet, barely even the summer breeze shattering the stillness as Luke uses his tongue to open Din up. Din’s near-silent at first, unused to the strange sensation, but all too soon he’s relaxing into it, and the first breathless oh leaks past his lips.

Luke takes his time, is in no rush as he lets his lips explore, tongue tracing tight muscles, nosing at coiled springs, hands keeping Din steady in their hold.

Din whispers another soft, “Oh,” his hips shifting into the slick heat of Luke’s mouth as he murmurs Luke’s name. Luke gives Din’s hip a small squeeze, an acknowledgement and an encouragement in one.

The two build an easy rhythm, Din’s hips shifting in more confident waves as Luke licks into him, Din’s groans and tremors sending shocks of pleasure down Luke’s own spine.

It feels almost sacred as strange as it may seem, the reverence Luke feels towards Din as he shows him just how much he loves him, showers him with the affection he deserves, makes him tremble with ever-building pleasure. And all the while Din whispers Luke’s name like it’s a prayer, his fingers flexing and curling where they’re caught in the tips of Luke’s hair, desperate for a lifeline, for the assurance that Luke is here, that this is happening, that this isn’t just some daze-filled dream.

It’s only when his jaw begins to ache that Luke, reluctantly, pulls away, his lips pressing one last kiss there before straightening up. His eyes remain fixed on Din’s heaving chest and flushed face even as he reaches for the bottle lube.

“Still with me, darlin’?” he asks.

Din nods, his hands rubbing down his face as he tries to find a bit of composure.

Luke crawls over Din so he’s hovering above him, bringing them face to face as he gently tugs at Din’s wrist.

“Are you liking it so far?”

Din nods again, fingers warm and callused as they wrap around Luke’s wrist, eyes bright and earnest.

“It’s indescribable,” Din whispers.

Luke chuckles, kissing the tip of Din’s nose. “Oh, we’ve only just started.”

Popping the cap of the bottle, Luke pours a generous amount of gel onto his fingertips, rubbing them together to warm it up. He shifts forward, settling more comfortably between Din’s legs with his left hand braced beside Din’s head to help keep him propped above his partner.

“This is going to start off a little uncomfortable,” Luke warns, “you’ll need a bit of time to adjust and then we’ll go from there. Okay?”

Din nods, reaching up to carefully tuck Luke’s bangs behind his ear. His gaze is so adoring, so trusting, it nearly knocks all the air right out of Luke’s lungs.

Doing this with anyone can be a little daunting the first time. Slowly pushing the first finger in, Luke whispers quiet words of love to help ease the discomfort, lips pressing kisses to Din’s palm where it still cups his face. It’s only when Luke gets a second finger in and begins the slow, easy curl of his fingers, the gentle push in and out that Din starts going breathless again.

His hand slips from Luke’s face, dropping to grip Luke’s bicep instead as his eyes flutter closed, a breathless moan leaking past his lips.

“Good?” Luke asks, changing the angle of his hand just so and grinning when he sees how big of a reaction it gets out of Din, his thighs clenching around Luke’s hips, toes curling and hips stuttering.

“So good,” Din pants.

His breaths give way to a low keen when Luke finally finds that magic little spot, Luke’s mouth turning dry as he watches his partner squirm and writhe beneath him.

“You look so beautiful like this, darlin’,” Luke praises, leaning down as close as he can while his hand is still otherwise occupied, pressing kisses to every spot he can reach—Din’s chin, the crook of his neck, his collarbones, the corner of his mouth.

Din’s hips rock in time with Luke’s hand, meeting him halfway and desperate for Luke’s fingers to hit that little bundle of nerves again, to bring those waves of pleasure at full force and stars above but Luke could come just watching Din like this, just hearing the rasping tone of his voice as he breathes Luke’s name in worship.

“Luke, close,” Din gasps, hips still chasing Luke’s hand and fingers gripping tightly still to Luke’s bicep—so tight he thinks Din might leave marks.

“That’s good darlin’, you’re doing so good for me,” Luke praises and with the flick of his wrist and slight twist of his fingers, he’s pressing down on that little bundle of nerves again and again, the big finale as he watches Din’s body wrack with pleasure, his eyes creased shut and head tilting back, curls messy against the pillows. His hand seeks out Luke as he peaks, Luke leaning into his touch as he presses reverent kisses to Din’s fingertips, his other hand continuing to stimulate him as he rides it out.

Luke’s just finished wiping down Din and his hand off on his discarded flannel when Din’s eyes flutter open, brown eyes glazed with post-coital bliss.

“Hey there,” Luke greets with a cheeky grin.

“Hey,” Din rasps. He sits up slightly on his elbows, Luke easily helping Din up the rest of the way as he slides in alongside him so they’re both leaned back against the headboard, Luke in only his briefs and Din in nothing at all.

“So…” Luke says, gently knocking his shoulder with Din’s. “What’s the verdict?”

Luke watches with unadulterated joy as Din’s entire chest flushes that lovely dusty rose, a hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did,” Din admits quietly. “I’d tried to picture it before when reading about it, but I never thought…”

“Never thought?” Luke prompts, slightly worried when Din trails off for a little too long.

Din’s hand drops from his neck, fingers tangling with Luke’s where they lay between them on the sheets before turning his full gaze upon Luke. It’s startling and breath-taking and earnestness all rolled into one. A look that says a thousand words that Luke could recite off by heart if asked.

“I never realised how intimate this could feel. Not just in the physical or emotional sense but also on a sort of… spiritual level.” His shoulders hunch, fingers tightly squeezing Luke’s. “That maybe sounds a little silly and I know I’ve no expert on these sorts of things, but even I can tell that what we have… it’s special. Like the stars mapped out our paths ahead of time and we are simply following their guidance.”

Luke can’t help falling into Din at those words, his fingers curling into the hair at his nape as he brings their foreheads together in a firm Keldabe Kiss.

“I feel it too,” he whispers, shifting even closer as Din wraps an arm around his waist, tugging him until they’re sitting curled into one another. “You’re my future, Din. You and Grogu.”

Din sucks in a sharp gasp, pulling back enough to try to get a read on Luke’s expression, brown eyes searching for answers.

Luke remains steadfast, waiting for Din, knowing the words will sink in eventually.

“You mean that,” Din finally whispers in wonder.

Luke nods, nuzzling their noses together. “I do. This,” he gestures between them, “us, is it for me. I can’t think of anyone I’d be more grateful to wake up to each morning than you, Din Djarin.”

“Luke…” Din breathes.

Luke ducks his head, chewing nervously on his bottom lip as his fingers draw nonsense shapes onto Din’s back.

“I know we haven’t really spoken about these things yet. It’s still early days, technically, but I’d like to maybe start having those conversations. Cause I can’t picture my future without you in it, Din. That’s just a fact of life at this point.”

Din releases a rush of air, trembling hands reaching up to cradle Luke’s face. His words are whispered and rasping but still clear in the stillness of the room.

“Move in with me?”

“Huh?” Luke says, you know, like a smart and totally eloquent person.

“Move in with me?” Din repeats, thumbs stroking the apples of Luke’s cheeks, following the pattern of freckles there. “Start a new chapter here with me, with us. One where we get to wake up in each other’s arms every morning and fall asleep knowing that love awaits us when the sun rises once more.”

It’s Luke’s turn to be stunned speechless, jaw dropping as Din’s poetical declaration washes over him fully, body flooding with contented warmth and adoration for this man. He rushes forward, stealing a quick, firm kiss before pulling back and gasping, “Yes. Yes, to it all.”

“Yeah?”

Luke nods, a giddy grin spreading from ear to ear, “Yeah.”

Din breaks into his own grin, a flash of white teeth in the cool blues of the room as he brings Luke into a tight embrace.

They slot so perfectly together like this, Luke’s face tucked just right into the crook of Din’s neck, Din’s arms fitting snugly around Luke’s waist. Luke can’t help remembering how, when pressed together, Uncle Owen’s miniature renditions of the lake house and Din’s store had fit just as perfectly together. Even back then, Owen was already convinced of what Luke was finally fortunate enough to discover for himself.

He was made to stand at Din’s side and vice versa. They were meant to walk life’s journey together hand-in-hand and really now, what more could a man ask for?