Chapter Text
It was extraordinary, the way their emotions were flowing between them. Staying unaffected was impossible. Luke’s anger was fuelling Rey’s irritation, and her annoyance lent him the fire behind his words. He glanced at her when she came to stand next to them, and his eyes flashed with apprehension as he realized precisely which feeling was his and which was hers.
“Rey?” he asked a spark of trepidation leaking through their bond.
“Luke. Anakin.” Rey crossed her arms over her chest and glared at them. “Would you mind if I joined your conversation about me?”
Luke’s eyes widened at the sharp tone of her voice. “I didn’t mean to-”
“Yes, well. You did. And you have some explaining to do,” she pointed at Anakin. Rey knew she was unable to do him any harm but the idea of taking her lightsaber and swinging at his head, repeatedly, was not unwelcome. She was even certain it had nothing to do with Luke’s anger at his father. Or maybe it did. “Fancy a duel, big brother?”
“Actually,” Anakin took a step back and glanced over Rey’s head at his former Master. She got a rare glimpse at the boy Darth Vader had been more than half a century ago. “I think… I think your father needs to talk to me. Maybe later, Rey?”
Then the infuriating Force ghost vanished into thin air.
“I hate when he does that,” growled Rey and turned to Luke, pointing her finger at him, and poked him in the chest. “Do I have to repeat myself or do you know what I was going to say?”
How many times did they have to go through this? Anakin had been right; Luke wouldn’t fall to the Dark Side – not because of Rey but because he was a good man and had people to help him sort out his anger issues. Luke wasn’t his father or his nephew, and she believed in him. She would gladly remind him every day for the rest of their lives and longer. Didn’t he understand? They were linked by the Force itself, their destinies irrevocably joined. They weren’t just a Master and Padawan any longer – perhaps they had never really been. Their relationship had always been that of equals, and she wouldn’t let him doubt himself. She pushed her emotions through the bond, trying to make him understand, quite frustrated with him for being so stubborn.
Luke stared at her, his eyes an endless sea of blue, and Rey wondered what exactly he saw in her expression, and if her thoughts had found their way into his mind. She felt as the rest of his anger melted away, a sense of warmth enveloping them both for a short moment, and then only embarrassment started coming from him in waves. He gave Rey a small smile and hesitatingly reached for her hand to stop her from repeating her action. “It won’t be necessary.”
As the roughened skin of his left palm came into contact with the back of her hand, her feelings of annoyance were utterly forgotten. Just looking into his earnest eyes had that effect on her but then he put her palm over his heart, holding it in place with a sheepish smile. “I know, Rey, I’m sorry.”
How could she possibly remain annoyed at him?
“Okay.” She nodded and stepped closer, observing him. Luke’s beard was unevenly cut; too short on the left side of his jaw, too long on his chin and under his nose. The blood from his cut colored it rusty red on his right cheek. She touched the little wound with her fingers gently – it had already closed. “You look ridiculous.”
“There was a reason why I didn’t attempt to trim it in the last seven months. The end results are always ridiculous. It hadn’t mattered when there had been only thala-sirens to impress, though.” Luke winked at her and Rey grinned.
“Maybe you could just shave it off, you know.”
At that, he gave her an exasperated look. “No. I don’t want to look like a fresh-faced schoolboy, thank you very much. It undermines the whole ‘wise Jedi Master’ image I’m trying to project.”
Rey’s expression lit up, and he immediately shook his head, sensing her sudden eagerness to see exactly that. She had never even thought about how he looked without the facial hair obscuring half of his face and was suddenly very curious about it.
The level of Luke’s embarrassment rose, and he stated firmly, “No, Rey, no.”
It took her a second to understand that he was actually shy about it, and she suppressed a smile, looking down at their joined hands. Behind the legend of the Jedi Master, she had found a man, and inside of that man, she was discovering a gentle soul – every day, bit by bit. When she looked him in the eye again, she offered softly, “Maybe I could help you trim it, then?”
He blinked at her and his gaze flickered all over her face, his expression uncertain. “Alright.”
It was as if Rey didn’t have any control over her own limbs because her hand then moved to the side of Luke’s neck, rested on his shoulder and touched the wavy ends of several strands of his hair. “Are you growing it out or do you need help with cutting that, too?”
“There are two kinds of human males in this galaxy, Rey. The ones who can pull off long hair with ease, and the ones who can’t. We can get started as soon as we finish the talk with Master Yoda and your fa-” Luke chuckled and glanced behind her at the surprisingly quiet Force ghosts only to say, “Oh.”
Rey turned quickly to discover that they had been left alone at some point during the conversation. She hadn’t noticed when the faint presences of Master Yoda and her father had disappeared, and she was certain that they hadn’t even said goodbye. She hadn’t been that wrapped up in talking to Luke, had she?
“Guess they decided the situation was under control.” Rey shrugged and summoned the small sharp stone Luke had been using earlier, pulling at his hand. “Come on, let’s do this. We’re getting scissors and a proper razor for the next time, though.”
She tried to ignore the small sharp tug inside of her chest when Luke gave her an incredulous look; so startled and yet pleased. It was only a little thing, nothing in comparison to the intimacy of their bond, but it felt strangely more personal than sharing feelings and memories or thoughts; maybe because they didn’t have to share this and yet they chose to.
“That could be useful.” He nodded and let her drag him closer to the fire.
Rey was used to trimming her own hair, but it took her some time to figure out how to cut Luke’s – he was patient and sat still as she was combing her finger through it. With only a tiny bit of embarrassed surprise, she marveled at its unexpected softness, noticing that his hair was actually a darker shade of blond; the silver threads in it made it appear lighter. The only reaction she got from him was the way their bond hummed with amusement, and she couldn’t help her grin from time to time, feeling almost giddy.
Then there was the beard which proved to be a bigger challenge. She managed to cut most of it off without any issues but then she got to the point when the sharp edge of the stone would come to close contact with his skin. Rey’s hand trembled when she touched Luke’s jawline and tilted his head back to gain better access under his chin. “Is this alright?”
She didn’t know why she felt suddenly so nervous – perhaps it was the fact how quickly he had allowed her to expose his throat. The gesture alone spoke volumes but the trust that flooded her through their bond, trying to reassure her, actually made the trembling worse.
“It’s fine, Rey. No need to be nervous.” Luke smiled at her and offered his cheek to start with. Rey nodded and took a deep breath. The stone was razor sharp, and she needed to be careful so she wouldn’t cut him more. It had proven to be difficult as his half-lidded eyes followed her movements. Rey had to focus on her breathing, copying inadvertently Luke’s slow rhythm of inhaling and exhaling, while the same familiar feeling of warmth enveloped them. The bond thrummed with electricity.
A compromise was in order – he would get to keep the beard, and Rey would get to see his face if it would be only a few millimeters long. When Rey was finished, she stepped back a little and stared at him as if she had never seen him before. With his hair and beard cut so short, the blue of his eyes was much more striking, and the hidden features of Luke’s face were revealed; the strong set of his jaw, the dimple on his chin, laugh lines around his mouth, the exact shape of his lips.
He was so… He looked… She had never thought that…
“Rey?” Luke asked, sensing and seeing her bewilderment, and rubbed his chin. “Oh, Rey! That’s too short! It’s not a beard, it’s… It’s stubble!”
“No, I think the length’s perfect! You look so handsome!” As soon as the words left her lips, Rey wanted to slap her hand over her mouth, wishing the ground would open and swallow her. Luke just blinked at her, uncomprehending, and a wave of awkwardness settled over them.
“I think I never had hair that short, you know.” He rubbed his jaw and then the short hair at the back of his head, looking at the ground. Rey wasn’t sure who was more mortified by what she had just said. “I’m afraid to let you go anywhere near me with a proper razor and scissors no less… Rey? Are you alright? You seem a bit distracted.”
Rey swallowed, a healthy blush spreading across her cheeks, and glanced around the campsite, her eyes following the treetops. She tried to convince herself she had just not spent the last ten seconds staring at Luke’s lips. Just hadn’t, definitely not. Thank the Force for small mercies – her thoughts were such a jumbled mess that there was no way he could catch even the slightest echo of them.
Shaking off the sudden, startling realization that yes, Luke Skywalker was a good-looking man, Rey cleared her throat. “I’m ok and the beard it’s fine like that. Now, where are we and what are we doing here?”
Luke stared at her in wonder for a moment, and with her own emotions wreaking havoc inside of her, she was unable to pick up any of his.
Still gingerly touching his hair, he swept the slightly longer bangs to the side and rolled his shoulders, finally answering, “We’re waiting for the Resistance to pick us up and transport us to the base.”
Rey flopped down next to him on the ground and snuggled closer to his side. As the night slowly fell, it was getting colder, and he had already proven to be the best source of warmth in the entire galaxy. Luke lifted his arm and wrapped it around Rey’s shoulders with a small smile. For a moment, they basked in the renewed contact and the familiar feelings of safety and contentment it provided. The awkwardness of moments ago was easily forgotten. This was Luke. He had always been handsome, some part of her had known that, and becoming aware of it now didn’t change a thing, Rey decided.
“Why don’t we fly to D’Qar?” She asked after a minute or two. They had the X-wing, and she was not going to complain about the way they had fitted inside.
“The base had to be relocated. Apparently, we missed an interesting adventure.” Luke’s head was tilted back, and he was watching the skies. “The losses were minimal; my sister wiped the floor with General Hux during the chase he gave and later on Crait. Fortunately, both Snoke and Kylo Ren were focusing on finding us more than on crushing the Resistance. The threat we present is too great for them to ignore.”
“And why is that?” Rey glanced at his solemn face at the right moment – Luke’s lips turned up in a wry smile for a split of a second.
“Your strength alone is alarming for them. With me back and you as my student, the playing field has just been leveled. The Knights of Ren are only mediocre Force users trained by a crippled Sith, and a Jedi Padawan turned traitor.” Luke’s voice was emotionless when he spoke about his nephew and his dark master, the old anger for a moment rising inside of him, but Luke was quick to push it back. She watched his profile for a moment until he turned to look at her. He was serious, his eyes sad, the echo of old pain lingering in their blue depths.
“When the word spreads, that Skywalker’s returned and has taken on a new apprentice – and it will – the worlds which have been neutral will flock to my sister’s side, and the planets under the rule of the First Order start to rebel. The Jedi, us, are their hope and that’s the push these systems need. The First Order will burn down. It’s going to be so messy, Rey; half of the galaxy could burn along with it.”
His melancholy enveloped them, and Rey swallowed. The idea that people would rally behind her was hard to believe, but Luke spoke from personal experience. He had been where she was right now. She found his hand and gave it a slight squeeze before Luke laced their fingers together.
“Then we’ll have to make sure to help rebuild it if it happens.” She said and smiled at him. “No darkness can last forever, Luke. The dawn will always come.”
“Yes,” he murmured and wrapped his other arm around Rey in an affectionate embrace, resting his chin on top of her head, holding her firmly against his chest. She still managed to catch the look in his eyes – and felt the tidal wave of emotions through their bond. He considered her to be the dawn after a long, long night. “I’m starting to believe that.”
She returned the hug, sneaking her arms around his waist, getting as close as she could, and held him tightly. Hope, affection, gratitude, it all floated between them freely, their emotions so deep and pure, the warmth of their feelings keeping the chill of the night away.
Luke was the first one to lean back. He turned his eyes towards the skies once more and proclaimed, “I believe we’re about to have some company.”
He wasn’t alarmed, so Rey assumed it was their transport to the Resistance and reluctantly released her hold on him and spread her senses around – but felt nothing. Not counting local fauna, they were alone. “I don’t sense anyone’s presence.”
Luke glanced down at her, his eyes sparkling. “We have around 20 minutes.”
She gaped at him. “You feel them light years away?! I need to learn that!”
“It’s a matter of practice and meditation; lots and lots of meditation. Would you like some help with that, my young Padawan learner?”
“Sure!” Rey disentangled herself from him and assumed a cross-legged position, gazing at him expectantly.
“Okay, I didn’t mean right now – but a little demonstration won’t hurt, I suppose.” Luke chuckled, shifted to sit in front of her and nodded. “Start as usual.”
Rey closed her eyes and let go of her conscious thoughts and feelings, allowing the peace of the Force envelop her. It wasn’t the same as before, though. No matter how hard she tried, there was something at the back of her mind that she could not let go – it was a permanent part of her.
Luke, she realized with a gasp.
‘Amazing’ his mind brushed against hers gently, the thought awed. ‘It’s actually making this much easier. Don’t be alarmed, I’m going to guide you through the steps.’
Then Luke took both her hands in his and proceeded to show her that Anakin wasn’t the only Skywalker willing to cheat while teaching her something. His presence gently tugged at hers, and they entered the deep meditative trance. Anakin had merely pulled her along, but Luke demonstrated everything step by step and taught her how to spread her senses further from her body, how to delve deep into the Force to feel it thrum not only in her close proximity but through the whole planet. With practice, she would be able to reach even farther – sense the life in the entire solar system and later also in the far, far reaches of the galaxy.
She felt Finn, Poe, BB-8 and an unknown man approach the planet, land near to them and enter the wooded area. As they were coming closer and closer, she asked, ‘Shouldn’t we stop?’
‘No. Let them see and spread the word.’ Luke’s answer bubbled with amusement. Rey didn’t have any idea what he had meant but trusted him enough to continue with the meditation.
When her friends finally stumbled upon the campsite, she felt their astonishment and heard Poe say, “No way, no freaking way!”
It broke her concentration to the point that she slipped out of the meditation – and found herself floating in the air, roughly two meters from the ground. It happened in a split of a second. Luke brought her closer and wrapped his arms around Rey’s torso to prevent her from falling as he too finished his meditation. He carefully guided them back to the ground, glaring at the intruders in what she knew was mock displeasure. Inside, he was fighting the urge to burst out laughing at their stunned expressions.
“Now, that was most rude, Poe.”
“Well! Sorry, I wasn’t expecting to see that, Uncle Luke!”
Uncle Luke? Rey stepped away from his embrace and glanced at him. Luke was unashamedly not sorry – he even looked a bit smug. So they had been apparently floating during the meditation, hadn’t they? Two meters off the ground no less. The mischief in his eyes was a sight to behold, and she had to school her own expression, his amusement tugging her lips to curl upwards. They had been spending too much time with Anakin – and Yoda, especially Yoda.
“You knew, didn’t you.”
“Of course.” He just smiled, patted her shoulder and strode to shake hands with the young pilot. “Look at you, you have grown into a fine young man!”
A series of beeps alerted her to the presence of her droid friend. “BB! Oh, you have a new one, that’s so nice!” Rey bent down to the small droid and adjusted its antenna. “Of course I missed you, too.”
BB-8 beeped again and rolled off to introduce itself to Luke, excitedly chirping about meeting R2D2. Rey then turned to look at Finn, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw her friend. Finn stood awkwardly at the side with the other man in a pilot’s suit, both unsure if they should come closer to the two Jedi.
The last time she had seen him, he had been severely injured from a fight where he had tried to defend her. Knowing he was alive wasn’t the same thing as seeing him standing in front of her, healthy and in one piece. She was so relieved, and she beamed at him – a broad smile that almost split her face in two. Seeing that, Finn grinned and spread his arms. Rey didn’t waste a moment longer and rushed towards him, crying, “Finn!”
“Rey! I let you out of my sight for a second, and you go and start levitating and stuff!” he said as he lifted her and spun them around. “I’m so glad to see you!”
Squeezing the breath out of her first real friend, the only one who had come back for her even though he hadn’t had to, and watching Luke listening to Poe and BB-8 about the battle of Crait, was enough to make her feel insanely happy.
Just for a moment, until the war would truly begin.