Chapter Text
Luke woke first, feeling warm and complete and not tired. Not at all like usual, and since he usually hardly slept, he couldn’t remember when he had met the day feeling this good. As he slowly came to himself, he realized his legs were rather deliciously tangled with other legs, and saw a blond head was laying gently across his abdomen, rising and falling with his own breath.
Kark, that’s pretty, he noticed, until a lightening revelation struck him, making him gasp and the blond head turned sleepily to him.
“Umm, morning,” the man said shyly, and Luke saw his own bed tousled face looking up at him soulfully. Incredibly blue eyes - do I really have those eyes? raced across his mind and said eyes widened in shock and suddenly the man was yanking away from Luke.
Staring at the startled vision crouched at the end of the bed, Luke’s chest heaved. Looking down, he couldn’t help but notice what a very fine chest it was, littered with scars but broad and well defined. He raised up a hand, flinching at how it was rather larger than he was used to, covered with fine delicate brown hairs. A creeping suspicion and a bit of panic had him saying “Uhh, Din?”
The blond shrunk back like he was prey, gingerly sitting on his haunches and also raised up a hand. Luke recognized it immediately since it was his hand.
Din looked up at himself that was leaning against the headboard. He took in his own face frozen in shock, probably mirroring his own expression. He mentally winced when he took in the abundant scars littering his chest, seeing several that were complete hack jobs with the cauterizer if he was being honest. He had never even contemplated that his body might be bared to someone, much less be aware of how ugly some scars were. Or that he might wish to look…pleasing to another person. A little part of him smirked however, to see how strong and muscular he looked. Even at rest, his aura screamed predator.
Luke was still staring at him, so Din raised those blue eyes up, a twisted smile on his face that Luke was sure he had never made himself. “Is this more of that Jedi stuff?” Din looked down at his, no Luke’s body and huffed a snort.
“Exactly what I’d expect from you, Jetii.
Dank ferric, but it was creepy how Luke’s voice came out of Luke’s mouth. That wasn’t attached to Luke.
Growling in mock anger, Force, did he just growl? Luke defended himself. “I have no idea what-this…is.” He felt the rumble in his chest at his words and kind of melted at the sound. Kriff, he sounded awesome.
Both men sat for a moment, contemplating each other in this totally new way. Din took in the face he hardly ever looked at, noticing the amber brown eyes and messy hair. Need a haircut, he thought absently, and also took in smugly how fucked out he looked. Whatever he and Luke had fallen into was still new, and they were learning themselves but he discovered he was not as upset at their current situation as he could have been.
He and Luke had been dancing around each other for months and what with Luke’s own wonderful self and caring for his son, he trusted the man implicitly. Which explained why he was taking this admittedly karked situation in stride.
Looking down at his new body, he noted all the love bites and bruises now blooming across his collarbone. Leering at the man, he tossed out, “Marked you up good, didn’t I.”
Luke flushed at his words, but on Din’s face it was a slow rise of color, not the instant pink the blond usually turned.
“Didn’t ask you to stop,” he grinned, and just like that, their easy routine was back.
Luke sighed and ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the unfamiliar curls.
“I don’t know about this, but-“ Luke found himself mesmerized by his new ones, turning them this way and that. “I’ve got two hands!”
Ahhh. Din had forgotten about that. He raised up his right arm like it was made of glass, touching the synth skin gently. “Doesn’t hurt,” he murmured, and Luke nodded. “Sometimes when I am really tired or been fighting long, the connection points ache a bit, but usually I don’t even think about it,” he offered sheepishly.
Flirtatiously looking up through his lashes Din said, “Well, then, I will take very good care of it,” making Luke stutter with laughter. Din got serious. “Maybe this is some kind of 24 hour enchantment?” Hope hitched his voice up, still startling himself with his new sound.
“If so, we better start practicing being…each other,” Luke admitted, “cause I don’t want the teasing if we hid out here all day.”
Now Din blushed and Luke saw what everyone else did when he was embarrassed or aroused.
He took in the smooth cool stone walls of Boba’s Palace and began making a list.
“I’m hoping since it’s your muscle memory, the armour weight won’t be an issue,” he said thoughtfully. “What I am worried about is our expressions and well, moves.”
At these words, Din recoiled, “I won’t be able to wear my helmet,” he gasped.
Luke watched in dismay as he watched his body go through a whole inventory of emotions. He reached out to Din on instinct.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay, I will be wearing it and your face will be protected.” Din panted to bring himself in check, but they both knew two decades of being covered was a tall order to get used to in one day.
Slowly Din got himself under control and they simply sat for a moment.
“Okay, okay, we can do this,” Luke said as if convincing himself. He stood up, blankets tumbling down, and froze at the sight of this new body.
“Uhh, you might have to tell me how to get dressed,” he motioned to the decidedly larger pile of clothes and armour flung across the floor. Reaching for his small clothes, he tilted his head back at Din.
“So, uh, first it’s the under shirt, then the flight suit.” Luke found himself clumsily putting on the suit, unused to the hmm, larger fingers. He forced his mind to relax and found if he just let it happen, memory took over and soon he was suited up.
“Ok next?”
Din was watching in a weird way, never having had to see his body get dressed. Luke looked at him trustingly, and picked up the chest plate with reverence before placing on the bed. Din swallowed at the gesture, feeling a rush to his gut at Luke’s instinct to his armour.
“Uh, alright, next the the flak vest and cummerbund. Then, right shin guard and thigh plates.”
Luke completed those and looked at Din expectantly.
“Knee piece then left shin guard.”
Luke snickered all of the sudden, “I can see why sometimes you sleep in this, there’s no way to throw it on in an emergency.”
“It’s surprisingly comfortable except the helmet to sleep in.”
They both laughed, then Luke raised an eyebrow. Din looked away, he knew he was very expressive beneath the helmet and made lots of faces but he had never done that.
“Uhh, cape, then chest plate. vambraces and be careful! There’s a flame thrower in that,” he cautioned Luke who was being a little carefree in his confidence. “Okay, now the pauldrons, hand plates and gloves.
Luke stood before him, gleaming in the soft light, his eyes glowing with amusement. “Will this do?” he asked, turning back and forth to try and see more of himself.
Smiling, Din nodded. “Just the ammo belt and bandolier, and of course various knives hidden in my-your boot.”
Luke took a deep breath, closing his eyes to get a feel for the weight. “It’s, it feels fine, but dude, you gotta take better care of yourself. My lower back is twitching like crazy.” Din huffed at that, “Well, I am older than you.”
Luke was still checking his movements, raising his arms and stretching. “Not too bad, since I also slept better last night than I can remember,” he winked at Din who colored violently.
Luke looked grouchy. “I blush like a little girl,” he snarked.
“All part of the package, Jetii.”
“Well, if your back is this bad, you obviously need me to take better care of you.”
The words were out of Luke’s mouth before he thought and they both stilled. Luke broke contact first and swooped down to capture Din’s lips. After a thorough exploration, he pulled back breathlessly. “Can’t help myself, you’re amazing whatever body you’re in.”
Din choked back a laugh and said, “I feel the same.” Looking down at his new self, he added, “I probably don’t need help with your clothes, though how you can’t wear some kind of armour I will never understand.”
“Because Jedi are supposed to be Guardians of the Peace.” Luke tried to pull off Serene Jedi Look on Din’s body. It didn’t work, coming off more as Self Satisfied Smug, making Din fall over laughing.
“Alright,” Luke said in mock crossness, “let’s get this done. Din got serious and obediently pulled over the soft high necked tunic, pants and high boots.
“The boots are so dramatic,” he waggled his eyebrows back. Luke refused the bait.
“All Skywalkers are dramatic, it’s in our DNA,” he said fondly. “Walk around, I want to see how you move.”
“I bet you do,” Din said under his breath, making Luke laugh more.
Din strode through the room, but being so light without the armour’s weight felt strange.
“Okay, you know you usually walk like a panther, all stalking and aggressive. Let’s try toning it down a bit, maybe walk more off the balls of your feet.”
Din made a mulish face, “Kark, this is hard to walk and think about it,” he complained. He practiced Not Striding and just came off self conscious.
“Hey, I found when dressing to just open my mind and let the body take over, so try that.”
“Can’t wait to see you try that,” Din muttered, but he took the advice and just walked. Like Luke.
“Oh, good,” Luke felt relieved, “That’ll work.”
“Now your turn, Panther.”
Taking a deep breath, Luke stepped off in the confident swagger he admired of Din’s.
“Not bad,” Din admitted, “but maybe not so much, sexy hips? I only use that when I am trying to get information from someone on a job,” he purred.
That got a flush from Luke, and a look like he wanted to hear more. “Okay, less sway,” he managed to get out.
“And keep the shoulders very erect,” Din added, helpfully. Luke shot him a defensive look, but straightened up, and suddenly became Din.
“Now the hard part, the helmet.” Din picked it up, aware again that he was going to be uncovered and another would wear his physical face. As if Luke knew what he was thinking, he knelt like a knight for Din to place it over his head.
As it hissed on, telemetry data raced across his vision, including infrared, measurements and visor control.
“Whoa, how do you see with all this info?” Luke stammered.
“Kark, forgot about that. We start training with helmets young and it just becomes second nature. Click your teeth to cycle through to just visor,” Din cautioned.
Luke relaxed at the blank screen. “So, Din-I bet you’re not even aware that because of no peripheral vision you turn your whole head at things.”
Din sighed. “No, I know, and Mandalorians use a lot of tilting and head movement to show listening and conversation. That will be hard for you to pick up quickly.”
The helmet was a weight on his neck but Luke found it strangely comforting. He felt secure and protected knowing his expressions were not on display. “I could get used to this, I bet you roll your eyes a LOT.”
Din did roll his eyes, making Luke laugh again.
“Now it’s my turn, you look at people so openly, your-“ and here Din hesitated, expressing his personal feelings about the man. “Your soul is in your eyes,” he admitted.
Luke shocked still, moved by the confession.
“And then sometimes you do the tooka eyes, all pleading and stuff,” he added, breaking the tension and snickering at Luke’s mortified gaze.
“Huh, well, at least that will be behind the visor,” he huffed.
He moved over to Din and embraced him, enjoying being the taller of the two for a change. “Honestly, are we ready to do this?” He tucked Din’s head in his neck and just stood for a moment.
Din relaxed into the hold, thinking it through.
“Maybe if we have a plan on what to do today and hope, maybe tomorrow things will be back to normal?”
“Good idea, how about we go to the private kitchen for breakfast, and you know we have to make an appearance in the Throne room. Then maybe…” Luke looked a bit keen. “We could…spar? See what it’s like?” his voice anxious.
Sparing always got his blood up, Din licked his lips, “Sure, and maybe switch off styles? First I could use the lightsaber then try the spear?”
Luke grinned. “Perfect.”
~~<<o0o>>~~
Trying not to laugh hysterically, they made their way to the kitchen, keeping out of sight of the guards posted along the corridors.
“Whew,” Luke threw himself into a chair, “That was only five minutes and I feel wiped out.”
Din prowled over to the kaf machine. “I know, the effort is tiring,” he admitted. “At least I can eat,” reminding Luke that he had on the helmet.
“Fierfek,” Luke groused. “Well, no one’s here, I’m lifting it up for kaf.”
They sat in companionable silence, each with their thoughts.
Luke turned toward him. “Good thing Grogu is with my sister, he’d know in an instant.”
Din hadn’t even thought of that, but was grateful for small mercies.
“Are we ready for the lion’s den?” he asked. “Any bets on who might figure it out sooner, Boba or Shand?”
“My credits are on Shand, with those eagle eyes,” Luke offered.
Din thought a moment. “But Boba knows how Mandalorians are, so he could suss it out first.”
“Hopefully neither will be able to, but I already know it’s going to be a long day,” Luke groaned, another giveaway that Din never did.
“No groaning,” he laughed, “I do not groan.”
The Throne Room was only half full as it was still early. The pair made their way over to Boba, who was lounging half off the seat as usual, emanating serious alpha vibes.
“Finally made it up,” he smirked, giving them each a raking look. The two shuffled a bit, Din biting his lip.
Shand leaned in her place behind the throne, giving off her usual intensity. Luke blanched under the helmet, hoping she wouldn’t notice anything amiss. Her eyes narrowed as they went back and forth at them, but she merely said, “Got big plans for the day, boys?”
Looking over at Din, Luke rumbled out, “Sparring-then maybe-look over the ship, see if anything needs any maintenance.” He was still shocked at the voice that came out, but proud that he might have actually pulled it off.
“I thought you checked the ship out yesterday,” Boba reminded him, eyes intent.
Oops, forgot that.
Din piped up in Luke’s melodic tones. “He means the X-wing,” he said gently.
“I heard some err, noises getting here, and without the droid-“
“Artoo,”Luke reminded him.
“Yes, without Artoo, I thought I should check it out. The ship.”
Now two pairs of eyes were closely watching them, and Luke knew what it felt like to be a bounty with no hope of escape. It felt like minutes but was only a few seconds before the hard looks they were getting slackened.
Boba stirred on the throne. “Well, have at it boys,” he motioned to a supplicant waiting to the side. “Come check in later this afternoon, I have work to do now.”
Din and Luke took the dismissal seriously, and hustled off with Shand’s eyes following them closely.
“Did that seem- strange to you, Boba?”
The King of Tatooine huffed. “It’s Din and a crazy Jetii, that will always be strange,” he noted. “I don’t understand it, but whatever.”
Luke threw himself down on the training mat, armour and all.
Din winced, “I would never, ever do that,” he cautioned.
Leaning up on one elbow, Luke’s visor stared at him. “That was so, so hard,” he whined. “Especially Shand, I just know she was…suspicious.”
Din sighed deeply, the exhalation almost comical on Luke’s face. “But no one in their right mind would ever guess what is going on, they will just think we’re weird,” he said practically.
“Ugh, like that’s better.”
Din considered him.
Luke looked up, laughing. “I mean, we both have a certain…reputation, and being weird is not. it.”
“If you say so,” Din teased. Luke looked happy that Din felt comfortable enough to do that.
“I do say so, we are amazing, fierce fighters and certainly not weird.”
“So let’s get to it then,” Din yanked off the lightsaber with a flourish.
“Whoa, whoa, first rule of lightsabers, keep it away from your own body parts.”
All at once Din stood still. “Uh, Luke, we didn’t think of one thing. Who’s got the Force?”
Luke gulped, “I, I didn’t even think of it, but now,” he pulled off the helmet, closing his eyes. “It’s not me, but I don’t even miss it. Like, if I was me and it was suppressed, I would still feel the absence and now, I don’t.”
Din nodded, “So what does it feel like? To you normally?”
“It’s a sort of thrumming, constant in the background if I am not actively reaching for it.”
Closing his eyes, Din simply let his mind empty. And now he realized what Luke meant, it was a faint vibration, it had been there all morning but he didn’t know what to look for.
Opening his eyes, he wondered aloud, “So I can do all that Jedi acrobatics stuff?”
Luke made a huge grin which looked terrifying on Din’s face. “Nothing to it but to find out.”
Half an hour later, they were both sweating and swearing up a storm.
It had taken quite a while to get used to the other’s new body weight and style of fighting, and even once they relaxed into it, many near misses and hits had certainly kept the fight exciting.
“Gently!” Luke yelled, “It’s not a real metal sword, it’s made of Light! So don’t swing it so hard!”
Din was biting his lip in concentration. “And you! The armour is a weapon, it can take hits for you to get closer to your combatant!”
“Well, I don’t want to get closer, I bruise easily!”
“Baby!”
“Masochist!”
Luke forgot which body he was in and tried to flip over Din’s, crashing him into the ground and then laughing like a hyena.
“Okay, I yield for a break,” he said giggling.
Din was crushed under the Beskar, secretly glad for the chance to rest.
“Well, that was interesting,” Luke said, chest heaving.
“I’ll say,” Din squirmed away from under the heavy armour to push against Luke’s comforting form. “I could take a nap.”