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“You did what? ” Din asked, eyes wide and blinking at the Jedi beside him.
He knew his expressions would be written all over his face, but he didn’t seem to mind right now, surrounded by those that had already seen him. Or, he ignored Fennec’s half drunk snickering over the face he was making, at least.
Mandalorians as a whole needed a change, he had already decided a few nights before while sitting half hammered on the Jedi’s couch. This seemed like a good, personal place to start in that change.
“I…” Luke tilted his head, brows knitting together, “Blew up the Death Star? The first one, that is.”
“And the second one? What about that?” Din asked, mouth dry in disbelief.
“I was on it, fighting, um...” Luke trailed, hesitant, then tilted his head, “You - didn’t know that?”
Boba snorted, evidently after he had locked eyes with Fennec, who was having trouble containing herself. Din was used to this from them by now. His ignorance on galaxy wide subjects hadn’t gone unnoticed. And though they assured him it wasn’t his fault and tried to give what education they could, they were both still, at heart, assholes.
“How was I supposed to know that?” Din responded before reaching out for the bottle of spotchka to fill all their glasses again.
“The HoloNet? Seriously, Din, do you not read?” Luke snickered, raising his glass and gulping half of it in one go.
Din hadn’t even realized he was watching the startling blue liquid blaze a trail down Luke’s throat until the blonde shot him a sidelong gaze that sent heat straight to Din’s core. He coughed, awkwardly glancing away as he shook his head, “No, I don’t - Don’t use the HoloNet.”
Containing himself after they had nearly kissed during their last meeting, and fell asleep sitting on Luke’s couch together - well. If patience took bets, he wasn’t sure if he’d be winning or losing.
“For anything? ” Luke asked, the suggestion smothering his voice as he ran a gloved thumb up his own neck, wiping away the spotchka while simultaneously exposing his neck more to Din.
A small sound in the back of his throat was all Din could manage before he just shook his head, averting his gaze. Fennec was watching them both with sharp, knowing eyes.
“How vanilla.” Fennec muttered, downing the glass before slamming it back down on the table and rising on wary legs.
They were all pretty worn out from the fight. Adrenaline was wearing off, finally, aided by the alcohol and celebration. Boba had gone from a bright, laughing smile to a yawn that could engulf both suns.
After, Boba stood with a grunt, “I’m taking this last one to the infirmary. I’ll be sitting with Cobb if you need me. Djarin, thank you again. I’ll see you in the morning. Skywalker - Don’t touch my rancor.”
Luke winced slightly at Boba’s warning, but he cast an innocent smile his way anyway, “Swear I won’t.”
Boba regarded him a moment before rolling his eyes and clapping him on the shoulder, “I’m trusting you since you fought at our side today. Good fight, Skywalker. And good night, both of you.” Before Luke could get a chance to respond, Boba was out the door of their little private celebration room.
Fennec stretched before she regarded them both, “Maybe Skywalker can show you his articles on the HoloNet. Among other things.” She teased before turning, waving, and slipping out of the room in the opposite direction as Boba.
After watching her go, Din turned his attention back to Luke, who looked rather sheepish about the ensuing question. “Do you want to show me?”
“Ah, well…” Luke ran his finger around the rim of his glass, taking particular interest in a chip there. “You can only read people calling you the Hero of the Rebellion so many times before it goes to your head. Best not.”
Some, if not most, of the celebratory joy had drained from Luke’s face in that instant.
Din tilted his head towards him, “You didn’t want me to know, did you? You didn’t mention it when I was on Yavin, either.”
At that, sky blue eyes looked up from beneath pale lashes, a blossoming blush on his cheeks. Whether the blush was from the alcohol or from whatever was on his mind, Din was unsure. “Is it… Bad, that when we met in the light cruiser, I enjoyed the way you asked if I was a Jedi?”
“No, I wouldn’t say so.” Din watched Luke as the man brought both his hands to the table, working his own gloves off one finger at a time. Din was fascinated with watching him, though watching the gloves slide off made him give a slightly panic stricken glance to his helmet.
He’d already taken it off, there was no point in keeping it on all the time now. Especially since this was now his third time around Luke without it on.
“You looked at me and for once in ten years I wasn’t The Hero of the Rebellion or The Son of The Hero With No Fear or Master Skywalker… ” Luke trailed, setting his bare hands on the table.
Immediately, Din noticed that one was a prosthetic. He reached out to run his fingers across it, watching the synthetic skin react as if real. The only real indication the hand was fake was the damage on the back showing off the inner workings. Luke let out a breath at the sudden contact before Din found his words, “Being anonymous is the only way Mandalorians survive. I can’t imagine the price you’ve paid.”
To have a face out there like that - kriff, Din couldn’t begin to imagine. Sure, his armor was recognizable, but also an omen. No one aimed to cross paths with a Mandalorian unless they had a lot of backup or a deathwish. Or both.
But a lone poster child for the rebellion, whose status as a Jedi was unknown to most of the galaxy, and very known to the remainder - Luke was a walking target.
“Between being hunted, losing my hand and gaining a whole network of scars, I’d say I’ve paid less than I thought I would.” Luke admitted, then huffed a sigh, “Though, it’s been… Lonely. Most people want to get close for personal gain. You didn’t. You wanted Grogu taken care of, no matter how it hurt you.”
Luke turned his hand over, allowing Din to continue the careful exploration of the prosthetic. “We’ve both paid high prices.”
“With so little in return.” Luke muttered, finding himself leaning closer to Din, nearly unconsciously.
“Skywalker-”
“Luke.” Luke corrected, “ Please still call me Luke.”
He was inches from Din’s face, which made a thread of panic rise up in him. He wasn’t entirely sure how to tell the man before him that he’d never kissed anyone before. But he didn’t seem to need to tell him that, because Luke’s eyes flicked up to meet him, the blush on his cheeks spreading. For a moment, they both paused. Then Din threaded his fingers between Luke’s and gave him a small, reassuring smile.
“Luke,” Din resumed, leaning forward enough to press their foreheads together.
The last time they were this close, they were far more drunk than they were now. They hadn’t kissed, not even a Keldabe kiss like now. Instead they had just talked, brushed their hands together, and drank from a single bottle. Din had told Luke about the impending fight then, and he had hesitated to help.
He was surprised the Jedi even remembered the wanton offer. So he had to know, “Why’d you come?”
There was no hesitation.
“You.” Luke responded, shifting away from the Keldabe kiss to lean over and brush a peck on Din’s cheek. “I could say it was for Tatooine or to forge peace or a hundred other things that would make me look good and wholesome but… I came because of you.”
For a moment, Din just looked over the Jedi’s face before his eyes dipped down to his lips.
“You didn’t have-“
Din’s words were cut off by Luke’s mouth claiming his. There was a softness to the kiss under the heat, but Din could barely focus on it. His thoughts clouded immediately, being pulled under by the closeness and compassion.
A soft sound rose in his throat before he could stop it, something like a whine. It was indecent, but the sound made Luke grin against Din’s lips and oh , that feeling sent a shiver down his spine. The Jedi shifted in the booth seat until their sides were entirely pressed together, making the heat in Din’s chest rise with every passing second.
When they parted, they stayed close enough for Luke’s mouth to brush Din’s as he spoke, “I know I didn’t have to come. But I did anyway.”
“You did.” Din acknowledged, then hummed against Luke’s mouth as he took the chance and pressed into another kiss.
Luke tasted like alcohol and something else his mind didn’t wrap around, nearly as Din had imagined he would’ve tasted had he kissed him the first time they had a moment this close.
Through the fog of the drinks and the buzzing feeling in the back of his skull, Din vaguely remembered offering to take Luke back to his room in one strange moment of courage.
***
When they woke, it felt slower than the rise of both suns. Neither of them were young enough to down so much alcohol without chasing it with water, but Tatooine didn’t exactly offer that type of gold so easily. In his sleep, Din had nearly forgotten he had laid down with Luke and wrapped his body around the Jedi’s as if he belonged there. Kriff, maybe he did belong there, with the way Luke fit in his arms so perfectly.
But when the Jedi shifted as if he were waking up, Din moved to draw back away from him. An absurdly strong grip stopped him and tugged him back into place, keeping Din’s arm wrapped around Luke’s torso. Words didn’t make it out of his throat in his confusion, instead just a thick noise that must have gotten the point across anyway.
“You’re warm.” Luke hummed, leaning his light weight more solidly back against Din. “Don’t go anywhere.”
Din blinked a few times, remembering in pieces how they had even gotten here. The fight yesterday had been long and hard, and the drinking after that had been equally long. A conversation had turned into an eager make out session downstairs. And then -
Oh, oh. Din had given the invitation back to his room. Though they had really only continued the sloppy kisses and languid grinding once they made it to the bed, exhaustion and alcohol made it difficult to try anything more than that.
“Din,” Luke said after a few long beats of silence.
“Hm?” Din tilted his head down, unable to keep himself from pressing a kiss to the back of Luke’s neck. He grinned with satisfaction at the way Luke shivered.
Then he felt Luke’s fingers weave between his own, and the younger man let out a content sigh. “Can we… Continue this?”
“Right now?” Din asked, not bothering to smother the interest in his voice.
“Well, yes, and-” Luke’s breath hitched into the makings of a moan when Din nipped the shell of his ear.
He’d never gotten the opportunity to explore a lover with his mouth, and he was going to use it.
“And?” He prompted, continuing his careful exploration of Luke’s neck and inwardly cursing the clothes that kept him from moving further.
“And, well… After, too.” Luke shifted, and Din leaned back enough to let him move to lay flat on his back. Their eyes met as Luke lifted a hand to Din’s cheek. “Do Mandalorians, Children of the Watch, do relationships?”
“Not like the rest of the galaxy.” Din admitted, then tilted his head into Luke’s palm. “But neither do Jedi, from what you told me.”
“A change is needed.” Luke muttered.
“Overdue, some would say.”
They shifted into a fit of soft laughter, ended only by capturing each other’s mouths in a series of hungry kisses.
They would be the change they wanted in the galaxy.