Skysolo - Luke and Han (slightly AU) Post Bespin:

Luke sat on the sleep-couch in the corner of the room. Vader's word's still echoed in his head, repeating and taunting. The feeling of weightlessness, hopelessness the anticipation of death as he fell from Bespin haunted his nightmares. Every single night.

Leia had coerced the others into giving him space. It had been a good month or so. Han was back, the rescue mission had succeeded, yet he still could not move past the dread. No one knew, and he worried what they would think if they found out. At first he appreciated the isolation, yet now that his emotions had not improved, he almost resented it. It was too late now, he felt that he was too far gone. Even Biggs stopped checking in with him. It was lonely. He tried to release this into the force, to feel peace again. Yet everything that he tried, failed. Luke couldn't even meditate peacefully anymore.

There was an echoing knock on the door. He didn't even have the energy to call out to them, to tell them to leave. The door slid open with the usual hiss. Han slipped into the room. Luke curled further into himself.

Han, unlike the others, crossed the room and sat beside him. Luke could almost feel his frustration permeating the force.

'Talk to me kid.'

'I can't', Luke uttered, devoid of all the emotion that he wanted to put into the expression. He had released his anger and his shock, the passion behind his conviction and tried his hardest to feel nothing.

'Why?'

'Why? Leia hasn't said anything!?'

'What would she say? Kid, you have to tell me. I'm not good at this stuff.'

'Ask Leia.'

'No.' Han's frustration reached the shields that Luke had put all of his emotions behind.

'Why not?'

'Because! All she said was to give you space! I tried that, and nothing changed. Please Luke, talk to me.'

He was right. Luke nodded slowly, nothing had changed. There was still isolation and nightmares, the haunting words of Vader - his father. His shields cracked. The emotion leaked into the force and manifested into sobbing. He couldn't stop. Han jolted upright at Luke's collapse, grabbing the boy's shoulders.

'Can you tell me?' He asked quietly.

'Yes' Luke agreed through tears, 'It happened on Bespin. I arrived to save you... save you guys, it was a trap,' his voice caught in his throat, 'you have to swear. Swear on the force not to say anything.' Luke looked up slightly, his pooling blue eyes staring into Han's warm hazel. Han nodded. 'Vader. Ben said that he killed my father. But, Vader, Anakin is.... is my father.'

Han sat in silence for a moment. It was all he could do. Luke had just admitted his biggest fear, largest secret and he had promised not to tell anyone. Some in the Resistance would see it as reason to expect Luke as a traitor, or worse, even after what he had done. Han swore to himself that it wouldn't happen. Not to Luke.

'Are you okay?' Was all Han could ask once Luke's sobs subsided.

'No. I thought time would help. But I'm lonely Han. I'm just lonely.' Luke admitted forlornly. It took everything in him to not cry again. He had to be strong, be a Jedi -

Luke was pulled into a firm hug. It was warm and comforting. The first hug in months. He leaned his head into Han's chest, murmuring a soft thankyou that was barely heard next to Han's heartbeat.

They stayed like that, warm, intertwined for a moment. Han had his back to the door, almost protecting Luke from anyone that would enter the room. It was just the two of them, peaceful. There were footsteps echoing through the hallway, a group of people moved through the corridor, Luke could tell that one of them was Leia.

He quickly untangled himself from Han's embrace as she opened the door.

'Luke I -' she blinked at the two men, 'I was going to ask whether you'd seen Solo. Obviously you have. You're needed at command in five Solo.' She claimed, stately as ever.

Han let out a small chuckle once the door closed. He was happy with himself, Luke's eyes were shining with amusement instead of tears. He leant a little close again, kissing him on the temple. Luke's eyes went wide, he was blushing madly. He had never thought that Han felt that way towards him.

'See you after the meeting?'

'Sure.'

'We'll continue this later?' Han asked, raising an eyebrow suggestively as he stood up from the sleep couch.

'You know it.'