Fic: Across the Stars
Title: Across the Stars
Author: stageira
Fandom: Star Wars: X-wing Series - Aaron Allston & Michael Stackpole
Relationship: Wedge Antilles/Tycho Celchu (slash)
Words: 1794
Notes: This is my story for Yuletide 2010!
Thanks to stareyes for a first hard beta, when everything was a huge mess and to myystic for the second most amazing beta to have ever betaed *bows* I have no words to thank you enough!
Wedge and Tycho are my default pairing in Star Wars in EU and I have been itching to write them since the first time I read the books! Sorry for not giving you something longer and more complex frostfire-17, am doomed to write short stories on Yuletide.
This is an alternate version of the scene between Iella and Wedge during “Starfighters of Adumar”; what if Iella did not want to "start" their relationship? Wedge feels rejected. Some lines of dialogue are taken from Chapter 7 of the book.
Title taken from "Across the Stars" from Stars Wars: Attack of the Clones soundtrack by John Williams.
Iella looked as though she were reviewing something -- the last several things she'd said, perhaps the last several years of her life. Finally she said, "I suppose that is what I'm saying." She looked on the verge of tears again. "I'm sorry, Wedge. I am. But I think you'd better leave."
It's not leaving that's hard anymore," he said, scarcely recognizing his own voice. "It's finding somewhere to go." He turned toward the door.
Starfighters of Adumar, page 137
Iella kept watching his back, waiting for the real Wedge Antilles to show his face like he did so often in the heat of battle, and try to take over the situation, or at least win over the fight. She knew that in this case that would not happen, not even Wedge could change her mind. After all Intelligence never took orders from Starfighter Command.
Iella felt that that she was privy to a deep, dark secret, because she knew who the real love of Wedge Antilles’ life was. There was someone who had always been there for Wedge, someone who had stuck by him through thick and thin. There was someone he always went back for, someone he would always risk everything for, but contrary to popular belief that someone wasn’t her.
She walked up to him and touched his shoulder. It was time to stop the dance between them and shove Wedge towards the right direction. The right person.
“I think you're trying to convince me -- and especially yourself -- that I'm your life's biggest love. I’m not. There's someone else. Someone else has earned your loyalty and your love above all others. Just because you never let yourself hope or believe does not mean the love’s not there.” She let her hand drop from his shoulder and took a step back. “Don’t you think it’s time you stop this misery dance you have going and accept that you love each other?”
Wedge opened his mouth to object. “I have no idea…”
“No. Don’t give me that excuse, Wedge,” she cut him off. “We both know that there is one person you’d rather have beside you more than anyone else and you've had him for over twenty years. You just never realized that you could also have a life with him.” Her mind made up, she marched Wedge to the door and almost threw him out. “I would advise you not to wait any longer. Who knows what the next skirmish might bring?” Iella kissed his cheek and closed the door behind him.
Iella’s last words from that conversation were haunting Wedge days later, when the tension between the different fractions of Adumar has come to an all-out civil war. He knew deep down that he should follow her advice and stop analyzing. He knew that there was only one person in life that he trusted implicitly. So implicitly in fact that even when that person was accused of treason, Wedge still gambled everything in order to exonerate him.
Tycho.
Wedge knew that it wasn’t just trust he felt towards Tycho. After all the humiliation and agony that the other man had been through with him and for him, was the love and devotion he showed to Tycho more than just friendly, or even brotherly? Was Iella right? Did he love the other man that way?
A few hours ago he wasn’t sure he had the answer to that, even though he had trusted the other man with crafting the plan of their attack. Now though, and after the few seconds it took Hobbie to yell out a negative to Wes’s bad news of Tycho going down with the Blade -- after those few heart-stopping seconds when he didn’t know if Tycho was dead or alive - he realized that he knew. He knew with certainty that there was no way for him to continue with things as they were before. Tycho was a larger part of him than he ever imagined or let himself acknowledge.
He just had to find the courage to let Tycho know of this as soon the damn battle was over, but only the Force knew when that would be. Wedge refused to think about what would happen if Tycho didn’t share his feelings. In his mind, there was no doubt that Tycho felt the same.
Part of him wondered if he found the other man attractive at all. He had accepted Iella’s reasoning about his feelings for Tycho and was slowly coming to the realization that she was right (of course), but attraction? Wedge thought about Tycho for a moment, the way the other man’s lean body made any type of uniform look good, his hair graying in dignified fashion at the temples and that old aristocrat's bearing.
Judging from the slightly uncomfortable feeling in his stomach and places lower, Wedge decided that yes, he indeed found Tycho attractive, ravishing even. This was hardly the time to think of that though, as the battle was starting to heat up around him and he needed to pay attention!
After more than half and day and counting, Tycho was getting quite sick of this particular battle (and the royalty, and the Imperials, and the New Republic Intelligence), though apparently he wasn’t the only one. Wedge just handed the comm to him and stalked away like a man on a mission, and he was pretty sure that mission entailed a few quiet moments to himself, lest he start venting his frustrations on the few (varyingly) innocent bystanders in range. Tycho could understand that; indeed he was a bit surprised that Wedge held out for as long as he had, considering, so really it was no trouble to handle Tom Darpen’s transfer to the Allegiance. Not if doing so gave Wedge the chance to regain his composure.
On the other hand, giving Wedge too much time to himself wasn’t always in the man’s best interests, so that one little bit of housekeeping done and now Tycho was going to make sure there was nothing going on with his friend that he didn’t already know about.
It didn’t take him long to find Wedge, and now that he had the man in his sights and since he didn’t have to worry about him stumbling into trouble, it was easier to leave him be. Wedge acknowledged his presence with a bit of a smile, always an encouraging sign, but didn’t speak. Tycho knew from experience that letting Wedge think it all out without any talking was the best that he could do, that and the deliberate gesture of planting himself at Wedge’s side for the duration, because his constant presence there has been one of the few constants in both their lives.
Iella told him what had happened between her and Wedge and that he was an idiot for not pursuing his best friend before they came to this, but Tycho disagreed. He knew exactly what he was for finding it impossible to take the first step, here, but that hardly changed the facts. Wedge would have to reach that conclusion on his own and make his decision about their relationship without any influence from him.
Well, without much influence, anyway.
Seizing the moment, Tycho leaned closer to Wedge and whispered, “are we done here, boss?” as he lightly nudged Wedge’s shoulder with his. “I'm thinking there must be a better place to do this than the middle of a royal courtyard with an Imperial Admiral dropping by for a visit.” He straightened slowly and, without giving Wedge a chance to make a comment, turned back towards the Palace.
After his talk with Admiral Rodgriss -- and subsequent promise that he would do everything possible to let the man’s family know about him and protect them from the Imperial Forces -- Wedge noticed Iella heading his way. He shook his head at her.
“Is this something that I'll be subjected to often from you? More matchmaking?”
“There's no matchmaking to be done when both parties are aware and waiting for each other, Wedge!” Iella admonished. “I just need to shove you together in an enclosed space so you can talk and make up and my job here will be done." She winked at him and shoved him towards one of the pavilions in the courtyard.
Wedge slowly approached the pavilion, knowing that after going in, he would finally have to talk it all out with Tycho. Apparently this thing between them has been evident to other people for years, maybe even a decade. This thing that he dared not call love in his head, only it was, couldn’t stay unspoken between them. Now it was time to talk with Tycho about it. Tycho who apparently knew about this and was at least willing to listen.
He expected to find Tycho, pull him aside, and finally put words to all the subtext between them. He expected that Tycho would hear him out, would listen attentively and give his words all the weight and consideration that the matter was due. He expected that Tycho would be both surprised and relieved that he finally initiated this conversation that really they should have had a long time ago, and while he didn’t expect his friend to agree with everything he said (when did he ever?) he was confident that, if nothing else, Tycho would at least acknowledge the feelings they both shared, even if (Force preserve him) he also thought it would be best that they not act on those feelings, such as they are, for any number of the annoyingly compelling reasons that he himself had been wrestling with ever since that fateful conversation with Iella.
Just about the only thing he didn’t expect was to suddenly find himself wrapped up in strong, familiar arms, dragged over to the nearest couch, and ambushed by the hot mouth that was suddenly attached to his. At first he was annoyed: it had taken him so long to work out what he was going to say, how was going to say it -- to just straight up find the courage to say anything at all -- for all of about two seconds, as the tongue inside that mouth caused him to lose all reason.
“Tycho, what…” he gasped, looking at the other man’s stormy gray eyes.
“You need to stop over-thinking everything, Wedge. We’ve wasted enough years already.” And, with that, Tycho bent his head towards Wedge again and resumed kissing him. Almost subconsciously, Wedge’s fingers wound up in Tycho’s blond hair, trying to bring his mouth even nearer. Tycho snuggled closer to him, body pressing tightly against Wedge’s, causing him to make a low, throaty sound, all need and possessive hunger. His mouth is open and wet and welcoming, velvet lips parted slowly and tantalizing.
Author: stageira
Fandom: Star Wars: X-wing Series - Aaron Allston & Michael Stackpole
Relationship: Wedge Antilles/Tycho Celchu (slash)
Words: 1794
Notes: This is my story for Yuletide 2010!
Thanks to stareyes for a first hard beta, when everything was a huge mess and to myystic for the second most amazing beta to have ever betaed *bows* I have no words to thank you enough!
Wedge and Tycho are my default pairing in Star Wars in EU and I have been itching to write them since the first time I read the books! Sorry for not giving you something longer and more complex frostfire-17, am doomed to write short stories on Yuletide.
This is an alternate version of the scene between Iella and Wedge during “Starfighters of Adumar”; what if Iella did not want to "start" their relationship? Wedge feels rejected. Some lines of dialogue are taken from Chapter 7 of the book.
Title taken from "Across the Stars" from Stars Wars: Attack of the Clones soundtrack by John Williams.
Iella looked as though she were reviewing something -- the last several things she'd said, perhaps the last several years of her life. Finally she said, "I suppose that is what I'm saying." She looked on the verge of tears again. "I'm sorry, Wedge. I am. But I think you'd better leave."
It's not leaving that's hard anymore," he said, scarcely recognizing his own voice. "It's finding somewhere to go." He turned toward the door.
Starfighters of Adumar, page 137
Iella kept watching his back, waiting for the real Wedge Antilles to show his face like he did so often in the heat of battle, and try to take over the situation, or at least win over the fight. She knew that in this case that would not happen, not even Wedge could change her mind. After all Intelligence never took orders from Starfighter Command.
Iella felt that that she was privy to a deep, dark secret, because she knew who the real love of Wedge Antilles’ life was. There was someone who had always been there for Wedge, someone who had stuck by him through thick and thin. There was someone he always went back for, someone he would always risk everything for, but contrary to popular belief that someone wasn’t her.
She walked up to him and touched his shoulder. It was time to stop the dance between them and shove Wedge towards the right direction. The right person.
“I think you're trying to convince me -- and especially yourself -- that I'm your life's biggest love. I’m not. There's someone else. Someone else has earned your loyalty and your love above all others. Just because you never let yourself hope or believe does not mean the love’s not there.” She let her hand drop from his shoulder and took a step back. “Don’t you think it’s time you stop this misery dance you have going and accept that you love each other?”
Wedge opened his mouth to object. “I have no idea…”
“No. Don’t give me that excuse, Wedge,” she cut him off. “We both know that there is one person you’d rather have beside you more than anyone else and you've had him for over twenty years. You just never realized that you could also have a life with him.” Her mind made up, she marched Wedge to the door and almost threw him out. “I would advise you not to wait any longer. Who knows what the next skirmish might bring?” Iella kissed his cheek and closed the door behind him.
Iella’s last words from that conversation were haunting Wedge days later, when the tension between the different fractions of Adumar has come to an all-out civil war. He knew deep down that he should follow her advice and stop analyzing. He knew that there was only one person in life that he trusted implicitly. So implicitly in fact that even when that person was accused of treason, Wedge still gambled everything in order to exonerate him.
Tycho.
Wedge knew that it wasn’t just trust he felt towards Tycho. After all the humiliation and agony that the other man had been through with him and for him, was the love and devotion he showed to Tycho more than just friendly, or even brotherly? Was Iella right? Did he love the other man that way?
A few hours ago he wasn’t sure he had the answer to that, even though he had trusted the other man with crafting the plan of their attack. Now though, and after the few seconds it took Hobbie to yell out a negative to Wes’s bad news of Tycho going down with the Blade -- after those few heart-stopping seconds when he didn’t know if Tycho was dead or alive - he realized that he knew. He knew with certainty that there was no way for him to continue with things as they were before. Tycho was a larger part of him than he ever imagined or let himself acknowledge.
He just had to find the courage to let Tycho know of this as soon the damn battle was over, but only the Force knew when that would be. Wedge refused to think about what would happen if Tycho didn’t share his feelings. In his mind, there was no doubt that Tycho felt the same.
Part of him wondered if he found the other man attractive at all. He had accepted Iella’s reasoning about his feelings for Tycho and was slowly coming to the realization that she was right (of course), but attraction? Wedge thought about Tycho for a moment, the way the other man’s lean body made any type of uniform look good, his hair graying in dignified fashion at the temples and that old aristocrat's bearing.
Judging from the slightly uncomfortable feeling in his stomach and places lower, Wedge decided that yes, he indeed found Tycho attractive, ravishing even. This was hardly the time to think of that though, as the battle was starting to heat up around him and he needed to pay attention!
After more than half and day and counting, Tycho was getting quite sick of this particular battle (and the royalty, and the Imperials, and the New Republic Intelligence), though apparently he wasn’t the only one. Wedge just handed the comm to him and stalked away like a man on a mission, and he was pretty sure that mission entailed a few quiet moments to himself, lest he start venting his frustrations on the few (varyingly) innocent bystanders in range. Tycho could understand that; indeed he was a bit surprised that Wedge held out for as long as he had, considering, so really it was no trouble to handle Tom Darpen’s transfer to the Allegiance. Not if doing so gave Wedge the chance to regain his composure.
On the other hand, giving Wedge too much time to himself wasn’t always in the man’s best interests, so that one little bit of housekeeping done and now Tycho was going to make sure there was nothing going on with his friend that he didn’t already know about.
It didn’t take him long to find Wedge, and now that he had the man in his sights and since he didn’t have to worry about him stumbling into trouble, it was easier to leave him be. Wedge acknowledged his presence with a bit of a smile, always an encouraging sign, but didn’t speak. Tycho knew from experience that letting Wedge think it all out without any talking was the best that he could do, that and the deliberate gesture of planting himself at Wedge’s side for the duration, because his constant presence there has been one of the few constants in both their lives.
Iella told him what had happened between her and Wedge and that he was an idiot for not pursuing his best friend before they came to this, but Tycho disagreed. He knew exactly what he was for finding it impossible to take the first step, here, but that hardly changed the facts. Wedge would have to reach that conclusion on his own and make his decision about their relationship without any influence from him.
Well, without much influence, anyway.
Seizing the moment, Tycho leaned closer to Wedge and whispered, “are we done here, boss?” as he lightly nudged Wedge’s shoulder with his. “I'm thinking there must be a better place to do this than the middle of a royal courtyard with an Imperial Admiral dropping by for a visit.” He straightened slowly and, without giving Wedge a chance to make a comment, turned back towards the Palace.
After his talk with Admiral Rodgriss -- and subsequent promise that he would do everything possible to let the man’s family know about him and protect them from the Imperial Forces -- Wedge noticed Iella heading his way. He shook his head at her.
“Is this something that I'll be subjected to often from you? More matchmaking?”
“There's no matchmaking to be done when both parties are aware and waiting for each other, Wedge!” Iella admonished. “I just need to shove you together in an enclosed space so you can talk and make up and my job here will be done." She winked at him and shoved him towards one of the pavilions in the courtyard.
Wedge slowly approached the pavilion, knowing that after going in, he would finally have to talk it all out with Tycho. Apparently this thing between them has been evident to other people for years, maybe even a decade. This thing that he dared not call love in his head, only it was, couldn’t stay unspoken between them. Now it was time to talk with Tycho about it. Tycho who apparently knew about this and was at least willing to listen.
He expected to find Tycho, pull him aside, and finally put words to all the subtext between them. He expected that Tycho would hear him out, would listen attentively and give his words all the weight and consideration that the matter was due. He expected that Tycho would be both surprised and relieved that he finally initiated this conversation that really they should have had a long time ago, and while he didn’t expect his friend to agree with everything he said (when did he ever?) he was confident that, if nothing else, Tycho would at least acknowledge the feelings they both shared, even if (Force preserve him) he also thought it would be best that they not act on those feelings, such as they are, for any number of the annoyingly compelling reasons that he himself had been wrestling with ever since that fateful conversation with Iella.
Just about the only thing he didn’t expect was to suddenly find himself wrapped up in strong, familiar arms, dragged over to the nearest couch, and ambushed by the hot mouth that was suddenly attached to his. At first he was annoyed: it had taken him so long to work out what he was going to say, how was going to say it -- to just straight up find the courage to say anything at all -- for all of about two seconds, as the tongue inside that mouth caused him to lose all reason.
“Tycho, what…” he gasped, looking at the other man’s stormy gray eyes.
“You need to stop over-thinking everything, Wedge. We’ve wasted enough years already.” And, with that, Tycho bent his head towards Wedge again and resumed kissing him. Almost subconsciously, Wedge’s fingers wound up in Tycho’s blond hair, trying to bring his mouth even nearer. Tycho snuggled closer to him, body pressing tightly against Wedge’s, causing him to make a low, throaty sound, all need and possessive hunger. His mouth is open and wet and welcoming, velvet lips parted slowly and tantalizing.