Luke & Leia ||m.c

Flashlights

Michael tossed and turned in his bed before blowing air out through his mouth and laying on his back placing his hands behind his head. Michael could be very restless at night, sometimes, but that was ok with him because so was someone else. Right on schedule a circular beam of light blinked through his curtainless window. It blinked once, twice, three times then stopped. It was Leia. Three blinks meant, Are you awake. Two blinks meant Come outside, while two fast blinks meant I'm awake. One blink meant Goodnight.

Michael rolled out of bed and landed on his feet. Leia's room was right across from his, down the street. They had been communicating like this for years. Grabbing his flashlight he always kept on the desk Michael sent back a reply. Two fast blinks. Leia replied with two slow blinks. Michael smiled to himself as he grabbed a hoddie off his chair and pulled it over his bare chest. Grabbing his shoes he treaded lightly down the stairs careful not to wake his parents. Michael laced up his shoes, pulled up his hood and headed outside into the cool night air.

"Michael." Leia whispered harshly as he crossed the grass of her front yard.

"Where are you?" Michael whispered back.

"Up here. On the roof. Climb up." Michael looked toward the sky at Leia who was sporting a tank top and some fluffy pajama pants. She was gesturing wildly toward the front porch where the climbing rose trellis laid against the roof, looking rather unstable.

"Up that?" Michael asked pulling his hand out of his jacket pocket and pointing at it. Leia nodded, smiling down at him. "No way." Michael said stepping back and shaking his head. Leia scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Don't be such a baby Michael. Ashton did it earlier. Come on please?" She begged clasping her hand together. She'd done it now, mentioning Ashton. Michael will do anything to be like Ashton, if it means Leia will love him.

"Alright Princess I'm coming up." Michael grumbled grabbing hold of the trellis, which at the moment were free of roses during the upcoming fall season. "Ow." Michael cried out, shaking his hand out and watching a small trickle of blood flow from his thumb. Free of roses but full of vines and thorns. "He climbed up this?" Michael asked Leia.

"Oh don't be such a big baby." Leia replied holding out her hand for him to grab. Michael grabbed hold of it and Leia helped pull him up onto the roof. "There's my Michael." Leia said with a smile pulling down his hood and ruffling his hair.

"Quit it." Michael grumbled, even though his face lit up with a smile. He pulled the hood back over his head.

"Give me your hand." Leia said with her palm outstretched.

"Why?" Michael asked his nose crinkling. Leia rolled her eyes.

"The one you hurt idiot." Michael moved closer to Leia and put his left arm over her chest to give to Leia. Leia wiped away the blood and brought her lips to his thumb. "There. All better?" Michael stared at her, jaw slightly slack trying to think of something to say.

"Uhh.. I-I... Y-yeah. All good." Leia smiles and drops his left hand picking up his right and lacing their fingers together. Michael grapples for words, trying to pull himself together. "So uhh.. Why did you call me out here Leia?" Her easy-going smile falters before fading altogether. With her other hand she scratches the back of her neck. Michael brings his knees up closer to his chest and waits for her to reply.

"I couldn't sleep. What's new?" she says lightly adding a laugh for affect but they've done this enough times for Michael to know that's not the only reason they're sitting on her rooftop holding hands.

"It's not just that Leia. It's something else as well." Leia laughs nervously.

"I think you know me a little too well Clifford." she lays her head down on his shoulder and Michael tries not to move. He hardly breathes. He continues to wait. "I'm sorry about earlier." Oh. Is that all. Leia had him worried for a second.