(no subject)

[imthepilot]

Galen gets a message late one evening. The evening Bodhi was planning to spent down in the barracks with the other cargo crews.

The message from the head medic. You better get down here.

Comments

[galen_erso]

"I'm afraid my taste is rather basic," Galen says. He turns on the holonet, and some multi-species cantina band pops up and starts playing something cheerfully jaded and unexpectedly sophisticated.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi listens as he cooks, surprised by the sophisticated music. "This is one of Lyra's?"

[galen_erso]

"No, not really," Galen says. "She was interested in traditional music from the places we went to. This is just entertainment."

[imthepilot]

"Wanting to understand the cultures she saw?" He asks, offering Galen a marinated slice of meat to try.

[galen_erso]

Galen takes the meat from Bodhi's fingers with nimble lips, like a very tame predator, eats, smiles, and licks his lips.

"Excellent! And I think she liked to appreciate them, not just understand."

[imthepilot]

"Did you find you appreciated them more with her?" He asks, trying to cover the little gasp as Galen nibbles the morsel from his fingers.

[galen_erso]

"Yes, I found that listening without prejudice would open that world better," Galen says, licking his lips again as if to taste the last trace of those spices."

[imthepilot]

"To hear with the heart, not the mind." He gestures to the tapestry on Galen's wall. One of the teachings of the kyber temple.

[galen_erso]

Galen nods. "She brought all that to life. It all made sense, when she was doing it."

[imthepilot]

"I'm glad. They were empty words to me growing up. Just the same rhetoric I heard from my mother and her friends. Sometimes I remember them, usually when they start to make sense to me."

[galen_erso]

"Do they now?" Galen asks.

[imthepilot]

"Some. Like that one." He reaches for Galen, pulling him close. "Others, about love and connection. And being part of something."

[galen_erso]

Galen holds him. "Which don't?"

[imthepilot]

"There was a lot of garbage coming from the street preachers and gutter prophets in the slums of Jedha. A lot of their ideas around children bothered me, mostly cause it meant so many died. The will of the Force doesn't excuse neglect." And that's very much his grandmother talking.

[galen_erso]

"What ideas about children?" Galen asks.

[imthepilot]

"That they should be raised by the entire community and share in the wisdom of all. Which sounds good but what it means in practice is no-one takes responsibility for them. I lost three siblings to malnutrition and preventable diseases before my grandmother found us."

[galen_erso]

"Good thing Lyra didn't share those ideas," Galen says. "We looked after our Jyn as long as we could. Until Krennic came."

[imthepilot]

Bodhi pulls Galen closer and kisses him. It's a gentle, loving kiss. "And I'm sure she grew up stronger for it."

[galen_erso]

"She did," Galen says. "While we had her. She was independent and responsible, exactly because she knew we' be there if she stumbled."

[imthepilot]

"We'll find her, together." Bodhi promises, kissing Galen deeper this time. Sealing the promise with that kiss.

[galen_erso]

Galen kisses him back, gratefully leaning against the slight pilot.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi smiles and strokes Galen's back. "Food now, hugging afterwards."

He steps back to dish up.

The song that comes one next is one he knows and he sings along. His voice is by no means remarkable but he can keep up with the fast lyrics with ease, seeming to enjoy the swiftly tripping pronunciations

[galen_erso]

Galen watches him, looking unexpectedly cheerful and tapping his foot.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi brings the plates over, breaking off as he realises Galen's watching him. "Sorry, I kind of like this song. I'm not normally a fan of Twi'lek poetry, but set to a fast beat, it works."

[galen_erso]

"How can you ever move your tongue that fast?" Galen says; and then he blushes under his beard.

He's not really used to his own double entendres.