[ The swatting and the comment about the antler makes Jacen laugh, and he eases into that conversation instead. He’ll deal with his sentimentalities later, when he doesn’t risk exposing Anakin to the bitter truth about his future. ] Not for lack of trying. I just couldn’t find one that wouldn’t melt. [ It’s a little hard to say if he’s telling the truth, or simply humoring his brother.

It’s impossible to miss the excitement in Anakin’s eyes, and Jacen’s glad he gets to see it again. ] That’s going to be quite the undertaking. I know you can do it, but we might need to take a ship apart for parts or something.

[ A beat. Then his smile turns into a smirk, and for the first time in a long while, streaks of his mischievous side slip through the cracks of the armor he’d been forced to build around himself. He almost feels like a kid again, and it feels good. ]

Jaina really ought to be here for this. [ Aside from missing her, he wonders where she is, how she’s been. How she’s taken to losing Anakin; kriff, she probably also thinks he’s dead. But he still hasn’t been able to bring himself to open up to their twin bond. Maybe one of these days. ]