A Welcome Surprise - A Valentine's Story by Zyra

Here is another entry into the Valentine's mushy challenge. I seriously just typed this up, having no idea what I was going to do with it, just felt like I had to write at least something to contribute since I haven't written anything in a while. Hope you enjoy.

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"What do you mean, you're not gonna make it?" Han Solo said frustratingly through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry, Han. You know I am. But these delegates came all the way from the Outer Rim and they only have so much time. You know I can't miss this meeting."

To say he was disappointed would be an understatement. Han and his wife Leia were celebrating their thirteenth anniversary. They had planned to go out to one of their favorite restaurants, just the two of them, to share a romantic evening. They'd both been exceedingly busy as of late, and with the children's schedules starting to take up more and more time it had been a while since they'd taken some time out just for themselves. And now it looked like that wasn't going to change anytime soon.

"Yeah," Han replied, not knowing what else to say. He tried not to blame Leia for working hard. It was one of the reasons he respected her so much. And once they'd started a family she had started working much more normal hours, though like with any job, occasionally something happened to keep her late. He just wished it didn't have to be tonight.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Leia said. "I promise I'll make it up to you. We can go out another night next week."

Han let out a sigh, knowing that pouting wasn't going to make the situation any better. He'd just have to remind her about making things up to him next week when he planned to keep her up most of the night. He switched back to husband/father mode. "Fine, so maybe I'll just go meet up with Lando, all right?"

"Oh, see, when I knew I wasn't coming back I sort of told Luke that he didn't need to keep the kids overnight. So one of us has to go home."

Han knew that 'one of us' in this case meant him. Well, a few drinks with his old friend would've been nice, but there were worse things than spending a night at home with his kids. It might even help him take his mind off what he was missing out on. "You owe me, sweetheart."

"I know. Next week, I promise. I won't be home until late so tell the kids I'll see them in the morning. I love you. Happy anniversary."

"Yeah," Han said a bit more gruffly than he meant to before cutting off the comm call. He felt a little badly for ending the conversation that way, but even if he was trying to be understanding he still wanted her to know that he was at least a little bit mad.

He had already been on his way home as they talked, planning on showering and changing into one of those more formal outfits Leia liked to see him in. It wasn't one of his favorite things to do, but given the way she looked at him when he was dressed like that and the fact that more often than not she promised to wear whatever he wanted once they got home, he considered it a fair trade.

His irritation at his plans being altered hadn't waned once he arrived home. As he approached his front door he decided that maybe he'd order the kids from their favorite restaurant. Seeing their faces light up at the smallest gestures always made him feel better.

As he walked in the door, he expected to hear the bustle of kids winding down toward the end of the day, but all was quiet. It was also dark. Apparently nobody was home. This was not going to help his mood.

He reached over and flicked on the lights, illuminating the entryway in a soft glow. His eyes traveled downward to what appeared to be a trail of deep crimson flower petals. It surely was no accident.

He felt half of his face curl up into a grin as he slowly followed the trail through the living area and down the hallway. He could see the faint glow of candlelight reflecting from the bedroom he shared with his wife. He felt his heart pounding as he rounded the corner into the doorway and peered in to find Leia sprawled invitingly on the bed, wearing an outfit that he had not seen before but certainly approved of. It was made of some sort of lace the same color as the flower petals that led all the way to the bed, and it didn't leave anything to the imagination.

Han leaned casually against the door frame. "I thought you had a meeting."

She brushed her long, brown hair off her exposed shoulder and smirked at him. "I lied."

Han shrugged off his jacket and slowly made his way towards the bed. "You said the kids were going to be home."

"Lied about that, too. I sent them off with their aunt and uncle. We have the night to ourselves."

He pulled his boots off and tossed them aside. "What about our dinner plans?"

She shrugged. "I didn't really feel like going out tonight."

He sat down on the bed and started undoing the fasteners on his shirt. "And where did that outfit come from?"

His eyes wandered lustily down her body, taking in every curve, every bit of skin that peeked out through the nearly-sheer material, every inch of her that he planned on kissing. She'd been lying down, resting her head in her hand, propped up on an elbow. As he sat, she moved to kneel next to him, helping him to ease the shirt down off his shoulders. Moving her face level with his, she got close enough so their lips were almost touching when she whispered breathily, "Are you going to keep asking questions or are you going to kiss me?"

Never one to turn down such an invitation, he brought his lips to hers, feeling her warm hands move up to frame his face while his own hands started to explore every facet of her body. It was not the anniversary night he'd been expecting, but it was far better. Without a word they were soon naked in each other's arms, proving once again that even after so many years together their passion for one another had never waned. If anything, Han thought yet again, it only seemed to grow.

Once thoroughly exhausted, much, much later, the couple lay lovingly snuggled together in the middle of their large bed, a blanket haphazardly pulled up around their cooling bodies. They'd been quiet for a while, but Han finally spoke. "So when did you decide to do this, huh?"

She smiled and squeezed her arms around him. "Just the other day. I don't really get the chance to surprise you often, and it's so hard to ever come up with a good gift for you, so I figured you might like this instead."

"Like it? Are you kidding me? Sweetheart that was..."

Her finger pressed against his lips to silence him and she sat up and her brown eyes looked deeply into his. "I know."

She leaned in and kissed him gently, and Han thought of a hundred things he could say to her. That he loved her more every day, that she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever known, that he loved the family and the life they'd created. That every morning he felt like the luckiest man in the galaxy.

But Han Solo wasn't one for mushy speeches. And he had a strong suspicion she knew exactly how he felt about her. She rested her head against his chest, ready to fall into an exhausted sleep. "I love you," he said before kissing her forehead.

"I love you, too," she said as her hand moved absently across his abdomen.

"And, sweetheart? You can feel free to surprise me like that anytime you want."

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There you go, another addition. Please feel free to continue submitting more stories!