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.

*****


"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."

****

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

The Flower - A Valentine's Story by AmaraZ

This is another take on the Valentine's Story by AmaraZ but at a different time in their relationship! Two contributions to this challenge, AmaraZ. You rock! Thanks!

**

The Flower

This was probably Leia’s favorite time of day. When she was done with her duties for the day and could come home to her apartment. Home to her husband and just be a wife and soon to be mother. When she could just be Leia.

As she took the last turn and entered the hallway that led to their apartment, all she really wanted to do was to let her hair down, put her feet up, and maybe make an early night of it. Nearly three months pregnant, the minimal nausea that she had experienced was mostly gone, but the fatigue seemed to still be dogging her. She was surprised that she had actually stayed awake during her afternoon meeting. And by now, after spending the day rushing from one place to another, she was most definitely ready for a quiet evening at home.

She palmed the apartment door open and could feel her body start to relax as soon as she stepped inside. Here was her own private oasis from the rest of the galaxy. As the door closed behind her, she let out a sigh, enjoying the silence and peacefulness that enveloped her. Scanning the living room quickly, she didn’t see any sign of Han yet. Figuring she had a few minutes to herself, she started towards her office to finish off her day.

Her first stop, as always, was her desk and she had her small case of files already open as soon as she reached it. She was so distracted by adding and removing files from her case that she paid little attention as she sat in the desk chair. She was instantly aware and focused on the present, though, as she felt something under her that wasn’t supposed to be there. Rising up slightly, she reached under her hips and pulled the offending object out. It was no wonder she had missed it. The small, black box blended right into the chair. She sat back and took a moment to look at it, knowing only Han could have left it for her to find. No one else had access to this space but them.

Wondering what he had given her, she opened the box and her mouth fell open. Not that it was unusual to receive a gift from Han. He had been romantic on occasion in the past. But this was something entirely different. Inside was an aralute flower that had been dried and lacquered and hung on a beautiful, thin chain. Leia's heart skipped a beat and then another as she marveled at it. Every hue of violet in the bloom had been perfectly preserved for all time. Overwhelmed, Leia’s fingers trembled as she touched the flower and she could feel tears coming to her eyes, knowing the effort he would have had to go to find something like this.

She didn't know how long she sat there looking at it, but Han's voice broke her out of her reverie. "Hey, sweetheart."

Leia finally tore her eyes away and noticed Han leaning against the doorjamb watching her. "Hey.”

She stood immediately, anything work related already forgotten, and moved towards him. Han followed suit and straightening from his position in the doorway, he met her halfway. "How long have you been home?"

"A while now." He looked down pointedly at the necklace and then back up at her. "Do you like it?" he inquired as his eyes searched her face for her reaction.

"I love it," she replied. "Where did you find something like this?"

“I didn’t.” He gestured for the box. After she handed it to him, he slipped the necklace into his hand and moved to stand behind her. She held her hair out of the way for him and he fell silent long enough to carefully drape the necklace around her neck and fasten the clasp. “I had it made.”

Leia’s fingers brushed the necklace lightly as she thought about his response. He stepped back in front of her and her brow furrowed as she looked up at him. “How did you do it? These flowers are incredibly hard to find.”

Han scoffed at her question, his lips curling into a half smile. “C’mon, sweetheart. You don’t expect a guy to give up all his secrets, do you?” When he saw the determined look in her eye, he knew she wasn’t going to give up until she had the whole story. He took his time letting out a long breath before answering. “It’s one of the original blooms from the plant you gave to the embassy garden,” he finally admitted.

Her mouth dropped open for the second time that day and it opened and closed several more times as she processed the information. “I gave that plant to the embassy five months ago.”

“I know.”

Leia continued to stare at him. “Han, you do remember what this flower means? It’s significance to my people?”

“I remember.” Smiling at her, he stepped in closer, rubbed a gentle hand over her still flat abdomen, and held it there. “That’s why I thought it was appropriate to give it to you now.”

Her head tilted at him and she was just about on the verge of crossing her arms. “And you’ve been hanging on to it all this time?”

Han let his hand drop away, feeling tense under her scrutiny. His eyes still held hers, but she could have sworn for a moment he looked uncomfortable. “Yeah.”

“Isn’t that a little over-confident, even for you?” A hint of a smile came to her lips. “Or just a case of wishful thinking?”

Han chuckled. “Well, I am Corellian.” Growing more serious, he placed his hands on her shoulders, his thumbs stroking over the tops of them. “Nah. I was hoping, with a little luck, things would work out,” he explained, his hands now running up and down her arms lightly. “I figured at worst, you’d have a nice reminder of home.”

Leia was almost in tears again, her heart swelling for the man in front of her. That he would have thought of her and taken the time to plan something like this. It was just one of many reasons she was glad she could call him husband.

She closed the distance between them, letting her hands slide up his back and come to rest behind his shoulders. She smiled up at him, letting him see every bit of the love and care she held for him. “Thank you,” she whispered and drew him into a long, lingering kiss. His arms wrapped around her, encasing her in their warm protection.

They stood that way for a while, losing themselves in each other like they often did, and let the rest of the universe slip away for a few moments. Eventually, breathing became a real necessity and the kiss broke. Han eased back and his eyes scanned her face carefully, noting the light purple smudges under her eyes. “How are you feeling today? You ok?”

Leia nodded, her arms slipping around his waist. “I’m ok. A little hungry. My morning meeting ran over and I was late for my meeting with Mon. Then I spent all afternoon preparing for the delegation next week. So I had to grab lunch on the run.”

Han leaned in to brush his hand across her hair and kiss her lightly on the forehead. “I have a couple of options planned for dinner tonight. We can go out somewhere if you want.”

“Or?”

He smiled at her, a sly, wolfish grin that she knew only all too well. “Or we could eat the light dinner I laid out on the bedroom balcony.”

“You could probably convince me to stay in tonight,” she said with her own sly smile.

Han took her hand in his and lightly kissed the back of it, sending tingles up her arm. He tugged on her hand gently as he started towards the door and she followed him without hesitation through the living room.

“Han?” Leia asked as they approached the door to their bedroom.

“Yeah?”

“Do you think we’ll actually get as far as the balcony?”

Glancing back at her, Han saw the gleam in her eye, and took the last few steps into the bedroom. Linking an arm around her waist, he pulled her tightly to him. “I’m sure we will eventually,” he told her with a grin as he closed the door behind them.

**

Thanks again, AmaraZ.

Bakura Pillows - A Missing Moment/Valentine's Story by JZHanFan

Here's a Missing Moment/Valentine's Story combo submitted by JZHanFan.

It takes place during "Truce at Bakura" which is the EU book that follows ROTJ and answers the question of just what happened with all of those inflatable pillows... 

**

"He took her hand and tugged her around the freestanding divider of crates. She set her cup beside his.

"I – " he stopped. Leia looked down into a nest of self-inflating pillows. "Chewie – " Han growled. He dropped her hand. "I guess that's a little blatant. I never should've trusted a Wookiee."

Leia laughed. "Chewie set this up?"

"Wait till I tell that big wet-nosed furball – " Still laughing, she braced herself against a bulkhead and shoved him over backward. He caught her hand and went down flailing."

- from "The Truce At Bakura" by Kathy Tyers

---

They fell together into the surprisingly soft pile of pillows.

Leia, who'd landed in an awkward sprawl across Han's lap, struggled to sit up, but her efforts were thwarted by the arm he threw around her waist, pinning her in place. Laughing, she surrendered to the inevitable and let him tuck her more comfortably into the curve of his shoulder. Her head lifted and she nudged his chin expectantly.

Quite pleased with this development, he brought his hand up to caress her cheek and moved in to kiss her. Unfortunately, his motion set the pile of pillows wobbling dangerously, and before either of them had time to adjust, Solo found himself abruptly dropped through a gap onto the deck below.

He gave a yelp of pain as his elbow cracked against the metal plating and a tingling spread, rapidly, down his arm to his fingers, radiating from the point of impact. Cradling his arm, he opened his mouth to bellow some choice words about his co-pilot's poor choice of materials, but the laughing mouth of Princess Leia silenced him completely.

For several long moments there was nothing but the taste of her lips and the soft weight of her body as she pressed tight against him.

"Hey," he growled, breaking their kiss and pressing his forehead to hers. "Just what do you think you're doing, Princess?"

"I think," she whispered back, blowing out a long, shaky breath, "that I am getting your attention."

"Oh, you have my attention, all right." His hands closed around her backside and guided her hips so she could feel the extent of his arousal. "You have, " - he began to kiss his way down her neck - "all of my attention."

"All of it?"

"Mmm hmm. Every bit. How about you? Do I have your attention?" His fingers were working at the buttons of her jumpsuit, and she lifted her hands to help him. Her flesh was warm and soft beneath his hands, and his palm closed, urgently, around one firm breast. Expertly, his thumb teased her nipple erect and she gave a small cry, arching her neck.

"Oh, yes," she breathed. A loud hiss of air escaped from one of the pillows as they shifted about and the mood broken, she suddenly began to giggle. "You sure know how to pick a romantic setting, Solo."

"This isn't exactly what I had in mind," he shrugged, apologetically. "Chewie sort of… ran with it."

"Just what did you have in mind?"

"I dunno… something more, subtle?" He frowned at her amused expression. "Look, I just… I wanted you to see I was serious about making time for you… for us. Making room for you in my life."

"Making out with me in your cargo hold," she added, still amused.

"Well, if you insist," he grinned, tugging the tails of his shirt free of his trousers.

"Keep your pants on, hot shot," she retorted, catching his hand as he made a move toward his belt. "I am not doing this here."

"Where, then?" he asked, unable to keep the plaintive note out of his voice completely.

"I don't know," she sighed, "just… not here. Not now. Not with Luke and the fleet out there battling, who knows what… while we hide out."

"This isn't hiding out. This is me doing my job, which is keeping you safe."

"That's not why you're here," she began, and he cut her off.

"They didn't pick me for my diplomatic skills, sweetheart. I'm here because I want to be. Because you matter to me."

"As much as your precious ship?" She wanted the words back as soon as she'd said them, but he didn't seem fussed.

"More," he said, solemnly, without hesitating.

"Better not say that too loud," she muttered, "she might hear you."

"Are you jealous of the Falcon?"

She looked embarrassed all at once. "Maybe." Lifting a hand, she displayed her thumb and index finger, held close together. "A little."

"Why?" he asked, simply.

"I don't know… because she's been with you for so long... because of the way you look when you talk about her. It's like… I'll always be second best."

"Hey," he said, more serious than he'd ever been. "Don't talk like that. She's my ship, and they don't come better than the Falcon... but you? You're my princess. You don't ever need to worry about being second best."

"Do you think she's jealous, of me?"

He gave this serious consideration before answering. "Nah. I think she likes you. You two girls have been through a lot together."

"I hope you're right," she said, touched by this display of sentimentality, even if it was directed at the Falcon. "I hope she likes me, because I plan on spending a lot of time with her Captain."

"A lot, huh?" Once again, he wasn't entirely able to conceal the hopefulness in his voice.

"Yes," she laughed. "But I was sort of thinking along the lines of the bunk in the crew cabin and not a pile of pillows in the hold."

"You're joking. The crew cabin's not private, Chewie sleeps in there, too."

"It's more private than the lounge. Doesn't the door lock?"

"Course not. The fresher's in there. Why would we lock the door?"

"Honestly, Solo. How in space did you manage before now? Surely you don't lock Chewie out of the ship?"

"Not exactly, but... well, Chewie knows when to make himself scarce for a couple of hours. And I don't always bring girls back to the ship." He winced as he realized how that sounded. "I mean… a lot of times we'd go to her place."

"Her place?" Leia suppressed a giggle at this mental image. "What, in the women's barracks?"

"No," he said, stiffly. "In port, I mean."

She flushed, abruptly understanding just what sort of women he meant. "You are hopeless, you know that, don't you?"

"Yeah, but that's why you love me."

"I don't think that was it."

"No? What was it then? My amazing personality? My winning looks?"

"No, but I'm sure there was something..." He silenced her with a kiss and when they came up for air, she finished her sentence with a smile. "Yeah. That."

Then his mouth was on hers again, and for a very long while, they didn't talk at all.

---

"Without hesitating, Chewie swatted the comlink. It beeped from Han's shirt pocket… "What?" …

"Uh, oh," Leia said softly against his shoulder. She pushed up to her feet.

"Okay, Chewie, we'll be right there." Han made sure it sounded more like a threat than a promise.

- from "The Truce At Bakura" by Kathy Tyers

'A Morning Conversation' - a Valentine's Story by Seams2Be

This is a Valentine's Challenge contribution from Seams2Be. 

It is posted on ff.net under the author: "Fallon Skywalker".

Thanks for the mushiness, Seams2Be!!

**

A Morning Conversation by Seams2Be

"Why are the hardest and most stressful negotiations with our own children?" Leia pondered out loud. Han, still lying in bed, struggling to wake up, grumbled an answer. "I don't know, I wish I had an answer for you."

The battle of wills with the children was wearing Leia out. She was already up, showered, dressed and ready to begin the day, and the sun wouldn't be up for at least another hour. And Han was still lying in bed.

"You know threats don't work, and neither does yelling." He told her.

"I know that" snapped Leia. "I've tried everything I can think of Han! Let's face it, I'm out of ideas. I've tried every diplomatic, political, encouraging way I know of to get the children to be motivated to take their studies seriously."

"Have you thought about just shooting them?" Han suggested sarcastically.

Leia rolled her eyes. "You're no help."

"Hey, sweetheart, I was just joking." Han replied. Leia responded, "You know this is your fault." She accused her husband.

"Ornery, Stubborn, Difficult…that's all you." She added.

Han scoffed and nearly choked on air to keep from laughing. "Oh excuse me, Princess, have you LOOKED in a mirror recently?"

"What?" Leia fumed, "Listen, I was not much older than they are now when I was representing an entire world in the galactic senate, AND leading an underground Rebellion against an oppressive government system!" Han nodded, he'd heard this speech before.

"What are they doing? Playing with every new entertainment gadget that comes out?"

"Well, they can't pick up their own clothes off the floor, so I wouldn't be surprised if those things were rotting their brain cells outta their heads." Han added with sarcasm.

Leia's temper was starting to rise. "Han, you and I certainly have a strong work ethic. My Force, you are one of the hardest working people I know!" she continued, "Nothing was ever handed to you, you worked and fought your way your whole childhood, you certainly had courage, then and now, and you are certainly a self-made man, even today. Leia looked at him and went on.

"You would think the children would be inspired by you." Leia's pulse quickened with her anger.

"Aw honey," Han started, "They think my tragic childhood is ancient history. Nobody wants to work hard when everything is so easy."

"That's the real problem, isn't it?" Leia asked. "Everything is so easy, comfortable, where your wants and desires are instantly fulfilled."

"I have a desire you can fulfill," Han suggested, in a low, sultry tone.

"Han, I'm serious." Leia quipped.

"So am I!" he countered, eyeing her.

He smiled at his wife and said to her, "You would think they would be inspired by you, fighting against the tyrannical Great Galactic Empire, leading and inspiring men and women into battle for freedom, not to mention having been the youngest senator ever, and you served time as Chief of State!" Han pointed out, "You sure impressed me with your spirit and spunk." She rolled her eyes.

"Still do." He added, for good measure.

Leia crossed their bedroom to help Han make their bed. "So what are we now? A couple of Rebels without a cause?" She grinned.

"Han, do you think they know how lucky they are?" Leia threw the pillows to her husband to place on the bed. She went on, "Do they know how fragile freedom really is? I want them to know that they will be guardians of this freedom someday for their children and so on."

Leia took a deep breath, "You and I have lived under tyranny, just for studying history and the arts I was risking charges of treason." Han nodded, "I know honey." He said.

She continued, "I was driven to learn everything I could, and I did so all on my own, nobody had to force me. I just want the kids to find the same desire for knowledge, for the appreciation of the ancients, of the arts, of the world around them!" Leia grew quiet.

"I don't know what to do." She said softly. "How do I get through to them? It's taking over all my time." Leia sighed.

"You know you can still just shoot them." Han smiled as he spoke.

He grabbed Leia by the waist and kissed her forehead, "You are the deepest, most thoughtful person I know." He said, kissing her again, "Don't let them get to you, you need to be true to yourself, your not gonna change, and I wouldn't want you to. You keep on being who you are. They will sooner or later get it, you'll see." Han assured his wife. She fell into his embrace as he wrapped his warm arms around her.

"I wish I had your optimism," she whispered, "you always seem to find the positive in everything."

They held each other for a long while. "I've got to get started on the day's work," Leia said as she pulled out of his embrace.

"I wish we could just go back to bed for a while." She said with a sigh.

"Yeah," Han said, "Me too." They looked at each other and shared a smile.

"I'll tell you what," Han stated, "Tomorrow night, I'm taking you out to a nice, quiet, cozy place," he grinned at her. "And you can wear your little black dress."

She cracked a grin, "That would be nice. It's been far too long since it was just the two of us." Leia replied.

"I know Princess, believe me, I know." He said.

"I'll comm you later. I'll be late tonight; I'm training the new recruits."

"I remember," she replied, "Good luck." She kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be figuring out new strategies and plans, you know, it's what I do best!" Leia said decidedly.

Han gave her his best roguish smile, "That's not what you do best."

Leia blushed. "Save it for tomorrow flyboy," she said, kissing him as she left the room to tackle the long day ahead of her. 

The End

Valentine's Story by Amara Z

This is our first contribution from Amara Z to the Valentine's Challenge. If you aren't sure what that is, we asked for some mushy stories to be posted in honor of Valentine's Day. How mushy is mushy enough is up to you. Enjoy!

Surprise


By the time evening had rolled around, Leia had already had a long day. Most days, she could deal with it. She would somehow push through any exhaustion she felt and do what she had to do. She would do it without complaint. But a long day with probably more work waiting for you and on your birthday was quite another matter. Quite another matter, indeed.

She made her way across the hangar floor at her typical hurried pace, striding towards the makeshift office she kept just to the side of the hangar. It wasn't much of a space. Barely the size of a closet, it was much too small and the location too noisy. But it was much better than what she had on the last base. And probably a lot better than what she would get on Hoth. At least it was better than nothing and its location did keep her in the middle of things, helped her to keep an eye on the very things she organized.

Finally arriving at her office, she placed a set of data cards on the shelf against the back wall and with a quick turn, looked at her desk to assess the damage. On the corner of her desk waiting for her to examine was a new and rather large stack of flimsies and data cards. Rubbing her forehead with one hand, she let out a long sigh and sunk into her chair. She already knew the forms had to do with the creation of the base on Hoth and the transfer of the Alliance there in a few months. She may have survived the Death Star, but it sure seemed like this transfer to Hoth was going to bury her in paperwork. She sat at her desk for a long moment staring at the stack, wishing she could be the kind of person that could leave it for tomorrow. But since she wasn’t, she started to work through the mess.

A wave of raucous laughter came rolling down the hangar towards her as she sorted through the plasts and cards, reminding her of what would probably be her last stop for the night. Luke and the pilots had commandeered one of the small alcoves just off the hangar to celebrate his birthday. It was a good place to choose; just secluded enough that no one would notice or even mind they were there. Not this late in the evening. Luke had asked her to drop by the party when they had run into each other earlier that day. If she could get through this last bit of work, she might just do that and take the opportunity to relax.

She was down to her last few flimsies before she noticed it. At the bottom, stuck between two sheets was a small, light colored box. Its presence caught her by surprise. No one would leave something like this in her office…ever.

Rolling her lips nervously, she slid it closer to her. Her fingers moved over its surface and she found it to be smooth and soft and rather pleasant. Fairly certain it wasn’t dangerous, she slid the package even closer and picked it up, carefully turning it over in her hands. No, whatever it was, it wasn’t dangerous. It was too small. It was just large enough for a piece of jewelry, but that was about it. Too curious not to, she opened the box and her breath gushed out of her. Inside, on a delicate gold chain, was a t’iil flower from Alderaan. It had been captured as it started to bloom, pressed, and sealed between two pieces of transparisteel. Cut into a diamond shaped pendant, it was simply breathtaking, every last color of the bloom and seed pod beautifully preserved. As she reached out to touch it, she knew it would last forever.

Her mind wandered through the possibilities of who could have done this. It could be a memento from someone, something left over from her father. Carlist, possibly, but he wouldn’t be this demonstrative. He seemed to understand her need for a certain level of detachment from others. That left only one person that would have been so thoughtful – Luke.

Eager to ask him about it, she closed the box with a snap, rose from her chair, and made her way towards the door and the party just beyond it. She stopped immediately as soon as she stepped out of her office. Just down the hangar, no more than 10 meters away, someone stood watching her and seemed to be waiting for her. With a hip cocked to one side, the figure’s confident, cocksure stance was easily recognizable. She’d have known it anywhere. Han.

They both stood there for a long moment, neither of them moving, and she certainly wasn’t sure what to say. He made a small move, gesturing towards the box. Puzzled by the action, she reopened it. Looking in the lid this time, she saw it, something she had missed the first time. A handwritten note that was tucked inside – Happy Birthday, Your Worship. Leia almost groaned at the moniker. There was only one person in the universe that called her that. Figures he would do it even when giving a gift.

She looked up and realized he had approached her and was much closer than before, less than a quarter of a meter away. And he was probably way too close for her comfort.

“You did this?” she asked quietly.

He shrugged. “I saw it on our last run and thought of you.”

Leia looked down at the necklace, letting herself taking it in one last time, her heart aching just a little bit as she closed the box. “It’s beautiful, Han. Really, it is. But I can’t accept this,” she said, looking back up at him.

He smiled at her, that half grin that drove her crazy and to distraction at the same time. “Not much of a receiver, huh, Princess?”

“I have no trouble accepting gifts. None at all,” she retorted, trying to keep the sound of indignation from her voice. “I’m just thinking of you and Chewie. This must have cost you a fortune. I'm sure you could use the money for something else.”

“I'm sure I could.” He rocked back on his heels and pursed his lips, his gaze strong, steady, and never leaving hers. “But I won't.”

“Han, honestly, I couldn't. It's too much.” Her hands trembled as she held the box out to him and motioned for him to take it. She kept her eyes down as she did it, choosing to stare straight ahead instead, right at his chest. She didn’t dare let him look in her eyes right now. Didn’t dare let him see the confusion and sadness that she knew would be all too evident in them. As she stood there waiting for him to take the gift back, she could feel a part of her breaking from giving up such a beautiful reminder of home.

He surprised her by covering her hands with his own, hands that were warm and so much larger than hers, and it was a little disconcerting that the shaking in her hands stopped with that one small gesture. Looking up, she saw he was staring intently at her, but his expression was soft, any of the usual leering combativeness oddly absent. Very gently, he pushed the gift back towards her and she ended up staring up at him, clutching the box to her chest.

“Don't worry about it. Ok?” he told her, his voice a low, soft rumble.

Leia finally nodded her assent, her hand clutching the box that much tighter. “Thank you.”

They fell silent and feeling that the moment was over, Han gave a quick nod and turned to head back to the party. He was halfway there when she called out to him.

“Can I ask you a question?”

He stopped mid-stride and turned back towards her. “Sure.”

“Why are you being so nice?”

Han could feel his pulse quicken and his muscles tense at the insinuation behind what she had asked and he had to suppress a laugh. Any other time, her question alone would be enough to start a full blown fight between them. But today, for her, he decided to let it slide. One shoulder twitched in a shrug. “Well, I figured it was your day too and you deserved something nice.”

He was about to leave it at that and started to turn away, but stopped. When he looked back at her, she noticed his gloating smirk was back and in full force. “And besides, that’s the kind of guy I am, Your Worship,” he told her with a wink before sauntering off. Leia shook her head and stared after him, incredibly touched by his gesture, but still wondering which Han Solo to believe.

Thanks so much for the contribution, Amara!

A Call For Mushy Stories!

I happened to be browsing through Target yesterday and stumbled across a vast array of Star Wars Valentine's Day items. It took an exceptional amount of restraint not to buy anything, but it did remind me that Valentine's Day is coming up and I thought, what better way to celebrate than to call for some mushy Valentine's Day Han and Leia stories?

Now, I'm not suggesting that the stories have to revolve around Valentine's Day, because of course chances are it doesn't exist in Star wars, though if you do want to use it or make up some similar day, go ahead. It just seems like a fun opportunity to write some adorably sappy, melt-your-insides mush. Long or short, G-rated or R-rated, whatever you want. It is a pretty open-ended prompt. Just try to get them in by Valentine's Day, or at least pretty close.

You know the drill, message one of us on ff.net or e-mail us if you have that and we will get you posted. All submissions are welcome and we haven't yet turned anyone down on posting, so don't be shy! And it is also a great opportunity to not have to worry about plot because it's all just supposed to be fun. But, should you want to include a plot, that's okay, too :)