Shave and a Haircut...

**Caution**  The following chapter contains adult themes.  Proceed at your own risk.

CHAPTER XIII

The door to the captain’s quarters slid shut behind them and the two stood and looked at each other for a long moment.

“You should lie down,” Leia whispered and then her eyelids fell heavily as Han reached out and stroked her cheek - his touch, still a novelty to her.

“I’d like to at least brush my teeth.”

The slight smile on her lips was soon mirrored by him, if not a bit crooked.  She finally replied, “I guess I can’t argue with that request.”

Leia walked with him to the ‘fresher and as she moved to accompany him into the tiny room, he said, “I think I can handle this on my own, sweetheart.”

“Han, you look as if you’re about to drop,” she replied.  He braced himself against the doorway and looked down at her.  Leia tilted her head to the side and said, “Humor me.”

Placing her hands on his hips she led him towards the commode.  Lowering the lid, she then assisted Han to sit down facing her.  She stood between his legs and looked down at him, trancelike.  Her fingers landed in his hair and she brushed the long locks from off of his forehead.  Running her finger down the side of his cheek, she moved towards his chin and then traced his scar.

“I’ve memorized you,” she croaked out as she felt a tear slide down her cheek.

He placed a hand on her hip and squeezed it gently and then relaxing his grip he slid it down her thigh and then back up again all the way to her ribcage.  “Why don’t we get my teeth brushed and I’ll let you memorize the rest of me.”

“I’m afraid you may need more than your teeth brushed before that happens.”

Han smiled at her and a piercing pain shot through her chest.  She still could not believe what she had almost lost. 

“You need to rest, hotshot,” she quipped, trying to cover her raw emotions.

Han brushed his teeth - twice for good measure, he had indicated.  And Leia led him into his bunk where he groaned and sunk into the soft mattress as if it were heaven itself.

She stood watching him as he closed his eyes in exhaustion and heaved a heavy breath.  When he opened his eyes, he looked at her and patted the bed beside him, “C’mon, Your Highness.  I’m not the only one who looks like they could use some rest.”

“Rest, being the operative word here, Captain.”

“General.”  Closing his eyes and patting the bed again, he said, “I’m still a General…I think.  And that was an order.”

Leia climbed in the bed next to him, never truly intending to argue anyway.  They both lay on their sides facing one another.  Unable to control them, her tears started again and ran crossways down her face and trickled into her ear.  They were silent and steady and she didn't try to stop them, it felt natural to let go in front of him if nobody else.

“Don’t cry, sweetheart,” Han whispered as he leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose.

She grabbed the back of his head and held him to her, their foreheads connected.  “I cannot live without you,” she sobbed.  “I can’t…”

“Shhhhh, you don’t have to, baby.  I’m right here.”

He snaked his hand behind her neck and lowered his mouth to hers.  The kiss was soft and deep and slow as if they had all the time in the universe.  Leia let a deep moan climb up out of her throat and Han answered with one his own.  The smiles that crept on both of their faces broke their kiss and Leia said, “We’re not going to get any rest this way.”

“I must be deliriously tired, because I think I’m going to have to agree with you,” Han answered as he kissed her on the forehead and laid his head back on his pillow.

Leia snuggled up against him and he pulled her to him before they both fell into a deep sleep.

** 

It felt as though as soon as Leia closed her eyes, she heard their cabin door slide open.  She squinted her eyes at the figure standing in the doorway, the light from the hallway pouring in all around him.

“Sorry, I told you we were pretty close to our destination,” Luke whispered.

Leia felt slightly embarrassed at Luke seeing her lying in Han’s bunk in his arms.  But the emotion quickly passed, she was through explaining her feelings or actions to anyone and at least they were dressed so it could’ve been worse.

“Okay, thanks.  We’ll be right out,” she whispered back as Han stirred behind her and Luke took a step back and closed the door, leaving her and Han in the darkness.

Leia felt Han’s strong arm pull her to him and as he nuzzled his nose into the back of her neck, he kissed it and she heard him whisper, “Time to go?”

** 

When the couple finally exited their cabin, Luke and Chewie were waiting to fill them in on their situation.

“I know you’re both still tired,” Luke began, “And we’re gonna need to fill you in on a lot of details, but it’s already late in the evening and I think it’s best if we get settled in for the night and have everybody good and fresh in the morning.”

“Where are we?  Can we at least know that?”

“We’re in Noob Hill on Ruan in a large Wookiee settlement.  We’ve been waiting here for news of you two.  Your release…both of your releases…well, they were…planned, most probably traps or diversions.  But, I’m getting a little ahead of myself and like I said, you both need to rest up.”

Leia took Han’s hand and squeezed it as Han stood and stared at her brother.  She knew he wouldn’t like remaining in the dark about their situation, but she also knew he was dead on his feet. 

“C’mon, Han.  Let’s get settled in and we’ll hear all about it first thing in the morning.”

Han squeezed her hand back and glanced over at Chewie.

Chewie’s grumble was soft, but insistent.

Han rolled his eyes.  “Well, alright.  It seems my mind’s been made up for me.”

** 

Han and Leia walked hand in hand from the Falcon to a small, remote farmhouse.  The lights in the windows sparkled as they approached their home for the night.  Luke showed them to a large bedroom with an attached bath and left them with some clothes and pajamas as he wished them goodnight.

As soon as the door closed, Han’s hands were on her.  On her head, running through her short hair, down her neck, on her chest, her waist, her hips, down her thighs.  He breathed out her name, “Leia.”

Her hands ran across his chest and for a minute her heart wrenched at how thin and hollow he felt.  Pulling his shirt out of his pants and lifting it up, she couldn’t help but scrunch her face and cough a little as she said, “Oh, Han.”

Unfazed and totally ignorant to her reaction, Han began working at her clothing as he leaned down to kiss her again.

Leia contemplated giving in as he worked his way down her neck and nibbled on her ear, but one more whiff of his distinct “aroma” and Leia pressed her hands against his chest.  “Let’s move this party into the ‘fresher, flyboy.”

“What?” He pulled away from her with that little boy, hurt look he could get sometimes.  “Is it that bad?” he asked as he lifted his arm and took a whiff for himself.  Unable to hide his expression, he confessed, “Okay, maybe I should scrub up.”

Leia followed Han into the ‘fresher and despite his protests, remained as he began to undress.  His body was skin and bones and covered with sores and bruises.  What he probably needed was a soak in a bacta tank, but even if they had one, he would probably refuse.  She sat on the edge of the large tub and began to run the water.

“A bath?”  Han asked.  “I’m not really a bath kinda guy.”

Leia held her hand under the running water, happy with the temperature she looked up at Han and replied, “I can’t hold you up in the shower and you’re still very weak.”

“Why do you keep saying that?  I feel fine.”

“I thought you were going to let me memorize every part of you?” She argued as she stood, walked over to him and ran her hands over the sparse hair on his chest.

Han moaned and replied, “I guess I’m beginning to see the benefits of a good bath.”

“I thought you would.”

Han sunk into the water, closed his eyes and rested his head against the back of the bath tub.

“Is the temperature alright?”

“Perfect,” he groaned as he sunk a little deeper into the rising water.

Leia gathered up a few items and sat down once again on the side of the tub.  She lathered up a sponge and began to scrub Han’s arms and fingers.

“Did I die in that prison?” He murmured as Leia ran the sponge across his chest and around his neck.

“If this was heaven, I don’t think there would be so much dirt.”  With that she flipped the recycle switch to constantly pump in fresh water.

**

Finishing on his feet, Leia began to work her way up his leg.  Han bent the leg she was working on and Leia scrubbed his exposed knee before she worked her way back down into the water and up his thigh.  She looked at him and his eyes were wide open as her hand went deeper and deeper into the water.  As she rubbed the sponge on the innermost part of his thigh, Leia watched his eyes slam shut and his breath shuttered out in a moan. 

The sponge floated up to the surface as Leia finished that particular area with her bare hands.  Carefully caressing him, Han’s eyes flew open.  He sat up and grabbed the back of her head with his hand and pulled her to him for a kiss.  His tongue thrust into her mouth and Leia could feel the desperation pumping through his veins.

Han moved as if to get out of the tub and Leia moaned into his mouth, “No, let me finish.”

Han stopped and then pulled a little away from her.  “Finish what exactly?”

Leia placed her hands on his shoulders, pushing him back into the tub as she smiled demurely and said, “Your bath.”

Sighing heavily and then closing his eyes he rested his head back and said, “You’re right, this definitely isn’t heaven.”

Leia chuckled and shook her head as she grabbed the sponge and finished his other leg, making sure not to rile Han up again when she worked her way up his thigh this time.  She washed and rinsed his hair and when she began to lather his more than scruffy jaw line, he grabbed her by the wrist.

“I think I’m clean enough now.”

Han pulled at her gently and she was quick to realize what he had in mind.  “I wanted to cut your hair and shave you,” she protested weakly as he pulled her face to his and began to kiss her.

Leia was now leaning over the tub and without much fanfare she felt her body being pulled into the warm water as Han began to kiss the side of her face and tug at her wet clothing.

“You’ll need to be very close in order to do that,” Han whispered as he made his way down her neck and she felt her shirt lifting over her head.

His hands were unclasping her bra by the time she truly knew what had happened.  She looked over to the bath controls and turned off the recycle jets.  The water was clear and warm and without the noise of the jets, the only sound was their breathing and the sound of the water lapping up against the side of the porcelain tub.  She was sitting crossways with her feet still hanging over the side, as she shimmied her hips and allowed Han to free her of her pants and underwear.

Twisting herself into the tub, she sat facing Han and straddled him as his eyes and his face fell to her breasts.  Burying his face into her chest Leia jumped and scolded him, “Ouch!  That hurts.”

Han immediately pulled back and looked at her with apologetic eyes as he said, “Sorry, sweetheart, I couldn’t resist,” and his hands slid over her nipples and massaged her breasts where her white flesh was now pink with irritation.

“Well, just let me shave you and you won’t have to resist,” she replied as she leaned over the tub and grabbed the cream and the razor.

“You sure you know what you’re doing?” Han asked as he eyed the straight razor worriedly.

“Trust me.”

“That’s my line,” he quipped as Leia applied the shaving cream to his face and neck.

She dabbed a little bit of cream on the tip of his nose as she finally replied, “I know.”

Running the razor along his jaw line, Leia studied every minute detail of the clean-shaven skin that was slowing being unveiled.  She concentrated on the sound the water made as she swished the razor around in it and then the tiny dripping sounds from the water droplets falling off her hand.  She flipped the recycle jets back on to keep the water from getting filthy again.

Deep in concentration, Leia moved the razor over his chin and inhaled sharply as Han began to explore her breasts again with his hands.

“Han…unless you want another scar on your chin, I wouldn’t do that.”

“I trust you,” he whispered back in a low voice.  His eyes, his mind and his hands, clearly moving on to the next phase of this bathing experience.  She was surprised she had gotten this much accomplished before she lost him.  Like a kid in a candy store, he just couldn’t control himself any longer.

Leia breathed deeply and concentrated on the movements of her hands and the razor that they held, as Han’s hands moved down between her legs and began to explore there.  Her breath started to become shallow and her ability to concentrate was evaporating like the soap bubbles on the surface of the tub water.

She still had an entire side of his face to complete as she felt him place one of his hands on her hip and guide her closer to him.  She could hear his ragged breathing even over the noise of the jets and as both of her hands went to either side of the tub to steady herself, she heard the sound of the straight razor dropping on the floor as he slid himself inside of her and pulled her to him.

Her arms wrapped around him tightly as if she was afraid he would disappear.  And as he moved his hips underneath her the water rocked and sloshed in the tub, splashing onto the floor.  She concentrated on the feel of her breasts pressed against his chest and the gentle movement of him inside of her, of his moans mixed in with hers, his kisses and his hands on her hips orchestrating their motion.

She heard Han flip a switch and the water immediately began to empty.  He braced his hands on either side of the tub and moved to stand up.

“Han.”

“I don’t want to hear anything about what I can and can’t handle,” he breathed back as he grabbed her by the hips and stepped out of the tub.  Two more steps and Leia felt her body pressed up against the wall, she felt the mixture of the cool air, the rough wall behind her and Han’s warm body pressed against her and inside of her. 

Han’s movements became quick and hard - desperate.  He ran his fingers through her hair and down her body, holding her up with one hand and exploring every part of her with the other.  Leia moaned as overwhelming sensations ripped through her body, shooting through her until her eyesight blurred.  She pulled him to her as the waves of her orgasm crashed over her, spilling out of her like the water in the bath tub.

Han’s hips began to thrust again and he pressed his head up against hers as his body shuddered and then stilled.  The room was silent as he held her there.  He kissed the side of her face and then he whispered, “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”  Her tears came again with a vengeance and she cried silently as he held her.

Han finally lifted his head away from her and looked at her for a moment.  Rubbing a thumb along her wet check, he asked, “Leia?”

She smiled.  To hear him say her name, to have him here with her, it was all too unreal.  “What, sweetheart?”  Her voice was heavy and distant to her own ears.

“Let’s get married.”

“What?”  She answered incredulously, her slight case of fuzzy euphoria rapidly evaporating.

Han only smiled and patiently repeated, “Will you marry me?”

...to be continued...

**

Okay, so Zyra’s condition for me was:  “Your condition is that you definitely have to write that she cleans him up in the bathtub.  And shaves him, too.  And cuts his hair so he looks like the Han we know and love.”  Well, they just wouldn’t let me get to the haircut.  It’s not my fault!  I hoped you enjoyed it anyway...