Valentine's Challenge: The Sequel - Submission #5

Thanks for Blamey77 for this Mushy Story Challenge Submission!  (Again, I hope she doesn't mind the picture.  Who doesn't love Lego Han????)

Inspiration for this story: I sat down to work on an assignment and ended up writing this instead. So, procrastination I guess?

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The mission had gone smoothly. Leia had met with some potential alliance benefactors and they had been genuinely interested in helping the Alliance. The trip had gone so well that Han, Chewie and Leia had some spare time on their hands. Leia didn't need that much convincing to join the other two in a little exploring. After three months on Hoth, she was extremely happy to be wearing something other than a snowsuit.
The three of them wandered around the small town, enjoying the sun. Later, they stopped for lunch at a restaurant with chairs too small to accommodate wookies and portions too tiny to interest Chewie. He happily headed back to the Falcon where a slab of meat was waiting to be consumed.

While the two of them ate, Han told Leia amusing smuggling stories which always seemed to end with him and Chewie escaping despite overwhelming odds against them and always due to some inspired flying from Han. Despite his endless need to brag, Leia found herself enjoying Han's company.

After lunch, they wandered through a marketplace when Leia spotted a familiar image on the cover of a book on display. She rushed over to the book and picked it up. The title was 'Alderaanian Architecture.' Leia was transfixed as she flipped through the pages, savouring the images. She waited for the familiar tightening in her chest that always accompanied memories of her lost home but it didn't happen. The book seemed to trigger only happy memories and Leia was indulging in it when Han appeared at her side, curious to see what had grabbed her attention. She glanced at him and smiled, then went back to the book. And then she saw it. The Palace. Her Palace. Leia stopped flicking through the pages. Her fingers found their way to the picture and traced the outline of the building. She remembered the many staircases, the beautiful pieces of artwork on the walls and the large windows, allowing light to bathe the rooms.

Her brain vaguely registered Han talking to the shop owner and handing him something.
Leia had no idea how long she had been standing there but the next thing she knew, Han was gently leading her away from the shop.

She was still holding the book. "Oh, I have to put this back," Leia said, quietly.

"No, you don't. It's yours."

Her grip tightened on the book and Leia looked at him. His face was unreadable. Someone bumped into her but Leia barely noticed. Han put his hand on her back and led her through the crowded marketplace. A warm feeling spread through her chest as she thought about what he had done for her. The book was hers. She felt somewhat dazed and tried in vain to clear her head. All she could think about was looking at the Palace again. For too long, she had avoided thoughts and memories of Alderaan, afraid that despair and longing would take up residence in her being and never move. Suddenly, it was different. For the first time since its destruction, Leia had felt something other than sadness towards Alderaan.

As she noticed that Han was leading her back to the Falcon, Leia wondered if he could see how preoccupied she was.

He didn't say anything as she hurried up the ramp and for that she was grateful.

*

That night, Leia tried and eventually gave up on sleep. She turned on the light, wincing at the brightness. She became deeply engrossed in the book yet again when-

"You're up late."

Leia looked up from the book in her lap and smiled at the man leaning against the doorway of his cabin- hers for the duration of the trip.

"I couldn't sleep," she said, shrugging.

"Me either," Han admitted.

Usually, Leia didn't like anyone catching on to her troubled sleeping pattern but she found it hard to be hostile to Han at that moment. He had obviously gone to bed some time ago. His hair was flat on one side and sticking out every which way on the other. His bare feet stuck out from under rumpled pants and his shirt was haphazardly buttoned, displaying a decent amount of chest. The methodical part of her wanted to button that top properly. Another part of her just wanted to unbutton it completely and reveal what was underneath. Leia blushed and quickly looked down, irrationally afraid that he could tell what she was thinking. She silently willed her cheeks to cool down and she made a show out of turning the page. Han shifted in the doorway uncertainly and said, "Well, I'll leave you alone."

Leia realised she had unintentionally dismissed him and felt guilty.

She asked, "Do you want to see where I grew up?" and lifted the book invitingly.
Han looked surprised but then he grinned in that asymmetrical way unique to him and made his way to the bed where she was sitting. He sat on the other side, swinging both legs up on to the bed. Leia gathered all of her hair behind her and flipped through the book's pages until she found the one she was looking for. She looked up at him and found him staring at the hair trailing down her back.

"Here," she said. Han craned his neck to see the pages. Leia leaned closer to him so he could get a better look. Han was quiet as he scanned the page. His eyes widened as he took in the grand building that had once been her home. "The Palace was on an island?" he asked. "Yes," Leia answered. Han looked fascinated and she felt happy.

"Sure beats Hoth."

Leia chuckled and said, "It does at that." Han smiled at her and Leia realised he had been carefully watching her reaction. He looked back at the book. "Can I have a look?" She nodded and he lifted it carefully off of her lap and onto his. Leia sank back against her pillow, happy to watch Han as he slowly turned the pages, looking at the architectural highlights of her former world. She sighed, not sadly, just exhausted. Every night, Leia wished she had a switch like C3PO that would enable her to immediately power down. A long string of sleepless night had left her tired of feeling tired. Her eyelids felt so heavy sometimes…

*

Leia was suddenly very aware of something loud next to her. She sat up, quickly. Her first thought was that an odd-sounding alarm was going off. Leia turned and found the source of the noise was in fact a snoring Han Solo. He was sprawled out next to her. A pillow leaning against the headboard indicated that he had been in a sitting position when he fell asleep. However, Han had definitely slipped down the bed during the night because they had been sharing a pillow. The book was still open on his stomach. Leia picked it up. It was open to the picture of her Palace. She put the book aside and took a long deep breath, trying to digest this new development.

It was morning. She had unexpectedly fallen asleep and stayed asleep. Han had obviously done the same. She was clothed. He was clothed. It was all very innocent. So why did she feel so uneasy?
Because she was never going to live this down. Leia rubbed her face and groaned inwardly. Han would undoubtedly tease her about this as soon as he woke up. She imagined Han smugly telling Chewie of his sharing a bed with the Princess. Han boasting loudly to anyone who would listen on the Rebel base of his sharing a bed with the Princess. Han's voice blaring on the speaker system on Hoth bragging about sharing a bed with the Princess.

Her imagination was not her friend at the moment. She needed kaffe. And a splash of cold water on her face. And for Han to not suddenly wake up next to her. She hurried to the fresher and closed the door. Leia ran the water and collected it in her cupped hands. She thought of the day before and how generous Han had been. And how perfectly nice he had been as he sat with her on the bed.

Maybe he wouldn't make a big deal out of falling asleep together.

Leia splashed her face and turned the water off.

Han was unpredictable. He could be sweet one moment and prickly the next. She never had sure footing with him. It was almost as if he didn't want to be nice but he couldn't help it every now and then and he had to pick a fight to make the world right again.. Leia was afraid that after his recent kindness, Han would revert back to his loud-mouthed arrogant self.

She sighed. There was nothing to be done about it. She had to face the music. The infuriatingly egotistical music. Leia took one last look at her reflection then she exited the fresher.

Han was nowhere to be found.

Why wasn't he lying on the bed, hands behind his head with a huge grin on his face? He had just left the room, giving up a prime opportunity to torment her.

She would never understand Han Solo.

Leia was changing out of her bed clothes when she heard the unmistakeable sound of Han and Chewie walking past the cabin on their way to the kitchen. She froze, trying to hear their conversation. The words 'sensor' and 'malfunctioning' relieved her immensely.

Chewie rumbled a greeting to Leia as she entered the kitchen a few minutes later. Han had his back to her as he poured a cup of kaffe. Leia smiled at Chewie and he left to start working on the ship. They were alone.

"Good morning," Leia said, cautiously. She was suddenly very afraid of what was going to happen next.
Han turned around, handed her the cup of kaffe and said, "Good morning." Then he walked out of the kitchen.

Leia stood there with the cup in her hand for a couple of minutes before shaking her head in disbelief and sitting down. She took a sip of kaffe.
She would never understand Han Solo.