Speedo Challenge #8 (followup to Submission #3)

(Submitted by Push)

(This is a followup to my earlier submission.  I'm grasping at straws here for more pics, so since my story happens later, perhaps you can envision Han looking like this during it...  ~Push)

Speedo Challenge #8

The Millennium Falcon, somewhere in deep space shortly after the Battle of Endor

"Hey, what's this?"

Leia turned to face Han, the pair had been cleaning his quarters, making room for her things as she had become a near permanent resident on his ship as of late.  They were so comfortable together now, having nothing left to hide between them both literally and figuratively, that she couldn't quite imagine what had piqued his curiosity so. She eyed him quizzically as he stood there, holding an old shirt of hers that had somehow worked its way into the bins beneath his bunk and something else pinched between two fingers.   Then she recognized it and memories of her last cleaning efforts came rushing back quickly to the surface.  He had been in Carbonite, she had been missing him terribly and then she had found that, that photo that he now held in his hands.  

"Is this what you used to stay away from me for so long?"  He asked, a triumphant mirth dancing across his features as he waved the photo in the air accusingly. 

Leia shook her head and blushed deeply, something she hadn't done in quite awhile because of him.

Han tossed her old blouse aside and studied the holo once more, flipping the flimsiplast with his fingers.  "Looks mighty worn, too.  Huh, Princess?"

He waggled his eyebrows and his grin was overly mocking, his wink slow and deliberate and his tone more goading than usual - all of which immediately got her ire up.  "I think that has more to do with the age of the subject matter than with anything that I could've possibly done to it," she said haughtily.  In the meantime, she was waging an internal war between her aggravation with him and the emotional memories that the discovery of the flimsi had brought up.  She suddenly more than anything just wanted the photo, along with its memories, back, and she didn't want Han sullying up those memories with his lewd comments and lascivious grin.  She took a step towards him.  "Give it back," she warned as she stuck her hand out.

"Give it back?"  Han asked as he pulled the photo closer to his chest and his smile widened.  "Sweetheart, you don't need this substitute anymore.  You've got the real thing."

"Han," she scowled, not the least bit amused as she pounced toward him grabbing for the holo.  He was too quick, however, and exasperatingly too tall as he merely held the photo up in the air and easily out of her reach.  In that same motion, he had scooped her up against him with his other hand, looking down at her with amusement and delight.

"This isn't funny," she said, her voice more whiny than she had intended.

"You're right," he replied, sounding at least somewhat contrite as he lowered the hand that held the holo and placed it on top of his other on her lower back.  She relaxed slightly and settled into his embrace, relieved that the teasing and the worse of it was probably over and now she could go about concentrating on getting the holo back.  Then she felt his breath at her ear.  "It's downright erotic."  She heard him whisper, drawing her out of her thoughts as she looked up to him.  "C'mon, you can tell me," he teased.  "How long did you walk around with that holo secreted away next to your heart?"

"Oh," she groaned, rolling her eyes and moving to get out his embrace.

"C'mon.  Did you have it on Hoth?"

"Pfft," she replied incredulously.  Oh the man had an ego!

"Yavin?" He howled back, just as incredulously, his mischievous grin giving way quickly to fits of laughter.

"You are such a bantha head," she scowled, pushing against his chest to get free.

He let her go finally and he was laughing now, a full-bellied laugh and all at her expense.  Did he realize how tormented she had been when she found that photo?  She knew that he did not and that it wasn't his fault but that didn't mean that she didn't want to knock him down a few pegs anyway.  Never one to be derailed very easily, she first took advantage of his lowered defenses by reaching toward him, grabbing the contested holo out of his hand and turning to run.  "Oh, no you don't," Han yelped as he followed her quickly and wrapped her up in his arms again, this time with her back to his chest.  

She looked down at the photo, ignoring the man behind her.  She hadn't seen it in quite some time and regardless of when and where it had been taken - it would always remind of her of one certain period in her life.  She felt Han craning his neck around her head and looking down at the photo with her, feeling him readying his next volley she cut him off before he had a chance to speak, "Who took this?"  She asked, her voice low.

Han blew out a long breath, she could feel the amusement shedding off of him as his body tensed just a little, but he still held her in his arms.  "Somebody," he said, "some time, a long time ago."

"Nice bathing trunks," she said cheekily, changing the subject.  She had no real interest in finding out the specific details of the photo, but she did feel like Han deserved some needling.

"Not my idea," he replied sternly, nearly all the amusement gone from his voice.

Suddenly Leia wondered just what kind of person, what kind of woman, would have held so much control of Han Solo.  She wondered if she held that much control over him now.  As she thought about it more, it didn't matter because she would never exercise it and she felt sad in some way that someone had.  She turned around in his arms and wrapped her hands behind his neck, all amusement gone from within her as well.  "I found this while your were in Carbonite and..."  She stopped.  How could she describe what it had meant to her?

Dawning spread over Han's features and he nodded knowingly as he bent down and kissed her forehead.  "I'm sorry I poked fun."

"It's alright," she replied, smiling up at him.  "But I would like to keep it.  That is, if it doesn't bother you."

"Nah," he replied.  "Ancient history."

In their time together she had begun to learn about his past, she wondered how much more there was left to discover.  But there would be time for that later.  "Do you still have that suit?" She asked, smirking.

Han relaxed and pulled her closer.  "If I did, it might just fit you.  That body's ancient history, too, Princess.  I hope you weren't too disappointed the first time you peeled my shirt away."

"Han Solo, I have felt many things when I undress you and disappointment has never been one of them."

"Is that right?"  He replied, lowering his head down to hers.

"Absolutely," Leia whispered right before he dipped his head a little lower and captured her lips with his.

Their kiss quickly deepened and Han began to lead her towards their bunk.  As his mouth tickled its way over her ear lobe and down her neck, she let the flimsi fall to the decking, momentarily forgotten once again.