Speedo Challenge - Submission #7

(submitted by AmaraZ)

(I'm running out of speedo pics!  Didn't think you guys would mind a repeat...)

Speedo Challenge - Submission #7 by AmaraZ

“Han, where are you?”

Han cringed. He knew that tone. That “you are in so much trouble, better duck for cover, and apologize now” tone. It made him want to dive under the control dash. He didn’t hear it that often anymore and not nearly as much as the early days of their friendship. And things certainly had improved since he and Leia had become a couple. But every now and again Leia would get on a tear about something. He considered briefly pretending he hadn’t heard her, but knew it would only make matters worse. Bracing himself mentally to be as polite as he could be, he turned to face the cockpit door and put a smile on his face.

“I’m in the cockpit,” he said as nonchalantly as possible.

Leia appeared in the doorway of the cockpit shortly after, her small feet barely making a sound on the decking. She looked relaxed and casual in plain clothes and her hair in a simple braid, but her face was anything but. Her expression was full of barely hid confusion and bordering on thunderous. Pursing her lips, she walked in, stopping right in front of him. He noticed she had a suspicious looking piece of flimsi in her hand.

“What’s up, sweetheart?” he asked cautiously.

“Care to explain this?” she asked and thrust the slip at him.

He eyed it carefully before taking it from her, confused as to what it could be. Did he forget to pay a bill somewhere? Was it a news report of him coming out of his occasional late night game of sabacc? He couldn’t think of anything he had done, lately, that would put her on edge.

Han relaxed when he saw it was just a holo of him. And an old one at that. It showed him a bit younger than he was now, sitting cross-legged next to a pool of water, in his swimsuit, and taking in the sun. “Huh. Where did you find it? Hadn’t seen it in a while.”

“I was cleaning out the cabinets in the bunkroom when I found it. Does it matter?”

“Nah, just curious.”

Leia was about to start tapping her foot if she didn’t get the answers she wanted and drew a deep breath before continuing. “So do you care to explain?”

He shrugged. “It’s just a holo of me. No big deal.”

The expression on her face quickly turned to surprise, her mouth falling open. “Just a holo of you? Han, you’re practically naked in it.”

“I am not. I have my swim trunks on.”

“Those are hardly trunks,” she scoffed. “I had to check the holo three times before I spotted them.”

The corner of Han’s mouth quirked up and he swallowed hard to keep from laughing. “Oh, I’m sure that’s why you had to look at it so many times.”

Leia flushed pink at his accusation and rolled her eyes at him. Stepping even closer, she poked a finger at the picture, pointing at the thin scrap of material that was the suit and the goodies underneath that were clearly on display. “See? It barely covers anything.”

Han let out a long breath. He knew his princess well enough that there was more to this than she was letting on. “So, what’s wrong? Worried that this will get out and ruin my reputation?”

Leia let her hand drop. “No.”

“Yours?”

She looked away for a moment before shaking her head.

He smirked. “Jealous?”

Her eyes snapped back to his. “No.”

His eyebrows knitted together as he considered her standing there, unsure of what else might be troubling her. “Then what is it?”

Her eyes dropped to the floor before she proceeded. “I just don’t like you on display like that,” she said quietly and shrugged her shoulder. “You barely will sit still for a holo now. I guess I wonder what kind of girl….woman…was able to do it and while you were partially clothed.”

Han let out a breath. This had been more like he was expecting and he knew she deserved the truth. Especially if they were going to keep building a life together. “An ex-girlfriend of mine took it a long time ago,” he explained. “We were on a trip, ended up by this secluded pool, and she took it. Not sure why. She must have left it behind when things were over.” He shrugged as if the whole matter was of no consequence to him anymore. “It was one of the few good memories I had at the time and I didn’t have the heart to throw it out.”

Leia thought about his words quietly for a few moments, taking in how much it might have bothered him to share with her what he did. “Thank you for telling me.”

He shrugged. “It’s the least I could do.” He held out his hand to her and she accepted it, letting him pull her to sit in his lap. He put an arm around her and brushed his hand across her hairline, staring at the face he loved. “You know you don’t have anything to worry about, right?”

“I know,” she replied, her eyes not meeting his.

“And you knew before we got involved that I have a past,” he continued and tipped her chin so that she had to look at him.

She nodded. “I did. And I wouldn’t ask you to change.”

Satisfied that the worst was finally over, he gave her his famous crooked grin. He tucked the pic carefully into her hand. “I guess this is yours now.”

Leia smiled back. “Like you?”

His grin widened. “Like me,” he replied with a laugh and kissed her soundly on the forehead. Wrapping her in his arms, he held her close for several moments. “I’m not going to apologize for something that’s in my past,” he said. “I hope you’re ok with that.”

Leia pulled back, her look mysteriously challenging. “I will be on one condition.”

He gave her a quizzical look. “What’s that?”

“You still have that little bathing suit so that I can see what it looks like for myself? It was pretty darn hot.”

Han laughed and pulled her into a giant hug. “Anything for you, Princess.”