The Speedo Challenge - Submission #6

(submitted by:  TooOldForThis)

The Holo

By TooOldForThis

It had been three days.   Three days since their last fight.  Three days since he’d said that he was tired of being called the princess’s consort and wanted more.  Three days since he’d told her he wanted her to set a date.  Three days since she’d told him that she just couldn’t right now.  Three days since he’d left.

She had been so mad at him for putting her on the spot like that that it had taken her a day and a half to even consider talking to him again.  She figured that he’d come home that night,  but he hadn’t.  When she woke up the next morning, she thought that he must have slept on the Falcon again, but that he’d be back that morning.    When he still wasn’t home when she got home from work, she started to worry.  She checked the hanger and found out that the Falcon was gone.  That’s when she realized just how upset he had been.

She’d called Luke and he said that he’d check around.  So she was left waiting.   Waiting to see if everything she thought was good in her life was gone or not.    She didn’t know what else to do, so she walked into her home office, hoping that she’d find something to occupy her mind.   She picked up a data pad and started browsing through what was stored on it, not really knowing what she was looking for.

A file called Vacation caught her eye.  When had she been on a vacation?    She opened it up and instantly remembered.    After Bakura, they’d made that little detour to drop Chewie off an Kashyyyk and had stopped on Dargus 5 for a short stay, just the two of them. 

The first holo was of Han sitting by the side of a pool, laughing.  She flipped through several more holos.  She thought about that little side trip.  Gods it was so relaxing to just be for those two days.   She hadn’t given a thought to the republic or governments or who wanted what.   If she did start thinking about those things, Han had quickly turned her thoughts in another direction, usually by a touch or a kiss.   It was just her and him and it was wonderful.  

She stopped on a holo of Han sitting cross-legged looking straight at her.   He was wearing only swim shorts and she couldn’t help but smile at his body.   Well defined, but not bulky.  She’d grown so fond of that patch of hair on his chest.  She loved to touch that smooth, flat stomach of his.  He hadn’t shaved and the scruff on his face had made him even more handsome. 

But it was the look on his face that she stared at.  He almost looked sad.  Like he knew that they wouldn’t last.  It was as if he was speaking to her now saying, “I love you, you know.  I would do ANYTHING to make you happy and keep you safe.  But I’m not sure that you would do the same for me.  I’m not sure that I will ever be the number one thing in your life and I’m getting tired of living with that feeling.”  

As she stared at the holo, tears started to fall down her face.   How could she have taken him for granted?  How could she have not seen how she was treating him?  How could she have let him go away? 

She jumped when she heard a door close.   She quickly put the datapad down and wiped the tears from her face.  Maybe Luke had come with news.   She was leaving the office when she stopped.  Han was standing at the other end of the hallway.   He was the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on in that moment.

“I’m sorry”, he said.   Tears started falling down her cheeks again.   In three strides he was standing in front of her, wiping the tears from her face with his fingers.   “I’m sorry I left.”

“No. I’m sorry.  I’m sorry for how I’ve been taking you for granted, always putting other things before us.    You are the best thing in my life and I don’t want to lose you.”

“Aw sweetheart, you could nev..”, he started to say, but she interrupted him by placing a finger on his lips.  

She shook her head.  “The truth is that I have not been placing you first in my life and I need to change that.   I need to make time for us to be us, just you and me, because that is the most wonderful thing in the galaxy.”    She placed one hand on his cheek.  “Everything else can wait.”

“I shouldn’t have pressured you”, he said.

“Yes, you should have, because you have been beyond patient with me.”    She placed her hands around his neck, running her fingers through his hair and said softly, “So how about next Tuesday, you and I go see about getting married?”

A smile began to creep across his face.  “Tuesday huh?   I think I can arrange that.  Do we get a honeymoon after that or will this just be a lunchtime appointment?”

She returned the smile.  “Oh, there will be a honeymoon, flyboy.”

“I like the sound of that”, he said as he lowered his lips to hers.

“I love you, you know”, she whispered.

“I know”, he replied as he scooped her up in his arms and headed for their bedroom.