Outline: This is a collection of "missing moments" based on the development of the relationship between Han and Leia. Every chapter can be considered a separate issue, so you just have to choose your favourite moment!
In the book "The truce of Bakura" there are many points which hint that something "more" has happened between Han and Leia, but what is it exactly? Here's my version.
Disclaimer: These characters don't belong to me, but are George Lucas's property; this story hasn't been written for profit.
Introduction
From the book "The truce of Bakura" by Tyers Kathy
He sank down onto the bench. «It's been a long, rough day. How was yours?»
«Uh», she answered, «good. I left Artoo and Threepio with Prime Minister Captison.» A self-conscious excitement begged him not to notice. She tingled with eagerness.
Envious, he said, «Let it flow, Leia. He loves you».
She glared. «No use hiding anything from you, is there? We went walking. We talked. We ... it's been hard to find time alone».
Luke smiled, feeling bashful. «So this is what I missed. Growing up without siblings, I mean».
Leia flicked the ends of her shawl. «It's good to have a brother. Someone to talk to».
CHAPTER 7: Walk on Bakura
«Well princess, since we've managed to get rid of both the chaperons in one go, what do you say about allowing ourselves a quiet romantic walk?»
Han and Leia had just left C1-P8 and D-3BO in the hands of Zilpha, the Prime Minister Captison's assistant, in the attempt of decoding the Fluties language. Since the operation would've taken several hours, they had realized, almost with amazement, that they had a bit of time to be together, finally alone.
«Don't delude yourself too much, you know that in your jacket's pocket there's always a comlink ready to ring in the less suitable moments». Leia loved to tease him: since they had started that mission they'd been interrupted twice already by the ringing of some receiver and she knew that patience certainly wasn't the best of Han's qualities.
«It's true, but I assure you that you won't always be so lucky!» Slightly bending, so that he looked straight in her eyes, he had addressed her a mischievous smile, then, taking her hand, he led her towards the main path of the presidential park.
As they walked hand in hand, happy just to be close to each other, Leia started to seriously think about the developments of their relationship.
Just after the fight of Endor they'd had the chance to clarify the mutual feelings that they'd been hiding for a long time, basically finding out that both had fought the other because they were scared of not being taken seriously and fearing the humiliation that this could imply.
Once the wall that had separated them had been shattered though they had been surprised to see that, in spite of the big differences between their way of living and thinking, the only thing they had in common was enough to keep them together, that is the unconditional love they felt towards each other. Unfortunately they'd taken a lot of time, too much time, in order to recognize it: she'd told him "I love you" a moment before the hibernation machine came into operation, with the risk of losing him forever, and he had decided to declare himself only with an Imperial soldier's gun aimed at his back. Now though, they were perfectly aware of the feelings that united them and didn't have any intention of suppressing them. Quite the contrary, it was pleasant to find them every day stronger.
As they went along the shores of an artificial pond, walking down a small gravel path, Han stopped to point at a strange creature which now and then rose to the surface letting out a gracious call. Leia followed the indicated direction with her gaze, but her attention got caught by the fleeting image of their intertwined hands, in the brief instant when he had raised his arm in order to point his index at the fish.
That simple contact was enough to convey safety and serenity to her, nobody was able to make her feel that way and the awareness that she would've let him guide her wherever he wanted was almost scary, such was the trust she put in her beloved. She found it weird that he hadn't realized he had that enormous power over her yet… and that he hadn't taken advantage of it, as would've been logical to expect from someone with his reputation.
Is it possible that Han Solo isn't burning with the urge of finalizing our union?
Is he able to control himself better than me, or is it the fact that I'm not encouraging him enough?
Truly, in some rare occasions, there'd been the premises to deepen their intimacy, but he, even if blatantly annoyed towards anyone who had dared to interrupt them, had always behaved in an impeccable way towards her. Except for the love nest of dubious taste built by Chewbacca just for them, which had had its positive sides anyway, there'd never been any straining from his part. Probably, with a maturity that maybe even he didn't know he had, he was leaving her full freedom to decide when to move to the next phase of their relationship, and as a matter of fact the thought was starting to buzz in her mind in a nagging way.
The doubt of not being able to fully involve him was tormenting her though. When he kissed her she felt like she was losing herself in a whirling of wonderful sensations and she hoped that the thing was mutual. Nevertheless, even if she felt the audacity and the rising passion within Han, she was still too distracted by the explosions of signals that her body was giving her to manage to fully focus on him. How could she reciprocate him in an equally satisfying way?
She was almost envious of the fact that Han knew better than her the reactions that those kisses and those caresses provoked, but she had to resign herself to the fact that he had more experience and a deadly instinct, especially in everything that was about her. Anyway she had no intention of letting him have his own way so easily, a healthy competition could do just some good to their relationship and she wanted to get things even at any cost.
«Were you in time to see it? Now it's swimming towards those algae there, there it is». Han stopped the flow of her thoughts, unaware of the turn this were taking. Turning towards her though he realized that she wasn't looking at the pond at all.
Caught red-handed she promptly turned, trying to disguise her momentary distraction: «Yes, I saw it. It's right under the quay».
Han's gaze, though, had remained on her, she felt it burning on her cheeks and knew that he had already sensed too much.
«Sure, of course» he nodded, then reaching out he sensually whispered in her ear: «What were your nice thoughts, princess?»
She just looked at him out of the corner of her eyes, pretending not to give importance to his question and trying not to reveal the emotion he provoked in her just with the sound of his voice.
«I was listening to you, as well. Look, now that weird beast has approached the shore!» Probably her tone hadn't sounded as convincing as she would've liked, since Han didn't even turned towards the pond and kept on staring at her, amused.
«So why are you blushing?» He had whispered again in her ear, but this time he had lingered with his lips on her neck, just the time to leave a small mark on her candid skin.
«Han!» Forced to give him her full attention she roughly moved away from him. «You know that I hate the displays of your affection on my neck! Prime Minister Captison could call us back any moment and I don't want everybody to think… well, you know better than me!»
She put her hands on his chest, in the attempt to stop him but, by doing this, she found herself stepping back, dangerously pushing her feet out of the gravel path.
«I don't care what the others think. I want to know what you were thinking about». He took both her hands, holding them more firmly to him and willingly prolonging the contact.
«It was nothing of particular importance, why are you so interested?» Her beautiful black eyes seemed much bigger when she lied, but not all lies provoked the same effect, and Han knew very well what was the topic which caused so much embarrassment.
«Was it about our love nest on the Falcon?»
«No». The princess answered by first instinct, but she quickly corrected herself: «Actually yes… partially at least». As a matter of fact it was better to talk about what had happened on the Falcon, rather than disclose her true meditations.
«I assure you that I didn't know what was in Chewie's mind, I'm sorry that you had a bad impression of it».
Han was genuinely sorry about what his co-pilot had done: when he had asked him to prepare a romantic spot in the Falcon's larder, in order to make the princess more comfortable, he would've never imagined to find himself in front of a pile of inflatable pillows! Nevertheless he knew that he couldn't totally blame the Wookiee, after all he was the one who had asked him a favour and his friend had tried to do his best, obviously basing on his own taste.
Truly Leia hadn't taken that singular surprise badly, she knew that he had been driven by the best intentions, it was just that things hadn't gone exactly as foreseen… On the other hand nothing went as foreseen when Han Solo was involved!
She smiled as she reached that conclusion and he smiled back at her, relieved to have cleared up that misunderstanding.
«Why don't we sit down here a bit?» Han pointed to a small clearing near an ancient tree, from where they could enjoy a great view of the pond, even if remaining hidden enough from indiscreet stares.
«Thank you, but I'd rather stay standing». She answered, even if she was tempted by the idea. «I'm afraid to stain my dress… you know that image is important to me».
Not resigned at all he slipped off his jacket and, comparing it to Leia's proportions, concluded satisfied: «Sit on my jacket then. Look, it's as long as you, my little princess! And as for me you can also roll in the mud with it, you know that I don't give a damn about image!»
Despite the initial perplexity, Leia accepted to sit down, looking around a bit uncomfortably. Noticing the rigidity of her body, Han tried to convince her to let it go blissfully lying down on the soft and fresh grass, his hands joined behind the nape of his neck and his eyes closed. After a bit eventually she abandoned her qualms as well and lied on her back beside him, trying to imitate his cheerfulness, even if she didn't feel completely relaxed yet.
«Oh finally!» He reopened his eyes when he felt her presence close and reached out with a hand in order to take hers. «Isn't it beautiful here?»
«As a matter of fact it's definitely better than your Falcon's larder!»
«Yeah», he admitted at seeing her dreamily observing the weft of branches over their heads, clashing with the golden clouds in the background. «How many years you think it will take you to forget the event?»
Bursting out laughing, Leia turned on her side, facing him: «I think I'll never be able to do it. It's been too funny to see your face in that moment!»
«Well, if you found it so funny we should do it again then». Pretending to have taken it amiss a bit, he took advantage to toss a new bait.
«But we would miss the surprise effect. No, it wouldn't be the same thing anymore».
«Should I ask Chewie to think out something new?» Laying the blame on the Wookiee he could dare to face the subject in an indirect way and maybe, knowing far too well Leia's ability of withdraw into herself, he could have more possibilities to understand what was truly going on in her mind.
«I somehow have the feeling that Chewie hasn't thought out anything… Sure, he's put something of his own in it, but the initiative was someone else's, so I suggest you personally take more care for details next time!»
Picking up the challenge he turned on his side as well, resting his head on his bent arm, so that he was looking straight in her eyes, from a close distance.
«You're perfectly right. That's exactly why you're here now».
«Are you kidding me?!» She doubtfully studied him. «I suppose that the presidential park has been existing for quite a while, so it can't be a creation of yours. No, I don't believe you. This place was here far before I was born… and maybe even before you were born».
«It's nice of you to clarify this» he burst out. The age difference was a raw nerve: she was still in the height of her youth, beautiful and radiant, and she inevitably drew other men's attention on her, unleashing his tremendous jealousy. «Anyway I had to go to great length in order to gain the permission to walk in here. Even the singing fish is my merit».
«Really? That fantastic creature as well?»
That clever look on her face though wasn't enough to charm Han Solo. He knew that it was a trick in order to divert him from the initial speech, but he wouldn't let himself be taken in so easily.
«Yes, that one as well… even if you haven't deigned it of much attention!»
«If that's the case I'll see to personally apologize with it, okay?» Even if she kept on joking she was by then aware that she had no escape. Sooner or later he would've found the way to extort the truth from her and she had to admit that the prospect was quite exciting.
«I know what you were really thinking about…»
«About what?» she challenged him, curious to see how far he would've gone with his intuitions. She already felt her blood boil in her veins, it always happened when he looked at her that way.
«About how nice it is to stay together. About the fact that all the days should be like this, like now, with a lot of time to dedicate just to us». He stopped as he contemplated the emotions passing on her beautiful face, while he slowly drew her close to him, without being noticed. «Besides… well, obviously you were also thinking about this», he continued, suddenly canceling the distance that divided them.
Even if she hadn't been caught totally unawares it was always surprising the effect that Han's lips had on her. The heat of his body was too strong a temptation, so she willingly greeted the invitation to draw closer and closer.
«What do you say? Have I hit the mark?» he asked her as he languidly parted from her, almost as if he wanted to inflict a sweet torture upon her.
«Uhm… Close».
In order to make him understand that he was on the right track she caressed his face with the tip of her fingers, following the outline of his profile and lingering on the scar which crossed his chin, then kissed him on impulse, losing herself on his mouth again. He kissed her back enthusiastically as usual, risking to make her instantly forget all the rest, but this time she was resolute to hush up that insistent small voice which had been tormenting her lately, so she had to keep being lucid enough in order to find out if Han's body hid the same desire which bossily blazed into her own.
The hand that at first had lingered on his Adam's apple started to go down, brushing the light hair on his chest and furtively working its way into the inside of his shirt. She didn't want him to realize her intentions immediately, but the opening manoeuvre of the first bottom revealed itself to be more complicated than foreseen so, opening her eyes in order to make sure she hadn't been found out, she met his pleased gaze.
Damn it! He's trying me… he wants to see how far I will go.
Blushing she momentarily retreated her hand, ashamed for having listened to her sudden thirst of knowledge.
And now how do I explain to him that I was shamelessly looking for a tangible proof of his appreciation towards me?
Why is he always a step ahead of me when this is the matter?
Nevertheless in his smile there was no shade of mockery. As he contemplated the various nuances of red on her cheeks he gently caressed the nape of her neck, as if to reassure her that she didn't need any explanation, quite the contrary, she had to feel free of taking the initiative and satisfy her most hidden curiosities. Then, in order to dispel any doubt, he tightened his hand on her small head and started to kiss her again with renewed passion, without leaving her even the time to say only a word.
Revived by that energy Leia placed her hand back on his chest, enraptured by the movement of the muscles under the light fabric of the shirt.
In order to further encourage her he took her hand, making it adhere more to his body, then slowly he started to guide it down low, first through the outline of his abdominals and then, even more slowly, lower and lower.
Leia felt her heart beating madly, while her breath became more and more ragged as the exploration became more daring. Blood gurgled in her ears, making her deaf to the rest of the world, but, when she was finally crossing the threshold of perdition, a bugging and repetitive noise made its way into her head.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
«No. Come on, it can't be!» Han's growl echoed the voice of her subconscious.
«I have to answer it, don't I?» The question was actually addressed to herself, as she was aware of the fact that he was the last person she should've asked for help in order to go back to her duty.
«No, it wasn't necessary. Just wait till I find that cursed comlink and then I'm going to throw it directly into the lake. The singing fish will bother with the answer!»
Han hastily threw himself to the pocket of the jacket that emerged over the princess' head, rolling over her, but keeping himself on his hands and knees.
«Where the hell has it gone?! » After having turned the pocket inside out for several times, more and more upset, he noticed the amused expression on Leia's face.
«Captain, I fear you'll never find your comlink there! It's in the other pocket… the one under my bottom», she pointed out to him, bursting out laughing.
«Really? This is very interesting!» Suddenly changing his mood he sent her one of his best smiles. «Unexpectedly I want to answer. Let's hear what our dear Prime Minister has to tell us…»
As she immediately stopped laughing, Leia hurried to grab his wrists, so that she could stop from the beginning the dangerous initiative she had seen flashing in his eyes.
«No Han! I don't think that's a good idea…»
Losing the support of his hands he was forced to move his weight on his elbows, further lowering the centre of gravity until he was brushing her chest.
«On the contrary, I think it's a great idea. Let my hands go and I'll show you».
His voice had lowered of several tones, making the darkest corners of her being vibrate.
«No». She continued to oppose, trying with all her might not to let herself be overwhelmed by what she had involuntarily trigged but, miserably realizing that that way she was obtaining the opposite effect.
«Alright, since you don't want to set me free I'll be forced to do this to you…» Lowering his head through her hair he started to caress her neck with his lips, tracing a series of kisses with slow and sensual movements. As soon as he felt her grip on his wrist loosen up though he took advantage in order to free his hands and to leave a mark more visible than the precedent on the delicate skin just over the collarbone.
«You damn bastard!» Caught by surprise Leia tried to push him off herself, finding herself unable to move though, since the situation had reversed now.
Initially she tried to hit him with her knees, but Han forestalled the move by completely lowering himself onto her and making it impossible for the woman to reach the necessary strength in order to move him. Even the idea of head-butting him didn't reveal itself to be very wise: after impacting for the first time against the unbreakable head of Captain Solo she understood that she was risking permanent damages to her brain, so she soon set aside that solution as well, diverting her attention to the ear, or else the only part that was still exposed to her attacks.
With a dart she managed to bite into the lobe and then she tightened her teeth until she felt him loosening his grip.
«Ouch!» Han raised his head massaging his ear with his hand, without lifting the rest of the body though.
«It's just what you deserve!»
Not frightened at all he started to reach out for her mouth again in a bold manner: «I love it when you're wild».
Even though she had a mass far smaller than his, Leia stated that after all his weight was bearable, quite the contrary, the sensation of the full contact with all the surface of his body was quite pleasurable… and highly disruptive for her psyche.
What had become of the comlink? Was it still ringing or had it stopped? Who knows if it was a true emergency…
In that moment she didn't care of anything anymore, her mind had completely gone blank and all the thoughts had been swept away by the impertinent little voice of her subconscious, that had every intention of asserting itself:
This is only the beginning, Captain!
For a long moment they looked into eachother's eyes, as if nothing else existed, then bent again to the force of their feelings, setting each other on a fire of passion and finding out a whole new craving. She grabbed the hair on the nape of his neck, eagerly kissing him and clinging to him, as if he was the last anchor between that storm of emotions. As the heat was rapidly spreading through her veins, she felt Han's hand going up her leg passing under the skirt, until he reached the uncovered skin of the thigh.
He distinctly perceived the quiver provoked by that contact and, unable to restrain his primordial instinct much longer, he quickly pulled down her stoking, making it slide to the ankle, then caressing the inside of the leg with the back of his hand as he moved to the opposite direction.
With broken breaths, Leia arched almost involuntarily, naturally responding to the call of his manhood. As they moved in unison, with an increasing rhythm, she reached the lower hem of his shirt and with a yank she managed to create a passage to sneak her hand in, running through the track of his spine with the tip of her fingers then resolutely sinking into the skin right under his shoulder blades.
Lost as she was in that free play of adrenaline, she almost didn't realize that also the small comlink in the shape of a pendant, which Luke had given her not long before that mission, had started to ring obsessively. When she felt Han's heat suddenly stopping firstly she mumbled some incoherent words as a sign of protest, then, when she reopened her eyes and she understood the reason of that abrupt interruption, she laboriously went back to herself.
Han had raised on his elbows and was questioningly looking at that sound source. He wasn't very self-controlled as well and took some time in order to understand that the pendant wasn't anything but the umpteenth obstacle for their intimacy. Too soon thought his focus moved from the maleficent object to the enviable position it was in and his expression changed quickly.
«I'll deal with it!» he firmly proposed, but Leia was faster in grabbing the comlink.
«Calm down Han! This is surely Luke and… well, I can't ignore him this time. I just hope he won't start to read into my mind right now!»
Taking a deep breath she finally decided to answer her brother, trying to hide her agitation, even if she had Han's devilish smile in front of her.
«Luke… is that you? What happened?»
«Leia, I've finally found you! Is everything alright?»
«Oh yes, perfectly alright!» Biting her tongue for having let that too sincere answer slip out, she hurried to change the subject: «How did it go at Belden's? Did you find out something new?» Meanwhile Han was teasing her by placing some delicious kisses here and there, satisfyingly observing her reactions.
«Yes, I think that the Imperials have voluntarily inhibited Mrs. Belden's mind, reducing her like a crazy fool. But as I tried to heal her I had some strange perceptions… I'd like to talk personally with you about that, to compare. Where are you now?»
«I'm… Ehm, I'm with Han» she got to the point.
Of course I'm with Han, it's obvious! Damn it Luke… try do understand!
«Yes… I supposed so». Luke cleared his throat before going on: «I'd like to investigate more about what has happened to Mrs. Belden, but unfortunately Chewie has remained alone at the space-harbour and after this morning's attack I fear that his patience has finished… Could you give him a hand? I'd like to avoid another diplomatic incident».
«Sure, we'll take care of that. We'll go to him as soon as possible». As it had happened a few hours before, she had had the feeling that Luke was hiding something but, being the first one who wanted to avoid to share with her brother that which was her present frame of mind she decided not to ask any more questions. Noticing Han's arched eyebrow and his questioning air, she hurried to close the communication.
Sighing she begged him to get up and just after several pleads she managed to make him reason, even if she herself was recalcitrant to the idea of putting an end to that incandescent exchange of shedding. After fixing herself up she raised to her feet, establishing that her legs were feeble as jelly.
Noticing that he was still sitting down silently instead, she innocently asked him: «I'm going back to the palace of the Prime Minister, are you coming?»
«Please go on, I'll meet you in a few minutes». Han got up turning his back to her, picking up his jacket that had remained on the ground.
«Why? You want to stay here contemplating the scenery a bit more?» Leia noticed something of very weird in his behaviour: his tone was calm, but he was avoiding to look at her in the eyes, as if he was trying to hide something…
«The scenery? No, come on, it isn't because of that. It's that… Ehm, I have to fix something before».
As he finished to shake off his jacket he placed it on his arm, keeping it on the front, but without putting it on.
And what if that thing had happened?
The voice came back to hit her with its intuitions.
My dear, you mean that you hadn't noticed anything before?
As she thought back about what had happened, or better almost happened, Leia admitted that she had gone far beyond her expectations, but in the end wasn't it just what she had wanted?
Deciding to do something and get it out of her system, she reached for him with a serious expression and, placing a hand on the arm which was holding the jacket, asked him in a solemn tone: «Why don't you want to come back with me?»
«No, don't misunderstand me. It's not because of you…»
Putting him on the spot had never been funnier. «You took it badly before I stopped you at the crucial point?» She continued further approaching, as he tried to keep her away from his secret in any possible way.
«Well, if we want to be precise, you weren't the one who stopped me, quite the contrary…». The princess' inquiring gaze didn't leave him any way of escape, but he really didn't know how to explain her his situation without unsettling her.
«Here, you see…» he started, swallowing. «Even if undoubtedly I'm the most fantastic and wonderful person you've ever met, I'm still a man… And, as such, I respond to specific stimulus…» His forehead was covered with drops because of the effort that confession cost him, so much that he didn't immediately notice the sparkling light in her eyes. When Leia couldn't restrain herself anymore, bursting out laughing heartily, finally he understood how things truly were.
«Are you mocking me?» he asked almost with relief.
«What makes you think that?»
«You did it on purpose! It was your aim from the beginning!»
«It's not my fault». She knew how much he hated that sentence, especially if associated to certain plights.
«No uh? And how do you explain this?» Opening his arms Han abandoned any form of shame, making her fully participating of his problem.
Suddenly struck dumb Leia thanked God for being a woman, since she could spare herself the embarrassment of hiding the effects of lust, especially in such occasions.
«As a matter of fact, you're right. It's better if the Prime Minister doesn't see you in such a state!» she agreed.
«Yeah» he commented, seeing her blushing like a light.
«Then, I'll go on in the meantime and you… well, take all the time you need, alright?»
She had covered but a few steps when he called her back. Afraid to know what he was going to say she slowly turned back, making an effort to look at him in the face even if her eye kept on aiming somewhere else completely.
«Anyway… If you were thinking about this before…», he started hesitantly. «Well I confess that I was thinking the same thing, as I guess you've noticed» he admitted, eyeing the part of his body which was involved the most. «See? In the end we're always in syntony!»
The princess avoided to reply and, head down, went to the small gravel path which took back to the ministerial palace, almost running.
She didn't know how she could've remained serious and focused during the day, she was too euphoric to manage to stay calm. Most of all she feared Luke's powers knowing well that, even without using the Force, he could've easily understood what had just happened. She just had to appeal to his brother's sensibility… on the other hand, if in that moment he was worried that things between her and Han weren't going for the best because of some quarrels too many, now his heart could be at peace.
Epilogue
From the book "The truce of Bakura" by Tyers Kathy
…
Luke: «Oh. I interrupted something when I called this morning, didn't I?»
Even by dim starlight, he saw her cheeks flush. «It's been hard to find time alone,» she repeated.
«I'm sorry. But maybe Father accomplished something good, if he sent you to Han for comfort».