AN: Some midweek fluff for you based on Lajulie's 'Epic Love.' It's a magnificent story, and I highly recommend reading it. This is just a little fluff that I spun up (with her kind permission!) in her 'verse. There is a significant time jump within this fluff-for reference, the first portion takes place somewhere before the fic, or before Chapter 4 of Epic Love. The second part takes place somewhere around chapter 13. Shoutout to GCFB/Imnothere24 for the beta and inspiration!
He boarded the shuttle behind a large group, blending in with them as they herded up the ramp. He took a seat near the back and pulled the knit cap lower on his brow. With a weathered hand, he brushed his long, scraggly beard down.
The take-off was rough, and he mentally scolded the transport pilot for making so many easily-avoidable mistakes. Still, he'd chosen this company because they flew fast, rough routes and didn't require any identification to buy passage—just credits. The craft jolted as they jumped into hyperspace, and he settled back into his chair.
Han's appearance and posture showed that he wasn't one to be messed with: his grey hair was longer than he'd kept it since before he was married. He had a beard, too—she wasn't going to like that much, but it kept his face hidden. He felt he'd aged a decade since he last saw her—being away from his source of life did that to him.
The large group he'd boarded with were playing sabacc in the corner, laughing and joking boisterously as they bet. Turbulence slammed Han's head into the metal frame of the ship, and he cursed quietly. The laughter of the others rang in his head. His head pounded, and he wanted nothing more than to be wrapped up in her while she kissed his temples and rubbed his shoulders. The craft jostled again and he thought his head might explode.
It was worth it all, though, if it meant he could steal some precious time with her. The entire galaxy, with the exception of a few carefully chosen people, thought they were done. Split for good.
How wrong they all were.
Still, they had a ruse to keep up for the safety of so many people, and that meant being very careful about communicating and even more about being together.
It had been nearly six months since they'd seen each other, and almost as long since he'd heard her voice. They'd exchanged a few text communiques several days ago when the Resistance had come out of a month of radio silence. It hadn't been much:
SWLY: Safe.
Eravana: Me too.
SWLY: You know.
Eravana: You know too.
That had been it.
The days on the calendar ticked by, growing ever closer to their 35th wedding anniversary. They weren't planning on being together for it, but he felt like he might just…die if he didn't kiss her soon, so he'd finished his job and sent his copilot off on an easy trip while he, himself, slipped off into anonymity.
Han dozed for a few hours, never quite falling from alertness. The transport landed and he disembarked, slipping into the crowds of the space port.
He knew how to get to her. There was a Resistance cell on this planet that would no doubt be running supplies to the base. He could give her codes, and they'd get him to her, no questions asked.
00
It was nearing evening when they landed on the base, and there was a heavy fog rolling through the landing field. Han had been given a standard-issue flight suit at the cell, and he was now dressed just like all the other pilots on the tarmac. It was child's play for him to grab a container—the container in which he'd stored his bag—and move with alacrity toward Leia's quarters.
Han pressed his hand to the locking mechanism and it scanned his palm before flashing green. The door slid open and his heart swelled—she'd known he'd come to her eventually, and she'd made sure he would have access to her quarters.
Everything was as he expected; the whole room emanated Leia. The bed was made neat as a pin, the closet doors were shut carefully, her hairbrush was on the nightstand, and a little dish of her favorite mints were on the dresser. Han popped one into his mouth, knowing it would make their kisses even sweeter. Pain killers were in the medicine cabinet on the bottom shelf, same as they'd always been at home.
He popped a few, pulled off his boots and borrowed flight suit, and crawled into bed to catch some sleep—it was hard to tell how long she might be out.
00
Han woke up when the door slid closed. She stepped further into the room as he flicked on the lights, and she jumped.
"I hoped I wasn't just imagining your presence," Leia whispered, standing by the dresser.
"Damn force. Ruined my surprise. Happy anniversary, Sweetheart." Han stood up just as she leapt for him and they met forcefully in the middle, hands and lips moving quickly to cover as much territory as possible.
"Leia," Han murmured between kisses. "Leia, Leia, Leia," he chorused, not able to say her name enough.
"I've missed you," Leia stated firmly, pulling back to work at the fastenings on his shirt. "Stars, Han, I've missed you so much," she repeated, her breath hitching. Han put his hands on the sides of her face, his thumbs brushing over her cheek, one finding a solitary drop of wetness.
"I missed you too, Sweetheart. But we're here now, and I'm not goin' anywhere," he promised, bending down to seal the deal with a deep kiss. He shoved her vest down her arms and pulled his shirt over his head, glad to be even the slightest bit closer to her. Leia kicked off her boots and urged Han back onto the bed. Her jumpsuit joined the other clothing on the floor and she slid onto the bunk with him, her lips immediately seeking out his.
Hands roaming over her bare back, Han held her close, renewing his tactile memory of her. Her hands were combing through his hair, memorizing the length of it, moving over his scalp to keep his mouth attached firmly to hers.
"How long can you stay?" she asked as he lavished her cheeks with little kisses.
"Chewie's bringing in some vaccines in a day or two. He's got fake orders to pick up a crate of gears so I can get onto the ship without being seen," Han replied.
"You're a lifesaver. Literally," Leia assured, snuggling into him. She put her head to his chest and wrapped her arms firmly around his torso. Han's arms, too, locked around her, cradling her close, pushing his nose into her hair.
"That rough around here?" he asked, tracing her spine with his middle finger.
"It's the climate. Warm and damp...perfect breeding ground for bacteria and all sorts of nasty things," Leia murmured, her fingers trailing through the hair on his chest. A yawn interrupted the beginning of her next sentence.
"What else about the nights? You been sleeping?" Han asked quietly as her breath danced against his neck.
"I've been sleeping about as well you have," she retorted, propping herself up on an elbow to trace the dark circles under his eyes. She leaned down for a soft kiss before snuggling back in under his arm.
"Well, tonight, I'm gonna sleep great," he promised, pressing a kiss into her hair before extinguishing the light. Leia settled the blankets comfortably over them, and Han was asleep in an instant.
00
Several Months Later
Some mornings, Leia would wake up thinking the last few months were a dream, and she'd be forced to go back to her life where she was separated from her husband, brother, and daughter. Other days, she'd think she was waking up into a nightmare, and that Han was gone forever, Luke and Jaina's reemergence only a small condolence to that inconsolable loss.
This morning, though, as ruggedly strong arms closed around her, and the hair at the back of her neck was pushed out of the way and replaced with the warm skin of a scruffy jawline, she knew exactly where she was. Leia snuggled into her husband's arms, delighted that the doctor had cleared Han to sleep here, with her. She felt rested, like her mind had finally turned off completely now that they were back in each other's embrace.
Han stirred awake, somehow sensing that she was up, too.
"Are you leaving me alone in this big, cold bed?" he murmured as he had so many mornings when she'd woken up before first light.
"I'm not on duty 'til this afternoon."
"I get to keep you," Han murmured in a singsongy voice.
"I'm going back to slee-eep," Leia replied, pushing her nose into his chest.
"Did you ever think we'd get to do this again?" Han murmured into her hair, gently tracing the edge of her-his-t-shirt.
"I certainly had my doubts," she whispered, pressing a kiss into his collar bone, just above the button-sized scar on his chest.
"This is what I wanted when we first got married. Just you and me...together long enough that we'd have gray hair and achy bones and wrinkles," he teased lightly as she lay beside him. Han's hand trailed over her back, lulling her to sleep once again.
AN: Like it? Leave me a review, and go check out Epic Love by Lajulie!