AN: So I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Haylie and this is my first fanfic. You can find me on tumblr at lost-starwars or PM me if you have any questions about the story or anything. I'm currently writing a longer multi-chapter fic, I'm almost done with it so I should start posting soon. This story is about Han and Leia dancing at different points in their relationship and spans the Original Trilogy. I think that's it, thanks for reading and enjoy!
Our Song
Zero ABY
The first time Han and Leia danced together was in the aftermath of the destruction of the first Death Star.
There was a huge party and Leia was sitting in a corner, nursing a glass of wine, when Han approached her slowly.
"Hey, Princess." His voice had its normal cocky edge to it.
She gave him a slight nod of her head, as if to tell him, yes, I know you're here, please go away.
Han wasn't fazed though. "What are you doing over here, your worship, the party is over there." He said, gesturing towards the middle of the room.
"Thinking." She said simply.
"About what?"
"Now why would that be any of your business?" She said, not necessarily snapping, but there was a cold hard edge to her voice.
"Hey now, your highness," Han said, throwing his hands up, as if to say he didn't do anything, "I was just trying to-" His voice faltered as the song changed.
"What is it?" Leia asked, suddenly concerned.
"I love this song." Han murmured quietly. Suddenly his face lit up. "Dance with me."
"What?" Leia was startled by the sudden request.
"Come on, Leia, dance with me!" His voice had lost the cocky edge and was replaced with an almost child-like excitement. She was sure it was the first time he'd called her by her real name. He grabbed the wine glass out of her hand and set it down, not letting go of her hand as he led her out onto the dance floor.
His hands settled easily on her hips and she put her hand on his shoulder.
For the first few lines it was like an awkward middle school dance. They held each other at arm's length and swayed slowly from side to side. Then, Leia leaned into him, resting her head on his chest. Han was flummoxed for a few seconds, but came to his senses quickly and wrapped his arms tighter around her and rested his chin on her head, it felt perfect.
He remembered back to when they were on the Death Star and he told Luke, "either I'm going to kill her or I'm beginning to like her!" Definitely beginning to like her.
Little did he know his dance partner was thinking the same thing.
At the end of the song Luke cut in for a dance with Leia and, Han noticed, she never leaned into him.
Nine months after the Battle of Yavin
Luke's birthday party
Music blasted in the usually empty hanger making Han wince as he walked in. So much for the small gather the Rogues had promised.
The dance floor was packed with couples grinding partially in time with the music. Normally, Han would pick some attractive looking girl and end up sharing a bunk with her by the end of the night, he found himself not remotely interested in that and instead looking for a certain rebel princess.
When he found her she was in a dark corner nursing a glass of wine. She was in a white sundress that was less formal that what she usually wore, but was still demure.
He quickly walked over to her and leaned against the wall, "hey, your highness." There was no contempt in his voice as he drawled out her title.
"Hello, Captain." Leia replied, she'd recently taken to calling him that in attempt to distance herself, and her feelings, from him.
"Do you have a habit of hiding in corners at parties?" Han said, gesturing at the rest of the room.
"Yes, in the effort of trying to avoid bad attempts of being flirted with by you." She quipped back.
"Hey now-" He was interrupted by the beginning of a song that was softer than the rest of the others. Han's whole face broke into a relaxed smile. Not the half face smirk that gave her butterflies, but the one that she only saw him give her and in that moment, in the low light of the hanger with Han's hair falling just shy of his eyes that were dark green and dared her to stare into the forever, she could not deny how attractive he was.
"Come on." He said, grabbing her hand. "This is our song."
Leia followed willingly, setting her glass of wine down somewhere along the way and holding onto Han's hand like it was her anchor to reality.
When he turned to face her Leia instantly, instinctively, fell into his chest, like it was the only safe place in the galaxy.
Han was stunned for only a moment before wrapping his arms around Leia's waist as hers slid up to rest on his shoulders.
About half way though the song Leia titled her head up to see Han's face. "So this is our song?"
"Yeah." He drawled out matter of factly.
His face was so close that their breath mixed and if it were any other being Leia would have made a point to put some distance between them. "It's the first song we danced to."
"It is?" She knew it was, of course she knew.
He gave a quick nod of his head to show affirmative and she put her head back onto her place on his chest.
When the song ended Leia glanced up at Han, took the smallest step possible away and dropped her hands to his chest.
"I have to go wish Luke happy birthday." She whispered.
"Happy birthday, Leia." Han whisper back.
She threw her head up, shocked.
"Rieekan told me." He said with a smirk, pulling out something from his back pocket.
It was a holo of her, Luke, and Han. Chewie had taken it right after they'd settled on the planet. It was special to Leia in a way she couldn't completely understand. She silently took it from Han and without any hesitation threw her arms around his shoulders in a hug. "Thank you." And then she was gone, off to with Luke a happy birthday.
Two years and ten months ABY
Ord Mantell
Leia and Han stood with their backs to the wall in a room full of people who were important to the planet, but would not have been heard of off it. The mission had been ridiculously easy, but now they were stuck at the boring party making small talk because of what had happened while on the Falcon.
Han had always been patient with Leia. He had been waiting for nearly three years for her to admit her feelings for him, but he had lost his patience on the the way there, he had tried to confront her about their feelings, but she lied straight to his face. Han was ready to throw himself into a relationship with her if she said go and it was infuriating for him because he'd never loved anyone or been loved, but Leia had grown up on love, war, and politics.
He saw how she was hurting because everyone she had ever loved died with Alderaan. He knew that's why she was distancing herself from him, but it hurt.
So there they were. Han in a suit that Leia practically had to force him into and when their song came on he silently help his hand out to her. She didn't need an explanation, she knew.
When she turned to face him, Han gasped quietly. He knew she was beautiful, but kriff. She was in a white dress that hugged her curves that she tried so hard to hide on base with two small slits on either side of her ribcage and the bottom the dress barely swept the floor. Her hair was in a simple braid that fell down her back.
All Han could think in that moment, as Leia found her place on his chest, was that this was the woman that he would love for the rest of his life, she's the one.
Han wrapped his arms around Leia's waist and ducked his head down to whisper, "Leia." After a few seconds he tried again, this time rest his forehead against her's, their noses brushing. "Leia."
He noticed the tears streaming down her face and the way her eyes were squeezed shut.
"Come on, Leia. Look at me."
She opened her eyes to meet a tortured storm of gold, green, and brown.
"Han, I can't do this." She began in a whisper that Han could barely hear. "I can't lo- do this because if we did this and you died or left I couldn't go on. I can't take another loss after Alderaan."
"Leia-" He was cut off by an explosion in the back of the room, followed by a bounty hunter and chaos.
Three ABY
The Millennium Falcon
Hoth to Bespin
Leia sat perched on the dejarik table in one of Han's t-shirts and a single braid resting on her back, bits falling out and framing her face.
There was music flowing through the room, inhabiting every little nook and cranny and giving the whole ship an atmosphere of joy, one that, especially these days, seemed to be all too rare.
She was watching Han work on something, a habit she had recently taken up in between sleeping and joining Han in his bunk.
Han kept glancing over his shoulder at Leia. He would smile and then snap back to his work.
"What?" Leia growled, attempting to sound angry, but severely failing, the laugh laugh evident in her voice.
Then, their song came on. Han whipped around to face her and held out his hand with a smile on his face like he had just won the galactic lottery.
Leia hopped off the table and feigned a sigh, but took his hand with a similar smile.
This time when they danced they used all the space they had, coming up with a dance that was complicated and random and them.
Han stole kisses in between spins and Leia laughed like she was spiced while he dipped her.
When the song ended and the room was still, Han said it. "I love you." It fell from his lips like it was the most natural this in the galaxy.
So much joy filled Leia and for a moment she forgot about everything. About the war, about his debt, about Alderaan. "I love you, too."
Han bent down for a kiss and right before their lips met he whispered, "I know."
Three years ABY
After Bespin
Leia sat quietly at a what the High Council had decided to call a ball. It wasn't one. It was a party that was slightly less scandalous that those thrown by the Rogues and was in the hopes of boosting troop morale.
Leia was between Luke and Rieekan, who were having an animated discussion.
To someone who didn't know the Princess she would look fine, maybe a little stiff, but otherwise normal. Those who knew her saw it.
She had a glass of Corellian whiskey in her hand instead of wine. She looked pale and skinny, despite the makeup and loose clothes in effort to hide it. Dark shadows from sleepless nights haunted just beneath her eyes. Her eyes, they told part of the story. They looked torn apart and tortured, searching the room for someone who wouldn't come… couldn't.
When she talked she was only halfway there, but he biggest give away were her clothes. They weren't white.
Alderaanians of Royal blood had kept up the tradition. White till marriage.
Leia hadn't jumped across the color spectrum, she stuck to browns and greens. What ever was convenient, but those who were aware of the tradition knew.
She wasn't married, she would have said something, but she had given her heart to someone and had lost them. She'd had her heart torn in two.
Leia closed her eyes as the song transitioned. "No, no, no." She whispered quietly. Not this song, not now. She shot to her feet.
"Leia?" Luke questioned.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." She insisted. She wasn't. She saw Han over and over again. Laughing, yelling, kissing, bickering, making love. Han, Han, Han.
Luke took a step back. He could feel the emotions running too intensely off Leia, it was too much. "Leia, whatever you're doing, you need to stop."
"I'm not doing anything." She snapped.
Luke could see images he shouldn't be seeing flash through his mind. All of Han. More than that Luke thought he was going to pass out, the emotional pain rolling off Leia was so immense it felt physical.
Leia slumped down in her chair was the song was over and Luke could feel little aftershocks rippling through the force like a call for help as she Leia took a long sip of her whiskey.
Four ABY
After the Battle of Endor
As their song came on Leia pulled Han, her husband, to his feet. "Come on, hot shot, it's time for our first dance."
She had dragged Han to the Falcon right after the ceremony. Rogue Squadron wolf-whistling after them.
Han gladly complied to the dance, after all it was their song. He pulled her close and gave her a few light kisses. "So," he mumbled, "we're married."
Leia titled her head up and gave him the most brilliant smile. "Married." She agreed. She leaned forward and rested her head on her husbands chest and breathed in, imagining the rest of her- their life. For the rest of the night it was just him, her, and their song over and over again.