this is a disclaimer.

AN: in my head this takes place a few hours - or maybe a day or so - after "all the lights are changing", but no knowledge of that fic is needed.

saturday i'm running wild

Leia was leaning back against the wall of the shower when Han slid the door open and stepped in. She'd pulled her hair back to hang in a loosely twisted wet rope down her back, and her hands were hanging by her sides, open, slightly curled as if waiting for him to slide his into them.

He ducked under the stream of water, getting thoroughly soaked and wincing as he did so – she always liked it hotter than he did – and then leaned forwards and propped his hands on the wall on either side of her head, trapping her.

She opened her eyes and smiled.

"Hey."

"Morning."

She licked a stray drop of water off her lip, pursed them, smiled again. "Two years ago, having you standing over me like that would have terrified me."

"Course, two years ago you weren't naked in my shower, either."

Leia laughed. "Also true. Although I was very nearly naked in your bed once or twice."

"But if we had started something real you still wouldna used my shower."

She was still laughing, softly, biting at her lower lip. "Absolutely not. And I won't be using it again, either. This morning, I'm still drunk."

"I know the feeling."

She'd moved her hands: her palms were pressed against the wall behind her now, fingers spread a little. There was no nervousness in the gesture, just a search for cool.

"We could turn the water temperature down."

"I like it like this."

"You're steaming up my ship, Your Worship."

Crooked grin this time, showing her teeth, something strangely girlish about it. "What's left of it."

"Lando and I will be having words about that, don't you worry."

"Can you not mention him while I'm naked in your shower, please?"

Han's turn to laugh. "Point to you."

"Are we keeping score?"

He paused. "Not anymore. Not if –"

"I don't want to."

"Then we're not keeping score."

"Good."

"Marry me."

"Instead of keeping score?"

Han sighed: an exhausted sigh, full of overly-hot showers and steamed up ships and Ewok adoptions and space stations the size of a moon and garbage chutes and the way she inevitably left her damn boots lying under the same chair he damn well always left his boots lying under and Rebel Alliances he absolutely was not going to become a permanent part of and annoying little brothers and holy hell the in-laws.

Leia was still smiling.

"No. Just: marry me."

"I'll think about it."

For the first time, he drew back. "You'll think about it?"

"I need some time here."

Han took his hands off the wall and made a helpless gesture with them. "To weigh the pros and cons?"

What was it with her and laughing this morning? She straightened up and slid her hands around his neck; her palms were cold where they'd been pressing against the tiles.

"For this," she said. "For us. For us to be us."

"You mean a trial period?"

"I've never been in love before," she said with easy frankness.

"Trial period!"

"I want to know what it's like. I want to – to savour it. Before anything changes again."

Han wasn't convinced. "Still sounds like a trial period to me."

Leia huffed, but she still hadn't lost that amused look. "You could try thinking of it as an... appetiser."

"Appetiser," he scoffed.

"Anticipation makes the heart grow fonder."

"That's absence, sweetheart."

She dug her fingernails into the back of his neck. "Well, I hate to break the bad news to you, Captain Solo, but you've already had one of those, and I'm afraid it's going to have to last you the rest of our lives."

Han wasn't quite sure when his hands had found her hips, but there they were and she was leaning against the wall again and that smile of hers was finally close enough to kiss.

"I'll think about it."

Leia grinned. "What are your other options, flyboy? You can't marry me without my consent."

Han grinned back. "Details," he said, and kissed her.