A/N: This fic was written for lajulie for the HanxLeia Secret Santa Exchange 2017 on Tumblr.
I'd like to thank very much graciecatfamilyband (she writes fanfics too, you can find her stories on this side as imnothere24; I highly recommend you her works, I promise you won't be disappointed) for being the best beta I could've wished for. Without you this fic would be so poor…
There's a short video I made, and it's connected to the fic. You can find more information at the bottom of the page.
I hope you're going to enjoy this story. xx
The fourth day of the eighth month in the Galactic Standard Calendar had become a very significant date for Han Solo and his spouse, Leia Organa Solo. Exactly a year ago, the last Princess of Alderaan, now a senator for the New Republic, and her beloved former smuggler, now a general in the same government's military, made their vows to each other, and which from that moment they called themselves husband and wife.
Today they were supposed to celebrate their first anniversary as a married couple. Their relationship has changed immeasurably since the moment the two had met, and a lot of unexpected things had happened between them. Han wasn't an opportunist, mercenary type, and Leia wasn't the member of the Rebel Alliance who had been denying her feelings anymore. They were something different now, having grown both as individuals and as a couple. After their relationship had taken a romantic turn, they knew they wanted it to last as long as possible as they liked the current state immensely. The border that had kept them out from showing their true emotions had been crossed, and they never wanted to go back to their previous life of arguments and unspoken feelings. When the Empire had been defeated, and bringing back peace to the Galaxy had appeared highly probable, Han and Leia started thinking very seriously about their relationship. They had decided to live together, and purchased a cozy apartment in Hanna City. A few months later, when they realized that they are capable of spending each day together without killing each other, they thought that getting married would not be such a bad idea. Indeed, the prospect of belonging to each other officially was quite exciting. During one of their walks through Hanna City's park, Han had proposed to Leia, and the wedding had come shortly after. The year had passed and their family had grown. Karyn Breha Solo had been born three months ago.
Leia was sitting next to and looking at her child now who was sleeping peacefully on her thick, soft, navy blue blanket on the large dark sofa in the living room, swaddled, full and happy. At this moment, her calm breathing was the most enjoyable sound for Leia – today getting Karyn to fall asleep bordered on the miraculous, as the girl had been really restless earlier, and hadn't wanted to listen to her mother when she tried to put her down. Leia sighed and thought of her little princess— the nickname Han loved using towards her. He had said it so many times that Leia had eventually become keen on it, and, with her daughter, had started using it too. She now focused on how beautiful and comfortable Karyn looked, glad her daughter would finally get some rest.
"This stuff is pretty good," Luke Skywalker said, taking a drink of the Chandrilan brandy, which Leia had offered to him after they had managed to lull Karyn to sleep. Now the siblings sat in Han and Leia's sizable living room, talking and breathing in the fresh air . This evening was warm, and from the apartment's big balcony window it was possible to see the heavens brimming with stars. Quietly, so as not to awake Karyn, a stereo issued the music in the rear of the room . Leia had turned on the station that played modern tunes, loved and adored mostly by teenagers. This fact didn't put her off though. She enjoyed the songs it offered, even considered them to be ambitious and alive, unashamed of emotion: either because of the lyrics, the melody, or generally the youthful sincerity the vocalists seemed to exude. Now they were listening to the popular Chandrilan singer Lliana del Reya's classic single, "Ride", which Leia avowed to be one of her favorite compositions from the artist's repertoire.
Wait a minute… What was Luke doing here today?
"I know, it's one of my favorites. Probably the only alcoholic drink from Chandrila I'm able to imbibe," Leia said, smiling genuinely.
"Just don't make me refill it, because then I think I won't reach my house. Did you forget that I'll be taking Karyn with me tonight?" He laughed and took another sip of the brandy.
Right, so this was the reason why Luke showed up at Leia's place today. For Han and her first wedding anniversary he had declared he would take Karyn so the lovebirds could have a night only for themselves. It didn't happen often nowadays, as taking care of the three-month child seemed to absorb all of their time. Even though they assured everybody around them that they didn't mind, that they enjoyed it, — and certainly they did loved spending time with their daughter— they had to admit that they missed moments which they could spend together with no one else around but them.
Luke could've left the apartment an hour ago – could've taken Karyn with him, so Leia would have had time to prepare for Han's return. But that wasn't what Leia wanted. Han had been absent for two weeks. He had been ordered to travel to Kaliska with a group of New Republic soldiers. As the general he was, he had had to go lead this "camp" to train about fifty men, to increase physical strength and improve tactical thinking. Han was fond of these guys— young, full of passion for and devotion to their jobs— and he wasn't opposed to the idea of spending some time in male company. However, the feeling of deep concern about his two girls, the most valuable treasures to him, was something he bore, and didn't want them to be on their own for too long. With the war won, he knew they would be fine, and that Leia could manage anything, but he couldn't help a vague feeling of restlessness, even worry, about the separation nagged at him.
In fact, this fortnight's separation was the longest one since Karyn was born. Han went off for a maximum of three days. He hoped he wouldn't miss any meaningful milestones of his daughter's growth, and that Leia wouldn't overstrain herself with taking care of their child. At only 3 months old, Leia and Han hadn't had to find a full-time nanny yet and she was reluctant to leave her with a stranger, even though she knew that was inevitable. That left her with Luke's help, and as a last resort C-3PO's, whose lingual skills were now in high demand by the New Republic, which was negotiating with many remote planets to try to gain their cooperation. Chewie had gone to Kashyyyk to visit his family, as he hadn't seen them for almost a year and was missing them terribly. He had insisted on staying with Leia and Han though, saying the life debt was still in force when the war had been won by the Rebels, and after Karyn entered their lives, he knew he was needed there. His support was invaluable for the fledgeling parents, and they truly appreciated it, but they also knew the Wookie deserved to see his own wife and son. It was a wonder to them how he handled those separations. When they had welcomed their little sunshine, they were sure they'd be heartbroken by months of not seeing each other. And still, these two weeks seemed like an eternity for Han.
Knowing how tired her husband would be when he got back, and how much he craved to see them as well as the disconsolateness he would experience if Karyn wasn't in the apartment, Leia asked Luke to stay there with her until Han returned. That way he would be able to greet his little princess before they saw her off for the night.
It was almost 2000 hours when Leia checked her comlink, which she had left lying on the glass kaffe table. The last message she'd received was from Han:
"Be on Chandrila soon. Then just a check-in at Carlist's office, and I'm back. Love you."
Karyn started squirming, and Leia leaned over to still her. Physical contact with her mother always seemed to right things – one dab of the palm on her belly or head, and she calmed down immediately.
"Well, I don't think I would forget about her so easily," Leia said, referring to Luke's accusation that she'd forgotten he was supposed to take her for the night. "But when it comes to you…"
"Oh, stop it. From the very beginning I knew she would mean more than me." Luke cut her off, and chuckled affectionately.
"Did you think it is so obvious?" She asked with curiosity.
"Yes. Actually, I reckon I felt it," he said leisurely, then gave his sister a reassuring smile. Leia still felt highly uncertain when her brother started giving hints of her own connection to the Force. She wasn't very interested in exploring what she might be able to do with it, at least for now. It bothered her that Karyn proved herself to be Force-sensitive too. Leia didn't want any bad things to happen to her, and she felt really concerned about her safety.
"I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention to make you upset."
"Luke, please, don't be. I just… just feel slightly uneasy right now. Han still hasn't come back, it's late, I feel worried and, to be honest, I want to see him today." Leia again looked at her daughter who was sleeping uneventfully on her back.
"I'm sure he'll make it on time and you'll celebrate then. Don't you remember how it was with the first Death Star? We came at the last moment that there was still a chance to save you!"
The Death Star. The reason for Alderaan's destruction, as well as her parents' and millions of other people's demise. In the past every comment about it would make Leia sick with sorrow, sadness and anger. For the first three years after the horrible event, her dreams were comprised chiefly of nightmares. Longing for her family and home had overwhelmed her at nights, when she had been alone, unaided, and just hoping for better sleep. Everything had changed when she had spent long days with Han on the Millennium Falcon, en route to Bespin. He had turned out to be the best kind of support, had always listened to and never judged her. Since then she had truly felt she could trust him. She needed to put her confidence in somebody and she was glad it was Han.
Now, three years after this memorable journey, she could proudly call herself his wife, and realized the only good thing about the Death Star was that it was where she met Han, Luke and Chewie. She'd learned how to listen to stories about it and not get completely wistful at once.
"You know, I was doing just fine before I met you two moon jockeys. After all, I wasn't a damsel in distress, and don't try to tell me something different." Leia grinned and took a sip of the same brandy Luke was drinking. "Also, who was the most creative one and came up with the idea of getting into the garbage chute?"
"Thank you for reminding me how I almost got killed by that slimy dianoga." Luke said with feigned irritation.
"That was nothing in comparison with those moving walls... How relieved I felt after we managed to contact with Artoo and Threepio. It was a real miracle…"
The trash compactor, while a frightening experience, hadn't left Leia with only bad memories. In fact, how directly Han had helped her there evoked amiable feelings within her. That was the first time when they'd hugged each other, and she would never ever acknowledge that she liked it. Very much.
"Well, thanks to that miracle we were able to made it to the Yavin." Luke gazed at Karyn and smiled warmly. He loved his niece exceedingly, and was happy for Leia and Han. He regarded them as very good parents. "Your little one wouldn't be with us today if you two hadn't met then. You were constantly bickering! But, I think he liked you from the very first moment. He told me that you were a wonderful girl when you and Chewie got into the garbage chute." Luke almost laughed affectionately at the memory of Han and himself shooting at Stormtroopers after Leia commanded everyone to get into the trash compactor.
Leia blushed, and looked away from her brother who was taking a sip of the brandy now. She didn't know that Han had said this about her. Another pleasant thing she found out about her husband. She didn't know how to reply.
"Umm, thank you, Luke, for this information." She chuckled. "Later in the Falcon he didn't seem to be so kind. One thing was for sure: he was very cocky. You know, I remember he was trying to convince me how good he did and how he sometimes amazes even himself."
"I'm sure you hit him with a great comeback."
"Yes, I think I said that didn't sound too hard, or something like that." They both started laughing, evidently amused. Luke knew she'd always had a good reply for each of Han's boasts and barbs. "But then I was thinking that he cared only about the money."
Leia's thoughts wandered to the Battle of Yavin, and how shocked she'd been when Han's voice had reverberated through the Rebel Alliance's command sound system, where she had been listening to battle, sure she would never hear any word from him again.
"But to be honest, deep down I always hoped. I think I knew there was more to him than money. He's a very good guy, and after all, we got married."
"Who would've thought?"
In response, Leia leaned against her brother and shoved him lightly with her shoulder.
"What, am I saying something incorrect?" Luke asked.
"Luke, it wasn't always clear this was the way it all was going to end!"
Karyn was whimpering now in a dream and Leia bent over to soothe her. She whispered to her little princess and stroked her head. After the baby calmed down, Leia gently kissed her cheek.
She slightly raised her voice. "We have to be quieter. If she wakes up now, I guarantee you won't go to sleep so easily tonight."
Luke just smiled and nodded. He thought it would be beneficial to sleep tonight and not complain to his sister tomorrow morning about the fatigue of caring for her baby. After a moment, he added, "Okay, so now we know– you married him. But don't you think that everybody in the Alliance was certain it was going to happen when we moved our base on Hoth? How he treated you there?"
Leia was getting suspicious as to why her brother was so immersed in this topic- her relationship with Han and how it had evolved over the course of those six years. After quick deliberation, she decided she didn't mind their conversation heading into this direction. Besides, she could use a talk about her husband if he still wasn't there. It might appease her concerns in a small way.
"Luke, don't you remember how much we argued? I'm not sure anybody would've thought we would end up in a relationship."
"Please, Leia, just trust me. I know what I'm saying. Did you forget Wedge was my good friend back then, and he knew a lot of people in the Alliance? Do you want to know exactly how many wagers they made?"
Leia covered her ears and closed her eyes. "No, thanks, I think I don't necessarily need that information." She grinned and after a while opened her eyes. She didn't have to hear it from Luke – Wedge had already told her at the wedding reception.
"Alright, so you had lots of rows. But… sometimes it wasn't so bad, was it?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"You know what I mean, Leia. I mean – sometimes he was nice."
Very nice, she thought.
"Come on, admit it."
After a while, she agreed. "Okay, you may be right, maybe sometimes."
She recalled a day when she hadn't felt well at all. It was the second anniversary of Alderaan's destruction. The first one she'd spent alone, a few miles away from the Rebel base, crying and remembering the best memories from her youth. The following year she hadn't been companionless yet she hadn't planned on what happened. Han, to his surprise, had found her in the cockpit of his ship. When he'd asked her what she had been doing here, she'd simply risen from Chewie's chair and hugged him. He'd accepted her gesture and behaved charitably. He'd been very nice to her then. They'd spent the whole evening talking with each other, and Leia had told Han her most enjoyable and interesting stories from living on Alderaan.
"Those three years were very interesting, I'd say. And then Ord Mantell happened." Leia didn't think of this particular mission as one of of the "good ones". "I'm sorry. I... I'm not certain that I want to talk about it. Don't get me wrong, I just don't feel like it was our best time. And I'm not thinking only about Han and me, but also about you."
Insecurity overtook Leia. Ord Mantell conjured up many memories and emotions. That had been the first time she'd seriously thought that she and Han could have channeled the energy they'd spent on arguing in the other direction. She had thought they could have become something different than friends, something more. This mission had made her aware how intense and deep her feelings were for this man. When he had told her he wouldn't leave, he wouldn't leave her, she'd had hope for a bright future together.
Why it had been always like this, that life couldn't leave her thoroughly happy? Why had that bounty hunter showed up? Why had Han changed his mind and decided to leave once and for all?
She had thought she would never forgive him.
"Do you remember the day on Hoth when you got attacked by the Wampa? I had another, serious argument with Han that day. I must tell you that I felt horrible then. I felt hurt and angry. Angry because he was leaving, I didn't like it. I didn't like it at all. Hurt…" Leia stopped and gazed at the white carpet under her feet. Then she looked at her hands, resting in her lap, nails painted. She sighed, raised her eyes, and looked at Luke. "I was hurt, because then he made me realize that I cared about him a lot. I didn't want him to leave. I felt betrayed, he promised me he wouldn't go away. And, of course, I didn't want to admit my feelings. I was so stunned…"
Luke noticed his sister's sadness. He didn't want her to feel bad, especially not today.
"Thank you for telling me. We can stop talking about it if you want."
"No, Luke, it's okay. I'm fine." There was a pause, and they remained silent for a while. Then Leia continued. "The next big thing which happened between us was rescuing ourselves from the Echo Base and getting into the Falcon. I want to be frank with you." Next pause, Leia took a drink from the glass of brandy she still held in her hand. "The journey to Bespin was one of the best times of my life."
Luke smiled. He had assumed that his friends must have enjoyed the time they spent with each other so long ago. After he and Leia had flown away from Bespin, and she'd told him about her true feelings towards Han, except for being terribly sorry for her and promising they would find him, he'd had no doubts that they had savoured the time together
Trying to lighten the mood more, Luke asked. "May I get more details?" He started laughing and Leia silenced him. Karyn still was sleeping.
"No, you may not," she said blithely.
It seemed that this answer satisfied Luke as he didn't ask more questions. Leia looked at the big window that marked the entrance to the balcony. If circumstances allowed, she and Han spent their evenings out there, sipping Corellian whiskey, and talking about how their days were. They loved sitting covered with a blanket, cuddling and kissing a countless number of times.
Speaking of kissing… Leia took Luke's and her now-empty glasses from the kaffe table and went to the kitchen to put them in a sink. She began washing them, her mind turning its trajectory to the moment she and Han had kissed for the first time, in the circuitry bay aboard the Falcon. A second later, Leia's smile got wide, and she shook her head. Looking nowhere in particular, she thought that maybe it would've been better if she had reacted in a different way then. She was scared. No, she was frightened. It wasn't like that she hadn't been in a similar situation with Han before: just the two of them, standing close to each other. But that moment on the Falcon had felt unimaginably intimate to her. Leia wasn't foolish, she knew what might happen in awhile, and with every second she'd been getting more assured of it. She had been frightened but she'd wanted it, she really had. Her intention had not been to give Han the satisfaction of knowing it, though. Her mind had begged her to stay rational, and she had wanted her body language to shield her. The words she'd used were meant to scare him away, to protect her from what was about to go down.
She'd called him a scoundrel, and that had resulted in him wanting to be even closer to her, caressing her hand like he'd liked it. Leia recalled the lame excuse she used in an attempt to make him stop touching her. "Stop that, my hands are dirty." She started laughing as Luke showed up in the kitchen and asked her if everything was alright.
"I'm perfectly fine, thanks."
"What's so funny?"
"I, I just… Uh, Luke, please, go back to Karyn." Leia smiled and tried to stifle her laugh. Her brother thought it was pointless to ask more questions and went back to check on his niece.
Then she brought to her mind how Han had told her she was trembling. She wasn't trembling! Or possibly she was… Leia gave it a second thought, and whilst she was drying the glasses, she acknowledged she was trembling. From the fear, or maybe from the excitement? She blushed and put the dishes in a creamy cabinet.
Why was I fighting all of this? Why didn't I let myself do this earlier? We could've saved so much time, she thought, turned off the light in the kitchen, and came back to the living room.
"How's my baby?" Leia asked as she once again bent over Karyn to stroke her belly.
"Asleep."
"That's good for you."
Luke chuckled as Leia leaned against the back cushions of the sofa she was sitting on.
"I'll go to the 'fresher. I'll be back in a minute."
Leia replied him with a smile of her own, and when her brother left the room, she closed her eyes. She started reflecting upon the journey to Bespin again. Today her mind didn't seem to want to leave that chain of thought. Now she was recalling the particular situation when it had turned out they hadn't been in a cave, but inside of the giant space slug known as Exogorth.
Oh. How they were driving each other crazy then! Leia remembered that moment, and the words which had been said, by heart.
"No time to discuss this as a committee!"
"I AM NOT A COMMITTEE!"
She opened her eyes and laughed, not too loudly – she still wouldn't like Karyn to wake up. Luke was right: she could hit Han back with a great comeback. Now that memory seemed funny, even though they'd been in mortal danger. Leia was quite glad she'd learned how to find good sides of the worst situations.
A moment later Luke came back and sat in the armchair.
"What were you contemplating now?" He asked while scratching his head.
"Still the Falcon and journey to Bespin. But I think we can move strictly to the destination we'd reached."
"Leia, are you sure of it? You remember what happened there." Luke's face paled. He looked clearly startled, and uncertain if it would be good for his sister to talk about Bespin and all those events which had taken place on this planet. He meant one particular moment.
"Yes, I'm sure. I want to tell you this." But actually, she wasn't so sure of it. Everything that came about after they had arrived in Cloud City was a bitter memory for her. The worst was the moment when Han had been put into carbonite. It wasn't as if she had never spoken of it before. The wound had stayed fresh for six months – until Han was found at the Jabba the Hutt's palace, and until that time she hadn't wanted to say exactly what happened on Bespin. After she and her friends had rescued Han, after he'd returned to her, she'd known there would come a day when she would have to talk about it. She'd made sure to do it with Han, and they had spoken of it when they'd got to the Rebel base. That was two years ago, and Leia wanted now to test her limits, to see if she would be able to tell Luke about this freely.
He gave her a reassuring smile, so Leia lowered her head and started. "I remember every moment of it. At first we were walking up the ramp, and certainly, C-3PO was complaining. He couldn't function properly then, as his parts were screwed in wrong. Poor Chewie had to listen to him." She chuckled. So far so good. "Then we walked down the stairs, and when we stopped, in front of us there was a big round hole, and inside of that a carbon-freezing chamber. After a while Vader showed up-" Leia had to stop. Every time she used this name, she needed to take a pause and gather up thoughts. This creature had destroyed so many things in his life, she knew she'd never forgive him any of his actions. "I remember that I was trying not to look at anybody. When Lando said Han was going to be frozen in carbonite, he, uh, he stared at me, and I at him. And he just gave me this slight smile. Like he wanted me to know that it was going to be okay." She stopped and frowned, feeling tears building up in her eyes. She wanted to continue, and knew she could. "Vader ordered Han to be put into this machine, and then Chewie started hitting the Stormtroopers around him. Han started shouting, he asked him to stop, he said it wouldn't help him." A short pause. Leia was feeling Luke's gaze on her, but she didn't lift her head to look at him. "When they were talking, and Chewie got shackled, I looked at the place where Boba Fett and Vader were standing. And I was looking at them, considering them to be monsters. Real monsters. I was mad, so… furious." She took a deep breath, exhaled, and went on. "Han said to Chewie that he had to take care of me. When I heard it… I mean… I just… I just looked at him, and I knew. I knew there was a chance we would never meet again, this could be the end. And I knew wholeheartedly that he deserved to just, to hear the words. To hear that I loved him, you know? To hear it for the first time. And I said it, and..." Leia abruptly stopped, and Luke saw a single tear flowing down her face. "Then he was frozen, and they pulled him out of the chamber, and he was there, in the carbonite, and I just…" She was lost for words.
"Leia, stop. Please, I want you to stop." He got up from the armchair, sat next to his sister, and hugged her. When he pulled back, he looked her in the eye. "Thank you for telling me this."
"I think I could use the 'fresher." Leia said, and left Luke alone in the living room. After a few minutes she came back, looking serene. The stereo has just started playing an old song.
Grow old with me
Let us share what we see
And oh the best it could be
Just you and I
Leia stopped and listened to the song. She had never heard it before, but already liked its melody. Also, the lyrics… were making her quite dreamy.
And our hands they might age
And our bodies will change
But we'll still be the same
As we are
Luke looked at his sister as she stood, astonished and enchanted, thoughts focused on her relationship with Han. In her mind she saw the whole time she still had to live… with him. To share her life with him, to grow old together. Suddenly Leia realized the singer was right. Even though their bodies wouldn't look as good in 40 years, they'd still remain as they were. Crazy in love, and devoted to each other.
We'll still sing our song
When our hair ain't so blonde
And our children have sung
We were right
Right on cue, as if it had been planned, Karyn started squirming, and opened her eyes. As soon as the first light sobs were audible, they billowed into a big cry of frustration, leaving Leia with no choice but to pick up her daughter and soothe her. She held the infant, running her hand up and down over Karyn's back, and talking to her to stop the fussing.
"Do you need any help?" Luke asked.
"No, I can handle her, thank you." Leia kissed her daughter's cheeks, then her forehead and chin. "Shhh, Karyn, shhh. Shhh, I'm here, I've got you, I've got you. Shhh, sweetie."
Karyn began to quiet, and Leia once again kissed her cheek. She was holding her against her chest, keeping one of her hands on the baby's back, and the other under her bum. When the little princess calmed down, Leia walked and swayed with her around the living room. At this moment, she heard the door unlock, and a few seconds later Han entered the apartment.
He stopped in the hallway, closed the door behind him, and put down his bag. When his gaze took in the sight of Leia and Karyn, safe in her mother's arms, pure happiness flashed on his face, his eyes brightened, and his lips formed a huge grin. Two weeks of separation had made him miss his family very much. Now he was here, brimming with joy.
Leia's mouth came close to her daughter's ear, and she said quietly. "Look who's there. Look honey, look. It's daddy, yes? It's daddy."
"Hey, little princess. Hey, hey, I missed ya, you know?" Leia took a few steps to stand next to her husband. Han gave her a quick kiss, then pulled back to stroke Karyn's hair. He kissed her gently on the cheek, chin and nose. After a second, his wife handed the baby over to him, and Han was holding her against his left shoulder now.
"How was the journey? Everything's fine?" Leia asked while she was caressing her husband's forearm.
"I'm a bit tired, 'cept from that I feel fine. How are you?" He kissed her forehead, and added. "You look beautiful."
Leia in her crimson dress and black heels looked beautiful, indeed.
"Thank you. I was worried, I thought something happened to you." Leia put her head against his arm. "Nevertheless, I'm happy you're home. We missed you."
"I missed you, too. And I'm sorry, Sweetheart. Guys wanted to talk and thank me." He lowered his voice and murmured. "But I think I know how to make it up to you." He lightly kissed her exposed neck.
"Not so fast, Flyboy. First and foremost, we'll go to the living room." Leia smiled, and stepped back.
"Hey, Han! How are you?" Luke asked when his brother-in-law showed up in the room.
"Hey, kid. 'M fine, thanks. You were looking after my girls, right?" He gazed at the baby, still tucked against his shoulder, safe in her father's embrace.
"Of course. They had everything what they needed." Both men shook hands, and Han sat next to Leia on the sofa.
She turned head in her brother's direction. "So? Are you taking Karyn now?"
"Yes, it's quite late for the tiny one." The chrono was showing 2030 hours. Luke got up, and suddenly Han chimed in.
"Wait. Uh, I, uh, I brought something for Karyn. I'll get it from the bag." He stood up, handed the little princess to Leia, and went to the hallway to extract the gift he'd got for his daughter.
A few seconds later he came back with the small stuffed animal. The toy was brown, with round black eyes and wings.
"Han, is it… a stuffed convor?" Leia was puzzled, and at the moment she saw how content her husband looked, her heart filled with a pleasant warm. He was a good, caring father, she knew it. A second later she kissed the infant's temple.
"Yeah, it is. Will ya take it, kid?" Luke grabbed the plush bird from Han, smiled, and moved to his sister to take Karyn.
Han knew his daughter was going to stay the night at Luke's place, but still the thought of another separation from her was making him feel a little down. He and Leia had agreed that the time alone was needed, at least during this night. Since Karyn was born, both he and his wife rarely had any occasion to just do something together without any interruption. They were aware how much their life had changed, how much energy and time was consumed by taking care of the baby and working for the New Republic. One evening sacred only to themselves was truly wanted.
Both parents had agreed, then, to spend the anniversary without their little sunshine's company. Han and Leia said that they would visit him in the morning and take Karyn home. The next day would be for their trio; tonight was for the match.
Leia was holding Karyn, rocking her in her arms. She asked Han to go to the nursery and grab the baby bag she'd prepared beforehand. In the meantime Luke was once again instructed how he should behave if the girl would cry, be hungry, or need to be swaddled.
"Lay her on the thick blanket, and remember not to cover her to sleep. Put this little convor next to her." She smiled, and hugged Karyn closer to her chest. "If she falls asleep when you get home, you'll get about 5 hours for yourself. I advise you to make a good use of it." She laughed and continued. "I know something about it. If she cries, and swaying and talking to her doesn't help, she may need to have a diaper changed. Check it, and if there is no need to change it, and she's still fussing, it probably means she's hungry. In that case prepare the formula I've left in the bag. Do you think you got it?"
"Leia, don't worry, we'll be fine. I'll go now, you both need this evening for yourself. You deserve it."
"Thank you, Luke. You're right, you're right, I know you're right."
Han came back with the bag and sighed. Luke took the package, saying he would take it to the speeder. He went out, and Leia approached her husband who was standing next to the apartment's front door.
"Bye, bye, daddy, bye, bye." Leia said with a childish voice, so Han bent over to stroke and kiss the crown of Karyn's head.
"Bye, honey. Don't make uncle Luke too much trouble, huh?" He smiled and kissed her once again.
Luke came back, and took Karyn from his sister. She smiled, put delicately her head against her daughter's forehead, and kissed her small nose.
"I love you, baby." She stroked her foot, whilst Han patted Luke on his back.
"I'll see you tomorrow, guys. Have fun, and don't wake the neighbours." Han started laughing, and Leia playfully gave him a nudge in the ribs with her elbow. Luke's comment made her blush, so after a moment she spurred him to get out.
The door closed, leaving Han and Leia standing alone in the hallway. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her tenderly. She entwined her hands behind his neck, and returned the kiss. The craving for his touch, for his closeness was overwhelming. She had missed him so much, and wanted her actions to speak for themselves.
After a few seconds, Han pulled away, then looked his wife in the eye. He seemed bothered, so Leia put the hand on his cheek, her thumb gently stroking it.
"Hey, space daddy, you'll see her tomorrow."
"Yeah… It's just, it's late, I'm sorry that…"
"Han, don't think about it. I'm not mad at you." She gave him a reassuring look, tilted her chin up, and with the help of the black heels she was wearing gently kissed his jaw, then the spot behind his earlobe. She whispered. "Are you ready to start our anniversary?"
"As never before." He softly kissed her temple, sudden want to touch her hitting him. He moved his eager lips to her eyebrow, cheek, her jaw, next to her neck. His ministrations stayed there for a while, a small moan escaping Leia's mouth. She shifted her head to make his task easier, a neck more available for him to pepper with kisses now. A few seconds later he knew the mark was inevitable, when the little purple love bite started coming up. He smiled and gave a peck on her throat.
Han was now kissing her collarbone, when Leia gingerly pulled back. "Um, Han, I think this can wait. You must be hungry," she noted, like the sudden realization came to her mind.
He gave her his roguish smile, and put his palms on her hips. "Would it be a sappy answer if I said I hunger for you?"
"I'd say it is unimaginably sappy, Hotshot. After these two weeks of eating military food, I'm sure you could use something more… sophisticated. Besides, I have everything ready," she grinned, sliding her hands from his neck to his chest.
"Don't tell me you were tryin' to cook, Sweetheart. I remember the last time when you said you wanted to make a dinner only by yourself, and we both know how it went." He laughed affectionately, remembering the evening when Leia decided to fix a meal for them, what took effect of food on the floor and smoke pluming from the oven.
"Of course not! Did you forget that I'm the best at ordering food?" It was true, Han thought. Leia's ability to choose the tastiest dishes from surrounding restaurants was well-known among their friends and colleagues.
"If you say so…" He laughed, thereby receiving another nudge from her, this time in the bicep. "Okay, so what do we have today?"
"Come with me to the dining room, and you'll find out." She blinked, took his hand, and showed him to the table that was properly set up for today's occasion. In the middle of it there were white candles; their scent was described by the manufacturer as "summer cabin: a soothing and smoky fragrance". Leia asked her husband to light them, when she went to the kitchen to fetch the food. Han noticed diligently prepared dinnerware, and one of the few bottles of Alderaanian wine, which he'd got for his wife from Gods know where. Leia wondered to this day how he managed to find them, but every time she asked him that question, he answered: "Scoundrels don't reveal all their secrets. Let's say I was givin' them in a legal way."
Scoundrel. Scoundrel was the nickname that stuck to him to date, and Leia savoured using it every time he said or did something what made her roll her eyes, blush, and look the other way, as if that would make it less suggestive. Han wasn't one to complain about it, nay, in most of the times such a move brought exactly the opposite effect, provoking him to put a little bit more of that innuendo into his actions.
He poured both of them a glass of the wine, then sat at the table, waiting for Leia to come. After a minute she appeared in the doorway, carrying a huge platter of fish, vegetable salads, and bread.
"Let me help you, Sweetheart," Han said, getting up from his seat, and taking the vessel from her. He put the food on the table, then started parting it in servings, by the by grinning from ear to ear. "From now on, let me do somethin', too. Take a sit, relax, and tell me, how did you come up with an idea to organize this evening in such way?"
"There was one opportunity to plan all of this, when Karyn was sleeping after I fed her, and nothing had to be done next, so I stretched out on the couch, and just thought of it." Her fingers were drawing circles on the table, when she added, "Besides, princesses don't reveal all their secrets. Don't you like it?" She looked into his hazel eyes, full of joy and admiration.
"Princesses, huh?" He put the plate with a food in front of her. "It's great. Just tell me, why so fancy? We could've laid on the sofa and watch some holofilms, as we used to do before."
"Uh, I thought we could celebrate this anniversary a bit differently than the others. I mean, it's the wedding anniversary, the first one, in fact…" She stopped abruptly, waited for a few seconds, and then continued. "Well, I wanted it to be special. I wanted to… to spoil you… us, a little. I… you always take such a good care of me, and do your best in checking if I have all I need. I thought we could just do something not-so-ordinary today. I'm, I'm sorry if I failed." She seemed awkward, even a bit stressed and uneasy.
Han stepped next to her chair, crouched, and took her hand in both of his. He kissed her knuckles lightly, then said firmly, but softly. "Leia, of course you didn't fail, it's great, I mean it. Thank you." Once again he kissed her fingers, and slowly rose to his feet. "Shall we eat? You had a point, 'm starving."
Leia smiled slightly, and nodded. This was one of many things she loved in Han – by his actions and his words he always knew how to assure her she was right. All those years have passed, and his support, encouragement, comfort were the ones she needed and appreciated the most, like he understood her concerns, her as a person, utterly.
The chrono now showed 2200 hours, as the couple sat at the table full, exhilarated, and enjoying their own company. Han told many stories from his last two weeks, which he got to spend with young, ambitious, and in some cases, reckless soldiers. He spinned a yarn about a few men from his group, who'd thought it would be very funny to call Mon Mothma, and report her that General Solo had been "missing in action" with some tall, blonde girl. Leia's reaction was the hysterical laugh, although not because of the prank itself, but the thought of her boss's reaction and expression after she'd been informed of this horrible thing. As it'd turned out later, Mothma's plan to call to Leia and tell her everything had gone off half-cocked, when Han had found out what had happened while he'd been walking through the camp-site, and heard every word from the guys' conversation. He'd called Mon personally, and assured her such thing hadn't taken place, and made sure this was confirmed by the wits themselves. If they hadn't admitted to making up the whole gossip, they would've been punished with some additional trainings, and nobody had the stomach for that after the week and half of constant physical effort.
They cleaned up the table and washed the dishes. Now both Han and Leia were lying on the sofa, cuddling, absolutely content to stay in an embrace. It wasn't the whole "making up for the separation" yet, but that thing was going to come soon enough. At the moment, they just needed to be, to exist with each other.
The soft music was playing from the stereo, as the couple half-listened to it, each immersed in their own thoughts. Han's fingers were straying through his wife's long, silk locks, which she wore down for the occasion, massaging her scalp, his other palm stroking her side. Leia was snuggled up to him, her eyes closed, head resting comfortably on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat and glad to have him back with her.
After a ten-minute session of sweet laziness, Han stopped his ministrations, kissed the crown of her head, and breathed the delicate, floral scent of her hair in for a few seconds, then murmured. "Sweetheart, are you up to receive your anniversary present right now?"
Leia looked at him, clearly astonished, and said. "Han, we agreed that we wouldn't give each other presents today."
"Do you really think I would've believed you? I'm sure you have something, too." He gave her his lopsided grin, and looked at her with an "am I right?" look.
"Uh, Hotshot, you know me too well." She rolled her eyes, picked herself up, and stood in front of the couch.
"That is why we're married, nobody knows you better than me." He got up, too, put his hands on her shoulders, and asked her to wait there for him.
Han came back a minute later with a little gift in the shape of a rectangle, wrapped in beautiful, purple decorative paper with a white ribbon. He handled her the present, a little bit uncertain if she'd like the thing he had prepared for her.
Leia gingerly removed the material and snagged the paper, largely interested in what her husband had got for her. She noticed something like the corner of a binding, and after a few more moves in her sight showed up a quite large book, with a writing "For Leia Organa Solo's Eyes Only", printed in a small font to fit in on the cover. She grinned, and gave Han a curious look. He tilted his chin, non-verbally encouraging her to look what was hidden inside.
Leia opened the volume, and on the first page she saw a short dedication:
"For Leia Organa Solo, the strongest, bravest and most empathetic person I know, from your personal scoundrel.
I hope these pictures would evoke only those good memories. I love you, and I know you know it.
Han Solo"
Pictures, she thought. So it was an album! And it was quite heavy, Leia admitted to herself. With a huge grin on her face, and a dash of disbelief, she started browsing it.
From the beginning it was interesting. Han stepped next to her and put his hand on the small of her back, looking at the contents of the album with his wife. The first photograph was the shot taken at the medal ceremony on Yavin. Leia was wearing her white dress and talking to Han there. She smiled shyly.
"I didn't know we had such a photo." She looked him in the eye, recalling that day. The day when they'd had a good conversation for the first time.
His face lightened, and without any words he encouraged her to move on. He didn't want to discuss those things right now. What was important was her reaction to the pictures she'd never seen or didn't remember, and so far she seemed to enjoy it.
The next pages were filled with photographs from the other Rebel bases they'd stayed on. Most of them were taken on Hoth, with one showing Han and Leia dancing at her and Luke's birthday party that the Rebels had organised for them. Then it had been just a funny coincidence that they were born on the same day. Now with lots of new information it was no accident.
"That night was so wild," Leia recalled, and her smile widened. "I remember how we were dancing then. Gods, it was such a fun party."
"For sure it was…" Han remembered how Wedge dared him that night to actually dance with Leia. However, even back then he'd known it wasn't only a challenge, as he had truly wanted to swing with this girl and hoped she wouldn't refuse him. To his luck, she hadn't.
The following pictures were the ones taken on the Falcon, during the trip to Bespin. These were done mostly by Chewie, who'd thought that using camera had been a great way to allay boredom with so much spare time, when nothing on the ship had needed repairing. Some of them were of the pair kissing…
"Han, what are these?!" Leia looked at her husband, shock and embarrassment clear on her face.
"You don't like it?" He teased her, and then reassured. "Don't worry, you won't find anything more intimate than this… at least not yet."
"HAN!" She blushed, covering her eyes with one hand. "STOP IT, IT'S AWKWARD."
"Since when is kissing me awkward?" He asked, giving her a quick peck on the temple, and taking the hold of her hand. "Watch what's next."
Then they saw photographs from the deck of the Home One, where they'd spent some time after the Han's rescue mission. Some of these pictures were from the dining hall, and other ones from Leia's quarters, taken by them… Nothing too personal, Han thought. Just some kissing, and cuddling together. Besides, the "For Leia Organa Solo's Eyes Only" title had been intentional…
The next ones were from Endor, after they'd won the battle against the Empire: in the Ewoks' hutt they'd been staying in (private cuddles, if nothing risqué), organizing the strike team and landing pilots in the surrounding forests (as well as a candid of them holding hands), and at the celebration due to their heroic victory. One of them showed Han embracing Leia next to the bonfire, as taken by one of their friends.
"I was so happy then…" Leia's eyes lighten, and she gave her husband a loving look.
After these pictures there were some taken mostly by them, in their new apartment, or by their close friends when they were meeting them in the city.
Then there showed up photographs from their wedding, most of them known to Leia, although when she saw them, her lips automatically formed in a huge grin.
"It was one of the best days of my life." Han saw little tears building up in her eyes, evidently she was moved after remembering a time year ago.
"Mine too, Sweetheart," he smiled lightly, and kissed her brow.
They saw photos from Leia's pregnancy: pictures of her standing with her hand stroking her belly, which had been getting bigger every month, and a few sonograms from their appointments with Dr. Kalonia, each one of them labelled in detail with date, stage of pregnancy and sweet commentary from parents eagerly expecting their baby.
The last ones were those with Karyn, taken mostly by Han or Leia, or by friends who had visited them since their daughter was born. There were no other photographs after this, but there was room left in the album that waited to be filled with new members.
"Han… I love it, so much. Thank you, it's beautiful." Leia was lost for words, not knowing what more to say. She put the album on the kaffe table, and hugged her husband tightly, then kissed him tenderly, showing him how much she liked his gift.
He pulled back, his knuckles gently caressing her delicate cheek, then kissed his wife's eyelids, being happy she liked what he had prepared.
"So now it's my turn, right?" She kissed his nose, and asked him to sit down on the couch.
He did as she said, and waited for her to continue. Leia was very unpredictable, so his curiosity grew to its peak inside him.
She took his hands in hers, and started. "Do you remember when you told me that we should go away somewhere? That I was overstraining myself with work, and after Karyn was born… Uh, I rarely had a time for myself to just rest? And, you know… I got pregnant so fast, and our only trip together after we got married was the honeymoon…"
"Yeah…" Han was getting more and more interested in where this was going. He remembered that time clearly, being concerned about Leia's health, and how much energy she spent on making everyone happy but herself.
"Yes, so… I made some calls, I talked to some people… to Luke…" She was beaming now, excited to reveal what she had in mind. "I even made some reservations…"
Han looked like he understood now. "Is it…"
"Han, I guess we're going somewhere soon… One weekend, a resort on Iloh, just you and me? What do you think about it? I mean, I think we're ready… I am ready for this now, and Karyn can stay with Luke for two days…" Happiness was radiating from her now.
"Sweetheart… count me in." He got up from the sofa, took her in his arms, and spinned her in the air for a few seconds. Then he started kissing her without self-control, his hands roaming over her waist, stomach, arms, and under her breasts, to eventually stay at her neck. He elicited a light groan from her, which gave him a boost to continue with his affections. Han's tongue slowly entered his wife's mouth, rubbing against hers, which gave Leia a dose of electrifying and pleasant sensations. She took his bottom lip in her mouth and softly sucked on it, and received a low moan that escaped from his throat in response. Her palms were holding his face, as she kissed his nose, cheeks, and chin with that scar she adored, then returned to kissing her husband in the mouth. None of them had enough, both of them wanted to feel more…
Han sat down on the couch to pull Leia into his lap. Having her astride on his thighs, he nudged her delicate neck, and then jaw. After a moment his teeth were gently nipping at her earlobe, one of her most sensitive spots, which Han discovered at the beginning of their romantic relationship. He knew perfectly what drove Leia crazy, and a moment later he got what he was waiting for - a small moan from his wife. Her tiny palms were roaming over his torso, and then moved them to his abdomen. Wanting to be close to him, she wrapped her arms around his shoulder blades, entwined her fingers behind his neck, not allowing these moves to stop the wonderful feel of Han's mouth on her hot skin… He gently cupped one of her breasts while kissing her collarbone, and Leia's hand slowly moved to his hair, messing it a bit with her fingers. A few seconds later Han's current state of arousal started manifesting itself, which inspired Leia to slide down more into his lap, to feel him even closer.
The couple was getting more and more involved in their current activities, forgetting everything else, driven by their own feelings. But there was still one thing which was giving Leia no peace: her last conversation with Luke, how she had unburdened herself to him. Had she thought it out before she said the words? Was it the right decision? Maybe it should have stayed between her and Han? Her brain started processing these questions, remorse beginning to plague her, and she abruptly broke the kiss, aware the topic wasn't finished for her yet. Looking into her husband's eyes, she whispered an apology, then got up from his lap to lean back against the sofa's inside arm, curling herself up.
Han, evidently confused, and partly annoyed by the sudden shift in the mood, looked in his wife's direction. When he saw her trembling body, with her face covered to hide the streaming tears, irritation gave way to concern and a desire to help Leia. He slowly reached out to her, put his hand on her shoulder, and gently rubbing it, he said, "Leia, what's goin' on?" He seemed worried, wanting to comfort her, to ease the inner pain she was clearly feeling right now. "Hey, you can tell me. What happened?"
After a few seconds of silence she lifted her head up, looked him in the eye, and confessed quietly. "Nothing. I, I mean, there is something. But…" She was struggling with the words, not knowing how to express what was going inside her mind, what thoughts were niggling her.
Han was calmly waiting for the answer without putting pressure on her. He knew it was difficult for Leia to admit that something was tormenting her, he understood it.
She opened her mouth, then closed it, still hesitating. Her eyes were red from crying, and the trembling didn't stop yet. She needed time, and Han was going to give her as much of it as it was necessary.
They were sitting just like that, Han's hand rubbing Leia's shoulder, looking into her brown eyes— eyes he loved and admire so much, and could see their owner's soul gradually opening up for him in them. A several minutes passed until Leia decided to tell him what was troubling her.
"I had a conversation with Luke… Before you came," she started timidly, knowing what he was going to say in a moment. She anticipated him, "no, it's not about the Force. Not this time…" Her gaze went in the different direction, fear too big to make her feel comfortable with looking at her husband.
He didn't intent to chime in, he was going to listen, and then say what he thought. As always.
"We were talking about the Death Star and how we all met. About the Hoth base… I also told him how I loved the time I got to spend with you on the Falcon, heading to Bespin…" He gave her a reassuring smile, encouraging her to continue and recalling all the moments from living together on his ship, spending a lot of time having conversations, many of them taking place in his bunk…
"And then I told him about the Bespin. About the Carbonite, about what Vader did…" The tears once again started building up. "And I'm so sorry, because I shouldn't have told you about it, it's… I think I wasn't ready, maybe you wouldn't like him to know…" She was crying now, having difficulties with a steady breathing. "I'm… I'm so… so sorry, Han."
He just looked at her, and thought how much his wife struggled with that memory, how much she cared about their relationship, how much she didn't want to do something he wouldn't like. He wasn't opposed to people knowing what happened though, they could be aware what a terrible monster Darth Vader had been.
"C'mere," he said, and pulled her to him to snuggle her to his chest, to comfort and hold her. "Leia, of course I'm not mad at you. You didn't do anything wrong, I'm fine with that. Fuck, they can know. I don't care." He kissed the crown of her head and was rubbing her back. "It's okay, Sweetheart, it's okay."
She looked at him with her wet eyes, asking. "Han, are you sure? It was… it was so hard…"
"It was, Leia. But now it's over. I'm here, you got me back, I'm with you. And I'm never gonna go away. We're a family now. I have a family I've always dreamt of. I'm glad I created it with you." He cuddled her tightly to him, let her tears stream down on his white shirt. "I love you."
She was keeping her head on his chest, slowly taking his words in. "Thank you, Han," she simply said. "But… I feel like I need to finish this topic if I've started it. I want you to know, so desperately I want you to know now…"
He knew what her words were going to be about, she had a need to say that, it was okay.
"I think you already know what I mean. I just wanted you to know that I missed you. I missed you so much. Those six months were probably a living nightmare for me. Because when I finally felt I had learned to love again, it was taken from me— aggressively. Again I was deprived of happiness.
But then you were with me again, and I'd never felt better. Han, you know this, but you mean so much to me… And I'm just thankful I got you back, because you did so many things for me. You learned me so many things…" She was looking at him now, their faces close to each other. He kissed her slowly, gently, to assure her he understood.
After a few moments Han broke the kiss to spoke. "You remember the Battle of Endor and when I told you I loved you?"
She nodded, wanting to hear more of what he had to say.
"I told you that, 'cause I felt it was kind of a promise, given to you. I told you I loved you, I adored you, I still do. You're a freaking badass, Leia."
"And I knew it, even then."
"I'm sure you did." He was hesitant how to continue what he had started. "I just, uh, it was a promise, 'cause from that moment I was sure I wanted you, to be with you. And when you told me Luke was your brother… Gods, I felt relieved… Just, thanks for staying with such a scoundrel, I guess."
"Oh, Han. You're my favorite scoundrel." She seemed quite happy and moved, gently kissing him on the nose. "Thank you for telling me this."
"Yeah, you deserved to know." They were looking at each other for several seconds, then Han said. "Um, are you okay now?"
"I'm fine." She put her head on his chest, breathing in his scent she knew so well. "Do you remember our wedding?"
"The day when you officially became mine? Hard to forget."
"Yes, it was great… The year has passed, sometimes I still can't believe it's real. I'm glad I'm yours. Officially." She smiled against him, leaving them in silence, content to once again just exist with each other; the easiest, and simultaneously one of the best things to do when you live together with the person you love.
Several minutes later Han and Leia were still laying and cuddling on the sofa, covered with a blanket, half-asleep on account of this, to be honest, exhausting day, listening to the music from the stereo, which has been issuing ceaselessly the whole time. Both of them were thinking about the things they revisited and learned from each other today; how much effort could be made to show the love and compassion towards somebody, how separations can make a person miss their loved ones and what a good feeling it is to reunite with them. In those quiet moments they had the deepest thoughts about themselves and the relationship they were in. This day created an opportunity to notice one more time that they are devoted to each other, that they can give love, and they can take from it, but most importantly – that they are worth the happiness only the second person could offer, and they had found it a few years ago, never wanting to change how their lives panned out.
The chrono showed 2330 hours, with the anniversary slowly coming to an end. Blissful rest was suddenly interrupted when the radio announcer informed:
"This day is soon to elapse, so now for everybody who feels love in their hearts, or guts… A single from Corellia's favorite vocalist, whose voice is adored by millions of his fans on this planet and beyond. Just in a minute, ladies and gentlemen, Edd Sheyrhan's - "Perfect".
They both knew this song; one of their wedding's songs, in fact.
Han rapidly clambered out of the couch, kneeled in front of it, and reached for Leia's hand who was plainly shocked.
"Will you dance with me, Sweetheart?"
I found a love for me
Darling just dive right in
And follow my lead
"So, will you follow my lead, huh?"
Well I found a girl beautiful and sweet
I never knew you were the someone waiting for me
Her lips formed in a huge grin. She stood up, put on the heels she'd left next to the sofa, and took his hand, then steadily went with him to the middle of the living room.
'Cause we were just kids when we fell in love
Not knowing what it was
I will not give you up this time
Leia put her left palm on his arm, making an eye contact with him. Han delicately pulled her closer to him, subsequently taking her right hand into his left one.
But darling, just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own
And in your eyes you're holding mine
They kissed, as slowly as the music felt, and started gently swaying together, knowing how this experience was slowly bonding them.
Baby, I'm dancing in the dark with you between my arms
Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song
When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath
But you heard it, darling, you look perfect tonight
Leia placed her head on his shoulder, then closed her eyes, giving herself utterly to the things she was feeling: intimacy, familiarity, safety and love.
Well I found a woman, stronger than anyone I know
She shares my dreams, I hope that someday I'll share her home
Han was thinking about the lyrics in his head, analyzing them. He knew that the "someday" had already came for him.
I found a love, to carry more than just my secrets
To carry love, to carry children of our own
They both thought about Karyn – their little sunshine, born with their full acceptance and love.
We are still kids, but we're so in love
Fighting against all odds
I know we'll be alright this time
Darling, just hold my hand
Be my girl, I'll be your man
I see my future in your eyes
They did see it – how they were going to grow old, and have life full of varied events, good and bad, ready to go through them together.
Baby, I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms
Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song
When I saw you in that dress, looking so beautiful
I don't deserve this, darling, you look perfect tonight
"The guy has a point, you look beautiful tonight." Han kissed her lightly on the lips. After pulling back, she looked at him with admiration, when a blush crept up her cheeks.
"Why're you blushing? It's true." He laughed affectionately, pulling her closer to him. A few seconds later he heard a shy "I love you".
Baby, I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms
Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song
I have faith in what I see
Now I know I have met an angel in person
And she looks perfect
I don't deserve this
You look perfect tonight
The song ended, with both of them grinning at each other for a few seconds, looking into each other's eyes, as they were trying to express what they felt through their gestures, knowing words weren't necessary now.
Han gently lifted Leia up, and was holding her against his chest now, with her hands entwined behind his back.
"Happy anniversary, Sweetheart," he said, completely certain of his words, being proud to have Leia as the only one to hear it from him.
"Happy anniversary." She kissed him, and put her head next to his neck.
Han started walking them to their bedroom, with a pure love radiating from their bodies, minds, spirits. Leia felt she hadn't been so happy in a long time. She knew, she was completely sure, that this evening has been unique and wonderful. After all, she thought, this evening has been just… perfect.
There are a few musical references in this story:
Lana Del Rey - "Ride"
Tom Odell - "Grow Old With Me"
Ed Sheeran - "Perfect"
I recommend you listen to all of these songs. :)
As I mentioned at the beginning, there's a short video related to the fic I made, you can find the link in End Notes of this story on my ao3 page ( mary_twig).
If you liked the story, please, write even a short word. Getting reviews is as nice as giving them. :) Thank you for reading!
~ Mary Twig