AN: I don't own Star Wars, no one here owns Star Wars.
"Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?"
By EsmeAmelia
"Dad, why does Mom work so late?"
Eight-year-old Ben was pressing his nose against the door to the apartment's landing platform, watching the snow dance through the night sky. It was long past supper and if his mother didn't come home soon, it would be bedtime before she got back.
Han was joining him at the window, looking like he too was eager for Leia to get home. "Well son, she's got a lotta stuff to worry about, takin' care of the whole galaxy and all."
Ben sighed, fogging up the window. "It'd still be nice if she came home."
"Yeah, it would," said Han, "but she'll be home soon." He ruffled his son's hair. "Hey, why don't we build her a snowman for when she gets home?"
Ben perked up, looking up at his father. "Really? Where?"
"On the landing platform, of course."
"But won't Mom need it to land?"
"Well, yeah, but we'll build the snowman outta the way."
Ben grinned up at his father. "Okay, let's go!"
. . .
It took several minutes for Han and Ben to get bundled up, but Leia still wasn't home when they stepped onto the landing platform, digging their feet in the snow as the cold wind whipped around them, making the snowflakes dance in a kind of frenzy.
Ben wrapped his arms around himself in a feeble attempt to get warm. "Dad, was it this cold on Hoth?"
Han chuckled loudly at that. "No, no Ben, Hoth was much, MUCH colder."
"I'll bet not," said Ben, holding out his arms. "I'll bet this is the coldest it's ever been in the whole galaxy!"
Han chuckled even louder. "You're probably right. Guess we should cut open a taun-taun to keep warm."
Ben giggled as he trudged his way through the snow that was already well up to his ankles, kicking it in the air and watching as it blew around in a big cloud. The snowflakes seemed alive on a night like tonight, hurrying to get where they needed to be much like his mother often did.
"Hey buddy, what do you think of buildin' the snowman here?"
Han was pointing to an area near the door, where Leia's speeder wouldn't get in the way of the snowman and the snowman wouldn't get in the way of Leia's speeder. "Looks good," said Ben. Immediately he sank to his knees and began piling snow up and smoothing it out with his gloves, preparing the perfect snowman snowball.
"Ready Dad?" he called.
"Sure am, son. Let 'er roll!"
Ben scooted along on his knees, pushing the ball and watching it grow bigger and bigger almost like magic, not caring that snow was sticking to his pants. A few years ago, he would have been just instructing his father to build the snowman for him, but now he was big enough to participate in the snowman-building himself. As the snowball got heavier and heavier, it got harder to push, but he wasn't going to ask for help.
Besides, he could always try using the Force to push it.
"C'mon, c'mon," Han said as Ben neared the spot. "Almost there . . . great, perfect snowman body!" He grinned down at his son. "Think you've got enough energy to make a head too?"
"Of COURSE, Dad!" Ben chirped, quickly gathering up more snow to make into a head. When he was done, Han bent over to put it on the body, but before he could pick it up, Ben raised his hands and harnessed the Force to float it on top of the body.
For a moment Han's eyes bulged and he looked a bit unsure what to say. Ben gulped a little, wondering if he had scared his father. His parents always seemed a bit uneasy with the Force.
Fortunately, after a few moments Han gave his big grin, the one that always made Ben feel warm inside. "Okay, his body's ready, but he needs a face. Whaddaya think we should use for his face?"
"Hmm," said Ben, "do we have any nuts?"
"Don't know, stay here while I go check."
Ben obeyed, staring at the incomplete snowman and imagining how lifelike he would look when he had a face.
"Hey son, I found some nuts!"
Ben grinned up at his father, who was carrying a small bowl of nuts up to the snowman. "Let's just hope your mother wasn't gonna eat these."
"She'll forgive us when she sees the snowman," said Ben. "Come on!"
The father and son took turns sticking nuts into the snow and watching a face form. "Let's give him a big smile," said Han.
"Yeah," said Ben, "then he'll smile at Mom when she gets home."
The smile ended up stretching from one side of the snowman's head to the other and there were still nuts left after the face was complete. "Hmm," said Ben, glancing at the extra nuts in the bowl, "I don't think Mom'll want to eat these after they've been snowed on."
"You sure?" said Han. "She'd wanna eat some pretty crazy stuff when she was pregnant with you."
Not wanting to think about what kinds of things he made his mother hungry for while in the womb, Ben grabbed a handful of nuts and started sticking them on the snowman's body.
"What'cha doin', son?"
"You'll see."
It was difficult to get the curves just right, but Ben eventually arranged the nuts into a vest outline on the snowman's body. "Look Dad! He's wearing your vest!"
Han took one look at the snowman and burst out laughing. "It's a little me! Your mom's gonna love that!"
Ben and Han were laughing together for several minutes, until a loud woosh sounded and a sudden strong wind blew snow all over them. "HEY!" Han shouted, turning around as he brushed snow off his coat.
"Oh come on, honey, it's just a bit of snow."
No sooner had Ben heard his mother's voice than he started running up to her, kicking the snow around as he did so. "Mom! Come look!" Almost before she was finished climbing out of her speeder, he grabbed her hand and led her up to the snowman. "Look what Dad and I made!"
A grin so wide that it dug into her cheeks spread across Leia's face. "Is that your dad?"
Han grinned back at his wife and kissed her cheek. "Well, he's dressed like me."
"And he's handsome too," Leia added, "but I think he's missing something."
"I know," sighed Ben, "I didn't know what to use for arms."
"No, not that," said Leia, rubbing her son's back. "I mean he'd like his family with him. Would you guys be interested in building a couple of more snowpeople?"
Ben jumped into the air. "YEAH!"
THE END