WHEN'S IT GOING TO BE OVER?
Leia was not looking forward to facing Han when she arrived home.
She'd promised Han to take the entire weekend off and he'd promised they'd spend most of it in bed. She was very much on board with this idea. The thought of spending two luxurious days with her incredibly hot and handsome husband of five months had made her senses tingle with pleasure. The winter was upon them, cold, dreary and wet. They'd keep each other warm.
Shortly after arriving at work, Mon Mothma directed her to an uprising in the Corellian sector and assigned her to go out with a delegation the next morning. This displeased Leia and she had left the office stomping mad. The last time Mon had sent her somewhere, she'd had almost no time to pack anything and had to leave without seeing Han first. It had left both her and Han frustrated and Leia resolved to see that they had at least weekends together. Han was still having to smuggle, but most of his deliveries were in the service of the very new and very fragile Republic.
Corellia had been a strong ally in the Galactic Civil War, but the war had ended six months ago. Their industrial base had collapsed with the end of Imperial rule. There were groups of Corellians were angry and mistrustful and several factions wanted no part of the GFFA. They were a minority, but they were a well armed minority. Leia and her delegation were going to have to come up with some form of economic bridge until they could get their industries running again. It was all the more complicated because the treasury for the GFFA was very low on funds. Most had gone towards the war effort and the details of trade, taxes and tariffs had yet to be worked out on most worlds.
Bail Organa had informed his daughter shortly before his death that it took a generation to build a government. If that was true, Leia thought ruefully, they had a long, long way to go. She was already exhausted. She was the Minister of State for the interim government, and she felt as if she was way in over her head. Han urged her to be confident in her abilities, that she was better at her work than she thought she was. His support had been unwavering, but time apart was getting to both of the newlyweds.
Han had not arrived when she entered their apartment. Leia basked in the quiet; her job consisted of her talking and listening to everyone else talk. Silence was rare and wonderful. Of course, it was nicer when Han was there with her. She loved the quiet evenings when they'd curl up on the sofa, sometimes watching the sports channels or a holoflick together, other times just listening to the other breathe contentedly, feeling the warmth of their bodies near each other, and then taking it into the bedroom. Their mattress was wonderful; she and Han had 'interviewed' many of them before deciding on the one they had now. And we had a lot of fun doing it, she smiled to herself.
She would have to do laundry; there was no time to send it out, which was a luxury she indulged in at times when her schedule was overwhelming.
The problem was, lately her schedule, if it could be called that, was always overwhelming. Leia was organized by nature, and disruptions seemed to be the nature of her job, at least right now. This created some dissonance for her. She would prepare and prepare, and it never survived the opening salvo.
Everyone wanted change overnight. And of course, no one wanted to finance it.
Her discontent reigned supreme as she fed clothing into the valet. Mon Mothma had indicated that Leia should plan on seven to ten days. She had a hard time being away from Han for more than a few days. She would hunger for his touch, his kisses, his silky gravel voice. The voice surprised her when they were a new couple; he tended to live life out loud. But she discovered that when it was just the two of them, he talked softly, and she shivered at the thought of how sexy it was. She couldn't wait till Han arrived home. As annoyed as she was, she was not about to let it get in the way of sexy time with her husband.
She was feeding another work dress through the valet and about to put it on a hanger when she heard the door slide open and a familiar voice call out, "Honey, I'm home!"
Leia had to smile as Han gave her his rakish smile. The two embraced as if they'd been apart for a year as opposed to twelve hours.
"There's something I have to tell you," Han said during a break between kisses."
"What?"
Han rolled his eyes and groaned in disgust. "I have to take five members from the Counsel for Free Elections to Dantooine tomorrow."
"That's a three day trip in each direction," Leia said unhappily.
"Yeah, tell me about it. I also have to do some drop shipments in some of the worlds in that system. I'll be gone about ten days."
"I was about to break the same bad news to you, except I'm supposed to quell an uprising on Corellia."
Han laughed. "These are probably the same guys who've protested everything since before time began."
"They're willing to resort to violence," Leia told him. "We've intercepted several transmissions regarding their willingness to use violence against anyone they deem sympathetic to the GFFA."
"Yeah, and they'd done it against the Empire until the Empire tried to have 'em all killed. It'll be fine."
"What do you suggest, as these are your people?"
"They're not my people. My people are far more perverted and more interested in drinking and fistfights than war. Just give 'em your 'I've had enough of you bastards' look that you're so good at."
Leia had to laugh. "I do not have that look."
"Sweetheart, nobody knows better than I that you have that look." He winked at her.
"Well, I had to practice it on someone," she replied. "And gods know you provided me with enough material."
"All part of my charm, sweetheart."
"You're terrible," Leia said, giving Han an exasperated yet affectionate eye roll. "What should we do about dinner?"
"Seeing as we only have till early tomorrow morning, I'd vote for home delivery."
Leia went to her datapad, which contained no less than twenty-seven take out and delivery menus from local restaurants, and represented but a fraction of the over two hundred different types of ethnic food that had taken hold on Coruscant, catering to species and tastes of all kinds.
"Anything in particular?" Leia asked him.
"As long as it's dead, I'm open for it."
Leia placed an order. "It's an hour for delivery," she said to Han.
Han gave her a boyish yet lascivious grin. "How about we had dessert first?"
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Leia was nestled against Han's chest, his arm around her shoulders. It was their usual post coital position, a feeling of warmth and safety experienced by both partners. The sky had gone dark; winter daylight on Coruscant was short lived but even the bitter cold didn't dim the city lights. They flickered like a thousand candles in the window of their bedroom, the points of light dancing across their skin.
Han moved first. "Seeing as our dinner's going to be here soon, at least one of us should get decent."
"Only if you promise that we'll get naked again after dinner," Leia said with a sly smile.
"Your wish is my command."
The eight bell chime rang out, indicating that someone was at the door.
Leia slipped into her silk robe in a deep purple that complemented her coloring while Han paid the delivery person.
Both were ravenous, but it was not lost on Leia that Han's eyes were somewhere south of her mouth.
"Aren't you going to eat your dinner?" she said coyly.
"I'm eating. But I'm enjoying the view."
Leia was enjoying the sight of Han shirtless but was trying to be discreet about it. Han had utterly abandoned it.
"The meal's delicious," Han commented, "but I think your breast will be more tasty."
"You're a very bad boy, you know," Leia arched an eyebrow.
"I plan to prove this to you after dinner," Han grinned.
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The two had made love twice that night, and too soon, morning was upon them.
Han and Leia were packed and got into Han's speeder. Freezing rain pelted the windows as they drove to the transport station first.
Leia sighed. "I keep wondering, when's it going to be over?"
"When's what going to be over?" Han asked her.
"The war. I know it's technically over, but it certainly doesn't feel like it."
"Yeah, no kidding. You could holoconference."
"Sometimes there's no substitute for face to face."
"And there's no teleportation for heavy equipment," Han grumbled.
Leia looked over at him gently. "Well, we're going to have to figure something out if we're to go ahead with your plan."
"What plan is that?"
"You said something about kids. Babies. Little people."
Han gave her a look of surprise. "Really?"
"Well, there's one thing you can say about parenthood," Leia laughed gently.
"And that is?"
"Once you do it, it's never going to be over!"
"I think that's what I like about it."
"I love you," Leia said to Han after they kissed.
"I know."