"Get in there!" the guard yelled in Huttese, shoving the three friends into the dungeons of Jabba's Palace. Luke Skywalker caught himself most impressively, while Chewbacca steadied himself shakily. Han Solo, on the other hand, fell face first into the flooded floor. The guard laughed deeply before shuffling away. Luke and Chewie winced before bending over to help their friend. They grabbed the smuggler by the elbows, who proceeded to spit as he was blindly lifted to his feet.
"Please tell me that was water..." Han sputtered hoarsely, making Luke smile slightly. The young Jedi assisted the Corellian to the corner of the room with the help of their wookie compainion. Luke gently helped Han sit down on a mostly dry part of the rocky floor. Once Han was situated, Luke slid down beside him. The spot where he sat was much more damp than Han's, but Luke didn't mention that.
Chewie stepped away, giving the old friends some time to catch up. They hadn't seen each other in well over six months, and what with Han being in carbonite the majority of it, he was a little behind on the times. Han was still blinded from carbonation sickness, although he was getting slightly better. Instead of total darkness, he could see colorful spots in the black abyss. That had to count for something, right?
Han was still trembling, sweat sticking to his forehead. He hadn't felt so sick since he had been tortured on Bespin. Luke watched his friend, wrapping his arms around his own knees as he did so. They were both quiet for a little bit; too quiet for Han's liking. He finally broke the silence when it became rather unbearable.
"K-Kid," he stuttered. Han didn't meant to speak so shakily, but his throat hurt after so long without use. Not only that, but he was anxious about the question he was soon to ask. "how long have I been out?" Luke tensed at the question. He had hoped otherwise, but he knew Han would ask eventually. He knew he would have to tell him sooner or later.
Luke sighed, running a hand through his sandy blond hair. Han waited patiently for an answer, but the long moment of silence from the younger man worried him. "Nearly seven months." Luke finally whispered, glancing away. Han raised his eyebrows, stomach twisting with shock. The combination of surprise and carbonation sickness made the smuggler nearly want to vomit, but he swallowed the urge.
"S-Seven months?" he stumbled, then mentally scolded himself. He shouldn't sound so panicked or sick. He was probably worrying Luke. The brunet sighed, rubbing his face with a shaky hand. "Took you long enough to get me out." he joked, trying to make it seem like he wasn't that concerned. Luke smiled, and even though Han couldn't see it, he still could tell he had.
"Sorry." Luke grinned, but then turned serious. The blond suddenly sounded sadder. "I really am. I wanted to rescue you sooner, but there was much I still needed to learn from Yoda." Han's smirk dropped, and he suddenly realized how much he must have missed while in carbonite.
The Corellian had noticed Luke sounded a little different since they had last seen one another. He sounded calmer. His voice was softer, and he even appeared to speak more clear and collect. Han wondered if his friend looked different had he been able to see him. It hurt to think that the young Jedi could have grown so much in such a short time, and to think Han had missed it all.
The smuggler hated the unnatural prison that was carbonite. He still renembered the abyss of nothing he had endured for what felt like years. The freezing cold that had plagued him for months on end haunted his memory. Han remembered hearing voices, but not being able to tell if they were true or mere fiction created by his mind. He remembered the agony of being stuck and the sensation of going mad. He had been lonely, and he had wanted to just die.
Now Han was free. Well, sort of, anyway. He was still stuck in Jabba's palace, but at least Luke was there and Leia was alright. Han shifted in his spot, shivering as water seeped through his pant legs. He tried to move away, but that was difficult seeing as how he couldn't actually see where he needed to move.
Han bumped into Luke, who helped the Corellian move back into place. Han mumbled a "thanks" before pausing, seeming to become lost in thought. Luke watched him thoughtfully in case the smuggler had been hurt. After a moment, Han sighed. "That's okay, kid." he smiled. Luke tilted his head in confusion. Han went on. "It doesn't matter how long it took ya to get me out of that icy hell, you still came back. So... Thanks."
The brunet's last words came out uncertain, as if he had never really used them before. To be truthful, he hadn't. Han had never had a real reason to thank someone, and now that he did, the words came out awkwardly. However, no matter how uncomfortable saying it had been, there was one hundred percent honesty in his voice.
Hearing the words be spoken from his friend's mouth made Luke beam with pleasure, and Han felt that smile burrow past his blindness and shine bright in his vision. Han smiled back just as brightly, and not just his regular half smirk. This smile was wide and crooked and far too big for the Corellian's face. They both continued to smile, silence enveloping them both. Yet it wasn't an awkward, uncomfortable silence. It was a peaceful one.
Even though they were stuck in a dungeon in Jabba's palace, even though they were supposed to be executed the very next day, they were both calm and happy. The two friends were together and alright, and that is what mattered. Han's smile wavered slightly when he felt tears glisten in his eyes. Oh, great... He thought, trying to hold back the flow of steady tears falling from his eyes. The smuggler wasn't sad, but it just felt so good to be loved for a change. He couldn't help it.
When Luke saw Han crying, concern immediately flooded into his blue eyes. "What's wrong?" the blond asked, reaching over to help his friend in some way. Chewie rushed over from the other side of the room, his big footsteps making water splash up from beneath his feet. He growled and roared, asking Han if he was alright. Han tried to wave them both away, wiping at his eyes as he did so.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." He assured. The two watched him worriedly. "It's just the sickness makin' my eyes water." his friends stared a moment longer before sitting beside the Corellian. Chewie roared gently, wrapping his big furry arms around Han. Luke placed one arm over the smuggler's shoulders in a brotherly fashion, comforting him silently.
Han said nothing, feeling awkward yet oddly happy under the embrace of his two friends. He smiled, the tears continuing to fall from his eyes in a stream. Things were going to be alright. They were going to get through this. Just like they always did.