THE NIGHT BEFORE

(Takes place the night before landing on Bespin)

(Leia)

"We're about twelve hours out from Bespin," Han says to me. I should feel relief, but I don't. We've been cooped up in the Falcon for two and a half weeks, flying at sublight to a planet that was the closest safe port we could think of or, more specifically, Han could think of. After we'd been chased by Imperial fighters, flown through an asteroid field and were nearly swallowed by a space slug, we ended up in the Anoat system on the Outer Rim. The Anoat system is undeveloped to the point where facilities for ships to land, restock, refuel and repair are nonexistent, and the Falcon needs all of the above.

Our goal was to find a system that wasn't occupied by Imperial forces, meaning that we couldn't land on any of the Core Worlds. Garrisons exist on every planet within it, most with a heavy presence. That would have been suicide and Han and I agree that suicide isn't something we're interested in.

It seems wrong to admit this in the midst of war, but I've really enjoyed myself on this trip. It's been the first chance I've had to unwind in gods know how long. And I've had a very handsome and sexy smuggler to help me.

I cherish the memory of our first lovemaking. Han said he wouldn't press me into doing anything I was uncomfortable doing, and he didn't. It was my desire that brought us together. I had never made love to any man, but I imagined what it would be like. Doing it with Han wasn't like that. It was much, much better.

"I think we'll let Chewie and 3PO drive for a while while we get something to eat," Han says to me. We're very low on supplies, but Han's made them stretch. We've eaten all the fresh fruits; Han and I both love them and we learned that our favorite is kavasa. There are a few root vegetables left that could be stretched into a soup or stew, some flatbread and some forest honey. We've got a few ration bars left, but for the past few days we've been eating them twice a day and leaving the fresh stuff, if you can call it that, for dinner. One of the problems with being chased down by Imperials and bounty hunters is that you can't just dock somewhere and foodshop. Provisioning the ship is yet another thing we need to do once we get to Bespin.

I'm not feeling all that comfortable with the plan, but we were kind of stuck. Han says he goes way back with this guy. He admits that Lando Calrissian isn't someone he trusts, but knows that he hates the Empire. He's the person Han won the Falcon from. May I say that I'm not surprised he won it in a card game?

I think back to our first kiss in the circuitry bay. Yes, I was frightened and yes, I was trembling. I think part of the trembling may have been desire, wanting so badly to taste his lips, to feel his touch, to take in his scent, to hear his voice rumble soft and low, to see his skin uncovered.

His kiss began soft; I was amazed at the softness of his lips. Then he pulled me close to him, close enough that I could breath in his scent, which was both clean and very definitely masculine. His voice was like silk and gravel as I heard how very long he'd been waiting for this. I began, with trembling fingers, to unfasten his shirt and lean into his chest. He's muscular but not obscenely so. He folded his arms around me as I breathed him in, silky fine chest hairs tickling my skin. When his arms hold me close, I always feel safe. That's not something that's ever happened to me, especially in wartime. But all Han has to do is embrace me, and I feel that there's nothing he wouldn't protect me from. I'm not exactly your average damsel in distress and I sure as hell wasn't looking for someone to treat me as such, but Han makes me feel safe without compromising myself in any way.

Han knows how to do tenderness, protectiveness and courage all at once. He's a real man, and I'm so glad he's my man. I haven't smiled this much since I was a little girl at playtime.

"Let's see if we can make this edible," Han says, taking out the root vegetables and a few remaining seasonings. "No meat left, but we'll see what we can do."

"It'll be fine, I promise," I say and kiss the cook. This is our routine now. It's nice. I never knew how much I'd like it.

"Tomorrow night, I'll take you somewhere nice."

"If they have anything nice. I know that some ports of call have nothing but nerf grease."

"Hey, I grew up on that! Lando wouldn't live anywhere that didn't have fine dining. He likes the finer things in life - good food, good intoxicants, high stakes gambling, fancy clothes, traveling in style, expensive women."

"Sounds like a total charmer." Personally, it reminds me of the boys that I grew up around. It's not hard to tell what I think of them.

"He's an old smoothie," Han says. "Let's let this simmer for a while. We've got a few hours before Chewie's off shift."

"What do you think we should do?" I ask him. It just slipped out, unplanned, instinctively.

He stands in front of me, his hands on my shoulders, and leans down to kiss me on the forehead. "What do I think? You have to ask?" He gives me his lopsided smile that makes him look boyish - and irresistible.

I slide his spacer jacket off. He pulls me in close as it drops to the floor and slides his hand under my jacket, working the back of my camisole up until he reaches my bra hooks. Slowly, gently, he unhooks them easily, with a practiced hand, and then returns to the front, unfastening it and sliding it off my arms, followed by him lifting the camisole over my head and sliding my bra down, adding to the pool started by his spacer jacket.

"Turnabout is fair play," I whisper to him as I unfasten the buttons on his shirt. I run my hands over his chest as I open them one by one. I hear him sigh; it's one of the sweetest sounds I've ever heard.

I'm not stopping at his shirt, nor is he with mine. Slowly, ever so slowly, our clothes fall off, one item at a time, until we're skin to skin. Han lowers me gently to the bed and kisses me, so gently at first that it's just enough to make my nerve endings tingle, then increasing in depth and passion. Han is positively electric, and I get to feel the charge. My worries disappear; it's just him and me and all the feelings we have between us.

Body temperatures rise, covering us in a sheen of sweat, passion radiating from both of us. I can't get enough of him; I want every centimeter of him, I want him all around me, I want to hold him forever and not let go.

I was very shy the first time we made love, but he was so gentle and patient and he encourages me to act on my own instincts. I'm not afraid to touch him anywhere; everything I've done makes him moan and gasp. After only two weeks, we've learned about each others' bodies and what makes each of us shudder with pleasure. I've never felt this kind of closeness with anyone, and it's not simply the physical aspect; that's part of it, to be sure, but emotionally, I feel so connected to Han.

He lowers his mouth to one of my nipples, tasting, kissing, touching, nipping. I cry out with pleasure at each of these ministrations; he does it in such a way that I could have him do it to me every minute, except that I have to sleep once in a while. Han makes me feel ecstatic and calm in the same breath.

I love looking into his eyes as I pleasure him. Sparkling green and amber gives way to dark pools of passion, with emotions set free in the act of love. He moves his hand to my curls, which are soaking wet from his touch; we move together, and our rhythms match.

I want to try something.

"Han," I breathe his name. "There's something I want to try."

"Try it, then," he says gently.

"If you don't like it, or I'm doing it wrong, say so."

"I've liked everything you've done so far."

I slide down on the bed, and take his cock in my hand. I lower my mouth gently on to it. The drops of fluid emerging from it have a vaguely soapy taste, but not unpleasant.

"Is this okay?" I ask him.

"Oh, gods, Leia, what makes you think you even need to ask." His heart is beating fast, his skin shimmers, he can barely speak. I start slowly, taking him in little by little. His hardness reveals that he's definitely enjoying himself.

"Leia," His voice is rough now. "Leia...aargh..." He explodes into my mouth. I feel him shuddering, hear him moaning. If there's a more beautiful sound in the galaxy than Han Solo climaxing, I've never heard it.

I want to hear it again. I lie down on my back.

"If you think you're done for the night, you're wrong," I tell him, smiling at him.

"Mmm." He's just getting his breath back. I kiss each of his nipples and knock it right out of him.

We kiss some more, and I pull him on top of me, our hips together, and the motion slowly begins again. He consumes me, totally possessing me, yet never disempowering me. It's the most incredible sensation I've ever experienced.

"Do you want me inside you?" he whispers raggedly to me.

"Oh yes." He takes his time at first, but then suddenly rushes into me with a hard thrust. Far from being painful or uncomfortable, I find myself in a silver and dark blue rush as I climax, my legs wrapped around his ass, him penetrating me and me crying out his name as he does mine. We both shudder and then, stillness.

I lay my head on Han's chest, and he cradles me in his strong arms. For now I feel safe. I don't know what awaits us at Bespin, and I'm a lot more uneasy about it than I'd like to be.

"You okay, sweetheart?" Han asks tenderly, planting a kiss on my forehead.

"As long as I'm with you, I'm just fine," I assure him.

He smiles tenderly. "And I with you. You give me the best gifts of all, Leia."

"I do?"

"You give me love. You make me not afraid to be vulnerable. You accept me as I am. I don't think there's anything greater than that."

"Han, I never want to let you go."

"I'm good with that."

Bespin is still in the distance. We gently drift off to sleep.