"Don't freak out."

Han turned around. He was in the kitchen of the apartment that he and Leia shared. After a long flight home from a job that had kept him off-planet for two weeks, Han was glad to be home. He had assumed that Leia was still at the office.

Leia entered the kitchen somewhat timidly. The left side of her face was bruised and her arm was in a sling.

"What happened?" gasped Han. He reached out to touch her face but drew back his hand, not wanting to hurt her. His heart hammered in his chest.

"Minor speeder accident," explained Leia, "No big deal."

Han's eyes anxiously scanned her form, intent on cataloguing any and all injuries.

"Are you okay? Your arm-" he started.

"Just a fracture," she said, quickly," I was trying to stop my face from hitting the dashboard."

Han didn't respond, too busy trying to decide whether to freak out or not.

"Clearly, I succeeded," joked Leia, weakly.

He sighed, opting to calm down and asked, "When did this happen? Why didn't you call me?"

Leia swallowed. "Last night. I-I didn't want you to do any of your signature death-defying moves in order to get home faster."

Han looked ready to interrupt, but Leia said, "There had already been one accident involving transport. I didn't want there to be another one."

"You should have called me."

"Can you honestly tell me you wouldn't have taken unnecessary risks flying here once I told you?"

"That's not the point."

"Maybe not. But you're here now, in one piece and that's what I wanted," Leia said, stubbornly.

Han was quiet again for a few seconds, processing everything. He moved closer to her and asked, "But you're okay?"

"I'm fine," answered Leia, firmly. "The sling comes off in a couple of weeks and the bruising will be gone in a couple of days."

Han glanced at the bruising again; just looking at it made him jittery, as if he should be doing something, anything to help her.

Leia recognised his expression. "Come on," she said, softly, "Sit down with me."

Han's face relaxed slightly and he took her outstretched hand. She led him to the couch in their lounge room. They sat down and Han put his arm along the back of the couch. He wanted to put it around her, but didn't want to put pressure on her arm. Leia sighed and rested her face in the crook of his arm. Her uninjured hand found its way to his thigh, which she squeezed reassuringly.

She looked up at him and his attention was again drawn to the painful looking bruises. Being somewhat of a collector of them, he knew what sort of impact was needed to cause the discolouration on her face. Han winced, sympathetically.

"I'm fine," Leia repeated. She tilted her chin up, her intent obvious and then they were kissing.

Han found himself releasing all of the panicky feelings he had felt upon seeing her injuries into the kiss. Leia was equally passionate. It occurred to Han that she may have been putting on a strong front for his benefit and that she could need a release just as much as him, maybe more.

Han pulled a pillow from behind him and placed it behind Leia. She lied down and his hands roamed over her body, careful to avoid the injuries.

She gripped his arm tightly, frustrated by his apprehension. He decided to kick it up a notch. As they hungrily kissed, Han's hand slid between them to undo her pants. She eagerly helped him remove them before pulling him so that he was hovering over her body.

As their fervour increased and more clothing was thrown to the floor, it became easier and easier to let go of the fear that had been building up since Leia had entered the kitchen.

Afterwards, as they lay together on the couch, catching their breath, Han's arm brushed against the fabric of the sling on her arm and the fear crept into him again. He leaned on his elbow and looked his Princess in the eye.

"Are you really okay?"

Leia bit her lip and was quiet for a long time. Han knew that she recognised that he hadn't just been asking about her physical well-being.

"It scared me." she admitted. "I thought I was done feeling like that, the fear and adrenalin...now that the war's over."

Han brushed a tendril of hair out of her face, encouraging her.

"I guess it was just a reminder that even when you're not risking your life everyday fighting in a war; there can still be frightening everyday not-war-related situations."

She smiled and said, "I guess it was pretty silly to forget that."

"It's not silly," Han said, "When the war was over, you... relaxed. You didn't have to be in hyper-alert war mode. You should feel like that. You can't live your life constantly on edge."

Leia closed her eyes as Han pressed a kiss into the side of her head. She stretched and purred, "Well, I definitely feel less tense now that you're home. You sure know how to uh- "relax" a girl.

She grinned and trailed her hand down the arm he was leaning on. The light-hearted tone of Leia's teasing finally reassured Han that she was okay.

He leaned forward and kissed her deeply.