His Royalness

Ok, so the title's a little silly. This takes place in between Episodes 4 and 5.

And I won't go into the disclaimer stuff, 'cause you guys know it. I wrote this at 3am the other night, so hopefully you can enjoy it, lol. R&R, please!

The long, glossy brown hair that stood out among the drab background of the Falcon's galley was unmistakably Leia's. It made Han speechless, and he knew he had never seen the princess wear it down before. He was sure he'd remember.

Han fought the urge to reach for her and run his fingers through her hair before he made his presence known. Gods, how would she possibly react? She'd be furious, like she normally is at him, for trying something like that. But he still found himself hoping she wouldn't be. He couldn't be sure whether it was night or day, and good sense finally asked him why she was here.

"Hey, Your Royalness," Han ventured, "Come to give a kiss goodbye?" He let his familiar smirk grace his features and waited for what was sure to be her angry reaction.

She didn't move. As Han gently touched her small face, turning it upward, he saw her eyes brimming with emotion. "Oh, Han… I – I don't want you to go."

She looked away, but before he could say anything she was standing before him. Her white nightgown glowed in the lights above, and her eyes seemed even larger than usual as they peered into his. He felt she could look straight into his mind, his thoughts. The cold façade she wore every day had been stripped away and Han was suddenly aware of how young Leia was.

In the silence that echoed over the galley, Han's world became infinitely narrowed to the tiny movements Leia took as she moved closer to him. He felt his breath shortening and the coldness of the room was intensified by the touch of her warm hand on the back of his neck as she pulled her face even nearer to his.

"Leia," he murmured. He knew they should stop, but his voice gave away his longing.

As their lips finally met Han felt his reserve give away, and the most important thing in the universe became kissing her….

Han woke with his head pressed against the corner of the galley table. "Damn." His head swum a little from drinks the night before. Maybe that's why he dreamt about her. Bad alcohol or something; maybe alcohol poisoning.

He was still trying to create an explanation when he heard a low rumble across the table, which sounded remarkable like a chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Han glared.

Chewie snorted. "Had a good dream?"

Han slid out of the bench to his cabin. "Shut up, Hairball."

As much as he hated to admit it, it was a good dream. A very good dream. Usually dreams about attractive women weren't so, well, tasteful. It usually involved some dancer he had flirted with at a bar or a woman he had done a little more than flirt with.

Somehow dreaming of the princess was becoming a routine, and one that needed to end. He was leaving soon to pay off his debt. "The woman drives me crazy," Han muttered as he stepped into the fresher. Besides, as he wryly told himself, she's Luke's girl.

Han remembered his conversation with Luke when they first met, before they destroyed the Death Star.

"You think a princess, and a guy like me?"

Luke had been quick to answer no, and Han had only asked to bother him. Smugglers and princesses aren't exactly found in fairy tales. And Leia was the biggest pain he had ever met. Yet, he still caught himself staring at her when she was preoccupied. He thought sometimes the kid might notice, and he hoped he wasn't that obvious. She was mesmerizing, even when she was angry.

Han caught his reflection in the mirror. There was a huge crease in his forehead from sleeping on that table that looked like a very deep wrinkle. He tousled more of his hair into his face, appearing scruffier, as Leia liked to put it, than usual.

"Chewie, let's get out of here!" he yelled.

A voice answered that was definitely not Chewie's. "Han, can we talk?"

...to be continued