Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, I just make them do stuff. I do not profit from this in any way, shape or form.
Author's Note: I felt like Han and Leia needed a little fluffy moment after everything I put them thru so far.
Feedback and reviews always welcome, they make me smile!
Leia had recovered from her blaster wound she received on Bakura remarkably well. Han had tended over Leia for the days that followed their return to the base, always making sure she wasn't overdoing it and getting plenty of rest. There were moments that Leia grew annoyed at his constant attention to her, but she had promised him that she would allow him to care for her. She felt at first she was a child again, back in the Alderaanian palace, constantly being monitored and waited upon, something she hated, her independent spirit always wanting to care for herself. She had to remind herself that Han wasn't trying to hamper her, but that he genuinely cared for her and her well being.
As her strength returned, she became restless with lack of work to do. She began pacing the thru the Falcon, tidying up closets and storage spaces that hadn't been touched in years. Han noticed her growing annoyance at the fact Mon had not yet assigned anything to her. A few days prior, they had both attended de-briefings and meetings about what had happened on Bakura, Leia quickly finishing the reports in a matter of hours upon returning to the ship, relieving her boredom temporarily. She had expected to be back to work after completing the reports, but nothing more came her way, days passing as she returned to organizing things around the Falcon, her restlessness growing more so than ever. Now that Leia had healed, Han had returned to making repairs to the Falcon, using the down time to finally get to adjustments and repairs on the ship he had put off for too long.
Leia stood from the floor in the bunk on the Falcon. She had been kneeling in front of a row of drawers, refolding clothes for the third time this morning. Her comm buzzed on the table. She walked to pick it up and answer, Mon's voice coming over it.
"Princess Leia, I have some good news for you. We have received word from troops stationed on Chandrila that the Imperial blockade has fallen and any Imperial control left on the planet has dissipated" a tone of excitement in her voice as Mon spoke.
Leia was familiar with the events that had been occurring on the planet. While she was sent to Bakura, Chandrila faced it's own set of problems. The Imperials had set up a blockade of Star Destroyers around the planet, refusing any traffic to or from the planet's spaceports.
"I would like for you to come meet me in my office to discuss the situation with me. Are you busy at the moment?"
Leia felt giddy at the idea of getting back to work. She stood near the com with a half folded pair of Han's pants in her hands and smiled to herself. "No, Mon, I'm not busy at all at the moment. I will come meet you shortly" she said as she tossed the pants towards the floor. If I had to organize another item on this ship, I might have lost it completely she thought to herself as she switched off the com and readied herself to meet Mon.
Chandrila was a place that Mon Mothma held dear to her, it being her home world and a place she deeply loved. It broke her heart to know of what the Imperials tried to do to her people under their control during the war. Mon's heart filled with joy knowing that her home was now liberated from Imperial control and immediately contacted Leia to meet with her. Mon had regained her position of power on Chandrila and knew Leia would share her exuberance to re-establish the New Republic there.
Leia entered Mon's office to find her sitting at her large desk casually flipping thru her data pad.
"Princess Leia, wonderful to see you" Mon smiled at her as she set her data pad down and looked in her direction. "Please, take a seat" she gestured towards a chair near her desk.
Leia sat across the desk from Mon as she had been instructed.
"I'm very excited at the wonderful news about Chandrila" Leia beamed.
Mon smiled back at Leia. "It's a wonderful day for not only Chandrila, but for the New Republic as a whole." Mon replied. "I know you will be a great help to me, your diplomatic and political skills are more than I could ever ask for. I do have one request of you. I would like for you to leave for Chandrila when you and General Solo are ready, but please take some time to yourselves when you arrive. I have some business of my own to attend to before we can get to work."
Leia was slightly taken aback by Mon's uncharacteristic request of her and also of her addition of Han to the situation. Mon was known for long hours, scheduled meetings and organization, not for relaxation with a significant other. Leia looked at Mon, at a loss of words for a moment. She gathered her thoughts quickly and replied.
"Mon, that's not really necessary. I'm sure there is plenty to do and would like to get to work as soon as possible. I'm sure there is something I can do while you attend you what you need to get done". She paused for a second. " Also, does General Solo know of all of this?"
Mon smiled. "I have already spoken to General Solo about this. You both have been thru so much in the past few weeks. I know you have had time to rest while you recovered from Bakura but Chandrila is a beautiful planet, I want you to enjoy it for a bit before getting back to work". Mon's tone of voice was smooth, but had a hint of insistence to it, alerting Leia to not protest her order any further.
"If you insist, Mon" Leia replied softly.
Leia left her meeting with Mon and walked down the hallway, making her way back towards the hanger and the Falcon. She was still puzzled by Mon's persistence on her taking time off and also her inclusion Han into the trip. Not that it's unusual of her to include Han on a mission with me, but to insist he accompany me on time off, insisting he needs a break too. Maybe something about Bakura changed her? Mon isn't an emotional woman though Leia thought to herself.
Leia approached the Falcon and walked up the ramp to find Han sitting in the lounge. He was dirty, his shirt smeared in grease, an obvious sign he had been doing something to his beloved ship while she was gone.
"Hello my princess" Han smiled as he rose to greet her, kissing her forehead.
"Hello my handsome Corellian " she replied as her arms reached around his waist to embrace him.
"Careful, sweetheart, I'm filthy right now, you'll get grease all over your dress"
"I don't care" she said as she squeezed Han tighter to her.
Han laughed. "You were never a very proper princess".
She giggled as she let him go. She looked up at him. "I can't keep my hands off of you, you are too handsome, even if you are covered in dirt and grease". She rose on her tip toes and kissed Han before speaking again."Why didn't you tell me you spoke with Mon already? I had no idea you were coming with to Chandrila, that you even knew about any of this...she paused for a moment...or that she wanted us to take a few days to ourselves. I was shocked when she told me all of that".
"Wanted to surprise you a little. We get time to ourselves for a bit, that's so rare. We've been through a war and you've been so busy picking up the pieces after the fall of the Empire, don't you think you deserve it, just a little bit?" Han replied.
Leia sighed. She couldn't exactly argue against the point he made. She tried to not think back over the past years of her life, but when she did, there was an overwhelming amount of pain and sadness. She was too strong willed to dwell in the past for long, but the loss of Alderaan and losing Han as he was enveloped in carbonate, amongst everything else that had happened to her, would always haunt her.
"The Falcon's basically ready to go, I've done everything I needed to do while you met with Mon. You ready to go?" Han asked.
"Of course".
The Falcon had arrived at Alliance base on Chandrila late the night before. Leia awoke in the bunk the next morning and noticed Han's absence from next to her. He must have already gotten up she thought. She glanced at the clock. It was hours after she normally would wake up. He let me sleep in, that was sweet of him. She lay in bed for a minute more before deciding she couldn't just lounge around all day. She pulled the blankets from her and rose from the bed and walked to the closet to get dressed.
Leia pulled a light blue sundress over her head, smoothing the fabric down as it fell over her legs. She felt different in it, it being a style that was a far cry from her normal way of dressing. It was a lightweight fabric, simple yet pretty, the hemline only falling to the tops of her knees leaving her lower legs bare. The neckline of the dress dipped slightly across the tops her breasts, exposing a rare hint of cleavage. She felt feminine, the dress being the total opposite of the conservative clothes she would normally wear to meetings and on missions. I'm not going to a meeting today though she had to remind herself.
She walked to the fresher and looked at herself in the mirror. Her hands reached up to her hair and began to braid it tightly. She paused for a moment and looked at her reflection. No, I always pull my hair back because it's functional she thought to herself, her fingers letting go of the braid as the strands unraveled. She combed thru her hair with her fingers and paused for a moment. Her hand reached towards a brush that was resting on the edge of the sink and began pulling the bristles thru her dark chestnut hair. She sectioned out the top portion of her hair and brushed it back away from her face, pinning it back loosely, small strands falling gracefully around her face. The rest of her hair fell gently over her shoulders and down her back. She set the brush down and looked at herself. I forgot how long my hair actually is she thought as she turned slightly to see in the mirror how far down her back it actually went.
She stepped out of the fresher and walked to the closet. She pulled up the door and looked down towards the bottom. She paused once again, looking at her small collection of shoes. Snow boots, work boots, combat boots ...that's all I have is boots? She kneeled down and pushed the row of boots out of her way, leaning in to reach further into the back of the closet. She found a pair of simple nerf leather sandals and pulled them out as she leaned back to remove herself from the closet. She shook them slightly to shake off some dust from them and then pulled them on her feet. She ran her hands down the front of her dress and smiled to herself before palming open the bunk door to go find Han.
Leia walked into the Falcon's lounge and found Han sitting at the holochess table, sipping from a cup of caf. His eyes widened as he saw her. He set his mug down on the table and rose to greet her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close for a kiss.
"You look absolutely beautiful today, sweetheart."
"Thank you".
Leia turned to the galley and poured herself a mug of caf and sat down with Han at the holochess table. She took a long sip as she glanced towards Han.
"What should we do today? It's almost strange to not have anything to do all day" Leia asked.
"I was actually thinking about this….maybe take a walk with me? There's a lake nearby. "
"Han Solo wanting to go on a leisurely stroll? That seems very unlike you" Leia jokingly stated.
Han smiled a lop sided grin. She was right, it was a very strange request to come from him, but they were also in unfamiliar circumstances at the moment. "I just thought it would be nice for once. We've never really had a chance to actually go out somewhere without the fear of some Imperial trying to blast us".
Leia couldn't help but to laugh. It was true. The whole time she had been in a relationship with Han, they had been in constant danger. They had never actually gone anywhere by themselves without having the fear of something happening to them. She knew that she could let her guard down a little now but never completely. There would always be enemies of the Republic, but for now, they could have a little peace.
"That sounds nice". Leia smiled.
Leia reached for Han's arm, gently holding onto the crook of his elbow as they walked down the ramp of the Falcon. They crossed the hanger, a few Alliance pilots passing them as they made their way to the outside. Han noticed the pilots glancing at the princess as they walked past. Han couldn't help but to have a cocky smile on his face. Sorry, fly boys, she's all mine he thought to himself.
A pleasant breeze surrounded them as they exited the hanger and began down the street. The morning sun was warm already, a perfect Chandrilan summer day. Han reached to Leia's hand and wrapped his fingers through hers.
"So where exactly are we going?" Leia asked, smiling at Han.
"Not far actually, it's right up here a bit" He responded, his free hand pointing in front of them.
"How do you know?"
"I saw it as we landed when we got here." Han replied.
"So you've been thinking about this then?"
"It's been in the back of my mind" he smiled.
They reached a large field. A simple wooden pathway cut it's way thru the tall grass that now surrounded them as they made their way towards a sparkling blue lake in the distance. Crystal water stretched out as far as they could see. As they walked, Leia's hand reached out, brushing against the tops of the balmgrass as she past it, the fluffy tops of the grass soft against her fingers. She felt peaceful, a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time. A warm breeze blew across her face and thru her hair, rustling the grass around them. Her thoughts were interrupted by Han squeezing her hand gently. She looked at him, his hazel eyes sparkling in the summer sun. He looked relaxed, an expression that she rarely had seen from him.
"Would you ever marry me, Leia?" Han asked, his voice heavy with curiosity.
"In a heartbeat, of course I would. I just never thought that word was in your vocabulary" she smiled back to him.
"It wasn't until I met you."
"Always arrogant and cocky Solo learned a new word?" Leia jokingly quipped.
"Maybe when I first met you I was, but you know by now that's not how I really am, Leia". Han's expression changed to one that was more serious.
"I'm just kidding with you" Leia said as she playfully nudged Han's arm with her shoulder.
"I'm not kidding with you. I want to marry you, Leia". Han's tone still carried the note of seriousness, causing Leia to pause for a moment. Her thoughts raced for a second. Is he trying to ask me to marry him? Is this his way of proposing to me?
"Are you trying to ask me to marry you?" She asked inquisitively.
"Well, I would first want ask Luke for your hand in marriage, seeing that he's your brother". I can't exactly ask either your adopted or biological father for your hand in marriage Han couldn't help to think.
"You know Luke would say yes in a second if you asked him. You're his best friend" Leia replied, her playfulness subsiding for a moment in reaction to Han's seriousness about the issue.
"I know. I would just want to do things the proper way" Han said.
"Where is my scoundrel and what have you done with him?" Leia joked, her smile returning. Han's expression eased at her comment, a smile spreading back across his face.
Leia had day dreamed of the idea of marriage to Han before, never thinking it was something that could potentially happen. Not that she wasn't completely happy with him and their relationship as it was, but what girl wouldn't dream of being married to most wonderful man in the galaxy? She was already surprised that Han was actually suggesting the idea of marriage to her, let alone wanting to go about things in the proper fashion. In her daydreams, she would always end up married to him in an impromptu decision by the both of them, never in a traditional fashion, Corellian whiskey usually playing a part in it. She thought she was just being realistic with her thoughts, but if Han was actually wanting to do things the proper way, she would not protest in the slightest.
They had reached the lake. Smooth sand stretched out in front of them. Small waves lapped at the shore. They made their way down the beach a short distance to a large weathered tree that rose from the ground. It provided an ample amount of shade, the sun now high in the sky, the air even warmer than before. Han and Leia sat down under the tree, it's weathered branches towering above them. They had walked for the last few minutes in silence, Leia's mind still baffled by the conversation from earlier. Han stretched out his legs in front of him, leaning back on his hands behind him. He took a deep breath and broke their silence.
"I didn't scare you at all with my question did I?" Han asked. He glanced at Leia, searching her expression for some kind of answer before she spoke.
Leia sat with her legs folded under her, the fabric of her skirt draped across them. She looked at Han and smiled. He looked worried, like a little boy who wasn't sure of something.
"Not at all. You know I love you. To spend the rest of my life with you, as Mrs. Solo at that, would be the most amazing thing" she replied.
Han relaxed as Leia answered him. He never felt this unsure of himself and it confused him. He had never been in this position before though, never having someone he loved so deeply that he secretly worried to himself that he could somehow mess it all up. He looked at her, sitting in the grass. Her long hair flowed around her, her pale shoulders peeking thru the dark strands. My princess is the most beautiful woman in the galaxy Han thought to himself and she loves you. Stop doubting yourself so much.
Han laughed. "I rather like the sound of Mrs. Solo". His doubts and fears began to subside. He sat up a bit and wrapped an arm around her. "Or would it be Princess Solo?" he joked as he pulled her close to him.
"It could be whichever you wanted it to be. Everyone else will have to deal with the mouthful that would be Princess Leia Organa Solo" she chuckled.
She leaned against Han's chest, taking in the moment, savoring in the tranquility of it all. She felt Han kiss the top of her head.
"What do you say we head back to base? It's getting really warm out". Han suggested.
Leia had barely noticed the heat around them, too lost in everything that had happened. She glanced at her arms and noticed that they had begun to turn a light shade of pink from the sun. The air around her hung humid and thick now, the once pleasant breeze gone.
"That's probably for the best" she agreed as Han unwrapped his arm from around her. She stood up from the grass, smoothing the wrinkles her dress against her legs . Han also stood, taking her hand as they began to make their way back to the Falcon.