CHAPTER 2:
Solo slowly opened his eyes to a brightly lit room. The automated lighting system replaced the natural light the base didn't have being that it was buried under a few kilograms of snow. The system was meant to keep the rebels on schedule. It could be overridden, but neither Han nor Leia thought of that the night before.
Han rolled to his back and groaned. He felt as if he finished off the cheapest Dantooine beer and chased it down with a couple of bottles of Tatooine tequila. He pressed the palms of his hands against his eyes. He definitely wasn't drinking last night, but he wished he had. He'd probably feel better than he did at the moment. Han slowly sat up and rubbed the back of his head.
Then his eyes fell upon the sleeping girl next to him. Leia was almost as pale as Luke when Han found him, and his breath caught in his throat. He gazed upon her lips, which were rosy not blue. He tried to push his fears to the back of his mind and tried to focus on the fact that he had never seen her sleeping in her own bed next to him. She wasn't an epitome of death, he reassured himself. Rather, she looked just the opposite, an angelic being too beautiful to be mortal. But she is mortal…
Han shivered. Maybe it was time for him to leave. After all, it was Han's policy to leave before his conquest woke up. But Leia wasn't a conquest. Still, after last night's emotional breakdown, Han really had no desire to face her. He reached out for his holster, and his fingers fell upon the hair pins that he had pulled out of the princess' hair the night before. Han's fingers froze. He dropped his elbows to his knees. A stifled groan escaped his lips as he buried his head in his hands. He should have left a long time ago, before he became attached to Luke, before...
He lifted his head, twisted around, and took another look at the sleeping princess. Her stillness brought to mind the night he spent sleeping next to Luke's lifeless body. Logically, he knew she was just sleeping, and sleeping peacefully at that. But knowing that didn't stop his chest from constricting. He shifted his body so that he was facing her. He watched her intently, willing her to move. But Leia did no such thing.
However, enchanting she may have looked, Han's fears only increased as he gazed upon her. He could wake her, but he still wasn't sure he wanted to be there when she woke up. He reached out and touched her forehead, then retracted his hand as if he'd been burnt. Her skin was cool. Han leaned over her and pressed his ear against her chest, just as he did when he found Luke. Han relaxed slightly as her strong heartbeat resonated through his entire body. Her lungs moved air with a rhythm all its own. Han listened to her life signs for almost a minute before he sat up.
But that wasn't enough for him. He rested his elbows on either side of her head. He then held his cheek close to her mouth and nose, just as he did when he found Luke. Han slowly inhaled as he felt a whisper of warmth against his skin. However, he wanted more than just that slight sign of life. He wanted more assurance despite all the positive signs he found. Han turned his head so that he looked at her. His face was centimeters from her, and his lips hovered over hers. He closed his eyes as he inhaled her breath over and over and over…
Han pulled back. He felt as if he was losing his mind. He had to get out of there. But then as he sat upright, he noticed that a wavy trail of tears slipped from the corner of her eyes and soaked into her pillow. He pressed his lips together. Leia cried in her sleep. At least she did let out her grief, even if it wasn't freely shared with Han. Han gingerly wiped away her tears and found that they still flowed. He pulled the covers so that she was adequately covered. Perhaps that would warm her skin up. His instincts screamed at him to run out of that room and never look back. He let out a sigh. Then Han deactivated the lights, lied down on his back next to her, and stared at the ceiling.