Aftermath Chapter 2
Han Solo watched Leia as she talked to Luke using animated gestures. She was smiling openly and nodding emphatically at everything he said and some small part of him felt the slight sting of jealousy. He wanted to walk over there, feel the beam of her smile directed at him and the gaze of her eyes into his. But that was stupid. What was it to him that she could talk to Luke that way and not to him? He didn't even know if he was sticking around past tomorrow. Besides, if she wasn't drunk already, she was getting tipsy.
Han had been drunk enough times himself and for enough reasons to know why Leia was hitting the booze. And it wasn't to have a good time. Hells, if his entire planet and family had just been destroyed in the blink of an eye, he'd be getting drunk too. Not to mention whatever nightmare she was subjected to as a prisoner of Darth Vader. She was scheduled to be terminated, Luke had said. That meant they had tortured her enough and either got what they wanted or figured they wouldn't get anything else out of her. Watching her try and forget for a few moments made the strong-willed princess seem more vulnerable somehow. Made him want to protect her.
He took another sip of his own drink. He had to get away from this train of thought. Where was Chewie, anyway? One glance around the room was enough to find the seven-foot-tall wookiee by the food table, stuffing his face. Well, maybe he could use some food himself. But instead of making a grab at some of the fair – which was mostly rations anyway — he found himself making up a plate for Leia instead, thinking she could use it more than him.
He wandered over to where Luke and Leia were laughing uproariously but once they noticed him their laughter stopped suddenly, except for a few involuntary snorts from Leia. Luke greeted him enthusiastically.
"Han! We did it!" He yelled and whacked him on the back. "If you hadn't come back for me, I'd be a goner!"
Han grinned at the younger man, whose face was starting to redden from the alcohol. Han suspected it was Luke's first time drinking.
"Yep, I managed to save your ass all right, kid," he drawled. "But I'm known for my good timing. Speaking of which, Your Holiness might want to have a little snack just about now."
Leia didn't speak but she eyed the plate he held out to her with some thought. Then she said calmly, "No, I don't think so. I don't think that's what I need at all."
Han sighed. Why was he bothering, anyway. Let her get drunk. Only he didn't want to see he spiral downward. But he couldn't force her to eat so he offered the plate to Luke instead, who gulped everything down like he was giving Chewie a run for his money.
"Well, what do you need, Princess?" He said it with a leer. He was still Han Solo after all. But to his surprise she didn't come back with a retort. She was looking straight into his eyes and it was unnerving. Then a blush creeped up her cheeks and she turned away, looked down, looked up, looked around the room until her eyes fell back on Luke.
"I need a dance with the hero of the Rebellion. What do you say, Luke?"
"Sure, Leia," Luke said happily and lead her onto the makeshift dance floor, leaving Han alone.
The song was a fast one and he watched them bounce happily around each other, somehow in sync.
After a minute he felt Chewbacca's presence at his side. The wookiee rumbled something to him.
"I am NOT staring at her," he said, grumpily. But he didn't take his eyes of her petite form as she danced around Luke, noting to himself that they never touched.