a/n: takes place around the same time as 'Forward' - so Leia and Winter are girl talkin', but they're catching us up on some things, too. y'all - these are so fun and easy to write.


Girl Talk

"Blowjobs, Belts? Braids Required."


Winter's apartment - Winter and Tycho's apartment; the newly christened Celchu Homestead, as Winter kept wittily referring to it - was even more gorgeous decorated than it had been when Leia had first viewed it with her friend last year. Though she had seen it several times since Winter had purchased it - for a touring of it, for measurements with Winter and a decorator, just to offer a second opinion - she had not seen it since it had been furnished and made a home, in every sense of the word.

This was the first Leia was seeing of the place since Tycho and Winter had returned from their honeymoon - undertaken directly after their wedding, and the closing ceremonies at the Haven - and settled in. She had given her friend time and space to ease down from the post-wedding high, situate herself in her new reality - not only had Winter not lived with Tycho outside of her vows, she hadn't lived by herself, either; her home had always been in a palace, or an Embassy, under Organa eyes. She left it up to Winter to determine when she was able to take breath and resume their much-needed, women-only evenings, during which they discussed everything from the innocuous to the troublesome.

It took long enough that they were both itching for one of their gossip nights - but they had spent so much time together at the Haven that it wasn't too much of a test of patience to wait. The wait was worth it, Leia felt, for Winter to have her sacred time with Tycho, and to adjust to living with him - to make the apartment she was so proud of all hers - all theirs - -and then show it off in a grand presentation.

The modern, sleek style of it reflected Winter's personality and tastes so well, and Leia spent ample time fawning over it - as any best friend would. She truly did admire everything about it - it suited Winter, and she supposed it suited Tycho, though he was such an easy-going fellow, Leia doubted he had complaints about anything at all, much less the sort of carpet or all decor in his home. For the most part, Tycho Celchu seemed unbelievably besotted with Winter and still, years later, shocked at his good fortune in not only finding her again, but finding that she still harbored an interest in him - an interest strong enough to develop into what they'd committed to now.

And that was really all that Leia required out of Tycho - that he be good to, and soundly in love with, her foster sister.

She had given her royal approval to the match, after all - a fact of which she often teasingly reminded Winter.

Tonight, after the requisite tour of the premises - and plenty of lewd remarks from Winter regarding her escapades in every corner of it with her new husband - both women were settled on the luxuriously upholstered sofa in the living area. Winter's chandelier was set on a low, relaxed setting, and her holo flickered with scenes - muted - of a series they used to enjoy in their pre-teen years - they had taken a break from mocking the tastes of their adolescence to indulge in dessert, and the true purpose of of these evenings - talk, plain and simple; unfiltered, and uninhibited.

Armed with frozen sweet cream - blumfruit and vanilla flavored - Leia was eager to pick her friends' brain regarding newlywed life; Winter herself was eager to share her thoughts, and hear Leia's insights - and on that note, both of them had plenty to dig into on more than one topic -

"We haven't sat down this way in a while," Winter remarked, arching her brows thoughtfully. "We see each other daily, but there isn't always depth to the conversations we have on a regular basis - "

"Depth, or frozen cream," Leia said seriously.

Winter nodded solemnly, and pointed at hers before digging her spoon in -

"You can suit yourself, but in about an hour, I'm gonna start using wine as syrup."

Leia waved her hand gallantly - her lack of drinking did not disallow Winter from indulging.

"Where's Tycho tonight?" Leia asked.

"Watching one of the races, with his cadre," Winter answered. "He won't be back until exceptionally late - and I would find it amusing if he's been drinking, but he rarely has more than one or two ales," she explained. She shrugged. "If you stay over, he can sleep in one of my impeccably decorated guest rooms," she said slyly.

"And subject Tycho to the same frustrations Han suffers?" Leia quipped.

"It's only fair," Winter offered. "He must pay his dues - better yet, we'll send Tycho home to Han, and see if they dare do anything about it."

Leia grinned - Han was constantly annoyed, and confused, by the fact that despite there being two guest spaces in his and Leia's current home, Winter still ended up on his side of the bed if she slept over after girls' night - right in his space, effectively banishing him to the couch, or one of the other rooms - why the hell does she sleep with you? - he'd grumble, consternated - why do you sleep together? - Leia's simple answer of - we weren't done talking - was never quite satisfactory for him, and Han would just shake his head, grumbling something about women and their absurd habits - one of these days, Princess, I'm gonna pick you up and take you with me to the guest room!

Winter's mocking of Han was ceaseless, of course - Why can't you sleep without her, Han? Is she your security blanket?

"I have more sympathy for old Han now," Winter sighed, half-serious. "I'm so used to sleeping with Tycho - and I really mean just sleeping, sharing a bed with him constantly - that I was very put out when he worked an overnight shift last week and left me alone."

"Mmhm," Leia murmured. "It does become a security thing," she sighed.

"I'm also not use to having a home to myself," Winter snorted, "so being alone it is - alarming."

"This is a safe community, though, yes?" Leia asked.

"Of course. It's - Coruscant, though. One never knows."

Leia nodded - that was certainly true. She settled back against the armrest of her side of the sofa, and arched her eyebrows, poking her spoon around in her dessert to soften it up better and looking at Winter expectantly.

"So, married life," she drawled. "How is it? What are your thoughts? May I offer you sage counsel and platitudes?" she asked, deadpan.

"Hmm, no need to reiterate that we're reaching places where you are the expert," Winter retorted. She arched a brow right back. "What is the number one advice you'd offer someone asking you about marriage?" she asked curiously.

Leia cocked her head, pausing thoughtfully for a moment.

"Have two 'freshers," she decided.

Winter snorted.

"Well, we've the money for that - for sharing reasons? Each get their own? Tycho and I share the master."

"Of course you do," Leia laughed, "so do Han and I - but sometimes, someone is taking up space shaving, or running late, or both of you need the sani," she trailed off.

"Seems solid," Winter agreed.

She sat back, tilting her head back and forth thoughtfully, mulling over Leia's original question. She smiled widely, using her spoon to soften her own frozen dessert as well, and then shrugged.

"It's wonderful," she said simply. "I'm happy with him, and it's everything I thought it would be, and there's something so...safe about the sacrament, you know?" Winter put her free hand to her chest, palm flat. "I respect it as much as any Alderaanian, but I never thought it was for me, when I was a teenager - but this feels so right. I know there is plenty of argument to be had for marriage as an obsolete institution, or even an aromantic one, given the legal bindings and possible pitfalls - but I feel like those legalities make it so much stronger, and so sacred," she went on, her face lighting up: "it isn't about staying together under the law - and anyone can stay together or break up, marriage or not, but something about this sort of commitment makes it harder to walk away or give up, and just knowing that reinforces how serious I was about him, to make the commitment - does that make sense?"

Winter lowered her hand, hugging her bowl to her chest.

"I don't think about things ever going sour between myself and Tycho, but with relationships outside of marriage, I think there's the tendency to think you'll break up if things go wrong, but for us - it's about 'well, we'll get through it; we promised - wanted that.'"

Leia nodded. It made perfect sense to her - she'd already made the same vows, in the same traditional ceremony.

"Also, wearing my hair unbraided in public is a plus," Winter added, less sentimental - and Leia laughed, agreeing around a mouthful of frozen cream -

"Less work," she agreed, licking her lips. "If you wake up late, you merely brush it, sweep it into a half-pulled back style - "

"So long, though," Winter groaned.

Leia's hand flew to her own shorter style, brushing at the ends temptingly.

"I'll return the favor," she offered wryly - Winter had, of course, been the first person to cut Leia's hair short, in so much as Alderaanians defined short. She leaned a little closer, jabbing her spoon at Winter pointedly. "It may give Tycho a thrill," she whispered.

"It gave Han one?"

"I told you about this!"

"No, in your usual Leia way, you said he liked it, and then did something suggestive with your eyebrows, and refused to elaborate," Winter accused.

Leia gave a dramatic sigh.

"It was short enough that he could see my breasts when I was naked," she said - elaborating, as requested. "Not to mention there were less...literal entanglements."

Winter looked interested.

"I suppose long, loose hair would be a dramatic obstacle, in some cases."

Leia gave her a funny look.

"Surely you've experienced that," she scoffed.

Winter tilted her head, and Leia went on, prompting her: "A knee pinning some hair down, split ends getting caught in a belt buckle," she trailed off. "Winter, I know Tycho isn't the first man you've slept with," she reminded her, snickering.

"Oh, of course not," Winter said, her lips parted. "Well - I mean, he is - with my hair down," she said.

Leia drew back, startled.

"You never took your hair down when you did it?" she asked, her voice going up in a small shriek. "Never?"

"You think I slept with a man with my hair unbraided before I was married?" Winter retorted, drawing back in affront. "What am I, a harlot?"

Leia stared at her, and then flushed, and started laughing.

"Besides," Winter squawked, talking over her indignantly, "in all those trysts in the palace, how long would it have taken me to rebraid it? What would I have done if I had to get away quick, gone dashing through Aldera with it down around my waist, and have Pasha immediately figure out what I'd been doing? I think not, Leia Solo. I think not."

Leia kept laughing.

"I'm a harlot," she snorted, gesturing at her hair. "It was all over Han - and in that tiny bunk on the Falcon? Kriff. His mouth, nose, ears -

"And his belt buckle, did I hear? How did that happen?"

Leia bowed her head, feigning contrition.

"Suffice it to say it was not my best act of fellatio."

Winter howled with laughter, bringing her wrist to her mouth and pressing it to her lips, delighted with the anecdote.

"I take it you got loose?" she asked rhetorically, her words muffled in her hand.

"Eventually - he kept trying," Leia giggled, "to untangle me - without pulling my hair - and without stopping me, so it was," she waved her hand, and furrowed her brow, mimicking Han's gruff voice, "Hang on, Leia, be still - no, uhhh, keep moving...don't stop - hold still..." she broke off into laughter again, and Winter closed her eyes, holding up her hand to make it stop.

Leia quieted down, her laughter trailing off as she scooped up another bite of frozen cream. Winter shook her head, nodding her head as if making quite the serious mental note -

"Got it - blowjob, belt? Braid required."

Leia nodded somewhat solemnly, falling comfortably silent before she looked back up.

"On that note," she said warmly. "I am happy you're enjoying it so far," she said earnestly. "I liked being a newlywed."

"It's charming," Winter agreed. "Everything - our home, Tycho, the idea of our future," she sighed, smiling a little, and then her expression became pensive. "There is - ah, one thing," she began, and Leia listened, watching her face. Winter seemed hesitant for a moment, almost continuing, and then switched gears, becoming more matter-of-fact, curious.

"What's the weirdest thing Han does?"

Leia tilted her head at the question, poking again at the slowly melting frozen cream in her bowl. She cocked an eyebrow at Winter.

"In general or in bed?" she asked.

Winter looked taken aback, and then skeptical.

"Would you tell me if I said bed?"

"No."

She rolled her eyes.

"In general," Winter said obediently - it was what she had meant anyway, but any chance she had to persuade -

Leia thought about it, scooping up a spoonful of the treat. She shrugged.

"I put my feet in his lap when we watch the Holo," she said, "when I'm laying down on the couch. He laces his fingers in between my toes," she decided, "like it's a hand he's holding. And he just sits there and holds my toes."

Winter frowned.

"That's not that weird, Leia."

Leia shrugged again.

"You asked."

"What's weirder is that you put your feet in his lap instead of your head. You snuggle wrong."

"If my head was in his lap, we wouldn't be watching the Holo," Leia retorted smartly. She paused: "We'd be disentangling my hair from his belt buckle after a botched blowjob," she quipped, inserting her spoon into her mouth with a coy wink.

Winter seemed to think that was an appropriate answer, and scraped the bottom of her bowl.

"What's actually weird - -two things, here," she said, trying again, "is that you admit you lay around and watch the Holo in your free time with your husband - plebeian," she accused, "and, that you told me that hilarious story about the belt buckle, but won't give me other sorts of bedroom details."

Leia cocked her head wordlessly - she'd told Winter before that Han's habits and preferences in some departments were off limits, mostly because Leia would be mortified if Han discussed her with his male friends that way, and she chose to practice the standards she expected from him. A little allusion - or funny story - now and then was - different. Winter gave her a narrow glare.

"What does Han do that's really weird, Leia?" Winter needled, her eyes glinting. "C'mon. Pick his nose?"

"All men do that."

"But does General Han Solo pick his nose?"

"I haven't seen him do so," Leia muttered. She paused, wrinkling her brow. "He's," she began, frowning, "...he's not that weird at all," she said, as if just noticing. She frowned a little more, and then squinted at her dessert. An alarming thought occurred to her -

"I think I'm the weird one."

Winter gave a short shriek of laughter.

"He keeps the Falcon to do all of his weird stuff there and make you think you're the weird one," she accused, snickering.

Leia glared at her.

"Why are you asking?" she demanded.

Winter's laughter faded into a soft sigh, and she leaned back, her shoulders falling as she rested her bowl on her knee. She lifted her wrist, tapping her spoon, a small wry sort of smile on her face. She started to answer seriously - and then cocked her eyebrow with interest, gearing up for one final tease.

"Why did you think I might be talking about in bed?" she asked, pursing her lips, and narrowing her eyes sharply. "How weird is he in bed?"

Leia rolled her eyes, her teeth scraping against her spoon.

"You're always talking about in bed," she muttered. "Winter," she added, griping around the cold metal, demanding a true answer.

Winter sighed again, her face relaxing.

"I just want to know that I'm not the only one who thinks being married...that my husband...that living with someone can be-odd," she confessed.

Leia smiled, tilting her head and setting her spoon down.

"You're not, of course not," she promised quietly. "Winter," she said again. "What is it, really?"

"It's nothing," Winter said honestly. "I am happy, I mean that. It's that - living with someone is - radically different than what I'm used to. Living with him like this, I mean - sharing the bed, the 'fresher, the kitchen, the house - all of our stuff meshed, our lives completely entwined - I love it, but then some habits he has, or things I'm not ready for," she shrugged helplessly, "they're weird, or they rankle me - it's hard to explain."

"People have idiosyncrasies," Leia said, "they have - things that make it annoying to live with them, sometimes," she said. "Ahh, listen - Han doesn't like the way I clean dishes. He never has, he still doesn't - it irritates him," she said. She shrugged. "He still loves me. Our marriage is still happy."

"I'm not worried about the love diminishing, or the happiness dying," Winter said quietly. "It's just difficult to navigate," she said, her jaw tightening with frustration. "He'll do something - and I'm sure he feels the same way - and I think, is that normal? Am I okay with that? Can I live with him fucking humming constantly while he gets ready? If I'd known about the humming, I wouldn't have done this," she broke off, snorting, "but that's not true. I'd love Ty even if he hummed through the entire wedding."

Leia listened.

"He hums?"

"He hums so much, Leia," Winter groaned lightly, and then she smiled.

"Well, in this case - if by weird things Han does, you meant irritating as hell," Leia drawled, narrowing her eyes, "he talks to me while I'm brushing my teeth. I can't hear him over the sound or respond without stopping and he always does it. He asks questions that need answers and I have to spit or talk around the toothbrush," she trailed off. "That's the sort of thing you mean, right? Things that are stupid and minuscule, that you'd never thought would bother you but they do."

"Yes," Winter said, emphatic and relieved. "And I start wondering if I'm crazy, or this is normal - I can't believe I didn't live with him before we married," she said, snorting. "Good on you, Leia."

"I don't know if I would have, had Han and I not been trapped together, and learned how to," she said slowly. "Anything bigger than the Falcon - after that - was a mansion compared to it, so that eased things, rather than made it difficult," she reflected. She looked up at Winter. "Perhaps I'm not the best person to talk to on the difficulties of integrating a living situation," she said. "Since Han and I had been living together, multiple times - for a while."

Winter sighed, rubbed her forehead.

"You ought to ask Father," Leia offered.

"Hmm," Winter murmured. "Well, they're royalty; that's different. He and Mama Breha had entirely separate wings in the palace - "

"They never slept apart," Leia said.

Winter equivocated, and Leia offered: "Or Carlist. He never lived with his wife before marriage."

"Did he not?"

Leia laughed.

"Are you forgetting that virtually no one on Alderaan did?" she snorted. "Hence the scandalous alarm over Han in my pre-marital bedchamber."

"I think I am," Winter said softly. "So many live together outside the confines now - whether it be with spouses from other cultures, or just for safety and comfort."

"Mmhmm."

Winter shook her head.

"I can't go ask Carlist or Pasha about domestic bliss!" she scoffed.

Leia smiled, but tilted her head thoughtfully.

"Think of it this way - Mama and Father, Carlist and his wife - all the people we knew on Alderaan, they shared a home only after marriage, and they thrived," she said simply. "You know as well as I do that divorce was rarer on Alderaan than on any other planet - that says something."

"That says all Alderaanians are so polite and accommodating they don't pick fights over someone's whim to leave half-empty kaffe cups all over the place," Winter snorted.

Leia grinned.

"It's just an adjustment," she said. "Do you know what Father told me, about halfway through my first year with Han?" she asked quietly.

"What wise words did Pasha have?"

"He said - that the first year of marriage is always the hardest. And it's because you think you have it all figured out at that point, and all your fights have been had, so it all feels like failure if something isn't perfect," she shrugged, taking a bite of her frozen cream, letting it melt in her mouth as she let the words settle. "It meant a lot to me. I think he's right."

Winter tilted her head, absorbing it.

"I like that," she agreed slowly. "That feels right," she narrowed her eyes at Leia slyly - "You don't get too grown for your hairstyles, Leia; you're only on year two!" she teased.

Leia grinned at that, and Winter sighed, holding her hands up.

"He's always here. Tycho. I'm never alone. He clings to me - or, I think he thinks we're supposed to always be together - but some days, I want him not near me. I want my space. Do you ever just want your space? Want Han to be...away?" she asked earnestly.

Leia thought about it hesitantly. She swallowed hard, and chose her words carefully -

"Not really, no," she said slowly. "I...spent a lot of time alone, isolating myself. Unable to make connections. I think, because of that...I like him there. If I'm moody, he leaves me alone. He waits for me to sort it out, or come to him. But...I don't ever wish I lived alone. I want him there, in the next room. Or even if I don't feel like talking...sometimes I just want him there, so I can look over and see him," she said quietly. "Know he's not going anywhere."

Winter let her spoon clang against her bowl.

"I think that's a better description of how I feel," she said. "I don't always want him to ask me what's wrong or be around me. But I want him there," she agreed. "I love him - I want him."

Winter's brow furrowed, and she sat forward, letting out a breath.

"I - wow, well maybe I just needed to tell someone I'm not a natural at living in such close quarters with him," she snorted.

"It takes some getting used to," Leia agreed. "You'll be okay. You both will - he probably has some of the same gripes," she pointed out bluntly. "Ask him - but when you're both in a good mood, not when one of you is irritated about one of the idiosyncrasies."

Winter nodded firmly, standing up.

"That," she declared, "is a good plan and that is why you are the Princess," she drawled, stepping past the shoes she'd left on the floor and maneuvering around the table. Leia gave her a curious look, silently asking where she was going, and Winter answered, matter-of-fact: "I was serious about breaking out the wine - you sure you don't want any?"

Her voice faded as she went into the kitchen, and Leia frowned, tilting her head at the mushy, melted dessert. She was tempted, but shook her head all the same, declining when Winter came half-way back into the sitting room, one foot pointed backwards as if she might turn and go get another glass to go with her bottle.

"Best not," she decided, shrugging - she enjoyed wine, but found it easy to go without.

Winter nodded in understanding, and returned to take her seat, pulling a rubber cork from the already opened bottle. As she began to pour a generous glass for herself, she glanced over at Leia from the corner of her eye.

"Your turn," she decided, dismissing her issue for the time being - "Is it no wine because you suspect, or in general?" she asked.

Leia shrugged.

"Han and I are trying again," she murmured. "I just - don't have any interest in the risk," she explained. "It might seem pointless, since I'll know when I'm pregnant, but alcohol isn't exactly good for you - so the cleaner my lifestyle is," she trailed off, "better."

Winter nodded again.

"It wasn't anything to do with you, though," she pointed out.

"No," Leia agreed - without saying anything else.

Winter looked at her sympathetically, and raised her glass in a small toast before leaning back and taking a sip. She knew Leia had gone through a terrible time after that miscarriage, and she'd been there to comfort and distract as needed, though she was out of her element, and unable to understand what her best friend was suffering except in the most abstract of ways. Winter smiled a little, deciding she would stick with what she was best at - and that was not waxing philosophical regarding things she had never experienced, it was -

"Trying," she quoted, and gave Leia an intensely thoughtful look. "How do you have sex when you're trying to have a baby?"

Leia blinked a few times, baffled.

"Usually with Han's penis," she fired back, deadpan. "But sometimes, I just pray."

"Usually," Winter cackled, laughing in amusement. "No, no - I mean - you know, in what position, that kind of how."

Leia squinted at her, caught off guard by the turn the conversation had taken, and curious.

"Are you trying to get at some kind of point that I am not following?" she asked crisply. "You understand that doesn't affect conception, right? The position? My uterus is in the same place."

"Not physically, psychologically," Winter said solemnly. "I was thinking, would I really want my kid to be conceived while I was bent over...I don't know, say, the Dejarik table?"

"Well, now you're just trying to find out of I've been bent over the Dejarik table," Leia said sternly.

"You're free to tell me that if you want to," Winter said innocently, and then grinned, her brow wrinkling - "I think I've always thought of categories, like - there's just ways you don't do it; there's tasteful, conception sex - "

Leia started laughing.

"- and then there's -"

"Not conception sex?" Leia supplied, snorting.

Winter shrugged, a wide grin on her face.

"I know it sounds ridiculous," she protested. "I just wondered if there's a difference."

Leia shrugged, still amused.

"There's a difference, it feels different," she said frankly. "Not in that way. I don't - lie back and think of the, of the," she burst into giggles again, "of the dynasty," she laughed hoarsely, thinking of loveless, heir-driven royal marriages.

Winter gave her a mock-stern look.

"Suit yourself, Leia, but I would have some decency, if I were you, and have nice, proper, matronly sex - "

"You tell Han he can only have me on my back, then. He'll cry," Leia said bluntly.

She stirred her spoon, falling silent to eat a few more bites of frozen cream - and then smiled at Winter warmly, appreciative of the jesting. Winter gave her an understanding nod, sipping her wine breezily -

"I expect you to know, when it happens," she commanded, "and tell me exactly how you were taking it when he knocks you up."

"Winter," Leia growled, jutting her foot out to kick her.

Winter snickered.

"Hey, remember that Chandrilan girl at the Diplomatic Academy who thought you could get pregnant from swallowing?"

Leia tilted her head back, closing her eyes with a groan.

"Oh, Sureena," she sighed dramatically. "Well, sex education on Chandrila is not the best," she reminded Winter, and then clicked her tongue. "Do you know how many babies I'd have?" she asked, letting out her breath suggestively.

Winter arched her brows, whistling, and rested her elbow on the back of the sofa, tapping her finger on her glass.

"I'm just settling in here, and you and Han are thinking of moving," she murmured, diverting the conversation again.

"Likely," Leia murmured.

"And he's retiring," Winter added, almost to herself. She cocked her head again, and narrowed her eyes with interest. "Hey, what's going on with Luke's lady?" she asked. "I know you said you had a heart to heart with him about it back when you were," Winter faltered for a moment -

"When I was pregnant - it's okay, Winter," Leia said calmly. "I've been okay for a while now."

Winter nodded, and then shrugged.

"Yes, that," she said. "Is there any movement? Have you thought about meeting her?" she pressed.

Leia shrugged hesitantly, her eyes on Winter.

"She's still an Imperial," she said levelly. She paused for a moment, and then bit her lip, tilting her head. "Luke says he's going to introduce her to the Naberries. Han thinks I should go meet her then, on Naboo."

Winter lifted her chin.

"What's the biggest hurdle for you?" she asked, insightful. "I understand moral conflict but...given your capacity for perspective and understanding, it seems - ahh," Winter trailed off. "It seems much of your reluctance might be about...optics."

Leia looked at her frozen cream irritably, and then leaned forward to set it aside, her spoon spinning against the rim for a moment. She took a deep breath, deciding how she wanted to answer Winter's probing inquiry.

"Yes," she said finally, her tone clipped. "I am worried about the optics. And yes," she added, flicking her eyes back to Winter, away from the abandoned dessert. "I am aware of how selfish that is."

"As long as you're aware," Winter quipped.

Leia glared at her, and Winter shrugged unapologetically.

"We've always been honest with each other," she said simply.

Leia sighed, and nodded, tilting her head back - she knew that she needed to make moves on this, and truth be told, it nettled her a little that Luke felt he had to introduce his significant other to the Naberries first. She also understood her emotions were volatile and could be hurtful if she didn't address them, feel them, sort them, before taking certain steps.

"Unbelievable as it may seem, I'm worried about the optics for Luke's sake, too," she grumbled. "He was devastated by the vitriol after the Vader reveal," she pointed out.

"Hardened, too," Winter retorted fairly. She tapped her wine glass again. "Political optics are crucial. I know that. I understand that - we both do," she said, "and we orchestrate them frequently. But in this case," Winter shrugged. "Luke's not even in politics. He'll attract attention, perhaps, if people dig up the woman - what's her name?"

"Mara."

"Mara's background," Winter resumed, "and you'll get flak - but difficult as it was, the Vader backlash did not ultimately take you down. Your brother's girlfriend definitely won't."

"Former sith apprentice girlfriend," Leia said tightly. "It's more alarming in some respects than it sounds. Actually wielding the power of the Dark Side for years - "

Winter rolled her eyes a little, gritting her teeth.

"Leia, Crix Madine was a decorated Imperial officer. Can you imagine how shocked I was to find out he was a Rebel hero when I was rescued? When last I heard, he was leading the troops that massacred the entire population of Dentaal?"

She shrugged hard.

"I'll have your back in public in any situation, but in private, a friend is supposed to tell you when you're being unfair - I understand you're severe aversion to the Sith, and the Dark Side - but I think you've decided this Mara is a fair person to project all of your residual hatred and anger regarding Vader on to, since you can't do it to Luke, or the Naberries."

Winter arched an eyebrow.

"Han should probably have nudged you a bit harder about this, but he doesn't want to get booted out of your bed," she joked.

Leia sighed, her mouth shut tightly, contemplating, and Winter went on to finish her grand speech -

"At least, for once - who cares about the press? It's a romance scandal, those are harmless enough at the end of the day. If they even give a damn. Exercise the same lack of giving a shit that half of your male colleagues do - flaunting their mistresses and sex scandals and smugly suffering no repercussions."

Leia gave her a tired look.

"I don't have any interest in equality that way - if it means being afforded the same freedom to disrespect others that my male colleagues are given."

"That's very noble," Winter said. "But this is your brother."

Leia shot a look at her bowl of melted dessert, frowning.

"I do want Luke to be happy," she murmured sincerely. She whipped a glare at winter, asking facetiously: "Couldn't you have married him?"

"No," Winter retorted blithely. "He was absolutely terrible in bed."

Leia's eyes widened in abject alarm, and Winter threw back her head, laughing.

"I'm kidding - oh my - god, the look on your face - !"

Leia thrust her foot out to kick Winter again, relaxing, her face still pink. Winter, protecting her wine form Leia's foot, twisted away neatly and continued to laugh, sitting forward. Leia shook her head, lightly furious with Winter's teasing, and wrinkled her nose at the very thought, making a face. Her laughter easing, Winter shook her head, tucking her feet under her comfortably and fading into silence.

"What do you think, Leia?" she asked.

"I don't know," Leia said honestly. She hesitated, and then confessed: "If the military leadership organizes a gala for Han's retirement, I thought I'd ask Luke to bring her to that." She frowned, her lips puckering. "And then I thought it was the most aristocratic, unpalatable thought I'd ever had," she snorted - "That's so - Aunt Rouge of me, to suggest I can only sanction a relationship, or come to terms with it, at a formal recognizing of it an event."

"I see your thoughts there, but I think it's not necessarily a bad idea," Winter said honestly. "You have your optics and politics consideration, and your mind presented you with an aggressive solution to that - start by telling the political elite and the media you don't give a fuck, and you accept Mara, and work behind the scenes on your own truth."

Leia shrugged.

"Manipulative," she said slowly, but then cocked her head, "yet, in a way, that's how I came to terms with the fact that I do want a baby, fears and possibilities be damned," she reflected.

"When that guy said something about your spawn and breeding?"

Leia bristled, and Winter scowled, shaking her head, both of them livid at the accusation. Winter held her glass out.

"So? Use their gossip, pressures, and bullshit - harness it for yourself again."

"Maybe," Leia allowed. "Or, maybe it is a good idea to meet her at the Naberries.'"

Winter arched a brow.

"Don't let Luke drag Mara to a meeting of that many people," she said darkly.

Leia blinked - that was a good point, too. Leia herself had harbored wariness about that, and she was family. Winter smiled wryly.

"It's mild, isn't it? Meeting Luke's girlfriend. It's a mild think on your list of things to do - now, and things you've faced in the past."

Leia turned to her pensively, smiling after a moment.

"I like looking at it that way," she allowed softly - better, to remember that things could be worse; that right now, Luke was happy with someone, she had Han, nothing to worry about regarding her chances of motherhood - her best friend was as happy as she was, and the New Republic thrived.

Winter poured herself some more wine, and sat back heavily, a lazy grin spreading across her face. She fixed her vision on the holo for a moment, distracted by the scenes - it was still muted - and Leia watched her, and then sat forward to grabbed the bowl she'd abandoned, licking the spoon, and then setting it aside. The frozen cream was so melted, that it was like some sort of sugary soup, and she relaxed back on Winter's sofa to eat it as such.

Without looking at her, Winter cringed.

"Gross, Leia."

"Drink your wine."

"You're right, you are the weird one. Poor Han. How does he live with you?"

Leia stuck a purple-slush coated tongue out at Winter, and Winter raised her glass, a grin spreading over her face -

"Here's to our state of the union meetings - this one has addressed several points, and gone well," she decided solemnly.

"Here, here," Leia seconded.

She tilted her head back to watch the muted holo for a moment, her eyebrows going up at the somewhat scandalous scene that was beginning - it was, as always, and endless blessing that they still had these talks, still had this close female friendship to rely on, to give them strength - and more important than anything else, to make them laugh.


-alexandra