The Captain's face held a bemused expression at the unexpected sight; a sometimes haughty princess was furiously scrubbing and wedged half-way into the cold-storage unit of the galley.
"You're cleaning the 'fridge'?" he chuckled. "What brought on the sudden urge to do KP duty - you gotta be really bored, Sweetheart."
She straightened and paused her cleaning, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly with her back still towards him.
"I can think of a few activities that would be much more rewarding for both of us," he offered smoothly.
Turning to appraise Han with a raised eyebrow, the Princess decided to ignore his innuendo and instead moved towards the sink to wash her hands. She studied his long, lanky form while drying her hands on the worn towel; he was the picture of self-confidence, leaning casually against the threshold of the galley as he continued to leer at her from across the room.
"I'm sure you can, Captain," the Princess shot back tartly, determined that she had better come up with a comment, and fast, instead of trying to decide what color his eyes were - they seemed to change depending on his mood. "I'll do my best to come up with a meal for the crew to eat this evening, but what would be considered edible in here is pretty scarce."
Han was mildly chagrined at the formal title she addressed him with, considering the delectible kiss they had shared earlier. "Want some help in the galley? I've taken all of the griping I can for a while from Chewie - I accidently spaced his latest Lone Starhopper comic flimsie."
Leia couldn't help but giggle, envisioning a huge Wookiee pouring over a super hero flick. "He reads those things?"
"Yeah, but don't tell him, otherwise I can only imagine the payback i'll get," he drawled carelessly, approaching her sporting his trademark crooked grin and causing butterflies to flutter in her stomach. How does he do this to me?, she briefly pondered, trying to regain her usual frostiness. "You may find this hard to believe, but I do know my way around a kitchen. Do you like gnochini?" she stammered sideways at him, unwilling to meet his gaze.
"Was that also a part of Princess training, besides public speaking and learning how to handle a blaster?"
"You might say that. There was an extensive list of mandatory skills expected of females born into the Royal Houses of Alderaan. Fortunately, cooking was something that just came rather naturally to me, though now, being the 'Face of the Rebellion', I rarely have an opportunity for culinary adventures," Leia's voice trailed off, her cheeks coloring from his proximity.
"And a beautiful face it is," Han remarked with an emotion that surprised him. He took a calculated chance and tucked a few strands of hair that had made their way out of the princess' intricate plait behind her ear, supposing it was inexperience and shyness that caused her to avert her eyes. He brought Leia's chin upwards to admire her flushed face, briefly considering stealing a kiss, but his intentions faded away; judging by the redness rimming her eyes it was obvious she had been crying, and he knew it took a lot to upset the typically composed girl.
Han's throat tightened a bit, half-dreading to discover the reason for her unhappiness. "What's going on, Sweetheart?" Kreth – is she going to say our kiss was a mistake?
The captain was not a particularly patient man, and he tried his best to keep himself in check, waiting for whatever her response might be, but the seconds seemed like hours and he faltered, pressing her for an answer. "Leia?" he whispered with a gentle voice.
She looked up at Han with an expression of vulnerability and confusion; unsure if she was ready to tell him about the clandestine meeting between many of the Alliance's leadership. That would open up a conversation she was not ready or willing to face yet...
Han still had no clue as to what had upset the Princess, but he found himself almost driven to comfort her, and this was best way he knew how - his fingers stroking her delicate cheekbone before encircling her in a warm embrace. Leia felt perfect in his arms, as if they had been specifically formed to fit into each other's bodies like a puzzle. With her soft curves melding against him, Han couldn't resist ghosting his lips against her porcelain skin, lips migrating across towards hers.
Their first kiss had been all about breaching the walls of the princess' self-imposed emotional isolation, and she had responded just as he had fantasized she would. But now, Han craved more, placing a palm on the nape of Leia's neck as the other curled around her tiny waist, pulling her closer. Barely touching his lips to hers, Han deepened the kiss, Leia willingly accepting his exploring tongue with a soft moan of delight. Han's libido soared at her innocent receptivity, his desire igniting as he pressed himself against her.
Leia was the first to pull away, gasping for air but remaining in his arms, deciding to bury her face in the security of his chest. She was shocked at how safe she felt in his arms...
Han silently berated himself for his lack of self control; he should be focused on finding out what was bothering the Princess, not making a pass at her. "What's wrong, Leia. What'd I do this time?" Han whispered carefully into her hair, trying to coax the words out of her.
"Surprisingly, nothing," Leia mumbled with a tiny grin, still feeling like she was standing on unsteady ground, dismayed at how fast the defensive walls she had hid behind were crumbling under Han's caresses.
"Well, that's a first," Han teased into the crown of her head, resting his cheek against her silky braids.
Her mind was a jumble of emotions, and all Leia could manage to croak was, "I'm upset, confused…hurt."
Han tried to decipher her fragmented admission, slowly repeating the last part in his mind while imagining several possibilities for the cause of the Princess' tears: missing her family, the loss of Alderaan, nightmares about her torture on the Death Star, the stresses brought on by war…there were plenty to choose from.
Without another thought Han tugged her toward the corner booth, pulling her onto his lap and praying she wouldn't reject his bold action. "C'mon Leia - let me in; I don't bite...much," he joked, though his voice was hypnotically persuasive, combined with his hands which were now rubbing her back in slow circles.
After a few moments, Leia raised her head, that was buried in the crook of his neck, meeting Han's gaze with veiled surprise. The once-mercenary, who could be so brash at times, was displaying a level of tenderness she had never seen before. She hesitated then took a short breath, trying to formulate the best explanation of the personal bombshell she had overheard. "Something happened before we evacuated Hoth."
Before the Princess could continue, Han rashly jumped to jealous conclusions. "Was it that asshole McKaren again? What'd he say this time? Did he try to make another pass at you?" He sputtered in irritation, subconsciously tightening his grip on her.
His slight outburst was a welcome distraction, and it brought a tiny bemused grin to her lips. "No. I think it's safe to say McKaren will never bother me again, thanks to you. You certainly have a way with people, Flyboy."
"It is one of my many talents, Sweetheart," he offered with a crooked grin.
She rested her head against his chest once again while recalling the holovid-worthy event back on Hoth that obviously involved his fists. Leia had reluctantly attended one of the Rogue squadron's morale boosting events, which always consisted of intoxicants, a wide variety of music and drunken men in search of female company.
Ty McKaren - a relatively new recruit - had become a little too 'friendly', invading her personal space and making some highly inappropriate suggestions which she politely, but promptly rebuffed. Upset at his lack of progress, McKaren became insulting and belligerent, leaving a typically stoic Princess in tears and one pissed off smuggler in the foreground observing the whole exchange.
Han had promptly escorted Leia back to her quarters and stayed there with some trumped-up excuse, until she finally drifted off to sleep. On her way through the corridors the following morning in search of Han to express her appreciation, she had been first greeted by a nervous Ty McKaren. He had been sporting two black eyes and what looked like a broken nose, apologizing profusely for his poor behavior from the night before.
When she had finally located Han, she couldn't help but notice the knuckles on his right hand were swollen and tightly wrapped, the other sporting a few new cuts and abrasions.
Han never said a word, and Leia didn't have to ask who got in the way of his fists. He's always protecting me…
"Well, if it wasn't McKaren, then," his voice trailed off, hoping she would fill in the blanks.
Leia began with a disappointed sigh. "It's Mon Mothma and General Dodonna. I overheard some of their...aspirations... for me." Before she could elaborate further, a large Wookiee burst into the galley- tired, hungry and very surprised to see the Princess sitting on the captain's lap.