Chapter 4 - We Went Streaking in the Park
"Well, now I know why the curtains got all kriffed up," Leia said, stretching a little.
"You doing okay? You need to take a break?" Luke asked.
"Do you need to take a break?"
"No, no, I'm fine. I just thought—"
Leia gave him a sideways glance. "Luke. If you don't want to see the rest of the evening, just tell me. I'll get it out of Chewie eventually."
"What? No, I'm fine."
"You're nervous."
"Why would I be nervous?"
"I don't know. There something you don't want me to see?" she questioned.
Luke sat up a little straighter. "I'm fine. Let's do this."
Either the Rogues are really persuasive or…
Or you were amazingly drunk and everything they suggested sounded like a good idea?
Maybe.
Or maybe you just wanted to see—
Shut up, Leia.
"Leia! Come on! Let's go!"
Leia heard Tycho and Hobbie calling her from down the hall. Shara and Kes were turning in for the night, and Leia had just finished getting them settled in the nursery. When she slowed down, she realized how drunk she'd actually been when they'd swung across the room. She wasn't ready for the night to be over, but she figured she'd better go back to dancing or switch to water for awhile. Or both.
"Leiiiiiiaaaaa!" That voice was Luke's. She smiled to herself. Shara had pointed out earlier that she seemed to be Leia's only close female friend; otherwise, Leia was surrounded by men. "That's because she's one of the boys," Kes had said.
"Or because they're all secretly in love with her," Shara had suggested.
Kes had laughed. "It can't be both?"
Janson appeared in the hallway and spotted Leia. "I found her!" he called to the others.
Luke and the Rogues raced down the hallway and enveloped Leia in their cluster. "You're here!" Luke exclaimed. "We've been trying to find you. We didn't want to leave without you." He still sounded pretty drunk himself.
Leia laughed as they brought her along, but she was confused. "Leave? Where are we going?" she asked, as they neared the front door.
"We're going streaking in the park," Luke said in a stage whisper.
Leia stopped suddenly, and her face fell. "I can't do that. I can't go streaking," she said, almost sadly. "The Minister of State cannot go streaking." She looked pretty close to sober, for a minute.
Then Han was there, his arm around her. "Kinda defeats the purpose of Ord Mantell rules, kid," he said to Luke, giving Leia a little squeeze.
Luke's mouth made a little "o" as he realized what Leia was saying. "Oh. I'm sorry, Leia. We'll – we'll do something else. We don't have to go."
She smiled at her brother: so sweet, so often serious, finally letting go and being a little reckless for a change. "No," she said firmly. "You should go. Have fun."
Luke looked at her. "You sure?"
Leia gave him a little push. "Go. But don't stay out too long, or…." She looked up at Han and smiled mischievously. "Or you won't have a chance to get a birthday kiss from Han," she said. She felt Han chuckling.
Luke looked a little dazed at that suggestion, but he let Wedge and Hobbie drag him out the door, the rest of the Rogues howling as they followed.
Han pulled Leia closer as they watched them go. He observed her face for a minute. "What's in your head, birthday girl?"
"Nothing."
He looked at her. "You have serious Leia face. 'S not nothing. C'mon, what's up?"
She looked down at the floor. "It's dumb."
He waited.
"I'm a little jealous," she admitted softly.
"You want to get naked in the park?"
"Not really," she said, "it's just...I don't know."
"It's not about all the kissing, is it? Because if you're lookin' to suck face with half the pilots from the Rebellion too, I might have to get a little jealous."
That got a little bit of a laugh from Leia, but she didn't say anything right away. "I just feel so….old," she said, finally.
Han smiled. "At the ripe old age of twenty-five," he sighed, holding her tighter. He kissed her and led her back to the living room. "You know," he said, purring in her ear, "if you really want to get naked, I'm sure we can find some surface in this apartment we haven't christened yet…."
[That's unlikely,] Chewie roared behind them. Damned Wookiee hearing.
"Sorry, Pal." Han laughed a little, but he seemed to think of an idea. He waved Leia toward the kitchen. "Go get some water. I'm going to get Chewie to help me with something for a minute."
Wait, are we going to see any of the actual streaking?
Oh, so now who's the one who wants to see—
Shut up, Luke.
Leia was surprised to find Lando in the kitchen. "You didn't go with them?"
Lando smiled, shaking his head. "Streaking's not really my style," he said. "Besides, I don't want my bare ass on the holonet any more than you do, Madame Minister." He held up a bottle. "You need another drink?"
She held up her water glass in answer. "Think I need to take a break. Your drinks are a little potent." She sat down at the counter next to him.
"So, having a good birthday, Leia?"
"Not bad," she replied, taking a sip of water.
"Hmm," Lando mused, his eyebrow raised. "I think we can do a little better than 'not bad' for you." The ice in his glass clinked softly. "You know what you need? You need to do something a little wild. But something that won't break your neck or invalidate your security clearance."
"And I suppose you have a suggestion?"
"I suspect Han has come up with something already," he said with a sly smile, "but we should come up with something else. For when your Rogue boyfriends get back."
Leia laughed. "Lando, are you jealous of my supposed boyfriends?"
"Them? No. Your actual boyfriend….a little," he flirted, playing with her hand on the counter.
She shook her head, amused. "I forgot how charming you can be. No wonder my brother spent so much time with you this evening."
"I made it worth his while," Lando shrugged. Leia rolled her eyes, but she was already thinking about his suggestion. Something wild that she could do in the apartment? Hmm….
Han's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Sweetheart," he said, "can I show you something?"
Han led her onto the balcony just off their bedroom, and Leia gasped. A tentlike structure had been built over the railing of the balcony, and draped over the structure was some sort of filmy, clear material, like a cross between voile fabric and transparisteel. The balcony space was covered, but still maintained the effect of being in the open air.
"What is it?" Leia asked, looking up with wonder.
Han grinned. "A shielding material," he said. "Blocks sensors – and holocameras. In case you'd be interested in a little open air –"
Leia attacked him.
Leia, this is why we do shielding. I do not need to see this part.
That's all right. I actually remembered this; I just forgot that it was on the balcony. I'll come back and relive it later.
Argh, thanks for that.
I had to watch you make out with all of our friends. You're welcome.
Given the level of noise, there was no question about when Luke and the Rogues had returned, so Han and Leia had time to come back into the bedroom and start collecting their clothes. However, they weren't expecting the group to burst through their bedroom door a minute later. They quickly dove into the closet, prompting a giggling fit from the Princess as she and Han fell to the floor and brought half a rack of clothes with them.
They heard voices outside. "What are you guys doing?" Hobbie was saying.
Lando was obviously trying to help. "What the hell do you think they were doing? Get out of there!"
Luke was banging on the closet door. "Leiaaaa, I know you're in there, I can hear you laughing. We're baaack!" Han looked like he was about to yell, but all of a sudden they heard Luke say, "Oh. Ohhhhh. Sorry, we're leaving now!" and then heard the rumble of feet and the slam of the bedroom door as they left.
Han looked at Leia. She was lying on her side, still naked, a smug look on her face.
"Did you do something?"
"I sent Luke a message through the Force. I told him that we were busy, and that if he ever wanted to have the experience of getting a kiss from you, he needed to get them the hell out of there immediately."
Han grinned crookedly. "You used me as a bargaining chip?"
She tilted her head a little at him. "I'm sorry. Do you mind?"
"Not really," he said, pulling her to him. "But it does seem a little unfair. To you." He kissed her tenderly. "I was holding off on the birthday kiss thing with Luke. Wasn't sure how you would feel about it." They kissed again, a little more fervent this time.
"Mmm," moaned Leia. "As long as I'm the only one you kiss like this…" she said, as he kissed down her body….
Leia! Shielding!
Sorry, I was enjoying that.
Yeah, we heard.
You what?
Don't worry, Chewie turned up the music before most of us figured it out.
When Leia and Han returned to the living room, the group had switched to whiskey, and Lando was dealing a hand of sabacc.
"What happened to your dress?" asked Luke. Leia had traded her satin party dress for a t-shirt of Han's, a vest, and a pair of trousers. Her hair was a little messier than before, probably from her tumble in the closet with Han.
She was nonchalant. "I had an idea," she said. "Wanted to be properly attired." Han gave her a funny look. Obviously she hadn't let him in on this idea, whatever it was.
After five hands and a fair amount of whiskey, it was Leia's turn to call the game.
She threw a look at Lando before she dealt. "Okay, boys," she said. "The game is strip sabacc."
